Dummies Do Earth Day *Updated

I have to admit, I am only recently getting serious about changing my life to help the environment.

I used to think the fact that I don't litter proof that I was environmentally conscious.

Now, don't get crazy, I'm not sitting over here in an electric free home, wearing tires on my feet, and biking the kids to school.

I still leave my computer on all day (I know, bad, but at least I turn it off at night now), I still like to rock a good pair of Manolo's (ok, who am I kidding, I totally love my Sketchers and have never owned a pair of Manolo's; actually had to Google it to figure out how to spell it), and I drive an SUV (it's not a Suburban or anything, but it still seats 8).

But, I do try to make an effort to do what I can to leave less of a footprint on our environment. I have incorporated little things into our lives that allow us to use less and reuse more. I'm a going-green-should-be-easy kinda girl, and our family has made minor changes in order to live a more environmentally responsible lifestyle.

I'd call myself environmentally aware.

You'd better believe that before I chuck an aluminum can outta my car window, I'm gonna think about the impact it will have on the ozone.

Just kidding! Relax, I NEVER litter; NEVER.

I let #2 pee in the parking lot at Walmart, but I NEVER throw trash on the ground.

Anyway. In my effort to stop the cycle of dumbness, I am talking to the dudes about Earth Day (which is today for all of you oil guzzling, Aquanet wearing people who haven't heard).

The school did a pretty good job going over all of the finer points, and since we don't do crafts, we have decided that we are going to celebrate the Dummies way: by watching a movie (plus I'm gonna make them help me with planting our pesticide free garden this weekend).

So, here are the five environmentally inspiring films that I gave the dudes to chose from. They are all family friendly, and pretty freakin' good, too.

1. WALL-E. This one is great to celebrate Earth Day because it makes our additive consumerism, wastefulness, and environmental degradation look so obviously ridiculous and self destructive. But, it is also a touching story that makes you long for a true love like the one WALL-E found in EVE. The dudes love this one, and I was proud of their ability to see the significance in the message the movie was attempting to convey.

2. March of the Penguins. A touching story about love, penguin love. It discusses how Emperor Penguins meet, mate, and wait for the birth of their little chicks. I find this species pretty awesome for the fact that the fathers are forced to tend to the eggs before they hatch. They also spend a great deal of time shuttling back and forth with the moms to tend to the little buggers once they are born. If human dads worked this hard... Oh, and it's narrated by Morgan Freeman who adds a level of awesomeness to the film as a whole.

3. Happy Feet. The animated version of March of the Penguins. It's basically the same deal with a little soul (music) and a little funk (issue with the humans and global warming, and basically why we suck). It's a heart wrenching tale that really gets you thinking about the affect your choices have on all the creatures we share the planet with.

4. Planet Earth. Not sure what rock you are living under if you've never heard of this one. All I can say is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! If you don't know, you better ask somebody:)

5. Hoot. Story about a boy trying to save a family of burrow owls whose habitat is being threatened by developers who want to build a pancake house (yummm, pancakes) on the vacant lot the owls inhabit. Dudes didn't really appreciate this one, but that could be their age, or the fact that it took us four days to watch it because we had to go to soccer, and karate, and a birthday.

The dudes chose to watch WALL-E again because they love it.

Here are a few others that you might also want to try, all of which come highly recommended by two of the most indiscriminate viewers of all time.

Free Willie
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
Jurassic Park (I know, some kids might find this a little scary, but the dudes have nerves of steel, and this didn't even make 'em flinch)

If going green is not really your thing, don't fret it wasn't really mine either, until recently. Please take a minute to visit my other site to get a few easy and pain free ideas even a dummy can do.

Thanks for looking and, happy EARTH DAY!



We also planted seeds to be transplanted to our garden later in the season, and we painted them pretty colors (just because).

Would this qualify as a "craft"? Shhhhh... Don't tell the dudes, they hate crafts.