Upcycled Holiday Tags Made with Gift Bags and Tissue Paper

Even holiday season I try to do at least one homemade project that adds a fun DIY touch to my gift giving. This year I came across an easy upcycled craft using items from my home.  I saw this project as I was leafing through GreenCraft Magazine . With a little color and design modification it was personalized to my taste.  You could even get your children involved in this project. Older children can help cut and write on the tags and they could glue the tissue on the brown bags instead of sewing them.

What you'll Need:

• several old gift bags
• saved tissue paper
• sewing machine
• thread
• scissor

What you need to do:

• cut rectangles out of the top part of the bag where to handles are attached leaving part of the handle in tact ( I used funky scissors but you can use regular ones as well)
• cut rectangles out of the tissue paper. You can use festive colors or keep it neutral.
• sew the tissue paper onto the brown paper bag rectangle with your sewing machine.  If you have fun stitches you can use those.
• write your message on the tags and attach them to your gifts with a ribbon.

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers natural and eco-friendly products for your household. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and her blog.

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Bubble Wrap Fall Tree Project

Have your little ones create Fall trees using left over bubble wrap.  This is a fun and super easy eco-friendly craft for little ones of all ages.

What you'll need:

                   paper: heavier stock paper works best

                              squares of bubble wrap. mine were about 4x4
         paints-yellow,red,orange,brown
 brown markers or crayons

Directions:

1. If you child is older they can draw their own tree trunk, if they are younger draw it for them.
2. Put a thin layer of each color of paint on a left over lid or reusable bowl or plate.
3. Show your child how to take the square of bubble wrap into their hand and dip it into the paint, then dab up and down on the paper in different spots above the tree trunk.
4. Use different colors to create a fun Fall picture. Enjoy!

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers natural and eco-friendly products for your household. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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Natural DIY Weed Killer- Round-Up

This Natural Round Up recipe has been all over the internet so I had to try it.  Not only is Round Up expensive but it also has plenty of chemicals in it that I would rather not spray on our lawn that our children and pets play on.  The recipe is easy and uses common household ingredients. Even though I had heard it worked really well I had to see it for myself and I was surprised at how quickly it worked.  

Natural Round Up will kill everything (including grass) so do not spray it on areas with desirable plants or grass.

Recipe and directions:
1 gallon white vinegar
2 cups epson salt ( other recipes called for plain salt so I think you can use either)
1/4 dish soap
empty sprayer
just mix and spray, let it sit a couple of hours( preferably in the sun)
By the end of the day the weeds should be dead-gone!


The left picture is of a weed before I sprayed it and the right picture is a day after I sprayed it!

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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Five Small Eco-Friendly Changes You Can Make in Your Home

We all need to be reminded sometimes about the easy and affordable (sometimes free) changes that make a difference in your household and help lead your family to a greener lifestyle.

1.Vinegar- Make sure you stock your pantry with this versatile natural and non-toxic household product.   Vinegar has enough acidity and neutrality that it can be used in kitchens, bathrooms, as a disinfectant, polisher, and laundry softener.

2.House plants- did you know that you can improve the quality of the air in your home simply by putting houseplants in your home. They act like indoor air purifiers and increase the amount of oxygen available in your home.

3. Clean your refrigerator coils twice a year, more often if you have pets. Condenser coils are located at the bottom or rear of your refrigerator. If they are allowed to accumulate dust and dirt as much as 25 percent more energy is required to maintain proper temperature. This can be a DIY project-buy a refrigerator coil brush from your local hardware store for less than ten dollars and clean it yourself, it takes 20 minutes.

4. Set the thermostat on your water heater at 120° F. This temperature is normally adequate for home use and will save a considerable amount of energy. If you have a dishwasher check the manufacturer's specifications to see if the temperature needs adjusting.

5. Go paper less. And I'm not talking about the  kind you write on, I'm talking about disposable towels.  The kind you wipe the tables with, clean up spills with, wipe hands with etc.  Instead of using paper towels get some rags of fabric, old wash cloths, make your own cloth napkins and reusable "unpaper towels", or purchase them pre-made.  Since they are made with fabric you can use them again and again. You can actually save money!

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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Re-Growing Vegetables Experiment

I was inspired recently by an article from  Wonder How To about how to re-grow vegetables.  It looked like a fun and easy experiment to do at home with my girls.

