For 6 years, Husband and I have been going around and around about what color to paint the kitchen. Since he is the Head Cook he wanted a say in how I decorated “His Domain.” I guess I can give him that. I’m also fine with him calling the kitchen His Domain. Heck, he can call it Shirley for all I care as long as he cooks my dinner!
Being a green blogger, I’m supposed to automatically choose a low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) paint to improve the indoor air quality for the health of my family. However, I had a lot of questions and concerns if a low or no VOC paint job would last. Turns out, my concerns were not such a big deal. I found out that we painted our bedroom six years ago with a paint that qualifies as a low VOC paint, even thought the company doesn’t advertise it that way. The bedroom paint job has held up over time but as for a low VOC paint, it SMELLED just as much as the mistint of conventional paint I bought from the Habitat Restore to paint the laundry room.
Since that stinky low VOC paint job held up over time, I was ready to take a chance on a no VOC paint. Hopefully, with less stink.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Baking Soda Deodorant FAIL
Have you heard that some people use baking soda as deodorant? It’s a great way to avoid parabens and aluminum chlorohydrate if you’re concerned about that. Think of all the money you'd save too!
I was hesistant at first. The one time I tried an environmentally friendly stick deodorant it gave me a rash under my arms. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
I’ve always had a problem with finding a deodorant that works for me, most leave me wiffy at the end of the day, especially roll on deodorant. I have better luck with solid stick deodorant but even then only two brands work for me.
I found a roll on deodorant in the back of the linen closet during a clean out. I was out of my full of parben and aluminum chlorohydrate stick deodorant. Since I am trying to green my health and beauty aids, I figured I would use the roll on and a homemade version together (in the case of stinky failure) applied with a powder-puff. After I went through the roll on I would transition to just baking soda.
I tried three different baking soda and homemade deodorant combinations. I tried each experiment for a month. I didn’t do much in the way of heavy sweaty work or working out. It was spring so it was not hot outside either.
Home made deodorant?
EPIC FAIL
I consulted my friends from the Green Moms Carnival. These women are brilliant. I figure someone in this group has either had an experience close to mine or found a way to make it work without the stink. From our unscientific and funny discussion, it seems that successfully using baking soda and various homemade deodorants depends on the individual’s body chemistry.
My body chemistry said, "Stinky. Please pass the parbens" at the end of the day.
I’m back to the one parben laden, aluminum chlorohydrate filled stick deodorant that keeps me from stinking. I'm not very happy about that but I am happy that I'm not stinky at the end of the day. I think my family and friends prefer me that way too.
For a different take on baking soda as deodorant, check out Beth’s experience at Fake Plastic Fish.
Have you tried baking soda as deodorant? What was your experience?
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
I was hesistant at first. The one time I tried an environmentally friendly stick deodorant it gave me a rash under my arms. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
I’ve always had a problem with finding a deodorant that works for me, most leave me wiffy at the end of the day, especially roll on deodorant. I have better luck with solid stick deodorant but even then only two brands work for me.
I found a roll on deodorant in the back of the linen closet during a clean out. I was out of my full of parben and aluminum chlorohydrate stick deodorant. Since I am trying to green my health and beauty aids, I figured I would use the roll on and a homemade version together (in the case of stinky failure) applied with a powder-puff. After I went through the roll on I would transition to just baking soda.
I tried three different baking soda and homemade deodorant combinations. I tried each experiment for a month. I didn’t do much in the way of heavy sweaty work or working out. It was spring so it was not hot outside either.
- I applied the roll on and used that for a few days alone. By the end of the day, I detected a faint body odor at the end of the day. FAIL.
- I mixed equal parts cornstarch and baking soda. I used it with and without the roll on. My pits felt gritty and detected a faint body odor at the end of the day. FAIL.
- I tried using baking soda only. I used it with and without the roll on. I my pits were not gritty but I detected a faint body odor at the end of the day. FAIL.
Home made deodorant?
EPIC FAIL
I consulted my friends from the Green Moms Carnival. These women are brilliant. I figure someone in this group has either had an experience close to mine or found a way to make it work without the stink. From our unscientific and funny discussion, it seems that successfully using baking soda and various homemade deodorants depends on the individual’s body chemistry.
My body chemistry said, "Stinky. Please pass the parbens" at the end of the day.
I’m back to the one parben laden, aluminum chlorohydrate filled stick deodorant that keeps me from stinking. I'm not very happy about that but I am happy that I'm not stinky at the end of the day. I think my family and friends prefer me that way too.
For a different take on baking soda as deodorant, check out Beth’s experience at Fake Plastic Fish.
Have you tried baking soda as deodorant? What was your experience?
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Coolest Castle Tree House from Repurposed Wood
Who says eco has to be ugly? Check out the three story tree house Kalleen from A Second Street’s Dad built her children. It’s the Coolest. Tree House. Ever!
Kalleen’s father spent all summer building this tree house for this grandchildren. Almost all of the materials are used. Reclaimed wood for the “sides”, he purchased 2 slides from the classifieds, and used an old satellite dish as the roof.
There’s sandbox on the bottom level and insulation in the walls to keep the building cool during the summer – smart move. He finished it out by reusing paneling for the interior walls.
Check out the detailing. The “masonry” is actually wood cut to simulate individual stone. Love!
I wonder if it’s big enough for grownups to play in it too?
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
A castle, with two slides, a sandbox, and a rock-climbing wall!
Photo courtesy of A Second Street.
Kalleen’s father spent all summer building this tree house for this grandchildren. Almost all of the materials are used. Reclaimed wood for the “sides”, he purchased 2 slides from the classifieds, and used an old satellite dish as the roof.
There’s sandbox on the bottom level and insulation in the walls to keep the building cool during the summer – smart move. He finished it out by reusing paneling for the interior walls.
Check out the detailing. The “masonry” is actually wood cut to simulate individual stone. Love!
I wonder if it’s big enough for grownups to play in it too?
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Remake Your Swag Challenge Link Party
Where some see trash in those free promotional items you get at a street fair, summer festival, or convention, called swag in the PR buiz for Stuff We All Get, I see it as something to remake into treasure.
Now that the summer is almost over - sob! - I have several free stainless steel water bottles I got from various events. I like that the metal bottles keep water colder longer than my BPA free plastic water bottles. However free doesn't always come with cute, like this water bottle I got from Crystal Light at Blogher.
A little Modge Podge, scrapbook paper, paper punches, laser printer, and smarty pants attitude later I remade that water bottle into something I want to show off around town.
*Giggle*
Do you think people will laugh with me or beat me with a stick when I take my new water bottle to my next green event?
Let’s see what you came up with! The rules are simple. Use the Linky below to submit your reuse/revamp/remade or swag thing you find useful blog post to Condo Blues. Please put a link at the bottom of your post back to Condo Blues so everyone will know that you are participating in my Remake Your Swag Link Party.
I made a button if you want to use it to make it easy for you!
Reminder: You can still enter my 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse Book Giveaway until midnight tonight!
I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Now that the summer is almost over - sob! - I have several free stainless steel water bottles I got from various events. I like that the metal bottles keep water colder longer than my BPA free plastic water bottles. However free doesn't always come with cute, like this water bottle I got from Crystal Light at Blogher.
Free and functional.
A little Modge Podge, scrapbook paper, paper punches, laser printer, and smarty pants attitude later I remade that water bottle into something I want to show off around town.
It says My other water bottle is 10,000 Styrofoam cups.
*Giggle*
Do you think people will laugh with me or beat me with a stick when I take my new water bottle to my next green event?
Let’s see what you came up with! The rules are simple. Use the Linky below to submit your reuse/revamp/remade or swag thing you find useful blog post to Condo Blues. Please put a link at the bottom of your post back to Condo Blues so everyone will know that you are participating in my Remake Your Swag Link Party.
I made a button if you want to use it to make it easy for you!
Reminder: You can still enter my 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse Book Giveaway until midnight tonight!
I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
11 PVC Plastic Free Shoes for Back to School
When I buy a plastic item, I check for the recycling number 3 which stands for PVC (polyvinyl chloride.) If the item is made from PVC, I don’t buy it.
It is unlikely that I will lick my shoes and inject PVC. If I do I think my problems are bigger than ingesting PVC plastic! However, I might if I handle those PVC shoes by putting them in the closet and then inadvertently put my finger in my mouth or eat an apple or something. Then I’m transfer PVC particles from the shoe to my hands to that apple and right into me.
It’s just easier to avoid buying shoes made with PVC. Fortunately, many companies make PVC free shoes. I was happy to find that many of these shoes are already in my closet including my husband's favorite brand of running shoes!
1. Adidas (learn more about them here) Their sandals the have EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate), rubber outsoles; their sneakers have molded EVA insoles and midsoles. I personally have a pair and love them. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this pot for your convenience)
It is unlikely that I will lick my shoes and inject PVC. If I do I think my problems are bigger than ingesting PVC plastic! However, I might if I handle those PVC shoes by putting them in the closet and then inadvertently put my finger in my mouth or eat an apple or something. Then I’m transfer PVC particles from the shoe to my hands to that apple and right into me.
It’s just easier to avoid buying shoes made with PVC. Fortunately, many companies make PVC free shoes. I was happy to find that many of these shoes are already in my closet including my husband's favorite brand of running shoes!
1. Adidas (learn more about them here) Their sandals the have EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate), rubber outsoles; their sneakers have molded EVA insoles and midsoles. I personally have a pair and love them. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this pot for your convenience)
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Make a Woven Ribbon and Washer Bracelet
I open the email and sat there, stunned. Martha Stewart Omnimedia invited me to their Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Bloggers' Night Out! party to meet the Martha Stewart creative team!
Mindful Momma said we should make something to wear to the party.
Dare I?
Inspired by the belt on my new dress, I grabbed some washers left over from the cornhole game boards I built in the garage, a bit of ribbon from my sewing stash, and made a woven washer bracelet using A Steno Pad for My Thoughts woven washer necklace tutorial.
Mecca!
Mindful Momma said we should make something to wear to the party.
Dare I?
Inspired by the belt on my new dress, I grabbed some washers left over from the cornhole game boards I built in the garage, a bit of ribbon from my sewing stash, and made a woven washer bracelet using A Steno Pad for My Thoughts woven washer necklace tutorial.
Another project that perfectly illustrates my tool girl side and my girly girl crafty side.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Good Green Fun at the Ohio State Fair
Husband and I spent a day at the Ohio State Fair. When we were not eating local food – which is crazy easy to do at the State Fair, we were checking out the sites and acting silly.
There were things to do for kids of all ages. Even goat kids! I thought of Nanny Goats in Panties and snapped a photo of the goat playground for Margaret.
The animal, food, and craft judging were all in full swing. We saw and were allowed to pet many animals. Our favorite was the Highland cows. Husband and I call them McMoos because we are convinced that they moo with a Scottish accent. Mac-moooooo.
There were things to do for kids of all ages. Even goat kids! I thought of Nanny Goats in Panties and snapped a photo of the goat playground for Margaret.
The goats weren’t feeling playful because it was early
in the morning when we visited them.
The animal, food, and craft judging were all in full swing. We saw and were allowed to pet many animals. Our favorite was the Highland cows. Husband and I call them McMoos because we are convinced that they moo with a Scottish accent. Mac-moooooo.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
6 Thrift and Shopping Scores!
I finished my Saturday errands and found myself less than a block from the Ohio Thrift Store. I had to go in. Ohio Thrift is one of the better thrift stores in the city because in addition to the regular thrift store finds they also accept donations of new closeout items that do not sell from major retailers. I purchased a couple of new tank tops there for a couple of dollars that were originally from a major retailer that goes by the nickname Vickie who is very Secretive about things. Thrift store score!
The Thrifting and Shopping Bargain Fairies were good to me. I think they were being kind after that depressing and horrible bathing suit shopping trip earlier this summer. Everything in every store I went to was either dental floss or granny and all looked awful on me. It still gives me nightmares just thinking about it.
Let’s look at the spoils of war!
I bought this cute sundress for $3.99.
I didn’t realize it was a reversible sundress until I got it home.
The Big Game Bargain Huntress kill came with this purse. Like the sundress, the condition was excellent; it was $20, which is high for a thrift purse. Then I saw it was a Kate Spade purse! I love Kate Spade!
Green? Yes. Cheap? Yes. Cute and in style? Yes and yes! Mine? – You betcha!
A week later, I was floored with an invitation to a very nice special event during BlogHer this weekend. I wanted a new dress to wear while I networked my face off at a place I consider Mecca. I thought my best bet would be at a consignment store. I always find something that fits and that I like at Clothes Mentor when stores selling new clothes let me down, which is often.
Consignment store prices are higher than a thrift store but I think it is worth it because Clothes Mentor has dressing rooms (unlike Ohio Thrift), everything they sell is in fashion (no revamps needed other than hemming), is in excellent condition, and they sell designer clothes at the fraction of the price. I feel a lot better cutting off six inches of designer consignment store pants to hem them than new designer pants.
As a green blogger, I know I should not be so concerned with name brands but I guess I am that shallow. I like how certain designers fit and their clothes look better on me than others do. I tend to mix and match thrift, consignment, and sale items in the same outfit because I like to live big and look nice on a little budget. Going to a high school that was straight out of the movie Heathers makes me think more about my appearance a little more than I should I suppose.
I decided to check out TJ Maxx first because I have to pass TJ's on my way to Clothes Mentor so TJ's is more convenient. Shopping at a closeout store is less green than shopping at a consignment store depending upon what you buy at the closeout store of course. It also means I'll spend more money. Based on the bathing suit fiasco I didn't expect to find something I liked at TJ's either. I just wanted to rule them out because Husband went shopping with me. He isn't a big fan of shopping from store to store to store like most women I know like to do.I wanted to make it a little easier on him by trying a store close to home on the off chance I'd find something on the first try.
Boy I am I glad I went! TJ’s had a summer clearance sale and they had clothes that fit me that weren't hoochie short or granny moo-moos. Yay!
I needed new shoes to go with the dress. Famous Footwear was also having a super duper clearance sale. I got the sassy pink vegan cha cha heels for $20 and the pink silk flats for walking to the event for $15.Since New York is a walking city most ladies wear flats to ride the subway/walk and then change into heels right before they step into a party.
Both pairs were regularly $50 – bargain! Not shopping in the children’s department for shoes this summer ? Priceless!
However the Big Game Bargain Huntress Score of the Day came with this top I grabbed on a whim on my way to the dressing room back at TJ Maxx. The blouse had the original store tag on it with a price of $168.00.
TJ Maxx had it marked down on clearance for $15.00! I said it was a serious shopping score. Husband corrected me and said it was a steal.
Thank you Universe for making these two shopping trips much more fun than buying my bathing suit!
Do you have any favorite shopping places where you know you’ll get a bargain? What was your best Bargain Shopper Score?
Hey FTC: I paid for everything I purchased at these stores with my own money.
The Thrifting and Shopping Bargain Fairies were good to me. I think they were being kind after that depressing and horrible bathing suit shopping trip earlier this summer. Everything in every store I went to was either dental floss or granny and all looked awful on me. It still gives me nightmares just thinking about it.
Let’s look at the spoils of war!
I bought this cute sundress for $3.99.
Festive, fun, and flirty.
I didn’t realize it was a reversible sundress until I got it home.
This dress is perfect for traveling!
The Big Game Bargain Huntress kill came with this purse. Like the sundress, the condition was excellent; it was $20, which is high for a thrift purse. Then I saw it was a Kate Spade purse! I love Kate Spade!
It's a little tacky to keep the price tag on
but wanted to prove I wasn't just dreaming.
Green? Yes. Cheap? Yes. Cute and in style? Yes and yes! Mine? – You betcha!
A week later, I was floored with an invitation to a very nice special event during BlogHer this weekend. I wanted a new dress to wear while I networked my face off at a place I consider Mecca. I thought my best bet would be at a consignment store. I always find something that fits and that I like at Clothes Mentor when stores selling new clothes let me down, which is often.
Consignment store prices are higher than a thrift store but I think it is worth it because Clothes Mentor has dressing rooms (unlike Ohio Thrift), everything they sell is in fashion (no revamps needed other than hemming), is in excellent condition, and they sell designer clothes at the fraction of the price. I feel a lot better cutting off six inches of designer consignment store pants to hem them than new designer pants.
As a green blogger, I know I should not be so concerned with name brands but I guess I am that shallow. I like how certain designers fit and their clothes look better on me than others do. I tend to mix and match thrift, consignment, and sale items in the same outfit because I like to live big and look nice on a little budget. Going to a high school that was straight out of the movie Heathers makes me think more about my appearance a little more than I should I suppose.
I decided to check out TJ Maxx first because I have to pass TJ's on my way to Clothes Mentor so TJ's is more convenient. Shopping at a closeout store is less green than shopping at a consignment store depending upon what you buy at the closeout store of course. It also means I'll spend more money. Based on the bathing suit fiasco I didn't expect to find something I liked at TJ's either. I just wanted to rule them out because Husband went shopping with me. He isn't a big fan of shopping from store to store to store like most women I know like to do.I wanted to make it a little easier on him by trying a store close to home on the off chance I'd find something on the first try.
Boy I am I glad I went! TJ’s had a summer clearance sale and they had clothes that fit me that weren't hoochie short or granny moo-moos. Yay!
I bought this kicky sundress for $25.00.
I needed new shoes to go with the dress. Famous Footwear was also having a super duper clearance sale. I got the sassy pink vegan cha cha heels for $20 and the pink silk flats for walking to the event for $15.Since New York is a walking city most ladies wear flats to ride the subway/walk and then change into heels right before they step into a party.
The heels fit nicely in the Kate Spade purse.
Both pairs were regularly $50 – bargain! Not shopping in the children’s department for shoes this summer ? Priceless!
However the Big Game Bargain Huntress Score of the Day came with this top I grabbed on a whim on my way to the dressing room back at TJ Maxx. The blouse had the original store tag on it with a price of $168.00.
How lucky is that? Pinch me! I'm dreaming!
TJ Maxx had it marked down on clearance for $15.00! I said it was a serious shopping score. Husband corrected me and said it was a steal.
Thank you Universe for making these two shopping trips much more fun than buying my bathing suit!
Do you have any favorite shopping places where you know you’ll get a bargain? What was your best Bargain Shopper Score?
Hey FTC: I paid for everything I purchased at these stores with my own money.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Think You Know What’s in Your Cosmetics? Think Again
This year my New Year’s Resolution is to green my health and beauty aids. So far, I have switched my foundation , shampoo, lotion, body soap , sunscreen , toothpaste, mouthwash, and facial wash. To do this I read product labels.
Turns out that while I think I am a careful shopper, read ingredient labels, and buy accordingly, when it comes to my health and beauty products there is no law or rule that says everything inside the bottle has to be listed on the product label, unlike the food I buy.
That means there could be just as many or more harmful ingredients in my toothpaste as there are in the degreaser I use on my car’s engine block. The only difference is that the degreaser has a warning label. I have no idea if the ingredients of my toothpaste have been tested for safety or not.
To put this into an easy to understand and entertaining way, Annie Leonard of The Story of Stuff fame, created a new video The Story of Cosmetics.
I’m not trying to be a scaremonger. I think it’s up to you to decide on whether you want to avoid something in your products or not. I can honestly tell you that not everything in my medicine cabinet is 100% green, nor will it ever be. To me, it’s all about balance.
However, I do not like the fact that it is hard to make an informed choice as a consumer because the federal cosmetics law was written over 70 years ago and has not been updated since. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:
I call shenanigans. I find it very hard to believe that a huge personal care company with a research and development team of chemists and scientist types cannot reverse engineer their signature fragrance and figure out what makes their product smell like their product.
Buying an unscented product won’t solve the problem either. Most unscented products have masking agents in them to cover up the sometimes nasty scent of combining their raw ingredients.
What’s a Consumer to Do?
What would you do?
This post is part of the Green Mom’s Carnival where our topic is The Story of Cosmetics hosted by Organic Mania. Pop on over there Wednesday 28, 2010.
Turns out that while I think I am a careful shopper, read ingredient labels, and buy accordingly, when it comes to my health and beauty products there is no law or rule that says everything inside the bottle has to be listed on the product label, unlike the food I buy.
That means there could be just as many or more harmful ingredients in my toothpaste as there are in the degreaser I use on my car’s engine block. The only difference is that the degreaser has a warning label. I have no idea if the ingredients of my toothpaste have been tested for safety or not.
To put this into an easy to understand and entertaining way, Annie Leonard of The Story of Stuff fame, created a new video The Story of Cosmetics.
I’m not trying to be a scaremonger. I think it’s up to you to decide on whether you want to avoid something in your products or not. I can honestly tell you that not everything in my medicine cabinet is 100% green, nor will it ever be. To me, it’s all about balance.
However, I do not like the fact that it is hard to make an informed choice as a consumer because the federal cosmetics law was written over 70 years ago and has not been updated since. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:
"The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1936 has only two pages that relate to cosmetics, and it has not been updated despite a sea change in the industry. The fact is, the Food and Drug Administration has no authority to make cosmetics companies test products for safety or recall products that are found to be harmful."One of the biggest secrets about what chemicals (or not) is in a product is what makes up the product’s fragrance. Last summer, I had the chance to talk to a representative from a large personal care company. She claimed that even her company didn’t know what was in the fragrances of their products because they buy the fragrance from a special fragrance house that has a super secret formula and ironclad nondisclosure agreement that says the fragrance house won’t tell the company what's in the signature scent of their brand of shampoo.
I call shenanigans. I find it very hard to believe that a huge personal care company with a research and development team of chemists and scientist types cannot reverse engineer their signature fragrance and figure out what makes their product smell like their product.
Buying an unscented product won’t solve the problem either. Most unscented products have masking agents in them to cover up the sometimes nasty scent of combining their raw ingredients.
What’s a Consumer to Do?
- First, I would watch The Story of Cosmetics to understand the situation in basic, real world language.
- Next, I would email my congressperson and encourage them to vote yes on the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, which would close the labeling and ingredient testing holes in current federal law.
- Finally, I would start reading the product labels of my personal care products and research any unfamiliar ingredients.
What would you do?
This post is part of the Green Mom’s Carnival where our topic is The Story of Cosmetics hosted by Organic Mania. Pop on over there Wednesday 28, 2010.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
How to Make Candles out of Cheese Wax
Husband and I had a pile of Mini Babybel Cheese wax wrappers on our kitchen counter. We got them as free samples at a local event.
Sometimes Husband and I accept swag (known in the PR buiz as Stuff We All Get) only if it's something we think will be useful to us. Otherwise, it clutters up our tiny house. Can I interest anyone in a junk drawer full of freebie pens?
In this case, the item was useful because it was food. The wrapper? Not so much until Husband challenged me to find a creative reuse for cheese wax.
People passing out free cheese samples
is Blitzkrieg's idea of heaven.
Sometimes Husband and I accept swag (known in the PR buiz as Stuff We All Get) only if it's something we think will be useful to us. Otherwise, it clutters up our tiny house. Can I interest anyone in a junk drawer full of freebie pens?
In this case, the item was useful because it was food. The wrapper? Not so much until Husband challenged me to find a creative reuse for cheese wax.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
How to Identify BPA Free Plastics the Easy Way
I mentioned to Husband's aunt that I want to replace our small plastic food storage containers with glass when they wear out (due to spousal management issues.) She lamented, "It’s so confusing. Now we're supposed to use glass! I can't open glass containers with my arthritis. I can't remember what the plastics are with that stuff in them."
Me, "BPA?"
Husband's aunt,"Yeah, that!"
I love moments like this because it slaps me into the reality that not everyone has the same green needs as I do. This was double that day because we were trying to window shop with a toddler in tow who wanted to pick up and hold everything in the store - especially the very expensive and very breakable glass items (at least the kid has taste.) For Husband's aunt and the toddler's mom, easy to open, non-breakable BPA free plastics are necessary.
I took advantage of this and used it as a Teachable Moment in the store. Aunt K I promised you I'd write everything down - this one's for you! It's a good reminder for me too.
How to Identify BPA Free Plastics – The Long Answer
AKA The CYA so I Don't Get Sued Version
The little numbers stamped on the bottom of a plastic container tells you or your recycling center what type of chemicals the plastic it is made from. There are seven general categories of plastic. The BPA free plastics are (brace yourself for some big scary sounding words but I will translate them I promise):
How to Identify BPA Free Plastics – The Short Answer
AKA The Real Answer to Her Question
Say you want to buy a BPA free plastic reusable water bottle or food storage container. You walk into the store and start flipping things over to read the number printed on the bottom of the plastic container. The safer and most common BPA free choices for reusable plastic food and beverage containers are:
Told you it was corny! However, it helps me remember those two numbers when I’m feeling overwhelmed during a next pop quiz at the store.
Did that help? How do you remember which numbers are BPA free plastic?
Help Lisa Nelsen-Woods Win My Dream Dream Job as the Salada Tea Spokesperson!
The Salada Tea Spokesperson voting is open and the votes are very close. I can't thank all of you enough for your on going votes and social media support. Your daily vote makes a difference!
One of the things I do professionally is to develop on-line training courses that translate complicated technical topics and computer geek jargon in to real world easy to understand language like this post. It would be a dream comes true if I could use my professional translation powers to demystify green living and healthy eating ideas on a budget for Salada Tea drinkers.
Voting won’t cost you anything put a mouse click. You don’t have to sign up for anything either. In fact, Salada Tea will give you a coupon for 75 cents off any Salada Tea product just for voting! Please visit Salada Spokespeson and vote for me, Lisa Nelsen-Woods. You can vote once a day every day until the voting closes on August 1, 2010.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Me, "BPA?"
Husband's aunt,"Yeah, that!"
I love moments like this because it slaps me into the reality that not everyone has the same green needs as I do. This was double that day because we were trying to window shop with a toddler in tow who wanted to pick up and hold everything in the store - especially the very expensive and very breakable glass items (at least the kid has taste.) For Husband's aunt and the toddler's mom, easy to open, non-breakable BPA free plastics are necessary.
I took advantage of this and used it as a Teachable Moment in the store. Aunt K I promised you I'd write everything down - this one's for you! It's a good reminder for me too.
How to Identify BPA Free Plastics – The Long Answer
AKA The CYA so I Don't Get Sued Version
The little numbers stamped on the bottom of a plastic container tells you or your recycling center what type of chemicals the plastic it is made from. There are seven general categories of plastic. The BPA free plastics are (brace yourself for some big scary sounding words but I will translate them I promise):
- #1 Polyethylene terephthalate. It uses the abbreviation PET or PETE and can be for example, thin plastic pop bottles.
- #2 High-density polyethylene. It uses the abbreviation HDPE and can be for example, some reusable plastic food storage containers.
- #4 Low-density polyethylene. It uses the abbreviation LDPE and can be for example, plastic grocery bags.
- #5 Polypropylene. It uses the abbreviation PP and can be for example, some reusable plastic food storage containers.
- #6 Polystyrene It uses the abbreviation PS and can be hard plastic lke disposable cutlery or soft plastic like foam drink cups. Polystyrene is difficult to recycle in most areas of the US.
1
2
(Skip 3)
4
5
6
What about #7 Plastic?
Number 7 is what I like to call Mystery Plastic. Number 7 plastic is any type of plastic that doesn’t fit into the other categories. Number 7 plastic can be made from compostable corn based plastic but it can also be made from polycarbonate which may contain BPA. This makes Number 7 plastics difficult to recycle in most areas of the US.Is your head spinning with numbers yet? Let’s make it easier.
How to Identify BPA Free Plastics – The Short Answer
AKA The Real Answer to Her Question
Say you want to buy a BPA free plastic reusable water bottle or food storage container. You walk into the store and start flipping things over to read the number printed on the bottom of the plastic container. The safer and most common BPA free choices for reusable plastic food and beverage containers are:
- #2 High-density polyethylene. It uses the abbreviation HDPE.
- #5 Polypropylene. It uses the abbreviation PP.
Number two is cool,
Number five no jive.
Told you it was corny! However, it helps me remember those two numbers when I’m feeling overwhelmed during a next pop quiz at the store.
Did that help? How do you remember which numbers are BPA free plastic?
Help Lisa Nelsen-Woods Win My Dream Dream Job as the Salada Tea Spokesperson!
The Salada Tea Spokesperson voting is open and the votes are very close. I can't thank all of you enough for your on going votes and social media support. Your daily vote makes a difference!
One of the things I do professionally is to develop on-line training courses that translate complicated technical topics and computer geek jargon in to real world easy to understand language like this post. It would be a dream comes true if I could use my professional translation powers to demystify green living and healthy eating ideas on a budget for Salada Tea drinkers.
Voting won’t cost you anything put a mouse click. You don’t have to sign up for anything either. In fact, Salada Tea will give you a coupon for 75 cents off any Salada Tea product just for voting! Please visit Salada Spokespeson and vote for me, Lisa Nelsen-Woods. You can vote once a day every day until the voting closes on August 1, 2010.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
8 Ways to Eat Healthy When Camping
Someone complained that it is hard to eat healthy while camping during a recent Girls Night Out (#gno) Twitter party. I disagree! Every vacation of my childhood involved camping of some sort. My parents often referred to our camper as their hotel room on wheels. Because we brought a kitchen with us, we ate healthy while traveling.
Here’s how we eat healthy while camping in a tent. If you have a camper with a little kitchen it’s even easier.
How do you eat healthy while on vacation or camping? Or you do you follow the 80-20 Rule and figure that vacation or camping is the 20% of the time you can throw caution to the wind and eat whatever you want?
Reminder: Help me Win my Dream Job!
I've been selected as a finalist for the Salada Green Tea Spokesperson contest. Your vote will help Salada pick the winner. Please vote for me Lisa Nelsen-Woods and help me win my dream job promoting green living and healthy eating on a budget. You may vote once a day, every day from now until the contest ends on August 1st.
I would be promoting simple healthy meal ideas just like the one in this post. It would be a dream come true!
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The first summer we were married, Husband and I road tripped from Ohio to South Dakota tent camping all the way. People pitied us because they thought we ate crappy food. Not so. Even when camping in a tent, Husband and I always eat very well. Generally our kitchen is a cooler, a propane grill, and an electric teakettle. (You may consider the electric teakettle cheating but I need caffeine in the morning or else I will turn into a grizzly bear, ‘K?)
Here’s how we eat healthy while camping in a tent. If you have a camper with a little kitchen it’s even easier.
- Plan ahead – I don’t do a weekly meal plan at home but I do when we were camping. That way, I can pack the car and cooler with what we need for our trip and nothing more since space is at a premium. My mom used this strategy to counter fussy kid eaters. We only have room in our small camper kitchen to bring certain food so that was what we ate or we didn’t eat.
- Make what you normally would at home – Most of the food you normally eat at home can be cooked at a campsite with a few tweaks. You can stir fry vegetables in olive oil on a camp stove just as easily as you can on your big kitchen stove at home although you might consider serving it with pasta because it has a faster cooking time than rice and will use less propane to prepare.
- Make things up ahead of time – Sadly, there isn’t room service at a campground, which means that the family cook doesn’t get a vacation. If you make things up ahead of time like Sloppy Joe or a cold salad, you can easily cook from scratch at home and have a quick healthy meal while camping. I like to make hummus at home and pack it in the cooler. Hummus makes a great sandwich spread and vegetable dip while on the road!
- Sometimes you might want to take a cooking shortcut – While I’m a big advocate of cooking from scratch, sometimes the convenience or space saving aspect of prepared food will win out during a camping trip. Some of my favorites include spaghetti sauce and whole wheat pasta, veggie burgers, tabouleh mix, deli made stuffed grape leaves, and red wine. Yes, I consider stuffed grape leaves and red wine roughing it because I drink my wine out of a coffee mug. To save space I leave the stemware at home.
- Take advantage of cooking outdoors – You can grill meat, veggies, fish, and kebabs on your patio just as easily as you can on a grill them at campground. Grilled bananas make an excellent camping treat!
- Fruit as snacks – Fresh fruit is so much more refreshing on a hot day than salty snacks. In addition, you can easily park the kids outside when fruit juice dribbles all over their chins instead of letting it dribble all over the inside of your RV or tent.
- Popcorn over the campfire (or camp stove) – As long as you don’t slather it in sticks of butter and pile on a mountain of salt, popcorn can be a healthier snack choice than potato chips.
- Tip: Try sprinkling oregano or basil or both over your popcorn to make Popcorn Pizza – yum!
- Think healthy drinks – Consider bringing iced teas, lemonade, and bring your own water from home if the water at the campground may bother your tummy (sometimes this happens with me.)
- Tip: To save money and cut down on waste, fill up reusable water bottles with drinks for the family throughout the day.
- Tip #2: Put your drinks in a separate cooler to keep the kiddos from opening and closing the camper’s refrigerator or the food storage cooler so often. This goes double if you’re tent camping and you have to keep your food cold in a cooler with ice.
How do you eat healthy while on vacation or camping? Or you do you follow the 80-20 Rule and figure that vacation or camping is the 20% of the time you can throw caution to the wind and eat whatever you want?
Reminder: Help me Win my Dream Job!
I've been selected as a finalist for the Salada Green Tea Spokesperson contest. Your vote will help Salada pick the winner. Please vote for me Lisa Nelsen-Woods and help me win my dream job promoting green living and healthy eating on a budget. You may vote once a day, every day from now until the contest ends on August 1st.
I would be promoting simple healthy meal ideas just like the one in this post. It would be a dream come true!
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Sunday, July 18, 2010
Make Personalized Garden Stepping Stones
On Miss M’s first Christmas, she made everyone in the family a personalized concrete garden stepping stone with her handprints in them. Wasn’t she a talented baby?
It says May All of Your Weeds be Wildflowers
I never knew how easy it was to make a concert garden marker until Husband and I got a stepping stone kit
as a gift from the people who played our characters’ servants when we retired from performing at The Ohio Renaissance Festival.
You can buy a kit or make our own. My stepping stone kit wasa bag of concrete mix, a pan/form, and sometimes stamps or a stick to use to write a message in your stepping stone. Some kits inclue the stones and glass or you can buy brightly colored bits of glass or marbles at a craft store like baby Miss M did because she was a talented infant artist AND a bargain shopper.
My stepping stone kit didn't come with glass or colored stone bits. I scavenged around ther house for things to embed in my stepping stone and raided the recycling bin for glass bottles to smash for colored glass bits.
A few tips:
Personalized stepping stones make great gifts!
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It says May All of Your Weeds be Wildflowers
because I had a wildflower garden at my old house.
I never knew how easy it was to make a concert garden marker until Husband and I got a stepping stone kit
as a gift from the people who played our characters’ servants when we retired from performing at The Ohio Renaissance Festival.You can buy a kit or make our own. My stepping stone kit was
a bag of concrete mix, a pan/form, and sometimes stamps or a stick to use to write a message in your stepping stone. Some kits inclue the stones and glass or you can buy brightly colored bits of glass or marbles at a craft store like baby Miss M did because she was a talented infant artist AND a bargain shopper.My stepping stone kit didn't come with glass or colored stone bits. I scavenged around ther house for things to embed in my stepping stone and raided the recycling bin for glass bottles to smash for colored glass bits.
Heresford is the name of characters Husband
and I played during our last years at ORF.
A few tips:
- You don’t have to buy a stepping stone kit. You can use any flat pan for your mold although I think the plastic pan that came in my kit made it easier to remove the dry stone from the pan and reuse it if I ever want to make more stepping stones. I've seen just the plastic stepping stone mold for sale at craft stores.
- If you plan to make more than one stepping stone, it is cheaper to buy a small package of quick setting concrete at the home improvement store than buying special stepping stone mix at the craft store. Why? Because the special stepping stone mix at the craft store is really just a more expensive bag of quick setting concrete.
- The concrete stamps are a nice thing to have if your writing neatly with stick skills are poor like mine. I think my stamping in a straight line skills could use some work too.
- To smash my glass bottles I put them in a bucket and draped a rag over the top of the bottles in the bucket. I dropped a hammer into the bucket on my patio so I wouldn’t have glass shards flying all over the house.
- You need to let the stone dry and cure for several weeks undisturbed. I made my stone on the table in my craft room and left it there untouched until the concrete cured several weeks later.
Personalized stepping stones make great gifts!
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
I Greened My SunScreen
I gave up trying to get sun tan years ago because my pale faced Scandinavian skin makes me burn like a vampire in the sun.
Really.
I got a sunburn by sitting too close to a sunny window at work once, OK?
My New Year’s Resolution for 2010 is to green my health and beauty aids so I switched to a zinc-based sunscreen.
