tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7761422981018303302024-03-05T07:14:46.174-08:00Going GreenHow to be eco friendly with a bit of upcycling, vegetable gardening, kid crafting <br>
and lots of fun.Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-10871065492731796042013-12-30T08:54:00.002-08:002013-12-30T08:54:50.406-08:00Being Busy and Being Green.It's been a really long time since I've posted on this blog, but now that I am two days away from opening my new clinic<a href="http://www.mirpaatsolomon.co.il/" target="_blank"> Mirpaat Solomon</a> | <a href="http://www.mirpaatsolomon.co.il/" target="_blank">מרפאתת סולומון</a> , I decided to reflect a little on my previous 'projects'. I'm happy to see that I still have visitors to this site and pageviews which hopefully mean that this site is still a useful resource to some.<br />
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Perhaps I will be able to post a few tips on keeping a clinic/office green...<br />
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If YOU have any tips for keeping my clinic green, please share in a comment.Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-33689827305110640452012-07-29T11:35:00.001-07:002012-07-29T22:30:27.669-07:00How to make a pinball machine from a cardboard box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zDccQe-qpVY/UBV2GTGo2iI/AAAAAAAAA6c/uXitAYa5ozU/s640/blogger-image-1874080169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zDccQe-qpVY/UBV2GTGo2iI/AAAAAAAAA6c/uXitAYa5ozU/s400/blogger-image-1874080169.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
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If you haven't watched the story about<a href="http://cainesarcade.com/" target="_blank"> Caine's Arcade</a>, do it now!</div>
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After watching (and crying of course) I read a post about a boy named <a href="http://mymakedo.com/inspiration-insight/tag/ezras-pinball-machine" target="_blank">Ezra</a>, who, inspired by Caine, created a cardboard pinball machine. </div>
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So I was inspired to create my own.</div>
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Here's how I did it.</div>
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<strong>What you need:</strong></div>
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- a box</div>
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- wooden tongue depressors or popsicle sticks</div>
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- tape</div>
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- various items for obstacles eg. toilet paper rolls, cottage cheese containers, cd's</div>
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- decorating items eg. stickers</div>
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<strong>Instructions:</strong></div>
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1. Take a cardboard box, cut off the front and tape up all the sides.</div>
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2. Use a scissors or craft knife to cut holes in the sides for your levers.</div>
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(I mistakenly cut high at first, the ball just falls under the levers *duh) so cut them as low as possible)</div>
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<span style="color: #0066cc;"><span style="color: black;">3.</span> </span><span style="color: black;">Tape two sticks together to form the desired length for each lever. </span></div>
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4. Use toilet paper rolls to achieve the desired angle for the machine by taping/glueing them to the back of the box.</div>
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5. Tape or glue a long paper towel tube for the ball dispensor</div>
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6. Tape or glue obstacles </div>
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7. Decorate and Enjoy playing !!!</div>
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Happy crafting everyone.</div>
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and if you have young children, be sure to check out my new website about<a href="http://www.signingkinderlach.com/" target="_blank"> Baby Signing</a>. </div>
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-65386561526901370192012-07-26T10:32:00.001-07:002012-07-26T10:32:21.193-07:00Follow me on my Signing Kinderlach adventureYou may have read a previous post of mine, about Signing Time's On Demand system. <br />
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Here's a bit of background about me and my personal Baby Signing Time experience - and my new adventure, <a href="http://www.signingkinderlach.com/">Signing Kinderlach</a>.<br />
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When my first daughter, Eliya, was born, I heard about baby signing and its potential benefits. I subscribed to an online course, but didn’t follow through as it was boring and not interactive. Then, a friend of mine showed me her Signing Time DVD. I loved it!! and so did Eliya. I bought the set of 4 Baby Signing Time DVD’s; we watched them together often and tried to use the signs in our daily life. Even though I wasn’t reinforcing the signs as much as I could have, we still felt the benefits.<br />
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When babies learn to speak, their first attempts at words are often difficult to interpret. “Ba-ba” can mean ball, bottle, baby… My kids are growing up bilingual, with English at home, and Hebrew at daycare & nursery school. With them, “ba-ba” can mean ball, bottle, baby, במבה-snack, בובה-doll, בטן-tummy etc. When Eliya would say a ‘word’ that I didn’t understand, she’d see my confused expression and clarify what she meant with a sign. This reduced her frustration as well as mine, and encouraged her to continue communicating as she felt understood.<br />
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I am always encouraging friends and family to use Signing Time (in fact I have a cousin who is a terrific signer) and when I learnt that there weren’t any Baby Signing Time Instructors in Israel, I decided to create <a href="http://www.signingkinderlach.com/">Signing Kinderlach</a>, and become the first BST Instructor in Israel so that I can spread the word of sign to more ‘dear children’ – ‘kinderlach’.Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-387096004845667942012-07-19T05:14:00.002-07:002012-07-19T05:14:32.022-07:00How to make a car from a toilet paper roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xYV1OBIlg08/UAZwUV-WbpI/AAAAAAAAA5o/9jbo56DlhYY/s640/blogger-image--1328510620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xYV1OBIlg08/UAZwUV-WbpI/AAAAAAAAA5o/9jbo56DlhYY/s320/blogger-image--1328510620.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This classy car for my wooden doll, was inspired by <a href="http://www.mamajennblogs.com/" target="_blank">Mama Jenn</a>'s sports car which is featured (with instructions) on <a href="http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.co.il/2012/04/toilet-roll-car-toy-craft.html" target="_blank">Preschool Crafts for Kids</a>. </div>
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To make it even easier for you to make your own car, I've made a video showing you exactly what to do. You can see it on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wvBEKBUBNA&feature=plcp" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<strong>What you need:</strong></div>
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- toilet paper roll</div>
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- paint</div>
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- scissors</div>
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- pen / pencil OR push pin</div>
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- 4 bottle caps (equal size)</div>
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- hammer and small nail OR push pin</div>
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- a little bit of playdough</div>
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- optional: a drinking straw OR piece of cardboard & glue</div>
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<strong>Instructions:</strong><br />
Step One: paint roll and leave to dry<br />
Step Two: cut square for driver, and poke 4 holes where the wheels need to go<br />
Step Three: (optional: put two straws in through the two sets of holes respectively), insert toothpicks<br />
Step Four: make holes in the caps and attach them onto the toothpicks, using playdough to secure them.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cGNd3TeLn7s/UAZwWZMazAI/AAAAAAAAA5w/o3Ou5oQq_Bc/s1600/blogger-image--897617659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cGNd3TeLn7s/UAZwWZMazAI/AAAAAAAAA5w/o3Ou5oQq_Bc/s320/blogger-image--897617659.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now that you have such a cool car, need somewhere to park it... </div>
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why not<a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/how-to-make-dollhouse-from-cardboard.html"> make a dollhouse from a cardboard box</a>.?</div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jZsUDZqQNWE/UAZwhzHGoPI/AAAAAAAAA54/8_gpVli6Ydw/s640/blogger-image--44804257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jZsUDZqQNWE/UAZwhzHGoPI/AAAAAAAAA54/8_gpVli6Ydw/s320/blogger-image--44804257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-51709648548194807322012-07-15T09:54:00.001-07:002012-07-25T02:27:34.888-07:00Have you run out of indoor crafts for kids?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With the unbearable heat of summer already upon us, I'm always looking for fun kids activities that can be performed indoors. My kids love art projects, but there are only so many stick portraits one can draw. Disney Family Fun listed a great <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/stick-art-672465/" target="_blank">Stick Art</a> craft, which allows your kids (and yourself) to engage with nature INSIDE your airconditioned house - perfect!. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3Wv1D_igkw7GWZMkW7gY1iwYMbJKU0lKkhjWPo_hLENhsYnvEH-O-cQ5rKfFJa2h-GzEs9xchzvdT_U1gp0tM_bF1oY9MAMPOBa4GaeT2BS8I1KTzdsmcgdCMhdXLuiumjoup5N8xpaq/s640/blogger-image--1008555708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="crafts for kids" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3Wv1D_igkw7GWZMkW7gY1iwYMbJKU0lKkhjWPo_hLENhsYnvEH-O-cQ5rKfFJa2h-GzEs9xchzvdT_U1gp0tM_bF1oY9MAMPOBa4GaeT2BS8I1KTzdsmcgdCMhdXLuiumjoup5N8xpaq/s320/blogger-image--1008555708.jpg" title="Nature-filled artwork by Eliya (4) and Chana (2)" width="320" /></a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=going02-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001GIJNVC&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
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<strong>What you need:</strong></div>
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- clear contact paper (in South Africa, we called it Fablon).</div>
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(I had a lot leftover from previous projects, but you can also buy from Amazon at the above link)</div>
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disclaimer<em> contact paper is probably not eco-friendly, but I have yet to think of a good alternative.</em></div>
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- scissors</div>
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- tape</div>
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- hole punch</div>
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- cotton or ribbon to hang the finished product (we used scooby doo wire, we had in the craft room).</div>
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- leaves, dried flowers, etc (this part may involve braving the heat outside *sorry*)</div>
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<strong>Instructions:</strong></div>
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1. tape a piece of contact paper, sticky side up, onto the surface you're working on</div>
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2. decorate randomly with your leaves, flowers, sticks etc</div>
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3. cover with another piece of contact paper, sticky on sticky</div>
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4. trim with your scissors into a circle or other shape, we did one big shape and two smaller ones</div>
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5. punch a hole and thread your ribbon through.</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9FWL2Uzw1TE/T_2WX29EHPI/AAAAAAAAA28/Vdz6-3qBV8o/s640/blogger-image-1481561222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="crafts for kids" border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9FWL2Uzw1TE/T_2WX29EHPI/AAAAAAAAA28/Vdz6-3qBV8o/s640/blogger-image-1481561222.jpg" title="I love these beautiful summer colors" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6rFmGhWyml0N_2KyI8CfncjBMGTCyHohKhotPKS-9E5sn9JMto2jWwAxG7t_zZ4_O32cbD41IEwSYpjmuYQKvyjcCouG99nt9M2GYA8UiO-_DBCfEbvLkjPC7QrGo1NH56HrKUx0480M/s640/blogger-image--399841644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="crafts for kids" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6rFmGhWyml0N_2KyI8CfncjBMGTCyHohKhotPKS-9E5sn9JMto2jWwAxG7t_zZ4_O32cbD41IEwSYpjmuYQKvyjcCouG99nt9M2GYA8UiO-_DBCfEbvLkjPC7QrGo1NH56HrKUx0480M/s320/blogger-image--399841644.jpg" title="maybe I should've cleaned up the yard for the photo..." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here, I connected them to suctions caps to hang on the window</td></tr>
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Happy crafting everyone</div>
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P.S. Let me know if you're successful with a greener alternative to contact paper.</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-17206209201706663842012-07-12T11:23:00.002-07:002012-07-25T02:29:20.513-07:00How to make a pencil case from a plastic food bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-yAF8Zyg1Y/T_8VddDlvTI/AAAAAAAAA4w/vfVG1-jvaLY/s1600/pencil+case+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to make a pencil case" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-yAF8Zyg1Y/T_8VddDlvTI/AAAAAAAAA4w/vfVG1-jvaLY/s320/pencil+case+copy.png" title="How to upcycle a plastic food bag into a pencil case" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was inspired to try this project after watching a Terracycle youtube video on how to make a coin purse from a plastic food bag.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ctglpIT9Nrk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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However, I like taking the easy way out and my bag already had 3 closed sides, I was definitely not cutting new pieces just to sew them back together.</div>
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My personal no. 1 rule of <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/cinderalla-and-upcycling-fairy.html" target="_blank">upcycling</a> is take advantage of as many seams as you can. (okay so that's for clothing, but why should plastic be different?).</div>
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So here's how <span style="color: blue;">I</span> did it...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb0qESfmu_EAXcoq0zv0EKw8eYkkI-Niesbliq2UHJfTYT2kehI6lJ_H34sVqMmn_eIaIDtjCTL4-rgux6lnZdf7WFvFHQD4u9jMfcWQe_GbO-2MM1Mi-TrbcRQAmQJ9x38KT1XA79nqC/s640/blogger-image--585652763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="recycle plastic food bag" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb0qESfmu_EAXcoq0zv0EKw8eYkkI-Niesbliq2UHJfTYT2kehI6lJ_H34sVqMmn_eIaIDtjCTL4-rgux6lnZdf7WFvFHQD4u9jMfcWQe_GbO-2MM1Mi-TrbcRQAmQJ9x38KT1XA79nqC/s200/blogger-image--585652763.jpg" title="Plastic food bag." width="200" /></a></div>
