Thursday, June 30, 2011

#8 Recycling your cellphone

This is a repost, but well worth having the information out there. I'm slowly continuing my 101 project, this being the 8th installment.

I saw this image here which I included below. As confusing as a lot of this green stuff can be, I think the need to recycle things is simplified well here. The image speaks for itself.

Here are a few places to consider when you are getting rid of your old cell phone.

1. Cellphones for Soldiers.
2. Recycle my Phone
3. Call to recycle will take cell phones and batteries.
4. Recellular has a way that you can get paid to recycle.


the environmental impact of cellphones The Environmental Impact of Cell Phones

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Good Home Co. -- Dryer Sheets

I was asked by Jennifer over at Blue Sky Communications to review one of The Good Home Co.'s product.  I gladly accepted, and they sent me a package of lavender scented dryer sheets.  The company was started by a woman (love!) whose specialty apparently is with fragrances.  I loved this lavender.  It didn't smell fake, or "purfumey."   It was pleasant and relaxing, as it should be.



I've used the sheets in the dryer of course, but I've also tried them in my linen closet and even in my suitcase while traveling.  The scent is strong enough to keep my clothes fresh while traveling, and it seems to last quite a long time this way.  I like the strength of the scent when it comes to laundry.  My sheets smell comforting when I put fresh linens on the bed.  Yet the fragrance is light enough that my son doesn't have to complain of "smelling like a girl."  

I have to admit though, the main downside of this product is the price.  $14.00 for 40 dryer sheets.  These are definitely a high end product that has no room in my budget.  That's too bad. If the price doesn't deter you, I would recommend this product.  It does what it says.  Enjoy!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Popcorn - A healthier way

My kids and I love popcorn.  It can be a healthy cheap snack.  We all know movie popcorn is super bad for you with all the salt and oils they put on the popcorn, but what lot's of people don't know is that microwave popcorn isn't a good alternative.



Popcorn bags have lots of chemicals in them, one being perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). When the bag is heated up in the microwave PFOA can leach into your popcorn.  PFOA's are "part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA," says Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group. 


As for the butter flavor, that is typically from a chemical called diacetyl.  This chemical is thought to cause lung cancer in factory workers.



So what do you do instead?  The stovetop is one option, another is an air popper.  Mine is almost 10 years old now, and it recently died.  With no budget, I looked to my microwave for answers.  I'm green on a budget, remember?  Whole Foods has these little paper bags right next to their check out.  I grab a few on my way out just for popcorn.


I put about a half a cup of organic popcorn kernels in the bag and set it for 3 minutes and thirty seconds.  I have enough popcorn for the kiddos and I to have a yummy afternoon snack.



Melt some pure organic butter, and some sea salt and you have a divine snack.  Get creative, add some herbs like dill, or oregano to the mix.  Sugar and cinnamon make a good mix too.  The possibilities are endless.  All with the healthful twist of knowing what your eating.


What's your favorite flavor?




Saturday, June 25, 2011

Putting it all back together...part 2

It's a complicated story as to why my life is the way it is right now. This is only the second installment, but if you'd like to start from the beginning you can find it here.

When I left Virginia, my husband had already gone to Colorado.  He'd found us an apartment and had to start work the first of June.  I didn't leave until almost two weeks later.  I was annoyed.  He left and I felt abandoned because I had to get the house fixed up on my own.  He even took my tools (der der).  I relied heavily on my church to help me get my house in order.  How I love and miss those people.  With money being so tight though, I had to do all the work myself.  The cleaning, carpet steaming, painting.  I managed to find a plumber and people who were handier then me.  For two weeks I worked myself daily to the point of exhaustion.  I cried, but I pushed on.  When that was all done, I packed up my van, and made the first stretch of the drive alone.  I went from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to Dayton, Ohio to meet my husband at my in-laws.

