Trying Some Gardening

I wanted to get out and work in my garden this weekend, but the rain and coldness put a damper on that.  At least I can work with the few things I have in pots on the back porch.  This is the first time I’ve attempted a garden for myself, but I wanted to have a garden with Ellie.  Unfortunately I didn’t exactly inherit my farmer Dad’s green thumb, so what I’ve planted is struggling to grow. 

Still, I wanted to at least try to have a garden.  I love fresh vegetables, and why buy them when you can grow them?  Okay I admit in the summer time I don’t buy them anyway.  I just call my Dad, and he brings me some of his, but I wanted to at least try to grow my own.

I planted my vegetables the same day my Dad planted his.  I was following his instruction and doing just what he told me to do.  He has a full garden on the farm, but he also keeps a few things on his back porch in planters where he grows year round, so he gave me instructions on how to do a potted garden.  I don’t know what I did wrong, but his stuff is thriving, and mine is barely popping through the soil.  I joked that I might just try crushing up some growtropin hgh and sprinkling it on the plants to see if they magically start to grow!  Instead I’m going to wait patiently and hope I didn’t kill my little plants before they even got a chance to get started.  If I did, oh well.  I guess I’ll have to send Ellie to Papa’s to dig in his garden!

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle

I was just talking to Hubby about how we need to get some extra storage for Ellie’s closet, but I we can’t really afford to buy what we need to organize it right now.  We were discussing ways to do this when a thought popped into my head.  I remembered how my mom used to go to the stores she shopped in frequently and ask for any old cardboard displays they may be getting rid of.  Most of the time they would happily give them to her.  I’m talking about the point of purchase displays you see at the end of isles or sitting out in open areas that are normally there to showcase a specific item.

She would take these displays home, paint them, and use them in our closets and utility room to store various items.  I could totally do that!  Since these displays come in a variety of sizes I could use them to store things like Ellie’s shoes, socks, etc.  I think tomorrow I might stop by a few stores and ask around to see if any of them have any of these old displays they would be willing to give me.  Most of the time the stores just throw them into the trash anyway, and I’m offering to reuse and recycle them.  We always have a few cans of old paint around the house, so I can easily paint them so they don’t stick out like a sore thumb either!

My mom also used to go to a fabric store and ask for the old cardboard rolls that the fabric came on.  The store was happy to give them to her, and my mom used them for all sorts of things.  The rolls were huge, and she used two of them to make towers where my stuffed animals hung for years.  It was very easy to do.  She drilled two holes in one end of the tube and looped rope through it.  Then she drilled holes down the tubes and inserted plastic hooks to clip our stuffed animals.  She hung them up in two corners of my room attaching the rope to a hook in the ceiling, and my stuffed animals lived there until I grew out of the stuffed animal phase.  I think I might have to try that, too.

Returning To My Summer Money And Energy Saver

Things have been tight for us lately, and I'm sure a lot of you can relate. People are still dealing with the recession, and that's caused a lot of changes in the way we all value our money.

We were already living with a pretty tight budget, and then we got hit with an increase on our car insurance, and major increases in our power bill, and water bill due to rate hikes. I did some comparing, and unfortunately we can't lower our car insurance much right now. Even though we're already at the lowest rate we can find right now it never hurts to get a few quotes, but all the quotes I've gotten from the other companies are actually higher than what we're paying. I was able to lower it a bit, though, by talking to our insurance agent to make sure there weren't any special discounts we were missing out on. We actually were missing out on one. We recently started a life insurance policy, and we get a 10% discount on our car insurance as well, so that will help a bit.

When it comes to the utilities our only option to control the costs is to make sure we're running as efficiently as we can, and not wasting. Hubby spent the weekend checking the house and doing some routine maintenance. He found a pipe with a slow drip under the house that he replaced, and he found 2 windows with bad seals. After replacing those we might not see a huge decrease in our bills, but every little bit helps.

I'm also trying to be more conscious of how we use things in our home. I'm constantly walking through the house turning off lights that were left on, and I discovered Hubby has not only been leaving the tv in the living room when he goes to bed at night, but he's been leaving his Playstation 3, our home theater system, and the living room lights on as well. I find myself shutting down his computer each night before bed, but he almost always goes to bed after me and wakes up before me. I had no idea he was leaving those things on at night, now I'm making it a point to make sure he turns them all off before retiring for the night. Every little bit helps, right?

I admit since having the baby I haven't been doing some of the things I used to do to conserve energy. This is the first summer since Hubby and I got married that I've primarily used my dryer. In the past I have always hung my clothes out to dry on nice summer days, but it's been hard to do that with the baby. The heat wave we've been having would be perfect for drying clothes, but it's impossible to drag her out in the heat for even a few minutes at a time. I talked to my Grandma, and since she's been wanting to keep Ellie more often through the week we worked out a deal. I'm going to save my laundry for the days she has Ellie, and I'm going to cut down on my dryer usage by taking advantage of that baby free time to hang my clothes out.

