tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28713257295433718172024-03-05T15:05:47.134-08:00Reduce Single UseMy road to eliminating consumption of single use plastic and paper. Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-69113879051599531012015-10-04T09:31:00.002-07:002015-10-04T09:31:28.127-07:00Reducing Single Use on the RoadTraveling is fun, but plays havoc on your habits. I am more likely to make bad food choices when I'm on the road ("I need crunchy snacks to keep me alert..."). AND, I'm more likely to use paper napkins, paper towels, straws, disposable cups - not good. What's a traveler to do? Well, this summer I made a conscious effort to reduce single use on the road. Here's what I did:<br />
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<li>Packed a picnic basket full of home made snacks - and purchased some nuts and dried fruit in bulk. I also took bread, peanut butter and jelly - which doesn't require refrigeration</li>
<li>Took my own shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc and didn't use the hotel stuff in those tiny disposable bottles</li>
<li>Carried plenty of thermos style coffee cups and water bottles / reusable cups with me. One is not enough. I need to have enough to fill and then wash later as I can - that way there's never an excuse. And, I often have soda in one cup, water in another, coffee in another. I drive alone and this is how I pass the time! </li>
<li>Carry my own napkin and straw with me for when I stop to eat somewhere. Yeah, I'm that person.</li>
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Yes, I still slip up, but I find that reducing consumption of single use items is much easier if I'm prepared!</div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-41594676216886456252015-01-03T15:22:00.000-08:002015-01-03T15:22:00.092-08:00Makeup Remover<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XsiwldQurZ5Vhz-bE1vtnxf0DPX1UpjckkBu5PgNkDDgquaHOJLYaByC0SCWjxQhahyphenhyphenikuP9qshw5NNukdJQpsWCekIM5V6pdjAKrrw0YFjxZh6O4kgL514DqW81QPKnw8xpjJbm4hY/s640/blogger-image-1747461571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XsiwldQurZ5Vhz-bE1vtnxf0DPX1UpjckkBu5PgNkDDgquaHOJLYaByC0SCWjxQhahyphenhyphenikuP9qshw5NNukdJQpsWCekIM5V6pdjAKrrw0YFjxZh6O4kgL514DqW81QPKnw8xpjJbm4hY/s640/blogger-image-1747461571.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I use very little makeup, but when I do I want to take it off at the end of the day! Last time I finished up my bottle of Neutrogena make up remover I decided to make my own. It's a really simple recipe and I've enjoyed not having to purchase more plastic bottles - every one counts!!!! I really like this recipe because it's gentle and inexpensive to make. It works perfectly too - check it out <a href="http://merrellgirls.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-eye-make-up-remover-even-for.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It's made of olive oil, baby shampoo and of course, WATER. That's what most of what we buy in single use packaging is, water. </span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-44269528781464311442014-12-28T12:03:00.000-08:002014-12-28T12:03:00.354-08:00Christmas Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Yc0Y8Og2uaQ_b_I6T781uHYlVTDMt5MYeFTDvLcF0KICPVrnvdGBEn8x7XF-oIJ_sHDhygYyeR195r1FOOGrCG3cVvb9ChlpfoZcgD-qteG7deez62ZUNMsQDGqba-ndj7e1jF5WI_8/s1600/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Yc0Y8Og2uaQ_b_I6T781uHYlVTDMt5MYeFTDvLcF0KICPVrnvdGBEn8x7XF-oIJ_sHDhygYyeR195r1FOOGrCG3cVvb9ChlpfoZcgD-qteG7deez62ZUNMsQDGqba-ndj7e1jF5WI_8/s400/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>ornament or tree topper from a Christmas card - <a href="http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/how-to-make-a-star.html#axzz1YugG1r3t" target="_blank">instructions</a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an age of email wedding invitations and texted break up messages I really <b>really </b>appreciate receiving a real Christmas card with a hand written signature. It's one of the things I love about Christmas. When my girls were little they would take turns designing the family Christmas card, which I would color copy at Kinko's. I still cherish those cards! But you can't hang on to that stuff forever (although I do still have them, but wouldn't expect everyone else to keep them!). So, what to do with these symbols and sentiments? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the past I've reused them to make little TO/FROM cards for gifts. (Why buy when you already have such lovely patterns?) For a few years everyone sent us their cards received and the next Christmas we took them to a nursing home and decorated the doors of each of the residents. And this year, I learned to make the ornament in the picture above, from Pinterest of course! I used them to decorate the tree, but also in lieu of bows on gifts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I checked out some ideas on the interwebs and liked these the most:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cut them up and turn them into place cards for the holiday table</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">make into a recipe card to go with the plate of treats you're giving (you know they will ask you for the recipe anyway!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cut the front off and turn the folding card into a postcard (cheaper to mail!) