Recycle your Brita filter!

I did not you could recycle your Brita water filter. Unfortunately there is not a place by me that accepts them, but I will hold on to them until I have enough to mail in.

http://www.brita.com/us/support/filter-recycling/

From the garden

Here is the garden Memorial Day weekend.

About a week later I noticed some of my plants were being eaten by Cucumber Beetles.

I used 3 different methods to get rid of them. Because there were so many of them the first method was to use a homemade organic soap insecticide spray (recipe is at the bottom of the post), the second was to plant onions around the plants affected by the beetles. And third to just pick them off as I found them.

And some pics from over the past few weeks.

Cucumbers & Radishes

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Corn & Broccoli

Peppers

Zucchini


Fresh picked!

We have picked so much so far, seems like everyday we eat something out of the garden!

In this house (and yard) you can NOT eat a carrot (or apple) without sharing with the dog.

The newest addition to the garden (actually just outside of it), an underground bees nest!

Because I am allergic to bees we will be searching for a beekeeper to come collect them. I am hoping to find one at our local farmers' market this weekend. If not, the search will continue. Because of the reduction in bee populations we do not wanna see the bees harmed in any way.

Soap Insecticide

1 Gallon of water

1-2 Tablespoons Liquid Castile Soap

1 Dropper of Garlic Oil

When using the Soap Insecticide use it later in the day, after the 'good bugs' have gone away. Make sure to spry under the leaves as well as the tops. Wait about an hour and rinse off your plants! If left on too long plants may be burnt. Use once a week until there are no more signs if infestation.

Dish Detergent

For a few years now I have been looking for and trying to find a automatic homemade dishwasher detergent, that I really like. Today I was visiting Green Living Tips and found this one. It's worth a shot! And I already have all of the ingredients in my kitchen! It can be used for both hand washing the dishes and in your automatic dishwasher!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:
stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

I'll comment later with my thoughts.

Rain and Composting Barrels

I recently made a rain barrel and a compost barrel for my yard, both things I have been wanting for a few years now. Mission (finally) accomplished!

I bought my (food quality) barrels off Craigslist for $10 a piece. The seller was nice enough to bring them to work with him for me to pick up. He works about 5 miles from my house, but lives more than a 1/2 hour away. I ended up buying a total of 3 barrels from him, 2 plastic and 1 steel (for my hubby).

I was pretty impressed with my loading of the barrels into my van.

My Lil helpers.

The Compost Barrel

55 gallon food grade drum barrel
drill

jig saw

1/16 inch drill bit
3/4 inch drill bit

2 inch drill bit

2 hinges with nuts and bolts

latch

2 inch pipe (longer than your barrel is tall)

1 piece of re bar longer than the diameter of your barrel

4 sets of nuts and washers that fit the re bar

2-3/4 inch brass grommets

2-2 inch brass grommets

Something to keep the latch shut.

Permanent marker

Use the maker to make an outline for the door of your barrel.

Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to make a hole to insert the jigsaw blade and cut out your door.

Mark and drill the holes for your latch and hinges, using the 1/16 inch drill bit.

Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to drill holes in your barrel for aeration.

Attach your hinges and latch.

Reinforce 2 of the holes at one end of the barrel with the 3/4 inch brass grommets. Place the re bar trough the grommets with the nuts and washers to hold it in place. This will function as your handle to turn the barrel.

Use the 2 inch drill bit to drill 1 hole at either end of your barrel, reinforce with the 2 inch brass grommets and place the 2 inch diameter pipe trough the 2 inch brass grommets.

Place on stand.

I reused many items we had in the garage that were here when we moved in. The stand I got from my dad. It used to be his rain barrel stand and we had to alter it to make it work for us.

The Rain Barrel

Materials needed:

55 gallon food grade drum barrel

Drill

Jig saw

3/4 inch drill bit

3/4 inch spigot, male

3/4 inch pipe coupling, female

2-rubber washers with inner diameter of 1 inch

Window screen
Silicone

screws
Permanent marker

You have to forgive me for not having picture of the steps I took to make my rain barrel. I was so into making it, I forgot to take the picures. Sorry.

Just like on the compost barrel, make an outline on the top of the barrel. Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to make a hole to insert the jigsaw blade and cut out a hole in the top.

Use your arm to measure where to put you spigot, by putting you arm into the hole you cut our of the top of the barrel and reach as far as you can. Use the marker to mark this spot. Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to drill a hole in this spot. Insert the 3/4 inch pipe coupling, put silicone around the coupling and place a rubber washer on ether side of it. Attach spigot. Use the screws to keep the screen secure.

