Ode to my compost

Last year when we moved in Chuck built me a lovely compost bin. And we quickly filled it up with all kinds of bunny litter, kitchen scraps, yard waste, old hay bails (from that awesome party we had), shredded paper all things natural. ***Have compost questions: see this post.*** And we waited. And waited. And waited. Our compost bin was pathetic last year. I had my doubts that it was ever going to break down. When we lived down in the tropics, our compost bin turned so quick and we saw great results. And then here...there is a lot of clay in our soil rather than sand and it takes a lot longer for the compost to turn.

So I have been on the hunt for something to help my compost speed up the break down process. Any kind of magic sprinkle that would help it break down a little more quickly. I asked around at local nurseries and no one had heard of any such thing. Then one day early this spring I found my magic potion.

I sprinkled this on my compost pile and it seemed to do the trick. It contains some kind of fish guts and gross stuff. It was either perfect timing and the compost pile was just going to turn into usable soil or it was this gunk.

And have you heard of the compostable chip bag? Yep...a chip bag that can be composted. Sunchips now comes in a bag that can be composted. Just a warning...it is a REALLY loud bag. Crinkly doesn't even describe it.
I am curious to see how long it takes to break down. I put it in the compost bin Mother's Day weekend. So far, it hasn't done much.

You can see the side on the right has finally turned into usable dirt. And we are just dumping our compost into the side on the left now. We have even used the dirt to fill up a flower box. I am still forever fascinated by the whole idea that what we put in here would go into the trash. With recycling and composting we have less waste than the average family. I have also noticed how many more worms my compost bin has this year. Must be some good eats for those guys.

Comments are off of my posts for a time while I take care of some maintenance.

Creative laundry line

Now that we are in a neighborhood that won't let us have a traditional laundry line out in the yard, I have had to get a little creative with our clothes drying. Missing my old laundry line when we lived in the country (HERE). In my ever striving desire to go green, I am coming up with ways to not run the dryer and still get my laundry dry.

After researching some ideas online, I found this inspiration for indoor laundry line (HERE). And it inspired me to rig up a way to dry big towels and sheets in the basement.It takes a little longer, but with the windows open, it works pretty well. And I needed something for all those big items like sheets and quilts.

If I can get my act together and get a load washed each day, I can get them on these portable racks and put them up on my deck. I figured this will be still be obeying the rules for the HOA and it still accomplishes my goal of living green and living thrifty.
These are pretty flimsy, but for now this is the best idea I can come up with. The wind and the sun really help the clothes dry quickly. And an added benefit, I can rush the racks inside when it starts to rain.I did dry a whole load inside in the family room the other day. It worked pretty well to dry them inside. My sister, drys all her clothes inside all year with out the use of a dryer, so I know it can be done. My other ideas were to string a line in the garage. Again, getting creative trying to abide by the HOAs.


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Thanks to Stephanie K for the info about Project Laundry List. Check it out HERE if you want to continue the right to dry your clothes outside and use the free sun and wind that God gave us.

Another new favorite - contact paper

On my quest to get organized and my desire to use what I have (you know the old reduce, reuse, recycle - green way of life), I have renewed my love of contact paper. That wonderful sticky paper that covers a multitude of "stuff". Rather than buying a bunch of plastic containers, I am trying to use the ones lying around the house. I got a large roll of contact paper for less than $6 (you can hardly buy 2 storage bins for that). I have been using contact paper to make cute containers. I found some sweet printed contact paper at Target the other day and have had fun making some containers.
Turning this veggie can into this cute pencil can (or May Day basket, or pony tail holder, or catch all on your desk).Turning this laundry soap box into a use-able container for holding cereal boxes that are broken down and ready for the recycling bin (or a magazine holder, or book box, or to hold the mail on your counter, or to catch miss matched socks in the laundry room...let your imagination run wild).

Here are my finished projects. The box on the left we use to hold our recycling boxes (cereal or granola bar style). The can is being used to hold pencils in the school room. The box on the right is being used to store misc. papers in the school room to keep it tidy.

