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Recycling Clothes and/ or Fabric to Make a Comfortable Blanket This upcoming winter is a great time to experiment with green ways to stay warm. One green craft this time of year could be to make a recycled blanket or quilt out of materials already available around the house.  In order to create a blanket or quilt, three methods include: 1) Pick the Fabrics : Choose a surplus fabric around the home that can be used as the centerpiece for the new blanket or quilt.  Options could range from college tee shirts, old sweaters, or worn-out jeans for the top of the blanket and another, sturdy, fabric, such as older blankets or fleeces, for the base. 2) Decide on a design : The next step is to decide on a functional design.  A blanket is typically a single layer of heavy fabric with a design while a quilt contains padding or stuffing, oftentimes a cotton material, in between layers of fabric.  Decide on a style that works with the materials available! 3) Create a Finished Pro...

Thanksgiving Is Only Two Days Away Though it can be a challenge, the holidays can be a good time to practice several GreenLiving skills and lifestyle choices.  Several ways to stay "green" during Thanksgiving include: 1) Manage food waste : A big component in many Thanksgiving celebrations is a meal shared by family and/ or friends.  If hosting this year, try to set up a buffet style meal so that everyone can get the portion of food they would like, instead of being served too much (or too little!) and wasting excess food.  If attending a Thanksgiving celebration: try to wait between courses before getting more food, to avoid getting too much and wasting excess. 2) Compost when possible : After the Thanksgiving meal, some of the food scraps can be composted.  Remember: avoid dairy products and bones, but any organic material such as shells, vegetables, and fruits can be put in the compost bin.  Learn more about composting here . 3) Avoid unnecessary waste : Try ...

A "Keep America Beautiful" Initiative Today, November 15, is a green holiday: America Recycles Day , a day to take a pledge to recycle more and become more environmentally focused. There are several ways to celebrate and honor America Recycles Day, including: Attend an Event : More than 2,000 recycling themed events are taking place this year for America Recycles Day.  Visit the interactive map on the website to filter events by state, city, and/ or zipcode. Take the Official Pledge : According to the America Recycles Day website, the national recycling rate has steadily increased throughout the past 30 years.  Currently, approximately 34 percent of individuals in America recycles.   Take the #BeRecycled pledge to commit to recycling. Find Local Recycling Centers : Facilitate recycling in local communities and/ or neighborhoods by finding nearby recycling centers.  This online resource also provides locations for recycling specialty items such as electronics, appl...

Live Green With Less Financial Worry Want to live a green life but are concerned about the financial impact?  This is a common concern, especially around the holidays!  However, there are plenty of ways to live a green lifestyle and stay on a budget.  Several ideas include: 1)  Clean green:  Many people don't realize that their home can look immaculately clean by using natural products that already sit in a pantry shelf rather than buying cleaners in a store.  Not only are cleaners expensive, but they often are damaging to the air and water.  Here are some great natural products: White Wine Vinegar: vinegar is excellent for cleaning stains, especially on fabrics! Baking soda: baking soda is great at removing dirt and stains.  Did you know it is also good to mix baking soda with toothpaste to get a sparkling, white smile? Lemon and orange peels: instead of throwing fruit peels away, they are excellent to scrub dirt and grime from pots and pans. Gra...

Several Tips on How To Compost Want to find a creative way to eliminate food waste?  Composting is a green method to dispose of some, but not all, excess food and natural waste. What are methods to successfully compost?  Read a few tips below: 1) Create a compost bin : Composting only works if it becomes part of the daily routine.  Much like a recycling bin or trash can, select a container that can be identified as the "compost bin".  Ensure it is a portable container and has drainage/ ventilation holes or can be altered to create drainage and ventilation (such as a plastic container). 2) Decide on a location : Will the bin be placed inside or outside?  A compost bin needs biodegraders to break down the products placed inside into compost.  This could be earthworms, or bacteria, or fungus: depending on the climate and environment. 3) Line compost bin and begin to use : Compost bins need layers of fresh soil and layers of clean paper below and over top of al...