Go on over to Eco Women today where list some ideas of what your new child’s teacher may love that’s cluttering up your closet.
Giveaway – Greening your “joe on the go” the Etsy, eco-way May 28, 2009
This giveaway is now over – Congratulations to Beth@Smart Family Tips, Kim Townsend, and Jessica.
The winning comments are:
Here is your sequence:
3 8 15 Timestamp: 2009-06-05 16:57:09 UTC Because one of the winners did not respond, I had to have Random.org choose another: Congratulations Greentechmama! Here is your sequence:18Timestamp: 2009-06-09 16:46:18 UTC
Please note that one of them comments was my own so this was not counted in numbering the winning comments.
I’ve mentioned Etsy on this blog a few times now. It’s the best place to find a hand made items by talented individuals. There’s clothing, jewelry, household items, knitted and crocheted items – the list goes on and on. Eco-Etsy is where sellers use recycled materials for their craft. It’s amazing what they come up with. You really need to check them both out if you haven’t already.
One of my “Trying To Be Greener” reader’s is a “green” Etsy crafter there. She and her husband, Zach, created Hobocamp Handmade in 2004. Melissa is the head seamstress and crafty scientist who works on creating everyday things a little bit cuter, and a little bit greener, by using recycled and vintage fabrics and anything else she can get her hands on. They’ve just had a baby and have started to design green baby items, too. Melissa also has her own blog, too.
Lucky you! Melissa is offering a coffee cuff made from recycled and vintage fabrics to 3 lucky readers! What a great way to protect your hands, save cardboard, and make a really great eco-statement!
You can enter a total of 5 times – leave a separate comment for each entry.
- Leave a comment on this post for your first entry saying which coffee cuff you’d love to win. Only one comment per person will count as an entry.
- Subscribe to Trying To Be Greener or let me know if you’re already a subscriber.
- Spread the word on Twitter with a link to this post.
- Give this post a Stumble.
- Blog about this contest on your own site.
This giveaway is open to US residents and will end on June 4, 2009 at 12 midnight, EST. The lucky winners will be chosen by Random.org and will be notified by email. If any winner does not respond within 3 days, a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Now you see it, now you don’t May 4, 2009
The other day I saw a commercial for Sun Chips by FritoLay. It was advertising how their bags will be completely compostable by Earth Day 2010. The bags will be made from polyastic acid, or PLA, and will compost in 12-16 weeks at temperatures over 55 degrees F, according to Tree Hugger. Tree Hugger has obtained a bag and will be checking these facts.
Compostable Sun Chips Bag Commercial
Please understand that I’m not advocating junk food here. What a great day it would be if everyone ate whole foods and not processed ones. But we know that foods like Sun Chips aren’t going away any time soon many products like these are consumed around the planet daily. This is at least a step in a better direction and perhaps it will prompt other companies to implement similar packaging with their own products.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Can you hear me now… recycling? April 13, 2009
MSNBC is reporting today that the Environmental Protection Agency, wireless phone carriers, and CTIA (the wireless trade industry association) are all working together to help increase awareness of the need to recycle old cell phones in honor of Earth Day this April 22nd. According to the EPA, only about 10% of 140 million cell phones were recycled in 2007. Phones that aren’t recycled are often stored away or put in the trash where they end up in landfills, where toxic elements from them contaminate the environment. Eighty percent of a phone’s material can be recycled.
- AT&T and T-Mobile have vowed to standardize chargers by 2012 for most cell phones. Thrown-away chargers generate more than 51,000 tons of waste a year.
- AT&T provides free shipping labels for the Cell Phones for Soldiers program, which recycles phones and uses the proceeds to buy phone cards for troops stationed overseas.
- Sprint offers customers a buy-back program and offers up to a $50 credit.
- T-Mobile’s “Huddle Up” program uses funds from recycled phones and gives grants to organizations that work with children.
- Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine recycled phone program, that began in 2001, takes usable cells and gives them to domestic violence awareness and prevention organizations around the country.
Before you use any of these programs for recycling, be sure to erase all information from the phone.
Photo from Flickr by Gaetan Lee
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Food just seems tastier when you make a mess. March 13, 2009
As of a few months ago, my husband and I started taking Eco Girl out to dinner occasionally. But believe me, it’s still a stressful situation of trying to keep her happy with food in front of her and hoping she lasts long enough in the high chair for me to at least get some of my food down before she wants to get up.
I’ve tried putting food on a napkin in front of her – of course that doesn’t last long. Off it goes onto the floor. But then a friend told me about these plastic sheets you can tape down to the table that act like a placemat that won’t move. The idea of it is great but I just don’t like using one more “disposable”. I tried to come up with a reusable option myself but then learned that The Soft Landing, one of my favorite sites for safer feeding choices, carries just what I’m looking for!
