Composting-The Details

We've been composting for so long, I just assumed I had a lengthy post including all the details of how we do it, but Nate just pointed out that the blog is missing this key aspect of our green life. My very first real post  mentions that we compost, but that's it. So here's how it works.

All of our food scraps (fruits, veggies, egg shells, coffee grounds) go in a little compost bin under our sink. We were using a small garbage can with no lid, but as we got lazier about taking it out, it got stinkier, and we got fruit flies, so I invested in a bin with a lid and filter. We haven't had any problems with it since. Once every week or two, we take the kitchen bin out and dump it in our outdoor compost bin. We also throw our yard waste in the big bin outside. If it gets stinky (which happens once a year when everything thaws in the spring) I throw in some paper or cardboard to get rid of the wet. 

When I get the time (which happened once this spring before I planted the vegetable garden) I scoop out some of the rich black compost from the bottom of the bin and spread it over all the gardens.

That's it! It's that simple.

There are too many benefits of composting to count, but here are two of my favorites:

• Our garbage bin is the smallest option Veolia provides, and we could go smaller. (Although we probably could use a bigger recycling bin). This also means our garbage cost is the cheapest it can be.
• If I had time to garden more effectively, my gardens would look amazing because of the wonderful food compost is for plants.

A friend of mine composts banana peels, coffee grounds and egg shells. She keeps it simple, and these three items are garden's favorites! Maybe this is a place for you to start too! 

Air Freshener

A colleague recently came into my office and said, "you're green, right?" (I love that that's the image I portray!) And then he inquired about the Glade Plug-in I had, which sits on my floor, more so because it smells like Christmas than because it is not eco-friendly. He was looking for an air freshener that didn't negatively impact his health or the environment. After doing a little research, I couldn't find a simple option to replace the rather toxic plug-in variety.

The only green air freshener I found is this: http://www.sani-air.com/default.aspx. 

Most green people suggest a lot of do it yourself ideas. Some are fairly easy. Here are some I found:

• Burn 100 percent pure beeswax candles with 100 percent cotton wicks—they purify and clean the air
• Use green tea to refresh your home
•  Simmer cinnamon and cloves, fresh ginger, or herbs in water on the stovetop.
• Simmer water with a drop or two of your favorite pure essential oil.
• Use organic sachets and potpourris.
• Try these other homemade Home Sweeteners
• Combine 5-10 drops of an essential oil like lavender, lemon, peppermint, bergamot, balsam, eucalyptus, tea tree, or sweet orange in a spray bottle with two cups of water.
• Place a drop of your favorite essential oil on a light bulb prior to turning it on or add a dozen drops to a bowl of water placed on a radiator.
• Place a couple of drops of essential oil on your vacuum cleaner's exhaust filter to freshen exiting air. A few drops of lemon juice on your vacuum cleaner bag will do the same trick.
• Open windows.
• Clean the source of the odor with non-toxic products.
• Empty the garbage frequently.
• Use an open box of baking soda for smelly rooms. We keep baking soda near garbage and the dirty diaper bag. 
• Use indoor plants to clear carbon dioxide and other toxins.

I would say an essential oil would be a good way to go. You can buy a few varieties at Cub in the natural foods section, or there’s a bunch more at a food co-op or Whole Foods. I use essential oils for a few different things, and they really do a good job of naturally cleaning and smelling nice.

National Zero Waste Week

This week is National Zero Waste Week. Visit the link for ideas about how to reduce your waste this week and all year! 

Formula

A returned to day care last week, which brings a whole host of new parenting dilemmas and choices to make. A has been enjoying his morning cereal mixed with breast milk this summer, but day care staff aren't allowed to transfer breast milk due to health and sanitation concerns. So here I am, researching formulas to mix with the cereal. Just like cloth diapers, I keep wading into more and more options with long lists of pros and cons.

If you want to go eco-friendly and uber healthy for your baby, here's what I found:

• Check the ingredient list. Make sure it is made with milk lactose or brown rice syrup. Avoid cane sugar, corn sugar, and sucrose. Babies don't need super sweet formula. 
• Decide if you want it made with DHA/ARA or not. Manmade DHA is a fairly new idea and not much is known about it's effects on infants. 
• Look for the USDA Organic label
• Go with powdered formula instead of premade formula. Powdered formula requires less packaging, and premade formula has been found to contain high levels of BPA. 
• Mix it with regular tap water or filtered water, not bottled water. Bottled water creates unnecessary waste and might leach BPA into the milk. If you are still nervous about your water, boil and cool it for use. 

Four formulas continue to come up in my research as the best options. In order (based on my opinions of what I think is best for A):

1. Baby's Only Organic Formula
2. Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula
3. Similac Organic Formula (contains sucrose)

My Organic Boy

I have been so proud that A has only eaten organic foods since he started solids. As we add more and more variety to his menu, I can't find organic produce at Cub where I normally shop, so I've made a few trips to the Mississippi Market in St. Paul for my organic goodies.

I love the food co-op. I don't have to spend nearly as much time weighing my options and searching odd corners of the store to find eco-friendly items. I like the mission of food co-ops, which focuses on sustainability and consumer control. I read once in Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver, "Eaters must understand, how we eat determines how the world is used." By shopping at the co-op, I feel like I'm helping to make my statement about how I want to use the world. 

I know A will have to eat non-organic someday, and probably someday soon, but I will hold out as long as possible and give his little body a chance to avoid extra chemicals.