GardeningNude

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – School is In Session – Teach Your Children To Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Once again it’s that time of year – school has begun. According to Discovery’s Planet Green website, “every ton of paper -- or 220,000 sheets--  that is recycled saves approximately 17 trees. For scale, the average school tosses 38 tons of paper -- the equivalent of 644 trees -- each year.”

Here’s a photo of my little cutie heading off to elementary school. When you send your children off to school, how are you helping them learn about taking care of themselves as adults? What can make a huge difference for our children is modeling good adult behavior - purchasing post-consumer recycled paper for instance, and educating our children to make sure it gets recycled yet again after it is used at school.

Donating time to assist organizations such as SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education), a not-for-profit organization which spends considerable time and effort recycling school products such as paper, crayons, pens, and other supplies will really help your children to connect with the process of where our products come from and where they usually go to – over stuffed landfills.

Teaching your children to reduce, reuse, and recycle school products is easy – just like teaching them to brush their teeth. Good habits start at home and need to be learned. Bad habits like being wasteful also start at home, so take the time to change that.

Make a difference in the life of a child by modeling and educating how to take care of the world by reducing, reusing, and recycling!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – How Do You Make Extra Money In A Recession? Recycle Metal!

Has the economy got you down? Darned-tootin! And you are not alone. With so many of our neighbors losing jobs and an economy still on the downswing, it has become more important than ever to find money where ever you can.

Yesterday my daughter and I went to S & S Metal Recyclers to recycle 10 pounds of aluminum cans which we crushed with the cool aluminum crusher from Clean Air Gardening (in the video above). Talk about entertaining – everyone who comes to our home wants to try this crusher because it’s fun to use. We earned $3.50 cold hard cash for our efforts (inset photo shows the scale weighing the 10 pounds at S & S). If you send the same metal off with your community recycle collection truck, you get absolutely nothing beyond the knowledge of having done a good deed. Personally, I like the bonus of cold hard cash in my hand!

Now – I know what you’re going to say to me, “it takes FOREVER to save up 10 pounds of aluminum cans!” Below you see my youngest daughter holding the two bags of cans we took to S & S. You may be right – it took us several months of collecting because we do not drink a lot of sodas at our home. However, I have a creative solution for earning even more dollars.

Metal recycling companies recycle far more than aluminum cans. Typically most recycling companies will give you cash for copper, iron, aluminum, brass, wire, stainless steel, sheet metal and much more. S & S also recycles batteries, metal automotive parts, refrigerators, washer-dryers, old bath tubs and the list  goes on.

Why not go to all your local friends and family. Explain that you need extra cash and would like to come and collect their metal once a week. If you could get enough people to help you out, you just might collect $3.50 per day instead of $3.50 once in a great while. For your efforts, that’s an extra $100 per month you could use on your family’s grocery’s or pharmaceutical bills. With a little work, you could make even more.

This would be an awesome fund raising idea for churches and community organizations, particularly if you could collect larger items. No matter your goal – financial or eco-oriented - the good news is you will be doing something good for the earth as well as yourself.

Keep metals out of our landfills! Recycle!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – Compost 101 – How To Compost

Food scraps and yard clippings make up one quarter of the United States’ solid waste piling up in landfills. The book, True Green, says, “When this organic matter ends up in landfills and decomposes without air, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide.”

Composting is the way to cleanly convert kitchen and garden waste into productive soil matter without producing toxicity and it is one of nature’s best mulches and soil amendments. You can make it without spending a cent, which helps save you money. Which type of composter should you use? Above is a video which discusses two really fantastic composters – both different styles – sold by Clean Air Gardening.

When adding material to the composter, keep in mind the pile needs a proper ratio of carbon-rich materials, or “browns,” and nitrogen-rich materials, or “greens,” and moisture. Below is a list of browns and greens you might use in your compost pile.

Examples of browns:

• Newspaper, black-and-white print preferred.
• Brown paper bags from the grocery store.
• Shredded cardboard or cotton and paper-based tissues and towels.
• Floor sweepings.
• Straw.
• Aged grass clippings.
• Dead leaves. Do not use dead leaves from diseased plants.

Examples of greens:

• New grass clippings.
• Plant prunings. Do not add prunings from diseased plants.
• Spent flowers and pulled weeds.
• Coffee grounds.
• Tea bags with metal staple removed.
• Kitchen scraps. Avoid items that will root, such as potato skins and onions, unless ground completely. Do not add meat or bones or it will stink to high heaven!
• Barnyard animal manures such as cow, horse, chicken, goat, sheep, and rabbit. Do not use dog, cat, or human manure/feces as they may contain pathogens or diseases that could be harmful.

Managed composting involves active participation, including turning the pile occasionally. On average, it takes between three and four weeks to create compost. The speed is determined by the products you add, if they are chopped up, and how often you turn the pile. A good balance of carbon and nitrogen encourages quicker composting.

The temperature of the managed pile is important—it indicates the activity of the decomposition process. It should be warm or hot to the touch. If it is not, then the microbial activity has slowed down and you need to add more green materials. This heat can be encouraged if you place your compost pile in full sun.

Keeping the pile moist is also important as organic waste needs water to decompose. Gray water, in other words, old dish water or clothes washer water from your home can be drained into a compost pile regularly. The rule of thumb is to keep the pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge. If you actively manage the composting, within a few weeks you will have a rich additive for your garden.

To order the awesome composters used in the video, please go to www.cleanairgardening.com.

Today’s post is a “Two For Tuesday” – this blog is on both my greening blog – www.gardeningnude.com AND my gardening blog – http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com – ENJOY!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com.

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – Use a Rain Barrel to Save Money and Water Plus Help Our Stormwater Systems!

One of the most fantastic ways to practice conservation, save money, AND water is to use a rain barrel! Clean Air Gardening sells some of the best and easiest to install. Above you see an instructional video showing the basics for one of the rain barrels I have from Clean Air Gardening (and how it works with a rain diverter).

During the summer months, residential water use increases approximately 40% – most of it centered around outdoor water use. A rain barrel collects and stores rainwater from rooftops, preventing less strain on our stormwater systems. This water is non-potable, which means not-drinkable. It is stored and can be used later for watering your lawn or garden, washing your car, cleaning tools, and any other purpose you can come up with.

Typically, water from your roof flows through roof gutter downspouts and becomes stormwater runoff, ultimately moving onto paved surfaces and eventually into a storm drain. Many of our stormwater systems are over taxed. All the water from stormwater systems eventually ends up in the ocean. Stormwater runoff is the leading type of residential non-point source pollution and is a large concern for those monitoring our earth’s oceans and water systems.

Water conservation with rain barrels is important. Although it is a small percentage of water saved, every little bit counts. Instead of sending water to the ocean, we should be trying to replace the water in the water aquifer, thereby keeping our water in a more natural state of replenishment while simultaneously reducing stormwater system usage.  

Here are some easy steps for installation of a rain barrel:

1. Find an area under a downspout on your home that is flat and level.

2. Place cement blocks or a stand of some sort on the level ground where your rain barrel will sit. Keep in mind, most rain barrels weigh 400 + pounds when full. By raising up the rain barrel, it will allow a watering can to fit below the spigot and will also have more “gravity” pressure.

3. Place your empty barrel on the blocks and measure where you need to cut your downspout to allow for an elbow or a diverter to drain water into the top of the rain barrel.

