Every Shade of Green

How I helped pass the Green Jobs Act

2009-02-24T06:32:00.004-06:00

In September 2008 thousands across the country rallied to encourage our government to fund the development of Green Jobs. I joined a group from the Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church in Hartland. And now, 5 months later, we have it!!!!

Well, not so fast. I am not so naive to think that our collection of posters and petitions and others like it really made the difference. A few other events have happened in the meantime including a major changing of the guard in our presidency and adminstration and a global economic collapse. Everything came together at the same time to make this commitment finally a priority.

But I am also not jaded enough to think that our voices did not matter at all. Clearly grassroots action can have a huge effect as we experienced with the election of president Obama. But I don't think it is really the signatures on the piece of paper that do the job. I believe that what happens is a shift in collective conscientiousness. People start talking to their neighbors and friends, articles are written, people talk more, movies are made, people talk more, marketing departments catch on, and people talk more. Little by little attitudes shift so that what was once a radical idea becomes the norm. Think about compact flourescent light bulbs-once expensive, weird looking and possibly dangerous now is sold at Walmart, comes in a range of options and it's predecessor is considered practically sinful. When Green became trendy, things started to change and laws could be passed. Trends and culture norms are not legislated, they grow from person to person. Go to www.greenforall.org for more info.

Keep talking...Be a trend-setter!

2009-02-18T16:37:00.004-06:00

When I was invited to join a Natural Step study circle to explore sustainability in my own community, I should have been thrilled. My usual reaction would have been to dive right in to a good idea, completely oblivious of the potential sharks in the water until it was too late.

Instead I reacted with skepticism. I wondered what the point would be-a bunch of my Greenie friends sitting around talking about stuff we already try to do and how we can't change those who won't listen. I wondered why we should even try in an area of Wisconsin filled with oversized SUV-driving, McMansion-living, global warming-denying people who mostly transplanted here from other states (I know, that isn't really fair!). I wondered what a handful of citizens could do; afterall we weren't on the village board or business owners or even people of influence in our small town.

I carried around this bad attitude for a few days wondering if maybe I had lost my "youthful optimism". Then I opened the Lake Country Reporter and read "The Old Rail Fence" column by Pam Weinhammer that features stories of local history. This one was about Stephen and Mary Warren, the first European settlers in the Hartland area. I found myself drawn into their story as I read about the locations where he built his first cabin, where the Native American trails passed through and the world of 1938. I realized that during his lifetime here, our farmhouse was built and he may have known the people who built it or even been invited for dinner.

I realized that I was reading the story of the Warren's with as much interest and intrigue as I would my own family tree. As I read the article to my kids I noticed the language that I was using. I told them that his land claims were by OUR church and OUR library and how the Indian trail followed along OUR bike trail. This story of the Warrens' was more than just the story of Hartland, it was also part of MY story because Hartland was now part of my family's story. Even though we've only lived here for 8 years, it was now our home and would always be my children's hometown.

Just like that my skepticism vanished. If Hartland was MY town and it's history part of MY heritage, I had just as much claim to it's future as those that were born here and those on the village board. I was surprised at how much I cared about what happens here. The first meeting of the Natural Step was a few days away. I shrugged my shoulders at my renewed optimism, put my arms over my head and dove right in.

Sustain What?

2009-02-15T21:42:00.004-06:00

This past week during our Natural Step discussion we talked about the definition of "sustainability". Ideas included such things as thinking 7 generations ahead, not taking out more of the earth than you put back in, and the concept of balance. As I played with this word in my head this week, I also started to think of the core word "sustain" which can mean "to keep in existence or maintain". It begs the question, "maintain what?" What do we want to keep in existence in Hartland? What is important to us here to preserve?

I didn't grow up in Hartland. Of all the communities in the greater Milwaukee area, my husband and I chose to live here. What is it about Hartland that we were drawn to 8 years ago and have grown to love since? What aspects that pertain to the environment do we care enough about to work toward preserving? Since this is our children's hometown, what do we want to ensure is kept around or even better for them as they grow up.

Here is my list. I'd love to hear what others in our area would add or what you care about in your community.

1. Walkability-schools, businesses, restaurants all within walking distance for those in village. There are days where I can choose to be car-free.

2. Downtown with lots to offer and even more potential. We can choose to support local, family-run businesses and can avoid the strip malls and franchises for many of our needs. Preserving and renovating historic buildings and the downtown is a push for the village right now.

4. Nice park system connected by trails. The fountain at Nixon park with the river made an impression on me when we were house-shopping. I'd like to see more connection between our trails, but we have a nice start.

5. Ice Age Trail, protected marsh area, Bark River. Lots of natural beauty to keep and expand on.

6. The lots in downtown are deep with nice mature trees. I know you could argue that it might be bettter to have humans live on less land (less development) but I also think that if we are good stewards of the land we own that a good amount of green space per human is ideal for our spiritual wellbeing, air quality, water quality etc. Let's preserve the undeveloped woods in Hartland to keep it this way!

7. Possibility of light rail in the future. This is getting discussed again and we would be on the route. How great would that be to go to the Madison farmer's market by train or even commute into Milwaukee for work? If gas prices stay high, being on a train route will make living in our community desirable (with corresponding rise in home values).

8. Yard waste recycling program. How fun is it that you can still get something for nothing?-free compost, free wood chips!

9. Efforts to naturalize the Bark River. I'd love to find out who did this initial effort and how we can continue it.

10. Businesses with sustainability or preventative focus: Hartland Market, Trails to Bridges, Accupuncture/David Bock, chiropracters, LifeWays Childcare, Health and Happiness.

12. lots of good community activities and spirit. This is more than a bedroom community for Milwaukee workers. People care about this community and are likely to want to come together to keep it nice. Can we have the same degree of impact that Positively Pewaukee did as a citizen group?

13. Options for natural, organic and local foods such as Hartland Market, Health and Happiness, community sponsored agriculture (CSA) pick ups and a small Farmer's Market (with bigger ones not too far away).

14. Options for resuse: Desinger Consigner, Lake Country Caring, Waukesha County Freecycle, US drop box (by Health and Happiness).

15. Green movements in area churches (Lake Country Unitarian Universalist and Church of the Resurrection)

16. Environmental club at Arrowhead and past efforts to compost at Hartland North Elementary School. Kids care about the environment-we should follow their lead!

Organic Gardening talks

2009-02-13T16:34:00.004-06:00

So many exciting things to share today! Is there no better way to get through the month of February but to think of gardening, seeds and spring? Even more exciting is that organic gardening is becoming mainstream!

Garden Gate Nursery in Hartland will be hosting a series of presentations on organic gardening. on Tuesday The first will feature Bob Boomsma from Olds Seed Company in Madison who will present on "Organic Seeds". Here is a description of his talk:

"What makes seed organic? That means they don't have chemicals on them, right? Do they grow better? Are they harder to grow? ... Environmentally conscious gardeners recognize that organic practices are as good for the earth on faraway farm fields where seeds are produced, as they are in their home gardens."

The upcoming talks are:

Pesticides and Herbicides
Soil Ammendments and Compost
Landscape Workshop | low maintenance plant material
Landscape Workshop | native plants vs invasive plants

It looks like pre-registration is required. For more info: http://gardengatenursery.com/shop/

Water-Wise 2009

2009-02-13T16:19:00.003-06:00

Just a quick FYI on an educational opportunity here in Waukesha County for those interested in water issues in our area.

Waukesha County Environmental League (WEAL) and Waukesha Co Water Conservation Coalition will be hosting Water-Wise 2009: Conservation in Action on Sat March 7, 2009 at Carroll University. The Keynote is Kevin Shafer who will present "Watershed Sustainability: Collaboration is the Key to Success". Other topics include:

-How I conserved water, saved money and had fun
-Winners of the Waukesha Water Conservation Challenge
-What's a Water Star Community?
-Beyond rainbarrels

and more. Cost is $18. For more info or to register, go to http://www.townandcountrycd.org or call 262-547-7891

Taking the Natural Step

2009-02-13T06:07:00.002-06:00

Last night 12 Hartland residents gathered at Bin 111 in downtown Hartland to begin a 6 week study circle of The Natural Step process. We sipped Merlot and discussed our ideas of the definition of sustainability and shared frustations and visions we have for our small village.

The Natural Step (http://www.naturalstep.org/) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainability in municipalities, businesses and communities. The concept began in Sweden in the 1980's where there are now numerous sustainable communities and businesses (i.e. IKEA) who have adopted the principles. The movement has since spread around the world and to the United States. Wisconsin has a growing network of communities who are at varying points along the journey. Local resident, David DeCourcy-Bauer participated in the Oconomowoc study circle and is leading the effort here in Hartland.

I love the Natural Step concept as it demonstrates that growth, progress and economic success are not necessarily in conflict with environmental stewardship. In fact, the movement began in a small Swedish town during a time of recession and job loss. We can have communities and businesses and families that are all of these things.

This small citizen initiative has inspired me to start blogging here again. I hope to share some of my reflections and ideas here is hopes that this will be one of many "conversations" we have about sustainability in Hartland and all of our communities.

I will leave you with an inspiring quote from the Natural Step website

"The size of the problem equals the size of the opportunity"

Christmas credits

2008-12-19T21:20:00.002-06:00

I quit. The hundred dollar holiday simply can't be done-at least not by me if I remain part of any aspect of mainstream life this time of year. I couldn't even pull off the $800 holiday. We tried to cut back and just when I think we're doing ok, I remember I haven't bought for the teachers or even my husband! It isn't even the gifts, it is also the white shirts and black pants my kids needed for their holiday concerts, the cookies that I said I'd bring to church, the pointesetia fundraiser, the nights out with friends who are in town just this week. I am not sure which of those things I could have, or would have wanted to, cut out.

So this is my new thought. Maybe we can go overboard at Christmas-buy things just for fun, eat too much, drink too much, light too many lights, travel great distances and on and on. The wimsicle gift that gets a laugh is more memorable than the "needed" gift on someones list. Is it ok to be wasteful once in awhile if it is more personal and meaningful?

What if we could only do this though if we offset our consumption with giving. I try to have my kids pack up a "give away" box of toys they've outgrown each year (before the landslide of new ones comes in). Maybe I could do the same-whatever I spend, I have to donate to a charity. If I have a $100 holiday, I donate $100. If I choose to spend $1000-well I have to donate that much as well. It certainly would be more in the spirit of the holiday and might even make me think twice about each purchase. Maybe I could even start small-donate a percentage and then see if I can raise the ratio of donating/purchasing each year.

Nature's Decoration

2008-11-24T10:41:00.002-06:00

Every year I've purchased a boy scout wreath from my friend's son. Since he is no longer in scouting, I thought this would be a good year to challenge myself to come up with something festive for free. Last weekend when we were doing our fall yard clean up, I collected these cuttings for a back-porch holiday decoration. I am not too talented when it comes to floral arrangements, but I thought this was at least as good as a boy scout wreath. $30 saved.

What to do on Buy Nothing Day Nov 28th

2008-11-24T10:27:00.002-06:00

This Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Why not celebrate our commitment against excess consumption by joining in on Buy Nothing Day. For more info go to the New American Dream at www.newdream.org

This is what my 5 year old I did today instead of shopping. Next she wants to have a party for her doll (If she can get me off the computer). That sure beats at day at the mall.

gifts for kids to make and give

2008-11-23T15:56:00.002-06:00

Tina's comment on the advent calendar reminded me that I need to think of an idea for my kids to make for gifts this year. I too and thrilled that my children love to make and give gifts. However, a few years back it got out of hand, with each child wanting to make a multitude of gifts for every family member (all starting in December!). An easier solution has been for us to make a family gift, from all of us to each of the households in our family. If the kids come up with extra ideas and we have the time, that is fine too. I like to think of ideas that are somewhat simple for all ages to participate in making and useful (not just something that gets set out and then tossed). Here is a list of what we have done in the past:

homemade rootbeer (made last Solstice eve: very fun and yummy!)

pinecone firestarters (dipped in wax and salt)

rolled beeswax candles

bookmarks (ribbon with beads and charms)

notepads (you can have a printer make one with your kids' small drawing for really cheap)

hot cocoa mix

lavender sachets

suet bird feeder squares

notecards from photos from our garden etc

bedroom door notepad/message boards for all the cousins

ornaments

Now I am in need of a new idea! I could go back and repeat, but it is more fun to try new stuff.I just started a subscription to Living Crafts magazine http://www.livingcrafts.com/and I am thinking of making beaded prayer bowls. Any ideas from all of you?

Advent Idea

2008-11-22T17:47:00.004-06:00

Tonight I will snuggle in front of a movie and cut out pictures from last year's Holiday cards for my kids' Advent Calender. I loved opening those little windows as a child! I used to buy the calenders for my kids but the cost added up quickly when we had three children and then it bothered me that we'd just throw them away at the end of the month. I tried reusing them the next year, but it just isn't the same when the seal on those windows are already cracked and you know what is inside. So a few years back I cam up with an idea that I'd give my kids something fun to look forward to each day-an activity rather than a picture or piece of candy.

This is how it works: I cut out a holiday picture and then write on the back something special for one or all of the children for that day. I fold and tape the cards and string them along a ribbon with numbers for each day until the Winter Solistice. Sometimes it is things that we are already doing anyway such as a holiday concert or breakfast with Santa. Other times it is things we like to do but we set aside time for it such as cutting out snowflakes, baking cookies or family snowball fight. I also add a "date" for each child with each parent where we can play a game or go out for hot chocolate one-to-one. Sometimes we have to trade days because plans changed and that evening is going to work a lot better for "dance to The Nutcrakcer" than it is "baking cookies". The kids love it. It ritualizes and makes special ordinary things (like getting out the Christmas books) and organizes the chaos of one holiday event after another. It helps me to slow down and enjoy the season with my kids and, it's FREE!

I'll try to add a picture when I am done.

Goodness at the Yuletide Faire

2008-11-22T07:40:00.007-06:00

I went to the Yuletide Faire at the Prairie Hill Waldorf School in Pewaukee last night with Jill and Kris and found myself very nearly swooning over all the great gifts there. I've been to the Yuletide Faire before, but I have never bought anything. This year I went equipped with money and the knowledge that this was to be one of only 2 Christmas shopping experiences this season (the other will be the Art vs. Craft Fair next weekend in Milwaukee). I came away with some great things for Christmas and some even cooler things for my nephew's birthday this week:

The book above "Santa's Favorite Story" by Hisako Aoki and Ivan Gantschev is for the book-a-day for advent project I am working on and will write more about after Thanksgiving. The book only came in paperback, a bummer for longevity, but excellent in the price of $6. The illustrations are super sweet and the text is simple, perfect for my 3 year old.
The goat milk soaps from Andrea's Alpacas were purchased for possible use in my family's grab bag, though I still have another idea in mind for that so these soaps might end up being used by me :) I bought three fabulous scents: "Quiet Seasons", "My Man", and "Soft Vanilla Sugar". Now smelling the Vanilla Sugar again this morning I'm thinking these might just be for me. Hmmm. The heavenly soaps cost $5 apiece for a total of $15.

I then bought a fabulous present for my nephew whose birthday is coming up next week. It doesn't count towards the hundred dollars since it is a birthday present, but I had to share the cuteness on the blog (Henry avert your eyes). Waldorf people know great toys and this year their school store had a zillion ultra adorable wooden ones. I got this fabulous gnome house and two tumbling gnomes to go in it (thanks to Maya for pointing the cool gnomes out to me). The gnomes tumble head over heels when placed on an incline. The gnome house is so cool that now I wish I had gotten one for me. Not for my daughter, but for me. No idea how this present will go over with Henry, but I love it. Really, isn't that what gift giving is all about? Hee, hee.

Now, for the one that got away. There were many items that I considered buying (but Jill was next to me asking how it fit into my hundred dollar holiday, so she was like a much needed lock on my wallet. Thanks Jill! And there is no sarcasm there), but only one that I woke up this morning wishing I had bought. It was something for me, not a gift for someone else, but it was so cute it made me smile. It was a little bird wallet by Rosybird. You can check out her Etsy store here. I love to see great independent crafters out there selling their wares and trying to make a living from it. You just can't beat buying things directly from the person who made them, so that is another reason I should have bought it. Alas. Sometimes my frugality gets the best of me (I am a total cheapskate, sadly). As luck would have it she will be at Art vs. Craft next weekend so I can buy it then :)

All in all it was a fun evening out with friends and a great feeling to support a really wonderful school (my daughter is in the playgroup there and I can't say enough good things about Prairie Hill).

Total to date: $21.00

Time vs. Money

2008-11-20T15:48:00.003-06:00

In my former life before kids I would try to make most of the gifts that I gave to people. This was easy when time was my currency and I had boundless amounts of free time laid out in front of me. I cross-stitched elaborate patterns for my mother, knit cute things and wrote silly little books for my nieces and nephews, and sewed fun things for my in-laws. But now that I have a little one of my own it is becoming much more complicated to string together enough moments to make gifts for the important people in my life. Which makes the one hundred dollar holiday more of a challenge this year than it has been in the past. I have been working on knitting a scarf for my mother (pictured above) out of this divine mohair/silk blend yarn and it is growing slowly and it could be completed by Christmas. But just yesterday my mom mentioned that she and my dad would most like a printer for Christmas, which made my little knit scarf seem a) insignificant and b) much more expensive because the time that I would put into it would be much more valuable than the money that would go towards a printer (split five ways amongst my siblings and I). Of course, giving a printer would quickly eat away at a third to a half of my allotted hundred dollars, even after the cost has been split five ways. And a printer doesn't seem very Christmas-y to me, whereas a scarf very nearly screams holiday spirit. Alas, we'll see how this dilemma plays out.

