PB + J Monday

What an ingenious idea!  A little greenhouse made out of recycled/reused/repurposed cd cases!  Isn't it cute?

I'm kicking myself that I got rid of all of our cases now.

Here's the link to the blog How To Recycle

PB + J Monday

I have taken a bit of time off from the blog.  Family and other obligations were just more important.  But, I’m back and I have some interesting content to share with you coming up.

It’s April Fools Day today!  Have you been fooled by someone today or other April Fools Days?  I can’t remember anyone pulling a prank or trying to fool me so I’d love to hear what your most memorable April Fools Day was.  Was it something done to you or something you pulled on someone else?  Please share by leaving a comment below.

Today is PB+J Monday!

Our little local newspaper sometimes has some great and simple tips for being green.  Recently they posted an article about creative uses for shredded paper.  And that is what I’m going to share with you today…

Creative uses for shredded paper

The benefits of recycling are numerous.  Reusing products and items saves money, reduces the amount of energy needed to make new items and reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills.

Paper is a commonly used recyclable material.  In the United States, the world’s largest consumer of paper, the average person uses the equivalent of a 100-foot tall Douglas fir tree worth of paper and wood products every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.  Reusing consumed paper helps to reduce the number of trees cut down for making new paper and paper products.

In order to cut down on the space that paper stored for recycling takes up, many people choose to shred the paper and compress it into bags to put out for pick-up.  However, there are many other practical uses for shredded paper.  Here are some of the many different ways to put shredded paper to good use.

* Mulch: Forget buying mulching materials from the garden centre.  Use shredded paper bags and newspapers to provide weed control and to keep plants moist  Lay down the shredded paper as you would any mulching material on the soil in garden beds.  Use a hose to wet it down and prevent flyaway.  Mixing shredded paper with grass seed also helps keep the seeds damp to create faster germination when reseeding bare spots.

• Worm bin: Some green gardeners have a worm bin in a addition to a compost bin in their backyards.  Worms produce a lot of nitrogen, which can cause a strong odour.  Adding shredded paper, which is high in carbon, will neutralize the odour.

• Cat Litter: Soak paper in water and a little dish soap to dissolve any ink.  Rinse and repeat with clean water.  Add baking soda to the paper pulp and knead it in.  Crumble the pulp into bits and allow it to dry thoroughly.  Then use a cat littler material.

• Animal bedding: Use shredded paper in the bottom of cages of small rodents who can use it for nesting material.  The paper will also absorb animal waste for easier cleaning.  Paper can also be used for dog or cat beds. Find a discounted material from the fabric store and sew inside out, leaving a small hold for stuffing.  Turn it right side out, stuff the paper shreds inside and you have just  made an inexpensive dog or cat cozy.

• Wood stove material:  Shredded paper can be used with kindling to start a fire in a wood-burning stove.  Some people like to wet the paper and then make molds or “bricks” or “pucks” that can be used more easily once dried.

• Fill gift bags:  Rather than buying tissue paper to use in gift bags, use shredded paper instead.  Multi-coloured shredded paper will go with just about any coloured gift bag.

• Packing material: Fill used zipper-top bags or produce plastic bags with the paper and then use them in boxes when shipping fragile materials.

• Potting soil: Mix paper into potting soil to help the soil retain moisture.  As the paper breaks down, it serves as a nutrition source for the plant.

• Craft projects: Mix shredded paper with equal parts flour and water to make papier mache modeling material.

• Storage: When moving or putting items in storage, pack them in boxes or bags filled with shredded paper to prevent breakage.

• Party confetti: During an outdoor party, enable kids to toss shredded paper as confetti.  The material will not harm the lawn or soil.

These are just a few ideas for using shredded paper.  Do you have any creative ways not listed here?  I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Have a wonderful Easter!!

PB + J Monday

Ever get caught in the rain without an umbrella?  Ever get caught in a storm that blows your umbrella inside out and breaks it?  Once umbrellas are broken there isn't really a way to fix them or replace the protective shell and just end up in the garbage.  Here's a great solution that you can easily store in your purse or bag.

