Snail’s Pace is a socially and environmentally responsible stationery brand that features a collection of beautiful nature designs all printed with soy-based inks on paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and packaged in plant-based, compostable bags.

The unique part of Snail’s Pace is, the product line comes from the monks of Abbey Press at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Southern Indiana. These monks have a long-standing Benedictine tradition to be kind to their environment and strive to make the most ecologically sound choices in materials they use.

Every step of the Snail’s Pace production process is designed to be as eco-responsible as possible. By buying your holiday, birthday or next special occasion card & gift wrap from Snail’s Pace you will not only be supporting the monks, but also the Earth.

Check out this super sweet little girls blouse that Teri Dimalanta from Giddy Giddy created using a thrift store find drab purple dress and a few odds & ends she had laying around her house.

Teri first began by removing the lace on the neckline and chopping off the long sleeves, plus 4 inches of skirt. Next, she finished off the sleeves and the skirt hem. Then, she added detail to the front by hand sewing a navy floral fabric, 3 mismatched buttons and lavender lace trim. To complete the look, she added a cute dark purple apron.

A special thanks to Teri for sharing her upcycling skills with us! Teri, your little lady is the cutest in this recycled girls dress turned blouse.

nicobella are these dreamy little vegan organic dark chocolate truffles designed for the health conscious individual with a big sweet tooth.

nicobella provides all of the flavor without the guilt, taking the traditional decadent truffle concept to a new level. nicobella replaces the cream and sugar that is typically in the ganache center of a truffle, with vegan natural ingredients and infusing each truffle with super rich antioxidant foods.

nicobella’s truffle variety box is an awesome sampler of all their vegan organic dark chocolate flavors…Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Sunflower Banana Butter, Pumpkin Chai, Blueberry Almond, Ginger Green Tea and Pure Cocoa Bliss.

Buy yours today! It’s the best little chocolate treat after dinner.

Here’s a quick DIY project – upcycle old mason jars into fun funky bathroom or kitchen liquid soap dispensers.

Supplies Needed:

• Old mason jar with lid
• Drill
• Ruler
• Marker
• Soap dispenser pump
• Liquid soap

Step 1:
Measure and mark the center of the jar’s lid.

Step 2:
Drill a hole approximately half an inch wide, at the marked spot, and to fit the width of the pump.

Step 3:
Fill the jar with liquid soap, insert the pump (trim, if needed), and start washing.

EARTHTECH is an environmentally responsible lifestyle apparel brand located in New Hampshire, USA. They create quality apparel from recycled plastic bottles.

EARTHTEC takes PET & HDPE plastics (like water bottles, food containers such as ketchup and non-food containers for items like cleaning products) and puts them through a process which cleans, shreds, and melts the bottles. They then create recycled fiber from the plastic that rivals virgin polyester. From this recycled fiber, EARTHTEC has created a whole apparel collection. Each garment prevents approximately 12 plastic bottles from ending up in a landfill.

EARTHTEC fleece clothes are super soft, very cozy and just a great layer to wear on those colder days. Buy yours today!

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!

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.

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!

Big Dipper Wax Works is a little eco-friendly factory making really incredible candles from 100% beeswax. They are located in Seattle, Washington and have a huge selection of hand crafted candles including tapers, pillars, votives, tea lights, tins, sculpted and even floating candles.

Big Dipper is also committed to living local. Even saying ”living locally is living responsibly.” They back up their words by being an active member in the community and supporting a variety of local organizations focusing on either education, research, or sustainability.

Why does Big Dipper use Beeswax to make their candles?

• Beeswax is all natural
• Beeswax is a renewable resource
• Beeswax nontoxic & non-allergenic
• Beeswax burns clean & soot free
• Beeswax is naturally aromatic, infused with the sweet, subtle scent of honey
• Beeswax releases negative ions while burning that improves air quality by eliminating pollutants & allergens
• Beeswax burns for an exceptionally long burn time due to it’s high melting temperature

For more information & to order…check out Big Dipper Wax Works.

I just love this super funky lamp made out of recycled soda pop can tabs by Tasha Duckman over at Craftster.

Tasha created this tree lamp for a class project. She started by weaving her tabs together with ribbon first, then she used wire to mold and keep the desired tree shape. She then finished it up with wiring and a CFL bulb.

Tasha’s whimsical tree is just so creative and really demonstrates that one person’s trash is really another person’s treasure.