This birdie has a new lease on life!

A couple of summers ago my mom got me pretty ceramic mushrooms, the biggest with a little birdie sitting on top. Well after a few year in the ground, the largest garden ornament lost it's stake and the bottom of the mushrooms broke too. I kept them because I thought they were pretty and didn't want to get rid of them, but I didn't exactly know what to do with them either. Well, Hubby found a cool piece of wood in our backyard, and an idea was born!

I had Hubby drill some large holes in the cool looking log, and I dripped some epoxy in the drilled holes and around the base of the mushrooms, and ta-DA!! I'm really liking the way it all turned out and that these gifts got a new life on my garden table.

Backyard Wooden Windchimes

Easy as drill, knot, hang!

I found the wooden kitchen utensils and metal colander at a thrifts stores all for about $2. I used twine from home and knotted through the utensil holes that I drilled and then knotted the other end of the twine through the colander. Of course fishing line, or any host of products could be used instead, but I liked the more rustic look of the twine. I drilled a hole and the top and bottom of one of the spoons to attach an additional spoon for the middle "chime".

I made the hanger for the wind chime in a similar fashion, tying knots to the holes in the bottom (now top) of the colander, and viola!

When the wooden/bamboo utensils hit together it gives a really nice earthty mellow thud--very zen.

My one tip is to the leave the string long enough so that all the utensils can clang together easily. Mine are long enough, but if I were to do it again, I might make them a tad longer.

Here are a few more pictures...

Graduation Party Time!

Hubby graduated last weekend from Northeastern Illinois University with his masters in Mathematics. Yeah!!!!!

This weekend we had a graduation party for him. When he turned 30 last fall, I asked him if he'd want to have a birthday party or get together; he said no, but that by the end of his degree he would definitely want a graduation party. I've kept that in mind.

While looking up info and ideas on graduation parties, I had searched and searched. What I finally came up with was kind of a Math/School/Graduation theme, and used the tagline: "It's All Good in the Hood". 

We used it on the invitations, and the Math quizzes we made for the tables, and on the welcome sign when people came in. 

Here's a couple pictures to show the party set up: 

The sign in the lobby...

And a couple pictures of the tables all set up...Each table had math flashcards, looseleaf paper, pencils, pencil sharpeners, and quizzes...

All of the quizzes had solutions for people to check their answers. We posted them up on a bulletin board that was in the room. 

We also had a little kids table set up, so they could do fun stuff while they were there. Not too many kids at the party, however. And what could be better than running around and having fun, which is what the boys did most of the time they were there :o) ...

As far as food goes we had "Hot Lunch" with Breadsticks, Mini Calzones, Baked Mostaccioli, and Veggie Lasagna. And for "Cold Lunch" we had stuff to make sandwiches, carrots, Fruit Roll-ups, little bags of chips and Little Debbie snacks....

Cold Lunch...

Hot Lunch...

And for dessert, we had cake and Graduation Cap treats...

The picture of the graduation caps turned out a little blurry, but they were really cute and super easy to make. The treats are brownie bites turned upside down with a chocolate covered graham cracker cookie attached with a glob of frosting. The "tassels" are just frosting, but if you wanted to jazz it up a little more, you could use a M&M for the button on the top of the cap. 

So this turned out to be a mega-post, but wanted to share since I much appreciated looking at other's ideas while planning our party. 

P.S. They have plates, cups and eating and serving utensils at Party City that are made of sugar cane and completely bio-degradable and compostable! We only got plates this time, since we already had utensils and napkins...but next time I'm in the market for disposable serving ware, I know where I'm going! www.partycity.com Eco Friendly Tableware

#9 Paint Bathroom Mirror White, #10 Replace Old Switch Plates with New White Ones

The titled tasks kinda describe themselves perfectly...

Here's where we had left off...

Here's now...

