April Chronicle

A look back at the first month of the second quarter.  It was another busy month.

• I installed my clothesline.
• Officially booked my trip to Alaska with Grams.
• My two favorite girls had a birthday and we went fishing.
• We wrapped up the February challenge fundraiser and raised over $9,000.
• I purchased some awesome Swedish clogs.
• I worked at nursery for a day to help a friend and loved it.
• I had to PAY money to the IRS this year.  Grrr.
• I bought a Ford Edge and I love it.
• Checked out the Old Red Lumberyard flea market and brought home a very cool green bench for the front porch.
• Guest posted over at Punk Projects with a DIY stamp tutorial.
• I went to happy hour with a friend and we happened to see Newt Gingrich. 
• Went to Arts & letters Live to hear Anne Enright and Colum McCann
• We went to a Sugarland concert in Oklahoma.
• I finally, after much deliberation, purchased a vitamix.  Why didn't I do this sooner?
• After a long hiatus, I finally picked up a book.  I'm reading Making Babies: Stumbling Into Motherhood by Anne Enright and it is cracking me up.
• After six years, cc and I are as legal as we can be in Texas.  Time to celebrate!
• My nephew will be starting school this fall.  I can't wait to buy him new school supplies.
• I knocked off another item on my 12 in 12 list.  I just finished a 3 day homesteading class at the Ploughshare Institute.  I'm blown away and can't wait to share the information with you.
• The 30 days 30 ways challenge was a little intense this month, but it was a great way to jumpstart your 4(for) green acres life.
• I dug out my great grandmothers' recipe books for this month's collection column.  I had so much fun looking through them.
• In and around the garden, April was busy. 
• found cabbage loopers on my brassicas
• cleaned and put up the hummingbird feeders
• asparagus shot up
• butterflies were everywhere
• assembled my new rain barrels
• blessed with lots of rain, but the tornados missed us
• fertilized the tomatoes with sea salt
• after the release of the ladybugs, I watched them hard at work 
• And finally, the Baylor Lady Bears won the national basketball championship.   

30th Day, 30th Way

30. Read Food Rules
We've made it to the last day. This month was filled with daily challenges that will help you lead a well rounded 4(for)green acres life.  One of the most important aspects of this project is your health and that all starts with what food you eat.  If you don't do anything else this month, read Food Rules by Michael Pollan and follow them.  They encompass a lot of what we tried to accomplish this month. 
 29.  Make a list of all the items you can donate
28.  Make all your meals at home
27.  Get a library card
26.  Save an item from the trash
25.  Plant something
24.  Defrost your freezer
23.  Bring your own coffee cup
22.  Go on a nature hike

21.  Stake out a farmers market

20.  Switch a chemical cleaner with vinegar

19.  Send snail mail
18.  Use baking soda for skincare

17.  Use ladybugs for natural pesticide

16.  Avoid the car

15.  Meet a local

14.  Put a brick in your toilet

13.  Don't use paper towels 

12.  Capture household waste water

11.  Air dry your laundry

10.  Avoid plastic-ware

9.  Don't throw anything away

8.  Get off the grid for a day

7.  Put out a bucket or barrel to capture the rain

6.  Limit Energy Consumption

5.  Take reusable sacks to the store - Every store

4.  Use natural dyes for Easter eggs

3.  Buy from a local business

2.  Make a commitment to the challenge.

1.  Clean the air in your home by purchasing house plants to filter the air.

<center><a href=" http://www.indigo26.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee362/abullock26/4GA125x125BADGE.jpg"/></a></center>

29th Day, 29th Way

29.  Make a list of all the items you can donate
It's time to purge.  Humans are good at collecting stuff.  Marketers are even better at getting you to believe you need more stuff.  Make a list of things you really do need, and a list of things that you wouldn't miss if they were gone.  Then take the wouldn't miss list and donate the items.  This includes clothes, kitchen appliances, furniture, office supplies, etc.  28.  Make all your meals at home
27.  Get a library card
26.  Save an item from the trash
25.  Plant something
24.  Defrost your freezer
23.  Bring your own coffee cup
22.  Go on a nature hike

21.  Stake out a farmers market

20.  Switch a chemical cleaner with vinegar

19.  Send snail mail
18.  Use baking soda for skincare

17.  Use ladybugs for natural pesticide

16.  Avoid the car

15.  Meet a local

14.  Put a brick in your toilet

13.  Don't use paper towels 

12.  Capture household waste water

11.  Air dry your laundry

10.  Avoid plastic-ware

9.  Don't throw anything away

8.  Get off the grid for a day

7.  Put out a bucket or barrel to capture the rain

6.  Limit Energy Consumption

5.  Take reusable sacks to the store - Every store

4.  Use natural dyes for Easter eggs

3.  Buy from a local business

2.  Make a commitment to the challenge.

1.  Clean the air in your home by purchasing house plants to filter the air.

<center><a href=" http://www.indigo26.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee362/abullock26/4GA125x125BADGE.jpg"/></a></center>

28th Day, 28th Way

28.  Make all your meals at home
Eating out is not cheap, especially if you want real food.  There is a local place I like that offers really great salads with homemade dressing.  If I bought a salad from them every day at lunch for the month of April I would spend $300!  That's really expensive lettuce.  This challenge has two purposes.  The first being to keep some money in your pocket but the second and most important being the control of your ingredients.  When you make food at home, you know what goes into it.  This doesn't mean heating up a frozen pizza, it means making your own pizza including the crust!  Search through a few recipes and for breakfast, lunch and dinner, make your own today.27.  Get a library card
26.  Save an item from the trash
25.  Plant something
24.  Defrost your freezer
23.  Bring your own coffee cup
22.  Go on a nature hike

21.  Stake out a farmers market

20.  Switch a chemical cleaner with vinegar

19.  Send snail mail
18.  Use baking soda for skincare

17.  Use ladybugs for natural pesticide

16.  Avoid the car

15.  Meet a local

14.  Put a brick in your toilet

13.  Don't use paper towels 

12.  Capture household waste water

11.  Air dry your laundry

10.  Avoid plastic-ware

9.  Don't throw anything away

8.  Get off the grid for a day

7.  Put out a bucket or barrel to capture the rain

6.  Limit Energy Consumption

5.  Take reusable sacks to the store - Every store

4.  Use natural dyes for Easter eggs

3.  Buy from a local business

2.  Make a commitment to the challenge.

1.  Clean the air in your home by purchasing house plants to filter the air.

<center><a href=" http://www.indigo26.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee362/abullock26/4GA125x125BADGE.jpg"/></a></center>