The EcoChic

I haven’t had much time to promote Earth Hour this year but that doesn’t mean that it’s slipped my mind.

Three years ago I was flying home from a business trip when I first heard about Earth Hour. Of course I was IN THE AIR during Earth Hour and couldn’t really help the cause much.

Last year I was able to share my first Earth Hour with so many people. I was able to teach my son’s Kindergarten class about Earth Hour; they even made posters and told their parents to turn off the lights.  At home we actually spent about an hour and a half without electricity and it was a great teaching opportunity for my son.  This whole year he’s been my little electricity guru…always urging people to turn off their lights.  You can read about how we spent last Earth Hour on THIS post from last year.

But what about this year?  This year I will be away from home with family.  My parents, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins (and more) will all be celebrating each other at my SILs house a few hours from home.  I emailed my SIL a few days ago and told her all about Earth Hour and what I would like to do (turn off all the lights during the party!).  When I talked to her today she was super excited.  She actually celebrated Earth Hour with her own son last year and was looking forward to doing it again this year!  So the party is on…but the lights will be off.

Are you new to Earth Hour?  Not quite sure what I’m talking about?  Earth Hour is an annual event to celebrate and raise awareness of climate change and the impact that we ALL make on this planet.  It’s simple really, if everyone on Earth made one small change (turning off lights, recycling, cloth diapers, etc) in their life to be more green we would make great progress to changing the world.  If we all make the same small change at the same time…the message will be heard louder! 

During Earth Hour, everyone is asked to turn off their lights (and TVs, computers, phones, etc) for one hour at 8:30pm local time.  Entire cities have committed to turning off the lights for Earth Hour.  Last year the Sydney Opera House went dark, the Eiffel Tower went  dark, the Las Vegas strip went dark, and the Empire State building went dark…for one whole hour!  It’s only one hour out of your entire year; can you make the commitment and join me and the thousands of others as we go dark?

Earth Hour is a great opportunity to teach our children many important lessons.  By celebrating Earth Hour you will be teaching your child:

- that we can all disconnect from technology (yes, even from blogs and Twitter) and spend time together.

- that we need to be mindful of the amount of electricity that we all use each day.

- that we can hear the voice of God more clearly when we allow ourselves to be silent.

- that we can all make a difference…no matter how big or how small we might be.

- that if we all work together as a team, family, or community that our voices will be heard. 

Tell me your story!  Have you celebrated Earth Hour before?  How will you be spending your hour in the dark?  What will you be teaching your children?

I’m really trying this year to not get carried away with all the commercialism of the season.  I’ve realized this year that my son takes a lot of things for granted because he’s never ‘needed’ anything that he hasn’t gotten.  It’s not an easy thing but we’re working on giving from the heart. 

I mentioned a few days ago how I am trying to give my son something from the heart each day for Advent.  Special time with me is something that I’m sure he will remember and value when he is older.  So far we’ve made rice crispy treats together, we’ve decorated our tree together, and a few other things.  Tonight I treated my kids to another special family night.

The weather in FL was fabulous so I decided to pick up McDonald’s and take the kids to the beach after school.  I had forgotten how early the sunsets this time of year so we only had 20 minutes before we were asked to leave the park (we went to our favorite State Park beach) because it was closing.  It was ok though, the weather on the island wasn’t as nice as it was on the mainland.  It was already misty and windy so we couldn’t stay long anyways.  It was just long enough for the kids to put there feet in the sand and listen to the sounds of the ocean. 

Since we were so short on time at the beach we didn’t eat until after we left…so I stopped on the Causeway Beach to finish watching the sun go down.  It’s so strange how you can drive one mile and loose the mist and dreariness.  It was nice to see the sun go down.

Next up on the events of the evening…drive through a local neighborhood and look at Christmas lights!  What an un-eco-friendly way to end our night! LOL!  Sometimes holiday traditions and eco-friendly don’t go hand in hand…but it’s still special!  Here is one of my favorite light displays…

I wonder what other special things I can do with my kids?  What will I do next? 

First I should start by saying that I am slowly converting to a Rays fan since we’ve lived in FL for 3 years now (but I’ll always love my Braves!!).  The Eco Family has been watching the MLB Playoffs all week and since the Eco Boy just went to bed I just got into the game.  Go Rays!!!  It’s already 5-0 in the 3rd   Yeah!!  Well I just TURNED OUT MY LIGHTS!!!  Why?  As part of the TBS/Sharp Lights Out Challenge to make history in saving energy during game 4 of the ALCS.  What a cool way to get people to turn off their lights.  We’re usually good about having one small light on while we watch TV in the evening but tonight it’s just hubby, myself, and the TV!  All the other lights in the house are OFF!  (Except for the night light in the hall for Eco Boy!)  Go take the challenge for yourself and see if your state is winning the challenge!  AND…GO RAYS!!!