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">decorate the top of a mason jar full of treats</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got these ideas from <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/5-fun-ways-upcycle-old-holiday-cards" target="_blank">5 ways to upcycle holiday cards</a> and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.paperlesskitchen.com/blogs/news/10830225-10-crafty-ways-to-upcycle-old-greeting-cards" target="_blank">10 crafty ways to upcycle old greeting cards</a>. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas, and I challenge you to save, reuse, or at least recycle all your cards this year! </span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-6071603887313030972014-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:002014-12-21T11:41:00.530-08:00Box and Tray Upcycle<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaSy_T7SuLbkF651sJk2nsOsp4CfxBBzK4Kem3kCe8PaJsYDpqz8Wphf2g-whwsAqOEyX6fQw1jWAox0tYISx_7h3DKAdHZ6XWySI5lUxRRL54cyd6BkV7annuB18Drp2rFjTcrxbnKU/s640/blogger-image-727839877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaSy_T7SuLbkF651sJk2nsOsp4CfxBBzK4Kem3kCe8PaJsYDpqz8Wphf2g-whwsAqOEyX6fQw1jWAox0tYISx_7h3DKAdHZ6XWySI5lUxRRL54cyd6BkV7annuB18Drp2rFjTcrxbnKU/s640/blogger-image-727839877.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought a pair of cowboy boots and was impressed at how very sturdy the box and lid were. I made this little tray from the lid. I simply decoupaged with newsprint to even everything out, then I added torn up tissue as the top layer, in shades of purple. The dots are made with my 1" hole punch, I used some tissue paper for that too - giving it a contrasting pattern. This is a perfect little tray to corral all my incense and hookah stuff. It's finished with a little semi gloss varnish so it's water proof enough that it could hold drinks or tea cups if needed. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used the same treatment to made a little storage box out of an empty soy milk box. I cut it down to size and used up one of the cut off pieces to make a little lid - it's attached with wire. I use it to store extra keys. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time you get a sturdy little box in your life, think about reusing it for storage or other purposes. These make great Christmas or other gifts!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>SIDENOTE</b>: Did you know that tissue paper cannot be recycled? It's the paper version of styrofoam - sort of the end of the line. I like to reuse and upcycle tissue as much as possible. </span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-76769393160630841942014-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:002014-12-14T11:59:00.054-08:00Kombucha<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC9HAPGDKe5TNHxFhMmPTM-Wc9uztXZ_qRSY43fh1Jra13abzULL6_GaECA5kTGWTkiRnNHPj81mg1MmMtziucqbNbCeNqyDqkWdg9FrlDkp8IbcJbpSCDk2uqHG0CVyavAdGfsMAGvo/s640/blogger-image-87594835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC9HAPGDKe5TNHxFhMmPTM-Wc9uztXZ_qRSY43fh1Jra13abzULL6_GaECA5kTGWTkiRnNHPj81mg1MmMtziucqbNbCeNqyDqkWdg9FrlDkp8IbcJbpSCDk2uqHG0CVyavAdGfsMAGvo/s640/blogger-image-87594835.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kombucha is fermented sweet tea. Because I like fizzy drinks I decided to start making my own. The fact that Kombucha is actually a carbonated drink that's GOOD for you is a great added bonus! It's really easy - find out how <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-173858" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-make-kombucha" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past few years I had kept nice liquor bottles once emptied. I also use them to store iced</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> coffee and iced tea in the fridge, or to make up some soda from the soda-stream if I'm having people over. I know it takes a little extra time and effort to make my own instead of purchasing soda, Kombucha, etc. but it just makes me happy knowing that I'm not adding more containers to a landfill or recycling container. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite recipe is with green tea, or with yerba mate - both make a mild and delicious Kombucha in 5-7 days. There's still time to make Kombucha as Christmas gifts!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-91995948832545899112014-12-07T11:49:00.000-08:002014-12-19T19:40:08.585-08:00Cardboard Tube Flower Decorations<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn_JznVishroDIff-lwY_W8u5RlyNUeUh1sRf0zvLywdl6xAf_DFPpVJJ3yHa5mH3RrHUTY9nSr99SkUQ0S7GN08tbI3KMD3Rv6HkCbB6vOzLulSWAP_4-pfQskKsPxg8KqX8bBTyZDY/s640/blogger-image-1525322410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn_JznVishroDIff-lwY_W8u5RlyNUeUh1sRf0zvLywdl6xAf_DFPpVJJ3yHa5mH3RrHUTY9nSr99SkUQ0S7GN08tbI3KMD3Rv6HkCbB6vOzLulSWAP_4-pfQskKsPxg8KqX8bBTyZDY/s400/blogger-image-1525322410.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toilet paper is one of those things I just cannot bring myself to work around in terms of single use - although I have looked into it <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-WASHABLE-TOILET-PAPER-from-old-bed-sheet/" target="_blank">here</a>. Instead, I'm figuring out ways to use the cardboard tube left. I made these little flower decorations as gift toppers that can be used for Christmas tree decorating too. You can tell just by looking at the picture that I folded the tube, cut little rings and then glued them together with hot glue. I used a single hole punch to make a hole to add a little yarn through so they can hang from a tree, and glued on some embellishments in the middle of some. Pinterest has loads of ideas on how to reuse cardboard tubes, consider keeping them and turning them into art projects!