If you are interested in making things for Christmas this year I highly recommend these two blogs: Elise Blaha's Handmade Holidays and Sew, Mama, Sew. Lots of fun ideas on both.

Obligatory Giving

2008-11-17T16:46:00.001-06:00

I love giving gifts. I love getting gifts. I hate feeling like I have to give gifts. I hate even more the feeling of not giving a gift when I feel like I should have. It's that last sentiment that I wish I could shake today.

This past weekend our family shared a day making Norwegian lefse (delicious potato crepe with wrapped up with butter and sugar). It is a wonderful tradition that we share with my husband's family and their best friends. It is the kind of tradition that I am so grateful that I married into-shared work followed by a wonderful meal, an ethnic tradition passed down through the generations and a day so special that we all skip whatever we have going on to make it happen. This is the kind of day that the "hundred dollar holiday" is made of.

It is perfect except that it has become transformed into another gift-giving holiday. It might have started because one of the kids has a birthday that same weekend. Or maybe it was the year that one woman bought us all "lefse making t-shirts". That was fun, but it should have stopped there. This year we drove home with three mini-basketballs, a clip on flash light, a holiday coloring book, holiday room spray, a holiday lotion 3-pack, a holiday double shot glass, a holiday jar opening/trivet, and a parafin wax foot spa.

I brought nothing to give. I did this on purpose because I was tired of feeling like I should when there was no justifiable reason why I should. I did this because all these little $20 mini-gifts and hostess gifts etc. add to our massive credit card debt every December and I am trying to put an end to the overspending. I did this because anything I would have bought would have been just because, not because they had any meaning.

Now I feel like crap. I feel bad because I came empty handed and came home with a trunk-full, I feel bad because I like these people and it is fun to give... yet I didn't. I also feel bad because I now own a bunch of stuff that I didn't really need and how need to find a place for. I feel bad for feeling ungrateful.

I am sure we all have "obligatory" gift giving scenarios we face each year. How do we handle these in a proactive way? How can we show our appreciation for others, give a gift of meaning etc without falling into the trap of more spending, more waste? Looking forward to everyone's insight.

Hundred Dollar Holiday

2008-11-15T08:38:00.004-06:00

We're back... for a bit. Over the next month and a half Kristin and I, along with a few other guest bloggers, will be challenging ourselves to create a more meaningful holiday season by, among many other things, spending less money. The inspiration for this came from the title of Bill McKibben's book, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for More Joyful Christmas, which explores how we can make the holiday season more about traditions, family, and meaning and less about spending money. Our plan is to document over the course of the next 40-odd days how we spend our days and our money. At the end of each blog post we will give our monetary totals to date, but most post will also discuss how we spend our time and how that enhances or detracts from the meaning of the season.

So... to our 1 and a half readers out there, please check back over the next few weeks and chime in on how you are spending your days or money this season!

Farewell for now

2008-09-01T18:38:00.003-05:00

As I'm sure you have noticed, I have become a pathetically infrequent blogger. While I kept trying to tell myself I could keep up with the posting with a brand new 2-year old underfoot, the reality is I'm just unable to find the time (or energy) to contribute to this blog anymore. We had high hopes for this blog to become a network for lake country enviros, but for now we will have to put those hopes on hold as I get a better handle on parenthood. We will leave the blog up so that the resources and ideas that we have been able to compile will still be available, but we will not be posting regularly for some time. We appreciate all the comments and ideas that people have shared over the past 6 months. Thanks for reading!

Raising Environmentalists Without Rallies

2008-08-20T10:04:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was 4 years old I have been going to a rustic cabin on a remote lake in Ontario Canada with my family. The water is clean enough to drink right from the lake, there are few people and there are more stars at night than a city dweller could ever imagine. Over the years this became a place where I recharged my soul for the year ahead. It is where I feel one with all of creation. It became sacred to me by the time I was 8. Around that time, we heard that the government was going to open up the land to logging and a road was going to be built near our cabin. Prior to that time we had to take a boat across a 10 mile lake to reach our cabin. I am sure the adults initially saw this as a relief and a welcome convenience. My brother and I were horrified. I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. After I cried over the news, I became angry and wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada letting him know how logging was going to ruin this place for my family and all the animals that lived here. This was my first act as an environmentalist.

I share this story to illustrate that I did not learn to protect the earth from anything I was taught at school, from Earth Day celebrations or from hearing about pollution in the news. I learned to be an environmentalist when something I felt a deep connection to was about to be taken away. I felt the wrongness of it in my core, even at that young age.

As an environmentalist I hope to share my convictions with my own children in hopes that they too will learn to live lightly and make the world a better place. I have been tempted to take my children to rallies and I admit that I have shared too many of my frustrations about the latest political/environmental clash from the news. Our young children don't need to know what is wrong with the world, at least not yet. Adult problems are for adult to work on. Children these days have enough of the despair of the adult world to carry around on their shoulders. What young children need is to spend time in nature in a state of wonder and awe. They need to find their own sacred places that become a part of who they are. My hope is that one day they too will be enraged at threats to the environment, but not because of what I have taught them, but because of how they have lived.

Spelunking at Ledge Park

2008-08-20T09:43:00.003-05:00

I grew up in Wisconsin and have lived here my entire life minus three years, yet I am still discovering new and wonderful places. Our family's new favorite place to go is Ledge Park in Dodge County. This park is a few miles East of Horicon at the base of the the Horicon Marsh. It is about a 50 minute drive from the Lake Country area. The park has camping and the marsh, effigy mounds and the Wild Goose bike trail are all nearby.

What makes this park so wonderful is the Ledge trail. This is a cluster of big rocks that make a series of "open caves" (feel like caves but are open at the top). Kids and adults alike have a fantastic time exploring and climbing. Both times we have been there, the kids were literally squealing with delight!

Courtney and I would to hear about your favorite nature outings so we can keep discovering.

Nature Kids - Taking a Power Vacation

2008-08-05T20:48:00.002-05:00

This month Kris and I will be blogging about ideas for exploring nature with your kids, places in and around Lake Country that are great for nature hikes, and ways to get your kids outside. We hope you will add your favorite places and ideas in the comments!

This weekend my husband and I hosted our 6th annual Cousin Camp, an event we host during the summer for our nieces and nephews. Each year we have a different theme (space camp, archeology camp, Survivor camp...) and this year the theme was "Unplugged". The premise was that no electricity could be used during camp (2 days). This theme paved the way for many cool activities (like tubing down the Bark River, as shown above) and it was great how not using electricity became a sort of game for the kids. Actually, pretty soon it was apparent that no one even missed the electricity... brushing teeth by the light of the campfire was fun, not a sacrifice. After camp my husband mentioned that we ourselves should have occasional "power vacations" where we turn off the power for a couple days. I thought this was a really cool idea and a great thing to do with kids as summer break winds down. What can you do on a "power vacation"? Here are just a few ideas:

Spend the whole day outside, making it a goal to not go inside (except perhaps to use the bathroom!)
Make tin can lanterns in preparation for an evening by candlelight
Cook dinner over a camp stove or campfire
Make a solar oven and bake cookies or some other goodies
Play outdoor games, a great list of all those old-time games can be found here
Build something (we built a play fort during camp using no power tools... the kids had a blast using old-time, manual drills and saws)
Put on an outdoor play
Read
Talk amongst yourselves
Go on a nature hike. Then go on another. Then another. Re-visit the same trail at different times of the day and see how it changes.
Count stars
Sleep in a tent
Make your own music
Bust out your old Snoopy Sno-cone maker or ice cream maker and build muscles while making tasty treats

The list could go on and on, of course, this is just a start. The point is to take yourself off the grid for a day and see where it takes you.

Another great reusable bag option

2008-08-04T19:46:00.003-05:00

Check out this reusable bag company, Bags on the Run, http://www.bagsontherun.com/
They are inexpensive ($1.50) so you can get some extras for the trunk of your car so you don't have the "I'd like to use cloth, but I keep forgetting my bags" excuse. I like the option of getting an organization logo printed-could be a great school or church fundraiser or promo.

Clean Your Plate

2008-07-28T17:54:00.002-05:00

I grew up in the era where you ate everything off your plate, without complaint, before you were excused from the dinner table. While I wish I could have carried over the "without complaint" part, I made a decision early on in parenting not to force my children to eat. I wanted them to learn to listen to their own bodies rather than eat food simply because it was there. We do have rules-they need to try everything (3 bites) and eat something from every food group. I also give them a small helping and encourage them to finish that before having seconds on what they love. And, even though I said I would never do it, we do bribe them with desert.

I assume our household is not unique in that we have a lot of food that goes to waste. I recently heard that the national average is 40%. Scary! I am pretty sure that we come in below that number. I wrap up half-eaten sandwiches for another lunch and reserve the same helping a few times rather than throwing it away (don't tell my kids). A friend of mine has a diet plan where she just eats what her kids have left over (she always lost her pregnancy fat quickly!). I tended to do the opposite and eat my meal PLUS the rejected bread crusts. At some point I stopped doing this deciding that I was worth more than PB&J bread crusts.

Of course those crusts don't just go in the garbage! In our house food gets recycled too. Here are our top recycling systems

1. Dog and cat. I honestly don't know how anyone could have a toddler without a pet. I'd be spending all day cleaning the floor. I remember one of the first times we ate out at a restaurant and I was horrified to see how much food ended up on the floor. With a dog, I never knew. The downside....fat pets.

2. Chickens. Our girls get many savory morsels. They especially love those over-rip strawberries that are rejected by everyone but still free of mold

3. Worms. Yep, we've got a bin of red worms in our basement that eat some of our fruit and veggie scraps. Vermicomposting is a fun educational project and it is amazing how these worms turn food into good fertilizer for the garden. They are so easy that they we have been unable to kill them despite months of neglect. The little ones love picking out (saving) the worms from the finished compost come springtime. Another bonus-good fishing worms!

4. Outdoor compost. This is a must-have for families. I now see all the waste as a RESOURCE! I don't encourage waste, obviously, but I also don't stress about it either. Todays tossed banana peel is tomorrow's garden loam. My kids know that I am a compost freak and just love seeing how this food and weeds get transformed into dark rich soil every season. It is another perfect educational opportunity to learn all about micro-organisms, soil life and bugs and worms. Another bonus-taking out the compost bucket is a easy do-able chore for almost any age child.

Instead of "clean your plate", my kids will have memories of me calling out "scrape your plate"

kudos to Camp Invention

2008-07-28T17:47:00.003-05:00

My son is attending Camp Invention this week and I was happy to see that not only are the kids building their inventions out of broken appliances and recyclables, but they are being taught how to disassemble their contraptions at the end of the week to separate out trash from items that can be recycled. They were taught that 85% of household waste is recyclable and that Waukesha Co has a higher rate of recycling than the nation as a whole. One of their "challenges" is to figure out ways to clean up a polluted Sludge City (today was contaminated water). It is always nice as a parent when I know my kids are hearing the same message away from home as in the home. Thank you Camp Invention.

Free Lunch at Mom's

2008-07-24T21:34:00.004-05:00

We can't have a Green Parenting month without mention of the environmental benefits of breastfeeding. I realize that this is a decision that can only be made at a specific time in a woman's life and that not every woman or baby can breastfeed, even if they wish to (although, medically, this is not common). I also realize that there are many other health and personal benefits that breastfeeding families enjoy, but that is a topic for another blog. For anyone out there reading this who might be expecting or planning a pregnancy, here are the reasons it fits with Green Parenting:

Think about the energy that goes into making formula. First you have to either grow soybeans or have a dairy production-both that require lots of energy input and chemicals such as pesticides and hormones. Yes, I realize that there are organic formulas out there which is wonderful for those unable to breastfeed, but this isn't the choice made by the majority of formula-feeding parents. That commodity is then sent to a plant to be processed and then likely another plant to be made into formula. Other chemical vitamins must also be produced, shipped and then added to the formula as well. The product is then shipped to stores around the country. Parents then drive to the stores to buy it and mix it with water in bottles (that also had to be manufactured, most from plastic). This doesn't count the miles put on the cars of all the 20-something sales reps as they canvas the OB/GYN's offices or other marketing. Then there is the energy output to heat the formula and the energy needed to clean the bottles.

Now lets talk about the energy needed to breastfeed. Human milk is made from the energy from food that the mom eats or that is stored in her fat cells. Talk about sustainability! What if we could run cars off fat cells? What mom doesn't have a bit extra at the end of a pregnancy? The milk is the perfect temperature, always at the ready, comes in it's own attractive container and doesn't need to be refrigerated between feedings. All that and healthy too.

If you are not in a point in your life to be making a decision about breastfeeding, you can still help by supporting others that do make this choice. Smile when you see a breastfeeding mom in public, bring a meal or other help to a new mom, stand up for a baby's right to eat wherever he/she is hungry (not in the public restroom), support breastfeeding moms in your workplace when they need to take breaks to pump milk.

If you are expecting or a new mom with breastfeeding questions or concerns, check out a local La Leche League group at http://www.lllofwi.org/
There are several groups that meet monthly in Waukesha County. Trained leaders are available for telephone help 7 days a week.

Living in Abundance

2008-07-20T21:47:00.002-05:00

Why is it that green living is often defined in terms of what we should do without-big cars, excessive shopping, air conditioning, bleached paper, water bottles etc. What if, instead, it was defined by what we choose to add to our lives-more time with family, better tasting food, creativity, cool technology, learning new skills etc. Very often our choices are not an either-or option, but we tend to emphasize one side of things. I-tunes and MP3 players have certainly decreased the wasteful packaging and plastic in music CD's, but most people don't think about downloading music for that reason, instead we emphasize the fun and convenient new technology. Why can't other choices we make also be about more fun and new ideas? A resuable bag can be MORE stylish instead of less convenient. Coffee in a resuable mug can be about BETTER taste rather than less waste. Refinishing a second-hand table can be MORE satisfying instead of less fashionable.

How we perceive and talk about the choices we make in our lives matters. Our children are watching and listening. Do they hear us making choices that emphasize the downside of our choices or the upside? Do they hear a righteous self-sacrifice or a sense of adventure or fun? I hope that when my children and I bike to the park, they are just having fun and not feeling that we are "doing without" our car to save gas or that we are better than the people who drove their SUV's there. I hope they don't give it much thought at all so that by the time they are adults, it simply becomes an obvious way to travel short distances when the weather is nice. Choices based on fun will last much longer than those based on guilt or superiority, for children and adults alike.

A few years back I heard a woman being interviewed on WI Public Radio (sorry, don't remember who or what the actual topic was). She was admitting that she was a prior book addict. She bought and kept hundreds of books until she hit a personal financial crisis and was no longer able to support her habit. It was then that she discovered the library. Her discovery was not that she could check out books for free, for she already knew this. What she learned was a new perspective on the books in the library. She realized that the books were bought with her tax dollars, so they were actually "her" books (well, at least in part). She pretended that she owned all the books in the library system and that she was simply being nice and sharing them with everyone else. Suddenly her feelings of self-pity in her financial crisis changed to abundance. She said that even though she has recovered financially and can afford to buy all the books she wants, her sense of abundance about life in general has stayed with her. What if we took this perspective about all the land that we "own" in all the area parks and nature preserves? I am reminded of the stories where families of modest means always set an extra plate at the dinner table in case a visitor arrives in need of nourishment. Unless we truly are struggling to make ends meet (and there are those that are, even in wealthy Waukesha County), how can we not feel a sense of abundance in this land of plenty?

My personal challenge for the rest of this month is to listen to myself and the messages I send to my children about abundance and depriviation and to find opportunities to see the MORE in the green living choices our family tries to make.

Green giving and Birthdays

2008-07-15T22:44:00.002-05:00

If you have school aged children, you probably spend a number of weekends of the year taking your child to birthday parties. I've spent more time than I'd like in the Target toy aisles trying to find a last minute gift that is affordable, meets the cool factor (according to my kids) and the good gift factor (according to moms). Today my son received an invite in the mail that asked the children not to bring a gift but rather a donation to the Humane Society. We've gotten a few of these invites in the past and it always warms my heart that these kids are fine not getting a mountain of gifts and that my kids are choosing to be friends with such selfless children.

My daughters have birthdays coming up and I am almost late getting a present to my niece so gift giving is on my mind. I love giving gifts to the children in my life. Thinking about what they would like makes me feel connected to them and there are so many really cool toys and books these days that it is hard to resist the temptation not to go overboard. I have been happy with some of the gift giving we've chosen in the past that has been "greener" than the other outings to the toy aisle so I thought I'd share some and hope that you will do the same

1. Make a gift. I had fun making a stuffed felt pizza for my niece and it cost hardly a thing. My uncle and his wife made those fleece tie blankets for all the little ones one year. All the kids love them for the couch snuggling blankets.

2. Give an outing. I took another niece to a gardening class at the Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee and we had a wonderful day together. I got to know her much better than at big family gatherings. I've done plays, concerts and other shows for other children and now the grandparents are starting to do the same for my kids

3. Give a class. My mom and dad often give money for a class for my kids. I make sure I bring it up any time my kids are having fun with the class so they remember the gift and it is more than just a monetary donation for us.

