Random Recycling: Modern Green Living for Busy Families

Keep Pests Out of Your Garden Naturally

2012-05-29T21:49:00.000-04:00

There is nothing worse than spending loads of time and money on your vegetable garden, only to have it decimated by natural predators. This is our first year doing square foot gardening in our raised beds. I've had to do some research into how to keep our neighborhood bunnies, foxes and friends away from my young vegetables. We have had containers on our farmers porch the past few years and didn't have to deal with any pests, aside from the curious toddler. Here are a few things we plan to try out in the garden, plus some that my Dad has done for years.

Source

~Dried blood keeps the bunnies at bay. Rabbits don't like the smell of dried blood, or hair from it's predators (coyotes and foxes). Get these items at your local garden store and sprinkle them around the perimeter of your garden. Too gross? Build a 3 foot high fence instead.

Source

~Cup of beer to drown garden slugs. There were always little cups of beer in our garden growing up. Usually filled with slugs. They are attracted to the yeast and barley in the beer. I would use a little yogurt cup filled halfway with beer. Replace as needed.
~Plant an onion border around your garden. Bunnies don't like onions!

Source

~Marigolds are your friend. Plant them around tomato plants to help deter pests like tomato worm, white flies and nematodes.

Source

~Garlic Fire Spray. Keep the bugs at bay with this homemade recipe from No-Dig Vegetable Garden. This will take care of ants, grubs, caterpillars and most small bugs. Be nice to the ladybugs though, they are your friend. They eat aphids!
~Cats may not be nice to your garden. Discourage them by giving them a little squirt with a hose. Don't let them take a cat nap on your little seedlings.
~Groundhogs. If you got them, build a fence. A tall one.

There are loads of other natural gardening remedies online and I support giving them a shot if you end up with some pests in your garden. Think twice about chemical pesticides that have been linked to cancer, nerve damage and birth defects. Keep your garden and your food clean and healthy with these natural gardening tips. Good luck!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. I'm sharing this at Sustainable Ways and Green Your Way. Thanks!
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Monday Meal Plan May 28

2012-05-28T17:57:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Memorial day! It was a fun filled family weekend for us so the meal plan was a bit delayed. The warm weather is inspiring me to do more grilling and keep some of the heat out of the kitchen.

Monday~ Grilled chicken breasts and whatever veggies we can find in the house.
Tuesday~ Grilled salmon burgers. This will be a first for both us and the kids. Let's see how it goes. I'm thinking asparagus on the grill too and a little rice.
Wednesday~ Lemon and mushroom chicken in the crockpot. I use a whole chicken stuffed with one lemon cut in half and a few other spices. The recipe is from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook.
Thursday~ Daddy is carbo loading for his charity century ride on Saturday. We will have a sausage and chicken baked pasta dish and a green salad.
Friday~ Pizza night! Our playgroup (of 50) will have the first summer picnic dinner at our local playground. I'm on dessert duty so I'll share later this week what I'm making.

What's on your list to make this week? Remember, you can get a sneak peak into what I am making by following my favorite recipe board on Pinterest.

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday.
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Happy Summer!

2012-05-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! I hope you all have some time to relax with friends and family. This weekend always feels like the start of summer, even if the calendar doesn't say so. Bring out the white pants and sunscreen, we are ready! I am enjoying some family time so this week's meal plan may be a little delayed. Thank you to my wonderful readers who have been so supportive of this blog. It means a lot to me!

Got yourself a Little Miss Coppertone like our little water baby? Win a chance for a dream family vacation by entering your little girl here.

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No Purchase Necessary. Contest Ends on 6/22/12. Disclosure: We are entering for a chance to win a gift card in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Sea Salt Cookies and a Party!

2012-05-24T22:01:00.000-04:00

All parties are better with cookies. Even better are cookies that are both salty and sweet. This week I hosted a group of bloggers and blog contributors from the Parent Talk Matters blog. We got our work done and then checked out the lovely goodies from the sponsors of Healthy Child Healthy World parties. Nearly 5000 people are hosting parties to spread the mission of Healthy Child, Healthy World.

