City | Portland Family Attractions, Events, & Activities

Nov201128

I’m so glad the City of Portland rolled out their Portland Composts curbside composting program citywide beginning Oct. 31. I’ve felt guilty about throwing away food scraps for years, but with one small compost bin in the backyard I’ve never been able to get into a composting groove. Now the city is helping me out, and I’m loving it! Of course, it does take some getting used to. How’s it going for you? One thing I’ve realized is how lazy I had become, even with basic recycling. There were times (more frequent than I care to admit!) when I would toss used toilet paper rolls, empty shampoo bottles and other recyclables into the trash. No more. We can’t spare the space! And I love being able to recycle (i.e., compost) pizza delivery boxes! One of the biggest challenges for me, so far, is cleaning out the fridge. I have to remember to do it the day I put the trash out because, without the security of wrapping spoiled food in a plastic bag (Yes, I do waste food! I’m trying to stop doing it!), I don’t want it sitting out of the fridge for too long. But on the up side, it has been making me clean out the fridge more regularly! We weren’t home for Thanksgiving, but I imagine it wasn’t much of a problem since most of the trash generated would be food waste, which is still picked up weekly. It’s the winter holidays with their mountains of gift wrap that likely will cause most people concern. All the more reason to go greener this year, minimizing disposable wrapping and recycling everything we can. If you live in Portland, how are you liking (or not liking) the new program? What tips can you offer to those who might still be struggling with too much trash?

See more here:
Portland Composts!

Sep201124

PDXrover

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Final ‘Parkways’ event in NE Portland Sunday

The fifth and final Sunday Parkways event of the year will take place this weekend in Northeast Portland, the city’s bureau of transportation announced.

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Final ‘Parkways’ event in NE Portland Sunday

May201120

Jeremy

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Portland parks series: The rhodies are in bloom!

When the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming one of the most beautiful places in the city you can visit is the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

See the article here:
Portland parks series: The rhodies are in bloom!

Apr201118

Samantha

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Family Fire Safety (Part 1 of 2)

Like most of the parents I know, the recent earthquake/tsunami/nuclear fiasco in Japan got me thinking, once again, about how prepared my family is for emergencies. The answer? Not very. I created a disaster kit several years ago (after 9/11), but I’ve done little to keep it updated. (Expired canned goods anyone?) Plus, it’s in the basement and quite bulky, so it’s not really portable and probably wouldn’t be accessible if there’s serious damage to our home. I now realize it’s not feasible for me to keep everything we’ll need in any given emergency available and accessible, so I’ve decided to focus on the things we CAN do to prepare. Besides the minimum “supplies” – water, flashlights, blankets and a crank-powered radio – that means putting our energy into education. Here at Metro Parent , we’re working on a series of safety articles for our June issue that will include information on emergency preparedness. In the meantime, I decided to begin my own family’s education by learning more about fire prevention and safety. I began my research online, at the City of Portland Fire and Rescue website. Their “Top 10 Safety Tips” provided an ideal outline for my family’s fire safety lessons. One in particular, “Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it” had been on our to-do list for years, though we haven’t gotten around to actually practicing. This coming weekend, we’re planning to remedy that by showing our son how to remove the screen from his window and climb out (which, of course, I know he’ll love and probably want to practiced over and over) and taking turns attaching the expandable ladder in our attic to the window frame and climbing down. I’m kind of scared to climb down the ladder from the second story, but I know it will be better to practice it once or twice now rather than trying to do it for the first time in the midst of a house fire! The PFR website also provides information about smoke alarms and other fire and general safety topics, including an interesting list of FAQs . Did you know PF&R has smoke alarms available to senior citizens, low income families and people with disabilities? (Call the smoke alarm hotline at 503-823-3752 for details.) You can even get your blood pressure checked at any fire station as long is crew is available. (You might want to call first to make sure it’s a good time.) (Sadly, they won’t fill your swimming pool! Now, can anyone tell me why that’s a frequently asked question, especially here in Portland?) …TO BE CONTINUED: Next week I’ll share what I learned from Portland Fire & Rescue about home fire extinguishers, and you’ll probably as surprised as I was by the information! Does your family have a fire escape plan? Have you practiced family fire drills?

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Family Fire Safety (Part 1 of 2)