April is a time of renewal and rebirth.  As the cold melts away, we discover new life all around us.  It is the perfect time of year to take stock of the richness in our life and how we contribute richness to the lives of others.  Taking care of the natural beauty that surrounds us and contributing to a healthy life for all is certainly a good start.  Let's be clear, I don't expect to discover the next great breakthrough in sustainable energy technology, but I know I can do my part.  There are so many easy things you can do to contribute, starting with the simple, "reduce, reuse, recycle."

1. Reusable bags have gotten a chic makeover from shops like greenloop.  I love the GreenOne 'Metallic Poppies' Bag and the Stewart+Brown Green Heart Tote.  I keep one with me at all times - not just for groceries anymore.

2. Buy larger sizes of consumables to reduce the overall packaging and/or choose items that offer reduced packaging.

3. Recycle everything!  At Tall Couture, we recycle cardboard, newspaper, magazines, junk mail, office paper and of course, the usual suspects: plastic, glassand aluminum.  How much harder is it really to throw trash into a separate bin??

4. Buy Eco-Ganik... and other earth friendly fashions - at Tall Couture, of course. ;)  And instead of tossing old clothes in the trash, find a way to recycle them too.  Sell or donate old clothes, reuse fabric for fab pillows covers, purses, etc.

5. Park once, walk more.  If you are running errands, try to walk as much as possible.  I am luck enough to live in a town that has sidewalks, but even at the shopping centers you can park and walk from one to the other!

6. Buy organic!  It is good for your body and the earth.  An easy way to make a huge impact.  Not sure you can afford organic everything?  Start with dairy, which has one of the biggest impacts on your health and the health of the earth.  Then add fruits and veggies with thin skins - peelables like bananas and citrus are more protected from pesticides.  Organic grains like wheat and corn also have a huge impact on the earth because of the sheer volume that is grown and the huge amount of pestisides that are used in traditional agrigulture - not to mention genetic modification!

7. Buy local.  This may sound strange coming from an online retailer, but tall clothes aren't an option in most local shops.  I buy everything I can from local merchants here in Katonah.  And for my shipping, I use carbon offsets, which brings me to...

8. Buy carbon offsets when you can't buy local!  Here is a quick excerpt from Treehugger.com's survey of carbon offset services:

Carbonfund.org checked in with the lowest price, at $5.50 US per metric ton of carbon dioxide, while other companies like TerraPass (about $10/ton) and NativeEnergy (about $13/ton) charge more for their offsets that can be calculated for more specific activities, like traveling by car or airplane. (Read More)

9. Eat local.  Tis the season - for farmers' markets that is.  Find your local farmers' markets, community supported agriculture and even restaurants that serve local fare at Local Harvest.

10. Spread the word!  Wether by example or word of mouth, caring is contagious.  Just do it.

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars." - Henry Van Dyke, Author

Have a beautiful Earth Day, and be sure to look up at the stars!