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Deb's Big Green PlanetI love "green"! This page is dedicated to all things promoting a green lifestyle. May 21 The smell of cleanI have three teenage athletes at home. This blessing produces lots of extra things in our household, one of which is laundry. My laundry can only be described as explosive. There has been a handful of times when I've caught up with it, mainly when all three children are at camp. Of course on their return I have another explosion in the laundry room and I'm back to where I started.
Doing all this laundry requires a lot of products, but I never go in the laundry aisle in the grocery store. Years ago my daughter developed a terrible skin irritation. It turned out to be from our laundry products. A search helped me find some natural products that didn't cause problems. Then something else happened. When we started using the natural products and went to the grocery store, we were shocked by the overwheming chemical smell of the laundry aisle. It actually was so strong it made me feel ill.
Why is it that we've been conditioned to believe that the smell of chemicals is the smell of clean? Go out to a nice woods and breathe deeply. THAT is the smell of clean. It smells fresh and, well...... like nothing. Mountain fresh air doesn't really have an overwheming smell. April fresh usually smells like moist earth to me. Pine fresh should smell like a pine woods, not like a chemical factory. These smells we are conditioned to associate with clean are actually the smells of chemical contamination. Our reactions shouldn't be "ummmm", it should be "yikes!". Why, because when you smell chemicals it means they are getting into your blood stream via your lungs and skin. This is not a good thing.
What to do? Switch to non-toxic cleaners. Use baking soda and vinegar to scrub your shower and sink. If you need convenience, buy cleaners from a reputable, earth friendly company. If you need help with recipes or suggestions for altenative cleaners, just drop me an e-mail and I will help. Let's bring a real clean to our homes and our planet. May 05 Groceries in your backyardWouldn't it be nice to just go out in your back yard and "shop" for your fruit and vegetables? Well, with some planning now, you could do that in just a few weeks. Start by locating an area in your yard that could be used for growing vegetables. No yard, no problem if you have a porch or deck. Container vegetable gardening is a great way to grow at least some produce.
If you have a yard, preparing the soil can be done by hand or by renting/borrowing a rotatiller. Mark out the area you are going to use and either till or hand dig the soil until it is loose. You can remove the sod to a side area to allow it to compost or you can turn it under, raking the grass and roots out (this can also compost). I would suggest you go to the local cooperative Extension office and buy a soil test kit to see if you need to amend your soil. But if you don't want to do this, you might just want to dig in some organic compost and take your chances. Once you have the soil raked and smoothed, you are ready to plant.
Purchasing seeds is easy. Many stores sell seeds, just read the packages for directions. Seeds like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant need to be started in advance so you might want to go to a nursery to buy plants when you are ready for these. Right now most of us can plant peas, onions, lettuce, radishes, turnips, and swiss chard (to name a few). Just read the package for directions and follow them. Remember to water your newly planted seeds.
March 17 If you're cleaning, you really should know this...You really need to know what is in your cleaners if you are planning to spring clean. You could actually make your home a more toxic place to live than if you never cleaned. If you want a real eye opener watch this. To check your products go here.
Cleaners have become stronger and stronger in an effort to make them more attractive to the busy woman (yes, it's sexist but more women clean than men). We've become a nation paranoid about germs, so cleaners promise to protect our families from these threats.
Some groups are bringing attention to the evidence that the cleaners themselves pose a very real threat to women's health. I thought shredded skin and cracked bleeding fingers was just something that happened to everyone when they cleaned. I think many women experience this,but it is not normal or good. Once I switched to non-toxic cleaners I rarely have any problems with my hands. This was just evidence to me that the chemicals in cleaners were harming me. I often had a headache after cleaning which I thought came because of fatigue. When I switched cleaners I not only got rid of the headaches but found that I had energy to spare after cleaning.
So what is in these cleaners that causes the problems. In cleaners for windows an ingredient called glycol ether has shown harm to animals. Laundry detergents which contain Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), two kinds of surfactants, have been shown to cause harm to fish and tadpoles. Phthalates found in laundry detergent, air freshners, glass cleaners, and fabric softners have been linked to low sperm counts and asthma.
