10 Ways to Reuse and Reduce

The Three R's: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

I've written many times before about recycling (you can see my many posts here), but I think not enough attention is paid to the topics of reduce and reuse.  So expect more posts from me on these two topics.

To kick things off, let me give you some ideas on ways you can reuse and reduce:

REUSE

1. If you've got things you don't need or want, you can pass them along to other people who might be able to use them instead.  Do not underestimate others' abilities to reuse things you think are worthless.  You can sell things through eBay, craigslist or yard sales (see my tutorial on yard sales here).  Or you can give them away through Freecycle, Goodwill or any number of other local programs.  Subscribing to your local freecycle email list can also be a great source of entertainment.  It's pretty funny to see what some people list.  For example, one request was recently posted to my local group for a male peacock to join a female peacock someone had living wild in their backyard.
2. Source or buy items used via the vehicles I mentioned above, or via pawn shops, antique shops, second hand stores or flea markets (what an awful name for something so fun).    For instance, my husband mentioned to me the other day that he saw a whole lot of great garden tools at a second hand store near us.  Why buy brand new tools when you can buy gently used ones cheaper?  They're going to get dirty and dinged up by you anyway!

REDUCE

1. Use cloth instead of paper towels.  In my house, we use cheap bar towels I picked up in bulk at Costco.  I have one bunch of them dedicated to cleaning my house.  I have another bunch dedicated to my kitchen.  I also cut up old bath towels and use them for cleaning.
2. Choose cast iron.  Did your Teflon pans get scratched and you need to buy new ones?  Cast iron cookware is healthier, cheaper and far more durable, and it's easier to care for than you imagine.
3. Make your own household cleaners.  The end product is cheaper and reduces the world's production of plastic in the process.  See my recipes and tips here.
4. Cook.  This seems like a simple idea but it's one people forget about.  If you enjoy store bought hummus, lemonade, muffins, pizza, ice cream, steak marinade, you can make your own, often healthier, versions, and save the world some plastic, paper or glass.  You can save time by preparing more than you need and freezing some for another day.  See my recipes here.
5. Make your own makeup and reuse those old containers.  It's really not hard. As an added benefit, you know exactly what you're putting on your skin.  See my recipes here.  Check back, as I plan to write about a few more very soon.
6. Save water in your garden. You can reduce the amount of water you need to effectively hydrate your lawn and flower beds by a) watering at night and b) scheduling your sprinkler heads to run through several five-minute cycles instead of just one long one (helps the water sink in better so you have less running down the street).
7. Compost.  This qualifies as both Reuse and Reduce.  Reuse kitchen and garden scraps and reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to buy for your garden.  See my postings on composting here.
8. Use your freezer and learn how to properly store things in it to save leftovers and reduce spoilage - it also enables you to take advantage of good prices on your favorite organic foods.  See my tutorial here.

Living Green in An RV

Yesterday, I received a comment from a reader on my post about tiny houses.  She jokingly asked if I considered the RV she lives in to be a "tiny house." Of course I do, and green too!  RV vacations have a softer environmental impact than the typical airline/rental car/hotel vacation.

Mobile Mini House design was created by Stephanie Bellanger, Amaury Watine, François Gustin and David Dethoor as a student project for the Superior Institute of Design of Valenciennes in France

I'm equally fascinated with RVs.  I love the idea of being able to bring your home virtually anywhere.

Though I've not yet tried RV life, I would love to and actually considered renting one in August for a short family road trip to see some nature.  Until I remembered that I live in TEXAS and it's 105 degrees today.  We'd have to drive a LONG way to make it an enjoyable venture at this time of year.  So we'll do it in the Fall.

Here are some interesting links about green RV living and camping.  Please leave a comment and share your favorite links!

The Green RV - an old article from NYTimes.com about a couple and their child who took up residence in an RV fueled by used vegetable oil.  Very interesting!  You can also find a link to their current blog on my webpage.  It's called Happy Janssens: Modern Nomadic Living.

Brian's RV - you want cool green stuff on your rig?  Read on.

Living off the grid - in an RV

Tent, RV or Camper: Make it a green outdoor experience - tips for green vacationing by Green and Clean Mom

RV's Go Green, Or At Least Try

Camp-Inn Teardrop Trailers - extremely small and retro

Pocket Camper - teeny tiny campers

The Mobile Mini House - the way-cool Mobile Mini House design was created by Stephanie Bellanger, Amaury Watine, François Gustin and David Dethoor as a student project for the Superior Institute of Design of Valenciennes in France.

Airstream - the classics.

Tiny Houses

"Weebee" by Tumblweed Tiny House Company

I am fascinated by tiny houses.  Off grid, low impact, little homes that are attractive, ergonomic and meet all essential needs.

Here are my favorite sites for exploring these little beauties.  So much fun - I could spend a whole day looking at them.

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
Tiny House Blog
Tiny Texas Houses
Tiny House Living
Small House Style
designboom
This Tiny House
Tiny Green Cabins
Jetson Green

Do you have other favorite "tiny house" sites?

Solar Roadways: The Prototype

This is fascinating. 

