Natural Lawn

Going green can be for your lawn, too.

I have been in my yard working away for more than a few weeks now. I tried some experiments to see how well natural lawn care measured up to the traditional, sometimes not so eco-friendly options. I learned that managing your lawn does not have to include pesticides and harsh chemicals. You can go green in lawn care. Here are a few tips to help you manage your lawn so that you feel safe.

Where do we begin? Killing those unwanted green things (commonly called weeds) in our flower beds and garden space. I began with vinegar. I compared it to some traditional weed killer by using the vinegar where my food is going to go and the other as far away from my family and food that I can. I found that the vinegar worked just as well at killing the weeds; it just took a few more applications. As cheap as vinegar is, I feel like that works for me.

OK, so now we are ready to prep. For my garden this year, I decided to do a few organic herbs, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes and arugula. To prep my area, I hand pulled any left over weeds and grass. I chose a soil conditioner with organic matter and worm castings to break up the dirt and get ready for my plants.

For a pre-emergent on my garden (to KEEP the weeds out) I used an organic remedy. It is actually corn gluten that has been used to stop weeds. We will see how it works over time, but I feel confident after doing some research. Espoma Organic Weed Preventer and Lawn Feeder is what we used, but there are other options. Most lawn and garden centers will carry many organic options that you can choose from.

Last year I applied Cyan Pepper to my tomatoes and kept squirrels off them. For pest, bug and animal control, check out as many options as you can. It may get expensive to try out every one, so make sure to do your research and look for user reviews, if online, or ask your garden center professional how well the options work. The most important thing to remember is that you feel comfortable with the ingredients of the product and it has proven effect-ability.

Try setting your mower on higher levels. The idea is to allow the grass to shade the weeds in an attempt to keep the grass nurtured and the weeds not. Only water your grass when it is very clearly showing signs of stress or drought. To measure how much water your grass is getting place a cup in the zone of the sprinkler and look to make sure it gets at least an inch of water.

To help keep your plants alive, opt for local or regional plant options. This helps to ensure that the plants will have optimal weather and water needs in your area.

These are just a few options. There are multiple services that can provide you with what you need if you choose not to do it yourself.

Compost: All The Extras

Compost: Week Nine

I had originally only wanted to run this series for nine weeks, but the end result of mature compost was the intended time-line determinent and since I began this journey in the winter I am destined to continue until I can broadcast images of my compost in my garden.

We have talked in great length about what we can and cannot put into our compost. We have talked about how to manage crisis with your heap. From the start, I was clear that I was going to do as little as possible with my compost, but that's not to say there are some pretty nifty tools you can spend money on to work along side nature. Now, I am told you really only need something to stir, sunlight, and nature to get your dirt, but it would not be fair if I didn't least mention some of the handy thins you CAN use.

• Compost Activator
  
  
• Thermometer
  
  
• Turner
  
  
• Biobags
  
  
• Sifter
  
  
• Fruit Fly Trap
  
  
• Aerator
  
  
• Compost Fork
  
  
  Like I have mentioned before, you do not have to use any or all of these suggestions. I choose to use an old broom handle for aeration and pull out the shovel when I need a good stir. I have found that watching my compost daily to see what issues it’s having help me know what I need to add or hold-off on.
  
  In the Series
  Week One - Compost: Getting Started
  Week Two - Compost: Winter Time
  Week Three - Compost: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
  Week Four - Compost: Enhance Your Compost
  Week Five - Compost: Enhance Your Compost II
  Week Six - Compost: Couldn't Hurt
  Week Seven - Compost: Crisis Control
  Week Eight - Compost: The Smell Of Dirt

What's In Your Trash?

Metro Beautification & Environment Commission offer us some tips on auditing the waste in our home.

The following has been provided by Metro Beautification & Environment Commission.

Whether you are a seasoned recycler or a beginner, you stand to maximize your recycling options and minimize your trash output by conducting a basic home waste audit. The objective is to find out what kind of trash you have and consider the alternatives to tossing the items into the trash.

A room-by-room waste audit is the simplest way to learn about your household's waste management habits. The first step is to find out what kind of trash you have by examining and separating the contents of all the trash and recycling cans in the house. Divide the trash into these categories: reusable at home (if you would really reuse it), reusable by someone else (to sell or donate), recyclable in your municipality, compostable in your backyard (non-meat food and food soiled paper), and trash.

