Laura Tries Stuff...

Pyramid of Conservation

bahamablonde — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:25:02 +0000

Found this on treehugger and thought I’d share.

Wheatgrass Sprouts

bahamablonde — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:11:22 +0000

Day 6! They are growing so fast, and I feel like they look ready for harvest even though I’ve read they take 10 days…what to do, what to do!?

Day 6 sprouties

Wheatgrass Sprouts

bahamablonde — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 14:28:26 +0000

Omg, they grew so much last night! I’m shocked!

Day 5

Wheatgrass Sprouts

bahamablonde — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:58:39 +0000

Over a year ago now, Benji & I ordered both the Easy Green Sprouter and the Green Star 2000 Juicer to start a new healthier lifestyle (remember this and this?). We used the juicer quite a few times initially, juicing mangoes, apples, mulberries and carrots to name a few, but after a number of weeks, the excitement wore off, and the juicer went into hibernation on the kitchen counter…

The sprouter suffered a similar fate. I unsuccessfully attempted to sprout some old broccoli seeds we had kickin’ around and subsequently gave up, and the sprouter has lived since, caked in dust, on top of the laundry cabinets.

I can’t remember exactly what spurred my latest round of enthusiasm, but I finally went ahead and ordered 10lbs of organic wheatgrass seeds online, and when they arrived I was excited to get going!

So I started them on Wednesday (I think) and here’s what they looked like on Day 3

Day 3

Day 4

The Easy Green Sprouter comes with a timer that you can set to mist the sprouts automatically on whatever schedule is appropriate for the crop you’re growing. It really makes it super simple! I think I read that wheatgrass takes about 10 days before the sprouts are ready for juicing. It’s so amazing to watch the sprouts change and grow every day! I can’t wait to try some new varieties for juicing & salads once I get the hang of it!

Will keep you posted!

Going Green

bahamablonde — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:14:27 +0000

go green

I had to come up with a blurb about “going green” for print in the local phone directory, so I thought I’d share it with you. Some items may or may not be relevant, depending on whether you live in The Bahamas, or not :P

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Going green doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. There are lots of simple ways to go green that add up to make a big difference! Save the earth (and money) at the same time! Who wouldn’t love that?

Water Conservation

Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth or wash dishes.
Be aware of the length of your showers. Cutting down your shower time by just 2 minutes can save 10 gallons of water or more!
Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. These products add air to the water, giving you the same amount of pressure while using less water!
Flush toilets less by adhering to the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down” philosophy in your home.
Plant native, drought-tolerant plants in your garden as they require little to no watering.
If you must water your lawn, do it during the cooler hours of the evening and night, when less moisture is lost to evaporation.

Energy Conservation

Turn off lights and fans when you leave a room.
Unplug unused electronics (computers, hair dryers, small appliances, stereos, etc) as even when not being used, they draw “phantom energy”, increasing your electricity bill.
Wash your clothes in cold water, and then use the sun to dry your laundry outside!
Carpool with your neighbours! And make sure that tires are inflated to get the most miles per gallon of fuel.
Switch from outdated incandescent lightbulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs! They last up to 10 times longer, and use only a fraction of the energy!
Invest in a solar water heater. Electric water heaters are estimated to account for 30% of your home’s energy usage, and with more than 300 days of sun per year, there’s no reason the sun can’t do the work!

Reduce waste

Buy locally grown produce when available. Not only are you supporting local farmers, but local produce tends to have minimal packaging, cutting down on waste! Local produce also doesn’t travel as far to reach the market, therefore cutting down on the energy used in transportation!
Compost food scraps and other organic waste such as grass clippings and fallen leaves. Compost is a great natural fertilizer, rich in nutrients which feed the soil and plants. Composting also reduces the amount of waste being placed in landfills where it decomposes without oxygen and produces the green house gas, methane. Green house gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, causing global climate change.
Recycle glass bottles like Vitamalt, Kalik, Sands, Guiness & Heineken! You even get a few dollars back for every case you return!
Recycle your aluminium soda cans by dropping them off at a Cans for Kids collection depot! Money earned from recycling the aluminium goes back to local schools.
Invest in reusable canvas shopping bags! Disposable plastic grocery bags end up in landfills after only one use, or worse, end up in oceans where they choke and kill marine life!
Print double-sided and reuse scrap paper to cut down on your paper use! Also sign up for paperless statements and online bill-pay when available to cut down even more!

BTC Directory

“Going Green”

Water Conservation

1- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth or wash dishes.

2- Be aware of the length of your showers. Cutting down your shower time by just 2 minutes can save 10 gallons of water or more!

3- Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. These products add air to the water, giving you the same amount of pressure while using less water!

4- Flush toilets less by adhering to the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down” philosophy in your home.

5- Plant native, drought-tolerant plants in your garden as they require little to no watering.

6- If you must water your lawn, do it during the cooler hours of the evening and night, when less moisture is lost to evaporation.

