Who Knew?!

So we ended up getting ANOTHER composter! Remember this one that Tyler made for me last year? Well it just didn't get hot enough in there so we decided to salvage the wood and purchase our third composter. Yes, you heard me, third. The first one was from Overstock and ended up being a waste of money.

So on to numero tres.

Via

I found one like this guy at Costco and it has been amazing so far! Mine is green so it blends in a bit better than this black beast. So far it's our favorite of the 3 and I think it will hold up for a good many years.

Now on to the point of this whole story. There are sooo many things that you can compost. I had no idea that a ton of the stuff I was throwing away could be turned into great garden soil. Hello??? I could be saving a ton of money on soil AND helping the environment!

Here are just a few thanks to planetgreen.com:

From the Kitchen

1. Coffee grounds and filters
2. Tea bags
3. Used paper napkins
4. Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
5. Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
6. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
7. Plain cooked pasta
8. Plain cooked rice
9. Stale bread
10. Paper towel rolls
11. Stale saltine crackers
12. Stale cereal
13. Used paper plates (as long as they don't have a waxy coating)
14. Cellophane bags (be sure it's really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there's a difference.)
15. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
16. Old herbs and spices
17. Stale pretzels
18. Pizza crusts
19. Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
20. Wine corks
21. Moldy cheese
22. Melted ice cream
23. Old jelly, jam, or preserves
24. Stale beer and wine
25. Paper egg cartons
26. Toothpicks
27. Bamboo skewers
28. Paper cupcake or muffin cups

From the Bathroom

29. Used facial tissues
30. Hair from your hairbrush
31. Toilet paper rolls
32. Old loofahs
33. Nail clippings
34. Urine
35. 100% Cotton cotton balls
36. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

Personal Items

It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin'.

37. Cardboard tampon applicators
38. Latex condoms

From the Laundry Room

39. Dryer lint
40. Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
41. Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces

From the Office

42. Bills and other documents you've shredded
43. Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
44. Pencil shavings
45. Sticky notes
46. Business cards (as long as they're not glossy)
47. Receipts

Around the House

48. Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
49. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
50. Subscription cards from magazines
51. Leaves trimmed from houseplants
52. Dead houseplants and their soil
53. Flowers from floral arrangements
54. Natural potpourri
55. Used matches
56. Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit

Party and Holiday Supplies

57. Wrapping paper rolls
58. Paper table cloths
59. Crepe paper streamers
60. Latex balloons
61. Raffia
62. Excelsior
63. Jack o' Lanterns
64. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
65. Natural holiday wreaths
66. Your Christmas tree. Chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one...)
67. Evergreen garlands

Pet-Related

68. Fur from the dog or cat brush
69. Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
70. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
71. Feathers
72. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
73. Rawhide dog chews
74. Fish food
75. Dry dog or cat food

In other news, the baby is the size of an olive, the turnips in my garden look AMAZING, my carrots do not, and I have a whopping ONE broccoli plant that looks decent!