Congrats Heather and Dan!

My best friend Heather and Her Fiance Dan Just Won @ Green Boston Wedding. And obviously I am cool by assosiation. lol
But seriously, I love these guys. And they definately deserved to win. Green is not a trend for them, it's a way of life. It's rooted deep in their hearts.
And I get to be the Maid of Honor. Oh yeah baby! That means I get to plan fun surprises for her. And do a speach. Oh no! Wait a minute. A speach! Ahhhh! I can talk all day, but not in front of a crowd. Excuse me while I go settle down these butterflies in my tummy.

Oh Christmas Tree...

...poor Christmas Tree.

I finally planted the Christmas tree. Our cottage is small, and we don't have room for a big old Christmas Tree. So we thought little potted ones would be a great alternative, and then we can plant them in the back yard when we are finished. I had been putting off getting it into the ground because I didn't think I could move it on my own. It had been sitting quite pretty by the front door for months. Dec 25th to be exact. I took it outside as soon as I had packed away the decorations. We were advised @ the nursery that you can only keep them indoors for a short time if you plan on planting them outside again.

It looks so teeny next to the Big old pine trees that were here when we bought the place nearly 4 yrs ago. I am so glad all the trees are now inside the fence. Speaking of the fence. We are going to stain it this year finally, I know it's about time. But I am torn between practical and pretty. I have always loved the "cottage" look of white, but our deck was stained that reddish/brown "natural" color when we got here, Lily's play house is that natural color as well and so is one of our picnic tables. I'd really like everything to match, But I think White might look better with our "cottage" since it is White with Navy Blue trim. All the men in my life, of course think it should be stained "Natural" because it is less maintenance and blends in with the surrounding trees etc.

Definately share your opinions with me, as I am having a tough time trying to decide.

Shelves for Seedlings

The seedlings we started made some more progress. I'm so psyched! They are really coming along. A tad bit leggy but that is to be expected considering we are not using lights. We are using natural light. Not for any crunchy reason (though I like crunchy reasoning) But simply because lights mean more money, and we just can't afford them right now. So we keep rotating them so they all get their fair share of the rays. Grampa gave us these great shelves that collapse for easy storage when you are done :) And they are light enough that I can move them really easily. Now my counter tops are free again. For a while there I was really missing clean counter tops with all the trays taking up space. I had no place to work. I kept telling myself it would all be worth it this summer when I had fresh flowers to pick for my table. But yet again, Grampa saves the day! Yay! I have my kitchen back and I even have enough room on those shelves for more trays. :) Oh happy happy day! Praise God, and Thank you Grampa!

Now I need to start these. Some Vegies, Herbs & more Flowers ;) So fun. The girls love planting them & watching them grow. And so do I, plus I like saving money. I feel like a little kid. This is awesome!

Seedlings

Yay Spring! I can't wait till it officially arrives. I started some seeds a little while ago with the girls. They had fun helping mommy. And the little sprouts are coming along quite nicely. I am so excited we finally have a camera, so I can post the progress. We will be starting some more this weekend. So far we have five trays containing: Lavender, Nasturtiums, Sunflowers, Larkspur, Bachelor buttons, & Sweat peas. Amazing how fast they grow, and if I forget to rotate them they all lean toward the window. :) I love to watch seeds grow. God is so incredible.

The pictures above are from yesterday. And the ones below are from today. You can tell because yesterday there was no fruit in my fruit bowl :) We go through it pretty fast in this house.



I was trying to get a shot of the water coming out of my spritzer. I found it @ a yard sale last summer. I love it. So happy it actually works.

Hand Me Down Flowers

Okay another post about Gardening & the approach of Spring. I can't help it. I am so excited. After all, one of my favorite things is gardening. And all the Gardening magazines/catalogues are filling up my mail box. I don't know about you, but we certainly don't have the money to be buying up all the beautiful blooms advertised in those fabulous mags. My mom suggested that I spread the word that I was looking for free Flowers. She said "People are always splitting thier bulbs and thinning out their gardens to neaten them up, and prevent them from getting over crowded." So in the past couple years I have put the word out, that I was starting a few gardens of my own, and would love to give any orphaned flowers a good home. I was surprised @ the turnout. One woman actualy wanted to tear up her garden completely and start over. So my friend called me up and we took everything she didn't want. Another friend had far too many flowers and they were starting to choke them selves out. Others have saved me their seeds. I have been so blessed. And another cool thing about this is that when you look @ your garden you remember the friends who helped you to fill it with love.
You can also check Craigs List and Freecycle for flowers.