I bought Alba Botanica
. Alba scores a 2-3 on the Skin Deep Database for safety. There are other sunscreens that score better for safety but they are much more expensive and most are only available on line. I go through so much sunscreen I wanted to find something I can buy locally when I run out. Price is also important because I buy a lot of sunscreen during the summer.
So far, I like the protection Alba offers
. My only negative is that it’s thicker than my old chemical based sunscreen and takes a bit more time and effort to rub it in completely so my skin does not look whiter and more ghostlike than it already is.
The big test was when I marched in a parade. I slathered on one coat of Alba sunscreen and let it dry. I hoped it would protect me because I knew I wouldn’t have time to reapply sunscreen throughout the day. Even if I could, the last thing I needed was to make my hands slippery with sunscreen because I was twirling a flag in the parade.
After a full day in the sun, I came home hot and tired. To my delight I didn't find a sunburn on my face, arms, or legs. Yay! I jumped in shower. For some reason my head hurt when I shampooed my hair.
Because…..
I got a sunburn on the part in my hair!
I never though of putting sunscreen there!
Yes, I got a sunburn on my scalp.
File this one under “these things only happen to me.”
Next time I am wearing a hat.
Do you have a strange sunburn stories or am I the only one?
Reminder: Help me Win my Dream Job!
I've been selected as a finalist for the Salada Green Tea Spokesperson contest. Your vote will help Salada pick the winner. Please vote for me Lisa Nelsen-Woods and help me win my dream job promoting green living and healthy eating on a budget. You may vote once a day, every day from now until the contest ends on August 1st.
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Disclosure: I bought the sunscreen with my own money. Alba did not pay me to say nice things about their product nor are they responsible for my sunburned head because I'm an idiot. This post includes an affliate link. If you choose to purchase an item I will recieve a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me with my goal of making Condo Blues a self hosted blog.
Really.
I got a sunburn by sitting too close to a sunny window at work once, OK?
My New Year’s Resolution for 2010 is to green my health and beauty aids so I switched to a zinc-based sunscreen.
I bought Alba Botanica
. Alba scores a 2-3 on the Skin Deep Database for safety. There are other sunscreens that score better for safety but they are much more expensive and most are only available on line. I go through so much sunscreen I wanted to find something I can buy locally when I run out. Price is also important because I buy a lot of sunscreen during the summer. So far, I like the protection Alba offers
. My only negative is that it’s thicker than my old chemical based sunscreen and takes a bit more time and effort to rub it in completely so my skin does not look whiter and more ghostlike than it already is. The big test was when I marched in a parade. I slathered on one coat of Alba sunscreen and let it dry. I hoped it would protect me because I knew I wouldn’t have time to reapply sunscreen throughout the day. Even if I could, the last thing I needed was to make my hands slippery with sunscreen because I was twirling a flag in the parade.
After a full day in the sun, I came home hot and tired. To my delight I didn't find a sunburn on my face, arms, or legs. Yay! I jumped in shower. For some reason my head hurt when I shampooed my hair. Because…..
I got a sunburn on the part in my hair!
Sunburn on my head.
I never though of putting sunscreen there!
Yes, I got a sunburn on my scalp.
File this one under “these things only happen to me.”
Next time I am wearing a hat.
Do you have a strange sunburn stories or am I the only one?
Reminder: Help me Win my Dream Job!
I've been selected as a finalist for the Salada Green Tea Spokesperson contest. Your vote will help Salada pick the winner. Please vote for me Lisa Nelsen-Woods and help me win my dream job promoting green living and healthy eating on a budget. You may vote once a day, every day from now until the contest ends on August 1st.
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Disclosure: I bought the sunscreen with my own money. Alba did not pay me to say nice things about their product nor are they responsible for my sunburned head because I'm an idiot. This post includes an affliate link. If you choose to purchase an item I will recieve a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me with my goal of making Condo Blues a self hosted blog.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Make a Cornhole Game
Cornhole is a game that’s similar to horseshoes but uses beanbags. It’s very popular at tailgates and picnics in Ohio and Indiana. I’m not sure why. It’s kitschy rednecky cool in that Jeff Foxworthy You Might Be a Redneck If… 
sort of way. Maybe because conhole is a game you can easily play and not spill the drink or drop the cheeseburger you’re holding in your other hand?
You can easily make a cornhole game or buy one premade. The store bought boards are called something insipid like Bean Bag Toss Game or Baggo
. However part of the whole Cornhole thing is to make the boards or to buy homemade boards from someone else.
I made a set for Mother and Father in-law for our big Family Reunion Weekend because because Father in-law loves nothing more than a reason to get his family together. Cornhole is a game kids and adults can play with each other a little more safely than say, horseshoes.
I also wanted to build the boards because Father in-law gets a kick that I'm the only one in the family that likes DIY as much as he does. He calls me his ToolBelt Diva. *blush*
Making a Cornhole game is simple construction and is a good beginner woodworking project. It’s also a good project if you’re someone like me who’s last project of building something from scratch was 7th grade wood shop.
I used the plans for regulation boards I found on Cornhole Game Players and sewed relegation size and weight bean bags with fabric from my fabric stash I filled them with dried pinto beans instead of the traditional dried feed corn which is still allowed. Oh yes, apparently there is a whole Official Cornhole Association and Tournaments and whatnot. If any of the kids get hooked on Cornhole want to be professional Cornhole players they are good to go courtesy of Aunt Lisa.
Here are a few tips and helpful hints if you make a Cornhole game.
1. Use two layers of fabric for your beanbags as the directions recommend because they will take a pounding! Instead of using muslin for the liner, I used fabric from an old heavy cotton curtain panel. Make sure that you use the same weight of fabric for all of your beanbags.
2. I don’t have a table saw (pity I know.) However I was able to have the wood cut for me for free when I bought it at Lowes. I think Home Depot also cuts wood if you buy it there. I don’t know if or what they charge for this service.
3. I used stainless steel screws for this project. I did this so the screws wouldn’t rust in case the boards were accidentally left outside in the rain (even though I know this will never happen. I know everyone will treat them like gold instead of treating them like a toy that you throw things at.)
4. Hold the long screws into place using needle nose pliers while you are drilling them into the pilot holes in your boards to ensure you screw them straight down into the boards.
