When we moved into our house on a wooded acre lot a little more than two years ago, my first priority was to build two compost bins. Yes, you certainly can buy bins at the local Costco or online, but I needed something larger considering the massive amount of expected yard waste. Rather than use plans, I eyeballed a photo of the two-compost bin system found in my favorite simple living book, The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour.

More on construction later but firstly, why compost? Following are two reasons:

1. Eliminate yard waste that ends up in a landfill. I can honestly say that I have never placed a bag of leaves or grass clippings at the curb for pick up. Also, in retrospect, the work that I would have done bagging comes close to the work maintaining the compost bins.
   
2. Basis for a vegetable garden. Every spring, I've added last year's compost into two raised beds planted in my backyard, I've had so much compost that I've started a third raise bed this year - will share in another blog post. The biggest savings results from not having to buy potting soil at the local garden center at $13 a bag (each raised bed required at least eight 2.5 cubic foot bags of potting soil).
   

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Our usual Sogueco Family Thursday Dinner Date last evening included a new twist - we went to happy hour! Firstly, having a drink with my three-year-old was certainly new but the cool thing about this happy -- in addition to the food and great company -- is we helped someone in need.

Much kudos to Lisa Claydon and Lauren Wolfe of CK Marketing for party planning the Ho Ho Ho Holiday Happy Hour and Benefit for the Less Fortunate. Attendance was light but perhaps understandable given the time of year. However, the concept of this particular happy hour needs repeating. And not only during the Xmas season. No doubt, it's going to be a rough 2009 and if we in association community can all do something just a little extra during upcoming networking opportunities in the next year, it will make a huge impact. Click here for more photos of the event - WARNING: some shots taken by a three year old, can you guess which ones?!

No worry if you did not make it last night because you can still do some good. The following is from CK Marketing's Facebook invite with all the pertinent information you need to make a donation:

"Food banks across the country are especially stressed this holiday season, with demands for services up and donations down. At the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., they're struggling to keep up with requests from those in need. That’s why Lisa Claydon and Lauren Wolfe of CK Marketing have invited you to help them spread some holiday cheer to those less fortunate.

This Thursday, please join your friends at Ireland's Four Courts in Arlington, VA for a holiday happy hour and benefit. We're asking that you bring an item or two from the suggested "need list" (see link below) or make a monetary donation to the Capital Area Food Bank. Items/money will be collected on site and delivered to the Food Bank on Friday, December 19. Feel free to invite your friends, the more the merrier…ho ho ho."

NEED LIST: http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/support/donatefood.cfm
Make a donation… http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/donation/donate.cfm

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I've researched that leaves contain much of the minerals trees collect during the year - mulching leaves into your lawn actually fertilizes the grass. plus, no need to rake and bag!

When you rake your leaves, it costs you. Your local taxes pay for trucks to sweep up your leaves or pick up your leaf bags, which often end up in landfills. If you burn leaves, you're just sending up clouds of carbon into the atmosphere. Mulching leaves simply recycles a natural resource, giving you richer soil for free.

benefits of mulching leaves into lawn
more on the mulching leaves into the lawn idea
consumer reports take on leaf mulching

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