4. Give books. I have given a "book a month" to a niece and nephew. I bought books (some new, most used) and wrapped them up for the parent to "deliver" each month. It was fun finding books that we loved at garage sales and sharing them. The parents said their kids loved getting presents all year long

5. We donated money to a chosen charity for each niece and nephew for the Baptisms.

6. Give consumables. One Christmas my dad gave us kids a large supply of our favorite snacks. My brother got a case of Captain Crunch cereal and I got a mega container of peanut butter to dip carrots in. We thought it was a riot, partly because this was before Sam's Club so the big sizes were really funny.

Going Green Conference

2008-07-15T22:29:00.002-05:00

Check out this Green Living Conference to be held in Oconomowoc in September. Good talks on green business plans, community development, green living at home, and local food networks. It is hosted by the Wisconsin Town and Country Resource Conservation and Development network. They are involved in working with communities to develop a sustainable development plan that is good for the local economy and the earth. Oconomowoc and Jefferson are two nearby communities that are developing such a plan. Is anyone aware of other efforts in your communities such as "the natural step" program?

www.townandcountryrcd.org
opportunities for sustainable economic growth, healthy communities and a healthy environment in the Town and Country RC&D area through the support and coordination of our region's agencies, municipalities and organizations."r mission is to optimize opportunities for sustainable economic growth, healthy communities and a healthy environment in the Town and Country RC&D area through the support and coordination of our region's agencies, municipalities and organizations."

Were You Born in a Barn?

2008-07-14T21:30:00.003-05:00

I can still hear my dad say that when one of us kids left the back door open in winter. I can also hear, "Turn off the lights" "If you are cold, put on a sweater" and "Don't hold the fridge open!". Usually he could call these things out from the other room and I was always amazed that he knew that I did actually forget to turn off my bedroom light even though he was sitting in the living room. We were conserving energy in the 1970's long before it was hip to be green. We were conserving energy because there was an energy crisis, because my dad was a cheapskate and because he was raised by depression-era parents who wasted nothing.

Now it is my turn to yell out, "Why is every light on in the house?" and "Don't let the water run while you are brushing your teeth" (from the other room). The hip green movement has led to some pretty cool options like hybrid cars, bamboo clothing and high efficiency appliances, but as a culture we are often more interested in what we can buy than how we can conserve. Doing without or doing with less is practically un-American. Yet, as wonderful as a hybrid car is, the better option is to simply drive less. Compact flourescent light-bulbs are great, but it doesn't mean we should leave all our lights on. We need to combine a bit of the 1970's conservation ethic with the 2008 green consumer fashion.

To get our kids engaged in the kilowatts we were using, we took a look at our We Energy bill and compared usage from one year to the next. We were excited to see that after some swapping out of light bulbs and high-efficiency appliances, our usage actually went down (although the cost still went up!). This motivated us to challenge ourselves to lower it even further-"how low can we go???" Kids often want to do something to help global climate change and turning off the lights, not wasting water in the shower and putting on an extra blanket in winter is something tangible they can do to make a difference. When we sat down with our kids, they came up with lots of ideas on their own. Now when we remind each other to turn off the lights, it isn't mom and dad nagging, but a kind reminder of a family project.

There are some cool websites where you can calculate your family's carbon footprint, such as
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
It is a nice reinforcement for what you are doing well and shows concrete areas where you can improve. By looking at it in sections, this can be less overwhelming and allows us to tackle one area of change at a time. As I am writing this, I am thinking of ways to keep kids and families engaged in this. Like many families, we give our children daily and weekly chores. I wonder how it would work to have each of them "in charge" of a specific area to oversee for the month (water, lights, heating/cooling, transportation etc). They could monitor the rest of us/keep us in line and think of ideas for how we can do better. I think I might find that it is not only the kids in our house that need some gentle reminding from time to time to turn the lights off.

Earth-friendly eating on a family budget?

2008-07-10T06:56:00.003-05:00

Over the years I've made feeding my family one of my top environmental priorities. Feeding children seems to connect with my deepest maternal instincts. Choosing organic, locally grown, and unprocessed whenever possible reduces our family's fossil fuel consumption, minimizes chemicals going into the land and water and supports sustainable farming practices. This choice has made groceries our biggest household expense after mortgage.

I've justified it knowing that I was paying the "true cost of food", not passing the cost to other taxpayers or asking migrant workers to work for nothing so I can eat cheap or asking my grandkids to pay to clean up the world we trashed for them. I've justified it by knowing that for $6, I not only know that the milk I drink is better for the earth, but is also healthier (and tastier) for my kids, puts more money in Wisconsin farmer's pockets, is healthier and kinder to the cows, reduces the trend toward antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and helps preserve the Wisconsin landscape of family farms. Looking at it that way, $6 is a deal! Certainly anyone who has tried to feed their family from a backyard garden knows that we significantly underpay for the food we eat given the labor that goes into food production. Factor in processing and packaging and shipping and it seems impossible that you could buy a box of Cheerios for a few bucks (I heard recently that the farmer that grows the wheat gets 10c).

Given all that, I should be content, even proud of the $900 we are now spending each month to feed a family of 5. In fact, I will admit that when fuel and food prices started rising, I did at first feel smug, thinking to myself "now people know what food/fuel is supposed to cost" and hoped that this would drive society changes (which it has a bit). However the last few times I've gone through the check out line, I have felt nauseous with anxiety. It seems like the tab for my weekly trips keeps going up and up, all during the gardening season when it should be lower than at other times of the year. Like most other American families right now, we need to make some drastic changes to our family budget.

Here are a few tips that I've used over the years to keep my food costs low. I am desperately looking for more tips from others as I just can't seem changing over to food filled with preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and pesticides after all that I know.

1. Eat low on the food chain. Less or no meat/animal products is cheaper, and better for the earth. Whole grains and legumes are cheap and healthy.

2. Join a buying c0-op. I have done this for years and it does save and is fun way to network with others about healthy food resources. This also allows you to buy in bulk which saves money.

3. buy in bulk. Less packaging=less cost and better for the earth. Pick and Save and Good Harvest have bulk food options. Pick and Save also gives a 10% discount if you buy a case of something.

4. meal plan and head to the store with a list. Oh, and you have to stick to it which means the kids should stay at home!

5. eat leftovers. This is usually our Fri night meal. Anything that didn't get eaten for a lunch goes before the weekend shopping trip. I am thinking that maybe cooking less quantity so there are fewer leftovers might be better. Having a salad or sandwich for lunch would be cheaper and healthier than the leftover turkey picata from the night before.

6. grow it yourself. Not sure if this is cheaper for me, but it technically should be.

7. shop on the outside aisles of the grocery store (most of the junk is in the middle)

8. buy up bumper crops from the farmer's market and freeze. I did this with tomatoes last year and made pizza and spaghetti sauce all winter.

9. Cook and bake. Why pay for someone else to do what you can yourself (well, except on nights where there is soccer or track practice).

10. Eliminate non-essentials like soda, junk food, alcohol etc.

11. eat less. OK, this is probably where the problem is for our family.

So what else am I missing? Don't tell me my only choice is Sam's Club or Walmart. I want to believe that I can keep keep my values and pay my bills. I am especially looking for cookbooks or websites that have family friendly recipes that are healthy, simple and inexpensive. I have lots of great cookbooks but most are too involved for the average busy weeknight and involve yummy expensive ingredients like pine nuts and capers. Most of the simple cookbooks I've seen involve lots of processed food. I'd be especially interested in vegetarian options that kids would love (I have lots of great ethnic recipes that I love, but the strong spices etc don't always appeal to my kids). If you have been reading and not commenting, this is your chance. I know you are likely also trying to cut costs and may have found things that work for you that I haven't tried.

The Fall of an Environmentalist

2008-07-08T13:29:00.002-05:00

I used to be an environmentalist. Really, I did. I was a pretty good one, too... solar panels on our roof, a greywater collection system under our kitchen sink, four compost bins in the backyard, a 40 mpg car that we only used when really needed. I was such an eco-freak that other people actually asked me for advice on eco-friendly living. But then I became a parent. And oh my has my world turned upside down.

Our daughter came home about a week and a half ago from Thailand where we adopted her. Since then I have made two trips to Target, have made daily trips to the garbage can (whereas I used to just empty our inside wastebaskets on trash day, we generated so little), wasted more food and water then I ever thought possible and have found myself on numerous occasions thinking of things to buy, just because our daughter would love them. Before we left for Thailand I was all set to use cloth diapers. Upon our return, jet-lagged and with more than a bit of anxiety due to being thrown into parenting during the 'terrible' twos, I found that rinsing a poopy diaper in the toilet at 2 am was just one thing that I could not handle at that point. The next day I found myself at Target buying disposable diapers (chlorine-free from "Nature Babycare", but disposable nonetheless) and a large Starbucks Frappachino. Oh how the smug enviro has fallen.

So here I am, finally over my jet lag and slowly getting into a parenting routine and I am ready to take a step back and evaluate how I can be a good mother and a good environmentalist. The one thing that I feel we are doing right so far is teaching our daughter the joys of a backyard garden. She now happily eats her way through our backyard (see above photo), snacking on raspberries, strawberries, currants, mulberries, and sugar snap peas. We have a ways to go to get back on the green path, but hopefully this month of July will be full of inspiration and good ideas for us. And maybe, just maybe, I can face those cloth diapers now that my head is back on straight!

July challenge: Green Parenting

2008-07-06T19:07:00.002-05:00

Courtney and I have decided to dedicate the next two months of our blog to issues related to parenting and children since she is the new mom of a 2 year old little girl (Congrats!). Even if you are not a parent or your children are grown, some of the topics may apply to running a green household in general.

I remember when my youngest was a baby and I sat nursing her on the couch and contemplating my life. I looked around my living room and saw that my home appeared to be breading plastic contraptions-swing, bouncy seat, high chair, car set, play gym, mobile, crib, stroller, etc. All these things seemed so necessary at the time. It was true that the swing happened to be the only thing that calmed my daughter during one particularly hard night of the "evening fussies", but every other day it sat there taking up space because she, like most babies, preferred to be held rather than stuck in a plastic substitute. A common parenting guideline shared at the La Leche League meetings I attended at the time was "people before things". This was meant to be a guide as to what babies really need, but it has stuck with me as my children have grown and works well for green living and family budgeting as well.

Little by little these things were sold off at rummage sales only to be replaced by toys, sporting equipment, videos etc. I am amazed at how much stuff a child "needs". Obviously no child needs all this stuff, but yet in it comes....and keeps coming, faster than I can pack up the outgrown items to donate. I can blame part of this on the grandmothers, one who is an expert sale shopper and another who is an expert second hand shopper and both who adore my children. One Christmas I was sickened by all the stuff my children received so I counted the number of presents received (including 3 stockings each) and it was 99 presents. My daughter even said that she knew which grandma loved her more because that grandma bought her more stuff. People before things? We've made some changes since then!

I have to admit that I am partly to blame too. Rummage sale bargins are too tempting and I am a sucker for children's books and games, and apparently girls shoes! Today I had an experience that reminded me that I can be tricked by the cultural mantra of "gotta have it". Our family spent the day at Pike Lake State Park where we did some kayaking and swimming. I packed light and when I got there I immediately regretted that. Every child had an inflatable raft, a bag of sand toys or a ring toss game. My littlest asked, "Mommy, didn't you bring us anything?" I felt terrible at not having a brightly colored noodle for her to swim with. But I told myself it was a few hours and they'd be fine. Of course, they were. I was reminded that one can actually make a sand castle with only your hands, that splash war is a great game on a hot day and that children love having their bodies buried in the sand. We came home with a collection of beautiful rocks, snail shells and happy memories. Yes, "people before things" still applies.

This month we'll contemplate what it means to be a "green parent" and challenge ourselves to take it a small step further from wherever we are on our journey

making local a habit

2008-06-29T19:32:00.002-05:00

I must admit that I haven't been too good about eating local this month. Yes, I have a few things in my garden, some local meat in the freezer and the local milk and bread staples that I can get at the grocery store, but beyond that I've disappointed myself during our June Locavore challenge. I wondered what was different this summer than last, when I was eating local produce almost exclusively. What I realized was that my weekly routine has changed. Last summer I had Saturday mornings mostly free and I made it a habit to visit the Farmer's Market with my mug of coffee and cloth shopping bags. I usually went to Oconomowoc and found that I not only loved the food, but also the atmosphere and the people. I quickly established my favorite vendors and could anticipate what food would be on my Saturday AM shopping list. Since I rarely had more than an hour to fit this outing in, I typically went alone and relished my time to myself and didn't feel guilty doing so since I was gathering food for my family at the same time.

This summer our family has been busy with kids sports on Saturday mornings so the Farmer's Market simply hasn't happened much. I know that there are market's on other days (Dousman on Wed aft and Menomonee Falls on Sun), but I haven't yet built it into my routine so that I can count on it. Other things seem to come up and I find myself back at the Piggly Wiggly buying California food saying that next week will be different. Whether it is working out or farmer's market shopping, routine and convenience are half the battle.

Once I realized what was behind the change, I felt much better and headed to Dousman for some sugar snap peas, strawberries and bacon at their Wed market. This time I was with the kids and a friend which was a fun in a different way from my solo outings. I am hopeful that this is the start of a new habit (for this summer's schedule anyway) and will look forward the the local blueberries that I have heard can only be found at the Dousman market in the weeks to come!

The Best Strawberries Ever!

2008-06-25T08:48:00.003-05:00

"These are the best strawberries ever!" exclaimed my 4 year old with red juice running down her chin. We had just picked two buckets of organic strawberries from Shadow Lawn Farm south of Oconomowc. She was right, these strawberries really are amazing. Those bloated imports from California can't compare to the freshly picked variety.

As I have tried to transition more and more to locally grown produce during the summer months I have reflected on what we have lost in the span of two generations. During my grandparent's generation much of the food was locally produced, now you really can't find anything in a grocery store (except perhaps sweet corn in July) that is freshly picked. We live in an agricultural state yet we have become content to eat bland food imported from across the country and the world without complaint. I would imagine that there are many children now who don't even know what a real tomato tastes like. No wonder they won't eat their veggies.

Until a few years ago I had never had fresh asparagus. No one in our family cared for the stuff, but when our neighbors gave us some, we tried it. It was so delicious and unlike any asparagus that we had had before that soon the kids were fighting over who could have the last stalk. This is how food is supposed to taste! As I have rediscovered the real taste of food, there are some fruits and veggies that I find not worth eating unless they are fresh-strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, and asparagus. I have decided that don't need to eat them all year round. Instead we look forward to their season and then eat them like crazy. Just about the time we can't eat another bite, they are out of season and the next delicious food is ready for harvest.

To try some of these yummy strawberries yourself, you can pick your own or buy them by the quart at Shadow Lawn Farm at 826 N Griffth Rd, Oconomowoc. It is 2 miles south of I94 off Hwy 67. The rows are widely spaced so it is easy for kids to help pick. They also have goats and sheep and chickens so it is a fun outing all around.

Anyone know of other self-pick options in the area?

Eating Local on Vacation

2008-06-22T19:44:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted for a bit because I was on vacation in Estes Park, Colorado with my hubby. I was hoping to return with stories of my adventures in Colorado cuisine, but alas, most of what I have to report is a large consumption of locally brewed beer (Poudre Ale and Fat Tire). I did purposely order pork on my way through Iowa, but after smelling the pig farms/factories, I regretted that decision. We do try to stop at ma and pa restaurants while on the road, which I know has more to do with supporting local economies than locally grown food but is more fun than skipping from one fast food chain to the next. Plus eating what the locals eat is part of experiencing an area in my opinion. A few finds that we did stumble across:

1. Kind Coffee each morning. Just down the street from Starbucks but featured organic, fair trade coffee in mugs or biodegradable corn cups. They also composted their grounds.

2. We ate a romantic dinner on a private balcony at The View (ok, every place has a view in Estes Park). The menu did report that they use locally grown produce when available. Our veggies were yummy, but I am guessing we were there a bit before the peak of harvest season. We went there though to have some local trout and that was delicious. Next time we'll try our hand at fly fishing.

3. Our first hotel had a rain barrel and the second was a registered as a "green hotel". Not sure what that means beyond not washing the linens daily which is a start.

4. Fat Tire beer is made by New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, CO. Check out their website

http://www.newbelgium.com for cool stuff they are involved with like protecting salmon in local rivers, handcrafted wind turbines etc. Rumor has it that one of the owners has a brother who has a brewery in WI and that they have an agreement that no Fat Tire beer is sold here but that he makes the same beer under a different name. Anyone know what it is????

Any local eats on your June vacations?

Local Eggs

2008-06-11T16:53:00.003-05:00

Meet "The Girls". This is Iris and Tulip, our backyard chickens. Eggs don't get any more local than when you walk out behind the garage for breakfast. Three years ago we decided to expand our garden to include eggs as well. The eggs are so beautiful (bright orange yolks that hold together) and so much more tasty, that I could never go back to the factory eggs. I have read lots of great factoids about health benefits of "free range" eggs as well. If I want Omega-3 eggs, I give them a scoop of flax seed or let them bug hunt a bit more.

Our girls spend much of their time in their coop and run, but when we can, we let them out so they can forage for bugs in our lawn and garden. They practically hyperventilate with excitement. Chickens make great pets that require no more care than a cat and are surprisingly entertaining with their own little personalities, and, of course, "pecking order". Their poop makes such a great additive to the compost pile that friends actually have a waiting list for taking the discards from the coop cleanout. The other day I actually saw chicken poop for sale at Stein Gardens.

