Earth Day Tips: Go Greener All Year Round

We are often asked where we draw our design inspiration from. With each and every response to this question, without an ounce of hesitation, we respond with “our surroundings, our travel, the beauty of the outdoors.” We are both extremely lucky to live in locations where there is no shortage of beauty (Jess lives in Los Angeles, close to the beach and hiking trails; Jen in Seattle with the mountains and water). This past year we have not been able to travel or explore new places or our favourite spots away from home, but we have had the chance to spend more time where we live and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us right in our own backyards.

This week, we will all celebrate Earth Day. The day will be marked with special segments on news programs and volunteer opportunities that involve getting outdoors and cleaning up debris. What we do today directly impacts our children and their future. We’ve been thinking about what we could do to preserve and enhance the beauty around us and act on the Climate Change crisis. 

Not everyone thinks they have the know-how or time to really make a difference. And that is OK. But there are so many easy things that take minutes, or even seconds, for those of us that seemingly don’t have a lot of extra time, but want to start doing our small part. Things that we can try and do every day with almost no extra effort and make a first step towards positive change:

Get outside and breathe

I know it seems logical and easy and even unimportant sometimes, but just breathing in the earth and reminding yourself that it’s important and that it makes you feel good, can help strengthen your relationship with nature.  Do you sometimes find yourself working all day at your office or house and breathing the “inside air”?  Step outside even for five minutes and just BREATH… If you appreciate being outside, you won’t take it for granted. 

Stay away from forgettable purchases

Surfing online can entice you to buy things you don’t need or even really want because they look new and shiny in the moment. Try and really figure out what you want, and sit with it for a few days to make sure.  And then sit some more.  We don’t need to add more to our land-fills. Recycle, re-use, and buy smart. This is why we love making fine jewelry that will last forever. We love that it can be passed down to your kids or grand kids or friends or family…

Leave no trace

This one seems so silly, because you would think this would be the logical response to seeing garbage laying around.  But we have all seen people walking by trash every day—on the street, at our beaches, in our mountains.  It can end up killing our fish and birds and wildlife.  It only takes 20 seconds or so, but will keep our earth just a little bit cleaner and our animals healthier.

Start with these 3 tiny things, and you will want to keep adding more when you see how easy it is.  We do these things every day, as well as donating a percentage of each sale to various charities and orgs, including ones that battle climate change.

This Thursday on Earth Day, April 22, step outside and inhale the fresh air. Look around at the beauty blooming all around and remember that we must do our part for the other 364 days a year to protect the beauty and future of our earth.