A Green TV Show for Kids

One of Little One's favourite TV shows is dirtgirlworld. I have to admit, that when we first started watching the show a few months ago, Dirtgirl really annoyed me. However, the music and lessons in each episode have kind of grown on me. My 17 ,month old really loves the show.



In one episode (entitled "SLUGS"), Dirt Girl teaches kids how to discourage slugs from eating the lettuce in her garden...naturally. She calls upon all the "green thumbs"/viewers to practice using crushed egg shells, onion water, hay, Nasturtiums, or a sandpaper doughnut (sandpaper cut into a circle and to be put around the plants) to ward off slugs. She also says, if all else fails, give the slugs their own lettuce patch to feast on so that they leave your lettuce alone!

What a great way to teach young children about gardening, the environment, animals, and even insects!

"My best worst bug is still the slug."

Save the Earth. Drink Beer.

Well, not really. I don't advocate drinking and gardening (drinking while relaxing in your garden is all together different though!), but did you know that by leaving a dish of beer in your garden, you can save the earth?

Okay. Once again, not really. BUT, beer is a natural solution to warding off slugs and snails! Yes, my friends! Beer! Slugs and other garden invaders can do serious damage to any garden. Instead of going straight for that bottle of commercial slug killer/pesticide, opt for a friendlier alternative. BEER.Icky!

Just put a bit of beer in a shallow jar and bury it in the soil with only the neck exposed. Use the lid to partially cover the jar opening (so that when it rains, you won't dilute the beer). You can prop the lid up with sticks or soil...or whatever works best. The slugs are attracted to the beer and will go straight for it instead of your lovely veggies! The poor things will just drink themselves into oblivion...or just drown.

Personally, I'm not a beer drinker. I'm a girlie girl and like girlie drinks. It's good to know that beer has its purpose though! :) Okay, if you are a beer lover, I don't recommend using your best ale on the slugs. I don't think they're discriminating in their beer preferences.

Have a great day! Remember to try to do at least one green thing a day!
C XOXO

Something not so new and different

First off, I know it's been ages since CK, Fancy, Farmer John and I have posted anything new on the blog. Things have been crazy busy, I guess!

Anyway, I was talking to a friend the other day about something that is not so new and different. The topic of our conversation debate was...cloth diapers!

(Image from Parenting By Nature via Google Images)

Now, I try to be as green as possible whenever I can. I think Hubby and I do a pretty good job at being environmentally conscious. I was telling a friend that I am seriously thinking of going the route of cloth diapers (as much as I can and when I can) when our little one arrives.

First, the reaction was more like "ICK!" and then a debate ensued. I was merely stating that I didn't want to fill up landfill space with my future baby's disposable diapers. My friend argued that the energy and water used from all the extra laundry would be worse (I think she said "more wasteful") than throwing the diapers in the dump. I see her point and it's sort of a "catch 22" situation. I can see arguments for both.

I was concerned about all that landfill space used for disposable diapers and the volume of trees and plastics used to make disposables. My thinking was that by reusing and recycling (by way of cotton diapers), we wouldn't be using up more of the earth's resources. We would, however be consuming more water and energy to wash the diapers. The question remains, what is worse for the environment?

Whichever diaper practice one opts for, it will no doubt leave a mark on the earth. But if you think of it, even by just existing, we are using up the earth's resources. We can try to reduce our consumption of resources, reuse and recycle. I'm not saying that I'd never use disposables because I probably will (like when traveling or when not at home). I just think that people should do what they feel is best for them and their families, while trying to tread lightly on the earth.

What do you think is more environmentally friendly? Cloth or Disposable? Which would you choose?

Stop!!! Don't Throw That Away!!!

Hi! It's Chrissy...again!
I realize I just posted the other day and don't mean to be such a blog hog, but I just thought of something interesting to share! I also figured that if I didn't post about it now, I'd forget what it was that I wanted to say! ;)

A few years ago, I was reading an article in a green magazine (the name now escapes me) that the average North American household should have very little garbage due to recycling and composting. Since many cities have recycling, most of our glass, plastics, papers and tins can be recycled. Since organic matter can be composted, that leaves very little "actual" garbage to fill the landfills. Right?

Most people I know have been quite diligent about their recycling habits. Some cities even have "wet garbage" collection and when I lived in Toronto, our municipality also offered composters to its residents! They were these big drum-like contraptions where you put all your organic waste in and it turned it into rich, healthy compost for your garden.When I lived in Montreal, I practiced vermicomomposting. It wasn't too difficult to do and the worms were surprisingly not icky at all! I'm a big wuss when it comes to creepy crawly things, but I had no problems with these wormies! The worms I used were called red wigglers. They were extremely efficient at converting household waste into nutrient rich fertilizer. Under the right conditions, the worms pretty much take care of themselves! Of course, you need to maintain the bins, but you will be happy to know that there are no stinky odours if you manage your vermiculture properly.