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<strong>What you need:</strong></div>
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1. a strong plastic, empty, rinsed, food bag.</div>
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2. scissors</div>
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3. a zipper that's a little longer than the opening of the bag</div>
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4. thick needle</div>
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5. color-coordinated thread.</div>
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<strong>Instructions:</strong></div>
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Step 1: Use your scissors to cut the bag at the height that you want your pencil case to be.<br />
(admission of guilt: being as lazy as I am, and not owning a ruler *gasp*, I estimated the height on each side rather than measuring equal sides, which is why the final product's a little skew).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQFW6TLCxQvG-6RIrB4znuSpD0IikSi7r9-7mzRU9N89i_AY1HbJByrGbhJfLrFw4NYZ2Y_vmnO52Kr1Uj7PkbcWup3SDamUxoeucaQFbCi66KvKyLVRuF7iww1TzQEsf2sTGiILk55Fa/s1600/blogger-image-1457303789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sew a zipper" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQFW6TLCxQvG-6RIrB4znuSpD0IikSi7r9-7mzRU9N89i_AY1HbJByrGbhJfLrFw4NYZ2Y_vmnO52Kr1Uj7PkbcWup3SDamUxoeucaQFbCi66KvKyLVRuF7iww1TzQEsf2sTGiILk55Fa/s320/blogger-image-1457303789.jpg" title="bag and zipper cut to size" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 2: Tape the zipper to the edge of your bag. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZOfQx6mlRE4W2tLjAodNZAMNL9NfhumcPN73vF76Vc-bKHC_Gyi0ccwzLvpVLU79LcJbnTt1Q36LexczO26jrVTQYYZ6m82qAf1cg9t013D3QCIYBGu5XzgdT9-H7KIfp-FsYwNQztB9/s1600/blogger-image--663974598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to sew a zipper" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZOfQx6mlRE4W2tLjAodNZAMNL9NfhumcPN73vF76Vc-bKHC_Gyi0ccwzLvpVLU79LcJbnTt1Q36LexczO26jrVTQYYZ6m82qAf1cg9t013D3QCIYBGu5XzgdT9-H7KIfp-FsYwNQztB9/s320/blogger-image--663974598.jpg" title="tape the zipper in place" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 3: Hand sew the zipper to the bag with a double layer of normal thread and a thick(ish) needle.<br />
I say <u>hand</u> sew, because if you have kept the original three sides like I did, it would be very difficult and probably impossible to maneuver around the sewing machine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8xLmUc9vq2f6oHTrVTfVV820ccq_aUJJUmQFGSQ7SdIVQAr_s1FkWh7wCxTJ6rkH5dMenYv8L8D98mggMYg50DYjg84RdB6B-E7fboSz62CFZAG9kXlnXNfNFtxRK6BctRWiVbaXczpL/s1600/blogger-image--1357083215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to sew a zipper" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8xLmUc9vq2f6oHTrVTfVV820ccq_aUJJUmQFGSQ7SdIVQAr_s1FkWh7wCxTJ6rkH5dMenYv8L8D98mggMYg50DYjg84RdB6B-E7fboSz62CFZAG9kXlnXNfNFtxRK6BctRWiVbaXczpL/s200/blogger-image--1357083215.jpg" title="halfway there" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3l0Qdo62nxxBrkxoVBX9U_w_vY2CI1XfOrRteI5FwtI-iv-O6Xm-6t_0oiXM47xOlUTzDcZeI4EoqP4Jc9dtcK_rO0KqcawlVUXSZfNteNJKVvvjuJmciytXntPpjfgsQdDdV3TJeFqbo/s1600/blogger-image-239755579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="how to sew a pencil case" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3l0Qdo62nxxBrkxoVBX9U_w_vY2CI1XfOrRteI5FwtI-iv-O6Xm-6t_0oiXM47xOlUTzDcZeI4EoqP4Jc9dtcK_rO0KqcawlVUXSZfNteNJKVvvjuJmciytXntPpjfgsQdDdV3TJeFqbo/s200/blogger-image-239755579.jpg" title="my not so fancy stitching" width="200" /></a></div>
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Step 4: Sew the edges of the zipper together and tuck them in.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-STVgDeXry08/T_8P-6JlHWI/AAAAAAAAA4g/krQg7J-WiN4/s1600/blogger-image-1290961913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-STVgDeXry08/T_8P-6JlHWI/AAAAAAAAA4g/krQg7J-WiN4/s320/blogger-image-1290961913.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And that's it! In only four short steps, you have a fully functional upcycled pencil case.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq6KlVPExiVfD4M7FF5FxEfbT2RT7Ox9hMLhfmf70NKfc2ExQfQu-Id7OUwQoM0UFm5jRjlPyV7F3zH9dPxVA3dCDUh3rI46OaUId4cyz__bYrTAWfVdg8Ot0dFQ20TsPBBjI-egi-oi2/s1600/blogger-image--1780652058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to make a pencil case" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq6KlVPExiVfD4M7FF5FxEfbT2RT7Ox9hMLhfmf70NKfc2ExQfQu-Id7OUwQoM0UFm5jRjlPyV7F3zH9dPxVA3dCDUh3rI46OaUId4cyz__bYrTAWfVdg8Ot0dFQ20TsPBBjI-egi-oi2/s320/blogger-image--1780652058.jpg" title="finished product" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Upcycling!</div>
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Remember, I loooove your comments:</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Would your kids find an upcycled pencil case <span style="color: yellow;">cool?</span> or</span><span style="color: #783f04;"> geeky?</span></div>
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-5312993218475863962012-07-10T11:57:00.000-07:002012-07-25T02:30:18.296-07:00How to Save Money by Going Green A-Z (Part Three)I recently entered the "Circle of Moms" Top 25 Money Saving Moms blog competition.<br />
Although this blog is all about going green, I do believe that being eco-friendly goes hand-in-hand with frugal living and saving the environment saves you cash. <br />
In honor of the Top 25 List, I'm posting a blog-trilogy; a 3-part series on how to Save Money by Going Green A-Z. Click to catch up on <a href="http://mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/how-to-save-money-by-going-green-z-part.html">Part One</a> and <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/how-to-save-money-by-going-green-z-part_08.html">Part Two</a>.<br />
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and now for Part Three...<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">R</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Recycle</span>! I'm sure you know that recycling is an eco-friendly habit, but did you know there are many ways to make and save money by recycling. <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/make-money-recycling" target="_blank">Wise Bread</a> lists 15 websites that will give you cash for your trash. US & UK citizens can use <a href="https://www.recyclebank.com/" target="_blank">Recyclebank</a> to earn points by participating in recycling and other Green habits, points can then be used to redeem gift certificates. South Africans can earn money with <a href="http://www.collectacan.co.za/" target="_blank">Collect a Can</a> or search for other <a href="http://www.mywaste.co.za/" target="_blank">buy-back centres</a> near you. In Israel, you can return your small plastic bottles and your glass bottles to reclaim the 30cent deposit at the supermarket.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">S</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Seal </span>your oven dishes with lids rather than foil and use reusable covers to seal the freshness in your salads, rather than gladwrap. <br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EZ7I3bQZxMc/T_xwiB6vt6I/AAAAAAAAA2I/4Vu-fkNpYyo/s640/blogger-image-812857067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Save money with reusable bowl covers" border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EZ7I3bQZxMc/T_xwiB6vt6I/AAAAAAAAA2I/4Vu-fkNpYyo/s200/blogger-image-812857067.jpg" title="Fabric reusable bowl covers" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM6NU-fhKUmz87KDd4PZNitGscjDwOizOMYp0oVdwmF295mtA_ebiQ3tq2UtYlfJKwF5veCfMYjgM6q-ImmNbhNDidCPTPAg_Qz8aps_mpPMKFF4qUv5tgjEbzpVnTTlihzIhipkuv0Vl/s1600/Eliya+cindarella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img $ca="true" alt="how to make a cinderella costume" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM6NU-fhKUmz87KDd4PZNitGscjDwOizOMYp0oVdwmF295mtA_ebiQ3tq2UtYlfJKwF5veCfMYjgM6q-ImmNbhNDidCPTPAg_Qz8aps_mpPMKFF4qUv5tgjEbzpVnTTlihzIhipkuv0Vl/s200/Eliya+cindarella.jpg" title="Upcycled cinderella dress" width="150" /></a><span style="color: blue;">T</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Terracycle</span> your traditionally unrecyclable waste. You may not be able to take home the money you generate, but you can donate it to your school or charity. Perhaps you could save money on afterschool clubs if you earn enough through <a href="http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/" target="_blank">terracycle</a>.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">U</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Upcycle</span> old fabrics into clothes for your kids. You can start by reading how a friend and I upcycled old curtains and a tablecloth into a <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/cinderalla-and-upcycling-fairy.html" target="_blank">Cinderella dress</a>. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">V</span> - grow your own <span style="color: blue;">Vegetables. </span><span style="color: black;">I'm a beginner at vegetable gardening and aside from being green, healthy and frugal I've found it to be fun and inspiring too. (See more about <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/search/label/Gardening">my vegetable gardening</a>).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Du35o94sp8ODCY1M2hDaVdRXxukNEcRfQqAcFvMeH76kv46_lS3cwvB29x5Iigu8k7GVPB8Zq7yH_7HCR5q-MpSNodZR372k6c7J_HbVja9b4hbDr0L14-XI05szLFJXRr3ceQSs2GBh/s1600/blogger-image-1919508213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="vegetable gardening" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Du35o94sp8ODCY1M2hDaVdRXxukNEcRfQqAcFvMeH76kv46_lS3cwvB29x5Iigu8k7GVPB8Zq7yH_7HCR5q-MpSNodZR372k6c7J_HbVja9b4hbDr0L14-XI05szLFJXRr3ceQSs2GBh/s200/blogger-image-1919508213.jpg" title="how to grow tomatoes" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">W </span>- use scraps of fabric to <span style="color: blue;">Wrap</span> gifts. If you don't have any scraps of fabric, Katie Redmon has another 8 <a href="http://world.edu/8-ecofriendly-gift-wrapping-ideas/" target="_blank">Eco-friendly gift-wrapping</a> ideas for us.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">X</span> - skip your traditional printed family <span style="color: blue;">Xmas</span><span style="color: black;"> (or other holiday) card</span> and use recycled gift tags.. Here's a picture tutorial on how to use old cards to create new gift tags. If you don't have any saved cards to cut up, what about buying a <a href="http://www.cleverbean.com/servlet/the-177/Chalk-Cloth-Handmade-Reusable/Detail?roia=!4PXdvq1BAAHroWMyMTIAQgAAKzw-A&subid=GiftTag+link">reusable chalk cloth tag</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cleverbean.com/servlet/the-177/Chalk-Cloth-Handmade-Reusable/Detail?roia=!4PXdvq1BAAHroWMyMTIAQgAAKzw-A&subid=GiftTag+link" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img $ca="true" alt="buy gift tags" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9yKHkUUuUs8/T_v8soQpErI/AAAAAAAAA10/i-a7XAU22_c/s1600/gifttag.jpg" title="Reusable Gift Tags" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Y</span> - do what works for <span style="color: blue;">YOU</span>, if your eco-friendly habits aren't fun and feel like a sacrifice, you're not going to maintain them. So find one step that seems enjoyable and start there. (If you're thinking that I only wrote this because I couldn't find a way to make money by going green with a <span style="color: blue;">Y</span>... you're wrong, there's also <a href="http://yourenew.com/"><span style="color: blue;">YouRenew.com</span></a> )</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd5TGIh6_Zr475CjuEtcgFFH3Z1ao3aSWAg-fZlth7Gi22m3p4j0xWlAsar4EENwdomkm7xDc3UoSIWxBhgJLBpeyrMZjj96hL8UHINJMfM5mhg6f_oMAhtWZxaa8hvftxnNJ7Q3thnC1/s640/blogger-image-185161287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="upcycled pencil case with used food bag" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd5TGIh6_Zr475CjuEtcgFFH3Z1ao3aSWAg-fZlth7Gi22m3p4j0xWlAsar4EENwdomkm7xDc3UoSIWxBhgJLBpeyrMZjj96hL8UHINJMfM5mhg6f_oMAhtWZxaa8hvftxnNJ7Q3thnC1/s200/blogger-image-185161287.jpg" title="DIY pencil case craft" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Z</span> - add a <span style="color: blue;">Zipper</span> to a used food bag and make a pencil case.<br />
Here's a picture of a frozen chicken nuggets bag that I turned into a pencil case with a zipper. <br />
And <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/how-to-make-pencil-case-from-plastic.html" target="_blank">here's how I did it.</a><br />
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-59432625376121173602012-07-08T11:37:00.002-07:002012-07-10T12:01:51.608-07:00How to Save Money by Going Green A-Z (Part Two)<div>
I recently entered the "Circle of Moms" Top 25 Money Saving Moms blog competition. (You can see my profile and vote for me at this <a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/going-green-2?blogroll_id=66" target="_blank">link</a>). <br />
Although this blog is all about going green, I do believe that being eco-friendly goes hand-in-hand with frugal living <br />
and saving the environment <strong>saves you cash</strong>. <br />
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In honor of the Top 25 List, I'm posting a blog-trilogy; a 3-part series on how to Save Money by Going Green A-Z. You can read Part One <a href="http://mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/how-to-save-money-by-going-green-z-part.html">here</a>.<br />
