I love gardening as it is a great time to be close to nature but also a great time for quiet thinking. The only thing about gardening is that I have never known how to keep it on the natural side, what I mean by that is not use the harmful chemicals to keep bugs away. So this winter I decided that I would research what some of the best things I could do for the normal things that occur in the garden. This is what I have come up with.

• Weeds- Take wet newspaper and layer is on the plants. Overlap it and then add mulch. It is better than plastic because it is biodegradable.
• Mosquitoes- Keep a dryer sheet in your pocket but if you think you might be allergic to the stuff in the dryer sheet avoid contact with your skin.
• Squirrels- Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the plants and bulbs
• Fruit Flies- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dish soap, mix it well in a container (we use the small glass fruit container or baby food jars)
• Ants- Sprinkle cornmeal around your kitchen baseboards or the edge of the garden will kill the ants
• Slugs and Snails- Crushed egg shells work to keep the slugs out or you can put some copper wire in the garden to keep them out.
• Dandelion- Dig them out as soon as you find them. A great way to keep them out of the yard is to maintain your lawn and keep your grass deeply rooted, this will leave no room for the weeds to root and grow.

The past warm days have gotten our family thinking about cooking outdoors and how much fun it is. This year, I think we are going to try something that is more environmentally friendly. I came across these cool solar powered ovens and knew this was something I wanted to know more about. There are several different kinds of solar powered ovens and grills that have been designed to harness the power of the sun to cook our food without the use of harmful fossil fuels. Here are some of the things that I found that make this a great alternative for anyone who loves to grill outdoors or even camp.

• Cook for free- Since you are cooking with solar power, all you need is the sun.
• Like a home oven- Most solar powered cookers can reach temperatures of 360-400 degrees.
• Safe- Since there is not fire, there is no danger of setting a campsite on fire (or forgetting to put out the campfire when all go to bed)
• Versatile- Most of the solar cookers can be folded to the size of a small suitcase. Meaning they are are not only easy to use but can be taken nearly anywhere you want to cook outdoors.

Anyone who has baked something to only have it stick, knows how frustrating it is. Just last year, I invested in some silicone bakeware and have not had anything stick since using it. Most people when they look at this type of bakeware don’t believe that it can withstand cooking anything because it is so flimsy and flexible. But I have baked just about everything in them, including a pull apart cake, and they stand up to the thickest and heaviest of batter. The benefit to them being so flexible is that you can flip them inside out and your baked goods will just come out. This is especially helpful when you cook breads. Another wonderful benefit is that they can withstand temperatures over 400 degrees F. Storage of them is easy because since they are flexible they can fit almost anywhere.

With Spring not that far off, I wanted to take a look at something that we have been thinking about getting for awhile now. That is solar panels and their benefits. Many people know that they are used for energy and that they are a great alternative. The best thing about them is after you have saved money on energy bills that they have paid for themselves, the rest of the energy collected is free. Most places even have to buy back the extra energy that you are producing from your solar panels. This means that you can have enough energy collected to run your house as well as make money because the energy company has to buy it back from you. They do cost a bit up front but will pay for themselves and can even make you money in the future.

I was thinking about what to write for today’s blog post and couldn’t decide on just one topic to write about. Therefore, I have compiled a short 10 item list of things that you can do to make your household more eco-friendly.

1. Pay as many of your bills online as you can. This helps with the amount of paper that is sent out and eventually just thrown away. Many of the bills can also be put on paperless billing where they will send you your bill through email, saving even more paper.
2. Recycle everything you can. Most items in your house can be recycled including cans of food(after washed out), glass, plastics and paper.
3. Buy products from companies that don’t use more packaging then needed. If there is not other solution then call the these companies and ask them to rethink using less packaging for their good.
4. Switch your light bulbs to the compact fluorescent bulbs. Not only will they last longer but they will use less energy.
5. Plan your errands out so that you are using less gas when running them. This will also save you time in the long run because you will have a plan and not just running around as you think of what you have to do.
6. Use low-flow toilets and shower heads. Also fix leaks as soon as you know about them.
7. Get a library card to borrow books you want to read or use Bookmooch.
8. Turn lights off when not in the room and unplug any electronic devices you are not using, because even if they are off they are still drawing energy.
9. Turn your thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer.
10. Use cold water and only do full loads of laundry.

