Let’s get started…

DIY Edible Sugar Glitter

Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and a few drops of liquid food coloring until the color is evenly distributed. (You can also substitute salt for sugar, however the grains of salt give off less sparkle than the sugar.)

Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Pour the colored sugar onto the baking tray and spread the sugar thinly and evenly on the tray. Preheat your oven to 300ºF. Place the baking tray with sugar in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove tray from oven and let the sugar cool completely. Use a fork to break up clumps of sugar that may have formed.

DIY Edible Paint

Mix 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of water, and 2 drops of liquid food coloring.

Apply with a paintbrush to plain dishes, mugs or even glassware.

Sprinkle your homemade suger glitter on the paint while it is still wet to add a little extra sparkle and shine to every dish.

And when it’s time to clean up, just wash your dishes like normal. The paint and glitter will just melt off in hot water.

Have fun! Get creative! The sky’s the limit to color scheme & design.

One of my resolutions every year is to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I achieve this by making a new goal for the year and taking baby steps at making it become part of my everyday routine.

A few years ago, that goal was to use reusable shopping bags every time I go to a store. The year after that, was to recycle or upcycle everything I could. The next year, I promised to shop more consciously, to look for products that are local, packaged in eco-friendly packaging and are natural or organic.

Now this year, my resolution is to make my home more energy efficient. I currently have an old thermostat that requires me to manually turn up or down the heat. Of course, I often forget to turn it down when I leave for the day or at night. So this year my goal is to install a programmable thermostat and save some energy.

What are your green living goals for 2012?

Eco Holiday Tips:

1. Cards -Consider switching to emailed holiday cards to reduce your landfill waste. If you would like to send printed paper cards consider a card which is made from 100% post consumer recycled paper and is printed with soy inks.
2. Trees - Fake trees are reusable but are made from petroleum-derived sources and often shipped from abroad. Real trees, for their part, are typically sprayed with lots of pesticides. Organic Christmas trees are tough to come by. If you opt for a real tree, be sure to bring it to a local recycling center, where it can be chipped for mulch or used whole to stabilize wetlands. A better Christmas tree choice may be to purchase a live, potted tree, which can be planted outside after the holidays. Evergreen varieties such as pine, spruce, and fir work well in many regions.
3. Lights -Switching to LEDs is 90% more efficient than incandescent lighting. LEDs don’t get as hot as traditional lights, lowering the risk of fire, and if one bulb goes out, the rest of the string still works. They last longer, too.
4. Decorations - From bamboo placemats to homemade napkin rings, make a commitment to go green by decorating with an eco-friendly touch. Making Christmas decorations at home is another way to get the whole family involved in a creative project.
5. Gift Wrapping - Get creative with your gift wrapping. Make the wrapping of the gift part of the gift, something that can be used for another purpose afterwards, like a scarf, reusable bag or even a tablecloth.

Happy Holidays!

Top 5 DIY Thanksgiving Crafts

1- Upcycled hand print turkey shirt

2- Corn husk recycled jar candle holder

3- Turkey made from toilet paper rolls

4- Biodegradable Thanksgiving placecards

5- Thankful turkeys containers

Happy Thanksgiving!

SuperBrightLEDs.com is a St. Louis, Missouri based online company that offers all sorts of LED bulbs for the home, office or vehicle.

One of the most popular bulbs SuperBrightLEDs.com offers is the 9 watt Globe LED Bulb, which is available in both warm white (like a traditional bulb) or cool white (white with a tint of blue that actually puts off more light). The light output is comparable to 55 – 60 watt incandescent bulb, but consumes just 9 Watts of power.

Priced as affordable as possible, SuperBrightLEDs.com extends significant savings to their customers. Plus their bulb comes with a standard 2 year warranty, however the bulb should last way longer than that.

Top 3 Reasons to Switch to LED Light Bulbs:
1- LEDs are much more efficient than incandescent lighting.
2- LEDs don’t get as hot as traditional lights, lowering the risk of fire & burns.
3- LEDs last way longer than conventional incandescent lighting.

Buy Now!