I gave up my vermicomposting when I moved from Montreal to Toronto. I discovered that my dad had used my red wigglers to feed his fancy goldfish (Japanese Ryukins and Orandas) and to go fishing! He used me $30/1 lb worms for bait!!!

If you are a bit uncomfortable handling worms, then there are other ways to compost. My grandfather always kept a handmade compost bin by his garden and he and my grandmother were very diligent at composting their fruits and veggie scraps every day.

Here on the Island, I just put my fruit & veggie scraps on the far side of my garden, where I have a compost heap. However, if you live in the city and don't have any place or room to compost in your backyard, you can try something like this:
You can compost in your own kitchen! This can be done year-round and it's good for the environment! This particular composter is called the Nature Mill PRO Indoor Composter. Even though I already compost in my garden, I'm almost tempted to get one of these babies!

The company even has a Pet-Friendly Nature Mill to dispose of pet waste. This is something I am looking into because I've been trying to find an earth-friendly way to dispose of the waste from our beloved feline and canine babies! This may just be it! The price is a bit steep, but I haven't had much luck in finding many green ways of disposing of that nasty cat and dog poop!

Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me...

Hello, friends!
It's been a while! Hubby (Farmer John) and I just returned from our belated honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. I realize it's been ages since I last posted, but CK and Fancy Pantsy do such a great job at keeping the blog going that I knew you'd have lots of interesting things to read about and that you wouldn't miss us at all!

While we were in the Dominican Republic, Hubby and I both noticed that we had not seen a single mosquito while we were there! Granted, it was not mosquito season, but in the back of my mind I always think about these things. Trust me, I love traveling, but when in the Caribbean or South America, I often think about Malaria, Hepatitis, travelers' diarrhea, etc.
Hubby noticed that early one morning, the gardeners at the resort sprayed the shrubs, plants and trees with insecticide. Living in the countryside, I know how pesky some insects can be. We have a few weeks in June when mosquitoes and blackflies are out. We also grow our own produce and I used to struggle with grubs and other insects eating our fruits and veggies.

I don't like to use chemicals if I can avoid using them. Here are a few things that naturally lessen the annoyance of those persistent little bugs!

Flies:

• A few drops of eucalyptus oil on a scrap of absorbant cloth will deter flies. Leave in areas where flies are a problem.
• Use mint as a fly repellent. Small sachets of crushed mint can be placed around the home to discourage flies.
• Bay leaves, cloves and eucalyptus wrapped in small cheesecloth squares can be hung by open windows or doors.

Mosquitoes:

• If you're using the barbeque, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos.
• An effective natural bug repellent, mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 - 6 hours. Strips of cotton cloth can also be dipped in this mixture and hung in areas, such as patios, as a localized deterrent.
• Planting marigolds around your yard works as a natural bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.
  

Ants:

• Keep a small spray bottle handy, and spray the ants with a bit of soapy water.
• Set out cucumber peels or slices in the kitchen or at the ants' point of entry. Many ants have a natural aversion to cucumber. Bitter cucumbers work best.
• Leave a few tea bags of mint tea near areas where the ants seem most active. Dry, crushed mint leaves or cloves also work as ant deterrents.
• Trace the ant column back to their point of entry. Set any of the following items at the entry area in a small line, which ants will not cross: cayenne pepper, citrus oil (can be soaked into a piece of string), lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds.

Fruit flies:
A few months ago, we had a fruit fly problem and I tried this trick. It really works! A girlfriend of mine told me that her mom puts a bit of cider vinegar or red wine (I suppose anything fruity will do) into a glass and then makes a funnel out of a piece of paper and snips off the end so that the funnel fits snugly into the glass. The fruit flies are drawn to the sweet liquid and enter via the paper funnel, but are not able to find a point of escape. They eventually get tired from struggling and just drown. Keep the cider vinegar solution out for a few days and your fruit fly problem should be gone in no time.

Now that Spring has sprung here and the weather is getting milder, soon the bugs will be out. Hopefully some of these tips will prove useful ;)

Green IS Her New Blog just joined the Party!

