Internet Round-up

Hello!

I'm in the throes of either a burgeoning sinus infection or an allergy event, but whatever ... it's resulted in me spending most of Saturday on my couch. And couch means lots of internet time.

What has struck my fancy on the internet?

Fab!
Like most folks, I get daily coupon and sales emails from a variety of sites. But the only one that I always open? My daily update from Fab.com. Fab is a sales site like MyHabit or Plum District, but it's the site for design-minded folk. Every day, I feel inspired by the creations that are presented on Fab.com.  However, I am REALLY good at not buying stuff. After all, consumption makes Mama Earth sad.

I've been needing some new reusable shopping bags, however, so I was super psyched to see that the makers of my favorite reusable bags, Envirosax,  was having a Fab.com sale. I bought two bags from the Nomad collection.  I can't wait for that gorgeous bag to arrive!

Envirosax bags are awesome! They roll up into a cylinder that fits in your purse, and they are durable and washable. The bags hold up to 40 pounds. I have several, and I absolutely love them. Plus, they have tons of great prints.

Roots
I'm loving the blog Back to Her Roots. It's full of the things I love: recipes for clean eating, generosity of spirit, and a concern with health and happiness.

Great Job!
If you're a busy person, the AVClub feature Great Job, Internet! is your one-stop shop for all that's awesome and weird on the internet. If you don't have time to troll YouTube or Facebook for things that are funny, you can just leave that to people who get paid (I hope!) to do that for you.

My recent favorite? This mash-up of Lana del Rey's "Video Games" and the Hunger Games:

Little Talks
One thing I love about the internet era is that music videos have made a comeback (since MTV doesn't show them any more). This video for the song "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men, is just beautiful and basically contains most of my aesthetic loves: owls, monsters, fairy tales, and steampunk-circus imagery. I recommend watching it in full screen for maximum awesome.

Junk mail comes to a good end

Shredded junk mail used as packing material!

The Most Creative Reuse for Butter Tubs

This is one of my favorite songs, and this video is truly beautiful and amazing.

As the Shakers once sang, "'tis a gift to be simple."

Homemade, Made Better

With a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce!

This is my nephew.

If you don't spend a lot of time around kids, you might not know that Halloween is VERY IMPORTANT and has to be done just right. When I was a kid, my mom made or cobbled together almost all of our costumes. Most costumes these days come from the store.

So my nephew was not too excited that, when my sister and I couldn't find him a Mariners shirt to wear (because the second baseball is over all the stores must switch to FOOTBALL ONLY, apparently) we would make him a shirt.

But he had to be Ichiro and no other sports figure for the big night, or he WAS NOT going to trick or treat. And so we just made the shirt and hoped for the best (it was an iron-on that we made in the printer). Pretty good, huh? And much more meaningful, at least to my sister and I, than it would have been if we bought it. All of the other bits of the costume are my nephew's baseball gear from summer ball - yay for reusing and not filling a landfill with another nylon costume made in China!

Since that homemade experiment had a happy ending, I decided to try another one. I had this idea that I would make enchilada sauce. But I had no recipe and I've never made sauce before except for the famous Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter from Smitten Kitchen.

And you know what? It was awesome, and I don't really ever want the storebought kind again, especially because, as always true with homemade, I get more control over whether the ingredients are good for me and the planet.

So here it is:

Tomato Curry Enchilada Sauce

(this is a little bit of an Indian-Mexican fusion)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil

One medium onion, diced

Ginger, about an inch long, minced

One large (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes

Curry powder

Garlic powder or minced garlic

Pepper

Ancho chili powder (or regular)

Cumin

One regular-sized (14 oz) can of light coconut milk

Note: You will also need a blender or something similar

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a sauce pot. (Hey, I just got why it's called a sauce pot! You make sauce in it!). Add onion and ginger. When the onion starts to get translucent, add 1 tsp. of curry powder and garlic or garlic powder according to your taste.

Step 2: Put the canned tomatoes in the blender. Add the onion mixture. Puree away!

Step 3: Here's the part that's sort of up to your taste. Add about 1 tsp. of curry, chili, pepper and cumin, and 1/3 c. of the coconut milk. Stir, and then taste - don't burn your tongue! Want it spicier? Add more chili. More "Mexican-style" - add more cumin. Want it creamier? Add more coconut milk. Keep adding until it tastes just right to you. (I added about half the can of coconut milk, 2 tsp. more of curry and about 2 tsp. more of chili, plus a bit of cayenne).