If you are interested in backyard chickens, don't think you need to live on a farm. Many municipalities allow a small number of hens (although we did have to get a permit) and since they need such small space, they can be happy even in an urban setting. Roosters are usually not allowed for obvious reasons.

If you are interested in backyard chickens, there are lots of good websites and books. We found
the book "Keep Chickens! Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and Other Small Spaces" by Barbara Kilarski lots of fun (there was no turning back after I read this!). Also, the website www.backyardchickens.com is really helpful. Locally you can get feed and chicks at a variety of places. The Merton Feed Mill in downtown Merton and this is worth a trip just for the feeling like you are walking back in time.

Cheesehead pride

2008-06-10T19:46:00.003-05:00

Our friend Jill doesn't like cheese, but we let her stay in Wisconsin anyway. I admit that I have not been a fan of milk ever since they served it to us warm and in a bag in Kindergarten. I had a friend in 6th grade that was allergic to ice cream (she would actually throw up). In this state of proud dairy lovers, these stories come as a shock to us. I heard that when margarine was first created it was illegal to sell it in Wisconsin (that may be rumor, you can fact-check it yourself).

To me, buying Wisconsin dairy products is a consumer decision that carries a lot of bang for the buck (yes, even when the organic milk is $6/gallon). Buying local milk supports the local economy, family farms, a rural landscape and reduces energy usage by less transportation. After all, do we really want to be second to California?

Milk and cheese are pretty easy as there are many options just at local grocery stores for conventional products. If you are looking for organic milk, it is Organic Valley and Wisconsin Organics (Horizon is from California). When I looked for locally made yogurt, it was harder to find a Wisconsin producer. I recently found a yummy local and organic yogurt produced south of Madison called Sugar River Dairy. I have found this locally at Hartland Market.

If you are interested in Wisconsin dairy artisans, check out this directory http://www.wisconsindairyartisan.com/artisans.html

Summer Must Reads

2008-06-10T19:28:00.003-05:00

If you are interested in learning more about where your food comes from or eating more locally, there are two books that I know of that should be on your summer "must read" list.

The first is Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver. She chronicals the journey of her family as they take a challenge to eat food that they produce themselves or purchase from farmers within 100 miles from their house. It is informative, and filled with lots of good stories as you'd expect from Kingsolver. Some of the recipes and tips are on her website and one of these days I am really hoping to try my hand at making cheese http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/

The other is Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. This books is also combination information and personal experience. The author dives into the origin of our food from the politics of corn to the hidden secrets of mass-produced organic food, to the question of whether or not to eat meat and finishes with foraging for mushrooms.

I'd love to see comments of any other suggestions of books that you've read on this month's food topic.

reusable bags update

2008-06-08T21:46:00.003-05:00

Just a quick FYI to let you all know that the Piggly Wiggly in Hartland is now selling reusable bags for 99c. I was there today and saw lots of folks using them. They look nice and are the kind with bottoms.

Dandy Dandelions

2008-06-04T19:13:00.003-05:00

The other night I fed dandelions to my family for dinner. I was starting to panic over the army of tall naked dandelion stalks marching across my property. I found myself avoiding inviting people over unless we had just mowed. I started thinking that maybe a little herbicide might be a good thing. I needed to regain control before these pests made me do something that I regretted.

So I went out and cut off their heads, deep fried them and ate them. The recipe came from the La Leche League cookbook, Whole Foods for the Whole World. You basically dip the flowers in a mixture of milk and egg, roll in flour with salt and pepper and deep fry. They were actually pretty good-tasted like any other deep fried veggie you might order at a bar with a cold beer. My daughter said they were good but had trouble getting over the fact that she was eating a dandelion. My son asked if I could send them as a school snack and ate them all up. My husband had seconds on the main dish. My youngest wanted to know if that counted as her vegetable.

I am not sure we'll be eating dandelions every day, but it did shake me out of my feelings of defeat and was a great way to launch the June "eating local" challenge. Now I am curious about what else my backyard has to offer.

Farm Fresh Atlas

2008-06-03T21:44:00.002-05:00

If you are ready to take the local challenge, you will want to get a copy of the Farm Fresh Atlas. This is a wonderful resource of farmer's markets, farms that sell direct, meat and poultry producers, orchards, community sponsored agriculture and other businesses that sell locally grown food. They are published by region so you want to get your hands on the Southeastern WI version. The 2008 edition is out at your local library, chamber of commerce, etc or you can go to www.farmfreshatlas.org

June Challenge - Eat Local

2008-06-02T15:07:00.002-05:00

Last June a few friends of ours decided to challenge ourselves to eat local for one month. It was this challenge that eventually led to this blog and the idea that it is good... and fun... to challenge ourselves to do better each month and rethink how we do things. So here we are one year later and it is time to once again challenge ourselves to eat local. How will you challenge yourself?

Will you grow a backyard garden? (I have high hopes for my garden, pictured above)
Will you plan to visit a farmers market each Saturday?
Will you plan to make one completely local meal once a week?
Will you go all out and only eat food that has been grown in Wisconsin?
Will you decide to be inspired and read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver?
Or will you really go all out and be like this guy who is foraging for all his food in a forest for one year? Yeah, me neither.

Let us know in the comments section how you will be eating this month!

Light Green Laundry

2008-05-30T21:47:00.002-05:00

So for those of you readers out there that think we are nuts by hanging out the laundry, making our own soap and using cloth diapers, just a parting list of things everyone can do, even those on the light end of the Green spectrum. Every little thing counts. We'd love to hear other ideas of what you have tried.

1. Run only full loads of laundry so you don't waste water and energy. I remember washing a single pair of jeans as a teenager because I just had to have them for the dance on Friday. Now I try to stuff it full just to get it all done!

2. Use cold water for all or most of your laundry. I have pretty much switched to cold for everything (need hot for diapers) and my clothes get just as clean. Don't stains come out better in cold anyway? Other than killing bacteria in dirty diapers, what is the hot water for anyway? I've never seen a tag on a piece of clothing that says to wash in hot.

3. Set your drier so that it goes off when the clothes are dry or for the least amount of time needed. Don't waste energy drying dry clothes. Not all clothes need the high heat either

4. Use laundry soap without phosphates and harsh fragrances. There are lots of environmentally friendly detergents now that really work.

5. Skip the drier sheets. Jill said she gave this a trial and didn't really notice much of a difference. I've really never used them because I wasn't sure what they were for. If you want to avoid static try letting your synthetic fabrics line dry (as they cause most of the static) or take the clothes out when they have just a hint of dampness left. Or take the clothes out with damp hands. Winter is really the only time we have much static anyway, so try skipping them in the summer. If you must use them, reuse them in several loads.

6. Skip the fabric softener. Those chemicals in there are not at all snugly. Vinegar is a natural fabric softener and works well.

7. Reduce your laundry. Bath towels that you use on your clean body don't need to be washed daily. Can you spot clean that shirt that is fine except for the bit of food that dropped on it? I remember as a kid having "school clothes" and "play clothes". We would change into our play clothes when we got home and get those all full of grass stains and keep out cute school clothes clean and ready for another wear. The problem is my kids come home dirty from playing at school too. My four year old sometimes goes through 4 outfits a day. This likely balances out her older sibs that like to wear their same favorite shorts every day.

Laundry Apron

2008-05-30T09:21:00.003-05:00

After years of using a little clothespin bag that I would hang on the line while doing laundry, I finally decided there had to be a better way. So, this spring I whipped up a little laundry apron for myself and my hanging out routine has been revolutionized! I don't know that the apron wins points for cuteness, but for functionality is gets a perfect 10 (please excuse the poor photo above and the huge mess in the background, we are in the middle of packing for an epic trip). Basically I cut out two large rectangles, sewed them right sides together, flipped them right side out and then attached two hugely oversize pockets. The pockets are sort of pleated at the bottom so they can expand out when filled with clothespins and then lie flat when empty. I attached really long ties so that I could wrap them around my waist twice to better hold up the heft of the full-of-clothespins apron. Now when I do laundry I just walk along the line, plucking clothespins from my little laundry apron. Ahhhh.

If you want to make a laundry apron there is a tutorial for a very cute one at My Byrd House (be prepared for the music on her site). Or be inspired by the many types of aprons at Amy Karol's Tie One On. I would write a tutorial for my apron, but my sewing method is more, um, stream-of-consciousness than follow-a-pattern.

Nothing Cuter Than a Baby Bum in Cloth Diapers

2008-05-29T16:59:00.002-05:00

I entered the cloth diapering world almost 12 years ago after being shown one of the "Diaper Genie" things. If you don't know, these are contraptions that take your plastic poopy diaper and shrinkwrap it in another later of plastic so that it is stink proof until you take it out in the garbage in another plastic bag. Besides the fact that I couldn't figure out how to use the darn thing, it simply seemed like way to much plastic for one human being who was less than 10 pounds. I also read at that time how the chemicals used to make the gel in disposable diapers was being detected in the breastmilk of polar bears in the arctic and I knew that it was time to call my mom to find out how she did it.

Luckily, cloth diapers have come a long way since the 1960's. Pins are no longer needed (although still an option) and no more soaking the diapers in a bucket of bleach water (we actually tried this at first but found other ways after I accidentally spilled the bucket of poop-water on my way to the laundry in the basement). There are tons of adorable diaper covers that can be fastened with velcro or snaps that make diapering almost as easy as disposables.

Three baby bums later, I have discovered many other benefits as well. I love knowing I am not putting scary chemicals right on my baby's genitalia and there is really nothing cuter that the bubble-bum of a baby in a cloth diaper. I know there are heated debates about whether cloth or plastic is the better environmental choice. To make it more complicated, we now have other choices such as bleach and gel free disposables, organic cotton or hemp diapers, and in some areas, a diaper service. Most comparisons I've seen come out without a clear winner. To me it is hard to overlook the fact that 18 billion disposable diapers are thrown into a landfill every year, taking 500 years to decompose. If you decide to use cloth, here are a few links to get you started from Mothering Magazine.

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/joy-of-cloth.html

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/crazy-for-cloth.html

It has been a few years since I had a little one in diapers, but I wasn't too successful at finding a good local source of diapering products. Target had some prefold diapers but the covers they carried where not very good and leaked. Mostly I ordered from mail order (often mom-owned) companies. In Madison, you can try Wild Child or Happy Bambino

http://www.wildchildclothes.com/

http://www.happybambino.com

Top 10 reasons to hang out

2008-05-29T09:18:00.002-05:00

I've been feeling very list-y lately, making lists left and right, so it seems appropriate to include a list on the blog. So today I present you with my top 10 reasons to line dry your clothes, inside or outside, January or July.

Hanging clothes outside on a beautiful, sunny day is like meditation. It calms me down. It makes me slow down because it is something that can't be hurried. It allows me to soak up some Vitamin D while getting a chore done... and both things serve to make me happier.
A laundry line of clothes gently blowing in the breeze on a sunny day is one of those picture perfect things. Seeing a laundry line always makes me stop and appreciate the simple, utilitarian beauty of it.
Drying clothes on a rack inside in the winter helps raise the humidity in our dry, Wisconsin homes. This was brought to my attention by my Weather & Climate professor in college. An indoor clothes rack or line is like a free humidifier. Why whisk that free winter moisture out through a dryer vent?
Clothes last longer when they are line-dried. This is obvious when you think of all the tumbling and rocking and rubbing that clothes do in a dryer.
Clothes don't shrink when they are line-dried. This is typically a good thing, but my sister, a recent clothesline convert realized that she had actually been banking on the shrinking to help clothes fit her kids. Now she has to re-think sizes. I think this is an isolated problem with a solution.
It saves money. According to laundrylist.org it can save households over $100 in electricity in a year. One hundred dollars a year. That amazes me. Of course, that number may be for households in sunnier climes than Wisconsin, but still.
Perfectly crisp cloth napkins, no iron required.
It is just one more little thing you can do that can help slow global warming. I personally find the little things to be hugely empowering.
It makes me feel proud that I live in a neighborhood that hasn't banned clotheslines (many newer subdivisions across the U.S. have for aesthetic reasons). And when I can see 4 clotheslines on my block just from the vantage point of my front yard it makes me even prouder.
It makes me feel retro, cool, and eco-saintly. All from one chore!

Martha Stewart Drying Rack

2008-05-28T15:41:00.002-05:00

As an answer to Kris' query below, I think that the Martha Stewart Foldout Drying Rack above is just about the super coolest indoor drying rack possible. It folds down to hang clothes on and then folds flat against the wall when you don't need it. I think it looks like art in its folded-up state. You can find directions on how to make it here on Martha's website. Because I know Kris' husband has, like, a ton of time to tackle a new project :)

Of course, knowing the layout of Kris' super sweet laundry room (I am a bit jealous of it, actually), an indoor, retractable line stretching across the room might work best.

indoor laundry line

2008-05-23T16:28:00.002-05:00

One of my goals for this month was to rig up an indoor line or two for winter hanging. This wouldn't be for all the clothes as I don't have a big area, but could be for my daughter's pants that I don't want to shrink faster than she is growing, maybe a sweater drying rack etc. I have a "laundry closet" that is long and narrow-just the depth for the washer and dryer and twice as long.

I am looking for suggestions on what might work or design ideas from other people that might be more fun and useful that just stringing up a line (although that is an option). I am thinking there may be ways to do a pull out drying rack or that kind of thing that maximizes space. If you have something that works, especially for small spaces, I'd love to hear about it! Once my tomato plants are off the shelf, I'll be ready for the next project.

Soil Test Results

2008-05-20T22:11:00.002-05:00

The mail arrived on Saturday and I opened the envelope from the UW Soil and Plant Analysis Lab with some trepidation. Would my soil be found worthy or would I be found out as a slacker home owner who has neglected to apply the required fertilizer and be kicked out of the suburbs? I chuckled a bit with how similar this felt to the time I had my breastmilk analyzed in the hospital lab to ensure it had adequate fat content for my 2 pound preemie ( I, or it, passed).

I am happy to report that I have a high, off the charts, amount of phosphorus (for root and bud growth) and Potassium (for disease and drought resistance). I think phosphorus is high in WI in general which begs the question of why it is in fertilizers around here. The pH was on the high end of optimum (7.5) which at first I thought was good and the lab even reported that no adjustment is necessary. However, I have since read the dandylions love this pH and I'd be wise to reduce it a bit with some sulfur.

Nitrogen levels were not measured and this bummed me out because I figured I'd score big on this one too. I figured all that all that mulch mowing, my three backyard pooping chickens and nitrogen-fixing clover everywhere should count for something. However, adding nitrogen was the only recommendation they gave me (for green and leaf growth). Turns out that grass is a big fat nitrogen hog and wants me to give it more and more. They tell me I can skip the Sept application if we mulch mow. Time to look into some organic fertilizers with ingredients such as dehydrated manure, fish emulsion, and blood and bone meal (yikes!). Since so much of my lawn is shady, it looks like I can use less of the stuff. Speaking of chicken poop-I did check it out and it is a good nitrogen source and you can by it by the gallon for 16 bucks. I'll sell you a gallon for half of that!

Leaving on the grass clippings did give me a proud 3.9% organic matter in my soil. Seems all the good soil microbes like it between 2-5%. Maybe a bit of compost top dressing and I can score a 5 by next year. I would have liked to know more about my soil's ecosystem. What critters are working for me out my backdoor. Sounds like a good summer project for my 11 year old and her microscope.

So I am happy with my report card but still not happy with the ever expanding mass of thistle, creeping charlie and crabgrass across my property. The whole topic is overwhelming but I continue to learn and this past months blog topic has kept my husband from buying the weed and feed for another season while we get it all figured out. Still looking for that natural lawn service.

Homemade Detergent Lab Trials, Part 2

2008-05-20T14:01:00.004-05:00

As promised, here are the results to my detergent trials, presented in classic lab report style for easy comprehension and grading. I think I deserve at least a 7 out of 10, if not an 8 out of 10 for neatness.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Lab

Chem Study/Mr. Busse/Hour 7

Hypothesis: The homemade laundry detergent will work as well as Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent, but it will not smell as good. (As an aside, what was the point of writing hypotheses? Do kids these days even have to write them?)

Purpose: To test the efficacy (love using that word ever since seeing the movie "Side Effects" with Katherine Heigl.... I realize I am mis-using the word here) of homemade laundry detergent in comparison to the always perfect Mrs. Meyers Clean Day laundry detergent.

Materials:

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated

1 cup Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

4 loads of dirty clothes

3 loads of sheets and blankets

1 front loading HE washing machine

1 clothesline

1 blustery, partly sunny day

Procedure:

1. Make homemade laundry detergent according to this recipe, but omit the Oxy Clean (for no other reason than I am cheap and I remember a very annoying Oxy-Clean ad from the past and therefore refuse to buy it).

2. Do laundry, lots of laundry under usual conditions. "Normal/Casual" cycle. Warm/Cold temp. Vinegar rinse. Clothesline dry.

