McCrenshaw's Newest Thoughts: ecosystem

Showing posts with label ecosystem. Show all posts

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Moss Terrariums {Crafty Science!}

I have been wanting to make a terrarium since I first saw them on Etsy, at the end of last summer. I vaguely planned to make them as Christmas gifts, then got caught up in back-to-school & Halloween. Suddenly the holidays were upon us and it was too late. I figured we'd do it as one of our spring projects. Until I was gazing out the window, checking out the squirrels and birds, when I saw this:

See that lovely patch of green between the dying grass and the fence? It's moss! With the weather being so mild, and even warm on some days, the moss has been "living" it up. I kept my eye on it for a few days and then I just couldn't contain myself any longer. I dressed Little Guy for a nature walk and tossed a few plastic bags and spoons into a tote and we were off to collect things for our terrariums. In January. In Michigan. (Yes, I'm going to keep saying that. I am still amazed at the weather and will continue to be awed until there is 6" of snow on the ground and the temperatures have stayed below 30 F for at least a week!)

Once he finished running around like a nut, we got down to business. It was time to walk very slowly and see if we could spy any moss growing. Once we found a good patch, we collected some of it. Now, when you look for moss for this project, make sure of a few things:
1) Only take a little from each patch and leave the rest to regenerate.
2) Use a spoon or spatula to carefully lift it from the ground. It's pretty hardy stuff, but you want to make sure to lift the entire plant - including its root system.
3) Don't forget to get some soil from the same area, preferably from directly under where the moss was growing. We found three different types of moss on our outing and each one had a very different type of soil beneath it: One had mostly rocky, sandy soil; one had a soil that was composed mostly of dead grass; a third had very rich soil that was mostly composed of what Little Guy refers to as "worm poops".
4) Take note of how moist the soil below the moss is. You are going to want to try to mimic that amount of moisture in your terrarium.
5) Also be on the lookout for some nice-looking small pebbles and a few sticks or pieces of tree bark that have signs of moss or mushrooms (or, what Little Guy calls "fun guys") on them. We found a stick with some white "moldy" spots on it, a piece of bark from a tree stump with a mushroom, and bark from a dormant tree with green spots. We're excited to find out if anything sprouts from them!

Now, I want to tell you that you can use nearly anything to make your terrarium. I learned quite a bit from Storm The Castle. (This is THE coolest site for finding really neat things to do, by the way. Go bookmark it right now. I promise you'll use it. Repeatedly.) We used two different things for our terrariums: old honey jars and a plastic cake carrier that someone gave us a store-bought cake in for our terrarium containers. But, really, as long as it is see-through and has a lid or small opening, go for it: aquarium with a crack in it, glass vase, 2-liter pop bottle... Just remember that you're going to have to be able to get stuff into the container and arrange it! (Storm the Castle has a great tutorial on how to make really long tweezer-type thingies from a wire coat hanger so you can reach. I told you that site is great!)

Start by laying down the dirt you collected. Because the cake carrier is near-impossible to open without really jostling whatever is inside, I knew that we wouldn't be able to open it up to add water very often. So, I took a plastic lid that is about 1/4" deep and placed some cotton into it (the white rectangle on the left of Little Guy in the photo). I put this in the center of the cake "plate" before adding dirt. After we got the soil in place, I poked a small hole in the mound above the cotton-filled lid and poured some water into it, as well as all over the rest of the soil. My reasoning for the cotton was so it would hold a layer of moisture without saturating the soil. Don't know if it will matter in the end, or not. Just my theorizing!

(After I took the photo above, I noticed that pieces of dirt and rocks were falling into the area where the dome part of the cake carrier would fit into the bottom. So, I tore up a piece of paper towel into strips and poked them into that area to keep the debris out. You can see the paper towels in the photos below. Keep this in mind while you do the next part!)

So, where was I?! Oh, yeah: add your soil. Make sure to keep track of which soil is added where if you're using different mosses with different soil needs! Pile it up so you have a nice hill if your base is a flat piece like out cake dome has. If you're using a bottle-like container, try using a funnel to direct the different soils to different areas and attempt to get a mound going in there. This is important because, if you ever really look at the lay of the land that your moss is found on, you'll notice that it is usually on an inclined surface, even if it's only slight. Make sure to save some of the soil for later - you're going to need it to fill in spaces between the moss. Once you have your mound of soil, ever so slightly pack it down and moisten it. I just poured a little water onto the cake plate, I used a spray bottle of water for the honey jars.

Now it's time to add the moss! The pieces we had were rather large chunks, so I showed Little Guy how to gently pull them apart into small pieces. I had him decide where to place it. He loved being in charge of this part of the operation! It took forever for him to decide. He kept putting a piece down, turning it a little... moving it to the left, to the right... Sometimes he completely abandoned a piece in favor of a different one. It was really cool to watch him!

