APLS

Final APLS Carnival Wrap-Up: Finding community at the farmers market

2010-07-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

At a farmers market, you fill up on far more than fresh produce. You savor a little slice of your community.

That's the message I heard from the contributors to the July APLS carnival on farmers markets.

It's the individual connections you make that breaks the mold from simply shopping to something special. Take Mrs. Green at Little Green Blog, whose relationship with an apple vendor has spanned pregnancy cravings to now the pre-teen years. "The people ...put their great energies into the things I eat, they want to know me... they show me photos of their family, they ask about my life, they pack my box, find me things, suggest new ideas and for that, I’m deeply grateful," she writes.

As for myself, I'm happy to watch those relationships build, not only for myself, but for my children, who are getting to know the very people who provide them with their food.

Robin at Simple Green Organic Happy reminds us of the connections she builds on a weekly basis, from the traditions she builds with her children to the faces she meets each week. "On the surface, we’re just getting our food for the week. But we warm ourselves in something bigger than that. Our ideals, and our health, and our community. Our kids. It’s a hell of a lot to put on a business card."

Kellie at the Green Phone Booth reminds us that while markets don't have supermarket variety, they make up for it in other ways. She writes:

Where else can you have breakfast, meet your neighbors, snack all day long,
buy handmade gifts, locally grown flowers, freshly baked bread, eat lunch with
friends you haven't seen in weeks and learn more about others in your community?
If you ask me, it's definitely worth the price of "expensive jelly."

Speaking of community, many thanks to all of you who have participated in the carnival since it launched two years ago. After a lot of thought, I've decided that this month will be the last month I will coordinate the APLS carnival. I've appreciated learning from the many voices who have shared with us these last two years.

Wishing you all the best!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama

July topic: Farmers market faves

2010-07-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

Visiting a farmers market or a farm stand has been one of the hallmarks of summer in my family. I can't wait for those first initial days, when the tiny starts are out, and love to see the bright colors that blossom in the heat of summer. It's all so tempting.

For July, I'd like to share your favorite farmers market experience. Is there a particular market you're tied to? A favorite memory? Favorite foods or recipes to share?

Share you memories. Email your posts to me by July 15, and we'll post our wrap-up here on July 18.

June topic: Challenges to conversationism

2010-06-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

An interesting post on a friend's Facebook page today leads us to our next topic:

Why are we, as a nation, so resistant to the idea of conservation instead of more oil exploration? ... Yes, our lives look a lot different than years gone by but we have a lot of waste and excess that makes life cushy but is not necessary.

Weigh in! Post a comment or a blog link below. Instead of a round-up, let's just see where the conversation takes us...

Back for June!

2010-05-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

You've spoken. We'll keep it going!

I'll be posting the June topic in a few days. Given the craziness of the last month, I've had to limit my blog time.

Thanks for your patience!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama

APLS Carnival: Now what?

2010-04-23T03:25:00.000-07:00

Back in summer 2008, the APLS Carnival kicked off as a community to discuss sustainability, greener living and more. We welcomed bloggers from around the country, and we've had some fabulous discussions on these topics and more:

Green journeys
Does Size Matter?
Children as Natural Resource
Buying Local
Education
Affluence

I've learned much from these discussions, and met a number of wonderful people along the way.

But, like a TV show that's been put on hiatus, after a lull this summer, we've struggled to get bloggers active in this community like we once had. So I'll put this question to you: What would you like to see with the APLS Carnival? Does the old method of monthly topics still appeal to you? If it does, how can we attract a larger participation? What do you think?

Share your thoughts below or shoot me an e-mail at goinggreenmama at gmail.

Robbie @ Going Green Mama

April Carnival is Live

2010-04-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

The carnival is up over at the Green Phone Booth. Come check it out and add your two cents!

Extended Deadline for April Carnival

2010-04-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

I'm extending the deadline for the April Carnival from today to Monday April 19th. That means you get four extra days to finish your posts! I'll be posting the carnival next Wednesday, and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

If you missed it, the topic is "Which is more important: personal or political action?"

Which is More Important: Personal or Political Action?

2010-03-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was reading an interview on Grist with Annie Leonard of Story of Stuff fame, and there were two things she said that I found very interesting:

Q. What would you encourage people to do on an individual level?
A. People ask me that a lot, and I like to see where they are so I ask them, "What can you think of to do?" They say, "I can recycle. I can ride my bike more. I can buy organic. I can buy this instead of this." Really individual actions as opposed to, "I can work with my neighbors to shut down this toxic factory." We have a consumer part of ourselves and a citizen part of ourselves. And throughout this country's history, the citizen parts of ourselves have accomplished enormously wonderful things to make this country a better place. But in recent decades, I feel like the consumer part of ourselves is spoken to and validated and nurtured so much that we've over-identified with it and the citizen part of ourself has atrophied. We just need to start reinvigorating that citizen muscle. So the number one thing to do is to hook up with others who share your values and start making some real change.
Q. Has there been any stuff that's been difficult for you to give up or part with or not consume?
A. Not really, partly because I just don't really focus on the individual piece so much. I really don't fall into that camp where it's your fault because you left the water running when you brushed your teeth. So I just don't spend a lot of time around the guilt and the individual action stuff.

I often see this divide in the environmental world between advocates of personal versus political change, our consumer side versus our citizen side, and individual versus large-scale actions. Many encourage people to focus on small changes like changing their lightbulbs, while others say that those small changes don't matter and we should be focusing on broadscale changes of the entire system.

So for this month's APLS Carnival, I'm asking the questions:

Are personal changes too small to matter?
Should people who have full time jobs and kids and church responsibilities, etc. be expected to find time to organize their neighbors to shut down toxic factories?
Are people who do only the personal changes being lazy?
Are people who expect political changes to solve all of our problem pushing the blame on others instead of taking responsibility?
Is consumer action less important than citizen action, and vice versa?
Where's the balance?

These are just some questions to get your ideas rolling. Email your posts to consciousshopperblog [at] gmail [dot] com by April 15. The carnival will be hosted at the Green Phone Booth on April 20th.

March Carnival: Prioritizing

2010-03-20T05:41:00.001-07:00

This month's carnival on how you set your green priorities is up at the Good Life. Check it out!

Decisions...Decisions....

2010-03-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

The March APLS post is hosted by wilkeorama...

It's a big green world out there and despite wanting to do it all, there are limits to our abilities. (Even Superheroes from the Green Phone Booth are talking about their shortcomings!)

Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can let one thing go because we are going above and beyond in another area. For example, one might go all out and grow a great garden but not compost.

Other times we struggle to do a number of things, but don't seem to be able to divide our attention and energy successfully.

This month's topic is about the decisions we make, big or small, that affect our actions as self-proclaimed APLS. How do you decide what gets to be top priority in your green life? What types of activities are a MUST for you, and what gets left on the chopping block? Please email your submissions to wilkeorama at gmail by March 15.