Hello there! Welcome to Green is Her New Blog! This is a communal blog - I'm C.K., and we have Fancymama, Chrissy, and her husband Farmer John. Together we blog about everything green -- everything we can, and what we know to live green, frugally and fabulously - in or outside of the big cities. This is an international blog! We're always interested to know more people, and even get more writers to write about green issues and how to be green and fun! Have a seat in this eco-friendly chair by inhabitat.com.

We're very excited to be at the Ultimate Blog Party! Sorry we're a little late in joining, but we promise next year, we'll come up with gift ideas to give away!!

But I won't let you leave empty-handed!! Oh no - that just won't do! I figured, why don't we make some vegan Shepherd's Pie? It's one of my classics, and always a big hit at parties (they don't have to know it's vegan!)

Shepherd's Pie (Vegan)

I never thought I can be long-term vegetarian because I love Sherpherd's Pie too much. This is challenged when I ate at a vegan buffet in Toronto. I ran home and made one for myself, and it's my regular since. Of course it's not the same as the meaty shepherd's pie, but it's still very good!

Ingredients:

• 6 red-skin Potatoes, smashed
• 2 cup of Green Giant's Peaches and cream sweet corn
• 1 package firm tofu
• 2 tomatoes, skinned
• 3 shallots (or 1 onion), minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Directions:

1. To skin tomatoes, boil them in hot water. Once floating, take out and place in cold water. Then peel.
2. Boil potatoes for 30 minutes until cooked. Cool, and smash (I like the skin so I leave them on).
3. Heat oil in pan, add garlic, onions, and tofu cubes until slightly golden and fragrant. Add into chunk tomatoes.
4. Place tofu mixture into baking pan.
5. Place smash potatoes over tofu mixture.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes till top is golden.

And Of course - what goes well with vegan Shepherd's Pies?

Vegan Chocolate cake!!

INGREDIENTS

The key is fantastically quality dark chocolate.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 bananas, chopped
• 1 bar of quality dark chocolate
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup cold water or brewed coffee
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 2 Tbsps vinegar

Preheat oven to 350c.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into an ungreased 8 inch square or 9 inch round baking pan. In a 2 cup measuring cup, measure and mix together the oil, apple sauce, water or coffee, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix the batter with a fork or a small whisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter where the baking soda and the vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Add bananas, chocolate chunks, and bake for 45 minutes. Let the cake cool.

That and a good cup of soy Chai.

I hope you like the food and drinks. I'll be blog hopping and hope to see you soon!

Make Your House Smell Good Without Air Freshener Sprays

Hi, everyone! Chrissy here! I was hoping Hubby would get around to posting today. Since he hasn't, you're stuck with me!

I have to admit that I am guilty of using air fresheners sometimes. We've got two kittens and a doggy that don't always smell that great! Okay, they can sometimes be a little stinky! Oh, and sometimes...just sometimes the bathroom can use some nice citrus fresh fragrance after it has been occupied. I'm trying to be polite here, people!

Since I don't really like using those sprays from the stores, I try the natural and earth friendly route. Since I eat a lot of oranges (especially Clementines), instead of tossing out the peels with the rest of our compost, I make a little aromatherapy concoction. Orange and other citrus fruits are known to have therapeutic qualities if you have headaches. I'm the type of person who gets migraines from very strong fragrances and perfumes. I have tried the scented candles, but many of them give me a headache. I have found that this all-natural citrus infusion seems to work well for me.

You can make your entire house smell nice by infusing the orange scent. To do this, you will need:
-Orange peels. The amount depends on you. Just break them up into pieces.
-a small cooking pot filled halfway with water.
-cloves or cinnamon, if you wish. Again, the amount depends on you.

Bring the above ingredients to a light boil. The fragrance permeates the air and makes your house smell warm, inviting, and fresh for hours.

If you prefer not to infuse the orange fragrance, you can make little sachets of the above ingredients (minus the water, obviously). Just dry the orange peels on a dry, flat surface. When dry, take some breathable material (like gauze or organza) and put some dried orange peel, cinnamon and cloves (if you wish), close it up and tie it with a ribbon.

A friend of mine has really bad headaches and she keeps one of these sachets under her pillow. She claims it really helps her. Another friend keeps a sachet in her underwear drawer. She says it just makes her clothing smell fresh.

Though citrus and orange scents appeal to many people, it has the opposite effect on some people. If you are someone who doesn't like the smell of citrus fruits, do not try this at home.

Think Water

Hi! It's Chrissy. Just thought I'd say hi and see how everyone's doing. I'd also like to tell you about a neat website I found. If you live in Ontario, you've probably seen the ads on TV for the ThinkWater.Ca website. More on that later though! I want to tell you a quick story first.

