LOVE MUCH, DESIRE LITTLE

"Love much and desire little, if you would enjoy the world's beauty to the fullest" - Jeff Cox

With reports of economic downfall spewing from newscasts for over a year now, reports of other countries managing through horrific circumstances, how is it that American's go about their daily lives just "consuming" without conscience almost. Now I'm not saying that as successful people we should enjoy the 'fruits of our labor' - but when does success cross over into over consumerism?

Seriously. Shop-acholic-ism if you may. Do we really "need" so much "stuff"? Grant it, I'm not suggesting either that any of us should trade places with others in the world (or in our own country, for that matter) who are less fortunate - I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to evaluate a little about what it is that we really "need".

Here are a couple of techniques to delay the "gratification" of over-consumption.

1. Create a "Wish List" - add every tempting new item you come across to this list.

Amazon.com has a great Wish List system that I have been using for years. It even allows you to add items you might find from any store. They have clear instructions on how to set it up and it's so easy to manage.

Here's what I do. Let's say I'm in Macy's and I see this beautiful serving platter or bowl that I "have to have"...I tell myself, "I'll add that to my wish list" - I come home and go to Macys.com - find the item and then put it on my Amazon.com wish list. I can keep track of all my 'desires'. This list tells you when it was added and how many you want along with the priority.

2. Make a "pack" with yourself that you won't purchase anything that isn't in the top three items and hasn't been on your list for at least a month (or six months or a year, depending on much you want to test yourself).

3. Revisit your list regularly. You may be surprised how many things are passing fancies you can simply "delete" from the list.

Another way to reduce clutter and too much "stuff" is to follow the "One In, One Out" rule. For everyone new (or new to you) item you bring into your house, you must get rid of one equivalent item (donate, sell, recycle - don't dump!). For example: A new book in means one book out; one new sweater in, means one sweater out.

When you get to the point where you'd need to give up something you REALLY love, you may begin to think differently about acquiring anything at all.

Again, for me - it's the whole time needed to manage all the "stuff" - cleaning, folding, washing, arranging, sorting, etc. NO THANKS! It's hard enough to take care of what I "NEED"... I'm slowly teaching myself to cut back (even if it's FREE stuff) on "stuff" to free up my time so it can be better spent on the things that mean the most to me...Not to mention, being more ecologically and environmentally responsible.

GREAT DIY PROJECT FROM HAPPY CLIPPINGS!! ENJOY!!

DIY: Springtime Glass Bottle Vases

I am re-purposing glass again. This time I am using bottles instead of glass jars.

I thought some of our soon-to-recycled glass bottles might look cool as bud vases for flowers. I like that these bottles are green. The color green, the word “RENEW”, flowers and butterflies all make me think of spring!

I wanted to spruce up the bottles. I first thought of painting letters on them or placing some sort of letter adhesive. But then I saw a picture of a wine bottle with a gift tag on it. So I made my own gift tags and “prettied” them up. I love how using the gift tags makes the design changeable. You could take them off and use different tags with other letters to spell different words.

For this crafty project I used green glass bottles, a piece of a paper bag, scrap book paper, ribbon, string, hole puncher, small square foam double-sided adhesives, pencil, black sharpie pen, dark brown pencil, and glue. Most items you probably already have.

Here’s how I made my springtime glass bottle flower vases:

I first created butterflies. I made a butterfly template, traced it on scrap book paper and cut it out. I folded each butterfly in half to give some dimension. I also glued on some pretty green ribbon to the body to add texture.

To make the gift tags, I first cut out some squares using a square puncher. The bigger squares were made from a paper bag. The smaller squares were made from scrap book paper. I punched a hole in the top middle of each of the bigger squares. I then looped string each hole.

On the smaller squares I drew each individual letter. I created a templates for each letter. (I don’t have letter stencils). I traced it on the square, colored it in with a dark brown pencil and outlined it with a black sharpie pen. On the bigger squares with the hole and string, I placed a double-sided foam adhesive in the middle. I then placed and secured the smaller square on top. I used the foam adhesive to give some depth to these tags.

I tied the string of the gift tag around a glass bottle. I made sure I could easily get the tags on and off the bottle. There are a few reasons why. You want to have them off when filling each bottle with water. You don’t want to get these prettied up paper tags wet. I also didn’t my decoration to be permanent. This way later you can take it off and recycle or repurpose the bottles another way OR you can also create different words and change things around. The possibilities are endless using this flexible glass bottle decoration!

I liked to put something more permanent inside like “fake” flowers (made of fabric, tissues, etc) instead of fresh flowers. But I am loving it right now with fresh flowers.

GIVE IT UP

Today is the first day of Lent, the period of forty (40) days leading up to Easter Sunday during which some practicing Catholics give up a 'vice' of sorts. Catholic or not, consider making a 'green' sacrifice for the next few weeks.

Some examples:

• No meat
• Limiting hot showers to five (5) minutes
• Riding your bike to work one day a week
• Bring in NO new plastic for the next 40 days

36 USES FOR WHITE VINEGAR

36 Uses for Vinegar~courtesy of ALLYOU Magazine

Find innovative solutions to everyday problems with a product you already have in your kitchen

Unleash the power of white vinegar―an all-purpose cleaner, brightener, herbicide and more. Just a bit of this multi-tasker, straight up or mixed with water, can replace many pricier products huddled under your sink. Try these tips to see how vinegar can make your life cheaper and easier.