I've had many people over the years comment on the fact that I was line drying my clothes, and surprisingly most of the remarks have been negative. I was surprised by how many people were opposed to line drying for so many reasons. Those reasons include they think their clothes will be stiff, covered in pollen, and they think line drying is a hassle. I grew up with hanging out clothes and bringing them in from the line as one of my chores, so it's been a way of life more than an extra step I was taking to conserve energy.

My clothes have never come off the line stiff, and that's because I use fabric softener in my laundry (except for baby clothes) along with a bit of baking soda. I don't have any solutions for the pollen issue other than the fact that I don't hang my clothes out during those times that are really bad for pollen, but I don't think line drying is a hassle at all. Sure I've got to carry my clothes outside to hang them out, but I find it quite relaxing. I used to set aside one day each week as my laundry day, and I'd get everything done at once. As one load came out of the washer I would load another and head outside to hang out the first load. By the time I had the first load on the line the second would be ready to come out of the washer. I actually miss the way I used to do laundry because I enjoyed that time outside to myself so much, and I definitely miss the cash I was saving by doing so.

Baby Proofing & Upgrading

Lately we’ve been trying to make some improvements around the home.  First off we had a lot of baby proofing to do.  After living as a childless couple for 6 years we really hadn’t thought about just how dangerous our house could possibly be to a baby because we just hadn’t thought about it.  It’s not like I purchased my furniture 6 years ago thinking “in 6 years I’ll have a baby, so I need something with rounded edges”.

Before Elliana was born we did the basic stuff like putting the safety plugs in all the outlets and making sure none of our blinds had cords that could strangle her, but we didn’t take into consideration how much stuff we’d have to do.  Now that she’s on the verge of crawling it has really hit us, and we’ve been running around baby proofing everything in sight.  Hubby got the drawer and cabinet latches installed, and we gave up on the toilet seat latch as we both found it to be too much of a hassle for us.  We keep the bathroom door shut anyway, so I just bought one of those handle covers that keeps the kid from opening the door.

We’ve been buying bumpers for table edges, making sure furniture is attached to the wall if it’s not sturdy enough to prevent being pulled over, and stuff like that.  I found one of those baby coral things that I’m going to get to go around the wood stove so she can’t get to it. 

Of course while we were baby proofing we started making a list of 1000 other things we’d like to do in the house as well.  We’re going to finally finish our kitchen remodel, so while we were purchasing baby proofing stuff at Lowe’s we started checking out appliances.  I’ve been trying to find the cash to upgrade our old appliances to more energy saving versions, but with everything else I haven’t been able to make it happen.  Instead I’ve been researching everything waiting for the day I could afford to do just that.  I’ve done so much research you’d think I was trying to get an energy auditor certification.

I finally saved up enough cash to buy a new fridge, and then something awesome happened.  One of the homeowners Hubby was doing a remodel for gave us their old fridge.  It’s actually only about 2 years old, and it meets standards in energy efficiency that I could only dream about since it’s way more expensive and better than anything I’d be able to afford.  I’m very thankful because this happened right about the time our fridge decided to die, too.

Now I’ve still got money saved up that I was going to use to purchase the fridge, so it’s time to upgrade something else.  One of the first things we need to upgrade is the oven.  It’s about 30 years old, and it’s a stand alone type that’s built into the wall.  As old as it is I know it can’t be very energy efficient at all.  Heck I’m surprised the thing even works, but then again it was built in the days when things were built to last.  Now I’m off to do some online browsing to see if I can find a stove that I like in our price range that will meet the criteria I’m looking for.  If I have some cash left over I might even be able to upgrade to a tankless water heater now, too!

BabyGanics Review

I have to tell you how much I’m totally in love with the BabyGanics line of products.  I’ve been searching for the perfect non toxic cleaning line to use with the baby in the house, and this stuff is exactly what I was looking for!

BabyGanics is a naturally non-toxic household line made out of plant based cleaning agents.  It even says right on the bottle that it won’t hurt your kids and/or pets if they accidentally drink the stuff.  That’s my kind of cleaner.  The The line was created by 2 fathers who wanted something that’s not only safe for the planet but for their little ones as well. 

I spotted the BabyGanics products at Walmart about a month ago.  They were sitting on the end of one of the baby isles, and caught my attention.  I admit at first I was skeptical.  Most “green” products I’ve tried either don’t work well at all or really aren’t as green as I thought they were.  Time and time again I found myself checking out the products as we shopped in the baby section.  On one such occasion Hubby finally told me to stop staring at the stuff and just buy some already.  It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try, and $5 wouldn’t be much of a waste if we hated it.

I started with the Stain Stain Go Away Laundry Stain Remover, and I was totally in awe after the first use.  It pulled out poop stains that had been left behind after a previous wash with Oxyclean and Spray and Wash Dual Power.  It worked so well I decided to use it on Hubby’s work clothes that I’d given up on.  His work clothes tend to be stained so bad nothing will remove it, but Stain Stain Go Away pulled almost all of those stains out.  Some of them had been on his work jeans for years!

