and the green glass grew all around...

I've been thinking of all of the 'green' things that we do (and were doing before it was the 'in' thing) and since seeing African Kelli's Green Week last week (which I missed, since I just discovered her blog this week) I thought I would try to list a few of them, so perhaps some of you readers out there might be inspired, or be able to suggest other things that we can be doing.

In no particular order, here are 7 small things which popped to mind (I'm a believer that small things do make a difference!)... I'll try to keep it brief.

1. Reducing plastic use: Plastics are pretty nasty for a variety of reasons, and I try to avoid them whenever possible. I store items in the pantry in glass jars, never put plastic in the microwave, and although I still use a Nalgene water bottle, I'm planning on ordering a Sigg one in the near future. Bisphenol A, which is essentially a hormone disruptor, is released from many plastics as they're used (like water bottles and baby bottles) and that just doesn't sound good to me. Things that are made from other materials (glass, wood, etc.) just seem more real to me, and their production is generally better for the environment than the manufacturing of plastics. I had been looking everywhere for glass baby bottles, and now I seem to have an abundance. I ordered some online when I was unable to find them anywhere else, and a wonderful friend of mine just found some at 'Grandma's Collectibles' for me. I try to avoid plastic wrap (especially in the microwave - try wax paper, which can be composted afterward) and take canvas totes to the grocery store. Oooh, that was a rambly one - I'll try to keep the rest shorter and less all-over-the-place.

2. Reduce, reuse, recycle: Reduce is the first one for a reason. If we reduce our consumption of goods, we're 'treading more lightly on the planet' (so many new catch phrases) and it just makes sense. Ask anyone you know, and chances are, they'll say they already have too much stuff. Reuse: I love buying previously owned things, because by doing so, I haven't supported the manufacture of another new thing and the use of new materials. And the stuff usually has more character, too. Cloth diapers are another way that we reuse rather than throw away. One other example is the reusable sandwich wrap I made for Adam so we don't use plastic wrap when he takes sandwiches to work. Recycle: We have an awesome recycling program here in Nova Scotia, so that part's easy - they pick up all of our recycling (glass, plastics, aluminum, paper) as well as compost at the curb.

3. Household cleaning:I now use primarily baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. When I use prepackaged products, I usually buy Nature Clean, which are unscented and are made from pronounceable ingredients. I use peroxide bleach rather than chlorine bleach, and wash laundry with biodegradable, unscented laundry detergent on sunny days when possible so it can be hung on the clothesline to dry. I use rags rather than paper towels and buy unbleached paper products when they're available.

4. Car: Now that I'm on maternity leave, our car sits in the driveway most days, and we walk when possible. Unfortunately, my job entails a lot of driving, so things are a bit different when I'm back at work. We have a compact car which is very fuel efficient, and we keep it well maintained so it stays that way.

7. Tools: We use a reel lawn mower, and none of our yard tools are gas or electric - they're all manual. As well as not polluting, they're generally a lot more safe to use, too!

Comments, anyone? I'm all typed out for now.

Edited to add: Check out this plastics chart to help you choose the best types when you're shopping.

a fine find

You may remember my driftwood shelves, laden with jars of herbs and spices and other natural soap additives. I like to keep things visible, so I can see what I have, and how much. I have some things which don't have jar homes, and I can never remember exactly what is stored away, so I was happy to find some more wire-closure jars at Frenchy's last week for 75 cents each. They're cute stubby ones, too, which is just right for the small amounts of many things I have. Like cranberry seeds and strawberry seeds and crushed grape seeds, for example. Kind of like red berries, I have a thing for glass jars. And seeds, apparently.

I just have to mention that I'm having a fantastic weekend, in case you didn't get that impression from last night's post. P and I visited a bit today, did a couple of teensy errands, and cuddled and read lots. What more could I ask for?

grandma's collectables and cardamom cookies

In the course of a search for a perfect little jar for solid perfume (which I did not find), I did find this fantastic little marmalade crock at Grandma's Collectables, a funny little shop near Weymouth with just about everything antique-y and collectable and old that you could imagine. I'm a little bit giddy over it. Next time I go, I want much more time and my camera.
I also found these jars. I know, I know. Why on earth would I need more glass jars? Because these ones have the glass centre piece in the top, along with the metal ring. Fantastic! I have semi-specific plans for these ones, once they've been washed up and moved from the top of the washer.
And I found this cute little biscuit cutter, too.
To use some of my cardamom, I wanted to make something where it would be the main flavour. So I made these cookies. I wasn't expecting the lemony taste that cardamom has. All of the spiciness and warmth, yes, but not that citrus-y tang. It makes sense since it's in the ginger family, and the recipe is pretty good. Not amazing or earth shattering, but definitely decent.

Speaking of baking, I heard Michael Ruhlman on the radio this afternoon, talking about his book Ratio. I must say that I'm intrigued. The idea is that to be more creative in cooking, one needs freedom from the restrictions that recipes impose. By learning basic ratios of ingredients, you can then play around and make what you like. Part of me likes the idea, but the other part of me says, "Why bother?" I'm kind of thinking that the "Why bother?" side might win. I requested the book from the library, so I'll let you know what I think once I get my hands on it.

Lastly, we're working away on the kitchen! Adam's sanding the ceiling as I type. The "before" is above, and is now happily covered with new gyproc so that all potential lead is sealed in. It's crackfilled and will be painted tomorrow. A new floor will be installed next week (!), and then we're going to paint the trim and fix all of those little silly things that should have been done long ago. I am SO excited. And then we'll paint the porch, and redo the bathrooms and the spare bedroom...

