Fabric Scraps

Fabric scraps from leftover craft and sowing projects can really clutter a space. Unless you have everything super organized.

If you are looking to get rid of fabric, you can post a free ad in freecycle.org. You can donate them to a church, retirement home, or a charity collecting them for quilting. I give my sister-n-law a lot of fabrics because she is a quilter.

If the scraps are too small for using in future projects, I read in Martha Stewart magazine that you can throw natural-fiber fabrics like cotton and wool on the compost pile. Just cut in small pieces and mix them thoroughly into the pile. This was useful information to me. Now that I think about it, this makes sense. But before I read the article, it wouldn't have occurred to me which is why I thought it would be important to share with you.

My Seedlings

Remember that post a few weeks ago about reusing popsicle sticks? I had to take a moment and share how big my seedlings have grown since I took that photo.

Sad to say that this is the first time I've planted something from seed. Hey, better late than never. It was a project for me and my son. And considering it was our first time, I think we did a pretty good job.

He helped me plant the seeds and is now helping me repot the seedlings. It's been a great pet project for both of us and I smile when he lights up after remembering that he has to check his seeds. He runs to the dining room and checks them before we go about our day.

Ditch the Junk Mail

Along with catalogs, credit card offers also can pile up in your mailbox. If you want to save time sifting through mail, take a few minutes to call 888-5-OPT-OUT and halt credit card offers. If you are going to throw out the mail anyway, then it's worth doing because 5 minutes of sifting through mail adds up over the course of a year.

Another option is the save the letters and use the opposite blank side to use as scrap paper. You can store them in a basket. They are handy for printing online coupons, printing directions, invoices after you order something online, and emails you want to keep in print form. I like to do sweepstakes and use them to print the official rules. Think of how much $$ you'll save from having to buy reams of paper.

I also use envelopes from junk mail to put my grocery list on or a "to do" list for the day. Sometimes I jot down reminders for myself.

Mail Stop

Catalogs can pile up. Some companies will only send a few and if you don't order anything, they fizzle out.

However, even if you order one thing....you can be inundated with catalogs. This can be especially hectic during the Christmas season.

If you want to dodge the onslaught of catalogs piling up in your mailbox, you can go to www.catalogchoice.org.

Some of the services are free but for $20 a year, you can be unlisted to marketers.

Recycle Your Yoga Mat

If you practice yoga regularly, chances are your mat will give out eventually. There's good news. www.recycleyourmat.com will

help you keep your yoga mats out of the landfill.

1. Clean it - See FAQ page for cleaning tips.

2. Package it - packaging will be reused or recycled.

3. Ship it - Send via United States Postal Service parcel post (usually the cheapest way), to the address below.
Shipping Address:Recycle Your Mat1323 SE 6th Avenue Portland, OR 97214

4. Once received, we'll email you a coupon for 20% off your next order of Manduka gear at Manduka.com

3 Ways to Repurpose Plastic Shower Curtains

Unfortunately, most recycling facilities do not recycle plastic shower curtains because most are made of PVC. It can compromise the chemical makeup of plastics that are recyclable.

1. Save it for a rainy day when you and your kids are painting or working on a messy project.

2. And speaking of painting, use it as a drop cloth for when you are painting a room or hallway.

3. Stay dry at picnics. You can use it underneath your blanket to prevent dew or rain soaked grass from seeping through.

Save $$ and prolong the life of your plastic shower curtain by using these ways to clean it.

1. You can throw it in the washer with detergent and baking soda.

2. Black spores? A few squirts from spray bottle filled with diluted bleach will clear it up in no time.

3. You can also fill your bathtub with Oxyclean and let it soak for a couple of hours, then rinse it off.

The cleaner you keep your plastic shower curtain, the less you will have to purchase in the future.

It's not a Croc

Good news for you Croc shoe lovers...there is a recycling program when your Crocs have seen better days.

The manufacturer recycles used Crocs into new shoes and donates them to underprivileged families.

You can mail your used Crocs to : Crocs Recycling West, 3375 Enterprise Avenue, Bloomington, CA 92316.

They are nice and light so postage won't be that much.

