Make your own seed mats

Make your own seed mats:

You will need:

Paper towel or toilet paper

Paper towel cardboard roll

Seeds

Glue

This is a great idea I got from HGTV. Make your own seed mats for garden beds or planters so your plants will be perfectly spaced and ready to go when you are.  Love this idea!

Simply take some toilet paper or paper towels. Fold paper towels in half. Read the seed packet to see how far apart your seeds should be. On the paper towel mark out your seed spacing with a pencil or marker.

Apply a small dot of water soluable glue ( you know the non-toxic kind you used in school ) and then place one seed onto the glue dot.  Once the glue has dried roll up your seed mat around and empty paper towel or toilet paper tube for storing.

Once you are ready to plant simply take out your seed mat and position where you want it in your garden or planter. Cover with soil and water. Be sure to water carefully as not to wash away soil.

Warm regards and love,

Erin

How to make compost for your garden:

How to make compost for your garden:

Compost is nature’s fertilizer, mulch, and soil conditioner all in one.  There are many benefits of using compost for your plants. Such as allowing you to help the environment by recycling yard and kitchen waste for your compost pile, the microorganisms in the soil are fed from compost and help keep plants healthy, compost will also allow sandy soil to hold moisture longer and clay soil to drain better.

Here’s how to start a compost pile in the back yard.

1)      Choose a site that is close to garden but away from house and out of site.

2)      You can place composting material in a wire circle or even purchase a compost bin.

3)      Leave the bin open on one side so you can add material and turn regularly.

4)      Two basic elements of a compost pile are green yard material ( like grass and leaves) and brown yard material ( like dried leaves  ) Compost piles with one part green and two parts brown material seem to decompose faster.

5)      Add a shovel full of finished compost or garden soil to help kick start the microbial activity is your pile.

6)      Turn your pile once a week and keep slightly moist with water from the garden hose. Within two months your compost will be ready to use. ( compost is ready when it no longer heats up and you cannot identify any material in your pile ) Your compost should be dark brown and smell earthy.

7)      Spread under bushes, trees, and into your garden soil and watch the benefits grow and grow.

What to add to your compost pile: *

• whole or chopped leaves and stalks (if chopped, they will break down quicker)
• vegetable and fruit trimmings
• herbicide-free grass clippings
• weeds
• straw or hay
• shredded paper or cardboard
• manure from grazing animals

There are a few ingredients you should never add to your composting pile:

• meat
• oily or greasy food and paper
• manure from meat-eating animals, such as dogs and cats
• herbicide-treated grass or other clippings

* mothereatchnews.com

Happy Earth Day!

Warm regards and love,

Erin

Shades of "Green"

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I am exploring the healing powers of color. Green in particular!

Color can play a big part in our lives whether we realize it or not.
It has the ability to influence our feelings and emotions in a way that few other mediums can do.

Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.

Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force. It often symbolizes money. It was believed green was healing for the eyes. Egyptians wore green eyeliner. Green eyeshades are still used. You should eat raw green foods for good health. Friday is the day of green. Green jade is a sacred stone of Asia.*

Global Meanings of Green

• Green is universally associated with nature.
• Green symbolizes ecology and the environment.
• Traffic lights are green all over the world.

Unique Meanings of Green in Different Cultures

• In China, Green may symbolize infidelity. A green hat symbolizes that a man's wife is cheating on him.
• In Israel, green may symbolize bad news.
• In Japan, the words for blue and green ("ao") are the same.
• In Spain, racy jokes are "green."

Luck or Bad Luck?

•     Green is a lucky culture in most Western cultures. A green shamrock symbolizes this.
•     You won't find many green cars at racetracks because they are considered unlucky.
•     Circus and traveling showmen in Australia may consider green to be bad luck.
•     An old English rhyme about wedding colors: "Married in green, Ashamed to be seen."

So wear some green today or any day for that matter and feel more balanced or try experimenting with green colors on the walls in your house. A little green goes a long way.

Enjoy!

Warm regards and love -
Erin

*crystalcure.com

Home Made Lip Balm

Looking for a new project to do or
just simply want to make your own eco-friendly lip balm? Homemade lip
balm is a lot easier than one may think.

I love this recipe so I thought I'd share it here. It's very, very simple. This makes about 3 tubes or pots.

-2 tsp. beeswax (chop or grate it, then measure)
-2 1/4 tsp. jojoba oil (OR coconut oil, olive oil, safflower oil, grape seed etc..whatever you like)
-about 6 drops of peppermint essential oil (again, you can use anything you like. Grapefruit would be good!)

Melt wax and jojoba oil together in the top of a double boiler, or you could probably put it in the microwave for a bit. Stir to combine. Then remove it from the heat and add the essential oil. Pour into your containers,( tubes or pots ) but don't fill up completely yet. Wait a minute or two, keeping the reserved mixture melted, then top the containers with the rest of the mixture. This gives you a nice looking top. Let cool for about 20 minutes and enjoy!

I like a bit of a waxier lip balm, so if you want it glossier just add a bit more jojoba oil.. maybe 3 tsp? Experiment to get it how you like it, that's half the fun!

Warm regards and love,
Erin