Step 4: Bring to a boil and then cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 min.

Step 5: Remove from heat and let stand at least 15 minutes to thicken.

You can use the sauce on your favorite enchiladas!

These are butternut squash ans spinach filled, with some cilantro and some chopped cashews on top.

Tea With Miss Sookie

One of my favorite things about Charlaine Harris's vampire novels is the Southern gothic setting in Northern Louisiana. Heroine Sookie Stackhouse is a good Southern girl -- morally upright, church-attending, and hospitable. And a good Southern hostess always has a pitcher of iced tea available for anyone who might happen by. Every time I read one of the books and Sookie offers a guest - no matter how unwelcome - some iced tea, I feel a warm sense of recognition.

This is iced tea that I bottle at home. Directions are below.

I never really "got" iced tea until I moved to Texas. And if you're thinking to yourself: Self, what is there to "get" about iced tea? It's cold tea! -- well, then, you obviously don't live in the South. (And yes, I realize that many real Southerners don't consider Texas the south).

Here, iced tea is an obsession for many people, the way espresso is in Seattle or wine in Italy. It comes in two varieties -- sweet and unsweet. The first time I ordered iced tea at a restaurant and was asked "sweet or unsweet?" I just looked at the waitress with confusion. I didn't even know unsweet was a word.

Sweet tea is pre-sweetened, as the name implies, and it is usually so sugary it will put your teeth on edge. I think it is one of those things you just can't get used to if you weren't raised in the South. My friends from Alabama will talk excitedly about the places where you can get the best sweet tea around town, while I just shake my head. Almost every restaurant has both sweet and unsweet tea, usually served in gigantic (often styrofoam) cups.

If you want a greener option than a giant styrofoam cup with plastic lid and straw, you can make your own tea (sweet or un-) at home. Because I never knew how to make iced tea until I lived here, I'm going to give you the recipe, although many of you are probably familiar with how it's done. I like this quick and easy method, rather than messing around with cold brewing or waiting for suntea.

Step 1: Boil about 4 cups of water.

Step 2: Open 4-5 teabags. Real Southerners swear that you only make tea out of Luzianne brand tea, but I like Good Earth Original flavor. It's a little sweet and a little spicy, so it doesn't need any additions.

Step 3: Take the water off the stove and steep the teabags for 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Let the tea cool. When it's no longer hot, pour the tea into a container and add 2 cups of cold water to the tea.

This is the stage when I like to bottle my tea. Because I'm trying to reduce the use of plastic in my kitchen, I use leftover bottles from 360 Vodka. These bottles come with a resealable cap, and are made with 85% recycled glass. If you're not going to reuse the bottle, you can even send the caps back in the pre-paid envelope 360 provides, and they'll reuse them.

Isn't this bottle pretty? And it's so useful.

But, like I said, I don't send the caps back because I use the bottles my tea. You could use any glass bottle. When the tea is partly cool, I use a heavy glass measuring cup to pour it into the bottles. I pour two cups into each bottle, then fill it the rest of the way with cold water.

Step 5: If you want sweet tea, add agave nectar to taste. Agave nectar is a nice replacement for sugar, because it dissolves easily and is thought to have health benefits.

Step 6: Put it in your fridge for a few hours and then serve with ice. Mmm.

Snap ... Crackle ... Slurp

I don't think my friends would call me a materialistic person, but I do love well-designed stuff. It seems to me that there are few things in the world that really just do exactly what they were designed to do. Here are a few recent favorites:

Snap

I want to say just one word to you. Just one word.

Are you listening?

Plastics.

OK. When have you ever known me to say just one word? About anything?

That little quote from The Graduate expresses the hope that we once had about plastic. And it is a miracle invention. It allows us to make things like cell phones, cheap and clean syringes that save lives, and Barbie dolls (remember those wax dolls they had in the Little House books? Melty). But plastic has a down side. Plastic is usually made with petrochemicals (hello! BP oil spill!) and unfortunately, when heated, many types of plastics leach chemicals which are thought to be carcinogenic.

