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   Ok folks, I don’t think I’ll be installing solar panels anytime soon. They are just too expensive. So here’s a great list of real things you can do that will actually make an impact on the trail your family leaves behind on the planet and save some green to boot.

   Let’s think in terms of what a family uses alot of.

1. Grocery bags – Get reusable ones. Let the kids carry them into the store.

2. CFL bulbs – I don’t know about you but someone small is always leaving a light on at my house. Big culprits? Closets, bathrooms, garage, laundry room.

3. Buy biodegradable trash bags – Hopefully at least the bag will degrade so that what I put in it can break down too.

4. Recycle – Free, easy, and definitely makes an impact.

5. Laundry detergent- I do way more laundry now that I have two little ones. Get yourself something eco friendly. Your local water supply will thank you.

6. Dishwasher gel / powder – Ditto from number 5.

7. Compost- I cook more often and in particular, I fix alot more fresh stuff. Stop putting the peelings in the trash. Get a small bucket to collect your food scraps in. Let one of your kids haul it outside and put it in the compost  pile.

8. Commit to a “no-waste” lunchbox. 5 lunches per week X (Number of children living at your house) X (Number of weeks per year your children are off to daycare/preschool/school X (Number of bags used per lunch, usually 1 or 2) = OUCH! This one really adds up. Put the chips in a resealable plastic container. Get a reusable drink container for juice / water, etc..

9. Stop buying “snack packs” to pack for lunches or to give kids after school.Who are we kidding? It’s alot of waste for 30 seconds of convenience. Buy a bigger size and scale it down yourself in a reusable container. You’ll save alot of money here too.

10. Low-flow Toilets- With potty training and more people in general using our potty now, we flush way more than before. Especially when you consider that a potty training child (or even one way younger than that) is totally mesmerized by the swirl created by a toilet flush! Replace old toilets with low-flow toilets that use less gallons of water per flush.

11. Low-flow shower heads – If you have teenagers, get low flow shower heads too!

12. Low-flow faucet aerators – This is the little screen on your faucet. It adds air into the water by blocking some of the open space where water comes out. Great for families where they just won’t turn off the water while brushing teeth / shaving / washing hands.

13. Give your cast-offs to charity or Goodwill. – Consumerism is alive and well in America. Most American families probably have more than entire villages of people in developing countries. And let’s not forget how quickly kids grow out of their clothes and toys! Don’t throw the leftovers in the trash. Find a home for it. Many charities will even pick-up your items at your house, if you call them.

14. Recycle the odd-ball stuff.Yes, the main contribution here is time. Recycle your old cell phones, computers, leftover paint, old computers, printer cartridges, helium tanks from birthday parties, cordless phone batteries, CFL bulbs (they have some mercury in them), etc., etc., etc.. Even Crocs (yes, the shoes) can be recycled now.

15. Choose your plates carefully. Use real plates at home whenever possible. A plain paper towel works great to hold a sandwich instead of a paper plate. A paper plate is more biodegradable than a plastic one. A real cup or paper one is more biodegradable than a plastic one.

16. Get a filtering water pitcher for the fridge instead of buying plastic water bottles. You could also use a water delivery service, if you just have to have bottled water taste.

17. Use your local farmer’s market more often.Here in Charlotte, NC we have several farmer’s markets that are open during the week, not just on the weekends. Find out what markets there are in your town where you can buy local. This saves the gas from growing point to final destination, which can easily be from Chile or Brazil or even Thailand! Let’s face it – kids eat alot and often, so that’s a lot of gas saved in a year.

What do you use alot of at your house? Leave a comment to this blog post and let me know.

   You have to have a lot of guts to totally redesign your life. Fellas, imagine this. I want you to decide to quit your job or totally change jobs somewhere between 1 month and the next 6 months? That is the reality that hits a lot of new moms. Sometimes after the birth of their child, a woman just decides that there is no way that she could imagine totally leaving that helpless newborn in the care of some complete stranger for 40 hours per week (plus commute time). Blame it on survival of the species. We just aren’t meant to leave a baby alone. (Let’s see you leave your new babe on your front lawn for the next 8 hours. Bet you couldn’t do it.)

   The hormone surge that ensues after leaving a child initially equates to feeling like someone is playing ping-pong with your mental capacity for the day. Crying is common. Calling the childcare provider, whoever it is, 5 times per day becomes an instant obsessive-compulsive disorder. Who are we kidding? The first few weeks back at work are useless. We are definitely not thinking about work. Productivity drops to about 20% of our norm.

   So, what is a mom to do?

1. Go back to work anyway – full-tilt, regular schedule. Ignore the hormones and have bouts of guilt from time to time. “Am I working too much and taking too much time away from my child? “I’m missing their childhood.” “I want to be involved more.”  These thoughts can lead some ladies to number 2.
2. Get more flexible with work.  Many moms find themselves standing up for what they need from their job environment for the first time in their adult careers and perhaps in their adult life. Suddenly, asking to work part-time doesn’t seem crazy. Cutting back expenses to make it happen seems doable. Perhaps telecommuting from home is an option. Changing companies to a workplace that is more flexible makes some moms happier with their work / life balance. For some, they choose option number 3.
3. Change careers. Yes, even after a long time on the job, you may suddenly decide that the 60 hour weeks that are typical in your industry are just no longer appealing or doable. It’s time for a career change. Or maybe, you go on to option number 4.
4. Become a mompreneur. What is that? A women with a child (or children) that decides to start her own business to earn a living. Many of these businesses are extremely flexible in days and hours. You can set your own schedule. You can take off a day from work without asking if the kids are sick. You can go to soccer clinics, t-ball games and swim practice. You can fit your work in around your life, instead of the other way around. This option is not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach. Start-up companies are tough. Ask anyone who has tried it. It takes innovation, creativity, and thinking outside the box. You set the rules and the goals. But therein lies the problem, because you are setting the rules and the goals, that can also be your downfall. You’ll have to learn to be focused. Very focused. It can be a wonderful mission for those who choose to accept it or it can make you think that you’ll go bald from the stress of it. It can be hard to be ladylike and bald, you know.

   Let’s face it, sometimes women do not always ask for what they need out of life, work, or relationships. Becoming a mom can absolutely change that. A book I read recently titled, Secrets of Six-Figure Women by Barbara Stanny really hammers this home in an amazing way. (I highly recommend this book for all women especially if right now you make less than $30,000 per year.)

   Sit down with a pen and paper and figure out what life you want for your family and you. What situation is truly going to make you happy? At the end of the day, what are your goals for re-designing your work life? More time at home? More flexibility? More money? Same money, less hours? Less commuting? More self-satisfaction? Now then, do some brainstorming and figure out the path to get you there. The path is there you just have to find it. And guess what, there are alot of other moms out there just like you trying to do the same thing!

   Post a comment and tell us what type of work arrangement you currently have. Share your work story!