9 WAYS TO HAVE A HOT GIRL (ECO FRIENDLY) SUMMER

Have a hard time making the most of your summer? Try changing your approach. If summers are flying by - slow them down. Having an eco-girl summer IS having a hot girl summer. It means adopting a mindful, zero-waste approach to the hottest days of the year. It's not about larger transformations - it's about small habits that reduce waste. Minimizing practices that harm instead of help. Here are 9 ways you can have a hot eco-girl summer:

1. Be an outfit repeater and do less laundry loads: While it is tempting to buy a new outfit specifically for an event, it is easier to revive an old look from your wardrobe or repeat an outfit. Rewearing clothing doesn't mean you're being lazy - it means the look was so good you had to do it again.

2. Switch to an eco-friendly bottle instead of running through water bottles: Going through many water bottles at a time? The best way to cut down on plastic pollution is never having the issue at all. Try a change of pace. Use stainless steel bottles or reusable glass bottles. Paper based cartons can also be recycled.

3. Save on gas and bus or walk somewhere: Not going very far? Is it a nice day out? Enjoy the weather. A walk does wonders for your overall mood and reduces the amount of gas pollution emitted when you rideshare and get stuck in traffic.

4. Eat and drink your electrolytes: To get those electrolytes through diet, a mix of foods in the categories potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium are needed. Chances are, these are foods you've already been consuming: bananas, avocadoes, salmon, yogurt, pickles, cooked spinach, almonds, and baked potatoes. Water and a salty snack are good for meeting your basic needs. 

5. Save concert ephemera and junk: Went to a concert recently? Leftover stuff like paper tickets, stubs, lanyards, paper wristbands, and signs can all be saved. While most only see the value in these things when they are at the event, they can still have use afterwards. Instead of tossing them in the trash, add them to a journal or a junkbook.

6. Build a portable fan instead of using the A/C: An A/C can use up to 1500 watts of energy. A personal fan is more energy efficient and not as detrimental to the environment. With an A/C there is always the concern that when hot air is pulled and pumped outside, chemicals like coolants escape into the air. A personal fan is a great way to ensure that the breeze stays in your room - and on you.

7. Wear breathable fibers in the sweltering heat: This is the kind of weather that demands tank tops and shorts. Breathable linens are life savers in sweltering heat. Fabrics like linen, hemp, cotton, and other plant based fabrics have properties like moisture wicking, and temperature regulation.

8. Collect rainwater and use it to water plants: Have you been getting nonstop rain? This could be a blessing in disguise if you have plants. You can use this water to treat your gardens or your compost piles. 

9. When going to the farmers market use reusable tote bags: Instead of single-use plastic bags - have a reusable tote bag ready.  A canvas bag can be used to hold heavier items while a mesh bag can hold smaller items like produce.

With only a couple of weeks of summer left, you can still make the most of it. Instead of feeling burned out and tired - you can feel replenished just in time for Fall.