Coat Donation Program Warms the Lives of Others

Spring will be here before you know it and it will be time to put our winter coats away. Now would be a great time to buy winter coats on sale for next year.
Goodwill or the Salvation Army are good places to donate your old coats.

Another wonderful organization would be happy to take your old or outgrown coats is www.onewarmcoat.org/donatecoat.php. This charity helps the homeless and other people in need keep warm during the winter. This is especially now important since the tough economy has impacted many families across the country.

There are two ways you can participate. You can type in your zip code to find a coat drive near you. I tried a couple of different zip codes and it seems that bigger towns/cities have drives that are closer than if you live in a smaller town.
Another way to participate is run a coat drive yourself. The website provides detailed instructions on how to coordinate one in your town.

Etsy Crafter that Repurposes with a Purpose

CreativeCorksNMore has embraced the green movement in Eugene, OR and was inspired into green crafting.

"When you see what can be done with recycled items, and how it can better both parties it is truly something exciting," says Tanita and Devon. " We are asked so often; 'why corks?' and the answer is simple and consists of two answers, really. First, corks are not only an image that states recycled, but they are very easy and simple to work with. Second, when you look at a cork the possibilities are literally endless, unlike general crafting medias."

CreativeCorksNMore are not just limited to corks. They have recently branched into wine bottles, ceramic, decoupage, and more. The goal is to have that something for everyone, and spread the philosophy we’ve adopted.

Repurpose Popsicle Sticks

This summer, you don't have to feel guilty throwing away popsicle sticks. Save them to use as markers if you want to start your veggie and herb garden from scratch. I just started mine for this summer. It's the first time I am starting from scratch and I'm bound to make mistakes along the way but at least I am able to reuse the popsicle sticks. You can wash then store them in a small container in one of your kitchen drawers or incorporate them in your recycling station. I am starting one in my garage.

Happy planting!!!

Upcycling to Keep our Pups Dry

Found a small mention in Ladie's Home Journal about Taryn Zychal who collects broken and abandoned umbrellas in her hometown in Philadelphia, PA. She creates raincoats for dogs and donates a portion of the proceeds to animal charities.

Check it out at http://www.recyclingzychal.com/.

Squeaky clean donation

How many of us have those little hotel soaps and shampoo bottles cluttering our drawers and cabinets? Or worse, the endless bath products given as Christmas gifts that we never use because we didn't like the smell of them.

Clean the World is an organization that collects soaps and donates them to third world countries to help prevent the spread of diseases.

There are a few ways to participate. You can coordinate a soap drive with friends and family. There are tools and specific directions how to coordinate one in your area.

You can ship unused soap to Clean the World400A Pittman St.Orlando, FL 32801.

Or if you happen to be shopping on Amazon.com, you can purchase soap online to be donated to the organization.

Drowning in stuffed animals

There is a stage of motherhood where stuffed animals invade your home. And I do mean invade. Some of my childhood toys were kept for my kids to enjoy. Others were gifts when the babies were born. Some were given by family members when their kids got too old to enjoy them. And the rest, heaven only knows where the heck they came from. These are only a sampling of what he has.

Since clutter tends to stress me out, I'm doing my best to deal with it and allow my son to enjoy this "babies" as he totes them around the house in his bag then proceeds to dump them in every room in the house he happens to be playing in. I've taken photos of him with his friends for his scrapbook to enjoy. I plan on letting him keep the ones that are the most special to him.

But what to do with the others? There is a firehouse locally that accepts stuffed animals in good condition to give to children who experience the trauma of losing their home to a fire. If you are looking to tackle your stuffed animal dilemma, check with your local firehouse to see if there is a similar program. If not, there is an organization called SAFE who takes gently used stuffed animals to homeless shelters, hosptials and emergency aid works like paramedics and firefighters.

Go to http://www.stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/ for more information.

Inkjet and Toner Fundraiser

Recycle and give Great Danes a second chance for a loving home.




The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League has been running an inkjet and toner fundraiser for at least several years now. Please check out the following links to find out how to participate. It's easy and all of the money is used to feed, foster, and find homes for homeless Great Danes.


http://www.magdrl-nj.com/fund.html#PrinterCartridge




http://www.magdrl-nj.com/fund.html#toner