Avoid Pesticides
Use Non-Toxic Products
Clean Up Indoor Air
Eat Healthy
Be Wise With Plastics

Guests went home with products from Nordic Naturals, CleanWell, Dapple, Luna Bars, Topricin, Eco Store and more. I am a big believer in making little steps to create a greener home environment. Switching to more eco friendly products is simple and sometimes the first steps parents make when bringing home a new baby.

Thank you to both Hint Water and Pretzel Crisps for also providing some fun refreshments for our event. We even served organic wine!

Now for the recipe...

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Sea Salt Cookies
(adapted from The Motherload)

Ingredients
2 sticks of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet mini chocolate chips (12 oz package)
sea salt flakes or kosher salt

Instructions
1. Beat butter and sugars together in a mixer until creamy.
2. Add in the eggs and vanilla, beat until thoroughly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Slowly add flour mix to the egg and sugar mix.
5. Stir in oats and chocolate chips until combined.
6. Drop rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet
7. Press down each cookie slightly and spring with sea salt.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Cool for 3 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.
10. Makes 4 dozen small cookies or about 3 dozen large.

Enjoy!

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Switch to Natural Food Coloring for Holiday Baking

2012-05-22T10:35:00.000-04:00

Source: More Design Please

I love this idea for Memorial Day. So did a lot of other people when I noticed my pin was repined almost 500 times in one day. There are so many fun holiday decorating ideas I want to do, but I hesitate sometimes because of my goal to reduce our intake of synthetic food dyes. Check out my earlier post on why it may be important for your family to make the switch.

If you are looking to make the switch to natural food dyes, I found a few options online that look good.

The India Tree Natural Decorating Coloursis a good option for coloring frosting or a batter.

The India Tree All Natural Nature's Colors Decorating Sugars Variety Setis an investment. The price we pay for natural ingredients I guess. The blue should work for making these patriotic strawberries. Maybe lighten it up with a little white sugar. You can make them for both Memorial Day and 4th of July parties!

Check out more Summer Holiday inspiration on my Pinterest Board! What are you making this weekend?

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Disclosure: some links in this post are Affiliate links which helps support development of this site. I'm sharing this at Sustainable Ways and Green Your Way. Thanks!

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Being Sentimental and Green

2012-05-21T13:17:00.002-04:00

One of my goals this year has been to cut down on the clutter in our home and try to limit the amount of new stuff we purchase. We have been in our home for almost 6 years and we are at the point where there are some dark piles of stuff in the basement that haven't seen the light of day since we moved in. Slowly we are attacking these piles and making the hard decision to give away some of these possessions.

The hardest thing to part with are those family items handed down from grandparents. I'm a bit sentimental and find it hard to say no when they offer things. I have one set of china from my grandmother that passed away this year and although I haven't opened the box in this home, I'm still hoping to find a place to use it in my next home. You have to make the choice whether you want to sacrifice some storage space for these items taking up room in your home and your heart.

My other grandmother recently moved and offered up lots of items in her home to her many children and grandchildren. I was very selective and happily accepted her crystal glassware. I chose my own crystal glassware for my wedding registry specifically because it reminded me of my grandmother's. Now I get to add some of hers to my own collection.

The glasses above are the latest find from my grandmother. They match another set of glasses I already collect which reminds me of Gloucester, also known as home. I clearly have a soft spot for anything nautical. Plus they bring back memories of my grandparents entertaining at their summer cottage. It will be really cool to use these glasses for the next 20 years and know they have served so many friends and family.

When you have the chance to get these hand me downs, it's so much easier to say yes when you know it's something you treasure. If it's just more stuff, pass it along to someone else that can put it to good use. No sense trying to be green and salvage something if it's just going to create more stress in your storage world. Know when to say no, and know when to hold on to something that warms your heart.

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Monday Meal Plan May 21

2012-05-20T20:23:00.000-04:00

Is it really the last week of May? Where has the month gone? The weather has finally turned and we started the week off with our favorite hamburgers on the grill, corn on the cob and Cape Cod potato salad. Madison is still outside enjoying her homemade popsicle of pink lemonade and frozen blueberries.

You can get a sneak peek into what I'm planning for the week by following my Favorite Recipe board on Pinterest. Although truth be told I think I need to create a Sweet Shop board for all the dessert recipes I'm pinning.

