The bag blog is an open exchange of ideas on sustainable packaging, green initiatives and the earth in general. Pull up a chair, have a read and have a say.
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is from Kristine Munroe-Mahoney. Kristine is the Community Manager at KeenForGreen.com. She is passionate about going green along with her son, Isaac, and her husband, Matt. She lives outside of Boston.
While I try hard to conserve water year round, it can sometimes be difficult during the warmer months. Between watering the garden and filling up that kiddie pool, it’s easy to end up using more water than I intend.
Over the past few years, I’ve worked on a list to help my family conserve water in the spring and summer. Here’s what we do:
We setup a rain harvesting system in our backyard. There are so many benefits to collecting rain – it saves money and water! You can buy a system or make one inexpensively.
We reuse the kiddie pool water for our garden. My son loves to help us with that! He takes his little watering can and helps water our plants.
Take water usage into consideration when planning our garden. We live in New England, so we get rain year-round. However, in parts of the country where the summers can be very dry, try not to plant too many items that require a lot of watering.
Use sprinklers sparingly. If your sprinklers are on an automatic timer system, make sure they don’t go on while it is raining. It drives me crazy when I see a sprinkler running when it rains! We have a very small yard, so we seldom use a sprinkler and prefer our hose and a watering can.
Use mulch! Mulch is great because it captures moisture and keeps your soil cooler. Make sure your soil is nice and moist before putting the mulch down. Plus, I love the smell of fresh mulch. It’s one of my favorite springtime smells!
We water our garden in the evening. The ideal time of day to water your garden is actually dawn, but we are not early birds so we tend to water late in the day.
Keep a bucket in the bathroom to collect water while the shower water is warming up. This is particularly useful for regions that don’t get much rain in the spring and summer. We also do this in the winter and use the water for our toilet.
Give the garden a good soak. According to a 2006 article in the Guardian, it’s better to water your garden less frequently but more heavily. Otherwise, “the water does not penetrate deep into the ground and encourages plants to develop roots near the soil’s surface.”
As I finish typing this post, it’s dreary, cold, and raining outside where I live. At least our rain barrel is filling up…and the warmer weather should be right around the corner!
According to happiness expert Dan Baker (remember him from last week’s awesome guest post?), love is the first step towards happiness – it’s even the first of his 12 layers of happiness. He thinks that loving someone else is the best feeling in the world, and we agree – so much so that we decided that with Mother’s Day coming up, it’s the perfect time to celebrate our love for the special people in our lives, like our moms! We’d love for you to join us in honoring moms everywhere by checking out our Happiness as a Mom contest on Facebook – you could win a monthly flower delivery for your mom (for an entire year), plus a year’s supply of Frosted Mini Spooners®, just for sharing your favorite memory with your mom or as a mom. Now that seems like something everyone can be happy about!
Editor’s Note: Last summer through our “Greenest Classroom” contest, schools across the country submitted their best earth-friendly classroom ideas for a chance to win a grant to help turn their ideas into reality. Today’s post comes from the coordinator of the grand-prize winner, River Place Elementary Titan Gardens. Read below to see all of the inspiring projects they’ve been able to accomplish!
What a year we have had in the Titan Garden at River Place Elementary! Since winning the Greenest Classroom Award from MOM Brands last year, we have been building and growing and learning. Soon after hearing the amazing news of our award from MOM Brands, the action began with the July 2011 construction of our Outdoor Classroom, the centerpiece to our school garden. The classroom is the first place the students gather when they come outside and it acts as a grounding place for them before they scatter in all directions to observe and interact in the garden. The students love to gather on their stump seats made from reclaimed cedar trees, and they are surrounded by reminders of the importance of our environment: solar panels on the roof, rainwater harvesting barrels in the back, and a wildflower meadow in front.
On October 15th, 2011, over 160 members of our community, from 5 years old to 75 years old, gathered to build our new garden area. Seeing all of these people gathered to bring to life the vision we had laid out for our school garden was an amazing thing. We spent the next 7 hours transforming what was an empty field into a garden that would offer areas for food crops, herb growing, and showcasing native and adapted plants.
Starting in the fall, our first classes began weekly visits to the garden. They helped plant new areas of the garden with native plants and put in our fall vegetables. Things picked up in late fall as the entire school came out for our Annual Titan Wildflower Stomp, which we are now enjoying the results of as we are inundated with gorgeous native wildflowers including a great crop of Texas Bluebonnets. As the school year progressed, more and more classes were using the garden, whether for a weekly visit for garden class, an outdoor activity to expand on a science lesson, a trip outside in art class to draw flowers, or some quiet time for reading.
