Square foot gardening

This year, we attempted our first raised bed garden. We had some definite successes and some colossal failures. One of my goals for the day is to get the garden winterized. I had intended to plant a fall crop of lettuce and spinach, but did not get it done this year.  And it appears it's too late to plant anything else this year.

Successful crops this year included: 

• yellow squash and zucchini (froze bags and bags of shredded squash to make bread this fall/winter)
• heirloom tomatoes (froze bags and bags of whole tomatoes for use in soups, stews, sauces this winter)
• sweet corn (YUM!) 
• and pie pumpkins (we pureed and froze 11 bags of pumpkin)

Crops that I may not plant again: 

• green beans (they took over and tried to strangle everything in sight!)
• onions (both green and yellow varieties)
• watermelon & canteloupe (pretty sure that the incredibly strong pumpkin vine overshadowed both of these...may try them again next year with a different crop placement)
• English peas (just failed to thrive)
• and peppers (both jalapeno and bell)

10 steps to a more Earth friendly life

Earth friendly living doesn't have to be complicated. You can make small changes starting right now. Here are ten easy ways to get started being more eco-friendly:

1. When you grab your mail, immediately drop the junk mail into a stack for recycling. We keep a paper grocery bag behind the kitchen counter next to the phone for easy paper recycling.
2. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. 
3. Turn your thermostat up (or down) just a couple of degrees. 
4. Change a light bulb from the traditional type to a compact fluorescent. 
5. Start recycling aluminum or plastic or glass (or all three!)
6. Run the dishwasher only when it is full.
7. Use a vinegar and water solution for general purpose cleaning. Vinegar does a fantastic job of cleaning counters, vanities and glass, and the odor dissipates quickly. 
8. Keep your freezer full. Even adding large milk jugs full of water will help your freezer run more efficiently.
9. Turn of lights/televisions/radios when you leave a room.
10. Invest in a couple of reusable shopping bags. They are sturdy, hold quite a bit, and won't be immediately tossed in the landfill. 

Do you have other easy tips for those just starting a more Earth friendly life?

Acceptance, Order and Clarity

This week, I've been exploring and articulating my thoughts on the quote below:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order,

confusion into clarity.

It turns problems into gifts, failures into success,

the unexpected into perfect timing.

~Melody Beattie

Today, I'd like to look at the third line. When I turn denial into acceptance I am stopping the fight against the negative. When the fight against the negative energy stops, the negative energy loses its power, and I find peace in accepting whatever the situation may be. At that point, I can be grateful for what I do have, for the lesson learned, for the moment -- even if it was painful.

Gratitude turns chaos into order in my life because when I am grateful for my things, I take care of them. When I am grateful for my children, I spend time with them. When I am grateful for my home, I take pride in it and keep it looking presentable.

And gratitude turns confusion into clarity by giving me a focal point for the most important things in my life. Work meetings, deadlines, bills and obligations are not the focal point of my life. My children are! When I am grateful for them, I know exactly what I should spend my time and energy on -- my kids and our life as a family. Once my focus is where it should be, my life has clarity of purpose.

What an amazing gift...and all from saying "Thank you!" for everything...small things, big things, good things, and not-so-good things.

What is enough?

Yesterday, I started thinking about gratitude in my suburban life. I don't want to get to the end of my life and think that all there was to it was carpools, laundry and the crock pot. But I also know that gratitude is what changes the ordinary into the extraordinary. I shared this quote and pondered the first line. Today, I'd like to explore the second line.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.

It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing.

~Melody Beattie

Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more.

We live in a world of "buy more" and "want more" and "deserve more." It's so easy to get sucked into what the advertisers want us to believe about consumption and retail therapy.

This past summer, the boys and I spent 12 days in Alaska and Canada. During that time, we visited several historic sites that showed how the original settlers lived. In their one room homes, they had a small bed, a few kitchen items, blankets, and some tools. They made a life for themselves with these things. They didn't have stainless steel refrigerators (I do)...or bookshelves with multiple titles sitting colorfully in a line (I do)...multiple lamps, artwork, comfortable seating, wine rack, framed photos...the list goes on and on. And sometimes, in my moments of self pity as I strive to be more frugal, I think while I'm pouting, "I don't live a life of luxury! It's unfair that I don't have ________ (fill in your latest WANT here)!"

But, if I'm truly honest with myself, in comparison to the pioneer people of the Alaskan and Canadian wilderness (and, in all honesty, most of the people of the world), I DO live in luxury.

Sure, I still have laminate countertops instead of quartz....but I have countertops!

I still have kitchen cabinets I hate because they show every fingerprint...but I have cabinets and plenty of stuff inside them.