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and now for Part Two...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00bnCL0jh45DM1vvCYAv7jgYIppJ-CwjenKPBe_tUNxbYTuu3QPR235O_jXu3-1puoVPRVOeNsxO_R7WlREjUZ6hSVn75YmanHo4emWeAppMg03HTjLI5aix4OOXMg78U6-owIvS-3omy/s640/blogger-image-1531197206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Involve the kids squeezing oranges" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00bnCL0jh45DM1vvCYAv7jgYIppJ-CwjenKPBe_tUNxbYTuu3QPR235O_jXu3-1puoVPRVOeNsxO_R7WlREjUZ6hSVn75YmanHo4emWeAppMg03HTjLI5aix4OOXMg78U6-owIvS-3omy/s200/blogger-image-1531197206.jpg" title="Squeeze fresh orange juice" width="200" /></a><span style="color: blue;">J </span>- squeeze your own <span style="color: blue;">Juice</span>. Orange juice from freshly squeezed oranges is much healthier and cheaper than store-bought - sugar and preservative added - juices and requires no damaging plastic packaging! You can also use your squeezed orange juice to make your own popsicles.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSo6vCqgEgmqnCpCQWG2Qc0u2xZNhWDKzXR0vTmX5H1kTA61qF1h53_55XtySG_yBFEAZut_cfkcos_rHmhkT8O9-ODemBEPLU6DlvFbJhw0wfjorGQ6YnUhQW1tQGkYLGKcuiwo9aTuY/s640/blogger-image-343978541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="home-made popsicles" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSo6vCqgEgmqnCpCQWG2Qc0u2xZNhWDKzXR0vTmX5H1kTA61qF1h53_55XtySG_yBFEAZut_cfkcos_rHmhkT8O9-ODemBEPLU6DlvFbJhw0wfjorGQ6YnUhQW1tQGkYLGKcuiwo9aTuY/s200/blogger-image-343978541.jpg" title="Home squeezed orange juice popsicles" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">K</span> - get your <span style="color: blue;">Kids</span> involved. Many of us spend money every month on afternoon, educational stimulating activities for our little ones. Gardening, upcycling and recycling with your kids, are all educational, fun and free activities. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a3hqJSvZQ5A/T_mnxhOn9oI/AAAAAAAAA1M/PvhdRhvk5ss/s640/blogger-image--705803097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="use a shopping list" border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a3hqJSvZQ5A/T_mnxhOn9oI/AAAAAAAAA1M/PvhdRhvk5ss/s200/blogger-image--705803097.jpg" title="Shopper app" width="133" /></a><span style="color: blue;">L</span> - shopping with a <span style="color: blue;">List</span><span style="color: black;"> can ensure you purchase only what you need and will use.</span> Personally, I love walking up and down all the aisles in the grocery store, musing over what would look nice in my kitchen cupboards. Even when I do write a shopping list, I inevitably forget it at home. I do, however, understand the importance of using a shopping list in order to avoid overbuying items that are going to go bad before you have a chance to use them. I recently started using the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shopper-lite-coupons-specials/id289188369?mt=8" target="_blank">Shopper</a> app on my i-phone, which means I never forget my list at home anymore. The items are automatically arranged according to the aisles and there are several customisable features even on the free "lite" version.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">M</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Make</span> your own toys. Collect a variety of items destined for the trash and use them to create something fun, like this <a href="http://mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/how-to-make-kitchen-from-cardboard-box.html">play kitchen</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc87EUWperlWjDTCCMwmzlZ4kkknSiTfBj-peEMADcCQjQogtp8GJPsty4WJ_cdTJgj1d5TUUrND6kEqLNUMdjvPkpSHi5GMBP1kB0rBmhews7nq5ZTszmc3Vo9oznqZ87ik9or0t2kSv/s1600/blogger-image-1626992334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cardboard box play kitchen" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc87EUWperlWjDTCCMwmzlZ4kkknSiTfBj-peEMADcCQjQogtp8GJPsty4WJ_cdTJgj1d5TUUrND6kEqLNUMdjvPkpSHi5GMBP1kB0rBmhews7nq5ZTszmc3Vo9oznqZ87ik9or0t2kSv/s200/blogger-image-1626992334.jpg" title="How to make a kitchen from a cardboard box" width="149" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6MehUGGGGCc/T_mnynz5bfI/AAAAAAAAA1U/-SYI1X5NRSc/s640/blogger-image--1822370632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="how to fold a napkin" border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6MehUGGGGCc/T_mnynz5bfI/AAAAAAAAA1U/-SYI1X5NRSc/s200/blogger-image--1822370632.jpg" title="Bishop's Hat napkin fold" width="200" /></a><span style="color: blue;">N</span> - cloth <span style="color: blue;">Napkins</span> are reusable, saving the money and carbon footprint attached to paper napkins. An as an added bonus, they can be <a href="http://www.tipjunkie.com/how-to-fold-a-napkins/" target="_blank">folded</a> in many fancy ways adding elegance to your table-setting. On the right is my Bishop's hat napkin.<br />
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I'm adding an additional N here, for <span style="color: blue;">Nappies</span> (Diapers). Cloth nappies are another great way to save money and be green. I'll admit, that I haven't been brave enough to try them yet. But I'll definitely let you know once I do. Meanwhile, you can check out details at <a href="http://applecheeks.com/" target="_blank">Applecheeks</a> recommended by a Going Green reader.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">O</span> - sign up for<span style="color: blue;"> Online</span> bills and reduce paper wastage. How can this save you money? Some companies offer incentives to sign up to online bills. Our mobile company offers free smses on signing up.<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ibCP5Vur8Dg/T_mnw-qKUrI/AAAAAAAAA1E/z4c9vI9IIN0/s640/blogger-image--1376661921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ibCP5Vur8Dg/T_mnw-qKUrI/AAAAAAAAA1E/z4c9vI9IIN0/s200/blogger-image--1376661921.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="color: blue;">P</span> - be conscious about your <span style="color: blue;">Packaging</span> choices. If you can, choose a product with recyclable packaging. Clean out your used plastic jars, and buy the paper bag refill next time. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Q</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Quit </span>smoking. Not an easy task for a heavy smoker, but one that offers many rewards. Save your money, save your environment (from the packagin waste; the actual cigarette butts) and most importantly save your health (smoking increases your risk of suffering a heart attack, a stroke, several types of cancers, as well as increasing the risk of asthma and ear infections in your children). If you want to quit but feel that you can't do it on your own, ask your family doctor for advice and/or pharmaceutical assistance.<br />
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Are you ready for <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/how-to-make-money-by-going-green-part.html">Part Three</a> ?</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-59422956795490184172012-07-05T10:46:00.002-07:002012-07-10T12:01:51.606-07:00How to Save Money by Going Green A-Z (Part One)<div>
I recently entered the "Circle of Moms" Top 25 Money Saving Moms blog competition. <br />
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(You can see my profile and vote for me<a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/going-green-2?blogroll_id=66" target="_blank"> here</a>). Although this blog is all about going green, I do believe that being eco-friendly goes hand-in-hand with frugal living and saving the environment <strong>saves you cash</strong>. </div>
<div>
In honor of the Top 25 List, I'm posting a blog-trilogy; a 3-part series on how to Save Money by Going Green A-Z. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqOQHExngYU6Z6-d_R5B0RPQhIjtp4rWI0Nyt7gzX990iVbd1R67BGCg6CBzQoezrvfmxlZV_FLyuoKfZwxm0leUlh07VY9A-H7tmjaK9saR_F1P-whHcrrqp9ihQF_Krs1aBYF3PbpHY/s1600/appliances.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqOQHExngYU6Z6-d_R5B0RPQhIjtp4rWI0Nyt7gzX990iVbd1R67BGCg6CBzQoezrvfmxlZV_FLyuoKfZwxm0leUlh07VY9A-H7tmjaK9saR_F1P-whHcrrqp9ihQF_Krs1aBYF3PbpHY/s200/appliances.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: blue;">A </span>- change to energy efficient<span style="color: blue;"> Appliances</span>. This may involve an extra investment of money to begin with, but when you start saving electricity, you'll make your money back. To get an idea of how much you would save by replacing, for example, an old refrigerator, visit <a href="http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/refrigerators.html" target="_blank">Michael Bluejay and his refrigerator savings calculator</a>. Additionally some countries and/or some companies offer rebates or special deals when exchanging old appliances for newer energy efficient ones. So far I've found links for the <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator" target="_blank">USA</a> and <a href="http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3982565,00.html" target="_blank">Israel</a>. Let me know if you have more links. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">B<span style="color: black;"> -</span> Bicycle</span> and save money on gas. Start small, have a bookclub or meeting close by? - leave the car and <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/exercise-learning-lessons.html">go by bike</a>. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">C</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Composting</span> your household and garden's organic waste is great for the environment. Check out <a href="http://www.composting101.com/how-it-works.html" target="_blank">composting 101</a> for all the how-to info. If you have a plants or a vegetable garden, doing your own composting will save you from spending money on store-bought compost. If you don't have your own garden, sell your compost to your gardening neighbours! <a href="http://www.cleverbean.com/servlet/the-In-the-Garden/searchpath/6503/start/10/total/59/Categories?roiacustom=compostlink&roia=!8uBNvq1BAAHroXhjb21wb3N0bGluawBjMjEyAEIAACs8-A">Cleverbean</a> has a great selection of composters to choose from.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yl6oFVq6L-VnRAfZeXDzk3ZT0_UxtbZXfiQ5blT-mlz99AOummQAAiKQNajAZJg_ZT9Pnr3rXl8zhubaliy_EX3ZzO5ysbJm1iCmfpnGmkMY00rdJPF09kSEfiCp_PaUDayhsIEJDt82/s1600/blogger-image--598959566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yl6oFVq6L-VnRAfZeXDzk3ZT0_UxtbZXfiQ5blT-mlz99AOummQAAiKQNajAZJg_ZT9Pnr3rXl8zhubaliy_EX3ZzO5ysbJm1iCmfpnGmkMY00rdJPF09kSEfiCp_PaUDayhsIEJDt82/s200/blogger-image--598959566.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">D</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Drip</span> irrigation will keep your garden growing while keeping your water bill and water wastage low. I use the simplest drip irrigation system in my garden. I placed a long long pipe with small holes at 5cm intervals in the garden, circling it around the different plants and double around the trees. At one end it is attached with a simple attachment to the faucet, and the other end is doubled over and tied together. The timer was too expensive, so I manually operate it - I have it on for about 15-20 minutes every day or two. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">E</span> - reduce your <span style="color: blue;">Electricity</span> usage and save. Not sure how? Check out my <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/top-10-tips-to-save-electricity.html" target="_blank">Top 10 Tips for Saving Electricity</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGONgtG6sDRebV3T4Yq5EA7SOdrv31gOU2ofM7KeeKhGl4eKHLARDc6zhx9hzzl7JLwXsMoVa56AyNYC2ZC_PKRwZczhQ82w2BY0ti2zKIXwxygWE19PIxYaFZ15KqZmB9njxYyL5ZAcD/s1600/ElectricityTopTips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGONgtG6sDRebV3T4Yq5EA7SOdrv31gOU2ofM7KeeKhGl4eKHLARDc6zhx9hzzl7JLwXsMoVa56AyNYC2ZC_PKRwZczhQ82w2BY0ti2zKIXwxygWE19PIxYaFZ15KqZmB9njxYyL5ZAcD/s320/ElectricityTopTips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">F</span>- <span style="color: blue;">Fix</span> anything and everything you can. We're often very quick to throw things away, especially when buying something new doesn't cost a lot. Remember, even if it doesn't cost a lot, it still costs something and it costs even more from the environment. A glue-gun and a sewing kit can keep many useful items out of the trash.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCP-ENqCK22HcNSJpRcqXbHxp_Zj1jfY19nesBbXm1KGWNzFlvpmJ4GNE9ZZ8szlxOLAFAuzEgyCebJ6eDpb_dQgqvUtd5rkj2Y_aL418mbsR1f5wLRnGFWC9m5e6UfImr-TxhJxXAZXV/s640/blogger-image-2135979241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCP-ENqCK22HcNSJpRcqXbHxp_Zj1jfY19nesBbXm1KGWNzFlvpmJ4GNE9ZZ8szlxOLAFAuzEgyCebJ6eDpb_dQgqvUtd5rkj2Y_aL418mbsR1f5wLRnGFWC9m5e6UfImr-TxhJxXAZXV/s200/blogger-image-2135979241.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue;">G</span> - think green when creating your aesthetic <span style="color: blue;">Garden</span>. Buy only a few plants and propagate them to make new ones, you can also grow extras and swap with friends. This way your garden can be full of beautiful plants, without relying on commercial garden stores who package in plastic trays and charge too much.<br />
On the right is a photo of a plant in my garden, that was started from a cutting placed in water, by a friend of mine.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">H</span> - <span style="color: blue;">Heat</span> your water with solar power. (I have an advantage here, because in Israel, by law, almost all the apartments are built with solar powered boilers on the roofs), but there are companies all over the world who make solar water-heaters. So far, I've found you links for <a href="http://solarroofs.com/" target="_blank">USA</a>, <a href="http://www.solarsense-uk.com/solar-domestic-hot-water.asp" target="_blank">UK</a>, <a href="http://www.suntank.co.za/" target="_blank">South Africa</a>, <a href="http://www.solahart.com.au/" target="_blank">Australia</a>. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">I</span> -<span style="color: blue;"> Invest</span> in green companies. *disclaimer: I am not a real investment adviser so don't take my advice without additional research*. The future is green, many companies are already implementing more eco-friendly changes. These forward-looking companies are probably the ones that will make your money grow, plus you can feel good about supporting them.</div>
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Can you guess what<span style="color: blue;"> J</span> stands for? </div>
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Find out in <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/how-to-save-money-by-going-green-z-part_08.html">Part Two</a>.</div>
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Don't forget to vote for me<a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/going-green-2?blogroll_id=66" target="_blank"> here</a> !<br />
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Happy Savings.</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-45672225157861722832012-07-01T20:52:00.001-07:002012-07-01T22:50:46.805-07:00How do tomatoes grow?The last couple of months I've been busy carefully watering my tomato plants and watching them grow. I've found the whole experience of growing vegetables from seed to be very inspiring and thought I'd share the inspiration with you.<br />
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Here's a video that I created with photos that I have taken of our plants all the way, from seedlings to bright green tomatoes. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/AMi1b3W2Gz0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Lessons learned from a first time vegetable gardener:<br />
- Next time, I think I'll try creating a tomato cage and not relying on a single stake, which doesn't seem to have done anything to keep this tomato plant from looking like a Xmas tree.<br />
- Also, remember to remove sideshoots which are the leafy branches with no flowers that take energy away from the fruit production.<br />
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- The truss, is the group of yellow flowers eventually whither off, leaving small green tomatoes behind. I read this and other great tomato facts on <a href="http://the%20truss%20is%20the%20branch%20of%20yellow%20flowers.%20the%20flowers%20wither,%20drop%20off%20and%20leave%20behind%20the%20tiny%20green%20tomato%20that%20has%20been%20developing%20at%20the%20centre%20of%20the%20flower./" target="_blank">Tomato Lover</a>.<br />
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- After a lot of online research, I discovered that inconsistent watering and calcium delivery causes blossom end rot. Unfortunately, nobody seems to agree how much water the plant needs, some say there's no such thing as too much, others disagree, some recommend putting your finger a couple inches into the soil and if that's dry, add water. In the end, I stopped researching and just did what felt right and hoped for the best. (what felt right was watering every morning until the soil looked soaked).<br />
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Sharing the vegetable growing experience with my kids has been fun and educational but the sharing didn't stop there. We shared the experience with many of our friends in the neighbourhood as after starting the tomatoes from seed, I had too many seedlings, and gave away small potted plants to anyone who came to visit us. The kids even helped me decorate a window container, which we potted up with soil and a small plant for a friend's engagement.<br />
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You can read about how I got started <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/how-to-grow-tomatoes-from-seed.html">growing tomatoes from seed</a> in a previous post. <br />
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Happy gardening!<br />