4. Place the barrel aside and cut the downspout with a hack saw where you drew your line.

5. Slide an elbow or diverter over the downspout that will allow the water to drain into your barrel.

6. Remove the old downspout and save it for winter. You will need to replace it during winter since you cannot use the rain barrel during harsh winter temperatures.

7. Attach a short hose to the top overflow spigot and direct the hose away from your foundation. A hose can be attached to the bottom spigot too, however, I leave this as an option since I like to fill watering cans by using the bottom spigot.

8. Slide your barrel under the newly reconfigured downspout and you are done.

To order the rain barrel and diverter used in the video, please go to www.cleanairgardening.com. Below you can see the rain barrel and down spout system as it rests today. I love my rain barrel - it has been an awesome tool to help water the front yard vegetable garden I am growing this season.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – Food Waste Is A Serious Problem – Do Something About It At Home

This is what I saw several weeks ago when I went to clean up breakfast. Wasted food. I am sure you are wondering why six or seven bites of bread crumbs really makes a difference, right? It makes a difference when you understand that a few bites of bread is just the beginning of a giant problem we have here in the United States: food waste!

According to Food Production Daily (FPD), Timothy Jones, an anthropologist at the UA Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology and an expert on food loss, says that American households waste nearly 14 percent of their food purchases.

FPD goes on to say, “Fifteen per cent of that [waste] includes products still within their expiration date but never opened. Jones estimates an average family of four currently tosses out $590 per year, just in meat, fruits, vegetables and grain products.”

Amazingly, FPD says, “household food waste alone adds up to $43 billion.” Imagine how eliminating as much food waste as you can might help our environmental problems. “Jones estimates that reducing food waste by half could reduce adverse environmental impacts by 25 percent through reduced landfill use, soil depletion and applications of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.”

With our economy in the dumps, it makes more sense than ever to SAVE MONEY as well as save food waste. It makes more sense than ever that parents must take on the firm responsibility to educate children about how to live more conservatively. They will learn good habits and maybe when they grow up they will be able to support themselves through difficult times because they have this knowledge.

My eight year old and I had a little talk about her bread crust plate and she agreed to only take what she can eat on to her plate and promised not to waste food in the future. Is it perfect? No. I waste, she wastes, we all are relearning that there is a better way to live which saves money and the earth. At least we are trying one small step at a time.

Help your children understand food waste and sustainability – a lesson learned at home with family will last a lifetime!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – Save Landscape Waste From the Landfill

Today I am taking you with me on a field trip to help save some landscaping and gardening materials. Why, you ask? Because this is an easy way to make a difference and I wanted to show you how you can do it too.

Due to overfilled landfills, most states have banned or are beginning to ban “green wastes” such as landscaping waste, yet many states still allow this type of wasteful dumping. In the past, when a landscaping company pulled out tulip bulbs or plant materials and bushes, it went straight to the garbage dump. Currently, many communities are using ordinances requiring construction firms to submit recycling plans for their construction and landscaping projects and to report the amount of materials disposed of and recycled.

America In Bloom (AIB) is a national organization built to help make a difference for communities. Each community has to budget their own funds and is able to do more with donations of old landscaping products. Last year I connected with a large local landscaping firm and asked them to call me the next time they were tossing out landscaping material so I could come collect it for my local AIB organization. This morning I got a phone call from the group letting me know where they had just deposited several thousand tulip bulbs for collection. You can see my little field trip in the video above.

Imagine that these bulbs were once thrown in the garbage, and I was able to save the tulips from the landfill, make a difference for my community gardens, and beautify my city with them with a fairly small effort.

You can do this too - it is one small thing you can do to make a difference for your community.

Today’s post is a “Two For Tuesday” – this blog is on both my greening blog – www.gardeningnude.com AND my gardening blog – http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com – ENJOY!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com.

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – An Indoor Bokashi Meat and Milk Composter Review

Clean Air Gardening sells this cool Indoor Kitchen Composter which composts more than traditional veg material, it also composts meat and milk. While I have practiced outdoor composting for several years, I have never done indoor composting and was curious if this worked. You can see a video review in the above short video.

According to the package directions, composting happens directly in the 16” X 10” X 10” pail so it is perfect for apartments and condos. Bokashi composting uses a different method than outdoor composting. Essentially it pickles the waste, turning it into fertilizer using fermentation. It works in half the time of conventional  composting. Moisture released from food waste can be drained out through a spigot at the bottom of the compost bin and can be made into a compost tea for house plants.

Clean Air Gardening shipped out the composter and a 2.25 lb bag of a special Bokashi mix that enhances the microbial action of the compost and allows traditional veg material as well as meats and milks to breakdown. Bokashi is a Japanese word that means "fermented organic matter." It can also be used as a soil amendment to increase the nutrient level and microbial diversity of the soil.

According to Clean Air Gardening, here’s how to use the Indoor Kitchen Composter and Bokashi mix:

“Before putting any compost in your Indoor Kitchen Composter, start by laying down a layer of Happy Farmer Bokashi. Then, when you add fresh food waste in the Kitchen Composter it's important to add additional Bokashi on top of every layer of scraps. Once the container is filled to capacity, let the waste continue to ferment for two weeks and then transfer into your garden or planter.”

Overall, I felt this product works and is rather amazing in it’s ability to breakdown meat, bones, and milk waste. However, it can be smelly if you do not cover the food waste properly (note the look on my face in the video). It is a wonderful idea for apartment dwellers and for people who have a strong motivation to save landfill space. I do prefer traditional composting better because it is less expensive. To maintain the Indoor Kitchen Composter, you must repurchase the bokashi several times a year.

For those of you interested in really taking a bite out of the landfill space situation, I think this is a more than fabulous idea. If you are interested in purchasing this composter or others, Clean Air Gardening has a wonderful selection. Go to www.cleanairgardening.com for more information.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – How To Feel Less Depressed and Have More Energy By Being Outside In Nature

We all get depressed sometimes. Life is not easy and as human beings we are driven by emotions which move up and down frequently. However, do you feel sad, isolated and depressed regularly? In the short video above you can see a few tips I practice as part of my green lifestyle which help reduce the symptoms of depression by getting you out in the garden or in nature.

Our society is emotionally unhealthy. Listed in the 2006 version of the U.S. Health and Human Services publication, Health, United States, is a shocking truth—the largest number of physical office and hospital outpatient visits occurs for working men and women age eighteen to forty-five. Over 200 million visits per year. Out of these visits in the years 2003 and 2004, the most frequently prescribed drug type for all outpatient visits was the antidepressant. Yet according to this very same study, only a small percentage of Americans report severe psychological distress.

For some people with truly severe psychological disorders and stress-related illnesses like diabetes, depression and heart disease, medication can be a partial, yet critical, solution. It seems clear that too many seek medication as the only solution. Why are so many people unhappy with the life they are living and seeking pills to solve their problems? It is my belief that by improving our lifestyle practices, we can also improve our emotional mindset and happiness level. Pills are not the only solution.

When I am out in my garden digging, touching the Earth, planting, and all the things that go along with it I feel wonderful. This great energy rush is surely a result of being exposed to daylight and exercise. It encourages a surge of serotonin and other feel-good chemicals to leap through the brain. I also receive positive energy knowing that the things I do which are “green” and conservation oriented are better for the people in my community.

In fact, feeling better is easy when I am gardening, recycling, and conserving. The lower garbage and utility bills are a nice side-effect of my “green” actions as well. When you are being environmentally conscious, you are caring and giving to our world. Caring for the earth, caring for your health, and caring for and building community—THIS is the beginning of what “gardening nude” means and is why I feel so fantastic in the garden and in nature. You can do this too.

