Whats old is new again

I decided it was time to take a stained & ripped bath towel out of rotation once and for all. I couldn't just throw it away so I cut it up and made it into something useful again. 

Here is a hint...

I made some homemade pads for my old swif...we'll call it a "mop"

I hated buying those cleaning pads because I felt like it was such a waste throwing so many of them away. But now I can use my "mop" again and be green too!

The "mop" already had the hook side Velcro on it

So I stitched some loop side Velcro pieces on each corner to make it stick (look on the corner of the pad ,it's hard to see because I used white Velcro)

A cut up old terrycloth towel + Velcro + a little sewing

= GREEN cleaning pads

I don't use the cleaner that comes with the "mop" (it's not eco-friendly) so I typically just hand spray an eco-friendly floor cleaner and then sweep.

Now that I have a stack of reusable & washable pads I will be cleaning my floor alot more!

Yeah for green cleaning!

Setting a goal

I have been trying to eat better over the last few weeks.  Not only for my heath but also because I have to be in a wedding dress in less then 11 months..eekkkk

I thought about joining Boston Organics because they deliver farm fresh fruits and veggies straight to your door.  There are also other CSA programs in the area too, but since I'm late in the game this year I don't know if I will be able to find a delivery one.

Does anyone out there currently have a CSA or get weekly deliveries?  How do you like it?

an example of what can be delivered

Either way I will start to buy more fresh veggies and fruits at Trader Joe's or Whole foods AND because I am vowing to become more green in my everyday life I plan on making a few of these reusable produce bags 

I love these and you can find tons of free patterns right here

And once I get that good-for-you produce home these Jayson Home & Garden farmers market baskets are perfect to keep them in.  Much prettier (and greener) then the green plastic ones to keep on your counter or in the fridge.

Since I will be registering soon I can not wait to put some glass storage containers on my list so I can get rid of the plastic ones once and for all.  These Anchor Hocking ones are at the top of my list

 

Bake 'N' Store and 6 Piece Set

 

I figured I needed to write all this down because it holds me more accountable.  Once I tell myself I am going to do something often times if I don't write it down or tell someone I forget or let myself slide when it doesn't get done.  

So now that I blogged about it- its out there in the open.  I have to, 1. buy more fresh, organic produce, 2. make some pretty reusable and good for the Earth produce bags and 3. make sure I register for some glass storage containers to replace all the gross plastic ones in my kitchen.

I'm expecting you all to keep me on track now.

 

(photos from: dailyolive.com, farmfresh.org, Jayson Home & Garden and Anchor Hocking)

Recycled Goodness

Who knew recycled items could be great for the environment and beautiful to look at?

Ok, well all probably knew that but these rugs just confirmed that just because something is made from recycled materials doesn't mean it has to look like it was.

Have an outdoor space?  With the addition of a rug like this you are creating an extension of your living space outdoors.

Have a basement playroom?  We all know basements can be damp and moist but with a rug like this you dont have to worry about it getting ruined.

 I need one of each of these rugs for my home- they are so colorful and could be thrown just about anywhere because they are close to indestructible.

Another bonus...a 6 x 9 rug will only set you back $105!!

See more at Fab Habitat

Just a little luck

I love these rooms for the little touch of Irish luck in them....just a smidgen

Did you find the touch of green in each one?

Happy St. Patrick's Day

(photos from Decorpad, CWE Mansion, Lonny Mag photo by Patrick Cline, and James Michael Howard)

Eco-Chic Spring Fashion

In honor of Earth Day today I thought I would post some hot eco-friendly dresses. There are so many different designers out there who use organic, earth friendly products in their designs.

This cute Gypsy 05 dress comes in many colors, at only $99 and made of 100% organic cotton you can't go wrong. Get it HERE

Cute for a girls afternoon out or a fun beach cover up this Beau Soleil dress is made of 100% bamboo. Get it HERE

On the left is this cute Nature vs Future Pleated Tunic Armhole Dress perfect for date night or a cocktail party. On the right is a great cotton Lara Miller dress you could dress up or dress down. Both of these dresses are available HERE

Target has joined in on the eco-friendly train and now is carrying Loomstate, an organic, sustainable clothing designer. This casual black cotton dress will only set you back $40 and can be found HERE

This white Willow Tree dress by Raw Earth & Wild Sky is made from 100% organic cotton and is perfect to slip on after a day at the beach. You can find it at BTC Elements HERE

This last one is my favorite. Made from 100% organic black cotton its a great all occasion dress to have. At only $136 you can find it HERE

Happy Earth Day!

Go green everyday, not just on Earth Day

Going Green is cool!! The excuse "I don’t have time" or "going green is expensive" doesn't fly anymore. Going green is now the RIGHT thing to do. Not only will it save you time and money in the long run, it will save our planet for the future of our children.

The following things are SUPER simple ways you can Go Green. A lot of us know these things already but just don’t practice them 100%. So this is a review or a refresher of sorts. If you go down the checklist and do all these things already (BTW you are awesome) then start thinking about other ways you can Go Green.

