Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Go Green!

Hi! Thought I'd pop in to share a few fun recycle crafts that you can do before the littles are out of school or save them until Summer is here and you can share the fun. I happen to love the above succulent garden by Taylor Stone Prints on Etsy. How fun would it be to try making a few of these with some discarded cereal boxes and green paints?

While you have those paints out... add a touch of white to make those hues a tad bit minty and try painting a few twigs to create this awesome wall hanging from Grow Creative...

And if you're in the mood for a touch more ombre to brighten up your home and adorn your indoor greenery, check out these amazing popsicle stick planters from Design Love Fest. They're the perfect punch of pastel for summer without dropping a dime.

It can get pretty hot in the summer too, so I'm sure you and your littles will ned some cooling off. Why not make yourself the cutest watermelon fan ever like Makes and Takes? I think this would make a stellar party favor for any little's birthday party.

Not one for an afternoon of painting? No worries. How about a little kitchen science with food scraps like the one found on MPMK?

Bring it on Summer. I'm feeling inspired and a tad bit crafty. xo

Happy Earth Day

In the beginning... God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1. I try my best to honor this amazing planet by recycling, limiting water and energy consumption where possible, picking up random trash every single time I see it (seriously? why can't people pick up after themselves? geeze.) and teaching my children to do the same. I know it's not nearly enough. It saddens me how we rape and pillage the land we have been asked to steward and protect. Today I hope to learn one new way that I can be a better steward of our home, Earth.

What will you do? How will you celebrate this day? Will you share it with your children in hopes of teaching future generations about this awesome responsibility? Here's a link to some fun crafts you can do with your littles today while you teach them about Earth Day. xo

all images from the late great fox in the pine

Trees Please

hike, cabin, cake, cabin, necklace, trees

Can you smell it? Christmas is just around the corner. I can't wait to stick out my tongue and catch snowflakes, breathe in the crisp morning air of the mid-west and smell the pine. Happiness. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Paper

twinkle lights

I had every intention of showing you all the wonderful reclaimed lovelies I scored this week at my local thrift store. Alas, I ran out of time and sunlight. I'll keep that in my back pocket until next week's RRR post. For now, let's take a look at some pretty fantastic uses for paper. It's amazing how people are taking something so basic and turning it into jaw-dropping lovelies. I'm inspired.

NY Times to lanterns/globes

sewing patterns to gift tags

paper sack to candy pouch

old greeting cards to memory game

If you're not up to making your own gift tags or memory game, go over to Etsy and pick up the ones pictured above. Genius. Simply genius. I'm always amazed by just how creative people are in their recycling endeavors. As my Father-in-law says, "We can respect the Creator by respecting His creation." When you see all the lovely things to be made, why just toss things in the trash? xo

Dress Print Winner.....

And the winner of this lovely framed print is:

Carolyn who said, "I really love the color bars bag and the chocolate tote. I do enjoy your blog. Thanks so much!"

Send me you address, Carolyn, and I'll get this out to you ASAP. Thanks to everyone who commented and to all my new followers! Have a rockin' weekend. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Buttons

DIY projects

I have a jar full. Every single seamstress I know has 3-4 jars full. And every item of clothing you purchase with buttons on it comes with a few extra "just in case." So what can you do with all those buttons that don't really match anything or have sentimental value and you simply can't bring yourself to toss them?  Here's a few ideas...

magnets

flowers

necklace or tree garland (I would kill to see this on a Christmas tree)

rings

sweet hair accessories

What will you do with your little one of a kind buttons? I know you've got some lurking around somewhere! xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Market Totes

Not new on the radar by any means, but I thought since it's close to the holidays and many will be shopping, why not either use these bags to bring home your goodies or as the gift themselves!

Canvas:

"B" bag from what is a grit

lines by pawling (simple and adorable)

sparkle stripes w/ marker (for the gal who always forgets her list)

Nylon:

floral nylon

functional with pockets (great price, cute and functional)

toss and go (I keep this in my handbag all the time - love it!)

For the littles:

for the kids (ah-dorable!)

away to keep your little by your side

Most of these bags are from reuseit.com. They have everything you need to keep your kitchen green. It's pretty awesome. Check it. Plastic baggies are used for trashcan liners and poopy diapers only around these parts. How about you? Have you jumped on the market tote bandwagon yet? xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Pyrex

I'm pretty sure my disdain for plastic is known to most of you. If not, here's the skinny: I don't like it at all. Not only does it leak toxic chemicals into our food, but it stains, warps and melts. On top of everything else - it's UGLY! Why, oh why, did we ever stop using Pyrex? Because it was glass? Come on. Really?  Look at how pretty this stuff is/was. 

pyrex

green

yellow

blue

a pretty collection of yellow

dizzying delight

Was it Tupperware that started the transition? Ziploc? Whatever the case, thanks to my Grandmother-in-law and my Mother-in-law, I'm going back to glass in style. One piece at a time! One piece because, this is what Pyrex looks like now:

really? boring!