Compost Q and A

After I got some questions from my most recent composting post, I thought I would just answer some of the questions in another post. I thought I would also post some of the old questions from my older posts.

Karen said: How often do you turn yours?

I turn the compost when ever I think about it. In the hot weather maybe every few days. Other times of the year, when ever I think about it. I do tend to cover up the kitchen scraps with dirt (turn it) to keep ants away.


Elle J said: Couple naive questions perhaps: Does it have a lid? How do you get wild critters from not digging/eating/messing in the bin and spreading it across your yard (we're raccoon country, or even birds for that matter)??

Well, those are not bad questions. Glad you asked. You can make or use a lid. I haven't but you can. If you are concerned about animals it wouldn't be a terrible idea. Some people use trash cans for their compos and that would have a lid. I have also seen tarps or an old carpet laid on top. I haven't had issues with animals. Make sure and not put meat scraps in there and that will help with animals (rats or coons or birds). Also, turning it and covering the kitchen scraps would help with that too.

Permission to mother said: Could I do this with a garbage can? Do you need worms?

Actually she posted this question back with my original post on composting (in fact, I posted that post for PTM). The garbage can does work. Either cut the bottom off or have lots of whole in the can. You don't need worms, you can buy or acquire red wigglers (a worm that eats composting HERE). When we were scooping the compost pile into our new bin, we found quiet a few worms. It is a good sign to see bugs like that in your compost. Nice healthy compost.

Susan said: Does it smell though?

To be honest, I have never noticed my compost bin smelling. And I am pretty sensitive to odors.

Rachael said: How about telling us what kinds of things CAN'T go in the pile? e.g. why no sauces?

Here are some things that should NOT go into the compost pile. Meats, fats, oils, dairy (other than egg shells), bones, dog/cat poo (but bunny litter and chicken manure is OK). You can compost sticks and branches but it takes a LONG time to decompose, so I tend to not include them. A big long list of what you can compost is HERE. As for no sauces, they are going to contain oils and cooked foods can tend to invite animals.


Hope that helps. Feel free to leave other ideas of things you like to compost that I have failed to mention. Hope this inspires and informs you. =)

new compost bin

Wanted to share our how to's on making the compost bin last week. This was at the top of the LONG list of things that needed to be done around here. Again...if you don't compost, it is much easier than you think. It doesn't smell. It really isn't gross. It is a great way to cut down on how much trash you throw away. And...you can make your own beautiful dirt. So, let me encourage you once again to consider composting. HERE is my old compost pile and the post about it. HERE is a post of a thriving compost pile and a good list of what goes in it. HERE is a post of our beautiful dirt.

Since we are in a new home and our neighborhood has some "rules" about things looking nice, we wanted our compost bin to look pretty good. The supplies were pretty cheap (less than $20) and it only took about an hour to make. Chuck hasn't built a wood work shop, so this was made on the driveway.

First we picked a spot that was going to get lots of sun. I also wanted it close to the door for easy access. You can see on the right of the picture the brown pile of dirt and scraps. That is where we were just throwing our compost until we had a bin. To get our pile started, we asked our neighbors for their dirt...yep...you heard that right. Our neighbors were planting some trees a few weeks back and I could tell they were going to throw their dirt out, so...we offered to take it off their hands.Then Chuck took some time planning what he was going to build. I had googled some ideas and showed him what I was thinking. I like to have at least 2 bins side by side. You can use one and let the other one sit and decompose.
Chuck used fence board to make the bin. They are really inexpensive and about the right size. 3 boards to make each side.Easy enough to put the 2 x 4 in the corners. Ours is on a slight hill so one end is taller than the other. The bin is roughly 6 feet long and 3 feet deep.