That's why I love my new Glasslock food storage containers:

They are glass, as you might assume from the name, but have airtight plastic lids that snap on. They are also microwave safe (remove the lid to avoid the plastic leaching) and dishwasher safe, which doesn't matter, since I don't have a dishwasher. They are also quite sturdy, as I've dropped them in the sink numerous times already -- and I've only had them for two weeks.

Crackle

But plastic has its place. Don't you just love the crackling, crinkling sound of a reusable shopping bag made of recycled plastic?

For example, a friend used this giant reusable bag (from Walgreen's) as a gift bag at my birthday.

It's made of 80% post-consumer waste, and it's so big that it makes a great multi-use bag. It can be used for shopping, beaching, or, if you're a cat - diving into.

Slurp

As a child raised in the Pacific Northwest, I was mainlining Starbucks mochas at an early age. You could probably fill a landfill with all of the paper cups I've used. In the last couple of years, I've gotten much better about using my "personal cup" (as the baristas call it), bringing my own coffee tumbler to Starbucks and my local independent coffee shops.

In the summer, however, I don't want a hot cuppa joe. I wanna icy drink to cool me off. And those don't fit into those reusable coffee cups. As the weather warmed up this year, I began to feel guilty because I was ordering iced drinks that come in clear plastic cups.

Then, voila! These appeared at Starbucks:

They are reusable cold cups. They are double-insulated, so your drink stays cold and they don't sweat all over your desk. And, I swear that drinks just taste better in this cup. Unfortunately, I couldn't find them online. You'll have to check out your local Starbucks -- the baristas have twice told me how popular they are.

You Gotta Have a System

As I've slowly adopted more sustainable lifestyle habits over the last year and a half, I began to realize that my home wasn't set up to accommodate them. For example, when I used to use paper towels, I didn't need a special place to put them when they were used. Their special place was known as "the garbage." Once I gave them up, however, I suddenly needed a system to take care of clean and dirty rags.

Over time, I've devised many such systems:

Our town has some curbside recycling, for plastic, cardboard and paper. I keep a bin right outside the door for these items. Bottles have to be taken to the recycling center, so I keep a bag under the sink for those.

While there's probably no real justification for it, I don't like to put dirty rags in the laundry with my clothes. I put used rags and washcloths into this basket. I use a lot of rags because I spill a lot. Clean rags have a bin in the kitchen.

Sometimes (oh, horror!) I forget to bring my reusable bags to the store. If the place doesn't have paper and I can't just carry out my purchases in my hands, I get plastic bags. They get re-used for cleaning the litterbox. (True story - this box with a nice useful hole in it was named "The Funbox" by the company that manufactures it. I'll wait until you can stop tittering)

Because I don't want to put paper outside in our tropical, humid clime, I keep a separate bin for paper that's going to get recycled. The bin is for magazines and flat paper. The garbage can is for shredded paper, which also gets recycled. I sometimes need to print items for work, so paper that has been printed on one side goes into the printer to be reused.

These shelves in the kitchen hold reusables. The red fabric bin holds paper bags. I use those to put the magazines out to the curb for recycling, or to hold the bottles (also for recycling). The produce bags get reused for more produce or go back to Central Market for recycling (I'm really trying to cut back on these.) Once a Zip-loc bag is used, I wash it out and use it again. A Ziploc bag also holds tinfoil that can be reused. (I realize this paragraph is making me sound like a Depression-era granny. Good! They really knew how to reuse!)

What systems do you have to keep your green life organized?

Note: Sorry I've been absent for so long, Greenies! I've been sick with a bad cold, and have been pretty much reduced to staring at the TV for the past week. But I'm on the mend and hope to be posting more regularly!

Favorite Reusables

Packaging is important.

Some packaging just doesn't last, and it ends up being thrown in landfills or choking a sea turtle. If marketers were smart, they'd realize that if they put more thought into how their packages could be reused, they'd be stealthily recruiting secret advertisers who carry their product packaging around even when the contents are gone.

For example, I can usually be found carrying this used Voss water bottle. It's glass, so I don't have to worry about chemicals leaching into my water and causing boy frogs to grow frog boobs.

I love Illy Coffee, but it's too expensive for every day. When I used up the coffee, I kept the can and store generic-brand coffee in it from the bulk section of my supermarket. It's much easier to scoop coffee out of this can than a paper bag.

