Green Alert!

Join the Million Baby Crawl‏ and say “NO” to toxic chemicals found in household products

2009-11-06T22:29:00.006-06:00

Thanks to Zach for letting me know about Seventh Generation's Million Baby Crawl‏ to Washington "to demand a law that will regulate toxic chemicals found in household products".

In their words:

The federal law that should protect us from health-harming chemicals just doesn't work. Since 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required safety testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals on the market. We need a stronger chemical law to keep our families safe and healthy.

If you want to read more about the specifics, go here. On the site, you can create a crawler of your own or, by all means, support my crawler here.

Here are some videos Zach shared with me about the cause:
Babies on a soapbox
Babies crawling to Washington

Movember: Mustaches Fundraiser For Cancer

2009-11-05T14:14:00.001-06:00

This isn't really about going green, but it has everything to do with humanity and so I'm posting it on all my blogs.

My husband is taking part of Movember, where men grow their mustaches for the month of November in order to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG). My husband is part of Team Mo Bicless.

If you can't afford to give yourself, you can join the team to help support and to help raise money for the cause. You do not have to grow a mustache to be part of the team, so ladies you can join too as a MO Sista "A woman who loves a mustache".

After losing my father to cancer, I've heard so many people's stories that I don't believe there's anyone who hasn't been affected by cancer.

I am selling sets of mustache magnets and stickers here. A portion will go towards the charity.

Re-purposed Round Up

2009-10-27T21:18:00.002-05:00

These little coin purses are made from milk cartons. You can get the tutorial at Cut Out + Keep.

Make a wrist support pillow out of an old shirt sleeve (from Kelly Georgette)

Elephant Purses made from old sweaters. There are actually quite a few examples of these floating around. I think they're awesome. I love bags and my son is really into elephants so he'd probably love if I made myself one of these.

Monica Wants It has some great makeovers, starting with some pretty gaudy stuff and making it chic. This is just one of them:

Monica Wants it also has a tutorial on making some folder holders out of Priority Post office boxes (left)

I did a similar thing years ago with cereal boxes for my scrapbooking stickers and things (right). Sorry, I probably should have straightened them a bit. I'm usually more organized but I've been crafting a lot and you know how it goes.

WILD9

2009-10-24T22:00:00.004-05:00

I was recently contacted by a reader, Alex, who turned me on to the WILD Foundation's World Wilderness Congress, aka "WILD9". According to Alex, Wild9 is

the longest running environmental forum and occurs once every four years. This year's conference will be held the week of November 6th in Merida, Mexico, and will feature speakers Jane Goodall, Stephan Harding, and Pav Sukhdev.

Registration is open to the public and will be available until Tuesday, October 27th.

I don't know that I can do Wild9 justice, as I am just learning about it myself. However, you can go here for more information.

Is Gordon Ramsay Killing The Planet?

2009-10-16T23:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, here's the deal, I love Gordon Ramsay. I watch all his shows, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, The F Word, but there is something about all these shows that kills me. The amount of food wasted on these shows is crazy.

I mean I get that there's a certain level of quality expected from his kitchens. Still, I can't help, but hope that there's some poor families in the back digging into these 3 inch think cuts of prime beef that they throw out consistently because it has been waiting more than a few seconds.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a vegetarian, but animals have died here. What a shame it is that they should be discarded like that, especially when there are so many starving people out there.

Of course, it's not just Gordon Ramsay but I don't see behind the scenes at a lot of restaurants so I have to point out what I see, but it is a general message for all wasteful chefs.

Back Thru The Future: FREE CD & DVD Recycling

2009-10-15T21:47:00.004-05:00

I was going through some of my magazines to get ready to donate and I found this article about this site, CD Recycling For Free in an old Woman's Day. Anyway, you can send in old CDs and DVDs to be recycled.

They have to be removed from cases and packed without any packing materials. Otherwise, it's stated that the packages will be turned away.

The site isn't as informative as I would like but if you have some old CD/Dvds you're wanting to get rid of, then this seems easy enough.

Kids + Recycled + Halloween + Crafts

2009-10-10T21:52:00.005-05:00

I am doing a dinosaur theme for my son's b-day and came across instructions on how to make a Milk Jug Pteranodon along with a Milk Jug Tyrannosaurus Rex Skull, among other things. I thought they were pretty good and so I thought I'd share.

I had just mentioned a bunny costume on my blog RnR Reviews, but this one is done from an old shirt and it is super easy- gotta love that! Lucky Beans has a complete tutorial.