I look forward to reading about everyone's priorities! Thank you!

Carnival is live

2010-02-24T18:32:00.001-08:00

The February carnival is up! Check it out at going-green-mama.blogspot.com.

Winter motivation: February carnival topic

2010-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

They say the darkest hour is just before dawn. And in this late-winter month, it is all too true.

It’s easier to stay motivated in the fall, as you prepare for the holidays celebrations. And in January, we have great intentions with our resolutions.

But as the weeks progress, it’s hard to stay focused. It’s cold to dig in and get motivated outdoors. The walls seem to close in as we’re stuck inside. And perhaps a little too much expressions of holiday cheer have left you debt-ridden and with few resources to take the next steps of your big green dreams.

So how do you stay motivated in these winter months? Share us your tips on how you stay motivated as part of this month’s APLS carnival.

Post your comments below or e-mail your posts to goinggreenmama at gmail dot com by Feb. 22. We’ll post the highlights at Going Green Mama on Feb. 24.

February Carnival topic: Winter motivation

2010-01-26T03:44:00.000-08:00

They say the darkest hour is just before dawn. And I'm beginning to figure it's the same with greener and more sustainable living.

It's easy being green in the spring and summer. Look around you: The opportunities about to live lighter: Gardening, farmers marketing, even simple things like friendlier weather for opening the windows and cycling and walking instead of driving.

And in the late fall/early winter, the focus turns towards making a lighter footprint without lightening the joy of the holiday season.

And perhaps January is about your resolutions for the coming year.

But what happens as winter goes on? Cold days and fewer opportunities may mean some people lose their motivation. Or maybe it's simply a time for you to regroup and plan for the coming seasons.

So this month, I'll ask you: How do you stay focused on greener and more sustainable living in the dead of winter?

E-mail your posts by Feb. 15 to goinggreenmama at gmail, and we'll include them in our carnival posting by Feb. 18. If you're thinking spring, we're also looking for hosts for the spring months, so indicate that as well.

Have a wonderful month!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama

The January Carnival Is Live!

2010-01-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for submitting your posts! There is a lot of good info in this months carnival so be sure to check it out.

-Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green

January carnival reminder and call for new hosts

2010-01-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Just a reminder that the deadline for the January APLS carnival is Sunday. Please email Lisa at love_cats05 on yahoo with your post. Details are below.

Also, we're on the lookout for hosts and topics for 2010. If you'd like to host a month or suggest a topic, post a comment below or email me at goinggreenmama on gmail.

Have a great day!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama

January Carnival: Greening Valentine's Day!

2009-12-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: D Sharon Pruitt

January's carnival topic is on how we can green Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day often means lots of waste but is that how it has to be?

This month I want to hear your ideas on how to make Valentine's Day a little greener. The tips can be for a green Valentine's for the kids, adults, or both.

Please email your submissions to love_cats05(at)yahoo(dot)com by January 17th and I will have it up on January 19th.

Thanks,
Lisa @ Retro Housewife Goes Green

December Carnival is Live!

2009-12-18T04:57:00.000-08:00

The December Carnival is up over at The Conscious Shopper! Head on over to read some fascinating tidbits about some great green bloggers, including several newbies to the APLS Carnival.

Thanks again to everyone for all your submissions!

Reminder: December APLS Carnival on "Green Journeys"

2009-12-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

A quick little reminder that submissions for this month's APLS carnival are due on December 15th to consciousshopperblog@gmail.com.

I'm looking forward to reading about all of your green journeys...Why did you decide to go green? What are the biggest changes you've made toward living a sustainable life? What are your shortcomings?

I think this is a very simple topic for the busy holiday season, yet also very appropriate since December is a good month for looking back and planning ahead.

Can't wait to hear what you have to say!

December APLS Carnival Topic: Green Journeys

2009-11-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

When people find out that I'm a vegetarian, one of the first questions is always, "How long have you been a vegetarian?" and then "Why did you become a vegetarian?"

Going veggie was my first eco-related lifestyle change, but it took ten years of feet-dragging and a crashing housing market before I finally committed to greening my life about a year and a half ago.

That's a very abbreviated version of the story of my green journey...What's your story?

December is a good month for reflecting on beginnings and endings, where you started and how far you've come. So in that spirit, I'd like to hear about your green journey for this month's APLS Carnival.

What triggered you to start trying to live a sustainable life?
What are the biggest changes you've made to live sustainably?
How far have you come since you started your green journey?
And what do you feel you still need to work on?

Please email your submissions to consciousshopperblog@gmail.com by December 15. I'll post the carnival on December 18 at my blog The Conscious Shopper.

I'm looking forward to hearing your story!

November APLS Carnival is Live!

2009-11-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

The November edition of the APLS Carnival is now live at Sustainable Living and You: November APLS Carnival.

As the holiday rush begins, take some time to relax and read this month's thoughtful entries. They will definitely encourage you to think about all the blessings in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November APLS Carnival Topic: Sustainable Living and You

2009-11-03T05:05:00.000-08:00

When I began making changes to live a more sustainable life, I frequently thought, "There is no way I'll be able to do that!" when reading descriptions of what others were doing. I was simply overwhelmed at the distance between my lifestyle and theirs. Now I'm doing many of the things from which I initially recoiled and know that they were changes well worth making. I've talked to others who have felt those same feelings so wanted to explore this notion of changing behavior in hopes of encouraging folks to start making changes that currently feel enormous. I know there are some more modifications I have on my list that seem a bit overwhelming right now!

The questions I would like you to consider when writing about this topic include:

What have your efforts to live a more sustainable life taught you about yourself? Have you been able to change a behavior you initially thought you could not? What has surprised you about your own capacity in your efforts to live more sustainably?

If possible, please include specific examples of changes as I think those would be particularly useful to people trying to make those and similar changes in their own lives.

I'm really looking forward to reading what everyone has to say! Please email your submissions to steph@greeningfamilies.com by November 15. I'll post the carnival by November 18 so we can all learn from, and be inspired by, each other!

Thanks much,
Steph @ Greening Families

October Carnival is up!

2009-10-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

The October APLS blog carnival, Proselytizing Green, is now up on my blog, Greenhab. We have some great posts from a number of contributors this month, so stop by and learn how your fellow green bloggers spread the word.

If you didn't have a chance to participate, but have something to share on the subject, be sure to leave a comment over on my blog.

Reminder: October APLS Carnival

2009-10-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow APLS! This is just a friendly reminder that the deadline for the October APLS carnival is coming up. In light of Blog Action Day, I thought I'd extend the carnival deadline to Saturday, October 17th. If you're anything like me, you were up late blogging last night and may need a little break.

Again, the topic is "proselytizing green". Do you shout the green word from the mountain tops, try to lead by example, or keep your opinions to yourself? How and when do you spread the word?

Email me your blog at greenhabgoods {at} gmail by Saturday evening to be included in the October carnival.

