ML Interest Tag: compost

Reduce, Reuse, Treecycle! Local Holiday Recycling 411

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

It seems that even the tree knows when Christmas is over—ever notice how those pine needles fall off at a faster clip after the holidays? Yep, all good things must come to an end. But even more pitiful than a bare Frasier Fir is a bare Frasier Fir leaned against an outdoor trash bin for days (weeks?), gathering dust and potato chip wrappers. Read on for dates, times, and tips on giving your spruce the send off it deserves.

Photo: Jonny Hughes via Flickr

How to Say Goodbye to a Christmas Tree (No Tears Allowed)

  • Remove all of the lights and ornaments (including the ones that kiddo hid deep inside the tree).
  • Don’t bag the shrub. Most recyclers don’t want the plastic, just the tree.
  • If your little one asks “where does it go?,” explain that the tree will be chipped and composted to help flowers grow in the spring. Who knew you’d be teaching Junior about the circle of life just by chucking the tree?

D.C.: Holiday trees and wreaths will be picked up during regular trash pickup between Jan.14-Feb. 2. Trees picked up during these dates will be composted and made available to residents for free.

Fairfax County, VA: Trees are collected during the first two weeks of January.

Arlington, VA: Christmas trees will be scooped up on your regular trash day, between Dec. 31-Jan. 11. Trees picked up during these dates will be turned into mulch available to residents.

Prince William County, VA: Drop off your tree anytime at one of four spots—Prince William County Ladnfill, Balls Ford Road Compost Facility, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC), or Leesylvania State Park (where they’ll be used for wildlife habitats at the park).

Alexandria, VA: Put your tree on the curb during regular pick-up times. The trees will be turned into mulch, which is available in the spring for residents on a first come, first served basis.

Loudoun County, VA: Between Dec. 26-Jan. 20, strip your tree of all its bells and whistles and drop it off at one of these recycling locations: Loudon County Landfill Dropoff Center, South Riding Town Hall, Claude Moore Park, Game Protective Associating in Lovettsville, or Franklin Park.

Montgomery County, MD: MoCo residents who like to hold onto their Christmas tree for-like-ever are in luck—Christmas trees are accepted year-round in the county’s curbside yard trim collection. Just leave your fir on the curb by 7 am.

Howard County, MD: Tree collection is available through Jan. 19. Residents with yard trim collection can place their trees on curb by 6 a.m. on the day off service.

Prince George’s County, MD: Through Jan. 28 you can leave your Christmas tree out (before 6 am) to be picked up with yard waste. Bare pines can also be dropped off at the Brown Station Road Public Container Pad and Recycling Center or the Missouri Ave. Solid Waste Acceptance and Recycling Center.

Frederick County, MD: Re-gift your tree to one of these area parks (where they’ll mulch it up): Reichs Ford Road Yard Waste Recycling Site, Ballenger Creek Park, Middletown Park Recycling Center, Kemptown Park, Eyeler Road Park, Point of Rocks Ruritan Club, or Heritage Farm Park.

—Ayren Jackson-Cannady

 

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It’s So Easy Being Green: 15 Earth Day Celebrations

by kim orchen cooper

Little tree-huggers, take note: Earth Day is on Wednesday April 22, and there are loads of LA activities that will educate while you celebrate. From river cleanups to festivals, a party with Fairy Mother Earth and super blooming hikes, here are our 15 favorite ways to hop on the reduce/reuse/recycle (eco-friendly electric) bus.

Not Your Last Resort

Spend the day enjoying just how gorgeous our earth is at this seaside resort with spectacular views. For kids there are storybook reading and workshops highlighting how to recycle and compost at the Educational Green Wall. There’s also a wildflower planting station and Earth Day hikes, and grownups can join in the Kelp Forest Kyak Cleanup. Venture down the cliffs to play in the tidepools, and then end your day with an outdoor dinner as the sun sets. Learn more about this event.

When: Saturday, April 22 at various times
Where: Terranea Resort, 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes

photo: Terranea Resort

How will you honor our planet this year?  We’d love to know; meet us in the comment section below!

—Kim Orchen Cooper

 

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12 Signs You’re an Inwood Parent

by Mimi O'Connor

Inwood parents understand that they are raising children in one of New York City’s best kept secrets for families. The area offers the best of urban life while also often providing the feel of a close-knit, suburban neighborhood. If you’re an Inwood parent, read on and let us know if we missed something. (If you’re not, consider enjoying these Inwood family favorites in this rapidly-changing ‘hood!)

photo: Omar Z. via Yelp

1. You can be found on Sunday mornings babywearing at brunch at any of the trendy sidewalk cafés, sipping your mimosa and enjoying the laid back vibe.

2. Local lingerie shop Brazen (closed, but still online!) may have played a part in your child’s conception or nursing as a newborn, or perhaps helped you light a fire in the bedroom when you and your better half recovered from having a kid.

photo: Barbara Cioffi Giacometti via The Cloisters Facebook page

3. Whenever your child wants to get his or her “castle” on, you head to The Cloisters. (Also, as a result, your kid is certain unicorns are real.)

photo: Kristine Paulus via Flickr

4. At the announcement of the first heavy snow you rush to ready the sled for a day of fierce tobogganing at Inwood Hill Park.