It's the skeleton of an umbrella that attaches to any surface to create the shelter effect of a traditional umbrella.  You can use a newspaper, bag or anything else that's handy.

You can take a look at the Eco Brolly here.

PB + J Monday

Change the ending of your next celebration.

I love that quote from Green Planet Parties!

I thought I’d change it up a bit this week since last week’s topic was a little depressing.

This week I want to introduce Green Planet Parties!  They are an American online company that offer “green” alternatives for parties and everyday life.

Their goal is helping families in their desire to lead more sustainable lives through the everyday choices we make and the education we provide our children about nature and our part in it. We can all, one person at a time, learn a little more and practice taking better care of mother earth.

Our two boys will have birthday parties coming up soon, something we only do every other year, and we like to make them as special as possible while demonstrating that it can be environmentally friendly and fun.

Green Planet Parties offers a variety of products for decorating, tableware, party games, gift wrapping and loot bags items.  They offer a variety of themed party options including; wizards, fairies, bugs, animals and more.

I really like their wooden secret decoders.  What a fun loot bag idea for a bunch of boys.  

I also like the wizard wands and the basil seed boxes.

I’m not suggesting that this is the only place to shop.  It’s just to show that the greener options are out there and it’s fun to look.  It’s amazing what you can find, like poo poo notepads, notebooks that are derived from poo (elephant, moose, and panda to be exact) from fiber eating vegetarians

You can see more of Green Planet Parties on their website or on Facebook.

Haha, you can tell I have boys by the pictures I chose to share!  They have a lot of girl related items too!

PB + J Monday

I’ve got an interesting one for you this week….

Have you thought about what you want to happen to you after you die?  Where do you want to go?  Do you want to be buried or cremated?  How about being turned into a tree??

Yes, a tree!  I found these two products that act like urns.  They are biodegradable and have the seed of a tree inside (you get to choose the tree).  They are buried in the ground and your ashes will then create a CO2 loving tree.  Thereby reversing your carbon footprint.  

The first is the Bios Urn. It is a biodegradable urn made from coconut shell, compacted peat and cellulose and inside it contains the seed of a tree. Once your remains have been placed into the urn, it can be planted and then the seed germinates and begins to grow. You even have the choice to pick the type of plant you would like to become, depending on what kind of planting space you prefer. 

http://bigthink.com/design-for-good/this-awesome-urn-will-turn-you-into-a-tree-after-you-die

The second is the Spiritree.  I like the name and the look of this one better. The Spirit Tree is a "seed-like container designed to function as a biodegradable two-piece cinerary urn that grows into a living memorial in the form of a tree."

There is a great discussion about it here.

It’s a great idea.  And I totally bought in to it.  I’d love to be a part of a forest cemetery rather than a burial ground full of grey gravestones.  It leaves more of a legacy, something physical that my loved ones can come to and feel comfort from as the tree grows bigger and stronger.

But, with everything there are arguments.  It’s a great gimmick but aren’t there other, cheaper, more natural ways to do the same thing?  And what about all the nasty emissions that are produced from the cremating process that needs to take place before you’re buried?  Depending on where you live, and the laws that are in place there, you could simply be wrapped in cotton and buried in a wood box.  Yes, it takes up more space than an urn but it allows the worms and other creatures to do their jobs in a more natural way.  Of course, you’d have to find somewhere that doesn’t embalm since having the embalming fluid leach into the ground isn’t good either.

After reading some articles and readers comments about the bio urns I was a little disappointed and felt that humans have even messed up the natural cycle of dying.  I had never really given it much thought but boy we really don’t seem to get that we’re animals too and naturally decomposing in the ground is ok.  We don’t need to be sealed tight in a metal casket, lined with silk and satin, filled with unnatural fluids.  

That was until I found this company:

Butterworth Urn Co.  