My Husband's Solution to the Gulf Oil Spill

Three weeks into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and crude oil is supposedly still leaking at a rate of 210,000 gallons a day.  Efforts to contain it have so far been unsuccessful.  Meanwhile, instead of pointing all attention toward the effort to cap the hole in the pipeline, Congress and energy companies are busy playing the blame game on Capitol Hill.  Business as usual.

In response to some frustration I colorfully expressed this morning, my husband suggested a creative solution: plug the hole with BP, Transocean and Halliburton executives, along with a few Senators.

He's kidding, of course.  But, enough already.  I get it that someone is to blame and no one company wants to bear the full burden of the cleanup cost.  But folks: just step away from your calculators and Senate Hearings and direct your brainpower toward stopping the leak.  Oil is washing ashore, wildlife is dying and coastal economies are being destroyed.  Every second counts.  Everyone can resume pointing fingers after that is done.

At which point we'll all want to know why it is that no one planned for something like this going wrong.  These companies definitely do risk modeling and risk management.

Time for Dried Molasses, 20% Vinegar And Corn Gluten Meal

Today was a lot of work but well worth it to set us up for a lovely lawn this spring.  I alternately pulled weeds or sprayed them with 20% vinegar to kill them (which makes some stubborn weeds easier to pull later), spread dried molasses and corn gluten meal and then watered it all in.  I also spread some more grass seed on a few patches of lawn that looked like it needed some filling out. 


20% vinegar is amazing.  After spraying it on, weeds are dead as door nails within about 4 hours if in the sun, longer if in shade. 

Dried Molasses provides nutrients to microorganisms that keep your soil healthy.  Healthy soil better supports a beautiful lawn.  An awesome side benefit to more microorganisms in your soil?  Fire ants hate them (if you don't care about fire ants or have never even heard of them, you definitely don't live in Texas.)  Molasses also helps combat grub worms.  Grub worms can be pests in and of themselves (about 10% of them feed on roots), but they also attract small animals that dig up gardens and lawns looking for them.   Another tip I stumbled upon: grasshoppers love dried molasses, so if you've got a problem with grasshoppers, just fill a jar half way with water, throw in a handful of dried molasses and check back later.  Grasshoppers will jump into the jar and drown.

Corn meal gluten is a natural herbicide.  Applying it right as things start to wake up in the springtime really helps deter weed growth.

I am now all set until spring is underway and I need to spread some organic fertilizer. 

Did I mention we live on an acre?  My back is killing me.

Opt Out of Unwanted Telephone Books

Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish just posted a funny/great piece about opting out of unwanted plastic-bagged telephone books. Until I read that piece, I'd forgotten how annoying it is to receive them.  Thanks Beth!

The bottom line is this:  if you're reading my blog, you've got access to the internet.  I urge you to use that to find your addresses, phone numbers and directions.  Save a tree and save the environment from the plastic they wrap around it.

In her post, she provided a link to Yellow Pages Goes Green, an organization that promotes the green movement to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books (much like the National No-Call Registry does for unwanted telephone solicitation).  It's a place where you can sign up to stop receiving unwanted telephone books. 

It only takes a moment of your time.

The Basics of Composting

As you know, I'm starting a Square Foot Garden.  You can read about my experiences with that here.  Compost is an integral part of this. 

Why Compost?
It's great for the garden, a cheaper and healthier alternative to chemical fertilizers, and it's environmentally responsible (you're recycling organic matter that you might otherwise put in a landfill).  Win-win-win.  You can read more about the benefits of compost here. 

Compost is just decomposed organic matter, and a garden thrives on it.  All you do is add the key ingredients (water, air and organic matter), turn it frequently, watch the mix heat up, and within a few weeks or months you have lovely, free compost to spread across your lawn and garden.  

What Can You Do with Compost?
A shorter list might include what you can't do with compost - but here are some ideas on what to do with it: 

• Put compost on top of your garden soil before the ground freezes in late autumn - it'll work to enrich the soil all winter.  It's not necessary to do it, but if you can work it into the soil at the same time, it'll do even more good.  
• Add it to your garden a month before spring planting.  
• Add it throughout the driest part of summer and as you harvest vegetables.  
• Combine it with potting soil when you start seedlings and when you transplant them into your garden.  
• Spread it across your lawn whenever you might ordinarily add fertilizer (e.g., before grass emerges from hibernation in the spring and during the heat of the summer - make sure you water it in so it gets where it needs to go).
• Put down a layer of compost before any routine mulching around shrubs and trees (for trees, add it out to the drip line).

What Kind of Composter Is Right for You?
There are lots of different kinds of composters.  You can build your own or buy one.  Click here to read more about the different types (I use this one.) 

Where Should You Place Your Composter?
You should position your composter or compost pile conveniently near your garden and near a source of water (e.g., garden hose).  If you're in a warm climate, you might want to put it in the shade so it doesn't dry out.  If you're in a cold climate, you might want to put it in the sunlight to help heat it up.

What Can You Compost?
The best compost mix is one part green stuff (materials that are high in nitrogen) to three parts brown stuff (the "fiber" for your compost - materials that are high in carbon).  You can also add other things in moderation. 

