Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Several months ago I had discovered the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company when I saw a promotional video on the Yahoo Homepage and yesterday I came across another video that sparked my curiosity about the company again. Jay Shafer is the designer of these tiny, green, efficient homes. His designs range in size from around 65 square feet to the larger sizes being around 837 square feet. I am in awe of his charming designs and creative use of limited space. His houses are the epitome of green and simple living. His design approach is to adequately meet only domestic needs which in turn allows for a simpler lifestyle. I dream of the day when I can take a tour of one of his homes and see hands on how every nook and cranny serves a purpose. I often wonder if after we raise our kids if my husband and I could quietly retire in one of these great tumbleweed homes and enjoy traveling and being grandparents. What are your thoughts? Could you live in a Tumbleweed house? Raise children?  

Homemade Dishwasher Soap

In an effort to buy less, use money more more wisely, and use more natural products I  decided to make my own dishwasher soap. I was previously using a dishwasher liquid soap called Eco + made by Palmolive but it was emitting very nauseating fumes and I couldn't even go into the kitchen when the dishwasher was running. So I did some research and found a great recipe that was made up of ingredients that I already had in my home so I did not have to purchase any new products. The recipe that I decided to make is as follows:

1 Cup Baking Soda
1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
*fill the Jet Dry compartment with  white vinegar

I had read both positive and negative comments about this recipe. Some people had said that it left a cloudiness on their dishes because the recipe lacks citric acid while others raved about it. I have done three dishwasher loads with this recipe and I had great results. The white vinegar really does the trick but you have to remember to check the Jet Dry compartment every time to make sure it is filled all the way. I have to say that what pleased me the most was that I could not smell any fumes coming out of the dishwasher aside from a lingering scent of vinegar. I could hardly tell that the dishwasher was even running. I may decide when making a future mixture to add citric acid and see if there is much difference but I am pleased with the recipe as is!
Do you make your own dishwasher detergent? What recipe do you use?

Composting Has Begun

After a few days of saving compost approved materials I finally had enough to get my composting bin started. I was amazed at how much trash we accumulated over such a short period of time that was compostable but that we would have otherwise been sending into the landfill. I sadly publicly admit that we as a family have never recycled any of our garbage ever. Never. I am looking forward to making much needed changes in this department. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that 26% of  the  U.S. municipal solid waste stream is materials that could be composted.
Materials that can be composted:

• Animal manure (NOT from a cat or dog)
• Cardboard rolls
• Clean paper
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Cotton rags
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Eggshells
• Fireplace ashes
• Fruits and vegetables
• Grass clippings
• Hair and fur
• Hay and straw
• Houseplants
• Leaves
• Nut shells
• Sawdust
• Shredded newspaper
• Tea bags
• Wood chips
• Wool rags
• Yard trimmings

If you are interested in an indoor worm composting system check out Nature Mom’s blog post on the subject here. I think her system is really neat if you are willing to spend a little money getting started.

Composting

Since Earth Day was just a few days ago I decided to take the plunge into composting. During some research I noticed that a lot of people have embraced composting as a way of going more green. I watched quite a few youtube videos on how to create a compost and the videos by the CompostGuy were very informative and they clearly outlined the construction process. I was pretty thrilled to find out that I already had everything I needed to make our compost bin minus the worms of course.
Composting is a great way to reduce materials going into the landfills, provides much needed nutrients for gardens and trees, prevents the purchasing of fertilizers, and provides a great activity for the kids. I started a bag in the kitchen that is devoted to composting materials and once we have enough to begin we will be making our composting bin. I think by this weekend or maybe sooner we will be ready to rock and roll! Does your family compost? How much waste has been reduced?