Make a difference for yourself and for those around you – get outside in nature.

Today’s post is a “Two For Tuesday” – this blog is on both my greening blog – www.gardeningnude.com AND my gardening blog – http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com – ENJOY!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com.

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – Reusing Plastic Bag Ideas – A Flower Pot Condoms… errr.. Hats

This weekend my gardens – both my freshly planted annual flowerpots and my veggie garden faced imminent disaster: FROST! That’s right, Chicagoland’s unpredictable weather is consistent in it’s unpredictability.

At 8:00 PM Saturday night I was out in the dark in my jammies covering every annual plant in sight. It was a mad dash to save the little babies.

In the process I invented a great way to recycle your old plastic shopping bags – Flower Pot Condoms. Okay, let’s call them Flower Pot Hats….errr something.

According to Indiana University, more than 1.6 billion gallons of oil are used yearly for the production of plastic bags alone here in the United States. For gosh sakes people, find creative ways to reuse them – do the right thing.

My creative idea? See in the short video above how I saved my garden babies with some fabulous Flower Pot covers.

Make a difference today and comment below – let me know your creative ways to reuse plastic bags too!

Today’s post is a “Two For Tuesday” – this blog is on both my greening blog – www.gardeningnude.com AND my gardening blog – http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com – ENJOY!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com.

Get Yo Green On Tuesday – Native Plants Conserve Water

According to Jim Kleinwachter, a good friend who runs the “Conservation @ Home” program through The Conservation Foundation, native plants are the only way to go. Judging by the gorgeous photos seen here of native Bluebells and other flowers in his woodland garden, I can understand and agree with his mindset. Do the right thing - use native plants in your gardens and help your environment.

The “Conservation @ Home” website gives some wonderful reasons for utilizing natives; “Native plants grow natural without supplemental watering or fertilizers. Once established, native plants thrive on their own and do especially well during drought conditions because their deep roots hold the soil and allow water to filter down deep into the ground where it belongs. Yards with native landscaping reduce local flooding and clean pollution from rainwater before it reaches our rivers, lakes and ponds. And, perhaps the best part is that they attract dozens of species of beneficial wildlife like butterflies and songbirds.”

Consider native plants for your landscaping purposes and you will be surprised how easy, rewarding, and GREEN they are to grow. Best yet, they utilize less water and attract local wildlife which will help make your yard a haven of beauty. Without chemical use and excessive water use it will cost less to maintain. Contact your local nursery to find out more about native plants for your region.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday – Composting Kit And A Way To Save Kitchen Scraps From The Landfill

One of the greenest things you can do is save anything you can from a landfill. Food scraps are particularly difficult for landfills to deal with because when the scraps “melt” into mush they turn into a toxic bacterial soup that runs out of landfills like a river. We, as taxpayers, must clean up this “river” of ick with our tax money. Nice, right?

It seems to me that there’s an easier way to handle the problem: composting. If we compost our own kitchen scraps we are saving energy and money for taxpayers. Compost has the added bonus of being “gold” for your garden. Good deal.

Here’s the catch – last year I failed at composting. Something went wrong and my well intentioned kitchen scraps, leaves, and yard waste did not turn into compost. To help solve the problem I ordered a very cool kitchen scrap composting kit from Clean Air Gardening. It has a cool kitchen countertop pail with a filter so it does not smell, compostable bags, a compost thermometer,  and a “Home Composting Made Easy” book.

What did I do wrong last year? After reading the instruction guide carefully I think my compost pile was not wet enough. This year I put the compost bins right next to my newly installed rain barrels. Seems like it will be a lot easier to transfer water into the compost bin and all will be well.

Meanwhile, I have fallen in love with the awesome non-stinking kitchen countertop pail. Quite a change from the old bucket I was using. If you want to order your own composting kit, it is easy to get online at Clean Air Gardening. Go here - http://www.cleanairgardening.com/composting-kit.html.

Today’s post is a “Two For Tuesday” – this blog is on both my greening blog – www.gardeningnude.com AND my gardening blog – http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com – ENJOY!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com.

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday – SubZero Water Bottles – A Very Disappointing Product Review

While at the local Walgreen’s a week ago I spotted one of those cool new stainless steel water bottles which was advertising it was “Reusable, Refillable,  Recyclable.” It came in several colors and sizes and was made by SubZero.

Since I am concerned about plastic usage, I felt this was a great reusable alternative and bought three of them. What convinced me to buy was the tagged “features list,” which seemed significant: “Does not leach harmful chemicals into liquids, Producing stainless steel is toxin-free, Surface has no pores or cracks to hold bacteria, Life expectancy is over 100 years because of its impact and rust resistance, Can also be recycled 100%."

My first concern - there are a LOT of cautions on the exterior of the bottle – but they seemed fairly obvious like “Intended for cool and cold beverages only,” or “Do not use cleaners containing bleach or chlorine.”

My disappointment and shock began the first day I gave my eight year old daughter the water bottle to use. THE FIRST DAY! She brought it home from school and said, “I can’t drink out of this, it has rust at the bottom.” It did NOT have rust on the bottom when I gave it to her. I thought perhaps it was mold or something so took the lid off and looked in. Here’s a photo – yep, rust!

Then I examined the exterior of the bottle. Where the bottom of the bottle was  connected there was a strange white limish substance oozing out of the rim. WHAT?!?!?! Here’s a photo of that – I had a hard time getting a clear picture with my camera, but you get the idea – what is that stuff?

Next I poured the remaining water from only ONE DAY of exposure of the bottle into a clear glass. Let me assure you people, this water went in to the bottle CLEAR and fresh. This horrid stuff filled with rust and gosh only knows what. This is what my daughter was drinking after it was inside the SubZero Water Bottle. I made this photo large – I want you to see how disgusting that is – DISGUSTING!

I was downright horrified. Although I did not save my receipts from Walgreen’s (uh yeah… very stupid) I DID save the SubZero tags and re-examined them. “Made in China” and distributed by SUBZERO / Global Advantage in Missouri. Today I will be sending Walgreen’s and SubZero a link to this review – SUBZERO PLEASE TAKE THIS PRODUCT OFF THE MARKET! This should NOT be happening after one day of use – our children need fresh, clean, drinking water and I was very disappointed with it and found it is NOT the green product you are touting it to be.

SPECIAL UPDATE:

WOW!!! www.H20x2.com saw this post and has agreed to send new water bottles out so we can try a better brand - AND - is going to sponsor a $50 gift certificate contest during the Gardening Nude "Mexican Green Living Blog Adventure 2009".

I'll be blogging for 14 days straight talking about eco- and environmental adventures and green living starting 3/21 and www.H20x2.com will be joining us. Tune in to win a free FUNCTIONING and WONDERFUL waterbottle from H20x2.com!

Woot! Thank you H20x2.com – you rock!!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday – Teach Children To Shop With the Brilliant, Amazing, and Beautiful “Reusable Bag”

Last week I wrote about my experience with Borders – that I was overjoyed about their new “no bag unless requested” policy. Why? Plastic bags are made from ethylene, a petroleum byproduct. In the United  States, approximately 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make plastic bags that Americans consume.

With the great “greening” push many think it is the government’s responsibility to educate consumers on the basics of living a more sustainable lifestyle. I say, “poppycock!” Okay, honestly, I don’t normally say “poppycock,” but today I am saying it loud and clear: it is our responsibility as parents and caring people in the community to educate each other and our families on a less-wasteful lifestyle.

