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Keep your lawn mower blades sharp, use compost for fertilizer and to lower waste and remember longer grass will keep more moisture “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 Just as eating local and organic pays dividends beyond just a healthier diet, eco-conscious lawn care benefits more than just your lawn: it’s healthier for the environment, your family, and your pets Soil contains an interconnected array of organisms that create natural fertilizer, feeding with organics mimics the natural world Treating lawns organically enhances soil life and reduces disease, which means healthier greenery and a cleaner environment. Studies also show that organic lawn care is safer for kids and pets, whose health can be threatened by many common lawn chemicals. If you’re looking to replace the grass variety in your yard, consider one of these environmentally friendly grasses such as Buffalo grass They require less watering, less mowing, and less fertilizer, all of which helps cut down on your carbon footprint. Watering too often encourages roots to stay near the lawn’s surface where they’re more susceptible to drought and disease. By watering infrequently but deeply, we encourage roots to grow downward in search of the moisture,”If you’ve just planted, it’s good practice to water every day until the new plantings are established. But after that, you should only need to water once a week, if that. To test whether you need to water, feel six inches down into the soil: if it’s wet, don’t water. Cover with layer of mulch and compost; this helps retain moisture and keep the birds away. Mulch and compost are yard wastes that have been organically broken down and recycled by Mother Earth. Consider water conservation the next time you think about watering your lawn. You don’t have to stop watering completely, but what if you could use rainwater instead? You can harvest rainwater and store it in drums for future use. It’s actually quite simple. All you need to do is catch it as it flows out of your gutter downspouts. You can buy elaborate systems or make your own rainwater collection system using food- grade plastic barrels. For optimum results, you can even elevate your rain barrels and let gravity increase the water pressure. Reduce your area of grass: On the other hand, why not opt for a creeping flower or no-mow lawn instead of grass? Low-level groundcovers such as thyme, sweet alyssum and lavender offer beauty and don’t require the maintenance. A no-mow lawn requires no watering or mowing, and those are two ways to positively impact the environment. You may want to consider hardscaping. Instead of grass, build a desert or rock scene. Hardscaping requires no maintenance, not to mention you won’t have to worry about erosion. The landscape may be hard, but taking care of it won’t be. Eco friendly lawn care 101 Tips to an eco-friendly lawn 

Meat Free Monday Use non-toxic products, like natural fibres and home remedy cleaners Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7) Many popular household cleaners are dangerously toxic. The majority of indoor air pollution comes from cleaning products. Long term effects can include. The respiratory diseases, heart disease, and even cancer Non-toxic homemade cleaning products aren’t only better for us; they can also help save us money and protect the environment. Here are some suggestions! Bathroom Toilets For a heavy-duty toilet scrub that deodorizes while it cleans, pour ½ cup of baking soda and about 10 drops of tea tree essential oil into the toilet. Add ¼ cup of vinegar to the bowl and scrub away while the mixture fizzes. Bath and Shower To get rid of mildew, spray pure white vinegar , let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and then rinse with warm water with a sponge. Disinfectant: Skip the bleach and make a homemade germ-killer instead. Just mix 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap, and 20-30 drops of tea tree oil. Voila! Kitchen Countertops: For a simple, all-purpose counter cleaner, mix together equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. If your countertop is made from marble, granite, or stone, skip the vinegar (its acidity is no good for these surfaces) and use rubbing alcohol or the wondrous power of vodka instead. Cutting Boards: All that’s needed to clean and sanitize cutting boards (wood or plastic) is… a lemon! Cut it in half, run it over the surfaces, let sit for ten minutes, and then rinse away. If you need some serious scrubbing power, sprinkle some coarse salt over the board, and then rub with ½ a lemon. Oven: To clean caked on food, heat the oven to 125 degrees. Once the oven is warm, spray the caked-on stuff with vinegar and then pour salt directly onto the affected areas. Turn off the oven, let it cool, and then use a wet towel to scrub away at the mess. Microwave: Pour some vinegar into a small cup and mix in a little lemon juice. Put the cup in the microwave, let the microwave run for 2 minutes, and leave the door closed for several more minutes. Open the door and wipe down the sides with a warm cloth — no scrubbing required! Sink Drain: To unclog a stuffed-up drain, boil 2 cups of water. Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the drain, and then add the water while it’s still hot. If that doesn’t do the trick, follow the baking soda with ½ cup of vinegar, cover it up tightly (a pot lid should work ), wait until the fizzing slows down and then add a litre of boiling water. Pan De-Greaser: To cut through the grime on frying pans, simply apply some salt (no water necessary) and scrub vigorously. Refrigerator Cleaner: . Add about ½ cup of the baking soda to a bucket of hot water. Dip a clean rag in the mixture and use it to wipe down the fridge’s insides. Floors: For a tile cleaner , simply combine one part white vinegar with two parts warm water in a bucket. Use a mop or rag to scrub down the floors with the solution. No need to rinse off! (not recommended for wood floors). Walls:To scrub down walls, mix ¼ cup white vinegar with 1 quart warm water, then use a rag to scrub those walls down. To remove black marks, simply scrub at the spot with a little bit of baking soda. Windows and Mirrors: For an all-purpose window cleaner, combine 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts water (with some lemon juice for smell), then use a sponge or rag to scrub away. Furniture Polish :Combine ¼ cup vinegar with ¾ cup olive oil and use a soft cloth to distribute the mixture over furniture. For wood furniture combine ¼ cup lemon juice with ½ cup olive oil. Read more: Chemical free products 

