HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  

Today is the day our second baby, Emma, was born. She is such a joy to us, always ready to help out her sisters, her dad or me. She is very loving and feels everything straight to the heart, our Emma. She loves to ride her bike, and today she is getting a brand new one! I know she will be soo surprised and will want to ride it right away. Here is our beautiful little girl!

But the rain came back this week, and its wet and cold out, so she may not get the chance. Im hoping it wont be raining when she opens her presents. Were hoping it holds off until  everyone arrives safe and sound for and after dinner and cake. She has both sets of grandparents coming, and her aunt and uncles will be here too. She requested chicken enchiladas for her birthday dinner, so I thought I would share the recipe with all of you, in another post tonight or tomorrow.

Today is also Earth day. How are you celebrating it?

Here are a few ideas for taking care of our Mother Earth. 

*recycle anything and everything you can
*create a compost bin for paper scraps and combine with wood shavings, grass clippings, dead flowers and left over fruit and veggie peels and cores, and egg shells. A big wood crate or plastic trash can works fine, or you can even just make a pile; place in a sunny place, wet down and turn once in a while. Use it to fertilize your gardens.
*Speaking of gardens, plant one. Trees and flowers go a log way to helping the earth shed nasty air and replace it with clean, healthy air. Use an irrigation water system to cut down on water use and waste, and plant only what grows in your climate.
*Check for leaks in pipes and replace drippy hoses.
*Purchase a low flow shower head, and conserve 50-70 percent of water  use a bucket in the shower to catch extra water, and use to water your garden, bath the dog, even heat to wash the dishes
*use big trash cans to catch rain water, and use to water your garden.
*walk wherever you can.
*use reusable shopping bags. Keep a couple rolled up in the car or in your purse so you remember to bring them.
*use tap water instead of buying multiple plastic bottles, and fill reusable containers
*line dry your clothes, when you can, and when using the dryer do as many loads as possible, back to back. The dryer works more efficiently the more it is used in a row. Dry lightweight clothing, then do towels and jeans, coats and heavy sweaters. The dryer retains its heat and doesnt have to start from scratch heating.
*wash full loads of laundry and dishes in the dishwasher only.
*use green cleaning products or make your own, so less chemicals reach landfills, and ultimately our earth.
*buy things in the largest packages possible, to avoid waste
*buy fresh, locally grown produce, that is in season
*replace regular light bulbs with cfls. the initial cost is more, but you save more in the long run, not to mention you  use 70% less power, and less light bulbs wind up in the landfills.
*to save even more electricity, unplug appliances that arent in use, they still use energy. Use curtains and shades to block out the heat on hot sunny days, and the cold on cold dreary days. Keep your air at 85, and your heater at 60.

The biggest thing we can do, is to spread the word. Tell everyone you know about the benefits of recycling, using cfls, walking and low flow shower heads, anything you can think of. If we all just do our parts, there will be less waste, cleaner air and more natural resources to enjoy as the years come and go.

A couple books for Earth Day to enjoy with your kids: