The Green Country Mom

A Different Type of Reusable Bag

2009-04-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! I just found out about an awesome type of reusable bag. It is a square piece of cloth that you tie into a bag, called a furoshiki - pronounced “f’-ROHSH-kee." It originates from Japan. Here is a great video that shows you different ways of tying a bag. It is SO cool! Make sure you watch the whole thing and pay attention at the end, it is a little ironic how the furoshiki is taken home once purchased ;-)

So you can see how easy that is! And it would be so easy to make your own. All you need is a square piece of fabric, about 105 centimeters across (but any size will do, just changes amount you can carry) and then finish the edges so they don't fray. Or you could use a fabric that doesn't fray for a no-sew version. I wouldn't recommend any sheer or slippery fabrics because the knots may not hold. You could also sew two pieces together to make a reversible square. Oooh, I am so excited to try this (did I already say that?)! Off to find some fabric!

Earth Day

2009-04-22T07:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Earth Day! Get out there and bless the earth. I am planting some ~~sticks~~ trees and trying to work in my flower beds. Will hopefully post some pics later. Have a wonderful Earth Day!

Soapnuts!

2009-04-21T07:00:00.008-04:00

First of all, I am sure you are asking "What are SOAPNUTS??" They are actually berries from a tree grown primarily in India and Nepal. They shell of the berry is dried in the sun and when it is wet it releases a soapy substance called saponin. It has been used for laundry and cleaning for a LONG time in other countries, but is just recently becoming more popular here.

I received my shipment of soapnuts from LaundryTree.com and I LOVE them! Not only is the product awesome, but the packaging is super cute and eco-friendly. The compostable brown paper bag of soapnuts & cotton drawstring bag (to contain them for washing) and a note about using soapnuts arrived in a small box, no excess packing material or anything plastic. They even use brown paper packing tape! This is straight from their website regarding their new packaging:

"it’s made of 40% recycled natural kraft paper and lined with PLA, a renewable and compostable film made from corn. (And it says so, right there on the bottom of the bag). That means that our whole product — soapnuts AND the packaging, is totally biodegradable."

This is the main thing that really attracted me to this particular company. I thought if I was going to be buying an all natural product, the packaging should mirror that. Otherwise, I felt kinda like I was being a hypocrite (in this instance, I am by no means perfectly "green" in other areas of my life!). And ordering from LaundryTree.com was a breeze and shipping was quick. An all around great experience! =)

The soapnuts in their cute packaging, the cute drawstring bag, and soapnut "tea" in a jar and a spray bottle

Now as for the actual soapnuts...

I had used soapnuts last year from a different company and loved them then, but couldn't justify spending the money on them because I make my own laundry detergent for CHEAP. However, we have been having some small issues with washing our cloth diapers, so I decided it was time to try the soapnuts on them (When I used them before I only used them on our clothes, which they did work great on). So anyway, after washing a couple of loads of diapers, I am sold on soapnuts for our diaper washing needs! The diapers came out of the wash with no odors at all and I am confident that any detergent build up from before will be washing out soon, if not already. Also, since they do not leave any residue behind, I don't have to worry about anything irritating little Jimmy's diaper area.

Using soapnuts is very simple. All you do is put 3-5 of them in the little cotton drawstring bag and throw them in your warm or hot wash. The warm or hot water releases the saponin (soapy substance in the shell of the fruit). You can also make a soapnut "tea" by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan, add 6-8 soapnuts, turn off the heat, cover and let it sit overnight. Strain the liquid into a jar and then just use 1/4 - 1/2 cup per load of cold wash laundry. If you have any stains you will want to use a stain remover and you may want to add a scoop of oxygen bleach for whiter whites. Visit LaundryTree.com to learn more and for awesome household uses for soapnut tea, including window cleaner and shampoo!

If you are looking for something totally organic and "green" for your laundry and even household cleaning needs, soapnuts are definitely the way to go!

Compost Bin

2009-04-02T13:51:00.005-04:00

Need something to do during LO's nap? Or just a quick project to help you be more "Green"? Make a compost bin! I made mine with two bins, one for the yard and kitchen scraps and the other for the new "dirt" once everything has composted. These are just made out of 5 pallets that my hubby got for me (for free!). All I did was nail them together and voila! Compost bins! And I made them while Jimmy was napping a couple days ago. Not the most aesthetically pleasing, but then neither is out garage/shed thing that they are hiding behind. =) I am transplanting some irises and daylilies to both sides to make it "prettier" and because my irises and daylilies are out of control! I think I may add some lattice to the front for a "door" so that the stuff doesn't fall out once they start getting full. My dad always made his compost bins out of lattice on all sides nailed to a 2x4 frame. Easy to do and you can get it done all in the course of one naptime!

Wondering what to put in your compost? Any organic scraps, vegetation (no diseased plants or mature weeds though, unless you want to spread their seeds, NOT a good idea, TRUST me!), wood, fruit & veggie scraps, grass clippings, coffee & paper filters, tea bags, newspaper, straw, garden waste, manure (we have plenty of horse manure, want some? lol!) and lots more! Just don't use and meat, bones, fish, fat, dairy products, pet droppings, metal, inorganic material, colored paper or anything with chemicals.

