As we all know our economy is in the dumps. We are in the worst recession in a decade or more! I wanted to make this post about how to be sustainable and green even in the worst of financial times. It seems that the alternative products to be “green” seem to come with a hefty price but there are things you can do that will help save you money and the planet! Whether you have been affected by the recession or not, these tips are a great way to cut back on your eco footprint!
Some of these tips are easy and common sense, others came from a book that I received for my B-day that anyone could get (used: remember, reduce, reuse, recycle). I have been using mine as reference for when situations come up and I want to be more sustainable!
You can get a great USED copy at www.amazon.com for as cheap as $10!
1: LIGHTS – Turning off lights that are not in use will save a significant amount of cash on your electric bill! Another way to save some money and energy for our planet, switch your light bulbs out in exchange for CFLs or LED. They last longer and use less energy. I am not saying run out and buy all new light bulbs (they can be spendy) but when one of your traditional bulbs burn out, replace it with a CFL or LED.
“If every American changed just one light bulb to an energy-efficient CFL, it would prevent pollution equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road and save us $600 million in energy costs per year.” Easy Green Living
Something else to save money concerning lights: Turn off your lights and use candles. It is romantic and way cheaper than electricity. I have to say; I look way better in candlelight anyway!! If you do want to try this, go for soy candles if you can! They burn cleaner (no petroleum products for ingredients) and they last longer!
2: CLOTHES- I think I might have some sort of issue with clothes. They have come up in 2 consecutive posts now! They are something we cannot live without yet, they are costly on many different levels! Anyway, clothes need to be washed and dried. So, lets save some money and energy by hanging those lovely threads on a rack to dry! Line drying your clothes will save money; energy and your clothes will last longer! Using the dryer brakes down the fibers in your clothes, making them less durable.
Also, when you wash your clothes use cold water instead of hot or warm. I guarantee that your clothes get just as clean in cold water as they do in hot! Again, this save money, energy and your clothes will last longer!
One last suggestion on the dryer situation. If you really cant give up your fluffy soft clothes, throw in a big dry towel with your load. This will help absorb some of the moisture of the wet fabric and will cut down on your drying time!
3: LESS MEAT- Yes all you carnivores, eat less meat! This will cut down on your grocery bill and consuming less meat helps the environment. The production of beef and pretty much all meat is a HUGE pull on our lands, water and just the whole environment. I am not suggesting you stop all together, just try eating less of it! If you eat meat everyday try every other day or once or twice a week. If you only eat it once a week try twice a month! Also, when you do buy meat try and get it locally and/or organic. Often the smaller and organic farms/ranches have better practices than the large producers.
4: HEAT- Turn down your heat by one or two degrees. Most likely you will not even notice but when your monthly bill comes in you will be smiling from ear to ear! This will save you money and the planet!
5: DRIVING- Do less of this! You will save a load of cash, emissions and stay in shape! Walk that cute little ass down to the store or bike your way to the thrift shop for that cool item that you just cant live without!
6: THRIFT SHOPS- Ok, thrifting is my life, as you all know! But, I really cannot stress this enough! REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!!!! When you need something whether it is clothes, drinking glasses, plates, dish rack, a cool knick-knack…..GO TO A THRIFT SHOP! This saves money and you are using things that are here, on this planet!
So, guess that is it for now! Feel free to comment, make other suggestions or just do these things! They are easy and should not disturb your life all that much!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Day 75
Hello All! Yes, I am still alive and so is the Epiphany!! Although it has been a while, I do have a GREAT excuse for not having posted in a while. I had to move...it was a very stressful and long endeavor but, its done and it has inspired this post!
So at some point we all have to move. Sometimes it is because you buy a house, just want a new space or in my case wanted to save some cash! No matter what the reason there are things that you should keep in mind during and after your moving process.
1st...if you know you are going to move in advance try and go through your "stuff" and think about how you will use it in your new space or not use it. If you do this it will save you time for the move to come and it will give you a chance to recycle some of these items. If you know you don't want that old dresser in the darkest corner of the garage, take it to goodwill or a friend that could use it. While your loading it into your vehicle make sure to take as much as you can at once to make one trip instead of several. This will save you gas, time and emissions! How great is that!
2nd...this can apply to anyone at anytime in their life not just during those annoying moving days. CLOTHES...many of us have way more than we need or use. There are several things you can do with these articles that seem to take up so much storage space. Take some of those clothes to a thrift shop! Let someone else enjoy them! Another option is giving them to an adoring friend or sibling that will appreciate them (I am insanely lucky to have a sister and friends with great taste and too many clothes!). My other suggestion is if you have some clothes that are really worth some money and you don't want to give them away..put them on ebay or get those rock'in threads on consignment in your local boutique.