October APLS Carnival Topic: Proselytizing Green

2009-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

I wish I could sit down with all of you and chat over a nice big cup of organic tea...or wine (really, let's be honest). There are so many things I want to ask you and so many topics we could cover. I've finally narrowed down the topic for the October APLS carnival and have selfishly picked the subject of "Proselytizing Green".

I started my Greenhab blog a few years ago so I'd have a place to track my family's progress and ramble on about the ways in which we were greening our lives. For a while I felt like I was preaching the green word until I realized that the people reading my blog (other than my mom I guess) were already like-minded people.

Over time, I became more confident in mentioning environmental injustices to some friends, family and coworkers, but I'm not really an "in your face" type of gal. Now that my kids are in school I'm encountering things like fundraisers, wasteful lunches, junk-filled parties and the absence of recycling. I feel like the stinky hippy parent in a school full of affluent unstinky soccer moms. On the inside I'm throwing up a little in my mouth while, on the outside, I'm all "smile wave".

So, I'm wondering when, where, how, and how much you proselytize living green? When do you just let it go? When is it not worth it to start something? Or do you always speak up? How loud? Are you a tell-it-like-it-is person? Or do you try to take a gentle approach? And, although I use "proselytize" in the loosest way, does living a sustainable lifestyle feel almost like a religion to you?

Okay, I think those are enough questions for now. Talk amongst yourselves! But don't forget to send me your thoughts by Friday, October 16th. The carnival will be up on my blog on Monday the 19th of October. Email me at greenhabgoods {at} gmail {dot} com.

As always, please feel free to interpret the topic loosely. I don't want anyone to feel boxed in by the questions I've asked above, they're just some thoughts that came to mind. I'm sure if we were chatting over tea we'd have lots to share on the subject!

September Carnival Is Up

2009-09-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

The round up of the September contributions is now posted at: http://crstn85.blogspot.com/2009/09/does-size-matter-apls-carnival.html

Thanks for all your contributions!
Tina

5 days left!

2009-09-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that there are 5 days remaining until the deadline for this month's APLS carnival. I just got around to writing my post so I now feel justified in reminding you. In case you've forgotten, and are in a reader so you can't scroll down to the other post, this month's topic is:

"When does size matter?"
I read a lot of blogs about families and I occasionally find myself thinking "Sure, that's easy to do if there are 4 of you". For example, I can't maintain a worm bin since I just don't have enough food waste for them to live off of. Other times I will tell someone about a green change I made and they think (or even say!) "Sure, that's easy to do if there's only one of you". Such as when I describe line drying laundry in my laundry room. So, what efforts that you make are easier to do because of your household size? Which are harder and make you wish there were a better way?

Submit a link to your post to tina.cardone1@gmail.com when you're done!

Also, apples season really has gotten off to a great start. I'm lucky enough to have an apple orchard a mile down the street and they also have a farm store/bakery right at the orchard. There's apple sauce and apple pie and apple crumble and apple everything you'd ever want, fresh and local and delicious. So, APLS, how do you like your apples?

Fall carnival season

2009-08-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

The fall APLS carnival schedule is now up!

Please note that all submissions are due to the blog host by the 15th of the month. The carnival will be posted a few days later.

September: When does size matter?
Tina at crstn85 writes:
I read a lot of blogs about families and I occasionally find myself thinking "Sure, that's easy to do if there are 4 of you". For example, I can't maintain a worm bin since I just don't have enough food waste for them to live off of. Other times I will tell someone about a green change I made and they think (or even say!) "Sure, that's easy to do if there's only one of you". Such as when I describe line drying laundry in my laundry room. So, what efforts that you make are easier to do because of your household size? Which are harder and make you wish there were a better way?

October: Greening your Halloween
Kellie at Greenhab is planning a fall-themed carnival. Look for additional details soon!

November: Lessons learned from sustainability
Steph at Greening Families writes:
What have your efforts to live a more sustainable life taught you about yourself? Have you been able to change a behavior you initially thought you could not? What has surprised you about your own capacity in your efforts to live more sustainably?

We're looking for hosts and topics for our winter season. Interested? E-mail me at goinggreenmama@gmail.com.

From August into September

2009-08-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

First, make sure that you checked out everyone's contributions to the August Carnival. Robbie of Going Green Mama did a great job of rounding everyone up to renew APLS and there's an excellent post summarizing everyone submissions here.

Amazingly, next week it will be September! That means back to school for a lot of us (personally I'll be going back as both a teacher and a student, double the fun) and also means its time to think about the next discussion topic and I'm hosting this month. It would have been very appropriate to discuss sustainability at school, but I didn't have that much foresight so maybe someone can take that on in October.

September's carnival topic is "When does size matter?". I read a lot of blogs about families and I occasionally find myself thinking "Sure, that's easy to do if there are 4 of you". For example, I can't maintain a worm bin since I just don't have enough food waste for them to live off of. Other times I will tell someone about a green change I made and they think (or even say!) "Sure, that's easy to do if there's only one of you". Such as when I describe line drying laundry in my laundry room. So, what efforts that you make are easier to do because of your household size? Which are harder and make you wish there were a better way?

I look forward to hearing answers from the perspectives of people in all different size households. Please email submissions to tina.cardone1@gmail.com by September 15.

Thanks!
Tina at crstn85

p.s. Enjoy the start of apple season APLS!

Reminder - posts due Saturday

2009-08-12T13:51:00.001-07:00

Participating in the August carnival? Don't forget to send your links to goinggreenmama@gmail.com by Saturday. Thanks!

APLS August Carnival Topic

2009-07-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I'm glad there's still interest in reviving APLS! Thanks to those of you who emailed or posted.

Our August topic is on Green on the Cheap. Has the economy impacted how you live green? Do you buy fewer green products to save money? Or have you redoubled your efforts to live sustainably? What have you learned about living environmentally friendly on a budget?

Let me know your thoughts! Please send links to your posts by Aug. 15 to goinggreenmama@gmail.com. The carnival will go live on Going Green Mama on Aug. 19.

Also, while we have the September topic and host confirmed, the rest of the year is open! If you'd like to host and haven't confirmed a topic or month, please let me know at goinggreenmama at gmail.

Have a great month!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama

Anyone still interested?

2009-06-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

I know the APLS Carnival has went on an unofficial hiatus the last several months, but I'd love to get it going again, if anyone is still interested.

Let me know...Post a comment below or email goinggreenmama@gmail.com.

Details for the April Carnival & Looking For New Hosts!!

2009-03-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

April's carnival will be hosted by me, Ruchi at Arduous Blog. The topic: Is Earth Day relevant?

As Earth Day approaches, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I feel like it's good to have one day a year where the focus is on the environment. Earth Day may build awareness in people, and it might give some people enough pause to significantly alter their lives. On the other hand, shouldn't every day be Earth Day? Many argue that Earth Day allows people to feel good about recycling their aluminum cans, driving their Toyota Prius, and bringing their own bags, when the truth is those actions barely scrape the surface in terms of what might be necessary to combat the forthcoming environmental crises. What do you think?

