My version of the perfect Mother’s Day doesn’t involve fancy dinners, chocolates or extravagant gifts. It’s sleeping late, not cooking a single meal (or doing the dishes), and celebrating the original mother, Mother Earth, by spending the day outside in the garden.

Misspelled cards and Picasso-esque drawings from my kids over the years will always have a special place in my heart, but as my girls are now in their teens (please pray for me, or at the very least send wine), the gift of spending time with them is just as precious. While not as Earthy-Crunchy as I am, at least not yet, my girls have definitely embraced some of my eco-friendly ways and joined me on my journey.

I’ve become a newly self-proclaimed minimalist, I have a new kitchen goal, and I’m no longer driving a hybrid. Is your interest piqued? Well, you’ll have to keep watching as I’ll get to those stories in future articles, but for now let me present my gift from one mom to another.

Let yourself be a bit selfish this Mother’s Day. We’ve earned it, ladies, and we keep earning it every day whether you’re changing diapers, need your own diaper changed, or you’re somewhere in between. I’ll admit there are some pretty terrific store-bought gifts out there, but if you’re a regular reader of mine then you shouldn’t be surprised that I’m giving you my TOP 10 FREE things you can do right now to save money and save Mama Earth.

1 – Next to my kitchen sink is a pitcher. Don’t go out and buy one. Trust me, you’ve got something right now that’s collecting dust and will work perfectly. A big glass, a vase, a water pitcher, a bowl your kids made you for a past Mother’s Day, or even that goldfish bowl you bought even though the poor guy only made it two days. Really anything that will hold water. Throughout the day there’s so much extra water I never use. The water my kids didn’t drink, water left in a measuring cup or pot, or even ice that fell on the floor. Instead of pouring it down the drain, I dump it in my pitcher and when it’s full I use it to water my plants. Save money on your water bill and don’t let perfectly good water go to waste.

2 – Become that weird person who demands everyone take their shoes off at the front door. I swear every time someone asked me to do it I’d roll my eyes (behind their back. I’m not that rude) while taking off my shoes. Yep, now you can roll your eyes at me. Not tracking dirt and debris into the house helps reduce indoor toxins and keeps your floors cleaner. Between my two kids, my two dogs and my hubby, there’s a lot of outdoors that ends up indoors. I used to go through vacuum bags like potato chips at a Grateful Dead concert, so this one’s a no-brainer. Less dirt, less vacuuming, less money spent. Win, win, win.

3 – Join me in My Year of Clear. Confused? That’s what I called it when I woke up and decided to keep only the things I love, use or are sentimental. Everything else goes. Not to the landfill of course. Don’t be ridiculous. All that stuff you’re saving “just in case?” Let me be your blunt friend. I know you have the best intentions, but you’re never going to use it. If you haven’t touched it in a year, you probably don’t need it. Sell it on eBay, Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace and make a few bucks, or donate it to a local thrift store that supports a nonprofit. Your trash really can become someone else’s treasure, and you’ll have a little extra room to dance around your newly decluttered house.

4 – Did you know your clothes get just as clean using cold water? Yep. You’ll save money on your energy bill, your clothes will stay looking newer longer and you’ll help the planet. BAM. All in one. And if you want to take it one eco-step further, check out THIS ARTICLE and see how I ditched laundry detergent and now my clothes (and my washer and dryer) have never smelled better.

5 – This Mother’s Day I’ve set a huge personal goal for myself. Read one book a week. If you’re a reader like me, there’s no way I’m buying all those books to read once and then stick on a shelf like some strange literary trophy. My local library always has enough to keep me entertained, and they even print on the receipt how much money you’ve saved by borrowing instead of buying.

6 – “Turn the goddamn lights off!” Ahhhh…this brings me back. If I had a dollar for every time my dad yelled that at me, I could probably buy a small island. Like Staten Island. Turning off the lights inside the house is easy enough, but it seems like some of my neighbors grew up in a very different household because they leave their outside lights on all night. Now far be it from me to judge. If you’re one of them, I totally get it. (Nope…I’m silently judging you.) If you feel like you need to leave them on, at least invest in a timer. It’ll save energy and money. Unless, of course, you own the electric company. Then I guess carry on.