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-9648349438004599542012-06-27T21:37:00.001-07:002012-06-28T03:20:42.128-07:00Top 10 Tips to Save Electricity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGONgtG6sDRebV3T4Yq5EA7SOdrv31gOU2ofM7KeeKhGl4eKHLARDc6zhx9hzzl7JLwXsMoVa56AyNYC2ZC_PKRwZczhQ82w2BY0ti2zKIXwxygWE19PIxYaFZ15KqZmB9njxYyL5ZAcD/s1600/ElectricityTopTips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Save Electricity" border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGONgtG6sDRebV3T4Yq5EA7SOdrv31gOU2ofM7KeeKhGl4eKHLARDc6zhx9hzzl7JLwXsMoVa56AyNYC2ZC_PKRwZczhQ82w2BY0ti2zKIXwxygWE19PIxYaFZ15KqZmB9njxYyL5ZAcD/s400/ElectricityTopTips.jpg" title="Top Ten Tips to Save Electricity in the Summer" width="400" /></a></div>
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Saving electricity is always going to save you money - assuming you pay your own electricity bill - but in my case, the reward has been sweetened. <br />
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Our electricity company is offering refunds on a certain percentage of your electricity bill, if you decrease your electricity usage compared to 2011. So if we can get our electricity down by 10-30% as compared to last year, we will get money back! <br />
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Sounds great... the tricky part is we have my sister and father-in-law staying at us, in the two guest bedrooms that weren't being used last year and that last year the house was empty when we went on an August vacation and this year there will be tenants. Theoretically, I feel that I've always kept electricity usage somewhere in the back of my mind and so I really needed to search for the best top 10 tips out there, in order to rise to my challenge. <br />
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Here they are:<br />
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1. <span style="color: blue;">Don't use a tumble dryer: </span><br />
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I've had a tumble dryer for the last 5 years and it has changed my life. I love soft fluffy clothes and linen, I love saving time dealing with laundry. However, after reading EVERYWHERE how much energy a tumble dryer uses, and having friends stare at me in shock when I tell them I use my tumble dryer in summer - it became clear that this was going to be the core of my saving electricity mission.<br />
So I hang up the laundry, instead of checking facebook for the millionth time, and I'm trying some new suggestions to<a href="http://frugalliving.about.com/od/colthing/qt/Line_Dry_Stiff.htm" target="_blank"> keep my line-dried clothes from getting stiff</a>. I haven't used vinegar yet - that sounds scary. I have cut the amount of detergent I use... I used to use double the amount recommended (I don't know why) so I'm on regular amount now and I may even go down to half. I run the clothes in the dryer for 10 min before hanging them out and it does help (I still don't understand why nobody recommends the dryer AFTER hanging them out...). I shake out the clothes before I hang them. I do NOT wait for a windy day to hang them out ... how is that supposed to work? How do I know which day will be windy? and am I expected to leave them in the washing machine until this windy day dawns?<br />
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2. <span style="color: blue;">Turn off the lights when you leave the room:</span><br />
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Duh! Well actually I realised that we always leave a light on upstairs (we all sleep downstairs) when going to sleep so that there will be a little bit of light sneaking through the door of the kids' room and they won't be scared if they wake up. I don't know why I never did this before, but I found a small lamp we weren't using and put it in the corridor outside our rooms on a timer. Now it turns on when we go to bed, and turns off when it gets light in the morning.<br />
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3. <span style="color: blue;">Don't leave mobile phones and laptops charging overnight:</span><br />
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I totally have a tendency to do that, in fact we often leave these devices charging on Saturdays, when we observe the Sabbath and don't use them at all, what a waste.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6OD4SqjZF0s/T-nnVfsK8mI/AAAAAAAAAtw/72mPk0V_g58/s1600/blogger-image-1588437838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Save electricity by changing light bulbs" border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6OD4SqjZF0s/T-nnVfsK8mI/AAAAAAAAAtw/72mPk0V_g58/s200/blogger-image-1588437838.jpg" title="Energy Saving Light Bulb" vca="true" width="200" /></a></div>
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4. <span style="color: blue;">Use energy saving light bulbs:</span></div>
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Most of our lights are already energy saving, but I do have a few more that need replacing. In order not to be wasteful, my intention is to wait until the globes aren't working to replace them. Is it hypocritical to wish that they stop working so that I can replace them before the summer's over?</div>
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5. <span style="color: blue;">Wash clothes in cold water:</span><br />
I almost never use a setting higher than 30 degrees, and after still managing to turn white shirts and socks pink, I'm happy to stick to the cold setting.<br />
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6. <span style="color: blue;">Wait for a full load to run the dishwasher:</span><br />
I would think that the recommendations would be to not use a dishwasher at all (although I know it does save water), but I'm not going to ask questions and enjoy my full-loaded dishwasher while I can.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ggViIA-F9v0/T-nnfHoBi0I/AAAAAAAAAuA/zLlAnMd3qo0/s1600/blogger-image--1066528998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="close trissim and curtains to conserve energy" border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ggViIA-F9v0/T-nnfHoBi0I/AAAAAAAAAuA/zLlAnMd3qo0/s200/blogger-image--1066528998.jpg" title="trissim" vca="true" width="200" /></a></div>
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7. <span style="color: blue;">Keep curtains closed:</span></div>
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By keeping your curtains closed, you decrease the sunlight that gets in and keep your house insulated, thereby reducing the need for the airconditioner. We have 'trissim' which are like heavy metallic blinds that close on the outside of our glass doors - I can totally feel the difference, and can't believe I never thought of lowering these trissim before.</div>
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8. <span style="color: blue;">Keep your thermostat at around 25 degrees celsius</span>:<br />
This is a constant tug of war with my husband, who will wake up in the middle of the night and turn the aircon down to 22, after which I wake up and turn it back up to 25. The point is that every degree really counts, so if you need to compromise at 24, there's still a benefit.<br />
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9. <span style="color: blue;">Don't leave electronics on standby:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGyxvs6vvGM/T-nnf_PoxnI/AAAAAAAAAuI/XMoeAsDVuaI/s1600/blogger-image-1712157777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="multi-plug power strip" border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGyxvs6vvGM/T-nnf_PoxnI/AAAAAAAAAuI/XMoeAsDVuaI/s200/blogger-image-1712157777.jpg" title="power strip controlling tv, dvd & cable" vca="true" width="200" /></a></div>
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Microwaves, TV's, DVD players... and other appliances that either have a clock, or are standby ready to be turned on with a remote control... all use phantom energy. Well, after reading this ghostly news, I went to do a search at home, and found that our desktop computer that we never ever use was plugged in, and using little bits of energy for no reason at all. I've seen recommendations to plug all these items into a power strip and when you're not using them, turn off the whole strip. So far, my challenge with this is when I turn off my strip with the tv, dvd and cable - it means the cable has to reset everytime we turn it on, so I need to do something about that before the whole family agrees to cooperate.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PaSlFPRrV2M/T-nsqNoKnnI/AAAAAAAAAuk/FJEDAH2Jgus/s1600/blogger-image--271053182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="fluff filter" border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PaSlFPRrV2M/T-nsqNoKnnI/AAAAAAAAAuk/FJEDAH2Jgus/s200/blogger-image--271053182.jpg" title="clean tumble dryer fluff filter" vca="true" width="200" /></a></div>
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10. <span style="color: blue;">Clean filters:</span></div>
Cleaning aircon filters will mean more efficient airconditioning even at higher temperature settings (that is totally tried and tested in my house) and cleaning the tumble dryer filter (which I now use for only 10 minutes per laundry session as per tip no.1) reduces drying time.<br />
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Happy savings everyone.<br />
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<br /></div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-23157450099249169712012-06-26T01:47:00.003-07:002012-06-28T03:16:58.110-07:00My Take on Terracycle's Cigarette Waste Brigade<div>
I'm a big fan of Terracycle - if you haven't yet heard about them, go check out their <a href="http://www.terracycle.net/en-US/" target="_blank">website</a>. </div>
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Recently they launched Cigarette Butt Collection & Recycling Programs in the US and Canada and I've seen some chatter as to whether or not this is a good idea.</div>
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SERIOUSLY?... Does <strong>anyone</strong> think it's not a good idea to clean up these cigarette butts that are littering and polluting our streets, parks, and stairwells? The argument that providing a solution for cigarette butt waste encourages smoking is insane but not original.</div>
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As a doctor and a mom, I am very anti-smoking. </div>
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I'm often warning smokers of the dangers their smoking poses to the health of themselves and their family.</div>
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I also warn against unprotected sex with multiple partners, while at the same time supporting free condoms and HPV vaccines.</div>
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I encourage obese patients with high cholesterol to exercise and lose weight, yet that doesn't stop me from prescribing cholesterol-lowering medication.</div>
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I tell patients with external ear infections to stop using cotton-buds to clean their ears (an unnecessary and dangerous habit), yet I still give them antibiotic ear drops.</div>
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So if, after counselling patients on smoking cessation, I can leave my clinic and pick up the hundreds of cigarette butts littering the stairwell (illegally), the sidewalk and the streets and have a great program to send them to; that makes me a holistic healer, not a hypocrite.</div>
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<em>You can read details about Terracycle's program on their </em><a href="http://terracycle.ca/en-CA/brigades/cigarette-waste-brigade.html" target="_blank"><em>brigade page</em></a><em>, but the basics are that you collect cigarette butts, send them to terracycle, earn money for your charity and know that the butts are being safely </em><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/if-we-collect-cigarette-butts-does-mean-we-promote-it.html" target="_blank"><em>processed</em></a><em> and recycled into new products.</em></div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-83240754301045536672012-06-23T12:13:00.001-07:002012-06-28T03:22:02.235-07:00How to turn a pink elephant party greenSince beginning my going green journey, I've done a lot of online research and found so many different ideas and challenges for leading a more eco-friendly life. I'm especially attracted to the reduce, re-use and recycling concepts and feel that until now I've missed out the perfect opportunity to embrace these concepts - kids' birthday parties.<br />
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The most recent birthday party we hosted, was for my 4 year old. I'm not a big fan of creating themes for parties at this age, however, I am a very big fan of cakes. Growing up, my mom let us choose an original cake from the <a href="http://www.melbournegastronome.com/2011/02/australian-womens-weekly-childrens.html" target="_blank">Australian Weekly's original cake book</a> for each birthday. I have fantastic memories of my and my three sisters' elaborate (for that time) cakes; and I let my daughters choose their cakes from that book too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqMzUzkhGD3bBYh7kYcWn_cmTLbuuq9nzsQ3epHbicygw7cFGYa4J_Uh-0spnHdmEm9hRCUXa2u_bAAkhuQJ5daU9KQNoCFv1XXFYHzcFZN22e0K2lbKsakcgLS-Wz6s1xFx2lpD_1YlK/s1600/birthday+4+-+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Australian Weekly Cake" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqMzUzkhGD3bBYh7kYcWn_cmTLbuuq9nzsQ3epHbicygw7cFGYa4J_Uh-0spnHdmEm9hRCUXa2u_bAAkhuQJ5daU9KQNoCFv1XXFYHzcFZN22e0K2lbKsakcgLS-Wz6s1xFx2lpD_1YlK/s320/birthday+4+-+cake.jpg" title="Pink Elephant Birthday Cake" width="320" /></a></div>
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In April, 4 year old Eliya chose the pink elephant for her birthday cake. It's probably my least favourite cake in the book, so I girled it up a bit when I did it, but it still resembles the picture in the book. The rest of the party kindof fell into place around the cake.<br />
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1. Pink-ish decor. <br />
2. First activity: make binoculars out of toilet paper rolls. I stapled two rolls together, and punched holes before the kids' arrived in hope of being organised. I set out different crayons and pencils as well as stickers for decorating. The kids then chose a pair of binoculars, decorated as they wished and chose a piece of pre-cut ribbon to thread in the holes and tie around their neck.<br />
If you're wondering how this fits into birthday theme:- binoculars - safari - elephant<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLQ9qkLz1LFnPZCJaDrIRCqWZYgfSHdK5icxwTIY_1ndlwSL-OL0Y87gDYZsvEBVx4RZVZNTjgSzplZnujs1QZwId1ucB9sMW4sqsaKeIDAm1osZznpJhUi7rOVLbp3P7bhJKxxYYOSaX/s1600/Birthday+1-binoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Activity Children's Party" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLQ9qkLz1LFnPZCJaDrIRCqWZYgfSHdK5icxwTIY_1ndlwSL-OL0Y87gDYZsvEBVx4RZVZNTjgSzplZnujs1QZwId1ucB9sMW4sqsaKeIDAm1osZznpJhUi7rOVLbp3P7bhJKxxYYOSaX/s320/Birthday+1-binoc.jpg" title="Binocular Activity" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Second activity: ice cookies. I bought paper cookie 'plates' and after my cookie baking failed, placed a store-bought cookie in each 'plate'. I then set out several bowls of different colored icing and bowls of decorative sprinkles and gave each child a plastic knife. The kids loved decorating and tasting. Please don't ask how this fits into birthday theme:- pink elephant - pink icing?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSVwO0-Q942R5aW97_UwbH1H-uPb0UJO3CpAVt7MHkThWY81TZclSYnTsSzqqAJVL4F4LaHoxkhDP2PGSSOkhBx6LD8bIAof9zfU_WJKfLQCus_65ovPPnrjdmoXxhpEviyk-IXflqtE8/s1600/Birthday+2+-icing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSVwO0-Q942R5aW97_UwbH1H-uPb0UJO3CpAVt7MHkThWY81TZclSYnTsSzqqAJVL4F4LaHoxkhDP2PGSSOkhBx6LD8bIAof9zfU_WJKfLQCus_65ovPPnrjdmoXxhpEviyk-IXflqtE8/s320/Birthday+2+-icing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Pink Elephant Cake - see above.</div>
