Make Your Place

The same day that I received my GreenCraft magazine I also received a copy of Make Your Place. I saw the book over at Crafting a Green World and knew I had to have it. I mean everyone needs to have affordable, sustainable nesting skills, am I right? Plus, it cost $5. It is published by Microcosm Publishing, which has a really cool website and tons of very cool books.

The whole book is handwritten and illustrated. It is loaded with information from herbal remedies, to homemade cleaners, and even gardening.

I read this book cover to cover in one night. I absolutely loved it. I know I will keep it readily accessible because I will reference it often. If this sort of thing tickles your fancy, you really should splurge and get yourself a copy.

Are you sick of coffee cozies yet?

Guess what I have been doing this week? The Good Cup is keeping me busy, which is not a bad thing. They placed another order last week for 25 more cozies. I have been scrambling around like a mad woman to finish them before our trip. So that's all I have this week for Crafty Tuesday.

I had a couple of projects I wanted to finish before we left, but you know how that goes. Plus, I am a little crazy when it comes to preparing for a vacation. Just ask my husband. Let's just say I like to prepared. Especially, when I am going to spend at least 12 hours in the car with my kids.

We are leaving this afternoon so I probably won't have access to the internet for awhile. I do have a Wordless Wednesday post scheduled for tomorrow and also one for Thursday. I didn't want you to forget about it me while I was gone.

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Christmas is on my mind. I have been thinking about Christmas for months now. What to get people on our list? How to wrap gifts in an eco-friendly way? Are there gifts I can make? We have already decided that we are buying less this year. So much of what we usually give the kids ends up in the back of the closet.

Here's some ideas that I thought I would share with you:

• For the aspiring artist, visit The Stubby Pencil Studio. If you missed it, read my review here.


• Sprig Toys offers eco-friendly trucks and vehicles. The toys are made from a bio-composite material made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. You can find them at Amazon.com.


• Green Toys has an adorable tea set, an indoor garnening kit, sand toys, and a cookware and dining set. They use recycled milk containers as the main ingredient in creating their toys.


• If you need more of a selection and don't mind shopping online, be sure to check out Oompa Toys. They have good selection of organic toys. They also have a section for toys made in the USA.


• You can never go wrong with something handmade. If you don't have the time or energy to make something yourself, browse through the shops on Etsy.com.


• Use recycled wrapping paper. Check out Fish Lips Paper Design or Earthloven.


• If gift bags work better for you, The Ole Bag Lady has a HUGE selection of reusable fabric bags at a reasonable price.

I am off to do some shopping.

The Wonderful World of Felt

I have been eyeing all of these fun felt crafts for awhile now. I have been searching thrift stores for wool sweaters to felt, but have had little success. I guess there is not a huge need for wool sweaters in Tennessee. I really did not want to buy anything. It has been so gratifying using recycled materials to complete my projects. In a moment of weakness, I headed to Joann's to look at felt. As I was browsing through the different colors, I noticed the label said Eco-Fi Felt made in USA from recycled post consumer plastic bottles. Cha-Ching. Jack pot. Now my splurge was justified and I was able to craft away.

I hand stitched all of these, which was nice because I could do it watching TV. I want to try some designs using the sewing machine. My mind has been racing with all kinds of things I can do with the felt. But you never know, I might become obsessed with something new before I get around to it. Sigh. I make myself tired. Why do I do this to myself?

I am Crystal Confident For Sure

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when I was rambling on about my lean mean green hygiene? Well, I decided to take the plunge and try the Crystal deoderant stick. I was apprehensive at first, but have to admit I have been pleasantly surprised. It works much better than the Almay one I was using. I have even converted my husband. There is no residue, no scent, and it works. A note of warning- you will still sweat, which is normal. Everyone sweats, right? Maybe, it is easier for me to say since I am not especially sweaty.

Time magazine just had an article on deoderants. Like everything else, nothing is conclusive, but it makes you think. If I can use something that still works and does not contain harmful chemicals, why not?

Stubby Pencil Studio

I actually won the Stubby Pencil Studio giveaway over at Nature Mom's. Can you believe it? After reading Nature Mom's blog on Stubby Pencil Studio, I confess I ordered some stuff. My thinking of course was I will never win the giveaway. I am a sucker for art supplies and I had ventured to the site a couple of times browsing the selection. I ordered some gourmet scented colored smencils and some watercolor crayons. I received my package within a couple of days and there were even a few little extra goodies in my box. You can't beat that.

Then I received the e-mail telling me I won the giveaway. Yippee!!! Lucky me, huh? Well, again I received my package in a couple of days. You can tell when you open the package that lots of love and care goes into each one. It was loaded with stuff. Just look at this picture.