Green Stuff:

• grass clippings
• fruit and vegetables from your kitchen that are "past their prime"
• fruit/veg scraps such as banana peels, onion skins, potato/zucchini/carrot/apple peels, apple cores, tomato stems, cantaloupe or watermelon rinds, orange peels, corn cobs
• plain paper bags
• coffee grounds (no more than 10% of your total mix)
• tea leaves (you can leave the bag on but take the staple out)
• vegetable plant remains
• non-diseased plants that you've pulled out of your garden
• herbivorous animal droppings (i.e., not pet or human excrement)

Brown Stuff:

• autumn leaves
• dead plants
• cardboard & cardboard tubes
• old floral arrangements
• old straw

Other Stuff:

• egg shells (not the yolk or egg white)
• animal and human hair
• paper towels
• paper napkins

Do NOT compost: 

• meat or meat scraps
• large seeds or pits such as avocado pits or mango seeds (don't fret overly about small seeds like you might find in an orange or apple - the heat during the composting process tends to take care of them)
• dairy products
• fish or fish bones
• bread
• plastic
• fats/grease/lard/oils
• pet or human excrement
• synthetic fibers
• pasta
• nuts
• cooked food
• weeds that have gone to seed
• diapers
• diseased or insect-ridden plants
• glossy paper or magazines
• anything treated with chemicals
• cat litter

Tips

• Many people find it most convenient to keep a covered can on their kitchen countertop and add scraps there until it's full, then transfer the scraps to a larger composter outside.
• The processing time is "reset" each time you add new ingredients, so some gardeners find it helpful to have two composters so they continue to have a place to put compost ingredients while they wait for the first batch to process.
• Just as human digestion is aided by proper chewing, you should chop up your compost materials before adding them in order to speed the process.  
• The more frequently you turn the pile, the faster the composting process (up to a point - you probably shouldn't turn your pile more often than every 3 or 4 days so the microorganisms have a chance to work on it).  
• The compost pile should be kept moist, like a wrung-out sponge, so add water as necessary.  The best practice is probably to add water as you add materials - that way you're sure to get everything wet.   
• You know your compost is done when it becomes a uniform, dark brown, crumbly product with a sweet, earthy aroma (it should not smell rotten).

Trouble Shooting

• If your compost pile smells bad it either needs more air (so turn it) or is too wet (add dry materials).
• If your pile won't heat up, it's either too small, needs water or more green matter, or the pieces need to be chopped up.
• If your compost is killing your garden, check the pH.  Just as the human body gets out of whack whenever it gets too acidic or too alkaline, so does your garden if your compost isn't pH neutral.  Maybe it's just a matter of letting it sit for longer.  Most compost goes through a pH cycle where it is acidic early on, then becomes more neutral over time.  This trick can also help you solve the problem of garden soil that is too alkaline - put some compost on it when it's more acidic, then turn the soil.  The combination will yield a more neutral pH.
• If your pile attracts flies, rodents or pets, chances are you've put something in there that does not belong (e.g., meat or meat scraps, fatty/starchy foods, carnivorous animal droppings).

An excellent reference book is Let It Rot by Stu Campbell- I highly recommend it.  The EPA also has a helpful website on composting.


Happy composting!

An Organic Square Foot Garden, Part 1

I live in Texas.  It's a part of the country where you can grow many fruits and vegetables year round (different ones at different times of the year).  Until we moved here I had never really considered growing my own food.  Now I see the logic of doing it wherever you live, even if you are restricted to just a few seasons: knowing what you're eating (i.e., what it was grown in), doing something good for the environment, saving money, and enjoying the incredibly fresh taste of food that was grown just steps from your back door.

I was attracted to the concept of Square Foot Gardening because it yields an organized, attractive, efficient and super productive vegetable patch.  I highly recommend you read the book.  Another benefit is that it allows you to "start from scratch" so you don't have to engage in the laborious process of correcting whatever is wrong with the existing soil.  And I liked the idea of a raised bed because it lessened the possibility that my vegetable patch would be contaminated by runoff from my neighbors' yard (who use all manner of chemicals to control their lawn.)

Cost/Benefit
Being the practical person I am, I needed to run the numbers to see if it would really work for us.  I determined how much space I would need to grow enough food to generate the lion's share of what we consume.
 
Then I considered what it would cost to build it...

one Suncast tumbling composter $99 (at Lowes)
two 4x4 Frame-It-All raised garden beds $200
six 2-cubic-foot bags of Lady Bug Square Foot Gardening Blend soil $90 (special blend based on Mel Bartholemew's "Mel's mix" recipe)
one 3 ft x 50 ft roll of Landmaster Durable Weed Control fabric $13
one bottle of Liquid Seaweed (root stimulator for transplanting seedlings) $10
one seed starter tray $10
eighteen (mainly organic, some heirloom) fruit and vegetable seed packets $36
one roll of mason string $5
one roll of packing tape $1
...and for the canopy (to protect it from heavy rain, wind, cold, insects before flowering, birds...):
four lengths of 1/2 inch PVC pipe $5
one package of heavy duty zip ties $5
two 12x10.5 foot frost blankets $26
eight 2" metal spring clamps $24

total: $524
Note: I'm quite sure I could have spent a lot less on the composter and frames, but I chose the tumbler composter because it makes it easy to turn the compost and the type of frame I used makes it very easy to reconfigure or expand the garden later.

And compared that to what I expected we'd save...

