Where to Find Eco Advice for Normal People

Tsh — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:20 +0000

Green is the new jeans-and-flip-flops these days. As in, it’s the norm to be a mom who’s environmentally-conscious, yet not wear corn rolls and insist on not showering until global warming ends. You’re no longer in the minority when you care about toxins in plastic or reducing waste. It’s just common sense.

Photo by *sean

I personally have a lot to learn. All the talk going around about carbon footprints and household product chemicals can be really confusing. For me, anyway.

I recently found Ideal Bite. It’s a site dedicated to providing easy-to-understand advice about everyday things people can do to positively impact the environment. Their motto is “a sassier shade of green.” Isn’t that cute?

I just subscribed to Ideal Bite‘s Daily Tip. They’re short, they’re witty, and they’re useful. And they’re free! Woo-hoo for that.

I seriously didn’t need one more thing added to my in-box, but I like that I can peruse their daily tip, archive it if it’s helpful (thank you, Gmail!), or delete it and move on if it’s not. They tend to be about frugality and health while focusing on eco-savvyness (yes, I just made up that word). They obviously have advertisers around their content, but if you can get past that, there really is some good content.

Here are a few examples:

• If you think you’re all out, cut the toothpaste tube in half – you’ll be surprised how much is left.

• Add a little water to your almost-empty shampoo or conditioner bottles, and you can use them a few more times.

• Did you know that staples are recyclable? That means you don’t need to remove them before you throw your paper in the recycling bin.

• Turn off your car if you’re going to be idling longer than a minute (like when you’re waiting to pick up your kids from school). It uses less gas to turn on and off your car than it does to idle. It’s estimated that Americans use 2 billion gallons of fuel while idling each year – that’s $100 in gas per driver per year.

I love this little snippet from their “about” page:

Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living – ideas for real people who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. … The secret sauce? A spoonful of “incremental environmentalism” combined with a keeping-it-real attitude.

I think I’m going to use that phraseology about myself now, kinda like calling myself “chewy granola.” I’m light green.

So I recommend signing up for Ideal Bite’s Daily Tip. It works for me!

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Funkifying Cans into Colorful Pots

Tsh — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:07 +0000

Problem: Terracotta flower pots are expensive in this country, and I’m not big on the plastic kind. I can recycle cans, but then they’ll look ugly.
Solution: Scrapbook paper and Modge Podge!

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial for what I made today… the beginnings of our burgeoning urban balcony container garden.

Step 1 - Empty the right-sized can. In this country, tomato paste only comes in mammoth-sized cans (no idea why). So I emptied a can, and stored the paste in 1/2 cup portions in the freezer.

Step 2 – Cut drainage slits in the bottom with a can opener.

Step 3 – Cut a piece of scrapbook paper to size. I cut it to sit flush with the bottom lip and then fold over the top (I later changed my mind and cut the top flush with the upper lip).

Step 4 - Glue the paper to the can. I used basic Elmer’s glue and a paint brush to cover the surface. My goal was not perfection when I stuck the paper to the can – wrinkles and unevenness is good here, in my opinion.

Step 5 – Be creative with your available supplies! Then paint the outside with Modge Podge, which is a sealer that dries clear. This waterproofs the surface.

Step 6 – When the Modge Podge dries, fill with soil and your plant. Here’s my newly purchased basil on display in a lovely orange with brown polka dots. I’m using a plastic plate for drainage, but I’m hoping to find something else more creative and eye-catching. To the right is my 3-year-old daughter’s contribution, where we’ll probably grow basic grass, just for fun. We also Modge Podged her handprint for a splash of originality.

This can be done with all kinds of medium – look for fun images in magazines, wrapping paper, even fabric remnants. My plan is to scour for bigger cans and tubs to plant my larger plants, and then Modge Podge it all for a cohesive-yet-funky look.

Problem solved! A cheap, green alternative to overpriced terracotta or ugly plastic, and I get to expunge my creative juices with my daughter. A fun afternoon project.

Head over to Crystal to find more frugal ideas.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

Funkifying Cans into Colorful Pots is a post from Simple Mom

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Where to Find Eco Advice for Normal People

Funkifying Cans into Colorful Pots