7 – Did you know you can turn the heat off in your dishwasher? Many even have an air-dry option that lets your dishes dry naturally. I always run mine at night, so if they take a little longer to dry it doesn’t matter.

8 – I have a neighbor I absolutely adore, but he’s a neat freak. Every Saturday he unrolls his garden hose and washes his driveway. Especially in the spring. If he grabbed a broom instead, he’d finish faster, save money on his water bill and conserve the wet stuff. (Note to self: Send sidewalk chalk to his kids and tell them to draw Mom a Happy Mother’s Day message on the driveway.)

9 – Saving water is probably the easiest thing you can do right now to help both your wallet and the planet. Take a shower instead of a bath. Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth or washing dishes. And always try to shower with a buddy. (In my case, my hubby.) And remember…a Retriever can be Golden, a Willy Wonka ticket can be Golden, and Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia should always be Golden. But I’d recommend keeping the Golden out of your shower for two.

10 – If you’re not using rooms in your house, close the heating and cooling vents to help reduce your energy costs and improve efficiency.

So to all the mothers, grandmothers and hard-working ladies out there, enjoy your day. Do something nice for yourself and for the Earth. Check back often for more helpful ideas and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.

That’s it for me today. I’m off to do some gardening and maybe, if my hubby plays his cards right, there’ll be a shower for two in his future.

The post Make it a MOM-entous day appeared first on Living Clean and Dirty.

But…there’s one song that always makes me sing along (out of key) and get up and move (usually like Carlton from the Fresh Prince). We always called it “The September Song”.

Do you remember, 21st night of September?

Love was changing the mind of pretenders

While chasing the clouds away

 That’s right, my go-to jam (which no wedding is complete without) is September by Earth Wind and Fire. Sure, it’s not Piano Man or Captain Jack, but I might just love it the most.  September was always my favorite month for a number of reasons. It was my birthday month (where my Libras at?!), all my TV shows came back, school started up again (super-nerd), and fall clothes shopping was the highlight of the year for me. I always hated the heat, never worshipped the sun, and my Sassoon jeans and Benetton sweater collection was on point.

But now that I’m older, I’ve cut the cable-cord and watch Netflix and Hulu whenever I want, school shopping has become dragging 2 complaining kids from store to store, and September is the dreaded month where my heating bills may start up again.  In short, September has lost some of its luster for me.

So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite month…April. Why April?  Is it the sunshine? Seasonal allergies? Start of baseball season?

Nope! It’s Earth Month.

Come on, how long have you all been reading my blog?  You knew Earth Day was coming at some point!

So as you may already know, Earth Day is April 22^nd, but thankfully with all the renewed interest in climate change one day has turned into a MONTH-LONG quest to kick people in the ass to make changes to help heal Mother Earth.

Earth Day in my house is a huge deal all year round, but in April we go BIG.

• One year was putting 47 glorious, heat loving, solar panels on our roof.
• Another year, I said goodbye to my gas guzzling SUV and got a hybrid (twice).
• Another year was the birth of my raised organic food garden.
• Another year we got a rain barrel.

Sure, radical BIG changes are great, but lots of little changes are great too. One person putting solar panels on their roof is certainly awesome, but thousands of people turning off the lights when they leave a room can have an even bigger impact. One thing I’ve always taught my girls is sometimes a little bit of effort can do more than spending a lot of money.  Little changes can make a big impact when we all work together.

So this April, I’m posting super short Facebook and Instagram videos (no singing, I promise) each day giving you ideas on how you can SAVE MONEY while SAVING THE PLANET. I tend to be a little wordy, so these are short enough to watch while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew.

Make sure you stop by each day this month for your daily tip and later this month learn what I’m doing for Mother Earth this year (hint: it’s HUGE!!)

So while I still love me some Earth, Wind and Fire…right now it’s just about the Earth. My gift to you is a month of tips to help the Earth and to help yourself. And maybe you won’t remember the 21^st night of September, but it’s my job to make damn sure you remember the 22^nd day of April.

The post Goodbye September…Helloooooo April! appeared first on Living Clean and Dirty.