 We often have left over onion pieces at our home that I don't end up using so I thought this was a great opportunity to reuse it .  Other vegetables we have successfully re-grown in our home are celery, garlic, and romaine lettuce.

 There are several others examples for regrowing vegetables in the article such as carrots greens, mushrooms, and ginger that you might want to give a try.  The article has great photos of each vegetable so take a look if it's hard to imagine what the re-grown vegetable might look like.

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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Natural Mosquito Spray Tutorial

Last Spring I decided to try and make my own natural bug spray. The mosquitoes are pretty bad here in Virginia and we buy a lot of mosquito spray.  We always buy natural which can get expensive so I wanted to try and make it myself.

The process was very simple, I'm not sure I have ever completed an easier DIY project. I found the recipe in the March/April 2013 issue of Mother Earth Living.  The only thing I would do differently is find a better spray bottle. I initially used a water spray bottle which didn't work that well and after this photo was taken I found a better, smaller one at Target for $1.

I would say that they mosquito spray works as well as any other citronella spray.  It needs to be re-applied after about 2 hours and it needs to be rubbed in a little bit.

What you need:
2 oz. grapeseed oil or Almond oil ( I bought grapeseed oil)
combine with 1/2 teaspoon citronella or lemongrass essential oil ( I bought citronella).
spray bottle.


Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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It's Not Too Late for Some Eco-friendly Holiday Tips and Tricks.....

The holiday season is in full swing! Running errands, extra trash, and buying gifts take up a lot of resources. That doesn't mean you and your family have to forgo all of your eco-friendly practices. I've compiled a small list of tips and tricks to keep things eco-friendly in your household during the busy holidays season.


Wrapping gifts: 

• Find a unique way to wrap a gift. Your children can decorate paper or you can use the art work they bring home from school. 
• Newspaper can be used to wrap gifts. 
• Use fabric to decorate gifts, fabric can be stored and reused. 
• Put the gift into a reusable fabric bag and tie it in a bow, it's two gifts in one.

Holiday Lights:

• If you haven't already done so upgrade you festive holiday lights to CFL or LED, you will use about 75% less energy. 
• Some home improvement stores even give you a coupon or discount for trading in your old incandescents. 
• Don't forget to use a timer on your lights.

Decorating:  

• A different option for a tree is to buy a living tree. Sure it's a little more complicated but you can enjoy the tree for many years to come in your backyard. 
• Decorate with nature; go outside and get berries,branches,leaves and put them in vases instead of buying decorations. 
• Use fun cloth napkins instead of paper ones. They brighten up any table and are easy to throw in the laundry.

cooking: 

• Whether you are cooking for a small or large group allow your oven to multi task.
•  Bake several items at once and use glass and ceramic cookware. Food will cook quicker and you can reduce your cooking temperature. 

Buying gifts: 

• Buy less, focus on quality instead of quantity and create thoughtful home made gifts. Buy used, shop consignment sales for used toys. Many are in great condition. 
• Shop local and online ( Etsy of course!)

Cards:

• If you send cards opt for online cards or recycled paper. 
• When you are finished with your cards send them to St.Judes.  They accept new and used cards all year long. Check out their guidelines for specific details.

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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Getting Kids Outside This Winter

The cold is upon us! I personally don't do well in the cold BUT I know that it is still important to get outside for fresh air and sunshine.

Our girls need a little nudging to go outside but we have found a few tricks to get them outside.

1) Bundle up! 

I probably overdo it at first BUT they can always take layers off. Yes, you can put layers on but our girls will just keep playing rather than come in to get more layers.

Speaking of layers, I wanted to share this sweater from one of our team members...

(CasitaDeLana)

Doesn't it just seem like a perfect layer for under a coat?

2) Create play spaces outside.

We do this year round for the girls. They are still at the age where they may have a difficult time putting things together themselves so I love to help out!

For the winter, we add pillows and blankets inside their "house" to add some warmth.

3) Get outside with them.

We are fortunate to live in a place where the girls are free to wander outside on their own and I know they are safe (yes, I do check on them quite frequently) but I still try and get out with them. It is good for us adults too!

We need the vitamin D (we can still get it in the cold weather) to help with calcium absorption and to keep out moods lifted during these long winter months.