3...Don't worry this one will have photos! My last topic is to keep an open mind about how your stuff will fit into your new space. For example: we have this great piece of furniture that we received from a family member. It is very old and heavy as all get out, it also needs to be refinished but it is very cool. In the past I have just used it as a place to put my pictures and plants. Our new house has very limited storage in the kitchen and we don't have enough space for all of our food storage so, instead of having pretty much no purpose I have made this our storage for dry food, cook books, plants and yes wine! It looks great and I feel good about using it for this instead of buying something new!
So, the rest of these pictures just have ideas on moving and not buying new things for your space but using used goods! Enjoy!
Our new house is far from new it is probably one of the original mill houses in Bend! It has been a rental for quite a while and it shows! It look pretty cute though. So, most of the windows do not have coverings. This front window actually had a shade but it was hung off center. Luckily I have a wonderful friend that had some used but great curtains that help hide some of these blemishes. Also, there was not a rod to hang them but, Bob found a rod in the garage that works perfect.
These are some more curtains that were given to us to use, used!
So every house you move into usually needs something that you didn't need in your old house! For me, this time it was a dishwasher. I don't use the dishwasher (when I have one) for washing dishes but as a drying rack. So, without a dishwasher I had no drying rack. I got this at Goodwill. No, its not stainless steel or any fancy brand name but you would not believe how well it dries my dishes! WOW!
Well, guess that is it for now! If you have any other moving suggestions that stay on the reuse, reduce, recycle topic please...make comments. This is a great topic that could use some more effective and efficient ideas for all us peeps!
So at some point we all have to move. Sometimes it is because you buy a house, just want a new space or in my case wanted to save some cash! No matter what the reason there are things that you should keep in mind during and after your moving process.
1st...if you know you are going to move in advance try and go through your "stuff" and think about how you will use it in your new space or not use it. If you do this it will save you time for the move to come and it will give you a chance to recycle some of these items. If you know you don't want that old dresser in the darkest corner of the garage, take it to goodwill or a friend that could use it. While your loading it into your vehicle make sure to take as much as you can at once to make one trip instead of several. This will save you gas, time and emissions! How great is that!
2nd...this can apply to anyone at anytime in their life not just during those annoying moving days. CLOTHES...many of us have way more than we need or use. There are several things you can do with these articles that seem to take up so much storage space. Take some of those clothes to a thrift shop! Let someone else enjoy them! Another option is giving them to an adoring friend or sibling that will appreciate them (I am insanely lucky to have a sister and friends with great taste and too many clothes!). My other suggestion is if you have some clothes that are really worth some money and you don't want to give them away..put them on ebay or get those rock'in threads on consignment in your local boutique.
3...Don't worry this one will have photos! My last topic is to keep an open mind about how your stuff will fit into your new space. For example: we have this great piece of furniture that we received from a family member. It is very old and heavy as all get out, it also needs to be refinished but it is very cool. In the past I have just used it as a place to put my pictures and plants. Our new house has very limited storage in the kitchen and we don't have enough space for all of our food storage so, instead of having pretty much no purpose I have made this our storage for dry food, cook books, plants and yes wine! It looks great and I feel good about using it for this instead of buying something new!
So, the rest of these pictures just have ideas on moving and not buying new things for your space but using used goods! Enjoy!
Our new house is far from new it is probably one of the original mill houses in Bend! It has been a rental for quite a while and it shows! It look pretty cute though. So, most of the windows do not have coverings. This front window actually had a shade but it was hung off center. Luckily I have a wonderful friend that had some used but great curtains that help hide some of these blemishes. Also, there was not a rod to hang them but, Bob found a rod in the garage that works perfect.
These are some more curtains that were given to us to use, used!
So every house you move into usually needs something that you didn't need in your old house! For me, this time it was a dishwasher. I don't use the dishwasher (when I have one) for washing dishes but as a drying rack. So, without a dishwasher I had no drying rack. I got this at Goodwill. No, its not stainless steel or any fancy brand name but you would not believe how well it dries my dishes! WOW!
Well, guess that is it for now! If you have any other moving suggestions that stay on the reuse, reduce, recycle topic please...make comments. This is a great topic that could use some more effective and efficient ideas for all us peeps!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Day 49
Ok....I just got off the phone with my wonderful sister and she made me realize that I have been slacking a bit on the blog! I have not slacked on my Epiphany and I have been doing projects but, this whole writing thing has been a bit of a struggle for me recently. I could go on and on but instead I will show you the projects that I have been working on!
