Green Project of the Day - deux

As I mentioned, I'm in de-clutter mode!  And that means yet another green project is getting done.  The ideas are always flowing, but the energy to accomplish things isn't always equal to the brain activity that comes up with things...

So back in June, I made a gorgeous (imho) quilt for my god-daughter, which was quite green (I'll explain in a minute).  There were a bunch of  leftover squares from that project, so I decided to get one more green project out of the material, and make a second quilt for a new 2nd cousin.  Fast forward...I finally took the time to lay out the pieces to see if I had enough, and lo and behold there are enough pieces so I can just get started sewing!

Enough pieces left from prior project to make green project deux

The front of the quilt is completed

Why do I consider these quilts green?  All of the material (except the batting), is recycled from previous projects.  11 years ago my talented mother made a reversible bed spread, curtains, and dust ruffle for Tiger Lily when she shared a room with Rhody (we are talking baby Rhody).  At the time we bought enough material for the someday possibility of needed 2 matching reversible bedspreads (when Rhody was out of the crib).  As it turns out, we were lucky enough to be able to do an addition on the house, and thankfully Tiger Lily moved out into her own room a LONG time ago.  So my Mom returned the unused material, I've been storing it all this time, and have finally put it to good use in the two quilt projects.  The coordinating fabric, is also "green" because I got it from Recycling for Rhode Island Education (RRIE) http://www.rrie.org/    (see also http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/2010/02/recycled-centerpieces-trash-to-treasure.html )

Now if only recycled thread were readily available...

Foodies

I'm just getting around to writing about a green school fundraiser from Mixed Bag Designs.  I bought the pretty, functional, green "Foodies" which are a great alternative to plastic sandwich bags, and they were reasonable, two sizes for only $9.00.  And based on how they are washing up, these pretty 'lil things will last from elementary school through high school.

The reason I care about plastic bag alternatives is the staggering number of plastic sandwich bags that end up in American landfills each year.  Would you believe that approximately 380 billion plastic bags, or 1,200 per person get dumped each year?  (Earthworks Group, 2009).  And how long do those plastic bags linger in landfills?  20-1000 years!

Mixed Bag Designs are unique in that they are made from woven polypropylene, one the most popular plastics for making food containers like yogurt cups. Their website claims that 10-40% of the polypropylene in their Foodies and bags come from recycled post consumer use.  Foodies are not only food safe and FDA approved, they are also dishwasher safe, which is awesome for cleaning.  http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/Fall-2011/Page-4-Foodies_3

For additional waste-free lunch alternatives, and ways to eliminate plastic baggies from your lunch and the landfills, check out  "L is for Lunch" http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/2010/09/l-is-for-lunch.html .  
 
Sources:
The new 50 Simple Things Kids Can do to save the Earth, Earthworks Group, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, Kansas City, 2009
http://behealthyandrelax.com/2007/11/how-long-does-it-take-to-decompose/

Green Project of the Day

Beautiful Anniversary card from my parents

I was doing some decluttering, and it was time to take down our anniversary cards (thank you for the cards, I'm sorry to say I do not save every card, I just can't justify the paper clutter that six of us would have), and I instinctively put them in the recycle bin.  Yeah good job! 

And then I was thinking how pretty the cards are, and that with a little bit of trimming that would make excellent gift tags :)  So I pulled out my trimmer and got to work!   

Trimming the card.  You can use scissors if you don't have a trimmer.

You can trim the gift tags/cards to any size you want.

And the end result, are cute little cards/gift tags that can be attached to a gift either with a bit of tape, or hole punching and adding a little bit of scrap ribbon.  Viola!    Of course it goes without saying, that I recycled all the scraps left after I was done trimming :)    

July was a blur...

...a glorious blur, full of wonderful memories.  This summer has been different from most summers because we planned a big trip, a once in a lifetime vacation to the Grand Canyon.  Spending our vacation immersed in nature was absolutely invigorating, and we will never forget the gorgeous scenery and weather we enjoyed, and spending time together enjoying one of the natural wonders of the world.