My iPod headphones were always getting tangled when I threw them into my backpack. An Altoid tin makes the perfect carrying case. An iPod nano can fit in there too, although it's a little tight.

This once held Burt's Bees face mask. Now I put some Tums in there for traveling (airport food -- not good for the stomach). I love how it looks like something that belongs on the shelves at an old-timey apothecary. These jars are great for other medications bought in bulk -- again, it's a lot easier to grab a couple of ibuprofen out of this jar than to pour them out of the massive container you get at Costco.

When selecting items at the store, it's worth it to pay a little more to buy an item that is encased in non-disposable packaging. Of course, finding things to reuse is best, but choosing items that you can recycle is great too. The key is to think about it while you're at the store, rather than after you get home. It all goes back to the fact that being greener is about being more intentional all the time. So next time you see me in the grocery store, and I'm taking five minutes to choose the particular brand of coffee or water I want, just be patient with me.

Riches to Rags

In the past, I've written about my love-hate relationship with recycled paper towels. Although I know that paper towels use precious resources (not only trees for their production, but energy for transport, packaging materials, resources for disposal ... the list goes on and on) as a pet owner I've always kept a few paper towels around for ... ahem ... (insert your own indelicate mess here).

About a month ago, I realized that I was almost out of paper towels so I put them on the shopping list (yes, it's a paper list. I'm not perfect). I got to the store and ... I don't know ... a whim struck me.

I decided I was done with paper towels.

As I have also written before, being green involves a certain degree of organization. It should not be done whimfully. Yet, going off paper towels has proved to be hardship-free (luckily the cat hasn't cough! cough! on the furniture lately.) Previously, while cleaning my closet, I'd transformed a bunch of T-shirts into rags. I'd used them mostly for dusting. Now they are what I use for all of my general cleaning.

T-shirts, pillow cases, old towels -- all too grungy to be reused. Cut them into pieces and they can be used for all of your cleaning needs.

I've found that a nice, soft T-shirt works best for dusting and cleaning delicate items (and the TV screen), while a stiffer cotton is better for scrubbing.

This green experiment has worked out, but I have one paper towel left.

Just in case.

Eco-Chic ... or Geek?

No matter how important it is to produce less waste and use less energy, I still sometimes feel a bit like an outsider from "normal" society when I'm holding up the line at Starbucks to bust out my re-usable mug (which, let's face it, I forget as often as I remember. But I am trying). Being eco is chic if you're in Hollywood and can afford a Prius, but you can end up getting shot with eye daggers by the person waiting behind you at Safeway as you unroll all of your Envirosax.


Despite this fact, I've found a few great re-usables that I wanted to share with you. I think they're more chic than geek, and if they're not, well - who cares? The geek shall inherit the earth, right? Isn't that how the saying goes?


My friend Jenny gave out these fabulous portable flatware sets by To-Go Ware at her wedding:




The utensils are made of bamboo, which is renewable. I love that the set includes chopsticks, because eating grocery-store sushi with a fork is just no fun. And, even better, the set comes in this handy carrying case:

It includes a mini-carabiner so you can clip it to your backpack and make all the cool kids jealous.

Plus, it is such an awesome idea to give these out at a wedding, upending the tradition of giving the bride and groom flatware.

I have been trying to get into the re-usable mug habit when I go to Starbucks, although I admit, I find it difficult to remember the mug all the time -- I never know when the urge for caffeine will strike. To motivate myself, I got this personalizable mug, made by Aladdin.

Their website includes templates to which you can add your own photos, so you can change your mug with the seasons. It has a no-spill top, which is handy for klutzy types like me. And they have a few sizes, so you have a choice of whether you like your drinks tall or grande.

Now ... I just have to remember to take my re-usables home, so my desk doesn't start to look like my friend Edlyn's ...

Time to take those home and wash them!

Apartment Cleaning Smackdown - Round 1

Round 1 = The KitchenLook! The galley is shiny-clean!

As I mentioned the other day, I am transitioning to a new job soon, and am blessed to have a few weeks to chillax before that job starts. Of course, being the person I am, which is the sort of person who likes to give herself projects and goals, I set a big goal for my first week of "freedom."

Each day this week, I plan to clean one room of my small apartment - but not just clean. Deep clean. Organize, do the floors, take everything off the shelves and scrub them. I figured one room per day would give me the opportunity to do other things each day (of course, I have goals for that "free time" as well).