They have a whole section of biodegradable urns.  So this concept isn’t new.  It’s just a gimmick to add the tree.  The Butterworth Company has paper urns that dissolve when placed in the water.  These are good for burials at sea.  They also have urns made of sand and cornstarch that breakdown once buried in the ground.  These are wonderful ideas and there are many styles and options to choose from.  I am starting to feel a little more confidence in the human race again.

I’m still undecided on what I’d like to have done.  I am an organ donor, which I think is extremely important, but after that I’m just not sure.  I’d like it to be as natural as possible.  And as easy and comfortable as possible for my family.  Being  planted with a tree seed would be ideal.  I will probably look into that option and other natural options further.  As great as these bio urns are, I think there must still be other ways to have a “green” ending.  And at the very least it has started me thinking about what I’d like.  

What do you think?  There are so many different view points on this.  How do you want your body “taken care of” after you die?

And one more question that's been nagging me...

How do your loved ones know which tree you are?  I guess that must be up to the cemetery or where every you end up being planted.  

I'd love to hear your point of view on this.  Let me know in the comments below!

PB + J Monday

Today is "Family Day" in Canada.   The government decided that February was too long and that we needed some sort of break and so they came up with Family Day.

My 7 year old son asked me yesterday how many family days there were, since it means he doesn't have to go to school.  I told him that according to the government there is only one.  But depending on the family, every day could be family day.   It really just depends on how you spend it.

Speaking of family, I came across this, on Facebook again, by chance.  It's called the "Complete Disapearing Packaging Family".  I love the ingenuity and creativeness of Designer Aaron Mickelson.  

He has come up with http://disappearingpackage.com.  A project where he took five common household products and came up with solutions to reduce or eliminate packaging waste.  Take a look at his ideas here.  They are all physical prototypes that he himself made by hand to show that it was possible.

Every year, Americans generate a lot of solid waste. In 2010, 250 million tons, according to the EPA. A full 30 percent of that (about 76 million tons) comes from packaging — it’s the biggest culprit.

As awareness grows about this problem, many companies and designers are looking for solutions to green their packaging by either making it more recyclable, or reducing the amount. Mickelson wants to take that initiative all the way to its furthest extent and eliminate packaging waste entirely.

"My goal with The Disappearing Package was to expand the conversation on sustainable packaging,” Mickelson says. “I hope, at the end of the day, I have shown that sustainability can still be beautiful. I leave that up to my audience to decide.”

I really hope he (and other creative designers) continues his quest to solve the problem of excess packaging.  These ideas are brilliant.  I especially like the Glad garbage bags and Tide pods that are their own packaging.   The tea and soap are pretty cool too.

What do you think?  Is there a product you don't like to buy and bring home because of the extra packaging?

PB + J Monday...Tuesday

Some bloggers decided to take a break from the blogging world yesterday in respect for the innocent victims of the shooting in Connecticut.  I thought I would too and so my PB+J Monday post is a PB+J Tuesday post this week.

I seem to be in a sewing mood lately!  I recently came across this delightful idea for unique and fun ways to gift bottles of wine.   

Repurposed (recycled) sweater sleeves and dress-shirt sleeves!  I love it!  And just like furoshiki the possibilities are endless!

Here is a great little tutorial on how to make a wine bag from a sweater sleeve.  I love the cozy, festive feel of the striped sleeve and the addition of the trim.  It’s so simple and yet so great!  Who wouldn't be impressed when they see you coming to their party carrying this!

From Oh My! Creative

Here is another tutorial that shows a more stable bottom to the bag using an old sweater or pair of pants (the purple bag on the table). 

From Off Beat at Home

And here is another more sophisticated idea.  Great for the Christmas office party!  I love the idea of adding cufflinks to finish it off.  I can’t seem to find where this picture came from.  I think it originated on Etsy though. 

Can't find where this picture is from

And here's a few more to finish this post off and maybe get your creative juices flowing too.

From Kojo Designs
I love the pom poms on this one!

Sweater wine gift bags from Paper and Parcel
They don't sell these anymore but the picture is gorgeous