Just Simpler Folk

I was reading Your Farm in the City by Lisa Taylor and there was information stating that rainwater from rooftops might be toxic. Any one ever hear such a thing? I have two 300 gallon barrels and would hate to think that the water in them could be toxic. I do use it for my vegetable garden. Advice anyone?

Big water saver for little $$$.

Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit | Eartheasy.com

Brenda — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:23:48 +0000

Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit | Eartheasy.com.

Here leaves, there leaves, nothing but leaves, leaves, leaves!

Brenda — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:29:52 +0000

We made good work on Saturday getting in a bit of yard work before dark by blowing and mulching the leaves in the yard. I mowed part of the lawn and added the bagged cuttings to the garden coffin that has become the compost coffin until spring. I am hoping the leaves will help the composting process over the winter.

Nature's fertilizer.

Hubby got the blower and corralled another heaping pile that he ran over with the mower and added them to my flower beds. To think that last year I did not even consider the leaves as a garden commodity. We ran them over and left them to fertilize the grass, what a waste! This year I am putting my new-found knowledge to use by utilizing every last leave to help in the effort of amending the icky dirt we have in our yard.

: Gold to the gardener.

Putting the leaves to work in you garden is an easy project. You can just add them to your compost pile, whole or shredded. Shredding leaves helps them to break down faster. You can make leaf mold by packing the leaves in plastic bags and letting the leaves break down for 6 months to a year. The leaf mold mixed with the garden soil helps amend the soil and aids in water retention. Read more on how to use leaves in the garden here.

However you choose to use them they are an asset to your garden and a free one at that! Happy raking friends!

No more paper napkins here!

Brenda — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:59:27 +0000

Napkin Basket

Yes, they think I am crazy. I am not buying paper napkins again. I have decided that there is way to much waste going on here. Not really but there is always room for improvement and this is a good product to eliminate.

I have been cleaning out the house looking for items to reuse, recycle, repurpose etc. I have used old t/shirts for the obvious dust rags, cleaning rags, even a dog toy from a knotted one. This time I cut them into squares for cloth napkins. Wa la soft , reusable napkins. The husband and son refuse to use them. Husband likes his sleeve better, he told me. Son, well he is just plain ornery at times.

They are soft and they smell nice and fresh, I still use fabric softeners. Can’t make all the sacrafices at once you know. I did try to buy some real but basic cloth napkins at my local thift store but they must have thought they were made from a fancy cloth of gold threads, because the price was higher than buying them in Walmart NEW. Plus I had just bought 15 branded sweat shirts and other assorted warm weather “I am not turning on the heat” clothes, from their bargain bin @25 cents a piece. Even scored a brand new nike golf polo for my son.

So you can imagine my distain when ten 8×8 cloth napkins we going to cost me 50 cents a piece. Nope forget the fancy ones…I like my soft old t/shirt napkins. I still may be able to change hubby’s mind too! After all it is one of his old shirts, just not the sleeve!