Egg Shell Sidewalk Chalk-Yes, chalk made with eggshells. I know it sounds weird but definitely worth trying all the same.

Eco-Artware has a ton of cool eco crafts for kids. They led me to a site Free Kids Crafts, where I found this cute pumpkin jar & the mummy jar as well.

Green Halloween

2009-10-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

Remember this Halloween to light with Solar lighting, LED lights, or candles. I say that but I have to mention this:

I didn't know if I should put this in Halloween or X-Mas. It is for a Dexter/slasher party but the chandelier is so beautiful it feels weird putting it here. To make it, they used "Repurposed wine glasses dipped in white latex". If you go to the link, they talk more about how it was done. I just love it!

Now, if you're throwing a party, think digital invites.

Of course there's all kinds of great advise about organic candy apples and pumpkins, non toxic face paints, fabric choices and all that. Honestly, I'm not an expert on that type of stuff so I don't like to speak on it. The goal is to get there, but as it is, I'm far from it. So, if you know better than I, please feel free to add tips. I did find this website, Green Halloween. It has some good tips.

One thing that I think I am knowledgeable about is crafts and I have to say I have always preferred homemade costumes. Even if it's a hand me down, most things can easily be altered and jazzed up enough that they become like new.

While on the subject, I did do a post on my other blog, RnR Reviews about fairy wings I saw done on HGTV years ago. I thought these were awesome then and still do. Halloween, Renaissance Festival, school plays or just because, these are easy and use things you probably have already. While she uses store bought wire, I made some with wire hangers and white hose. I can't stand wire hangers for clothes so I had to come up with something for them. They worked great!

For Your Kitchen, From Your Kitchen Crafts

2009-09-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

Gift Tin via Pop Can from Crafts On A Whim. I tend to shy away from working with tin because I don't like the idea of sharp edges and gifts. Something about that just seems like a bad idea, but this looks pretty fool proof. You actually go in through the bottom of the can so that the recipient can still pop the top and voila... gift!

Oilcloth lunch bag-I've seen a few of these, but I thought this tutorial from Tumbling Blocks was a good one.

Dabbled has an interesting alternative (left) that I also liked for a Reusable Sandwich Bag.

PIZZA BOX IDEA FILES from Giver's Log. I thought these would be good for scrapbooking being that they are large. I often start several projects at once, then set them aside for when I have time to finish. This could be a good way to keep them in one place. Of course, the boxes would have to be clean to do so.

Some people bring their own produce bags instead of using the plastic ones provided for you. I don't know the best place to buy them, but if you google it, they're easy to find. I did, however, find a post on how to make one of your own.

Kelly Georgette gives a great tutorial on how to make a soap dispenser from a mason jar--very cool!

Cardboard Drink HotPad/ Coasters from EvaForeva. I have seen coasters made from magazines but this is a different spin.

Coffee filter garland- I'm not sure what I could use this for, but I'm feeling like I want to make this in the future, for a party or something.

Dad Can Do: Green Crafts

2009-09-13T21:57:00.013-05:00

I recently did a post on my blog, RnR Reviews about a new site I found, Dad Can Do, that I'm loving! There are crafts and recipes and printables, all kinds of stuff you can do with your kids. I'm talking really cool stuff and not your everyday kindergarten crafts that I find most places. What's even cooler is that the site has a lot of green crafts.

Ratchet's Spaceship from shower gel bottles

Micro Tin Cans made from felt pen lids. Yes, you're reading it right, these cans are made from marker lids. These are perfect for doll house type settings or throw a few in a boy's action figure army fort. Now that's original.

Cardboard Crossbow that shoots drinking straw darts. I'm thinking this is more for the dads than the kids but hey, that's okay.

Space Vase from two plastic bottles. Okay, so if the last one was for the dads, here's something for the moms.

I'm sure you get the idea. Check out the site, it has tons more ideas that are seriously worth checking out. Ladies, if you don't like it, show your men, they'll love it. I know mine does.

Going Green with OCD

2009-09-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I mentioned that I wanted to do some more serious topics and this is about as serious as I get. Few people know this about me, but I have OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While that can manifest in many different ways, for me, it is an obsession with personal hygiene. You may be asking what that has to do with going green, but it actually has a lot to do with it for me.

For one, I already wash my hands a ridiculous amount of times in a day. Trying to go green means washing out and handling things that are typically considered trash. For me, that goes against my natural urges. It makes me feel dirty and when I feel dirty, I wash.

Since I've started being more environmentally friendly, my hand washing and cleaning habits have shot through the roof. The more I wash, the more water I use, of course.