Here you can see that there is a small divider in the middle to keep the 2 sides separate.
We placed the bin (right on the ground - no bottom or lining) a little to the left of the temporary pile. Chuck was sweet enough to move the dirt for me.
Every area we have lived has such different soil. We have had very rocky soil, sandy soil and now the soil seems to have some clay in it. At first this dirt was almost impossible to get the shovel in (really hard and compacted). After adding the scraps from the kitchen, it has softened up a bit.
One of my requests was to have our pile near the hose. I like to add some water to our compost to keep it moist.I wanted to start with a before picture to compare once our compost starts working. As I have stated before, you need a combination of brown and green compost. Yard clippings, shredded paper, kitchen scarps, dryer lint, coffee grounds, tea bags, bunny litter, leaves...the list goes on and on. We tend to keep a bowl on the counter when meals are being prepared and then I pitch it into the compost bin each day (or after the meal if it is full). At least now I don't have to feel guilty for tossing a banana peel in the trash, I have a place to put it.


A big thanks to Chuck for the wonderful new compost bin. Nothing says I love you like building me a bin to hold my trash. =) What a good guy.

I feel guilty...

...for not composting our kitchen scraps and bunny litter. Once you are so aware of how easy it is to compost, it is hard to throw a banana peel in the trash. I thought it was just me so I asked the girls if they felt the same and they both said YES.

So, I guess composting has become more of a habit than I thought. And we are missing our garden and composting bins. Once we are settled, we will have to get started on a composting area. And I am sure composting in the cold will be more difficult.
In case you missed my other posts on composting, this is how I started (HERE). Here are the benefits of composting (HERE). And here are some fun things that I "found" in my compost piles (HERE).

On a different note...there is no news on the house. This short sale was not why we chose this house and it is taking longer than anticipated. We are waiting on it for a little bit, but if it continues to proceed at this slow pace, we will have to find something else (we can only "camp" out here until March). Not to mention, we need to get settled. We are praying for God's will to be done and either continue to open the door on this house, or close it and lead us in another direction.

Look what our "trash" turned into...

We have been composting here in this spot for about a year (how I started HERE). Though I grew up with parents and grandparents that composted, it is the first time that I have had my own official compost pile. It has been easier than I ever thought it would be and we have been able to enjoy the dirt (HERE).


It has been fun to see different things grow in the compost pile. I toss lots of different things from the kitchen and the garden and sometimes they take root. We have seen wheat stalks, garlic, onions, potatoes and most recently some pumpkins or gourds all grow in our compost bin.

These vines have really taken off. I am tempted to just let them go and see if anything produces. It just goes to show you how helpful good dirt is. It gives a new meaning on "REUSE".


Here is a quick list of all the things we tend to put in our compost.

• Any kitchen scraps that the rabbit doesn't get (banana peels, apple cores, sweet potato skins...)
• Coffee grounds, tea bags, dryer lint
• shredded paper
• left over rice or pasta (with no sauces), old bread or crackers
  
• the end of the cereal in the boxes or pop corn old maids
• all of our bunny litter when we change her bedding
• yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, (skip the flowering weeds)
  

Homemade Crayons

I got this idea from my friend Debi who watched my girls last week. They had such a nice time there and I was so impressed that the girls did some crafts while they were there. They made crayons out of broken pieces. We gave it a try tonight and it worked pretty well.

We pealed and broke the crayons and put them in muffin cups (I would have used double cup liners next time or better yet, foil muffin liners). We melted them in the 325 oven for 5-8 min. and let them cool for a few hours. ( would link to Debi's post on this but I think her blog is private ~ hers turned out really cute).


I think these would be great for little fingers (pre-school age). The colors are so pretty. And, a great way to use up old broken crayons.

When the sun is shining...

...and we have no hurricane winds and rain we can actually use that wonderful natural sunlight for great things...like drying our laundry.

A few months ago I asked Chuck to help me hang a laundry line up in the yard. I can take this one down if we are showing the house (not everyone things a laundry line is cute and country like I do). It has been a little challenging getting things dry in this very humid climate that we live in. I have learned the key is the sun. If it is a cloudy and overcast day it doesn't dry as well.












When we lived in California, I hung our laundry outside year round. I would do wash on days that it didn't rain and I was able to cut down our electric bill. It does dry faster in the hot and dry climate of CA, but I am trying to live green and thrifty and so far so good.

