Composting: The breakdown for Appartment Composting

I can safely say the between myself and my husband we produce about 1 and 1/2 bags of trash a week. Not bad for two people. We recycle, try to use everything we buy and try not to buy more then we need. But as I'm doing this 30day, I'm starting to notice that a lot of our trash is food based. Scraps from dinner, prep scraps, egg shells, rinds and coffee grinds (oh my god the coffee grinds). I started thinking about the garden I'm starting with my mom this spring and how I might be able to cut down our out put even more.
I started to research composting and found all sorts of great articles on building your own system, what to put in our bins, how often to turn or add things. All the good stuff. But the one thing I was concerned about was, well, we don't have a yard... How was I going to compost without a yard? Would this idea make my house smell like to local dump? Do I really need to keep worms in my kitchen? Can you compost inside? Turns out there's a huge internet community full of apartment composters. So I started reading. This is what I found...

First you need to buy the right size bin for your space (that's a given) I bought this one:


Couple of reasons I went with this one:
It's small but not too small
(2.5 gallons)
It came with filters
(less smell)
It was only $20
(not a huge investment for starting out)



Second I was concerned about clean up, really quickly you see this is a consern for more then a few people too. It was suggested to buy some bio-degradable bags to line the bin with. I bought these.

In total set up cost me under $40, not bad for being eco-friendly. But what about the worms? We try so hard to keep bugs and insects out of our house. Was I really going to buy some to keep inside my house? And why do we need worms anyway? Not really. According to wikipedia there are 4 types of composting.

Compost tea
Compost tea is a liquid solution or suspension made by steeping compost in water. It is used as both a fertilizer and in attempts to prevent plant diseases.The liquid is applied as a spray to non-edible plant parts, or as a soil-drench (root dip), such as seedlings, or as a surface spray to reduce incidence of harmful phytopathogenic fungi in the phyllosphere. Compost tea has been shown to cause a 173.5% increase in plant growth by mass over plants grown without castings. These results were seen with only 10% addition of castings to produce these results.

Vermicompost
Vermicompost is the product of composting utilizing various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. Vermicast, also known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by species of earthworm. The earthworm species (or composting worms) most often used are Red Wigglers (Eisenia foetida or Eisenia andrei), though European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) could also be used. Red wigglers are recommended by most vermiculture experts as they have some of the best appetites and breed very quickly. Users refer to European nightcrawlers by a variety of other names, including dendrobaenas, dendras, and Belgian nightcrawlers. Containing water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Bokashi composting
Bokashi is a method of intensive composting. It can use an aerobic or anaerobic inoculation to produce the compost. Once a starter culture is made, it can be used to extend the culture indefinitely, like yogurt culture. Since the popular introduction of effective microorganisms (EM), Bokashi is commonly made with only molasses, water, EM, and wheat bran. In home composting applications, kitchen waste is placed into a container which can be sealed with an air tight lid. These scraps are then inoculated with a Bokashi EM mix. This usually takes the form of a carrier, such as rice hulls, wheat bran or saw dust, that has been inoculated with composting micro-organisms. The EM are natural lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria that act as a microbe community within the kitchen scraps, fermenting and accelerating breakdown of the organic matter. The user would place alternating layers of food scraps and Bokashi mix until the container is full.

Hugelkultur
The practice of making raised beds filled with rotting wood. It is in effect creating a Nurse log though covered with dirt. The buried decomposing wood will give off heat, as all compost does, for several years. This effect has been used by Sepp Holzer for one to allow fruit trees to survive at otherwise inhospitable temperatures and altitudes.

Since I already bought a ventilated compost bin, I can't do Bokashi. No worries, it seems more the pickling then composting. But some sites state you can use saw dust and news clipping and bypass the worms. I think we'll start that way :) So what can we compost. At first I thought everything and anything you wanted, but it turns out there are rules. 