Then there's the matter of paper towels. I have to clean certain things in my house with paper towels because once they touch certain things, they are contaminated in my mind. I wouldn't be able to use a cloth because I would have to throw that away. Washing the cloth wouldn't be enough for me. If I were to clean the toilet, for instance, with a rag and washed that rag, the rag would contaminate everything else in the wash.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's what makes sense to me. Perhaps even more bazaar is the fact that since I've had my son, I cannot drink tap water. Before I got pregnant, I was strongly against bottled water, but while pregnant, I could not stand the smell of tap water. I am normally very sensitive to smell anyway, but when I was pregnant, forget about it... it was ridiculous the things that made me physically sick. Well, while I would like to say that changed back when I had my son, it did not. I still cannot stand the smell of tap water and so, I'm ashamed to say, I drink bottled water.

I also cannot stand the smell of pillow cases and wash rags. That, coupled with the fact that I have to wash my blankets if someone else touches them, means a lot of laundry, which means more water and more energy.

Then there's the more obvious things like sanitary wipes and ridiculous things I use. The funny thing is that I don't think of myself as being afraid of germs. I know, it doesn't make sense. It's far more complicated than I can describe in a single post. This is all just a taste of how OCD hinders my becoming a better environmentalist. How's that for serious?

Crafty Recycling Around the House

2009-09-01T22:10:00.013-05:00

I've been wanting to organize my posts better, with more non-craft topics, but it doesn't seem to be happening. I'm in a crafty mood lately and I find all of these great ideas while searching out inspiration, that I just have to share it.

Make Shades Out of Mini Blinds - I think this is a great idea from Little Green Notebook.

Dabbled has a great tutorial on fusing plastic bags to make cool stuff like this cup holder.

So She Sews also does things, like these owls, that you can buy on etsy.

Fork Curtain Tiebacks from Dollar Store crafts. I love this site, I especially love this idea because I have some silverware that is not usable as such but that I want to keep. This would be a great way to do that. I think they'd be great in my kitchen!

Recycle old calculators

2009-08-28T23:54:00.004-05:00

I found this site that recycles calculators and it occurs to me I have 2 old calculators from when I was in school that haven't been touched since. I'd like to say it's because I am a math wiz and don't need to use calculators, but the truth is, I barely use basic math anymore. Wow, that's embarrassing.

Oh well, if you're interested, Gazelle supposedly pays for them and provides shipping. They do other electronics too, but I didn't check too much into that because I see that all of the time. I just hadn't seen calculator recycling before, but maybe that's just me.

Green Home Round up

2009-08-26T21:17:00.004-05:00

Addicted 2 Decorating has some cool green decor ideas:

Egg Carton Flower Pendant Light -I love this!

Upholstered Bench from a headboard/footboard. This would take some skill.

Globe Light- I can honestly say I haven't seen one of these before.

You might also want to check out Frederique Morrel-Recycled Tapestries. I can't get any pictures but it's pretty neat stuff. I like the idea anyway.

Lisa Sette Gallery - These are more artsy than crafty for sure; but if you're interested in art, these are very cool.

TerraCycle

2009-08-21T12:23:00.001-05:00

I had heard of TerraCycle a while back and had meant to post on it then but had forgotten. Basically, TerraCycle

makes affordable, eco-friendly products from a wide range of different non-recyclable waste materials. With over 50 products available at major retailers like Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, OfficeMax, Petco and Whole Foods Market, TerraCycle is one of the fastest growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world. Our hope is to eliminate the idea of waste by finding innovative, unique uses for materials others deem garbage

They make all kinds of things, but here's a sample:

Juice Pouch Homework Folder

Tostitos Messenger Bag

Perhaps the most exciting part is that we can help and earn money for our "brigade" by doing so.

Here’s how it works:
The team leader signs up online at http://www.terracycle.net/
The team leader creates a collection team
Begin collecting! The team leader is immediately able to access posters and shipping materials through their TerraCycle profiles.
Once you have collected the minimum pieces of waste (it varies by program), download a FREE UPS shipping label and use it to send the waste to TerraCycle via UPS.
You can track your collections and donations online by signing in to your TerraCycle account.

A collection team can be a school, organization, an office, or even a neighborhood

Each location earns a 2¢ donation for every piece of waste collected (sometimes we measure this by weight), and the donations go to a school or charity of that team’s choice. If the team is a school or non-profit, it is able to keep all donations earned through this program.

It may not seem like a lot but it can add up and hey, it's more than you'd get if you threw it away. Plus, you'd know you were helping the planet at the same time at that's a big pay off.