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's December folks - that time of year that most threatens our commitments to better eating and less consumption!!!!</span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-27729236690832086432014-11-30T11:33:00.000-08:002014-11-30T11:33:00.297-08:00Insta-Trashbin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQH2X-k3Vx-LoYl2NSvRovzQrSBct1KbChdTbZxie9RALH2o8DGRYwHuKPysOCBNYGLj-AcvATF2mQrLMibpn4QO9oCCCQydtJra7PLo3hSRjcqeIVQ4JeQwNi8S5ZsuQiKU0SP_Vghg/s640/blogger-image--307345819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQH2X-k3Vx-LoYl2NSvRovzQrSBct1KbChdTbZxie9RALH2o8DGRYwHuKPysOCBNYGLj-AcvATF2mQrLMibpn4QO9oCCCQydtJra7PLo3hSRjcqeIVQ4JeQwNi8S5ZsuQiKU0SP_Vghg/s640/blogger-image--307345819.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always seem to need extra trash bins - whether I'm cooking, in the car, in my camper, or working on a project. I've found gallon milk jugs to be perfect instant trash bins. The handle makes them easy to transport to the trash/recycling/compost bin when full. The plastic makes it water proof and easy to clean if things get messy or stinky in there. They are easily replaced if they wear out. They are small enough that you can have one in the closet, on the dryer, another by your desk and one under the sink. Just the perfect insta-trashbin!</span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-69174376709850778112014-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:002014-11-23T09:00:00.791-08:00Cereal Gift Box<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiExY0a0XscFEg0hhwOg5IpJiNFOUmrtBTuo4n25cIDePk_leHdzjPN_YZfEeIHap1XnifewKMuOoJDpLYB_N1L_nJ3IpAmkfF08orchxGgYe4LVH6Tl-I-tTuzqgY6hsIYZ3zlDMy-Y/s640/blogger-image-1372174880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiExY0a0XscFEg0hhwOg5IpJiNFOUmrtBTuo4n25cIDePk_leHdzjPN_YZfEeIHap1XnifewKMuOoJDpLYB_N1L_nJ3IpAmkfF08orchxGgYe4LVH6Tl-I-tTuzqgY6hsIYZ3zlDMy-Y/s640/blogger-image-1372174880.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gift wrapping seems like such a waste of paper and boxes, all to just get ripped up. But it definitely adds to the fun of getting a gift...So, even though I don't eat sugary cereal - when I saw this little gem in someone's trash I knew I had to have it! I added a little crotcheted plarn set of handles and reused some tissue paper and it was ready to go! If the box weren't so cute, I could have recovered it with some other recycled papers such as weekend funny papers, collage of scraps, etc. For a smaller gift, upcycle a toilet paper roll, sounds tacky but I promise it comes out cute. Check it out <a href="http://reducesingleuse.blogspot.com/2014/02/toilet-paper-roll-gift-box.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas is coming - will you commit to reducing single use paper during this time!?</span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-36890445223474597342014-11-16T09:05:00.000-08:002014-11-16T09:08:44.613-08:00Less Packaging<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqTRmUiMxG8ydtyenI_jjzma87oXtZP2dcVziganCZOWWGqjl8dG-OZ3Wy0lJ4pd8YF5UBK_obs8jFyqwaiN4NTofRYYIyG1-GHxBRdnfcy0ba3H3eitBtO1yA4qdoWjKw72GWMeP5ak/s640/blogger-image-2109090623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqTRmUiMxG8ydtyenI_jjzma87oXtZP2dcVziganCZOWWGqjl8dG-OZ3Wy0lJ4pd8YF5UBK_obs8jFyqwaiN4NTofRYYIyG1-GHxBRdnfcy0ba3H3eitBtO1yA4qdoWjKw72GWMeP5ak/s400/blogger-image-2109090623.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am always on the search for ways to use less packaging and wanted to share this new one I've found. As you may know, most of what we buy in packages is water - whether that's a soft drink, liquid soap, shampoo or in this case creamed coconut. This small package is the equivalent of several cans of creamed coconut and is about the size of a juice box. So, 3 packages worth in one package. And, it's recyclable - the box is paper, and inside is a vacuum packed plastic bag. Plus, it's organic and very tasty.</span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-26958246132845693502014-11-09T09:42:00.000-08:002014-11-09T09:42:06.053-08:00Paper Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX4MRxU4_Ooi02BVOzssZlJffZv9bZXb9k3JUzVmyHVV2eJ07GMpg0xpBLiW6vfLXznamXE8dg6QyThTvBXWamrL5_5uaGNuELzgoLdK256j51SIUbLmJLOmjjJeg_acmGUE7-VQCUA8/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX4MRxU4_Ooi02BVOzssZlJffZv9bZXb9k3JUzVmyHVV2eJ07GMpg0xpBLiW6vfLXznamXE8dg6QyThTvBXWamrL5_5uaGNuELzgoLdK256j51SIUbLmJLOmjjJeg_acmGUE7-VQCUA8/s320/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always been drawn to paper, to stationary, journals, note pads, books, to post-its, ephemera, museum guides, maps, and old photographs. But my love for paper is doing battle with my desire to minimize and reduce rather than recycle. Last year I also challenged myself to Use it Up - that is, use what I had rather than bring more and new things into my life. Enter Paper Art. I needed some artwork in my living room, above the TV, and made the paper heart strands above. I made a little <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/268034615294953094/" target="_blank">springtime wreath</a> from egg cartons (I promise it doesn't look all that much like a 3rd grader made it...) and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/268034615296568571/" target="_blank">another</a> from the pages of an old book. I also made a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/268034615297085424/" target="_blank">Christmas card</a> from the pages of that old book. Paper is a beautiful, plentiful and diverse media for so many projects. I doubt I will get rid off all my paper, but I'm trying, one art project at a time....