After having so much success with the stain remover I decided to move onto The Grime Fighter otherwise known as the all purpose cleaner.  Yep, I love it just as much.  I chose the fragrance free version, and not only did it clean everything to a sparkle, but I didn’t have to contend with that nasty chemical smell that causes most cleaners to leave my head feeling like I’ve been hit by a freight train.

I had thought about buying the Scrub A Tub tub and tile cleaner next, but I think I’ll hold off on that.  The Grime Fighter cleaned my tub and tile just fine.  I do, however, want to try the Floors To Adore floor cleaner that can be used on the linoleum we have now and the hardwoods when we get them installed. 

If you’ve been interested in checking out the BabyGanics line now is a great time.  Walmart is selling bottles with Buy 1 Get 1 free coupons attached, and other stores like diapers.com are also running discounts.  Go ahead and give it a try.  I have a feeling you’ll love the BabyGanics line just as much as I do!

Shopping Online Is “Green”

I learned something tonight that I find very interesting.  Buy.com has info about green shopping that impressed me once I read it. I never really considered the fact that shopping online can have a better impact on the environment, but apparently it's true. Carnegie Mellon University recently conducted a study that says shopping online not only consumes less energy, but shopping online reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 35% versus shopping in a regular brick & mortar store.

I do a lot of shopping online, and I shop a lot through Buy.com.  After reading that info I wasn’t surprised to read that Buy.com takes things one step further to reduce emissions by eliminating some of the steps it takes to move product from the warehouse to the consumer.  The more I think about it the happier I am that I do most of my shopping online.  Not only can I save money in a lot of cases, but I’m helping out the environment without even knowing it!

Make Your Own Laundry Rinse And More

While searching through recipes I just found a Laundry Rinse recipe that I think I'm going to go ahead and try as well. This will give me the option to add my essential oils to give my laundry that wonderful smell without all the nasty chemicals while still allowing me to use a powder detergent.

Here's the recipe from Modern Cottage.

Laundry Rinse (instead of fabric softener which is so bad for you and the environment, you don’t even want to know)

1. 1 gal white vinegar
2. 25-30 drops essential oil - optional (This was another internet purchase. We’re currently using “gardenia.” Mmmmm. Straight vinegar works just fine though.)

Use 1/4 c in the rinse cycle. I promise your clothes won’t smell like vinegar. The vinegar clears the last bit of soap remaining on all your clothes and reduces static.

I already use vinegar in 1 load every week to clean out my washer, so adding a few drops of essential oil to the bottle is easy.

I also recommend if anyone's going to try this you might want to go ahead and try another great vinegar use! I use vinegar to keep the bugs away! Mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Then just take a walk around the outside of your house spraying everything at the base of your house. Make sure to spray around doors and windows really well! It's mostly a mosquito repellent, but we've also noticed it keeps the spiders away, too!

A good homemade mosquito repellent for your skin is 1 part vinegar to 1 part mineral oil or baby oil. Spray it on before you head outside!

Most women know vinegar will not only remove chemicals left behind after shampooing, but it also helps condition your hair. My mom always used a vinegar rinse on my very long hair as a child to condition and detangle. That's something I still do as an adult, but now I also use vinegar on the dog, too. It conditions his coat while also helping to work as a natural insect repellent. It's also better than harsh dog conditioners that irritate his sensitive skin.

Ok I totally didn't mean to turn this into a 1000 uses of vinegar post. I'll save the rest for another day!

Making My Own Laundry Detergent

I've been using what some would consider "natural" laundry detergents off and on for awhile, but it's gotten rather expensive. I've seen a few recipes before to make my own laundry detergent at home, but most of the time I tell myself I'd rather pay a little extra to have someone else do it.

I've finally come to the realization that making my own laundry detergent is going to be very simple. These days it's super easy to find 1000's of different recipes online to make your own liquid or powder laundry detergent, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and dishwasher detergent. In most cases not only does it save cash in your pocket, but it also helps to save the environment a little.

Have you ever researched what type of harmful chemicals are in fabric softeners and laundry detergents? The list is scary!

After looking over a ton of different recipes I found one I'm going to try. I decided I want a powder detergent just because it's easier for me to store right now. I'm going to make it in small portions at first so I can adjust for my skin. I have very sensitive skin, so I have to choose bar soaps that don't irritate me. A lot of recipes I've seen recommend using Ivory soap, but I'm highly allergic to it. Another choice is Fels Naptha Soap, but I've never used it. With my skin I'm afraid to try it without hearing from others with sensitive skin who have used it before.

This is the recipe I'm going to try:

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

• Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
• Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

Optionally you can add essential oils (10-15 drops per 2 gallons) to the liquid versions. I don't know about powdered versions, so if anyone has any ideas for that please share them with me.

After using this for a few weeks, if I like it I'm going to move on to recipes for fabric softeners and dish detergents. I'm not sure if I'll ever try the dryer sheet recipes since I hardly use my dryer (only on rainy days when I can't put my clothes on the line).