These two boxes should support a good deal of our fruit and vegetable needs over the next year, especially if we use frost cover, make full use of the composter and carefully select what to grow during which seasons.  It's easy to see how the savings can quickly surpass the initial expenditure.  Consider that my family's typical weekly consumption of the fruits and vegetables I plan to grow is probably about $30.  I tend to buy organic, which costs more.  That amounts to about $1550 of savings a year, which means I'm saving $1000 in the first year alone.  Plus, we have the added benefit of knowing exactly what we are eating and experiencing the enhanced flavor of truly fresh food.  Giddyup!

After determining that it was a fiscally sound idea, I set about planning, constructing and launching my garden.

1. I  determined where my square foot garden would go on my property in order for it to have at least 6-8 hours of daily direct sunlight without ruining the look of my yard.  This also involved deciding what sort of container I would use.  Would I put it on my patio so I could see it through my kitchen window?  This would require putting a bottom on it so it wouldn't stain my deck.  Would I put it out in my yard?  I didn't want to tear up sod in order to put it in the grass, so I finally determined I'd put it in an unoccupied mulched area.  This would have the added benefit of making it easy to dismantle it if we had to.

2. I mapped out what I would grow and where I would grow it within my square foot garden.  Square foot gardens are typically 4x4 foot boxes.  This means that each 4x4 box would have 16 square foot boxes for planting (hence the term Square Foot garden.)  I decided to zero in on the vegetables and fruits that we tend to eat a lot of and paid attention to seasonality and principles of companion planting.  Not every plant grows nicely next to every other plant.  Sometimes one plant can make its companion plant taste bitter.  Good companions deter pests or enhance flavors.  

In the end, my spring planting map looks like this (visualize square foot boxes):


tomatoes, marigold, peppers, peppers
basil, onions, carrots, carrots
spinach, spinach, broccoli, broccoli
radish, bok choy, bok choy, lavender


lettuce, lettuce, pole beans, cantaloupe
oregano, marigold, zucchini, zucchini
watermelon, watermelon (given the size, these will occupy two entire rows - eight 1 foot boxes)


3. After a some thought and investigation, I went to Lowes and bought a tumbler composter.  Good compost is essential to a healthy and prolific vegetable garden.  I then went to an organic garden center and bought the rest of my supplies.

It took me 30 minutes to assemble the 4x4 frames so each looked like this (note the stake at the bottom left - this anchors the frame on four sides to the ground).  I highly recommend using a mallet to start the screw holes.  The planks are VERY hard.

It took me another 45 minutes to complete them.  Here's what I did:

I lined each frame with the weed control fabric...

 ... filled each frame with three bags of the square foot gardening mixture and used a rake to smooth it out.

I watered the boxes heavily and turned the soil as I went to ensure I got it good and wet.  I then measured and marked the frame at 12 inch increments in order to attach my string grid...

 

... until they looked like this...

Since we're expecting a cold snap later this week, I went ahead and put up my canopy to keep the ground a little warmer so I can plant some seeds at the end of the week.

I attached my PVC pipes and lashed them together at the top (where they cross) with heavy duty zip ties...

... then covered them with the garden fabric and secured the fabric to the frame with the spring clamps.  I'm sure I could have been tidier, but you get the idea.

4.  Then I determined:

• how many plants should go in each square foot (e.g., 16 carrots or one broccoli), 
• what needed to be started by seedling (tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli, lavender, oregano, watermelon) versus putting a seed right in the ground,
• what could be started in the ground now (carrots, spinach, bok choy, lettuce, cantaloupes, radish, cauliflower) versus after the last frost (marigold, basil, pole beans, zucchini), and finally,
• I enlisted my little boys to help me start the required seedlings.  They loved getting their hands dirty! I am hopeful that they will be excited to eat the food they grow - another great way to get kids to eat their veggies!

I am really excited about this project and I'll update you as I proceed.

***

The Basics of Composting
An Organic Square Foot Garden (Part 2)

Catching You Up...

The past month has been a busy one chez EcoMeg, which accounts for the sparse posts here on the blog.  Here's what I've been up to...

In mid-January, I started potty training my toddler.  This turned out to be remarkably easy.  He got the hang of it within 3 days and we were done.  Within three weeks, he no longer wanted to wear diapers at night, either, so we are officially completely done with diapers.

Around that same time, my toddler and I battled sinus infections.  Mine didn't respond to the first antibiotic, so I had to go on a double dose of amoxicillin.  Big, elephant pills.  Unpleasant all the way around.

I had a visit from my Dad in late January, which was super.  I wish he lived closer.  My kids ask about him every day.  He is their favorite person!

My toddler started Montessori the first week of February, 3 mornings a week.  He lasted one week before sinking into a huge case of separation anxiety - despite being in the same class as my older son, who adores his teacher.  He also started swim classes and gymnastics classes, which, given the aforementioned separation anxiety, have not been as fun as they should be.  But we are taking it slowly and I'm not pushing the Montessori.  I know if I take a gentle approach he'll come back around to the idea.  He really enjoyed the first week and attending there was his motivation for potty training.