One last thought about the out door laundry line...most neighborhoods don't allow this in the deed restrictions. I think in the right way, the laundry line can look sweet (notice my pictures), but I am sure it has that trashy look at times too (notice I didn't show pictures of our undies hanging out on the line). I bet if my neighbors could see this it I would get reprimanded for it, good thing we have a private yard. In our last neighborhood we couldn't have a line outside. It is a fine line between living green and living trashy (um...lets hope we are the first).

Now I need to go and get a load outside and use up that free energy (did I mention that I have to watch for fire ants while I am hanging things up...oh the joys of the out doors).

Vermiculture

I have some new pictures that I am eager to share and new things to post on...but, alas, my camera is not working with me. So, I must dig into the past for some old pictures and post on some other things for now.


All that to say, I have been meaning to post about VERMICULTURE. What is that you say? Well according to dictionary.com it is the raising and production of earthworms and their by-products. The girls and I had the opportunity to widen our world and tour a worm farm this year. In fact, we toured it twice (couldn't get enough the first time) with some homeschool groups. It was fascinating to say the least.


I have often teasingly called myself a tree-hugger, believing to be quiet GREEN in all I do. (Though not as green as I thought I would have tested out to be ~ see HERE). Through different information I have learned there is always more I can do to keep it GREEN. Worms would be one way to do this.
















On the tour we learned all about a certain type of worm that actually eats your garbage (well, your organic trash ~anything that grows). We learned all about having your own worm "condo" and how these worms eat as much as their own body weight in food everyday. Not to mention how their worm castings and tea (waste) is great for your garden. The woman who gave the tour is so passionate about these worms and all they do to cut down on the amount of trash that we actually throw away. It was challenging to me to work on reducing the amount of junk going into the land fills.















I didn't purchase the worm condo, but I know a few who have. I also know that this is a growing trend to do what we can do to keep it GREEN. If you are interested in reading more about the worm process...check out their site ~see here. Don't worry...I am not trying to sell you on the worm products or anything. No pyramid scheme here. Denise had asked me to post on this, so this one is for you my friend. =)

Harvesting my dirt

A few weeks ago I posted on my compost pile (this post). I just wanted to give a little update. After doing some reading on how to compost, I was concerned that I wouldn't have the right ratio of "green" to "brown" material. Or that it wasn't wet enough or warm enough.

Well, I think it worked just fine. I was working in the garden and needed some dirt and was able to harvest my compost pile. How great to have wonderful, FREE dirt. I didn't have to buy a bag of potting soil. All I needed was my shovel and wheelbarrow.

You can tell the pile on the left is not ready yet, but the bin on the right is ready to use. It didn't take that long to decompose. We have only lived in this house 4 months. I just started another bin on the far left with new dead leaves from a tree. Now when we add our kitchen scraps, they will all be dumped in the newest pile.

I just wanted to share that it can be done and it isn't that hard to do. Now that we have a rabbit, we can add her bedding and litter box nesting materials to it too.

My Post on Compost

I teasingly call myself a bit of a tree hugger. I homeschool my kids, we live on 2.5 acres, I make my own bread, wear Birkenstocks, we recycle and now we have a compost pile. That adds up to tree hugger doesn't it? Maybe we are just turning into "greenies", but I have taken plastic water bottles home from a birthday party to recycle. Not just the bottles that my girls used, but collected all the bottles from all the kids. (My kids aren't old enough to be embarrassed of me yet).
We started a compost pile on the edge of our garden. This fall I dumped in all the leaves I raked from a cherry tree. I didn't have much more to add than that, but it was a start. Then I started researching for what I needed for compost. Both green and brown. Leaves and grass clippings and scraps from my kitchen. Once I started *thinking green* it is pretty easy. Coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels, strawberry tops, orange peels. apple cores, brown lettuce...the list goes on.


The key is to keep it wet and warm. I have a hose right next to it and I spray it every day or so. I also turn it with a pitch fork. It is amazing to see this stuff decompose. I hope to put it in our garden this year. I recently added ashes from the fire. (basically burned up wood). Ashes turn into the greatest soil.











I took these pictures several weeks ago and now all of this stuff has turned into dirt. Pretty cool...