We do not have gutters on our house or garage, so here is my collection system. I have collected several buckets and line them up under the eaves to collect the rain water. I Put the lids on so I don't lose the water, put buckets into the wagon, pull them to the barrel and dump them in.

Greening my thumb

I have been busy working in they yard! I planted my entire vegetable garden, put up a fence, planted herbs and flowers around the fences, planted 2 trees, 4 lilacs, planted and transplanted flowers (making 2 new beds), built a rain barrel and a compost barrel and still could find 8 hours of work to do while out in the yard (if only I had that kinda time everyday). I did all of this while fighting the itchiness of, duh duh duh, poison ivy! Which I also am trying to get out of the yard.

I sprayed our entire fence line with a double mixture of:

1 gallon white distilled vinegar

1 cup salt

a few drops of detergent (any kind of detergent will work)

Put the salt and vinegar in a pot and bring it to a boil until salt dissolves. Let cool add to spray container and add a few drops of detergent. You must spray as much on to the ivy as possible. This solution will not only kill the poison ivy, but also any other vegetation it gets in, including your grass.

Because of the spraying, I have taken some clippings of raspberry vines and am trying to get some roots started so I can plant them in a poison ivy free line of the fence. I was even able to pull a few young vines, roots and all and move them. Now I just hope they take and we get some raspberries. YUM!

Here are some pics of what I have been working on.

Gladiolas and Irish Moss under the kitchen window.

Garden after planting.

2 days later, with a fence! Some little critter entered and ate my broccoli! I saw yesterday it is not lost, they have new growth on them.

I used mostly reused materials to build my fencing, buying just new fence. I got the wood from my neighbor who's work gave it away 2 years ago and has just been sitting in his garage. The supports and re-bar were sitting in a pile behind our garage used for the past owners garden.

My Recycled Garden

This is the story of the garden, which sits right outside the bathroom window.

About 3 years ago, we were having some toilet issues and hired a plumber who told us the problem was the toilet, it was too old. We replaced the toilet and continued to have problems, which we did get fixed. In the meantime we had this old toilet that we had no idea what to do with, so we put it outside the bathroom window and used it at a planter.

Last year we removed a couple of dog kennels and sold the fencing. Under the kennels were rocks that had been cemented in. I removed them and used them as a border for my gardens.

2 years ago my dad give us a gazing ball for our anniversary, but I didn't have a stand so it sat in my garage.

This year we had to remove an ornamental grass that became diseased so not sure if planting something there would become diseased too I took the bowl off my bird bath (which was found in the garage when we moved in) and placed it over the hole and put the gazing ball in the bird bath stand.

I recently planed a geranium in the toilet and looking at my aqua globe in my living room plant thought there has got to be something I can use in my garden to self water my plants. I came up with using an empty wine bottle filled with rain water.

Just what the back yard needed!

We've got a picnic area, play area, compost pit, clothes line, herb and flower gardens and a fire pit and now the beginnings of a vegetable garden.

Yes, I am starting a vegetable garden! We never had the space until we moved here, a little over 5 years ago. Shortly after moving I got pregnant and have had babies to tend to. Tending to babies left me no time for a garden, although I did plant some pumpkins last year. We got one perfect little pumpkin. This summer the girls are 2 1/2 and 4, still pretty young, but old enough to help mom in the yard.

On Sunday I tilled a 25 x 18 foot section of the very back part of our yard. Yesterday the girls and I worked a bit on working the soil and removing some of the bigger chunks of sod. I'll work it a bit more today and hopefully later in the week will begin planting some of my seedlings.

I will be attempting an organic garden. I am still exploring my options on how to go about this. I figure I will most likely use my compost and some manure/compost from the horse stable down the road for fertilizer. For pest control I am thinking of planting a marigold and herb border around the garden, as suggested by my sister, as well as the use of essential oils.

Work in progress.

The back yard from closer to the house.

My thumb is only a pail green, so if anyone has any suggestions for me feel free to offer them in a comment.

Worm Farm

Last week wile working in the yard, the girls were digging up worms so we decided to make a worm farm.

Materials used:
1 clear empty 2 liter bottle-rinsed well.
Soil
Sand
Compost, grass clippings, leaves etc.
A little bit of water. We used rain water.
8-12 earth worms

Step one:

Carefully cut the top of the bottle, poke a few holes in to the top portion of the bottle to allow air in and remove label.



Step 2:

Add about 2 inches of soil to the bottom of the bottle.



Step 3:

Add about 2 inches of sand on top of the soil.



Step 4:

Top with compost.



Step 5:

Sprinkle with a little water, to moisten the contents of the bottle.