And the students have given back to our garden. Kindergarten maintains a worm composting bin by gathering food weekly for worm feeding which we can then harvest worm castings from to add to our garden soil. First graders built two fantastic compost bins where we recycle grass and leaves. We have joyfully used our rainwater to water our vegetables and cheered when we see it raining through the classroom windows because we know our barrels are filling up again. We have held radish tastings and had Celebration Salad Days for over 200 students where we harvest lettuce, snow peas, radishes, carrots and herbs and have a salad feast to celebrate the harvest.
But sometimes it is the simple activities that make the biggest impact: students examining plants with magnifying lenses to find each stage of the ladybug lifecycle, children spread all over the garden picking out weeds from the pathways to help keep our garden beautiful, learning how a snapdragon flower got its name, hearing the shouts of joy as the students discover that the marigold seeds they planted last week are sprouting. ”I did that!” they say with pride and happiness. I know exactly how they feel when I look around our Titan Garden at what we have accomplished, with help from so many parents and community volunteers and companies who have helped us along the way. Thank you MOM Brands for helping light such an amazing spark to get our project going.
Happiness expert, Dan Baker, identifies 12 qualities of happiness in his book, What Happy People Know. One of these qualities is humor. As Dan writes in his book, “Humor is a shift of perception that gives people the guts to go on when life looks its worst. There is an abandonment in it that is close to enlightenment.”
We love to laugh, and we agree that finding humor in everyday life is important to happiness. Are there videos out there that reward a sense of humor with a good-natured chuckle? We took a look. Are there interesting videos about happiness out there? Yes, there are. From big brands to miniature gardens, here are a few videos about happiness that we found fun:
Mr. Happy Man
Come rain or shine, 88-year-old Bermudian Johnny Barnes devotes six hours every day to an endearing traffic ritual that has made him one of the island’s most cherished citizens.
Coca-Cola Happiness Machine
A Coca-Cola vending machine is transformed into a happiness machine delivering “doses” of happiness. Where will happiness strike next?
Happy Trail
An inspiring video about the joy of riding a bicycle and doing what you love!
Holes of Happiness
Holes Of Happiness is a short documentary looking at the reactions of the public to some pothole gardens that have been popping up around East London.
Hopefully these videos contributed a little bit to world happiness today. What videos about happiness have you seen? Let us know in the comments section!
We like to think that you’re all ahead of the curve – after all, you were committed to doing what’s best for the Earth by purchasing products with less packaging before it was cool! It seems that consumers like you (and companies like ours) have started a trend, because we’ve noticed more people joining the movement to buy products that are better for the Earth. It’s a simple concept – starting with less in the first place is just a better way to do things — and we’re excited that it’s gaining momentum. Here are a few that we’ve noticed recently – and even an opportunity to design your own sustainable packaging!
Editor’s Note: This post is part of the Frosted Mini Spooners 12 Layers of Happiness campaign and is from happiness expert Dan Baker, author of What Happy People Know.
Being happy is core to being human. We wish people “happy” birthday, anniversary, and New Year. It’s a primary theme of songs, poems, novels, and children’s stories. Who can forget “and they lived happily ever after?” Young children are often graced with the sentiment to grow up being healthy and “happy.” Undeniably, happiness is essential for a good life.
In today’s high tech world of instant gratification we are constantly bombarded by hype and misconceptions that promise, but fail to deliver, happiness. Madison Avenue’s mantra is “happiness is in your next purchase.” The truth is that happiness is not a commodity to be acquired. It does not arrive at our doorstep. It cannot be given to us, nor can it be won. Even the events that we label as “good” or “bad” have only a modest influence on our sense of happiness. If happiness doesn’t come from such sources, what is it that allows one to be truly happy?
There is a prevailing belief that people are just born happy, or not. True, genetic influence is powerful−upwards of 50% of our disposition, including happiness or the flip side sadness/melancholy, is in our DNA. Another 10% of our emotional state is influenced by daily events, but in the end most of those events are quickly forgotten, leaving no lasting effect on our overall happiness. What we do know is at least 40% of our happiness comes from intention, and that is what this blog is about. Even curmudgeon-types can intentionally learn to be happier. The mission here is to help you the reader, understand the practices, virtues, and values of what enduringly happy people know and then help you go about incorporating these qualities and traits into your daily life. In the process you will come to know and understand that happiness is realized by living fully through life-long-learning, knowing why you get out of bed each day, nurturing relationships (including with yourself), effective self-management, appreciating the many good things and people around you and other qualities to be identified later. For example, ever notice how easy it is to focus on problems, heartache, and disappointment? For example, if someone is driving badly you notice that right away. But how often do you notice the hundreds of good drivers around you? They go largely unnoticed because our brain is simply not wired to automatically look for what is right. We need to consciously seek what is right and good in our lives.
