Today is Earth Day’s 40th anniversary and we offer a few fun and easy ways to go green, from energy- and money-saving tips from Florida Power and Light to local Earth Day celebrations to buying and making eco-friendly cleaning and beauty products. Save the planet (and money) man!

Home: Energy costs take a huge bite out of our budgets and our super-consumption harms the planet. Florida Power & Light offers these ideas and links for rebates and incentives to upgrade to more energy efficient appliances with home insulation; leaky air ducts; air conditioner; and major appliances (*Florida program only available through Sunday, April 25th).

Celebrations: There are family-friendly eco-events in Broward and Palm Beach counties on Saturday and Sunday.

Release ladybugs, see live marine animal shows and take a guided boardwalk tour at Earth Day 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 24, at Daggerwing Nature Center in the South County Regional Park, 11200 Park Access Road, Boca Raton; 561-629-8760. Click here for more info.

Learn how to live more green and meet the recycling robot as the Broward County Waste and Recycling Division throws and Earth Day Extravaganza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 25 at Plantation Heritage Park, 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane. 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation

Free trees: Coconut Creek residents can get a free tree and two plants per household on Saturday, April 24 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Government Center, 4800 W. Copans Road, Coconut Creek; 954-973-6756. Choose from seven different tree species. Click here for more info.

Chemical-free cleaning: Eco-Me Kits are a great holistic way to take care of your family, pets, home and body without the nasty chemicals. The kits contain everything you need to make your own cleaning products with common household items like baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. There are five starter kits: Eco –Me Body, Eco-Me Baby, Eco-Me Home, Eco-Me Dog and Eco-Me Cat. The kits range in price from $16.99-$36 at Amazon.com

Beauty: Cargo’s PlantLove line will really grow on you. This brand is serious about its Earth-friendly mission. The organic Natural Origin Collection includes lipsticks, foundations, eye shadows, blushers and bronzers, and they're all free of parabens, phthalates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes and fragrances. PlantLove’s colorful, groovy bio-plastic containers made are from corn so it won't take 100 years for these to return to Mother Earth once you toss them in the trash. The awesome Botanical Lipstick comes in 20 shades and the box is infused with wildflower seeds. Just wet it, plant it and watch 'em grow. Now that's truly green. Get 'em at at CVS.com through May 9 and get 20 percent off on all beauty purchases.

Books: “Just Green It: The Ultimate Consumer Shopping Guide” by healthy-home experts Lisa and Ron Beres is the black book on being green. The guide offers tips and advice on making eco-friendly choices and compares brand-name products side-by-side to help you make good environmentally-friendly purchases on everything from mattresses to baby food. Get it here.

Online resources: Visit the EcoMall. According to its website, EcoMall provides educational articles, a comprehensive list of environmental companies, products and services. The site offers listings of hundreds of sites on the Internet with green products. Find everything you could possibly need from A-Z.

When we recycle and reuse, we all win. As the Native American proverb goes: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Share you're favorite green tip with us. Best one gets an Eco-Me Body Kit!

-- Doreen Christensen