Saving money has become very important with the state of the economy. It is also important to find ways to save money that are good for the environment. Some stores have taken this to heart and are offering a new and exciting way for their customers to save money. This is done by finding coupons online and having them put onto your store card, which will then be take off your bill when you swipe your store card. This cuts down on the amount of paper coupons are being printing, which in turn cuts down on the amount of paper and printer ink being wasted. This is something that you should check to see if it is available in your area the next time you want to use coupons to go shopping.

Bath time is the perfect time of the day to relax. Many people add things to their baths to make it even more relaxing. This is often done by adding bath fizzes to the water that will dissolve and leave a relaxing scent. Often it is hard to find scents that you really enjoy and this is where making them at home to use are perfect. They also make the perfect gift to give to all of your friends and family.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1 cup baking soda
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• About 6 drops food coloring
• 10 to 15 drops essential oil(s)
• Special equipment: 2-ounce travel-size spray bottle, plastic pipette, silicone ice-cube tray, storage jars

Directions:

1. Stir together citric acid, baking soda, and cornstarch in a glass measuring cup.

2. Pass mixture through a fine sieve or a flour sifter into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar.

3. Fill spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Spritz mixture lightly (it should become damp but not fizzy) until you can pack mixture with your hands.

4. Using pipette, add oil, 1 drop at a time, until strength of scent is to your liking. Using a metal spoon or your hands, mix ingredients until color is even throughout (mixture will begin to dry out; when this happens, spritz until packable again).

5. Spoon into ice-cube tray, pressing firmly. Let dry at room temperature overnight. Pop out of tray gently. Transfer to jars.

Lip balm is something that millions of people every year. It is a necessity for anyone during the winter months to protect your lips from the cold and wind. The biggest problem with most commercial lip balms on the market is that they are made from petroleum products which are harmful to the body. Lip balm is must safer if made at home or from a certified organic supplier that uses beeswax. Making your own lip balm is easy and you get to choose if it has a scent or flavor to it.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon beeswax pearls (also called pellets or pastilles)
• 1 tablespoon pure Shea butter
• 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
• 10-15 drops essential oils

Directions:

1. Melt beeswax, Shea butter, and almond oil together in the top of a double boiler or in a heat-safe bowl set over a pot of simmering water; stir continuously with a whisk.

2. Once the ingredients are liquefied, remove them from heat. Whisk in essential oils. Working quickly, transfer the liquid to a measuring cup or a container with a pour spout and then divide it among four 1/2-ounce lip balm tins.

3. Let balms cool completely until solid, about 20 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place.

Variation: Peppermint-Eucalyptus Lip Balm
Use 6 drops of peppermint essential oil and 4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil.

Variation: Vanilla-Rose Lip Balm
Use 10 drops of rose oil, also called rose otto, and 5 drops of vanilla oil, also known as vanilla absolute.

I have been thinking a lot about gift baskets in the past month. Mainly because my best friend is about ready to have her first baby and I wanted to get her something that would be useful for her but also be good towards the environment. Gift baskets can create a lot of unnecessary trash mainly because most of them that you might buy at the store have the clear wrap around them and include things that are already in packages. All of this trash can be cut down by making your own gift baskets and thinking about what is going into them. For my friend I have decided to buy a basket that she can later put things in for the baby and then buy stuff like cloth diapers, towels, soft toys not in packages and a photo album. This will cut down on trash and is a thoughtful gift for someone.

Going to the spa is a great experience and can be very relaxing. The only problem is that it requires a lot of waste. This waste includes the gas to drive to the spa and the electricity to run the spa. The solution is to make your own spa materials at home. Today we will look at making your own salt based body scrubs. Over the next two weeks, I will also share how to make your own lip balm and bath fizzes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Epsom salts or organic cane sugar
• 1 cup carrier oil
• 8 drops essential oil in any scent you find relaxing
• 1 drop food coloring
• Special equipment: plastic pipette, canning jars

Directions:

1. Stir together Epsom salts or sugar and carrier oil in a bowl, mixing well.

2. Using pipette, add essential oil, 1 drop at a time. Add food coloring, and stir until color is even throughout. Spoon into canning jars.

3. (This step is optional and would be good if you are making these as gifts) Download clip-art labels, enlarging or reducing to fit top of canning jar if necessary. Print onto ink-jet bumper-sticker paper (which is designed to withstand water). Cut out the labels, and affix to clean jars.