</span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-15725056201338865942014-10-26T16:01:00.000-07:002014-10-26T19:25:31.643-07:00Ceramic Tile Note Pad<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most notes I write on paper don't really need to be kept or transported away from my house. Most of them are little reminders, phone numbers I need to have temporarily, tally marks for something I'm working on or just a quick doodle. So why use paper? Instead, I came up with this simple ceramic tile note pad and have one by my bed and another in the kitchen. At first I just used the tile and marker. Then I got fancy and made a little cloth backing for it, with a loop to keep the pen. It's a perfect solution for a temporary note or for my daughter trying to explain some mathematical concept to me!</span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-34818978903068342772014-10-21T16:06:00.000-07:002014-10-30T11:56:47.294-07:00Shampoo Bar<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTyphGPsyKkdIzwNvHMK9o-daQv9SEFLUhY3rBwXfT6dKNV4dfVIJb3Wy_pGcK57s_r15dZ_FTvEOsYvG-0VSe3GPeppoibqSzwMtgEAtEVyJ8k7yRIG9jFKlP2zU0fcmCkR-EkP43pc/s640/blogger-image--1368460360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTyphGPsyKkdIzwNvHMK9o-daQv9SEFLUhY3rBwXfT6dKNV4dfVIJb3Wy_pGcK57s_r15dZ_FTvEOsYvG-0VSe3GPeppoibqSzwMtgEAtEVyJ8k7yRIG9jFKlP2zU0fcmCkR-EkP43pc/s400/blogger-image--1368460360.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things I really wanted to learn to DIY was shampoo - I hate buying then having to recycle those darned bottles. So here are the things I've tried that didn't work:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - the "no poo" method. This involves washing the hair with a mix of baking soda and water, then rinsing with a mix of apple cider vinegar and water. I tried this for a few months. It was a disaster. In my online research it said to just wait it out, that my hair was somehow addicted to shampoo and had to adjust to going natural...but that never happened for me. My hair was a greasy mess and I never got out of that stage. I only wash my hair a few times a week, so I just didn't find it believable that it was "addicted". Anyway, that was a total bust, even thought I wanted it to work, and even toted around that stuff when I travelled, etc. From what I can tell, this method works best for folks with frizzy or curly hair, and I'm the total opposite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 - castile soap - I won't bore you, but it didn't work either. I may as well have used thousand island dressing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So - because my goal was to find a way to avoid purchasing the plastic bottles of stuff...I found a really great little all natural shampoo bar at my local Natural Grocer's store - and it works great! The bar is wrapped in paper, which is biodegradable, and claims to last as long as 24 oz of shampoo, which for me is a really long time. So, mission accomplished!</span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-89755262952287434932014-10-02T08:20:00.000-07:002014-10-05T17:45:43.140-07:00Paper napkins and towels<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1276130956"></span><span id="goog_1276130957"></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhuHXo1aHdjAptVsx3IY44aYiy_ZR_djIF9hiBGnIABZ1HOVzLwcAOzxHBw9mBBo7h-2bwIyxMltfqWccK16efm0dMRdeOy5qDZOHp4WApjE3jgom8P-FUEzFUboVrNZrwLPCuoIqLjE/s640/blogger-image--1235275611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhuHXo1aHdjAptVsx3IY44aYiy_ZR_djIF9hiBGnIABZ1HOVzLwcAOzxHBw9mBBo7h-2bwIyxMltfqWccK16efm0dMRdeOy5qDZOHp4WApjE3jgom8P-FUEzFUboVrNZrwLPCuoIqLjE/s400/blogger-image--1235275611.jpg" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A roll of paper towels lasts me 18 months - I know this because out of curiosity I've written the date purchased inside the tube. That's great, but I know I can Do Better. It turns out that most of my paper towel use happens when I'm out and about. For example when I use a public rest room and dry my hands after washing, or when I'm at a restaurant and they don't use cloth napkins (I'm known to prefer a hole in the wall over a fancy restaurant any day, but there are down sides). So, I was intrigued to learn that in Japan people carry their own cloth hand towels to dry themselves with. The founder of People Towels has nice <a href="http://www.wehatetowaste.com/japanese-style/" target="_blank">little write up</a> on this. According to them, <b>the average American uses upwards of 2,400 paper towels a year</b>. Easily convinced, my first thought was to purchase some little wash cloths, they are inexpensive enough. Then I remembered, I have more bandanas than I know what to do with. So now I carry a bandana with me, it's folded and put in a pocket of my bag. I change it weekly, or more often if needed. It's used in restaurants as a napkin, and in bathrooms to dry my hands. It's an easy enough committment and easy to keep up with. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're not convinced to carry your own little bandana (or towel, or a cute vintage hankie!) at least consider drying your hands in a scientifically proven efficient manner (oooo, fancy!) as shown in this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FMBSblpcrc" target="_blank">brief explanation</a>. Shake and fold people, shake and fold. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-64625134812960026652014-09-30T16:04:00.001-07:002014-09-30T16:04:07.433-07:00Milk Carton Reuse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxZif2SEeb0xby-5adw-odAZ2E73Cn3R-zS6GAdZW6m7IC8VFyz4-uOUR7VfQb-zr7sSOV-z3qoGFn4qdeYzhWeGsnt7CmUdk4aFtpeEI2PqKGvurMNpqRwqe1ETCd5y57358G972LhM/s1600/milkjug.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxZif2SEeb0xby-5adw-odAZ2E73Cn3R-zS6GAdZW6m7IC8VFyz4-uOUR7VfQb-zr7sSOV-z3qoGFn4qdeYzhWeGsnt7CmUdk4aFtpeEI2PqKGvurMNpqRwqe1ETCd5y57358G972LhM/s1600/milkjug.png" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Milk carton food container</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry I've been missing for so long! I do have some more ideas to share though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found another way to reuse a milk carton - as a leftover/food container. I have been slowly getting rid of all my plastic containers and using glass. Recently I committed to taking one home cooked meal a week to a sick friend, and have found myself wanting to buy disposable foil pans (which I did once) as well as plastic food containers so she wouldn't have to worry about returning anything to me. This is so much better because it's reusing something that I only have so many creative uses for. My only caveats are:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wash empty container out immediately with warm soapy water to get all the dairy out</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">let food completely cool before putting it into the container - it has a waxy coating that makes it wonderfully waterproof but is not made for hot things</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clip, tape or staple the top to close it, but be careful not to jostle too much because it's not sealed like a plastic container would be</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pleased with this reuse!</span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-69051712850603877142014-04-17T16:17:00.000-07:002014-04-17T16:17:00.862-07:00Plarn Basket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADX201Ip7SKM_b37x93IxKhqUNlph5ska5_jX7zeruUBRuwvcJoSRyGXSo9b1lxx3Fv__FQhqfuvyKQBCBvNVNcHwcP40txu7DvF6epXKXgfjVXJuKcjkKSgJt2ixzyDhxosB407TiaM/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADX201Ip7SKM_b37x93IxKhqUNlph5ska5_jX7zeruUBRuwvcJoSRyGXSo9b1lxx3Fv__FQhqfuvyKQBCBvNVNcHwcP40txu7DvF6epXKXgfjVXJuKcjkKSgJt2ixzyDhxosB407TiaM/s320/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" height="202" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>basic instructions <a href="http://radmegan.blogspot.com/2012/03/going-green-with-wrapped-baskets.html" target="_blank">here</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would have totally taken basket weaving in college it they offered it! When I saw this basket making pin on Pinterest I decided to try it out. I had already cut out some 1" strips of bread bags for plarn that hadn't worked out for crochet plarn. So, I put them to use to make this kooky little hinged basket. At some point I'd like to make a bigger piece such as a tray, laundry basket or small trash bin. I really like how it turned out and it was a lot of fun to make and a great way to upcycle plastic bags into a functional little container. </span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-33636204757028044322014-04-10T15:35:00.000-07:002014-04-10T15:35:00.075-07:00Glass Bottles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BIgGMLgXG7mTbZPB1AiVRmUWnDDzwq28rUHLnJOnTntjZpWdVs6508Sv3iw0049HXD_6Bj7YOzzJ8HFQztyKs0LyffXw-bEu1_mZ_kS9CmHznY4phuKJji-Wsvoap-QcXNRd3vesS40/s1600/e4e61c950f4e96f554426bf42e1a0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BIgGMLgXG7mTbZPB1AiVRmUWnDDzwq28rUHLnJOnTntjZpWdVs6508Sv3iw0049HXD_6Bj7YOzzJ8HFQztyKs0LyffXw-bEu1_mZ_kS9CmHznY4phuKJji-Wsvoap-QcXNRd3vesS40/s1600/e4e61c950f4e96f554426bf42e1a0250.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much as I try to NOT to purchase single use bottles, they creep in. They come with guests. They come holding delicious sauces and liquids that I don't know how to make. Some I send off to recycle. The ones that have good tops that can be washed (most of them) I clean and reuse. Because of the small opening, cleaning can be a bit of a challenge. Typically they go through the dishwasher but don't come out fully clean. Enter the bobble wand - find it where the bobble water bottles and filters are sold. It's silicone and small and works great for larger mouthed bottles. The secret weapon for harder to clean or small mouthed bottles is activated charcoal. I keep a few tablespoons in a tin by my sink. These little black "rocks", along with hot water and soap, and a vigorous shake, gets bottles clean clean clean! So, after all that, what do I use these bottles for? </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">home made salad dressing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lunch box drinks such as tea, kefir, soda</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">home made syrups for my soda machine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">concentrated coffee for iced and hot coffee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">iced tea</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">instead of water bottles</span></li>
