Making a home office eco-friendly is a topic we're hearing more often than ever these days. It might have something to do with the growing trend toward people working at home. According to a recent study, 37% of U.S. workers reported they have telecommuted or worked at home. I also work from home on a full-time basis as a journalist, reporter, and author. … [Read more...]
6 Fun Ways To Recycle Mardi Gras Beads (Or Any Type Of Parade Beads)
Everyone wants Mardi Gras beads. Even those who don't live in New Orleans. I don't reside in "The Big Easy," but I do live in "The Big Guava," a.k.a. Tampa, Florida. We don't have the Mardi Gras parade, but we do host an annual pirate festival called Gasparilla -- which celebrates the arrival of a mythical pirate named Jose Gaspar who comes into town every year with his band of buccaneers to invade the city. Basically, it's Mardi Gras with a pirate theme -- and lots of beads! … [Read more...]
Free Materials For DIY Projects: Where To Get Free Pallets, Barrels, Landscaping Materials & More!
Want free materials for DIY recycling projects, arts & crafts, gardening, landscaping projects, etc? You'd be surprised how many DIY crafting and recycling items you can get for free -- but you've got to know where to look for them. Believe it or not, even in this day and age where it seems that it may cost money just to breathe (I'm not kidding!), there are still plenty of ways you can score free materials for crafting art projects, finishing DIY home improvement tasks, and … [Read more...]
5 Unique (And Fun!) Recycling Ideas That Take The ‘Chore’ Out Of Recycling At Home
Does recycling sometimes seem like a chore? Having to remember what you can and probably shouldn't just toss out in a regular trash bin, knowing where those recyclable items need to be disposed of, and figuring out where to recycle fluorescent lightbulbs and CFL lightbulbs. Whew, goodness! Recycling is starting to sound a little overwhelming as I list all of those different tasks -- and those just barely scratch the surface. … [Read more...]
Go Beyond Just Drinking Green Coffee! 4 Eco Friendly Ideas For Your K-Cups, Coffee Filters, Coffee Cups & More
Guess what? Green coffee is a "thing." No, I'm not talking about unroasted green coffee beans, which pack several health benefits. When I talk about drinking green coffee, I'm referring to the environmentally friendly things we can do -- from the coffee cups we choose to the coffee filters we buy for our daily cup of Joe. … [Read more...]
5 Recycled Art Projects And Gift Ideas Using Old Magazines, Newspapers & Phone Books
I walked home the other day and found a phone book at my door. As a kid, I actually used to read them for the advertising. (I had an interest in marketing.) Now, I recycle them. Come to think about it, I probably haven't opened a phone book to look for a phone number since about 2010. We have the Internet to help us find the phone numbers we want. But I always feel pretty guilty throwing a perfectly good phone book right into the trash. … [Read more...]
30 Fun Ways To Reuse Gift Wrap: Creative, Practical & Downright Crafty Ideas For Reusing Wrapping Paper
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or meandering through the wintertime holiday season, if you’re surprising loved ones or friends with gifts, then your shopping list most likely includes gift wrap. That may beg the question: how can you reuse gift wrap? Why would you even want to reuse gift wrap? Think of it this way: in addition to being expensive (you can easily spend up to $10 per roll these days for fancy wrapping paper), wrapping paper also consumes a lot of natural resources, … [Read more...]
5 Cheap, Natural Cleaning Products You Already Have (…2 You Probably Never Thought About Using!)
I’m getting into natural cleaning products lately – this comes about 6 months after I first tried my hand at making natural weed killer. (Yes, it actually worked!) Using natural cleaning products is not a new concept to me. … [Read more...]
Fun New Uses For Old Photographs: 3 Creative Ways To Reuse Your Old Photos
Ever thought about how to recycle or reuse old photos? Not only am I a history buff, but I also have authored a 128-page pictorial history book about my hometown. So – as you might imagine – old photos are something I take very seriously! When I was compiling the more than 200 photos for my history book, I met with dozens of community figures, many of whom are descendants of the pioneers who helped to establish my community. Many of these folks had incredible, early photos of the area. … [Read more...]
3 Unique Ways To Reuse Plastic Garden Pots Inside Your House
I’ve got a little bit of a green thumb, so I tend to wind up with a bunch of plastic pots from the nursery that just got stacked in a rear corner of my garden shed. I started scratching my head on ways that I could reuse those plastic garden pots -- because I wanted to make more space in my very cramped storage area, but didn’t want to put all of those pots in the trash. … [Read more...]