Lotion is something that at least every woman has around the house. The only big problem with commercial lotions is that there are all sorts of chemicals added to the lotions. They are also found in plastic bottles by the millions. I have started to cut down the amount of chemicals and plastic bottles by making a simple body lotion at home from things found in my kitchen already.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. borax
• 1 cup rose water
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Lavender flowers
• Medium mixing bowl
• Small microwave safe bowl
• Hand mixer or whisk
• Strainer

Directions:

1. Make basic homemade lotion. Mix borax and water in a medium bowl. Use a whisk or hand mixer. Warm the olive oil in a small bowl in the microwave. Using a hand mixer slowly add warmed olive oil. Mix until all ingredients are added and an emulsion forms.
2. Make lavender water. Infuse two handfuls of lavender flowers into 2 cups boiling water. Stir flowers in water for 15 minutes. Pour water through a strainer to remove flowers.
3. Add lavender water to the emulsified lotion mixture. Mix and let stand for about 1 hour. Strain the mixture and put into a container for future use.
4. Pick a different scent. Consider using rose petals, orange peels, cinnamon sticks, sage, rosemary, geranium, juniper or any other scent. Just infuse the same way you did with the lavender flowers.

We have started to cut a lot of unnecessary costs out of the budget by making some of the products we need ourselves. Toothpaste is something that we have to have so I looked all over the Internet for good recipes on how to make it ourselves. I found a recipe that the whole family loves and the great thing is that I can easily customize it with food coloring for each member of the family.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/3 cup salt
• 3 teaspoons glycerin
• 10-20 drops of peppermint oil (or another flavoring if preferred)
• 1 drop of food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix the salt and baking soda first.
2. Add the glycerin to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
3. Add enough water to make a thick paste.
4. Add the flavoring and the coloring. Put your homemade toothpaste into a small refillable plastic squeeze bottle or any container that dispenses easily and won’t leak. ( We just use Ziploc bags and cut a small hole in one corner.)

Mouthwash is a vital part of your teeth cleaning process. The only problem is most people probably don’t know everything that goes into the mouthwash that they are using. This can be dangerous. It is also harmful to the environment with all the plastic bottles that have to be manufactured to hold the mouthwash. Something you can do is to make your own mouthwash. It is simple to do and will save you money and the environment.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces water
• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 teaspoons liquid glycerin
• 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
• 10-15 drops Spearmint essential oil

Directions:

1. Boil water and vodka, add glycerin and aloe vera gel.

2. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly.

3. Add spearmint oil, shake well. Pour into bottle, cap tightly.

Valentine’s Day is almost here so it is time to think of what to get your better half. These coupons for various romantic things are the perfect way to so something special and also not buy a gift that they won’t like. They can be found all over the Internet or you can make them from blank note cards by hand. However you choose to make them, make sure that they are things that the recipient will enjoy doing.

I wanted to share some tips that will help parents when sending their kids back to school. Sending kids to school with lunches can be one of the biggest areas where you might use wasteful products. Here are some tips that can cut down on this.

• Buy organic or local food and snacks- By buying these types of foods you will teach your children about living organically as well as being able to help local farmers out.

• Use reusable containers: This will cut down on the amount of those plastic baggies that are being thrown away everyday.

• Recycle- This will show your children how important it is to recycle whatever you can.

• Save Energy- Walk or carpool to school. This will save on the amount of pollution that is put up into the air.

• Buy Eco-friendly/Recycled School Supplies- This can include environmentally friendly products, non-toxic products or materials that are made out of recycled materials.

Homemade cleaners are much better to use than chemically made ones that you would purchase from the store. This is because most of the homemade cleaners will be made from natural products that are not harmful to yourself or the environment. Here are a few of the ones that I use in my own home.

Window Cleaner- Mix together 1/4 cup household ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a 32 oz. spray bottle with a tight fitting cap. With the remaining room, put in warm water. Shake well to mix.

Laundry Soap- You need: 1 bar soap, 1 box of washing soap, 1 box of borax, 1 five gallon bucket with a lid, 3 gallons of tap water, big spoon to mix with, a measuring cup, and a knife. Step One: Put about four cups of water into a pan on your stove and turn the heat up on high until it’s almost boiling. While you’re waiting, whip out a knife and start shaving strips off of the bar of soap into the water, whittling it down. Keep the heat below a boil and keep shaving the soap. Eventually, you’ll shave up the whole bar, then stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have some highly soapy water. Step Two: Put three gallons of hot water (11 liters or so) into the five gallon bucket – the easiest way is to fill up three gallon milk jugs worth of it. Then mix in the hot soapy water from step one, stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute, then add a half cup of borax if you are using borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then it all sit overnight to cool. That’s that! The next day, you’ll have a bucket of gelatinous goo that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used. One measuring cup full of this goo will be about what you need to do a load of laundry – and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent. Thus, out of three gallons, you’ll get about 48 loads of laundry. If you do this six times, you’ll have used six bars of soap ($0.99 each), one box of washing soda ($2.49), and about half a box of borax ($2.49) and make 288 loads of laundry. This comes up to a cost of right around three cents a gallon, or a savings of $70!!!