You can't really see them in the photo, but along the edges are 3 packages of recycled cards that can be colored (like the one in the first picture). So cute. The kids immediately ripped open the softdough and demanded snakes. They love when I roll the dough out to make snakes. It is a good thing it is all natural because my son decided to eat some. They had to open every single smencil and smell it. Those things smell super yummy! We now have the regular smencils and the colored smencils. They are made from 100% recycled newspaper. Thanks to Nature Mom and Stubby Pencil Studio I now have a supply of cards for all kinds of occasions. Plus, plenty of supplies to keep my little ones busy for hours. If you decide to order something from them, I promise you will not be disappointed.

Only Eat the Blue Ones

As an early Anniversary gift, my parents gave us 2 blueberry bushes and a rain barrel. Do they know me or what? My son loves blueberries and learned really fast to only pick the blue ones.

He ate every single blue blueberry on the bush. My daughter is not a big blueberry fan, but she tried one and so did I. They were delicious. I can't wait to get them planted. I hope they flourish and give us lots of blueberries. It is really cool to be able to use or eat something that you have grown. I used some of my basil last night in a dish I made for dinner. Yeah!!!

We are trying to figure out the best spot for the rain barrel. Once we get it all installed, I will post some pictures. I am really excited about it as well. It is going to be wonderful to use the rain water that collects to water my herbs and our new blueberry bushes.

The Reel Mower

Our house sits on a half acre lot. It is not a huge lot, but using a push mower (at least for me) it takes about 2 hours to cut the front and back yard. So a couple of years ago we purchased a riding lawn mower, which honestly I am a little scared to operate. Our yard is very hilly. The push mower no longer works so last week my husband splurged on a reel mower to use in those hard to reach places. It is very light and easy to use. It definitely works better on grass that is not too long and you have to make sure there are no little sticks in the way. It was very gratifying to push it along hearing only a little whir as it sliced the grass. Knowing it was not using any gas just a little muscle made me feel very green. It definitely does not cut as well as a gas powered mower, but I think it will serve its purpose well.

Going with the Flow

I finally settled on a low flow showerhead. I decided I had mulled it over long enough. Action was necessary. I kept going back and forth between the Delta Fluidics Adjustable Showerhead and the Roadrunner. I chose the Delta Fluidics mainly because of all of the reviews on Amazon.com. It also only cost $25.00. The water flow is 1.85 gpm or 2.5 gpm depending on the setting you chose. You don't save water with the 2.5 gpm option, but it is nice that you can switch between the two. I used the higher setting to rinse my hair. I would say that it took half the time to rinse my hair because the water pressure is really high. The lower setting still out performs our old showerhead. Of course, I think our old showerhead was original to our house built in 1973.

The Roadrunner does have some really cool features. You turn on the shower and once it reaches 95 degrees it slows to a trickle. You flip a switch and hop on in. The water flow is 1.59 gpm. I believe you can also flip the switch to slow the water to a trickle while lathering up or shaving. It retails for $39.95.

Since we are talking showers, I thought I would mention the challenge that The Crunchy Domestic Goddess is doing this summer. It is called the Five Minute Shower Challenge, which is pretty self explanatory. I am trying to decide if I can really do it. Pretty sad, huh? Anyone want to join me? Leave a comment here that you are in and I will sign up too. I just need a little incentive.

Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equally

I never put much thought into sunscreen before now. I usually picked up whatever was on sale and only looked at the SPF. After doing some research and reading the information on EWG.org (which I guess you can tell I rely on heavily), I have realized there is a lot more to it. Just like all other skincare products there are ingredients and chemicals that are safer and more effective than others. EWG.org uses a rating system to come up with a hazard score, so it is easy to look up a product and know how safe it is to use. They also have very handy guides that tell you the best products to use.

I will summarize what I have learned so far. When buying sunscreen, look for the ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients stay on the skin's surface and they provide protection against UVB and UVA radiation. UVB radition causes sunburn, whereas UVA radiation causes skin damage, aging, and cancer. Coverage for both are labeled as broad spectrum coverage. You also want to use SPF 15 or higher.

Here are the ingredients to avoid:
Oxybenzone - In sunlight, can produce allergy- and cancer-causing chemicals
DMDM Hydantoin - Allergen and irritant that can form cancer-causing contaminants
Triethanolamine - Allergen and irritant that can form cancer-causing contaminants

I purchased some Blue Lizard Sensitive Sunscreen, but all of the California Baby products have high ratings and can be found at places like Whole Foods and Target. I am also going to try the California Baby Sunscreen Stick to use for our faces.


Of course, there are also other steps you should take besides wearing sunscreen. Wear a shirt, hat, and sunglasses and try to stay in the shade. If at all possible, try to limit the amount of time you are in the sun between 10:00 am-2:00 pm. I know this is a lot easier said than done, especially when you have children begging to play outside. All we can do is our best and being aware of the dangers is a good first step.

Cuisinart's Green Gourmet Cookware

As I type this post, I can hear my husband's voice in my head saying, "It would be a lot greener to use what we have and not buy a bunch of new stuff." This is true, unless what you are currently using is unsafe.