5. Your kids are budding polyglots, thanks to music group in French, story time in Spanish and maybe even a coveted spot at one of the area dual-language schools. (Plus, they know how to pronounce “Spuyten Duyvil”.)

6. You know summer is coming once the horrible traffic begins on Dyckman and the crossing guards take over the streets.

photo: Charley Lhasa via Flickr

7. You’ve had your child on the Inwood Little League wait-list since birth and you can’t wait to be that competitive parent coaching your child from the sidelines.

8. Your freezer is so full of eggshells and peels you think twice about buying that tub of ice cream because it won’t fit until after your compost drop off at the Saturday farmers market.

photo Viral P. via Yelp

9. You can walk in any direction for good rice and beans no matter the time of day or night.

10. You know it’s election season when the merengue music and proclamations announcing local candidates blare from cars and trucks on the streets.

11. You forgo a holiday tree in your tiny living room and convince your kids that the annual Bruce’s Garden Tree Lighting Ceremony makes up for it.

photo: The All-Nite Images via Flickr

12. As soon as the number 1 subway train goes outdoors, you know you’re home.

What’s your quintessential Inwood parent experience? Tell us in the comments below! 

— Suzy Diaz
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7 Things to Get Excited for in 2015

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

When it comes to awesome places to explore with kids in and around D.C., 2014 didn’t disappoint. You need only to stop by Navy Yards Park to see that. Play areas opened, restaurants expanded, and we even got a shiny, new metro line (shout out to the Silver Line). Here’s the even better news: 2015 is on track to be just as exciting. Here are some of the kid-friendly happenings to look forward to in the New Year.

Photo: National Childrens Museum via Facebook

#1 The National Children’s Museum returns to D.C.
In an effort to get as many kiddos through its doors as humanly possible, the National Children’s Museum (which is currently located on the lovely, but metro-less National Harbor) announced that 2015 will be the year that it gathers all of its tot-friendly exhibits and returns to D.C.-proper. No specific date or location has been announced yet.

#2 Union Market’s Angelika Movie Theater opens. 
Start planning those family date nights and girls nights out now! The sprawling multi-screen cinema, which often features off the radar flicks for the whole family, will offer luxe seating, immersive sound systems, and artisan movie noshes. Until then, stop by the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market.

#3 Kid-friendly restaurant Founding Farmers sets up shop in Tyson’s Corner.
Founding Farmers, a popular farm-to-table restaurant (with locations in D.C. and Montgomery County), will make its NoVa debut in early February. Expect the same little foodie delicacies—baby cheeseburgers, skillet corn bread, and kettle corn—plus working phone booths and an in-house juice cleanse.

Photo: National Children’s Museum via Facebook

#4 Cherry blossoms!
The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival returns with all the pink flowers you can handle. New in 2015 is the Anacostia River Festival, an off-shoot celebration that merges the arts, health, environment and recreation with family activities like canoeing, bike riding and nature walks. Mark the calendar ASAP.

#5 The American History Museum gets Spark!Lab.
Calling all wannabe inventors! The American History Museum‘s new and ongoing exhibit tells the story behind inventors’ work through hands-on activities. You’ll learn all about the process of invention, because you never know if you have the next Einstein on your hands.

Photo: Momofuku Milk Bar

#6 Yummmm…Momofuku is slated to open at CityCenterDC. 
By next summer, it will be a cinch to snag a “compost cookie.” The D.C. Momofuku (whose specialty is pork buns…yummm) will house a Momofuku Milk Bar that hawks all of the treats and desserts the eatery is known for. Your little one will literally want to eat here every day.

#7 The kiddie theater scene is going to be hot!
If you have a musical or theater buff on your hands, they are going to be one happy camper in 2015. Some of the much anticipated 2015 performances include “The Jungle Book” and “The Little Prince” at Creative Cauldron, “Big: The Musical” at Peter’s Alley Theatre, “Aladdin” and “Jack and the Beanstalk” at The Puppet Co., and “Cinderella” at the Washington National Opera. That’s a line up that deserves a standing ovation.

What other exciting 2015 news should we put on our radar? Tell us in the Comments section below. 

—Ayren Jackson-Cannady

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UrbMat: The Simple Way to Grow Veggies Anywhere

by Erin Lem

For city kids, the idea that their fruits and veggies come from the store’s produce aisle isn’t all that unusual. Show your city slickers where their food really comes from with a cool new product called UrbMat, a gardening box designed for small spaces that allows you to grow veggies anywhere. No green thumb required.

The Scoop: 
UrbMat is a three by two feet mat that’s designed specifically for small spaces (think balcony, backyard or deck). The mat lasts up to three years and allows city families to grow their own plants easily with a weed-control layer, built-in irrigation for easy watering, and 12 different types of plants.

With your first shipment you’ll receive GrowUps Seedballs, which are a mix of chili powder, compost, worm castings, clay and non-GMO seeds. These GrowUps ultimately become the 12 different plants that’ll grow in your box—arugula, basil, carrots, catnip, cilantro, chard, lettuce, marigold, parsley, kale, radish, and spinach, all organized and labeled by color.