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5. Going Home Presents: plastic bags *wince* filled with binoculars, wrapped iced-cookies and a small plastic camera (if you look in the camera you see photos of animals -fits into theme:- pink elephant - safari - animal photos).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc_QkD_K5BjsqACM91K2XCyuestreFK5gpn3oJNq-hG4WenKkj_ap3Xs2QiLPCHw_H7hV7fNyIV3VgHIlO42K-co3pqXCFKJPR_Ph873kBTDKP1GGO2Z-wfFsz-tplh0wvSeD0T2e8nRU/s1600/Birthday+-+3+eliya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc_QkD_K5BjsqACM91K2XCyuestreFK5gpn3oJNq-hG4WenKkj_ap3Xs2QiLPCHw_H7hV7fNyIV3VgHIlO42K-co3pqXCFKJPR_Ph873kBTDKP1GGO2Z-wfFsz-tplh0wvSeD0T2e8nRU/s320/Birthday+-+3+eliya.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A happy birthday girl showing off her creations</td></tr>
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And now, to answer the title of this post...<br />
How would I turn this pink elephant party green?<br />
1. I would use far less disposables and try to use my real dishes, at least for the adults<br />
2. If I wanted to be adventurous, I could make the cookie plates from old cardboard/paper<br />
3. I would definitely not buy the goodie-bags, and either just hand out their gifts with no bags, or make an alternative. I'm planning a future party where I fill a home-made <a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/how-to-upcycle-juice-carton.html">carton wallet</a> with sweets and give that instead of a goodie-bag.<br />
4. I think the cheap, plastic camera toy was unnecessary.<br />
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So hopefully, the next birthday party I plan and post will live up to my going green ideals.<br />
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Happy party-planning everyoneMrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-1197238304569536042012-06-18T21:56:00.002-07:002012-06-18T21:57:38.478-07:00How to be productive with old birthday cards?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Are you a hoarder?</div>
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I'm definitely not a hoarder.</div>
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I just don't like throwing certain things away</div>
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In particular, sentimental things.</div>
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I especially don't like throwing away birthday cards. </div>
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As a child, my mom kept all my birthday cards and glued them into a book for me. I really enjoyed reading through those birthday cards for many years, until one day I decided to emigrate. Moving countries, is a true hoarding/sentimental/prioritising test. Before moving, I got rid of a lot of sentimental stuff that I really didn't need, I also kept a lot of sentimental stuff that I really didn't need. Somewhere in the move I threw out my birthday card books.</div>
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The bonus in growing up and not having as many big birthday parties, is that I don't receive as many birthday cards, and I don't need to decide what to do with them. My parents send me e-cards (which are GREAT ) there are personal messages, no carbon footprint, and I can just archive the link in my gmail. That way, I never get rid of it, yet it doesn't take up any space. </div>
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However, since having kids, the birthday card problem has returned. Here are two of my solutions.</div>
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One: <strong>Birthday-card decoupaged furniture</strong>.</div>
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Below is a pic of a wooden drawer set in my daughters' bedroom.</div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-W-YEIra3xrk/T99Svbsw-FI/AAAAAAAAArI/lR4QxbA31qM/s200/blogger-image-1649135824.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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Here is a close up - you can see that I am in the ongoing process of using modge podge to decoupage their birthday cards (from their birth and first two years) onto the wood. On the top, I also used pretty paper napkins over the birthday cards. When I complete the decoupaging, I intend to paint over with varnish.</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HhzJNWBSpZA/T99SoPh5KxI/AAAAAAAAAqw/qzgOb3fwa48/s640/blogger-image--311188594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HhzJNWBSpZA/T99SoPh5KxI/AAAAAAAAAqw/qzgOb3fwa48/s320/blogger-image--311188594.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Two: <strong>Framed Wedding Card Art</strong></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nhxSa6VgJbE/T99Sqz0Zv5I/AAAAAAAAArA/nF2l0QlANDc/s640/blogger-image-161347874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nhxSa6VgJbE/T99Sqz0Zv5I/AAAAAAAAArA/nF2l0QlANDc/s200/blogger-image-161347874.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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When given a wedding card, the meaning is not only in the words scribbled inside, but also the choice of the card design itself. I cut out the designs from several of our wedding cards and placed them in divided frames to create a meaningful piece of art for our living room.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2Dm_xF5pFE/T-AEqG9augI/AAAAAAAAArk/4K3akYZcBiw/s1600/wedding+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2Dm_xF5pFE/T-AEqG9augI/AAAAAAAAArk/4K3akYZcBiw/s1600/wedding+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqPeqWZrEEa7U90DlfU54rtwYCUD1xlt-1TGQ58bphEwfsszOV9neSNHCnPTMEPd65cuDNT7IV93zl8QPm8IwleYiCmLZY9VAeMDpc8g1ExIHZYatsi3nrcJGRTn_OyOvlwCSSg5yY7hS/s1600/wedding+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqPeqWZrEEa7U90DlfU54rtwYCUD1xlt-1TGQ58bphEwfsszOV9neSNHCnPTMEPd65cuDNT7IV93zl8QPm8IwleYiCmLZY9VAeMDpc8g1ExIHZYatsi3nrcJGRTn_OyOvlwCSSg5yY7hS/s320/wedding+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>Something Different</strong></div>
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The final project that I'm sharing, was actually designed by my mother-in-law and doesn't incorporate birthday cards. However, it <u>is</u> in line with the theme of meaningful home decor. My eldest daughter was named after my mother-in-law's parents and she collected several items from their home and had the items incorporated into a wall-hanging.</div>
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The general concepts in the design such as the blue birds, the cricket bat etc all have particular meaning. Additionally, the flowers and trees were made with fabric from their curtains, pieces of clothing were used for the little girls' dress, and badges were incorporated into the balloons. My daughter now has a piece of art that tells her a story about her great grand-parents for whom she was named.</div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lQxV99ytzQ0/T99SpgCgWCI/AAAAAAAAAq4/lhufT5_AMbs/s640/blogger-image-1460704453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lQxV99ytzQ0/T99SpgCgWCI/AAAAAAAAAq4/lhufT5_AMbs/s320/blogger-image-1460704453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy crafting everyone, and please share more ideas for meaningful home decor.</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-65732677382064680552012-06-14T02:24:00.003-07:002012-06-14T02:39:19.644-07:00How to upcycle a juice carton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Milk and Juice cartons are unfortunately (at least where I live), unrecyclable. I try to buy these items in alternative, recyclable packaging, however I still do end up with quite a few cartons.</div>
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<em>Disney Family Fun</em> has a really cute <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/carton-wallet-675068/" target="_blank">video tutorial</a> on how to make a wallet out of these cartons. </div>
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So voila ! </div>
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... here's my first upcycled juice carton wallet</div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vXU9hpTSAx4/T9mqeIrswdI/AAAAAAAAAqc/054-7hOGRKk/s640/blogger-image--686265434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Juice / Milk carton wallet" border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vXU9hpTSAx4/T9mqeIrswdI/AAAAAAAAAqc/054-7hOGRKk/s320/blogger-image--686265434.jpg" title="Juice Carton Wallet" width="239" /></a></div>
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For instructions, and a link to the wallet template click <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/carton-wallet-675068/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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but here are some of my own tips</div>
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1. watch the<strong> entire</strong> video before you begin - my first attempt I skipped a detail and cut off the entire top</div>
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2. rinse out your carton first - unless you particularly <strong>want </strong>a mango-fragranced wallet.</div>
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3. if you have more than one child, make <strong>more</strong> wallets, my kids loved the wallet and didn't want to share.</div>
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3. if your cartons are smaller then the Family Fun template, you can just fold and tape it to fit, that's what I did in the picture below.</div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-75F6qtu6Se8/T9mqXDGeHsI/AAAAAAAAAqU/VkQWkXLfIDw/s640/blogger-image-617670171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Resized carton wallet template" border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-75F6qtu6Se8/T9mqXDGeHsI/AAAAAAAAAqU/VkQWkXLfIDw/s320/blogger-image-617670171.jpg" title="Template for Carton Wallet" width="239" /></a></div>
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Happy wallet-making everyone</div>
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-77388438607154666362012-06-10T04:25:00.000-07:002012-06-14T02:26:24.116-07:00All about chip wrapper purses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you are looking for a challenging upcycling craft - you need to try making a chip wrapper purse!</div>
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The idea is to empty chip bags and upcycle them into a purse. I didn't actually know this was possible until a couple of weeks ago. Since then I have found that there are many people successfully creating these purses and not wanting to be left behind, I got right to it.</div>
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After 3-4 'working' days, this is where I'm up to:</div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PMlcH_AnkrE/T9RHt-cI4sI/AAAAAAAAAp4/-aNYXFMSXVc/s640/blogger-image-2052501952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PMlcH_AnkrE/T9RHt-cI4sI/AAAAAAAAAp4/-aNYXFMSXVc/s320/blogger-image-2052501952.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<strong>What you need to start your own purse:</strong><br />
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1. Superb instructions from <a href="http://candywrapperpurse.blogspot.co.il/2007/08/chip-wrapper-purse.html#links" target="_blank">Mylinda's Wrapper Purse Blog</a></div>
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2a. Empty potato chip bags (+/- magazine pages) </div>
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OR</div>
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2b. I used old out-of-date booklets from my company, there were stacks of them waiting to be thrown into the paper recycling.</div>
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3. Dental Floss and <a href="http://nannybird.blogspot.co.il/2007/12/come-and-vote.html" target="_blank">Nan's Floss-tying instructions</a> OR another type of strong thread.</div>
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4. An old credit card.</div>
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5. A lot of patience and time.</div>
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<strong>Instructions:</strong></div>
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Seriously, just go to <a href="http://candywrapperpurse.blogspot.co.il/2007/08/chip-wrapper-purse.html#links" target="_blank">Mylinda's Wrapper Purse Blog</a>, her instructions and accompanying photos are great. However, for the initial folding instructions, I recommend<a href="http://fluffyland.com/blog/index.php/starburst-wrapper-bracelet-tutorial/" target="_blank"> fluffyland</a>, as I found their photos easier to follow.</div>
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As you may or may not know, I am a family doctor and I work full time. When I get home, there are kids to take care of and housework to complete, which is why even a few minutes at the end of a day in my office need to be taken advantage of for folding and joining...</div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Dw1EX4Yx_fs/T9RHrQheRrI/AAAAAAAAApo/63xCEK-OlsE/s640/blogger-image-2043635799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Dw1EX4Yx_fs/T9RHrQheRrI/AAAAAAAAApo/63xCEK-OlsE/s320/blogger-image-2043635799.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VXvXUijaMJ0/T9RHnP2BEaI/AAAAAAAAApI/Q6UuAHYxhXo/s640/blogger-image-1198021750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VXvXUijaMJ0/T9RHnP2BEaI/AAAAAAAAApI/Q6UuAHYxhXo/s320/blogger-image-1198021750.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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I took these photos to show off my good start, my first 10 links in 5 minutes.. I considered that a good start.</div>
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My next photos, convey, why it took me a few hours, just to link up the first circle.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q52KfXX4wOE/T9RHtMLKdtI/AAAAAAAAApw/AHL4S9mqOnc/s1600/blogger-image-608978055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q52KfXX4wOE/T9RHtMLKdtI/AAAAAAAAApw/AHL4S9mqOnc/s200/blogger-image-608978055.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Totally Wrong</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uQxnrWYloXg/T9RHvQlSmjI/AAAAAAAAAqA/GOmxkr9csMI/s640/blogger-image-1943276377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uQxnrWYloXg/T9RHvQlSmjI/AAAAAAAAAqA/GOmxkr9csMI/s200/blogger-image-1943276377.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Totally Right</td></tr>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mPBIMI891bY/T9RHoPiYO3I/AAAAAAAAApQ/_0Ao1lTRErs/s640/blogger-image-716168515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mPBIMI891bY/T9RHoPiYO3I/AAAAAAAAApQ/_0Ao1lTRErs/s200/blogger-image-716168515.jpg" width="149" /></a>I will admit, that after realising how long this was going to take me, I almost gave up on the purse dream and settled for a bracelet instead, but I don't like giving up. So by sharing this craft with you on my blog, I am inviting you to start your own wrapper purse, and share your progress with me, and I'm also commiting myself to finish the purse, one way or another. </div>
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If, despite my encouragement, you still aren't ready to commit to making a purse, you can use Terracycle's youtube instruction video to make a wrapper bracelet.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SahbU5LFdPM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Happy wrapper-crafting everyone.</div>
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-35151430154304860512012-06-05T00:36:00.000-07:002012-07-25T02:29:20.515-07:00How to get an eco-friendly free signing time video<strong>What is Signing Time?</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.signingtime.com/" target="_blank">Signing Time</a> is a collection of videos that use music, songs and interesting visuals to teach American Sign Language (ASL). Signing time is aimed at babies, hearing children, deaf children, children with special needs and anyone who enjoys music and wants to learn some ASL.<br />