I'm glad we decided to reuse the mirror and paint it white--it was more economical and earth-friendly. I really like the amount of white in the bathroom now! That door across from the mirror better look out, it might be painted next!

#28 Put Away Camping Gear, #100 Add Handles to Camping Gear Storage and #3 Make Summer Camping Reservations

Only a few more weeks of the Lenten season, and we're still marking projects off the list!

#28 was to Put Away Camping Gear. We actually organized this area of our basement really well in the fall too. When we renovated our kitchen in the Spring of 2009, we moved some of the old cabinets into the basement. These cabinets now hold laundry supplies, tools and camping gear. In addition we are using some of the furniture I've had since I was 4 years old to hold camping gear. Both the re-purposed cabinets and kid shelves and drawers are perfect for this kind of storage. And even though we haven't used any of the camping gear since last fall, we were generously given a lot of great camping gear for Christmas. While the new gear had previously been corralled to the basement, it now has a permanent home with the other camping gear.

At the same time we completed #100 Add Handles to Camping Gear Storage. When we got my old childhood furniture from my mom, the first thing my Hubby did was paint it. And while it looks much better, some of the drawers now stick from being painted and living in the humid basement. Easy fix, we added inexpensive 4" drawer handles today, and now the drawers work just fine!!

After the organizing of the camping gear, it seemed fitting to do #3 Make Summer Camping Reservations. We are now planning a trip to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (which we learned actually does not take reservations) and to Mirror Lake Wisconsin State Park. We decided that while we hopefully will do more camping than this it is difficult to make reservations too far into the future, since stuff always seems to pop up. But I am not uber excited for these two trips!!!

#97 Clean and Organize under the sink in the kitchen

It didn't take long, which begs the question why I just didn't do it before. I took out everything under the sink, there were a few surprises but mostly it was cleaning products and our recycle bins. We use two recycle bins, one for aluminum, glass, plastic, etc and the other for cardboard and paper products. Under this area was quite dirty with soda splatter and the like. I organized the cleaning products too, and realized a couple of things: 1)Our disorganization leads to waste. When we can't find something, we just re-buy it, as we had duplicates of a few different products and I didn't realized we had some of the stuff that was in there. Organization is good for the soul and the wallet, I guess. 2) I would like to stop buying so many cleaning products and start making more of my own. I very recently started using white vinegar and water as an all-purpose cleaner. These home-made cleaners are more often eco-friendly, pet-friendly, and very inexpensive. I'm going to finish using what I have first, of course, but then would like to start. 


Any suggestions on home-made/eco-friendly cleaners you use at home?

#95 Drop off Old Sneakers for "Reuse-A-Shoe"

"Every year, across the globe, millions of pairs of athletic shoes end up in landfills or disposed of in some other way creating a lot of waste.  Much of what we dispose of contains valuable materials that, with a little bit of imagination and ingenuity, could be reused.  With the pursuit of sustainability in mind, Nike created a program to recycle worn out athletic shoes and turn them into something new.  Old athletic shoes of any brand, are collected, processed and recycled into a material called “Nike Grind”.  Once SWALCO collects the athletic shoes (sometime after Earth Day each year) from our school, community and business partners, we transport them to Nike's facility to become "grind".  This material will then be used to create sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds that will be enjoyed by children of all ages, for many years to come. Now that's creative recycling!" 
-SWALCO 
www.lakecountyil.gov/swalco/Programs/Reuse-A-Shoe


Yesterday we dropped off some old and/or half-chewed (thank you, Nola Belle!) shoes to this program at our local drop-off point the Zion-Benton Library. If you have old athletic shoes, think about rounding them up and dropping off for a similar cause. Cleans your house, good for the environment, good for sport surfaces.  

Holiday Gift

So I've been blogging a lately about gift ideas since it is around the holiday season, but I probably should have started here, with a holiday gift. Most, if not all, of the gifts I've highlighted to this point are great gift ideas regardless of the occasion; but here's one cute holiday gift...sorry its a little late in the season, but I'm sure if you liked them, they could get to you before Christmas.