My older son is thriving at school, in gymnastics and has a renewed interest in reading and writing.  He is 5 and a half and we've been plowing through the Beast Quest series.  Great books for a boy his age!  He also started faith education this past Sunday afternoon, which of course means we actually have to go to church every Sunday - something we've avoided since the toddler just runs wild through the service.  But the little guy needs to learn to sit nicely, so we're committed now to attending each Sunday.

Meanwhile, I've been planning springtime for my garden:

For my organic lawn, I've sprayed all of the existing weeds with 20% vinegar to eliminate them (kills them dead in 4 hours - be careful where you spray because it will kill whatever vegetation it touches!).  Then I bought bags of corn meal gluten (to prevent future weeds) and dry molasses (encourages beneficial microbes), which I'll distribute with my spreader once we get past the precipitation later this week.  I'll water them in to make sure they get into the soil.  Then, I'm done with that for a little while.  Once the Bermuda grass emerges from hibernation in a month or two, I'll put down some organic fertilizer.

I've been mulling an organic vegetable container garden for some time and I'll launch seedlings indoors in the next two weeks.  I plan to grow zucchini, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, onion and peppers.  My boys are very excited about this (I'm hoping this excitement translates into more veggie consumption!).  I'll keep you posted on how I go about it.  I decided to go with a container garden since my neighbors use chemicals on their lawns and I don't want my veggies contaminated by runoff, despite my own efforts in maintaining an organic yard.

As for fruits, I will plant two different apple trees and a pear tree up on a slope that will minimize neighbors' runoff.  I would love to try growing bananas since we consume so many of them.  We will grow strawberries indoors in a pretty planter.

To support all of this activity, I'll start composting in the next two weeks.  More on that later!

So that's what we've been up to lately.  When things calm down around here and I get some more quiet time, I'll post more often.

Stay warm!

An Easy, Effective, Inexpensive and Eco-friendly Way to Wash Dishes

According to recent Consumer Reports tests on the efficacy of automatic dishwasher detergents,

"detergents without phosphates—which help clean but also boost algae growth in freshwater, threatening fish and other plants—tended to perform worst overall."

Of the phosphate-free variety, Method Smarty Dish tablets and Simplicity dish sachets performed best.  Method costs about $0.35/load.  If you have to run your dishes through more than once because the first time just didn't do the trick, well, that would start to add up!

So, you want to be environmentally responsible but you want your dishes to be sparkling clean and don't want to pay a fortune in the process?  Here's what I do:

First, I prepare them properly.  The following is a great list of tips for dazzling dishes, courtesy of Consumer Reports:

"Any detergent is apt to clean better if you scrape off heavy soil before loading dishes. (You'll save energy and water if you don't prerinse.) Then take these steps:

• Load large items at the sides and back so they don't block water and detergent.
  
• Face the dirtier side of dishes toward the center of the machine.
  
• Don't let dishes or utensils nest.
• Rest glasses upside down on prongs so that they don't fill with water. 
• Hand-wash silver and fine glassware. Judging by tests that mimicked long-time machine-washing, some products could be harsh on silver (Cascade with Extra Bleach Action powder, Great Value, Sun & Earth, and Target) or could etch fine glassware (Cascade with Extra Bleach Action powder, Finish Quantum, Method, Seventh Generation, and Simplicity)."

Then, I use a half portion of a phosphate-free automatic dishwasher gel (such as Seventh Generation, which is fairly cheap relative to other eco-friendly brands) and fill the dispenser cup the rest of the way with baking soda.  Baking soda freshens, cleans and acts as a water softener, which helps the detergent do a better job.  I fill the rinsing agent well with white vinegar.  Works like a charm and saves money, too.

A lot of people make their own dishwasher detergent using 1/2 Borax and 1/2 baking soda (put 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the detergent well), but Borax is toxic - dangerous around kids - so I don't use it.  Maybe after my kids are older.

A Great Green Exercise: Preparing A Last Will And Testment

Part of my journey toward a greener lifestyle was (and still is) to become better organized.  Whether it's the clothes closets, drawers, attic, file cabinet, garage, kitchen pantry or computer files -- greater organization leads to greater efficiency, which is central to green living. 

Along the way, I've also realized that there is a major organizational project I've badly neglected.  Maybe it's because it involves preparing for some unsettling possibilities - such as the death of my spouse, myself, or both of us.

My husband and I recognize the importance of having life insurance, mainly because we have children.  We want to make sure that if something happens to one or both of us, we have financially provided for their care until they are adults.  We don't want the surviving parent or the guardians to struggle financially when they should instead be focusing on our children.

We've taken care of the life insurance and have identified guardians but have yet to take care of some other important details, such as:

1. a Last Will (This is used to distribute property to beneficiaries, specify last wishes, and name guardians for minor children. It is an important part of any estate plan. Without one, the courts will make these critical decisions for you.), 
2. a Living Trust (This spells out how your assets are to be managed in the event you are unable to take care of yourself - and by whom (you should specify a Durable Financial Power of Attorney). In the event of death, it is used to transfer property to beneficiaries. But unlike a last will, a living trust is not usually subject to probate court, which can take years and cost thousands in court fees.), and 
3. a Living Will (This spells out your preferences regarding medical care should you no longer be able to speak for yourself.  It also typically includes specifying a Durable Health Care Power of Attorney, so you have someone able to make health care decisions on your behalf.)

