When you hear the term “green living”, you may get an image in your head of long haired hippies wearing tie-dyes, showering the air with love and poetic justice, and living in communes making everything they use. Truth is: the definition of green living has changed. The concept simply includes setting your hands to do things that help the environment be viable for future generations. If you don’t feel like shedding your worldly possessions and living in a mud hut, here are a few steps you can take that will make your life a little greener.

First you can start off by buying local organic products. Organic farmers not only use little to no chemicals, they also take steps to reduce water and soil degradation, along with other problems caused by traditional agriculture. Veggies from groceries stores have usually been shipped a long way, which causes environmental pollution. Buy your produce from a local farmer’s market or Co-op. Can’t find one? Got a green thumb? Start your own organic garden and invite your little ones to help. My 11 year old daughter Jocelyn loves helping me plant tomatoes and cucumbers. Besides, I love the opportunity to cultivate a little green into my children’s life and into the future to come.

Next, use natural products. Household products that don’t contain chemicals are not only better for the environment; they’re safer for your family as well. You can make various cleaning products from something as simple as vinegar, which can be found in your kitchen. If you don’t have the time, there are products you can buy. I'm a big fan of GETCLEAN and I use it faithfully. But if your family is on a tight budget and you want the green clean, try Simple Green. No matter what you try or use, just make sure they’re all natural and don’t just have a few natural ingredients. Really read the labels.

Reduce. We’ve all heard the spiel about reduce, reuse, recycle; however, most of us focus is on recycling and completely ignores the reducing. Try to use products that don’t end up in landfills like cloth diapers instead of disposables or regular towels instead of paper ones. Another cool idea is to buy concentrated products because they come in smaller packages and they last a world of a lot longer.

Reuse. Many people have gotten in the habit of sending their recyclables away in the bins, but there’s more supply than demand in the recycling market. That’s why it’s also important to reuse items if you can. Before you throw something in the recycling bin, consider whether you could reuse it for something else. For example: When I've finished off my fat free mayo. I save the glass jar and lid so that I can reuse them later for pickling cucumbers or making homemade jam.

Recycle. We should all have a recycle bin in our homes, but you can do stuff to recycle on your own. Instead of using potting soil in your garden, set up a compost pile and make your own rich soils or as I call it - black gold. You can also use products like shredded plastic bags to mulch your garden. If you get creative, there’s lots of recycling you can do on your own.

Conserve Energy. There are so many things you can do to save energy. The big plus on this is that it also saves you money. One of the first things I did was switch to low energy light bulbs. This literally cut my electric bill down by 60%. You could also take more drastic renovation steps by getting new energy efficient windows or installing solar panels. If you want to know more about updating your home to make it more energy efficient or green try reading "Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House". Knowledge is power you know. You can also check out "The Knowledge Corner" to the right.

You can take other small steps like setting the thermostat a few degrees lower. That can make a big difference. A big way to conserve energy is to get a more fuel efficient car instead of driving that big honking SUV with a V8 engine or get rid of your car altogether. Better yet, try using the city bus or walking. If you don’t need a big SUV, then don’t get one. You’ll be doing the environment a big favor.

Teach your children. You might not be able to change the world on your own, but you can start a trend by teaching others to be more environmentally friendly, starting with your kids. Make sure your children know what steps you take to improve the environment and why YOU DO IT.