It’s time to turn to fresh, healthy, delicious organic food! I volunteer at the MEarth Organic Garden & Kitchen in Carmel Valley, California. Tuesday mornings I excitedly wake up, put on my gardening gear, hop in the truck and drive 20 minutes from our house in Monterey to Carmel Valley to be at MEarth by 8am, home of one of the most amazing volunteer-run gardens I’ve had the pleasure of getting dirty in.
MEarth is an environmental education nonprofit in Carmel Valley, California and is growing the next generation of environmental leaders through education, collaboration, partnerships and community action. They are located on property adjacent to Carmel Middle School, and so students here and from K-12 schools and colleges around Monterey County participate in MEarth programs.
Take a look at this map to get an idea of Monterey County’s spread:
Sustainability practices and principles are the foundation of MEarth’s programming and curriculum. They teach students that all of their actions – from the clothes they wear, the food they eat, the cars they drive, and the homes they live in – have a direct impact, not only on their own lives, but also on our planet’s health. MEarth provides innovative hands-on instruction to students of all ages.
Most programs are run at the Hilton Bialek Habitat (the garden) and in their state-of-the-art “Green Building” and kitchen, shown below:
MEarth state-of-the-art “Green Building” and kitchen, where classroom learning, community workshops, and cooking takes place.LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design award
On Wednesday, May 15, MEarth staff held an appreciation dinner for the many volunteers who work in the garden, kitchen, and with the kids…parents, teachers, local landscape designers, and community volunteers…like me! If you like what you see, I’ve included links to many of the recipes kindly provided by MEarth staff.Beautiful dinner table settingThe MEarth staff harvested, cooked, and served volunteers an AMAZING thank you dinner.
Guest trickling in, snacking on hor’devoures and getting to know each other.
Fresh from the garden! House Salad + Roasted Beets, Roasted Carrots + Balsamic Honey Glaze, fresh-made croutons.
The main course was a choice of 2 kinds of quiche: Potato + Fennel + Spinach + Onion + Thyme (vegetarian) and Bacon + Mushroom + Spinach + Onion + Rosemary (meat lovers’). Here’s the basic recipe just customize the veggie and meat ingredients!Dessert: Raw Strawberry Puree + Cashew Cream. Made with fresh strawberries from the garden.Lemon Ricotta Cookies + Lemon GlazeHappy volunteers enjoying a wonderful dinner. – Photo by MEarth staff
The dinner table setting included artichoke plants, garlic bulbs, and flowers from the garden such as this soft and velvety lambs ear with carrot tops in mason jars.
Succulent gifts for volunteers to take home.
I chose this one, it’s on my coffee table beautifying the house. Let’s take a walk through the habitat, where many of the nights’ delicious menu items came from…
Main entrance into the garden.
Outdoor oven where pizza, breads, and lots of yummy goodness is baked.
Peruvian lilies…my favorite in the garden. They make great cutting flowers.
pom pom flowers
Fresh strawberries…where dessert came from!Fresh fennel tops and roots..soo good!
mmm…onions!I helped make these structures and plant the potatoes. They’re growing! Yay!
A well-stocked and organized garden shed.Greenhouse
Solar energy
Where seedlings from the greenhouse “harden off” before planted in the garden.
The cutest caterpillar in the world!
Me with Cassie, the garden goddess, Carmel Valley native, and Americorps member that runs the garden. She gets things done! To find out about volunteer opportunities at MEarth Hilton Bialek Habitat, visit their website.
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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.
Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.
Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.
Prepare for your move with a personal moving checklist.
Six Weeks Before the Move
Start collecting unwanted things you are not moving to the new house for a garage sale or charity donation.
Organize the garage sale or contact a charity for date and time of pick up. Take photos and make an itemized checklist with estimated market value if planning to write off as a donation to charity. Save donation receipts & photos for tax records.
Make an inventory of everything to be picked up and delivered by the moving company if you’re concerned about things getting to its destination.
Contact at least three reputable moving companies, many will come out in advance for a free estimate. Know the difference between a licensed and insured mover and someone flying under the radar.
Select a mover. Be sure to ask about what they deliver, don’t deliver, wardrobes boxes, blankets or other freebies they may provide. Arrange for the form of payment accepted at the destination and tips -cash, check, cashier’s check, money order, credit card, etc.
Make arrangements with the mover if things need to be picked up and delivered to more than one location (i.e. the new house AND a storage unit).
Get boxes and start packing, or make calls to schedule packers. As you pack, remember to mark each box with the name of the room it will be going to in your new home and it’s contents. If doing it yourself, you will likely need small, medium and large boxes, wardrobe boxes, electronics boxes, picture boxes, and other supplies such as inkless packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape and dispenser, markers for labeling. Many packing companies provide and deliver these items.
Contact your insurance agent(s) (auto, home, renters, etc.) to transfer or cancel coverage as needed.
Check with your employer to find out what moving expenses they will pay.
Four Weeks Before the Move
Fill out change of address forms at the post office for your move date; currently they require at least 2 weeks notice to start forwarding mail. Contact vendors with which you may have a mail-delivery order in progress about your new address.
Start a running list of anyone that must be notified of your change of address immediately.
Check with your veterinarian for pet records and immunizations.
Contact garbage/recycling and other utility companies to set a start date at new place and an end date at the old place. Be sure to set an appointment NOW for Internet set up at the new place …they are known to be backed up for appointments AT LEAST two weeks.
Pick up clothing at the dry cleaners.
Collect everything you have loaned out. Return everything you have borrowed.
