A Bento box for your jars!

I am just fascinated with bento boxes and tiffins for carrying my lunches. Well The BNTO (pr. BENTO) Canning Jar Adaptor from CUPPOW turns any wide mouth canning jar into  two section lunchbox! I have been using a cuppow Mason Jar Commuter Mug for about a year, (dont worry, I still use Muggsly on a never ending basis) and love it, so I look forward to trying these smart little containers in my quest for a great lunch at work! And I am also thinking - what a great way to bring the dog's wet and dry food in the same container on trips!

DISCLAIMER:
I was not paid or reimburse in anyway for this product endorsement. Just like the product and thought I would share!

Start Your Own Aquaponics Garden for under $75

Those inventive folks at Back to the Roots, who brought you the home mushroom kits that are so easy to use have announced they are taking orders for a complete home aquaponics garden kit.
A new offer by BTTR, this garden will allow you to grow herbs, all the time filtering the fish waste products cleaning the water and returning the clean water to the tank. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at Aquaponics, but were afraid to try, this is for you. Their initial price is $60 for the first kit and includes:
 -The tank & garden top
 -Air pump to bring your nutrients up and oxygenate the water
-5 pots with pebbles (from which the plants will grow)
 -Organic seeds (mixture of various herbs)
 -Fish food and water conditioners to get started right away

 Read the FAQ on the BTTR Aquaponic garden:

"1) How many fish can I keep? The industry standard is 1" of fish for 1 gallon of water. This is a 3 gallon tank, so you can have 1 larger 3" fish, or a few smaller 1" fish. If you'd like to host other types of fish, the system will allow it, but you should transfer them out to a larger tank when they grow in size. 

2) What kind of fish can I put in my tank? Many types will work well, but we highly recommend some ornamental fish like bettas, cloud fish, danios, etc. These are some of the easiest fish to keep, but depending on your expertise, you can keep others! 

3) How big is the unit? It's roughly 10" wide, by 11" high, by 6" deep - smaller than your average toaster oven! The tank itself holds 3 gallons of water. When empty, it's super-light, just a few pounds! 

4) What is it made out of? We are finalizing the exact materials, but are exploring various combinations of recycled plastics, acrylic, and glass. 

5) Can I grow flowers in my system? Absolutely!! 

6) How many different types of plants can I grow? There are 5 "pots" to plant in, and you pick and choose what combo of plants to grow in them as you please! Five of the same, or one of each. You can get creative! 

7) Does it need sunlight - I thought fish don't like sun? We recommend putting the tank right next to your window, with the back up against a wall. That way there's no direct light coming into your tank, but at the same time, enough ambient sunlight to help the plants grow. If you'd like to place the kit right against a window, we suggest just placing a backer against the back clear panel to prevent direct sunlight from hitting the tank (which can cause algae growth!) We're working on finding the best tint for the back right now. 

8) Can I grow year-round? Yes! If it's too cold though for the fish you choose or you don't have proper light in the winter, we suggest investing in some inexpensive water-heaters and grow-lights to guarantee consistent growth! We'll have our favorite suggestions on our site, and links to buy them, when we are reading to ship in late February." 

"CUPPOW"

Ohhh Muggsly...  you are so jealous. Don't worry your still my number 1 go to mug. But sometimes you gotta add a new mug or in this case a Mason Jar. I recently bought and tried a "Cuppow" a new lid that turns an ordinary wide mouth Mason Jar into a clever commuter mug. BPA free and dishwasher safe, I am hoping for a good long life from Number 2.

DISCLAIMER:
I was not paid or reimburse in anyway for this product endorsement. Just like the product and thought I would share!

LunchBots... Now in Bento Box Style!

I alway wanted a bento box, but knew that Beth "Fake plastic Fish" Terry would call for my hide if I ever bought one as they only seem to come in plastic and plastic laminated wood...
Until now... LunchBots annouced now in addition to Duo and singles, they come in Trio's And Quads. Four things in one LunchBot. In addition, they now sell thermal containers. And yes all in Stainless Steel if you desire! Bento Box with no plastic!

USING NEW SHARPIE STAIN FABRIC MARKERS

I saw on "How about orange" blog a while ago she got asked to try out New Sharpie Stain Fabric Markers. Rob did not get jealous. Rob ordered a set of markers. They came last week and what fun. On the canvas bag , they did not run or bleed. I can imagine a whole lot of things I could do with them. Hmmm.... maybe mark my underwear so I don't lose them at the next Blogger camp out.

Earth Friendlier Pens and Pencils

A little while back I reviewed Pilot’s B2P pens(The pens are made form recycled water bottles and are refillable.) Turns out there is a whole slew of writing utensils from different companies that are greener office/school supply alternatives:

Paper Mate’s Earthwrite pencil looks like a Regular pencil except that it’s made from 100% recycled wood.
Dixon -Ticonderoga skipped the wood altogether with their line of Renew pencils made from recycled tires.

