Tax Time is a great time to get organized, even if its just your file cabinet. Real Simple’s Simply Stated blog shares a short list of what to keep and for how long. The rest? Shred and recycle!

I read this post at Crafting a Green World on the pros/cons of using bamboo. As with everything, there are choices to make, and it’s good to read labels and know, as best we can, where the things we buy come from, and what those companies environmental standards are. At my house, we’ve thought about (down the road) installing hardwood floors, and I wondered if bamboo might be a good choice. Really though, we don’t need a new floor at the moment, and it would be more green NOT to have to dispose of our current flooring.

What are your thoughts on the bamboo? Is it as renewable as we think?

In honor of the baby boom among dear friends!

Sunny lil Hoot by Manic Muffin

Organic Teething Hippo by little alouette

Cherry Limemade Fabric Ball by Ruby Grace

Apartment Therapy posted this very cool kitchen organization project. I L-O-V-E it! Not sure it would work with my cabinets, which don’t have that interior center section, but it just may inspire something similar. It’s a great use of otherwise unused space. For me, the side of the refrigerator holds our calendar, meal plan, grocery list, recipes to try and handy-man phone numbers, but I like the idea of hiding it inside the cabinets.

For many, the kitchen seems to be where the buzz of family life happens. Do you have a message center in your kitchen? Do tell!

Make lemonade! Or, why not try an all-natural cleaner…

I tested my first all-natural cleaning product this week! Real Simple recently gave a complete run-down on various all-natural cleaning agents and suggested the following for kitchen countertops.

• Cut a lemon in half and dip the cut side down in baking soda.
• Scrub countertops
• Wipe down with a wet cloth or sponge
• Dry

Not only does the lemon’s acidity rid my hard-working counters of dirt, but they leave a fresh scent too! No more worries of inhaling chemical fumes! I have to say, I think they did a great job getting up all the grime, even in the back corners. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

While I knew you could clean the coffee-maker’s insides with vinegar, I’d never actually tried it. Well, this past week I gave this all-natural cleaning front-runner a try -  not only in the coffeemaker, but also the dishwasher and the kitchen floor.

To sanitize the coffee maker:

• Fill with half water and half vinegar
• Run cycle halfway and then let sit for 1 hour
• Complete cycle, then flush with several cycles of plain water

To sanitize the dishwasher:

• Pour 1/2 cup vinegar in reservoir and run empty cycle
• That’s it!

To mop the floor (not to be used on marble - it can scratch; or wood floors - it can strip them!)

• Add 1/4 cup vinegar to bucket of warm water
• Mop clean

I’ve been wanting to try homemade cleaning supplies for some time and have been reading up. While my hubby is skeptical that our house will smell like vinegar 24/7, I’m excited about trying this greener-cleaner approach. To start, I’m going to use vinegar, water, and baking soda to tackle things like:

• kitchen floor
• countertops
• windows
• bathroom tile and tub
• grout
• dishwasher & coffeemaker

My friend Ruthie was asking for updates on how my natural cleaning products work, so will let you know how they do, and also if hubby approves. I was excited to buy a HUGE bottle of distilled white vinegar at the wholesale club for $3.19 and wonder how long it will last me. I’m all for eliminating all of those plastic cleaning bottles from under the sink, and the toxins that come with them. Simplifying my life by not having to buy a different cleaner for every surface will be nice too.

We had dinner with friends recently and left their home with all their good dirt. No my friends, not gossip, but real dirt. Strange gift? Well, they recently installed an indoor composter under the sink in the city apartment, but without a yard to dispose of it, they share the wealth with us for use in our vegetable garden. Some gifts really do come in unusual packages and we are grateful!

If you do have a yard, consider having a compost bin or more simply, a compost pile. Call your town public works office to find out if they sell them (that’s where we bought ours). This is a GREAT way to minimize your waste by keeping all of your produce out of the trash bin. We’re also planning to start a second slower-working pile since we have a wealth of yard waste and leaves, living in New England.

Have questions about how we compost? Let me know!

You’ve got the basic recyclying like glass and aluminum down. But what about the random (and often toxic) stuff like batteries or cell phones or makeup? Check out Real Simple’s A-Z guide to answer some of your questions.

Can’t find something on the list? Let me know and I’ll see what I can find.

Here’s what we have planned for our garden this year…

We’re adding a few things to the mix that we eat often (like onions and parsley), in addition to almost everything we had last year.

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Sage, Chives, Rosemary
• Onions
• Green beans
• Cucumbers
• Mesclun & Romaine
• Spinach
• Summer squash
• Carrots
• Butternut Squash

We’re also trying some flower seeds that we bought in Prince Edward Island to remind us of that trip. Lupins, which I’ve started indoors, and also wildflowers.