I love this crocheted rug created from upcycled plastic bags by RecycleCindy over at My Recycled Bags. It totally reminds me of the ones my grandma used to make out of scrap fabric and would have all over her house.

Cindy used recycled bags from bread, hotdog & hamburger buns, paper towel & TP packaging, etc. to create this rug. She first makes her plastic yarn (or “plarn”), then uses an N (9) crochet hook and does a single crochet throughout.

I think these rugs are just a super fun throwback and a great way to recycle your plastic trash.

A special thanks to RecycleCindy for sharing her DIY crafts with us.

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It’s the end of August and time for the kids to go back to school.

Back to school is the perfect time to start adopting some greener habits you & your whole family can practice all year long. Below are the top ten tips to going back to school the green way.

Top Ten Eco-Friendly Back to School Tips:

1. Ride your bike or walk to school whenever possible.
2. Use last year’s backpack.
3. Use a reusable lunch box & water bottle, instead of disposable.
4. Buy local & organic foods & snacks to pack in lunches
5. Buy recycled paper, notebooks & other supplies.
6. Use refillable pens & pencils.
7. Buy a canvas & cardboard binders, instead of plastic.
8. Buy used books.
9. Buy new school clothes from a second hand shop.
10. And don’t forget to always recycle.

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Mountain Dog is an environmentally responsible company making incredibly strong dog leashes from re-purposed climbing rope.

Why climbing rope?
Well, climbing rope is stronger, more durable and more comfortable than any other leash material on the market today, like leather or nylon. It absorbs shock when your pooch is out of control. And will never ever break. Plus, by up-cycling used climbing rope you’re reducing what is going to the landfill and greenifying your pup’s lifestyle.

All of Mountain Dog’s leashes are handmade in the U.S.A. by sweatshop-free labor and involve no carbon intensive recycling process.

And the best part of Mountain Dog is their replacement policy, “Eat An Old Leash, Get A New Leash – Free of Charge.”

Buy yours today, it will be the last leash you’ll ever buy!

Posted in Eco-Products | 2 Comments »

It’s good to occasionally check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. You want to make sure it’s set according to the manufacturer’s manual, so you don’t waste extra energy.

In general the EPA recommends keeping refrigerators at 37 degrees Fahrenheit and freezers at 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything colder is probably overkill, and just a big waste of energy.

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Got an old shirt that doesn’t fit you anymore? Instead of tossing it out, up-cycle it into a new cute beret for you, a friend, or a little one!

MJ over at eco crafts shows us how to do this with her step-by -step tutorial.

Supplies Needed:

• Old shirt
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Thread
• Optional: elastic

Step 1:
Cut out the fabric pieces shown in the image above: a circle with a diameter of 40 cm; another identical circle but with a 27 cm hole cut out of the middle; and a band 15 cm high by about 56 cm wide (you should measure your own head for this number; leave room for a seam but not too much room or else the hat won’t be snug enough. If you want to use elastic, cut a longer rectangle.)

Step 2:
Sew the donut-shaped piece to the circle, right sides together (the right side is the outside)

Step 3:
After you sew these together, you will have a seam on the inside of the hat. Go through and cut little triangles out of it, making sure not to hit the seam line. This helps the hat bend properly.

Step 4:
Sew the head band piece (the rectangular one) into a loop, making sure you sew the right sides together with a 6 mm stitch. Now, fold the band in half, right sides out, so that it is 7.5 cm high.

Step 5:
Sew the band to the rest of the hat, right sides together; the circumference of the donut will be longer than the circumference of the head band, so you will have to gather the donut piece; you can either gather as you stitch it onto the band, or baste the donut-shaped piece and gather it that way, proceeding to sew the band on afterward.

A special thanks to MJ & eco crafts for sharing their up-cycling crafts with us!

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Move over Coffee there’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Tea.

Did you know…
Some black teas have just as much caffeine as coffee does. Plus, growing tea is much greener then growing coffee. Producing one cup of coffee requires almost 300 gallons of water, while the same amount of tea requires only about 30 gallons of water.

So green up that morning cup of java with coffee’s leafy counterpart. Don’t forget to always buy organic, fair-trade, & shade-grown. Plus, skip the pre-bagged tea & go straight for the loose-leaf.

Posted in Eco-Products, Healthy Eating | 2 Comments »

It may sound difficult, but making homemade organic baby food at home is super simple and has huge benefits for your baby, the environment and your wallet.

All you need to do is buy fresh organic fruits & veggies at the local farmer’s market, cook them and blend/puree. You can even make extra and freeze in reusable single serving containers or in ice cube trays for later use.

By doing the leg work yourself you know what’s actually going into your baby’s food, giving yourself peace of mind that your baby is getting the freshest organic foods.

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Looking to shrink your energy footprint?
Yeah, who isn’t!

Well, Sue Reed helps you do just that with her book ‘Energy-Wise Landscape Design: A New Approach for Your Home and Garden’.

In her book, she presents hundreds of practical ways everyone can save time, money and energy by designing their landscapes and gardens to be more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

You’ll learn how to reduce your home’s heating & cooling costs, minimize fuel used in landscape construction, maintenance and everyday use, plus learn how to choose products and materials with lower embedded energy costs.

Sue combines general guidelines with tips, techniques and actions to help anyone make a positive difference without a major investment or change in lifestyle.

Buy Sue’s book now!

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Calling all magazine hoarders! This DIY craft is just for you. It is a simple guilt free way to get rid of all your old magazines.

Materials Needed:

• Old Magazines
• Glue
• Scissors
• A Big Clip

Step 1
Start with a page from an old magazine. Fold the page at about a quarter inch thickness until it has a little bulk to it. Glue the edge and cut off the remaining page. I don’t recommend using the whole page, it just gets too thick.

Step 2
Next, take the strip of paper and roll it into a circle.

Step 3
Continue making strips and rolling them until you reach your desired diameter for your box.

Step 4
To keep it from unrolling, use a big clip while the glue is still drying.

Step 5
Roll a strip that is about an inch thick or so. Glue it to your roll. You’ll now have what looks like a lid. To give it more support. Make thinner strips and glue them to the outside of the thicker strip.

Step 6
Start the process again for the bottom of the box, however, make it slightly smaller so the lid will fit on it.

Step 7
Next, do the same with the bottom as you did with the lid in Step 5. However, don’t go all the way to the top with the smaller strips. This will create a little ledge for the lid to rest on.

Step 8
Finished!

Thanks to Stefanie Dean for sharing her awesome crafting ideas!

Posted in Eco-Products, Green Crafts | 4 Comments »

If you have the option, use a toaster oven instead of a conventional oven. Why? Because you’ll save on time and use far less energy.

Tests have shown that a well-insulated toaster oven, with plenty of room for air to circulate around it, consumes half the energy than a conventional oven does. Plus, using a toaster oven will keep your kitchen cooler, meaning less work for your AC and even more energy savings.

But what can one cook in a toaster oven besides toast & bagels?
Toaster ovens are great for casseroles, cheesy nachos, small pizzas and my all-time fave the grilled cheese sandwich.

So get creative & be eco-friendly in your kitchen this summer with the toaster oven.

Posted in Energy, Healthy Eating, Tips | 2 Comments »