Photo taken at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA.  I just can’t get enough pumpkins this time of year…welcome to crisper air and cozy sweaters!  If you want to visit a local farm before it gets too cold, visit Local Harvest to find one near you.

As it gets colder outside, I find myself spending more time indoors evaluating my living space.  Is there too much clutter, despite trying to purge things we no longer need?  Is my kitchen organized enough to help me stay prepared for the holiday baking season?  I listened to a couple of podcasts recently about organizing, and they helped remind me of a few things.

1. Taking time to organize your things will eventually help you save time on a daily basis.  I heard a quote recently that the average mom spends at least one hour a day looking for things at home.  I could certainly use that hour back…I spent too much time trying to find a missing red child’s slipper this week, only to find it in my laundry bin.
2. Staying organized helps you save money.  I think is so important and especially key when it comes to reducing your monthly food budget.  If my refrigerator gets out of control, I inevitably spend too much money because I end up with duplicates of items I already own.  When I clean out my fridge prior to making my weekly grocery list, I find I am able to stay within my budget without having to forgo any favorites.
3. By reducing clutter, you save “green” energy.  Two ways I look at this…the first is I actively manage what I’m buying for food products and can avoid tossing spoiled products.  The second thing relates to our proclivity to consumerism, and by selectively choosing what I spend my money on, I’m better able to keep out excess stuff in the home that may eventually become trash.

I think my next project needs to be getting better organized with my closets. Anyone have any favorite tips or storage ideas?  Which room do you need to tackle next to help you feel more organized?

September was a very busy month in our home and I thought I would share some my favorite happenings.  Every September seems to get busier and busier, yet it’s my favorite month of the entire year.  I get lost in planning fall recipes and apple picking dates.  I got the idea for this post from Megan at SortaCrunchy and loved the thought of being able to look back in a year to see what still resonates with me.

What I am Into this Month~ September 2010
On My Nightstand: I am still working through Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America, by Nick Rosen.  (Look for a giveaway in the coming weeks.)  It’s amazing to read the stories of men and women who have chosen to live without the comforts of electricity.  Since my heat actually kicked on tonight for the first time this fall, I realize how reliant we are on fast energy.

My husband and I are both reading the Stieg Larsson trilogy; he is reading the first and I’m reading The Girl Who Played with Fire (Vintage) .  It’s hard to put it down at night and has kept me away from reading blogs…and writing to I have to admit.

In my car I’m listening to The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.  We choose this book for book club, but with all the other books on my nightstand, I decided to get the audio version from my library.  The storyline is a bit disturbing, but incredibly thought provoking with lots of symbolism.

Movie I’ve Seen: I made it out to the theater and enjoyed Eat, Pray Love with Julia Roberts.  It was a close interpretation of the book, but I was a little let down by the lack of time spent in India.  I remember it being the most meaningful in the book, but didn’t get the same feeling from the movie.

In my Kitchen:  When fall arrives, I start cooking.  I spend nearly every weekend in the summer at my grandmother’s cottage so there is not a great opportunity to spread my kitchen wings.  I think I’m making up for lost time!  Sunday dinners have started back up and we have had as many as eight at our dinner table.  Lots of chili was on deck for the start of the football season, and now I’m moving into baked goods.

Apples take center stage this month since the picking season arrived earlier than usual here in New England.  We made the following the past couple of weeks: Baked Apples, Apple Pie, Applesauce, Apple Muffins and an Apple Galette. I have to give credit to my husband, the BEST apple peeler ever.  I couldn’t make all these goodies without him.

On my radio:  New favorite song is Little Lion Man from Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More album.  I put this into Pandora and love all the variety I’m hearing.

Blogs I’m now visiting: Latest favorite is Life…Your Way.  I appreciate their quick email recaps of the best of posts.  Very much like my favorite Saturday email from the Simple Mom, highlighting any posts I may have missed.

Happy events this month: We were blessed with two special events this month.  My husband and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a night to ourselves in Boston, and stayed in the Judy Garland Suite.  I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan so I knew it was going to be a great place.  It didn’t disappoint us.

The second happy occassion was our 18 week ultrasound.  We are happy to share that everything is going well and we look forward to Baby #2’s arrival in early 2011.

What I am Looking forward to next Month:  Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins.  We hope to go to a pumpkin festival at a nearby zoo to get ideas for decorating.  At the end of the month is the annual Pumpkin Carving party at our friends house, which is sure to be interesting as there will be two more children in attendance than last year.  It’s great to see our friend’s families grow.

OK, Your Turn!  What happened for you this month?  Share your comments below or a link to a September post.

I got my Iphone last Christmas and since then I have slowly added a number of great Apps.  Here’s a quick look at my favorite “green” Iphone Apps. ( I would like to assume these work on all Smartphones, but if they don’t, please share in the comment section. Thanks)

Dirty Dozen:
Who: Environmental Working Group
What: Application gives you a quick view of the fruits and vegetables most contaminated with pesticides and therefore those you should splurge and spend extra on the organic option where available.  Currently 49 different fruits or vegetables are listed.
Worst on the list currently: Celery…#2 is Peaches.
Best on the list: Onions

Cost: FREE 🙂

Seafood Watch
Who: Monterey Bay Aquarium
What: Recommends sustainable seafood options.  Great for in the grocery store or out to dinner.  It updates the guide based on where you live (or currently travelling.)  They use an easy to red Green/Yellow/Red code to rate Best Choice/Good Alternative/Avoid.  This is the rating system Whole Foods will start using in the coming months to determine their in-store selection.
Cost: FREE 🙂

IRecycle
Who: Earth911.com
What: I can enter the item I need to recycle and it tells me the nearest location.  This is great for finding places to drop off cell phones, mercury thermometers and other random items you find when you get around to cleaning/organizing.  I like that I can use this from home or at my office to find the closest drop off location.  There is also a list of local events for specialty items, like Hard Metals.

Cost: FREE 🙂

Everyday Food
Who: Martha Stewart
What: Although not your typical “green” app choice, I think this deserves to be on the list because it has helped me reduce waste in my kitchen. When I have some random ingredients leftover, I enter it into the keyword search to find an easy recipe for dinner.  I had used this when I had leftover tortillas and also artichokes…yes, separate occasions.  I have been a long-time fan of Everyday Food magazine and also own their first cookbook.  For weeknight dinners, I have yet to find an easier set of recipes, including sides which I am always in need of inspirations.  Steamed broccoli gets a little boring after awhile. I have also used the Shopping List function when I find a new recipe.  All of the (non-basic) ingredients are added to a shopping list so I’m prepared when I make it to the grocery stores.  Overall it has cut down on wasting food and given me many new recipes to try!
Cost: $0.99  (worth every penny)

Hope everyone finds some new inspiration from these apps.  Do you have one I should check out?  I love hearing what other’s find helpful!

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