Paper mate also has a great line of Pens that supposedly are biodegradeable, and made from upcycling products from Terra Cycle!

Zebra has an “Eco” Line where the pens are made from 75 to 85% consumer waste.

And don’t forget “Smencils” a line of pencils and pens made from 100% post consumer waste! And they will be coming out with a Halloween version soon - great alternative to candy for the little goblins!

Who knows... maybe someday it won't be a gimmick to sell every day items a little differently, and maybe someday common items made from "Upcycled" consumer waste will be the norm!

Pilot's B2P Gel Pen

Sometimes it pays to go to the office supply store... I had to run to Staples to get an ink cartridge and some paper, and I found these nifty little pens from Pilot. Called B2P (Bottle 2 Pen) they are the worlds first pen made from recycled bottles. In fact, not only are they made from recycled bottles, they are also refillable! And there is more... they carry a whole line of B2P pens- from gel ink to Permanent Markers to White Board Markers, even mechanical pencils! A whole line of earth friendlier pens and pencils. So here is hoping that other pen companies jump on the the green bandwagon. And I must say, the pen feels comfortable in my hand, the ink flows nice, and I really like the refillable part. Just in time for back to school!

Libman Spray Mop-

A few years back I traded my wall to wall carpet for my faux wood vinyl tile floor in my house. Then the problem was how do I clean the floor easily. All these spray mops (Swiffer, Mr. Clean) are great, but what if I want to use my own cleaner? And what about those swiffer pads? Disposable convenience? Makes the mind swim thinking about how to make a greener life and still keeping a clean floor.

Well the Libman mop company had come up with a better way- the Libman Freedom Spray Mop. What makes this mop better than a swiffer? Well for one, it has a Detachable, 18 oz. cleaning solution bottle that allows you to use and refill any solution you choose. "Vinegar and water mopping solution anyone?" And it doesn't use batteries! The pads? The pads are premium microfiber cleaning pad enhanced with three scratch-free cleaning strips,

they can be removed and machine washed up to 50 times before it needs to be replaced.

Right now you can get a $5 rebate coupon for the Libman Freedom spray mop

So while not the best solution, a much better one for clean floors with greener living.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review nor recieved any compensation whatsoever- Just thought it was a good idea and wanted to spread the word!

A new favorite thing!

My latest favorite thing is something called Dryer Balls. They are these cool little spiny balls that have obvious benefits- no dryer sheets needed, no fabric softener(not that I use either of those). But I discovered a Bonus benefit- They actually cut down my drying time by 10- 15 minutes. I have heard you can put two tennis balls in the dryer and get the same effect, but hell I don't play tennis and Romeo wouldn't give up one of his tennis balls- (just mentioning taking one of Romi's balls is sensitve- he still remembers the "snip" incident with the Vet I suppose), so I can get my own balls for the dryer. Besides Romeo slobber on my fresh laundry? Blech. I also have read where you can make your own wool dryer balls. Wouldn't know how to felt them. So, anyway I bought the dryer balls at Ace for about $10, and they seem to work, and like I say- 10 to 15 minutes less dryer time per load is pretty cool!The electric bill saving will pay for those balls in no time! And yes I know that line drying is cheaper and better, but this is the rainy Northwest and often not an option. I suppose I could put up a line or get a dryer rack in the garage. But if I am going to use my dryer, I might as well use it less I say!

Deer antler Dog Chews and WTF Whole Foods?

Wow a rave and a rant in the same post. Must be a slow news day!
THE RAVE

Today I did some walking. And some shopping. Yes Ms. Chicken, you heard me- I shopped. I was reading the Raise a green Dog blog, today she had a review on Buckarooz Deer Antler Chews for dogs. At first you might think Gross! But Gross is Bull "Pizzles". Yep. Penises. For dogs to chew on. Given the choice I walked up to the Mud Bay Grainery and bought an antler. Now here is the thing before you all call me Bambi's Mommy Killer- Buckaroos are just a sustainable product- turns out that the Bucks drop their horns naturally. Just waiting their for some dumass to pick them up. And another Dumass to walk to the pet store just to buy them. And the advantage to Buckaroos are:
•the antlers are filled with marrow high in calcium and phosphorous
•they're odorless
•they can last up to a month
•the antlers are tested for bacteria, chemicals and contaminants
•the antlers are all from free-ranging white tail deer, mule deer and elk in the US
•the only processing involves cutting the antlers to size and packaging
•all the antlers are dropped naturally (deer are not killed)

So I feel that is one green choice for Romeo.

