A few months ago I found every reason not to walk out of the grocery store with paper bags any more! I have been trying to do my part to lower my carbon footprint… but this made remembering to bring my bags with me to the grocery store so easy! Get a few fabulous bags and you won’t want to go anywhere without them… they are so cool… and inexpensive! Miso-so-pretty & Keen!
An online store who’s motto is “inspiring products for a better world”. Now you can feel good about buying new things knowing they are ecologically safe. The Bedouin bedspread, with its rich oranges and yellows, is hand-stitched by a group who supports a children’s charity. The felt slippers for toasty toes have a hand-stitched sole and come in 3 amazing colors. And these bags - recycled or beaded, they are equally as beautiful!
Now here’s a really green project. My friend Diane lives in frosty upstate NY. The floor in the kitchen of her old farm house was needing repair, so she came up with this fun, crafty way to disguise it until she can put the needed time aside to repair it. Using an old tent that had become un-useable, she first I stretched the fabric and stapled it to a board. Then primed it with an interior latex primer, chose and painted the design, again using interior latex left over from previous projects, hemmed the fabric mat by folding under 1 to 2 inches with a fabric glue (or white glue) and finishing it off with 2-3 coats of water based polyurethane. And voila, instant floor cloth! Durable, great looking and completely free since she had all the materials at hand… Brilliant.
The term “hippie” takes on a whole new meaning at Viva Terra, an online store dedicated to living harmoniously with nature. All their products reflect their commitment to: ecology and elegance; organic and sustainable resources; earth and people friendly; artisan handcrafts; and the celebration of life. From tea sets to broom sets, they have just about anything you could ever want. Or think of!
Thinking of taking a trip this year? Why not take one that doubles as a philanthropic event. Elevate Destinations designs trips and gives a percentage of its profits to protecting the natural resources in destination countries. Or how about a trip to an eco-resort? The El Monte Sagrado Living Resort in Taos, NM is renowned for its commitments to ecological preservation and sustainability. Another one just up the California coast is Costanoa, located just south of San Francisco. Escape the chaos of everyday life and discover the pace of nature at this beautiful eco adventure resort.
This month’s issue of BUST magazine includes a fabulous project of turning your unruly pile of plastic bags into a stylish, knitted tote - yes, even YOU can recycle & have fun doing it! Instructions are included and their blue tote example is inspirational. What a groovy time-passer while on the bus, plane or train.
I always find the unexpected at Uncommon Goods and they have plenty of creative green items made from recycled materials: from handbags made from candy wrappers, rice bags, or billboards to a doormat made of flipflops - who’s to say anyone should ever throw anything away? And if you need some more ideas for how to live green daily, they have a set of Environment Karma Cards to to coach you on how to help the planet.
