All posts by The Natural Mammas

Forwarded Email Treasures For Making Life Easier & Greener

February 25, 2012 The Natural Mammas Leave a comment

Being a work from home, stay at home, barely leaves the house kind of mom, email plays a pretty important part in my day. Talking on the phone is rarely a possibility with the amount of background noise and that instant phone radar my children have. While I love my email inbox, there are also those times when I dread opening it and part of that dread is from those obnoxious forwarded emails that seem to come on a daily basis from family and friends who apparently love email even more than me.
Usually, as soon as I see that an email is not from a client or a traditionally non-forwarded email friend and it has the FW at the beginning, I just put it in my delete pile and away it goes, but every once in a while (and especially when it is from my Mom…cause I love her) I will open one and check it out. Not too bright, I know, but hey, it’s my Mom!
Recently I received one that actually had some decent tips in it and I immediately said, “Hey, I want to let people know about these”. At the same time I thought, “but I don’t want to forward this email to cause the next person may have to go through this viscous cycle again”. So for all our loyal readers, I present the ideas of a forwarded email that was actually worth opening!
These are probably tips and tricks most of you already know and use, but consider your reading of this non-forwarded email and end to a cycle!

Hull Strawberries with a Straw

Mind you it must be a pretty sturdy straw and the best of luck comes with using a straw that is not too narrow. This image uses a disposable straw, but we have a small stock of reusable straws and while the little ones got clogged, the wider straws were easy to clear and did a great job. In the past we either picked off our greens resulting in pink fingers or we trimmed the top of the berry, losing a portion of this delightful treasure. This approach is kind of fun and pretty easy!

Use a Walnut to hide scratches in Furniture

Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it. I totally didn’t believe this one until I tried it. I have some OLD kitchen chairs and it just so happened we had some walnuts, so I went to work. Blown away at how well the walnut eliminates the appearance of scratches. Obviously it isn’t a permanent fix, but on furniture that isn’t cleaned rigorously, regularly, it is a way to make things look much nicer!

Stop Browning Apples without Using all your Lemon

Personally, I kind of like the flavor a spritz of lemon juice has on an apple, but this is a good trick that I had not tried or thought of. I know putting an apple in what you may believe to be an air tight container isn’t always enough and my kids particularly associate the discoloration of the apple with there being something WRONG with the apple. So I will be trying this very soon.

Bread Tags for Cord Labels & More

It is so easy to reuse the bag, but not quite as simple to r-use the tag…or isn’t it. I like this idea for the cord labels (as seen in the photo), but we don’t have a ton of cords at our house as we try to keep things to a minimum. What we do have though are a LOT of rechargeable items that come with various cords and I was able to organize our collection nicely with these cord tags. I have also used them on various bags and plant stalks and other things. The kids like to glue a longer paper tag over the bread tag and use them as gift labels for bags and a variety of other things.

Gutter Gardening

I think this was my favorite in the group. We actually took a ton of wooden gutter down off our house when we bought it because most of it was cracked and not holding up to the elements anymore. I have already repurposed those, but there was also some metal gutter that is still unused that I plan to put on the side of the chicken house for growing in. It gets great sun over there! Love this and you can probably easily come across tons of used gutter for free.

gallery, gardening

Ideas For Repurposing Items From Around The House Into Eco-Friendly, FREE Seed Starting Supplies!

February 23, 2012 The Natural Mammas 2 Comments

Repurposing items isn’t all that common anymore in the United States culture. Instead there’s an idea that new is better. Our ForeMothers and Fathers though saved and reused EVERYthing possible.

Another thing our ancestors did a lot of was local food production and storage. Food was a much more community supported and involved endeavor and folks knew the farmers, and often produced most of what they ate themselves.

Many people today are hoping to get back to the land and grow at least a bit of their own food wherever possible, and one of the things that goes perfectly with the move back to the land is the idea of repurposing!

Repurposing items from around the house for organic gardening is easy, earth friendly, and it makes home gardening even more affordable – especially when you’re just starting out.

With it being February as we write this post, the seed starting phase of organic gardening is on the brain! Its not quite time to actually plant anything indoors or out yet in our neck of the woods, but, seeds are being ordered and, they’re going to need somewhere to germinate! To take care of this in a more natural way, we’ve been saving quite a few different things we’d otherwise recycle at the land fill to get ready for seed starting season. Here’s a list so you can get ready to start your seeds in repurposed containers too – and help save your money and the planet!

Toilet Paper Rolls + Old Plastic Salad Containers = Mini Greenhouse

One the favorite ideas for repurposed seed starting supplies here at natural mammas is the use of toilet paper rolls and a lidded clear plastic container (you know, like those ones organic greens come in now?) to create a mini greenhouse.

The TP rolls are actually compostable; a great quality of any seed starting pot as it can be traumatic to the new root babies to be transferred from pot to ground. With TP seedling pots though you can take the whole thing, pot and all and plant the seedling straight in the ground. Its kind of like a free version of one of those little peat pots some people use to start seedlings. But in this case you’re using earth friendly pots made of reused toilet paper rolls, cut in half, and filled with good organic compost rich soil.

Now, just place those soil filled former TP rolls into the salad container, plant your seeds, water thoroughly, and put the lid on. The lid can be domed as in our photo here, or flat, either way is fine. Place in a sunny window and watch as a nice humid environment is created and your seeds germinate easily – all with the help of free items you kept out of the landfill!

