Guinea Pig Poopa-Loopa

This is Lilly.  Lilly is a 3 year old pet store guinea pig.  Reed (the 13 year old) bought her with his own money that he got for birthdays and Christmas.  We have had her since she was about 6 weeks old - maybe a few weeks older.  Yes - she is very cute - if you aren't the person who is home with her most of the time!  She is very healthy and she likes people.  She knows what the sound of a grocery and Ziplock bags sound like and she knows the sound of the front door opening and the fridge door opening! She squeals with delight when someone comes in thinking they will be bringing her a treat of some kind.  Usually we do.  She likes weeds - dandelion and chickweed are favorites, but she likes lettuce, spinach, and celery leaf really well also.  She is a great pet for the kid, but..... for me she is pretty much a plant eating poop machine!

 

I have told you about our lemon trees - Lilly loves them - she just recently ate one that we grew this year from seed.  She ate roots and all.

She has eaten all of the basil, oregano, a banana tree, an avocado tree, aluminum plant, and anything else she can get her teeth on, including the CAT-5 printer cable.  Yes - we have picked up all the plants off the floor - they are on plant stands - she learned how to climb up the pots and stands to get to the tasty plants.  She has wedged her way up between the wall and a pot to get into one of them.

 

She is very smart and although I would like for her to stay in her cage all the time - that is sad.  It is the biggest cage we could find but it doesn't allow for her to get enough exercise and she starts to get chubby.  So we let her out at least once a week.  She poops and pees on the floor as well as plant eating.  She does have some redeeming factors however!

 

Lilly lives in shavings in her cage.  We use cedar or pine, and sometimes straw if thats all we can find.  She will also eat some of the produce that isn't so pretty and wont work in salad or fresh eats.  And we can use the by-products that she creates in her house for our gardening.

 

 The bottom of the cage gets lined with newspaper for easier cleaning, and then the "fluff"" goes on top of that.  So when her cage needs cleaned, we take it right out the door to the compost pile or the hugelkulture bed that we are building.  Below is the used fluff on the compost pile.

The above photo is the Lilly fluff and cage leavings on one of the newly started hugelkulture beds.  It makes great compost in a rolling composter as well as on the beds or an open compost pile.  The shavings add a mulch factor and the poop add some organic nutrients.  If you have to have a pet that is low care and you dont mind the occasional eaten house plant then this is the way to go. 

 

The boys here all laugh when she eats my plants, not so much when she pees on something of theirs, but over all she is a good little pet and a good starter for any kid.  They are low maintenance and teach responsibility - the squealing reminds the kids what needs done so the mom doesn't have to do the nagging and they provide a little help for the garden as a bonus!

This cleaner handles it all!

 We've covered your dirty dishes and laundry, but I completely forgot about this great hand cleaner that also works for sinks, toilets, countertops and just about anything that needs cleaned.  Both my boys use it as a body wash.  It is a gentle exfoliant that you can change the scent from manly to floral to citrus clean!  It can also be made as an unscented cleaner for those who have allergies.  Depending on what essential oils you use - it can be an antibacterial kitchen and bath cleanser too!  Thyme, Rosemary and Lemon are good oils for cleaning.  Lavendar and sage are both good for showering with.

In a glass bowl using a wooden or  plastic spatula (don't use rubber or metal) mix together the following:

 

1 C. Borax

1 C. Baking Soda

1/2 C. liquid castile soap

1/2 C. vegetable glycerin

1/4 C. vinegar (white, orange, or cider)

10-15 drops of your choice of essential oil

(I recommend thyme and lemon for kitchen, lavendar or rosemary for body wash/shower use)

Mix together to form a stiff paste.  If it will run through your fingers it is too thin - add more Borax and Baking Soda in equal amounts.  If you have to really dig to get it out it may be too thick and add more of the Glycerin and Castile. You can also add a little water - no harm.  Don't add more vinegar as this may add to the problem - it likes to make the baking soda like concrete!

Store in an airtight glass or plastic container.  I like the ones below from Lehmans Non Electric www.lehmans.com

 

I use a plastic tub for the shower - glass could break and damage the kids!  To use as  toilet cleaner drop a tablespoon or two in the toilet, add 1/2 C. of vinegar and let soak for 15-20 minutes.  Use your brush and flush!  You can also use it on the tub ring - just scoop some onto your sponge or brush, rub it on and let it sit briefly and it that ring will come off pretty easily without any gross chemicals!

My hubby uses this cleaner to take grease and other manly substances off of his hands after a day of well drilling and I like having it for after a day in the garden to get that grime off that the gloves didn't keep out - or for when I forgot to wear gloves!

This will also work in a pinch as a dishwasher detergent - use one to two tablespoons in the soap cup and add some vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher.  I like to use a citrus vinegar for dish washing.

Change it to suit your needs, but keep it simple so hyou can remember what you did and repeat it - you will want more when your first batch is gone!  Happy Cleaning!

Velcro - the plant saver!

Velcro is amazing!  This stuff can hold your clothes and shoes on, your wallet closed, and hold your tomatoes up!  Yes - it has great uses in the greenhouse and garden.  It is easily reused, and is gentle on your plants.  I learned this trick from my mom at Snowfire Gardens (www.snowfiregardens.net) and it requires the double sided velcro.  I was able to score a package at the local thrift store for 75 cents.  Always check the thrift store for items such as this.  I have been able to find a lot of it over the years in the sewing section! 

I was able to cut the strips in half from this package so I get twice the number of plant supports.

Gently wrap one slice of Velcro around the plant and the plant stake and stick the ends together.  make sure you dont have the wrap too tight and cause the plant to damage itself as it grows.

These can be re-used every year and they make it easy to undo and re-adjust your support system as your plants grow.  This is a friendly way to keep tomatoes, cukes, and even pepper plants growing in the direction you need them to go!   Especially helpful with the indeterminate tomato plants that tend to try to escape from the greenhouse.  I like these much better than the little twist ties that have the metal in the center (they rust and leave marks on the plants, and I think they can introduce disease), and they are easier to use than plain strips of fabric that you have to knot and untie each time you need to adjust something.

 

The strips are also washable should you ever (hopefully not) get any type of virus or fungus - just throw them in with the wash in a cheesecloth bag and dry on the line.  Store them in an airtight container so they dont collect dust and mites during the winter and you will have an easy time holding up anythint you need to!  Happy growing!