Being Green with Bugs

Lately Erik and I have been researching a couple of bug projects. I've always liked bugs, and these two projects are good for the environment while at the same time eliminate ick.

Project 1: Vermi Composting. Last summer we started a compost pile in the yard, but it is a lot of work. You have to maintain the perfect environment, add waste at the right ratio, turn the dirt, etc. Of course, this is till a good way to deal with yard waste, but it can only be done during the summer and it's a lot of labor. I think I've found a better solution....WORMS!

Composting with worms is supposed to be super efficient, create a great soil, can be done indoors, and beleive it or not it doesn't stink. We're going to make our own bin and order the worms online.





Project 2: Biological Pest Control. Last summer's buffalo grass project didn't help with our pre-existing weed problem. The large amount of water that the buffalo grass needed to take root kept the weeds growing and growing.

There are few things that I hate more than anything that ends in "cide"...especially herbicide! I worry about it's impact on me, on the cats, about tracking it in the house on my shoes...and it STINKS.

We've discovered that many plants have a natural enemy in the insect world. With the proper introduction of these bugs into our yard, we should be able to naturally control some of our more problematic weeds.

I can't wait to get some bugs!

Blogging

One of my main reasons for this blog over a year ago was that I wanted to make sure that when you google my name, you actually find ME. That mission has been very successful. Last time I googled myself, I found 3 pages worth of results that actually were connected to me.

When I first got started, I struggled with concerns about what people would think and who might be reading. But now, I've really taken that on as the fun part of blogging. I've now built a whole network of sites where you can find out more about me: Linked In, MySpace, Facebook, and my blogs (I keep two of them now!). I even attempted to leverage this network while job hunting, encouraging resume readers to visit my Linked In site, where I was able to promote myself in greater detail than my resume alone could do.

And just recently, I've discovered the secret to blogging...reading and leaving comments on other blogs. I've stumbled across a network of baby blogs and have had so much fun reading them, posting to the ones that inspire me or make me laugh, and then watching people discover mine in the same way! Unfortunately though, I just realized that my profile didn't promote the baby blog...so to those new baby blog readers, look again or just click here to read more about my pregnancy adventures!

Another unexpected joy of blogging has been the contact with pure strangers. Twice now I've had people contact me with questions about my life and adventures, and it has been really rewarding to see that I'm not just writing in a private notebook.

It really is fascinating to me to see the way that the internet has changed the way we communicate with the world. Here's to another great year of blogs!!

2009 Goals

Financial

Replenish savings to the level it was at on August 1, 2008
Create savings plans for the following:
- Emergency fund
- Baby's college education
- Retirement
Pay an extra $500 / month toward principle on the mortgage
Reduce student loan debt by 50%
Combined income of $175,000

Household

Paint and decorate the following areas of the house:
- Master bedroom
- Nursery
- Master bath
- Dining room
- Kitchen
Plant an organized and diverse veggie garden
Build a gate in the back yard for easy park access
Flowering trees/shrubs (or maybe fruit) along perimeter of back yard

Social

Make new couple/baby friends who live close by
Host at least 3 parties at our house
Join two new social groups (book club, play groups, etc)
Develop network of baby resources

Family

Send out holiday cards no later than December 10th
See all of our family at least 2 times

Personal

Return to weight of 125 lbs after the baby comes
Learn to sew, knit, or some other creative skill by hand
Read 12 or more books
Inspire others to live more "Green"