I’m going to try to post ONE green deed a week. Does this mean I’m only doing one green thing? Nosiree but it means I’m only taking the time to highlite one. Also, it’ll hopefully be a new one each week that will add to what I’m already doing. We can’t ignore the fact that the population will be hitting (or has hit) 7 billion this month (Oct. 2011.) Guess what it was when I was born? 3 billion. Holy schmoly! I don’t know how the planet can support this.

Here’s one small thing I’m doing today: line drying my cloth diapers which saves a good deal of electricity.

Note: I was discussing clothes lines with my friend who is from Sweden. She said her mom always line-dried all their clothes in the basement. ALL YEAR. I mean even in the winter time. Line drying diapers does not require sun or heat. You can dry them in your garage or even in your house/apt. I leave them indoors sometimes at night and they are almost dry by morning.

On really hot days I go crazy and put all the laundry out in the backyard but since I don’t have a space to line dry them indoors I resort to the dryer. I still hang bras/panties & jeans on the rack indoors though.

Some people don’t like the crunchy feeling of line-dried towels. I get that but some items are fine! Line drying will actually extend the life of your underwear/bras & jeans. If you spend a lot on jeans or love a particular pair of jeans, they will hold up much better if you spare them the dryer!

What is your Weekly Green? I look forward to hearing from you below…

Would anyone come after me for trademark infringement if I had titled it “Composting for Dummies?” I’ll never know!

In September I’ll be starting my 3rd non-consecutive year home with the kids. Since being home I’ve tried to pursue some NEW THINGS. Are they hobbies? Interests? Past times? Who knows. One of them is composting. A friend of mine who lives a couple of blocks from me does it so I thought I’d try. The most attractive aspect about her method is the lack of worms. The thought of a large bin full of worms that you have to turn every day grossed me out. (Though lately I am considering it…)

Why compost? In a nutshell:
1. Our landfills are bursting at the seams. Composting greatly cuts down the amount of garbage you leave at the curb.
2. Your soil will be richer/more fertile so you can use it for your gardening instead of buying soil.
3. You start seeing rotten food as useful which is a less wasteful way to live.
4. Shovels are fun!

I’m going to show you how to compost if you have a yard (no matter the size) or raised flower bed.

First:
Get yourself a composting container. I used to use a ceramic bowl with a plastic plate as its lid until Rebecca gave me her stainless steel compost bin. They also have some adorable ceramic ones etc. You can get them on Amazon or from most gardening centers.

I have no idea why I framed that bottle of dish soap with it – I thought it looked nice at the time. Ignore it. So I just keep this next to the sink with a little note above reminding anyone who’s in my kitchen (George) and me what goes in the composting bin.

Hopefully you could read that!

When it gets full – every day or two – I carry it out to the backyard with a shovel and a little bit of organic flower fertilizer.

Then I dig a hole. All summer I was using the same spot again & again because I couldn’t seem to dig through the rocks but since we’ve had all the trees shorn, I found a new spot. Dig a hole. Dump bin into hole.

Maize. What you call corn.

Sprinkle a little fertilizer on it.

This helps it break down. The climate is so dry here it can take forever to break it down.

Then cover your hole! (That’s what he s-, oh forget it!)

I also spray water on mine to keep it moist but I have no idea if that’s a good or bad idea.

I’d love to get comments on this from anyone in the know! Not really knowing what I’m doing it would be great to get more ideas. Also, does anyone who uses the worms want to share? Thanks and keep the comments on the blog instead of Facebook as I hear Zuckerberg is a moody fella!