Compost-along and my recent thrift haul

I was so excited to find out about the Compost-Along that Little House in the Suburbs is hosting this summer. Today I thought I’d share a little bit about my current compost situation.

I was also pleasantly surprised to get a chance to go thrifting (alone!) recently and so I get to link up with my sister blog Simple Design today to share my goodies with you.

Read on for all the fun!

Compost-Along

We currently have a compost bin on the side of our house– a stackable one that we found in the yard when we moved in. We put chicken wire under it to keep rats out (since we had a problem with that) and have been feeding it now for months. I’ll have to get some recent photos as Iwork through the Compost-Along.

Taking a look at the EPA list of what’s allowed in compost that LHITS posted (see their post for the whole list), I’m sharing my first “assignment” which was to figure out where I’d be getting my compost materials.

IN:

• Cardboard rolls- We don’t use paper towels (except for bacon!) but we do use TP so the rolls I usually recycle will start getting composted).
• Clean paper- Why shred when you can compost?
• Coffee grounds and filters- I rarely have filters because I use a french press, but the grounds definitely get composted.
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint- I never thought of this, but will definitely start composting my dryer lint! 
• Eggshells- check!
• Fruits and vegetables- Yep! We called our local Rot Line recently and found citrus can go in compost piles, but not in worm bins… just a little FYI for you.
• Grass clippings- We leave ours on the grass, but I suppose we could collect some for the compost if we needed more nitrogen.
• Hair and fur- Between my five-year old and I, we should definitely be composting our long hairs! 
• Houseplants- Dead leaves off my indoor plants: to the compost you go!
• Leaves- One of the more obvious compostables! Fallen leaves are an easy way to get more “browns” in the compost.
• Nut shells- Who knew?! Not me! My husband chews sunflower seeds like crazy when he drives; I guess he should start dumping his cup in the bin!
• Sawdust- Good to know in case David does any woodworking.
• Shredded newspaper- Who reads a newspaper these days anymore? But seriously, I do compost anything newsprint.
• Tea bags- I drink at least one cup of green tea a day, so those go right in my bin.
• Yard trimmings- I throw the weeds or diseased trimmings in the “yard waste” trash, but anything healthy goes in the compost.

I’m looking forward to learning more about composting through this Compost-Along, just like I learned a few new things that can go in my bin this week! Visit Little House in the Suburbs if you want join in!

Thrift Haul

Let’s step out of the garden and look at some pretty stuff now!

I’m sort of a wannabe thrifter. I love the idea of buying something pre-loved, rather than new. With three little ones though, I don’t make it out to shop as much as I would like. And as much as I’d like to be scouring garage sales every Saturday, life gets busy and I only make it out every so often. I’ve never even been to an estate sale although I would love to.

There’s a season for everything, right? For now, I’ll take what I can get.

While on a little vacation, I took a couple of hours to myself and got to do a little thrifting in the little town of Fort Bragg, CA. I hit up a few stores there, and then later on our trip, I also scored at a garage sale near my friend’s house on the Central Coast of CA.

Next time I show my #thrifthaul, I’ll get some better photos for you. On the left, is my best bargain– a $38 Columbia top, new with the tags on, for three dollars!

It’s fun linking up with friends. Have you been composting lately? Been thrifting?