Written on
October 20, 2009 by
SusanC
When I was little my parents didn’t buy Halloween costumes, we created them; it was so fun. Believe it or not, it wasn’t until I became a mother that I realized the overwhelming choices in commercialized costumes and decorations.
Driving through semi-rural, semi-suburban southern Rhode Island, I have noticed the abundance of gorgeously colored fallen leaves contrasted with plastic Halloween decorations. I have been in the checkout line at the discount store where many are purchasing stringy, plastic, scarecrows that will undoubtedly end up in a landfill in three weeks, if not torn apart and carried away by the wind.
I like a homemade Halloween; in second grade I was a tree.
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Written on
October 5, 2009 by
DianaP
It is no secret that I love food. Local, slow, whole, delicious food. It should be no surprise then that I simply could not resist the opportunity to spread the word that the fifth annual Eat Local Challenge is underway.
I don’t recall a fundamental shift in perception ever having taken place. Rather, it was a slow and steady evolution that led us to curb our long-distance consumption at the dinner table. It wasn’t a conscious decision made, but it did turn out most convenient and achievable that way. I imagine much in the same ways that it would be most achievable for other families to go about it in the same way; slowly integrating local when and where it’s most possible.
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Written on
June 23, 2009 by
SusanC
We received an awesome 338! comments on the NoPlastic.ca giveaway post, and today I have two! lucky winners to announce.
These two gals were chosen at random via the integer generator at Random.org.
Without further adieu, congratulations! to:
Commenter #42, Theresa!
Commenter #118, Heather H!
You’ve each won a stainless steel water bottle set. (Total value: around $30 USD, per set.)
Thanks to everyone for entering!
Happy! Tuesday, all.
An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post. Read more about all things Kerri Anne, including her renewed commitment to green living and her affinity for talking in movie quotes at kerrianne.org.
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Written on
June 17, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week we’re showcasing the hand-drawn recycled notes from the Oxford-based Etsy shop, Squirrel In The Attic.
A little bit about Squirrel In The Attic, in their own words:
You know how sometimes you want a greeting card to simply say “hey”, but still want your recipient to feel special, knowing the card was chosen just for them? Well, here at Squirrel in the Attic, we produce hand drawn greeting cards that do just that by coupling the word “hey” with a fun descriptive noun.
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Written on
June 5, 2009 by
SusanC
I think by now most of us know we as a society and a planet use too much plastic on a daily basis. We’ve talked about it on the site before, about where our plastic goes to die live forever in our oceans, and about proactive ways to minimize our reliance on plastic.
I’m happy to introduce you to NoPlastic.ca, a Toronto-based green business helping consumers lessen their plastic footprint with every product they sell. Their passion and focus?
They’re here to help you clean your food from the outside in.
The story behind NoPlastic.ca:
We use enough plastics on a daily basis!
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Written on
June 3, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week I thought I thought I’d switch it up a bit and feature two recycled notebooks from an extremely talented Australian artist, Esta Sketch.
I love the fact that they’re discarded sketches re-purposed into artistic and usable notebooks. Which makes every one them (lovely, and) one-of-a-kind!
Recycled Art Notebook (blue)
From the seller:
This is a handbound notebook constructed from cartridge paper and silk screen prints. The cover features one of my ‘comfort’ prints that didn’t turn out perfectly.
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As much as I love summer, it definitely has its drawbacks, mostly in the form of humidity, weeds, and mosquitoes.
There’s nothing I can do about the humidity, but I’d really really like to get rid of the other two. With a dog running around, I’m even more reluctant to turn to chemicals than I was before, but I’ve got to do something.
I’m always on the lookout for green pest control tips that work, but so far, I’ve come up a bit short. So I thought I’d turn to the 5m4gg readers, and see what you have tried and tested.
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Written on
May 28, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week we’re showcasing the beautifully designed and playful cards from AC Bohman Designs, a North Carolina based freelance designer with an etsy shop filled with unique recycled cards.
Here are just a few of my favorites:
Rad Father’s Day Card
From the seller:
This A2 sized card is made of heavy eco-white stock and flat printed with a vintage illustration (in black) and typewriter text (in red). Paired with a recycled kraft envelope and packaged in a clear archival sleeve.
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You can gradually reduce the carbon footprint of your baby with Baby Pottying or Elimination Communication. (Did you see the word “gradually” in that sentence?)
Gradually is there because you can ease into EC slowly, taking baby steps to gain your confidence and discover some EC tools with your baby to reduce your use of diapers in time.
Imagine if every baby wore just one less diaper each day because Mom and Dad are dabbling in baby pottying? That means millions less disposable diapers will be tossed in the bin.
EC, or Elimination Communication, is an ancient approach to baby hygiene that involves getting to know your baby’s patterns and rhythms of elimination so that, together as a cooperative team, you can “catch” some of their business in a potty, potty bowl or other suitable place.
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Written on
May 20, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week we’re showcasing the bright and artistic 100% recycled cards from Little Green Cards, an etsy shop based in the Pacific Northwest.
Here are a few of my favorites from the shop:
Birthday Beauty
From the seller:
I found this monarch butterfly during some travels and it was kept safe in a little plastic bottle all through Central America. I drew the wings and found some bright colors to recreate my find. Comes in two colors, pink and blue.
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