World’s Best Cat Litter uses the natural absorbency of whole-kernel corn to deliver hassle-free cat care that doesn’t harm the environment. Their formulas are made of 100% all-natural ingredients and contain no synthetic chemicals, additives or artificial perfumes. So it limits odors, clumps fast, scoops easy and is pet, people and planet friendly.

World’s Best Cat Litter Eco-Features…

• Outstanding Oder Control: World’s Best Cat Litter is the only litter made from whole-kernel corn. That means it has a naturally microporous structure that keeps nasty odors and smells inside the litter.
• Quick Clumping: World’s Best Cat Litter traps the liquid and limits the wetness from seeping, sinking to the bottom or sticking to the sides of the box.
• Easy to Scoop: With its patented formula and quick-clumping abilities, World’s Best Cat Litter is easy to scoop. Cleanup is a breeze!
• Long Lasting: Quick clumping keeps the rest of the litter dry. As a result, one 7-lb. bag of World’s Best Cat Litter may last one cat more than 30 days. That saves you time and money!
• Pet & People Friendly: Because World’s Best Cat Litter is made from all-natural ingredients—with no added chemicals—it’s safe for cats. And unlike clay litters, there’s no silica dust for you or your cat to breathe.
• Planet Friendly: World’s Best Cat Litter isn’t made from mined, drilled, or artificially made ingredients. It’s milled from renewable whole-kernel corn.

Buy Now!

Here are the top 5 eco-conscious Halloween tips for 2011:

1- Buy your pumpkins from local farms
2- Create your own party decorations to reuse year after year
3- Make your own costume from recycled materials
4- BYO trick or treat bag
5- Create a compost pile for your pumpkins on November 1st.

Door to Door Organics has partnered with organic farmers to offer the freshest seasonal, local produce and the perfect selection of natural groceries to support healthy lifestyles, local farms and a healthier environment!

They also offer great planning and shop-by-recipe tools, you can be sure to get good food on to the table that is nourishing your health, your family and the environment.

Be good to your body & the earth by ordering fresh, local produce from Door to Door Organics.

And for all you new customers…enter in the promo code “GoGreen” at checkout to receive $10 off your first order of any of their organic produce boxes.

There are lots of choices these days for folders, binders and labels but not all are eco-friendly and offer great design like Des Moines, Iowa’s Naked Binder.

Naked Binder started back in 2008 designing their 3-ring binders to look so good you won’t want to get rid of them.  They have everything you might need to impress a client, store your taxes, organize your class notes or decorate your office / dorm room, plus they are 100% sustainable.

Naked Binder Eco-Features:

• Recycled: We use only board that is 100% post consumer waste and 100% recycled.
• FSC Certified: Nearly all of our materials are FSC certified.
• Stronger: Our binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without fail, making them perhaps the strongest 3-ring binder in the world.
• No Plastics: Naked Binder does not use plastics, vinyl or other toxins in manufacturing or shipping so everything is easily returned to the recycling stream. This takes pressure off of your waste management system, landfills and reduces the need for new production of virgin resources.
• Recyclable: Our binders are 100% recyclable.
• Innovating: We constantly test new materials to craft the most environmentally safe products that last longer, work better and look great.
• Local: All of our products are made in the USA, minimizing world wide travel to get to you. Our manufacturing plant is in Des Moines IA.
• Community: Naked Binder works and donates to two causes, education and wilderness preservation. Over the years, we have donated thousands of binders to kids who need them across the country. We have discounts for teachers and schools and have worked with organizations who are working to increase access to educational resources. As a member of 1% for the Planet, Naked Binder also works with and donates to organizations striving to preserve wilderness and open spaces.

Buy Now!

Supplies Needed:

• Book
• Electric drill
• Hole saw
• Safety glasses
• Dusk mask
• Scrap wood – 2 pieces
• Clamp
• Exacto Knife
• Screen
• Hot glue gun & glue sticks
• White glue & small paint brush
• Clear polyurethane spray
• Plant with a shallow root system & dirt

Step by Step Directions:

Via: Curbly