Once the moss was in place, I carefully added the reserved soils in between the pieces of moss. Then it was time for Little Guy to add the embellishments we collected. Now, I considered grabbing some tiny "guys" toys and a couple of tiny cars to include in the terrarium, but though better of it. Just before I went digging through the toys, I had a very disturbing vision: Little Guy attempting to recover his toys. Dirt everywhere. Terrarium ruined. Now, if your kids are cool with using toys inside, go for it. I think it would be pretty cool to create a scene with them. Just make sure that whatever you add to your terrarium will be able to withstand the high levels of moisture that it will encounter. Also consider whether it might give off any toxic fumes when wet or warm. The cute little plastic bunnies you add could end up killing all of the living things in there.

I think that I probably added too much moisture to our cake dome terrarium. Since opening and closing it just isn't an option, I have a back-up plan. If I notice that the dome is constantly coated in water droplets or the mosses or fungi start dying, I am going to poke small holes in the top of the plastic dome. This can be done very easily without marring the view: Just take a small nail or even a thick sewing needle and hold it with a pair of pliers over fire (a lighter or the burner of a gas stove.) Um... make sure your pliers are insulated or you're wearing an oven mitt! It doesn't have to get red hot, just hot enough to melt the plastic. Then, poke small holes through the dome, toward the top. This should allow enough moisture to escape without completely drying it out.

Our Finished Products:

This was such a fun and easy project to do. While we worked on it, we had some great conversations about ecosystems, habitats, what plants need to grow, what kind of rocks we were using, the water cycle... We also pondered the possibility of small insects, seeds, and spores being mixed into the soil we used. I'm anxious to see if any surprises grow in our terrariums.

I have another plastic domed container that has been sitting on top of my refrigerator since last spring. I've known it would be great for some use, but was waiting until I was inspired with an idea to use it. This thing is 18" in diameter! I want to do a similar project with that one. I'm not telling you what it is just yet, so watch for a post. It's going to be a little while, though. I need to have the space for the thing to have a home near a window, so I really need to do some purging of "stuff". One of these days, my husband and oldest will be gone all day. That's the day I call Salvation Army for a pick-up, get out the boxes, and get rid of all of this crap we don't really need! That day is coming soon and I can't wait for it. :)

One more thing: If you like this idea, but don't have the time or desire to make your own terrarium (or if you just don't have a moss supply available to you), you can get there ready-made. One Etsy shop I know of that sells these is 8Days Of Treasures. (You can check out the review I wrote of her shop for the Made in Michigan Blog Hop in October HERE.) Stephanie lives in Michigan and creates some pretty awesome terrariums! She also sells some unique glass containers that you could make your terrarium in, such as vinegar decanters, salt ans pepper shakers, and covered candy dishes.

If you make a terrarium and write about it,

please leave me a link in the comments.

If you have an idea of what could be added to a terrarium

for a cool scene, share it!

If you have pictures of your terrariums,

I'd love for you to post them to my Facebook wall!

This post has been linked at:

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Probiotics for Your TOILET?! {And a #Giveaway! (12/2) US}

Money? What Money?! {#CarNatPar}

Welcome to the October Carnival of Natural Parenting: Money Matters
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared how finances affect their parenting choices. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***
***

Photo by Aaron Patterson

I’ve learned that being “poor” is the easiest way to go green. Really, it is. Now, I’ve always leaned toward living naturally. Heck, I was the only person in my high school to celebrate Earth Day – and by “celebrate” I mean that I walked around the town I lived in and picked up trash for a couple of hours. I really didn’t know much else about it. I was raised in an upper middle-class family. We consumed and wasted a lot of stuff. Even when I was in my twenties and worked as a waitress, I didn’t really think about my lifestyle. I lived in Los Angeles, had The Oldest there, and was on a very tight budget. I guess it wasn’t tight enough – if I wanted something, I bought it. I didn’t think twice about the environment or the effects it had on my child. Then…

In early 2008, just weeks after hubby and I were married, I learned that we were expecting Little Guy. I was working third shift as a baker at a coffee shop. Just a month after finding out I was pregnant, hubby had an accident that totaled our minivan (thankfully, no one was hurt.) The next day, I found out that I couldn’t keep working at a job that had me on my feet & lifting heavy things for 8 – 10 hours a day. I had started bleeding and an ultrasound revealed that I had placenta previa. OK, no big deal. We talked it over and decided not to replace the van. Since I didn’t need to get to work at hours that the buses didn’t run anymore, we really had no need for a vehicle. It would save us a ton on gas money, insurance, and repairs (I swear, that thing cost us exactly $500 every time anything went wrong.) Hubby worked days and the buses ran right on schedule for him. So, #1 way to “afford” living more naturally:

NO CAR!

I decided to get back to school while I wasn’t working, so I started an online program that would have resulted in earning a Bachelor’s degree. I applied for financial aid and obtained a Pell Grant and a couple of student loans. Twice a year, I received a stipend check that helped pay for our utilities and rent (a.k.a. “room and board”), leaving some extra money out of hubby’s checks to pay for baby things, maternity clothes, little extras for The Oldest, etc. It was great – we were actually doing better with me home and not having a car than when I was working and driving!