BPA and PVC Free Kiddopotamus Tiny Dinner Placemat
The BPA and PVC Free Kiddopotamus Tiny Dinner Placemat:
- is made of durable material.
- is eco-friendly and reusable.
- stays in place with seven strong suction cups.
- contains the mess with rimmed edges.
- scoop catches spills before they land on your child’s lap.
When it’s not in use, it rolls up into itself and fits perfectly in a diaper bag so it’s always available when you need it. Not only is it great for restaurants but it’s also really helpful when you’re visiting places where there is no highchair and your child is sitting on your lap and eating at a table.
Problem solved. Now there’s just the whole “table manners” to tackle!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
So, be honest, do you recycle these? March 9, 2009
Take the poll below!
Ideal Bite really brought something to my attention the other day. I don’t recycle these. I’ve just never thought of it and have always just thrown them in the waste paper basket in the bathroom absentmindedly.
Photo from Flickr by Extremeezine
According to Ideal Bite, a family of four uses about 240 rolls per year. That’s a lot of rolls in one household. How about a town or state?!!!
So be honest readers, do you recycle your toilet paper rolls. Take the poll below!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Recycled – Cute – Free! January 2, 2009
The other day, in my inbox from Ecobunga, I saw a link for using cardboard to make furniture for young children. You have to take a look – it’s amazing! Just use some cardboard you happen to have around and follow the free directions. It’s “green” and they couldn’t be cuter!
Foldschool
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Where can I recycle my old phone book? December 16, 2008
Today I’m over at Eco Women: Protectors of the Planet! talking about where to take your old phone books to get recycled. Go on over and take a look.
Photo by Flickr by Kamaru
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Great Eco-site for Kids December 9, 2008
When I was a fifth grade Special Education teacher, I taught “Internet” class to my students once a week. I had a small class so we were able to share and sit around the four computers in my classroom. We’d look up information on topics we’d been covering in class that week in Science, Social Studies, or current events.
For the last 7 minutes of the period, I would always give my students “free time” on the Internet. However, it was always highly supervised and in a way, it wasn’t totally “free”. They could only choose from sites that I suggested. But I always had a great list of educational “cool” places to visit so there were never any arguments.
One site I wish I knew about was EcoKids Online. There’s many educational games about recycling, food chains, pollution, and more. There’s even an area for teachers with lesson plans and reprintables – all free (a word all teachers LOVE to hear!). Take a look and if you don’t have school aged children yourself, pass it along to parents who do. They’ll appreciate the suggestion.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Give-a-way: Get Eco-Organized for the New Year December 5, 2008
This giveaway is over – Congratulations AuntieMWrites!
(Please note that one comment is made by me making AuntieM the 17th person to comment)
Here is your sequence from Random.org:
- 17, 20, 14, 6, 3, 18, 25, 13, 28, 7, 30, 27, 15, 24, 10, 21, 29, 1, 8, 26, 9, 22, 23, 31, 16, 2, 4, 5, 11, 12, 19
Timestamp: 2008-12-13 16:24:14 UTC
I’m a pretty organized person. I use Google’s calendar so I can see important dates wherever I am, I email reminders to myself so I won’t forget things, and I even started this blog to keep all the “green” and “safer” things I’ve learned in one place. I do, however, still have sheets of paper that always need a home. You know what I mean – recipes, a great hair style that I’ll never get, and interesting shoes I’ve pulled out from magazines. They add up to a pile of clutter that just drives me crazy. Yes, I’m “trying to be greener” but I just love the few monthly magazines I get and all of those loose pages I pull out need some organization.
That’s where Naked Binder comes in. Haven’t heard of them? Well, let me introduce you. Naked Binders are binders made from 100% recycled board, 97% of which is post-consumer waste from Connecticut
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- Naked Binder
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- Wrapped Binder
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- Project Binder
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- Architect Binder
Naked Binders are:
- Completely recyclable
- 100% recycled board, 97% post-consumer waste
- independently tested to 50,000+ flexes
- made from acid neutral board
- free of plastic, vinyl or toxic chemicals.
- are manufactured in the United States.
Naked Binders are not only eco-friendly and completely recyclable but they’re durable too, so they’ll be with you for the long haul – if that doesn’t scream “eco-friendly”, I don’t know what does!
Lucky you! One very lucky reader will win two binders – a Naked Binder and a Wrapped Binder. There are up to 5 ways you can enter:
- Leave a comment.
- Stumble this post
- Mention it on Twitter linking to me.
- Subscribe to my blog or let me know if you’re already a subscriber.
- Mention this give-a-way on your own blog and link back to me.
Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry that you’re going for. The give-a-way will run through December 12, 2008. All winners will be emailed so make sure you include your email address with your entry. The winner will be chosen by Random.org. This give-a-way is open to U.S. residents only. If winners don’t respond after three days of being notified, a new winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