Each day, I'll be blogging about how I wrestled dirt and germs to the ground, using cleaning methods of a variety of shades of green. I'll be labeling them Green, meaning I used the least environmentally-harmful methods I know; Light Green, meaning I was used methods that were somewhat green; and Red. Red means traditional cleaning. I hope you'll be able to try out some of these methods as well, and if you have any suggestions for my Red cleaning options, let me know.

Green:

• I cleaned the cupboards, shelves, stove, fridge doors, and pretty much everything else with undiluted vinegar, spraying it just as I would a store-bought cleaner and wiping with a wet sponge.
  
• I used a combination of vinegar and baking soda to clean the sink. First I filled the sink with about an inch of vinegar to cut the mineralization, then rinsed it and scrubbed using the baking soda as a mild abrasive.
• I used homemade rags (cut up T-shirts from my closet-cleaning adventure) to dust and dry.
• I recycled a bunch of containers and cans, and found some reusable stuff for Goodwill.
  

Light Green:

• I washed the dishes with Mrs. Meyer's dish soap, which uses plant-based cleaners.
• I used about 5 paper towels. They were a recycled brand - Small Steps. They work well, I've found, as compared to some others I've tried (see below).
  

Red

• I washed the rags, rug, and towels with Tide Essentials with Baking Soda. I don't think it's really any different than Tide, because it has the same material-safety data sheet. It doesn't, however, have the uber-chemically fragrance of regular detergent. When I have tried more environmentally-responsible detergents, such as Seventh Generation, they have not worked AT ALL. I actually had to wash my clothes again after using Seventh Generation, because they were still stinky. What's the point of buying "green" products if they don't do what they're supposed to? (Seventh Generation is on my bad list for this particular reason, after their paper towels also failed me.)
  
• I used some floor cleaner that I had under the sink to mop.

Tomorrow: The living room!

Greening My Closet

Recently, I received my weekly Gorgeously Green newsletter to find an article on how being green demands a certain level of forethought and organization. This resonated with me, as I've noticed that eating fewer processed foods, saving energy, and consuming less all involve planning. For example, those savvy Light Green readers who have followed me from the beginning (you know who you are!), may have noticed that July should have been another No-Buy Month for me. Unfortunately, my lack of planning has tripped me up.

At the beginning of this year, I resolved that every third month, I would not buy any non-consumables for thirty days. January and April were successful, and some friends even joined me in April. However, because I didn't even realize that July was here until the third (which, I think, speaks volumes about the degree to which I am wrapped up in So You Think You Can Dance, to the exclusion of, you know, actual reality) I was not able to prepare for No-Buy Month. I realized that I needed some additions to my professional wardrobe for an upcoming conference. What's a girl to do?

I decided that although I was going to have to make a couple of purchases, I should not go about it willy-nilly, but attempt to be a better planner and truly evaluate what I actually needed and what I did not. To do that, I had to get a sense of what I owned that was appropriate for five days of professional dress. That would involve ... CLEANING MY CLOSET (cue opening strains of Thriller).

This has become the Holy Grail of Household Chores around here, because my clever cat, Wily, has discovered that it is fun to pull things off the shelves in the closet. I shove the clothes back onto the shelves without folding them, resolving to clean it up on the weekend. This has been going on since January. You can probably visualize the mess that's been created, but if not, here's a look-see:

Wily surveys the destruction he hath wrought.

Throughout the process of cleaning my closet, I came up with a few organizational tips that you might be able to use if you want to green your closet, garage, etc., all going back to the three R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

1) Reduce. Or ... Lay your embarrassing level of consumption out on the table (or bedroom floor as the case may be):

In contrast to many Americans, I think I have a low-level of consumption. My apartment and car are both small, and what I can buy is limited by the amount of room I have (or don't) to stash stuff. Nevertheless, I find that twice a year I'm a little sickened by how much I've accumulated. The key is to really get a good look at the stuff, and evaluate what can go on to another, happier life. I happened to throw my stuff all over the bedroom, then asked myself the following questions:

2) Reuse: Can your stuff help someone else?

When I evaluated my things, I found there were lots of things I didn't need, but that others could use. That big pile in the middle of the floor? That all went to Goodwill. I choose to give to Goodwill, because I like the focus of their work, but there are many charities that also need your donations. You can find one that suits your sensibilities.

