The New Compost Bin

My husband works less in the wintertime. That is to say, he still works his regular full-time job, but the marina he co-owns is closed for the season. He still works there part-time doing paperwork and preparing for the upcoming summer (booking bands for the bar and sending out dockage contracts, that sort of thing). So to keep himself busy during this relatively slow period he started building things out of pallet boxes.

He built us a wall wine rack for the dining room and a coat rack to hang by the front door. Then I reminded him that I've been quietly asking him to build me a pallet box compost bin for years. Sometimes patience pays off. I got my compost bin!

Now you might be a tad confused because if you know me, you know that gardening is not my thing. While I love the concept of it, the actual reality of gardening does not appeal in the slightest. We tried container gardening a few years ago, but not a single usable item was produced. Not one vegetable, not one tomato, not even any herbs. Part of the problem is my many trees. There are just no sunny spots left in the yard. Add to that my general laziness and a lack of interest on both of our parts, and you do not have a recipe for success.

Why then, you ask, do I want a compost bin? My singular goal is to reduce the amount of waste at the curb each week. It kills me to see rotten potatoes, apple cores or banana and orange peels in the trash can. I've been known to just toss old fruit and veggies out the backdoor, but this will work better for all involved. It always surprises me that none of the creatures that devour the pumpkins on the front porch at Halloween will deign to touch a potato when it's freely given.

I don't mind slipping on my big boots and trudging through the snow to empty the ceramic compost container I keep near the sink. Now I just need to remember to toss the used tea bags in there each morning. And apparently, dryer lint. For a brief composting 101, check out this article/graphic.

Updates: Deodorant and Shampoo/Conditioner

Not long ago I gave an update on my soap situation. I am content with my strategy of locally made or handmade bar soap in the shower and liquid soap in reusable dispensers at the bathrooms and kitchen sinks.

I'm also satisfied with the aluminum free deodorant I've been using since 2008. I've been so pleased with it since the very first use that I've never even been tempted to try anything else.

However, I remain thoroughly unhappy with my shampoo and conditioner situation. Traditional products turn me off with their long list of unpronounceable ingredients and Bad Things (sulfates, paraben, etc.). Years ago I tried an all-in-one bar soap from Dr. Bronner's. While it started off well, I abandoned it after several weeks (months?) of use because it left heavy deposits in my hair. It didn't leave my hair feeling clean at all. I've also tried using vinegar as a conditioning rinse, but it didn't win me over either. I don't mind the smell, but it left my  long hair too tangly. Tangles make me batty, so I need a conditioner that prevents that.

Currently I'm using Nature's Gate shampoo and conditioner, but again, I'm not enthusiastic. What products do you use? Do you have any shampoo/conditioner recommendations (preferably free of Bad Things)?

(This is not a sponsored post.)

Handmade Gifts

At our friends holiday celebration the other night we were gifted three homemade items: grape jelly, beef jerky, and sugar scrub. These gifts which our friends made by hand with us in mind mean more than any scented candle or bottle of wine possibly could.

I like to buy handmade gifts when possible. This year I was able to for both my father and step-mom (I may share after the gifts have been opened). I wish I had the skills/motivation to make things myself, but I am grateful for both the handmade gifts I've received and the ones I will give tomorrow.

Do you make or buy handmade gifts for Christmas? Do you like receiving them?

Update: The Soap Situation

Recently I happened to reread a post I wrote back in June, 2008 in which I talked about my struggle to abandon my use of shower gel and plastic shower poofs. Truthfully, I'd forgotten about this reluctance that I had once felt since I am now a die hard fan of the bar soap. That got me thinking I should write an update on where I stand with soap usage these days.

At that time I lived alone so having bar soap by the kitchen and bathroom sinks was fine, but my husband prefers liquid hand soap and frankly, it is easier and cleaner than having bars gumming up the joint. So we have glass dispensers that we refill from large jugs of liquid soap. We don't buy individual plastic single use bottles of soap, so at least we are on the better end of what is perhaps not the ideal choice.