While it is still important for our governments and communities to set a positive green example, it is even more important that we teach our children these examples ourselves as well.

By educating our children on conservation oriented practices we are teaching them to be more caring citizens. When children learn a life-lesson at an early age, it becomes an intricate and important part of their lifestyle – lessons like not throwing trash out the window and not physically hitting others. These are important things to learn. So is greening and conservation.

A surprising benefit of practicing conservation techniques is most basic conservation practices helps us be less wasteful AND saves money. What a great lesson to give our children which they can use for the rest of their lives – a way to save money and help the world at the same time.

Teach children to bring reusable bags to use for grocery’s and your other shopping needs as well as caring odds and ends needed in daily life.

Reusable bags are sold everywhere and most only cost penny’s. I got the Whole Foods “I Used To Be A Plastic Bottle” bags for $1.00 and $.50. Online, a great reusable bag resource is www.reusablebags.com. Some stores give away the bags and all are a fantastic idea to get started educating our family’s about a greener lifestyle.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! http://www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - http://www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo’ Green On Tuesday - “Everything’s Amazing, Nobody’s Happy” – Why?

The Story of Stuff at www.storyofstuff.com talks about a linier usage system in the United States whereby companies process natural resources into product, then advertise and sell the product which is built to be broken from the very beginning. It forever leaves American’s wanting more – and our landfills jammed full. I believe this is a true crisis in America. For example, your clothes and shoes are out of style before the next season, so retail company’s advertise you should buy new ones instead of being satisfied with what you have. Same with your antiquated computer, cell phone, car, and virtually everything else you own.

You purchase all of these new things, you experience all kinds of wondrous experiences in your life, but you are still not happy because you are TOLD you are not happy by media and advertisers. Louis CK, the comedian, was recently on the Conan O’Brien show and agrees with me:

Watch more SpikedHumor videos on AOL Video

It seems that the American dream is about consumerism instead of living a satisfied life. Not only consumerism, but greedy consumerism. People become so spoiled and selfish about all the things in their life, that they feel the world OWES them something. This produces mean, jaded individuals who selfishly choose to ignore the existence of overfilled landfills and global warming. These mean people spread the selfish virus everywhere they go and treat the world around them in a negative fashion. They are unhappy.

I challenge you to look at your lifestyle in a different way: try to be satisfied with the things in your life. Accept people for who they are. Smile more. Try to contribute to your community in a positive way. Make a difference with the way you treat the earth.

Purchase more things, use them for a short while, throw them in landfills, and start it all over again; this is the cycle. I challenge you to break that cycle by finding creative ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Find ways to help others by donating your old things to the needy. Build a better community and a better world. Stop listening to advertisers and media tell you to do things that are wrong – use your brain and common sense and start doing the RIGHT things for yourself and your world. Get yo’ green on and make a difference.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! http://www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - http://www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Oak Savannah Prairie - A Day To Remember

Near my home in Illinois, the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) exists on hundreds of acres and is considered unique because the site contains most of the major types of ecosystems representative of the Midwest. These include tall grass prairie, oak savanna, agricultural fields, woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands. It is a great place to take a child to experience nature up close.

One perfect late summer day last year I drove my youngest daughter over to Fermilab with my mother-in-law. I drove as far out into the prairie as I could on an unpaved path and stopped near a stand of old oaks, some over 100 years old. We spent a remarkable afternoon wandering around the old oak trees. If you looked to the sky - nearly 40 feet up - you could see a canopy of leaves with dappled sunlight dancing through the shapes.

If you looked down beneath your feet you could see litter from the trees and prairie. There were seeds of all sorts if you knelt on your hands and knees and nosed about. My favorite moment was when my little girl held up a handful of burr oak acorns and asked me what they were. Grandma took over and told her all about their growth cycle, what they meant to the ecosystem, how they grew, and how she played with them when she was a child. My daughter asked why people were sometimes called “tree huggers.” I told my girl about how the term “tree huggers” was sometimes intended as a negative. It is true that not everyone believes the prairie and forest should be saved. The special prairie and trees we were standing next to were some of the last in the region due to land development. Her little eyes sparked up, and without saying a word, she went to the nearest Oak and wrapped her arms around it and hugged tight. Expressing clearly what nature meant to her. What a memory.

We enjoyed an Indian Summer moment as the sun beat down on our shoulders and we walked farther out through the prairie. Wind blew and we could hear the whisper of grass blowing. Seed heads full of their autumn harvest, shook and trembled when we walked past. Insects twirped and flew as our shadows passed by. Truly a day to remember.

When was the last time you took your children or family out into nature? Get yo’ green on and do it today – make a difference in their lives.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - How Do You Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle? MacGyver It!

From 1985 to 1992, for 139 television episodes, Richard Dean Anderson played MacGyver, a scientist/spy/adventurer who believed in environmentalism before it was popular and saved the world at least once an episode.

What made me love MacGyver, beyond his dashing good looks and coolio mullet haircut, was that he worked at finding a solution to a problem instead of whining around about it. MacGyver had the ability to get out of any difficult situation by utilizing his ever present roll of duct tape (and perhaps a paperclip and piece of gum) - all while his hair stayed perfectly coifed. Amazing. These neat tricks soon became known as "MacGyverisms."

What does MacGyver have to do with the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle? Are you kidding? We should all take a lesson from MacGyver - instead of throwing something in the landfill, why not THINK first? Do a MacGyverism - repair that ripped book, clean up your old furniture, donate your clothing to a resale shop, give your newspapers to a pet shop, sell all your unwanted stuff in a garage sale. Reinvent the obvious. Think first and do something creative and good.

Richard Dean Anderson went on to star in Stargate SG-1 after the MacGyver series ended. While the new series ran for ten years, his legend lived on as MacGyver off-screen. Even Americans who are unaware of the television show, still know what the term "MacGyver It" means - to use your creativity to find a solution and make it work.

Dear readers, it's confession time: my favorite television show for the last ten years has been Stargate - and before that it was MacGyver - yes, I confess I am a geek, a sci-fi nerd, a techie addict, in other words; a true Richard Dean Anderson fan. It all started with MacGyver and the dream that somehow intelligence and creativity can be married successfully in an environmentalist-save-the-world kinda way. Fantasy perhaps? Maybe - but I think we can make living a green lifestyle real. Of course, I have never met the former MacGyver star, but I imagine Richard Dean Anderson would want MacGyver's non-violent, intelligent, use-your-creativity-to-find-a-solution memory to be celebrated as inspiration to help keep our planet clean.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - make a difference today and use MacGyver as the inspiration to find your own solution to save landfill space. In other words: "MacGyver It!"

P.S. NOTE TO RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON - Please email me if you see this blog - I would like to interview you (I will respond to your email after I stop jumping up and down and screaming from receiving it in the first place). Thanks.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Recycle Your Ass Off!

Today is Tuesday - recycling day in my neighborhood. Why do I call it "recycling" day instead of "trash" day? Because for the last seven years I have lived in my neighborhood, I have put out four recycling bins every week - minimum.

The community I live in requires that you pay for trash pick up, while recycling pick up is free. From a money-saving standpoint, it simply does not make sense to put your recyclables in the trash.

What is the most shocking revelation about this recycling policy? When I drive around the city I see an increasing number of trash cans sitting beside a very tiny, itty-bitty, miniscule recycling bin, barely filled half-full.

I am a trash digger people! I have stopped and looked - your garbage is not full of garbage - it is full of recyclables. It is no more difficult to place a tin can in a recycling bin than it is a trash bin. Landfills in the United States are at the bursting point and by being lazy and not placing recyclables in the proper spot you are part of the problem.

It is time for a change! Please stop being a part of the problem and be a part of the solution. It is time to do it today - get out there and recycle your asses off - I will be cheering you on with pride.

You are the only one who can make a difference; it all starts with a first step towards being kind to the earth.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - How to Recycle A T-Shirt Into A Carry Bag - An Eco-friendly Teen Craft!

Recently, my teenager took a class at her high school on the environmental sciences. Happily, the class taught her a lot about the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle - she enthusiastically walked prairies, collected seeds in nature, and studied woodland areas with her classmates.

Experiencing greening and conservation at a scientific level enabled her to intimately investigate how our earth is being threatened, and more importantly, the steps every individual should take for positive habits related to greening.

She learned that every little bit counts and we all need to work together to accomplish something great. Many of the lessons learned in this class about conservation, recycling, and landfill rescue will stay with her for the rest of her life.

One of the fun things her class did as a group was learn how common "throw-away" items can be converted into something reusable. One easy craft related to this subject was recycling an old t-shirt into a new carry bag. Here she is modeling the carry bag. Awesome!

HOW TO MAKE A CARRY BAG FROM A T-SHIRT

Supplies:

One Old T-Shirt, Scissors, Needle and Thread (or Sewing Machine)

Steps:

Step One - Turn the t-shirt inside out.

Step Two - Cut off sleeves (all the way to the seam).

Step Three - Cut down the middle of the neck to about chest high.

Step Four - Cut  from one side of the neck band to the slit in the middle and repeat for both sides (this creates the handles).

Step Five - Sew the bottom of the shirt closed and turn right side out.

Finished!

 

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo' Green on Tuesday - Stop Over-Consuming; Reuse and Recycle Basic Items In Creative Ways

Making a difference from a green perspective means thinking about consumption. What are you throwing away that you could be reusing? Why buy something new when the items you have are perfectly good? We Americans consume more of the world’s natural resources than most of the globe. It’s time to stop that behavior and start making a difference.

What this means is that the little things count. Our resources are used to create millions of small items - not one giant item. Little things that fill our lives every day like aluminum foil, plastics, boxes, toys, and clothes are all recyclable or reusable. Recycling ordinary things in a creative way can save valuable landfill space.

For example, I collect stationery boxes, using them to store memories and knick-knacks. Boxes can be reused for many reasons other than their original purpose – like gift boxes or travel kits. Another creative idea, and my favorite use of a stationery box, is the below purse I made for a holiday party.

HOW TO MAKE A PURSE FROM A STATIONERY BOX

 

Supplies:

One Attractive Stationery Box, String or Cord, Drill, and Glue or Hot Glue

Steps:

Step 1 – Clean box out and decide which should be the top of the “purse” and the bottom of the purse. Choose a drill bit for the drill that allows for the size of the string or cord being used.

Step 2 – Close box and drill four holes in the box bottom. If there is a lid, be sure that two holes are drilled directly through the lid and box while box is closed. Two more holes should be drilled equidistant from each other through the bottom of the box. See photo.

Step 3 – Drill two holes in the top of the purse to hold the purse “handle”. See photo.

Step 4 – If there is a lid, drill one hole in the top of the purse directly through the lid while the lid is open. Be sure to center the hole, it will be used for the purse closure knot. See above photo.

Step 5 – Drill one final hole parallel to the closure hole. This will be used to hold the closure loop. See above photo.

Step 6 – Cut string, feed through holes on the bottom of the box, and knot to form the “hinge” on the bottom of the purse. See below photo.

Step 7 – Cut string for handle. Be sure to measure the length you want - making it a long strap or short dependent on your requirements, then feed through two holes on top of the box, making knots on the interior.

Step 8 – Cut string for closure knot. Form into a thick knot. Feed end through top lid hole. Place a spot of glue on the interior of the lid, drop string end into glue, then close the lid for a moment to make sure the string will not block the box’s ability to close. See below photo.

Step 9 – Cut string for loop. Knot the bottom of the loop, then feed loop up through hole on top of purse.

Step 10 – Pull knots taught and dot glue on all interior knots to prevent string from fraying and to hold the string in place. See photo of interior of purse.

Step 11 – Let dry.

Next time an opportunity presents itself, please do not throw away a valuable resource. Instead, consider a creative way to reuse the little things in your life. They may be small, but are important resources for so many. Make a difference for our world today - every little bit counts.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green on Tuesdays - SAVE LANDFILLS - Recycle Carpet With Green Kid Crafts

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a joint industry-government effort to increase the amount of recycling and reuse of post-consumer carpet and reduce the amount of waste carpet going to landfills. According to the CARE statistics, 5 billion pounds of carpet was sent to landfills in 2003 alone.

Used carpet can be sanitized and recycled in an industrial facility. New carpet is also thrown out by retail carpet stores. We can prevent this waste. I went to the local carpet store searching for rubber backed samples for crafting purposes and found that management was very cooperative and willing to give samples for free.

Getting children involved in "reduce, reuse and recycle" for carpeting is a great way to have fun and increase their understanding of how we all need to care for landfills. Doing crafts with your children is a great way to spend time "unplugged" and building your relationship.

RECYCLE CRAFT - MAKE NON-SKID COASTERS OUT OF CARPET SAMPLES

Tools Needed:

Discarded Carpet which has a rubber backing (samples or new is preferred, however, old carpet is good if it is not contaminated somehow)

Sharp scissors

Step One: Measure carpet for coasters. We have extra large mugs at our home, so we measured 5" square carpet sections.

Step Two: Cut. Carpet is difficult to cut through for small hands - children might need parental assistance.

Step Three: Give as gifts or use yourself. Perfect for coffee mugs!

Spending time with your kids is great. Better yet, children get a great sense of self-esteem and community when doing something good for the planet - teach them to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Teach them to make a difference!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Your Green On Tuesdays – Teaching Children Recycling and Green-Crafts

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: the “greenie” mantra. One of my favorite ways to practice the 3 R’s is to save trash from the landfill by recycling it in the form of a craft.

Being the first week in January, my kids and I took down all our old calendars. Instead of tossing the calendars in the recycling bin, we decided to re-use them. Similarly, I have been saving some full-color folders from the Chicago Art Institute, awaiting a good excuse to reuse them for a craft.

We are reusing these products to make bookmarks which can be used for writing notes on [by writing on the back of the bookmark]. It is an easy craft children and adults of all ages and helps teach about how to rescue reusable products from the landfill. One 12 month calendar and one folder made an amazing 90 bookmarks - all beautiful and artistic.

RECYCLE CRAFT - MAKE BOOKMARKS OUT OF USED CALENDARS AND FOLDERS

Tools Needed:

Old Calendars or Folders – any colorful paper product which has a “stiff” feel so it will not fold or bend when being used for a bookmark.

Scissors or Paper Trimmer (I prefer a paper trimmer because it is quick to measure and cut)

Step One: Disassemble calendar, separating staples or cutting pages off the holder.

Step Two: Measure and mark 2” X 8” rectangular areas on the full-color design. If you are using a paper trimmer you can eliminate “marking” the rectangular areas and simply measure with the measuring marks on the trimmer.

Step Three: Cut as many 2” X 8” bookmarks as possible with paper material. Save leftover scraps to make smaller bookmarks.

Step Four: Recycle remaining scraps.

Step Five: Give as gifts or use yourself. We like to use the bookmarks when reading reference material - we write notes on the back-side of the bookmarks.

