Image from The Embellished Nest.

There are so many items that most of us buy and own that we don’t even think about. Shoes, books, cellphones…How many people stop to think about where those items come from and how they’re produced, or if they’re sustainable? Seriously, when was the last thought you gave the calendar hanging on your wall any thought green-wise?

Simple things, such as calendars, may not seem like a big deal on the environmental scale, but they’re made from precious resources, in  potentially harmful ways (paper manufacturing is a common source of pollution), and you can bet that nearly every single house in America has at least one. So this year, if you’re still shopping around for the perfect calendar to hang in your kitchen or office, try making one instead! The above pictured calendar is a handmade version by Laura from The Embellished Nest. Using a simple background which she painted herself, Laura simply printed her own calendar pages at home and sewed them onto the decorated platform.

Not only is this idea simple and easy (you can even get the calendar template free from her website), but it also gives you the control over the specific design aesthetic as well as the greenness of it. You can use recycled paper, re-purposed paper, and even eco-friendly inks and paints! It’s the perfect combination of craftiness and environmental responsibility.

For more eco-friendly calendar ideas, head on over the TLC website to find some inspiration!

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Sometimes finding the right beauty products (or even simply the right handsoap!) can be challenging. With so many harmful chemicals and preservatives in everything from laundry soap to lip gloss, sometimes the only way to get what you want is to make it yourself. Luckily, there are some really simple recipes out there that will not only save you from exposure to parabens, phthaltates, and formaldehyde, but they can also save you money and time.

One easy soap-making method is the “Melt and Pour Soap Method.” Simply buy a melt-and-pour base, available at online natural soap materials suppliers such as Jedwards International, Inc. and Bramble Berry Soap Making Supplies, then follow the instructions. These instructions can be as simple as slowly melt and pour into a soap mold, or as complex as adding natural colorants, essential oils, or even fruit, herb, or vegetable purees.

The greatest thing about the ability to make your own soap, aside from the satisfaction it’ll bring you, is the level of control you have over the product that you and your family will use on a daily basis. You can use goat milk bases, olive oil bases, hemp bases, or aloe bases. You can use essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, or cinnamon. You can add color or no color, or even real fruits and vegetables to add color, smell, and extra nutrients.

Plus, once you master the melt and pour method, you’ll be able to move on to more complex, but also somewhat more rewarding, methods, like the Cold Process Method. You can also make your own lotions, lip balms, skin salves, and shampoos! For more recipes and homemade beauty product ideas, visit the Fimby website.

Image from Better Homes and Gardens.

Now that all the fuss of the holidays are over, maybe you’re finding that you have a little more time on your hands. Go ahead and enjoy that hard-earned break from holiday shopping, decorating, and present wrapping, but once you start looking for another project to occupy your time, why not try something like this eco-friendly and chic DIY birch table from Better Homes and Gardens?

This stylish table isn’t only stunning visually and fully-functional due to its industrial casters, but it’s also a green alternative to store-bought furniture. Since it’s made of mostly reclaimed birch pieces and can be constructed in your own home with non-toxic materials, you can be sure that it’s not harming the environment. Plus, it’s always neat to be able to tell guests after they admire it, “Oh, yes. I whipped that up a couple of weekends ago!”

All you need for this project are the following materials:

Birch logs cut 18 inches long
4×8-foot sheet birch plywood
Wood glue
Wood screws
Grout
4-inch casters
Clear polyurethane

And these tools:

Circular saw
Miter saw
Cordless drill
Grout float
Putty knife

If you have some of these items on hand or can get access to them (many home improvement stores will allow you to rent these tools by the hour, for example), try your hand at this awesome and unique project by following these detailed instructions. You’ll love the look and the zero-environmental-impact that it creates!

Don’t buy food wrapped in plastic. Okay, maybe this step isn’t all that simple. So much comes wrapped in plastic these days. But by being conscious of your food’s packaging and trying to buy cardboard- or glass-packaged items as often as possible, you’ll be pleased to see how much your plastic consumption will decrease.

Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Yes, yes, we all know plastic bags are bad. And odds are that you probably own a few, if not many, reusable bags that you just keep forgetting to take to the store with you on grocery days. So how do you guarantee that you’ll always have a reusable tote on hand? Pack them in your car so you won’t forget! (And if that doesn’t help, buy some super cute bags that you’ll always want to take with you.) Oh, and don’t forget the produce bags; they can be purchased in a reusable version, as well!