Label some used grocery bags for this purpose. As you go through each room of the house, make a list of the items you find in the trash and recycling cans and then place each item in the appropriate bag.

When you finish separating the trash, take a moment to look at the bags and think about the results of your home waste audit. Are you recycling all that you can? How much would your trash decrease if you avail yourself of all the waste diversion options in your community?

Now plan to improve your household's waste management strategy. Assess your options and decide what to do with all of the stuff you found in the trash. Set a goal to divert as much of your household's waste from the trash as possible. For example, make realistic plans to reuse items in the near future. Pick a date for a yard sale, or learn where you can donate items. Contact the Public Works Department in your community to make sure you have the most up-to-date list of items that are accepted for recycling. If you have a garden, consider composting your food waste and food soiled paper trash.

Finally, educate others in your household and facilitate success! Make sure everyone understands what goes where and why. Place containers in the appropriate rooms to collect recycling, reusable items, compostable food and trash. Some rooms may not need trashcans, just recycling containers.

Measure your success; complete a follow-up audit a couple of weeks later. By now, you should have significantly less trash going out of your home. This time simply look in the trashcans to see if you can spot any non-trash items. Find a way to congratulate everyone on making these simple, but positive, changes in household management!

Cool Moms In The Community: California Writes For Environment

Read an Interview with one Mom Blogger who is seeking to do all she can to help with the global warming problem.

I found La Marguerite through Vanessa Can Petten's "50 Best Mom Blogs." When I found Marguerite, I knew instantly that she had something you all would want to hear about, so I approached her for an interview.

Her site is thorough and her experience in multiple fields more than qualifies her for more than just opinion, but I will let you check her out for yourself. Here is a brief interview I had with her last week.

Interview with La Marguerite's Marguerite

Your blog seems to be a personal journey through what so many of us seem to be striving towards: being more environmentally sound. Can you tell us a little more about what really provoked you to begin this journey?

Yes, I can remember that moment very well. It was December 2005. I had been invited to attend Al Gore's presentation of "An Inconvenient Truth" at Stanford University. I went reluctantly, as I was rather turned off by my new husband's environmental zeal. To my great surprise, I came out of the event a changed woman. I was so convinced by Al Gore's expose, that I swore to myself that I would do all I could to help with the global warming problem.

What were some of the first behaviors you began to try, as you were once a self-proclaimed 'Green Girl Wannabe'?

The biggest changes took place after I started my blog, La Marguerite, about a year ago. The act of chronicling my daily eco-sins, and later successes, was very instrumental. I believe it is very important to not rush one's process of 'self-greening.' We are talking about changing some deeply entrenched behaviors here, and there is a maturation that needs to take place.

Some of the areas I focused on were some obvious ones, such as unnecessary fashion shopping, riding the train instead of driving, remembering to take the reusable bags at the grocery store, buying local produce, turning off the power strip for my computer, and cutting down on laundry. I am happy to report that I made progress on all fronts. The support of my husband - aptly nicknamed Green Guru in my blog - as well as my readers, played a great part.

What other sites do you often write for?

For a while I was writing for Environmental Graffiti, and also Groovy Green. Over time, I have found it more and more difficult to spread my writing outside of my own blog. My posts do get picked up often by Reuters Environment Blogs, and also L' Atelier, a Silicon Valley French American business website. Besides writing articles, I also spend a fair amount of time commenting on other blogs, including Dot Earth, Grist, World Changing, and the Huffington Post.

How do you get your children involved with the messages you are speaking about the lessons you are learning?

I don't, at least not directly. My belief is you have to start children on the greener path while they are young. When they are teenagers like mine, I have found it is just too much to deal with. There are only so many battles I can tackle at once, and green is just not one of them. The best I can do is lead through example. As I have been cutting down more and more on my shopping, I have noticed that my daughters are no longer so eager to go to the mall. It is happening organically.