So here’s the homework assignment. Every morning when you awaken and before getting out of bed, think about someone or something for which you have an appreciation. Do the same before you take the first bite of lunch, and then again before you go to sleep. Also, when you experience disappointment, balance it by thinking about two or three things and/or people you really appreciate. Happy people practice appreciation.
The pursuit of happiness is considered an inalienable right in America. It says so right in the constitution! So if this happiness pursuit is so important, what exactly is happiness? We all know that happiness is a difficult thing to define, and people have been trying for quite a long time. The effort to understand happiness has resulted in the publication of many books, endless conversations, and many, many interesting quotes.
Some of these quotes can seem a little corny, but many are very thoughtful. We decided to round up a few classic quotes and compare them with some insights from the wonderful people at MOM Brands.
First, a few classics: Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. – Abraham Lincoln Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. – Nathaniel Hawthorne Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. –Aristotle My Happiness is not the means to my end. It is the end. – Ayn Rand
Now, here are some of the best quotes we rounded up from our MOM Brands family: Happiness is… A choice – Michele (Sales) Coffee – Heather (Marketing) An early morning motorcycle ride on an empty, windy road – Andrew (Finance) The Minnesota Gophers winning a bowl game – Tim (IT) A new adventure to a new place – Dan (Pricing) Eating lunch at a food truck on a nice, sunny day – Melanie (Trade) Spicy food – Jesse (S&OP) A conversation with an old friend – Carrie (Marketing) An organized junk drawer – Cindy (Pricing) A good feeling – Sattya (Trade) A puppy and a small child – Chris (Accounting) When reality exceeds your expectations – Philip (Accounting) Achieving something that no one else was able to make happen – Heather (Meeting and Events)
We’re committed to doing our best for the Earth, today and everyday. In honor of Earth Month, we’d love to hear how you do your best for the Earth, too – whether it’s biking to work, taking shorter showers, or buying cereal in a bag rather than a box. We hope that your stories can be inspirational to us all! Visit our Facebook page to join the conversation and share your pledge.
Editor’s Note: In honor of Earth Month we asked our good friend Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, to share his ideas on Earth Day.
The Most Environmental of Months
As an environmental company, TerraCycle has a unique relationship with Earth Day. Celebrating our environment and spreading awareness and activism is wonderful, but we also like to remind people that the Earth needs to be taken care of every day. For the past few years, we’ve had an array of special events around Earth Day. In 2009, we launched our mini-series on National Geographic – Garbage Moguls – and in 2010, we had a Walmart Hotspot with sixty TerraCycle products were displayed in Walmart stores, right next to the products that they used to be! Think, drink pouch backpacks next to boxes of Capri Sun.
Last year, 2011, we had the Old Navy Flip-Flop Replay in which we collected used flip flops at Old Navy stores across the country during the Earth Month. That same month, in partnership with Office Depot, we collected used pens and writing instruments at their retail locations.
We opted for something smaller in 2012. We’re collecting binders at select Staples locations across the country. Those binders will be recycled into our standard plastic products: park benches, picnic tables, pavers, and plastic lumber.
Our other focus this Earth Day is some of our new launches. Rather than do one huge event for Earth day, we decided to spread it out in order to help people take care of the Earth all year round – not just Earth Day!
Our Huggies Packaging Brigade has expanded, and now takes as many packages per shipment as you can send us. The Method Cleaner Brigade accepts all kinds of cleaner packaging – nozzles, sprays, bottles, etc. We now collect wine pouches, thanks to Clif Family Winery and the Wine Pouch Brigade. Flip-flops should start to be collected soon as well, and we also have a Jewelry Brigade.
Other than signing up for the new Brigades and always recycling your MOM Brands cereal bags with the Cereal Bag Brigade, what can you do for Earth Day? I took the liberty of coming with a few ways to celebrate the day.
Make an upcycled DIY. You can see a few projects here, or come up with your own. What can you gather from around the house and turn into a practical, every day item?
Have a garage sale. Instead of throwing out your old stuff, let someone else find a new use for it.
Choose one day a week to not use your car – walk or bike wherever you need to go. Or, spend the day enjoying a nearby park or your backyard.