Shop second hand. Save money on the products you buy, and save the transport and production costs. Great for items quickly outgrown!  “The traders of the world will weep and mourn over her. No one buys what they sell anymore.  Here is what they had for sale. Gold, silver, jewels, pearls. Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth. Every kind of citron wood. All sorts of things made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron, marble” Rev 18:11 Save money on the products you buy and save the transport and production costs. Great for items which are quickly outgrown! Reasons to shop second hand Much more Affordable When you shop at thrift stores, yard sales, and other second-hand venues, your money stretches much farther. You Get to Experience the Thrill of the Hunt At a second hand store, you deal in the unknown. Scouring flea markets and rummage sales until you have found that have-to-have item at an unbeatable price can be exhilarating. In this way, second-hand shopping is much more rewarding in a way retail shopping could never be. Your Money Stays in the Community Second-hand perusing ensures your money stays in the community where it can benefit local businesses and charities. It’s Easier to Spot Quality Since most of the merchandise you come across has already been broken in, you can see what has quality and what does not. Practical and affordable. It’s Green! Buying used goods cuts down on manufacturing demands and keeps more items out of the landfill! Because a large amount of man-made goods are routinely thrown away, re-using gives a longer life to common household items another family could use, saving the Earth in effect. Inspire to Recycle The flow of second-hand giving goes both ways. Items or clothes you no longer use, you can donate back offer up goods another may be searching for. The act of recycling not only enables us to feel good about our actions but, again, keeps money in the local economy and supports the green living movement. Brand Names If you’re an individual who worships the tag, you’re likely to find many recycled, brand-name clothes available. It’s a great way to suit your stylish needs while saving a bundle and helping the environment. New Merchandise Arrives Daily Second hand shops receive donations daily, so the hunt for that unique item is always new and fresh. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, chances are in a couple of days it might be present. Shop online! use Ebay and Gumtree and find that item you are looking for easily and without wasting petrol hunting for it.! Read More: 9 Reasons to shop second hand 

Smart Fish Friday Arrange a swapping party. Exchange clothes, DVDs, CDs, jewelry and bags so everyone gets something new without an extra trip. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19 Arrange a swapping party! Exchange clothes, DVDS, CDS, jewelry and bags. When it comes to being environmentally friendly, buying new clothes isn’t exactly the kindest thing we can do for our planet. Every piece of new clothing (if not made sustainably) can be the product of countless chemicals, dyes,  all of which can be harmful to the earth, air, groundwater – as well as the people making the clothing. But clothes are something we all need and want and buying eco friendly or fair trade clothes is expensive. Many of us buy second hand, but a fun idea is the clothing swap. A clothing swap is, in its basic form, a meeting or party where people get together to swap clothing, accessories, and the like, all for the sake of getting rid of the stuff you won’t use – and giving it a new life with someone else – and then gaining some great new stuff for yourself, too. Clothing swaps are gaining popularity these days for many reasons, the first reason being, of course, that you get to get together with a bunch of friends and family members and swap things and gain a whole new batch of gently-used stuff that’s now new-to-you. At a basic level, throwing a clothing swap helps save the world because it’s an opportunity for all those clothes to be given at least one more round of life. Good deed done in itself. But if you think even further, clothing swaps are also an opportunity for those of the activist mind frame to spread some great information. Many of those you invite to a clothing swap might be in it more for the new sweater or scarf – and that’s great on its own, but think about how much you could help by taking your next clothing swap one step further! You may want to consider asking for donations – or “charging” attendees a very small “charity fee” to attend the clothing swap with all proceeds going to a group that helps sweatshop and textile workers. If you choose this option, be sure to make the charity element prominent in the swap – so that attendees know the people they’re helping with their donation and the significance of this issue. Then, as a parting gift to clothing swap attendees, consider a thank you note, either pre-printed or handwritten, explaining the impact that recycling and reusing clothing really has on our Earth’ By adding some of these next-step elements, you can take your next clothing swap from a really fun gathering where everyone gets some great new stuff to a truly impactful event that educates people about the true costs of their clothing. By spreading the message, you are taking a love of fashion to another level – one which breaks superficial barriers and makes your life so much more conscious – and can really have a meaningful effect when the message is spread. If you’ve never held a clothing swap, you’ll find some great tips for setting up a clothing swap of your own http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/06/18/dress-yourself-for-free-host-a-clothing-swap/ Bottom of Form   How about organizing  for your Sunday School to arrange a swap party where they bring old toys and games they have grown out of . They can sell them for a few rand and raise money for an outing. And finally have  you heard of the  Recycle Swap Shop ?  Children bring bags of recyclable goods which are weighed. For each kilo they get a voucher and then can go into the “shop” where there are donations of stationary, food or second hand toys.

Lend ladders, mowers, share shopping trips and trade things in your community to reduce unnecessary purchasing. “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42 We fill our houses with too much stuff that we only use very rarely. Rather than buying your own, borrow and lend ladders, mowers, drills and other equipment. Share shopping trips. Look at your cupboards, why not give away or sell on gumtree or ebay those items have been sitting un-used for years. Your rubbish is someone else’s treasure. This is a good way to get to know some of your neighbours as you share equipment. The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy: raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated and then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment, and save money. Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials; Saves energy; Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change; Helps sustain the environment for future generations; Saves money; Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators; Allows products to be used to their fullest extent. Reducing and Reusing Basics