We were even looking for a larger apartment. Our place was a one-bedroom, 625 sq. ft. apartment that we called “The House that Herb Built” (Herb being our landlord.) The angles of the walls, floors, and ceilings are wonky – you can never hang a picture and make it look straight because all of the angles are so crazy. The insulation (if there is any) in the walls is so thin that a gust of wind can be felt through the entire place. My Oldest had the bedroom and we were sleeping on a twin mattress in the living room. What were we going to do when Baby came?

Then, hubby was injured at work. It wasn’t a workman’s comp. type of situation, he had some medical problems that caused the accident and, as a result, was unable to work any longer. He filed for SSI in July of 2008. It was a good thing that I was at home because he needed care and someone to be around all of the time. Some of his medications had him walking around outside our apartment at 3am not knowing where he was. For a while there, I had one of those alarms on the door that beep loudly whenever it was opened so I knew if he had gotten lost on the five-foot walk from the living room to the bathroom and made his way outside. Without his income, we just couldn’t afford to move. We learned to make our small apartment work.

It can be hard, especially in the winter, with all of us in this little apartment. When cabin fever strikes, we do two things: purge our belongings and watch a TV show or DVD about how others live around the world. We receive all kinds of hand-me-down stuff from people. Rather than donating to the Salvation Army, people bring their useless junk to us instead. Then there’s hubby, who can’t go past a dumpster without peeking inside. Therefore, the place fills up rather quickly and a good purge helps. I read Momma Jorje’s Monday Minimalist posts to help get myself in the mood for this! And, because you just don’t know how good you have it until you see how other people live, I try to find some kind of show that features a family of 10 living in a hut the size of Oldest’s bedroom. We’ll all sit on the twin bed in the living room, passing around popcorn, and remind ourselves that we have it really, really good! There you have the #2 way to “afford” living more naturally:

LIVE IN THE SMALLEST SPACE POSSIBLE.

Money started to get really tight with only my stipends to live on – they totaled only $8,000 a year. Our rent took nearly half of that, and utilities took the rest. We had to apply for food stamps – no choice. I also started going to WIC for milk, cereal, juice, etc. WIC even had a great program called Project Fresh that allotted me $50 a month to spend at the farmer’s market! We stopped eating out altogether – it was just way too expensive. We used to order pizza twice a month. I decided to make it from scratch, instead. It cost roughly $4 to make the same amount of pizza that we paid $25 to have someone deliver. (When I think about spending a whopping FIFTY DOLLARS on pizza – just two meals – every month, I want to kick myself!) I also started to make my own bread, froze as much farmer’s market produce as I could fit into the freezer, and stopped buying pop and junk food. Tortilla chips and shredded cheese, for instance, replaced chips. This was healthier AND the fact that we actually had to make nachos rather than grab a handful of chips when we were hungry made us all think twice about why we wanted to eat in the first place. Was it to fuel our bodies, or “just because”? I had also been reading a book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She and her family agreed to eat only locally-grown food (I think it was within 50 miles of their home?) for one year. As she describes how the family met their challenge, some disturbing facts about fuel consumption, pesticides, and many other food-related eco-unfriendly truths are revealed. Yeah, our eating habits definitely changed and the #3 way to “afford” living more naturally was born:

KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM AND WHAT IT’S MADE FROM.

Little Guy was born and I learned that there’s a huge difference between “want” and “need”. We did not need the things that you always see on those lists from baby registries: bottles, swing, wipes warmer, monitor, crib, changing table… I had breasts (well, actually, I still have them!) that held his food at the right temperature and didn’t cost anything, I held him all of the time, we made our own wipes on an as-needed basis so the water was always warm, um – don’t need a monitor if you’re in the vicinity of baby all of the time, we co-sleep, a blanket on the floor or bed works perfectly as a changing table. I can go on and on about how all of those “must have” items are a waste of money, space, and resources. The only thing that we really had to worry about was laundry and diapers. I never had the full amount needed to invest in cloth and, just three years ago, the availability of affordable cloth diapers was limited (or I just didn’t know where to look.) Clothing, toys, etc. were easy to come by – we either received hand-me-downs or I hit up the local thrift stores. When he started eating food, I just made my own from farmer’s market finds. Rather than buying all kinds of little freezer bowls and special baby food making equipment, I just used the blender and asked on Freecycle.com for some baby food jars. Hence, #4 of how to “afford” living more naturally:

LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “NEED” AND “WANT”.

Since this is getting very long, I’m going to make this the last one (yay!)* One thing I worry about is my Oldest son. He is growing up with friends whose families are still stuck in consumer mode. Even though we live closer to the low-socioeconomic side of town, his friends still get new shoes & clothing, video games, junk food, etc. And here’s my kid, trying to be cool in last year’s styles from the thrift store, trying to keep up on the newest video games so he can talk about them without actually having ever seen them, and eating an apple for a snack rather than a bag of Cheeto's. He doesn’t complain, but I know it’s hard. Now that he’s in high school, it’s even harder. Other kids judge. And, while it’s all well and good to keep telling him that they’re just being stupid teens and one day they’ll realize that the style of shirt you’re wearing doesn’t define who you are – it doesn’t make today any easier for him.