Step 6:

Cover and place the farm in a dark area over night.

Step 7:

Add worms and place back into the dark area.



The next day have a look at your farm and see if you can see the tunnels.



Go head and keep it for a few day, observing you worms, then release them and recycle your bottle. We added ours to the compost.

Once we released our worms we could really see the tunnels they made.



This is something we will definitely do again! Next time I think we will use a second container to use as a filler so the worms have to stay toward the outside of the bottle so that we can see the tunnels better.


Happy Farming!

Green Cleaning

Basic Ingredients: And there uses

Baking soda:Cleans, deodorizes, increased the cleaning power of soap, gentle scouring powder, extinguish fires, stain remover

Borax: Detergent booster, softens water, cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, preserve flowers

Castile Soap (or other vegetable base soap): Laundry, general cleaning, pet shampoo, degreaser

Distilled or Purified Water: Use instead if tap water when making your cleaning products to prevent hard water marks

Distilled White Vinegar*: Cuts grease, disinfects, deodorizes, fabric softener, kills mold, stain remover, oder neutralizer, pest control
*Never use white distilled vinegar on marble. The acid can damage the surface.

Essential oils: Are optional and use sparingly, fragrant, antiseptic, disinfectant, repels bugs, stain remover

Lemons: Cleans, deodorizes, bleaches

Olive Oil: Wood polish/cleaner, metal polish, lubricant, shoe polish

Salt: Non scratching abrasive, artificial flowers, oven/stove top spills, clean medals, poison ivy, stain remover

Recipes:

All Purpose Cleaner

1-16 oz spray bottle

1 tsp. Borax

2 Tbsp. White Vinegar

1/4 cup Castile Soap (or other vegetable base soap)

1 1/2 cups hot Distilled or Purified Water

optional: 20-30 drops of essential oil (tea tree makes this an disinfectant)

Add to bottle in this order!

Hot water, borax, cap and shake until borax is dissolved. Add vinegar, shake again. Add soap and oil and shake. Shake before use.

I use this cleaner in my bathroom. Instead of tea tree oil I use: 5 drops bergamot, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops cinnamon, 10 drops lemon and 10 drops citronella

Scouring Powder:

1 cup each in an old jar (I use a Parmesan container)

Baking soda, Borax and salt.

Mix together add to jar.

You can also sent this with your choice of 10-20 drops of essential oil. I like to mix mine up a bit. Right now it smells of lemon. If you chose to add oils let set for 24 hours to let the oils be absorbed. Cover tight when not in use.

Window Cleaner:
Equal part Vinegar and Water
This also be used after using scouring powder to get rid of white residue.

Furniture Dusting Spray:

1-16 oz spray bottle

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

20 drops Lemon or Orange essential oil

1/4 cup Vinegar

Distilled or Purified Water

Lint free cloth (I use an old cotton diaper).

Add olive oil to bottle then essential oil and vinegar. Fill the bottle with water and shake well, spray on to cloth and dust away.

Shake well before every use.

Clothing Stain Remover:

4 Tbsp. Baking Soda or Salt

1/4 cup warm Distilled or Purified Water

Eucalyptus Oil

Make a paste with the baking soda or salt and warm water. Rub the paste on the stain and let set for 1 hour, then wash as usual.

The eucalyptus oil works well on old stains. Put a few drops on a cotton ball, let dry and wash.

Powder laundry soap:

2 cups Borax 20 Team Mule

2 cups wash soda

1/3 bar grated Ivory soap.

Store in a plastic container (big butter dishes work well)

Use 2 table spoons for a full load, less for smaller loads.

I find if I dilute this in hot water before adding it to the washer it helps the granules dissolve.

Liquid Laundry Soap:

1 gallon container

1/2 cup Soap Flakes

1/4 cup Borax

1/4 cup Wash Soda

Distilled or Purified Water

Add soap flakes to a pot over medium heat with water. Heat until the soap flakes melt. Add the wash soda and borax and heat until dissolved. Add 2 cups of hot water to container, then the soap mixture and shake well. Fill the container the rest of the way with cold water, shake well and let set for 24 hours. Shake well before use. Use 1/2 per full load.

Fabric softener:

1 cup baking soda

6 cups white distilled vinegar

8 cups water

15-20 drops essential oil to sent (optional)

Put the cup of baking soda in a 1 gallon container (I suggest something with a twist on lid, like an old milk jug), add 1 cup of water. With the container IN the sink very slowly add the vinegar (this will cause a reaction with the soda). Add the rest of the water and essential oil. Shake well add 1/2-1 cup during the final rinse.