In preparation for completing these tasks, I found a great form (click here for a word doc) to help me gather together pertinent information.  I plan to flesh it out by including every account we have, whether it's a utility, newspaper subscription, online account, whatever - with account numbers, userids and passwords.  I want the end product to be so detailed that the executor of our will will have a very easy job.  I will take this package to an estate attorney in our state (laws differ state-to-state, so best to get it done locally) and put our minds at ease.

I thoroughly expect that once I'm done with the form and my attachments, I will realize how much I should simplify the details of our life - which should make it a very green exercise, indeed.

As I move through this process, I'll leave updates here with any new information I find - and I welcome any advice you might have to offer.

Real Versus Artificial Christmas Trees

When I was a child, we always had a real Christmas tree. We went as a family to the Christmas tree lot and carefully selected one, lashed it to the roof of the station wagon and brought it home. My Dad would get out the axe and trim the end so it would fit in our stand, then we'd haul it inside and decorate it. It was a joyous ritual.

When I graduated from college and moved to NYC, I continued to go home for Christmas so never bothered decorating my apartment. But once I had my first child, I decided we needed to live amidst the holiday cheer. We didn't want to deal with the trouble and mess of a live tree, so we bought an artificial one, and we've used it every year since then.

This year, as part of my migration to green living, I sought out information on the pros and cons of artificial versus real trees. I could elaborate on these here, but Kimberly Crandell over at ScientificBlogging already did all of the heavy lifting in a blog post titled "The Great Debate: Real Vs. Artificial Christmas Trees." I encourage you to read it.

Armed with my new knowledge, we may revert to a live Christmas tree next year - despite the huge convenience of our artificial one.

Green Up Your Holiday Table

When you're preparing to entertain, why buy a floral arrangement for your dining table when you can create a centerpiece with elements from your own garden or existing craft supplies?  Even if you live in a very cold climate, you can reuse what's around you rather than buying new things.  Here are a few ideas:

• Make an arrangement of holly from your garden - the red and green are very cheery.
• Make a "Thankful" arrangement.  Take a beautiful, short bare branch that has broken from a tree in your yard and place it in a nice vase.  During Thanksgiving, have your children make Thanksgiving ornaments shaped like turkeys and hang them from the branches.  Have them write on each one something they are thankful for.  These ornaments are easy to make.  Take orange or brown construction paper, trace your child's hand in pencil, cut it out, cut a hole at the top of the middle finger and thread a string through (the thumb is the head and the fingers are feathers).  Then decorate them with crayon, glitter glue or construction paper "feathers."  You could do the same thing for the December holidays, but with construction paper Christmas Trees,  Snowmen, Menorahs, etc.
  
• If you have a chandelier over your table, make a "family" arrangement with double-sided printouts of photos of every family member, hung on pretty string from the chandelier at different levels.
  
• Decorate with a "cornucopia" centerpiece that you'll later cook up and eat.  You don't actually need a wicker cornucopia.  You can just decorate the center of table with seasonal fruits, nuts and vegetables in nice bowls.  Make sure they're washed in case someone takes a bite!

Use your imagination.  There are tons of ways to cheerfully decorate without creating more waste or spending more money!

How to Make All Natural Lip Gloss

A few weeks ago, I wrote about running out of facial powder and substituting organic corn starch - with great success.  I'm comfortable now that I'll never go back to buying commercial facial powder.  Inspired by this success, I decided to try my hand at creating other beauty products.  My criteria: they must be all natural, easy and quick to make, smell great, feel soothing, and be edible.  Yes, edible - that's my measure of safety, particularly for lip gloss.

Over the next few weeks, I will experiment with making a few different items, and I'll share my recipes here with you.  I hope you enjoy the health, savings, beauty and fragrance of these as much as I do!  Also note: they make great little gifts for the holidays!

Pink Lip Gloss

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons grated pure beeswax
8 teaspoons castor oil
4 drops vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon organic beet juice powder (be careful where you put this - it is a strong dye)
 -- you will also need a container to put it in - I bought a small Nalgene jar  (they are BPA free) at The Container Store for $0.99.

Directions:
1. Melt the beeswax and castor oil together in a small Pyrex dish in the microwave.  45 seconds ought to do it.  Mix well.  Add the vanilla, honey and beet juice powder.  Add more beet juice powder if the shade is not as dark a as you'd like.  Let it sit in the Pyrex dish until it cools enough so it won't melt your Nalgene jar.  Don't wait until it's fully set up to move it to the jar.
2. Pour it into your jar.  Let it sit 20 minutes before covering it.

Just Chuck The Tie Already

I've always hated the smell of dry cleaned clothing.  Before my first child was born, I worked in financial services and "suited up" every day.  We didn't have an organic dry cleaner near us.  While I made sure to only wear machine- or hand-washable shirts under my suits, I looked forward to casual Fridays when I could ditch those dry cleaned suits. These days, I only wear machine-washable clothing unless I have to dress formally.  I couldn't imagine hugging my child while wearing a dry cleaned sweater.

My husband suits up every day, so the topic of necktie care has come up.  They are only cleaned when they need a spot removed, and they are always dry cleaned.  I think that's pretty typical of the way most men care for their neckties.  Ick.