Don't forget the fresh air! I talked last month about indoor air pollution so this is a great way to refresh those lungs. 

Need some leggings? We have a team member for that!

(littleMoSo)

4) Welcome them back inside with hot cocoa.

I don't think I need to explain this one...who doesn't love hot cocoa on a cold day? If you can't do hot cocoa, how about some warm tea? Or even some warm bread!

It doesn't matter what you do...just get outside! Of course, there will be times you just can't due to weather but when you can please do.

Jacki can be found blogging about natural living, parenting and homeschooling over at Crafted by Mama. She is on Facebook and Twitter.  She recently opened her reusable item store Green Mama Shop to provide reusable, earth friendly items for home and family.

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Clean Your Indoor Air

Weather is starting to cool down, in some parts of the U.S. there has been snow!

Before you shut those windows for the cold, did you know that the EPA has named indoor air quality one of the top five environmental risks to public health? In fact, indoor air quality can be almost 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

Curious as to why?

When we bring things into our home, or use certain products in the our home...the pollutants get stuck inside. We have gotten really good at making our home energy efficient, so it traps VOCs (volatile organic compounds) inside.

Want a quick easy way to help your indoor air quality?

Open the windows!

That is right, even for 10 minutes a day.

Now before you start worrying about wasting energy or freezing...you don't have to open them all the way. Even just cracking a few throughout the house can help get fresh air in...and take bad air out.

If you want to go a step further, bring in some indoor plants...such as English ivy, peace lily, Gerbera daisy or spider plant. These will help clean your indoor air.

Might I encourage you to dig even deeper?

Look at the cleaning products you are using. Many of them are giving off some pretty strong chemical smells. Those aren't healthy.

When you bring in new furniture made from particleboard there is some off-gassing (release of VOCs)of VOCs that can pollute your air.

Fresh paint, unless you used a no-VOC formula, gives them off.

Kids toys, new beddings...all these things off-gas in some way (organic/natural fabrics are safe as well as actual wood if it hasn't been treated with a harsh finish).

Scented candles, plug-ins and some fragrance oils (essential oils are not fragrance oils and are safe) pollute your air.

Now, not all of these can be avoided...they can be hard to find and out of our budgets...but opening your windows (and switching to more natural cleaning products) can make a big difference.

Are you concerned about your outdoor air quality? Head over to the AirNow, put together by the EPA, to check out current air quality.

Jacki can be found blogging about natural living, parenting and homeschooling over at Crafted by Mama. She is on Facebook and Twitter. Her shop, Crafted by Mama, sells kids clothing and a little something for mama. She recently opened her reusable item store Green Mama Shop to provide reusable, earth friendly items for home and family.

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No More Plastic!

In our home, we avoid plastics. It is not an easy task at all, but with the handmade market places exploding with products...it is becoming easier.

But first, I came across this video, which by far has been the most convicting for us.

"A Wake Up Story" by Healthy Child, Healthy World

I know that this conviction isn't the same for everyone, but for those wanting to live a more natural life, it seems to be a step we eventually all take.

We began our transition in the kitchen, shying away from plastic food containers and plastic wraps.

The bathroom was also pretty easy...we buy our natural soaps (or make some of them) in the bigger containers to avoid too much platic waste and really think if we need this new product. I switched to the Diva Cup and mama cloth.

Dining was also easy, instead of plastic plates, we bought Corelle. We believe that if kids are lovingly taught to take care of things, they will. Sure, a plate or bowl will break, but Corelle is inexpensive enough...and after all, it is a learning process (not to mention just a plate).

Kids stuff, however, was hard. Not only are we bombarded by plastic toys in the stores, our family, doesn't seem to understand it. We teach the girls to be grateful for the gift they received but we then try to pass it along.

Big toys are plastic, little tiny toys are plastic. 

Lets face it, alternatives aren't cheap!

Thankfully, Etsy can help.

I was browsing through the members list at Etsy Kids (it is about the time we start buying Christmas gifts...we spread out these purchases)...and found  Re-WoodToys.

I love the simplicity these toys evoke.

I have been a favorite of Applenamos for quite sometimes and I know that several of their items will become Christmas toys (we have 3 girls, a baby on the way, 2 nephews and another niece or nephew on the way)

If you are taking the long road to plastic free, please check out these stores (and more) on Etsy. Without Etsy, I don't think we would have been able to make the change ourselves.

