Is your head exploding yet? That’s a good sign—means you’re still with us. You could probably use a few more visuals with all of the suggestions we’ve given you, so this chapter’s all about putting together everything we’ve talked about. Sound good? We’ll start by walking you through a normal day, first as a “typical” teen would do it, and then we’ll show a rewind with greener choices instead—using our green, greener, and greenest headings to give you creative options. (We heart choices!) Try making up your own. Some of ours will seem cheesy or silly or too idealistic—for us, too—but they’re meant to get you thinking in your own green style. No matter how you choose to green up your day, let these examples reinforce the idea that all of your days are filled with hundreds of big and small chances to be green, and they all count!

Waking Up:

Typical
Your alarm next to your bed blares. You hit the snooze button a few times and then make your way to the bathroom, ignoring the need to rush as you lumber into the hot steam-filled shower. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty gallons and twenty minutes later, Dad knocks to warn that you’re late. You slather on soap or body wash, then shampoo, stopping to glance at the ingredients—what are some of these names? The list reminds you of chemistry class. You’ve heard that some beauty products can be toxic, but hey, the smells are off the hook. You rinse off a few more minutes—man that hot water is addictive! You get out, dry off with a synthetic towel, and throw it onto the floor. You brush your teeth with the latest fresh-breath-whitening-formula paste and let the water run while you check yourself out in the mirror from all angles. Hmmm . . . Would the Katie Holmes new glam-chic haircut look dope or dorky on me? You massage your face and body with lotion you bought at the pharmacy that promises an acne-free dewy complexion, a future without wrinkles, and a sun-kissed glow without the sun—a miracle in a jar. You roll on a sweat-and-odor-stomping deodorant and an intoxicating perfume—a fragrance you bought at the mall for cheap, cheap but that smells like you paid the big bucks.

Green
Your alarm across the room blares. You shut it off and then head into the bathroom. You take a five-minute shower and brush your teeth at the same time as you rinse your hair, careful not to get shampoo into your mouth! Your new organic soap and shampoo smell fresh and rinse clean. You get out, dry off with an organic cotton towel, and hang it back up to dry. On your body you rub in lavender-scented paraben-free lotion from Whole Foods or Wild Oats, and on your face you use Trader Joe’s oil-free face version. You apply talc-free mineral face powder and toxin-free mascara and lip gloss—all of which you’ve researched on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website at www.safecosmetics.org to. (Just because you’re a green teen doesn’t mean you can’t still be a lip-gloss-aholic like Linda! You just have to know the safe brands to choose from.) It’s going to be a hot day, so you use your aluminum-chlorohydrate-free deodorant.

Greener
Your alarm across the room goes off. You get out of bed, turn it off, stretch, and make your way into the bathroom, where you determine that you’re pretty clean from yesterday’s five-minute shower, so today will just be a quick rinse-off instead. That takes all of about one minute. You dry off with a 100 percent organic cotton or bamboo towel and hang it back up to dry. You pull out the health-food-store brand toothpaste and see if you can brush with fewer than four swigs of water from the cup sitting on the sink. . . . Yup. Easy breezy. You forgo your old fragrance (the one you recently found out contains phthalates—linked to cancer) and dab on a vanilla-scented essential oil instead. You’re smelling mighty sweet! Your eco-friendly lotions, makeup, and deodorant, and a quick brush through your hair, leave you looking prom-ready. Okay, that’s a stretch. But at least ready for first period.

Greenest
Your cell phone alarm across the room chimes. You get out of bed, turn it off, and make sure your solar charger is unplugged for the day. You head to the bathroom, where you determine that you’re all good from yesterday’s five-minute shower, so today’ll just be a quick sponge bath and face splash before getting ready. At only three swigs of water while brushing your teeth, you’ve beaten yesterday’s water usage; you smile knowing you just hit your personal best. You’ve been living and eating clean so your complexion looks fab and you don’t sense the need for deodorant. The only thing left to do is dab on a little eco-lotion and vitamin E lip balm to keep your kisser . . . well, kissable. Oh, and you throw your hair up in a fun, flirty ponytail. Now you’re good to go, gorgeous!