So, without a lot of money and attempting to live green, I started to enter blog giveaways and take surveys that offer Amazon.com gift cards and PayPal payments. I use these to get gifts and “cool” stuff for the kids, especially my Oldest. Last week, he gave me his Christmas list. Yeah, I know… BEFORE October even started! You know why? “Because I know that if you win something, it can take a while for it to get here.” He made up a very modest list of things he’d like because he knows that I can attempt to enter giveaways or check out Amazon for sales of these items. Some of the things I win or buy aren’t 100% green, but I have to remember what I felt like when I was his age. I want him to feel good about himself and have the self-esteem that I didn’t. This year, he will be wearing his very first non-homemade costume for Halloween thanks to a giveaway I won (kinda cool since it'll be his last year trick-or-treating!) I know that he understands my lifestyle choices and he knows why I made the decisions I have made. He and I have had numerous conversations about why such-and-such is bad (for him, for people, for the earth…) and I see him making eco-friendly decisions more and more. However, it’s important to note that I made these choices for me. I cannot deprive him of the things he wants or make him feel bad for wanting them just because of my opinions. The final thing to remember if you want to “afford” to live more naturally is:

FIND WAYS TO LET YOUR KIDS BE PART OF THE CROWD.

So, how do you live more naturally and still make ends meet? We’ve gone without and learned how to live comfortably, but there’s always room for improvement!
Any suggestions?

*I have a lot more to say on this subject, but I wanted to keep it at a readable length. :)

***

Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon October 11 with all the carnival links.)

Money Matter$ — Jenny at I'm a full-time mummy shares her experiences on several ways to save money as a parent.
A different kind of life... — Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her utopian life and how it differs from her current one!
Show Me The Money! — Arpita of Up, Down & Natural shares her experience of planning for parenting costs while also balancing the financial aspect of infertility treatments.
Material v Spiritual Wealth - Living a Very Frugal Life with Kids — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares her family's realizations about the differences between material and spiritual wealth.
If I Had a Money Tree — Sheila at A Gift Universe lists the things she would buy for her children if money were no object.
Financial Sacrifices, Budgets, and the Single Income Family — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama looks at the importance of living within your means, the basics of crafting a budget, and the "real cost" of working outside of the home.
Overcoming My Fear of All Things Financial — Christine at African Babies Don't Cry shares how she is currently overcoming her fear of money and trying to rectify her ignorance of all things financial.
Confessions of a Cheapskate — Adrienne at Mommying My Way admits that her cheapskate tendencies that were present pre-motherhood only compounded post-baby.
Money Matters — Witch Mom hates money; here's why.
Money? What Money?! — Alicia C. at McCrenshaw's Newest Thoughts describes how decisions she's made have resulted in little income, yet a green lifestyle for her and her family.
What matters. — Laura at Our Messy Messy Life might worry about spending too much money on the grocery budget, but she will not sacrifice quality to save a dollar.
Making Ends Meet — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares about being a working mom and natural parent.
Poor People, Wealthy Ways — Sylvia at MaMammalia discusses how existing on very little money allows her to set an example of how to live conscientiously and with love.
The Green Stuff — Amyables at Toddler In Tow shares how natural parenting has bettered her budget - and her perspective on creating and mothering.
Jemma's Money — Take a sneak peek at That Mama Gretchen's monthly budget and how Jemma fits into it.
5 Tips for How to Save Time and Money by Eating Healthier — Family meal prep can be expensive and time-consuming without a plan! Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares five easy tips for how to make your cooking life (and budget) easier.
Belonging in the Countryside — Lack of money led Phoebe at Little Tinker Tales towards natural parenting, but it also hinders her from realizing her dream.
Total Disclosure and Total Reform — Claire at The Adventures of Lactating Girl gets down to the nitty gritty of her money problems with hopes that you all can help her get her budget under control.
Save Money by Using What You Have — Gaby at Tmuffin is only good with money because she's lazy, has trouble throwing things away, and is indecisive. Here are some money-saving tips that helped her manage to quit her job and save enough money to become a WAHM.
Two Hippos & Ten Euros: A Lesson in Budgeting — MudpieMama shares all about how her boys managed a tight budget at a recent zoo outing.
ABBA said it — Laura from A Pug in the Kitchen ponders where her family has come from, where they are now and her hopes for her children's financial future.
Money vs. Time — Momma Jorje writes about cutting back on junk, bills, and then ultimately on income as well ~ to gain something of greater value: Time.
An Unexpected Cost of Parenting — Moorea at MamaLady shares how medical crises changed how she feels about planning for parenthood.
5 Ways This Stay at Home Mom Saves Money — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares 5 self-imposed guidelines that help her spend as little money as possible.
Frugal Parenting — Lisa at My World Edenwild shares 8 ways she saves money and enriches her family's lives at the same time.
Conscious Cash Conscious — Zoie at TouchstoneZ shares her 5 money-conscious considerations that balance her family’s joy with their eco-friendly ideals.
Money, Sex and Having it All — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains how she's willing to give up one thing to get another. (And just for fun, she pretends to give advice on how to build capital in the bedroom.)
Money could buy me ... a clone? — With no local family to help out, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama wants childcare so she can take care of her health.
Spending Intentionally — CatholicMommy loves to budget! Join her to learn what to buy, what not to buy, and, most importantly, where to buy.
New lessons from an allowance — Lauren at Hobo Mama welcomes a follow-up guest post from Sam about the latest lessons their four-year-old's learned from having his own spending money.
How to Homeschool without Spending a Fortune — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares tips and links to many resources for saving money while homeschooling from preschool through high school.
It's Not a Baby Crisis. It's Not Even a Professional Crisis. — Why paid maternity leave, you may ask? Rachael at The Variegated Life has some answers.
"Making" Money — Do you like to do-it-yourself? Amy at Anktangle uses her crafty skills to save her family money and live a little greener.
Money On My Mind — Luschka at Diary of a First Child has been thinking about money and her relationship with it, specifically how it impacts on her parenting, her parenting choices, and ultimately her lifestyle.
Spending, Saving, and Finding a Balance — Melissa at The New Mommy Files discusses the various choices she and her family have made that affect their finances, and finds it all to be worth it in the end.
Accounting for Taste — Cassie at There's a Pickle in My Life shares their budget and talks about how they decided food is the most important item to budget for.
Money Matters... But Not Too Much — Mamapoekie at Authentic Parenting shares how her family approaches money without putting too much of a focus onto it.
Parenting While Owning a Home Business — In a guest post at Natural Parents Network, Lauren at Hobo Mama lays out the pros and cons of balancing parenting with working from home.
Crunchy Living is SO Expensive...Or Is It? — Kelly at Becoming Crunchy talks about her biggest objection to natural living - and her surprise at what she learned.
Mo' Money, Mo' Problems — Sarah at Parenting God's Children shares how a financial accountability partner changed her family's finances.
The Importance of Food Planning — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro discusses how food budgeting and planning has helped her, even if she doesn't always do it.
Kids & Money: Starting an Allowance for Preschoolers — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings discusses her family's approach and experiences with starting an allowance for preschoolers.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Green Halloween! { #CostumeSwapDay }