What do you do with this stuff? Well, pile it in your bin. The slats on the sides of the bins are important for airflow and you will want to turn the pile regularly to make sure eveything is mixing and decomposing. You might need to add water occasionally to make sure the pile doesn't dry out, or it won't decompose as well. But don't make it sopping wet or you will have a nasty mess. If you have a lot of "green" material, such as grass clippings or green plant cuttings, you proably won't need to add any water. But if you have more dry material, straw, twigs, etc. you will want to add a little moisture.

For more info on composting, visit Composting 101 or do a Swagbuck search to find your own "favorite" composting site. Happy Composting!

Coming soon... a post about the benefits of worms in your compost and garden, so be sure to come back!

My Reusable Bags

2009-03-24T15:48:00.004-04:00

Ok, I finally got some reusable bags sewn! I had a busy week last week, sewing curtains and getting the house cleaned up and company ready for my sis and her family. But I finally got to my bags so here is a pic of the 3 I have made so far. And I must say, I am hooked! They are so easy to make and I keep finding myself looking for any scraps of fabric large enough to make a bag out of. Check out my previous post here for more info about making your own bags. And here is the link to the Green Bag Lady's blog again.

Sew Your Own Reusable Bags

2009-03-12T16:46:00.007-04:00

Reusable shopping bags, what a great idea right? Well, I must admit that I have not yet started using them. We mainly shop at Aldi for groceries and we just find empty cardboard boxes at the store and use them for our groceries. However, we do still shop at Kroger and Walmart and Target and other stores so I really need to use fabric bags! I have been wanting to make my own for a while but have just been lazy about it. I know, SHAME ON ME!

Well, SHAME NO MORE! I recently found this awesome blog, Green Bag Lady. She was sewing reusable bags for anyone that promised to use it instead of paper or plastic. She had such a huge response that she is now only giving bags away in contests and at Green Bag Lady events. But if you know how to sew (or know someone that does) you can make your own! She has patterns up on her site for a reusable shopping bag, produce bag and gift bag. I am so excited to make my own bags! Now that I found an easy pattern, I am motivated to get started! I will post pics of them when I get them done. I have posted the links to Green Bag Lady's patterns to make it easier for you to find them, but please visit her site too, she is doing a great thing trying to revolutionize the way we shop! She has some great tips and links and even a link to a video to help you make your bags. I think you can even submit photos of yourself with your bag.

And if you don't sew, you can still follow her blog and try to enter any contest she may have to win a bag, so head on over!

Shopping Bag Pattern
Produce Bag Pattern
Gift Bag Pattern

Seeds!

2009-02-24T09:18:00.000-05:00

I bought my vegetable seeds! I wanted to start collecting them as I went so I could try not to spend very much money on seeds but I didn't and just bought some...shame on me! =) I got some organic seeds, but mostly not. Next year I hope to go all organic. I also got a couple of heirloom packets. Most of the seeds are Burpee seeds, my mom always used Burpee so that is what I am used to. I know there are different online companies that sell organic and heirloom seeds so maybe next year, if I don't save my own seeds, I will look into some of those companies.

The veggies we will be planting are ones that we eat on a pretty regular basis. They are: tomato, onion, green onion, broccoli, romaine, green beans, carrots, spinach, cucumber, jalapeno, bell pepper, and of course, sweet corn. I will also be planting asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and blueberries. I will be posting pics as we get the garden ready and I start some seeds indoors. I will also be posting about composting. So keep checking in or subscribe for updates!

CPSIA meets Dr. Suess

2009-02-20T19:53:00.000-05:00

Here is a neat poem for those of you following the CPSIA legislature involving lead testing in children's products.

Wooden Teether and Rattle

2009-02-18T10:51:00.000-05:00

I bought a wooden teether and a rattle for Jimmy when he was about 6 months old. I had been reading about the possibility of chemicals in plastics and decided I did not want him chewing on anything that could possibly be dangerous. After searching for an alternative, I found Tiny Birds Organics and some very lovely organic items for babies. They carry organic cotton stuffed toys, natural rubber teethers and wooden toys, rattles and teethers, among many other things.

Here is what I purchased. The teether is made out of maple wood and is coated in beeswax. The rattle is handmade from remnant wood in Oregon and also coated with beeswax. Jimmy loves these so much, I am so glad I purchased them for him, definitely worth the money. Here are pics Jimmy enjoying his wooden toys and some pics from the Tiny Birds Organics website.

PS - I do allow Jimmy to play with plastic toys as he is now almost 13 months old and we are trying to be frugal. Organic toys just aren't always as affordable, especially when a friend gives you lots of their hand-me-downs! I do make sure they are not recalled or dangerous. And Jimmy does still enjoy his wooden rattle and teether!

Welcome!

2009-02-17T23:37:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I decided to start The Green Country Mom blog so I could keep my "green" posts separate from my "Frugal" and "Blessed" posts (though, sometimes, the Frugal and Green posts may apply to both blogs).

I first became aware of the growing "green" trend this time last year when I decided to do cloth diapers for my newborn baby boy. It seemed like as soon as I started checking out cloth dipes, I saw tv shows with "green" segments all the time! I know it has been around for a while, but I know that is really when it started to take off in popularity. Now with all the economical downturn and hardship it is even more popular. I am just going to post things that we do "green" in our lives around the "farm." I was going to post about starting a garden on my Frugal blog, but I think it will go here as it deals with growing things and nature. Please visit often for new updates, hopefully to get going soon! =)

2009-02-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

Coming soon!