You CAN compost:
Kitchen wastes, vegetable scraps, fruit scraps, egg shells 
Freezer-burned vegetables and fruit
Spoiled canned fruits and vegetables
Seaweed and kelp
Old, dried up and faded herbs and spices
Potato peelings
Stale bread
Coffee grounds
Tea bags and grounds
Shredded newspapers, Paper napkins and towels
Wood chips
Lint from behind refrigerator
Hay, Pine needles, Leaves and Grass clippings
Houseplant trimmings
Lint from clothes dryer
Brown paper bags
Vacuum cleaner bag contents
(to name a few)


You CAN NOT compost: (or should not I will say)
Cooking oil
Diseased plants
Heavily coated or printed paper
Animal feces
Meat products
Milk products
Rice
Walnuts
Stubborn garden plants (think weeds)
Used personal products (ewww)

So yeah, compost and save the planet...

I watch this show all the time, always felt bad for "heart" :)

How to Make an Epsom Salts Compress

I normally tell people to use Epsom salt in their bath add a little natural lavender oil and just let the day fade. I use to use it from time to time. Then about 4 years ago we moved into a great apartment, with a crappy tub. I just can't use it. It barely holds a person and the water leaks out. Goodbye dear baths, I miss you so. 

Thankfully I held on to my hopes and dreams

Until someone suggested to me an Epsom compress. An Epsom salt compress is a great way to help out your tired muscles. As the salt is absorbed into the skin, toxins are drawn from the cells. Muscles relax. BRILLIANT! So now for all you who live without the luxury of a tub that can actually hold a person and water, here's how you make an Epsom compress. Use it after a long day or before a long day to set the mood. 

Things you'll need:
2 cups hot water
2 cups Epsom salt
3-4 drops scented oil (optional)
Bowl
Towel 

Things you'll do:
Step 1)Pour the water into a bowl.
Step 2)Add the Epsom salt (and oil) and mix together. Let the Epsom salt to dissolve.
Step 3)Place a towel in the bowl and let it soak up the mixture.
Step 4)Wring the towel out and place it over any sore muscles.
Step 5)Re-wet the compress every 10 minutes and reapply.

DYI Friday: Ice Cast for Massage Therapist

This is for anyone really, I work 6 days a week as a Massage Therapist. So to make sure I can have a career that last longer then the life span of my lotions, I need to take care of myself. I have my foam roller, my trigger point ball, my sock heating pad, but I lacked ice. I never liked to do ice. It's cold. And as with the heating pad I couldn't do anything when I had it on. I'd have to sit there with ice on my arms getting caught up on Lie to Me. All the while thinking "god this is cold!" Till one day after making the sock heating pad, I was goofing around with the tops left over and making them into gloves. Light dawn on marble head! Could I use these to make an ice pack holder thing? Yes I could and here's what I did :)

Step 1) Taking your left over sock tops cut a small thumb slit on the top on one of them.

Step 2) Fill a ziplock bag with about 1/3 cup tap water. Push all the air out and zip it up.

Step 3) I found a glass that was roughly the same size as my wrist and put the sock with the slit on top of it.

Step 4) Lay the sock glass flat and place the ziplock bag on top. Roll the bag down so it fit the area of the glass.

Step 5) Place the second sock on top of the ziplock bag and tuck in any parts sticking out.

Step 6) Place the whole thing, glass and all, in the freezer for a few hours. Take it out and remove it from the glass. You should be able to slide your arm into the space created by the glass and now ice. Use the thumb hole the make sure the bottom sock doesn't turn.

Step 7) Continue about your day. As you feel one area becoming too cold simply side the ice and top sock to a new area.

How to make a foam roller and should you?

I've been meaning to do this for a while. I love foam rolling. To be honest I don't do it as often as I should. For some reason I've always wanted to make my own foam roller. So this seemed as good a time as any. But in the age of the internet and so many sports stores carrying rollers, is it worth it to make our own? Well here's what I found out. If you can find a good one for under $20, it's worth it to just buy it. But can you find one?

Yup here you go...

