Monthly Archives: October 2008

Think Green and Party On!

Autumn signals party time in our family. Since our sons attend preschool programs specifically designed for children who have birthdays that miss the September cut-off date, not only do my children celebrate birthdays in October and December, so do all their friends.

Now add the other parties for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas, and we are double booked solid each week! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the social aspect, getting together with friends to play dress up and catch up; however, I abhor the waste of it all. We’ve already started using better choices for the things we can control like the hostess gifts and wrapping, but what about all the disposables you see at parties?

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Recycled Note Of The Week: Plantable! Cards

This week’s Recycled Note Of The Week comes via Round Robin Press, and their “playfully modern plantable cards.”

I’m quite smitten with plantable cards of all genres and varieties, mostly because what’s better than sending a note that after being enjoyed can ultimately be recycled into something lovely and organic?

Round Robin Press has some of the best designed of all plantable cards I have ever seen online or otherwise, and the two below were two of my favorites from the shop.

Plantable Card, The First: Thank You

This gracious-themed card is printed on plantable handmade paper embedded with wildflower seeds, and comes with a coordinating papaya-colored envelope.

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Hide Those Plastic Bags Quick! The Green Police Are Coming!

green police carShhhh . . . the green police are coming.

I had a party to celebrate my 40th birthday and invited several of my “green” friends. I was so excited for them to come – some of them I only knew from blogging and was thrilled to meet them in person. But, what did I do in advance of the party? Did I clean arrange flowers, set out decorations? Not really. I did do some of that. But what I spent most of my time doing was hiding stuff. The not so green stuff we have.

I have always leaned towards green.

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A Very Merry Green Christmas

Christmas is probably the number one most wasteful holiday. We go crazy on gifts, food, decorations, partyGreen Christmas supplies, etc. So what can we do to GREEN up the holiday?

Here are ten eco-friendly tips:

1. Buy a quality fake Christmas tree and use it forever or buy a live tree to plant every year.

2. Send digital Christmas party invites and Christmas cards or buy ones that are made from recycled paper.

3. Make your own Christmas tree ornaments using natural and/or edible materials like gingerbread cookies, popcorn, and candy canes.

4. Instead of purchasing the usual lights for decoration, think about using LED lights.

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Fall Cleanup With A Little Elbow Grease And Manpower

Leaves blowing around the yard may be a discouraging sight to the tidy landscaper, but with the right lens, leaves covering the ground can be seen as ample opportunities.

Many outdoorsy folks look forward to the fall as an opportunity to work in their yards during comfortable weather and to get outside and play. Last week, Amy, also known as the Crunchy Domestic Goddess, shared a few tips on how gardeners and composters may make use of fallen brown leaves to create a nutrient-rich compost throughout the year.

When it comes to managing fall leaves, you may also wonder how to remove leaves from your yard in an environmentally friendly way, and whether or not it makes sense to remove leaves at all.

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Around The Greenosphere: Weekly Link Roundup

It’s Gardenvisit.com’s 10th anniversary, and to celebrate they are giving away free eBooks throughout the month of October. Two titles by Tom Turner are currently available for free download: 24 Historic Styles of Garden Design and The Principles of Garden Design.

Over at Sunnybrook Farm Designs, Rebekah has an interesting post about how to re-purpose old t-shirts into reusable eco-friendly shopping bags. A creative and green alternative to simply tossing your old t-shirts!

Just in time for traditional Fall festivities on October 31st, Ecologue has a post with some great ideas for going green for Halloween, including tips on how to get the most out of pumpkin carving, and how to fashion a one-of-a-kind eco-goodie bag for trick or treating.

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What’s on Your Reading List this Winter?

If you’re a homesteader like I am, or even just a beginner or veteran gardener, chances are, you’ve got some books on your list to dive into now that the outdoor growing, harvest and preservation season is just about over. (Of course, I am speaking for those of us who live in climates where we cannot outdoor garden year round!) It’s important to find new ways of doing things on your homestead, or just refining what you already know. This is why I’ve got quite a few books on my list and my night stand to read during these long winter months.

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Recycled Note Of The Week: Re-purposed Band Flyer Envelopes

I stumbled upon these re-purposed envelopes on Etsy a week or so ago, and was immediately enamored with them, as they are comprised of paper collected from telephone poles in the seller’s neighborhood, ten assorted band and event fliers that have found rocking new life as unique and 100% recycled envelopes.


Via nowvember, a.k.a. the seller, Lisa Riddle:

“Don’t worry kids — flyers were all expired before I pulled them down, ’cause I’m not out to sabotage local bands. I just hate to see such nice looking paper go to waste.

Envelopes measure 3.5″ by 5″ and are all hand-cut, folded and glued.

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Hard To Be Green When You Need To Dry Clean

Help! My healthy, green lifestyle has produced a serious conundrum. On one hand, I am making genuine progress with my health. Acupuncture and massage have improved my sense of well being while giving up dairy has alleviated my chronic sinus condition allowing full, relaxed breathing. Much better.

On the other hand, I am a big admirer of fashion and although I have a very meager wardrobe in comparison to the typical woman, I am left with a tough decision. Where to take my dry cleaning? Although I have many clothes made from eco friendly, organic materials that are able to be laundered, I have a variety of vintage and second hand items that genuinely require dry cleaning.

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When Good Food Gets Wasted

stock photo

Have you ever wondered what kind of stuff people find in dumpster bins? Think it’s all rot, filth and mold? Better think again! I thought I was in the know about all the different lifestyle choices out there but I learned a new word the other day – Freegan. Perhaps you know of one?

The term Freegan is coined by combining the two words, vegan and free. According to one Freegan site “Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources.”

In order to free themselves as much as possible from the ethical issues that come along with participating in the conventional economy, a Freegan opts for only eco friendly transportation such as bikes, train hopping and veggie oil vehicles, squatting or low cost housing, community gardening and reclaiming green spaces, and minimal to no employment.

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