Cheap baby boy clothes

Value Village, Silver Spring, Md., Summer 2008: Baby boy clothes, new or almost new, for $1. Pictured here is a green and blue onesie that snaps in the front for ease in dressing baby. Avoid those over-the-head dressing entanglements. No trauma for baby, no drama for mama! Take your change and buy a tired and hungry new mom some takeout from Lucia's Italian Deli!

How to compost in Montgomery County, Md.

Left: A free recycling bin provided by Montgomery County. (Image provided courtesy of Montgomery County Department of Solid Waste Services)

In 2007, yard waste such as grass, branches, and plant clippings comprised 12.7 percent of solid waste in Montgomery County, Md. Most of that waste is either recycled or composted by the county. Yet this yard waste, with a little effort and minimal expense, can be composted into gardener's gold: rich soil that can be used to grow mouthwatering tomatoes, herbs, and other plants.

This is where Alan Pultyniewicz, Montgomery County recycling coordinator, comes in. He works with county residents to encourage them to compost their own yard waste. Today at a $5, one-hour class at Brookside Gardens, Pultyniewcz outlined a basic process for low-maintenance, low-effort composting:

1) Combine high-carbon "brown material" (including leaves, wood chips, cotton rags, and dryer lint) with nitrogen-rich "green material" (including grass, flowers, coffee grounds, and pruned branches). Keep the mixture in either an open pile or a compost bin (more on these below). To expedite decomposition, keep the size of the materials between 1/4 and 1 inch.

2) If you need the compost in one to four months, then turn the pile every week or two using a pitchfork or an aerator. Keep the pile as moist as a damp sponge. If the pile is too damp, add more brown material (i.e., leaves). If it's too dry, add more green material (i.e., grass). The optimal temperature for decomposition is between 104 and 140 degrees. You can monitor the temperature using a 3 foot long thermometer, available in gardening stores. To lower temperature, add more brown material. To raise temperature, add more green material.

3) If you don't feel like turning the pile, you can let the materials sit in a pile and they will decompose in around a year, depending on the size of the materials. This is called "cold composting."

Montgomery County offers free composting bins to county residents in an attempt to encourage homeowners to compost their own yard waste. Otherwise, the county ends up having to transport the yard waste to its solid waste transfer station, according to Pultyniewicz. From there, these materials are hauled by train to the county's "waste-to-energy resource recovery facility" in Dickerson, where the materials are processed. The ash that results is then transported by rail and truck to a landfill in Southern Virginia.

More next time on how to compost kitchen waste such as vegetable peels.

New Thrift Store in Wheaton MD

A new thrift store is opening on Feb. 10 in Wheaton, Md. ARC Thrift Store will benefit the ARC of Montgomery County, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities. The store is located at 2658 University Blvd. E. (just east of Veirs Mill Road) and its phone number is 301-933-5666.

Plant swapping is more fun than wife swapping

A new Yahoo group, DC Metropolitan Plantswap group, provides a forum for PLANT AND SEED SWAPPING & EXCHANGES, exchange of ideas, tools, pots, etc.


Pictured left: Basil (image provided by http://www.flowers.vg)

Green living in Prince George's County, MD

From the Gazette: Residents and lawmakers envision a ‘greener' Prince George's. Unfortunately, the dreams of these citizens are far from reality in the car-dependent county. Follow Arlington, Va.'s lead and develop pedestrian-friendly commercial cores around metro stations and public transportation. Unclog the Beltway and bring the purple line to PG County!

4 Fabulous Consignment and Thrift Stores in Washington, D.C.

The less you spend, the less you have to work (or at least that's the way it should be in an ideal world). Buying secondhand clothes is good for the earth and your pocketbook. Some of my best fashion finds are from thrift stores and consignment shops. Here are my favorites in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area:

1. Value Village/Unique Thrift Store in Maryland: Several location, loads of clothes. Tenacious searchers will find their offbeat somewhere in that store. I got my blue bellbottom cords and my Jackie O. inspired maternity dress there. Go on Mondays for 10 percent off.

2. Goodwill in Arlington, Va., at Route 50 and Glebe Road: Clothes are sorted by color rather than by season.

3. Gladrags in Takoma Park, Md. A little pricier than thrift stores, but the sorry clothes have already been sifted from the funky. Pictured here: A $10 floor-length vintage velvet gown worn at an inaugural ball.

4. The Remix, Capitol Hill: Owner Stacey rocks. I found a sequined gown and a teal green pea coat. Not to be worn together.