Maybe it's just that I grew up in Los Angeles. Or have a few hippie relatives ("Remember, don't flush when we visit Auntie's house!"). Or that I just like tote bags. But I've found it pretty easy to adopt some simple green habits that can go a long way in the big picture of being nice to Mother Earth.

In case you haven't noticed, it's totally chic to bring your own bags to the grocery store and other retailers. See my handy blog post from last year's Green Week for more info on that hot topic. Just keep a few bags in your car for those spontaneous shopping stops. Another seemingly no brainer is to turn off the hose and pick up a broom to clean that back patio or front driveway. Not to mention that sweeping is a total calorie burner. At my house, it also counts as "playing with the dog" because our pug stands on the piles of leaves trying to actually catch the broom! Makes you want to come over to visit, doesn't it?

Which leads me to lint. Cleaning the lint trap after every dryer load can actually save you money! Think of all the tote bags you could buy! Some of my aforementioned hippie relatives used to have clotheslines to dry their clothes outdoors. It's a great option if you have the space and the weather, and the prairie dress to wear while you're hanging laundry, but personally, I'm not there yet. I'll just keep cleaning the lint trap, thankyouverymuch.

Lots of Angelenos are brave and ride bikes to work. Or this thing called the Metro. I hear it's a rail system that actually can get you from place to place in Los Angeles, but I'm not sure I believe it. I mean in San Francisco, sure. New York, of course. But LA? Since many of us will always be dependent on our independence, and the rest of us are scared to ride a bike in traffic, there is the carpooling option. My husband and I work in the same building. In the same department in fact. I'd love to tell you that we carpool to work together every day. That would make me smart, and you "green" with envy I'm sure. But we don't. Most days we can't for a variety of reasons, most of which involve off-campus meetings or video shoots or other glamorous Hollywood-type things. But you should lead by example and find people to carpool with. Seriously, maybe you'll inspire me.