I recently saw a statistic that more than 70% of the residents in the Los Angeles metropolitan area are renters. A high proportion of those renters live in condos and apartments. When we moved into our condo in Santa Monica, I thought that my dreams of raising our own organic fruits and vegetables were over because we didn't have a yard.
I also struggled with the notion that it would take a lot of water to grow these fruits and vegetables and I wanted to be green. I didn't want to waste water, but then I realized that by growing our own fruits and vegetables, we will HELP the environment in the following ways:
* growing plants and trees puts oxygen into the air which helps fight global warming
* cutting out the necessity for a truck to deliver produce to the store to be purchased and consumed (which cuts down on pollution, emissions and reliance on gasoline and oil)
* using less water and land than traditional farming
* teaching my children (THE FABRIC OF YOUR FUTURE) the Science of gardening and the importance of organic gardening
* not using chemicals or pesticides, all of which cause irreversible harm to humans, plants, animals. They also leak into our drinking water, into the ocean and pollutes the air.
Yes a light bulb literally clicked on in my head when I realized how incredibly wonderful this is for the environment so...
I went to Armstrong Nursery and made sure that all of the fruits and vegetables that I chose would do well in containers by speaking with one of the gardener's there. The only one that I chose that wouldn't do well in a container was an Avocado tree...so I didn't get one :( I bought organic soil and special acidic soil for the grapes and berries and planted our garden in FULL SUN on the terrace!
Here is a list and pictures of the crops that we are growing together as a family:
Merlot grapes
Raspberries
Blueberries
Washington Dwarf Navel Oranges
Better Boy and Champion Tomatoes
Cucumbers & Jalapeno Peppers
Mammoth SUNFLOWERS
Here are some great ORGANIC GARDENING links to check out:
Organic Container Gardening
Organic Gardening for Kids
Earthbound Farm Organic
Gardening with Kids
Mothers of Organic
The only real pests that I think that we are going to have to deal with are birds, aphids and squirrels. So I plan to order eco-friendly netting to keep the birds out of our goodies from Gardens Alive and ladybugs to eat the aphids. I also plan to get hot pepper wax spray from Clean Air Gardening to make sure the squirrels don't eat our yummy goodness!
Organic Gardening...Condo Style
A Vegetarian Child's Menu
Have you ever wondered what an 8 year old vegetarian boy in Southern California eats? Well, you're in luck! Tennessee created this menu to help organize our thoughts amid chaos at meal time. I took his menu to Whole Foods to make sure that I had all of the items on hand when needed. 
Here is his menu for Today through Saturday. Please note that ALL items on the menu are organic.
Today
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Apple Sandwich and Milk
Mid Afternoon Snack: Zucchini Bread
Dinner: Annie's Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Sunflower Seeds,Blueberries and Milk
After Dinner Snack: Tapioca Pudding
T
hursday
Breakfast: Honey Rice Puffins Cereal with Milk
Lunch: Black Olive and Montery Jack Sandwich, Fresh Carrots and Milk
Mid Afternoon Snack: Freshly Cut Cinnamon Apples
Dinner: Pizza Pouches, Celery and Orange Juice
After Dinner Snack: Stonybrook Yogurt Kids
Friday
Breakfast: Honey Rice Puffins Cereal with Milk
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich, an Ambrosia Apple and Milk
Mid Afternoon Snack: Trail Mix
Dinner: Grilled Vegetarian Chicken Strips, peas, pears and Milk
After Dinner Snack: Alden's Organic Vanilla Ice Cream
Saturday
Breakfast: Sunshine Toast (grilled toast with a CAGE FREE, Vegetarian fed, antibiotic and hormone free, omega 3 egg in the middle and a dash of garlic salt)
with Orange Juice
Lunch: Vegetarian Ham & Cheese Sandwich, Soybeans, Carrots and Milk
Mid Afternook Snack: Sunflower Seeds and an Apple
Dinner: Amy's Vegetable and Tofu Pot Pie
After Dinner Snack: Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Just for the Record: California LOVES Annie's Bunny Grahams
Soul Centered Kids

"Each of us is here to discover our true selves; that essentially we are spiritual beings who have taken manifestation in physical form; that we're not human beings that have occasional spiritual experiences, that we're spiritual beings that have occasional human experiences." - Deepak Chopra
I think that it is important to remind kids that they are spiritual beings so that they don't become attached to their bodies and the material world. Some ways to do this is through meditation, yoga, conscientious living, compassion and so much more! Tennesee and California both started meditating and doing yoga at the age of two. Tennessee began writing his own meditations at the age of five. It is easy to let our busy days get in the way of soul centered activities. I admit that we have gotten out of the habit a bit. So one of my New Year's resolutions will be to re-integrate meditation and yoga into our daily routine AND add something new to the mix as well...stay tuned to discover what this will be :)
Feng Shui for Kids!
