How to be happy — Simple ways to be a happier mom and find more joy in parenting.

Since becoming a mom my New Year’s resolutions have shifted. In my twenties my list would have included vacations, making more money, losing weight, a new car or some other thing I acquainted with happiness. Something about having a child really shifts your perspective on life and the world. I have a much greater appreciation for the small stuff and my cares are geared towards making our everyday life simpler and happier. Along with that I’ve become much more concerned with living an environmentally responsible life and being conscience of the impact I make on the earth.

Small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in protecting the earth’s natural resources, and it can also make you a happier person. I was invited to take part in the Tetra Pak Renewable Living Challenge, a series of easy challenges to encourage you to take daily steps toward living a more conscious, renewable lifestyle.
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Challenge 1:  Choose food and beverage products with renewable packaging
All those plastic bottles and discarded packaging from your weekly grocery shopping trip adds up to tons and tons of waste. Most American’s already know that recycling is helpful, but you can make an even greater impact by making a few more small changes in your shopping habits. Renewable materials – those made of natural resources that can be replenished such as paperboard from wood fiber or plastic sugar cane – help preserve our precious natural resources.
Armed with my new awareness I focused on finding items on my grocery list that were packaged in more environmentally friendly material. Thankfully Tetra Pak has made that even easier with carton packaging that helps protect our planet’s limited supply of natural resources. Tetra Pak cartons are mainly made from paper, a renewable resource that can be naturally replenished.
Challenge 2:  Take Shorter Showers 
Honestly this challenge wasn’t hard at all. As a momma of a wild and crazy toddler my once marathon long, hot showers have become a quick sprint.
Challenge 3: Bike or Walk Whenever Possible 
Not only is this challenge great for the environment, it’s great for your overall health and happiness. Making a commitment to walk or bike more has benefited my whole family. It’s an extra workout that helps keep me in shape. Plus my son really loves our walks, it helps him get some of his bundled up energy out and we get to talk about our day as a family. I’ve even noticed a difference in my relationship! My husband and I have enjoyed more moments together. We’ve had so much fun planning day trips where we could walk around and explore the city with our son. I get an extra happiness boost at the end of the day when I check out my Fitbit and see all the steps I’ve logged, it’s an awesome feeling of accomplishment.
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How to Be Happy--Finding more joy in parenting!
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Challenge 4: Swap Your Paper Coffee Cup for a Reusable Mug 
Like most mom’s I know I pretty much live on coffee. My day starts with a macchiato and far too often I’m back at the coffeeshop in the afternoon for another one to push through the rest of the day. All those coffee cups add up, and even though it’s recyclable paper, think about the energy consumed in making the cups, garbage disposal, even the recycling process. Switching to a reusable mug means far less waste and energy expended at the expense of the environment. I picked out a cute coffee mug and made the swap.
Challenge 5: Take the Tetra Pak Happiness Quiz
This one was easy and definitely added to my awareness that making small changes in my daily habits can make a difference and be rewarding too.
We are all responsible for protecting the earth and preserving it’s natural resources. Think about what small lifestyle changes you could make that would impact the world for the better. It’s easier than you think and will not only make a difference in the world but make you a happier person as well.
Take the Tetra Pak Challenge and share how you’re making changes to make the world a better place. Leave a comment or post to our Facebook wall.
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.