So when I read yesterday's Wall Street Journal and saw an article titled, "Nothing to Sneeze At: Doctors' Neckties Seen as Flu Risk," I had to read it.  Here was one interesting quote...

"A 2004 analysis of neckties worn by 42 doctors and medical staffers at the New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens found that nearly half carried bacteria that could cause illnesses such as pneumonia and blood infections. That compared with 10% for ties worn by security guards at the hospital."

Some doctors are resistant to going tie-less despite this evidence - they feel that neckties lend an air of professionalism.  So a company is selling neckties with a stain-resistant coating that the company says "repels bacterial infection."

Excuse me while I look up at the ceiling and sigh deeply.

BPA Is in "BPA-Free" Cans, Too.

Today, a friend forwarded to me an article titled "Concern Over Canned Foods."  The article details findings from Consumer Reports' latest test for BPA in canned foods.   BPA is a known endocrine disruptor.  It mimics your own hormones and has been connected to obesity, breast and prostate cancer, negative effects on fetal and infant brain development, and other terrible stuff.

The article states a few interesting things:

1.  Federal guidelines, based on experiments done in the 1980s, put the daily upper limit of safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight.   However, several animal studies show adverse effects, such as abnormal reproductive development, at exposures of 2.4 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day.  Clearly, the federal guidelines need dramatic revision.

2. "The canned organic foods we tested did not always have lower BPA levels than nonorganic brands of similar foods analyzed. We even found the chemical in some products in cans that were labeled "BPA-free.""  The implications are obvious - if you think you're making a safe choice by going organic, you are not necessarily doing so.

3. "In Japan, most major manufacturers voluntarily changed their can linings in 1997 to cut or eliminate the use of BPA because of concerns about health effects. A 2003 Japanese study found that the levels of the chemical in subjects' urine dropped by 50 percent after the change in cans was made."  This means it's not too late to get your body back on track.

The main conclusion: dump the canned food.

So far, I've restricted my family's exposure to canned goods to one single brand, Eden Organic, because of its "BPA-free" can, but even this brand was mentioned in the study as containing trace amounts of BPA.  For at least a year, we've been enjoying the canned navy beans with some frequency and occasionally use the canned pizza sauce, too. 

I am both idealist and realist.  I aspire to keep my kids' bodies as healthy as possible while still under my watch, and I think I do a pretty good job of it most of the time.  With this new knowledge, I will learn to make my own pizza sauce and freeze it, or I'll buy a version in a glass jar.  I will also start soaking and cooking my own beans.  But I know that my kids will end up eating some Halloween candy that has artificial colors and flavors, attend birthday parties where unnaturally-red fruit punch is served, and have an occasional slice of pizza that's made of non-organic ingredients.  I also know that there will be nights when canned Eden Organic beans will be part of the meal.   Because 1 ppb of BPA might be preferable to me blowing a gasket.

Recycling 201: Yard Sales

I love yard sales.  It's an important and fun part of the recycling chain.  The process of preparing for a yard sale is a great way to keep your home tidy, organized and efficient.  It requires sifting through your possessions to see what you can part with.  It generates cash, and it's a great way to lessen your contribution to landfills.  Your castoffs might be another's treasures, and you can feel good about that.  You're doing a solid for humanity. 

My friends are dedicated yard salers.  Every Saturday morning they set out to see what treasures they can find.  This past Saturday, during my visit to LA, I joined them in this ritual and learned some great tips.

Here's a list of good things to know about yard sales.

Where to Find Yard Sales

• You can find yard sales by driving through your neighborhood on Saturday mornings and looking for signs.  Don't be misled by the number of signs you see for a yard sale.  If you see a lot of signs for the same sale, it doesn't necessarily mean the seller is desperate.  It might just be because there's an overzealous teenager involved who has a stake in the proceeds.
  
• You can log on to CraigsList.  Just navigate to your city, then use the search term "yard sales."  Up pops everything that folks have listed (here's an example, for Los Angeles).  
• If you are planning your own yard sale, put up signs with your address and the time of the yard sale at major intersections near your home, and don't forget to list it on CraigsList.
  

Pricing of Items

• Pricing is an indicator of the economy.  In good times, people are just looking to get rid of their things.  They're less likely to care about the pricing.  These days, you'll see prices stuck to every item.  People are more serious about getting their asking price for their things.  Sellers need to have realistic expectations, though.  For instance, if you want $20 for that big box of Legos, you won't get it.  You'll only get $10.  It doesn't matter how much they sell for in the stores.
• If it isn't gone by 11:30am, pack it up and drop it off at Goodwill.  So price things to sell.
  
• Buyers can find Harry Potter books for $1 at yard sales.  Want $50 for the whole series?  You won't get it.  No, it doesn't matter that Amazon sells the hardcover boxed set for $120.  You will get $1 a piece.
• Don't sell high end things at yard sales (yesterday, I saw a jet ski at a yard sale for $7500).  You won't even get a "reasonable" price.  
• The golden ratio is 20:1.  If a yard saler pays $1, it's worth $20.  One person's trash is another person's treasure. 
• Sellers should have lots of change on hand - dollar bills, fives and quarters.  LOTS.
• You can find baby books, in great shape, at yard sales for $0.25 a piece.  In stores, a small stack of baby books would cost a fortune.  Get there early to find these treasures.
• CDs can go for $0.25 a piece.  Buyers can upload their favorite songs to their iPod, then resell the CD at their own yard sale for $0.25, rendering the uploaded songs free.

