Would you dare?
Now that we live in a tri-level townhouse, I have been looking for ways to keep a large amount of plants on our three patios. Right now, we have our vegetables and herbs growing in pots in our front yard – which is lovely, just not really convenient, our kitchen is on the second floor. We do, however, have two patios that are on the same level as the kitchen, the only problem is that they are very small – even the large one! Once I put a super-comfy (and small) sofa, small table and the grill on the larger patio, it didn’t leave enough floor space for fruits and vegetables – there isn’t even space to hang plants. Mr. Sweet Greens took the patio on our third level over – it now houses his collection of potted citrus trees. And the third patio has a couple of small chairs and our composter on it – however, I am thinking of removing the chairs and adding plants!
With all of these space constraints in mind, I have been trying to think of alternative ways to get some plants on all of our patios and the front porch too – and I think I found a solution. Wooden palettes. I saw a discarded wooden palette the other day and wondered if there was any way I could repurpose it into a planter. I came home and searched on Pinterest for a little inspiration and found wooden palettes recycled into beautiful planters. I wonder if I could plant vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers in the top section and herbs in the lower sections. The mister doesn’t know it yet – however, this is a project that I have added to his weekend list. Ha!
What do you think – would you use wooden palettes in your home’s design?
Do you think it will work on three small patios and maybe even my front porch?
I would love your thoughts!
Yesterday, we talked about the five simple ways your family can go green today and number three on the list was by green cleaning your home. I received several questions asking how to make your own non toxic laundry cleaners that actually work. I wanted to share the ways that I keep our laundry super green and clean by using some great eco-friendly laundry cleaner recipes and also a handful of tricks too, read on to get started.
1. Bleach Alternative:
Whites should be white – however, it can be tough to get your whites, white and bright without bleach. There is an eco-friendly solution, give my bleach-free alternative a try.
What you will need:
You can either add this directly to your whites in the washing machine or put it in a spray bottle to pre-treat your clothes before adding them to the wash.
2. Stain Treatments:
Stains are my least favorite part of doing laundry, so having a strain remover that works the first time is essential. Here are my two favorite stain treatments, one for grease stains, and one for harder to remove stains – such as blueberries.
What you will need:
3. Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent:
There are many great recipes out there for making your own laundry detergent. In fact, I have been meaning to share a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the one that I use. (Look for an upcoming post!)
What you will need:
You simply mix the washing soda, baking soda, Borax, and Dr. Bonner’s Castile Soap. You have to continually stir the mixture until you get a moist detergent – just don’t stop stirring too quickly or you will be left with a large, hard clump that will be impossible to use. It should crumble easily.
Do you have your own favorite non-toxic homemade laundry cleaners?
I would love to hear your suggestions.
I love the new 2012 Plan Toys Collection – it features all new toys made with a new material made from surplus rubber wood sawdust, organic pigments, and e-zero glue that is pressed into a high density fiber they call PlanWood. This new collection of toys is also water-resistant, durable, sustainable, and contains zero plastic. Fantastic!
I think the new dollhouse may be my favorite – which is yours?
I have always loved children’s books – I was collecting them well before Eben was born. In fact, when the mister and I started dating, one of the first gifts he ever gave me was a subscription to the Dr. Seuss Book Club. I would receive a set of Dr. Seuss books every month in the mail – I knew he was a keeper! Our large collection of Dr. Seuss books is at the top of the most beloved books in our home. They are worn and show the signs of being read over and over again, they are loved.
Today, Eben’s class is taking a field trip as part of their science program – they are going to see The Lorax movie. On the way to school this morning, Eben read The Lorax to me – what a great way to reinforce the many ways that our everyday actions can have a huge positive or negative impact on the environment. Eben and I discussed the ways that we thought Hollywood would put it’s own spin on one of our favorite books. And whether the true spirit of the story would be upheld.
Last night, the mister and I spent a lot of time discussing the ways that Dr. Seuss inspired others and what a wonderful visionary he was. We also wondered what Dr. Seuss’s thoughts would be if he knew his beloved Lorax has been peddling everything from SUV’s to pancakes in the media?
Hearing Eben read the following sentences made me tear up again this morning:
These two sentences are so true, so to the point. There are many things that we can do everyday that will make a difference, here are five simple ways you and your child can get started on your own green journey today:
1. Make It a Zero Waste Lunch:
The amount of trash from children’s school lunches equals billions of pounds of garbage each year. We try to pack Eben’s lunch as waste-free as possible. He has two reusable bento-style lunch boxes (so one is always clean) and we always use reusable napkins, snack containers and water bottles. You can see our favorite lunchbox here and our favorite snack containers here. (the all stainless steel ones)
2. Refuse, Reuse, Reduce and Recycle:
We try to follow the 4 R’s everyday and in this order: we REFUSE anything that we don’t need, REUSE anything that we can find a second life for, REDUCE our overall consumption whenever possible and at the very least RECYCLE. We like to keep our life as simple as possible – the 4 R’s help us keep this idea in perspective.
3. Green Clean It:
If you aren’t already using green cleaners in your home, now is the time to start. Not only are green cleaners good for the environment, they are good for the health of your family. I think all grocery stores now carry some type of green cleaners, however making your own is simple, affordable and they clean well too!
4. Go Meatless:
Going meatless is not only good for the environment, it is great for the health of your family and the size of your pocketbook. It takes a lot more resources to “grow” beef than it does veggies – plus growing and eating your own veggies is a lot of fun!
5: Get Personal:
What you put on your body is just as important as what you put into your body. Now is a great time to remove any personal care products that contain ingredients that are harmful to your body and the environment.
What simple ways does your family go green everyday?
Has your family seen The Lorax? What are your thoughts?