Happy Friday!

glass scrub jars

So much for not posting this week! I was too excited about this find not to mention it. I'm not a fan of plastic in general, although I do recognize its many convenience and sanitary benefits. I've been looking for short, wide glass jars to put scrubs in for ages, and happened upon these ones at the grocery store with Phillip this morning! A plastic one-piece lid would be ideal (I know what I just said, but metal rusts in the shower) but these look great! Now that I look closely at them, I wonder if the coating might resist rust? I'll try it out. I don't yet make scrubs and such to sell, but I do give them as gifts and make them for myself. I might start selling them if people are interested... any local people who might be interested? Just out of curiosity.

frenchy's jackpot and first 'solid' food

"I can't believe it!"The best thing that can possibly happen at Frenchy's is that you find exactly what you were looking for. This almost never happens. My sweet friend Annie and I went yesterday, and found not one, not two, but eight 8oz glass baby bottles. Eight! We stopped at two Frenchy's (I don't think they're even 1km apart) and found three at the first one, and five at the second. Fifty cents each. I nearly imploded. Phillip's been drinking about 6oz when he has his late evening pumped feed so the larger bottles make things much easier. And I'll be pumping and getting some extra milk stored up in the freezer for when I go back to work, so it can be stored in these. And if there are just too many for me, I can give some to other mums.Speaking of Phillip eating, he had his first taste of 'real' food this morning. Pears. He made an hilarious face (nope, didn't capture it) but seemed to like it. I'm planning on making Phillip's vegetable foods, and have plenty of local squash and pumpkin pureed in the freezer. Lots of apples, too. But there are many fruits you can't get organically in the produce department, but you can get the jars of organic. I think it will work out to be cheaper for many of them, since fruit can be very pricey, especially in the winter. Organic fruit especially. It was on sale yesterday, so I bought several jars. The jars can be reused to freeze homemade food, too, which I like very much. I think we'll try some organic brown rice cereal in a few days, after we make sure the pears agree with Mr P.I found several other treasures at Frenchy's yesterday, but since they involve Christmas and surprises, I won't post them. Ah, Frenchy's has come through for me yet again.

a peek into my pantry and Christmas ramblings

My current pantry may not look like this one, but I do love it. I love whipping something up, tucked away in there, away from the rest of the kitchen. It's also where my Kitchen Aid resides once more - my replacement mixer arrived earlier this week. It sounds entirely different from the first one I had, which is probably a good thing. As is the case through the rest of the house, in my pantry glass jars abound. See that barley on the right? It's been there for way too long. Do any of you have recipe suggestions for barley which don't involve mushrooms? Adam can't eat them, and it seems as though barley is usually paired with those fun fungi. Let me know - I'd love to see your recipes.

And this little Martha-fied stack has been getting me in a festive kind of mood. I'm very excited that on Saturday, Annie and Ingrid are coming over for some Christmas crafting. I haven't decided what I'll be working on, but it won't be soap! I can't wait. I know that the whole Christmas thing isn't for everyone, but I am one of those people who love it. The planning, gifts, and food, of course. But especially the music. I'm very sheepish about my all-time favourite Christmas album, since it seems to be so out of character for me but I'll tell you - it's Mariah Carey's Christmas album. I know. In high school, a great friend (Hi, AC!) and I made incredible gingerbread creations each year for the annual school-wide contest, and I remember listening to it with her in her kitchen while we made a model of our school from scratch. I've loved it ever since. Listen carefully, and you just might hear me singing away in the car. Happy Thursday!

lightning jar

I love these wired glass jars. I have several of them (mostly from Frenchy's), but I think this recent one from Value Village is my favourite. I had never seen one that says 'lightning' before. 'Ball', 'Atlas', yes, but not 'lightning'.

la shoppe vert (lots of photos)

This is 'La Shoppe Vert'. It's in Concession, near Saulnierville, and there are walls and walls of fabric, sewing and quilting doodads, and some very old groceries.
Ingrid and I went on Sunday afternoon, and we both found some fabric for crafty projects. How happy does she look, clutching her fabric and Blackberry? (The Blackberry was an integral part of me finding fabric to match the curtain material I found at Frenchy's last week, since I didn't think to take it with me. She just looked up my post, and voila, I found some to match! Brilliant.)

La Shoppe Vert is in an old building, and these are the original smoke detectors.
This is down in the basement, where there used to be a bowling alley. Well, it's kind of still there, only under boxes and dust and such.
This is the material I didn't buy so that I would have an excuse to go back.
We had a fantastic lunch at Chez Christophe, where I had never been before. I had fricot, which I had never had before. They have a thing for glass jars, too.
And dessert was apple crisp with ice cream. Yum.
I've been sticking pictures and postcards and past months of this calendar up on the pantry wall. And I haven't gotten tired of it yet! Probably because it's always changing.
See the Bird's Custard Powder can? The owner of La Shoppe Vert gave it to me. I think it's from 1982 or so.
And these are the fantastic new shoes I found at Frenchy's! They're greener than they appear, and are so very comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that I wore them home. Phew! That was a long one. Thanks for tuning in!

kitchen sink

Washing dishes isn't my favourite thing in the world, but I've surrounded the sink with things that I love, which makes it a little bit more bearable. A friend bought me the sweet plant pot, which is sprouting basil, and we dug up the tiny jars while doing yard work. I love the metal soap dish, with unscented bar soap and a wood nail brush, and the dish soap in a glass bottle from an antiques place. So much more beautiful than plastic!

A note on the photos: I meant to overexpose them, but they look way lighter on my screen while in blogger than they do in iPhoto. I hope they look appropriately exposed on your screen!