Bleach Alternatives- You can use vinegar, lemon juice, borax, hydrogen peroxide or washing soap.

Clean homes are important to just about everyone. While it is important to have a clean home, it is more important to clean your home safely for both yourself and the environment. Here are some tips that will help you to do just that.

• Always follow directions on cleaning products when they contain the words Caution, Warning or Danger. When you have used this product dispose of the container by taking it to the local hazardous waste center.

• Make your own household cleaning products. I will be sharing some recipes I use at home on Wednesday.

• If you wash you car at home with soap, park on grass or take to a commercial car wash that sends the water to a waste water plant.

• Stop using paper towels and use washable dish towels instead. You will be amazed by the money that you are saving, plus the trees that will be saved.

• Never use aerosol sprays, buy products that have a pump spray on.

• Never pour cleaning products into storm drains.

• If you use a wood stove or fireplace, only burn dry, seasoned wood and keep it covered.

• Buy Energy Star household products, when you have to replace something.

• Insulate your home, you will save on your energy consumption and in turn save money.

Everyone has access to these tubes around their house whether they use toilet paper or paper towel. These cardboard tubes are usually thrown away and some people even throw them in the recycling bin, which is a good thing. But there are many other uses for these little tubes that can help you around the house. They can even be used, as seen above, to help your household become more organized. Here are some examples of just that.

• Cross Stitch Storage- These can be used to keep your cross stitching pattern or finished works before you frame them or give them away.

• Paintbrush Carrier- These tubes make a great carrier for paintbrushes to and from art class or friends houses. If you put a paper towel into one end of the tube you can easily drop in the paintbrushes without worrying about them falling out.

• Store Pantyhose- Each tube can hold 1 pair of pantyhose. Just fold them up into about palm size and slide them into the tube. They are also a great way to travel with pantyhose because they are not going to tear as easily in a cardboard tube in your luggage.

• Grocery Bag Storage- Just fold the grocery bags into a fan like shape and slide a bunch into each tube. Then place them into a drawer or cupboard.

• Cord Organizer (as pictured)- Just fold your cords up back and forth and slide them into the cardboard tube. This will keep them from getting tangled in your drawers.

Anyone who has gone to the local farmer’s market, knows about the baskets that the fruit and sometimes veggies come in. Most of the time they are in the berries that you will buy in the local grocery store. These baskets often get thrown away without a thought about it. Don’t throw these away, the next time you go and buy something, recycle them and get yourself more organized without having to buy new container to do it. Here are some great uses for these little baskets.

• Soap Holder- Get suction cups with hooks and these are handy little baskets to hold your soaps and small items when in the shower.

• Brush Cleaner- Put the small baskets inside clean margarine tubs and they will clean your paint brushes.

• Packet Organizer- Can put these in your cupboard and they can hold your spices and loose tea bags keeping your organized.

• Bubbles- Fill a bucket, large enough to dip the berry basket into, with water and liquid soap. Dip the basket into the bucket and gently wave in the air.

• Protect Your Bulbs- When planting in the garden plant these baskets, preferably the mesh ones, and keep your bulbs from being eaten by rodents.

• Dishwasher Basket- Put the small things like pet food lids, baby bottle caps, etc. into these baskets on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Just about everyone who has owned a CD gets to the point in that Cd’s life where it won’t play anymore. Most of the time, we just throw these away and buy a new one. Well instead of throwing them away, why not try one of these cool and unique ideas for those old and broken CDs.

• Drop Spindle for Spinning Wool- You will need two CDs, a dowel around 12-16 inches long, rubber tubing and a small metal hook. Take these and place the rubber tubing around the dowel and place it into the center of the CD. Push the CDs down the dowel about 4 inches down. Screw the metal hook into the top and spin.

• Christmas Light Reflectors- Use a size C-7 clear colored bulb and put it through the middle of the CD. These look great on wooden stakes lining the sidewalk.

• Candle Display- Take the cd and place it shiny side up and then simple place a pillar or votive candle on top.

• Wall Decorations- Hang them up on the walls as borders or put them around mirrors or windows.

• Coasters- To do this simply take the old cds and cover one side in felt.