But having recently made the switch from somewhat-corporate work environment to the non-profit sector, my awareness for wastefulness has heightened exponentially… ...]]> I feel I’ve always been somewhatconscientious when it comes to resources…  I’d rather turn on the fan or put on a sweatshirt than fiddle with the thermostat; I’m a diligent recycler and reuser; I gripe at Evs if he turns the shower on and then starts shaving (I’m sorry but it does not take 5 minutes for the water to “heat up”).

But having recently made the switch from somewhat-corporate work environment to the non-profit sector, my awareness for wastefulness has heightened exponentially…  Misprinted documents aren’t discarded or even thrown into a recycling bin, but saved for reuse as scratch paper; binders and file folders are salvaged over and over again (just make a new label for it!); and toner-tracking is a revered science.  While it takes some time to adapt to the (comparatively) diminutive supply of Post-Its, it’s eye-opening to discover areas where I, Smugly-Green-Citizen, have been extremely wasteful.

Thus, in an effort to pay homage to those who’ve made repurposing an art form (and I’m not just talking about “passing along” Aunt Erma’s yearly fruit cake to that unsuspecting neighbor!), I give you…

A Few of My Favorite Things: Smugly-Green Edition

Typewriter-Keys-Turned-Jewelry

Whether you’re accessorizing your lovely self, your favorite man, or even your favorite glass of vino, vintage typewriter keys add a little whimsy to any occasion!  And Etsy seller QA Create has all your bases covered.  I’m also loving the sports-ball-themed cuff links (baseball, basketball, tennis) – These would make such a unique gift for a sports junkie!

Frames that Weathered the Storm

Repurposed… for a Purpose:  Second Line Frames creates wooden picture frames from wood salvaged from the wreckage of homes left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.   A portion of each sale is donated to aid in the rehabilitation New Orleans’ most affected neighborhoods.  For a similar product with the exact same soul, poke around Rebirth Frames as well.

Brown Paper Packages…

{photos from Olive Manna}

My absolute favorite repurposing craft… brown bag / kraft wrapping paper!  There’s something comforting and downright homey about those “brown paper packages tied up with string.”  Plus, you can make old grocery sacks into your own work of art by adding rubber stamps, doodles, gold leaf… the options are endless!

Do you “Repurpose?”  Gimme the “whats” and the “hows!”

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2010 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Beautiful Things, Decor, Eco Living

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I am delighted to hear that Oprah talked about Food, inc. on her show this week. I mean really, with a voice like that behind the slowfood movement… perhaps the U.S. consumers will perk up and listen? Oprah is responsible for bringing many lot’s of topics to the forefront of our minds. Who didn’t read the Kite Runner? Did anyone pay attention to Rachael Ray before Oprah endorsed her? Heck, even to some extent Oprah introduced us to Obama, didn’t ...]]>

I am delighted to hear that Oprah talked about Food, inc. on her show this week. I mean really, with a voice like that behind the slowfood movement… perhaps the U.S. consumers will perk up and listen? Oprah is responsible for bringing many lot’s of topics to the forefront of our minds. Who didn’t read the Kite Runner? Did anyone pay attention to Rachael Ray before Oprah endorsed her? Heck, even to some extent Oprah introduced us to Obama, didn’t she?

On the heels of the post I wrote last week, I must say that I am delighted to hear that others are thinking about the same subject. (Thank you Oprah!) Perhaps we are on the cusp of making real change in the way that the American government subsidizes farming and how American’s (and let’s face it mom’s who do the grocery shopping) are thinking about the food that they eat.

On another note… do you remember why I have not been cooking lately? Well, I finally pulled the trigger. I ordered myself a Le Crueset French Oven! It’s the first of three pans I will order to stock our kitchen. I figured this was the most versatile of the three. Heck, I can do everything from boil eggs to bake a cake in it! After much hunting for the very best price on the internet, I realized there are a lot of stores who mark up the price to give you the perception of a deal when they sell it to you for less. So instead, I went to Sur La Table who recently released an exclusive color that I adore. It’s called Cassis. Pretty, no?

