AGHHHHHHHH… Sometimes, do you ever want to scream, “WHY don’t you people get it?”
Then I stop and remember that it is no accident that information is not spread to the general public. If you are wondering what I am talking about, go see “Food INC.”
However, I will start saying, “There is a plastic dump in the middle of the ocean that is 90 feet deep!” whenever I can find an opportune moment.

Maybe you read my first blog about composting. It was a little long, sorry. Although I think most people should still get started, and push through their reservations, I have a confession. There was a mouse or a rat in my compost.
A few lessons. I think winter in SLC prevented my ever growing batch from breaking down quickly. It was not in a sunny area. Perfect for a rodent to crawl right in and snuggle up!
The ideal thing is to make your own bin (less packaging, fossil fuels, etc.) I did not do that for my first one, and now I have done it again! Purchasing another compost bin. (My husband and I just aren’t that handy!)
I just want compost without rodents. So in a panic I went to Costco and bought one that turns and sits off the ground. This way I can move it into a sunny spot in the winter and give the other one a break.
I think when you get started, you may have your unique difficulties, but once you work through them I am sure it will turn out just fine. Good luck!

I have to say that I feel a little sheepish! After all of the research I do every day related to environmentalism and sustainability, I am just barely waking up to information about making your own products and the use of essential oils.
A good friend recently gave me a book called “Clean House, Clean Planet” by Karen Logan. It is so informative and written very well. Simple and easy. It is so amazing how much money you can save. You also save a lot of plastic packaging.
A quick tidbit from the book… Did you know that the active ingredient in Lysol is a registered pesticide. My family eats 90% organic, why would I have that in my house?

Wow! Awesome day. Amazing weather. Here are the websites I used for information regarding the homemade laundry detergent we gave out. www.doterra.com, www.thesimpledollar.com.

Here is the recipe that was used.
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing SODA, (not baking soda, although you can add a little)
2 cups grated Fels Naptha soap
Everything was found at the Smiths in the Aves.

For more info. “about making your own” classes and support for urban homesteading, check out utahurbanhomesteaders.webs.com

I have to share my serendipitous run in with a group of moms from my daughter’s school. SO fun!
Even though it was earth week, the conversation was nothing but, and I have to admit, it was a huge relief.

We were sitting there having our coffee and treats at the bakery(a very high quality bakery I must say.) Maybe 5 of us. The conversation HILARIOUSLY drifted over to which cartoon characters we hate and love (we were talking like they were members of our family!) Toys were next on the list. Barbie and Kent were mentioned.

You hear moms talking about wanting adult conversation, but this was too fun!

Recently I participated in a consignment sale. Of course Mom-Ease encourages reusing, so we
promote any consignment opportunities. Here is what I found out. Bottom line, it may not be worth your time.

Pros
-Encourages you to clean out your house (better feng shui!)
-You have a chance to make a little cash back
-You can shop while you are there, and you get first dibs on their half-off sale
-Reusing is Eco-friendly, and you do find great things to buy

Cons
-Extremely time consuming (everything has to have a certain label)
-The $12 fee is higher than you think (It may be worth it if you have large items that command a higher price)
-Mistakes are easily made (they initially paid half of what I should have made, although they did
fix it without a lot of fuss)
-You have to wait for a check (they did send it very quickly)
-You have to go at very specific times to pick up and drop off your stuff (very difficult with children)

To Sum up:
It may be worth it if you live closely to the sale’s location, or if you have a lot of large items
to justify the $12 fee and the 30% commission. The larger items are easy to tag, the clothing is difficult. There are no guarantees, and you may end up spending a lot of time for a very little reward.

Tips:
-Have a large yard sale with a few friends
-Craigslist, Freecycle, and KRCL are effective and you can keep the profit
-Find someone to trade with
-Donate
These may all be a little more effective, especially if you do not live near a sale

Good luck!

WOW! Talk about bad air. Several of my friends are suffering from colds, headaches, or just general malaise this week. SLC, Provo, and Ogden have some of the worst air in the entire nation!

I am terribly anxious because we have a one month old son! I have not even taken him anywhere because of the air. My daughter does not go outside for recess. If your school is still taking the kids out, you may want to consider talking to the principle about changing the policy for “red” air alert days. This is the worst rating.

Each day makes me more and more sad to look out and see this. There are many things we can do. The simplest is to stop idling. For more “advanced” actions, check out our website frequently. We post regular events around town, and work with Utah Moms for Clean Air to help make our environment healthier for our babes!

Happy new year! During the holidays we had a baby boy, so it was good motivation to start some deeper “green” soul searching.

Marketing is so good at getting us to believe that we need something, when we really may just want it. How does this relate to composting you say? Let me start at the beginning.

Of course my family and I try very hard to follow many of the guidelines that Mom-Ease has on our site. We are not perfect, but I hope like you we are just trying to do a little more everyday. I had put off composting for a long time. I thought I needed to go get the bins, do more research, etc…

I had a big “ah ha” moment when my daughter’s teacher was literally throwing things out of her kitchen window into a pile (she did have fence and no animals to worry about.) By this time I had the bins and still had not moved forward. I did know the basics, fruit and veggie scraps could be composted, but I was unclear about other things or “special procedures.”

To make a long story short, I just got started, and improved as I went.

Later a friend and I were talking, and she was having that same problem. I told her about my experience, and she proceeding to reuse an old bin and put holes in the top for air circulation (she did have a dog) and then she reused a large yogurt container for taking her kitchen waste to the bin in her backyard. Simple and no buying involved.

The quick basics, don’t use meat in home composting. You can use fruit and veggie scraps, egg shells, coffee grinds, paper bags with black ink, and lawn clippings and leaves. Occasionally turn over with a shovel or pitch fork, and add water or just let the rain hit it. Simple! If you just get started…