It may not quite be Halloween yet, but National Costume Swap Day is right around the corner! And it’s never too early to start thinking about how to make one of the best holidays of the year more eco-friendly.

Now, I've always been one to use whatever I have around the house to make costumes. Last year, the kids went as SpongeBob and one of the characters in an episode - DoodleBob (I think that's the guy's name!) It went well, but Little Guy really hated the box thing. For the first time ever, I'm getting him a costume this year - Thomas the Train. I tried and tried to think of a way to make him one (I can't sew very well) that would be comfortable. I had the prototype, tried it on him, and he HATED it. As in, nearly had a tantrum because it was just not comfortable.

Since I'll be getting a new costume this year, I know exactly what I'll be doing with it next year. Check out the information below for National Costume Swap Day. I know that you have some kind of costumes in a box somewhere (basement, garage, etc.) that you know you'll never use again. You're holding on to them because a) you spent good money on them and will NOT throw them out, b) you don't want to toss them into the trash because you'll be adding to landfills, c) they've been in the box for so long you just forgot about them! If you don't have Halloween costumes laying around, what about out-grown dress-up clothes? You know what I mean on this one, too. Is your little girl still trying to get into that leotard that is three sizes too small? Do you little guy's fireman boots hurt his feet? Take them to the nearest Costume Swap and exchange them for some new stuff!

On October 8, people across the country will get together for costume swaps in their own cities and towns. Swaps are a great way to go green by exchanging gently used Halloween costumes for new-to-your-kids. You’ll save the money you would’ve spent on new costumes for your kids and help the environment. In fact, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons—about the weight of 2,500 midsize cars!

If you’ve got friends and neighbors or a school or community group for whom a costume swap would be a good project, I encourage you to host a swap yourself or join with others. It’s easy, fun and a great way to build community around this money-saving and planet-saving idea. You can learn the simple steps to hosting a swap HERE. And be sure to register your swap so everyone can find out about it. Many neighborhoods and towns have already begun planning their swaps. Find one near you, then spread the word and help make it an eek-o-fabulous success!

National Costume Swap Day is sponsored by Green Halloween, KIWI magazine, and Swap.com.

Ready to get started? Find existing swaps—plus information to help you start your own at CostumeSwapDay.com.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Every Cleaning Recipe You'll Ever Need! {#Rafflecopter #GIVEAWAY!}

Have you heard of The Peaceful Housewife yet? I met Jenny around March of this year, I think it was during Code Name: Mama's March of Kindness meme. Jenny was blogging about the same things that I was interested in, mainly: greening your home and parenting peacefully. She opened her online store, The Peaceful Housewife, soon after we "met" and I was excited to do a review and gift certificate giveaway with her to spread the word. Her items are wonderful - tons of homemade cleaning products, created with safe and natural ingredients.

