Wondering what to do with all those energy-sucking light bulbs you’ve been wisely replacing with eco-friendly CFLs? These hanging vases are so charming and ridiculously easy to make. Grouped together they make quite a green and elegant statement!
Step One: Using fine-tooth metal saw, gently saw the bottom of light bulb. Pull out the filaments.
Step Two: Using a hand held drill place metal against some scrap wood and poke two holes opposite from each other.
Step Three: Lace thin wire through the holes and tie off at desired length. Fill with lovely blooms.
Also makes cute salt and pepper shakers. Most soda caps are the correct width for a top. Just fill, poke holes and enjoy!
...
Down and dirty today, here are a few tips on wasting less when someone else is slinging your hash.
Fast Food. OK, I know this is an odd place to start but sadly, more food is consumed daily in America at fast food establishments than at any other type of eatery. Now when you think of fast food, you think of a lot of things, but one of the big ones has got to be waste. While there are certain things you are just not going to be getting around (and I’m not even going to get into nutrition here), you do have some options.
A few weeks back I was out with a friend and he asked if I minded if he drove through a certain Scottish/American establishment that he happens to frequent. I told him I was fine as long as I could order. When we came to the window, I asked for what he wanted and
...
Shopping for toys can feel unexpectedly harrowing due to fears of lead and, as hard as it is to believe, even the date rape drug GHB in toys. While many of us look over the lists we’ve happened upon over the last few months, how can you be sure that the toys you’re buying are safe?
To help inform on-the-go parents and friends, MomsRising.org, an organization that advocates on issues of motherhood and family issues, has set up a new service that allows you to get information about toys via your cell phone while you’re shopping!
With the help of HealthyToys.org, information is available online for more than 1,250 toys that have been tested for common chemicals. To access this info, simply text: healthytoys [toy name] to 41411.
So, for example, text healthytoys
One of the most beloved holiday traditions in my family is foraging together for beautiful elements from nature to decorate our table. Bringing the season indoors just feeds our souls, and there is nothing more beautiful to us at this time of year than natural offerings of gourds or garnet-colored native corn or tendrils of curly willow or grapevine.
We believe in using whatever is at hand–to save money, to allow serendipity to happen, and just for fun–to tweak our creativity. Here are a few of our latest ideas that you can use as a jumping-off place for your own creative spirit:
1. On one of my morning walks, I found a pile of cuttings from some wonderfully twiggy plant, tied with rough twine, that a neighbor had thrown away. We brought the twigs in, plunked
It’s in your dust. It’s also in your blood. And your fat. Most likely it is in your child’s halloween costume, the milk of most mothers you know, and your computer. It shows up in all the dust tested in U.S. homes and could be affecting your thyroid, learning ability (it is neurotoxic), and endocrine system. It is a recognized carcinogen and developmental toxicant.
The ubiquitous chemical I am referring to is a fire retardant. There are three varieties, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs: Penta, octa and deca.
• Penta is found in flexible polyurethane foams found in upholstery, mattresses, and pillows, as well as rigid foams in personal computers and television sets.
• Octa is used in the plastic housing of computer monitors and televisions,
When shopping for toys for a toddler, consider stocking up on the basic staples, just as you would for your pantry. Just as it’s always good to have flour, olive oil and pasta on hand, having the following toys available to your youngsters covers the basics and makes imaginative, age-appropriate, healthful play available any day of the year.
The toys listed below provide great flexibility, in which activities are limited only by a child’s imagination (which naturally is huge!)
Basic guidelines: Purchase toys made of solid wood that are either unfinished or have a non-toxic finish; purchase toys made of organic cotton, wool or hemp. Avoid any long or loose strings, small parts and sharp edges. Remember that toddlers tend to put toys (and everything) into their mouths, so
...
Last month the Environmental Working Group published a startling report, Fire Retardants in Toddlers and Their Mothers, in which the first investigation of toxic fire retardants in parents and their children found that toddlers and preschoolers typically had three times as much of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in their blood as their mothers. According to the EWG site:
Laboratory tests (conducted for EWG by one of the world’s leading scientific authorities on fire retardants) found that in 19 of 20 U.S. families, concentrations of the chemicals known as PBDEs were significantly higher in 1.5- to 4-year-old children than their mothers. In total, 11 different flame retardants were found in these children, and 86 percent of the time the chemicals were present at higher
...