"tips & tricks to help you live a healthy lifestyle without putting a big impact on the earth"

20 October 2010

75 things you didn't know you could compost

The basics of composting are simple. Most people know they can compost fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, and grass clippings. But what about that tea bag you used this morning? Or the fur that collects in the brush when you groom your cat?

The following list is meant to get you thinking about your compost possibilities. Not every item on the list is for everyone, and that’s fine. Imagine how much trash we could prevent from going into the landfills if each of us just decided to compost a few more things. Here are 75 ideas to get you started.

From the Kitchen

  1. Coffee grounds and filters
  2. Tea bags
  3. Used paper napkins
  4. Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
  5. Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
  6. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
  7. Plain cooked pasta
  8. Plain cooked rice
  9. Stale bread
  10. Paper towel rolls
  11. Stale saltine crackers
  12. Stale cereal
  13. Used paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating)
  14. Cellophane bags (be sure it’s really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there’s a difference.)
  15. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
  16. Old herbs and spices
  17. Stale pretzels
  18. Pizza crusts
  19. Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
  20. Wine corks
  21. Moldy cheese
  22. Melted ice cream
  23. Old jelly, jam, or preserves
  24. Stale beer and wine
  25. Paper egg cartons
  26. Toothpicks
  27. Bamboo skewers
  28. Paper cupcake or muffin cups

From the Bathroom

  1. Used facial tissues
  2. Hair from your hairbrush
  3. Toilet paper rolls
  4. Old loofahs
  5. Nail clippings
  6. Urine
  7. 100% cotton cotton balls
  8. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

Personal Items

It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin’.

  1. Cardboard tampon applicators
  2. Latex condoms

From the Laundry Room

  1. Dryer lint
  2. Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
  3. Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces

    From the Office

    1. Bills and other documents you’ve shredded
    2. Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
    3. Pencil shavings
    4. Sticky notes
    5. Business cards (as long as they’re not glossy)
    6. Receipts

    Around the House

    1. Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
    2. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
    3. Subscription cards from magazines
    4. Leaves trimmed from houseplants
    5. Dead houseplants and their soil
    6. Flowers from floral arrangements
    7. Natural potpourri
    8. Used matches
    9. Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit

    Party and Holiday Supplies

    1. Wrapping paper rolls
    2. Paper table cloths
    3. Crepe paper streamers
    4. Latex balloons
    5. Raffia
    6. Excelsior
    7. Jack o’ Lanterns
    8. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
    9. Natural holiday wreaths
    10. Your Christmas tree. Chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one…)
    11. Evergreen garlands

    Pet-Related

    1. Fur from the dog or cat brush
    2. Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
    3. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
    4. Feathers
    5. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
    6. Rawhide dog chews
    7. Fish food
    8. Dry dog or cat food

    I know that the longer I’ve had a compost pile, the more likely I’ve been to take a second look at something I was preparing to throw in the trash. “Hmm. Can I compost this?” is a frequent question in my house. And, as you can see, it’s surprising how often you can answer “Yes!”

    By Colleen Vanderlinden, Planet Green

    Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/75-things-you-can-compost.html?page=2#ixzz12y6eAd00

15 October 2010

The free rice game!

Hello everyone!
I hope your having a great day!
I just wanted to bring up a website that I think is awesome,
that's right,
the free rice game!
In this game you have to take an ongoing quiz with your choice of subject,
for each question you get right, the sponsors of the website donate ten grains of rice to a family in need, play longer, donate more rice, and best of all, IT'S FREE!
Free rice game: http://www.freerice.com/
more websites like this: http://sites.google.com/site/helpingtheworld12/online-offline-places-to-go

11 October 2010

Healthy caramel apples!

Caramel apples, everyone loves them,

but how to eat them without putting on weight?

here a recipe to make delicious, healthy

Caramel Apples!


6 organic apples
2 cups dates soaked in 1 cup water, and mashed down
2 tablespoons raw tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tiny pinch Celtic salt
2 cups walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or other nut of your choice

Pulse the nuts in a food processor and transfer to a bowl.
Poke a chopstick through 6 apples.
In a food processor, blend till smooth, the soaked dates, vanilla and salt.
Using a butter knife, apply the date paste to each apple. Swirl in nuts. Chill in the refrigerator. Enjoy this October delight!



Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/healthy-caramel-apples.html?page=2#ixzz12P64lZYb