1. Stop static cling. Add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to your wash cycle. The acid reduces static and keeps dryer lint from sticking to your clothes.

2. Make old socks look new. Get the stains out of old socks and sweaty gym clothes by soaking them in a vinegar solution. Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring to a boil and drop in the stained clothes. Let them soak overnight, and in the morning stained clothes are fresh and bright.

3. Restore handbags and shoes. Wipe white distilled vinegar on scuffed leather bags and shoes. It will restore their shine and help hide the marks.

4. Banish weeds. Pour white distilled vinegar on the weeds growing in the cracks of your walkway and driveway. Saturate the plant so the vinegar reaches the roots.

5. Liven droopy flowers. Don’t throw out cut flowers once they start to wilt. Instead, add two tablespoons of white vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to a quart of water. Pour the solution into your vase, and the flowers will perk up.

6. Put an end to itching. Dab a cotton ball soaked in white vinegar on mosquito bites and insect stings. It will stop them from itching and help disinfect the area so they heal faster.

7. Whiten your teeth. Brush your teeth once a week with white distilled vinegar. Dip your toothbrush into the vinegar and brush thoroughly. It will help prevent bad breath, too.

8. Make nail polish last longer. Before you apply your favorite polish, wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in white distilled vinegar. The clean surface will help your manicure last.

9. Keep car windows frost-free. Prevent windows from frosting over in a storm by coating them with a solution of three parts white distilled vinegar to one part water. The acidity hinders ice, so you won’t have to wake up early to scrape off your car.

10. Let your dog shine. Spray your dog with one cup white distilled vinegar mixed with one quart water. The solution is a cheap alternative to expensive pet-care products, plus the vinegar will help repel pests like fleas and ticks.

GREEN PRODUCTS FOR EVERY HOME/OFFICE

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SIGN OF THE TIMES

Like to shop? Consignment stores offer high quality used items at bargain prices. If you're looking to unload some items, consignment shops can be like having a garage sale without the hassle.

Talk about a 'win-win' proposition for both you and the environment.

Need to find a consignment shop? Click HERE to find one near you.

GREEN GADGETS FOR YOUR HOME

Article courtesy of RecycleBank - posted by Jessica Harlan

If you're a gadget geek or a handyman (or woman) around the house, conserving resources like electricity, water, and heat can be fun, thanks to some cool tools that help you save. From high-tech to low-tech, these products will make your home more energy- and resource-efficient — or in some cases, tell you how to make your home more energy-efficient — and in turn, will help you save on your utility bills, too.

Electricity
Cut down on your electricity usage with these tools. Some tools tell you what you're using, and some are simply smart changes or additions to your home.

• Power Monitor: Calculate electricity consumption on household appliances and find out which of your plug-ins are energy vampires. Some models allow you to program in your utility rate so you can calculate energy bills, or have timers to automatically turn off appliances.
  
  
• Smart Power Strip: A smart power strip will automatically shut down your peripherals when you shut down your computer to avoid unnecessary energy usage, and also function as surge protectors. Besides computers, they can be used to turn on and off multiple related electronics in a room, such as a home theatre system, or lights, power tools, and dust collectors in a home workshop.


• Portable Solar Charger: Harness the (free) energy of the sun to charge your mobile phone, mp3 player, and other portable electronics. Many solar chargers work with a wide range of devices, hold their charge for months or even years, and can also be charged with an electrical outlet or a USB port.

Water
Yes, you could take shorter showers and turn the faucet off when you're brushing your teeth. But these gadgets make water saving more fun!

• Water-saving Showerhead: The next generation of low-flower showerheads will detect when the water is hot enough to get into the shower, then "pause" the flow until you can get in. A family of three can save more than 7,600 gallons a year.


• Dual Flush Conversion Kit: While dual flush toilets are expensive and complicated to install, a dual flush conversion kit can turn any toilet into a dual flush toilet, saving up to 68% of wasted water. Once installed, the handle allows you to choose to flush with less water for liquid waste — much more tasteful than "letting it mellow".


• Collapsible Rain Barrel: A space-saving rain barrel lets you collect water from gutters or other runoff, then stores compactly when not in use.

Heat
There are more creative ways of conserving heat in the wintertime than turning down the thermostat and putting on a sweater.

• Adjustable Thermostat: The smartest new themostats are easier and more versatile to program, have portable sensors to check the temperature throughout the house, and can even be controlled via a smartphone app.


• Thermal Heat Detector: Find out just how drafty your house is with a handheld tool with which you can scan windows, doors, fireplaces, vents, and other areas where heat may be escaping or cold may be entering.


• Door Draft Guards: Once you've found all those drafts with your high-tech heat detector, use a low-tech, but clever way to plug them up — a double door draft guard fits under the base of your door and plugs it on both sides without having to constantly move it when you want to open the door.

In addition to the items the author of this article sites, you can also find some GREAT items for conservation at Let's Go Green.biz. A couple of my favorite items are:

Eco-friendly Home Water Sampler Kit
This kit has everything you need to make one bathroom more water efficient, including:

• Shower Coach
• Toilet Tank Bank
• Earth Massage Shower head
  
• Water-saving Faucet Aerator

Check out some of the other earth friendly items they carry while you're there!