3) Repurpose and Reuse: Can you use your stuff in a new way?

These T-shirts were too grungy to go to Goodwill, so I was going to throw them away. But then I realized that they could make lovely cleaning rags, thus reducing my dependence on paper towels.

4) Re (or Up)-Cycle: Can your stuff be transformed?

Due to my long-running fascination with boho chic, which has once again become de mode, I had a lot of clothes made out of cool vintagey fabrics, with beautiful screen prints, or that were too sentimental to give up. I did not want them cluttering my closet however. These, I boxed up for upcycling. They can become the linings of knitted handbags, embellishments on clothes, or the raw material for handmade greeting cards.

Here's the finished closet:

I was happy to discover that, after all of that, I needed to buy only a cardigan and a blouse to create the five days of professional outfits that I needed. And I'm much happier every time I look in the closet.

Just a note: This week we passed 1000 hits! Huzzah! Thanks for reading, and keep coming back for more.

Coming up: As promised before I sprained my hand, recipes for homemade hummus, and an Auntie Chronicles. Also, a few thoughts on greenwashing.

Treasures Transformed from Trash

Today I went to the doctor and received a new splint, which allows me to move my fingers a bit more than the old one did. Now I can type ... sorta. I don't know when I'll get to be completely free, but at least I can blog. I've been anxious to get back to business, because I wanted to share news of my friend Emilie's new Etsy store: Handmade Hila: Refashion At Its Best

Emilie named her store after her gorgeous little girl Hila. All of the items at Handmade Hila are upcycled - which is the practice of transforming used materials into new items -- art, fashion, toys, etc. I wasn't familiar with upcycling until recently, but green crafters are taking to the practice in droves.

Emilie takes clothes, fabric scraps, and other bric-a-brac and turns them into beautiful clothing and housewares. Here's an example:

(Photo courtesy of Handmade Hila)

This is the Jaime Strappy Sundress, a toddler dress which was once a ladies' blouse. The bird embellishment is tres chic.

And I was super-psyched (and honored) to see these:

(Photo courtesy of Handmade Hila)

These are Catlin Coasters -- named after ... guess who!

Not only are the items at Handmade Hila beautiful and reasonably-priced, but Emilie describes them in a wonderful way. Her store is worth visiting not only to get the goods, but to read her refreshing prose stylings. It's great when green, craft, and commerce come together.

Another high school friend who has been on the upcycling bandwagon for awhile now is Heather, whose store is called Evesapples. Heather upcycles vintage fabrics that she finds while being a citizen of the world, and creates fashionable handbags that any stylish lady would want to have over her arm. Check it out:

(Photo courtesy of Evesapples)

It's amazing the creativity of these lasses, but best of all, they're producing goods that are hand-crafted and good for the planet. And while these two are my friends, the interwebs are blooming with green options when you get the urge to spend a little green.

Some Things I Like

Nothing fancy, just some Light Green stuff I'm liking right now.

First up, this notebook from greenroom.

I don't really need more paper products in my life, but I saw this at Target and I got it anyway. It's definitely only light green - 60-70% recycled content. It is, however, printed with soy-based inks. And it's lovely, with its chrysanthemum theme. I'm into chrysanthemums right now.

Next up, Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub.

Do you know those old NBC PSA's, "The more you know ..." and a shooting star would travel across your TV screen (admit it, you hear the song in your head right now)? Well, the thing about being Light Green is, the more you know, the darker green you start to become. Once you glance at the back of a beauty product label, and see a line up of chemicals that you can't pronounce, it's hard to then slather that on your face.

So, I started looking for some more natural beauty products, although I haven't been particularly lucky quality-wise. I've enjoyed this scrub, however. It has ground peach stone for an exfoliant and willowbark extract, which is a natural alternative to salicylic acid. Back in our family's hippie days, my mom always used facial scrubs made with ground peach or apricot pits, so the scent of this product is nostalgic. And while many times you pay double for natural vs. conventional, the cost of this scrub is about the same as less-natural products, between $6-8 for 4 oz.

I also like this gift certificate from Kaboom Books, here in Houston:


Yes, it's the cover of an old book, and the gift certificate is handwritten on the back. What a cool and stylish way to reuse! I haven't used it yet, though, because I'm thinking about some books I might want. Any suggestions?