Use rechargeable batteries. Not only do disposable batteries leach large amounts of cadmium, lead, and mercury into landfills every year, but they also come packaged in –you guessed it– plastic! Use batteries that you can charge again and again for a greener new year.

To find even more ways to reduce your plastic consumption, visit this website!

As we launch into the new year, many of us have high hopes for how we hope to improve our lives and habits. Maybe that’ll be by eating organic, or trying to bike to work more often, or just plain simplifying things. However, resolutions are tricky and sometimes harder to keep than we expect. So what’s the best was to ensure that your resolutions stay intact this year? Resolve to do something that you can take care of now and forget about from here on out! Here are some resolutions that you only have to act on once to succeed at.

Opt out of junk mail. Junk mail isn’t just a hassle to pick up and sort through, it’s also very wasteful. Did you know that if everyone in the United States reduced the junk mail they received weekly, 100 million trees would be spared each year? And it’s so simple to do! Simply opt out of insurance and credit card offers here and reduce unwanted catalog accumulation here. You can also switch over most bills and statements to an online version, saving even more paper!

Use a water-saving showerhead. By using a water-saving showerhead, you’ll be helping to conserve one of the world’s most precious resources. Plus, this green resolution is a super easy one. Just install it the one time and then forget about it! Some utility providers will even give you one for free if you take a quick online survey for them.

Insulate your power outlets. Now, you may be wondering how on earth this is a green resolution, but think for a moment if you could decrease your home energy consumption just a little in every room and how much electricity (or natural gas, or wood heat) that would save. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, it is and, in this case, it doesn’t get much easier than sealing off the little nooks and crannies that leak heat, such as the electrical outlets found in every room of the house. Simply unscrew the plastic plate and put a small foam insulation gasket behind it. It’s an incredibly cheap and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint!

Image from Blog.TaigaCompany.com

Don’t believe what Kermit the Frog tells you: it actually is easy being green! Like any lifestyle change, starting with small steps and staying committed is key to making sure your green New Year’s resolutions are a success and not a flop. Don’t know where to begin? Here are a few ideas for how to make small green changes that will result in a large impact!

Use only cloth cleaning towels. By investing in cloth cleaning towels for all your household needs, not only are you helping reduce the 3,000 tons of paper towel waste sent to landfills daily, but you’ll also save money since you can just wash your towels instead of replacing them.

Use a water-saving showerhead. By using a water-saving showerhead, you’ll be helping to conserve one of the world’s most precious resources. Plus, this green resolution is a super easy one. Just install it the one time and then forget about it! Some utility providers will even give you one for free if you take a quick online survey for them.

Walk or bicycle at least one car errand weekly. Why wait for Bike to Work Month? By doing one errand a week by bike instead of car, you’ll be a step ahead of the game. Think of all the benefits: you’ll be in better shape, you’ll save gas money, it’s good for the environment…the list goes on and on!

Use reusable cloth shopping bags. Plastic shopping bags may not seem like a big deal to some, but did you know that a single bag can take a thousand years to degrade? That’s a pretty long-lasting impact for the momentary convenience of transporting a bag of chips and loaf of bread. Keep plastic bags out of landfills by using large and more durable cotton totes instead. And to make sure you’ll always have you bags on hand when you need them, keep reusable shopping bags in your car, so it’ll be impossible to leave them behind the next time you go shopping!

Use a reusable coffee cup at work (and at home…and on the go!). Millions of disposable coffee cups are thrown away every year in the United States, contributing to swollen landfills and pollution. Think of how many cups you could save if you were to commit to a reusable cup even half the time. Plus, many coffee companies will offer you a small discount to use your own cup!

Turn down the thermostat at night. You’re not going to be awake to enjoy the heat, so why pay to waste all that energy? Besides, there’s nothing quite so cozy and snuggling in on a cold night with a soft blanket.

For more green resolutions, check out the Grays Harbor County website!

Image from Brandt Yoga.

This holiday season, there’s so much delicious food to be had. Yams, cranberries, green bean casserole, oh my! But with so many different main and side dishes being produced, buying organic fruits and vegetables can get a little pricey, especially with all the extra mouths to feed. So when push comes to shove, what items are most important to buy organic? Well, here’s a list of the top 10 fruits and vegetables that you want to make sure are 100% pesticide and herbicide free this season. In no particular order…

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell Peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Grapes

However, fret not! There’s a simple solution to this dilemma: handmade gifts. Not only can many DIY gifts be made from things you already have on hand, but it’s also a thoughtful and green way to say you care during the holidays. There are tons of options out there, ranging from simple to complex, and from minimal to fancy. Below are a few last minute gift ideas that will leave the recipient smiling, both at your commitment to being eco-friendly and at your daring know-how!

