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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Eco - Eco (eco-friendly & economically friendly)

This might initially sound ridiculous, but it works! So, we all end up with cardboard boxes, we buy things that come in boxes, so invariably these cardboard boxes are "free", can't get more economically friendly than that.
Well, here's what to do with them, Eco-friendly/Green solution: weed mat! You read right weed mat. It works. First spray (not plants, this will kill them too), spray weeds with 3 parts vinegar & 1 part lemon juice (or salt), next put down carboard (once you have removed all tape), it is biodegradable, free & effective! Win, win, win.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Easy links to learning more about our Environment & Environmental Issues...

I'm sure there are many, many more resources to learn & get involved in our environment. I am putting a couple into this post to give you a start & then you'll find your own way, what works for you & your family & what makes you comfortable. (that is the best way to go green)

You can easily look up farms, or (even better) Organic farms in your area, which will decrease your carbon footprint ("green" jargon .... Every Friday I will do a "green" word post & detail it) ( http://www.pattfoundation.org/what-we-do/carbon-offsets/index.php:// ) - your carbon footprint can be calculated here.

For looking up local farms here: http://www.localharvest.org/ (type in your zip code). You can usually find local sites that are a lot more specific, for example, this is for my area: (SouthEastern Mass.) http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farms.php?zip=02571.

Also, here are a couple of non-profit sites aimed at giving information, fundraising & petitioning environmental causes. Sierra Club: (one of my personal faves) http://www.sierraclub.org/
and this is a new one I found that really piqued my interest: http://www.filterforgood.com/tips/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=green+tips&utm_campaign=SEM-NonBrand

I would would like to hear comments and feedback. I love sharing information with people who are interested in being a greener, more eco-friendly family.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

CSA Supper Wednesday....

Every Wednesday I wait anxiously for Bob to get home from work, so we can head out with the kids to pick up our CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture) at our local Organic farm (Plato's Harvest). Patrick loves to run around the farm, pick peas & feed the goats; Plato & Einsteen (too cute, I know)!
I can hardly wait to see what's on the list for us that week when we get there, how many pounds of carrots, or potatoes, new vegetable this week, pick lettuce, flowers, tons of herbs, it's just so much fun to go get your food; fresh, you can't get fresher than picking it up from the farm.
On the ride home, my mind if popping, turning over all the wonderful things I can make for supper that night with all of our new treasures.
Tonight, being Wednesday, I made whole wheat pasta with summer vegetables, I know doesn't sound all that unique, or exciting, but when you consider how fresh everything was, all the herbs even fresh picked, the flavors just completely popped & Patrick (who is a fussy eater) at 4 bowls, 4 bowls!! I wish our CSA lasted all year, not just 20 weeks!!

Keep ticks away the "GREEN" way!!

I was researching a way to get rid of ticks on my property & to also keep my dog (Morey) healthy. We have always used "conventional" medicines on him to keep ticks away, but even with that, this year we have had a huge tick infestation in our yard and they are apparantly using Mo as a means of transportation into the house! We have found far too many in our house on, or near our children, which began my quest for a solution that was "green" & wouldn't put Morey, any other neighborhood pets, our children, or ourselves in any danger. During my research I discovered "Garlic Juice" here is a link that will explain in greater detail what I found to my sheer delight: http://www.garlicvalleyfarms.com/health.html
I have ordered some and can't wait to get it & try it out. I'm thinking I might try to make some up myself & spray around the perimeter of our house. It can't hurt. I will follow up on this post to update how it works.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Where has all the Customer Service Gone?

Does anyone actually care about and, or do their job the way it was intended anymore? Just a short rant folks. I don't get it, can someone explain this to me? If you sign up for service, your bill should reflect what you signed up for. It's always a struggle, placed on hold while they look at your account? How much information is there to look at if you just signed up less than a week ago? How could your first bill be so very, very wrong?? Isn't it simple? I have worked in customer service, if I promised a customer a certain service, or a specific price I made sure that that's exactly what they got, no arguments, not questions asked, no hidden fees. So ridiculous!!