Here’s a question: Did you watch Oprah’s show about Food, inc. and the slowfood movement? Did it change how you think about the food you eat?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2010 · Permalink · 9 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Cooking and Food, Eco Living

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{photo by me}

Fill mason jars with some soy candles and you’re done! What’s your go-to centerpiece?

Much love,

-B

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It! Posted in: Eco Living, Entertaining Follow Ami on Twitter · Join us at EAD Weddings too! · EAD on Facebook

As someone who grew up in a home with lots of garden space and a little “plot” of my own, it’s heartbreaking for me to not have a bit of dirt.  Thus, it’s become our ...]]> As you may or may not know, my husband and I are currently living in a tiny 2-bedroom apartment (shared with our two cats, Mike and Butters).  We have no outdoor space, save for our tiny patio and lil’ windowboxes, which don’t provide us with much gardening opportunity.

As someone who grew up in a home with lots of garden space and a little “plot” of my own, it’s heartbreaking for me to not have a bit of dirt.  Thus, it’s become our goal in the next year to have a truly viable spot of land on which we can grow things.  Along these lines, I was reading the WSJ yesterday (no, this is not a habit of mine, though it probably should be) and stumbled upon an article on composting.

{Photo via greenbudget}

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you all the benefits of composting, both for your garden and for the environment. :) Unfortunately, composting is not a current habit of mine and dr. dave’s (there are certain limitations of countertop composting in an apartment).  This article, however, takes composting to the next level…it brought up the “new generation” of composting, which includes neat new products designed to make composting easier, such as the ecomposter.

The cool thng about the ecomposter is that it allows you to put the composting materials into that ball and roll it around to mix up the materials inside: a notoriously difficult job.  Typically it must be done with a pitchfork, which is difficult for obvious reasons.  This product makes it a lot easier on the arms (not to mention the eyes!) to compost…which I’m all for.  It also is made from recycled materials, which is great!  HOWEVER.

The article mentioned several other new “technologies” of composting. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love technology, and if they make composting “hip,” then that’s great too..  And if they’re using recycled materials, I think it’s awesome.  But at what point does this become another excuse to promote consumerism, produce excess waste, and end up counteracting the positive effects of composting itself? Thoughts?

Much love,

-B

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 2 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Eco Living

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The perfect Saturday morning in Omaha includes a visit to one of two popular Farmer’s Markets. This past weekend my parents came to visit, and I made sure to carve out time for us to check out the local produce and meat at the market in the Village Pointe parking lot. Granted, it’s not as extensive as, say, the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market in San Francisco, but it’s a great way to support local farmers and spend some time outside ...]]>

The perfect Saturday morning in Omaha includes a visit to one of two popular Farmer’s Markets. This past weekend my parents came to visit, and I made sure to carve out time for us to check out the local produce and meat at the market in the Village Pointe parking lot. Granted, it’s not as extensive as, say, the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market in San Francisco, but it’s a great way to support local farmers and spend some time outside when the weather is cooperating. I think my parents were impressed by the friendliness of the farmers selling their good and at the sheer variety of vegetables. We filled an Envirosax with ingredients for homemade salsa, eggplant parmesean and assorted grilled vegetables–plus a beautiful zinnia for a mini vase that sits on my living room table.

Are you lucky enough to have a Farmer’s Market in your town?

(photos by me)

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Cooking and Food, Eco Living

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There are so many uses for a glass jar: storing leftovers, using as vases, or even lining up empty on a windowsill to show off.   Save your pasta sauce jars, jam and jelly jars, and other glass bottles.  It’s like your own home has become its own little recycling center!

It can also be a fun weekend activity to troll the antique and flea markets for old jars to add a bit of personality to your collection–I’ve found ...]]>
Photo from P.J.McAdie’s Flickr

There are so many uses for a glass jar: storing leftovers, using as vases, or even lining up empty on a windowsill to show off.   Save your pasta sauce jars, jam and jelly jars, and other glass bottles.  It’s like your own home has become its own little recycling center!