I know it's not the most convenient thing to store snacks in glass... why not try fabric and oilcloth baggies? I know of some really cute ones. {wink wink}

enviro-friendly baggies

How about you?  What are you storing your food in these days? xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Egg Cartons & Bad Reductions

Eggs are pretty much a staple in every fridge. Right? They kind of go along the same lines as milk and bread. Whenever you go to the store, you pick some up. Week after week that carton gets tossed in the recycle bin. Last week I decided to cut the lid off of mine and use the very well spaced "bowls" to paint some Fall acorns. The project still sits on my dining room table just waiting to be completed. However, for once, I'm happy about my procrastination. The more I got to looking at the carton I began to think, "those divider thingies sticking up like little obelisks would be perfect for rings." Ta-da! Just like that I had a new jewelry holder. Check it.

It may not be the prettiest jewelry box, but it sure is convenient. No more mis-matched earrings - Wahoo!

A quick rant - which I have never done on this blog. Ramblings - yes. Rants - not likely.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about two reductions that are quite simply depressing.

1. Courtesy

2. Candy

#1 explained - When I go to SuperTarget it is generally NOT fun. I have two kiddos with me and it is all I can do to get everything I need and get out of the store before any melt-downs occur. It would be nice if once I finally make it to the check out line the check-out person were pleasant. They don't have to tell me any jokes or ask me about my day - a simple, "hello" or "did you find everything ok?" would make my day. Perhaps a smile, if it's not too much trouble. Seriously? Why is everyone that works at my SuperTarget so rude? It's gotten so bad that today I actually asked one of the girls if they worked them too hard. Her response was, "no. not at all." Then smile for peats sake!  You have a job with benefits in a very troubling economy. Smile! Please.

#2 explained - The other night my family and I made a brief stop at CVS to pick up a treat for the boys (long story). I grabbed two movie sized candies for everyone to share. Junior Mints and M&Ms. They were on sale: 2 for $3.00. "Good deal." I thought. That was until I got home and my husband opened the M&M box. Let me just preface this by saying again that it was a movie sized box. What we found inside was a baggie filled with about 50 candies. What? I get more than that with a king sized bag for $1.00. That was the first time EVER that M&Ms, or any candy for that matter, have made me sad. 

The conclusion - we need less waste, more courtesy and more candy in this world. Are there any reductions out there that make you sad? Or how about some that make you happy?! Thanks for letting me rant. xo

Guest Post: Phthalates

For all of you lovely readers who wanted more information on phthalates, I'm over a The Tiny Twig today with a little more information and some really cool product alternatives to plastic.  Come see me and say Hi! The Tiny Twig is a great blog about life and adventures written by my adorable and delightful blogger bff. It's a must read. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Water

I don't think about it a lot. Flush. Flush. Shower. Wash my hands 20+ times a day. Gulp, gulp, gulp. I/We use a lot of water. My Father-in-law and Sister got me thinking about this while staying with them last week. They turn off the water as they suds up in the shower. What? Really? Yup! And they do it every single time they lather up (body and hair). This got me thinking about other ways we can reduce our consumption of this precious commodity.

There are all of those eco-friendly appliance out there: washers, low-flow toilets, low-flow shower heads, etc. But are there any practical tips?  Every time I find a glass of water in the house that I know is a day old (or older) I dump the contents into my plants! Same goes for the water that collects in our dehumidifier - outdoor plants...drink up baby!

lg

Then there's the tried and true use of filled bottles or bricks put into toilet backs/tanks so it doesn't have to fill up all the way with each flush.

Oh, how about those rain barrel/collectors? Pretty amazing, aren't they? I really want one of these. They just sit up against the house under the down spouts and voila, instant water for your garden. Love it.

rain barrel

We say, "no" to bottled water! Let's face it.  Half of those bottles never get finished and then you don't know if it's yours or someone else's. So wasteful. And honestly, there are so many cute eco-friendly water bottles out there, who wants a plain old plastic number that probably full of phthalates.

H2O

Got any tips and tricks to help us save? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas! xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Teacup Charm

brilliant

Tea is not really my cup of tea. I'm a coffee gal myself. But I do love me a good teacup. And things just got better in the teacup world. Are those bangles the sweetest things ever or what? Pardon the pun. xo

Labor of Love

One of my biggest longings is to have an amazing backyard. You know, an oasis. My own private sanctuary. But with my two brown thumbs and two preschool boys, this dream will have to be put on hold for a while. However, a mere three hour drive puts me in Austin, Texas at the home of Susan and John Horton. (My best girlfriend's parents' home.) THIS is where I get to stay every time I go visit and where I spent this past weekend!

I know! Heaven right? Are you drooling yet? While eating fresh fruit and drinking coffee by the pool, I asked John how many hours total he thought they had put into their garden/backyard. He replied, "about a year's worth of work if you total all the hours." What? Did I hear that right? A year? Labor of love indeed.

starting grounds for many of their backyard beauties

even their turtle has an oasis of his very own

great spot for morning coffee looking out into the Texas hill country

It gets better...this backyard friends, is where my best girlfriend of almost 15 years will be getting married in just two short weeks! Lovely right? I'm so excited! The best part is that I get to call this place home as well and every time I go "home" I am greeted with love, blessings, warmth and fun. Susan and John are the most laid back, warm, loving people you will ever meet and you feel that the minute you step into their home. I love you guys! xo