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<strong>What is my Signing Time story?</strong><br />
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I heard that teaching babies signing can be beneficial in various ways. Babies can understand and have a will to communicate before their facial muscles are developed enough to speak. By teaching them signs with their hands, they are able to communicate much earlier. Babies that can successfully communicate (even on a basic level, "milk" "more" "no more" etc) will be less frustrated, which translates into less tantrums. Additionally, owing to them already having developed skills of communication from a very young age, they often learn to speak earlier. <br />
When Eliya was born, I felt that there were many reasons to try signing with her.<br />
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However, I had very little background in Sign Language and although we signed up to an online program to learn sign language for babies, it wasn't really working. Then, a friend of ours introduced us to <a href="http://www.rachelcoleman.com/about/" target="_blank">Rachel Coleman</a> and <a href="http://www.signingtime.com/#" target="_blank">Signing Time</a>. We LOVED IT. We bought the set of Baby Signing Time DVD's and watched them all the time. We tried to incorporate signing while talking to Eliya, although we often forgot, and probably relied a little too much on the DVDs.<br />
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My husband and I are both South African born, English speakers. We moved to Israel (made Aliya) and our children were born here, and placed in an Hebrew environment from a very young age. Most bilingual kids, from what I've read and definitely from what I've seen amongst our bilingual friends, start speaking a little late and often have some difficulties. My children, especially Eliya, both started speaking on the earlier side of the spectrum and I credit signing time with that.<br />
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If you're wondering why I'm crediting signing time and not myself (being the amazing mom that I am :-) ), I can give you a few reasons. Firstly, Eliya's first words, were words that appear in the signing time DVDs. Secondly, when a young child speaks, it can be difficult to decipher what they are saying and to differentiate when it's a 'baby babble' word or a real word. In our family, we had to differentiate between 'baby babble', English and Hebrew. This could have become very frustrating for Eliya. Thanks to Signing Time, when Eliya realised that I didn't understand her word, she would just use the sign in conjunction with the word, and that would help me to decipher her sound. This meant that her words could be understood which encouraged her to use more and more words and speak more and more. <br />
So Thanks Signing Time.<br />
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<strong>What does Signing Time have to do with Going Green?</strong><br />
Two Little Hands Productions are now offering a new convenient and eco-friendly way to purchase their videos - <a href="http://www.signingtime.com/ondemand" target="_blank">Signing Time on Demand.</a> <br />
The manufacture of DVDs contributes heavily to pollution, and 1.6 billion dvd's go into landfills every year. With Signing Time on Demand, you can help your kids and save the planet while you're at it!<br />
Basically the way it works is that you download the program for free, and can then buy Signing Time videos through the on Demand system and watch them on the computer without the need for a DVD. Another plus is No Scratched/Broken DVDs ! Also, what I love is that through the on Demand system you can copy your videos to your iphone (no cables needed) and watch anywhere and everywhere on your phone.<br />
For more info and to try a <span style="color: red;">free</span> introductory video, go to <a href="http://www.signingtime.com/ondemand" target="_blank">Signing Time on Demand</a>.<br />
<br />Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-27019051539056219312012-06-03T04:17:00.001-07:002012-06-28T03:17:38.487-07:00Cinderalla and the upcycling fairy godmothersTwo years ago, a very crafty friend of mine, decided to make princess costumes for our 2 year old daughters. Never satisfied by simple, this friend decided specifically to make Cinderella and Aurora dresses, and to do it without spending any money. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM6NU-fhKUmz87KDd4PZNitGscjDwOizOMYp0oVdwmF295mtA_ebiQ3tq2UtYlfJKwF5veCfMYjgM6q-ImmNbhNDidCPTPAg_Qz8aps_mpPMKFF4qUv5tgjEbzpVnTTlihzIhipkuv0Vl/s1600/Eliya+cindarella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM6NU-fhKUmz87KDd4PZNitGscjDwOizOMYp0oVdwmF295mtA_ebiQ3tq2UtYlfJKwF5veCfMYjgM6q-ImmNbhNDidCPTPAg_Qz8aps_mpPMKFF4qUv5tgjEbzpVnTTlihzIhipkuv0Vl/s200/Eliya+cindarella.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 - Eliya as Cinderella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnzCo5O-yZbVVb3yho4_0BkCTOtgSZbjrA5WOWFiYgsGkAG_DX1xynRcZI6upFKgAmwNE5fayyEk4nYGuYaX1Fmcvm_DPAVxhR5-MCeqeguYdEtoTNLCrn_O76uzdsk-ZMGWHxBAns9lK/s1600/Chana+Cindarella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnzCo5O-yZbVVb3yho4_0BkCTOtgSZbjrA5WOWFiYgsGkAG_DX1xynRcZI6upFKgAmwNE5fayyEk4nYGuYaX1Fmcvm_DPAVxhR5-MCeqeguYdEtoTNLCrn_O76uzdsk-ZMGWHxBAns9lK/s200/Chana+Cindarella.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 - Chana as Cinderella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yz0wmU_Uq4s/T8uKShLYkcI/AAAAAAAAAoo/kDUpSmiyYkE/s1600/blogger-image--1604078482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yz0wmU_Uq4s/T8uKShLYkcI/AAAAAAAAAoo/kDUpSmiyYkE/s200/blogger-image--1604078482.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aurora's dress</td></tr>
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How to make an upcycled princess dress:<br />
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Step One: She posted on our community e-mail group that she was looking for pink and blue fabrics, and collected a used pink bridesmaid dress, cream tablecloth, and blue curtains.</div>
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Step Two: We followed the guidelines <a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/10/cinderella-dress-halloween-costume.html" target="_blank">from make it and love it</a>. When I say <strong>we</strong>, I mainly mean<strong> she</strong>... because although I did 'help', I stuck to pinning, unpinning and cutting threads.<br />
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Tips to upcycling used fabrics:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcR8eET195NtB5-4fLFuQiUMUnYmc95L0RAaZp6mP6DfONSK29mMuwO2FYFEiJP13QfD7qWDbY8XuIbE7SEMuF4uH5xi3lHprxTpJpUowQfoy5P2LMdK0EBfw3mo-wzk_Uqg2_srnO66C/s640/blogger-image-1297396929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Sleeve cuff from curtain tab top" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcR8eET195NtB5-4fLFuQiUMUnYmc95L0RAaZp6mP6DfONSK29mMuwO2FYFEiJP13QfD7qWDbY8XuIbE7SEMuF4uH5xi3lHprxTpJpUowQfoy5P2LMdK0EBfw3mo-wzk_Uqg2_srnO66C/s200/blogger-image-1297396929.jpg" title="tab top curtain - sleeve cuff" width="200" /></a>1. Generally, we tried to use the seams that were already sewn in the curtains to our advantage, so that we had to do as little sewing as possible.<br />
2. The one aspect of the dress that I did do myself, was the cuffs for the sleeves, we used very flowy sleeves and I wanted a fitted cuff. The blue fabric was originally a <a href="http://www.ehow.com/facts_5386991_types-curtains.html" target="_blank">tab top curtain</a>. So I took the tabs, cut them and inserted a piece of elastic (the size of my daughter's wrist) and then sewed them closed again.<br />
4. The neckline was also upcycled, and we carefully folded blue ribbon for a finished neck.</div>
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After the Cinderella project, I got hooked on sewing. I bought a sewing machine (well I convinced someone to buy it for me as a present) and decided on another upcycling project. </div>
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Note: <em> I have very little sewing background, I did two years of sewing in high school on a basic level, but nothing more, so I'm not promising anything advanced here, just some encouragement that if I could do it, so can you.</em></div>
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I have been a bridesmaid at six weddings, and as much as I enjoyed the experiences and love the brides, I was left with six bridesmaid outfits that I had little use for. Some I gave away, some I still hope to wear and one I decided was destined for upcycling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWRsHjl1_lKq6qa8S6ld94HYA5U-pDXLpY1WV2vl4-vWf5ccAEv7ofQoz5nt2Y2LZWifEtDWulaZBScuhXHq42ObW_lDcxRaoGTSY2w8hJtY03k3hbwsqnPGCsMIUeJn7dUz7MBLMndkX/s1600/eliya+brown+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Eliya in her new upcycled dress" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWRsHjl1_lKq6qa8S6ld94HYA5U-pDXLpY1WV2vl4-vWf5ccAEv7ofQoz5nt2Y2LZWifEtDWulaZBScuhXHq42ObW_lDcxRaoGTSY2w8hJtY03k3hbwsqnPGCsMIUeJn7dUz7MBLMndkX/s320/eliya+brown+dress.jpg" title="How to upcycle a bridesmaid dress" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEri1WjFOlF1oVr_67OS1jr9rDUVEs5rPH9HJsm8EHG8jr-ZJep5dmkCJojm0tBBIvH5jRiMMSnQ2wY0svmYwJ01CT1NiUPN1OWeSe2FUtoDXuaoUNAWwXW-aRidnoZAM1PqunRmYJUTfF/s1600/Retinue+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The bridesmaid dress before being upcycled" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEri1WjFOlF1oVr_67OS1jr9rDUVEs5rPH9HJsm8EHG8jr-ZJep5dmkCJojm0tBBIvH5jRiMMSnQ2wY0svmYwJ01CT1NiUPN1OWeSe2FUtoDXuaoUNAWwXW-aRidnoZAM1PqunRmYJUTfF/s320/Retinue+photo.jpg" title="Me in my bridesmaid dress with my good friend the bride" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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Here is how I did it:</div>
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1. I don't own any dress patterns, so I traced a design from another of my daughter's dresses.</div>
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2. I cut the the fabric of the skirt, keeping the original hem, thereby avoiding extra work.</div>
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3. I used the lining of the skirt for the top half of the dress.</div>
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4. I bought matching thread, buttons and special folding tape which is used for the neckline, armholes and I also used it to join the upper and lower parts of the dress.</div>
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5. The buttonholes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV9v1W1hx2ZANKFzTVh3jAdUwArCBjreK3bJBvkcMvuY7Jux0TF__8QjlSaT98GbkGSCXG2A7P5gq4Z6brcbyQB801gBbnRPqsp4ZbsGoIba7bXLBA6XQcX5weiuBVaMWBlB3ytKnSm5Y/s640/blogger-image-1225499621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Handsewed buttonholes" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV9v1W1hx2ZANKFzTVh3jAdUwArCBjreK3bJBvkcMvuY7Jux0TF__8QjlSaT98GbkGSCXG2A7P5gq4Z6brcbyQB801gBbnRPqsp4ZbsGoIba7bXLBA6XQcX5weiuBVaMWBlB3ytKnSm5Y/s200/blogger-image-1225499621.jpg" title="How to hand sew buttonholes" width="200" /></a>This is where I felt challenged, after watching my friend do the Cinderella zipper I knew there was no way I was trying that. My sewing machine has a buttonhole feature, but after many many failed attempts I realised it wasn't as easy as the instructions claimed. Even if I achieved, one good buttonhole, I would mess up the next one, and I needed three good buttonholes in a row. And then I found <a href="http://www.craftstylish.com/item/42556/how-to-hand-sew-a-buttonhole/page/all" target="_blank"><strong>craftstylish</strong></a><strong> </strong>and tried <u>hand</u>sewing buttonholes. - SUCCESSFULLY!</div>
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Happy upcycling everyone, please send me links/photos to your successful upcycling projects.Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-58926938438043834402012-05-31T04:54:00.000-07:002012-06-28T03:22:02.233-07:00Exercise & Learning Lessons.<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">
Everyone knows that exercise is important. As a doctor, I tell people every day how important exercise is. Yet, like many people, I just don't enjoy exercising. The closest I ever got to enjoying exercise was riding a bike. Now that's fun. Plus, using a bike instead of a car, is definitely part of going green, and would score me big points in my saving the environment challenge</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynsqHeC1JaOHFMBKH6kEvElf4JR42Qv1fR4YK9CVSJYE0zkEDx888_jQGxqF5iIF3RBEnlgD8WrBxosowMVQcPJVw6GRMIwDswjFn0FDXJRgumakaPQd7WTqXE0wNkUebkSKBsnHHIMOu/s1600/Tel+Aviv+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynsqHeC1JaOHFMBKH6kEvElf4JR42Qv1fR4YK9CVSJYE0zkEDx888_jQGxqF5iIF3RBEnlgD8WrBxosowMVQcPJVw6GRMIwDswjFn0FDXJRgumakaPQd7WTqXE0wNkUebkSKBsnHHIMOu/s1600/Tel+Aviv+bike.jpg" /></a>So I thought about buying a bike, even a secondhand bike, but I didn't want to fall into the trap of paying money for exercise equipment that is not going to be used. My first consideration was hiring a bike, certain cities (eg. Tel Aviv) have 'green bike' programs where you can rent and return bikes at docking stations throughout the city. The concept is brilliant. They've called it <a href="http://www.tel-o-fun.co.il/en/Howdoesitwork/RentingandReturningaBike.aspx" target="_blank">Tel-O-fun</a> - see... I told you bikes are fun!</div>
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<strong>Unfortunately</strong> Modiin, does not yet have a Tel-O-fun system, and hiring a bike from my local bike shop just wasn't worth it.</div>
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<strong>Fortunately</strong>, my parents had an old bike lying unused in their garage (for the last +-20 years) and they sent it to me with a friends' furniture shipment.</div>
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With no more excuses left, I 'upcycled' my broken bike with some new tyres and rode home.</div>
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Now which of you can spot the problem with the picture on the right of me riding the bike?</div>
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Don't cheat and scroll down to the rest of the story.</div>
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If you can't see it, ask your kids, they may be able to pick it out.</div>
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Answer: <em>No helmet</em></div>
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The first place I rode to, was my book swap group. </div>
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I got a lot of "wow, that's impressive", even more of "are you serious?" </div>
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and quite a few "Why do you not have a helmet!!?!*" </div>
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To which I replied something about, well I don't ride fast, I'm just trying it out, I'm on the sidewalk not on the road blah blah blah...</div>
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The second place I rode to, was a meeting about e-cards.</div>
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On the way back, just a few metres from home, I crossed the road, at an angle, with a bump and fell.</div>
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Several "Oh my word, I'm so stupid"s later, I was in the semi-emergency room having a laceration on my face glued and a couple scrapes cleaned and bandaged.</div>
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I thought of posting the gory picture of me with blood dripping down my face, but some people consider that stuff gross. So here's a pic of me with my bandaged eye and bruises.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpclZu36T9T9bceduUvCa5OMMhtbK73ioWuP_Z4vaBdonrvd7U8GMBJzdgnRsrYcFzsbgl3ZWBGKii4kxqRYmkn-vE_JNrkfTjuYmrRs73_4m9GT26yhhrPH8N8QUkxdaNbR0pwAI6FrYc/s640/blogger-image-1756019313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpclZu36T9T9bceduUvCa5OMMhtbK73ioWuP_Z4vaBdonrvd7U8GMBJzdgnRsrYcFzsbgl3ZWBGKii4kxqRYmkn-vE_JNrkfTjuYmrRs73_4m9GT26yhhrPH8N8QUkxdaNbR0pwAI6FrYc/s320/blogger-image-1756019313.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The next day, I went to buy a helmet. </div>
