A Wish to Live Deliberately – Happy Earth Day 2018

April 22nd means that it’s one of my favorite days again: Earth Day! Happy Earth Day 2018! What better day to make moves toward living deliberately? For the last couple of years, I’ve stepped up my Earth Day celebrations by cleaning up local green spaces in our home town. Last year I upped my commitments for the year to doing small and simple things that make a difference: being sure to use my reusable bags, I bought (and used) metal straws and clean up more than once a year.

Today, we’re celebrating Earth Day in Croatia, and as you’re reading this we’re exploring Plitvice Lakes National Park, and we’ve got bags in tow to collect litter along the way! This past year has been very different because we’ve traveled so much during it. Instead of trading in certain lifestyle things like I did last year, we’re trying to make more conscious decisions while on the road. Some of these decisions are simply lifestyle changes and others are using products that help us cut down on waste. We have a handful of sustainable products that we don’t travel without anymore.

My 5 Favorite Eco-Friendly Products for Travelers

 I feel like this year especially, plastic truly became a dirty word. Countries are banning plastic straws and bags and people are becoming more and more aware of alternatives. These 5 products that we use help you cut down specifically on plastic.

Reusable Shopping Bag

This is one of the most-used items that we use on our travels. At least twice a week, Matt and I go to the store to get something for a travel day or groceries to fix meals at a Guesthouse. I love having these reusable bags at hand because it cuts down on the plastic waste sweeping the world. These bags are wonderful because they fold into a tiny little pouch and when they’re folded, they clip on to your backpack, purse, whatever. Plus, they’re big enough to hold quite a bit.

Bar Soap + Shampoo

There are so many options for using bar soap and shampoo as far as brands and products go. I don’t have one brand that I stick to, but I am an avid bar soap user. The paper or cardboard packaging can be recycled or, in some cases, composted.  Buying gels and liquid shampoos/conditioners creates a lot of plastic waste.

Bee’s Wrap Reusable Food Wraps

Bee’s Wraps are a new product for me, but I’ve found them to be incredibly useful. We had traveled with reusable containers before, but when you’re traveling, those can be very difficult to carry around. Instead, we switched them out with Bee’s Wraps. These reusable wraps eliminate the need for the plastic bags we would’ve used for sandwiches or veggies in the past. Bee’s Wrap sent us several of their products to test out and I love them. They’re made with organic cotton (with incredibly cute prints), beeswax, organic jojoba oil and tree resin. Plus, when the wax eventually wears off of them, they’re totally compostable. Even their packaging is made from recycled products, is recyclable and is completely plastic-free.

Bee’s Wrap reusable wraps are easy to use and take care of. To use them, you wrap your veggies, fruit, bread, cheese, etc., inside the wrap and hold the seam or edges in your hands. The warmth of your hands create a seal. You can also use them on bowls in place of plastic wrap as well! Bee’s Wrap wraps come multiple sizes for different food storage needs. Their care is easy as well. You wash them with cool water and a gentle soap, and store them for next time. I love the sandwich wrap for taking a sandwich on the go and we’ve used the others to store veggies and bread as well. I’ve even used the large bread wrap to store pizza! I can’t wait to continue using these during my travels and at home as well.

Reusable Travel Cases

We use these for our toothbrushes, bar soap and other products. While these are plastic, they’re containers that I’ve used for years and have kept me from having to purchase anything new in several years. I know in the past, I used a different plastic baggie to put my soap and toothbrush in. Now, they go in the case. They’re also easy to clean and store.

Reusable Water Bottles

I have several different water bottles that I use, but my favorite water bottle is my 16 oz. wide-mouth Nalgene bottle. I love these because they’re BPA free, easy to clean because they’re wide-mouthed and I can track the amount of water I’ve had. As long as we’re in a country where the water is safe to drink, we use our reusable bottles!

Here’s Easy Shopping Access to These Items

Now For Some Mother Earth Photo-Love

One of the reasons I love working toward being environmentally friendly and sustainable is because I truly enjoy this beautiful earth of ours. I believe it is our duty to be better stewards of the planet and I wanted to share 10 of my favorite nature photos we’ve taken since last earth day.

Kuang Si Falls // Luang Prabang, Laos

Doi Inthanon National Park // Northern Thailand

Blue Spring in Ozarks National Scenic Riverways // Near Eminence, Missouri

Mount Magazine State Park // Near Paris, Arkansas

Artist Point Falls // Near Fayetteville, Arkansas

Sunrise in the Blue Ridge Mountains // Near Asheville, NC

Blue Ridge Parkway // North Carolina

Lagos, Portugal

Lagos, Portugal

Lagos, Portugal

I hope you guys enjoy your Earth Day and do something big or small to live deliberately on this beautiful planet of ours. I’d love to hear how you’re celebrating or what changes you’re making to be more eco-friendly.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product from Amazon through For the Love of Wanderlust, you will help me stay on the road + keep my site running at no additional cost for you. Although Bee’s Wrap provided us with some amazing Bees Wrap samples, all opinions are, as always, our own.