Hello. Just a friendly reminder

...that I am not blogging or twittering this week in deference to Television Turn-Off Week.

Our regularly scheduled programming will resume on Saturday.

This has been a pre-scheduled post.

Thank you for your patience.

:)

Green Chit Chat

Even though I have sworn off crafting forever! (basically because I am no good at it), I just had to alert you crafty-crafters to some fun things I've found on my Internet and magazine travels:

Knotions has a nice article on how to find sweaters suitable for repurposing at your local thrift store (not repurposing AT the thrift store - that might get you in trouble).

The articles references two sites I had not seen before and I am sure I will now waste countless hours looking them over: Thrifty Planet Resource Guide and The Thrift Shopper.

Also, did you know that Betz White has a new book out and about? It's called Sewing Green and it looks fantabulous. So go ahead, crafter! Let me live vicariously through you and craft up some green goodness!

Bloggy Button to Follow

I'm taking a brief break until Monday to enjoy the Easter holiday. When I return next week, the Clothesline Challenge 2009 Bloggy Button will be ready for you to steal!

Can't wait? Need a hint? Here's a clue...

Have a wonderful weekend!

All Things Great and Clotheslines

I happened upon two great posts yesterday on all things clotheslines.

First, head on over to Heather's post at Enviromom and then to The Greenest Dollar to get inspired, and then sign on for Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge that begins (for those of you, like, er, me, who don't actually air dry year round!) May 1st!

And then, oh beauty, if you are in need of some inspiration there are two Flickr groups - who knew there could be such beauty in clothes hanging out to dry?

Clothespins & Beautiful Clotheslines

GOG Review - The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening

***Don't forget to join Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge 2009!***

As a Wanna-Greenie blogger I get a lot of emails extolling the latest and greatest in supplements and such, but every once and a while I get an offer to review a book! It is just torture for me to accept these offers, I dread when the mailman leaves that heavy envelope on my doorstep, and it just breaks my heart that once I'm done reading a donation I either have to keep it or give it away on my blog. Torture, I tell ya!

So, you can imagine my chagrin when the Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening landed with a heavy thud on my front stoop. It certainly was larger than I had expected, but no matter, and it sports a medallion on the cover that reads, "Now All Organic!".

The end pages have a lovely color map of the plant hardiness zones, which you know is near and dear to my heart. Chapters cover everything from ferns to hedges to heathers and heaths. The chapter that I decided to peruse first was on vegetables, and I kept an eye out for any organic tips of the trade. I found the section on homemade organic controls to be interesting - who know you could make a garlic oil spray to combat squash bugs and and cabbageworms?! And although I knew the ladybug was useful in fighting garden pests, the small section on other "little helpers" revealed the helpfulness of, among other bugs, the hover fly.

I will say that the typeface is extremely small, which I suppose is a necessity for a book that covers so much, but for those who have some sight limitations, this might dissuade them from turning to this guide as a regular resource. This book will certainly be a comprehensive addition to a gardener's reference collection; I'm sure it will get a workout this summer as the Wanna-Greenies refer to it again and again.

Wise Summer Spending on Safe 'Cessities

Even though I went to the park today in a down jacket and scarf, I know that summer is just around the corner.

Time to stock up - but I'm on a budget. So, for summer should the kids get Sigg or Kleen Kanteen?

For sunscreen Blue Lizard or California Baby?

And what is the most cost effective way of buying any or all of these products? Mail order? Local WF?

Clothesline Challenge - Just Hanging Around

I am thrilled that we already have several souls who are willing to get creatively crunchy in the quest for air drying goodness.

Kate from Ramble on Rose joins us with a traditional backyard clothesline, as does yours truly.

Dayna from fo.ne.tic.lee speaking joins us for year number two and writes, "My line is between an old tall pine and a super shiny eye hook on my daughters swing set. I even got a middle of the line extending pole holder thing-a-ma-jig last summer." Hmmm...we may need a photo of that thing-a-ma-jig, Dayna.

Ames at Yay! Pie! is terrified of crunchy towels, but she has added two collapsible wooden drying racks to her arsenal.

Maxine is laaaahfing at all ower leeetle baaaaby steps, as she never really took a break from line drying after last year's challenge. Bonus, her blog Green Across Texas is now featuring a post on her homemade laundry detergent.

Another reader has been line drying away since last summer's challenge, putting me to absolute SHAME! And let me tell you something...she lives where it is cold, like, 10 months out of the year. TEN! Like, I think sometimes they only get daylight for a few hours. Do I have that right, Jen?

And welcome to our newest participant and for alerting us to Project Laundry List, just a bunch of people hanging around. Get it? Hanging around?

Remember, it is never too late to join the Clothesline Challenge 2009!

Clotheslines and Automatons

I may be a year or so behind the times, but if I told you that The Invention of Hugo Cabret was worth the wait, I wouldn't be lying. The book has been checkout of my library continuously since September and I finally got my hands on it - I read it in one night.

And don't forget to sign on to our 2009 Clothesline Challenge! You have plenty of time to prepare as we count down to May 1st.