To participate, submit links to your posts to aplscarnival [at] gmail [dot] com by April 20. The carnival will be posted on Earth Day, April 22.

On another note, we are looking for hosts for the next few months. If you are interested in hosting, and you haven't hosted yet, let me know in the comments to this post. After that, we'll open it up to people who have already hosted, but we want to give everyone the opportunity to host if they so choose.

March carnival is up!

2009-03-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

My internet connection is ridiculously unreliable these days, so I posted the carnival a day early, just in case. It is at Green Resolutions. I loved the contributions and appreciate the information about ways I can make a difference.

Jaime

March Carnival reminder

2009-03-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to write a post about your favorite charities, and send the link to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by Tuesday, March 17.

March Carnival Topic: Where do you want to give?

2009-02-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

When the APLS moniker was first under discussion, Green Bean posted a series of questions that helped me to understand what life could be as an Affluent Person Living Sustainably:

Do you spend less money than you make?

Do you consciously buy fewer products and, of those products you buy, do you look for used ones or ones that will last longer?

Do you treasure experiences over things?

Do you donate to charity? Time, money or goods?

Do you eat local food? Make your own bread, yogurt, or even your own dinner?

Do you garden? Bike? Hang your clothes out to dry? Compost?

Do you think about your own impact on the environment and what you can do to help our planet?

Do you care about what happens to your neighbor? Your children's classmates? The people manufacturing your children's toys in China?

Do you live a fuller, more meaningful life?

The part about charity resonated with me. We’d just sold our condo and bought a house. I’d just quit my full-time job to stay at home with my son and didn’t know how much I could make as a freelancer. I didn't feel like we had any money to give. And yet, I was reading blogs with a global perspective and realizing how much I have and how little others have.

When I first looked at the Global Rich List, I just focused on how rich I am. When I plugged in the numbers later, I realized that it shows me how far my money could go:

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

And so, I’m asking all APLS carnival participants to share information about worthwhile charities. Inspire your readers to give, even in this time of economic uncertainty.

(Please feel free to share information about any charities, even if you haven’t yet been able to donate time or money to the charities that you discuss.)

To participate in the March carnival, please submit your post to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by March 13. The carnival will be published at Green Resolutions on March 20.

APLS in Eden - the February Carnival

2009-02-20T08:04:00.001-08:00

The February APLS carnival is up over at The Green Phone Booth. Many thanks to The Purloined Letter aka The Green Raven for brilliantly rounding up a variety of viewpoints about the importance of "nature" in our lives.

Come back next month to discuss favorite charities hosted at Green Resolutions.

Calling all APLS!

2009-02-12T09:15:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that the topic for the February edition of the APLS carnival will be NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

To participate, please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by tomorrow at midnight, or write asking for a short extension if you need one. The carnival will be published at the Green Phone Booth on February 20.

A Carnival of Nature

2009-01-28T09:04:00.001-08:00

I am honored to be the host for the February edition of the APLS carnival. The topic for the month will be NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

I think I must be the Last Parent in the World to read Richard Louv's excellent book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Louv's work is complex, thoughtful, and beautifully written. The author argues that a deep connection with nature leads to a calmer mind, a fitter body, and a more socially mature relationship with the world. Yet we are raising an entire generation with "denatured childhoods"--that is, childhoods where entertainment is more about electronic screens than it is about free play in the wild. Louv asked us to consider how these disconnected youngsters can ever become the good stewards of the land that we need in this era of environmental crisis.

I would love to see what connections you see between experiences in nature and your own efforts to live more sustainably.

What is "nature" in the first place? How is our experience of the natural world different in a place of awesome majesty (like the Grand Canyon), a place of more basic but still unstructured land like a local forest, and a more constructed outdoor space like a garden or park? What if we're just reading about an area we may never have seen, like a rainforest or a desert savanna?

What makes nature so powerful or meaningful? How has your experience with the natural world shaped your own environmentalism? Is love of the natural world an essential motivation for sustainability? Have you found ways to share a connection to nature with your loved ones, young and old?

To participate in February's carnival, please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by February 13. The carnival will be published at the Green Phone Booth on February 20.

January Carnival Is Up

2009-01-22T11:22:00.001-08:00

Come see what mind games we APLS like to play.

(Belated) January Carnival

2009-01-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from snowy Vancouver!

There's always one bad APL in the barrel, and this month it's me. I am being a terrible host and forgot to post the topic for the next carnival. Many apologies. Ruchi has suggested that we move the carnival to January 22nd, to allow everyone more time to write their posts; if you could email me (aplscarnival@gmail.com) a link to your post by the 19th, I'd really appreciate it.

So! The topic!

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MIND GAMES

As an APL who is at a much earlier stage of going green than most of our other contributors, I am shamelessly using this edition of the carnival to pick your brains! I've already learned a LOT from you guys, but I need a little extra help to get me up the next section of the learning curve.

See, I need some better mental tricks to help me make the right decisions. I know I shouldn't be eating red meat, I know I should be buying local, organic food... but it ain't easy being green, and sometimes, when I'm staring at a restaurant menu and craving a steak, or when I'd really rather go to the local supermarket than cycle a very hilly 5 km to the farmer's market, I need a little help.

What mental tricks do you use on yourself to help you make the right choices, even when they make life a little harder? Or, conversely, does your mind play games that trick you into making the wrong decisions?

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Can't wait to read all your posts!

Come on down!!

2008-12-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Join us at Going Green Mama for this months' APLS carnival posts.

Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy holiday season to write. I enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives!

Robbie

Calling all APLS! A plastic problem needs to be addressed

2008-12-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

APLS unite! Here's our "bonus" carnival opportunity for December -- and one that could make a small difference.

One of the largest half-marathons in the country is professing to "go green" with a recyling effort while adding 39,000 plastic disposable timing chips to our landfills. After years of using reusable timing chips, the 500 Festival Mini Marathon is proud to go to disposable chips. (Read my entire post here.) I think it's a crock, and I hope you agree.

Here's what I'm asking:

Read my entire post about the timing chips.
Post your opinions on the subject.
Blog about it.
E-mail the Mini Marathon at raceinfo@500festival.com.

While I realize contracts may have been made for this year, I'm hoping to prevent this waste for future races.

Thanks for your help!

Robbie @ Going Green Mama

December APLS Carnival Announced!

2008-11-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hello from the Heartland (not-so-sunny Indiana)! It's Robbie from Going Green Mama here to share this month's APLS Carnival topic.

Why do we think green? What’s our motivation?For many of us, the answer is simple: To maintain this world for future generations.

It’s a lesson told to us generations ago, but did we listen as well as we should have?

“Children are our greatest natural resource,” President Herbert Hoover (and Lisa Simpson) once said.