Monday~ Autumn Chopped Salad. Yes it's spring, but it looks great.
Tuesday~ Pesto Ranch Pasta Bake. I'll be adding in some cooked chicken to our dish. Rounded out with a green salad and fixings from our local farm stand. Local asparagus time too!
Wednesday~ CORN. That's Clean-Out-Refrigerator-Night for you newbies. Kids and adults have split dinner time this night so it's a great chance to eat leftovers.
Thursday~ Steak Tips, Sweet Potatoes Fries.
Friday~ Pizza night.

Memorial Day is at the end of the week. Time to plan ahead for some packable treats and cookout goodies. I plan to break out my new Joy the Baker cookbook since there in an entire chapter devoted to perfect picnic snacks. Plus I created a new Summer Holiday board in Pinterest so there will be some patriotic dessert ideas if you are looking for inspiration.

Have a great week!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday.
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Homemade Yogurt Guest Post

2012-05-17T21:18:00.001-04:00

Ever feel like you are spending a lot of money on yogurt? Do you know how easy it is to make? I'm sharing my super simple recipe over at Nap time Is My Time today.

If you are new to the blog, take a moment and go check it out. Let me know if you have any questions.

A little Magic at the Drool Baby Expo

2012-05-17T09:18:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday night I attended the Drool Baby Expo organized by Magic Beans. All of the best in baby gear came together to show off the latest gear, clothes, toys and everything in between. I went in to the experience to check out the latest eco-friendly gear to share with my readers here, and also to visit with some of the local business.

I loved the mix of vendors at the event. Both big and small, local and California based companies all got together to share the latest and greatest in baby gear. Certainly kicked in a little baby fever since my 15 month old is much more toddler now than baby. I will say it was great to attend the event as a parent of two because I know what features are really key, like a one-handed fold up option for strollers. I have my eye on the new Britax B-Agile stroller. I didn't even know Britax made strollers.

I loved the variety of people I met at the event. Lots of expecting parents, new moms with their babies tucked inside a carrier, and also Mom-preneurs. Moms know when there is a need for a better product and I like trying to support them.

I was really impressed by the non-toxic paint line from Quiet Nursery, baby food containers from Sage Spoonfuls and baby products from MD Moms. The ritzy ritzy reusable snack bag was also adorable and I want to get one of their wet bags to stash in the beach bag for wet suits this summer.

Stay tuned for lots of great giveaways coming up from some of the amazing vendors I met. Lots of fun stuff to get your summer started!

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Why Seaweed is Good for your Garden

2012-05-14T16:52:00.000-04:00

Did you know seaweed is good for your garden? We found this great big piece this weekend walking the beach and got so excited to bring it home for the garden. Yes, silly. However, the seaweed provides lots of vitamins and minerals for the soil, plus phosphates. It improves soil fertility, aeration and moisture retention. Generally lots of good stuff to help your veggies grow.

When you use fresh seaweed, you can wash it in fresh water before putting it in the soil or compost. This reduces some of the salt on it. (Some say it's not necessary so make your own call.) Please don't take the seaweed still attached to rocks, that is home to lots of little ocean creatures who will be upset you have taken their home away. Head to the beach after a good storm and you can find lots of homeless seaweed.

When we turned over the compost this season and added it to some of the raised beds, we laughed when we unearthed some old lobster claws still slightly intact. Did you know you can add your seafood shells to a compost pile? One less thing in the trash and they tend to break down quickly.

Don't live near a beach? You can get seaweed fertilizer online to help give your garden a natural kick. We used Neptune's Harvest growing up since we need one of the owners. It's still around and a great product for doing some fertilizing once your veggies are growing. We used Organic Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizerand it works great for tomatoes.

Anyone else have a random gardening tip to share?

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! For more eco friendly ideas, stop by Frugally Sustainable and SortaCrunchy.
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Meal Plan Monday May 14

2012-05-13T22:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all the many Moms reading this had a lovely weekend, cooking or not. We went away to Gloucester to our favorite bed and breakfast. We spent a lot of time just walking around, eating ice cream and visiting family. A perfect weekend, plus it was a nice break from the computer.

Why is it that May is always so busy? It must be that end of school year rush that gets everyone in a tizzy. Somehow we have lots of evening events the next few weeks so meal planning was a bit trickier than usual. Groceries will be delivered to our door tomorrow afternoon so we should be ready to go for the rest of the week.