Energy Conservation

1- Turn off lights and fans when you leave a room.

2- Unplug unused electronics (computers, hair dryers, small appliances, stereos, etc) as even when not being used, they draw “phantom energy”, increasing your electricity bill.

3- Wash your clothes in cold water, and then use the sun to dry your laundry outside!

4- Carpool with your neighbours! And make sure that tires are inflated to get the most miles per gallon of fuel.

5- Switch from outdated incandescent lightbulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs! They last up to 10 times longer, and use only a fraction of the energy!

6- Invest in a solar water heater. Electric water heaters are estimated to account for 30% of your home’s energy usage, and with more than 300 days of sun per year, there’s no reason the sun can’t do the work!

Reduce waste

1- Buy locally grown produce when available. Not only are you supporting local farmers, but local produce tends to have minimal packaging, cutting down on waste! Local produce also doesn’t travel as far to reach the market, therefore cutting down on the energy used in transportation!

2- Compost food scraps and other organic waste such as grass clippings and fallen leaves. Compost is a great natural fertilizer, rich in nutrients which feed the soil and plants. Composting also reduces the amount of waste being placed in landfills where it decomposes without oxygen and produces the green house gas, methane. Green house gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, causing global climate change.

3- Recycle glass bottles like Vitamalt, Kalik, Sands, Guiness & Heineken! You even get a few dollars back for every case you return!

4- Recycle your aluminium soda cans by dropping them off at a Cans for Kids collection depot! Money earned from recycling the aluminium goes back to local schools.

5- Invest in reusable canvas shopping bags! Disposable plastic grocery bags end up in landfills after only one use, or worse, end up in oceans where they choke and kill marine life!

6- Print double-sided and reuse scrap paper to cut down on your paper use! Also sign up for paperless statements and online bill-pay when available to cut down even more!

My Review of Beach Shells Invitations by Inviting Company

bahamablonde — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:24:30 +0000

Originally submitted at InvitationBox.com

This flat ivory invitation features a bluish green background with a brown border. Four seashells adorn the left side of the card. Includes ivory unlined envelopes.

Very Pleased. Would use again!

By bahamablonde from Nassau, Bahamas on 7/28/2010

Pros: Online Preview/Proofing, High Quality Stock, Good Print Quality, Attractive Design

Best Uses: Stationery, Corporate Event, Adult Event

Describe Yourself: Party Host

I am very pleased with the invitations I ordered from invitationbox.com. The invites are gorgeous, printed on nice, heavy paper, and come with nice envelopes too! They (the invitations) are bigger than I expected, a full 1/2 page, but beautiful nonetheless. They are slightly on the expensive side, but worth the cost for the elegance of custom invitations. Would definitely use again, and/or recommend to a friend!

(legalese)

Guest Post

bahamablonde — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:05:52 +0000

Hiya my imaginary readers! Don’t forget to check out my guest post over at “Confessions of a College Graduate”! That’s some juicy shit right thurr!

Here’s a teaser…

aren't you dying to know what's going on here?

PS: This is my blog’s 100th post! Woo!!

Lanterns in Action

bahamablonde — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:25:25 +0000

Remember those Soji Modern Solar Lanterns I keep talking about? Well, here they are in action!

glowy pretty

Pretty cute, right? I’m pleased!

Guest Blogging!

bahamablonde — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:51:46 +0000

Now I know I usually keep it pretty PG over here on my blog, seeing as it’s pretty much just a journal of my hobbies (and it’s not anonymous at all!), but truth be told, I can be a huge bitch when I’m ready! And most of my best friends are also awesomely bitchy (that’s a compliment ladies!)

Over the course of the next week or so, I’m going to be guest blogging on one of my favourite bitch’s blog: Confessions of a College Graduate. If you’ve read her blog at all, you already know all about her shit-talking and how hilarious she is, as she reminisces on some of the crazy mess we got into as roommates in college! So I’ll be sharing some more ridiculous moments from the best 4 years of our lives, and you should definitely stop by and have a laugh!

Looking forward to it! :)

Growing Onions from Onions

bahamablonde — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:39:47 +0000

Maybe I’m just lazy, but trying to find somewhere that sells seeds, or bulbs is more trouble than I’m prepared to go through to get started, let alone trying to sprout something myself. So most of the gardening or “growing” that I’m prepared to do has to be pretty simple…and it really doesn’t get more simple than this:

Cut off the bottom of an (organic) onion (the rooty side) with about 2 inches of “meat”
Let it dry out for a few days…
Stick it root-side-down in a pot of soil (or the ground, whichever) and cover with about 2 inches of soil
Water as needed
Once it develops a few leaves, pull it out of the soil and remove the old onion scales
Separate the plants as needed (more than one plant may develop from a single original root)
Replant and trim leaves by about 2/3
Harvest as green onions, or allow to mature fully

green onions, separated

I got my information here, btw.