President Theodore Roosevelt told Congress more than 100 years ago:

….there must be the look ahead, there must be a realization of the fact that to
waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead
of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the
days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to
them amplified and developed.

What inspires you to help the next generation? How do you help preserve our greatest resource? What have tomorrow’s leaders – yes, those cute tikes or tenacious teenagers – taught you about what’s meaningful in this world? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

To participate in December’s APLS Carnival, please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by December 10. The carnival will be published at Going Green Mama on December 15.

As always, thanks for participating!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

November APLS Carnival

2008-11-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

The carnival on Buying Local is live at Green Phone Booth. Check it out.

Many thanks to Burbanmom for hosting in November!

Carnival Extended!

2008-11-09T13:02:00.001-08:00

We know you all are probably still hung-over from election activities, so we've extended the deadline by two days for you to submit posts. You now have until the 12th of November to post on buying local! So, stop reading, and get writing!!

What's Crunchy and Delicious and Local All Over

2008-11-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

Our next carnival!

Get your posts on Buying Local into aplscarnival(at)gmail(dot)com by the end of the day on Monday, November 10th. Then head over to the Green Phone Booth on Saturday, November 15th, to enjoy some local APLS.

November Carnival Announced!

2008-10-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow APLS! It's Burbanmom checking in to give you the topic for next month's carnival. And what a wonderful time of year to host the APLS blog! Fall is in the air and our thoughts are turning to the wonderful holiday season ahead. And, for most of us, that means a lot of shopping to be done!

Whether you're buying the perfect ingredients for a Thanksgiving feast or searching for stocking stuffers from the big red man, you will undoubtedly be faced with the decision of whether to buy local products or ones shipped from afar. Do you feel buying locally plays a large role in healing our environment? Are you a true locavore or do you make exceptions for certain items? What obstacles to buying locally do you face? Do you have any tips for others looking to buy locally? Or are there other factors, such as cost or limited selection that force you to buy items made in other parts of the world?

So many different areas to explore on the topic of buying local. I look forward to reading your posts on this topic!

To participate in November's Buying Local Carnival, please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by November 10. The carnival will be published at The Green Phone Booth on November 15. As always, thanks for participating!

And The Winner Is . . .

2008-10-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Affluent Persons Living Sustainably.

Yup! I kid you not. After all kinds of discussion, brilliant suggestions on new names and oodles of polls, we're back to where we started.

Here is the final breakdown on votes in case you've been unable to access the poll, which seems to have gone up in flames.

Affluent Persons Living Sustainably: 27%
All People Living Sustainably: 21%
Aware People Learning to Live Sustainably: 16%
Adaptable People Learning to Live Sustainably: 8%
Aspiring for Progress and Living Sustainably: 16%
Arden People Learning to Live Sustainably: 1%
Amidst Abundance, People Learning to Live Sustainably: 10%

We had a total of 86 votes, which is nearly double the number of votes in the last poll on this subject.

So, the people have spoken. Or at least clicked. We'll keep our original name and ask you to please stick with us. If you've had disagreements with the term Affluent, we hope that you'll still enjoy the community of aware, ardent, adaptable and aspiring people who all care about the same thing. Please continue to write (or at least read) posts on the topics we explore in our carnivals. Please continue to connect with others in your area via the regional groups. And, if you feel so inclined, you can use the new logo which Melinda from One Green Generation so thoughtfully created for us.

Thank you everyone for voting and commenting and discussing. We hope to see you at the next carnival on November 15, hosted at Eco Burban. Stay tuned for carnival topic details.

New APLS Carnival Up!

2008-10-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

The October Carnival is up at Farmer's Daughter. Go check it out!!

APLS Stands For . . . You Decide

2008-10-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

Please vote for what you think our APLS acronym should stand for. You can vote for as many options as you like. I, unfortunately, could not include all the ideas submitted because this darn poll limits me to 7 choices. Please feel free to comment, as well. Whomever's idea is ultimately chosen will get $50 donated to their charity of choice. Thank you!

Take the poll

Free Poll by Blog Flux

Be sure to check out this month's carnival at Farmer's Daughter on Wednesday, October 15, to see what fellow apples think about educating others.

Poll closes on Saturday, Oct 18.

A is for . . .

2008-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

You decide! Check out the new contest for a new APLS acronym over at Green Bean Dreams.

Great Lakes APLS: Discussion Group

2008-09-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

How have you been? It's been a long time and I apologize for that. Why do I always bite off more than I can chew at back to school time? Then, throw in a presidential election and I am just over-extended! That said, I think it's high time for a local, Great Lakes region APLS discussion & advice group.

Got Apples? I do. Lot's of 'em. That's sort of a common theme here in the Great Lakes region. They're cheap, they're delicious, they're local and they're very kid friendly. How are you all preserving your apples for winter? I for one and planning to can applesauce, freeze apple pie fixings and try to create some kind of root cellar. But how? We are still experiencing some warm days here in Michigan. Our nights are pretty cool but when the sun is out, our day time temps can reach into the 70's and that's not root cellar cool.

So, Great Lakes APLS, what are you doing with your local apples?

If you haven't signed up for our local Great Lakes APLS group, please feel free to join here. We look forward to having you! Also, welcome to new Great Lakes APLS members Condo Blues, Selina & Ann Marie! I will be adding your name to our regional bushel basket straight away!

APLS Carnival Topic for October

2008-09-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow APLS! My name is Abbie and I blog at Farmer's Daughter. I write about my attempts to live a sustainable life with my husband, our adventures in gardening, cooking, local agriculture, and some of my experiences as a high school environmental science and botany teacher. I grew up on an apple orchard, so I hope you're all enjoying apple season in your areas!

I also hope you're ready to contribute to the APLS Blog Carnival for the month of October! This month's topic will be:

Education!

How do you educate yourself about sustainable living? How do you pass that knowledge on to others? Do you educate your family members and friends? Are you a member of environmental organizations? Do you do volunteer work?

Please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by October 10. The carnival will be published at Farmer's Daughter on October 15.

New England in the Fall

2008-09-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and happy first day of Fall! My name is Tina and I've been blogging for a while over at crstn85.blogspot.com; it started as a regular "these are the funny stories of my life" blog, and then, rather rapidly, morphed into an almost exclusively environmental blog. This change mirrors the change in my life. I'd always been somewhat conscious of my impact, turning off lights and being bewildered by the popularity of bottled water, but there is only so much a girl can be aware of when she lives at home (in CT) or in a college dorm (in Western MA). A little over a year ago I finally headed out into the "real world" (north of Boston in Methuen, MA) and was able to make conscious decisions about more than just how long I let the water run while brushing my teeth, but big things like how my electricity is produced and what kind of food fills my kitchen. As with everyone, I'm constantly learning and searching for new ideas. That's where this group comes in, I'm hoping that we can join together and learn from each other.