3. Take care to note differences in outcomes. Smell, feel, stain removal, etc.

4. Fold and put away laundry.

Conclusion:

Well, I gotta say, I can't tell the difference between loads I did with the homemade and the loads I did with the Mrs. Meyers. Both detergents got out all the obvious stains. Neither detergent got out stains that had always existed. After line-drying all loads smelled the same, that sort of line-dried sort of smell (which some people love, but I can go either way dependent upon whether it was a sunny day or a cloudy day). My icky, back of the throat feeling I got from grating the Fels didn't exist after the clothes came out of the washer, in fact they smelled pretty good, like good and clean. One thing I did notice was that the clothes that were washed with the homemade detergent felt softer, but this is hard to quantify and may just have been because I was using a cordless drill right before folding the clothes and therefore had a bit of that numb finger thing going on that makes everything feel softer. Because of the fact that making homemade detergent is super cheap (Modern Cottage has figured it out to be about 5.7 cents a load, whereas Mrs. Meyers, as much as I love her, is about 40 cents a load) I think I will continue to make my own, but use Dr. Brommer's soap in place of the Fels Naptha to avoid the issues I had yesterday. Though I did just visit the Mrs. Meyer's site and got sucked in by all the pretty things and packaging and the fact that they have a new line of baby-friendly products. Swoon.

Homemade Detergent Lab Trials, part 1

2008-05-19T10:07:00.004-05:00

I finally tracked down some Fels Naptha soap at Sentry in Delafield (thanks to the anonymous commenter who mentioned she found it at the Sentry in Waukesha) and was all hopped up and excited to make my homemade detergent. The euphoria didn't last long as while I was grating the soap according to these directions at Modern Cottage I started to get that feeling in the back of my throat. Do you know that feeling? That sorta coughy, sorta icky feeling that lets you know that something is perhaps a bit toxic? Well, I was getting that vibe, a strong vibe, from the Fels Naptha. I grated away and mixed up the potion (Fels, washing soda and borax) anyway and am currently running some lab trials (more on that in a second). However, the vibe was strong enough that I sat down and did some Google investigating and it seems that the verdict is unclear, some people say that Fels is safe for the environment, others say it isn't natural and is bad because it contains petrochemicals. The ingredient list is bizarre: "cleaners, soil & stain removers, chelating agents, colorants, perfume". Seriously? Can a product really get away with being this vague? So, I'm not sold on the whole Fels Naptha thing. If this recipe for homemade detergent works well and I decide to make it again I will substitute Dr. Brommers castille soap for the Fels. Wish I would have thought of that earlier as I could have gotten that by walking a block to Hartland Market!

Anyway, the lab trials are underway. Due to a rather messy and dirty week we have much more laundry than usual, which makes for great experiment conditions. I have two loads of whites and two loads of darks, one of each I will use my ever-faithful, ever-perfect Mrs. Meyers Clean Day laundry detergent in Geranium (which smells like heaven). For the other two loads I will use the new homemade laundry detergent (pictured above, on the right). All other variables in the trials will be kept consistent: water temp, spin speed, clothesline dry. All I need is my lab notebook and it will feel just like a high school lab experiment. Materials, Hypothesis, Procedure, and Conclusion. My lab report will be completed by tomorrow. Please check back for the amazing conclusion. I know you are all on the edge of your seats :)

My laundry day has been made a bit more complicated today, not because of the lab trials, but because of this adorable rabbit who has decided to burrow in to our bed of spiderwort and have her babies right outside our back door. So, I have to be extra quiet and respectful as I head out to hang laundry. No screen door slamming and all that. I think this rabbit is the cutest thing ever, and I said so to my husband. He corrected me and said that, no, the cutest thing ever will be when the baby rabbits appear. I think he is right on this point.

the good and bad on OxiClean

2008-05-17T07:00:00.007-05:00

I have never been all that good at getting clothes clean. I am good with the general dirt and stink, but stains have always resisted my efforts. I realized at one point that the problem might have been in my "collective" approach to laundry. I do sort by color, but after that I push a button and expect the machine to do the job to the load. I don't read the labels much and sort of figure that the socks, shirts and pants are all "in it together".

Unfortunately, I have learned that getting clothes clean requires individualized attention. I asked a friend (whose lack of stains on her children I admired) what she does and she said that every night she collects the clothes from her four children and inspects for stains. All stained clothes get a treatment of OxiClean for the night and then get washed later. I finally decided to try a stain remover and this approach thinking that using a chemical might be justifiable over throwing out perfectly good but stained clothes. It was magic! I think the biggest factor is simply soaking it right away, but the stuff worked great.

Since then I have been using OxiClean guiltily thinking it was probably nasty for the environment but possibly justifiable until I got around to a more Green alternative. I told myself that it was certainly better than using bleach. Writing this blog got me looking into the ingredients in my beloved stain remover.

The Good News: OxiClean is described by some as an "environmentally friendly, natural" product. I was thrilled to find that OxiClean contains two active ingredients: Sodium Percarbonate and Sodium Carbonate. The first is baking soda and the second is washing soda. This stuff is just what my grandma used! These substances form oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and soda ash when mixed with water. The oxygen is what cleans and brightens. There are no phosphates or bleach, which are two of the worst environmental offenders in most laundry products.

The Bad News: What is not clear is what other fragrances or other ingredients might also be in there, but I am assuming there is something as it smells like more than baking soda and works better too. The container doesn't say what else is in there so that is a bit concerning. They do sell a "free" product without the dyes and fragrances, so by default it must be in the original. There is also a newer version apparently with "little blue crystals". No idea what that is but it sends off some warning lights to me. It is also not clear if the product also contains surfactants, which have a negative environmental impact. The fact that I can't get an accurate ingredient list makes me more concerned than anything. Also it is sold in a plastic container that is not recyclable.

I am certainly no expert on this and my research involves a brief before-breakfast search so I'd love to hear from others if you know differently or if you know of a more green product that works well and especially where to buy it locally. Looks like lots of other green household products contain the two active soda ingredients. Do they work as well without the "mystery ingredients?

Making Homemade Detergent

2008-05-13T07:46:00.002-05:00

I came across this recipe for laundry detergent on the Modern Cottage blog and have been excited to try it, but I can't find one ingredient. Does anyone know where I can find Fels Naptha soap? I've checked the Pig in Hartland and Pick and Save in Pewaukee, but no luck. So, if you have an idea, please let me know!! I'm almost out of laundry detergent and really want to try this!

My HE Washing Machine

2008-05-12T06:17:00.004-05:00

A few years back our washing machine died and we were elated. This gave us the opportunity to replace another appliance with a more efficient model in order to continue to reduce our household energy consumption. With the laundry piling up there wasn't much time to do extensive research, but we have been more than happy with our Bosch Nexxt HE model. Here's why

1. Its quiet. We've since moved our laundry to the first floor from the basement and the sound is just a background hum in our daily life.

2. Less water use. HE washers use 18-25 gallons of water per wash compared to the 40 of standard washers. We noticed a reduction on our water bill when we got ours.

3. Less energy to run them (the HE part). The Focus on Energy website says that you can save $110 on your annual energy bills compared to a model before 1994. They also state that the combined electric and water energy is 50% less. Our btu's did go down that year for us as well, although this wasn't the only change we made.

4. Spins the clothes drier so that they need less time in the drier, saving more energy and money.

5. Apparently more gentle on clothes making them last longer. Not sure this can combat the normal usage of a 9 year-old boy.

6. Because these are energy star rated, you get a cash back rebate from Focus on Energy.

The only downside that I've seen is that they cycles take longer than some models. I can't get all my laundry down in one day a week. I have switched to a little each day (part of my morning routine) and this works well for me.

For more info on energy saving appliances, go to Focus on Energy at

http://www.focusonenergy.com/

How Low Can You Go?

2008-05-09T06:34:00.003-05:00

One of the first "green" changes I made came from a source that never even mentioned the environment. During graduate school a friend started loaning me her copies of The Tightwad Gazette newsletter published by Amy Dacyczn (book version available at the Hartland Public Library). This is an inspiring (if not sometimes wacky) collection of tips for living frugally and within your values.

A simple tip she gave was to use less of everything-detergent, shampoo, cleaners, etc. The instructions for most products tell us that we need more than we actually do to get the job done. It is possible that the companies have a financial incentive for us to use more of their product.

Here is how you do it: First pour out the amount of detergent you usually use and make note of how much that is. Then, the next day, decrease by a little and see if the clothes still get clean. If so, then decrease a bit more the next time. Keep doing this until the clothes are not cleaned well and then back up to the previous amount. This gives you the minimal amount needed to do the job. It is actually amazing how much less you need of many things. Doing this made me wonder how I had settled on the started volume to begin with (not being a much of a direction-reader). I find that I need to do this again periodically as the amounts start creeping back up when I am not paying attention.

Hardcore "greenies" will question whether this is really a green tip if you are still using toxic chemicals. Yes, that would likely be better, but this is a good start for those who are really attached to their detergent and are unlikely to make the switch. If everyone did this for all their products, it would mean less chemicals produced and used, less plastic (containers) and less trips to the store to restock. How low can you go?????

Plastic Recycling

2008-05-08T07:57:00.002-05:00

This morning, I came across this great article on Slate about recycling plastics. It covers all the big questions: what numbers you can recycle, why you can't recycle yogurt cups, why PVC is so nasty, etc, etc. These are questions I am often asked, but this article sums up the answers much more eloquently than I have ever been able to.

My Laundry Challenge

2008-05-06T21:32:00.002-05:00

Courtney and I started this blog in part to continue to challenge ourselves. I was thinking that challenge meant taking steps to living more green, not exploring areas of my life where I am weak (such as lawn care and laundry)! Courtney may love laundry day, but in my family every day is laundry day and those plastic baskets are a permanent and unwelcome part of our home decor! I am hoping that this month's challenge, like the lawn topic, will get me fired up about a topic that I normally try not to spend a lot of mental energy on. I plan on sharing some of the changes that I have made over the years to becoming a more green laundress, but I thought I'd start this month by laying out my personal challenge for how I can improve a bit more.

1. hang out more laundry outside in the summer

2. rig up an indoor line in my new laundry room/closet

3. find the best eco-friendly laundry detergent/soap and where we can get it locally

4. do some research into Natural dry cleaning methods

5. find out what is really in my OxyClean and research eco-friendly stain removers

May Garden Center in Oconomowoc

2008-05-06T08:25:00.003-05:00

I just learned that May Garden Center, Inc at 132 E. Wisconsin Ave in Oconomowoc carries Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss. Kris and I spent weeks trying to find a good source for eco-friendly seed starting ingredients back in February and totally struck out (as Miracle-Gro seems to have a stranglehold on that market and I will never consider Miracle-Gro a green product). So, this news really excites me. Peat moss is generally regarded as a really bad thing to buy because it destroys peat bogs, but supposedly any peat moss from Canada has been harvested in a sustainable way. Rumor has it that May Garden Center also carries several other 'green' products. Field trip anyone?

May Challenge - Laundry Logic

2008-05-05T10:43:00.002-05:00

Today is Monday, which means it is laundry day here at my house, which in turn means that I am all smiles because I love doing laundry. This may change in the future when we are no longer a two-person household and therefore have many more loads of laundry, but for now I love the whole process... the sorting, the measuring, the hanging clothes on the line, the folding and the putting away in neat little piles. Doing laundry brings a fresh new start to each week for me. So, May will be a fabulous month for me as we discuss all things laundry related and how we can green our laundry routines. We will discuss greener laundry detergents, 'homemade' detergents, the ills of the dryer and the saintliness of the clothesline. We will emerge from May cleaner, greener and smelling oh so pretty.

I am off to hang clothes out on the line and enjoy the beautiful day. In the next few days I will be revealing the details of our May contest, so stay tuned. Plus, we will let you in on what our personal laundry challenges will be for the month. Oh the excitement :)

Hope, Despair and Garlic Mustard

2008-04-30T19:41:00.009-05:00

Today was my first big garlic mustard pulling day of the season. Hopefully most of you are familiar with this European culinary plant gone nasty invasive species. If not, you can learn more about why it is important to remove garlic mustard from your property at
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort/gardenfacts/XHT1081.pdf

Many municipalities actually have ordinances about removing it and other invasive species as well. In Hartland we are instructed to put in plastic bags to be picked up with the garbage. You don't want to compost it as the seeds don't die and then get spread around to make more garlic mustard!

HOPE

The first garlic mustard pulling day of the year brings out the optimist in me. I look out at the garlic mustard plants popping up over my 1.5 acres and actually believe that this year I will be one step closer to eradicating it. Without needing to look, my fingers find the bulge on the stem where the plant branches out. I grasp, wiggle and pull straight up. Pure satisfaction with every pull. This plant is so easy to remove that toddlers can help. I pull another, then another and pretty soon I am clearing a noticeable section of my treeline. As I pull I discover ferns, jack in the pulpit and wild ginger and I imagine that I am freeing these woodland flowers from a greedy captor. By this time I am hooked. I know I should get to my other tasks for the day, but, I tell myself (over and over), "I'll just finish this section, then I'll stop". I've read that if you pull all your garlic mustard for 7 years, you could actually eliminate it from your yard. This is because the seeds can stay dormant that long. This doesn't take into account seeds blowing in from your neighbors yard, but this morning I choose to ignore this. Every spring, I ask my family, "Doesn't it look like we have less this year?" They all know that I need to hear only one possible answer so they tell me "Yes, Mom", but I can see in my 11 year-old daughter's eyes that we are only staying slightly ahead.

DESPAIR

Later in the day I stopped by Courtney's house knowing that she might be able to relate to this insane spring optimism. Instead, I found her in a state of garden despair. She had been clearly working hard in her gardens and was defeated by the weeds that were spreading everywhere despite her annual attempts to rip them out. "I'm ready to sell my house and move to an apartment! What is the point?", she told me. I've been there. I've said the same to my family, although this despair usually doesn't hit until July. I'll walk out to my gardens and tell the weeds they've won and I just don't care- and for the most part I let them take the lead for the rest of the summer. It was a shock to face up to this possibility in April. Green gardening and lawn care really is more work. We need to give ourselves credit and some understanding for all those who reach for the Weed-be-gone. It certainly would be easier to squirt something toxic at those devil weeds rather than spend the afternoon on my knees with dirt under my fingernails. But, now that we know what we know about these chemicals in squirt bottles, we really have not other choice. So, at least for this month I push the possibility of despair aside and decide to make pizza.

PIZZA

Garlic mustard came to this country as an herb. When you pull it, you can certainly smell the garlicy aroma. I'd like to believe that those European settlers would have chosen to leave it behind if they knew what would have happened to our Wisconsin woodlands, but of course they just wanted dinner. In the spirit of the saying "If you can't beat them, join them" I decided to use this stuff for its intended purpose and made pesto. You can follow your favorite basil pesto recipe and substitute all or part of the basil with garlic mustard. If you don't have a recipe, check this one out from Monches Farm.http://www.monchesfarm.com/PESTO.htm

Last weekend I mixed some with cream cheese and made a yummy spread for crackers. Tonight we had garlic mustard pesto pizza. I know in my heart that I can't get rid of this stuff, but in the meantime I'll enjoy it!

If anyone else has good Garlic Mustard Recipes, please share!

My Little Green Machine

2008-04-30T08:55:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of our April Challenge to green our lawns, so I figured now would be the time to leave you with what I think is a huge piece to the green lawn puzzle: re-thinking how you mow your lawn. Three years ago after our hand-me-down electric mower started showing signs of revolt, we bought a Brill Luxus reel mower (pictured above). Since the cute little green machine has arrived in my life I have enjoyed quiet, gas-smell-free, fear-of-losing-a-limb-free mowing. Yes, it takes a bit of muscle power, but I can really use the exercise (seeing as how I don't exercise on purpose, like, ever). I'm sure you've all heard it before, that mowing with a gas mower for one hour produces as much pollution as driving a car for 200 miles. So, when I'm using my little reel mower I'm not only getting exercise and listening to the birds sing, I am also feeling smug about my eco-saintliness at that moment.

That's a wrap for my two cents on the April Challenge. We hope you will join us during the month of May when we sort out the eco-logic of laundry. As laundry is hands down my favorite chore (would I even call it a chore?) I am quite looking forward to the month of May. Now I'm off to mow the lawn. With my cute little mower :)

My Soil Test

2008-04-28T08:14:00.003-05:00

"You are what you eat". I remember that health message being taught to me back in elementary school and find myself repeating it to my own kids now. Of course, the same goes for all living things, including grass. A plant will be as good as what it gets from the soil in which it grows. I know this in my vegetable and flower gardens. I spend a large percentage of my gardening efforts enriching the soil by composting my kitchen and lawn scraps, adding wood ash, coffee grounds and other treats for my green friends. I know that a healthy soil is one that is alive and dynamic; full of micrororganisms, worms and other critters. Over the years, I have watched my veggies grow better and bigger as my soil has improved. So why have I been so resistant to paying attention to the soil in my lawn? This month's challenge has lead me to examine my feelings about fertilizer.

The usual way to give nutrients to a lawn is to by a bag of standard fertilizer and apply it seasonally according to a prescribed schedule. I have been resistant to do this for a number of reasons. A trip to Pewaukee beach in July to see the neon green algae bloom is all the evidence I need to know that too much of this stuff is ending up in our waterways. It turns out that algae loves phosphorous too. Since the lakes in our area are such an important ecological and recreational asset, I have a hard time justifying my lawn at their expense. Some lake communities (town of Oconomowoc is one) have banned the use of phosphorous based fertilizers for that reason.