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<br />Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-10949391280516908762014-04-03T15:27:00.000-07:002014-04-03T15:27:00.077-07:00Refuse - the fourth R<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_heG27YezZ3sfGsJD9FBfLcYCAayUO3U5OQQM2ZaYsrVbnm6Jq2umgm859-YhZ5K4dtNaEhLL-JKBIX7UaHAtl2n9K4xczFEK-r1w26Ca8FSfOev5E9M5h6LXR1e5MLRKEVf0goXnXs/s1600/pic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_heG27YezZ3sfGsJD9FBfLcYCAayUO3U5OQQM2ZaYsrVbnm6Jq2umgm859-YhZ5K4dtNaEhLL-JKBIX7UaHAtl2n9K4xczFEK-r1w26Ca8FSfOev5E9M5h6LXR1e5MLRKEVf0goXnXs/s1600/pic3.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/" target="_blank">Plastic Pollution Coalition</a> has introduced me to a fourth R - <b>Refuse</b>. So it's <b>R</b>efuse, <b>R</b>educe, <b>R</b>euse, <b>R</b>ecycle. Refusing brings a bit of advocacy into the Reduce strategy. And that's perfect for what I'm trying to accomplish this year. It will however be a challenge for me to go this Refuse route. By nature I'm a conflict-avoider and recoil at the thought of embarrassing </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">someone</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for essentially doing their job (giving me a straw, paper napkin, disposable cup, etc.). I'm going to turn that awkward moment into an opportunity to share the message with others. When I ask the waitress if I could use my own cup for a cold drink...I'm going to share the reason why with her, ack! I'm enlisting a prop to help me out. I've purchased 100 of these little cards to help me broach the subject and leave people with something to think about. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the front is a brief statistic and the link to this blog, and on the back is an image related to upcycling/reusing. I hope that the act of handing this over and gently explaining what I'm trying to accomplish this year will endear me slightly and make this refuse thing easier to deal with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did a bad and ordered some mini-cards that are not printed on recycled paper, they do claim to be sustainably sourced though...I'll Do Better next time...and now I REALLY feel pressure to use them up so that won't have been an even greater waste of resources). </span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-77713576334335539702014-03-27T15:23:00.000-07:002014-03-27T15:23:00.567-07:00Bread Tags<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHWj48XC7RBynVpDgOM2g6SPfvgQj6feIxa7wa-vF0LaZ6FFglhW_SjIXgqEmIFMrla1IcOt9PvqN2Vah32mTqt5FvLynXYzbfI3ltplbh1jszbn1WTy7LIch5qDX9TOrWc86oixMOJo/s1600/pic5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHWj48XC7RBynVpDgOM2g6SPfvgQj6feIxa7wa-vF0LaZ6FFglhW_SjIXgqEmIFMrla1IcOt9PvqN2Vah32mTqt5FvLynXYzbfI3ltplbh1jszbn1WTy7LIch5qDX9TOrWc86oixMOJo/s1600/pic5.jpg" height="326" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">bread tags generally come in these two designs</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those well engineered little bread tags have a multitude of uses once you've finished the loaf. Here are some ways I've been using them:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">keeping appliance cords wrapped - standing blender, hair dryer, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">labeling electrical cords - that mess of cords behind my TV for example</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">quick label for keys - just clip it on like a key ring</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">keeping track of the end of a roll of tape (no more scraping around the edge to find it!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">labeling jars, as in the example above</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out there are many many other applications and here's a list of <a href="http://beforeitsnews.com/green-living/2012/02/33-ways-to-reuse-bread-tags-1771892.html" target="_blank">33 uses</a> for bread tags!</span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-75857311220959781142014-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:002014-03-20T15:23:00.417-07:00DIY Foaming Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLqupUfK1wZtdxZI0SymwG5DdOwfDc4KSUkrjpJbPZ4pHt_Gi0D04XQlDpBc0Ao3FxIXjLg93jztgeMHsdcl_u_I3XfoEaGeDifz3L_qXLmIZdgomrA5TMlOpCZhKlnSZGFeWTfUFpl0/s1600/pic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLqupUfK1wZtdxZI0SymwG5DdOwfDc4KSUkrjpJbPZ4pHt_Gi0D04XQlDpBc0Ao3FxIXjLg93jztgeMHsdcl_u_I3XfoEaGeDifz3L_qXLmIZdgomrA5TMlOpCZhKlnSZGFeWTfUFpl0/s1600/pic4.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>foaming soap</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My quest to reduce single use items has led me deeeep down a DIY path that has nicely overlapped with my desire to know what exactly I'm using to clean my house and body. One of the first things I figured out how to make on my own was foaming soap - those of you on Pinterest have probably already seen this, but here goes. Lest you think, like I did, that the soap itself is special, the magic turns out to be in the container...yeah, the one usually thrown away or recyled when the foaming soap ran out. Or, you could refill with a tell tale liquidy soap that can be purchased in yet another single use container. Totally seems like cheating when you learn that they are selling you watered down soap in a second container - especially when you read "instructions" that say "refill only with our product..." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, here's the deal. Once you use up the original container, you open it, pour in maybe a 1/2 inch of liquid soap (buy the biggest container you can of that so you are buying the least number of consumable plastic bottles) and then fill the rest with tap water. There you have it, handy and identically foaming soap. I use Dawn blue soap for dishes and Dr. Bronner's castile (almond and peppermint are my two favorites) for hand soap in the bathroom. </span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-31134763721045308602014-03-13T15:22:00.000-07:002014-03-13T15:22:00.764-07:00Living Plastic Free?<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyw5yAZuynmAX3ixpbaIKq1c9qUQqwigfL1qTFG7zbS7zXifJrDoGlC_iXZRwwBtPkclyTIu-UmfL0LEIBdtS7tfG8xev1OptB7BKhrvMpqU9yRdkK6E7uAkiYlP6Ta7wy00s3tWS4V4/s1600/pic2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyw5yAZuynmAX3ixpbaIKq1c9qUQqwigfL1qTFG7zbS7zXifJrDoGlC_iXZRwwBtPkclyTIu-UmfL0LEIBdtS7tfG8xev1OptB7BKhrvMpqU9yRdkK6E7uAkiYlP6Ta7wy00s3tWS4V4/s1600/pic2.png" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Glass Jars - I like to spray paint the tops to give them a unified look.</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my interwebs perusals I came across this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JXWRVrFiKs" target="_blank">TEDx talk</a> by Beth Terry who has committed to living plastic free. That seems like a worthy but insurmountable task - <b>plastics free</b>. I am committed to greatly reducing my single use plastics consumption. In her talk she gives 8 reasons why personal change (to live plastics free) matters. She inspired me to reflect on the most significant and relatively easy changes I have already made towards eliminating my consumption of single use plastic:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carry my own cloth to use as a drying cloth and napkin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Save glass jars and use them to store food, leftovers and lunchbox food</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep several travel mugs and reusable cold drink cups in my car so I can easily use them and have enough for a travel companion </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have more grocery totes than I really need in my car so that if I always have some there if I (inevitably) forget to return them immediately to the trunk. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please take a look at Beth's short and entertaining talk - linked above - she makes some really great points. </span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-47257770555964370162014-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:002014-03-17T15:09:32.306-07:00Shredded Plastic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYT9MSCQDa5pa3ct0lsWGb03ZGG15ksuq-KRRpcYx_B4WQvmebpBPtNsFXpNZeDLn9KJOerJ8DYb8hAIVJ5iXgLFgTT2GjEVWlwpPqSjGtz42O8wB18LyhvW7fwrsigi5uMjrhpy12PIE/s1600/box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYT9MSCQDa5pa3ct0lsWGb03ZGG15ksuq-KRRpcYx_B4WQvmebpBPtNsFXpNZeDLn9KJOerJ8DYb8hAIVJ5iXgLFgTT2GjEVWlwpPqSjGtz42O8wB18LyhvW7fwrsigi5uMjrhpy12PIE/s1600/box.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cut up plastic bags to make plarn (plastic yarn - fyi see more on <a href="http://reducesingleuse.blogspot.com/2014/01/plarn-plastic-yarn.html" target="_blank">this</a> old blog post). There's only so much plarn I can use though. And, there are smaller bags that are not conducive to plarn, such as bags used to hold crackers inside the box, or raisin bags that are too sticky and a different texture than used for plarn. What to do? Well, I've started cutting the bags up and keeping them to use as stuffing for some outdoor pillows I'm making. I'm accumulating the shreds in an empty milk container so it's convenient to cut them up as they empty in the kitchen (I think of it as plastic composting). I know the shredded plastic won't be as soft as polyfil, but it's waterproof and that's what I need. I'm thinking it will take me a year or more to have enough for one pillow (they are </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">big </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- I'm upcycling two empty 50 lb bag of pinto beans). We'll see!</span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-79276691844723343852014-02-27T14:30:00.000-08:002014-02-27T15:35:02.454-08:00Toilet Paper Roll Gift Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0PVNbdGRtoICUsAWogdANp2KwapMDz8M-pRtjEDWzNtdRP9D0wgQltK_l8qJ74rWqb8DX_pc08lAqhGUZYvGanxN2m2mzp3Q1g0tiVnvx2GuH8tJpE64DhOz6ImJ9GswUtQHbHQfMno/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0PVNbdGRtoICUsAWogdANp2KwapMDz8M-pRtjEDWzNtdRP9D0wgQltK_l8qJ74rWqb8DX_pc08lAqhGUZYvGanxN2m2mzp3Q1g0tiVnvx2GuH8tJpE64DhOz6ImJ9GswUtQHbHQfMno/s640/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">toilet roll tube covered in paper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to give handmade gifts, jewelry especially. This wrapping is perfect for any small gift and really easy to put together. First, I wrap the tube in a narrow piece of paper - this is a page from an old children's book. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, I wrap the gift in tissue so it doesn't fall out as easily.