Monday~ homemade teriyaki marinade for Natural Sirloin Steak, steamed spinach and rice.
Tuesday~ I'm headed to Magic Beans Drool Baby Expo, then dinner out with Daddy!
Wednesday~ White Chicken Chili from my favorite Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbookalthough I swap out Great Northern beans for easy Cannellini beans.
Thursday~ Panko Crusted Fish (pollock) and sweet potato fries.
Friday~ Chicken Pizza. May have to add some fiddleheads again like last week.

Have a great week!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday.
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Spiked Banana Bread from Joy the Baker

2012-05-10T10:19:00.001-04:00

Do you ever flip through cookbooks for relaxation? If yes, have I got one for you. The new Joy the Baker Cookbookis a delightful mix of comforting recipes focusing on good old fashioned sweet stuff. I got Madison to snuggle in next to me on the couch while we went page by page, admiring the mouth-watering photos and planning what to make. We decided on the Mommom's chocolate bourbon-spiked banana bread. How could that not be good?

The recipes in the book are easy and use a lot of basic pantry ingredients. I went a little healthier and used the white whole wheat flour for this recipe in place of all purpose and it came out great. Well, not just great but amazing. The bourbon gave the bread just a little kick and a unique sweetness.

I won the cookbook from Simple Mom during Project Simplify in March. The book is signed by Joy and I was just a little bit giddy when it finally arrived. I have listened to Joy the Baker's podcast weekly for some time now and if you haven't heard it, you can find it at Homefries.com. She chats with Tracy B. from Shutterbean (amazing font land/photography/recipes.) These podcasts are a treat to listen to while cleaning up the kitchen, they are random and always silly.

Next up to make...Carrot Cake Pancakes with cream cheese spread. Oh Joy.

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Eco-Friendly Mother's Day Ideas

2012-05-07T17:55:00.000-04:00

Tired of getting the same old thing for Mom or Grandma? Time to step back and rethink the gift exchange.

Here are a couple of eco-friendly Mother's Day ideas.

1. Organic Bouquet ~ love this wreath. Feminine and classic.

2. Find a local cooking class ~ encourage her to make it a Mom's Night Out event with friends.

3. Get her a membership to a local attraction~ think botanical garden, museum or a local farm.

4. Organic skin care ~ a luxury for those looking for make the switch to healthier products. Check out Saffron Rouge, an online retailer for ideas. Even in drugstores you can find Yes to Carrots, Burts Bees and more eco-friendly beauty buys.

New non-nano sunscreen is on my wish list

5. Charitable gift ~ find a local charity that has meaning and make a donation in her name. I like this idea for remembering loved ones lost as well.

6. Time ~ yes, time. Sometimes that is all we really need, not stuff. Give us a little extra time somewhere so we can do a little more of whatever it is that we love.

For some additional Mother's Day gift ideas, check out my Pinterest Board.

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! For more eco friendly ideas, check out Sustainable Ways and Green Your Way.

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Meal Plan Monday May 7

2012-05-06T22:09:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! Did you celebrate Cinquo de Mayo or the Kentucky Derby this weekend? We are doing a delayed celebration with our Wednesday feast of Black Bean/Avocado/Corn salad. The stores have lots of "mexican" inspired ingredients on sale so it's a good time to tweak your menu to add in some spicy bean dishes.

Monday~ Seafood Pasta from the Pioneer Woman. I sat down with Pinterest this week to make my meal plan. This one just looked easy and delicious with both scallops and shrimp included.

Tuesday~ Boston event for Mom and Dad so kids will get Wheels Up Pasta, a mix of wagon wheel pasta, apples and cucumbers courtesy of Parents magazine.

Wednesday~ Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad with Grilled Chicken from Once Upon a Chef. I'm hopeful this will be a winner with the kids since they both like bean dishes.

Thursday~ It's Mom's Night Out ~ fend for yourself :)

Friday~ Pizza night. My goal is to start making some fun pizza's I find in Cooking Light that incorporate more greens into the pizza. I'm thinking arugala and chicken...

This week for snacks will be will dehydrating bananas, pineapple and making strawberry fruit leather. Plus we made a big "no bake" granola bar recipe from the Healthy Snacks to Go Recipe Ebook. It is sweet and close to a Quaker chewy granola bar. Except you can pronounce all of the ingredients.

