mb

it's like compost christmas.

i opened the front door this afternoon to retrieve a package to find this.  it was like a light was shining on it from above.  the horrible afternoon i was having?  forgotten.  this, my friends, is my ticket into the city's pilot composting program.

let me backtrack...  last fall, the city had sent out a questionairre about trash, recycling, composting, etc.  of course i filled it out and i also wrote on my survey that if they were to ever implement the composting program that they were discussing i would really, really, REALLY like to be a part of it.

well, i never heard anything else about it and had almost forgotten about it when one week i noticed these small black bins on the curb by my neighbors trash and recycling bins.  and i knew they had to be compost bins.  and of course, i was jealous i wasn't getting to participate.  after a little research, i found they were still looking for volunteers for the pilot program and i volunteered our household again.  after a couple of e-mails with the coordinator i found we had been passed over because we lived in a condo.  really? 

but all is now forgotten!  and we're now full steam ahead.  and it's like christmas with my new bin.

 

as a reminder to all of us, i taped this flyer to the top of our kitchen trash so that we think twice of how we dispose of something.  diapers?  into the compost bin.  all food items?  composted.  microwave popcorn bags?  yep, compost.  pretty  much the only thing going into the trash will be some type of packaging that can neither be recycled or composted.  how awesome is that?

so now i'm curious... how much trash will our house produce in a week?  i've emptied all of our trash cans and now the experiement begins.  as of now, our kitchen trash can holds the wrappers of a couple of pieces of string cheese and the backing of some 3m adhesive hooks.  so far so good.

crossing my fingers that this program takes hold and becomes city wide.  it couldn't be easier for people to simply put their compostable items in a bin and have the city pick it up each week.

homemade dishwasher detergent.

sometime early last year, i started using dishwasher detergent without phosphates.  just another little thing i believed i could do to try and be more green.  my husband is convinced that since we moved, i have been transformed into a tree hugger.  i'd say he's partially right.  i have indeed become more aware of my surroundings and things i can do that make a difference.

back to phosphates...  phosphates in our water system contribute to the growth of algae which in turn depletes oxygen needed for aquatic life to survive.  so thus, me trying to avoid them.  i first tried a phosphate free powder from costco.  love it.  it worked well, i didn't have to make any other changes to my normal dish washing routine and it wasn't any more expensive than what i had been using previously.  perfect!  until costco quit carrying it...

then i moved on to method's smarty dish tablets.  they worked well at first, but then i felt there was residue that was being left behind and the tablets were more expensive than what i had been using.  thus the quest continued.

for the past two months, i've been using my own homemade concoction.  i've been making my own household cleaners since the beginning of the year so it seemed like the logical next step.  i love being able to make my own cleaners as they're safer to use around the girls and the furry boy.  they're also much cheaper to create than buying something off the shelf. 

i was thrilled with the results from my homemade detergent at first, and then started getting residue similar to the smarty tablets.  after a bit of troubleshooting, i found that if i do more of a prewash of the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, all was well and everyone [who am i kidding, really it's just me i'm talking about] was happy again.

i'd definitely recommend creating your own detergent as well - here's what you'll need :

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup kosher salt

combine all ingredients in a lidded container and shake well to combine.  i'm using a container that someone brought us food in after L was born.  the citric acid will cause the powder to clump - similar to what you've seen in commercial powdered detergents - but it works just fine.  then simply use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load.  that's all there is to it!

another thing that helps?  forget the commercial rinse-aid and simply fill the compartment with white vinegar.  works like a dream.

going green : arm and hammer essentials cat litter.

i figure if i have everyone else in the family doing things a bit greener, thomas should join in too, right?  about a month or so ago when i was on one of my many errands, picking up thomas some litter was also on the agenda.  before picking up the big bag of stuff that i normally get, i spied this bag from arm and hammer and noticed that it was made of 100% biodegradable corn fibers.  i was intrigued and figured i'd give it a whirl and see how well it worked in comparison to my usual brand.  and the important part - how thomas would react to it.

a month into the experiment, i'm happy to report that everyone seems happy.  thomas kind of looked at me like i was crazy when i first put it into his box, but he quickly got used to it.  the litter uses baking soda which also means that i haven't noticed any odor whatsoever.  instead, it's almost as if there's a "fresh" scent to it  it actually makes our basement smell nice.  another plus?  virtually no tracking.  at times, i'd find little pieces of litter from our previous brand on one of the other floors but i haven't noticed any tracking  with the arm and hammer brand.  and the best part?  it's easy to keep clean.  better than any other litter i've ever used.  it clumps so well that it's easy to keep things nice and tidy and go on my merry way.