"Green Guide for Artists" Book Review

2009-08-17T20:36:00.003-05:00

Green Guide for Artists: Nontoxic Recipes, Green Art Ideas, & Resources for the Eco-Conscious Artist --I'm going to be honest, this is for a more "Eco-Conscious" person than I am. The majority of the book centers around making your own paints and adhesives. While I would like to be that person who would invest the amount of time it would take to mix my own paints, it's probably not going to happen.

Now, for those out there who have some time and maybe think this sounds like fun, then this book will tell you all you need to know.

The Green Crafter Book Review

2009-08-10T12:48:00.005-05:00

I recently picked up The Green Crafter: 52 Eco Friendly Projects for Every Week of the Year at the library. It features projects like a sock monkey, a sun pinata, sand toys, a kite, etc.

Frankly, and I think this is because I look at so many crafts, I wasn't too impressed. While I like the idea of making things from what could be considered trash, I prefer that they no longer resemble what they were originally. I mean to cut up a milk carton with a yogurt cup in back can be a fun project, but I don't want that sitting around as a permanent fixture in my house. I'm just being honest.

There were some good projects like the sewing and the jewelry items shown, so it wasn't all bad. I just don't think I would buy the book, personally.

Solar Powered Trash Cans?

2009-08-06T22:18:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you but this just sounds odd. Why does a trash can need power? Well, turns out that Big Belly Solar has created containers that use the sun’s energy to "automatically compact trash at the point of disposal". Again, I was wondering "Why do this?".

Their answer to that:

Using trashcans that have to be emptied less often is another innovating way of saving gas in our vehicles.

You can find more info here. I thought I should add a couple answers to some obvious question:

The trashcans are bolted to the ground and weigh 300 pounds. They open like a mailbox, preventing animals and people from getting at the trash. Big Bellys send out a wireless notice when it’s time to empty the trash. They also seal themselves once they’re completely full, so no one can stuff more trash into them.

Personally, I find these things fascinating and it makes me glad there are so many people working on these things because if it were left up to me, I would have never thought of this.

Thanks to my husband for this find.

Halloween For Green Crafters

2009-08-04T23:08:00.001-05:00

I've been looking up Halloween crafts that can be made from things most of us crafters already have or even things that you wouldn't typically think of as being a craft item.

Here are some examples:

Pom Pom Spider Cutouts - Who doesn't have some pom poms lying around? If not, then I would think these could easily be made out of numerous odds and ends around the house.

Candy Corn Family-Ok, I don't like that they're made into people; but using Styrofoam to make candy corn, I do like that. I'm just gonna have to figure something else to make from them...maybe if they had scary faces or something.

Pumpkin Luminaries from pop bottles-I don't know that the instructions are "green" but I'm sure they can be made in a eco friendly way.

I also found some links for ghost luminaries, monster jug heads, and even more eerie luminaries

Grocery Bag Ghosts

Garbage Bag Spiders

Educating Our Youth

2009-07-27T21:53:00.007-05:00

I just picked up the book, 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World at the library for my son. The steps are pretty simple, but I think it could go a long way in the attempt to start teaching kids young.

I try not to let my son watch too much television, but I do like that Noggin has started playing shows that talk about the environment. I know Yo Gabba Gabba has had a "green" show, etc. There are also little shorts between shows that concentrate on recycling and energy.

It all makes me excited for what's to come. Maybe this next generation will make the difference, assuming we don't screw it up before then.

Recycling Old Clothing

2009-07-23T21:51:00.001-05:00

I'm in the midst of making my husband anniversary and birthday gifts so just a short post today. I talked before about things to do with old clothes. Here are a couple more ideas:

This jean corset is part of Denim Surgery on Flickr. Personally, I think it could even be cooler if it were more faded and maybe even torn, but that would be a totally different look.

Bathroom Rug This could be done with fabric remnants. I love anything you can do with remnants.

T-Shirt Scarf - While I'm not big into fashion, I love winter clothes. I can't wait to start wearing scarves. Mind you, I hate the cold, so I'm not sure why that is. I think because I can be completely goofy with hats and things. Secretly, I wish I could pull off hats year round, but I just can't.

Recycled City

2009-07-19T21:33:00.001-05:00

Amid the bigger city projects, such as green roof tops and solar panel lights, there are a lot of smaller projects that are taking place within our cities as well.

Curbly had an interesting post on literal Dumpster Diving. The pools shown are actual old dumpsters placed in an abandoned strip mall. A great use of space if you ask me.

Macro Sea heads the projects such as this one. You should check out their site. It's actually pretty interesting. Here is the full article on this project at ReadyMade.

