the little strainer that saved the kitchen

I went into Ellie's on Wednesday in search of a larger compost bin for our kitchen. With my newfound love of salads, our small container wasn't cutting it. Ellie's is a local, all-green supply store for eco-friendly products. I first heard about them 4 years ago while planning Ted's zero-waste 5th birthday party. Since then, we've purchased bamboo sporks, compostable cups and the like from them for the kids' birthday parties. I knew they would have an assortment of compost bins and I found one I liked and snatched it up. I also saw this cute little colander in apple green. I had to have it. Now, I am not normally so impulsive, especially about kitchen things. I am constantly weeding out excess gadgets from our drawers. But there was something about this cute, happy little guy that got me. It was 65 degrees out. I came home and opened the windows, slid the screen door into place at the back door and enjoyed the warm breeze and streaming sun. And I cleaned. Spring cleaning in February? I attacked every room of the house tossing "cwap" and putting things in their rightful places. I cleaned the stove into a shocking sparkle that caused Paul to think I had hired a house cleaner! All because of this little cutie! I haven't done the floors, and it's cold today, but my house is a little bit cheerier, and that makes me happy. Thanks, Preserve, for a totally cute product that inspired a kitchen!