Earth Day!

Today, my friends, is Earth Day.  On my giveaway I asked what exactly do you do on earth day, or what do you do through out the year that is 'green' or earth friendly.  I didn't say what I do though and this post is mostly dedicated to that.  If your looking for a book review or something book related I apologize.  I will have more reviews posted soon!  And I have plenty of past reviews for you to read if you haven't already.
Earth day around my house has never been a big deal.  The reason for that is because we are always quite 'green'.  But I realize that I need to teach my children more about the earth and not littering, and how trees are good for us and all that good stuff.  In the past we lived in apartments (this is our first Earth day in a house!) and so we'd go out and pick up garbage in the parking lot.  This year we're going to plant trees and flowers (we're beautifying the yard anyway so that's not a biggie) and then we're going to make a worm home!  My daughter LOVES worms and everyday begs to go out and find worms.  Most days we do because I'm gardening anyway.  But building a compost bin/worm house will be something new and fun to do.  I have plenty of coffee grounds saved up!

Things we do all year around that are green and earth friendly are:
Cloth Diaper
Recycle
Use reusable shopping bags
Use reusable water bottles and coffee cups (when going to Starbucks, etc)
Limit electricity (hang dry clothing and diapers when possible, turn off lights, tv, computer, etc)
Use one car most of the time. (Our second car isn't dependable so I refuse to drive it. When I NEED a car then my husband drives it to work. He also carpools so he doesn't always have to drive.)
I use only green cleaners.  Vinegar and water work great for many things. I use a laundry detergent that is eco friendly and allergen free (and cloth diaper safe!).  My dishwashing soap is also eco friendly.
I buy used clothing as often as possible and buy organic and /or unbleached cotton clothing when I'm able.
We limit meat intake (I rarely eat meat anymore) and this is why.
When getting rid of items I think are junk I list them on freecycle (so far everything I've listed has been taken!) instead of throwing it in the garbage to go in the landfill.
What else is there?  Hmmm.... I'm sure there's more that we do, but that's most of it.  I hope if you don't do these things that you will consider doing them!
Have a wonderful Earth Day!  And don't forget to enter my Earth day contest to win Avatar (the movie), stainless steel waterbottles (BPA free!) and reusable shopping totes.  When I reach 175 followers I will be adding The Adoration of Jenna Fox to the giveaway.

I won an Award, I'm a Prolific Blogger!

A prolific blogger is one who is
intellectually productive,
keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content.

After accepting this award,
recipients are asked to pay it forward
to  seven other deserving blogs.

Bewitched Bookworms awarded me this wonderful award!  Thank you guys!  It means so much to me since I'm still fairly new at this.  I'm happy to find out that people are happy with how often I post and the content is enjoyable to them.  So without further ado I must list the seven other deserving blogs.

Lori from Pure Imagination- She's been amazing in giving advice and teaching me all sorts of tricks to blogging.  I'm constantly learning new things from her.  She's also been amazing in designing my blog and buttons.  I read her blog everyday and she has some amazing reviews that often sway me or nay me on a book. 

Angel from Reading Angel- She's been on this road of blogging right along side me.  Her and Lori and I bounce ideas off of each other, plan fun and exciting events together and we mostly all love the same books.  I read Angel's posts everyday and every review usually has some sort of effect on my to-be-read list.  She posts everyday and the content is always interesting to me.  

Violet from The Eager Readers-  This is a fairly new blog to me.  She found my blog the night before Kimberly Derting's book signing and then came up to me before the book signing.  We hit it off immediately and plan to do many more signings together.  We are also working together in our giveaway of The Body Finder and swag giving extra entries to enter or follow the other's blog.  I've been visiting at least nearly every post on her blog since we met and she has amazing reviews.  They are so organized I really feel put to shame on my sometimes hurried and not always thorough reviews.  We seem to have very similar taste in books and I'm sure will be good friends for the years to come.  I love that she does flower Fridays and she has the most gorgeous pictures!  

Bella at Obsessed! I love her reviews and how she's so honest and her reviews are interesting!  Once you start reading you can't stop.  Sometimes even after she says there are spoilers I just can't tear my eyes away because what she's saying just pulls me in.  

Dawn from Dawn Hullender's Southern Musings-  I find her blog full of interesting content and she posts regularly (not that I've been able to check everyday ;(  She always seems so great at commenting on my blog as well which is always appreciated!

Amanda at Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chic- She has interesting content, she posts at least fairly regularly (I confess, I can't read EVERY blog everyday!) and I love her reviews!  She's also awesome about ReTweets!

Jessica at Shut Up! I'm Reading! She has a wonderful blog with fantastic reviews.  Being a fan of YA it's nice to get the teens Point-Of-View as well.  She writes so well I never would've guessed her for a teen if I didn't know better!  (Although I think I wrote better as a teen then I do now ; )

Oh man, is that all?!  I feel like I've left so many great blogs out, but that is seven so I must stop... 

It's Monday! What are you reading? (2)

It's Monday, What are you Reading is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

Now I have to admit I did horribly on my reading this week.  It was nice weather and I have an entire yard and several gardens that need A LOT of work! So I spent my days mostly doing that.  I did get a book finished and a book partway read.  

So for books I finished last week it is only:

                                                                      

                                            The Iron Daughter.  It WAS fantastic though!

I also worked on, but didn't get real far so this is on my finish this week list:

  

                                                                

 Blackbringer by Laini Taylor.  It's good, but I feel I'm not being fair as I was far too excited about The Iron Daughter and Linger (which I'm reading NOW!)

                                                                 

Then because I have a review to post of it on May 5, I have English Trifle by Josi Kilpack to read.

                                                                 

That is probably all that I'll have time for as my mom and two sisters from SD are arriving next Sunday.  Lots of cleaning and stuff to do in preparation!  I do need to pick up Need by Carrie Jones from the library, so that'll be on my list to read soon as well.