What do you clean with if you don't want to use conventional cleaners? Well, be careful to do your homework because any product can say it's natural or non-toxic. Look for the research to back up the company claims. You can easily use baking soda, vinegar, and peroxide to clean your home as well. I still like some kind of soap so I've found a cleaner that works, is affordable, and comes from a reputable company. Do your homework and find something that works for you. You won't be sorry and you're home will really be spring clean. March 13 Gardening potpourriI went to the local hardware store and immediately developed gardening fever. It was the smell of potting soil that first got me. Then it was the racks of seeds including a big selection of organic seeds. I went into the store for a chess board and came out with about 25 packets of seeds. At my next stop (since my gardening antennae were up) I spotted seed trays made of recycled paper that were bio-degradable and filled with organic seed starting mix. AND, they were less expensive than the plastic trays that always break anyway. So needless to say that night I was busy starting seeds.
Starting seeds isn't that hard to do. You need the basics, something deep enough to hold soil and seedlings, seeds, a spray bottle, a pencil, and soil of course. I use egg cartons as seedling trays, they work great. Fill your container with soil. Make sure it's full of soil and compact it a bit because it can settle over time. Use the spray bottle to moisten the soil by spraying a mist over top of your seed tray. Spray until the soil is really damp. Use the pencil to poke a hole the correct depth into the soil. Using the spray bottle, spray into the hole a bit. Drop in two seeds (one will have to be sacrificed by thinning later). Cover your seed with soil. Spray lightly one more time and place in a warm spot like on top of the fridge. (I protect my fridge with a piece of cardboard)
Keep your seed trays moist (not soaking) by spraying every day or as needed. When the seedlings come up, move them to a sunny window or use a grow light.
If you have extra plants or seeds, consider hyperlocavore's idea of seed sharing with someone who is a new gardener. You might also consider the idea of yard-sharing with someone who doesn't have garden space. Victory Gardening is also a topic of discussion lately.
It won't hurt anyone to have delicious, fresh vegetables to add to their table fare and share with others. If you are really ambitious, you could learn to can, freeze, or dry your extra veggies. I will be putting up instructions on my website later about these three methods of preserving.
Happy Gardening! March 02 Spring has sprungBoy, it's been a busy week. We were blessed to have a grand child born on Wednesday. She is beautiful. Now we're blessed to celebrate the signs of new life and spring here in Western PA. Despite the cold temperatures, we decided to tap the maple trees this weekend. As we walked in the woods, we saw skunk cabbage polking through the leaves. Even though skunk cabbage isn't exactly edible or nice smelling, it is quite beautiful and unusual. It's one sure sign spring is here.
We stopped at our first tree and got out the drill. We use a hand drill because it makes no sound, we like the peace of the woods. I watched as my teenage daughter put the drill to the tree, centering her drilling above a large root in order to get the best flow of sap. I'm reminded of the many years she galloped and played in the woods with her brothers and sisters as we tapped trees. They'd all take their turn sipping sap from the newly placed spiles and skip off to play again.
She drilled into the tree with practiced skill, going into the tree about 2 - 3 inches and then drawing the frass out by moving the drill in and out of the hole. She picked up a thin twig, using it to remove the rest of the frass and smiled as the sap poured out of the tree and down the trunk. "Give me a spile" , she said. Her father handed her the stainless steel spile and the hammer. Tapping gently, she put the silver tube in firmly. The sap began to drip steadily out of the spile. She bent down and sipped the sap. "Mmm, good", she said smiling.
We hung a bucket and placed the lid. The familiar "ping" of sap dripping into the bucket is a sound I love. We moved on to the next trees, taking turns drilling. We all sipped the sap as it came off the spile. Finally cold but happy, we stood back and looked at the woods. Spring has definitely come, again. |
Businesses I like with wonderful products created by very talented homebased businesses
Here are some businesses that market products for people who care about the environment.
Here are some fun places for kids to visit and learn about taking care of their world.
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