Winners of the Green Living AZ makeover, Wendy and Lindsay Wesley, share their story about striving for and living a greener lifestyle.

Wendy Wesley [Mom]

Sustainability has always been a part of me, wherever I lived – and that was many places.  I grew up in Oregon, a logging state, and was trained to use everything I had and not to waste.  It was an everyday practice to pick up trash, recycle and conserve.  When my family moved to California, continuing our conservation efforts was a seamless transition.  We saved water, recycled and managed our gas consumption.  In Chicago there was a great recycling program, especially for your yard trimmings.  We were required to purchase brown recyclable bags and place our yard waste in them for special pick-up.  Recycling was mandatory there, and if you did it wrong, you were given a fine so I learned to do it correctly fast!  Another move was to Australia, a place that taught me about the benefits of using cloth bags, and I became more aware of the need to stop using plastic bags.  Since living in Arizona, my daughter and I have carpooled to work, we changed out all of our light bulbs to CFLs, converted our pool to salt water, and we continue to cut back on water usage and extend our recycling efforts.  My hope for Arizona is that leadership takes a more proactive role in recycling and develops and executes a better way to help the community in this effort.  My green goal for 2011 is to really stop using plastic in all areas.

Lindsay Wesley [Daughter]

I mainly grew up in California.  From as early as I can remember, my mother was most influential in my education about conservation and recycling.  When I went out on my own and moved to Arizona, I became more aware of my sustainable choices.  At the time, my apartment complex did not have recycling, and I took it upon myself to separate the
waste and transport everything recyclable to stations nearby.  As I grew in my real estate career, the biggest thing I noticed was the integration of solar energy on homes.  I hope to have solar panels on my home one day.  Overall, I believe that one can go further today, more than ever, in their efforts to create a greener lifestyle.  Aside from my everyday efforts to cut down on electricity, carpool, recycle and save water, I strive to learn more about how to integrate sustainable practices into my everyday routine and live a healthier life.  My green goal for 2011 is to be more conscientious about my eco-product and service choices – starting with