This is my lawn mower.

While some might call it ‘Old Fashioned’, it is technically called a ‘Reel’ lawn mower and all things considered, a remarkably good lawn mower. It cuts the grass very nicely, mulches, I get a good workout, and it’s eco-friendly, not to mention cheap (less than a hundred bucks plus it never needs gas).

The downside?  Well, if you come across a pine cone or a fallen branch or maybe a stubborn blade a grass, it stops.  Like, on a dime.  Without any warning.  And whomever is pushing the mower is impaled upon the handles.

Fun times, let me tell you.

Unfortunately, the Reel mower broke on Sunday.  A nice split in the handle, probably due to my abdominal muscles being repeatedly slammed against it.  While I can take some pride in having abs that can bust metal, it does mean I’m out of a lawn mower.

So now I’ve ordered a new mower – a Black & Decker CM1836 18-inch 36v Cordless Electric Lawn Mower.  I’ve been eying one for a while since it fits all my needs – quiet, mows, and eco-friendly (there’s plenty of articles out there on how inefficient gas mowers are).

The downside is that (good) electric lawn mowers are not cheap.  I had been hoping to save up for the new one but things sort of got pushed forward.

Now I’m faced with a new problem.  The new lawn mower won’t be here for about two weeks (you try paying for overnight shipping on something that weights 60+ pounds.  Not cheap!)  Despite my asking, begging, and pleading, I don’t think my grass is going to stop growing.  On top of that, we’re due for rain on Friday and my lawn usually takes off after a good soaking.

I could, in theory, borrow the neighbor’s lawn mower but that’s a gas powered one and as I stated earlier, I’m looking for eco-friendly solutions.

So after some brainstorming, I came up with two great, environmentally sensitive ideas.  I can’t wait to see which one Steph will choose …