Jenny - The Peaceful Housewife

Recently, Jenny published an eBook containing all of her recipes along with cleaning tips. She's included basic laundry detergent and dish soap recipes. Then she added some that I didn't think you could make at home: dishwasher detergent, brass cleaner, and even one for those oh-so-convenient disinfecting wipes! Her tips include how to get stubborn stains from clothes and how to replace chemical-laden carpet shampoo with a non-toxic version.

The book is very easy to read, all of the steps are laid out perfectly. I'd even give it to my husband to make some of these recipes and expect the results to come out perfectly (that's saying a LOT!) I am so thankful to Jenny for sending me this book and I know that, when I shop next, I'll be picking up lots of vinegar, baking soda, and some great-smelling essential oils!

You can buy the book for a mere $3 by heading to her online store. You will also find a ton of great cleaning products for amazingly low prices. For instance, this month's "Scent of the Month" is Apple Jack and Peel and if you'd like to try it, you can buy a 20-load bag of laundry detergent for only $2! I have a bottle of Linen and Room Spray in Lavender Vanilla (there are 12 scents to choose from) that I love. The stuff lasts forever (both the bottle, itself, and the scent) and it only cost me $3.50. Oh, and she even creates a wonderful furniture polish that I feel good about letting Little Guy use for just $5. You just cannot find items like this online or elsewhere for these prices. And, if you choose to buy the eBook, you'd really be saving money by making all of these (and more) yourself!

Would you like a chance to win The Peaceful Housewife: Natural Household Cleaners eBook? Just use the easy Rafflecopter form below (it may take a minute to load.) Open WORLDWIDE!

****By the way - I didn't receive any type of monetary compensation for this review. I did, however. get a really handy eBook - that's it. Everything I've said is in my own words and is my own opinion! OK, now get back to entering the giveaway!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Ready to Make Seed Bombs Again? Now is the Time! {Re-Post and UPDATE}

Pin It
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that many plants are beginning to seed. I'm a collector and seeds are one of my favorite things to hunt for. If I see a plant with flowers that I have been admiring go to seed, I'll grab a few. I always carry a few empty spice jars with me whenever we go for neighborhood walks* or to the park - you just never know! I usually just transfer the seeds to envelopes and either write the name of the plant on it if I know it, or draw a picture of the flower and a leaf if I don't. I try to write down where I found it, too it makes knowing where to plant it (full sun, shade) easier, too.
This year, though, we're going to make seed bombs. I plan to make three varieties: wildflowers that can be planted anywhere in our area, mixed flowers that thrive in similar habitats and have similar watering needs, and single varieties (mainly herbs and large plants that may overshadow and kill smaller ones.)

*If you are collecting seeds from someone's yard, always ask if it's OK. I've never been turned down. Most people are going to tear out the plants at the end of the season and buy new ones in the spring anyway.

So, I am re-posting my "Make Seed Bombs" post from way back in March in case you are interested in trying your own hand at making these. I've made a few changes to the original post. You will notice that the changes are in red type-face, if you saw the original post. I'm sorry I don't have any photos of us actually making them. I have just one 4 1/2 year-old digital camera and the thing has taken a beating. Making seed bombs is a messy and involved business and there is no way I could imagine having the camera that Little Guy so badly wants to use out while I'm elbow-deep in mud and seeds!

From: justseeds.org

Now, you may be aware of these sweet little gems but, if not, here's a quick explanation. Seed bombs are small balls of clay, compost/soil, and seeds that you can easily plant (or even toss) into your yard for some pretty flowers. These are great gifts for spring - Easter, Mother's Day, birthdays, or "just because." They're also a wonderful two-fold activity for kids. First, you can make the bombs and then, later, your children can have their own little patch of yard or even a pot to grow them. At this time of year, there's another activity you can throw in - hunting for the seeds! Heck, if you have older kids, they might even be interested in trying to find out just what kind of plant the seeds you've found have come from - trip to the library and some research, too! Another use for these, and this is what they were actually created for in the first place, is to create pretty and natural spaces in vacant lots. Just carry a few with you wherever you walk and toss one or two into that abandoned yard.

One point to remember is that you should choose seeds that are native to your area, or if mailing to a friend or relative for a gift, native to their area. First, they will grow better with little or no care. Second, they will be appropriate for the birds and insects in your area. Introducing new plant species can be hazardous to the ecosystem in the long run, so make sure you check online or with your local parks service to make sure the plants you choose won't do any harm. Many times, park systems even have native plant seeds available for free or a nominal fee.