In the shower, as I mentioned, I have long abandoned the shower gel and poof combo. I buy locally made soap at the farmers market. It is also one of my favorite souvenirs to buy when traveling, and my family does the same thing when they travel, bestowing me with much appreciated bars of soap upon their return.

I like supporting the local economy, especially since most soap makers are small, family-run businesses. I also like avoiding the use of extra plastic for the bottles to hold the liquid soap and the energy required to transport the plastic bottles. Not to mention the disposal of said bottles.

These are the bars of soap I have waiting to be used currently: one from the local farmers market, one purchased at the Golden Harvest Festival from a local crafter, one brought back from Montana by my parents, and one from sister's recent travels in France. I love the variety and uniqueness of each bar.

Maybe someday I'll learn how to make my own soap. Although that sounds like an awful lot of work...

Score!

One of the temps at my office is moving in with her boyfriend. In combining households she elected to put a handful of items up for sale on craigslist. I decided to buy the gliding rocking chair that had been her grandma's. I've coveted similar models at Target for years that cost about $140 (although that does include an ottoman). For $30 I got one that works perfectly and is quite comfortable. Plus, I helped out a friend and avoided buying new.

I enlisted my sister's help to pick up the chair. How I wish I had a hatchback like hers. You can fit just about anything in there! After we'd loaded the chair into the car, my friend encouraged us to climb to the attic and look over her free garage sale items. I loaded my arms with five throw pillows, a purse, a counter-top wine rack, and a three hook rail to hang by the door from the garage into the family room. I threw her another ten bucks out of guilt and made off like a bandit.

Now I just have to find a place for the chair...

Flex

Now that school is over (both for me! and for the institution I work for), I've adopted a flex schedule of four tens. I work Monday through Thursday and have Fridays off. I'm tired all the time and have no time to accomplish anything in the evenings, but I love having a long weekend every week. I really think Americans spend too much time working. We're missing out on life by spending our days parked behind a desk. I also save money on gas because I don't have to drive into the city on Fridays. That's about 30 miles round trip. I wish we could flex all year long. I am surprised at the number of people in my office that have no interest in flex time. Some of them live much closer to the office, so perhaps commute time and gas money have less of an impact on their decisions. Tomorrow on my flex day I plan to mow the lawn and maybe make a trip to Second Home Nature Center. Much better than working!

Fresh Eggs

I used to be able to buy farm fresh eggs about a mile from my house, but now there are no more chickens playing in the grass. The farm appears empty and abandoned. I haven't found a new local source of free-range eggs. During the summer months I buy free-range eggs at the farmer's market, but during the rest of the year I rely on my friend, Bird Watcher, at work to get me some from her friend who has a shop in a small town to the south. She sells local, organic, or healthy types foods at the store.

The egg transfer usually occurs at work, which often garners some attention since it is not usual to see a co-worker carrying a carton of eggs out the door at the end of the day. On Friday as I was exiting with the eggs, I was stopped by a pair of co-workers desirous of an explanation. When I gave them the details, the woman was clearly taken aback.

"How do you know they are fresh?" She asked with apparent concern.

I know they fresh because the farmer walks out and picks them up from under the hen just days before they arrive in my hands (and even sooner if there wasn't a middle (wo)man or two to get through). I have absolute confidence they are fresh. I know where they come from. Once when I got eggs from the farm down the road, the farmer didn't have any cartons already filled, so he dashed into the barn while I waited. Talk about fresh!

How does she know her store bought-eggs are fresh? Because they say so? OK, maybe I'm cynical, but that doesn't do it for me (nor does the whole poultry industry, but that's another subject altogether).

Hair Care

On Saturday morning I stopped at the local organic store and picked up a bar of Dr. Bronner's Lavender Organic Bar Soap. I'd read about the all-one bar soap that can be used for body and hair on various green blogs. My cheap and full-of-Bad Things shampoo and conditioner had been driving me batty lately, so I was ready to pursue other options. I decided to look into a vinegar hair rinse too in hopes that it would strip my hair of all the nastiness from the cheap-o crap I'd been using. I can report that both the soap and the vinegar rinse were a complete success. It was neat to use one bar of soap to wash, shave, and shampoo with. And I couldn't believe how great my hair felt after the vinegar rinse. I'll definitely be doing it again!