Kids need Feng Shui too! I stumbled upon this great information by the Feng Shui Diva. She has so graciously provided this information for free and includes a free audiclass for parents on her site! I have included some the information here on this blog and the link to her site and FREE audio class at the end of the blog.
Robyn Bentley's Feng Shui Tips For Children's Rooms
There are no bad children, only bad behavior. Our environment affects our behavior. We know what to expect if we give our kids a lot of sugar or caffeine. They will bounce off the walls. We know what to expect if the temperature in the house is 90 degrees on a summer day. Tempers will easily flare. These are normal responses to negative stimulation that most parents know about. But what most parents don’t know is that there is negative stimulation in the home that affects their child‘s behavior, health and even their grades. This negative stimulation is invisible, however, it can easily be remedied using a combination of ancient Chinese wisdom and modern day science. Feng Shui is the 4,000 year-old Chinese practice of arranging our living space to be in harmony with the earth's energy or "chi" so we are in balance with the forces of nature. Applying the practical techniques of Feng Shui to your home will help you take advantage of the good chi and create a balanced environment. This will help your child grow and develop in a positive way and enhance family harmony.
Sleeping Direction
We spend the most amount of time in one spot every day in our bed, so the sleeping direction is very important. The goal is to align the child's bed so that the top or crown of the head is pointed towards one of their good compass directions . Sleeping in the "wisdom" direction will help your child get better grades and improve their attitude about school. The "marriage and family harmony" direction will help decrease fighting and arguing in the household and help your child sleep better. Be sure to use a compass to determine actual compass directions in your home.
Exposure to EMFs
EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) are harsh energies emitted by electronic devices. They decrease the body’s production of melatonin. Melatonin helps prevent sleep problems, moodiness, anger and depression, and also helps the body fight tumors. Arrange furniture so that your child’s body is 3 to 5 feet away from TVs, computer monitors, stereos, lamps and other electronic appliances. Never use an electric blanket or waterbed heater and don’t let them stare into the microwave waiting for the popcorn! Stay 5 feet away while it‘s on.
What the Child's Eye Sees:
Look at what your child sees every day. A happy family photo visible from the child's bed is comforting to see before they fall asleep and when they awaken. It reminds them they are part of a happy family when they are alone in their room. Posters of kittens, puppies and favorite cartoon characters are non-threatening and comforting for the little ones. Get to know the meaning behind the images in your teenager's room and keep the cool "negatives" to a minimum.
Clutter.
Cleaning up after a small child is like shoveling the sidewalk while it's snowing. What's the point! But children do need a place to store their stuff to keep clutter under control. If a child's bedroom is also their study room, they won't be able to focus in a lot of clutter. Children should frequently clear out the space under their beds, which tends to become a catchall for trash and treasures and creates "stuck" energy. Need some help with your clutter? Check out Clutter Queen Boot Camp
Furniture Placement:
The bed should have its headboard against a solid wall. Make sure there is room to walk around each side of the bed - don't push one side up against the wall. Avoid placing the bed under a window or directly in line with the door. Standing in the doorway, if you can toss a ball straight ahead and hit the bed, energy flowing into the room will also hit the bed and this is not good for the child. Mirrors in the bedroom keep the room "awake" and make it harder to sleep.
Color:
Your child’s sleeping habits will let you know whether their room is comfortable. If you keep finding your child in bed with you, then their room is not working for them. Avoid using energizing colors like red and other bright colors in the bedroom as they can cause tempers to flare during playtime and too much hyperactive energy for the little one to fall asleep at night. Bright colors are good for playrooms but bedrooms need to be more subdued. Blues and light pinks are calming. Greens and skin tones are good.
Creating a comfortable, harmonious bedroom makes for a good night’s rest. And a good night’s rest makes for a refreshed, healthy child.
©2002RobynBentley/Feng Shui Diva, LLC
The Fu Wei direction is said to bring luck in education and personal development. It is also referred to as the "Wisdom" direction. It is suggested that school children and college students sit at their study desks facing their Fu Wei direction and sleep with the top or crown of their heads pointed in their Fu Wei direction for better grades and recognition.
To find out your child's Fu Wei/Wisdom direction, see the " Best Compass Directions " chart and Kua number chart on this web site. Once you know your child's Kua number, you can find out which direction is their wisdom direction. Be sure to use a compass when you are checking your child's current sleeping direction and study desk direction. Using east sunrise/west sunset is not an accurate way to determine compass directions.
Kua Number Fu Wei or
Wisdom Direction
1 North
2 Southwest
3 East
4 Southeast
5 Male Southwest
5 Female Northeast
6 Northwest
7 West
8 Northeast
9 South
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