We spent the night there, and then continued on our trip.  The second day we made it to Kansas, and managed to find a hotel just on the other side of the Missouri/Kansas line.  On the third day, it was the most boring drive ever.  Kansas is a boring, flat state.  I remarked repeatedly how weird it was to be where there was nothing.  No trees, no mountains...just flat grassland.  The goal was to make it to our new place today, and we had about a 9 hour drive in front of us.  We made it though, and seeing the Rockies for the first time was breathtaking.

Getting to Colorado, I was optimistic.  I was beginning a new chapter of my life, one that I hoped would be better then the previous ones before.  That I'd find my comfortable rhythm of life again.  The hubs and I had some work to do with that, our marriage had taken a hit with the last year of unemployment and now the move.  I looked for a church, and I looked for a marriage counselor.

To be continued....

Friday, June 24, 2011

Garden Pool

What a brilliant idea. This is what I'm talking about. Low budget, and thinking outside the box. Reusing and recycling at it's best.


Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Great American Backyard Campout


This Saturday evening marks the Great American Backyard Campout. I wish that the kids and I could make a bigger deal of this event, but sadly we'll be on the other side of the country visiting my parents that weekend. Perhaps if my parents are up to it, we may camp out in the backyard, but since we won't be in our home turf, we can't commit.

This worthy event is a fundraiser for the National Wildlife Federation.  Definitely an organization I can stand behind.  If you're going camping this coming up weekend, or any time soon here are a few tips from the experts at REI.


Before an Overnight Trip:

·         Practice camping at home: If your kids are outdoor newbies, pitch a tent in the backyard or even inside your home. Let them hang out in it and sleep in it so they become comfortable with a new sleeping environment.
·         Take a trial run: Before your overnighter, try a family day outing at a close-to-home park. Spend a half-day or so at a lakeshore or park and see how your kids react to extended outdoor excursions.
·         Take notes: Write down reminders for future trips: "Pack more sunscreen." "Bring long pants." "Leave bongos home."

Preparing for a Trip:

·         Be enthusiastic: Why should kids get fired-up about an outdoor adventure if you're not?
·         Involve your kids: Make trip planning a family affair. Ask kids for ideas of possible things to do or see at your destination. Take their input seriously.
·         Kids as packers: Give children the responsibility to pack their own gear at home (using a list you've created). A parent should double-check a child's packing job before leaving home.
·         Keeping kids (somewhat) organized: Have your kids pack every personal item in a duffel bag and encourage them to always return those items to that duffel. ("Mom, where's my paddleball set?" "Look in your duffel, dear.") Each child's duffel should be a different color for easy identification.
·         Favorite toys: Let kids bring some of their favorite playthings so the campsite doesn't feel entirely foreign to them. Need ideas for new toys? View our suggestions later in this article.
·         Friends are valuable: It can be fun for kids to camp with another family that has kids. Your kids may get bored with adults after a while. With playmates, they could be happily occupied for days.
·         Bring bikes: Bikes are handy in a campground, so consider bringing a few along. If it's a long way from your campsite to the beach or play area, it's faster (and more fun) to use a bike instead of walking or firing up your vehicle. Bikes keep kids entertained, too.
·         Check fire restrictions: Planning on a campfire? Before you leave home, make some calls to determine if campfires are permitted at your chosen campground. If not, make sure everyone in the family knows in advance. There's no bigger disappointment to a kid who has packed all the s'more fixings than to discover that a burn ban is in effect.

