Have a Lovely Green Weekend + A Few Green Things

Hello, Friends! Do you have fun plans for this weekend? Since our temperatures here in South Florida are suppose to reach the mid-90’s (which is super-hot for us, considering the humidity) – we plan to spend every spare second at the beach. (It is ALWAYS cooler at the beach!) How do you cool off when the weather is simply too hot to handle?  

While I pack up the beach bag, here are a few green things that I thought you might enjoy:

– Would you wear a compostable bikini?
– This has to be one of the coolest reasons to live in Florida – sea turtle hatchlings.
– VivaTerra is having a plant sale – I want to surprise Mr. Sweet Greens with another citrus tree.
– An old door becomes a patio table. Fantastic!
– Have you ever wondered how to grow a bamboo bike?
– Did you know that play sand is dangerous?
– This is how I love to start my day!

Have a beautiful weekend + please remember to bring your pets inside during these heat waves! See you back here on Monday.

xo,
Sweet Greens

HOW TO: 6 Steps to a Simple Organic Potted Vegetable Garden

Our new home doesn’t have a yard (it’s a 3-story townhouse) and we wanted to grow our own fruits and veggies. What it lacks in a yard, it more than makes up for in outdoor space – we have two small balcony patios, one large balcony patio and a large front porch area. We decided to utilize this space to grow our garden goodies. We opted for growing them in pots, this way we could move them inside easily for watering and could move them to the shade when the temperature gets out of control – it does that here in Florida. Our finished project has given us a great potted garden that is starting to produce a lovely selection of tomatoes, herbs, peppers and lemons! If you live in a space that doesn’t have a lot of outdoor area – I highly recommend this approach, read on to learn how.

What you will need:

– Assortment of Pots (we like to collect our from thrift shops)
– Organic fruit and vegetable plant (minimally packaged)
– Organic potting soil

Step 1: Pick the Perfect Location

First things first, you want to decide where you will grow your goodies. Then, you need to decide what size pots and plants your space can accommodate, followed by picking goodies that will grow well in your local climate. Choose plants that will still be comfortable in your pots when they are full grown.

Step 2: Add Soil to the Pots

Start by adding organic potting soil to the bottom of each pot. If you are letting your children help, I highly recommend that they wear their swimming apparel – this was perfect for hosing Eben done at the end of the project. 🙂

Step 3: Choose Minimally Packaged Plants

Carefully remove the plants from the wrapping that they come packaged in. We try to find plants from our local nursery that have minimal or compostable packaging. If the plants come in compostable packaging, we tear it up and add it to the bottom of the pot before putting the plant in. (We only remove the bottom, leaving the sides of the compostable pot intact.)

Step 4: Add the Plant to the Pot

Add the plant to the pot to make sure that you have added enough soil and compostables underneath. 

Step 5: Top off the Soil

Finish adding the organic potting soil to the top of each pot and then water away.

Step 6: Watch your Garden Grow and Enjoy the Goodies

Enjoy spending the early mornings and evenings watering your plants. Make sure to move them routinely to prevent them from burning in the sun. Enjoy your fresh organic goodies from your own organic garden.

What type of garden do you have?
Have you ever tried potted vegetables and fruits before?

7 Lazy Summer Afternoon Activities that Aren’t Lazy

Summertime is suppose to packed with fun outside in the sun. After a day of summer camp, playing with friends, swimming in the pool, or running around and getting exercise with friends, most kids will need a little downtime in the afternoon to slow down, relax and enjoy a little quiet time. That doesn’t mean that the afternoon has to spent in front of the television, playing video games or computer games though! Check out seven lazy summer afternoon activities that Eben and I have been enjoying that are anything but lazy — they might even teach your kid something new or inspire a new interest or hobby.

Smithsonian Marine Station | Ecosystems Exhibit

Living on the east coast of Florida gives us fantastic opportunities to view a diverse estuary of marine animals and plants. Earlier this week, Eben and I spent the day exploring the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, Florida.

The Smithsonian Marine Station does an amazing job researching Florida’s marine biodiversity and ecosystems. They have a strong focus on education, training and public service. We found the Ecosystems Exhibit to be fascinating – it includes six different Florida marine habitats and allows visitors to view the complexity and importance of these delicate ecosystems. Eben really enjoyed the touch tank and viewing the large Caribbean coral reef through a large magnifying glass.

Eben loved the large Caribbean coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove habitats. We had a great time, exploring the touch tank, where we stuck our fingers into small holes allowing Peppermint Shrimp to give our fingernails a good cleaning. (It tickles)

We enjoyed observing the jellyfish, box fish, baby sharks and other fish up close and personal. It was a great way to spend the day together, while learning more about our wonderful ocean life.

Smithsonian Marine Station
420 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949
772.462.6220

Sustainable Parducci Wine: Can We ReWINEd Please?

The mister and I love our time spent together enjoying good glass of wine and fantastic conversation. We were intrigued to hear of wine made at a 100% carbon neutral winery and were more than excited when two bottles of sustainable wine from Parducci in California arrived at our door. We received a beautiful Light New World White and Light New World Red – both of which came packaged in 100% eco-friendly packaging.

Here is what we loved about the wines and the company:

Light New World White: 
This wine has an amazing peach ester that is smooth and not too dry. We really appreciated how crisp, clean and fresh it was. This was our personal favorite! 

Light New World Red: 
This wine is a full bodied red wine with a perfect dryness. It was very complimentary to our meal and not overpowering.

  • We love that Parducci sustainable wines are locally owned and operated in California with the grapes coming from sustainable family farms that are run on 100% green power.
  • What makes this wine even lovelier – the price. Both bottles are under $15 and available at your local Whole Foods.

Check out Parducci, enjoy a bottle and let me know which is your favorite. And don’t forget to recycle the corks.