Compost!

As part of our gardening plans and attempts at a more sustainable lifestyle, we've started a compost! Now, at first, I really liked the idea of a simple, open air compost, but then Alex hit the toddler stage and I realized I wouldn't be able to let him in the backyard without worrying he'd come running up with some rotting banana peels.

So I started looking at composters and oh my goodness were they expensive! I can't believe people pay over $100 for a box to put trash in. It just blows my frugal little mind! Obviously, the commercial composters weren't for us. Luckily I come across several others who seemed to have the same problem as we did and had found a solution!

After reading multiple articles and blogs, I had a plan, and my husband had a job to do! :) We (and by "we" I mean "he") made a compost bin out of an old storage tub. Bonus: the tub has locking handles!

It really is simple, though maybe a bit time consuming.
Take a dark colored plastic storage bin and drill holes in all
sides, bottom included. This allows for proper airflow and drainage.

I can't wait until we have usable compost! Does your family compost? What kind of container do you use, or do you?

PETA Payback is Hell Campaign

This found it's way to my eyes on the other day on a friend's Facebook post. This is PETA's new ad in their Go Vegan campaign:

My first thought was, "Really PETA? Really?" But then I started to think about it. My years of avid shark week watching quickly reminded me that sharks rarely attack humans and often do not want to eat us. We just don't taste that good to them, probably too salty. 

Then I started to think, "You know, maybe they have a point." All these problems we are having with energy issues, space, resources, crops, etc. have at some point been affected by (I'm not willing to say completely caused by) unsustainable living. We live beyond our means environmentally. We're spending tons of resource credit and have racked up one huge debt. So yeah, maybe Mother Nature is going to bite back.

But then I read PETA's press release. You can find it here (link). The inspiration for this ad was that a spear fisher was bitten by a shark off the coast of Florida. One of our own species was injured by another specie. The shark probably wasn't biting him because of the spear. The shark probably thought that he looked like a yummy dolphin and wanted some lunch. 

Wait, you mean that sharks aren't vegans? What! Surely all of the animal kingdom resists the urge to eat defenseless prey? No? You mean that sharks often go out and cruelly kill other species that have little to no way to protect themselves?

I think PETA has some good points. I think that we should all strive to live more sustainably and part of that means having more respect for the food that we eat. We should treat our livestock and prey animals with respect which means killing them as humanely as possible and ensuring that as much as possible, they are used completely. However, a shark as the spokesperson for veganism just seems wrong. Mr. Shark doesn't care that you're screaming and wrenching in pain, he just wants to know what your leg tastes like.

Finally, I do not know the condition of the man who was bitten. I hope and pray that he recovers well and quickly and learns to be safer while in the water. Shame on PETA for never once extending their condolences to him or his family.