Moms "Green" simple tip Thursday

When buying a new shower curtain purchase a cotton one to reduce the( VOC) volatile organic compounds you breath in and it can be washed over and over

How to build a compost bin from a trash can

I have tryed for years to get a compost pile going. It's great to put on your garden and around plants. I always do something wrong and end up with a pile of weeds. Or it's in the way and becomes a mowing headache. If you look at the bins they sell for compost, they are so expensive.So here is a great idea. Use a trash can. It's not expensive and works great! It needs to be round  32 gallon and have a lid that snaps shut. But, you could use a bungee cord to hold the lid on. Pick a dark color, it absorbs heat. Then drill holes all over the garbage can using 1/2 drill bit. This is for drainage and sufficent air. Now your ready to use, place a layer of either woodchips, saw dust or dry straw about 2 to 3 inches thick. Improves drainage and helps asborb moisture.Start adding ingredients, you can use veggie peels and melon rinds, cores, stale bread or crackers, egg shells, nutshells, coffee grounds, teabags, moldy fruit and veggies. Cut up large pieces of banana peels and melon rinds first, before adding. Also, you can add stuff from your yard grass clippings, dead flowers,weeds, fallen leaves. As well as paper products like newspaper (shredded) and paper napkins. DO NOT put meat, grease, bones, dairy products, in compost bin. They will smell as they decay and attract unwanted insects and animals. To make compost efficiently include mixtures of greens "fresh plant materials" and browns " paper, twigs and dead leaves". Adding a shovelful of healthy garden soil is a good way to get composting process started. Since there are all kinds of microorganisms in the soil and they are needed to get decomposition process started.It's not necessary to add worms.Keep adding green and brown organic waste until bin is full. It's important to keep compost wet, but not to wet. Check often if it's dry, sprinkle with water.Then roll the garbage can over several times to mix content.Compost should be mixed several times a week. You should have brown rich compost in 4-12 weeks if you follow these steps. Happy Gardening!!!

Moms "Green" simple tip thursday

Todays tips apply to the family pet. This is flea and tick season, here is a more natural way to keep them away. Add brewer yeast and garlic to you dogs food. You can find brewer yeast at most pet store, and  help food store. This may take several applications to their food. But, the fleas and ticks will think your dog smell bad and stay away

What are your cleaning products doing to you and your family and the environment

Last week I covered laundry detergent and how it affects the environment . This week ,I'll be discussing household cleaning products. Since these products we use in direct contact, with the areas our families are in the most. We all try to keep our homes as clean and safe as possible for our families. But, some of the product you maybe using could be harmful to your families health as well as your own. Many of them contain harmful solvent and harsh chemicals that destroy the natural process that is involved in waste water treatment. Hazardous waste products should not be disposed of in septic systems. This kills the valuable bacteria in the system. Many of us tend to think anything sold in the supermarket must be safe, but often labels don't contain complete and accurate information. Many common household cleaning products are actually classified as hazardous waste. You should not dispose of them in the trash, take them to your county's hazardous waste collection center. There is another side to this issue besides pollution in the environment.Our health and the safety of our children. Chemical levels can be up to 70 times higher inside the home than out. Over 100 chemical commonly found in the home have been linked to allergies,birth defects,cancer, psychological abnormalities, skin reactions, headaches, depression, joint pain, chronic fatigue, and the list goes on. Housewives have a 55% higher risk of getting cancer, then women working outside the home. This most likely has to do with the products use on a daily bases. Every year thousands of household poisonings are reported. Many fatal. Approx 70% are children ages 1-5 years of age. Almost all  of these are caused by unsafe storage and handling of household cleaning products. Dishwashing detergent and dandruff shampoo are the top two in accidental poisonings.Household ammonia mixed with bleach is deadly substance. Bug sprays can remain active and airborne in your home for up to 30 years. Another thing to keep in mind is ederly people, these chemical can effect their respiratory systems. Many of these chemical  make our lives easier. But, we don't realize how they effect our health and the health of our loved ones. Be wary and read labels and whenever possible use alternatives "green" products. This will help save the environment and the lives of are families. Thank you for visiting. Hope this helps you make your home safer for your family.

Moms "Green" simple tip thursday

With Fathers Day coming up, my tips is something you can do with Dad to make the world a better place for years to come. Plant a new tree with Dad for Fathers Day. Not only is it beautiful, but a tree is like lungs for the planet. They breath in carbon dioxide and breath out oxygen. We put alot of carbon dioxide in the air, it's great to know trees are trying to help us out. Plus, they provide homes for wildlife.Tons of shade. Trees are pretty neat in alot of ways. Make it a tradition. Happy Fathers Day everyone!!

What are your cleaning products doing to you and your family and the environment

Myself  having a small child, want to keep my house as clean as possible. But, I often wondered as I cleaned and had to hold my breath from the smell of the cleaners. Or shut the door and opened the window to protect her from the smell, are these products really safe? Even the ones that have a pleasant smell, it's suprising to find they are not any safer. Many of us use toxic chemicals in everyday life, sometimes we are aware of it, sometimes we are not. Many actions that seem harmless, involve the use of harmful chemicals.Household cleaners,garden pesticides, paints, batteries, detergents, even flea powder can be hazardous to our health and the environment. Detergents ,degreasers, stain removers and pesticides have made our homes minature chemical factories.Hazardous chemicals endanger the enviroment by contaminating our ground water, lakes and oceans. If these harardous products  in the home are ingested, absorbed through the skin or inhaled they can cause illness that may only appear years later.Here are some facts that may suprise you. Did you know one of the biggest culprits of ocean pollution is phosphates, common in laundry detergents and some cleaning products. We as Americans use 30 pounds of laundry detergent a year. As a whole we use 8.3 billion pounds of dry detergent and 1 billion gallons of liquid detergent a year.High phosphate levels kills life in river, streams, and oceans. Causing "algae blooms" this is were algae slimes grow dense enough to suffocate marine life. These are largely caused by fertilizers pollutants. This could destroy many of are scenic and commerically valuable waters. Some progress has been made , phosphates have be band in alot of detergents. But, many still contain them. So you need to read labels and buy products that don't contain phosphates. This is just one product we use in our home. I will cover more, I want to be more aware of what I'm doing to the environment inside and outside my home. For the sake of my family and others. I will be covering more products and how they effect our health and the environment. Please visit again.

Moms "Green" simple tip thursday

Instead of throwing used coffee grounds away, use them in the soil of indoor or outdoor plant as fertilizer.