How it Works:
Simply find an area that has soil or build a box if you don’t have a back or front yard (you can easily get pieces of wood from your local hardware store), lay the UrbMat on top of the soil, and match the GrowUps with each square pushing them halfway down into the soil. Each GrowUp is packed with multiple seeds, which can later be replanted in different areas. Let your kids water the plants and they’ll see how their garden grows.

Bonus: Grow Food, Give Food
With each purchase of an UrbMat, the company donates two meals to kids suffering from hunger in America in partnership with 2 Degrees Food and Feeding America.

Available at UrbnEarth for $69 (non-GMO GrowUps cost $4.99)

Bonus: Red Tricycle readers can score 15% off with promo code REDTRI at checkout. Code is valid through March 21, 2014. 

What do you think of this product that lets city families grow their own veggies easily? Tell us your thoughts below!

Copy and photos by Erin Lem

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Date Night: Best Eco-Friendly Wineries in Sonoma

by Erin Lem

Everyone seems to have an eco-friendly angle these days, but the wineries of Sonoma (and the area itself) have long been committed leaders within the movement. Many Sonoma wineries use a combination of green techniques like solar power and organic farming, while others have taken it to the next level using biodynamics. Here are our favorite eco-friendly wineries and the tour companies who will take you there:

Quivira Vineyards and Winery in Healdsburg stands by statements like “live in balance with your surroundings” and “experience a true vineyard farm.” They embrace all biodynamic farming practices from the spiritual to scientific, which means they obsessively monitor healthy microbiotic life, and use only materials from their self-sustaining vineyards, compost piles, farm animals, and vegetable gardens. Their tasty wines are carefully made to respect the natural flavors of the soils and the specific elements found in each vineyard.

Benziger Family Winery remains a leader in the eco-friendly movement with biodynamic gardens and wines and countless accolades for their green practices and farming over the years. The estate is earthy and beautiful, tours informative and nature-filled, and entire portfolio of wines are certified sustainable, organic, or biodynamic. Tribute, a robust Cabernet blend, was the first Demeter-certified Biodynamic wine from Sonoma Country and one of the first in Northern America.

To read the full article to discover more of what eco-friendly Sonoma has to offer, click here.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at 7×7, a site that keeps you up on the best of SF. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a fantastic Date Night idea each week. Be sure to check out their blog for hourly doses of the best of SF.

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Southern Marin Mothers Club: Get to Know Us Better!

by writerredtri

SMMC Founding Mamas: Linda Lam, Anna Knox & Julie Stanton

Location: Marin County, Northern California

Website: http://www.southernmarinmoms.com

Number of Members: 1200

Dues: $55/year

A chat with 2011 SMMC President-Robin Smiley

RT: What is your favorite activity to do with your kids in Marin/Bay Area?

Robin: I love Shoemaker Beach in Sausalito with friends. SO easy and everyone has fun!  We drag 3 trips of sand toys over to the beach, spread a blanket, open a bottle of, um, grape juice, and let the kids run wild.  They will last for hours!  I have even been known to order pizza and make a dinner playdate out of it!  Then, as the sun is setting, we strip down, jump in the car and head home to baths and an early bedtime for all!

RT: What do you usually do for date night?

Robin: HUH? Date night?  After kids?  I know, I know, but I haven’t seen later than 10 pm since I stopped breastfeeding!  We usually make it through dinner, but anything more than that, makes the 6 am wake up call I get from my middle guy totally unbearable!

RT: What’s your favorite rainy day activity in the Bay Area?

Robin: That depends on whose definition of “rain” we are talking about!  I am from Seattle, and unless my car might be washed away by floods, we call it “overcast,” bundle up and head to the zoo!  But if it is REALLY raining, and I mean I can’t see out of my window, my kids love House of Air- can’t wait until they are 7 and can jump on the BIG trampolines!

RT: What’s the best thing about raising kids in Marin?

Robin: Marin is great.  I always ask, “why doesn’t everyone live in Marin?”   I could go on about the parks and beaches, close to the city, easy drive to Tahoe, but really, what I love about Marin is the people.  People here are so passionate and smart!  I may not always agree with them, but I love how much thought and energy people have put into the choices they make.  The discussion on our forum last month about what kind of bag to use in your compost was a perfect example.  These moms really cared, and were willing to put the time and energy into finding a solution that worked for them and then sharing it!

RT: What do you love about SMMC?

Robin: SMMC has kept me from going crazy for several years now.  In the beginning it was the advice I would read in the newsletter and forum.  Then it became my FANTASTIC playgroup and the great friends I made.  Now, it provides that mental stimulation that I crave after years of deep thoughts which consist of “Pampers or Huggies?”  “Boyle or Sycamore?”  “Time out or take away a toy?”  SMMC is a small business with many different people doing many different jobs.  We have customers and products and people that all need to work together.  I am honored to be the President and love that I get to think of other things besides “fragrance free wipes or sensitive skin wipes?”

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