Mother's Day forecast looks good so we will head to the beach for the first walk of the season followed by a potluck cookout. Time to plan for a dessert to share, maybe Carmelitas?

Hope everyone plans now for a stress free Mother's Day! Enjoy.

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday.

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Consignment Sale Success

2012-05-05T23:08:00.001-04:00

Have you ever bought kids clothes from a consignment shop or special sale? If you haven't, this is a wonderful way to give perfectly good clothes a longer life. Plus save some cash in the process.

Twice a year I volunteer and shop the Parent Talk sale in Needham. The Used Clothing, Toy and Equipment sale is a massive event. Two floors of a church are filled with special outfits, hardly worn jackets and too many toys to count. It can be overwhelming, but always worth it.

I like to volunteer for a shift the day before the sale so I can get a sneak peek at some of the good stuff. Go in with a list of what you want to buy so you don't get sidetracked by all the cute things that pass by. We were busy this Friday night gabbing away while tagging bags of clothes that have been donated by so many generous families. It made for a fast two hours, and plenty of time for shopping at the end.

My kids are now in good shape for warm weather, if it ever decides to make an appearance again. At least I got the little guy a great new rain jacket so something can get used right away! The rest of the clothes were in great shape, including a great stash of Gap pj's, fishy ones! I have a slight weakness for all things nautical so at least half of JJ's outfits have a lobster, crab or fish on them.

I encourage you to check out your local consignment options. Kids wear their clothes for such a short stretch this is such a great way to give them more life. Give them a good wash when you get home and you are good to go.

Happy Shopping!

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Very Berry Yogurt Chicken & Giveaway!

2012-05-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever taken a cooking class with your child? How about a three year old? Let me tell you it's a pretty funny experience and totally worthwhile. We recently went to a Chobani for Champions event where we learned how to incorporate yogurt into our recipes. I'm used to doing it for baking, but in a main dish I was at a loss.

Introducing, Very Berry Yogurt Chicken! It's a sweet dish that is family friendly. I knew it would be a winner when it included two of the kids favorite snacks~ cucumbers and avocado. Plus yogurt is involved which is Madison's favorite food lately...she couldn't get enough of it!

Here are the instructions for the Very Berry Yogurt. Don't miss your chance to win an amazing package of yogurts from Chobani at the bottom of this post!

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 cups of Very Berry Chobani Greek Yogurt
1 English cucumber
1 avocado
8 leaves of basil
1/2 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon canola oil

Instructions

Chop chicken into 1'' pieces. Place in ZipLock bag along with one cup of yogurt. Shake to combine.

Chop cucumber into small pieces (1/4").

Scoop avocado from the rind, try to keep it intact.

Roll basil leaves together and cut into long strips. Scissors tend to be better than knives for this.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken to pan once hot. Cook until nearly cooked through.
Add cucumber to skillet, cook for 4 minutes. Add raspberries (which sadly I didn't have on hand at home.)

Add avocado at the end so it doesn't turn brown, then the basil. Lastly, add in the second cup of yogurt so it's slightly creamy.

Final product! Very Berry Yogurt served in a cute avocado boat!

Now the fun part! One winner will get 2 boxes of Chobani Greek Yogurt delivered to your door. That 48 cups of yogurt! Just think how easy it will be to pack for a picnic lunch with these little cups! Did you know Chobani yogurt is hormone free? I was pleasantly surprised to learn this and it made me very happy. Enjoy some Very Berry, Honey Banana, Chocolate Chunk and Orange Vanilla...which is like a creamsicle in a cup!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest is open until midnight, May 12th. US Residents only.

Good luck!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! Disclosure: I attended the Chobani event and received complimentary products for review. The opinions expressed here are my own, and my 3 year olds. This post is shared with Make It Yourself Monday.

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Create a Blogging Binder

2012-05-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

When you first start blogging, everything is neatly contained within the digital world of your computer, iPhone and your head. Eventually, you realize there are paper lists of ideas accumulating, product press releases multiplying and cheat sheets of codes piling up around you. Time to step back and get your blogging work organized and create a Blogging Binder.

Whether you hobby blog, or blog for business, you can benefit from organizing all your goodies into one neat and tidy home. This can help you be more efficient with your time since you will have the answer to random questions, like password codes, right at your fingertips.

