A Little Piece of Earth

I found this book after seeing it in someone else's hands.  Although there are several books on small space gardening, I'll be honest with you, I bought this one because of the small size and cute illustrations!  But it's more than just a pretty book.  I plan on starting up my own little container garden on my balcony and window sill, and this book has been lots of help.  Not only does the author give you several different options on ways to grow plants, but also informs you on different types of plants as well.  And it's more than just your typical "grow your own herb garden," she touches on other topics such as small fruit trees, growing your own mushrooms, and step by step instructions on composting.

Once I get back from my trip, one of the first things in order is to start my garden!  I'm planning on growing some micro greens, arugula, mint, thyme, and maybe get a cherry tomato plant.

The Story of Stuff Book

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but right now I work at a bookstore part time.  One of the obvious upsides is always being updated on the latest books.  Right as I was about to pick up Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, I found the book version of The Story of Stuff on the very same table.  I didn't even know a book was in the works!  Since I was so enamored with the online video, I immediately went for this one instead.  Unfortunately, to be honest, I've been having a hard time getting through it!  I love reading non-fiction but sometimes it's either a little dry or the truth is just a little depressing to swallow.  I've barely made a dent but I'm determined to finish it! 

Lately I've come to realize how passionate I am about the environment and learning how to live more sustainably--more so than I ever thought I would!  I proudly called myself a tree hugger as a child but never thought I'd hope to somehow make it a career.  All those recycle-reduce-reuse commercials really did something to me after all.  My biggest wish is for people to understand that you don't have to live like a "hippie" to lessen your impact on the environment.  There are many small changes we can make to our current lifestyle that will not only lighten the load on the planet, but also have the potential to enrich our lives even more so.  This is the only place we can live, so why not take care of it, and ourselves, at the same time?