The Life Of A Seven Year Old: Outside Front Yard Of The World

The Life Of A Seven Year Old: Outside Front Yard Of The World

Small is Beautiful---Dwarf Veggies-Container Gardening

Have you ever wanted to garden but don't feel you have the space? Try dwarf varieties of vegetables. You can find just about any veggie you want to grow in a dwarf variety. These types can be grown in containers or roof-top gardens and can provide your family with the much needed fresh vegetables. One of my my families favorite veggies to grow is zucchini. Here is a recipe we use to eat baby zucchini.
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 med. onion, sliced
2 med. zucchini, thinly sliced

Heat the olive oil. Saute garlic and onion for one minute, then add the zucchini.

Sauteed veggies are a great way to enjoy fresh summer produce. Plant some veggies today, you have no excuses.

Eco-Friendly Dry Cleaners

If you absolutely have to dry clean your clothes, try to find one who uses non-toxic silicon based products. There are more and more dry cleaners going Green, you just have to look for one.

Did you know that many clothes labeled dry-clean only are actually washable by hand with soap and cold water? If you don't want to try that, find a cleaner that will wet-clean. They do not use chemicals to clean your clothes, they rely on steam, pure soap and vacuuming.

A Great Bathtub Cleaner

Porcelain, enamel and fiberglass bathtubs can all use this simple formula.

1/3 c. baking soda
1/2 c.borax
1 t. natural dishwashing soap (or your homemade version)
lavender and eucalyptus oil

Mix all the ingredients except oils. Then when well mixed, drop 5 drops of both lavender and eucalyptus oils in and stir into a paste. DO NOT DILUTE. Rub the paste on a clean cloth and use some elbow grease to clean your sink, shower and bathtub.
Works great, plus you can burn calories while cleaning. No offensive odor and you have a clean bathroom.

Wanna Scrap!

No, I don't mean the hair pulling, sand throwing, limb-locking tangle of a school yard tussle. What I'm referring to is scrapaction.org ! SCRAP stands for the School & Community Reuse Action Project. This wonderful organization is based in Portland Oregon. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to "inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community." In short, they offer the cast off yet otherwise usable materials from businesses and local organizations, to schools, groups, and even artists' alike. What do they offer? They offer a wide variety of materials from plastic beads, to holographic film, paints, fabric remnants and more. You name it. If it is headed for a landfill and is deemed safe to reuse then Scrapaction offers it!

They also offer many community based classes and programs that involve teachers, parents, students and artisans. These programs feature many creative ideas for using these cast off products. Many big name business and brand name companies are on the expansive list of donors for this program. Namely, Tazo Teas, Whole Foods markets, Portland store fixtures and the list goes on and on. Businesses are encouraged to donate their unwanted, unused, or even brand new products to help support the programs and classes taking part all over.

Scrapaction also owns and operates a walk-in storefront called the Creative Reuse Center where local artisans and everyday people can pop in and search out unusual additions to their latest masterpiece, school or community project such as metal parts, compasses, beads, paints and a variety of oddities at minimal cost. They are currently working on the addition of a fully functioning art gallery featuring only creations using environmentally friendly and reusable components. Scrapaction encourages all comments, questions and concerns about their rapidly growing educational program. This wonderful organization is certainly doing its part to help ensure that people from all walks of life always have sustainable options for whatever the project they may be involved in. And for this we give them a big thumbs up!

Simply Green Carpet Shampoo

This recipe is a very simple alternative to the toxic harsh smelling chemicals you find in store bought carpet shampoos. If you are like me and are highly irritated by smells and fumes. This shampoo is very simple and it works.

• 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid (can use your homemade versions)
• 2 pints distilled white vinegar
• water

Mix the dishwashing liquid into 2 cups of boiling water. Cool and a jelly like substance will form. Use a damp sponge to gently work this solution into the rug. Rinse with a solution of 2 cups distilled white vinegar and a quart of water applied with a clean cotton cloth or terry. Wipe dry and repeat as necessary. Takes a little more work, but well worth the results. (Test a small part of your carpet prior to cleaning)

Cleaning Wooden Floors with Homemade Cleaner

• 1/2 cup distilled vinegar (white-not cider, of course)
• 2 T. natural dishwashing soap
• water
• Lavender essential oils
• orange essential oil

Mix the soap and vinegar into a bucket with 2 gallons of warm water. Add in 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of orange oil and stir. Mop your floor, but do not get them over saturated.