Happy Crafting!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Your Green On Tuesday and in 2009 – A GREEN New Year's Resolution Guide

It is that time again: the time for New Years Resolutions. Here are my top five easiest green and healthy tips which will really help you and your family “get your green on” in 2009.

Make a GREEN New Years Resolution to follow these simple tips -

#1 – Recycle all soda cans and plastic bottles instead of throwing them away. Landfills are rapidly overfilling – this saves considerable landfill space. 

#2 – Convert all light bulbs in your home to Compact  Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs. Changing the light bulbs will also save you money.

#3 – Turn off the lights when you leave a room. This alone will save a significant amount of energy.

#4 – Give away your old clothes, appliances, and toys to a community assistance organization. It saves landfill space and promotes giving to the community. 

#5 – Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth. Saving gallons of wasted fresh water every year can make a real difference for your community. 

There you have it - five of the easiest-to-do and inexpensive greening ideas ever. These new year resolutions are easy to stick to as well – so do it – get your green on in 2009.

Happy New Year!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - A "Green Teen" Activity During Winter Break - Recycle and REMIX!

It is Winter Break - that dreaded time when all parents sigh a collective groan. How do you keep your kids busy for two weeks of no-school-snow-day-filled holiday?

I have the answer: RECYCLE!

Teens and pre-teens are all about self-expression. Why not encourage them to pull out the old magazines, catalogs, books, photos, and art supplies and creatively build a poster board. Including newspaper and magazine cut-outs can be very artistic and encourages the reduce, reuse, and recycle mindset.

New York City has started its "Recycling Magazines is EXcellent (REMIX)" Television Campaign to encourage citizens to recycle catalogs and magazines. Reusing magazines and catalogs keeps them out of landfills and this is a great opportunity to teach your teen, and all of your children, what that can mean for our environment. Here is the latest commercial for the REMIX program -

Recyclables are picked up via curbside service here in our community, and fortunately magazines and catalogs are a part of that service. However, instead of simply tossing products into the recycling bin without a thought, why not consider alternative uses for them? Reusing products can be a fun artistic outlet, particularly for teens and pre-teens, and the perfect activity for a snowy winter break day.

Activities which include a lesson are always great for kids. They learn without realizing they are getting an education. Teaching your kids how to recycle new products is just the beginning. If you have a houseful of children, baking is the perfect activity to occupy their time; measuring means counting and math. It IS the season of love, giving, and SUGAR - - spend some quality time together enjoying the best of what that offers and BAKE COOKIES.

Spend some time this season teaching your children how to be green and how fun activities can teach surprising things. Your kids will be happy to enjoy some special time with you and the holiday break will go by quickly. Happy Holidays!

www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blogs - www.gardeningnude.com or http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

Get Yo' Green On Tuesdays - Dangers of Christmas Lights, Garden Lights and Mini-Light Toxins - A Christmas Light Product Warning

Get ready to be shocked: holiday lighting, is poisonous! Every year my children and I decorate our tree with holiday lights - so do millions of children and parents around the world. Did you know that these lights are filled with lead and that by handling them, your family is exposed to lead? Nope? Neither did I.

Like other holiday revelers, I decorate my tree from lights I have had for over twenty years - before the day when holiday lights had warnings on the boxes. Typically, I buy the lights, then recycle the boxes once the lights are up. When it is time to take the lights down, I store the strands wrapped in rubberbands to keep them from knotting together until we do it all over again the next year. Imagine my surprise when I finally bought new lights this season and examined the box carefully. There were multiple warnings on the back of the box stating that the light strands contained lead in a significant amount.

This year, the holiday lights I purchased came from Target and are the Philips Multi-Heavy-Duty Mini-Light Set. After I purchased them I read the box, saw the warnings, and returned the lights to the store. Guess what? After searching all of Target, Walmart, and many other retail outlets I could not find a single light set without a lead content. None. Nada. Zip.

It is particularly important to be cautious with products which have a lead content. Lead is poison to our children and many people are concerned about the toxic level of chemicals in our household. Millions of holiday lights are put up every year BY CHILDREN. My concern is not to stop using these lights, but to educate on the proper way to put the lights up so less people in our community are exposed to toxins.

When I discovered most mini-light sets have lead, I decided to use common sense and assume that all the lights I have - the older sets particularly - have lead content also. Keeping the Philips Multi-Heavy-Duty Mini-Light Set, I used surgical nitrile exam gloves which I use when gardening to install the lights. Afterward I threw the gloves out and washed my hands well. For safety's sake - teach your family and friends about this danger - use gloves when installing all your holiday lights and wash well after the installation is complete.

 

Have a safe and toxic-free holiday season!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blog - www.gardeningnude.com

Get Yo' Green On Tuesdays - How to Save Money and Save the Earth During the Twelve Days of Christmas

I'm dreaming of a green Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa. In an amazing salute to the holidays I have created my very own GREEN "Twelve Days of Christmas" Sing-A-Long.

Wanna be green this season? More ecologically friendly? Well, start humming the tune - everyone sing with me now:

On the first day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the second day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the third day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green;

I'm using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the fourth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the fifth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the sixth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the seventh day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm using LED light sets, wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the eighth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm buying locally made gifts, using LED light sets, wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the ninth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm giving a farm co-op membership, buying locally made gifts, using LED light sets, wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the tenth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm preparing an organic meal, giving a farm co-op membership, buying locally made gifts, using LED light sets, wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the eleventh day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm giving recycled products, preparing an organic meal, giving a farm co-op membership, buying locally made gifts, using LED light sets, wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

On the twelfth day of the holidays I'm giving the gift of green; 

I'm composting holiday dinner waste, giving recycled products, preparing an organic meal, giving a farm co-op membership, buying locally made gifts, using LED light sets, wrapping gifts with fabric, GIVING ORGANIC WINE, reusing bows, using a live tree, sending email cards, and converting to CFL light bulbs.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blog - www.gardeningnude.com

Get Your Green On Tuesday - Shower Together and Conserve Water

Drought is not seasonal in most of the world and water is becoming increasingly scarce within the United States as well. What does this mean for the average person? It means that conserving water and not wasting should be something everyone considers every day.

The solution? Shower together! A brilliant answer to a difficult problem, don't you think? Ask any child in your household this question, "Wanna shower with the dog?" The answer will be a resounding, "YES!"

Harry the pug is often seen showering with various members of our family. He is not fond of showering in general, you can usually tell by how his ears sag miserably and his tail straightens out. His body looks like a frown. I know what he is thinking, "I hate you. I hate water. I hate blueberry shampoo." The kiddo, however, is delighted to share shower water and create an instant dog-wash at the same time.

Harry the pug (the one with the straight tail and pitiful eyes) and the youngest kiddo (the one with the bruised up legs and extra white untanned feet) conserving water together in the shower. 

There are many other ways to conserve water around the home besides showering together, below are my top five tips:

1. Utilize water saving toilets and shower heads.

2. Do not let the water run when you are brushing your teeth or shaving.

3. Plant drought tolerant plants in your garden to reduce water needs.

4. Use the dishwasher and clothes washer only for full loads.

5. When you are waiting for the water to get warm in the shower, place a bucket under the shower head to fill. Water plants inside or outside the home with this extra water. Toss any leftover water outside in the grass so it goes back to the water table instead of going through the storm sewer system.