At the Campground:

·         Exude a positive vibe: Family-camping rule No. 1: Be prepared to cope with inconvenience. Everything is in a different place. The bathroom is no longer down the hall, it's 6 campsites down the path. As an adult, you must lead by example with an upbeat, can-do attitude.
·         Organize: Establish fixed locations for important items. "The forks and spoons are in the blue tub." "Flashlights are in the green stuff sack."
·         Then stay organized: Remind everyone to always return items to their established locations so others can find them. If you're especially industrious, create a reference list of where-to-find-it locations. Tape it some place obvious.
·         Keep everyone oriented: Help kids memorize the number of your campsite or point out landmarks ("We're 4 sites from the amphitheater") to help them remember its location.
·         Make kids feel important: Kids like to feel important and involved. Assign them some meaningful camp chores, such as gathering firewood or collecting water from the pump. Recognize their contributions with praise or a treat (or both).
·         Be safe: Make sure your kids always carry a whistle (teach them to blow it if they become separated from you) and have easy access to a flashlight or headlamp. Attach a lanyard to both the whistle and light and tie them to one of the child's belt loops.
·         Wildlife: Ask park rangers about wildlife activity in the area you are visiting. As the adult, you need to take the lead and understand any precautions necessary (such as proper food storage or how to react during an up-close encounter) for safely coexisting with wildlife. Educate your children about the importance of not feeding wild animals (it negatively alters their food-gathering patterns) and treating wildlife with respect and caution so everyone stays safe.

When Outdoors, Be Outdoors:

·         Make the most of nature: Look for wildlife. Check out bugs. Examine rocks. Identify birds, flowers, clouds, constellations. Lead kids on a rock scramble. Show interest in things that interest them. Bring a field guide to help you identify and learn about the things they find.
·         Be active, stay loose: Try to keep your kids active without following a regimented schedule. If they're entertained by skipping rocks on the water, give them time to perfect the multiple-skip fling.
·         Attend ranger talks: If you're camping at a state or national park, attend the ranger's evening talk. Ask staff if the park offers a junior-naturalist program or other kid-focused activities.
·         Geocaching: A GPS-guided treasure hunt engages kids physically and mentally. Check our link to geocaching to see if any caches are hidden in the area you'll be visiting.
·         Share time together: "Hey, mom, remember when we saw that deer?" Great memories are one of the great payoffs of a camping trip. Come home with the sort of stories that can only be created outdoors. Shakespeare must have been camping when he wrote, "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."

When Outdoors, Be Outdoors:

·         Make the most of nature: Look for wildlife. Check out bugs. Examine rocks. Identify birds, flowers, clouds, constellations. Lead kids on a rock scramble. Show interest in things that interest them. Bring a field guide to help you identify and learn about the things they find.
·         Be active, stay loose: Try to keep your kids active without following a regimented schedule. If they're entertained by skipping rocks on the water, give them time to perfect the multiple-skip fling.
·         Attend ranger talks: If you're camping at a state or national park, attend the ranger's evening talk. Ask staff if the park offers a junior-naturalist program or other kid-focused activities.
·         Geocaching: A GPS-guided treasure hunt engages kids physically and mentally. Check our link to geocaching to see if any caches are hidden in the area you'll be visiting.
·         Share time together: "Hey, mom, remember when we saw that deer?" Great memories are one of the great payoffs of a camping trip. Come home with the sort of stories that can only be created outdoors. Shakespeare must have been camping when he wrote, "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."

Fun Stuff You Can Bring:

·         Paddleball set: At one of our photo shoots, the kids accompanying our crew couldn't put this game down.
·         Marshallow launcher: Traditionally you toast them. Now you can shoot them at one other, too. Imagine: The common marshmallow, transformed into a summertime snowball.
·         Animal-shaped flashlights: Leapin' lizards! Sharks, orcas and toucans, too.
·         Kits, discs and flying toys: If it flies, it's probably a heap of fun. Our faves include lighted discs and Djubi balls.
·         Make ice cream: Have some low-tech fun (with delicious results) with a boot-around plastic ball from Camper's Dream.
·         Stream Machine: Camping in warm weather? If you can tolerate a little flying water, this is a kid's ultimate way to cool off.
·         The glowing, multicolor flying disc: Whoa . . . it's psychedelic, man. Illuminated with LEDs, this disc changes colors while you play.
·         Foot bags: So simple, so entertaining.
·         Educational games: What? You haven't played "Pass the Pigs" or "Why Knot?" Well, why not?