I am using a Naked Binder, which I love because it's eco-friendly and is a nice reminder of why I'm blogging in the first place. The binder has tab dividers and pocket folders, all of which specific purposes. Here is a list of the possible sections you may want to create, depending on how you run your blog:

Planning Sheets by Week
Post Ideas
PR/Brand Info
Stats
Conferences
Codes (passwords, affiliate links, etc)
Local

I am using planning sheets created by Infarrantly Creative. These sheets are awesome and you can pop over to her site and print out a few to see if they work for you. Watch her video and get inspired to start planning your editorial calendar for the blog.

Post Ideas are magazine swipes, sticky notes, etc that all inspire me to keep on writing.

PR/Brand section is for the press releases that arrive with samples. I feel it is important to read those if you are doing a product review so you can potentially answer questions your reader has. Not mandatory, but a great piece to save for contact info as well.

Stats can be a fun place. I'm a bit of a computer geek so I tend to check numbers a little too often. However, it also affords me an opportunity to quickly print out the details for a banner day. Generally it is a good spot for me to print out Google Analytic reports on a monthly basis so I have them handy for any PR inquiries if needed.

Conferences is new this year! I attended the new Blog Better Boston event and up next, BlogHer! I'll be the newbie there and I already have lots of questions. This section is my place to keep track of schedules, travel plans, future conferences and the like.

For the Code section, I am using an overall recap designed by Life Your Way. This will be invaluable if I ever have a system issue. Also in this section is some easy code to use in your posts. Yes, code can be easy once you see it in action.

Local is my section for correspondences with Boston Parent Bloggers and other local bloggers and events.

The last section is an open folder for collecting info that needs to be filed, random inspiration or business cards that do not fit neatly into my handy business card pocket.

Personalize this to make it work for you and your blog. You may need advertising sections, WordPress notes, or have more community connections to maintain. An organizing system only works if it works for you.

I hope this helps you reach your blogging goals in the coming months!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! This post is shared with Today's Creative Blog, We Did It Wed., Make It Yourself Monday, Somewhat Simple, Metamorphosis Monday,

Trade Paper for Gold

2012-04-30T13:49:00.000-04:00

I love my coffee in the morning. Sometimes I use a french press or our cappuccino maker on the weekends. Generally though, we make a big pot in our Krups coffee maker that covers a cup for husband as he heads out the door and the rest for me to get me through the morning.

A neighbor told me about the gold filter they use for their coffee. They have had it for 10 years. Yes, 10 years AND it looks like new. You can toss it in the dishwasher and it comes out sparkling clean. How did I not know about this? The coffee maker we have is from our bridal registry and I guess I wasn't thinking about filters when we were busy scanning fun items for our new home.

The gold filter costs somewhere between $10-$15. There are a variety of sizes based on the brand of your machine. I found a Krups filter at Bed, Bath and Beyond, which is comparable to Amazon pricing. Watch for the correct size pot in addition to brand.

I've heard some people have issue with the basket filters vs the cone filter. Slow drainage I believe. Maybe some readers have had some experience and can share in the comments.

Switching to a gold filter will certainly pay for itself when you think about how much you spend on coffee filters, especially if you buy the unbleached kind. Plus it's a great way to further reduce paper in your kitchen.

How do you take your coffee? French Press or coffee maker?

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks! Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this post. It's shared with Sustainable Ways.

Menu Plan Monday April 30

2012-04-29T20:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday!
This week's dinner started on Sunday with Grilled Halibut Steaks. If you ever wonder how to grill fish, I always suggest starting simple with a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and a squeeze of lemon once it's done. Let it grill till it flakes easily and you are good to go.

Up this week is a fairly easy menu with crock pot favorites since my better half is traveling part of the time.

Monday~ Chicken Cacciatore and pasta. This recipe is from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbookwhich is my go-to slow cooker recipe book, besides Pinterest.

Tuesday~Whole Chicken in the Pressure Cooker. I'm out of chicken stock so it's time to stock up the freezer.

Wednesday~ Yogurt Chicken. Got the recipe at the Chobani event for kids this weekend. I'll share later this week.

Thursday~ CORN~ Clean out refrigerator night!