Service power mowers, boats, etc. that are to be moved; drain all oil/gas to prevent fire in the moving truck.
Check with doctors and dentists for family records and prescriptions if necessary.
Start collecting children’s school records. Schedule farewell play dates if moving long distance.
Plan to use the food in the refrigerator and freezer over the next few weeks.
Give away or arrange for transportation of houseplants. Some moving companies will not move plants, especially in winter. Plants can be sold at garage sales, given to neighbors or away to http://www.freecycle.org
Schedule a bulky trash pick-up from your local waste management company for any excess piles of garbage or broken furniture …they often pick up once per year for free. You can also arrange for a paid dumpster if there is lots to get rid of.
Two Weeks Before the Move
Cancel or transfer newspapers, garden service, etc.
Schedule a babysitter or plan to send the children to a friend’s house on moving day.
Schedule a move-out cleaner if you don’t plan to do it yourself. This may be the time to splurge on a professional cleaning service…especially if you’re trying to get back a security deposit. Schedule the move-out walkthrough date with the landlord if applicable.
One Week Before the Move
Prepare to transfer or close checking and savings accounts.
Have your car(s) serviced for the trip if driving them long distance.
Check and make an inventory of your furniture for dents and scratches. Notify the moving company of your inventory and compare on arrival at your new house.
Properly dispose of all combustibles and spray cans; don’t pack them as they can explode or burn. Collect unwanted household paints and hazardous waste, old batteries, lightbulbs for proper disposal at your local household hazardous waste drop-off center (they cannot go into a regular trashcan).
Pack a separate carton of complete cleaning supplies and tools (hammer, screw drivers, etc.) if you’ll be doing the cleaning, removing nails and such toward the end of your days at the old house.
Separate boxes and luggage you need for personal/family travel. This is everything that stays with you and will not go in the moving truck.
Review this list in entirety to make sure you have not overlooked anything.
Moving Day
Plan to spend most of the day at the old house.
Prepare for a few healthy sandwiches, snacks and refreshing drinks for the movers…this kind gesture will go a long way for your move.
Tell packers and/or the driver about fragile or precious items.
Make a final check of the entire house – basements, closets, shelves, cabinets, attic, garage- every closet and room for boxes or anything else left behind BEFORE the movers close the truck and leave.
Approve and sign the bill of lading. If possible, accompany the driver to the weigh station if applicable.
Double-check with the driver to ensure moving company records show the proper destination address. Verify the schedules delivery day, too.
Give the driver phone and cell numbers both here and at the new house so the company can contact you in case of a problem.
If applicable, get complete routing information and phone numbers from the driver so you can call the driver or company in case of a emergency en route.
Lock all doors and windows and advise who you should that the house is empty.
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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.
Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.
Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.
Whether they are friends, family, or a professional service, have things ready when the packers arrive. This includes ample boxes and packing materials if you are providing them. Set aside or label anything you do not want packed. Waiting until the last minute to sort slows the process. Save time, money and anxiety by being prepared.
Set aside on a bed or in a box anything you need to have overnight during your move such as toiletries, medicine, clothing, the laptop, cell phone charging cords, etc. If you want the packers to focus on certain areas of the house or a room, use sticky notes to designate them. Adhere with an extra piece of scotch tape to prevent the notes from falling.
You can also prepare a written list of directions for the packers to follow. Keep it simple. Make a copy for each packer.
Clear off surfaces so they have somewhere on which to wrap. The kitchen counter, dining and coffee table are good areas.
If a tabletop and/or the items being packed on it are fragile, lay a sheet or thin blanket down on the surface for protection.
Set aside high-value items such as artwork or collections, and inform the packers of them upon arrival so that they take extra care.
Keep in mind that moving companies usually will not insure pre-packed boxes for more than the basic .60/lb. Check with your movers about their policies, you may want them to pack and insure high value items.
Have out quart and gallon-size zip-lock bags to be used for smaller kitchen utensils, or toiletries that may spill or leak. This is also a good time to use plastic grocery or shopping bags you’ve been saving.
Prepare towels or bulky linens you are willing to let the packers use to cushion fragile items in boxes and save a little money on packing materials.
Moving companies usually do not transport plants, flammables and hazardous liquids or materials of any kind. Be sure to inquire with your movers about what they will not transport so that you don’t have the packers pack it.
Providing fresh fruit, light snacks and cold water or juice for your packers and movers is a small deed that goes a long way. A couple of short and healthy fuel breaks throughout the day maintains energy, efficiency, and a positive attitude.
The packers can tape these easy to read labels onto your moving boxes…a great way to help you and your movers see what boxes go where. Print only the pages you need on the back of scratch paper. You can always just have them use good old fashion marker labeling, too.
Use these nifty room signs to put on doors and walls at the new house and help your movers get boxes to the correct rooms. Highly recommended.
UNPACKING TIPS
Have the movers place boxes according to the pre-printed room signs.
Leave pathways, table and countertops clear so that you or your unpackers may use them to safely work.
Break down boxes and stack like-size ones together.
Flatten and stack used wrap paper, then roll together about 25 pieces at a time and stand upright in a large box. Several stored this way takes up less space and are easier to carry than scrunched paper stuffed into garbage bags. If you are passing these materials onto another person to reuse, she will appreciate it.
If you do not have someone to give leftover materials to, posting FREE PACKING MATERIALS on Craigslist or Freecycle is a sure way to get them hauled away quickly.
Packing peanuts are not recyclable in most areas. Check with your local mail and ship store, as they commonly accept peanut donations and reuse them.
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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.
Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.
Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.
Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.
Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.
