It's Earth Month!!

In honor of Earth Month and Day (April 22), I will provide you with 2 things:

-practices I've adopted within the last year that help our environment

-considerably MORE practices that a woman in NY has adopted to help her family and the environment. She writes a blog I've read for a long time and while she may seem a bit out there, a lot of what she says is definitely worth pondering.

So first off, Frugal Upstate's list of things she's turned from trash into treasure:

1) I have a milk jug in my pantry filled up with red lentils I bought in bulk. (much easier to use than a bag-I can just pour them into a measuring cup) I also have mung beans in a cleaned glass pickle jar, and cornstarch, cornmeal baking soda and salt in old washed out Parmesan cheese containers (the plastic kind).

2) I use one of those nice plastic Folgers cans with the hand grip to scatter rock salt on the walkway and stairs in the winter (I cut a half moon out of the lid).

3) I have a stack of yogurt lids that I use for coffee spoon rests in the morning near the coffee pot, and 2 larger lids I've kept as additional spoon rests when needed.

4) I use a pretty round tin that had sugar cookies in it as my cookie jar on the counter.

5) I cut cereal bag liners (the thick wax paper) into circles that fit my cookie jar tin to separate layers of cookies.

6) I use a yogurt cup in my sugar jar, whole wheat flour jar and rice bag as a scoop (that way I can just leave it there).

7) I keep a few bread bags and shredded cheese bags (w/zipper) to use for breading things (just throw the breading and meat etc in and shake, then throw out when done) also save them to use for nasty stuff going in the garbage so it doesn't smell as much. I try to be careful and just keep 2 or 3 of each so they don’t take over my kitchen.

8) I have coffee can on the counter for compost scraps.

9) I have a clean, empty ketchup bottle that I use to squirt pancake batter onto the griddle when I make mini pancakes for the kids.

10) I use a cottage cheese or yogurt container (large size) in the freezer to keep my leftover bits and pieces for "stone soup"

11) I have started cutting squares for a jean quilt from old jeans. I am saving back pockets to make purses, and keeping the zippers and the "name brand tags" for future projects. I made a cardboard template for the square made from an old box, and have all the squares in a shoe box (will probably take a couple of boxes before I have enough to make “buddy”’s quilt).

12) I always keep scrap paper w/ one good side for printing on (also have dh get extra from the office) and smaller paper is cut into squares for phone messages etc.

13) I have been saving vinegar jugs and milk jugs for winter sowing containers.

14) Of course I keep plastic grocery bags for trashcan liners, transporting stuff in the car, and using at Aldi’s/Save-a-Lot etc.

15) I some-what embarrass my husband by washing and reusing ziplock bags.

16) I have been keeping glass jars with lids to use for canning jelly in the fall. They are non standard sizes and canning lids & rings won't fit-I will use paraffin wax to seal instead. This keeps the jars out of the recycle bin and saves the “good” jars for things that cannot be sealed with paraffin.

17) We recycle-so I have separate bins for cans, glass, plastic and paper. So if I'm not using it at least it gets recycled. I can always grab a container out of their to pour grease in etc if something needs to get thrown out. The kids also love to grab out plastic cans and tubs to use when playing in the dirt pile.

Now my list --considerably shorter, but heartfelt nonetheless! :)

1. Stopped using paper plates and paper napkins (GASP!). I cannot tell you how much this affected our trash can, in a good way, and we love the fact that cloth napkins (the bazillion we registered for for our wedding) work worlds better than paper napkins. (please note: after 9 months this transition has not been easy so no heads held high over here. Especially when we have families visit, it gets even more inconvenient. But I'm really glad we are doing it and over time I think it will be completely normal.)

2. Started a compost bin. Bought it from Sam's Club for $39. It's called the Soilsaver 2000 or something funny like that. Now we have even less trash in our trash can since all fruit, veggie and coffee scraps get thrown in the black beast out back. I'm eager to see later in the summer the succulent compost soil that the beast is supposedly going to produce. :)

3. Planting a garden. I know, I know. I keep promising pictures and this weekend I will indeed have them. But just about everyone here in Bloomington has their own garden of differing size and you can't help get the itch to produce some of your own fruits and veggies for your family. Eat better, eat cleaner, eat locally. Kinda the theme I keep hearing in the media. We'll see if the good Lord blesses my garden enough to actually survive---I am a total newbie to gardening and have never had success growing anything. Status updates soon!

Happy Earth Day friends! I'd love to hear what you might be doing also. Especially any easy, non intimidating tips. :)