One way we could start learning together is by attending events like this one. It's an event in Boston this coming weekend, and there are supposed to be ones like it all over the nation Saturday Sept. 27 (that means all you non-New Englanders as well!) The organization 1sky.org is hoping to bring awareness of the need for green jobs to the candidates, and in the process, to the rest of the world. To find out if there's an event near you, check here. For anyone interested in attending the event in Boston (or anywhere else in New England) email me (gmail: tina.cardone1) or comment here to let me know. Hopefully we can arrange some car pooling (I'll be driving to the T from Methuen, MA) and start meeting each other. Since this is superbly late notice, I'll be excited if anyone makes it. In the future, we can plan things further in advance. If anyone has ideas of what you'd like to do, please, please let me know. If you have lots of ideas I might even bestow you with the title of co-coordinator. In the meantime, I'm hoping we can start a conversation through blogs and an email list and let the momentum carry us. Please comment or email me you information so we can keep in touch. I can't wait to meet you all and I'm humbled to be the regional coordinator for what I'm sure will become an inspiring group of people!

p.s. Feel free to grab the button at the top of the post for your blog and thanks to Michelle for making it!

APLS Growing in New England

2008-09-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

APLS fever is spreading . . . to the place where our country was born. That's right! It is APLS season in New England. Tina at crstn85 has offered to pick up the bushel and peck for your maple-syrup infested neck of the woods. Of course, she wouldn't mind a little help if so any of you Yanks would like to help her co-coordinate, leave a comment here on or her introductory post.

How the New England APLS group evolve is up to you. You may end up passing about information on local events, sharing seasonal tips, swapping supplies, discussing local green politics, or meeting up in person. This regional group can be anything you want it to be - but first you have to join. Please let Tina know that your a Yankee APLS by commenting on her welcome post - coming up very soon.

If you are not yet in our bushel basket, leave a comment so we can add you. And if your region is leader-less as of yet, ask yourself if you'd like to be an APLS coordinator. No experience necessary. :) Just enthusiasm. Email us at aplscarnival(at)gmail(dot)com to volunteer.

Then stay tuned. APLS season is spreading. More regions ripening soon.

September's Carnival

2008-09-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to check in and see what everyone is saying about Affluence. September's carnival is happening over at Green Bean Dreams. Also, weigh in on whether you think we should keep Affluent as part of the group's name.

Hello Fellow California Golden State APLS!

2008-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm Bobbi and I’m excited about being the APLS (Affluent Persons Living Sustainably) coordinator for California.

Some factoids about me: I'm a work-from-home suburban LA publicist, former journalist, former associate producer with an unproduced screenplay in the file drawer. Your basic SoCal resident.

I’m married 20 years and have 2 daughters, 19 and 16. So if you’ve got questions about teenage girls, shoot them at me. I am a survivor.

I’m a nonfiction reader, dinner party thrower, spice and herb experimenter, media fiend and avid kickboxer. Got a political science degree from UCLA but will interact politely with USC grads. For those of you who don’t get that, it’s our cross town college rivalry.

Southern California has been home since I was a teenager. My family moved here from New Rochelle, NY for the usual reasons – the weather and a better job. I know the state and its people in my bones. My own blog, ToLiveLocal, is not only about living green, but also about living local, becoming native to a place.

I’ve been a volunteer in the community for nearly 20 years. I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom during the early kid years and turned my energies to working in the schools and most especially in my religious community, our synagogue. Plus I was a staff writer for our local weekly, The Acorn, as well as a local columnist for the LA Times.

I’m newly committed to the green movement. Just started composting and turning the side yard into a kitchen garden. Discovered how much paper we can recycle. Turn off lights as I move from room to room. And have done some heavy duty sweating this summer by turning off the AC.

If I had to share with you what signifies California for me, I’d say the mountains. Sure, others might mention the Pacific. Then there’s Hollywood and our redwoods, the wine country and the Golden Gate Bridge. Maybe our orange groves or the desert for those of us who can stand the heat.

But I see the mountains every single day whether I walk out to pick up the mail in the front yard or poodle poop in the back. The power of nature is always in front of me, reminding me that when the ground rumbles, it’s not always a truck going by!

Can you see that I love my state? So the rest of you Forty Niners out there, let’s band together, share green tips, local events, products and how to’s. I’m hoping we can be an Environmental News Central for each other and the other APLS. And when it comes to civic organizing, we can get the word out to each other on California issues and national issues as well.

Plus I need help and feedback. What do you guys want? Who wants to be a co-coordinator? You there in Northern California? The Central Valley? Don’t be shy. My email is bobbiwords@aol.com .

So the great state of California casts all its Golden State APLS votes for a green tomorrow!

…can you tell I’m a political junkie too?

APLS Are Growing in the Golden State

2008-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

APLS season has spread all the way to the West Coast. The great state of California is loaded with APLS, ripe for the picking. Bobbi from To Live Local has grabbed her fruit picker and bushel basket and she is ready to organize.

If you live in the Northern half of the state and would like to coordinate activities up there, let Bobbi know and you can work together. Otherwise, look forward to sharing lots of eat local tips, news on local and state politics, and even some in person stories.

Check back soon for Bobbi's inaugural post, where you can comment to add yourself to the California bucket, and then, visit regularly, to see what us Golden Delicious apples are doing here in California.

If your region hasn't come up yet and you'd like to organize, please drop us a line at aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get you set up!

What region will be in APLS growing season next? Check back later this week. More regions to be announced soon.

Join the Colorado Bushel Basket!

2008-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for the warm welcome, Melissa! Kellie & I are so excited to be a part of APLS! Kellie lives in Evergreen, Colorado, and I'm about an hour north of there in the small town of Lyons. We are looking forward to meeting more Colorado APLS and really want to let you guys help us determine the course of our group!

So join our Facebook page and leave a comment below letting us know where in Colorado you are, what your interests are, and what you'd like to see us do as a group. Do you just want to share green living resources and events? Do you want to have a quarterly field trip? A canning party? A cocktail party (featuring local wine and beer of course)?

I love how each person I've encountered in APLS has a different passion and a different area of expertise and hope that APLS Colorado will enjoy that same diversity. Looking forward to meeting you...

APLS are growing in Colorado!

2008-08-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

There’s something exciting happening in Colorado! No, I’m not talking about the Democratic National Convention. This is even better - APLS are growing! If you live in Colorado and have been feeling a bit left out of the regional fun, your wait is over – Julie from Chezartz and Kellie from Greenhab are teaming up to help APLS grow in Colorado!

They’ve actually already got the action started over on a Facebook group – check it out for info on some local events you might be interested in. Of course, not everybody is on Facebook, so they’ll also be coordinating through this site for any of you who don’t yet love Facebook. There’s also a fabulous little button they’ve designed – I’ll let them give you the code in their welcome post, which should be coming your way very soon.