Egg Shells Make Compostable Seed Pots

If you can remember to crack your eggs just at the top – instead of right in the middle as many of us are used to, you can create really cute seed starting pots. Just wash, then gently fill with soil, add seeds, and place in a clear plastic lidded container as described above or, in – surprise, an egg carton!

Then water your newly planted seeds and place in a sunny window so you can watch your seeds come alive.

When ready, plant the seedling, complete with its egg shell pot directly into the ground and the shell will compost around the new plant, feeding it and helping it grow strong!

Yogurt, Butter, Coffee & Other Containers Can Be Repurposed As Planters

Small, medium, large, yogurt, butter, sour cream, coffee – whatever sizes and types of food containers you have like this, start saving them this time of year and use them as seed starting pots. They can even be used as full on planters for your flowers, annuals and even some veggies like lettuce, herbs, or a small patch of green onions. Your options depend on the containers you have on hand but really the sky’s the limit!

If you choose to use your smaller containers as repurposed seed starting pots then you will have to transplant your seedlings. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you catch them early, but if you let them get too big the plants may suffer a bit of shock upon transplant. Generally things will be fine though as long as there’s a good solid hardening off period and the soil the plant babies get transitioned into is yummy and rich with compost.

As far as using these containers as planters, it can be really fun to decorate them with the kids. You can use twigs as shown here, or small fabric scraps, old drawings, paints, stickers, and more to decorate the containers. Then, add soil and your seeds or small plants and enjoy!

Do be careful NOT to over-water unless you put a hole in the bottom of the plastic container before planting. Otherwise, be sure to always check the moisture level of the soil with your finger prior to each watering.

Egg Cartons Make 12 Or More Seedling Pots Instantly!

Plastic or paper, egg cartons can make 12 (or more if you’re using the plastic ones) seedling pots instantly!

The advantage of using paper egg cartons to start your seeds in is that they can pulled apart and each little seed pot can then be planted directly into the ground. The paper egg carton will then just compost into the ground while the seed grows out of and around it.

The disadvantage – they do get quite waterlogged. But, putting them onto an old cookie sheet while the seeds germinate and prepare for planting can solve this.

The advantage of the plastic containers is that if you cut that extra protective layer they have off it gives you two sets of 12 for 24 seed pots out of one egg container!! Plus, there’s a lid for one of the set of 12 to create the min greenhouse as described above.

The disadvantage – you have to transplant your seedlings and the seed pots the egg containers create are quite small so this can create issues w/the root systems of your plant. Shouldn’t be a problem if you get after them quickly but, if you get distracted – as is common with many of us natural mammas – and the seeds don’t get planted for an extra week…or three – this may not be the seed starting option for you! This whole issue can be avoided though by using the egg shells as your seed pots and using the plastic egg carton to hold them as opposed to just planting directly into the plastic egg carton.

Organic gardening is such a fun and amazing tradition for everyone from babies on up. It doesn’t have to be big, even just a few pots on the porch still lets everyone experience the miracle of gardening. And now, with these tips, you can get things started the natural way with these ideas for items that can be repurposed as seed starting supplies!

Do you have other ideas for repurposed seedling containers? Share here now! We love to keep the learning and growing going!

A Natural Home, gallery

5 Advantages To Shopping At Thrift Stores

February 18, 2012 The Natural Mammas Leave a comment

Many natural families know that how you spend your money matters. With this in mind lots of folks have begun shopping at thrift stores and enjoying quite a few advantages from their new choice.

Never thrifted yourself? Here are just a few of the reasons you should start shopping at thrift stores.

Eco Friendly

Shopping at thrift stores is incredibly eco friendly. You’re reusing items instead of buying new. This helps keep others unwanted or unused items out of land fills, reduces the amount of energy used to produce and transport the things you do need and use, and eliminates new items needing to be produced for you in the first place.

Easy On The Pocket Book

Shopping at thrift stores makes buying clothing, housewares, shoes, and more cost less than purchasing these same items new would. Many shops even have bag days or half off sales, volunteer for discounts opportunities, and other ways to save even more on your thrifted treasures.

Support Non Profits Instead Of Big Box Giants

While not all second hand stores are a funding stream for non profits, many are. Organizations that represent charities from animal welfare, to domestic violence, to places of worship, and countless others use thrift stores as one of many ways they fund their programs. Goodwill and The Salvation Army are two of the most well known charities that have used second hand stores to help keep their charity work going strong, and these funding streams have become even more important as social service agencies face intense budget cuts at the local, state, and federal levels.

Be Certain What Your Hard Earned Money Is Supporting

Many companies today produce new items under very questionable circumstances. Whether they’re polluting the environment, abusing their workers, or even using child labor, you can avoid all these ethical issues by shopping at thrift stores.

When thrift shops aren’t owned by charities as described above, they’re usually owned by the person working there or at least someone local and near by. And, because of the way they operate (selling reused items), your money is never going to support any of these or other unethical practices often used by companies that make new products.

Fun and Exciting Shopping Experience

If all these fantastic reasons to shop at thrift stores isn’t enough, all the fun and excitement of finding some amazing deal or some beautiful piece is the cherry on top! The high of thrifting is something that’s hard not to work for once experienced. It usually requires time and repeat trips, but, the rewards are so neat and special that it’s all worth i!

There really are so many advantages to thrifting, please take a minute to share with the rest of us natural mammas and pappas why you enjoy patronizing your local thrift shops, and if you’re up for it, post some pictures of your favorite thrifting finds! We always love hearing from our readers and, it makes switching to a more natural family lifestyle even easier and inspirational the more we share together!