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Happy exercising everyone.</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-89030479447551275582012-05-30T02:36:00.000-07:002012-05-30T03:18:35.876-07:00How to make a kitchen from a cardboard box<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yesterday I spent the afternoon, building a kitchen... for my kids... from a cardboard box.</div>
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I found my inspiration on the <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-material/recyclable-projects/cardboard-kitchen-953500/" target="_blank">Disney Family Fun</a> site. and made a few adjustments.</div>
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Their plan is for a double unit, one part stove, one part cupbard & sink, but I wanted it to fit into my kids' plastic outdoor house. The house could only fit one box, so I combined the sink and stove units and sacrificed some cupboard space.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMKjccrc6DLfCgWiDkuEEIc17vR-PppCcVCcZgRmbIpoTG6VMsiS896bqVl-c8qcdhpzx8L73QIcXLq2pbQYunSm-yfY1zgs92zSmFBTozPRfcAU0HQtoRmCHKejOfZ29Nuygi2iz7XfC/s640/blogger-image-1933086108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY recycled play kitchen" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMKjccrc6DLfCgWiDkuEEIc17vR-PppCcVCcZgRmbIpoTG6VMsiS896bqVl-c8qcdhpzx8L73QIcXLq2pbQYunSm-yfY1zgs92zSmFBTozPRfcAU0HQtoRmCHKejOfZ29Nuygi2iz7XfC/s200/blogger-image-1933086108.jpg" title="The compact kitchen in the playhouse" width="149" /></a></div>
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Materials:</div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">large cardboard box</span></strong> (I used an old moving box left behind after our<a href="http://www.mygoinggreenblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-is-kids-stuff-swap.html"> kids' stuff swap</a>.)</div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">colored tape</span></strong> (I couldn't find any colored packing tape, so I got the kind they use for electric cables)</div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">craft knife</span> </strong>(I put too much strain on my <a href="http://www.berzacks.co.za/Product.aspx?Product=40f12d4a-a442-44f8-9070-2b966cab2fce" target="_blank">splice precision knife</a>, -my fault, I still recommend the knife,- and found that a sharp scissors, and kitchen knife can also work if neccessary)</div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">rimmed bowl</span> </strong>(I try to avoid going out to buy MORE stuff, so I used an extra one from my kitchen)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>soap dispensor pump</strong> </span><span style="color: black;">(apologies to my sister Shiri who has no dispensor for her soap now)</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">plastic caps</span></strong> (I used ones without holes)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>nail & hammer</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>screws & plugs</strong></span> (honestly, I didnt even use the plugs in the end, as the screws were stuck into the thick <span style="color: black;">cardboard</span>, but depending the thickness of your box, perhaps have them in case)</div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">stay-tab</span></strong> from top of soda can (do you have a better name for it?)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>CD's</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>permanent marker</strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A78EbAN8Xml7CnbMbZPrpOpuNtOLJbo7-ErH3OX08Vv5DTzP29yu1KhJTBVBQp4fG9nPkTa3hc36l_fc3nK9uRphJQBGITjX5Lhc5ESljgygyPBbpAWFDhexzsZ0jP4-jrNP_zfRaba9/s640/blogger-image-351858913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardboard kitchen with oven and stove" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A78EbAN8Xml7CnbMbZPrpOpuNtOLJbo7-ErH3OX08Vv5DTzP29yu1KhJTBVBQp4fG9nPkTa3hc36l_fc3nK9uRphJQBGITjX5Lhc5ESljgygyPBbpAWFDhexzsZ0jP4-jrNP_zfRaba9/s320/blogger-image-351858913.jpg" title="Cardboard kitchen with oven open" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc87EUWperlWjDTCCMwmzlZ4kkknSiTfBj-peEMADcCQjQogtp8GJPsty4WJ_cdTJgj1d5TUUrND6kEqLNUMdjvPkpSHi5GMBP1kB0rBmhews7nq5ZTszmc3Vo9oznqZ87ik9or0t2kSv/s640/blogger-image-1626992334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="How to make a cardboard kitchen" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc87EUWperlWjDTCCMwmzlZ4kkknSiTfBj-peEMADcCQjQogtp8GJPsty4WJ_cdTJgj1d5TUUrND6kEqLNUMdjvPkpSHi5GMBP1kB0rBmhews7nq5ZTszmc3Vo9oznqZ87ik9or0t2kSv/s320/blogger-image-1626992334.jpg" title="cardboard kitchen with closed oven" width="239" /></a></div>
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Instructions:</div>
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<strong>1.</strong> turn cardboard box upside down</div>
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<strong>2.</strong> outline rimmed bowl on the top of the box, where you'd like your sink to be, and then use a craft knife to cut a circle about 1cm smaller than the bowl's diameter, then place your bowl inside. Consider using glue or tape to keep it in place.</div>
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<strong>3.</strong> make a small hole for a faucet and place the soap dispensor pump inside</div>
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<strong>4.</strong> draw a rectangle for the oven and use craft knife to cut out the top and sides of the oven.</div>
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<strong>5.</strong> use permanent marker to appropriately decorate the stove burners and stick them onto stovetop with superglue or glue gun. I also put a piece of red tape under each of the burners, which gives the impression of a 'hot working stove'.</div>
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<strong>6.</strong> make holes in the caps, insert the screws and then push them into the box to make the knobs</div>
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<strong>7.</strong> use colored tape over hard jagged edges and for decor.</div>
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<strong>8.</strong> attach a stay-tab or alternative to just above the oven door with a screw to keep the oven door closed.</div>
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(<span style="color: red;">Warning</span>: after looking for a picture of a stay-tab, I saw several warnings regarding how they are choking hazards, if there will be small children playing with this kitchen, I would suggest using something else to close the oven, eg. a rectangular lid, that can swivel from horizontal to vertical thereby keeping the oven closed)</div>
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Enjoy making your own!</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-49330047957851055672012-05-30T02:26:00.000-07:002012-07-03T03:16:05.780-07:00What's this all about?One day, I kind of woke up and realised that I just wasn't taking responsibility. I think of myself as a pretty responsible person, I am a mother, a doctor, a contributing member of society. However, because of my actions, the environment was suffering. <br />
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After a bit of web-surfing, it became apparent to me that everytime I throw something away, I am personally contributing to the growing landfills in my country. Every time I buy new items, I am supporting increased use of energy, fuel, often unnecessarily. <br />
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Soon, I found that there were several practical easy things I could do, to take responsibility, and I honestly couldn't think of any excuse not to do them. In fact, some of them even became fun, which is why I decided to share this story with you, on a blog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZym8cWTNKAYabCtXwCXBh55Z5CJoTTlYgURLJS0NUbHmIV97oVF_IlqKPxWELL6AO1hcORdvFkJvaGUzkOZQcwBH_6eJS_GgKcaTKNUDYrHDly4AI0Wqc1W2njEJuFhpvmvmLY0ZqXeE/s1600/saveearth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZym8cWTNKAYabCtXwCXBh55Z5CJoTTlYgURLJS0NUbHmIV97oVF_IlqKPxWELL6AO1hcORdvFkJvaGUzkOZQcwBH_6eJS_GgKcaTKNUDYrHDly4AI0Wqc1W2njEJuFhpvmvmLY0ZqXeE/s1600/saveearth.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-35410934715279198862012-05-29T02:07:00.000-07:002012-07-01T05:31:24.392-07:00How to grow tomatoes from seed<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Growing tomatoes is supposed to be very easy, and in my short experience, if you don't forget the watering, it really is. I found a simple youtube video which gives clear guidelines on how to grow tomatoes from seed.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/CPdKic3pohE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I used this Morgan & Thompson youtube video as a guide and made a few modifications.</div>
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Firstly, I did not invest in packet tomato seeds, and simply used the seeds from overripe baby tomatoes left in my fridge and destined for the trash.</div>
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I read somewhere that egg cartons make a good starting 'pot' as the water drains through them.</div>
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So I took half an egg carton, put it out on my kitchen windowsill and filled it with a nice compost mix (now I have no experience and no idea what makes a GOOD compost mix, so I simply used the only mix that my local garden store sells).</div>
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I then squeezed out the seeds (pips) from a few baby tomatoes - I actually used many baby tomatoes, on successive days as I didn't really have faith that they would grow.</div>
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But they did grow.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNsYMcse5fXQ_TltR_ajs2i3mO_3XXklyVbJUGiHaHWiS-1TnbMaRpsPUk6LbzkKLhYS2r5qjvz9uQkXO0fs4CVL4gJuJQ31ovTFr0qQIH4JS8XOt-InoYuFG2SVMHEmyESDvXmuQrY3W/s640/blogger-image-1939774469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomato plant seedling in egg carton" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNsYMcse5fXQ_TltR_ajs2i3mO_3XXklyVbJUGiHaHWiS-1TnbMaRpsPUk6LbzkKLhYS2r5qjvz9uQkXO0fs4CVL4gJuJQ31ovTFr0qQIH4JS8XOt-InoYuFG2SVMHEmyESDvXmuQrY3W/s200/blogger-image-1939774469.jpg" title="Germinating tomato seeds in egg carton box" width="200" /></a></div>
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The first time that I tried to grow tomatoes by seed, I didn't water them, and <em>surprisingly</em>, they didn't grow, so this time I was very religious about watering them well every day. </div>
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And they grew, and grew and grew and grew.</div>
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It was really fun for the kids (and even more so for me) to watch the tiny germinated seedlings and note the appearance of the cotelydon leaves, and then the true leaves. It was almost like my seedlings were acting straight from <a href="http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/grow-tomato.htm" target="_blank">Renee's Garden</a>'s script. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpzQLyYtTPxLvM54Vul1k9FuxlTaNCc4WlEj5a0j7nUeIpr-XnuEYJi2FVQApsr88t8AS4zRi7R-M5gEt07KyRk4_uYbHwslE06cE6L6_Ql3RhtjXgf-WoKh22NwYN0NOKv6_LVUhWK2E/s640/blogger-image-217281274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tomato seedlings in egg carton" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpzQLyYtTPxLvM54Vul1k9FuxlTaNCc4WlEj5a0j7nUeIpr-XnuEYJi2FVQApsr88t8AS4zRi7R-M5gEt07KyRk4_uYbHwslE06cE6L6_Ql3RhtjXgf-WoKh22NwYN0NOKv6_LVUhWK2E/s200/blogger-image-217281274.jpg" title="Abandoned tomato seedlings" width="200" /></a>After the appearance of the first true leaves, I followed the instructions and transplanted to small pots. My windowsill was full of little pots and I begged friends and family to 'adopt some of my seedlings', new seedlings continued to germinate in the egg carton but for lack of space and 'adoptive families', I had to put them out where they quickly dried out. </div>
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I've read a lot about hardening off plants that were started from seeds indoors - I'm not sure if a windowsill is considered indoors - but for lack of patience I never hardened off any plants, and simply moved a few of them to a semi-shaded spot on the edge of the garden when I ran out of prime windowsill space. Actually I would say those plants have done the best, so far. Two of those outside plants were designated for my daughters, they each helped to transplant them and water them and it's very exciting as we watch the the plants literally grow from day to day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiX1bMF0xj868fTdFjfsoFH_Et96-jCny0TgGi283KCjVOgaoXV8weAZ2rPkrw885wTzvaCNpCVurBBIUiPO4jaYZK4ZaV4brJxAfhsiiOQ-yui7rpoVuPqGH4u9sjFfG65V0MYe4V7cQ/s640/blogger-image--960771932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomato plants grown from seed" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiX1bMF0xj868fTdFjfsoFH_Et96-jCny0TgGi283KCjVOgaoXV8weAZ2rPkrw885wTzvaCNpCVurBBIUiPO4jaYZK4ZaV4brJxAfhsiiOQ-yui7rpoVuPqGH4u9sjFfG65V0MYe4V7cQ/s200/blogger-image--960771932.jpg" title="Tomato plants after a few weeks." width="200" /></a></div>
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Today I decided it was time to transplant my kids' tomato plants into their final destination. Here's a video of how I did that.</div>
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Happy tomato growing everyone, if you have tomato plants too, let me know how they're going, and feel free to leave me tips.</div>
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-25797038439348904982012-05-27T23:31:00.001-07:002012-07-12T10:19:00.945-07:00How to make a dollhouse from a cardboard box.<div style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: left;">
I grew up in a house with four girls, a big dollhouse and lots of plastic dolls. I have great memories of playing with the dollhouse with my sisters and wanted the same for my kids - without buying an expensive dollhouse and plastic dolls which would probably end up destroyed in the dumps polluting the environment that I'm trying to save.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWDkKdHFcpCBuL9Xxi0nh7KvCECt6my-dg6Gn9ZCySHSsgJLdH7f6o9feEydibKOTWJ7LmcamuEXtd7dgvSenPClPBmHDUtKYMcAeOeN1hoYMQzmikpN3-8D4ezrHL8_Qw_Yy5VnH2PDr/s640/blogger-image-361431403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY cardboard box dollhouse" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWDkKdHFcpCBuL9Xxi0nh7KvCECt6my-dg6Gn9ZCySHSsgJLdH7f6o9feEydibKOTWJ7LmcamuEXtd7dgvSenPClPBmHDUtKYMcAeOeN1hoYMQzmikpN3-8D4ezrHL8_Qw_Yy5VnH2PDr/s320/blogger-image-361431403.jpg" title="cardboard box dollhouse" width="238" /></a></div>
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So I did a bit of research online, and decided to make a dollhouse from a cardboard box.</div>
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(I must admit that I found so many different examples of cardboard dollhouses online, that I'm not sure who to credit for my final design.)</div>
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<strong>Items needed:</strong></div>
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a big box</div>
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scraps of wrapping paper</div>
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glue</div>
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tape</div>
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furniture magazines</div>