Save the World One Cafe Latte at a Time

CoolPeopleCare and The Mug Project Partner for National Initiative

Monday, April 21 is CoolPeopleCare's Take-Your-Mug-to-Work Day and readers are encouraged to bring their own mug to work, to the coffee shop, and anywhere else they might get coffee and would normally use a paper or plastic cup. Right before Earth Day (April 22), Take-Your-Mug-to-Work Day is one small step people can take to make their world a little better.

According to the book, New Day Revolution, by Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley, if someone uses their own mug every day for a year, they'll save a tree all by themselves, since the average tree can produce between 300-400 paper cups. "Taking your mug to work is just one small thing we can all do to make this world a better place. Every little action matters when it comes to saving the earth," says Davidson.

In honor of the day, CoolPeopleCare.org has partnered with The Mug Project and will be releasing their first CoolPeopleCare branded mug made from corn that is 100% biodegradable. The Mug Project is a Boston-based Web site that encourages people to take their own mug with them year-round. Joseph Porcelli, of The Mug Project, says, "We want people to take their mugs everywhere, and taking it to work is a great first step. We're happy to be partnering with CoolPeopleCare to let more people know about the benefits of reusable mugs."

Another great benefit of bringing your own mug with you is that several coffee shops around town give discounts to customers who bring their own mugs. Starbucks gives a 10-cent discount and Fido, in Nashville, gives a 20-cent discount to their customers. And although it doesn't sound like much, those savings can really add up if you're an avid coffee drinker.

This event is part of CoolPeopleCare's first annual Springamajig, which highlights 40 days of events designed to get people out of their homes and out into their communities.

Compost: Crisis Control

Compost: Week Seven

I was hoping that I would have the perfect compost, as I was writing this series on composting. Although I never claimed to be an expert, I was hoping I would at least be a really lucky novice. Well, I didn’t want to admit it, but, "Mommy, the compost is stinky." My compost smells bad and has some flies in it. So this week I wanted to talk about trouble-shooting your compost.

What does my problem mean?:
My pile is anaerobic, too wet or may have too many nitrogen-rich products.

How can I help it?:
We have had a great amount of rain lately, so my compost does not need any more kitchen beverages in it. Also, the anaerobic state has come from not enough oxygen - aka, I need to stir my compost. So yesterday, I got out there with a shovel and aggressively stirred the compost pile. I was so happy to see that there is already a good amount of decomposition going on in the bottom of my pile, but in certain spots a horrifying odor would escape as I broke some parts up. I added more DRY, brown leaves to help absorb some of the water and stirred it for more than ten minutes.

The leaves will also help to balance out an Nitrogen over-use that may be in there (although I doubt that's my problem as I have more leaves than anything in there). From the diagnosis and remedy, my compost should we odor free within a week or so if I keep up the stirring.

What did I learn?
A good compost pile needs at least SOME managing, even if it is just an aggressive stirring whenever I add new organic matter. Also, do not be afraid to stir the compost. I was nervous about exposing the organic matter the the aeration holes on the side, but if stirred properly, the organic matter can stay towards the center of the pile but still be interlaced with the good, carbon filled brown stuff to help break it down. Finally, I learned that to maintain the proper balance of Nitrogen and Carbon, I need to have five times more BROWN material than GREEN.

Here are some common issues, signs and resolutions that may help.

Issue:
Your pile will not heat up.

Problem:
a. Your pile is too small.
b. You need more Nitrogen-rich matter.
c. The organic matter you have in your bin is too large.
d. Not enough water in the bin.
e. Weather is too cold outside.
f. Not enough oxygen in the pile.
g. Compost is finished decomposing.

Possible Solutions:
a. Increase your pile size to at least 3’ x 3’ x 3’ by adding more organic materials and leaves.
b. Add more Nitrogen-rich products (grass, fruit, or vegetable scraps).
c. Make sure to chop and organic matter that is too large (things like broccoli stocks are really hard to break down).
d. Add water to your pile (do not just stand over it with a hose - it should be as moist as a rung out sponge, no wetter).
e. Know that in [cold weather][] decomposition still takes place but it is much slower. Ensure that your bin is in the sun for the entire day, if possible to help keep it active.
f. Make sure to stir the pile.
g. If the decomposition process is complete, it will no longer be hot. You will know it’s ready when it is no longer hot and it smells like dirt.