In my family we often discuss water conservation. Why? Because if you do not discuss it at home with your children, how are they going to learn about water conservation? When you have a giant perennial garden which is hundreds of feet long you might spend your entire summer watering unless you plant the garden with conservation as a consideration. Also, our community, Warrenville, Illinois, takes its water from the water table instead of Lake Michigan, like many suburban communities do. Chemical use can destroy the water table and too much residential and commercial use can lower the water table before it is replenished by rain. Therefore, water conservation is critical to our community.

It is easy to teach your family to conserve water. My children are the first ones to "fill up the bucket" for water conservation and help our community help itself. Choose one of my favorite tips above and get started being environmentally friendly and conservation conscience today!

Are you surprised to learn that Harry the pug, the water conserving shower-hater, would be perfectly satisfied if he never had another shower ever again? One look at his face in the below photo and his opinion is crystal clear.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blog - www.gardeningnude.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Touch Nature and Be Healthy

Getting your green on means more than recycling and removing chemicals from your property. Being "green" means to make a conscious choice to spend more time out in nature enjoying the real world.

Today children often grow up thinking that "the real world" is what is perceived on television and in computer games as reality. However, there is no substitute for the beauty of nature. Breathing fresh air, living in the sunlight, and sharing nature from an up-close perspective is an amazing experience.

Take Katie Kleinwachter's recent experience, for instance. She and her father went for a walk in the prairie and found this young Meadowlark. After she had the experience of holding the bird, Katie said, "You can't see this stuff from the couch!" Indeed. I couldn't have said it better.

Get outside with your family and friends. Spend time in nature year round and reap the rewards. Being out in nature gives you a stronger sense of community and the environment, it helps you to be energized and stay physically healthy, and most importantly, it gives you a sense of the greater world and how you fit into it. Being exposed to nature helps build good mental health.

Shawna Coronado says Get Green! Get Healthy! Get Community!

www.thecasualgardener or The Blog - www.gardeningnude.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Recycle and Rescue Items From a Landfill

Not too long ago I received this mysterious email: "Have park bench. It is yours. Find it leaning against a tree at XXXX Main Street."

Sounded like a kidnapping to me. I half expected a guy in a black stocking cap with a gun to be waiting for me when I arrived. Throwing the only cash I had in my pocket (ten bucks) I dashed out the door to ransom the kidnapped bench.

When I arrived I found out that "bench" was a generous term. It had two rusty, black, wrought iron ends, which were the arms of the chair. Moldy wooden slats connected the two arms. The wood was rotted off in most places and the entire bench leaned at a wonky angle, hence the need to rest it up against a tree. It smelled disgusting.

For a full five minutes I stood looking at this lovely piece of junk wondering how I was going to save it from the landfill. The nuts and bolts, which held the rotting slats in were rusted solid. When I tried to lift it I discovered the arms of the chair were quite heavy. But I saw a future for this gangly, ugly, piece of garbage; surely I could make something out of it and save it from the landfill.

Too heavy to lift; I dragged the bench from the back yard, up Main Street, and to my car cutting deep gauges in the grass from the bench feet. When I got to the car it became apparent that saving the slats would be impossible. Pushing, hefting, heaving, and manhandling the odd shape into my little hatchback's rear-end brought sweat to my forehead and laughter from passer's by. Cursing and angry, I finally shoved the devilish bench in with a forceful push and a shout, "S*$#!!!" Shaking and laughing I drove home.

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Darth Vader is In My Garden!

This green tip is an updated excerpt from Shawna's newspaper column on greening and gardening; The Casual Gardener (www.thecasualgardener.com).

Allergies!!  I got’em!  Particularly to molds.  Fall is a season which brings misery to me, even with my positive health routine. So it might surprise you to find out one of the conservation secret ingredients in my garden is composted leaf mold! 

It seems an irony that one of the best things for your garden drives me to wear an industrial respirator mask.  My  neighbors and children laugh and call me Darth Vader. Although they’re more likely to say, “What the *%$& are you doing with that THING on?” My cat sits in the front window and stares hard at me in terror. Even Harry the Pug barks at me until his little doggy voice is hoarse.

It seems crazy that this sexy costume is my jewelry of choice during the mold season - which, in my neck of the woods begins when the leaves start to fall and lasts until the first hard frost of the year. Yet the truth of the matter is I am not willing to give in to adversity and let the allergies win. In my opinion, exposure to the sunlight and being outside in the garden is healthy and makes me feel like a million bucks – even if I sometimes have to wear a mask. And besides all that – leaf matter is conservation GOLD to your garden.

Get Your Green On Tuesday - Costco is Green - SURPRISE!

As a green lifestyle guru, my advice and focus has not been the mega-centers of the world. I cannot be certain that buying paper towels in economy size is good for either my family or the world from a green perspective, but having said that, you must know my secret; I am a Costco addict.

What triggered my interest in understanding the green side of Costco is when I saw this "Dump No Waste Drains To Stream" label on a drain in the parking lot:

Storm drain pollution is a major environmental problem for the United States. When people dump chemicals in drains, it often ends up in our streams, rivers, lakes, and even the ocean. These chemicals are killing wildlife and people; it is making our environment sick. Seeing this sign in a Costco parking lot was an inspiration. Costco is trying to make a difference.

It is true - my first thought was that perhaps this is a fluke and is all Costco is doing. Believe me - I am not being paid to write a review on Costco or show them in a positive light - but after some heavy research online, I have discovered Costco is not so bad. The local Costco turns off their lights regularly during the day - skylights brighten walk-ways and there is no need to waste electricity. I have researched their organic products and vegetables and they seem to be quite legitimate (and tasty I might add). Costco sells eco-detergents and other good-for-nature products - all in recyclable containers. They discourage excessive waste and recycle all the packing boxes for customers - as "take home" containers for their products instead of using plastic or paper shopping bags.

There are a few negatives. To deter theft they sometimes package small items in large packaging, but on a positive note, it is mostly recyclable packaging. Sometimes I see an inordinate amount of non-organic fresh fruits or vegetables at Costco - during the off-season - this is a sign they are flying fruits and vegies in from all over the world and that uses a lot of carbon. However, they balance this by purchasing some products locally like beer from local micro-breweries.

It seems that Costco is also doing some good things for its community. The CEO caps his salary so he can bring benefits to the employees. All employees are encouraged to combat stress and live a greener life through their health program. Costco is very socially responsible with fair wages and continuing to pay military employees when in Iraq. They also donate and give to local charitable organizations.

Overall, I am surprised, and yes, just a little happy that my obsession and addiction to Costco can be viewed in a positive light. It it perfect? Well, no... but making the attempt is more than most retailers ever get to. Costco is TRYING and that is worth supporting in my mind. I want my readers to do the same thing - make an effort to make a difference. Every little bit counts - as Costco is demonstrating.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community!

www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blog - www.gardeningnude.com

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Dispose of Batteries Properly and Help the Environment

The green message of the day is this: batteries contain sufficient amounts of mercury, cadmium and lead to damage the environment if they are not disposed of properly. Currently, there are no completely safe ways of disposing of batteries. We can however, reduce the damage as much as possible and send batteries to special hazardous waste facilities to help protect our communities.

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Recycle Mint Containers and Help Children

It is DOUBLE Get Yo Green On Tuesday - I want to show you an idea of how you can make a difference for children in need, while at the same time recycling by rescuing packaging materials from landfills.

Imagine if you were a small child in middle of a hurricane relief camp; ripped away from your snug bed and comfortable home, you might only have the possessions you were able to put in your backpack before being evacuated from your community.