So, this first one is an idea that my good friend Amber Rose gave me! She is great at finding cool and interesting projects! These are Terrariums made from reused glass, vases, plates and even the plants are from starts that I had hang'in around the house from some of my other plants!
FYI: Plants are great to have in your house for several reasons...they look beautiful when taken care of correctly, they give you something to do on cold winter days (Yes you have to water them!!) and most importantly they filter your indoor air. This is so important because in the average home the air inside is actually more polluted than the outdoor air:( Scary!! So, they say have a plant for each 100sq ft of your home to keep your breathing air clean and fresh! Also, don't over water because then mold will grow and your air wont be so nice with spores floating around the house. If you do get mold...don't use chemicals to get rid of it, that is just more toxins in the air!
This site has a good article on air filtering plants and info:
www.cleanairgardening.com
Lecture over, here are some pics of a couple of terrariums that I have put together!
In the course of making all of these reused & recycled things, I drive a lot to go to Thrift shops looking for very specific items. I always find what I need but at the cost of burning more gas than I would normally by just going to one store that carries pretty much everything! This is were I ask: Am I really making a difference with my epiphany or am I just swapping one good thing for a bad thing? I do know that I have been trying to get a couple of ideas together and looking for materials all at the same time, keeping my trips less often. There still has to be a better way though!
Thoughts ANYONE?
On to another project!
Remember those cool bags made out of old plastic shopping bags? Well, I made some more.
This one is actually a gift for someone who really wanted one. I made a bag and a little pillow that fits inside.
Well guess that is it for now! I will do my best to post more often! Happy recycling!
So, this first one is an idea that my good friend Amber Rose gave me! She is great at finding cool and interesting projects! These are Terrariums made from reused glass, vases, plates and even the plants are from starts that I had hang'in around the house from some of my other plants!
FYI: Plants are great to have in your house for several reasons...they look beautiful when taken care of correctly, they give you something to do on cold winter days (Yes you have to water them!!) and most importantly they filter your indoor air. This is so important because in the average home the air inside is actually more polluted than the outdoor air:( Scary!! So, they say have a plant for each 100sq ft of your home to keep your breathing air clean and fresh! Also, don't over water because then mold will grow and your air wont be so nice with spores floating around the house. If you do get mold...don't use chemicals to get rid of it, that is just more toxins in the air!
This site has a good article on air filtering plants and info:
www.cleanairgardening.com
Lecture over, here are some pics of a couple of terrariums that I have put together!
In the course of making all of these reused & recycled things, I drive a lot to go to Thrift shops looking for very specific items. I always find what I need but at the cost of burning more gas than I would normally by just going to one store that carries pretty much everything! This is were I ask: Am I really making a difference with my epiphany or am I just swapping one good thing for a bad thing? I do know that I have been trying to get a couple of ideas together and looking for materials all at the same time, keeping my trips less often. There still has to be a better way though!
Thoughts ANYONE?
On to another project!
Remember those cool bags made out of old plastic shopping bags? Well, I made some more.
This one is actually a gift for someone who really wanted one. I made a bag and a little pillow that fits inside.
Well guess that is it for now! I will do my best to post more often! Happy recycling!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Day 31
This blog is dedicated to all of the wonderful, talented and adored people who attended my surprise birthday party!! Yes, I have officially turned 30 and I am amazed at all of the effort and thought that went into my Birthday Party!
So, everyone knows about my epiphany and my party was created with that in mind. All the decorations were reused, even a pinyata that (filled with things that I might run out of over the next 5 months) was reused! Anyway, since the theme of my party was reuse, recycle and reduce many of my friends brought gifts that were made out of reused or recycled materials. Some of the items are new but very eco friendly & hand made! I am so inspired by these tokens that I have to share them with the world - or at least the people who read this blog!
So, listed below are the pics and artist! ENJOY!! I know I am!!
The Candles were home made and the glass was containers were from a second hand store. The top picture is of home made lotion (made of natural stuff, haven't gotten the recipe yet) inside of a container from a second hand store! Love These!!!
The Adored artist is Heather Toliver!
This beautiful plate is made of recycled glass, I don't know who the artist is but the person with amazing taste(who bought it) is Jennifer Jabson! Yes, my gorgeous Sister!!! This piece is currently being displayed on my kitchen table!
