Reusing a Strawberry Basket

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Hello there!

Happy Hump Day! 

Lately, I’ve been in a crazy reuse mood so everything I see gets dissected and often times is recreated into something new. Last week, we bought a 2 flats of organic strawberries. I can hear you now, big deal.  It is a big deal in a sense because those flats come packed with individual plastic containers to keep the strawberries contained. The ONLY part I hate about purchasing strawberries is the pesky plastic green containers. They’re so nostalgic to me, actually. I can remember my grandma handing them to us to forage for the strawberries that grew in her yard and not to mention, all the strawberry shortcakes I’ve eaten … just something about them.

I did happen to notice the recycling symbol on the bottom of them now.Quite honestly, I don’t remember that always being the case. So, big green eco thumbs up!

After eating up all the delicious “super sweet” strawberries the plastic baskets began to pile up on  my kitchen counter top which became somewhat of an eye sore. Yes, I could just toss them into the recycle bin and be done with it; wipe my hands and walk away but lately I’ve been trying REALLY, REALLY hard to reuse things. I have always been good about it but I’m trying to take good to the next level.

Over the weekend, I was preparing a dish and cutting away at some veggies for din-din (and staring at the little green baskets),  … I instantly thought…”garbage bowl” after I scooped up some scraps and needed to find a place for them. They rescued the veggie scraps instantly and it made me a happy camper.

For those of you who watch Rachel Ray, you may be a fan of the “garbage bowl” already… for those of you who do not… well, simply put the “garbage bowl” is for all the food scraps to sit in while you prepare your meal. Granted, her kitchen bowl is twice the size of a strawberry basket but size doesn’t matter here, people. LOL!

It has seriously come in handy for all my kitchen scraps. Especially since most of the kitchen scraps go to the chickens & worms. The green baskets make it convenient to toss in all the waste as you go rather then tossing it into the garbage each time. I’ve been surprised at how much kitchen waste one little basket can fit and remain inside.Even garlic peels stayed inside

Granted, I won’t need that many “garbage bowls” but at least a couple will serve a purpose for awhile. The others are going back to the stand at the farmer’s market so they can be reused. I also have one in use for garlic bulbs! And… I’ve even used one as an Easter Basket (can’t find post with it pictured) for Tristan’s first Easter and will more than likely be doing it again for both this year!!! Just add reused paper stuffing or raffia to fill it up with and it’s ready for eggs or whatever you wish. Oh! and if you notice in the picture above there’s the agave bottle I’ve been waiting on (and the garlic bulbs are in the pic too- swear!).

Next time you get some strawberries reuse the green little basket as a kitchen scrap bowl, you’ll be happy you did!

Here are just a few other things I’m reusing:

* Piece of cotton from prenatal vitamin bottle; will be reused for crafts.

* 2 ice cream sticks; reused for crafts.

* Plastic case a necklace came in; keep my bobby pins inside.

* Very old Malt O Meal box; cut top open and poured baking soda inside for easy pour and no ‘poo regime.

* Plastic shoe case; have several of these in use for misc. crap objects.

* Jar tops; have several of these also for many uses… change holder, picture magnet frame and great for crafts.

Reusing is Rad!

What have you been reusing lately?

5 Ways to Reuse a Mylar Balloon

Hiya! TGIF!!!

Last week, the eco tot came home with this Mylar balloon. Apparently, one of the personnel from Vons grocery store was taking down holiday inventory and gave it to him (he was with grandma). I wanted to cringe when I saw it! I’m not fond of them because they don’t break down easily. Which as you know is bad for the planet!  Tons of them get tossed into the trash and end up in landfills to sit and rot for a LONG time.

We always try to follow the REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE hierarchy whenever possible…

But, after tossing the Crayola markers and a comment left from Evergreen; I vowed to look at the 3R’s hierarchy more often and consider the REUSE rule more patiently and carefully.

So, I looked at the shiny Mylar balloon sitting in our living room beginning to deflate and thought about it’s second life, maybe even third, perhaps; fourth.

AND

Here’s what I came up with!

5 WAYS TO REUSE A MYLAR BALLOON:

1. Reflate it! Mylar balloons can be properly deflated and used again. Your local party store may or may not properly deflate your balloon. The trick is to keep the valve inside the balloon intact. If you’re feeling tricky and think you can do it yourself … check out these instructions. Seems easy enough!