The second reason is my aversion to chemicals in general. This isn't really fair when it comes to fertilizer. Natural or organic fertilizer can be just as harmful if applied incorrectly or in excess. All fertilizer is more likely to wash away into our waterways if applied just before a rain. This goes for synthetic chemical fertilizer, the trendy corn gluten, and good old cow manure on a farm field. Once it gets into the lake, the algae enjoy it just the same, gobbling up the oxygen in the water as they grow.

The third reason that I have been fertilizer resistant is that I like to believe that I can create a closed ecosystem-that if I do it right, I shouldn't need outside help. I know that grass clippings are a good nitrogen source for the soil so we mulch them back into the lawn as we mow. I'd like to believe that if I keep my grass healthy by mowing high and watering deep, it won't even need extra fertilizer like all those "drug addicted" lawns down the street. However, I am beginning to think that grass is a bit greedier and demanding than I thought. The weeds that are moving in are more flexible and are willing to put up with a more meager diet. My picky grass is getting run out of town as it waits for its gourmet meal. That does raise the question of whether or not I want such a snooty guest in my backyard, but for now I've chosen to keep at least some of him around.

I have been hearing more and more about "Responsible Lawn Care". Can I use soil additives (and, gasp, maybe even chemicals) in targeted, small amounts? The first step is the soil test.

What does my soil offer? Since I know that soil is the foundation to plant growth, its time to find out. If there are deficiencies, I am willing to fill in the gaps.

Today I went outside and collected four samples of soil from my yard. The soil is mixed together and after a little air dry, will be sent off in a little bag with $15 to the Waukesha County UW Cooperative Extension for the test. In 2-3 weeks, I'll report back on the state of my soil. Will I learn that I have been withholding important nutrients from my lawn? Or will I learn that my grass has all that it needs and should stop letting all those dandelions push him around? I am hoping that it is the first since the second possibility implies that the weeds may need to be dealt with by other means, and I am just not ready to go there.

To request your own soil test kit, call 262-548-7775 or http:uwlab.soils.wisc.edu

Safe Lawns on WI Public Radio

2008-04-22T21:04:00.002-05:00

On my way to work this morning, I caught the last minute (as usual) of another potentially interesting segment on WPR. A representative from Safe Lawns http://www.safelawns.org/ was on with Joy Cardin discussing how we can take care of our lawns in an environmentally safe way. He also said he was going to be giving a seminar in Madison in August (check website with upcoming details). I haven't listened to it yet, but I plan to. If you weren't listening to the radio at 6am, check it out athttp://www.wpr.org/webcasting/audioarchives_display.cfm?Code=jca

Great paper source

2008-04-22T18:01:00.002-05:00

In my quest to find cool paper envelopes for an upcoming project I stumbled upon this amazing web store (which, while on the internet, is located in Sun Prairie, just outside of Madison), called The Paper Mill Store. They have any kind of paper you could possibly imagine, but the great thing is you can search by environmental attributes, like recycled content, tree-free paper, FSC certified, non-chlorine whatever. But then it gets even cooler. After I ordered my cool envelopes I got this e-mail from them:

"Your order will be processed and shipped... using 100% renewable energy through our purchase of wind power credits. Our use of wind power avoids introducing 341,445 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. We also offset 100% of the CO2 produced by shipping to your location, avoiding an additional 230,000 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. As well, your order will be shipped to you in our 50% recycled shipping boxes, which we have specially made to reduce our use of energy, natural resources and to provide a sturdy box. "

Amazing! And this is a paper company!!

This makes me very happy and cheery. Usually on Earth Day I get bummed and gripe about how people get all jazzed for one day and then forget about the environment for the other 364 days. But today, and mostly because of the above e-mail I think that maybe, just maybe, things are really changing. Maybe businesses are getting the picture. Maybe.

Cool reusable bags for bulk items

2008-04-22T15:15:00.002-05:00

I came across these cool bags on the Craftzine blog today. What a fun way to load up on bulk foods (flour, oats, nuts, etc) without also loading up on plastic bags. Plus, they are made by an artist in British Columbia... not in some sweatshop overseas. (For some reason the photo won't post, so follow the 'cool bags' link to see the bags.)

Forsythia is in bloom! That means it's time for corn gluten meal!

2008-04-22T09:29:00.004-05:00

Last year my sister gave me a bag of corn gluten meal since she had ordered too much for her lawn. So, I applied it last fall to my lawn, and, according to the bag, now that the forsythia is blooming it is time for the spring application. Corn gluten meal is an alternative to nasty pesticides for reducing the amount of weeds in your lawn. It only works on seeds, not on established weed plants, but it is supposed to slow the spread of weeds throughout your lawn. I try not to stress about my lawn, but I'll admit that for a couple weeks in May when dandelions are running riot across my front yard I feel like a "bad homeowner". Which is annoying because our standard of "good homeowner" seems to be a surreal green lawn, weed-free thanks to annual applications of toxic herbicides. Anyway, the corn gluten meal is my small attempt in trying to curb the dandelion's quest for total lawn domination. If you want to read more about the stuff, click here.

This is what happens when you are married to an engineer

2008-04-21T08:46:00.006-05:00

After tidying up the garden post-winter I was left with piles and piles of dead stalks, branches, leaves, and the like. Our house is on a normal village lot, less than a 1/4 acre and therefore we can't really hide our big pile of sticks and stalks. Nor do we want to haul it to the yard waste site because a) we have a small car and it would take many trips and to get it there (not to mention getting a messy car) and b) I'm a bit of a compost freak so to part with all that carbon rich matter is just too sad. So, what to do with my pile of sticks and stalks (which can't be added to the compost pile as is, because they are just too big and would take forever to break down)?

Enter my lovely engineer husband who made this super cool pedal powered mulcher. You stick in the sticks (hee, hee), pedal away and it turns the unruly sticks into a lovely pile of mulch and you avoid using a polluting, gas-powered chipper. Plus you get super toned legs from the process (I did most of the pedaling yesterday, but had my husband pose for the pictures as my legs are still winter white. Vanity. Pathetic.)

At the end of my pedal workout, we had a great pile of mulch, perfectly sized for adding to the compost pile or for adding as mulch around plants or trees. It's not the prettiest mulch, sorta looks like straw, but I consider it perfectly fine backyard or veggie garden mulch. Free and functional.

For those of you (fellow engineers and geeks) who want more details on the pedal powered mulcher you can check out this video on You-Tube. The video was for the Specialized Bike sponsored contest "Innovate or Die" where they asked people to enter ideas for cool pedal powered things. A great little contest. The Innovate or Die site takes a bit of time to load, but once it does you can view the winners of the contest. Very, very cool.

Oh! On a related note, I heard from Jill that Be Fitness (I think) in Delafield is now using their exercise bikes to power some of their facility. This amazes me!! So unbelievably cutting edge. Jill, if I am getting the details wrong please let me know in the comments :)

Green Garden Parties

2008-04-16T18:53:00.002-05:00

If you can't make it to the Green Garden Party hosted at Good Harvest Market (see Kris' post below) you can schedule your very own, free party at your house. Meribeth Sullivan, compost guru, recycling specialist, master gardener and very cool person does these parties through the county for residents in Waukesha County. So, be the first person on your block to host a Green Garden Party in your backyard... you'll learn a lot and have a lot of fun. You can schedule a party or find out more information by calling the county at 262-896-8300.

Free Seminar

2008-04-16T16:54:00.002-05:00

Want to learn more about how to have a green, healthy lawn? Check out this free presentation at Good Harvest Market April 19th. Go to their website for more info on Earth Day activities! I want one of those soil kits.

Free Workshop: 'Green Garden Party' 1:30-3pm
By Maribeth Sullivan, Master Gardener & Recycling Specialist.
Learn about grass-cycling, composting, organic lawn care, rain gardens and much more. Soil kits will be available, as well as a door prize drawing. Seating limited to first 35 attendees

Are You a WIld One?

2008-04-15T21:50:00.003-05:00

I remember the house in our neighborhood that went wild. I remember my parents complaining every time we drove past and muttering "when are they going to mow their lawn?" What we all didn't realize at the time was that they weren't being lazy or trying to irritate the neighbors, they were creating a prairie. Years later, they had what looked like a nature preserve with paths us kids yearned to explore. Even my parents had to admit it turned out nice.

While not everyone would want to turn their entire property into a prairie, each of us can find a corner or two to create a more natural landscape or choose native plants and trees that will attract birds and wildlife. One way to deal with the lawn dilemma is to simply have less of it.

Wild Ones is an organization that helps those who have an interest in natural landscaping connect with each other and learn how they can create beautiful and natural landscapes, even in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Unfortunately I don't see a chapter listed in the Lake Country area, but there is a chapter in Menomonee Falls. Their website includes tours of member's properties this summer including a Hartland household. You can find good info on legal issues, choosing native plants and educational conferences.

Here is the Mission statement for Wild Ones http://www.for-wild.org/aboutsit.html:

Our Mission
Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.

Rakalaties

2008-04-14T20:58:00.003-05:00

Just in time for the end of my Yogalaties (Yoga and Pilates) class-its raking and de-thatching time. With proper body mechanics, this is the ultimate core workout! If you are like me and all my neighbors, you have spent more than a few hours in between April Showers raking your lawn.

This year's early snow trapped extra leaves on my lawn and kept them there snowfall after snowfall. As a result, my lawn has a bad case of "spring hat head". It is funny how spring yardwork can be so invigorating, when the same task becomes a chore a few months later. The blisters and the sore muscles are welcome when it means I can get outside with only a vest. It is also so satisfying to see those tufts of dead grass accumulate in the leaf pile and watch the new grass stand up ready to reach for the sun. Even my 4 year-old noticed this transformation while helping me today and told me, "Mommy, I love you for making our lawn look nice". Really-she said this!

When you have a big lawn like I do, there is also lots of time to think about thatch (and whether you really need to have such a big lawn that takes so long to rake!). So I decided to look up this spring raking ritual to see how important it really was. Turns out it is more than just an excuse to get outside. I think it is pretty obvious that matted down leaves aren't good from healthy grass growth. From what I read, thatch (if too thick, over 1 1/2 inches) also prevents water and nutrients from getting down to the soil and grass roots. Too much thatch can be a sign of over fertilizing. You can use a machine that does the job as well as the "Rakalaties" method. The coolest thing I read was that in a healthy lawn, the microoganisms and earthworms in the soil take care of the job for you and then give you free fertilizer! They munch it up and decompose it and turn it back into nutrients that your lawn needs. Once again, Mother Nature does a better job and takes things full circle.

Ode to my new Rain Barrels

2008-04-14T09:53:00.002-05:00

I have decided to broaden this months theme to include all sorts of yard greenness, not just the lawn. This way I actually have more to contribute as my general lawn care method involves mowing when the grass needs it and, um, yeah, that’s about it. So I’m getting a bit liberal with our "green your lawn" theme. Last week I finally got something I’ve been coveting for years… a real, fancy pants rain barrel. Two rain barrels, actually. We have tried assorted rain collection things in the past… from a bucket under the rain spout (filled up way to quick, lovely habitat for mosquitoes), a cement cistern by the front door (terrible idea, it has now been converted to a planter box, for which it is much better suited), an old water softener barrel under the spout (functional, but really, really ugly) and a very ill-advised experiment involving an old water heater which I will spare you the details of. So, these fancy pants rain barrels have been a long time coming. We have paid our dues and now we have finally entered the realm of upscale rain collection. I am way more excited about these than any rational person should be, but I know from our assorted rain collection experiments that watering your garden with rain collected from our roof is one of life’s simple pleasure. There isn’t the guilt that comes with turning on the house on a 90 degree day after 3 weeks with no rain. You begin to feel like you actually made the water yourself, it feels that self-sufficient. Anyway, I can’t wait to hook these up to our downspouts and I look forward to years worth of smug and happy garden watering.

After reading this post I’m certain you are jumping up and down, raising your hand, yelling at the computer, “Courtney! Courtney! Where can I get a super cool, fancy pants rain barrel?”. Well, dear readers, I suggest you hurry up and get in touch with Robert Frost at Someday Gardens in Jefferson and he can hook you up with a rain barrel. Last year they ran out, much to my dismay and summer-long sadness. They do cost a bit ($125 a barrel, which includes delivery), but I think it is well worth it because they are so sturdy and look great (I realize this is subjective as some people might not think an old whiskey barrel in their yard looks ‘great’ but beauty is a) in the eye of the beholder and b) more than skin deep… and both sayings apply here). There are other, cheaper options available, like plastic rain barrels, but I don’t know of a local source. Does anyone know of a source for local, plastic rain barrels... one where you don't have to be a resident of Milwaukee county?

Green Lawn Care Guides

2008-04-09T13:55:00.002-05:00

You may have realized that we haven't posted much about green lawn care yet this month. Courtney and I have been busy with the upcoming Local Food Fair, but the real reason is that I don't know much about this subject. I want a lawn free of thistles (some dandelions must stay so my kids can make me necklaces) and chemicals, but have only limited experience and and even less success. I am hoping that all our blog readers will have lots of advice for me. We have followed much of the Green Lawn advice (mow high, water less often for longer, aerate, overseed) and I'll be sharing what I know about this. However, I think it is time for me to become a bit more educated about the topic. I found the following guides on some of my favorite websites. Lets all learn together!

New American Dream has a downloadable lawn care guide and resources for products

http://www.newdream.org/consumer/lawn_care.php

Greater Milwaukee Resources for Natural Lawn Care Includes resources, healthy lawn kids, healthy lawn challenge and the very cool idea of signs you can put in your yard to let your neighbors know it is chemical free!

http://www.healthycommunitiesproject.org

Great Lakes Great Lawns publication: I have this guide and it is good and easy to follow. Looks like there is also a video

http://www.cleanwisconsin.org/publications/video_GreatLakesGreatLawns.html

Even More Local Foods Fair

2008-04-07T17:19:00.002-05:00

We are on a roll. I am getting very exciting (and hungry) with all the folks signing up to have a table at the Local Foods Fair. Here are a few more who confirmed today

High Cross Farm: CSA that delivers all over our area and wool (gotta check out the cute photos on the website!) Kath will also be providing a second presentation about all the nutritional benefits of "super foods". http://www.highcrossfarm.com/

R-Farms: Pasture raised meat (beef, pork, poultry) and eggs and some fresh seasonal produce. Sells at the farm and Dousman Farmer's Market. No website, contact info:

W394 S4398 Hwy Z

Dousman, WI 53118

(414) 881-2098

Tina's Friend, Gene, the honey guy Well, that is what I am calling him until I know if there is another name. Not sure if there is business name, and I don't really care as long as I know how to get more of his delicious raw honey when I run out!

The reasons to attend this fair, just keep growing!

More Local Foods Fair

2008-04-07T06:34:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is some more about some of the info you can pick up at the Local Foods Fair in Hartland on April 13th (see previous posts)

Mason Creek Winery: Handcrafted wines made right here in Lake Country (all grapes from US, some from Hubertus and Chenequa) http://www.masoncreekwinery.com

Battle Creek Beef and Bison: Naturally raised beef and Bison south of Oconomowoc. Baby Beef and Bison Day is fun family event held every Memorial Day. http://www.beefandbison.com

Prairie Hill Farms: Grass fed beef, pastured poultry, rabbits, lamb and free range brown eggs. Located in Palmyra. http://www.prairiehillfarms.info/

LotFotl Farm/CSA: A new CSA that farms on land at Michael Fields Institute in East Troy http://www.myspace.com/lotfotl

Someday Gardens: CSA in Jefferson County and rain barrels http://www.somedaygardens.com/

How did I get the idea of a local foods fair?

2008-04-05T10:03:00.002-05:00

"How did you get the idea to have a Local Foods Fair", the Waukesha Freeman reporter asked me this week. I answered some generic answer about how it wasn't only my idea and how it was a growing trend across the country. Afterwards, though, I thought more about this question and realized the answer was more complex than this and went way back.

At first I thought of reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Mineral last summer and the "local eating challenge" that my friends and I undertook. I thought of how I gather my family's food from a mixture of conventional grocery stores, natural grocery stores, CSA's, farmer's markets, buying clubs, direct from farmers and from my own backyard. I occasionally decide that this is ridiculous, that I am not European and should simply shop at one supermarket and stop wasting my time running all over just to feed my family. I thought of the first CSA I participated in back when my husband and I were first new parents and eating a lot more take out pizza's than fresh vegetables. I thought of growing up near Madison and the Madison Farmer's Market that folks go to just for the experience, even if they don't need to buy any food. Then I arrived at my childhood and realized where it all began.

I grew up in a country neighborhood where everyone had two acre lots and big gardens. There were a ton of kids and we all played and roamed from house to house and yard to yard. During the summer we happily helped ourselves to the bounty from these backyard gardens. We knew where to find the best raspberries, the best peas, the best cucumbers. We ate tomatoes whole and wiped the juice on our sleeves. We found exotic caterpillars while we ate blackberries. Our parents didn't seem to mind that we helped ourselves and I wonder know if they planted extra for our "yard snacks". knew where to find the most incredible apples, but we hardly dared as that neighbor would come screaming out and chasing after us if we tried to take even a windfall. I swear she must of sat at her window, watching and waiting for us. Of course, it was sometimes worth the risk. We also ate things that grew wild in our lawns and woods. I am not sure how we knew that they were safe to eat or yummy and I am not even sure what most of them are today. We munched on clover, "sourgrass", and "Indian gum" and sucked the nectar out of "buttercups".