Image from Design*Sponge.

These simple and beautiful boxes are super easy to make and can be used as the gift itself, or to put other gifts in. Plus, they’re reusable, so you can rest assured knowing that less perfectly-good wrapping paper will be going into the garbage this year! Simply follow these instructions to turn some ordinary boxes and spare ribbon into a gift that will continue to get use after the holidays are done.

Image from RealBeauty.com

What better gift than that of a little bit of relaxation? Well, maybe some organic and homemade relaxation! By whipping up some simple and chemical-free spa treatments, you can help your nearest and dearest de-stress and detox after the holiday scramble is over. Some examples of stellar spa treatments found at Design*Sponge include the Mush Ado About Nothing face cream, the Air Supply aromatherapy diffuser, and the Well Oiled Machine bath soak.

Image from Design*Sponge.

These cute little crackers hold a variety of surprises inside. The first surprise is that they’re very easy to make and can be whipped up within a few minutes, and the second surprise comes when they’re opened, revealing all kinds of goodies, from candy to confetti! They’re also a great gift for New Year’s Eve and birthday parties!

Image from SanAntonioRealEstate365.com

The term “weatherization” may sound a little intimidating, but did you know that weatherizing is really just a series of quick and easy steps that anyone anywhere is capable of? It’s true! Whether you live in an apartment or a two-story house, in Minnesota or New Mexico, you can benefit from some home weatherization this winter.  Here are six simple actions to get you started in saving  a bundle of money in energy bills and helping you reduce your carbon footprint in the process!

1. Seal leaks with caulking and weatherstripping. This is the easiest weatherization step you can do! Simple seal windows and door jams with clear caulking (for smaller gaps) or weatherstripping (for larger gaps). Since 30% of your homes heat can be lost through these tiny gaps, think of how much you’ll save by sealing them!
2. Reduce drafts. Simply putting a rolled up blanket or towel at the bottom of exterior doors will greatly decrease the energy needed to heat your home. And, if you’re in the mood for something prettier, many stores even sell cute versions of these simple draft-busters.
3. Program your thermostat. Making sure that your house isn’t being heated when you’re not home or awake will help control heating costs this winter.
4. Insulate your windows. Windows are a massive energy-suck. You can insulate your windows by putting up heavy curtains or putting up a special, thin-plastic insulation found at most hardware stores.
5. Insulate water pipes. Insulating your water pipes not only prevents them from bursting during a deep freeze, but also will save you money on your energy bill this winter. Not sure if your pipes need new insulation? Putting a hand to your pipe and testing to see if they’re warm is the easiest way to check. If they are, you’re losing valuable heat. The same test can be used on your water heater.
6. Put on a sweater! Putting on a sweater instead of raising your thermostat a few degrees is the easiest (and most fashionable!) way to save energy this winter.

Image from the Law Rules Blog.

As we get older, it can often seem like there’s less and less to put on our holiday wish lists. As kids with no means of attaining these items for ourselves, it’s easy to ask Mom or Dad for toys and presents galore. But as adults, if we want a new iPod or KitchenAid mixer, odds are that we aren’t going to wait around for Hanukkah or Christmas to ask someone else to buy it for us. So when your friends and relatives ask you what you want this year, or when thinking of gifts for them too, how about purchasing something that truly makes a difference to people in need, like buying a goat for a family in Africa. Now, you may be wondering how is that a gift for you or your loved one? Well, at Oxfam America Unwrapped, whatever gift you choose will be donated in the receiver’s name and will include a personalized picture of that gift for you to put in a card or stuff in a stocking, so they’ll be able to enjoy the warm feeling of having helped a community in need.

At Oxfam America Unwrapped, you can buy charitable gifts for disadvantaged families a half-a-world away. There are dozens of options at all price-levels, so you can tailor your gift-giving experience to anyone’s individual interests and concerns. For example, for $25 you can buy a portable, fuel-efficient cooking stove for a displaced woman or mosquito nets to help protect a family from malaria. You can even help plant anywhere from 50 to 1,000 trees, which not only provides hungry communities with food and shelter, but also helps reduce greenhouse gases in the environment! And, of course, there are many different livestock options, ranging from goats to camels, which will help needy families provide basic necessities for themselves and eventually start their own businesses.

So this year, in the spirit of giving and in honor of today’s Human Rights Day, consider asking for or giving a charitable gift which will help families in need have a happy holiday, as well!