Several months ago we stopped using our badly scratched teflon skillets. According to the Environment Working Group, non-sticks pans can contain PFCs, many of which breakdown into PFOA (also known as C8) in the environment and your body. Once in the body, PFOAs can circulate for years. PFOA is considered a carcinogen causing testicular, pancreatic, mammary, and liver tumors in rats. Evidence has shown that scratched teflon when heated has the potential to kill birds because of the chemicals released. Plus if the pan is scratched, you will inevitably ingest some of those teflon bits.

I know it seems like EVERYTHING causes cancer. My rational is why risk it? So I purchased a 12 " stainless steel skillet. You do have to use lots of oil and food still ends up sticking sometimes. I do not regret buying the skillet, but a non-stick skillet is really nice.

On my search to find a low flow showerhead, I stopped by Bed Bath & Beyond. When I walked through the door, the first thing I saw was a big display of Green Gourmet cookware. I had read about the new cookware somewhere and evidently you can only find it at Bed Bath & Beyond. After browsing the display for awhile, I continued my search for a new showerhead. They do not have a very good selection of showerheads so I gravitated back to the Green Gourmet display. I did have a 20% off coupon. Hmmm. Then I thought this would make a great Mother's Day gift to myself. We can justify just about anything, huh? I bought the Green Gourmet 10" skillet, since I already had the 12" stainless steel one. I really wanted to get the grill pan, but decided that I would try the skillet first to make sure I liked it.

Here are the specs on the skillet. If you want to read them from the packaging, just click on the picture above. The skillet is scratch resistant, the ceramic based coating makes it non-stick. It is petroleum free, PTFE (teflon) free, and PFOA-free.

I have not cooked with it extensively, but the few times I have I really liked it. The skillet is very heavy and the surface is very slick. There was no sticking. The verdict is in....I love my new Green Gourmet skillet. Now I just need to find an excuse to get the grill pan and maybe one more small skillet.

More Snack Reviews- Cereal, Crackers, and Bars

We have reduced the amount of packaged foods that we eat, but we do still have a few staples around our house. We have switched to organic brands and look for items that have no preservatives, artificial sweeteners or flavoring, and no trans fat. I thought I would share with you which ones we have found tasty.

Kashi TLC Country Cheddar Crackers

My husband likes to take this instead of chips in his lunch. I think they taste way better than cheezits or goldfish. Country Cheddar is our favorite. It definitely satisfies a salty craving.

Cascadian Farm Clifford Crunch

My daughter loves to eat cereal for breakfast and Clifford Crunch is usually her first choice. She might just like saying Clifford Crunch, but I don't feel guilty giving it to her. It only has 6 grams of sugar compared to 9 grams in Honey Nut Cheerios. In the book Superfoods Rx Diet the author recommends this cereal as a good choice for individuals who like cereal.

Clif Kid ZBar

This is by far my favorite snack. I will grab one for breakfast on the go or eat one as a midafternoon snack. The kids will only eat the Honey Graham flavor, but my favorite is Peanut Butter. Each bar contains between 120-140 calories depending on the flavor. They contain no hydrogenated oils, no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, and no artificial flavors or colors. They also are very filling.


If you have any products that you have found that are yummy, please share.

My Etsy Napkins

It is official. Ebay is old news. Etsy is my new addiction. Etsy is a website dedicated to the buying and selling of handmade items. There is even a section where you can search for items made by people in your area. The people that sell on this website are really artists. Check out these fairy mushrooms.

I bought the fabric napkins pictured above from a seller on Etsy. I wanted to upgrade from the wash clothes we had been using. I really wanted to make my own, but I saw these and they were so inexpensive I could not pass them up.

Where do I begin?

My New Year's Resolutions this year were to 1. Be healthier and 2. Go Green. Pretty broad, huh? Well, at least it gives me a lot to work with. I don't usually make resolutions so I am not sure why I did this year, but I am SO glad that I did. This is what we have done so far.

1. Being Healthier
I have tried to eat more food. That is real food. Not food with a bunch of preservatives and HFCS. This has been tricky, but is going pretty well. I started buying more organic foods. I also bought the book The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients. I REALLY like buying new cookbook and diet books for some reason. (I have started going to the library to try to satisfy this addiction of mine. ) I also try to have a green smoothie every morning. It makes me feel healthier and I get a good serving of spinach first thing in the morning. Can't beat that. The tricky part is getting my kids to eat healthy. That will be a topic for another day.

2. Going Green
I think I am driving my husband crazy with all of this green business. We already recycle and I am a vegetarian so I guess we are ahead of the curve in that aspect. So at the beginning of the year I started researching things that we could do to make a difference. Our first step was eliminating all of the individual water bottles that we drink. No more bottled water at our house. I bought a couple of Sigg Lifestyle Loop Top Water Bottle (1.0-Liters) as motivation and that has worked out pretty well. Then I bought some ChicoBag Reusable Shopping Bags to take to the grocery store. I know these are small steps, but every little bit helps, right? I can't wait for May so I can start going to the farmer's market.