So I realized that "eating locally" was how I grew up. It is part of me and I've probably spent my adult years, searching out ways to bring this experience back. Going to the Supermarket would be a lot easier, but finding all the yummy food in your "neighborhood" is so much more fun.

Where is the Local Foods Fair?

2008-04-05T09:59:00.003-05:00

If you are from the Hartland Area, you likely know Hwy E (North Ave) and Hwy K. Lake Country UU church is at the intersection. This is North of Hartland near Arrowhead High School and across from Swallow School. It is a round building.

If you that means nothing to you, you can go to www.lcuuc.org and click on directions.

Local Food Fair

2008-04-04T09:21:00.003-05:00

We interrupt our April Challenge to let you know about the upcoming, super-cool, Local Food Fair at noon on April 13th at the Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church in Hartland. Eating locally has become the hip and eco-stellar thing to do, but if you don't know where to get your food locally, what's a person to do? Enter the Local Food Fair where we will have representatives from local CSAs, local food stores, and local plant growers who will help you learn more about how you can eat locally this spring, summer and fall. Some of the highlights of this FREE event sponsored by the Green Sanctuary Committee of the LCUUC include:

A presentation by Terry Vlossak, the owner of Full Harvest Farm, LLC about how choosing locally grown food is good for your health, the local economy, Wisconsin farmers, and the earth.
Maggie from Maggie's Herbs and Heirlooms who will have her catalogs available and who will be on hand to answer your questions about how you can grow your own food this summer in your very own backyard. Heirlooms... so cool!
A representative from Good Harvest Market in Waukesha will be showing off some of the local products that their store sells.
A kids booth will let kids taste some fabulous Wisconsin foods and ask them to guess where in Wisconsin those foods come from. Plus, kids will get to check out how some of those foods are grown.
Information about area Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSAs). This is the time of year to sign up for a summer CSA share and enjoy local, delicious produce all summer long!

More information booths and participants will be revealed over the course of this week leading up to the event. Check back here to find out more. And tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your neighbors! We hope to see lots of people at this event who are looking to make this summer their healthiest, eco-chicest summer ever. Yes, eco-chicest. I think I just made up a word and will be using it liberally throughout this blog from here on out. (Actually, a quick google search shows that no, I did not make up a word, and that other people have used it before... so I'm not totally out there I guess.)

The Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church is located at the corner of Hwy K and Hwy E in Hartland.

April Challenge - Green Your Lawn

2008-04-01T07:52:00.004-05:00

As the snow receded slowly over the past week it uncovered a well-hidden winter secret in my front lawn. Something (I'm guessing a mole or some other cute digger-animal) had a very fun winter digging a serious maze of tunnels just under the grass. My lawn looks a bit like a miniature construction site. I'm considering putting some toy trucks out there to round out the effect. I realize that most people would cringe at the sight of this newest development, but it sort of makes me smile for two reasons. One, I love the fact that animals like to call my yard home, it means they are finding food to eat and that it is free from nasty pesticides. Two, since the critters have done half the work already I figure this is the perfect excuse to finally dig up the rest of my front lawn and replace the whole thing with a lovely garden (something I've been dreaming of since they day I moved in 6 years ago).

Perhaps I'm starting this whole "green your lawn" challenge off on the wrong foot, but I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my lawn. I understand it has a function, especially with kids in our not-too-distant future. A lawn is good for picnics and games of tag and bocce ball and for laying on to gaze up at clouds on summer days. But then there is the mowing and the two weeks in May when I am embarrassed by our lawn because of the riot of dandelions partying it up. I'm beginning to realize that my lawn messes with my head. It makes me think about my role in the neighborhood vs. my role on the planet and then it makes me wonder why on earth these two roles are opposed. Suffice it to say, I need this "green your lawn" challenge as much for practical reasons as for psychological reasons.

So, here we go! Over the course of April we will share ideas for eliminating the need for toxins in your yard and ways to make your lawn and your lawncare routine green. I see good things for us in April!

Reusable Bag Winner!

2008-04-01T07:47:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Earthbound Spirit who is the lucky winner of our March drawing. She will get the two reusable bags made from upholstery remnants which were featured in our March 1st post. Thanks to all the commenters in the month of March, we really appreciate the feedback and ideas. We hope to do more giveaways in the future so stay tuned :)

And I do

2008-03-28T18:36:00.003-05:00

A few friends and I had a swap party a few weeks ago (in honor of purge month) where we all brought some of our cast-offs and fought each other for them. I came away with a few gems: a chess board, a mobile making kit, and this mug. I had been coveting one of these fancy traveling mugs for quite some time (to carry my oh-so-grown-up hot cocoa) and lo and behold, there was one in the swap pile. At first I was thinking I could cover up the Kohl's logo on the side, but then I realized, well, what's wrong with expecting great things? So I have now embraced it as my motto as well.

In that vein I headed to my local coffee shop, That Great Coffee Place in Hartland to test the waters to see if by using my super hip new-to-me coffee mug I'd get a discount on a beverage. I didn't seem to get a discount but a) I didn't ask as I felt totally out of place in a coffee shop surrounded by people way hipper and cuter than me and b) they seem to have a discount program for reusable mugs but only if you use a house mug (which my clearly labeled mug is not). The beverage, a cafe mocha, was delicious. While there I inquired about getting their used coffee grounds (like Starbucks' program) for my garden and was told I should follow up with the manager during the week, which I will do and report back to you. It would be quite exciting to bike over to TGCP during the summer and come back with used coffee grounds for my garden. It would add yet another level to my plans for my best garden ever.

Bag That Fits In Your Purse

2008-03-21T14:49:00.003-05:00

I have good intentions of bringing my own shopping bag. I have made it a habit to bring them grocery shopping most of the time, but I have to admit that I usually forget when I am heading out to buy anything else. My errands are simply not always planned but get built into and around carpooling, naps an unexpected free moments. As a result, I have found myself still accumulating plastic bags, even this month when I have been trying so hard not to.

Therefore, I am very excited about this collapsable bag I heard about that you can keep in your purse, glove compartment or pocket. Even if I bought more than what it could hold and used just one less bag, that would be better. What if we all did?

One place to find these was given to me by a commenter (they also sell SIGG bottles). It is called Greenraising http://www.greenraising.com and is a fundraising organization you can set up for your school, church or other non-profit organization that sells all sorts of environmentally friendly products. They have lots of other fun bags too, including ones made from juice boxes. Time to contact the PTO!

leftovers #1

2008-03-19T17:25:00.002-05:00

This is the first of several posts that I plan to do about storing leftovers without disposable containers.

We tend to have a fair amount of leftovers in our house. My husband and I happen to be the type of people who also love leftovers (I know there are those out there who only like food the first go around). About 10 years ago we bought a set of washable, reusable elastic covers (from Seventh Generation/Harmony) that you could just stretch over whatever container the food was already in. I loved them! They came in large sizes to go over casserole dishes and little ones just the right size for the half-eaten yogurt. We would wash them and hang to dry with our ziplocks.

Since then a disposable version of this product came on the market. These have all the same convenience without the great waste savings. Little by little our "stretchy cover things" wore out and when we tried to buy more, they weren't to be found. It doesn't help that I don't know what they are called, but all related descriptors failed to turn up anything on my Googling. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET MORE OF THESE? Perhaps they were found to be made of a horrible plastic or trapped harmful germs in the elastic and I should just move on, but I still miss my "stretchy cover things".

Yes, I may be crazy

2008-03-17T12:09:00.003-05:00

A few posts back I promised I would have a talk with the main trash producers in our house (the boys, pictured above) in order to come up with a plan to curb much of our garbage export and in turn stop the need for most of the plastic bags in our house. I imagined a day when taking out the trash would become a chore I never had to do. The boys didn't have much input on the subject, in fact, they kept trying to move the conversation towards discussing the diet they've been put on (our black cat recently weighed in at 22 pounds... this is mortifying as a cat owner). But then... Kris to the rescue!! She sent me this link which posed the question "Can you compost cat poop?" which led to this link about how to do it which then led to this link with all sorts of resources on what type of litter to use. So, I have had composting on the brain lately and think I might just take the plunge. I feel safe doing this as my cats are 100% indoor cats and therefore are very unlikely to carry toxoplasmosis. Even if I don't end up going the composting route, I will for sure be switching to a different type of litter as the evils of clay-based litter are now too obvious to continue to ignore. Based on the kitty litter resource link above I will be attempting to get Swheat Scoop or Feline Pine from Petco in Delafield or Cat's Pride, Feline Pine or Litter Mate from Pet Supplies Plus in Brookfield (their websites say they carry these brands, but I won't know for sure until I check it out in person).

I realize this is a VERY roundabout way of addressing the plastic bag issue, but it ties in somehow. Maybe one of these months we will do a pet care challenge and then I can report back on how my kitty litter composting is coming along. I'm sure you all will eagerly await that post.

plastic made from corn?

2008-03-16T18:58:00.002-05:00

While eliminating the need for bags and containers avoids the whole reuse/recycle step in the first place, there are times when we may simply need a disposable bag or packaging material. I keep seeing items made from a corn-based material and thought I'd look into it a bit more. I haven't done a lot of research yet and I am hoping some of you out there are experts. I noticed that the reusable coffee/drink cups at Good Harvest Market are made of this stuff and the disposable bags given out at the Organic Valley store in LaFarge, WI were also made of this. I recently read that companies from Newman's Own to Walmart are using it in their packaging.

So, from what I can gather here are the pros and cons. Once again, the choices aren't straight forward, but this does appear to me to be an improvement over petroleum-based plastic.

Pros:

1. Biodegradable/compostable. I have read and heard mixed things on this. Some say it would break down in a backyard compost, while others say you need an industrial, super hot compost. I did read that it does not need air to breakdown, would that mean it would biodegrade in a landfill?

2. Not a petroleum based product. I think it is getting pretty clear that we need to move away from this dependance for lots of reasons

3. Is a renewable.

4. It uses less energy and produces less greenhouse gases than the manufacture of plastic

5. It is a US product

Cons:

1. May not be as readily compostable/biodegradable as some say.

2. Corn uses lots of pesticides, herbicides and petroleum to produce. Read Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" if you want more info on the "evil's" of corn.

3. Corn is becoming an expensive resource with Bush's new Energy agenda to invest in corn energy.

4. Doesn't do anything to change our disposable culture

I am curious if others know any more pros and cons and if you know of any other businesses using these products locally

I Heart Sigg

2008-03-14T08:56:00.003-05:00

We all know that buying bottled water is bad. And most of us have also learned the scary side of some reusable plastic water bottles, such as Nalgene or other hard plastic bottles. So what to do? You get the world's coolest water bottle, Sigg. They seem too perfect to be true. 0% leaching into the beverages they contain. Recyclable at the end of their life. And they come in really fun designs and colors. I can't seem to find anything wrong with them. Does anyone know something I'm missing?

I know of two local sources that sell Sigg water bottles. REI in Brookfield, where we got our grown-up bottles and the unbearably cute kid sippy cups above. Kris also saw them at Good Harvest Market in Waukesha. Does anyone else know where to find these bottles locally?

Compost + Old Paper Bag = Brilliance

2008-03-13T13:58:00.004-05:00

Back in the day (and by that I mean, like, a year ago) I used a ratty, old, plastic ice cream bucket to put my kitchen compost scraps in before hauling them out to my backyard compost bin. Then, one day, brilliance struck. I was unpacking my groceries and silently cursing the fact that once again my bottles of wine had been put in little paper bags inside my cloth bag (I can't really blame the bag packers, as I'm sure they are sternly instructed to do this), when I looked at my ratty-ice-cream-bucket-turned-compost-carrier and then back at the little paper bag and thought, this is it, this is the solution to top all kitchen solutions. Instead of using the ratty ice cream bucket, which would get moldy and disgusting and I'd always end up tossing it after a few weeks instead of bringing myself to wash it, I could instead use these little paper bags to put my kitchen scraps in and then I could bring the whole bag out to the compost bin when needed (in my case, about once a week) and toss the whole thing in, scraps, bag, and all. I just keep a paper bag next to the sink and toss in kitchen scraps when I'm cooking. This has revolutionized my life. Or at least my kitchen life. Because those little paper bags that aren't good for much do accumulate. Like bags from the apple orchard or bags for wine or an odd lunch bag here or there or (as in the photo above) little bags from stores that aren't quite big enough to house my paper recycling. I feel this idea is brilliant. The slightly pathetic visual aid above, not so much.

Kris claims this idea wouldn't work in a house that has more than two people or where people eat more then 1 serving of fruit a week. She may have a point. My composting has been revolutionized, but my intake of fruits and vegetables needs serious improvement.

Plastic Grocery Bag Dispenser

2008-03-12T10:38:00.003-05:00

We use the plastic grocery bags that we get at the store to line our wastebaskets at home. We don't accumulate that many as we typically use our cloth bags at the store, but the ones that we do get can clutter up a space fairly quickly. To keep them in order I made a plastic bag dispenser from a Dioramarama tutorial I originally found on the Sew, Mama, Sew blog. This is a quick and fun project that will revolutionize your closet or kitchen space. Who knew a plastic bag dispenser could be so cute and so handy?

On this note, I'm with Kris on the thought that by using these plastic bags as wastebasket liners, I'm just justifying the existence of plastic bags. But if I didn't have these 'free' bags from the store, would I buy plastic bags for my trash? I can't see putting my trash in the garbage can without a bag, because then I have visions of all my trash, loose, spewing from the back of the garbage truck. I think the only answer to this is to stop producing ANY trash. I will talk to my two cats (who happen to be the major culprits behind the export of trash from our house) about this issue and get back to you on it.

What do I use for the dog doo doo?

2008-03-07T17:19:00.003-06:00

If I stop accumulating plastic bags, what do I use to pick up the dog doo doo? What about the cat litter? What about the bathroom trash pails? What about the garbage off my kids' bedroom floors? What about.....etc etc? The reuses (ahem, excuses) for these simple bags are endless.

I have been feeling pretty good about the fact that my bags get reused, if only once more. But, the point of a monthly challenge is to nudge us a bit beyond our comfort zone; to try to do a bit better than wherever we are at. So I've been thinking if this is really the best solution. Reusing is good, but when it comes down to it, my dog-poopy plastic bag ends up in the same landfill as the empty plastic bag. Could I do all these things without the plastic bags in the first place? What did pet owners do before so many millions of plastic bags? I have seen the little paper bags they have at the dog parks, but I am not inclined to buy something to replace something I had for free. I am starting to think that perhaps part of our collective resistance to using alternatives to disposable bags at the stores, is that these bags are really handy to reuse at home. If I decrease my need to reuse these bags, will I be more motivated to keep them out of my house in the first place?

This month I am going to try to think creatively-what would I do if plastic bags have been outlawed as they have been in San Fransisco? When I go to reach for a bag, I will try to think if there is another way to do what I need to do. I have a feeling that plastic bags might still be the picker-upper of choice for my dog walks, but I am hoping some of you out have already thought of a better way. I'd love to hear from anyone out there that has broken the plastic bag habit!

Stores That Give Discounts For BYOB

2008-03-05T20:50:00.002-06:00

Some stores will give the consumer a discount for bringing their own bags. Typically it is 5-10 cents/bag which isn't going to put your kids through college, but it is a win-win situation since it doesn't cost the store anything to do this (they would have paid for the plastic bags anyway).

I know that Hartland Market and Good Harvest Market (see links) both offer such rebates for bringing your own bag. Does anyone know of any other stores (grocery or retail) in our area who do this? Let us know so we can pass on the good news.

As a challenge this month, what if we each ask one store to start a BYOB discount?

Need a reusable bag?

2008-03-04T20:57:00.004-06:00

Need a resuable bag? Check out these hip bags made from recycled sails, seatbelts and bike inner tubes! They are locally made in Lake Country and come in many sizes that could be used for a purse, sports, diaper bag, or shopping. Like Courtney said, no one looks good carrying a plastic grocery bag!

www.Stelluca.com

March - Reusable Container Challenge

2008-03-03T09:59:00.003-06:00

February we purged, this month we take steps to make sure our houses don't once again become overrun with stuff. Enter the Reusable Container Challenge. This challenge asks us to take a look at the way we shop, the way we dine, and the way we tote the stuff of our everyday lives from here to there. The American way has led us down a path where we find ourselves carrying our purchases around in plastic bags and carrying our leftover dinners out in Styrofoam boxes. This is, aside from being totally uncool (no one looks hip carrying around a plastic bag, no one), a miserable way to treat our planet. What are plastic bags made from? Oil! Which, last time I checked, is sort of a big deal, the whole oil issue. Consider for a moment a few facts from the reusablebags.com website:

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.

Each high quality reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime. The bag will pay for itself if your grocery store offers a $.05 or $.10 credit per bag for bringing your own bags.

For the month of March we ask you to challenge yourself to take a look at the bags and containers you use to tote around your purchases and see if there is a way to make a change. Can you start bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery store? Can you remember to bring your own reusable containers to the restaurant to bring home your leftovers? Can you start packing your lunch in a reusable lunch box? Can you start buying items in bulk in containers you brought with you to the store to prevent the tide of plastic packaging coming into your house? What step are you ready to commit to this month?

Over the course of the month we will share local resources to help with the challenge (as well as tips that are universal). But we also want to hear from you fellow Lake Country residents!! In order to encourage participation on our little green blog we are doing our very first contest. So exciting! One lucky Lake Country commenter will win the two reusable bags in the photo above, just by leaving a tip or a question or a comment in our comment section anytime this month. While we love to receive comments from anyone, in order to be eligible to win you must live in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The winner will be drawn from all the eligible commenters at the end of the month.