A few months ago, I was at my mother-in-law's for dinner. After our meal, I proceeded to wash the dishes, as I always do. My mother-in-law politely told me to leave them...because she felt that I waste water. Now, I was really shocked because I always thought my method of washing dishes was pretty efficient and not wasteful.

After observing her, I noticed some of the differences in the way we wash dishes. Though I still don't think my way is very wasteful, I have grown to understand her thinking and her methods of doing things. She has always lived in the countryside and has always known just how precious water is. Her way did save more water than the way I did things.

Though I have known since very young that water is important and that it is not in abundance, many people are unaware of this.

There are quite a few things you can do in your own home to conserve water.
1) Don't leave the water running while you're brushing your teeth.
2) Use soapy dish water (after you've washed your dishes) and water your plants in your garden instead of letting it go down the drain. The soapy water will also help control the bugs and will help prevent them from eating your plants. I just wouldn't do this if your water is greasy.
3) Purchase high-efficiency washers instead of the conventional washers. We don't have one yet, but I am waiting to buy myself a high-efficiency front-loading washer!
4) Save your rain water and use it to water plants, wash your car, bathe your dog...whatever.
5) Use earth-friendly soaps and detergents.

I checked out the ThinkWater.Ca site and it says that in the City of Toronto, residents are offered a $60 or $75 cash incentive to replace their "water-guzzling" toilets with a City-selected-water-efficient model. Isn't that cool? Help save the environment and save money! Brilliant!

The City of Toronto also offers a $60 cash back on the purchase of the front-loading energy efficient washers that I mentioned earlier. Wow! I'd LOVE to live in Toronto again, if only to receive cash back for something that I already want in the first place! The new washers use 40% less water and 60% less energy.

Check out the website to find out other things you can do to help improve water quality and tread lightly on the earth.

Another Way To Recycle Paper

Hi everyone! It's C again. Don't you just love CK's and Fancy's new green blog? I sure can't get enough of it! ;)

I was just looking at the heaps of paper (newspapers, flyers, handouts, brochures, etc) that are in our office. Though I am a firm believer in recycling, I also believe that recycling should be the last "R" out of the 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). As Fancy had mentioned in her last post, it takes energy to recycle (plastic bottles, paper, glass, and aluminum cans). Not only do recycling plants require the usage of energy, but there are by-products from the process of recycling as well. It's a good option, but in my opinion, not our first option.

Of course, you can be smart like my mother-in-law, and request that the post office not send you any flyers, catalogues or "junk mail". I have to admit, I am terrible that way. I actually love perusing the flyers to see what's on special or just for the sake of looking at things I may or may not be interested in purchasing.

When I was 13, I began to get worried about our environment. I visited a recycling plant with my school and saw mountains and mountains of paper to be recycled. What alarmed me the most was the sheer volume of paper! I decided that I would try to make my own paper to cut down on the amount of paper waste in our household. Of course, my little effort would only be a drop in the bucket in terms of reducing paper waste. In our house, we also reused paper. We had a bin of "scrap paper" that was used for notes, working out math problems, etc.

Anyway, my thought was...Why not turn this:

into this?
To make your own paper, all you need is:
-paper of all sorts (computer paper, newspaper, flyers, even bits of magazines can work...just watch out of the ink used on the paper because they can bleed or make your paper look grey if you choose newsprint)
-a screen, framed by wood would be ideal (if you can get an old window screen, that works well)
-water
-a blender
-liquid starch (optional...and I've used cornstarch before)
-a basin or tub

First, tear up little shreds of paper and put about a handful into your blender. You need to fill the blender with WARM water and then start to blend on low. You can go on a higher/faster speed later on when the paper pulp looks like it has started to blend well (when it's no longer "lumpy"). To make things even more unique or to add your own personal touch to your paper, you can add in some flower petals or leaves. A little greenery is always pretty. If you are using liquid starch, add it in next. Mix well.

Next, pour your pulp over your screen and press so that the water drains from your paper. When you've gotten the excess water out, remove your handmade paper from the screen and lay it to dry on something that will absorb the water. I've used newspaper or a towel. Some people hang the sheets on a clothesline or use a hairdryer to dry them faster.

The end result is beautiful handmade paper. It's a fun activity to do with your kids (or in my case, with my students). Not only will you be creating something beautiful that can in turn be reused (they make pretty cards and are great for scrapbooking), you will be teaching your kids about reusing, recycling and how to tread lightly on the earth we live on.

(Images borrowed from Google Images)

Green Girly Thing

Hi everyone! Fancy here!

The first "green" change I made was 2 years ago and was probably the most hard-core, and I didn't even originally make it to be green. Men, you may want to avert your eyes. Ladies, I am talking about the one, the only, the amazing...Diva Cup.