That being said, there are places that don't have rollers and maybe you can get to the stores that do. Maybe you're just like me and like to make something to learn more about it, or you just have a drizzly Sunday with nothing else to do.

So here's how you make a foam roller:

Step 1) Get your stuff together. You'll need:
PVC pipe ~$6
yoga mat ~$8
ruler
scissors
marker
athletic tape ~$3

Step 2) Measure twice, cut once. Measure how much of your yoga mat you will need by rolling the PVC pipe so that it's covered in one layer of the mat. Mark the mat with the marker and cut it to fit.

Step 3) Tape both ends of the mat and the middle together around the PVC pipe using the athletic tape.

Step 4) Starting from the center work your way up each end taping the mat closed. You might have to un-tape the end pieces once you get to them. Just make sure the mat touches and covers the PVC pipe the whole way around.

Step 5) Tape, tape, tape! Cover the PVC pipe in athletic tape and secure the mat. Once you feel it's secure, you're done. Now go work out those sore muscles ;)

I made mine smaller then normal because it's easier for me to use it on my IT band :)

Difficulty
Child's play

Cost
Less then your coffee for the week

Enjoyment

More fun then it looks

Maintenance Monday: Office setup

Well this seems as good a time as any to stop and think about your work area. For a place where you are spending 40+ hours a week at, have you ever taken the time to make sure it's set up for you? If you're like most people, you sat down one day at your new job and started working and kept working. We rarely stop to think about our environment and what we can do to improve it. I'm not talking about motivational posters,

I'm talking about setting your work area up for a healthier you.

Take a few moments and follow these simple rules for a better work station:

• Place the monitor a minimum distance of 20-28 inches away from you.
• Place the top of the screen at a 20 degree down angle from your eyes, slightly below eye level. 
• Have a chair that supports you lumbar curve.
• Sit with your ears, shoulders and hip aligned.
• Keep your knees at a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
• Have your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle and minimal bend in your wrists.

Try to follow the 50-10 rule: For every 50 minutes you work sitting, take a 10-minute break. During your break, walk around, stretch out your muscles, get a drink of water, whatever you want, as long as you are not sitting.

So now that you have the tools, build a better work area for you and start the new year off right! Stop by next Monday for some basic office stretches :) till then be well :)

Cheap self care trick: Rice Sock Heating Thingy...

Baby it's cold outside! Warm up with this cheap and easy to make self care tool. Also really great for tired, stressed muscles and post injury recovery (just put it in the freezer instead).

Things needed:
* A clean cotton tube sock
* Uncooked rice (DO NOT use instant) or flax seed.
* A thread and a needle
* Some cloth cut to a little bigger then your sock

It's as easy as one, two, three...

1) Take your sock and fill it with rice (I use ground flax seed as it stays hotter longer). Fill it half way, cut off the tube part and sew the sock part closed. You can also add in scents if you at this part. (I added two cotton disks with eucalyptus and mint scented oil.)

2) Take your cloth (I use jersey knit, cause I like it) and sew a pouch slightly bigger then your sock. Put your sock in it and sew it shut. (This isn't necessary, but it makes it look prettier :) 

3) Heat that sucker up for about 60-90 sec in your microwave, or let it chill in the freezer for an hour. Set it on those sore muscles and relax!

The Facts:
I have level 0.5 for sewing skills. My mom taught me the basics when I was a kid. I goofed a few times when making the pouch but it came out ok. It looks a lot better then just a sock tied at it's end. I got 12 socks for $8 at Marshalls, I got the flax seed from my kitchen. I got it a while ago. I've found it online for $1 a pound, figure about a pound for each sock. In total you should be able to make this project 12 times for about $20 or once for about $10. Not bad.

The Test:
After making this project I had to test it against my store bought ceramic heating pad. This pad cost me about $30 from Target. To my surprise the flax seed stayed hotter longer and actually felt better as it had a moister to it. I ended up using it on my shoulders/neck and lower back before the heat was gone.

The Ratings:
Difficulty
Child's play


Cost

Pennies on the dollar


Enjoyment

Squee!