Springtime is in the air, and many of us are planning summer gardens and planting rows of colorful flowers. At this time of year, gardeners often turn to nutrient-rich compost to improve their soil and increase their yields. In fact, compost is the successful gardener’s secret weapon. Fortunately, virtually anyone can create compost. Whether you choose to purchase a ready-made compost bin or create a pile in a corner of your yard, you can create compost ready for the garden in no time. Not only is it good for your garden, it is also good for the environment. As 67% of the waste thrown away in this country is actually organic waste, composting is a great way to recycle.
Compost transforms household organic waste into something beneficial. Rather than throwing away table scraps, outdated produce, eggshells, moldy bread, and coffee grounds, why not add them to a compost pile in your own backyard? In addition to food waste, you can also add leaves, yard clippings, and even some types of paper to the compost pile. As you start your compost pile, keep a few things in mind. First, alternate layers of brown materials, like dried grass clippings and leaves, with green materials like food scraps. Next, water down your pile periodically. Finally, stir or mix the pile occasionally and then watch it turn from discarded waste into rich compost. To learn more about organic waste and what you can do about it, check out this infographic.
 This post wasn’t written by me, thank you for supporting the businesses that keep Sweet Greens running!
Spring is in the air – everything smells fresh and seeing nature wake-up from wintertime is fascinating. With spring, comes spring cleaning – there is just something inside of us that wants our home to feel and smell fresh and new, just like nature in springtime. The last thing you want to do while freshening your home is to introduce toxic chemicals by using commercial cleaners or creating a lot of waste by purchasing new things that you don’t necessarily need. Read on to learn my 5 favorite ways to get your home clean while adding a refreshing “new” element, while saving the environment and your family’s health too.
1. Open Those Windows
First things first, now that it is warm and sunny outside, it’s time to let mother nature’s fresh breeze do her magic. You will be amazed at how much fresher and cleaner your home will feel and smell if you simply let the fresh and clean air in!
2. Declutter It
For some reason clutter seems to build up over the winter months and springtime is the perfect time to go through it all. Make it simple, by using my simple sorting tip, go through everything and separate it into five bins; Keep, Donate, Sell, Recycle, and Trash. This makes things so much easier in the long run, you make a quick decision and roll with it. I always make a promise to myself that I will never look back into any of the bins, if I initially thought that I should donate or recycle it, then that is exactly what happens. The decluttering stage is also when I have Eben try on ALL of his clothing and we immediately donate or sell anything that no longer fits – this goes for Mr. Sweet Greens’ closet and my own as well.
3. Organize It
Make your spring cleaning work last all year long by getting truly organized. This means only keeping items that you absolutely love and use and finding an exact place for everything in your home. I know that may sound a little harsh, but if you have an exact spot that you keep all of your crafting supplies for example, then when you have a few minutes to steal away to scrapbook – you won’t waste that time looking for your scissors or glue. This goes for everything in your home – if it belongs in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom etc; that is where it should always stay.
4. Make Your Cleaners
Spring is the perfect time to make fresh batches of all of your favorite natural household cleaners. You can find some of my favorite household cleaner recipes here and my favorite laundry cleaners here. Green cleaners are amazing because you aren’t poisoning the environment or your family and you save a bundle of cash making your own cleaners too!
5. Utilize the 6 R’s for Refreshing Your Home
You can freshen up your home and give it a whole new look without spending a lot of money or making a huge impact on the environment. To give your home a “new” look and feel, utilize my 6 r’s for re-freshening your home
Recover: if your sofa or chair has seen better days but has great bones, give it a make-over by recovering it with a slipcover.
Reorganize: Give your rooms a new look by switching around your furniture!
Revamp: Touch up walls with a fresh coat of no-VOC, eco-friendly paint, replace broken knobs, handles and hardware on cabinets and furniture.
Refresh: Switch out your regular towels and linens with a new eco-friendly version, add potted plants and soy candles to your home.
Repurpose: If you have a dresser that isn’t being used, repurpose it into a buffet in your dining room or as a gift-wrapping station in your office.
Reconsider: The next time you are considering purchasing something new, ask yourself whether the purchase is absolutely necessary – could you borrow the item, rent it or could you repurpose something that you already have.
Do you have special spring cleaning tips that you utilize every year?Â
As you know, my family is huge Stonyfield fans. We love a lot of their products and especially love their frozen yogurt! It’s the perfect treat – any time of year.
Stonyfield has been launching a few new products, which is always fun to taste test. We recently received a shipment of Greek and Chia and Oh My Yog!, here is a breakdown of what we thought.
I have a smoothie every morning, so it was only natural that I would add the Oh My Yog! to mine. It is thick and creamy, and with a little fruit and honey – added just the right sweetness to my morning breakfast. I also love it straight out of the cup with 6 amazing flavors to choose from – you can’t go wrong.
The OP is like a yummy smoothie that is ready for on-the-go. I love these for an after workout snack packed with 15g of protein! They come in strawberry, chocolate and vanilla – and are also great for getting a little added protein into your child’s diet – oh yeah, and it’s organic too and without artificial colors or flavors.
Do you have a favorite Stonyfield product? Which one?
This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own.
My family received a shipment of Stonyfield’sOrganic Frozen Yogurt Pearls – which turned out to be fun for everyone! The Pearls are an organic frozen yogurt dessert that are wrapped with edible skins made form natural food particles. You don’t need a spoon and you can eat them with your hands (mess free!). Moms, they are guilt free at only 20 calories and will be your go to sweet treat for spring. These are super fun for the kiddos and will make a fun spring treat too!
They come in four fun flavors: Coconut + Chocolate, Strawberry + Vanilla, Strawberry + Chocolate, and Peach + Vanilla. These sweet, organic treats are the brainchild of Stonyfield’s co-founder, Gary Hirschberg. He had a passionate dream to offer a truly sustainable product, one with edible packaging – enter the Frozen Yogurt Pearls. Hooray for amazing innovation!
Run over to the frozen section of your local Whole Foods, print this 2 boxes for $6 coupon first – and surprise your family!
This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own.
Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s time for organizing and clearing clutter around the house. For most of us, spring organization getting rid of things we no longer use and creating a better storage system for stuff we will keep that has fallen into disarray. Before you toss anything in the trash bin or make a trip to the container store, jump over to The Yogurt Dish at Stonyfield Organic for 3 eco-friendly spring organization tips to save yourself time, money, and unnecessary waste.