I have a kitchen table that's falling apart...but I have a table around which my family gathers for meals.

Today, as I ponder the second line of that quote, I want to look at each and everything that I own, and find a reason to be grateful for its presence in my life. And I can realize that I have so much more than I need for survival. I can also state that I don't need more stuff to be happy. I have so much already and new and better and state of the art won't necessarily make me a happier or more grateful person.

What is "enough" for you?

Attitude of Gratitude

One of the ideas that I think helps keep my life in balance is an attitude of gratitude. I've been trying to live by this quote:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.

It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing.

~Melody Beattie

Today, I'd like to look at the first line and try to articulate what it means in a Mother Earth 2.0 kind of life. When I think about how gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, I think about the intense heart-bursting-with-pride-and-love feeling I get when I really stop in the midst of my crazy life and really take a look at and consciously treasure my children. Taking a few seconds to consciously FIND that feeling in myself can change a dull ordinary moment into one that makes the day completely worthwhile.

I also get that feeling sometimes when I have worked hard on a home improvement project and stand back to admire my handiwork. I can look at my property, knowing it's not the largest lot, not the most perfectly put-together home, but recognize that it's MINE and that I love it for what it is. At the same time I can know that although it's a work in progress, it's my home, my haven from the world, and I love it.

When I try to define a "full life" I think of a life in which I don't take anything for granted. Even the most mundane tasks can be a blessing for my family. When I drive the carpool to an after school activity, I know that I am making someone else's life a little easier, and that brings me happiness. When I fold laundry, I can be grateful for having clothes to wash. As I'm cooking dinner for my family, I can be grateful that we have fresh food. When joy and gratitude can be found in the everyday moments of our lives, I think that is the beginning of a consciously lived full life.

Each and every day, I am going to continue to strive to find that deeply grateful feeling. I'm going to try to conjure it up for simple things, precious moments and everything in between.

Lately, I've been trying to meditate in the afternoon for a few minutes. I tend to be a type A personality, constantly on the go, mind racing with the next item on the To Do list. I've tried to just lie down (with a fan blowing in the background for white noise to keep the distractions to a minimum), and I start with a few deep cleansing breaths, then begin concentrating on the things that I'm particularly grateful for during that particular day. Honestly, there are days that it's tricky to pull out items for which I am grateful, but I feel like on those days, it's even MORE important that I try to find something to treasure about the day and consciously attempt to feel the intense heart bursting gratitude in relationship to that event or person. I can't say that I'm successful every day, but I can say that I continue to try.

So, what are you grateful for today?

Packaging = trash

As we have embarked on this quest to be more environmentally friendly while not quite losing track of our suburban lifestyle, it's become apparent that many of the convenience products we use have an overabundance of packaging. When I take my kids through the drive-thru after a busy day of school/work, guitar lessons, art club and tae kwon do, we end up with a bag, and inside the bag are individually wrapped sandwiches, pre-portioned fries, napkins and condiments, plus in the drink tray are paper cups, straws and straw wrappers. With over 1 billion served, can you imagine the kind of waste that just our fast food products produce?

In small ways, we're trying to do better. When we order, if we're going home to eat, I'll ask for NO condiments or napkins because we have those at home. We don't order drinks; the kids will drink soda, juice or water at home. I feel like at least I'm making an effort. I can't be a perfect environmentalist all the time with the kind of schedule we keep, but at least I'm aware...and making some modifications in our behavior.

But still, I struggle with whether I can put the paper bag from the meal in the paper recycling?

Recycling in Suburbia

As I've mentioned, we are trying to recycle everything we can. The recycling bins in our garage are full about once a week to every ten days.

We do have curbside recycling in our town, but in order to be more frugal (and help with fundraising at our school), we deliver our recycling weekly to the receptacle at our school.

We're trying to reduce our trash to one bag or less per week. Ideally, we would like to only have to set out the trash once every two weeks. In order to do that, we'll have to make other changes in our purchasing habits. I'll be sharing those changes as we attempt them, and report about our successes and failures.

Items that are recyclable in our area include:

• newspaper
• catalogs
• ad inserts
• magazines
• phone books
• brochures
• office paper
• manila folders
• junk mail
• carrier stock (cardboard soft drink & beer cartons)
• chipboard (cereal boxes, shoe and gift boxes, etc.)
• aluminum cans
• #1-#7 food and beverage containers (water bottles, yogurt tubs, and takeout containers)

In addition to these items, I can recycle glass at a special receptacle at the grocery store. We actually only empty that bin about once a month or so.

Recycling resources that may be helpful include:

http://earth911.com/

http://www.nrc-recycle.org

http://www.recyclespot.org/