Here is a list of flowers I have been given for my garden, in the form of Hand Me Downs.
I will try to update it as it grows.

Bachelors Buttons
Black Eyed Susans
Cosmos
Daisies
Grape Hyacynths
Hens & Chicks
Holly Hock (seeds)
Hostas
Iris
Ivy
Lilac Bushes
Purple Cone Flower (echinacea)
Sunflower (seeds)

So spread the word, and watch your Garden Grow! ;)

Push Reel Mower

I have always wanted a push reel mower. I think they are Classic and Romantic. I love all things vintage and old fashioned. And they are especially GREEN. So last year we got one. I absolutely love it, it works great. As long as you pick up any sticks laying around in the yard. If not, they will stop you in your tracks. So I have my girls gather the sticks. They love to help mommy, and it keeps them busy while I mow. I also love the fact that is safe and I can mow the lawn with the girls running around in the yard. They are not afraid of it because it is quiet so I can mow whatever time of day or night and not wake my napping children or disturb the neighbors. My neighbors tried it out and liked it, their 9yr old son loves to borrow it, and thinks it's fun to cut the grass. He is too young to use a gas powered mower. We have had people slow down in front of our house and say wow that actually does a good job. Where can I get one of those. I only have a quarter of an acre, So I know it's much different for people who have huge lawns and want a gas powered mower or even a ride on to get the job done quicker. But for us, this was the best purchase of the summer and I looked forward to the grass growing just so I could cut it. :) I can't wait till Spring so I can bust it out again and start mowing.

Here is a great site to check out.

http://www.pushmowers101.com/how-they-work.html

Natural Toothpaste

Growing up I watched my dad brush with baking soda. He puts a little in his hand dips his brush in hydrogen peroxide and then dips it in the soda. He has great teeth. Even the "natural" ones contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Yuck! It's bad stuff. Go here to find out more on this and other harmful chemicals that are in our personal care products.
http://thecosmeticconspiracy.com/Toxic12.html
I have been following my dad's example, since I was pregnant with Eden, because the regular tooth paste even Toms of Maine, made me gag. I have tried to get my hubby and kids on board, and they scrunch their faces every time they give it a try. I thought if I had them do it often enough they would eventually get used to it. They hate it! So this past weekend I did some research to see if there were any natural sweeteners oils or other ways to make it taste better. I really want the whole family to go chemical free.
So here are the sites I found helpful. (I will come back to this post and continue to update these lists as I find more info.)
http://www.christianpf.com/how-to-make-natural-toothpaste/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/18965/how_to_make_your_own_toothpaste_and.html?cat=24
http://www.mythings.com/tips/2963/How-to-Make-Your-Own-Toothpaste
http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_your_own_toothpaste
Another note-I was a dental assistant before getting married and the Dentist I worked for said good oral hygiene was important for keeping your teeth white. Not whiting toothpastes and gels. He said they were really bad for you. And advised me not to use them. Ever. He was quite passionate about it. He said your health is more important than your vanity. Now that's That' a hard one to swallow, but very true. :)

Teenie Weenie Greenie

In light of all the hullabaloo about microwaving Plastic or drinking and eating out of plastic in general. We got our girls some Stainless Steel Bottles and Sippy cups, Well, we asked for them for Christmas, that is, and Gamma got them. So here is the website. http://www.greenfeet.com/
Look for "Teenie Weenie Greenie"
We use them everyday. The girls love having miniature versions of the bottles Mommy and Daddy have. It's super cute. And I swear I can taste the difference.

An Apple a day Keeps the doctors away...

...or does it? I stumbled across this today.

Check it out. http://www.angiesorganicreviews.com/pesticides-in-fruit-vegetables/

We eat a lot of fruits and veggies in this house and I make my own baby food. Peaches are a real favorite. So I really should start being more careful.