Finally, I like this:

When my neighbors moved, they left behind a bunch of cacti. I do nothing to promote the growth of these guys, figuring they get enough water in humid Houston. The last few weeks, one of the cacti has been blooming.

It reminds me of that old Joni Mitchell song "Cactus Tree." You can watch a live performance from 1970 below.

DIY Sunday - Gift Wrap

Remember when we were kids, and we used to wrap birthday presents in the Sunday funnies? At least, I think everyone did that -- at least everyone in my town did. Of course, we also bought clothes in the basement of the hardware store. Nevertheless, as folksy as it might seem to wrap gifts in newsprint, it's a masterpiece of green living. You re-purpose the funnies as gift wrap. Those funnies can then be recycled by the recipient. Awesome.

Except today, it seems like most people don't do that. In fact, gift wrapping has gotten somewhat excessive. You hear on the real-estate porn cable channels that people have "gift wrapping rooms." Bows, gift bags and boxes, raffia and ribbons fill aisles at Target and Wal-mart. I admit, I love a beautifully-wrapped gift.

As I shared in yesterday's post, however, March is a big birthday month in my clan of friends. Therefore, there's a lot of gifting. That can get expensive if you have to spend money on cards, gift bags, and tissue paper -- not to mention, it results in a lot of waste.

Here are a few ideas to reduce waste while gift wrapping, and to create lovely gifts that have your personal stamp.

First of all, save all kinds of stuff.

Most DIYers save things anyway; we acknowledge the transformative power that scissors and glue have over junk. All of the things above -- ribbon from other gifts, a burlap coffee sack, left-over origami paper from a second-grade project -- can be used again to wrap gifts.

Here's an example:

This is a piece of fabric left over from some other project, along with a ribbon I scavenged from a long-ago gift. The wrapping is pretty, and pretty easy. Just gather the fabric and tie it off. You could even stick a flower or leaf in the ribbon for added effect.

You can buy bags of fluffy paper scraps for stuffing gift bags, but you can also make them:

These are the remains of old envelopes. Again, this involves some saving. Gather some brightly-colored envelopes whenever you receive holiday cards. Stick paper through the shredder and you have your stuffing. It could also make some nice Easter grass, and is reminiscent of the little girl in the Edward Gorey story (I believe it was The Remembered Visit) who collects the insides of envelopes, back in the day when envelopes had a pretty lining.

You can also make your own gift wrap by cutting open a brown paper bag. Use stamps, paint or markers to decorate it.

I created this simple design by actually pressing the round ink pad directly onto the paper; no expensive stamps required. I like repetitive designs like this, and I like the imperfect, weathered look created when the ink didn't make a perfect circle.

I'm sure that there are many more creative ideas out there. If you have one, share in the comments section.

Coming up this week: Some celebretory gusto from my birthday weekend.

Re-use: Gift Wrap

Amongst my group of friends, March Madness isn't about basketball, it's about birthdays. Currently, my Facebook page is alerting me to FIVE birthdays this weekend, and last weekend had FIVE as well. Three friends have their birthdays on St. Patrick's Day.

My friend Eva commented that along with all this celebrating comes a lot of waste. Trees go to their deaths just to provide wrapping that will be ripped right off. Poor trees ... can't you hear them scream?

Luckily, the gift bag revolution has resulted in more people re-using gift wrap. My friend Melanie gave me this lovely birthday gift the other day (yes, I'm one of the Pisceans killing all the trees):
The photo doesn't really do justice to the wrapping. Both the bag and the ribbon had been previously loved, and both will be loved again when I reuse them -- though the ribbon will probably become part of a craft rather than a gift.

Inside the lovely outside, I found an even lovelier inside ...

Cloth napkins! They were exactly what I asked for!

I requested the napkins as part of my attempt to use fewer paper towels. Because I am so classy, I usually used paper towels as napkins -- if guests were over I folded them the paper towels in half for instant sophistication. Since the dawn of the newer, greener 2009, I've been using dish towels as napkins -- also classy.

I thought it was about time that I became an adult, however, so I asked for some REAL napkins. Voila! Melanie made my dreams come true. Not only are they more environmentally-friendly, but they go with my cheery red-and-turquoise kitchen.

Tomorrow: more ideas about DIY gift wrap and cards, in case any of you are experiencing the birthday glut that I am.