A bit more info on the bags: they are made from old curtains, upholstery and clothing scraps and were sewn in a solar-powered studio right here in Hartland, WI. So, not only will they help you live a more eco-friendly life, they were also made with the earth in mind.

Egg Cartons, Part 2

2008-02-27T07:26:00.003-06:00

Suddenly the purpose of this blog is coming into focus!! Remember my little post about reusing egg cartons a few weeks back? (Of course you do!) I lamented the fact that the 'good' eggs (hee, hee) came in non-recyclable packaging. But get this: I just learned from a recycling specialist at the county that they are recyclable!! This blows my mind in two ways, one humbling, one mildly irritating. First, I used to work for the county's recycling program as one of their recycling educators, so, my job was to educate people on what could be recycled, what couldn't, whatever. And while I worked there (I left that job a mere 18 months ago) our mantra was you can recycle plastics with a #1 or #2 on the bottom, but only if they were bottles. #1s and #2s. Bottles. Got it. No other shaped things, no yogurt cups, no toys, only bottles. And now I learn that things have changed and I didn't know. That's the humbling part. Second, the irritating part. This has nothing to do with the county, by the way, I have nothing but love and respect for the women who work in the recycling department at the county, seriously some of the finest women I have ever had the honor of knowing. They do a great job handling an ever-changing landscape of recycling rules. My irritation lies with the plastic industry and the plastic recycling industry. First, why the numbers with the recycling symbol on the bottom of all plastics, when only #1s and #2s can be recycled? This only confuses people. People who mean well. People who want to recycle. People who feel it is their civic duty. Second, why the different rules in different places about recycling plastics? I know the answer, it has to do with markets for recyclable materials and collection processes, but, again, hello!!! Different recycling rules in Waukesha County vs. Jefferson County vs. Dane County only causes confusion among, once again, those people who really do want to recycle, and want to recycle correctly. This was a source of irritation when I worked as a recycling educator and it still bugs me. Get it together plastic recycling companies!! Make it easy, simple, no brainer-ish for people to recycle and recycling rates will go up. Aluminum, steel, paper... easy! Now, we just need to get the plastic recyclers to heed the memo.

Apparently I am a bit worked up this morning. The simple message you really need here is this: at this point in time you can recycle any plastic item that has a #1 on the bottom. So, egg cartons, bottles, oddly shaped thing-a-ma-jigs, whatever, so long as it has a #1 on the bottom. But, until later notice, you can only recycle a #2 that is a bottle, as in the neck is smaller than the body. #1 - anything. #2 - bottles only. Oh yeah, and all those other plastic numbers (3,4,5,6,7) still do not belong in your recycling bin. Just don't talk to your friends in Lake Mills about it, because their system is totally different. Wait, did I say simple message?

The T.V. Should it Stay or Should it Go?

2008-02-25T09:02:00.002-06:00

In early December, halfway through an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, I announced to my husband that I would watch the rest of the show, but then I would be turning off the tv for good. I told him he, of course, could continue to indulge in a bit of tv goodness now and then, but me and tv were done. What caused the break-up? Was it just the fact that I couldn’t stand to watch Meredith and Derek go through yet another hard time? While that has caused me irrational sadness in my heart (They’re perfect together! Beautiful people! Smarts! Doctors! Why can’t they figure a simple thing like a relationship out? How hard is this?!!!), the real reason behind the break up was two-fold. First, the ads had begun to cause me actual, feel-able nausea. I couldn’t take another cell phone ad or Macy’s ad or Target jingle. We don’t have TiVo, so the commercials just came with the package. Second, I didn’t like the ability the tv had of sucking me in for an entire evening of pointless entertainment. It was the brink of winter and I knew if I didn’t pull the plug, I would succumb to the usual winter pattern of sitting down to ‘just watch one show’ and find myself still watching a couple hours later. This despite the fact that I only actually liked two shows, the Office and Grey’s. (Jill has told me that this whole turning off the tv thing is awfully convenient what with the Writer’s Strike and all. She may have a point.)

So, that brings me to today. Last night I tuned into the Oscars for a bit, mostly to see if "Juno" got the props it deserved (it didn't), but that was the first time I had turned on the tv since the big shut off in December. I also wanted to see if, by turning off the tv, I was missing something. As it turns out, I really don’t miss it and after last night's lapse I feel even stronger about my tv blackout. I like my evenings full of reading or knitting or, gasp, talking with my husband. Which begs the question, should the tv stay or should it go? Our tv is a little 13-inch thing that my parents used to have in their motor home. It was a side-grade from our black and white tv. I say side-grade because it wasn’t exactly an upgrade (the black and white had better reception, though you had to tune in channels with a needle nose pliers) and it wasn’t really a downgrade (after all, this tv has a remote, so we can quickly and easily surf the 3 channels we get in our cable-less house). It’s not like the tv takes up a lot of space, but, still, a cubic foot of space in a small house is nothing to dismiss. So, I ask you, fellow purgers, if a tv isn’t being watched, does it still deserve a space in my house?

Host a Book Swap

2008-02-17T09:41:00.002-06:00

Are books breeding on your bookshelves and bedside table? With so many good books to read and inexpensive second-hand options, our household seems to attract books with magnetic force. A few years ago, I made a rule that we could only own as many books as would fit on our shelves. The selection process is difficult-what gets to stay, what must go. Since I tend not to re-read novels, most of them go. I do keep a few if they are likely ones I want to share with friends or family or if they simply make me happy by glancing at the title on the binding as I walk by (book lovers know what I mean). I realize this last rule is cheating. I also keep reference books that we use over and over. My daughter thinks it is silly to even own a dictionary with the internet, but I still like snuggling up on the couch with my gardening books in February in a way that my laptop just can't replace. This past year, we added two shelves and still the books are spilling across the bedroom floors.

Time to purge. I know for many avid readers, this advice will be on par with tooth extraction, but think of all the new "yet-to-be-read" books that you will be making room to invite in! In addition, if you love a book, share with others! Here are a few ideas for your books:

1. Host a book swap party. A group of women friends and I do this each year. We pile all our books on a table and take home whatever looks good (not a 1-for-1 trade necessarily). It is like Half-Price-Books with live book reviews! We donate what is left to charity.

2. Host a children's book swap. We do this at my children's school. The kids bring in books to donate ahead of time and the moms organize them by reading level and genre. The kids can then come by class to choose as many books as they brought in. We make sure that we have enough so that every child gets at least one, even if they didn't bring on in. It is wonderful to see their eyes light up at the surprise of getting a free book for summer reading. The teachers get to take any leftovers for the classroom, which is especially nice for new teachers who are building up their library. If you have 4-6th grade books to donate, we are always in need of these for the swap since most families donate books their kids have outgrown. Contact Hartland North Elementary at www.hartlake.org

3. Donate your children's books to an organization that gets them in the hands of children. Children's hospitals often give books to children who are hospitalized or can use them for their playrooms or waiting rooms. Our local library has a summer reading incentive program where books are given as prizes. Daycares or homeless shelters are other options.

4. Consider sharing a book through Book Crossing. This hobby shares books by leaving ("releasing") an internet registered book in a public place for someone to find. The finder can then let the placer know it was found online, read it, and leave it for another lucky finder. Check out www.bookcrossing.com

5. Swap your magazines. Hartland public library has a magazine swap shelf. We also do this at our church. Consider starting a swap in your community.

Share your ideas for local book/magazine swaps, donations and sharing on this blog.

Have your read this book?

2008-02-14T13:53:00.004-06:00

On the way to work this AM, I heard part of an interview with author David Wann (also of Affluenza) on his book Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle. I really liked what he had to say about the fact that living a more sustainable lifestyle can give us MORE time, MORE meaning, MORE connections in our community. This concept was one of the ideals for this blog. So often our culture seems to be stuck on the 1970's idea that being eco-friendly means doing without or sacrifice.

You can listen to the interview at http://wpr.org/ideas/programnotes.cfm

This book and others by the same author are available through the Waukesha County Library system so you can enjoy in a sustainable way!

Clothes Purge

2008-02-14T06:19:00.002-06:00

I once had a roommate who had the perfect clothes closet. I don't mean a walk-in or California closet. I mean what was in it. She had only 20 or so items of clothing. When I asked her how she did this, she replied, "I love everything in it and most of it goes together, I never have to think about what to wear". She was right-I loved (and borrowed) everything in it too! She didn't keep (or buy) clothes she wasn't going to feel good in on a day to day basis. My closet if far from this. I have clothes that no longer fit, that don't really go with anything, that just don't feel like me, etc.

I have a tendency to hang on to clothes for all sorts of reasons. There are the pair of "skinny jeans", you know the ones that represent hope and possibility. No one should purge those! There are also clothes that have memories (like that itchy bulky sweater I bought in college) that really should go. When it comes to kids, the thrifty and environmental choice can be to hold on to clothes to hand down to the younger siblings. I buy unisex snow boots, rain jackets and other gear for that reason. However, I did learn my lesson that hanging on to too much stuff can also be wasteful. I have two daughters, 7 years apart. I saved all the older one's baby clothes out of nostalgia and thrift. When the younger one was born, I was shocked to open those boxes and see that baby clothes really do go out of style and I didn't like a lot of what was in there. For seven years I was hostess to these boxes when those clothes could have served several other babies while the styles were still cute and in good shape. Now I try to pass clothes on to someone who can use them right away and find other's second hand clothes for the kids.

Here is a closet purge idea I recently heard about that you can try. Hang all your clothes backwards on their hangers. As you wear them, turn them around. By the end of the season, whatever you haven't worn goes. See our links for local donation options or make some extra cash by taking them to a consignment store.

Day 10 - Crafty Reuse

2008-02-13T16:36:00.003-06:00

It's a grocery store dilemma. Buy the conventional, caged-hen, bummer eggs in an easily recyclable paperboard egg carton or buy the organic, free-range, fabulous eggs in the non-recyclable plastic carton. Why do they do this to us? Don't the egg people know that the people who buy organic eggs are most likely also going to care about the eco-friendly-ness of the packaging? Come on people!! I used to not have to concern myself with such issues as I had Val and Betty, two lovely hens who laid packaging-free eggs right in my backyard. But Betty, sadly, went to chicken heaven and Val, to cure her lonesome-ness, went to live with her chicken friends Tulip and Iris at Kris' house. So now I have to deal with my egg and egg carton issues in the grocery store each week (or become a vegan or get more chicken pets).

Luckily, the plastic egg cartons are sort of like the Pringles container. So many reuse possibilities!! This carton begged to become a jewelry kit for a little girl. The inside of the lid can be decorated with fun paper (which doesn't show up too well in the photo) and the double carton on the inside folds out to become little cups for beads and string, plus extra empty cups for sorting beads in the jewelry-making process. Personally, I think this would make a very fun gift for a kid. Decorate it, fill it with beads of the kid's favorite color and tie it up with a bow. Let the fun begin! (I'm still searching for the perfect egg supplier though. Organic, free-range, local, and packaged in paperboard. Anyone know where I can find this?)

Day 9 - Crafty Reuse

2008-02-12T15:02:00.000-06:00

This project took a bit longer than expected (maybe because I spent a large portion of my weekend at my nephew's basketball tournament), hence the three days of no crafty reuse post. I saw this idea on Ali Edwards' blog, which is oh so fabulous and if you have any interest in scrapbooking you should check it out, she is so hip and has great ideas. Every Friday she does a Weekend Creative thing where she posts a sort of homework assignment to get your creativity flowing. Anyway, last Friday she posted this great idea of using a punch to see how different types of paper look and lay out together. She mentioned using junk mail as one of her paper sources and I was hooked and wanted to try out the idea. So, while I don't own a butterfly punch (and wasn't going to buy one as this month is all about purging, not buying!), I made a little template out of paper and spent some time cutting out little butterflies out of all sorts of scrap paper, from old maps, junk mail, magazines, out-dated promos for concerts, sheet music and lots and lots of scraps of scrapbooking paper (a great way to use up odd size scraps). Then I took an old frame, gave it a coat of paint, cut some new mats and voila! A fun piece of art work for the baby's room, made just from scraps of paper. Cheap, cool art with a reuse theme.

Freecycle it!

2008-02-12T06:46:00.000-06:00

Do we ever outgrow the excitement of getting something for nothing? If you are like me and still have a bit of that college-age mentality, it is time to try Freecycle (see link). Freecycle is a listserve where people can exchange their no-longer-needed treasures for FREE! You can sign up for a Waukesha County specific list, so you don't have to travel far to pick up your winnings. We have gotten a Nordic track, chalkboard paint and fabric, all for free! Such simple fun.

Oh wait, we are not supposed to be accumulating more stuff this month, even if it is with the nobel intention of keeping it out of someone else's garbage. Freecycle is also a wonderful way to find a new home for what you are purging this month, especially those items that cannot be donated elsewhere. We cleared out some yarn to a woman knitting for charity, found a boy scout troupe who could use an old trailer and passed along crib bedding to a new mom. Now, when we have something we don't know what to do with, my husband and I say, "Freecycle it!". It is great fun to purge stuff when you know it is going directly to someone who wants it. We're still looking for someone who might be in need of a very large flagpole-let us know if we can make your day!

Use It Or Lose It!

2008-02-10T21:04:00.000-06:00

My personal purging challenge for February is to begin by using and enjoying all that I have. Before I can decide what needs to go, I need to discover what I own and give some thought to whether or not it enriches my life enough to justify the space it takes up in my house. I am hoping that all this play will make it clear what to purge.

I am not universally opposed to "stuff". I am not sure it is always environmentally better to own less of it. A lot of the stuff I own has been handed down to me, therefore its stay at my house is part of its journey in the cycle of reuse. Much of the junk I squirrel away on the basement craft shelves have allowed my kids to create some pretty cool dioramas and school projects without an outing to the store. The excess number of coats in our closet does serve to allow my family to enjoy the Wisconsin outdoors in any weather.

However, I don't think we are unlike many American families in that we seem to keep accumulating more and more stuff. Holidays, birthdays and grandparents keep the flow coming in faster than I can figure out where to put it all. I find that I spend more time organizing and managing this stuff than I do actually using it! I dream of a more simple and harmonious relationship with my possessions.

Part of my motivation to pare down my stuff is that I would like to better use the space that we have. A recent home remodel has opened up new space in our basement. It seems wasteful to use it only for storage. I am hoping to make room to start my garden seeds indoors, for my husband to have a corner for his homebrewing hobby and a spot for the kids crafts and projects.

Our "use it or lose it" challenge began on a recent snow day when the kids and I headed for the basement to dig out crafts and games that hadn't been played with for awhile. Out came the Easy Bake Oven, a dream-catcher kit and the remote control flying saucer. It was like Christmas all over again! We realized that the ant farm had been sitting on the shelf for three years waiting for me to order another batch of ants. It is time to either get the ants for set it aside for the garage sale box. I began to mentally sort through everything in my house. Stuff that is used and enjoyed...Good. Stuff that lives in my house only to gobble up space and utilities...Bad. It is time for all this stored stuff to start earning its keep. Is there a reason I still have my Duran Duran albums from high school? If we haven't attempted the 3-D puzzle of Notre Dame after 5 years, is it likely we ever will? Can I find a loving home for these items other than a landfill? The next time I am in a store, will I stop to think about how likely my pending purchase will be in next year's purge pile?

Day 8 - Crafty Reuse

2008-02-08T16:09:00.000-06:00

Ah, Pringles. Tasty chips inside a perfect "meant to be disposable, but oh the possibilities of reuse" container. Sadly, chips of any sort rarely make an appearance at our house due to my husband's view that they are bad for us. (What? Chips? Bad for us? Crazy talk.) As luck would have it I have a sister who is allowed to have chips in the house and at her house I tend to gorge myself on chips and then ask if I can have the container. Anyway, today's crafty reuse involves old Pringles containers and juice lids (the ones from cans of juice concentrate), which happen to fit perfectly inside the Pringles container (spooky, really). Two games came from these humble materials. On the right we have a simple game of memory, where I once again reached for the Mod Podge and decoupaged little magazine images on to one side of each lid, making sure there were two of each image. It's amazingly easy to find matching photos in magazines if you happen to get two magazines of the same genre (like decorating or gardening magazines) they will often have the same ads in both for that month. On the left we have a little word game, where each lid has a sticker letter stuck to it and kids can mess around with spelling little words. In both cases I covered the Pringles container with scrapbooking paper.

A little side story here. Last fall I was at my chip-loving sister's house and with an empty Pringles container on our hands, my nephews and I made noisemakers for the Wisconsin vs. Illinois football game by filling the container with coins and pebbles (not a terribly pretty noise, but it worked, in that it made noise). My youngest nephew, who was two at the time kept bringing the noisemaker to me and asking for a chip, despite the fact that we had covered the outside with decorated paper, it still had the unique shape of a Pringles container. I had to explain several times that all the chips were gone and that there were just rocks inside, much to his (and my) disappointment. When my dad came over to watch the game, my nephew took it upon himself to break the sad news to his grandpa by bringing the noisemaker to him and saying "no chips, no chips" with a very sad look on his face. So, the lesson here is, only tackle these Pringles projects if your kids can handle the heartache of opening the can and finding, not chips, but juice lids.