You will need:
1/2 c. mixed seeds
3/4 c. compost or garden soil
1 1/4 c. powdered clay (red or brown)**
Water

Directions:
1. Either cover your work surface and the floor with lots of newspaper, or work outdoors. Wear old clothes and be ready to get a ~~little~~ lot dirty. Don't worry - it'll ALL wash off!
2. Mix the seeds with the compost. Gently stir in the powdered clay. Be careful not to mix the powdered clay to quickly because, while it's just clay, you don't want to breathe it in. (The clay isn't toxic, but your lungs don't need all that dirt in there!)
3. Add the water so the mixture is just moist enough to form into balls about 1" in diameter, or the size of a walnut. Little Guy, who helps me bake bread, loves his job of "kneading" the "dough"!
**Don't use too much water. You run the risk of soaking the seeds too much and either starting them growing or rotting them. Using too little water, on the other hand, can lead to the balls crumbling apart. Try to get a consistency like play dough.
4. Set the balls about 1/2" apart on newspaper-lined baking sheets to dry. Depending on the humidity, it should take about 24 to 48 hours. You want to make sure they're completely dry all the way through before storing or giving. Don't dry them in the sun - they'll start to grow. Trust me - I've done this! You can cover them with newspaper and hide them in a shady spot outside. Drying in the oven, even on the lowest setting could be too hot and kill the seeds - Been there, done that, too!

If you're storing the seeds for your own garden, put them in a paper bag in a dry, cool, dark place. If you plan to give them away, there are tons of ways to make the gift look great. Here are a few ideas:

Recycle some old shirts by sewing simple cloth bags and tying with a pretty ribbon.
cotta pots, a bag of soil, homemade garden markers and seed bombs into a basket.
Have your kids decorate a small box with paint, stickers, or cut paper of the flowers that the seed bombs will grow into.
Put the bombs into an old candy box!
Try adding some pretty recycled paper into the muddy mixture for some color.
Press the seeded clay into silicone candy molds for heart-, flower-, etc. shaped bombs
I have experimented with using just paper to make seed bombs. The best paper is handmade because it dissolves well and molds better. A friend of mine was tickled pink to receive purple seed bombs for her birthday - it's her favorite color!
Let your kids go nuts and sculpt the seed bombs into whatever shape they want! We made truck bombs and car bombs the last time we did this. To make sure you're not making them too thick to dry properly, make sure that the thickest part of the bombs doesn't go over the 1" diameter mark.

The possibilities are endless! Don't forget to include a list of the seeds included in the bombs and instructions.

**If you do not have access to the clay powder, try using air-dry clay. I have seen quite a few instances where people have used it successfully. I looked up Crayola Terra Cotta Air Dry Clay 2.5 lb Bucket. According to the Art and Creative Materials Institute, the people who check this stuff for toxicity, it is not toxic in any way - toy you, your kids, or the environment. Use this link to read the report for yourself. This stuff is readily available at nearly any store that sells children's art supplies and isn't really expensive. Just make sure to NOT add water unless you need to!

ANY IDEAS???

Please share any ideas you may have for this great project. If you do make these, let me know how they turned out and add any tips you come up with. I love hearing new ideas and brainstorming. Even if you have an "I wonder if I did ____ what would happen" floating around in your head, please share it. Maybe someone knows the answer or is willing to try it out and will report back with the results.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Don't Forget About The Green Parenting Giveaway Linky!

Just a little reminder to my readers about my Green Parenting Giveaway Linky. It's an ongoing linky, so I don't regularly post about it. Head on over to see what great giveaways have been linked up and add your own, too. As long as your giveaway is "green" or has to do with parenting (even stuff for mom or dad), you're in! As the giveaways expire, I'll delete them, constantly moving the newer giveaways up on the list.

Grab the button if you'd like!

<a href="http://mccrenshaw.blogspot.com/p/green-parenting-giveaway-linky.html" target="_blank">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3FLSs5ao6egU606-8089vRBdhbYHAfHpVhZBTVEaRQpigV1zev9TGkzrkWLpma6MrmqNLgezAhC7SXa5s-yWTRBfYUPosS6Ve_8808uP_iRNBJv1OysHvDhbOUyi9px-O210XXoCPHg/s288/13849308744.jpg" width="150" height="200" border="0" alt="Come link up or enter to WIN!" />
</a>

And there's also the Tuesday's Giveaway Linkup hosted by Classified: Mom, Tots and Me, and myself! Even more great chances to WIN!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Our Butterflies have Flown the Coop!

A few weeks ago, I was one of the lucky winners on Surviving A Teacher's Salary (you really should check out Crystal's blog - I love it!) I won an Insect Lore Butterfly Pavilion. Not the little one, the deluxe five-star hotel for butterflies! Along with it came two little jars with five caterpillars in each. The kids (and I) were ecstatic!!!

Sorry, the caterpillar photos didn't turn out

At first, the tiny caterpillars didn't do a whole lot. We got excited to see them even moving. But, after a couple of days, they kicked into hyper-drive - these things were hungry and spent all day eating the waxy brown "special caterpillar food" from the bottom of the jars. It became a ritual for Little Guy to hold each jar before bedtime and give five kisses - one for each caterpillar - before he went to sleep. My oldest would rush home from school to check on their progress each day and then stand, mesmerized, staring at them. And, yes, I found myself wasting lots of time watching them, too. I couldn't believe how much they could eat!

They're still in their fuzzy caterpillar skins here.

