from scraps to doodles

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for the first time in the nearly 10 (gasp!) years we've been homeschooling, we ended the school  year with a stack of worksheets. i wanted an alternative to tossing them into the recycling bin, so turned them into doodle pads for elfling.

here is how i did it:

* make sure the papers are all blank-side up.

* cut them in half, across the middle.

* separate into manageable stacks. too thick & you could break your needle.

* cut covers for each (fronts & backs) from grocery bags.

* place a front & a back on either side of each stack.

* choose a short side to be the top, & sew a straight stitch 1/4 an inch from the edge.

* go back to the beginning, & sew (at the edge) a zig-zag stitch.

* repeat for each doodle pad.

i recommend that you do this when you are not bone-weary from lack of sleep. i was that, & the result is the worst sewing job. ever. 

i'm in love with the illustrations on trader joe's grocery bags, which is what i used to cover these doodle pads. if you want to see what else i do with the bags, read this tutorial.

i hope you are inspired to reuse paper that still has one blank side. if so, let me know what you come up with!

~peace.

thursday things - eco finds

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photo :: eco gnome "man of your dreams"

this week i thought i'd share eco-friendly things from etsy. that little guy is one of my eco gnomes. his hat is made from a real california oak acorn, & his outfit is a bit torn from a used magazine. it reads "man of your dreams", which amuses me to no end.

on to my finds!

* reusable sandwich bags are a must if you pack lunches. the amount of waste from plastic baggies is mind-blowing.

* produce bags can be eco-friendly. though so many have made the switch to reusable market totes, most people still take their fruits & veg home in plastic.

* market totes are the only way to go. in my imaginary world i carry my groceries in an old basket; strolling slowly through my tiny village in france...

* coffee cup sleeves can be kept in your purse/backpack. use one when you've forgotten to bring your reusable mug to the coffee joint. you'll still be wasting the to-go cup, but at least you can say no thanks to the cardboard sleeve. this is assuming you are not drinking it there. right?

* apple jackets not only look adorable, they keep your apple from getting bruised. i know someone who wraps her kids' apples in paper towels to keep them padded. i should send her a few of these.

i found much more, but the wee little man just woke from a too-short nap. i'm off to stare into beautiful, sleepy eyes - you go check out eco finds on etsy. don't forget to search "naturalkids team earth day", to find out what sales & special my cohorts & i have going on! (i'm giving an eco gnome with every purchase over $20)

~peace.

thursday things - saturday edition

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photo :: unrelated close-up of newest inhaler pouch

(here is where we pretend today is a thursday) welcome to another installment of thursday things! i'm glad you're here :)

what with the earth day promotion going on, & the actual earth day nearly here, i've had gaia on my mind more than usual. we try to live a life pleasing to mother nature, but there is always more we can do. & more we can not do. it is these things that i have been pondering.

i don't mean to say that i'm wondering what there is to be done, rather what my family is willing to do. there's the rub. after so many years of baby-step changes, all that's left are the biggies. well, biggies for us: i do love my hair dye, & manlyman cannot fathom life without tomatoes year-round. oh, there's plenty more, but you get the idea.

that is what i stress when people ask me for advice on living more green: just do what you can do. it is the rare person who can set out to live a completely eco life, & succeed. strive to do the best that you can, & be proud of your bit. remember; a single raindrop raises the sea.

here are some links that could help you on your journey to more greener pastures:

* roots & shoots jane goodall's global youth organisation. we've been a part of this org for a handful of years, & cannot recommend them enough. start your own group if there isn't one in your area. (great for homeschoolers!)

* reusable bags a favorite of mine. they are a great place for stainless bottles & lunch kits. for all of april they're having a huge sale in honor of earth day's 40th anniversary.

* the green guide for kids i only just found this blog, but it looks to be a great resource.

* imperfectly natural baby and toddler i've written about this book before. just get it already.

* path to freedom this family inspires me! i want to arrange a field trip to their urban farm.

* netflix has some great documentaries: this one was fun to watch.

i could go on & on, but i shan't. today, that is ;)

leave a comment, telling me an eco-change you'll be making this year - then go off & have a lovely day.

~peace.

new shipping envelopes

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i ran out of the smaller, padded envelopes. since my time for errands is limited these days, i didn't want to waste it on shopping for boring supplies. i'd much rather squeeze in a short trip to a thrift shop!

i've long wanted to create envelopes out of something i would recycle anyway. i tried magazine pages a few months back, but they looked sloppy. the other night i was walking around thebelfry, looking for something that would suit, when i spotted paper bags from the grocery store.

now don't get on me for wasting trees, please. i use cloth bags (heck, i make cloth bags!), i just don't always remember to bring them. so when i do bring home my shopping in paper bags, i reuse the bags.

i try to find uses that take the place of something i would have to buy - that way i eliminate the cost, & waste of another something. in the past i've used them for gift tags & wrapping paper (before i began using cloth bags & metal tins for prezzies), & made many hobbity sketch pads.

back to the envelopes: so i put the sets of shakespeare people into their cloth bags, wrapped them in (previously used) tissue - hahaha not tissue for blowing noses, for wrapping! - then measured the packets. i added 1.5 inches around, & cut out 2 pieces of bag for each set.

from there it was over to sewlie: a zigzag stitch on 3 sides, slide in a packet, & zigzag the whole shebang closed. because my market has fun designs on their bags, i slapped an address label onto each.

the first two:



i love them!

this isn't a permanent answer to my envelope quandary. after all, i am still working on remembering to bring my cloth bags to the market. for now though? i have the most fabulous envelopes that ever there were :)

for fellow bizzie owners: what to you re-purpose? let's share ideas, so we can get closer to a greener way of doing things!

~peace.