It can also be a fun weekend activity to troll the antique and flea markets for old jars to add a bit of personality to your collection–I’ve found cool chemistry beakers, old mason jars, and even old Vapor Rub jars.

Here’s the trick to getting the sticky labels off: Wash in warm water, and peel off as much of the label you can.  Apply your run-of-the-mill hair conditioner to the remainder of the label, let soak for about half an hour, and scrub off with a course sponge.

Enjoy!

Much love,

-B

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 2 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Eco Living

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{Image via ApartmentTherapy}

However, getting there isn’t always so easy.  And with all the cleaning products available today, it’s almost impossible to choose one that doesn’t smell overly strong, is effective, affordable, and not harmful for the environment.  Well get ready for this…a whole slew of all-natural cleaning possibilities with just a handful of good, old-fashioned products.

I’ve been using these “recipes” for the last few years.  ...]]> Sometimes, there’s nothing quite as nice as a clean, fresh house that smells bright and lovely.

{Image via ApartmentTherapy}

However, getting there isn’t always so easy.  And with all the cleaning products available today, it’s almost impossible to choose one that doesn’t smell overly strong, is effective, affordable, and not harmful for the environment.  Well get ready for this…a whole slew of all-natural cleaning possibilities with just a handful of good, old-fashioned products.

I’ve been using these “recipes” for the last few years.  I was motivated to find an alternative all-purpose cleaner after cleaning my bathtub one day, inhaling a few too many fumes, and deciding that it just was NOT healthy to have that floating around the air in my home!  I’ve found that the biggest hurdle to using these types of cleaners was that they didn’t have that Clorox-y clean smell that we’re all used to associating with “clean.”  If you choose to try any of these recipes and encounter the same problem, try adding a drop or two of eucalyptus or tea tree oil to make it smell more fresh and bright!

Without further ado…you will need: (to clean your ENTIRE HOUSE!)
-Baking Soda
-Borax (found in your grocery store’s laundry detergent aisle
-Tea tree oil
-Lemon oil
-Lemons or lemon juice
-Toothpaste (paste, not gel; with no tartar control or whitening properties)
-Table salt
-Distilled white vinegar
-Castile Soap

Sinks/Dishes:

-Stained mugs/cups: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel and scrub stains until gone.  Or, fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight.  Rub and rinse!
-Stinky garbage disposal: Cut a lemon into fourths and run through the disposal with water.
-Dirty drains: Pour vinegar down drain, wait 30 minutes, flush with cold water.
-Washing dishes (by hand): Add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse water for spotless glasses.
-Tarnished silver: Use a dab of toothpaste on the tarnish, rub with a soft cloth, rinse with water and dry.
-Dirty dishwasher: To disinfect, put 1/2 cup of vinegar into the soap dispenser and run an EMPTY cycle.  It will smell a bit funky at first but it fades within 30 minutes.
-Dirty china (including delicate pieces): Soak in a sink or pan filled with 1/2 cup borax and warm water. Rinse after soaking.
-Dirty pots/pans: Scrub with damp sponge and Borax, rinse as usual.
-Fore limescale buildup on faucets: rub lemon juice onto taps and let sit overnight. Wipe off in the morning.

Countertops

-For dirty marble: Mix 1 tablespoon Castile and 1 quart warm water.  Apply with soft cloth to surface, rinse, and dry with a clean cloth.
-To clean countertops (do NOT use on marble or other delicate stone):  Cut a lemon in half and dip in baking soda.  Rub lemon on countertop, wipe with a damp sponge, and dry.
-For grout stains, squeeze lemon juice to a teaspoon of cream of tartar, apply with a toothbrush, and rinse.

Stovetop

-Mix Castile (a few squirts of the bottle) with 2 cups of hot water.  Apply to stovetop, burners, vent hood to cut through cooking grease.

Carpets

-Sprinkle baking soda on carpets to absorb odors.  Let sit for as long as possible (1-2 hours minimum) and then vacuum.  The odor will be gone!