One day after school, my oldest called to me from the living room, "Mom!!! Hurry up! Come here RIGHT NOW!" Now, I was in the bathroom at the moment, but the tone in his voice made me think that something really bad had happened. I got into the living room as quickly as possible (with visions of blood or broken bones in my mind) to find him staring into the caterpillar jars. "LOOK! They're hanging upside-down!" Yep, they were still caterpillars, but they were all hanging upside down from the jar lids , looking like little "J's". Over the next couple of hours, they were spastic as they hardened into chrysalises. They slowly wriggled out of their last bit of fuzzy caterpillar skin and became brown, translucent chrysalises.They were pretty cool. The camera couldn't capture the iridescence of the cocoon. It looked like a muddy puddle with a rainbow of gasoline floating on top!

The next step was for me to secure the paper that had lined the lid of the caterpillar jars onto the sides of the pavilion - easier said than done! You see, to protect themselves from wind, rain, and toddlers who like to tap on the sides of jars, these guys weave themselves little safety lines of silk to hold their chrysalises in place. When I opened the jar, these silk threads held tight. I had to use scissors to cut them away from the sides of the jars. Also, one of the papers had been so chewed up by the caterpillars that I couldn't remove it from the plastic lid, so I just taped the entire lid to the top of the pavilion.

For the next week, our routines changed. Whenever anyone thought about it, they'd peek into the pavilion to see if anything was happening. Nothing. Day after day. Little Guy still insisted on saying goodnight, but even he was getting tired of talking to little brown sticks. Then I was awoken at 3am by a tremendous clap of thunder. We had a terrible storm coming and I ran around the house, closing windows and unplugging appliances (we learned about blowing things up when lightning hits power lines last summer!) I sat down to calm down enough for sleep again when I heard scratching. I turned on the light and there was our first butterfly! The next morning, when Little Guy woke up, I showed it to him, expecting him to be excited. Instead, he eyed it suspiciously. I know what he was thinking, "Come on, Mom! I know you put the butterfly in there while I was sleeping! THAT couldn't have come out of those things the caterpillars made!"

All day, I kept an eye on the pavilion. I wanted him to see a butterfly actually coming out of a cocoon, you know? Sometimes seeing is the only thing that's going to lead to believing. Nada. We still had just that one butterfly at bed time. We balled up a piece of paper towel, set it on a plate, and poured a sugar water mixture onto it so our little friend wouldn't starve, and then said good night. The next morning, I woke up to seven more butterflies! When little guy woke up, I think he was sure I was trying to get one over on him - LOL!

Finally, just before bed time, we all got to watch the last butterfly emerge. It was pretty cool to watch my kids faces as it broke free from the chrysalis and then slowly unfurled its wings! I wanted to take pictures, but the kids were so enthralled that I couldn't break that kind of excitement and concentration just to snap a photo.

(Sadly, our last butterfly never came out. My oldest was granted permission to do an autopsy and he discovered that the silk he had spun as a caterpillar had tied him into the cocoon so tightly that there was no way for him to get out unless he had packed a little pocket knife.)

We kept the butterflies for a few days, watching them eat and flutter around. We got a few library books that explained how butterfly mouths are more like straws and that's why we have to make sure the paper towel is always wet.

Sorry about the lighting. This is one of the butterflies eating. We made the paper towel into a flower shape and colored the sugar water a yellowish shade.

Then, on Monday, my oldest was watching them and he got all excited again. "Hey, Mom! Look! We have Siamese butterflies." What is he talking about?! Um... well, here's the picture. Let me just say that it was fun to completely embarrass him on this one. Once I told him what was going on, he just didn't know WHAT to say! LOL (I promised not to bring it up in front of his friends, but I reserve the right to tease him from time to time about it.) The following picture is Rated X:

That's when I decided we needed to let them go! I've had one of these butterfly kits before and, once they lay eggs and they hatch, you end up with hundreds of teeny-tiny caterpillars who can go through the netting all over the place. Sadly, my oldest was scheduled to be picked up for a visit with my brother on Monday night, so he had to miss out on the release.

Little Guy, on the other hand had a great time! Let me tell you just how serious this was to him: He listened to everything I said. He carefully followed directions. He was gentle so he wouldn't hurt his butterflies. All of these are things this kid hasn't done for a long, long time! I was amazed!!!

I love the concentration on his face in these next two photos!

Well, that's it! I spied a Swallowtail laying eggs on my dill earlier this week, so I'm going to be keeping an eye on them. Once the caterpillars get big enough, I'll bring in a pot of dill and parsley (they're favorite foods, along with carrot tops) and set them up in the pavilion. We had a ton of fun with them last year and now I have a great pavilion to keep them in instead of quart-size Ball jars!

If you're interested, I suggest trying this out for yourself. It's not only really cool and educational, butterflies are one of the good insects that are being killed off by pesticides. They pollinate flowers for us and are sorely needed! Amazon has the Butterfly Pavilion (with 10 caterpillars) on sale for $22.14 and the smaller Butterfly Garden (with 5 caterpillars) for only $14.39!

Special thanks to Surviving a Teacher's Salary and Insect Lore

for the amazing giveaway that allowed my kids (and me!)

to have this great experience!