Like all the APLS regional groups that have sprung up, what this group ultimately evolves into is up to all of you, and your fearless leaders. Sharing info about local events is a great starting place. Maybe you’ll also decide to use the space to organize shared transportation to these events. Maybe you’ll create some events of your own. Perhaps a listing of local food sources? What about reviews of local green businesses? Maybe you’ll use it as a forum for debating issues of interest to APLS living in your specific region. Perhaps one of you has some skill you’d like to teach others. Who knows? There are no rules, so you can help make this whatever you’d like it to be!

If you’d like to join in, please leave a comment for Julie and Kellie on their welcome post. Please let us know if you need to be added to the main bushel basket over on our sidebar at the same time.

If you’re not in Colorado, and you still haven’t found a group to call home, why not step up and take on the challenge? We’re all still learning, so the only requirement is enthusiasm! If you’re interested in organizing for your region, send us an email at aplscarnival [at] gmail [dot] com.

What part of the country will be growing APLS next?

And Now Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Great Lakes APLS Programming!

2008-08-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in Great Lakes APLS programs folks, it's been a little hectic around here. Between summer vacations, four sick boys, a bad computer virus and one of the eco 'burban boy's schools closing it's doors for good without warning, things haven't been running too smoothly here.However, things are starting to settle down and I'm BACK! Back and gearing up for back to school, the end of a hot and humid summer and the crisp, cool fall weather that brings all sorts of APLS fun! I have added everyone who has signed up to the Great Lakes APLS local group to our sidebar. If your name is missing, please let me know and I will add you ASAP. For those of you without blogs, if you have an email address you would like to share, please feel free to email me and I will make sure you don't miss any APL-Y goodness.

One last note of housekeeping - we have changed our Great Lakes logo just a smidge to make it more consistent with all the other APLS groups, so please feel free to grab the new image at the top of this post and set it up on your blog or webpage. If you need directions on how to do this, just leave me a comment here at this post!

And, most importantly, the APLS Carnival September posts are due by September 10th. The topic is the term "Affluence" and what this means to you. You can read all about the APLS September Carnival and where to email your submissions here and if you missed reading the August Carnival, it's not too late, you can still get caught up over at Better Living.

Stay Tuned! Must more APLS fun coming your way this fall!

APLS Carnival Topic for September

2008-08-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hey all you party goers, have you recovered from the inaugural APLS carnival over at Better Living? (If you haven't made it over there yet, drop in.) Still reveling in the aftermath? Too hung over to think? Well, the party continues.

For the month of September, the topic is . . .

Affluence. What do you think of the term? Does it apply to you? Do you dislike the word? Feel uncomfortable with it? Are there certain responsibilities that come with accepting that term? Like last month's topic, this is a broad topic. Have at it. I can't wait to read what you all come up with.

Last month's carnival was amazing. Let's do it again.

Please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by September 10. All submissions will be compiled at posted at Green Bean Dreams on September 15.

Just a reminder...

2008-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

The first ever carnival has been posted! Check it out if you haven't already done so - we got a lot of wonderful submissions on our topic question, what does living sustainably mean to you? Enjoy!

Calling All Lower Midwestern APLS!

2008-08-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the introduction, Green Bean! For those who don't know me, I'm Lori from Life in Webster Groves, and I live with my husband in a small suburb just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. I'm a native Northwesterner, an architect by profession, a gardener, an avid soccer fan, and a dog-mom, to name a few characteristics, and I'm excited to be your friendly neighborhood APLS coordinator for the Lower Midwest. For now, the Lower Midwest will cover Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Kentucky. I would also love to hear from those from Southern Illinois who are so inclined, since the climate may be a bit more comparable to the Lower Midwest than the Great Lakes.

As Green Bean suggested, I'm looking for quite a few partners in crime that are willing to share success stories, listen to each other's frustrations or failures, swap recipes and gardening tips, and/or just generally serve as a support group for sustainable living. If we find we live close enough together we can arrange to borrow tools, swap produce, hit an occasional political rally or protest together, or meet for coffee sometime. I'm thinking that the breadth and diversity in this region, and the widely varying climatic shifts we tend to see should make our group discussions very interesting! I'll be taking suggestions pretty much from day one, and I expect this to be a very interactive process. So if you're interested in joining me in the Lower Midwest region, please comment on this post and let me know. If you'd rather join via email, you can do that ltepler (at) gmail (dot) com. And if you'd like to help me with the coordination efforts, you can let me know that too. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

For those with blogs, please go ahead and grab the logo and insert it into your own page. If you're a relative newbie like me, this is a fairly simple process. Just right click on the logo, hit Save As to save it to your own computer, and add it as a picture with a link back to this page. Feel free to email me if you need step-by-step instructions.

I have to say that I'm a bit swamped with a work deadline right now, but I hope to post my very first regional post in about a week. In the meantime, I'll be adding our lovely logo on the sidebar with a link to a (hopefully) growing member list, much like you see already in place for the Great Lakes. If you have any questions or comments, or just want to chat about what it means to be an APLS in the Lower Midwest, please contact me via email. You can also see what I'm up to by visiting my blog.

I'm definitely looking forward to meeting you all, virtually or otherwise!

- Lori

PS: If you are on facebook and haven't yet joined the APLS group, you can find it here. It's just another forum for discussing sustainability and what it means in our daily lives.

APLS Are Growing in the Lower MidWest

2008-08-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

APLS season is spreading south from the Great Lakes. It has now moved into the Lower Midwest - Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. If you are in Southern Illinois, we're considering you a Great Laker but if you think of yourself as a Lower Midwesterner, instead, hop in here. The fantastic Lori from Life in Webster Groves has offered to act as organizer for your region. She would love some friends - lots of them - but, in particular, someone who would like to help co-organize in that region would be most welcome.

What does this mean for you Lower Midwest APLS? The sky's the limit. Trading growing and local food tips. Sharing tools. Swapping clothes. Personal get togethers. Political organizing to get green measures passed. Anything is possible and Lori sounds like she's got some fun ideas up her sleeve.

Stay tuned for Lori's official launch of the Lower Midwest APLS post (along with a cute little button) soon. Lori can be reached at ltepler(at)gmail(dot)com.

And don't feel bad if you don't have an APLS region yet. All we need is for somebody to take on the challenge of organizing! If you're up to the job for your region, send us an email at aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get you set up!

What region will be in APLS growing season next?

Welcoming all the Great Lakes APLS!

2008-08-06T17:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Melissa for the warm welcome to all the Great Lakes APLS in the bushel! I'd like to take a quick moment to introduce myself as your regional go-to-girl for the APLS group. I'm the eco 'burban mom, an APLS located in Michigan, a lovely, yet sometimes chilly Great Lakes State.
Are you a fellow APLS hanging out in an orchard just across the Bluewater Bridge in Ontario, Canada? Or maybe you are an APLS ripening in the rolling hills of Ohio or a hearty Indiana APLS enjoying all the bounties farm country has to offer. You might very well be sweet Wisconsin or Minnesota APLS sending me all that lake effect snow November through April and boy, do my sons thank you for those snow days! Or, you could be a big city APLS from Illinois enjoying all the sophisticated Chicago fun. We all may be different kinds of APLS, but living here in the Great Lakes region we have so many of the same characteristics.