Floors

-Create a solution with 1/4 cup Castile and 2 gallons warm water, mop floors with solution.  For greasy floors add 1/4 cup vinegar to mixture.
-For scuffed floors, apply 3 or so drops of tea-tree oil to the scuffs, wipe oil with cloth, and rub in distilled white vinegar.

Toilets

-Add 2 teaspoons tea tree oil and 2 cups water to spray bottle; spritz along the inside of the toilet rim.  Scrub after 30 minutes of soaking.
-Pour borax into bowl and let sit overnight (make sure you keep the lid down if you have pets who drink out of the yucky toilet–borax can be toxic to animals).  Go over bowl using toilet brush in the morning and flush.  **good for rust stains

Walls/Windows

-To clean dirty walls and baseboards, use a mixture of 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon of hot water in a spray bottle.  Spray generously on surface, wipe down with a damp cloth.  This mixture can even be saved for use again!
-Spray vinegar on moldy walls and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Rinse and let dry. Vinegar cleans mold really effectively, and even though the smell may linger for an hour or so, it will smell fresh and clean quickly thereafter!
-To wash windows, mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle.  Wipe with a crumpled up sheet of newspaper, which won’t leave streaks.

Baths/Showers

-For dirty shower doors, wipe with a few drops of lemon oil twice a month to prevent buildup.
-To clean your shower, tub, and ceramic tile, create a soft scrubber  mixture of 1 tbsp. Castile and 1/3 cup baking soda.  Use sponge to apply to surfaces, scrub, and rinse.

Etc.

-Add half a cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle to whiten whites!
-Throw 1/2 cup of Borax in with your laundry to heighten the effectiveness of your laundry soap.  It’ll also soften your laundry, eliminating the need for dryer sheets, which can be harmful for the environment.

Hope you all enjoyed these little cleaning tips! Many are incorporated from RealSimple, which may make you feel a bit more safe using them.  :)  Give them a try…you’ll soon be hooked. And with these few inexpensive ingredients (most of which you probably already have!), you can get rid of all the bottles cluttering up your cabinet.  You can even use your old spray bottles (rinse them out) to house your new earth-friendly, homemade sprays…or at least, just recycle the bottles.

Do you all have any other good tips for all-natural household cleaners?

Much love,

-B

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 6 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Eco Living

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Yes, yes, I freakin’ pink-puffy-heart a cleaning product.  There.  I said it.

The website for Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Aromatheraputic Household Cleaners says that Mrs. Meyer’s products make cleaning your home “fresh, fun, and fragrant.”  Now, I don’t know about the “fun” part, but these wholly organic cleansers do make scrub-a-dub-dubbing a bit more enjoyable with their fabulous scents and aesthetically pleasing packaging.  Eco-friendly cleaning ...]]> This is one of those posts that I can’t believe I’m writing.  Cleaning products?  Really?  Cleaning products?

Yes, yes, I freakin’ pink-puffy-heart a cleaning product.  There.  I said it.

The website for Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Aromatheraputic Household Cleaners says that Mrs. Meyer’s products make cleaning your home “fresh, fun, and fragrant.”  Now, I don’t know about the “fun” part, but these wholly organic cleansers do make scrub-a-dub-dubbing a bit more enjoyable with their fabulous scents and aesthetically pleasing packaging.  Eco-friendly cleaning never felt so good!

Mrs. Meyer’s arsenal includes everything from dish soap to counter-top spray to surface wipes to laundry detergent and fabric softener.  Each product comes in one of five delectable (but not overpowering) scents – basil, lavender, lemon verbena, geranium, and baby blossom.  While the range of availability varies, you can purchase Mrs. Meyer’s at Bed, Bath & Beyond; World Market; Container Store; Whole Foods; and of course, online.

Okay.  My civic duty is completed by this Cleaning Product PSA.  I shall now return to shuffling dust bunnies under the couch with my toe, and disguising boxes of deliciously fabulous Near East as made-from-scratch home-cooked dinners.  Shhhhh.  Don’t tell Mrs. Meyer!

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 2 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Around the House, Eco Living, Good Things

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