2. Use it as gift wrap. Turn it inside out or use as is!

3. Cut up into long strips and use as stuffing. Put into easter baskets, gift bags, shipping boxes etc.

4. Save for  scrapbooking, decoupage, or a craft project. Cut out letters & shapes, etc.

5. Turn it into a pinata (my favorite idea) !! The eco tot’s 3rd birthday is on the way (I’m already scheming on ideas). Last year, we attempted to reuse a latex balloon. Things would’ve been fine except  that it popped by accident (our fault). Just fill balloon up with your little ones favorite treats; preferably eco friendly ones and secure bottom- then hang with some twine. Instant pinata!

The balloon also has a clip (weight) attached to it. I plan to reuse it as a “chip clip”. Even though, I don’t normally buy chips they come in handy for securing other miscellaneous items.

Do you have any suggestions? What have you done in the past with these metallic celebratory messages?

Have a great weekend.

Recycle Your Day, America + Green Mom’s Carnival!

**Attention: GREEN MOM’S CARNIVAL at end of this post!

Ever wonder where the title Recycle Your Day came from? To make a long story short, in my opinion, recycling is one of the easiest forms to contribute in helping to save the planet and within our day we do what’s necessary to improve the planet from recycling to wearing your jeans over and over again. It all happens within our day and starts all over again the next. So, there you have it; the root of my reasoning in a nut shell.

Tomorrow is America Recycles Day. Do you have any plans to celebrate? Last year our local bowling alley had a recycling drive but this year it seems to be quiet. Nothing has been coordinated and of course by the time I checked in it was too late to plan anything. I don’t think I’m going to let this happen again next year. November 15th is actually a pretty significant day for me- not only is it America Recycle’s Day, but  it’s also my parent’s 34th anniversary and my sister’s 33rd birthday too!

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Ziploc Bags: A Wonderful Solution!

Just a quick check in to let you know things are still in place as far as a cleanup around here. You’re about to witness a new face here at RYD and other changes. Basically, it will be a bit more organized and focused…not so scattered like my brain these days!!! At least that’s the plan anyway- LOL!

I’m pretty pumped about the change and hope you will help me embrace it. I hope to bring you more surprises as we revamp…stay tuned!

Aside from the new look- I have a question for you…

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Upcycled Finds

Photo by: Chrisbb

It’s Friday, so why not feature a few upcycled finds!!

Check it out Wikipedia has the definition of upcycled…

“Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. ”

Let’s begin this week’s feature’s!

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Going Back To School Green

This month, the Green Mom’s Carnival topic is Back to School.

August is traditionally the Back to School month where students stock up on what they’ll need for the school year. What usually comes to mind when you think “Back to School”? I immediately think supplies. Backpacks, pencils, pens, erasers, cases, notebooks, calculators, folders…etc. The list can get pretty lengthy! It’s no wonder parents go broke over school supplies each year. That’s not even including clothing or lunch money (both for splurge and for making).

I can remember, when I started high school my mom would give each of us $100 (3 of us = $300). With that money we had to buy our clothes and supplies. She always made our lunches and sometimes would leave two dollars on the days we didn’t have a lunch.

With the $100 dollars, I was smart. I had to make it last. The only way to do this was to shop second-hand. I’d fill up an entire cart of vintage clothes at “The American Way” and felt like I had an entirely new wardrobe when I walked out. It was a good feeling.

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Reusing Baking Soda Boxes…

Before I started buying baking soda in bulk I had boxes and boxes of it lying around. Mainly, the kind that you keep in the fridge to kill the bad odors. I’ve always kept a box in both the fridge and freezer. At one point, I decided that I would keep the boxes of baking soda and ended up with a stash of them.

I had completely forgotten about them until the other day when I found all of them during my cleaning spree. I realized that they were still good to use for cleaning purposes. It’s not like I’m using it to brush my teeth with so I figured I’d give it a go. Even though they’ve collected odors from my fridge or freezer inside them, they’re still useful for brightening up some pots or pans that need scrubbing or my refrigerator that needed cleaning (definitely not my teeth, though- LOL).

They’re so many uses for baking soda when cleaning that I decided to finally put these boxes to use. I used the first box to clean out the kitchen trash can that needed a serious scrubbing down. I started Spring cleaning around here a couple weeks ago and all the trash cans in this house were cleaned out with it. Worked like a charm. I also scrubbed down my toaster oven plates and those turned out to be shiny and new again.