Issue:
Your pile seems to attract rodents, pests or flies.

Problem:
a. Organic matter is exposed.
b. You have sugary, fatty or protein-rich materials in the pile.

Possible Solutions:
a. Make sure to keep all food scraps covered by leaves and work to bury them at least six inches in the pile.
b. Recheck your Do Not list and make sure you’re not adding Do Not items to your pile.

Issue:
Your pile smells like ammonia.

Problem:
Your pile is lacking Carbon.

Possible Solutions:
Add more leaves, hay, straw or shredded news paper to help balance the Nitrogen content of your pile.

Issue:
Your compost has insects, slugs, worms and millipedes.

Problem:
This is not an issue; this is a good thing. These organisms help to break down the organic matter in your pile.

Possible Solution:
None needed.

Issue:
Your pile has fire ants.

Problem:
a. Your pile is not hot enough.
b. Your pile is too dry.
c. Your kitchen scraps are too close to the top of your pile.

Possible Solutions:
a. Make sure to add a good mixture of Nitrogen-rich and Carbon-rich products to your pile.
b. Add water to your pile (do not just stand over it with a hose - it should be as moist as a rung out sponge, no wetter).
c. Make sure to keep all food scraps covered by leaves and work to bury them at least six inches in the pile.

In the Series
Week One - Compost: Getting Started
Week Two - Compost: Winter Time
Week Three - Compost: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Week Four - Compost: Enhance Your Compost
Week Five - Compost: Enhance Your Compost II
Week Six - Compost: Couldn't Hurt

Taxes and Money

What can Tax Day mean for your family?

I heard an interesting theory a week or so back on NPR about taxes. The argument was that giving people rebate checks will result in a different outcome than offering them tax relief throughout the year or giving them pre-paid debit cards. The idea is that if we are giving a relief each month, we will significantly change our buying habits as apposed to getting a check once a year.

As I look back over the last year, I can actually relate to this theory pretty intently. Honestly, when I quit my job February 2007 to become a full-time, stay-at-home mom, our finances changed dramatically, but my spending patters took a few months to catch up. I kept spending like I was, to some degree, thinking my income was not that big of a deal. I was quick to be corrected.

When I got a new job in September, I had been hit hard enough to know that just because I was not making more money I really needed to work on catching up from February. When I became a salaried employee and my husband got a new job, we sort of went off the deep end. We got Netflix, rejoined the Y and did some home repairs that we had been holding out on. I bought a new computer for work (which I was desperately in need of) and began to see how fast that extra money each month was gone and we were "strapped" again.

This was when I resolved to get my spending into a new place. We began to adopt the 24-hour wait period for all purchases, we had to revamp our budget and really start over. I never learned much about money management; I never understood the implications of money.

Today, I am seeking to find balance with money and not change my spending habits just because we have more income - the "more" is to be saved, invested, or given.

I once heard that most millionaires only make about $50,000 to $100,000 a year. These people probably pay off their homes, have no car payments and rarely use credit. I want to be that frugal. I want to get a tax return and invest it rather than have to catch up from over spending in previous months.

So what? Well, I believe that as we learn to better manage our money so our little girls will learn. As we show her to power of donation, giving back, saving for the future, and being less "needy" she will too learn the value of frugality. Next week we mark the dreaded Tax Day. My goal is to look at it as a learning experience for our future dollars rather than a time of dread.

A Cool School: Woodland Middle

Is your school cool?

We had a great time Sunday evening at Barnes and Noble to help kick off Woodland Middle School's annual book fair. This week of activities allows students and parents to come to the store, learn something valuable, and then support the school with their purchases.

As part of the school's interest in making the world a better place, Stephen and I were happy to talk about the ways people of any age can save the world.

Of course, it helps to turn folks out when you've got Gabe Dixon tickling the ivories with some great tunes.

It was a great time to get out and talk to folks about the things that can be done to improve the local community. We always find that the youngest people in our world are most interested in making the planet a great place to live, so we're always happy to stop by your school and give a presentation or talk with different classes about how their subject matter can have an impact in many different areas.

A special thanks to Mrs. Anderson for setting everything up!

Let us know if your school's cool, and we'll come hang out!