Sometimes it isn't cheaper than plastic, but what is more important?

Jacki can be found blogging about natural living, parenting and homeschooling over at Crafted by Mama. She is on Facebook and Twitter. Her shop, Crafted by Mama, sells kids clothing and a little something for mama. She recently opened her reusables store Green Mama Shop to provide reusable, earth friendly items for home and family.

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Ways We Are Greening Our School Year....

The new school year is upon us and with two children in Elementary school I have been trying to think of different ways to make our school year a little more eco-friendly.

Here are some ideas that we will be focusing on this year:

Clothes- We buy a lot of our clothes at local consignment sales.  I try to buy brands that I know will last through two girls so that my youngest can wear the same clothes as my oldest. 

Supplies- We try to reuse anything from last year that is still in good shape. Did my oldest use the 4 dozen pencils last year that were on her supply list? No, we have about 3 dozen left over from last year that we will use again.  We also try to buy natural and non-toxic supplies.  When shopping for supplies make sure that you check your labels and all your supplies are PVC free. This vinyl is identified as a #3 plastic or has the letters "V" or "PVC." Also look for scent-free and water based items.

Litter Free Lunches- most of the items we use to take lunch to school in are reusable.  We use reusable sandwich and snack pouches, stainless steel bottles for drinks, fabric napkins, and cloth lunch bags to carry our lunches in. I also ask that they return the utensils I put in their lunches so they can be used again as well, creating less waste. If you are shopping for new lunch bags be aware that some vinyl soft plastic lunch bags still contain lead. 

Travelling to and from school-We are fortunate to have our school in our neighborhood.  We can choose to walk to school or take the bus.  Unless there is an unforeseen circumstance we will be walking to and from school everyday.

Do you have any tips for greening the school year? I would love to hear what other people are doing.

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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Hangin' Out

As our heat wave finally settles down here in the North, (you won't find me outside in 100 degree weather....ok maybe at the lake) it is the perfect time to get those clothes outside on a clothesline. **For the record, we don't have a dryer so we have to line dry regardless of heat. Thankfully my husband installed a clothesline in the basement for those unbearable days.

Why on earth would I use a clothesline over a dryer?

According to Drying for Freedom, an organization spreading the word about the attack on clotheslines across the country,  using an electric tumble dryer 148 times a year puts out 159 kg C02 (carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases) a year. But lets be honest, we use it more than 148 times a year.

BUT that is not why we started line drying here in our home.

Line drying is cheaper than using a dryer. We managed to drop $30 off our electric bill the first month we completely stopped using the dryer. I love saving money!

Line drying is easier on your clothes...what exactly do you think lint is?

Speaking of lint...half of house fires between the years of 2008-2010 were found to be caused by dryers and lint. (FEMA)

Line drying eliminates the need for harsh chemicals such as bleach and dryer sheets. (If you are looking for an alternative for dryer sheets, check out our team member Raising Green Kids who sells wool dryer balls). 

The sun is a powerhouse for cleaning. It has the ability to brighten whites (it can also fade colors if left outside too long). It has the ability to sanitize diapers and remove stains.

Ready to start line drying? I talk about my routine for laundry (we have a baby in cloth diapers) and tips and tricks that I have discovered over the years over at Crafted by Mama. 

Jacki can be found blogging about handmade and natural living at Crafted by Mama, on Facebook, and on Twitter. She sells kids clothing, maxi skirts and reusable items on Etsy at Crafted by Mama.

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Natural and Eco Friendly Summer Activities For Children

At our home we are always looking for new activities in the summer time, especially ones that are natural and eco-friendly.  Summer is a time to explore the world around us and what nature has to offer.  Here are some eco-friendly and nature inspired activities we have done with our family late spring and early summer. At the bottom of the post I have also included a list of 5 blogs/sites that have great ideas for families. Have a safe and green summer!

Taking a hike







Participating in a 1 mile kids run









Growing our own veggies










                                                               Feeding giraffes at the Zoo

Building a fairy house

  A camping trip

Visiting a petting zoo

  

• Inhabitors
• Woman's Day
• Huffington Post
• teachhumane
• Sustainable Santa Cruz

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers eco-friendly products for your family. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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