Salty

My homemade toothpaste is salty. Once I got used to that it was smooth sailing. The mixture I created is still powdery not pasty, but I just dip my wet toothbrush into the jar and it works fine. I only made a small amount as a test case, but I can see no reason not to continue using it. My teeth feel clean, and that's the point, right?

By the way, I'm storing the toothpowder in a canning jar that came with my house. I've never done any canning, but I love the jars. The only other thing I've used them for is as a vase for my pansies to take to the office. It certainly brought some cheer to my workspace.

Smart Shopping

Last weekend I carefully went nowhere on Saturday. Everywhere I thought of going would've cost me money. I was not so careful today. I made the normal trip to the farmer's market, but this evening I headed to JoAnn Fabric's. It might be almost 15 years since I've been in there. It was one of the first places I went after I got my driver's license. But I digress.

I went to JoAnn's to search for flannel in the remnants bin. I found a nice piece of bright red and picked up a bit of t-shirt-like cotton in black. I'd decided to sign up for Crunchy Chicken's Cloth Wipe Challenge and needed some material for the job. Following Crunchy's advice I used pinking shears to cut small squares of fabric. My new cloth wipes are in the laundry right now. I still need to work out the details of storage after usage. For those of you that are squirming in your seats as you read this, I'm only commiting to trying this for pee.

After JoAnn's I walked over to the new organic market where I found the peppermint oil I was hoping for so I can make Riana's homemade toothpaste. Now I just need to find a container to store the toothpaste in and I'll be ready to mix it up.

Then even though I was loathe to go there, I popped into Kmart to check for back-to-school clearance items. I like to use 3-ring binders to organize my unit plans for teaching, so I picked up 3 of those that were marked down.

So even though it was smart shopping, it was still spending money when I shouldn't be.

Bath and Body

I had a few inches cut off my hair, so I've been trying to skip the conditioner in the shower. I actually don't have any right now, and I'd been hoping to not buy more. I don't care for my shampoo at all though. My hair feels icky even right after a washing. I've been using the spray-in conditioner I bought last winter to help with static, but my hair still feels icky. I doubt it's the lack of conditioner, but I can't bring myself to not use all of this wretched shampoo. Maybe putting conditioner over top it would help?

I've switched to bar soap in the shower and at both the kitchen sink and bathroom sink. I feel like I'm going through bars of soap at an alarming rate though. I think I'll inform my family that homemade soap would make a fine stocking stuffer. Lots of it.

I also ran out of my full-of-Aluminum antiperspirant of late. I'd been thinking of trying the crystal after student teaching was over, so for now I picked up some deodorant from the organic section of the grocery store. No Aluminum or Other Bad Things. Also no sweat-stoppage. Fortunately, I'm not a terribly sweaty or smelly person. I figure if I made it through the 92 degree heat and high humidity on Friday and the hour of walking to and from class on Wednesday without any stink, I'm good-to-go.

Greening My Tea

I start every day with a cup of English breakfast tea with milk and sugar. I have for many years. If something prevents me from having my tea, I feel like my day has gotten off on the wrong foot. I've been using an organic English breakfast, but every tea bag comes in its own individual plastic envelope. I've used loose teas before but more as a novelty item than anything else. I have a little strainer-like contraption that rests on the top of the cup to steep the tea. While at the grocery store I found a (plastic) resealable package of loose English breakfast tea. I made it for the first time this morning. It has a slightly different taste, but I think I can get used to that. It was more expensive, but hopefully it will last longer. In addition to not having the individually wrapped bags, there isn't the wasted string and paper tab, or the cellophane that wrapped the entire box. Is using one bigger plastic bag better than using the paper, plastic, and string of my former tea? My choices were fairly limited. I bought the only loose English breakfast they had.

I know I should be using a local honey as a sweetener, but one step at a time.

Green Toothbrushes

I was well past needing a new toothbrush (I never replace them on the recommended every three month schedule) when I read on another blog about Preserve Toothbrushes. They are made from recycled plastic (including yogurt cups!) and after use can be returned to the company to be made into plastic lumber. How cool is that?!

So while my car was being inspected on Saturday, I walked over to Target. The toothbrush cost me $2.04 plus tax, which you can't beat. I've used it for a couple days now and can say that I absolutely like it. It has a nice small head and super soft bristles. I would definitely recommend it.

Going into Target for even my one small item was disturbing. All of the acres of unnecessary crap and pushy people. At the checkout aisles I was shoved aside by someone with a cart full of merchandise when all I was holding was one item. Had I known for sure I would like the toothbrushes I would've bought several to avoid having to return to that store in three months. I need another soapdish now that I'm switching to bar soap, but there was no way I was buying one there. If I can't find the one that is MIA in my own house, I'll pay a visit to the thrift store. I'm going to do my best to avoid buying new whenever possible.

In Search of Shorter Showers

The length of my showers has always bothered me (and probably my parents and sister and roommates and...). I have always taken really, really long showers, but I am never standing idly in the water. I am busy the entire time. Get in, get wet, shampoo, rinse, condition, shave, rinse, soap, rinse, wash face, rinse. Thus far I have been unsuccessful in reducing the time. So I'm throwing it out to you all. I would love to spend less time in the shower and use less water and electricity. Any suggestions, ideas, thoughts?

I've been alternating between a bar soap and bath wash with the poof. The bar soap is much quicker, but it leaves a weird sticky residue and makes my skin dry. I feel much cleaner with the poof. I don't know if all bar soaps would have the same effect, or if it's just mine (which is locally made and otherwise wonderful). I'd like to eliminate the purchasing of the body wash because of its plastic bottle.

I usually skip showering once a week. I don't think I smell, but I end up feeling pretty scuzzy by the end of the day. I know I'd get used to it if I did it regularly, but in the summer I'd still have to shave daily. (Curse the genetics that blessed me with fast-growing hair.)

So what's your secret to shorter showers?

Walkability

Melissa from Better Living posted the link for a site that helps calculate how walkable your neighborhood is, Walk Score. You simply enter your address and it does the rest for you. My neighborhood registered at a 31 out of 100.

"25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must."

What's a little odd to me is that there are drugstores, grocery stores, restaurants, banks, etc within walking distance. There are not schools or libraries terribly close though. I am embarrassed to admit that I've never walked to any of the localations near me. When I walk in my neighborhood it's with the dogs, not to an outside destination.

Perhaps Walk Score will help to encourage me (and others?) to take advantage of the walkability of where we live.

Better Living

While reading a newly discovered blog, Better Living, I was inspired by Melissa's list of positive things she does towards what she describes as "better living." I came up with a list of my own, which will hopefully be evolving and growing.

Some positive things I do now:

• buy used textbooks
• use reusable cloth menstrual pads
• use sea sponge tampons
• compost
• use reusable cloth grocery bags
• mow the lawn as rarely as possible
• run only full loads of laundry and dishes
• wash clothes mostly on cold
• reuse towels multiple times
  
• wear some clothes multiple times before washing
  
• buy some food stuff from farmer's market (locally grown/made)
• buy organic when possible
• have no AC in the house
• keep thermostat as low as possible in wintertime
• have solar panels to assist in heating during cold months
• limit unnecessary driving
• walk locally (in neighborhood) almost exclusively to eliminate the drive to more interesting places
• think before making purchases- do I really need "x" item?
• belong to Freecycle
• donate old clothes/household items to Salvation Army
• eat little meat (no red meat at all)
• use compact fluorescent bulbs
• drink tap water
• use reusable metal water bottle
• recycle paper, plastic, metal, glass
• attempt to grow my own tomatoes
• use reusable cloth napkins
• not use any chemicals on my lawn or garden
• read "green" blogs for additional ideas to incorporate into my lifestyle
  

Some long-term changes/goals:

• buy reusable produce bags
• reduce or eliminate paper towel usage
• reduce kleenex usage (really?)
  