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last, I tie it up with a ribbon, that's it! </span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-90503903337662415102014-02-20T14:15:00.000-08:002014-02-20T14:15:00.046-08:00Drawer-ganizers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT3fEOd1gk2jF60JkCoj91wmfjHPxLAh-b9n_28RxUlUGIMfPG36z8jqlXdPbS18JGVQcLg6c4t4qdwfbMb_KLdyEUuxhF7K-s7vd8BFZsvOIDCGL0pwTPVWmXAQ9tphN9QmM8gpJCU4/s1600/drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT3fEOd1gk2jF60JkCoj91wmfjHPxLAh-b9n_28RxUlUGIMfPG36z8jqlXdPbS18JGVQcLg6c4t4qdwfbMb_KLdyEUuxhF7K-s7vd8BFZsvOIDCGL0pwTPVWmXAQ9tphN9QmM8gpJCU4/s1600/drawer.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Berry tubs make good organizers for kitchen and other supplies</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>such as closures, egg cups, cookie making supplies, napkin rings</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food containers are one of my largest sources of single use waste. Milk, berries, mushrooms, honey - these are some of my staples that generate containers that I then need to reuse or recycle. I had an 'aha' moment when I realized that on the one hand I was looking to buy plastic storage containers and on the other hand was recycling plastic storage containers. That's when I started putting these "throwaway" containers to better use. Instead of recycling them, I'm upcycling them. It takes a little effort (cleaning them, removing stickers) and they are not as sturdy as plastic organizers you buy, but they work fine. Organized using free upcycled containers, problem solved!</span></div>
Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-26913648112297037262014-02-13T10:32:00.000-08:002014-02-13T10:32:00.197-08:00No Tissue Cold Season<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm facing this cold and allergy season without tissues! This means I'm using the wonderful collection of hankies I inherited from my beloved Grandma Rose. I don't remember seeing her carry a hanky, but do remember my dad always had one on hand. I have one in my bag, one by my bed, and have enough that I can change out every day as needed. I've seen so many of these at thrift stores and garage sales. A quick online search captured a deal on eBay for a lot of 10 for $3.60! So from here on out - no more tissues, bring on the hankies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you do decide to use paper tissues - know that Greenpeace mounted a campaign to pressure Kleenex brand, Kimberly-Clark, to change to sustainable practices in procuring paper fiber. Before their 2004 campaign was closed, Kimberly-Clark was cutting old growth forest for our tissues. The greanpeace "Kleercut" campaign shamed them into changing their practices. So, if you have to use disposable, do it with Kleenex brand. See the Greenpeace success story <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/Our-impact/kleercut-case-closed/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span>Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2871325729543371817.post-61832380990414129682014-02-06T14:15:00.000-08:002014-02-08T19:49:06.658-08:00Taking Inventory<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far I've been sharing some things I've already been doing to reduce single use plastic and paper in my life. In order to figure out how to use even less, I have to ask myself <i style="font-weight: bold;">What consumable plastics and paper do I use? </i>I looked online and didn't find any kind of self assessment for single use consumption (although <a href="http://www.myfootprint.org/" target="_blank">here's</a> a good one to assess your overall carbon footprint). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are my conclusions about what I use:<i style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At
home - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ziploc bags, paper towel, toilet paper, wax paper, foil, plastic wrap</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At
work - printer paper, toilet paper, paper hand towels</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out and about - paper plates, napkins, toilet paper, paper hand towels, straws,
disposable coffee and cold drink cups, and occasionally grocery bags and grocery produce bags</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're in the mood to do a simple self assessment, try this: write the purchase date on items such as the box of ziploc bags, foil, plastic wrap, paper towel, etc. See how long it takes to go through it and then try to make it last longer, or even better, see how you can eliminate it. I have the same foil, plastic wrap and ziploc bags that I bought when I moved to my apartment in January 2011. As I run out of these items I'm going to try to come up with alternatives or just live without them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the most part I think I have the tools I need and just need to be more organized so I don't get caught without them. For example, I have a lot of travel mugs and water bottles, but sometimes forget them at home - am going to move them to the car. Same goes for reusable grocery bags. The first things I'm going to actively work on to Do Better are paper towels and straws. Stay tuned!</span></div>
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Carla Mowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05355118921514171312noreply@blogger.com0