See, I started using the Diva Cup not to be green, but because the alternatives were no longer working for me. After having my daughter, I found that tampons...umm...seemed to go south as my day went on. Not very effective, or comfortable, huh? As well, they seemed to irritate my cramps. As for pads, well, I had not used them in over a decade and had no desire to go back.

In researching this problem, I kept coming across an item I had never known existed, menstrual cups, cups made of silicone or rubber that go into the vagina to catch the menstrual flow, and then are cleaned out and re-used. Unlike many women I know, the idea did not ick me out at all. Since I had used OB applicatorless tampons for years, I was accustomed to getting close and personal with my menses. So once I read about how they work, I was eager to try it and bought a Diva Cup (the common one in Canada. The Keeper, The Lunette and The Moon Cup are others you may come across) at Noah's right away, then waited eagerly for my flow to...flow.

It was love at first use, if love for a menstrual product is possible. I will admit it took me a couple cycles to get it in right quickly and easily, but following the directions really helped, and now I have no problems at all with insertions or removal.

The things I love about the cup are that it greatly reduces my cramps, stays in place, needs to be dealt with less than a pad or tampon, is clean, is affordable (about $40, that is less than a year of tampons, and it lasts 10 years!) reduces midnight runs to the drugstore, reduces overflowing toilets once a month (whoever said tampons are flushable lied...but I refused to throw them out!) . Of course, the best thing about the sups are that they are reusable so they reduce the waste that disposable menstrual products lead to, as well as the energy used for producing and transporting and endless supply to meet an endless demand for the disposable products.

To answer a few common questions:

1. Does it hurt?

No, now at all. You don't feel it. Unlike a tampon, it sits at the lower part of your vagina, so it is in the wider area, and does not press against the cervix.

2. Is it messy?

Well, if you fling it around, it may be. But with normal usage, not at all. It sits vertically, so when you remove it it stays vertical, so you can just tip it out into the toilet with no spills or mess.

3. How do you clean it in public bathrooms?

Well, I rarely have to. Most days cleaning it right before I leave the house and first thing when I return is enough. If I do have to though, I just dump some water from a water bottle in my purse into it, swish it around, and dump the water in the toilet. Voila, clean.

4. Does it leak?

Well, like any menstrual product, you have to get a feel for what it can manage and keep and eye on it on heavy days, but I have never found leaking to be a big problem and I definately find it leaks way less than tampons. I do wear panty-liners for back up (cloth ones, but that's for another post!) just in case.

Go ahead, try it! Be a Diva Like me!! Many heath food stores or natural product stores sell them, as wel as Ebay (yes, there are new ones on Ebay!)

A greener way to care for your clothes

Hi everyone! Fancy here!

Fabric softener sheets are evil. Really. They are. They are toxic. Check out some of the ingerdients that can be found on a box: alpha-terpineol, benzyl acetate, camphor, benzyl alcohol, limonene, ethyl acetate, pentane, and chloroform. Who wants that on their clothes, next to their skin, in the air they breathe??

They are also very wasteful. They cannot be thrown into the recycling bins or green bins here in Toronto, so into the landfills they go. They can only be used once, so you always need more. That of course means more energy consuming and transportation. In every way, these innocent little sheets are not a good thing for our world, or the people in it.

But, soft static free clothing is so nice. It really is. Ummm....

So, some tips to have softer, static free clothes without the evil sheets:

1) Do not dry your clothes 100%. Clothing only gets static when it is fully dry. If you pull it out of the drier and hang it when there is just a tiny bit of moisture, you should reduce static.

2) Try throwing some tennis balls in the dryer. The bounce around separating and softening clothes, and seem to make clothes dry quicker as well.

3) Give your clothes a good shake before and after you dry them, to soften them up without wrinkling.

4) (My favorite, because I like to buy things...and feel better about my shopping addiction when I use it for good forces!!) Buy some reusable alternatives. I use a combination of Dryer Balls and Static Sheets. The blue nubby balls (I use 2 at a time, and they come in 2 packs for about $20) make my clothing super soft, and also dramatically decrease drying time. They are also fun to watch fly across the laundry room (with my cat chasing after them) when I open the dryer. The sheets do a good job of controlling static. I use 2 of these as well, which put me out about $17. The two combined are perfect!! If you are Toronto, you can get these products at The Big Carrot or Grass Roots , otherwise, try Ebay or the links above.

P.S. The sheets last 500 loads! The balls, about 1000 loads! $40, and your fabric softener needs are met for years!