Monday, June 20, 2011

Menu Plan Monday

This week, I'm getting ready to go to Virginia. My parents graciously bought me plane tickets home for the kids and I, and they are even flying me to California to visit my husband. I have the best parents ever.

Foodwise, I'm trying to use what we have in the house so there isn't any rotting food in the house when I get back. So here's to using what you've got. :)


Monday: Speghetti and hot sausage meatballs.
Tuesday: Leftover Chicken and roasted mushrooms.
Wednesday: Beans and Rice
Thursday: Sandwhiches
Friday: Airplane food...yuck.

Have a great week everyone.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Putting it all back together...

A year and a half ago, my life had been easy and simple.  I freelanced as a musician, and my husband had a job that he had had for about eight years.  We had two healthy kids, and we had a comfortable rhythm to life.  November 13th, 2009 my husband called me on his way home from work.  He had been laid off.  I was sitting on my bed in our room when I received the phone call.  My world as I knew it had been shattered.  Dramatic, eh?

I cried. I cried hard.  For the next few months, I managed his severance check with my measly earnings as a musician.  I juggled, I cried, and I started selling things I didn't need anymore.  He was depressed, and it took him a few months to pull himself back up and look for a job.  In late May, after a few devastating "No's" he managed to land a good job in Colorado.  Our financial situation though sucked.  The house we lived in wasn't worth what we paid for it, or what we owed on it thanks to the housing bubble burst.  I met with a property manager, and with her help we came up with a rent that was comparible with the market.  Sadly, it didn't cover my mortgage.  I fixed up the house the best I could and drove to Colorado.  It was an adventure,  starting over in a new place.  I didn't know anyone.  My property manager had found someone to move in, so it was looking like our brief stint with unemployment and serious money issues was coming to a close.  But sadly, it wasn't....

To be continued....

Friday, June 17, 2011

Urban Homesteading

First off, let me apologize for posting such a long video. If you're short on time, move the video to 2:30, and he finally stops walking backwards to his house and starts showing you his garden.

Some of the things I love about the video, is that he is actually using his space well. He's growing melons on a vine, which I have done with a lot of success. I will say though, he's dumped some serious money into his garden. Those kinds of trellises, and raised beds..I"m sure that costed a lot. Anyway, what do you think of the video?

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Garden Update

No drama in the garden.  I think that's why I like gardening so much.  It's not really a peaceful process I suppose, but it is to the onlooker.  There is always the battle for balance, but it's a quiet one.  No drama.  Here are a few photos from the garden this week.

This is the only hybrid plant in the entire garden.  It's a Husky Red Cherry, and it's the first of my tomatoes to bear fruit. I'm hoping to add these to salads within a week or two.



Speaking of salad, my lettuce bolted this week.  I'm thinking it still gets cool enough at night that I may try to grow some more.  It gets pretty hot in the day though, which is why I"m thinking it bolted.  This was some seriously yummy lettuce, so I may try to harvest the seeds once the flowers wilt and dry.



The blueberries scream of possibilities.  They've stopped flowering and are just now starting to grow blueberries.  I'm hoping they will grow slowly, and not need any picking while I'm away traveling.  I'm thinking by the looks of things they'll still be growing while we're gone.


Here's a shot of the entire garden.  I'm not sure yet if this mid-afternoon shade you see is going to interfere with the growing.  One thought is that my veggies will be shielded from the most brutal sunlight of the day.  It's full sun from about 9:00am to 1:00pm, then again at around 3:30 until about 6:00 when the sun goes behind the house.  My Romas in the back left are in cages, however the brandywines that I started from seed in April are still tiny little things.  I worry that they'll never catch up at this point and be productive. 

I think the seed cups I planted them in didn't have enough dirt, and their roots couldn't go down deep enough to make them strong.  Lesson learned, don't skimp on the dirt.