The incredible vase was hand made by an amazing man & friend, Eric Burdick! I actually had no idea he was such a talented artist - WOW!!
This super hip bag was made by Lynn Forbes (Bean). This bag fits me to a tee! I love it and will always use it! Again....another amazing artist!
So, mother nature made these beauties! But, they are recycled. The roses came from my friend Paul (I am sorry Paul, I dont have your email or your last name!). We actually spent Thanksgiving with Paul and these were our T-Giving flowers. He recycled them and made them a Birthday gift!! What girl doesn't love flowers on her birthday. Pure Genius!
Ok, I have to admit...these are fucking RAD! Artist: The amazing Skye Richardson! Ya, records!!!!! Super fly bowl and plate made from records! So, now you know what to do with those old Rod Stewart records!
Last but not least, Nicole & Sudd Helzer. This bag and gloves were new but, they are made by a company called "World of Good". All of their products are made fair trade with a unique blend of traditional handcrafts and modern designs. They help support artisans build community and protect the environment.
I have to say again.....THANK YOU EVERYONE! My Party ROCKED! I love you all and you all inspire me to no end!!!! This was the greatest birthday ever!!!!!!!
So, everyone knows about my epiphany and my party was created with that in mind. All the decorations were reused, even a pinyata that (filled with things that I might run out of over the next 5 months) was reused! Anyway, since the theme of my party was reuse, recycle and reduce many of my friends brought gifts that were made out of reused or recycled materials. Some of the items are new but very eco friendly & hand made! I am so inspired by these tokens that I have to share them with the world - or at least the people who read this blog!
So, listed below are the pics and artist! ENJOY!! I know I am!!
The Candles were home made and the glass was containers were from a second hand store. The top picture is of home made lotion (made of natural stuff, haven't gotten the recipe yet) inside of a container from a second hand store! Love These!!!
The Adored artist is Heather Toliver!
This beautiful plate is made of recycled glass, I don't know who the artist is but the person with amazing taste(who bought it) is Jennifer Jabson! Yes, my gorgeous Sister!!! This piece is currently being displayed on my kitchen table!
The incredible vase was hand made by an amazing man & friend, Eric Burdick! I actually had no idea he was such a talented artist - WOW!!
This super hip bag was made by Lynn Forbes (Bean). This bag fits me to a tee! I love it and will always use it! Again....another amazing artist!
So, mother nature made these beauties! But, they are recycled. The roses came from my friend Paul (I am sorry Paul, I dont have your email or your last name!). We actually spent Thanksgiving with Paul and these were our T-Giving flowers. He recycled them and made them a Birthday gift!! What girl doesn't love flowers on her birthday. Pure Genius!
Ok, I have to admit...these are fucking RAD! Artist: The amazing Skye Richardson! Ya, records!!!!! Super fly bowl and plate made from records! So, now you know what to do with those old Rod Stewart records!
Last but not least, Nicole & Sudd Helzer. This bag and gloves were new but, they are made by a company called "World of Good". All of their products are made fair trade with a unique blend of traditional handcrafts and modern designs. They help support artisans build community and protect the environment.
I have to say again.....THANK YOU EVERYONE! My Party ROCKED! I love you all and you all inspire me to no end!!!! This was the greatest birthday ever!!!!!!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Day 26
I have been faithful to my efforts as I write this post! I have made some Throw Pillows using the same method as the Tote Bag posted 10 days ago.
What I am loving about reusing these bags to make functional items is that there is no waste. For example, I use the scraps from the pillows and bags for the stuffing in the pillows. How great is that!!
This last weekend Bob and I spent some time with another couple who really do their part in trying to live sustainably! They recycle, reuse, thrift, compost, buy local, they even have a motorhome that runs on propane! Anyway, we got to talking about this blog of mine...and we started discussing consumerism and how it is really great that there are more products and materials out in the world that are considered "Green" or "Eco" but what about the stuff that we already have here on planet earth? Should we just toss out all the bad things, put them in a landfill? Or should we use what we have till it literally desinigrates and then we can make and consume materials that are more friendly? Should we dilute or toss things at full strength?
What I am loving about reusing these bags to make functional items is that there is no waste. For example, I use the scraps from the pillows and bags for the stuffing in the pillows. How great is that!!