THE RANT

Now for the other issue-

Batter Blaster - It's Organic- except for the packaging!

Martin and I took the Light rail up to the Westlake Center, then rode the S.L.U.T. (South Lake Union Trolley) to the Whole Foods for lunch and so I could buy some Preserve Razor Blades and some Dr. Bonner's Tea Tree Oil Soap. While there, I saw this new product called "Batter Blaster". WTF Whole Foods? You going the way of Trader Joe's? Pancake Batter in a spray can? Cheese-in-a-can I understand, but is America to lazy to mix up some Bisquick and make pancakes? I sense a big product FAIL here. Of course Bisquick is not with out sin- they have the Bisquick in a bottle that you just add water to to make pancakes. Really are we getting that lazy America? Sheeze. I thought I was in Whole Foods, not Safeway.

Reviewing my 3 lawnmowers

My lawn tractor and the Nueton, Not pictured my
Task Force Corded electric
I received my new mower yesterday- It came UPS and was packaged in a way even Fake Plastic Fish could appreciate- Imagine my surprise to find only two small pieces of styrene and a few plastic bags for parts. The mower was smartly packed with some formed cardboard "egg cartons" instead of the big hunks of poly styrene. The accessories come from Back east so I am still waiting on them. The mower came from Portland.


Comparing the Nueton CE5 against my Yard Machine 42” deck lawn Tractor and my 20” Corded Electric Task Force Lawnmower is like comparing Apples and Oranges. Of course the Lawn Tractor has many attractive features- 1- You sit while it does all the work (except you are constantly disengaging the PTO or mower when you reverse, In a small yard like mine this is a factor. The lawn tractor also mows the yard in record time. The Nueton , while surprisingly powerful and ran the duration of the whole yard, Has a puny 14” mowing deck, making for a longer period. The Task Force, while having a larger deck than the Nueton, is a hassle as I am tied to a cord for power.

NOTE- Don’t buy a Neuton if you want to mow a huge yard, But for my "Urban" yard it is fine, The biggest factor being the 14” mowing deck(NOTE: the Nueton CE6 does have a 19” mowing deck and is suitable for yards up to 1/3 an acre), But that is not a huge factor in that the Nueton cost penny’s to operate and gives no emissions. The Task Force comes in a close second in that category- the cord becoming the big issue. If it was a matter of time and ease I would keep and mow with the Lawn Tractor, but figuring in things like maintenance and upkeep and emissions, The tractor loses.
Also a factor is that while the tractor wins hands down in speed and comfort, you still have to take a standard walk behind mower around the perimeter of the yard to get along fence lines and flower beds.
I wish I had the Nueton when I lived in the Mobile Home park, but I had my old handy dandy True Value Lawn Chief gas Mower, which lasted over 25 years. I have owned a variety of gas powered mowers over the years, but the engines never last long on them even when I do all the right things like oil changes and dumping the gas every winter to extend the life. I have other gas powered equiptment that lasts for years so I don’t think it is me. Anyway that is also a plus for both the Nueton and the Task Force mowers. No gas engine means no gas, no oils, no spark plugs and no tune-ups.
The down side to Nueton is the battery will not last forever, but the upside is spares are available. And gas costing what is does that actually makes it affordable. If a battery lasts on mowing season compared to hauling and buying gas- makes it a winner. The Task Force won in one category- Cost of operation- Corded electrics do not need new batteries at all.
So in short my summary-Keeping in mind the yard size, costs of maintenance, I would have to place in the following order: 1-The Nueton CE5 2- Task Force 20” Corded Electric and 3- Yard Machines Lawn Tractor

Chicken farmin' in yer spare time!

so...who is the crunchy one NOW?!?

MetroHippie has found a cool product that he reviewed- The Omelit Eglu chicken house with chicken run. A prefab Hen house that looks great, is sturdy and comes with a chicken run. Perfect setup for Urban Chickens! They also have a rabbit version so keep Crunchy away!

They have thought of everything for keeping pet chickens- according to the website "The eglu is a modern home for up to 4 medium size chickens or up to 6 bantams and is a stylish and practical addition to any backyard. Designed to be the house that the chickens themselves would choose,"now, really I must interject- chickens would chose this design?- damn, designer chickens! "Through its clever design the eglu also makes light work of the chores leaving you more time to enjoy these wonderful pets. The eglu has wooden perching bars and a generous nesting box for egg laying - all the practical features that your chickens need. As well as this come thoughtful extras such as the modern twin walled insulation and draught free ventilation that keeps your chickens warm in winter and cool in the summer." And it looks as though everything is designed for easy clean up! Just remember the words of the old Cab Calloway song- "a chicken ain't nuthing but a bird!"