at first, i thought the higher than typical price would be a drawback, but with the length of time you can use the litter in comparison, it's a no brainer.  this was an easy switch for our family.  even if thomas and i are pretty much the only ones the wiser about it. 

going green : kate quinn organics.

i was introduced to kate quinn organics by my friend susan back when i was still pregnant with the girl.  i purchased a few things in a bigger sizes and unisex colors and then we had to wait to give them a test drive.

this was one of the purchases, a long sleeve kimono jumpsuit.  let's be honest.  the girl is tall.  really tall.  and this jumpsuit fits her so well and she still could grow a bit more and it would be long enough.  this is in fact the only one piece item of clothing that she can wear without getting something in a bigger size.  love it.  it's perfect for lazy days at home as it's super comfortable for her to play in.  i also love what this company stands for as well.  even if it means items are a little pricier.  they wash wonderfully and are pieces that you can actually save for another child to wear.  unlike a lot of clothes out there that once washed several time, look less than fabulous.

i also love what this company stands for :

- a cleaner, kinder earth -

At Kate Quinn Organics, we pride ourselves on our commitment to fair trade and the earth. We use only certified organic cotton, grown using sustainable farming practices that maintain and replenish soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. 

whenever they have a sale, i'm always poking around on their site looking around.  in fact, on earth day, i managed to pick up another jumpsuit, this time in velour, and a cute shirt/skirt combo for c.  not only did i get both outfits for about half of their usual price, they arrived just a few days after placing the order.  and tucked inside my order was a tree.  a blue spruce seedling to be exact.  with a message from them on it being how it would be a great activity to explain the importance of doing green activities such as planting trees, with your children.  love it.  love them. 

and now we have said blue spruce planted in a pot on our deck.  working to clean our air, even though it is not yet full size.  but we all have to start somewhere.  similar to the girl not paying much attention to my green activities now.  but hopefully she will in the years to come.

going green : method smarty dish.

i've been a fan of method for a while now, using their products for the last 5 years or so.  everything thing make seems to slowly make it's way into our home.  i like the fact that if the cat or the girl were to ever get into any of it, they wouldn't be in danger of poisoning themselves or perhaps something worse.

i first started using their cleaning products, and then their laundry detergents and for the past month or so, i've been giving their smarty dish dishwasher detergent a try.  and you know what?  it works.  and it works really well.  without the phosphates or bleach that are dominant in your average dishwasher powder, liquid or tab.  and their easy to pick up.  they make their way into my cart whenever i'm swinging through target.

i love that it comes in a tab that's ready to throw in the dishwasher when you're ready to use it.  i love that it's made from naturally derived ingredients so i can actually read the product label and understand what's in it instead of getting out a dictionary.  and the packaging is compact and 100% recyclable as well - i do think whoever over at method does packaging for them is a genius.  simple, clean, easy to see what you're getting.  no overwhelming colors or logos or whatnot.

and why are phosphates so bad you ask?  because that's the question i get first from my husband.  whenever i introduce something new and green to our lives, he always questions how it's better than what we've been using/doing.  phosphates in our water system contribute to the growth of algae which in turn depletes oxygen needed for aquatic life to survive.  in fact, in some states it will soon be mandated that you only use phosphate free dishwasher detergent.  this has been true for laundry detergents since 1993 when phosphates were banned from those products.

so thank you method.  for not only being ahead of the non-phosphate included game, but for making a product not including harmful ingredients that actually works.  and for continually making me a happy consumer.

going green : organic girl baby caesar salad kit.

since my husband is convinced i've become very granola since moving north - i'll admit it, i have become a lot more aware of things - i decided i should share my love of all things green.  maybe once a week or so, just a profile of something that i'm loving that's environmentally friendly.  because i love to talk to people about things like that.  i mean, i swear i talked to several friends via gmail chat about my worms before they arrived...

okay, so today's green?  organic girl baby caesar salad kit.  an odd first choice perhaps, but stay with me.  the grocery store i frequent was having a grand opening on saturday and had samples of a million and one things out.  so when i was offered a cup of this salad, i thought, why not?  so glad i tried it.  it tasted like it came right from someone's garden.  so clean and absolutely fresh.  and the garlic croutons that come with it are amazing.  the sample had me reaching for one out of the refrigerated case and grabbing for the coupon the sample girl had.  it was a bit more expensive than the normal salad kit i would typically purchase, but so well worth the money.

when we had the salad for dinner that night, i wish i didn't have to share with said husband.  i would've gladly given up my pasta to have only salad.  i think that says a lot.  and an added incentive?  the product packaging wasn't made from petroleum, but rather it was produced from corn.  so very cool. 

i'll gladly pick this up again the next time i'm getting groceries.  and perhaps save it all for me as a lunch when the husband isn't around.