Freshening Spray:

16 oz Spray Bottle

16oz Distilled or Purified Water

3/4 Tbs Essential Oil (lavender works well)

2 Tbsp Vodka

Mix all ingredients in bottle and use for:

Air Freshener, Linen Spray, Carpet Spray, Curtain Spray, Clothes Freshener and General Cleaning.

Dust Mites:

8 oz bottle

20-30 drops of Eucalyptus or Thieves Blend Essential Oil

8oz 90 Proof Grain Vodka

Mix all ingredients in spray bottle and spray your pillows, bedding and upholstery a couple times per week. Use on carpets as you vacuum, spraying as you go and allowing the spray to set for a second or two before vacuuming.

Produce Cleaner:

Spray 1:
8 oz bottle

1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Baking Soda

1 cup Distilled or Purified Water

Mix all ingredients in spray bottle and shake well. Spray on produce and let set for 2-5 minutes, rinse in warm water and dry.

Spray 2:

16 oz Spray Bottle

1 Tbsp Baking soda

1 Cup Distilled or Purified Water

1 Cup Vinegar

20 Drops Grapefruit Seed Extract

Add the baking soda to the spray bottle, followed by the water and shake well. Slowly add the vinegar (over the sink, will react with the baking soda) and shake. Then add the grapefruit seed extract and shake well. Spray on produce and let set for 2-5 minutes, rinse with warm water and dry. Shake well before each use.

Soak:

Large Bowl (mixing bowl works well)

1/4 Cup Vinegar

2 Tbsp Salt

Fill the bowl with cold water, add salt and vinegar. Soak produce for 15 minutes, rinse and dry.

Clean Artificial flowers:

Paper Bag

Salt

Put your artificial flower in a paper bag, add salt and shake vigurously. Remove from the bag and shake off the salt.

Note: I get some of my recipes from Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan and from Green Clean by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin. Others have been handed down to me by various sources.

Keep looking, I will be adding more recipes soon!

Where can I recycle this? (Where to recycle in Kent County)

The other day we tried to fire up our mower, with no luck. So my husband and I gave it a jump and got it going. Of course once it was shut off it would not restart. My husband removed the battery and took it down to Home Depot to get a new one and hoped to turn in the old one for recycling. Home Depot does not recycle old batteries! So home he came with both the old and the new and the question of what do we do with the old one.

Today the girls and I were at the library and I came across Kent County's 2009 Household Waste & Recycling Guide. Inside it as well as on their website, are drop off locations to recycle just about everything.

Here is a small list:
Motor Oil
Batteries-Auto and household
Antifreeze
Tires
Appliances
Building Materials
Household (Garage) Hazardous Waste
Yard Waste
Fire Extinguishers
Propane Tanks
Latex Paint
Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Medical Wast & Pharmaceuticals
Electronics, TVs & Computers
Styrofoam
Telephone Books
Tennis hoes
Smoke Detectors

You can find the entire list one Kent County's Website at www.accesskent.com/waste

Happy recycling and Happy Earth Day!

Weekend finds

This past Saturday, Grand Rapids held all kinds of events to kick off the week for Earth Day. Having young kids we could not hit them all, but did make it to 2.

First stop, the Farmer's and Artist Market at the Grand Rapids Public Library. This is something that is usually held at the the Fulton Street Farmers Marker during the regular season which starts next month. We had a good time and found some great finds!

We came home with all kinds of homemade soaps, some geraniums, a spider plant and 2 reused fabric accessories.

The first is a small wallet made from and expired fabric sample book.

Made by Stuff & Nonsense

I had my purse stolen out of my van (in my own driveway) a few weeks ago. In it I had 2 wallets. One with all your regular wallet stuff: ID, bank card, credit card and money. The other held punch card and business cards. This reused wallet is perfect for my punch cards and business cards.

The second is a clutch made of an old sweat shirt and has the characters of one of our favorite books one it! (A great find made by my dear husband)

Made by Sally Ann

She reused the front and back of the sweatshirt as well as a zipper from another piece of clothing. So far it has come in really hand bringing books back and forth from the library.

Next stop, the zoo, for Party for the Planet! Oh how my girls love the zoo! They had over 30 West Michigan organizations there with seedling give-aways, games, entertainment, science experiments, recycling, conservation tips, and of course the animals! They even had a designated area in the parking lot where you could your old electronics and clothes to be recycled. Unfortunately we forgot our recyclables, but will be making drop offs soon.

We did come home with lots of information, which after I have had a chance to read and research I will share. We also came home with 2 fur seedling, some flower seeds the girls planed and a bird house kit that we are going to build and hang this weekend.