Ok. Let's be honest here...the 4th of July is probably the least eco-friendly holiday on the calendar, right?

And there is one reason, and one reason alone for that...

Fireworks.

So even though eco-friendlier fireworks are making their way into the market, I'm not going to insult your intelligence by telling you that you can make this year a "green 4th of July".

Instead, what I am going to do is share some great ideas with you to that will be sure to help you have green(ER) fun this 4th of July.

What's better than starting your very own container garden with fresh organic herbs and veggies?

Starting one for FREE!

This picture is an actual photo of the container garden I made out of reclaimed shipping pallets...

...and I'm going to show
you how to make one too!

Who doesn't like a good ole' Batter Blaster on a sleepy Saturday morning?

I mean seriously, everyone loves great tasting organic batter that's available at the gentle touch of a single finger...and with no mess!

Of course we ARE talking about pancake and waffle batter here.

The summer sun is already crankin' up the heat...which means your grill should be too!

If you've never loaded up your grill with loads of veggies, you have no idea what sensory stimulation overload you're missing out on!

On Sunday my wife, a friend, and I grilled an AWESOME sunny weekend vegetarian lunch (pictured at right)...including a sweet potato salad recipe that you absolutely MUST try!

Memorial Day weekend is knocking at the door and I can already hear the sizzle of all those grills.

If you are indeed going to throw some tasty treats on the grill this weekend, be sure to grill it green!

Did you know that there are a few easy steps you can take to not only green your grilling habits, but also make you the star grill master (or mistress) of your block?

Let me share some with you.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to discover simple and easy ideas that make life easier, greener, and cheaper!

You know what I mean, ideas that you could file under the, "Why didn't I think of that?" category.

In the twitter world, today is #EcoMonday, which means lots of great #freen posts too.

Here is where I show you 2 amazing "freen" ideas that don't cost you a dime and make life way easier!

But what does "freen" mean?

It's already the middle of May and you realize you never got around to starting that container garden you planned on this year.

Don't worry! It's not too late to start it! Crap, June isn't too late to start it!

If you're going to be starting your own container garden, why not make your garden planters for FREE from reclaimed wooden pallets?

Here are 3 great plans to choose from...

...right out of your diet.

Geez, what'd you think I was talking about?

Chelsea Green, THE publisher of all books eco-friendly, and Your Daily Thread, LA's guide to having FUN living green, have teamed up to help you go Meatless in May.

Why would you want to cut meat out of your diet, even if just for a month?

Chelsea Green says,

"Cutting meat out of your diet entirely saves 5,000 lbs of carbon emissions per year. By cutting meat out of your diet for just the month of May, you’ll be cutting 420 lbs. of CO2 out of your carbon footprint."

Wondering how eating meat produces SO much CO2 and other greenhouse gases?

Check out the short video from the girls behind Your Daily Thread for an easy explanation.

"Oh crap! We were supposed to bring something to that Christmas party!"

Ever said those words before?

Don't get caught with your pants down at this year's party.

These Oreo (actually they're Newman's Own brand "Newman-O's") Truffles are super easy and quick to fix.

The best part...all your vegetarian friends can enjoy them too--and boy are they enjoyable!

Maybe too enjoyable!

Humans aren't the only ones who need good quality organic food to keep us healthy and strong.

Dogs do too!

Always use caution when acting as your pooch's personal chef, because lots of things yummy to us people are toxic to our four-legged friends.

No need to worry about that with this recipe, however, these frozen organic doggie treats will definitely please the pooches as the temperature rises.

Organic gardening is an entirely different way of life.

However, even if you're not willing to take the plunge into a completely organic Earth-friendly lifestyle, there are still some steps you can take in your home garden to minimize your impact on the environment.

"Coffee is the world's second most traded commodity after petroleum. That's 2.5 billion pounds every year", according to YourEcoSource.com.

As a result, our beloved coffee takes a huge toll on the environment--from deforestation of the world's rain forests to shipping costs.

So what can we do to reduce our coffee stained foot-print while simultaneously sip a WONDERFUL cup o joe?

Did you know every Saturday from 8:00am-2:00pm you can go buy fresh and organic plants and produce at the president's home?

Ok, so it's not the current president's home, but it is a dead one's...doesn't that still count?

Here in the suburb of Nashville, TN where I reside is the home of our nation's 7th president: General Andrew Jackson. His home's name is The Hermitage and, coincidently, that's the name of our suburb, "Hermitage, TN."

I just saw this sign that enlightened me to the existence of this weekly local and organic market...do you know if one exists near you?

"I don't eat healthy because it's so damn expensive!" Have you ever uttered those words or heard someone around you say it? My answer is "yes" to both questions.

Isn't there an way we can eat healthy, and even organic, foods without going bankrupt?

Well thanks to a story from one of my favorite blogs, WorldChanging.com, the answer to that question is a resounding "YES"!

Did you know you can save the planet and yourself by eating fresh food?

It's true...but I bet you don't how huge of an impact you can make, on both your body and the earth, by not eating pre-packaged.

What could by more Earth Day-ish than a beautiful little girl playing with a furry caterpillar at an Earth Day festival? Answer: NOTHING!

I ran into a very old friend whom I haven't seen in years at my local Earth Day Festival yesterday here in Nashville, TN, and I was lucky enough to snap this great shot of his daughter.

Check out these other great pics from the Nashville Earth Day Festival...

Going green doesn't simply refer to neutralizing your carbon footprint and combating global warming; those are merely factors, albeit big ones, in living a greener life. There are a host of things you can do that are free (and/or can actually save you money), help others, and contribute to saving and enjoying our environment.

Here are three ideas that accomplish all of those goals.