1. Sign up on the Do Not Mail website to reduce the amount of junk mail you get. There are many websites out there that provide this service. Two examples are DoNotMail.org or 41 Pounds. 41 Pounds is one that is guarantees no junk mail for 5 years (not a free service though).

Here are some facts on junk mail from 41 pounds:
• Keep trees in the forest. More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail. 42% of timber harvested nationwide becomes pulpwood for paper.
• Reduce global warming. The world’s temperate forests absorb 2 billion tons of carbon annually. Creating and shipping junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 9 million cars.
• Save water. About 28 billion gallons of water are wasted to produce and recycle junk each year.
• Save time. You waste about 70 hours a year dealing with junk mail.

Think about how many junk magazines you get in the mail and get rid of them. Large offenders that used to come to my house weekly and sometimes twice a week are Victoria Secret, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and JCrew. Its just as easy to shop online from those places so make a call and tell them to stop wasting trees. I did this AND signed up to stop my junk mail and its been great, I highly recommend doing it!

2. Now is as good as time as ever to replace all those light bulbs in your house- a super simple way to save energy and lower your costs. No excuses anymore because you now have choices, you can get them in Cool, Warm, and even Outdoor/Natural light.

3. One word RECYCLE! (Mom and Dad I know you recycle, but its time to take it one step further, yes I just shamed you publicly :) ) You would be surprised that ALOT can be recycled if you just take a look. The BF and I recycle everything we can. Things like the toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, the empty Stride Gum pack, the Q-Tip box (which can be completely recycled just separate the paper backing from the plastic and they both can be recycled), yogurt containers and much, much more go into our recycling bins.

Make a game of it with your kids and see how much you can reduce your weekly trash by just putting more into recycling. These bins from Ikea are great for making a recycling station in your home. The BF and I have two of these stacked, one for paper and one for cans, glass and metal and they are perfect!

4. Bring those reusable bags to the grocery store and STOP USING PLASTIC BAGS. We all know why so I won't post all the reasons here- so to check out more facts go HERE.

5. Replace those awful, poisonous cleaners with green ones. You would be surprised what vinegar, lemons, and baking soda can clean in the house. For tips on green cleaning go HERE and HERE. And YES vinegar and baking soda can really can get rid of all the germs.

6. For those renovating their homes and buying new appliances look for the Energy Star logo. Also, don’t forget to recycle the old ones. Post cabinets, tile, fixtures or anything else you are getting rid of on sites like Craigslist or Freecycle- you never know who can re-use something. BONUS- it can save on demo costs.

7. Start decorating with green items one accessory at a time. Need new sheets, buy Rubie Green. Need new dishes, check out the salvation army or antique stores a la Eddie Ross. Need to re-paint, pick a non-toxic one from HERE.

8. Plant a tree. Join the Arbor Day Foundation for ten bucks and they send you 10 trees of your choice to plant, you can't beat that deal!

9. Plant a garden. Taking a cue from the First Family, plant a garden in your backyard too. Don't have the room, no problem- start small in a container garden. Things like herbs, lettuce, and even tomatoes can thrive in container gardens.

10. Take your kids to go see the movie Earth. But pre-sale tickets HERE and Disney will plant a tree in your honor.

11. All you water junkies its time to stop buying water bottles and start carrying a reusable one. No more excuses like the water tastes different... time to get used to it. Check out Sigg for some cool ones. Now they have the pop tops like those Poland Springs bottles everyone is addicted to.

Obviously this list is very short and does not include all the things you can do.

So please share, how do you Go Green?

For more on Earth Day 2009 check out the website http://www.earthday.net

Earth Day

Tomorrow (April 22nd) is Earth Day!

I'm working on a post on how you can participate and do your part to help our planet, so check back later!

Keeping Busy- Round 2

I pulled out the sewing machine this weekend and started making some new projects. I whipped up this little fork, knife, spoon and napkin holder for my best friend who brings her lunch to the office everyday- now she has something cute to carry them. Also a plus, is that its an easy way to go green, no more wasting a new set of plastic utensils everyday.

And it rolls up to look like this

Hope you like it Erin!! xoxox

A bag for the 3 R's...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!

Awhile back my Grandma had given me her Kitchen Aid mixer (yeah baby!). To carry all the accessories back to my apartment, and up the 4 flights of stairs, she gave me a canvas bag.

Since I already had lots of canvas bags to use for my groceries and other shopping goodies, I decided to make it pretty and send it back to her.

This is not what the bag looked like, but it had a design on the outside that I just wasn't feeling



Out came some pretty fabric, ribbon, and fabric paint. I first painted her initial on the piece of fabric using a stencil I printed from my computer. Then, I attached the fabric with some fabric glue. Last, I finished the raw edges with some ribbon and more fabric glue (that stuff is great BTW). Here is how it turned out:

I got really excited about the fabric paint, so I went to town on one of my own canvas bags and painted my initial

No more plastic for Grandma, now she has her very own pretty grocery bag!