A working mom trying to do it all ....and succeeding!
My tip this week is really a question. I have several pillows that are kinda flat. How can I recycle them or re use them?
I was thinkg of cutting the longer ones in half and making throw pillows for my patio to go with my new green cushions.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
Tips for Composting Kitchen Scraps
In an everyday household environment there is a constant flow of waste that builds up in the garbage can. A good way to reduce waste while creating incredible nutrients for your garden is to compost your kitchen scraps. Composting is very simple yet highly rewarding, which means anyone can do it. Even though composting is fairly easy, there are some tips to follow in order to ensure the richest nutrients and soil in a compost bin/pile.
Composting For an Enriched Garden
The overall purpose of having a compost bin is to enhance your home garden. Any individual that has an interest in gardening should become very familiar with composting because it can be the key to a naturally healthy garden. A great garden starts with the best soil and if not provided the right nutrients, the plants in your garden may look sick and dull in color.
Have a Compost Bin Inside and Outside
The easiest way to keep efficient compost is to have a small compost bin in the kitchen and a larger compost bin or pile outside near your garden. Every few days, empty the small compost bin into the one outside on your way out the door. Having two bins makes composting your everyday kitchen scraps much less complicated.
Good Things to Add
In order to ensure that your compost provides the most enriched nutrients, it is recommended that certain scraps be added rather than others. Using wholesome organic scrap in your compost will ensure that when decomposed it will provide the best possible nutrients for your soil. Some organic scraps that are highly recommended for a compost bin consist of fruits, vegetables, grass clippings, weeds, leaves, shredded paper, dead flowers, coffee grounds, tea leaves, wood chips, sawdust, eggshells, or dried manure.
Bad Things to Add
Unfortunately there are some materials that may actually harm or alter the effects of a compost bin. Materials such as meat products, fats and bones, diseased plants, poisonous plants, dairy products, chemically treated lumber or sawdust, and human or pet waste can make your decomposed material less nutritious or even harmful to your garden soil. To be sure that your efforts bear results, try to refrain from using harmful materials in a compost bin.
Try to Create an Effective Balance of Materials
Composting will be more effective if there is a good balance of materials in the bin. Too much kitchen waste will sometimes make the compost too slimy or excessively dry. Having the sufficient amount of woody and grassy materials will make the final product much better.
The Ideal Composting Method
There is really no wrong way to compost your waste as long as you are adding wholesome organic materials. The way to make your composted waste work at its full potential is to let it sit in a pile or a bin until it decomposes, the wholesome materials speed up this process as well as keeping the compost material moist. Gardeners will sometimes just bury waste in the garden rather than letting it decompose first. Both methods are better than using fertilizers and chemicals purchased at the store.
When to Add the Composted Waste to Your Garden Soil
After letting the waste compost until it decays it will be ready to be added to the garden soil. You will know when your compost bin is ready because the contents will be very dark in color and decomposed to the point where you cannot recognize what the waste was. Not all of the materials have to be completely decomposed before being added to the soil. Any material that is not finished decomposing will further decompose after it has been buried. When you are sure that your compost is finished, work its contents into the soil of all areas in your garden.
To Start the Next Bin
Once you have decided to add the contents of your first compost bin to you garden, it is highly recommended that you save a small bucketful of the decomposed waste in order to add it to the next pile. Adding already decomposed waste to a freshly started compost bin will help speed up the process overall. Be sure to start your new compost bins with a high amount of kitchen waste. The more waste, the faster the process.
Guest post from Bailey Harris.
Make Your Own Antibacterial Cleaner
Although many of us have sworn off bleach and maybe even tried our hands at DIY green cleaning recipes, the idea of going DIY with an antibacterial spray cleaner made me nervous. It was one thing to clean my windows with a vinegar and water mixture, but I simply didn’t feel safe going soft and natural on potentially terrifying germs, especially in flu season with H1N1 on the loose. Mothers of young children likely agree.
There are, of course, green options to warding off germs. Like many green products, though, my chosen spray by Seventh Generation was more expensive than conventional sprays. It hurt either way—my values or my wallet.
Breakthrough in Science and Green Cleaning
Just as I was biting my nails and debating whether to buy a toxin-laden spray bottle of antibacterial cleaning spray ($2) or the Seventh Generation counterpart ($5), I learned of a study that changed my habits yet again. The Department of Microbiological and gynecological Sciences at the University of Catania, Italy conducted a study that pitted tea tree oil against the dreaded H1N1 virus—and tea tree oil won! The required dose of the stuff did not exceed levels that remained safe for human cellular contact, which meant that it was a safe, natural, and effective antiseptic, meaning it inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Here’s the recipe to making your own antibacterial cleaner to swipe countertops, bathrooms, and more.
6 ½ cups water
9 ¾ tbsp liquid soap
80 drops of tea tree oil
Breakthrough for Your Wallet
I gave the DIY angle another go and discovered much to my delight that I ended up saving money. We’ve already established that the Seventh Generation brand of antibacterial all-purpose cleaner can run up to $5 for a 26-oz spray bottle. You can make just as much of your own alternative cleaner for under $4 per bottle.