This last weekend Bob and I spent some time with another couple who really do their part in trying to live sustainably! They recycle, reuse, thrift, compost, buy local, they even have a motorhome that runs on propane! Anyway, we got to talking about this blog of mine...and we started discussing consumerism and how it is really great that there are more products and materials out in the world that are considered "Green" or "Eco" but what about the stuff that we already have here on planet earth? Should we just toss out all the bad things, put them in a landfill? Or should we use what we have till it literally desinigrates and then we can make and consume materials that are more friendly? Should we dilute or toss things at full strength?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Day 16
So, this project was inspired by a good friend and amazing artist - Heidi Rettig www.heidirettig.com. Heidi has been giving me interesting ideas to incorporate into my epiphany...
I just want to say that I greatly appreciate all of the ideas and info that everyone has given me! It has made this project more interesting and I am inspired by everyone that has contributed!
You know those annoying plastic bags that you get at the grocery store? It almost seems like the cashier doubles up on the bags that one day you forgot to bring your own! Its like a punishment for being forgetful of your conscience effort to reuse your own grocery bags. Well, you don't have to feel bad any longer. There are wonderful and creative things you can do with all that dreaded plastic. This is my first try and its a little rough but as the months go on we will see how many different items I can make with this method of reusing and recycling plastic bags.
This method is called fusing plastic. You take your plastic bags and iron them down to create a very sturdy and pliable material. From there you can sew these pieces together to make anything!! This is the web site that I got from Heidi for directions:
blog.craftzine.com
So, Here is the first of my efforts...it's a tote bag!
Stay tuned, there will be more soon!
I just want to say that I greatly appreciate all of the ideas and info that everyone has given me! It has made this project more interesting and I am inspired by everyone that has contributed!
You know those annoying plastic bags that you get at the grocery store? It almost seems like the cashier doubles up on the bags that one day you forgot to bring your own! Its like a punishment for being forgetful of your conscience effort to reuse your own grocery bags. Well, you don't have to feel bad any longer. There are wonderful and creative things you can do with all that dreaded plastic. This is my first try and its a little rough but as the months go on we will see how many different items I can make with this method of reusing and recycling plastic bags.
This method is called fusing plastic. You take your plastic bags and iron them down to create a very sturdy and pliable material. From there you can sew these pieces together to make anything!! This is the web site that I got from Heidi for directions:
blog.craftzine.com
So, Here is the first of my efforts...it's a tote bag!
Stay tuned, there will be more soon!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Day 6-15
I have not posted lately...! Although I have been successful in my endeavors. My Halloween project went off without a hitch, yet I have not posted the pictures yet because the pictures are inside of my neighbor's camera and I have not gotten them out yet... hee hee! He told me that he would email them soon. Paul, if you are reading this EMAIL ME THE PICTURES...pretty please! I will tell you that Bob and I were a famous couple from the Flinstones... I am sure that is a hard one to figure out!
Anyway, I have done another project. It was a good one. I have this lamp that Bob got for me 7 years ago for my birthday. I love the lamp but the shade on it was falling apart and it really didnt look so great anymore. I searched around for a new (new to me) shade at thrift shops but I couldnt find one that I liked. So...I made my own. I made some paper out of old "SHOTS" magazines (Shots is a photography publication that is quite good but, I never look at them anymore). To do this you shred the paper, stick it in the blender and add water, blend into a pulp & pour out onto at screen (I found a couple great window screens at "Pak-it", a used materials center). Then you press the excess water through the screen. The paper came out a light grey. By the way, it takes a couple of days for the paper to dry completely. I used the old shade as a templete for the new shade. To add a little bling I cut squares out and placed some nature photos I took in the square holes. If none of that made sense - here are some pics!
So, that is it for now! I will post the Halloween pics as soon as I get them!
I have another project that I am going to start today or tomorrow! Will post when complete!
Anyway, I have done another project. It was a good one. I have this lamp that Bob got for me 7 years ago for my birthday. I love the lamp but the shade on it was falling apart and it really didnt look so great anymore. I searched around for a new (new to me) shade at thrift shops but I couldnt find one that I liked. So...I made my own. I made some paper out of old "SHOTS" magazines (Shots is a photography publication that is quite good but, I never look at them anymore). To do this you shred the paper, stick it in the blender and add water, blend into a pulp & pour out onto at screen (I found a couple great window screens at "Pak-it", a used materials center). Then you press the excess water through the screen. The paper came out a light grey. By the way, it takes a couple of days for the paper to dry completely. I used the old shade as a templete for the new shade. To add a little bling I cut squares out and placed some nature photos I took in the square holes. If none of that made sense - here are some pics!
So, that is it for now! I will post the Halloween pics as soon as I get them!
I have another project that I am going to start today or tomorrow! Will post when complete!
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