• learn to sew
• learn to cook
• learn to make more of what I need
• take shorter/fewer showers
• use more natural cleaning products like vinegar
• work closer to home
• own a more fuel efficient car
• buy used books (recreational books)
• buy energy efficient appliances when old ones need replacing
• grow more edibles
• avoid big box stores
  

Composting

I've started composting in a rather haphazard fashion. I have a tiny little compost pile tucked between the currant bushes and the golden rod in the back "wild" corner of my yard. I'm less interested in producing rich soil and more interested in decreasing my trash production. So far it's been mostly strawberry hulls, egg shells, tea bags, and some grass clippings (not from the lawn mower- those get mulched into the lawn- these are from some trimming I did by hand).

I like to visit Compost This to check on various things. They advise smashing the egg shells into little bits because they compost so slowly. Oops. Maybe I should jump up and down on my little pile to crush the ones I've already put out there? I try not to waste food, but there is invariably a few things that still must go in the trash. According to Compost This, the heels of my bread should not go in the compost pile, nor should the bit of uneaten pasta not worth saving. Although maybe the squirrels would like to snack on the bread, and would that really be a bad thing?

Soaping Up

Momma Val asked for an update on the soapnut experiment. You'll remember that SmellyAnn sent me some LaundryTree soapnuts a while back. They come with a little cloth bag that you put the soapnuts in and close with a drawstring. I've used them three times and have had no problems with the bag opening. They leave a faint fresh scent and no residue (or nut chunks). My only issue with them is actually an issue with myself. I tend to do almost all of my laundry in cold water, but soapnuts only work in warm (or hot) water. If you want to use cold water, you need to boil them in water first and essentially make your own detergent. Considering I can't be bothered to cook myself dinner, I don't see myself cooking my own laundry detergent. So if you do most of your laundry on warm, these may be the thing for you.

Recently I read about switching to bar soap on Going Green. I'd never thought of the environmental impact of using hand soap before, so this was an enlightening post for me. I do buy liquid soap in big refill bottles, which is better than if I'd been buying dispensers each time. But it's been bugging me ever since I read BurbanMom's post. So yesterday at the farmer's market, I picked up a bar of locally made gardener's soap. It has little bits of cornmeal in it to act as a scrubbing agent. I put it next to my kitchen sink, and now I'm hooked. My hands feel so clean! I'll definitely be getting a bar for the bathroom too.

The real challenge will be in the shower. I am a shower gel user. I've been using those (plastic) shower poofs for 15 years and I love them. My pores have a tendency to clog easily, and the poofs are very effective at removing dead skin. But the poofs have a fairly short shelf life and need regular replacement. When my last poof was on its last legs, I replaced it with a cloth version. The cotton poof doesn't work in the same way. It takes longer to maneuver, but it exfoliates just as well (or better). I just don't think using a bar of soap would have the same exfoliating effect, and that's not something I'm willing to sacrifice.

Soapnuts

Yesterday's mail brought a nice little treat. Laundrytree's soapnuts sent to me by Smellyann. I haven't tried them yet because I only do one load a week of my clothes (the dog's get their own load). I can't wait to try them, but I wonder if I can still do the vinegar? I love the idea of not producing any waste and being able to compost the nuts after using them. So stayed tuned, and I'll let y'all know how I like them.

Thanks Smellyann!!!

Other Forms of Recycling

Esme has been regressing. When I first got her she did not mess in her crate at all. But now she will pee even if she's only in there for 4 hours. As a result I have to change her towel/blanket twice a day. I don't like running the washing machine unless I have a full load, so I decided what I need is more doggie bedding. I posted a sign in the kitchen at work inviting people to bring me their old towels or baby blankets. I would like to avoid having to buy new items for this purpose.

The next day I found a plastic bag in my mailbox when I came in. I assumed it was for the doggies until I opened it up and found 3 articles of clothing and a note from my boss asking if I liked them. Her sister is as big a shopper as she is but had decided these items weren't practical for the Texas clime. Since they didn't work for my boss she brought them in for me to try. One is a lovely, soft, brown shawl-type sweater that I adore. I haven't tried the others on yet because I am so enamoured with this one.

No one has brought me any doggie bedding yet though. Perhaps they are reluctant to air their "dirty laundry" in front of a co-worker?