Are you concerned about the rising water temperatures in the Great Lakes causing lake fish, critters, shore lines and plant life to change right before our very eyes? Are you looking for some innovative local food sources, like rice? Yes, you read that right, rice! It does exist right there in Michigan and Manoomin rice dates back to the original Native Americans. You might be looking for someone to commiserate with when the temperature is 10 below and your kids are stuck inside and you need to crank that furnace up just a smidge. Do you have a great green book or gadget you want to pass around? Well, then, you are in the right place!

If that all sounds good to you, maybe you might be interested in meeting a local APLS for coffee or planning a meet up. Hey, all those cool kids on the west coast are getting to know each other in the Northwest and in California, so let's not get left out and start something of our very own. Even if it means we'll be wearing mittens and scarves instead of flip flops and bathing suits. We will send those warm weather dwellers pictures of our lumpy and bundled up bodies so they can laugh and see how global warming affects us cold weather APLS.

I look forward to getting to meet each and every APLS growing right here in the Great Lakes region! Make sure to check back here on a regular basis (or add us to your blogroll) to see what's new or to find out who else has joined our group. There will be an updated list on the sidebar under our very own Great Lakes icon (designed just for us by a green superhero) to quickly tell you what's growing locally in our region on the APLS blog. I already know for a fact there is an APLS in Illinois that would love to show you the giant pumpkins growing in her neighborhood and I, for one, would love to borrow your dehydrator! So, do you want to swap recipes? Need to find a great green book? How about trading around a Kill-A-Watt or swapping some canning supplies? Well, let's do that and a have a bushel basket of fun while getting to know each other!

Email me at ecoburbanmom (at) gmail (dot) com to find out more, to be added to our regional group or check out my blog to find out about living in the 'burbs of Detroit and going green with four boys, two dogs and a husband. Leave me a comment right here and let's get this party started!

WELCOME Great Lakes APLS! We're so glad you're here!

APLS are growing in the Midwest / Great Lakes Region!

2008-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

There's some exciting news for all you APLS in the Midwest / Great Lakes Region! The one and only Eco 'Burban Mom has agreed to act as the regional leader for your region!

What does this mean, exactly? Well, any number of things...it all depends on what you guys want to see. We've talked about the value of organizing in smaller regionally based groups as a way to share information about local food sources or the best thrift shops. We've also discussed it as a jumping off point to organize some "real life" get togethers. Maybe you'll want to use it to share canning supplies amongst yourselves rather than buying your own, discuss the greenness of those running in local elections, or share reviews of local green businesses. It can be anything YOU want it to be!

If you're feeling sad that there's nothing organized for your region yet, don't be! All we need is for somebody to take on the challenge of leadership! If you're up to the job for your region, send us an email at aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get you set up!

Look for Eco 'Burban Mom's introductory post in the next few days! If you want to chat with her about APLS in the Midwest / Great Lakes Region, you can contact her at ecoburbanmom (at) gmail (dot) com.

What region will be in APLS growing season next?

First APLS Blog Carnival Topic

2008-07-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

What does living sustainably mean to you? For our first ever APLS Blog Carnival, I thought we'd stick to the basics. Since APLS stands for Affluent People Living Sustainably, let's hear how you define sustainable living, and how it plays out in your life.

It's a broad topic, so be as creative with it as you'd like!

Please submit a post on this topic by August 12th to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com if you'd like to be included in the carnival. Submissions will be reviewed and posted on August 15th.

If you have any questions or suggestions at all, please be sure to drop us an email. We'd love to hear from you and can't wait to read all the submissions!

Welcome!

2008-07-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the APLS Carnival! This is your home base for our once a month blog carnival, focusing on the issues of sustainability, green living and more.

Here's how it'll work. Whoever is hosting the blog carnival that month, gets to pick a topic of their choosing, so long as it relates to "APLS," that is, living sustainably in an affluent society. They'll announce the topic selection on or around the 15th of the prior month. (So if you're hosting for October, topic selection will be announced September 15th.) If you'd like to contribute to the carnival, you'll have about two weeks to put a post together on the chosen topic, and then you'll submit your topic to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com.

The carnival will then be published on the host's site around the 1st of the month.

And that's it. Our goal is to keep this fairly simple, but fun.

FAQ

2008-07-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

Here are the answers to your burning questions about the APLS Carnival!

What's a blog carnival?

A blog carnival is a regular event wherein a group of bloggers publish entries on a specific topic, and said entries are compiled on one person's blog. See Wikipedia for a more in depth definition.

How do I contribute to the carnival?

Write a post that pertains to the monthly topic, and then submit the permalink URL for your post to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com.

What's the deadline?

It's up to the carnival host's discretion, but in order to be guaranteed a spot in the carnival, please submit your entry two days before the carnival is set to be published.

When are the carnivals published?

On or about the 1st of the month. Sometimes a little later depending. (We're guessing people will be too hung over January 1st to be interested in blog carnivals.)

Can I submit to the carnival if I'm not a "green-blogger?"

Sure! The more the merrier. We don't care if you're an eco-blogger, a mommy blogger, a money blogger, or a politics blogger. We don't even care if your blog has a topic. We can only benefit from the diversity of viewpoint offered by a wide range of blogs. Moreover, one of our goals with the APLS project is to create a social network for people interested in sustainable living. The more diverse a network, the stronger it is and the more likely it is to grow. As long as your post is related to the topic at hand, we are happy to include you.

Can I submit to the carnival if I don't have a blog?

I'm glad you asked! The answer is yes!! We want to include non-bloggers in the fun too. If you don't have a blog, then simply submit your full post to us, and we'll put your post up on the APLS site.

How do I host the carnival?

Email us at aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com if you're interested in hosting. We aren't going to start scheduling carnival hosts more than a few months in advance, so please don't be offended if we don't immediately put you on the schedule. We'll keep all the names on the list though, and then randomly select hosts every few months.

What are the duties of the carnival host?

Pretty simple. Basically, you have to host the carnival on your blog website. You come up with the topic, you'll receive the submissions via email, you'll compile them, and then and this is very important, write a little bit of commentary about the posts. We don't want this to just be a bunch of links to posts. It doesn't have to be a lot, but you should include a line or two of thoughtful commentary about each submission.

What's the code to put your little APLS doodad on my blog?

<a href="http://theaplsblog.blogspot.com/"><img src= "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dguKzLoD1Os/SCtohmuQFRI/AAAAAAAAAsw/d2w0tlCOCa4/s320/APLS6.jpg"/></a>

I have a question you didn't cover.

Email us at aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com, and we'll be happy to answer your question!