Global Inheritance runs a TRASHed Art of Recycling campaign which redesigns recycling bins like the one shown.

A similar artistic project was done in the city of Philadelphia with their recycling trucks. Personally, I think that's great. Read more about it here at Rive Magazine.

"Safe for Drinking" Garden Hoses

2009-07-16T22:11:00.006-05:00

I was reading the latest Parents magazine and found that there are now "Safe for Drinking" Garden Hoses because old PVC hoses contain lead. From what I've continued to read on-line is that the amounts of lead are small; but that the exposure should still be limited and that you should never drink from PVC hoses.

If you choose to keep your old hose, then they suggest running the hose for a couple minutes to flush out the old water before filling up pools and things that will come into contact people. Apparently, the standing water has higher levels of lead.

Who knew? All I can think about is all the countless times that I drank from a hose as a kid.

CFLs: Recycling and Disposal

2009-07-13T22:17:00.005-05:00

I have heard that Ikea and Home Depot have programs to take old CFLs. Earth 911 can also tell you other options in your area.

In case you're wondering why we should recycle these bulbs, it is said that one teaspoon of mercury can contaminate a 100-acre body of water.

Now, because CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs) do contain a small amount of mercury, it is important to know how to dispose of them properly when broken. Here are Earth 911's tips:

1. Before you clean-up: air out
Make sure all people and pets leave the room.
Don’t allow anyone to walk through the area where the break occurred.
Open a window.
Exit the room and stay out for a minimum of 15 minutes or more.
Shut off any centralized heating or cooling systems in the building.

2. Clean-up steps: hard surfaces
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up.
Carefully scoop up the broken glass and powder using stiff paper such as cardstock, cardboard or paperboard.
Place the broken pieces and powder into a glass jar with metal lid or in a plastic bag that can be sealed.
Use duct tape to pick up any leftover glass fragments and/or powder.
Wipe the area clean with disposable wet wipes. Place the used wipes into the glass jar or plastic bag.

3. Clean-up steps: carpeting or rug
Carefully scoop up the broken glass and place the pieces into a glass jar with metal lid or in a plastic bag that can be sealed.
Use duct tape to pick up any leftover glass fragments and/or powder.
Once you have picked up as much material as possible, a vacuum may be used to collect the remaining debris.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and clean the canister).
Place the bag or vacuum debris in a plastic bag that can be sealed.

4. Clean-up steps: clothing, bedding and other material
If the debris from the broken bulb is unable to be cleaned from the fabric, discard the clothing bedding or other material.
Do not wash the material. Mercury from the broken bulb can contaminate the washing machine and the water.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that did not come into direct contact with the broken bulb. This includes any clothing being worn at the time the bulb broke, as long as direct contact wasn’t made.
If shoes come into direct contact with powder from the bulb or broken glass, wipe them off with disposable wet wipes. Place the used wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

5. Disposal of clean-up materials
Immediately place all materials used for clean up in an outdoor trash container. These can be disposed of with your normal trash pickup.
Wash your hands after disposing of all clean-up materials and containers.
The EPA advises, “Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.”

6. Future cleaning of carpeting or rug:
Air out the room during and after vacuuming.
The next few times you vacuum, shut off any centralized heating or cooling systems and open a window before beginning.
Keep the air system off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming.

Eco chic by Matilda Lee

2009-07-08T22:11:00.007-05:00

I've read a few times now about Matilda Lee´s book, Eco chic - the savvy shopper´s guide to ethical fashion. I haven't read the book myself, but according to Outsapop, one of the things the book talks about is how a very small percentage of clothing donated to thrift stores is actually sold. Apparently, of the things donated,

less than 8% of all donated clothes actually ended up being resold in charity shops

7% are not even worth being recycled or further donated, so they end up in landfills. And this is just the clothes people bother to donate to charity.

If things continue the way they have for the last ten years, the business of recycling clothes will eventually go OUT OF BUSINESS.

That's a huge deal! I'm afraid I've seen this happen with people I know. Rather than donate items, I'll hear that they've just thrown them away. Oh, that kills me when that happens. There are so many things that can be done with old clothes, even if they're not still wearable.

Of course, with all the great ways to alter clothes now, there's almost nothing you can't wear in some way or another. If you're not into that, then make a quilt, use scraps for crafting, make a stuffed animal for the kids.

My sister made me this quilt from scraps of my father's old striped shirt. My father had passed so this was a very special gift.

There's just no excuse for throwing these things away. Even if you aren't crafty, everyone knows someone who is.