The Evolution of Project Notepad

Anyone who stops by my cubicle must wonder why I keep a tray full of random used paper on my desk. Well, a few months ago, I started something I like to call "Project Notepad." In an effort to reuse paper that I'd normally recycle (remember, it goes Reduce, then Reuse, then Recycle), I began collecting paper that was blank on one side. My plan was to turn this paper into notepads of various sizes that I could use for work and home. I even thought about creating nice notepad covers and giving the notepads as gifts!

The notepad idea hasn't come to fruition just yet. But recently, my son and I have been reusing the paper for something more creative and fun - homemade books! Check out photos of our latest book entitled "Hercules, the Hyena":

I remember doing this as a child, so I couldn't wait to share the experience with my son. Making homemade books is so much fun and has been a great bonding experience. And best of all, it's eco-friendly!

How would you reuse single-sided paper?

Happy Mother's Day, Mother Earth!

Happy Mother's Day!

In addition to celebrating the woman who brought you into this world, why not celebrate the woman whose world we live in. That's right...Mother Earth!

If you live in Sacramento area, check out the Whole Earth Festival at UC Davis. This year is the 40th anniversary of the festival and the theme is Sustainalovability. Today is the last day, but it would be a great way to honor Mother Earth and learn how we should be treating her!

Isn't that image of Mother Earth cool? What do you think Mother Earth looks like???

Budget-Friendly Mother's Day Gifts

Mother's Day is on May 9th, and television commercials and print advertisements are heavily focused on the holiday this week. These ads and commercials would trick you into believing that you should buy your mom/grandmother/etc. expensive jewelry, overpriced bouquets of flowers, or pricey tech gadgets like mp3 players or digital cameras. But frankly, Mother's Day gifts don't have to be terribly expensive. In fact, why not try some of these Unique Mother's Day gift ideas from the dollar store, courtesy of Wallet Pop (www.walletpop.com).

My son and I actually bought our Mother's Day gifts at Dollar Tree. We found two cute wooden bird houses at the dollar store and painted and decorated them with supplies we found in the same aisle. We also decorated a cute little tote with foam shapes and filled with puzzle books (word search, crossword, sudoku) and pencils - all from the dollar store. I'm sure my mom and grandma will love these gifts!

Don't be shy about taking this approach. Most mother's would rather receive a thoughtful, semi-homemade gift instead of an expensive gift with no meaning behind it. It's the thought that counts, right?

What did you get your mother/grandmother/etc. for Mother's Day?

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

Today is Earth Day, but what does that really mean?

For many, Earth Day is...

• ...the one day out of the whole year that people devote themselves to doing something good for the Earth
• ...a day when corporations use "feel good" tactics to promote their eco-friendly product lines and guilt people into buying them so they can feel they've played a part in preserving the Earth's resources
• ...just another day on the calendar

For me, Earth Day is actually just another day on the calendar, because I constantly look for ways to employ resource conservation and waste reduction methods in my life. Instead of falling for the hype and buying lots of green products, I practice being green every day.

In Beth Terry's latest posting on her Life Without Plastic blog, she examines Buying Green vs. Being Green. She reminds us that we can't buy ourselves to a cleaner, greener planet. Consumption simply yields more waste, especially when many of these eco-friendly products are still made of plastic! Beth's message? "Instead of buying more, just use less."

Celebrate the Earth EVERY DAY, not just on Earth Day!

A Relaxed Black Woman's Natural Hair Care Dilemma

I've been introducing more natural and plastic-free products into my life lately, and tomorrow, I plan to go to Lush (my favorite natural, handmade cosmetics store) to purchase some shampoo and conditioner. After researching their site, I decided that the Curly Wavy shampoo and Jungle conditioner were the best options for Black hair. Only the conditioner comes in solid form (to satisfy my plastic-free goals), but one product out of two is better than nothing, right?

Did you know...?

If one in five people switched from liquid to solid shampoo, about 22 million plastic bottles would be saved from the landfill. (Source: Lush)

Anyway, it just occurred to me that having a relaxer doesn't really fall into my mission to be more natural. I mean, why would someone in search of natural hair care products willingly get their hair chemically processed every two months? And will using natural products in between salon visits really account for anything?

I know what you're thinking...why not just go natural, right? I've "gone natural" twice in my life (once in 2003 and again in 2006), and I don't think the third time will be the charm. When I had natural hair, it was cute in the beginning, but then I didn't know what to do with, and I couldn't afford to have someone else take care of my natural locks. Thinking back, it actually seems more time consuming to have natural hair, and time is something I simply don't have as a busy single mom.

My hair throughout the years (Spring 2004, Jan. 2007, Jan. 2010)

Having relaxed hair definitely fits my lifestyle better, and I enjoy how I look and feel more confident with longer, straight hair. (Spare me the social commentary, please. It is what it is.)

I suppose my dilemma is more about the scientific side of hair care. Will using natural hair care products be beneficial for my hair while I continue to get relaxers? Are there relaxers or relaxer-type products on the market made from natural ingredients? What are the best natural hair care options for Black hair, especially relaxed hair?

Please leave your thoughts and suggestions! I'm sure your comments will be helpful to many Black women out there!

BYOB: Baygs Made From Old T-Shirts

Got old t-shirts hanging around? Well, instead of tossing them, why not make your own reusable produce / bulk food bags?

I've been searching for the perfect alternative to plastic produce bags for months, but everything I've seen so far has been rather expensive. In the video below, Ame Guseman from the Alameda Farmer's Market shows us how you can make your own "Baygs."



Looks like I might want to invest in a sewing machine after all!

Do you sew using recycled clothing? What kinds of items have you made?

A Boat Designed With Waste In Mind

Ever hear of The Plastiki?

I saw the word for the first time this morning. It was listed on Yahoo's homepage as the No. 3 trending topic. I have to admit, I was kind of excited as I thought of the possibilities of its meaning. Was it a cool new "as seen on TV" gadget that I just had to have? Was it a new wiki for me to check out? Or maybe the latest fashion trend???

When I clicked the link, my excitement grew even more. Turns out, The Plastiki is the name of a boat, a boat made from 12,500 plastic bottles!!!

 

The Plastiki took off on a major voyage on Saturday. The crew will be sailing across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco, California to Sydney, Australia. The 60-foot boat is completely self-sufficient, and in addition to the 12,500 plastic bottles, The Plastiki has solar panels, a bio-diesel engine (for emergency use only), bicycle generators, a mast made from an irrigation pipe, and sails made from recycled PET (Polyethylene terephthalate).

The Plastiki was built by Adventure Ecology, a group that "uses the magic and excitement of unique field missions to educate, entertain and raise awareness of environmental and social issues whilst driving innovative real world solutions." With the Plastiki, the group is presenting the philosophy that waste is fundamentally a design flaw. Adventure Ecology would like people to re-think waste as a resource. Now that's what I call a message in a bottle! My only question is this: will cool projects like this give people an excuse to continue to waste??? What do you think?

Check out the website for The Plastiki to find out more about how the boat was made, to see close-up photos of the boat, and to learn the status of its voyage to Sydney.

Have you ever made anything out of recycled waste? Leave a comment and tell me about it!