On a side note, I"m so interested in seeing what people are doing with their gardens, I"m debating on doing a garden link up.  What can I say, I"m a geek for plants.






Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Potatoes Au Gratin

For dinner last night, I put cheap in action. I found this recipe and it was perfect. I already had some potatoes that I bought last week, so all I had to buy was some cheese. I picked some spring onions from the back garden to add for flavor, and added some sausage from last weekends leftovers for a yummy kid pleasing dinner. My son said it was potato cheese heaven, it was so delicious. I had to force them to save enough for lunch the next day. This recipe probably wouldn't have had any leftover though if hubs had been here with us.



When trying to tighten the belt loop, I've found it's best to skip the meat.  Organic in my house is a must, I refuse to expose my children to toxins to save money.  Having meat once or twice a week is healthy, good for the environment and good for your pocket book.  No one's saying you have to have health food, because this is certainly not it.  I will say, I'm glad I have a garden.  I squeaked out one amazing salad to eat with this dinner.

What is some of your favorite cheap meals?

Monday, June 6, 2011

Cheap Eats

I did the budget this morning. It was...depressing. We are $3000 short this month. Yes, you read that right...three grand. My husband has a good job, we live in a modest house. The problem is, he lives in a studio apartment in another state to do his good job. He supports two households, and even his respectable paycheck can't manage. My freelancing doesn't pull in the money to cover the rest. I can only hope that insurance companies and rent checks pull through. What a complicated mess...

If we stayed within budget, our budget allows for only $600 for food, gas and any other extras. Super tight...and it seems impossible. So, enough wallowing in my own misery. Here's my cheap eats for the week. I've been in tight situations before so let's see how I can stretch the buck this week.


Monday: Cheesy Potatoes with leftover sausage.
Tuesday: Rice and Bean Tortillas with home made salsa.
Wednesday: Baked Chicken and Macaroni Salad
Thursday: Leftover (beans, rice, and chicken tortillas with guac)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Potluck Party
Sunday: Leftovers

With what I have in the house, I should be able to feed my family this week for under $50. Scary times.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

School is out...now what?

Yesterday was the last day of school for my kids, and a few weeks ago we had a discussion about how they thought the school year went.  They both said they had a good time, and met lots of interesting people.  On the flip side, I noticed how many bad words they both picked up, and the meaning of the middle finger, etc.

My son had spent a year at home with me during first grade.  We tried homeschooling, and I felt that it was a very successful year.  We stayed home for many reasons, but the biggest one was my dissatisfaction in the public schools in the county we lived in.  I've taught in public schools, and I knew the blame wasn't with the teachers.  It was higher up then that.  It was a small county with a small budget, and it wasn't flexible enough to deal with children who didn't fit in the "main stream."

So back to this discussion I had with my kids.  I asked them if they wanted to go back to the school next year, or if they wanted to study at home.  They both instantly said, HOME!  I reminded my son that it was hard at home, and it wouldn't be any easier then school, and that's when they both said the sweetest thing.  They missed me...

So, I began looking for an easy course for penmanship.  Both of them could work on their handwriting, and of course one of my biggest challenges is finding homeschooling material that isn't Christian based.  I get and respect that many people keep their kids home to allow Christ to be in their child's education, but we're not Christian, so it's difficult finding material that is "Christ free."

So I stumbled across Donna Young's Penmanship Lessons. She even has a secular one that uses George Washington's Rules of Civility instead of bible verses. This I can handle. Best of all it's free. I love free.  Free is made of win.  I like winning.

In the end, if I don't get a job teaching, it's likely I'll keep them home.  I will however need to substitute teach I think if I don't find a job.  So I"m not really sure if keeping them home will ever be an option.  The hubs doesn't make enough money to support us completely, so I have to earn money somehow.  Until then though, I can keep them busy and learning all summer long.

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