Tin Cab Angels from Viva Terra
Set of 4, $19 plus shipping

Cute and shiny, these ornaments--made of recycled pop cans and bottle tops--are from Guatemala. Not only would they be a great gift to spruce up a spruce tree, but these angels raise living standards for low-income families. To order or just learn more, click here.

The Gift of Being Green

Here's a few sweet gifts for your friends and family that are environmentalists (or those you hope to convert). 


Remember Leg Warmers? These Are Arm Warmers! from Uncommon Goods
Upcycled Arm Warmers, $32, plus shipping

I think these are adorable, plus upcycled and handmade. They come in a few colors, but my favorite are shown in the picture. More info, click here.


Non-Toxic Nail Polish and Remover from Gaiam.
Polish, $16. Remover $28. (plus shipping)

Cute colors, no carcinogens. I likey! Product info here.


Sip on These from ReUseIt.com
Stainless Steel Drinking Straws, Set of 4, $9.95 plus shipping

Perfect to slip into your purse and say "no thank you" at the drive through, or leave at home to sip your lemonade. Might be cool to pair with an exotic iced tea mix or some cool vintage classes. More about the straws, click here.


There are lots of fun "green gift" ideas out there...what have you found?

Gifts for Green Parents

Here, I mean both environmentally green and new-to-parenting green. Check out a few picks for some cool gifts. 


Recycled Dad-To-Be Set from Uncommon Goods.
$98.00 plus shipping

Includes a very manly diaper bag made of recycled water bottles, bamboo fabric onsie that says "produced locally", and baby manual for those bumps in the road.All too cute, um, I mean masculine, for words. Interested? Click here.

Baby Cookbook on Amazon.

Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick & Easy Meals for Healthy and Happy Baby, $7.89 plus shipping

It's the gift of knowing exactly what's going in baby's tummy. These recipes seem easy and fast, plus healthy! Depending on the produce used, baby could be eating local, organic foods without added sugars and preservatives starting at about 6 months. Sounds like an awesome gift to me! To buy...

Any ideas that you have for parents?

Gifts for the kiddies!

Okay, so again, these are few cool gift ideas I've run across, and thought I'd pass on. This post is dedicated to gifts for kids...


A Gift to Fit My Own Point of View from Uncommon Goods
Respect the Earth Flashcards, $12 plus shipping

A cute way to teach children about conservation and being earth friendly. Click here for details.

Artsy Fartsy Cutsie Smocks from Recycled Nylon & Plastic from Uncommon Goods

Cow or Frog Art Smock, $24 plus shipping

Totally adorable and made from recyclables, add a couple paint brushes and some non-toxic paint to make a "little artist kit" and call it a day. More details here!

Great for Lunchboxes from ReUseIt.com

Lunchskins Reusable Sandwich Bags, $8.95 each plus shipping (Only $6.95 if ordering 4 or more)

Okay, so maybe not the most exciting gift for a kid to get but they are fun and practical and save the earth! I think they'd be a rad stocking stuffer. Truthfully, I want some for me too! More product info, click here.

Just a disclaimer, these are not any of the gifts I'm ordering for my family or friends this year, so if you're reading this, you aren't finding out your Christmas gifts :o)

Anyone out there have any awesome gifts for kids to share?

Pumpkin 911

So Earth 911 had a recent article about uses for pumpkins after Halloween. I was then inspired to do a few of the ideas with the uncarved pumpkins I had at home.

1) Pumpkin Puree. I cut open my large pumpkin scooped out the seeds and guts (for later), then put each half on a cookie sheet with a lip on it and about a cup of water on each tray. Then popped them in the oven on 350 degrees for 90 minutes and took them out. After they cooled a little I scooped the soft pumpkin out of the middle and put it into my blender and pureed. Now I have pumpkin puree to use for the next little bit and believe me I have some good ideas for it. (I, of course, composted the pumpkin shell after.)