Friday~ Hot Dogs (Volunteer night for me so it needs to be quick and easy)

Saturday~ Date night at Sweet Basil's...so good.

What's on your menu this week?

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!

For more meal planning ideas, check out Plan It, Don't Panic ebook with tips, tricks and menu plans ready to go. Or Menu Plan Monday with OrgJunkie for hundreds of meal plan ideas.

Winner of A Lot to Say Sheet Set!

2012-04-29T15:54:00.003-04:00

A Lot to Say makes message apparel made from plastic bottles. Amazingly the cotton is super soft.

Check out their website for tees, bags and more. Their umbrella is next on my list...

Here is their manifesto which is so wonderful I wanted to share it:

A Lot To Say: Our Manifesto

If you think something, say it.

If you believe something, say it.

If you want something, say it.

Because saying it creates new awareness.

Awareness sparks new behavior.

And new behavior inspires us all to be better.

If we speak out, others will act out.

To vote. Recycle. Save.

To think a little more.

To try a little harder.

To live more honestly.

Thoughtfully. Joyfully.

You have a lot to say.

So never be afraid to say it.

Or wear it.

Everyday.

Now, the winner of the super cute $80 value sheet set for a girls twin bed is...

amy craft said...

Follow Random Recycling via Pinterest

APRIL 28, 2012 9:22 PM

Congrats! Enjoy the sheets!

For my review of the Sheets check out my original post here.

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!

We finally got a rain barrel!

2012-04-25T20:32:00.002-04:00

Source

As gardening season kicks off, it's a good time to consider how you can help conserve water in the coming months. The average American household uses 350 gallons of water a day. There are lots of little ways to reduce your consumption, including installing a rain barrel. Depending on the size of your roof, you can collect about a half a gallon of water for every square foot of roof for each 1" of rainfall.

Last year our rain barrel consisted of a bucket stuck under a gutter downspout. Nothing fancy, but it worked. That is, until the toddler knocked it over. As our plans grow for our garden this year, we realized it was time for a better solution. In comes a real rain barrel. You can find them online, Craigslist or through friends that are moving and want to sell theirs to you for half price. (yippee!) Check in with your town's DPW and you may find they offer a discount to local providers. If you are handy, you can even make one yourself.

Eventually I would love to upgrade to a oak barrel rain bucketbut in the mean time, the big blue plastic one should work just fine. At least those rainy summer days will give us something fun to watch as the water fills up, and no toddlers can knock this guy down!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!

Make the Switch to a Reusable Squeeze Pouch

2012-04-23T21:38:00.000-04:00

We are big fans of the applesauce squeeze pouches. They are awesome for travel, church and the playground. However, I'm not a big fan of the waste they create, and also the price tag. So I asked around and discovered a reusable squeeze pouch. My friend Amanda at The LittleLilyPad said her friend tested out five different options and this was the best one.

Off I went to find the BEABA Babypote. I don't understand the name, but I do know that it works. It's easy to fill, easy to clean and both kids can work it. For the little guy, I do have to help him get the last bit out, but that is no different from the applesauce squeezes sold in the store. Plus, I found out my choice in apple squeezes got a C+ rating from Fooducate, an awesome iPhone app if you are interested. Turns out there is a lot of hidden sugar in each pouch.

I have only put in my homemade applesauce recipe, but it must work great for traveling with your own homemade baby food. I plan to make some mixes with fresh summer fruits, like banana blueberry or a raspberry apple blend.

Happy travels!

Disclosure: I bought this product on my own and was not compensated for this post. Affiliate links are included in this post. I'm sharing this post with Sustainable Ways & Your Green Resource.

Menu Plan Monday April 23

2012-04-22T20:24:00.000-04:00

The rain has arrived in New England and I'm not sure when we will see the sun again. Time for some hearty meals and the crock pot.