Dr Bronner’s Magic Pure-Castile Soap in Organic Almond at 16 oz. costs $8. Since there are 2 tbsp to an ounce, you’ll get 32 tablespoons out of one bottle, or a little over 3 spray bottles’ worth of soap in one $8 bottle. Since 8 divided by 3 is about $2.7.
The 365 Everyday Value brand of tea tree oil is $13 for 2 fl oz bottle. You’ll get about 600 drops per fl oz, meaning you’ll get 15 uses for $13. That’s an added 87 cents to the total cost of your DIY spray.
This makes your DIY spray total at $3.75 per bottle. Admittedly, $1.25 is not exactly a super saving. Taking into consideration, however, that you’ll make fewer trips to the grocery store and fewer non-recyclable plastic parts are involved with less frequency, you’re doing the earth a favor. Plus, this way you know everything that goes into your home cleaner, making it safer for the kids to help out in the cleaning!
Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes to succeed as a student taking online undergraduate degree programs remotely from home. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
Paying your bills on line is another way to green your lifestyle. I know many people are afraid to pay their bills on line, but all of the companies I deal with all have protected websites.
Paying your bills on line will forgo all of the paper trail. You can save money by no longer using stamps. Plus you can schedule your payments and never have to do those monthly payments again.
I pay mine on line, but still do it monthly. I am in the process of setting up scheduled payments. I also need to stop the paper bills and just get them in my email. That scares me a little, but I am ready for the change!
So what to do with all those envelopes you no longer need? I use them to pay to send in notes or field trip monies to Hunter’s school.
Do you pay your bills online?
Green Wedding Favor Ideas
If you are looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint and you are planning a wedding as well, you can find myriad ideas for making green favors for your special day. If money is no object, these items may be purchased, but for any looking to live the green lifestyle completely, this includes doing as much yourself as you possibly can. This is green because it reduces the need for machines to do the work for you and trucks to transport the goods to you.
One to Grow On
You can make paper that, when planted, yields a pretty flower patch. Start with recycled paper or paper products around your house that you would otherwise throw away. Junk mail, cardboard tubes from toilet paper, egg cartons (not the Styrofoam kind) are all good choices. You can use tissue paper too. Avoid papers with any gloss or sheen, as these do not break down well. Rip it into chunks about 2 inches or less and place these in your blender. Add warm water so that it covers these bits of paper. Blend this until it becomes pulpy and looks suspiciously like your Quaker oatmeal.
Now you can add the seeds. Just a note: choosing the seeds is easy – the smaller the better. You can select tiny flower seeds or even seeds for herbs, either works well. Carefully stir in your seeds and any flower petals you would like. You can also add an herb or spice for an extra special touch of fragrance. Just be sure not to blend those fragile seeds with those blender blades. Next, ladle the pulp into a towel-lined colander and allow it to drain. (The towel will keep your pulp and seeds in while letting the excess water drip out.)
The best way to drain this pulpy mix is to place a towel and a large piece of felt on your surface, spoon it out then spread it to your desired thickness. Allow it to dry completely overnight. Use flower-shaped cookie cutters to trace or free hand cut out flowers from this paper. Assemble these into tiny bouquets to match your own and present them as your favors. Be certain everyone knows they can plant these thoughtful gifts. Everyone will think of you and your special day each time they see their flower garden.
Life’s a Beach
If you are planning a beach-themed wedding, this next idea is for you. Gather shells from anywhere and everywhere. Choose the ones with a deep enough cavity that a tea light will fit well inside. Clean and dry the shells completely. Place tea lights inside the candles, then melt wax and pour around the tea light, making sure it is covered. To ensure that you are not using petroleum-based paraffin, select beeswax or wax made from soy or palm oil. Be sure your tea lights are also made from one of these types of wax. If you would like these to match your wedding colors, crayons can be peeled and added to the wax as you melt it to give you the ideal shade. (You can buy 100 percent recycled crayons, by the way.) Fragrance can also be purchased at your local craft store if you would like these to be perfectly scented. The tea lights then become your wick and allow your guests to think of the happy couple as they light these unique favors.
Planting Love
These next ideas are great for their sustainability and their simplicity. Your wedding favor can be a tiny plant, herb or flower. Present this in an itty bitty pot tied with a pretty bow that fits in with your wedding theme. Bulbs make for gifts that last too. Choose bulbs that grow well in the region where most of your guest live. Wrap each one up in a bit of a bag made from one from yet another eco-friendly product: unbleached muslin.
Remembering the earth while you are making your vows will add to your glow as a new bride. It will add to your smiles as you recall this special day because you know you thought ahead and gave eco-friendly gifts that will lastingly remind everyone of your growing love. So here’s to you and your spouse and to making a difference!
About the Author
Margo Smith is a graduate of Brigham Young University. She enjoys writing about a variety of subjects from green diy projects to online colleges to gardening. She draws from her own education, her years in college and an author’s perspective on life when compiling articles.