Our trip was not the typical, popular destination of Grand Canyon National Park.  We opted to avoid the summertime crowds that visit the National Parks, but instead we visited two of the Native American Indian Reservations, the Hualapai Tribe at Grand Canyon West (famous for their Skywalk) and the Havasupai Tribe, home to the gorgeous turquoise waterfalls that seem strangely out of place in the middle of the dessert.  Each locations was breathtaking, and worth every second, and we didn't seem to mind sweating in the midst of such beauty.

Panoramic views of the Canyon and Colorado River at Guano Point

Guano Point - the layers of the canyon are amazing

At Grand Canyon West, we hopped on and off of the shuttle to visit 3 different locations; Eagle Point, Guano Point, and Hualapai Ranch.  Eagle Point features a Native American Village with a walking tour of Native American dwellings, an handmade jewelry and crafts that the girls enjoyed perusing, and the glass Skywalk.  We skipped the expensive Skywalk in favor of other activities and hiking at Guano Point, where we saw gorgeous panoramic canyon views and the Colorado River that looked like chocolate milk. We took tons of pictures at Guano, and it is impossible to pick a favorite, but I've included a few :)

Sunset at Guano Point

Sunrise at Hualapai Ranch, view from outside of our cabin.

The third location, the Hualapai Ranch, which looks like an old western town, was a hit with everyone; the kids loved petting the horses, and we all tried our hand at tomahawk throwing (I couldn't do this to save my life!), and quick-draw (I was pretty darn quick).  Rhody loved hanging out with the cowboys and also tried out roping, and bow and arrow.  Our hosts also treated us to a van ride out to Guano Point to see the sunset, that was AMAZING.  After a hearty dinner at the Ranch, we enjoyed a campfire and s'mores under the stars, and listening to stories and songs.  We had a good night's sleep in our basic (no TV, but there was AC) but comfortable cabins.  The next day, in true cowboy style, there was an early morning wakeup for the sunrise, but as you can see it was worth the 5am wakeup!  After a nap and breakfast, we capped off the trip with a horseback ride to the rim, yeeeha!!    We bid farewell to the cowboys, Norman the cow (from the movie City Slickers), and the Hualapai, and continued eastward on our trip, eager for the next chapter :)

...Stay tuned for more Grand Canyon adventures and pictures :)
...to be continued....
http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/2011/09/grand-canyon-adventures-continued.html
http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/Havasupai Mooney Falls2012.html
http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/2012/04/mooney-falls-return-trip.html

A Method to the Madness

The madness of dustbunnies, dirt, and pet hair...do you sweep or vacuum and turn around to the madness of more of the same?  Seems to be a never ending battle at our house.  But I have found an eco-friendly product to help with the madness.  My "Method" to the madness is the Method Planet Friendly Sweeper Dusters.  I love these dusters because they don't send the dust flying, but capture the dust, dirt, and pet hair electro-statically.  That's good news for our indoor air quality, but the best part in terms of the planet is that these dusters are made from corn and they are compostable and biodegradable.  Method even gets the package perfect...the carton is made from bamboo and recycled paper, and the cardboard sleeve that holds the carton shut is at least 15% recycled paper too. No plastic!

So when you think green cleaning, there is a good "Method" to the madness of dustbunnies, pethair, and dirt.  Give the Method Planet Friendly Sweeper Dusters a try, and when you are done, add them to your compost, not the landfill!

Well it's been awhile

Looking back, it's been an incredibly busy June and July!

June is always a hectic month with the kids finishing out school, final exams, sports banquets, end of year celebrations, soccer parties, gymnastics shows, band concerts, award ceremonies...you get the picture.

This year, the day after school ended, we packed up and headed to the NJ shore for a week of fun in the sun.  If only the water line to the fridge hadn't burst, it would have been a nice relaxing week.  Thankfully our good friends were texting, calling, and emailing us to let us know about the flood, figured out how to turn off water to the house, and spent hours making headway cleaning up ceiling tiles, and mess that resulted in our finished basement.  Hubby, aka my hero, zoomed 5 hours to get home and deal with cleanup, allowing us to stay at the beach.  If there is any lesson to be learned, "know where the shut-off valve to your fridge line is", and then before vacation shut it off!  We've added that to our vacation checklist, right next to washing machine shut-off valves :)  Also, make sure the folks watching your home know where the water line shut-off, and other utility shut-off points are.

Be the change

One green choice at a time, you do make a difference.  So in the words of Mahatma Gandhi,
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”