Should You Hold A Yard Sale?

• In yard sales, the dollar still has value.  Buyers are looking for a "find", a "treasure."  They're not looking for a deal versus retail.  That sort of shopping is done on eBay, so you might consider listing certain items there.  If you don't want to ship items, list them on CraigsList because the expectation there is that people will come and pick them up from your home.
• Yard sales are a great way to teach your children lessons about money, the value of a dollar, budget and frugality.  It's also a great opportunity for your youngster to operate a lemonade stand under your watchful eye.  The going rate for lemonade is $0.25 a cup (not dixie cups, not huge beer cups - the size just up from a dixie cup) - maybe $0.50/cup if your neighborhood is more affluent.  Another great item to sell is Donettes or bite-sized brownies for $0.25 a piece.  It is breakfast time, and people would probably love these.  If you have an older child manning the stand, he/she could also make change.  Younger kids might request exact change only, and buyers can get change from mom and dad.
  
• Goodwill Versus A Yard Sale: For clothes, you might sell a pair of pants for $0.50.  The tax deduction you might get through a contribution to Goodwill might be $0.50, and Goodwill might resell those pants to the public for a few dollars.  
• Consider joining forces with your neighbors to hold one large yard sale at one person's house.  You can separate the shopping areas so folks pay the proper sellers, but you might gather a larger crowd if you've got a few houses worth of items displayed.
  

When to Go

• Yard sales tend to be held 8am-noon on Saturdays.  Most of the good stuff, if priced correctly, will be gone by 11:30.  What's left at noon should be packed up and taken to Goodwill. Sunday yard sales don't do well.   
• Serious yard salers should show up early.  In LA, there are professional yard salers.  They show up at 7:30am, scour the landscape, pick up a few treasures and then might resell them at the Rose Bowl.  The Rose Bowl hosts a huge, wonderful flea market one Sunday each month. 
• It's ideal to arrive at yard sales at 8:30am or 9am. 
• Sometimes it's better to show up late because when people have never had a yard sale, their expectations are high and they won't bargain until they realize they're not getting people to buy things.  That usually happens later in the day.

Etiquette

• If someone wants $60 for something, don't say "will you take $10?"  It's insulting.  You don't want to break someone's spirit.  Maybe you could ask for 1/2 off, or a "2 for 1" deal.  If it's $10 and you say "will you take $5?", that's very different than saying "will you take $2?"  
• If you see something you like and want to discuss it with your shopping buddy, don't look directly at the item while you're talking.  It attracts the attention of other yard salers and they will descend like vultures.  
• Don't step on another yard saler's deal.  If an item is tagged at $10 and they're offering the seller $5, don't cut in and say "I'll pay $10!"  You will make a yard sale-ing enemy.
  

The Best Way to Display Items

• Put items on tables.  Resist putting things on the ground.  That's what you do with garbage.  It's a psychological thing.  If you put things on a table, people feel like they are shopping.  If things are on the ground, people feel like they are rummaging.  They might not be very careful with your things and they will not want to pay money for items they have to rummage through.
• If you're selling clothing, try to hang it up on racks.
  
• If you're visiting a yard sale and you see lots of things on the ground, you might find some bargains because people overlook things on the ground.

A Word of Caution

• The vast majority of humankind is honest and nice.  Just be alert.  You might encounter someone who is casing your house, looking to "shoplift" or wants to pull a scam.
• Don't hold your yard sale inside your house. 
  
• One scam I've heard of is someone approaching a seller when he/she is very busy and asking a price for something, then coming back and saying "do you have my change?  I gave you a $5."  You don't want to make a scene, so you give the change and the person walks off with the item AND the change.
• Don't accept checks, and don't accept any bills over $20.  Counterfeiters love yard sales. If someone approaches you with a larger bill, ask them to go to 7-11 for change.
  

FTC Says Bamboo Fabric Should Be Labeled Viscose Or Rayon

The Wall Street Journal published an article today titled "Picking Apart Bamboo Couture." It states that four apparel manufacturers are being sued by the FTC for claiming that their bamboo fabric is "natural", "biodegradable," and "antimicrobial," when in actuality, the process used to make bamboo into fabric utilizes toxic chemicals and the end product is neither biodegradable nor antimicrobial (two qualities that bamboo has in its natural state).

That's a big disappointment, but I find it encouraging that folks are investigating uses for bamboo given how easy it is to grow it.

What Is Life without Happiness?

Blogging has been beneficial to me for so many reasons.  For example, it compels me think and write creatively every day on topics about which I am passionate, and this practice has helped to restore the vocabulary I had partially lost due to baby-related sleep deprivation.  It also introduced me to the very large and interesting blogging community - which made me realize that there are a lot of other people out there who contemplate the same things I do.

Happiness is one of those things I regularly contemplate.  I try to remind myself every day of the little things that make me happy and I've written about it here.  So I was interested today to stumble across The Positivity Blog and in particular, this post and this post. 

They are definitely worth a read and a little contemplation.

Have a happy day!