Monday~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets, family favorite! Along with some peas from our local farm stand.
Tuesday~ Pork Chops with Apricot Preserves (didn't get to this last week as I went to Disney on Ice on Thursday, so fun yet so exhausting with a 3 year old)
Wednesday~ Chicken Piccata, Daddy's favorite.
Thursday~ Chili in the crock pot (Recipe below)
Friday~ Homemade Pizza

Chili in Crock Pot
1 lb ground beef (85% lean works best for flavor)
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 28oz can + one 14 oz can whole tomatoes
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 adobo chile chopped (be careful, it's spicy!) You can find these in the canned good section, they last for awhile in the fridge
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cocoa powder

~Brown the beef in a sauté pan, drain the fat and transfer beef to crock pot.
~Add balance of ingredients and mix well.
~The cocoa powder helps to tone down the spiciness so it's more kid friendly, plus it works as a nice binder so it's not too soupy.

What are you cooking this week?

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!

For more meal planning ideas, check out Plan It, Don't Panic ebook with tips, tricks and menu plans ready to go. Or Menu Plan Monday with OrgJunkie for hundreds of meal plan ideas.

A Lot To Say Does A Lot of Good (& Giveaway)

2012-04-20T20:29:00.001-04:00

Sometime you find a product that is super cute and you are totally happy with it. Other times, you find out a product is made by a cool company and you are even more excited about it. That's pretty much how I feel about A Lot To Say. This company takes plastic water bottles and turns them into message apparel and accessories, like tee shirts and sheets. They didn't stop there and chose a no water dye process to make their products. Having worked in corporate retail for over 10 years, I'm aware of how much water it takes to dye fabric and also how damaging the dye can be when it enters the water ecosystem outside of a factory.

Could these sheets be any cuter for a girl's bedroom? My favorite thing is that these sheets are cute now for a 3 year old, but also appropriate for an older child. Longevity is always a good thing in my book. The sheets are super soft, which was a happy surprise considering they are made from recycled plastic bottles. Check it out on the Today Show!

Please recycle your plastic bottles so A Lot To Say can make more of these fun products. Check out their boutique at Fred Segal if you are in the Santa Monica area. Everything is made in the US (no travel, no fumes) and is under $100. It's nice to find something green without spending a lot of green. Earth Day may be April 22nd, but there is no reason why we shouldn't be more considerate of our choices throughout the year.

Want your own set of kids sheets? I have the same set for a Girls Twin Bed to giveaway! Use them in your house or give them as a gift. This is an $80 value! Just leave a comment on this post to be entered and a way to contact you. For extra entries, you can follow Random Recycling on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, or follow A Lot To Say on Facebook or Twitter. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. That is 6 possible entries to win.

Contest is open until midnight, April 28th. US residents only please. Winner will be notified via email.

Happy Earth Day!!

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!

Disclosure: I received a sample of A Lot To Say sheets to review. This is no way influenced my opinion and the thoughts shared here are my own.

Simplify EVERYTHING with a major e-book Sale

2012-04-18T14:21:00.000-04:00

I am a new fan of e-books. They appeal to my quest for less paper, less clutter in the house. Both on my nightstand and in my kitchen. I have ordered a number of them, including cookbooks, blogging how-tos and of course, fun fiction. Some of my favorites are included in this incredible sale of ebooks, plus others that were on my "to-read" list.

Click here to order

We made Whole Wheat Graham Crackers yesterday which is from Healthy Snacks to Go from Katie Kimball at Kitchen Stewardship. She came out with two new books this year, Smart Sweets and Everything Beans book, both of which are included in this ebook package. I ordered this group of ebooks since I know I'm going to get lots of new recipes to test out by an author I already enjoy.

Click here to order all of them for just $29! It's a $375 value of books.

Here are ALL of the titles included, in no particular order...

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Make Money Blogging by Tara @ Feels Like Home ($4.99)

Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @WellGrounded Life ($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses ($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

Real Food, Real Easy by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom($9.00)

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion ($10.00)

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00)

Marriage & Relationships

A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas ($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

321-Stop by Lori @ Loving Simple Living ($9.97)

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom($9.95)

Parenting & Kids

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by the Moms @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids ($7.99)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Mom ($4.99)

Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)

The Simplify Your Family Life Sale is brought to you in part by Plan to Eat, an online meal planner that makes eating at home simple. Receive an exclusive coupon code on a one-year membership with your purchase!

Click here to get all 38 books for only $29.

Important note: This collection will only be available from Monday, April 16th at 8 a.m. EST to Friday, April 20th at 8 a.m. EST . There will be no late sales offered.

Which book are you most looking forward to reading? Mine is How to Have your Cake and Eat it, Too.

I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!