In a relief camp you might share a cot with your other family members in a tiny trampled area and receive water and food from the relief workers. You would not know if you were staying for days or weeks at this camp. Hour after hour you have nothing to do and must sit and wait for word about your home and when you can return.

Then someone brings you a small care package filled with coloring books and a trample-proof tin of crayons. The crayons are used, but you do not care, you love the tin which can later be used to hide secret treasures. You are happy that someone took the time to give you something to do to keep your mind off of the horror that surrounds the experience you are living through.

S.C.A.R.C.E. (The School and Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education) is saving millions of crayons every year from the landfills by recycling them. Using crush proof candy tins is one of the ways they have found to rescue "newer" crayons from the landfill. They donate the crayons to under-privileged children, schools, and relief efforts across the world.

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - Find Your Recycling Zen

Get Jiggy Wit Yo Recycling Zen - that's right people - we need a serious lesson today on getting jiggy wit it!

Why oh why is it possible that people in the United States still cannot put an aluminum can in a recycling bin? In the city I live in - a lovely green town indeed - we have full-on garbage-man retrieved recycling. No charge. Free. Gratis. FREE PEOPLE. They DO charge, however, for trash pick up. Let's see... PAY for garbage removal or FREE for recycling... hmmm... common sense. Use it.

This is why I was shocked on my morning bike ride when I found this can of Manzanita Sol (made by PepsiCo) sitting next to my back garden. The garden is built on a walking path, so lots of people pass by the spot. Note the can is crushed - I mean, heck, that's half-way to the recycling bin right there.

Get Yo Green On Tuesdays - MOO-NURE Adventure and Product Review

While I was at one of the local Home Depot's, a rather loud and frustrated 40-something mother was standing over her toddler exclaiming, “Jeffrey, take the petunia out of your nose right now!” After careful consideration, I am absolutely sure that when she was her former 22 year old nubile self, she never pictured those words coming out of her mouth. Less than three minutes later she slapped his hand viciously and shouted, “I told you not to eat the ‘MOO-NURE’!”

Now THAT got my attention. I walked over to the giant aisle filled with row upon row of compost and rotted manure pallets - my personal gardening Mecca. With choirs singing and a golden halo surrounding the pallet, I discovered MOO-NURE. Pause here for crescendo.

MOO-NURE is a creatively packaged purple bag of rotted cow poop. No kidding. There’s a rather large photo of a very happy black and white cow on the bag. Yes, I said happy. She’s actually looking out of the corner of her eye in a provocative way; a cow supermodel declaring her poo-confidence.

The label announces that MOO-NURE is 100% Organic Compost with Cow Manure. Words float across the purple and white plastic which tantalize me. Like, “clay breaker,” “excellent rich soil amendment,” “retains moisture,” “mild manure suitable for all flowers.” I read the nitrogen content and my eyebrows raise up so high they touch my hairline.

Quickly I reach for the other composted manure bags – the one’s that are less beautiful and not so happy. They have virtually no nitrogen, yet, in my opinion these sorry non-purple packages are singularly responsible for the miracle Hydrangea growth I have seen in my perennial beds. I frown and thinking carefully, then put two and two together. The secret in my garden has always been rotted cow manure. This lovely purple bag is filled with SUPER-POO, I might even add, happy poo. My garden deserves happy poo, I’m convinced of it.

With a sparkle in my eye and a racing heart, I realize I must have this for my garden! It is remarkable! It is amazing! It is purple! It is poop! Faster than you can say “pee-you” I have heaved five of the 25 pound bags onto my bright orange mega-center cart and raced for the cash register.

With receipt waving in my hand, I run to my car through the maze of flowers and clunk over water hoses with my heavily laden cart. As I reach the car I see Jeffrey and his mother. She’s strapping him into the family van in between increasingly large Jeffrey-screeches. “Jeffrey,” I shout, “you’re a genius!!”

His mother shoots me a vicious, might I say hateful, look. But Jeffrey, of course, smiles at me as I dash by. I smile back and laugh because he’s holding an orange sucker in one hand, which has attached to the hair on the side of his head. His cheeks are covered with a loud brown smear of compost – I’m certain it’s the MOO-NURE.

I drive off feeling satisfied and excited at the thought of the garden waiting for me at home. I’m sure you’ll say I’m a victim of the marketing executives – the “man” has triumphed because I have fallen prey to a smiling cow. Indeed, it is true. I am weak and cannot resist the power of super-poo. The MOO-NURE has been the best rotted manure I have ever used in my garden. It’s the best! My garden is happy now, and I know all is right with the world.

Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community!

 www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blog – www.gardeningnude.com  

Get Yo Green On Tuesday - "Best In Glass" Glass Cleaner Review and a Tip To Improve Home Air Quality

Every Tuesday, Gardening Nude The Blog will discuss a new way to Get Your Green On – today’s green discussion is a product review and advice on how to make the breathing quality better in your home.

Our 1970’s basement laundry room is unfinished. Our family’s mold allergies are huge and I spend every day defending myself and my girls against them. Because of this, I felt the reason I felt sick whenever I walked into the laundry room was not because of the sheer volume of laundry, it was because of microscopic molds which grew on the floors and walls.

For five years I tried to kill the molds. We bleached everything and even put different flooring down to cover the frigid and supposedly mold covered basement floors. Then one day I told my husband I could not deal with the laundry room any more. Seeing dollar signs from a total laundry room renovation, Dr. Husband, Fixer-of-All-Evil-Money-Problems ran into the laundry room and scanned the room for evil mold. When he came back out, he said, “It’s not the mold, it’s the chemicals.”

“HUH?” I replied.

“Look – we have all our shelving open and I can see at least twenty different housecleaning and laundry chemicals sitting out. Your asthma and allergy issues might be triggered whenever you walk into this room. You get dizzy in the housecleaning aisle at the grocery store – I’m sure this is it.” After consideration, our laundry room is also our furnace room, which needs strong ventilation. The air from the laundry room was being broadcast all over our living quarters as well.

By the next week we packed all the chemicals into two very large tubs that sit beneath the washer and dryer. I rarely admit this, but the husband was right; now when I walk into the laundry room I no longer feel ill. This is a great way to clean up the air quality in your home. If the chemicals you use are out and in the open the odor can touch each and every person in your home, particularly if you have ventilation or the furnace area near the chemicals.

If just SMELLING the chemicals made such a significant impact on our family, imagine how it is impacting yours? Perhaps it is time we all start to consider that using non-toxic cleaning chemicals is better for our family and better for the world. I have started searching for non-toxic and environmentally friendly choices whenever possible. In my search I have found some things just cannot be substituted. However, the majority of our household cleaning products do not have to be toxic and we all need to make a change.

My favorite non-toxic product is Method’s “Best In Glass.” They tout it as a planet friendly ammonia-free glass cleaner. I get this nectar of the God’s (at least for my windows) from Target. It works great and smells lightly of mint, which is one of the few scents I can handle without a problem. It does not smell of vile, gut-wrenching, chemicals which might give you cancer or kill you. In fact, it is made of Corn Alcohol, Surfactant (Naturally Derived), Biodegradable Solvent, Fragrance, Color, Preservative (under 0.1%), Purified Water. That’s one of the shortest chemical ingredient lists I have ever seen.

My official review for the Method “Best In Glass” product is two thumbs up. The photo below shows the wonderful glass cleaner in front of my now very streak free shower doors – if you hear angel’s singing and harps playing, that’s because “Best In Glass” is simply heaven on earth for your family.

Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community!

www.thecasualgardener.com or The Blog - www.gardeningnude.com