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<strong>Instructions:</strong></div>
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Step 1: Find a box (I used the box from my sewing machine).</div>
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Step 2: Cut off the top 2/3 of the front side of the box.</div>
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Step 3: The bottom 1/3 that's left can be laid flat to represent the garden, and the bottom of the box taped shut.</div>
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Step 4: Use the top 2/3 of the front that you have cut away to make the upper floor (second storey) (you may need to further cut it to size).</div>
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Step 5: Use strips of remaining cardboard and tape to reinforce the upper floor, ( I later added a piece of cardboard as a divider between the bottom 2 rooms which further reinforces the upper floor.</div>
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Step 6: Tape down old wrapping paper as the wallpaper/carpeting for each room.</div>
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Step 7: Cut out pictures of furniture and decor (eg. clock, closet etc) from magazines and glue onto the walls</div>
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Step 8: Spraypaint roof and outside of house (I still haven't done this...), paint garden green... </div>
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Step 9: Fill your house with furniture, we used furniture that we had been given as gifts, sand toy as the 'bath', I made a fridge from a small medicine box. Check out this link for a great way to <a href="http://misskristiscraftteachingdollblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-make-table-and-chair-set-for.html" target="_blank">make recycled doll</a> furniture. (I already had furniture given as a gift, so I just modified those instructions for my toilet seat.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v0zm_SlCoMA/T_8Fx6GcwHI/AAAAAAAAA3w/ixkPt1LFCzk/s1600/blogger-image-96500155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wooden peg dolls" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v0zm_SlCoMA/T_8Fx6GcwHI/AAAAAAAAA3w/ixkPt1LFCzk/s320/blogger-image-96500155.jpg" title="Green Garden and Doll Dad in the car" width="320" /></a></div>
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The dolls in my house are a great alternative to plastic dolls (which break easier and I'm assuming are harder on the environment than these wooden dolls).</div>
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A friend of mine bought them for me from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/99310268/wooden-peg-doll-large-family-of-6-from?ref=cat3_gallery_23" target="_blank">Etsy</a> and we used craft koki's (markers) to color them. You can also go to the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/?ref=so_home" target="_blank">general Etsy</a> page and search wooden dolls to buy already-colored dolls, however I recommend doing them yourself - its fun and cathartic. </div>
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I've since found that you can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044S1CRE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=going02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0044S1CRE">buy a variety of wooden people cheaper on Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=going02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0044S1CRE" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> (using specifically the above link to amazon helps support my blog).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEpnh2y6o9neU3QH7Q22Cj5x8eWR_mm81bTnOPSf-QqlYRy1JOjtrGERvnpB1hXtERiRb0vs74yNjeW9bxqoPJOI4SHYcm4SBMCWjkXZHgycjN3_qDDLUT9LCpxeOeBOQpiHsFkDvlH0y/s640/blogger-image--740832984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Colored wooden peg dolls" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEpnh2y6o9neU3QH7Q22Cj5x8eWR_mm81bTnOPSf-QqlYRy1JOjtrGERvnpB1hXtERiRb0vs74yNjeW9bxqoPJOI4SHYcm4SBMCWjkXZHgycjN3_qDDLUT9LCpxeOeBOQpiHsFkDvlH0y/s320/blogger-image--740832984.jpg" title="Etsy dolls" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />Hope you have lots of fun with your dolls and dollhouses, let me know how they turn out via <a href="https://twitter.com/mrstblogger" target="_blank">twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mrstblogger" target="_blank">facebook</a>.<br />
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This post is also featured on:</div>
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<a href="http://tipjunkie.com/" target="_blank"><img align="left" alt="Tip Junkie handmade projects" border="0" height="148" src="http://www.tipjunkie.com/images/TipMeTuesdayButton1.png" width="148" /></a> <a href="http://www.serenityyou.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img align="right" alt="Serenity you" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03774odDvqTh2HeRhVTvby7YqEEto1nhewfiIjMuropT4f2MrZfGXYYl3bQM9jGreB6q8PSnrPGnPjJN3Lfcy2HI43pyabYycZIyZtHKWajnBrPrkl-_4YgNQu0nTR6wotbo_Epr415Y/s1600/serenity+saturday(1).jpg" width="148" /></a>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-9702468424399986232012-05-23T03:43:00.000-07:002012-06-28T03:19:02.963-07:00Fun green things to do with kids<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday our city, Modiin, held a book swap where everyone was invited to bring old books or dvd's in good condition and to choose other ones to take home from the collection. We took 5 items and were told we could 'on our honor' take home 5 alternate items (ie. there was no tickets or checking involved).</div>
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I took some healthy snacks in my bag and the kids and I had fun choosing books and a dvd. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVz-nU4XKz9_39k2kHeAX4xIQzug1mYpU8nSQ-jv8gFm7tmbJURYR8LOVrejBARL7BG3fQKosBGYbKJdHPSUQbOfKU8hE7QfzKG5JmYnLuZSqMX6qzw3Ho-NFAPhxnHsTtGQCUiVFu7Yk3/s640/blogger-image--945751009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVz-nU4XKz9_39k2kHeAX4xIQzug1mYpU8nSQ-jv8gFm7tmbJURYR8LOVrejBARL7BG3fQKosBGYbKJdHPSUQbOfKU8hE7QfzKG5JmYnLuZSqMX6qzw3Ho-NFAPhxnHsTtGQCUiVFu7Yk3/s320/blogger-image--945751009.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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There was also a nice activity run by volunteers from the <a href="http://www.havaveadam.org/eng/" target="_blank">ecological farm</a> in the area. </div>
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We took pinecones and a fistful of local clay (I think it is collected from the riverbeds) and made porcupines</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCob_fUAqO2rix0I36truWjKs6d8mVuKxw35LJ3DD78TWiUc4x2_O0d2m6dXrAq-zJ2sIvGAvIL-r7-jog-xT-8s4lNdjgoPCNcI6hsjxoDpfQAffIZd3Dnxsc7SgpaqDnEHvm3BbAbJhO/s640/blogger-image-640797997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="pine cone craft kids" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCob_fUAqO2rix0I36truWjKs6d8mVuKxw35LJ3DD78TWiUc4x2_O0d2m6dXrAq-zJ2sIvGAvIL-r7-jog-xT-8s4lNdjgoPCNcI6hsjxoDpfQAffIZd3Dnxsc7SgpaqDnEHvm3BbAbJhO/s320/blogger-image-640797997.jpg" title="Pine cone porcupine" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjcosMH7qrtGLywWRPXJHAPQYSdybb6WALuPEwS0FeKSwGn93FG2qRgRUFUMFOwXLf3ObssnsuVdHR4a7TQsHrfQnLwTf5CYzy0K2fOoHtFZ7vozJfBuokAz2AF4blS7paqq5MsEPeS0w/s640/blogger-image--798587774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="craft with pinecones" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjcosMH7qrtGLywWRPXJHAPQYSdybb6WALuPEwS0FeKSwGn93FG2qRgRUFUMFOwXLf3ObssnsuVdHR4a7TQsHrfQnLwTf5CYzy0K2fOoHtFZ7vozJfBuokAz2AF4blS7paqq5MsEPeS0w/s320/blogger-image--798587774.jpg" title="How to make a porcupine" width="239" /></a></div>
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Instructions: how to make the porcupine, take a pine cone and lay it on its side, squash a fistful of clay onto the side of the pine cone, leaving a lump near the pointed side of the cone. Mold the lump into the shape of a nose and smooth all the sides. Finally, take a stick and poke holes for the eyes.</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776142298101830330.post-5444734030712052892012-05-22T03:55:00.000-07:002012-06-28T03:18:14.000-07:00What do drawsomething, marine art and blue bins have in common?The three principles involved in 'saving the environment' are reduce, re-use and recycle.<br />
When it comes to paper I think I can (for the right or wrong reason) abide by all three. <br />
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<strong>Reduce:</strong><br />
- I'm always saving things on gmail documents, or on my iphone, thereby reducing the amount of paper I use by writing things down or printing them :-) ...<br />
- Many companies, including electricity, mobile phone and other companies offer to e-mail you your bills rather than printing and posting them. I like this for many reasons; I usually forget to check the postbox anyway, this way I can archive them in gmail without wasting space in my small house on filing systems and of course, it brings me one step closer to my goal of saving the environment. If you're still not sweet on the concept, be aware that some companies offer incentives or specials if you sign up for their no-paper billing.<br />
- I also, went through a big drawsomething phase, where I created many artistic masterpieces without wasting any paper at all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoFs2SEHEnKLS8x8w6ANm5WnRsG1gGynwmc9FnU8GEJnr-XN745xFdAQ0yVZHYI_AzwKRgeDcUXaoiaMJ9QWiZrMnQ3iNGhwcNskeOKCBqC7_vr2y3bTOOFvP-CvLf-ul1Z-beVx2qKCB/s1600/blogger-image--1599762488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhjZJPMt1EcrYu5D6BR7f0mAGKfR-QEgMux2Q3ZkHwKeBj4BSby1lgFvh2HPghTED4qN8ohUcp5CJkVWE9Jq2hxCyNCZ0OS4WpO0jPu8XNdCAc6dDemNx60QxA3MorFlbPD-d_q7c47TS/s1600/blogger-image-815259972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhjZJPMt1EcrYu5D6BR7f0mAGKfR-QEgMux2Q3ZkHwKeBj4BSby1lgFvh2HPghTED4qN8ohUcp5CJkVWE9Jq2hxCyNCZ0OS4WpO0jPu8XNdCAc6dDemNx60QxA3MorFlbPD-d_q7c47TS/s200/blogger-image-815259972.jpg" title="drawsomething spinach popeye" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoFs2SEHEnKLS8x8w6ANm5WnRsG1gGynwmc9FnU8GEJnr-XN745xFdAQ0yVZHYI_AzwKRgeDcUXaoiaMJ9QWiZrMnQ3iNGhwcNskeOKCBqC7_vr2y3bTOOFvP-CvLf-ul1Z-beVx2qKCB/s1600/blogger-image--1599762488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoFs2SEHEnKLS8x8w6ANm5WnRsG1gGynwmc9FnU8GEJnr-XN745xFdAQ0yVZHYI_AzwKRgeDcUXaoiaMJ9QWiZrMnQ3iNGhwcNskeOKCBqC7_vr2y3bTOOFvP-CvLf-ul1Z-beVx2qKCB/s200/blogger-image--1599762488.jpg" title="drawsomething ball seal" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixodlMpICrNjvQOrq90vESnIKdthEfVtq_CTaShuGj40jf3d1Zu-50M7jvLlydbfWYWtDTzqnHFjqtARiQ0hCvASy0ig9tkAiAAkhJSAEnJUdvTU0BFGxPkDvuD0Iz7zYLyPeG_XB43Eqw/s1600/blogger-image-954382178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixodlMpICrNjvQOrq90vESnIKdthEfVtq_CTaShuGj40jf3d1Zu-50M7jvLlydbfWYWtDTzqnHFjqtARiQ0hCvASy0ig9tkAiAAkhJSAEnJUdvTU0BFGxPkDvuD0Iz7zYLyPeG_XB43Eqw/s200/blogger-image-954382178.jpg" title="drawsomething butcher" width="133" /></a></div>
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<strong>Re-use:</strong> </div>
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When I'm finished with the paper that I really needed to print, like work presentations, notes from my years in university when I didn't have a laptop and the lecturers didn't e-mail us powerpoints... (wow, so oldschool), I divide it into really confidential, censored, and public. Really confidential work documents unfortunately have to lawfully be shredded (although my impression is that the shredded pieces do go to recycling). Censored items, I give to my kids for their countless drawings and art projects at home. The public pages I collect and hand in at my kids ganim (nursery schools) for their art projects. </div>
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- Let me add that schools (especially for young kids) are a great place to give in items for re-use or upcycling. Our school collects everything from cereal boxes and toilet rolls, to plastic tomato baskets and metal tea-candle holders.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8v2xeSiBVw0GgMltOJ5R3hvTih1b1VmlL7LrD9yC3Lq_8M6N_NLJX3HjcXFJvMsEphY4Pvw2fifgWUtMDIkQz47bfvdkcd11k_J9px_Hi6h3e7SwZADlt9VjmaiuzVgs6FLSz5A9Q24pI/s1600/blogger-image--693782808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8v2xeSiBVw0GgMltOJ5R3hvTih1b1VmlL7LrD9yC3Lq_8M6N_NLJX3HjcXFJvMsEphY4Pvw2fifgWUtMDIkQz47bfvdkcd11k_J9px_Hi6h3e7SwZADlt9VjmaiuzVgs6FLSz5A9Q24pI/s200/blogger-image--693782808.jpg" title="Three year old Chana's fish art" width="149" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Zlr50ZCbRZ6mmagFSxZDPWy8XK5nxFXEb_K7cZMdkl3j5_c3Qsd6aCbdIwyTDd89YSHVgS55Ig5h7K5-0IOmYfLvjs2bvExS-5Hs0cOSj3dbjOZjHGMBr5SOYvImanrmtohOQlU1b4sK/s1600/blogger-image-780690473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Zlr50ZCbRZ6mmagFSxZDPWy8XK5nxFXEb_K7cZMdkl3j5_c3Qsd6aCbdIwyTDd89YSHVgS55Ig5h7K5-0IOmYfLvjs2bvExS-5Hs0cOSj3dbjOZjHGMBr5SOYvImanrmtohOQlU1b4sK/s200/blogger-image-780690473.jpg" title="Four-year old Eliya's marine art" width="149" /></a></div>
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A side note about our marine art project: we took a previously used piece of paper and painted a blue sea, on another page I drew some fish, and the kids colored in the fish. We then used small round stickers from our craft drawer for the fish eyes. Next we used leftover green playdough to make plants and plankton in the sea for the fish to eat. We used kid scissors to cut out the fish and finally glued the fish onto the sea page. It was a lot of fun, involved many different skills and was enjoyed both my 2 year old and my 4 year old.</div>
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<strong>Recycle:</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngS6HscdmmpTJ2eAJnCS27Jnf8mm8CffchwuLxQAa4JuQFpgcywXGvZIDgw-c7vV1b1xVfs7GtuZj0FypF15-QvjP8E8auom9TBwt7hR2CREdjkQZHcYsX526BDpaglDx9AwXUNqZd-FQ/s1600/blogger-image-370224284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngS6HscdmmpTJ2eAJnCS27Jnf8mm8CffchwuLxQAa4JuQFpgcywXGvZIDgw-c7vV1b1xVfs7GtuZj0FypF15-QvjP8E8auom9TBwt7hR2CREdjkQZHcYsX526BDpaglDx9AwXUNqZd-FQ/s200/blogger-image-370224284.jpg" width="149" /></a>We're lucky that we live in Modiin, in Israel and almost every building has its own<a href="http://www.modiin.muni.il/modiinwebsite/ChannelArticleNews.aspx?PageID=2_295&id=818" target="_blank"> big blue bin</a> for recycling paper. In addition, at work I have a paper recycling bin, and in my work parking lot there is a drop-off point for big cardboard boxes to be recycled. (Of course, I can't fit all our big cardboard boxes in my car to drop them off, but I am under the impression that our city recycles the big cardboard boxes they collect anyway).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRU8jN5KHXxj6lmW2vAsNb-4pAogjEnJw8ySWrzTc9bF58PO0whfqYFS7vbzLB1ferUa_Ndkd5RuSbUxhhrh1bIVDtIEPNnYP2GvharyGqDuJ5IFyYHd3e1l706GOHokKVPKPlh8cIT60/s1600/blogger-image-589727955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRU8jN5KHXxj6lmW2vAsNb-4pAogjEnJw8ySWrzTc9bF58PO0whfqYFS7vbzLB1ferUa_Ndkd5RuSbUxhhrh1bIVDtIEPNnYP2GvharyGqDuJ5IFyYHd3e1l706GOHokKVPKPlh8cIT60/s200/blogger-image-589727955.jpg" width="200" /></a>If you live in an area that doesn't have municipality collection of paper for recycling, investigate other options. For example, my parents in South Africa have a private company <a href="http://www.paperpickup.co.za/paperpickups.asp?id=119" target="_blank">Ronnie Recycling</a>, who collect their paper weekly for free.</div>
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If you can suggest similar services in your city, please share the details in the comments section.</div>
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</div>Mrs Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10724428461338362078noreply@blogger.com0