2) Pumpkin Seeds. Put pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and an Italian blend of spices. Baked for about 25 minutes on 350 degrees, mixing the seeds around about half way through. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

3) Pumpkin Stock. I put all my pumpkin guts in a big stock pot with water and let it boil until the water turned orange. Then I strand the guts out of the stock, and put them in the compost bin. I'll use the stock later--in soups and hot dishes--like veggie stock. This actually made quite a bit, so ended up dividing it into 5 smaller containers; I'm keeping one in the fridge and freezing the other four to take out one by one.

The 911 article was great, so check it out!

My First Garden

This is our first year gardening, and I think things are going pretty well. Here's some of our "crop"...

Cherry Tomatoes

Butternut Squash

Sweet Peppers

Nasturtium (Edible Flowers)

I'll show more as we "harvest". Can't wait!!!

#59: Compost shredded paper.

So we have been composting now for about 2 years, but we've never been sure about paper. And not just paper, but colored paper and paper with lots of ink on it. After looking around on the web, the verdict was still inconclusive. However, after shredding tons of paper, we decided to try and see how it goes.

#20: Organize the kitchen pantry & #60: Organize drawers in the kitchen.

About this time last year we ended our kitchen remodel. We got new floor, new cabinets, new counter tops, new backsplash--the works. I absolutely love the way it turned out, but when we put everything back in the kitchen we didn't have a true picture of how the new kitchen would function. After a year, we have a pretty good idea. So I spent a chunk of the morning, cleaning out and rearranging our pantry cabinets. While the cabinets are better organized, they also only contain food that can be eaten. There was a surprising amount of expired food that we ended up composting.

While I was doing that, Hubby organized and cleaned out our over-flowing kitchen junk drawer, and organized our utensil drawers.

Done and done.

#41: Compost old beer.

First of all, there are over 40 thinks on my "40 days 40 projects list" because there are over 40 things I have put off doing...once I started a list I just kept going. We are going to try and get to 40 projects over lent, it just might not be the first 40 I listed.

Secondly, I feel I need to explain my reasoning for throwing out beer. You see for the last two Labor Days we have held rather large BBQs. The first year it was VERY hot and though we had bought tons of beer and people had brought some of their own, we ran out and had to make a beer run during the party. The second year, we were determined to not run out, so we got more beer. But for whatever reason--the cooler weather, less beer drinkers, whatever--we had LOTS of left over beer. So we put it in our beer fridge, and invited people over the next few weekends afterwards. We even brought beer with us when we went to others houses! But we never got rid of all that beer. So today, with the sun shining, I dumped several cans of beer into our compost pile (along with some decaying fruit from the kitchen, lint from the dryer, and puppy poo from the yard). Now our basement is clear from expired drinks, and our compost pile got all hopped up on beer.

Clean up

First off, I've decided to write more often on this blog. There are certainly things that make me happy everyday, so why not share them.

One thing that made me really happy today, was cleaning and organizing our bathroom. I went through all my make-up, toiletries, and jewelry. The stuff I kept was better organized in the medicine cabinet, under the sink, and in our linen closet in the bathroom. The stuff that I no longer needed or wanted was separated into two piles: half-empty, expired, yucky stuff and unopened stuff that I did not want. The half-empty, expired, yucky stuff was either dumped out and the bottle recycled or thrown away. The unopened stuff was mainly comprised of gift sets, since lotion and perfume seem to always be stand by gifts to women. I put the unopened stuff in a box and am going to donate it to A Safe Place for women; on their wish list for the battered and abuse women is jewelry, perfume, bath products and toiletries.

With the extra space made from cleaning out so much stuff was able to make space for all of our over-the-counter drugs and first aide products. This is awesome because it has made room in our over crowded pantry. Maybe the crowded pantry should be the next project?