Share your Earth Day pledge on Malt-O-Meal’s Facebook page this Sunday.
I, for one, know that my Earth Day pledge is to find more ways to recycle and more waste streams to recycle so that recycling and upcycling are as easy as possible.
We’re loving all the attention that our beautiful planet has been getting this past month. Not only is Earth Month underway, but a whole day dedicated to loving the Earth that is fast approaching. That’s right everyone, Earth Day is this Sunday!
In honor of this day, we searched high and low to find some great tips that really make a difference. Check out these 15 Earth Day tips! Which one is your favorite?
Visit our Facebook page next week to see more ideas for inspiration and to share your own. Until then, we hope you keep on having a Happy Earth Month!
While I try hard to conserve water year round, it can sometimes be difficult during the warmer months. Between watering the garden and filling up that kiddie pool, it’s easy to end up using more water than I intend.
What a year we have had in the Titan Garden at River Place Elementary! Since winning the Greenest Classroom Award from MOM Brands last year, we have been building and growing and learning. Soon after hearing the amazing news of our award from MOM Brands, the action began with the July 2011 construction of our Outdoor Classroom, the centerpiece to our school garden. The classroom is the first place the students gather when they come outside and it acts as a grounding place for them before they scatter in all directions to observe and interact in the garden. The students love to gather on their stump seats made from reclaimed cedar trees, and they are surrounded by reminders of the importance of our environment: solar panels on the roof, rainwater harvesting barrels in the back, and a wildflower meadow in front. 
But sometimes it is the simple activities that make the biggest impact: students examining plants with magnifying lenses to find each stage of the ladybug lifecycle, children spread all over the garden picking out weeds from the pathways to help keep our garden beautiful, learning how a snapdragon flower got its name, hearing the shouts of joy as the students discover that the marigold seeds they planted last week are sprouting. ”I did that!” they say with pride and happiness. I know exactly how they feel when I look around our Titan Garden at what we have accomplished, with help from so many parents and community volunteers and companies who have helped us along the way. Thank you MOM Brands for helping light such an amazing spark to get our project going.
Hopefully these videos contributed a little bit to world happiness today. What videos about happiness have you seen? Let us know in the comments section!
We like to think that you’re all ahead of the curve – after all, you were committed to doing what’s best for the Earth by purchasing products with less packaging before it was cool! It seems that consumers like you (and companies like ours) have started a trend, because we’ve noticed more people joining the movement to buy products that are better for the Earth. It’s a simple concept – starting with less in the first place is just a better way to do things — and we’re excited that it’s gaining momentum. Here are a few that we’ve noticed recently – and even an opportunity to design your own sustainable packaging!
There is a prevailing belief that people are just born happy, or not. True, genetic influence is powerful−upwards of 50% of our disposition, including happiness or the flip side sadness/melancholy, is in our DNA. Another 10% of our emotional state is influenced by daily events, but in the end most of those events are quickly forgotten, leaving no lasting effect on our overall happiness. What we do know is at least 40% of our happiness comes from intention, and that is what this blog is about. Even curmudgeon-types can intentionally learn to be happier. The mission here is to help you the reader, understand the practices, virtues, and values of what enduringly happy people know and then help you go about incorporating these qualities and traits into your daily life. In the process you will come to know and understand that happiness is realized by living fully through life-long-learning, knowing why you get out of bed each day, nurturing relationships (including with yourself), effective self-management, appreciating the many good things and people around you and other qualities to be identified later. For example, ever notice how easy it is to focus on problems, heartache, and disappointment? For example, if someone is driving badly you notice that right away. But how often do you notice the hundreds of good drivers around you? They go largely unnoticed because our brain is simply not wired to automatically look for what is right. We need to consciously seek what is right and good in our lives. 
We’re committed to doing our best for the Earth, today and everyday. In honor of Earth Month, we’d love to hear how you do your best for the Earth, too – whether it’s biking to work, taking shorter showers, or buying cereal in a bag rather than a box. We hope that your stories can be inspirational to us all! Visit our 
As an environmental company, TerraCycle has a unique relationship with Earth Day. Celebrating our environment and spreading awareness and activism is wonderful, but we also like to remind people that the Earth needs to be taken care of every day. For the past few years, we’ve had an array of special events around Earth Day. In 2009, we launched our mini-series on National Geographic – Garbage Moguls – and in 2010, we had a Walmart Hotspot with sixty TerraCycle products were displayed in Walmart stores, right next to the products that they used to be! Think, drink pouch backpacks next to boxes of Capri Sun.
It makes us wonder… how did Earth Day start? Check out