Last night, I used it to wash out a grill pan that was filled with muck from cooking fajita’s and it worked so well in taking off the stuck bits and grime. I was completely impressed. If I use up my stash I can recycle the boxes, plus I’m reusing the baking soda and reducing waste. It’s a win-win.

Now, I buy baking soda in bulk and don’t have to worry about saving boxes for reuse. I also gave myself two new boxes by doing some non toxic clean up, to refill with the bulk baking soda and put back into the fridge and freezer. You can also just place a glass dish of it in your fridge and freezer if you don’t have a box to reuse. I’m happy that the baking soda has been reused and that they’re is no waste. It’s so wonderful to clean without using chemical laden products.

A few uses for baking soda around the home:

* Helps remove tea and coffee stains from cups

* Clean out your oven or microwave will cut the grease

* Will clean baked on food from casserole pans or grill pans

* Erase crayon markings on the wall with B/S

* Freshens your carpet

* Makes a great scouring powder

* Removes hard water that lingers on your glasses or dishes (like in my case)

* Make a paste with using lemon and water to freshen up countertops or stovetops…even gets the toilet clean!

They’re a MANY uses for baking soda in your home. If you want to try and go green this spring during your clean up routine. Try it out. You’ll be impressed. I heart baking soda. I also use it to bake with too. 

What are YOUR favorite uses for baking soda- besides putting it in your fridge to freshen it up?

For more thirfty green tips, visit www.greenbabyguide.com and check out there weekly Thrifty Green Thursday’s!

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AMERICA RECYCLES DAY! It all comes back to YOU.

Today, is America Recycles Day! Which means, we need to do our part to make sure America and beyond stays clean. I’ve written about recycling before but today it’s imperative that we do what we can to recycle. Spread the word in any way that you can. Tell those family members that it’s not just about recycling plastic water bottles and soda pop cans…it goes beyond that! It’s way more than that. Often times, I’ll go to my parents house and see an empty tissue box or an empty shampoo bottle in the trash.

These items can be recycled. They should be recycled. Keeping these items from entering the landfills will help them from filling up. When you recycle you allow that product  to have a new life- their are so many items that are made from recyclables that if we continue to recycle them it will be the norm to find them on shelves in stores. Remember to cut back on those individually packaged items and try to purchase items that are more sustainable that don’t require going to the landfill. For instance, buy applesauce in a glass jar rather than a plastic one; do so-and do it TODAY!!!

Start now. It’s for our children and their children’s future! Avoid plastic wrapped items, often times these plastics don’t have a number on them and their useless in the recycling process.  Avoid them at all costs. Plastic takes years and years to decompose. Which is why paper or bringing your own bag is a better option at the grocery store. More importantly, if you choose plastic or paper for that matter, recycle it!!! Start looking for the recycle symbol – you’ll be amazed at how much waste we create and how much of it CAN be recycled.

Go to the National Recycling Coalition website and take the pledge to start recycling and become more aware today! Make recycling the hip thing to do in your town. Start a recycling program at your local schools and get the word out about why it’s important to recycle.

It’s common sense to recycle and it’s easy. If you ask me I think it should be mandatory to recycle. If more people recycled we wouldn’t have such a problem with waste! It starts and end with us. The simple three famous words REDUCE, RE-USE AND RECYCLE shouldn’t just be an image in your mind- it should reflect who you are and what you’re doing to give back to nature!! Be sure to check out the Events calendar for your state and find out what’s going on in your city! The motto for America Recycles Day is IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU! Remember folks, it’s up to us to make informed decisions about how we can recycle and what we can recycle. DO YOUR PART even if it’s just a small one…everything counts. Take the PLEDGE today!

Check out the Conversionator and find out facts and what your impact on the planet is!

Here is some information obtained from the National Recycling Coalition…

Recycling—An Important Part of the Solution
Recycling is one of the easiest ways you can help slow climate change and global warming. By recycling at home, you help significantly lower carbon emissions associated with extracting virgin materials, manufacturing products and waste disposal. Last year the amount of energy saved from recycling aluminum and steel cans, plastic PET and glass containers, newsprint and corrugated packaging was equivalent to: