This site was born out of a desire to improve our lives and the world around us.  We are committed to making conscious changes in an effort to lead happier, greener, and more fulfilling lives.  Our goal is to use this site as a dialogue – both with each other and with other like-minded folks on the interweb - to share ideas about how to make those things happen. We hope that building and improving this site will inspire us to seek out more information about the things we care about, and motivate us to do more good in the world and in our lives.  And we ultimately hope that we can also inspire and motivate others along the way – so we hope you’ll join us on our journey and visit us often!

carmen says… 

My first inspiration for this site started after a recent conversation with a friend. I was discussing my unhappiness at work and my desire to eventually find a new career path. I mentioned that I have always been interested in the environmental cause, but often feel guilty because I know that I need to do more in my daily life to reduce my own ecological footprint and protect the environment. This got me thinking and made me realize that I need to do more and I need to start now. My goals for using this site go beyond just the topic of “how to be green” – although that is definitely a major focus. I also hope to share thoughts and ideas about how to build a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. I want to climb out of the gloomy place where it seems I’ve been living recently, stop feeling helpless and unhappy about so many things in life, and start making positive changes to live with joy and appreciation for the many wonderful things in the world. A favorite quote of mine from the amazing storypeople expresses this well:

I once had a garden filled with flowers that grew only on dark thoughts but they need constant attention & one day I decided I had better things to do

Here’s to finding better things to do every day! 

lea says… 

For longer than I care to admit to, I have lived blissfully unaware of what it meant to be socially responsible. When I met carmen, things changed. I moved thousands of miles away from my natural habitat – far away from the beauty of uncontaminated water systems and minimal population. Everything is so entirely different here - the lakes and rivers are so polluted they disgust me, there are too many people, and the presence of nature no longer exists as much as it used to and it makes me sad. Seeing the world from a different place started to change me…

Over the past few years I have started learning more about green things. I became addicted to Natural Home Magazine, and every time I came across a television program dealing with green fuel or green homes I am hooked. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about sustainable building lately and it definitely interests me. As the daughter of a carpenter (and I don’t mean Jesus) I dream of one day building our own straw bale home. Realistically though, with the exception of learning how to recycle, I haven’t really made an effort to make the world I live in better. Everything is too overwhelming, there are too many rules, some things sound and feel so futile, and it’s really hard to know where to start. I typically see things in one of two ways – the big picture (with few actual details) or what equates to the glass being chronically half empty. Carmen, on the other hand, found a way to start small – changing minor things in our lives that could end up making a difference, like switching to reusable bags, which only inspire us to do more.

Life is important and I want to try and make a difference now. I’m interested in everything and I’ll try anything once – except the cabbage dishes that carmen and her family so enjoy, never going to happen!

You must be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi
Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 – 1948)