This screw wouldn’t back out because it uses a star shaped head (a special bit that came with the screws.) I fixed it by cutting the end of the screw off with a Dremel and filling the hole with a dab of wood putty. Which my in-laws didn’t find out about my blunder until I blabbed about it on the Internet. Let’s hear it for full disclosure! (Do I have to disclose that FTC? Because I think I just did.)
5. Older kids may be able to help you with parts of this project but please take all safety precautions for yourself and your kids. If you’re not comfortable doing something please seek out advice from an expert or get a pro because it’s easy to have an accident and get hurt.
In fact, I was being Miss Safety First and still accidentally countersunk my thumb when Mommy’s Little Helper (my drill) slipped off a screw head and into my thumb. Fortunately it bled worse than it actually was but it’s a good reminder about safety.
It’s also a good thing to hold over my in-laws heads. I bled for you – be grateful! Even if the construction is a little off :)
6. I recommend using the belt sander the plans call for to sand the edges of the board. I tried using my palm sander and it was slow going. I gave up, bought a belt sander, and sweet baby Jane! It did the job in a short amount of time.
7. The plans had very complicated directions what to use and not use to draw and cut the hole in the boards. I grabbed a 6-inch plastic lid from the kitchen and traced around it with a pencil – problem solved.
8. The plans also had a very complicated directions on how make make the rounded legs. Instead I traced around a small paint can and cut along the line with a jigsaw. Why do guys have to make everything sound so complicated in the workshop?
9. I painted the boards with outdoor paint I had leftover from my porch chair revamp. I built the boards and legs first. Then I painted them and let them dry before I bolted the legs to the boards, which made life a lot easier.
I took the game to my in-laws farm and it was big hit with everyone in attendance. I’m sure we’ll get a lot of use out of it for years to come.
Hey FTC: The stores and brands I mentioned in this post didn’t pay me to mention them because they don’t even know I exist at the corporate level (tragic, considering my local stores know me very well. I spend lots of my money there.) I bought everything with my own money with the exception of the Dremel and the Mouse because I got those as Christmas gifts. Exactly how do it report that?
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
sort of way. Maybe because conhole is a game you can easily play and not spill the drink or drop the cheeseburger you’re holding in your other hand? 
I built this all by myself!
You can easily make a cornhole game or buy one premade. The store bought boards are called something insipid like Bean Bag Toss Game or Baggo
. However part of the whole Cornhole thing is to make the boards or to buy homemade boards from someone else. I made a set for Mother and Father in-law for our big Family Reunion Weekend because because Father in-law loves nothing more than a reason to get his family together. Cornhole is a game kids and adults can play with each other a little more safely than say, horseshoes.
I also wanted to build the boards because Father in-law gets a kick that I'm the only one in the family that likes DIY as much as he does. He calls me his ToolBelt Diva. *blush*
Making a Cornhole game is simple construction and is a good beginner woodworking project. It’s also a good project if you’re someone like me who’s last project of building something from scratch was 7th grade wood shop.
I used the plans for regulation boards I found on Cornhole Game Players and sewed relegation size and weight bean bags with fabric from my fabric stash I filled them with dried pinto beans instead of the traditional dried feed corn which is still allowed. Oh yes, apparently there is a whole Official Cornhole Association and Tournaments and whatnot. If any of the kids get hooked on Cornhole want to be professional Cornhole players they are good to go courtesy of Aunt Lisa.
Here are a few tips and helpful hints if you make a Cornhole game.
1. Use two layers of fabric for your beanbags as the directions recommend because they will take a pounding! Instead of using muslin for the liner, I used fabric from an old heavy cotton curtain panel. Make sure that you use the same weight of fabric for all of your beanbags.
I made a paper template to ensure that all of my beanbags are the same size.
2. I don’t have a table saw (pity I know.) However I was able to have the wood cut for me for free when I bought it at Lowes. I think Home Depot also cuts wood if you buy it there. I don’t know if or what they charge for this service.
3. I used stainless steel screws for this project. I did this so the screws wouldn’t rust in case the boards were accidentally left outside in the rain (even though I know this will never happen. I know everyone will treat them like gold instead of treating them like a toy that you throw things at.)
4. Hold the long screws into place using needle nose pliers while you are drilling them into the pilot holes in your boards to ensure you screw them straight down into the boards.
You can use this technique for nails too.
Guess how I know?
I didn't use pilers as a guide and accidently screwed a screw in at an angle.
This screw wouldn’t back out because it uses a star shaped head (a special bit that came with the screws.) I fixed it by cutting the end of the screw off with a Dremel and filling the hole with a dab of wood putty. Which my in-laws didn’t find out about my blunder until I blabbed about it on the Internet. Let’s hear it for full disclosure! (Do I have to disclose that FTC? Because I think I just did.)
5. Older kids may be able to help you with parts of this project but please take all safety precautions for yourself and your kids. If you’re not comfortable doing something please seek out advice from an expert or get a pro because it’s easy to have an accident and get hurt.
I’m showing you this photo again for sympathy.
In fact, I was being Miss Safety First and still accidentally countersunk my thumb when Mommy’s Little Helper (my drill) slipped off a screw head and into my thumb. Fortunately it bled worse than it actually was but it’s a good reminder about safety.
It’s also a good thing to hold over my in-laws heads. I bled for you – be grateful! Even if the construction is a little off :)
6. I recommend using the belt sander the plans call for to sand the edges of the board. I tried using my palm sander and it was slow going. I gave up, bought a belt sander, and sweet baby Jane! It did the job in a short amount of time.
Sweet Baby Jane? Sounds like a good name for my new belt sander.
Hey, they name boats. Why not tools?
7. The plans had very complicated directions what to use and not use to draw and cut the hole in the boards. I grabbed a 6-inch plastic lid from the kitchen and traced around it with a pencil – problem solved.
A regulation cornhole is 6 inches wide.
8. The plans also had a very complicated directions on how make make the rounded legs. Instead I traced around a small paint can and cut along the line with a jigsaw. Why do guys have to make everything sound so complicated in the workshop?
It’s not brain surgery dude.
9. I painted the boards with outdoor paint I had leftover from my porch chair revamp. I built the boards and legs first. Then I painted them and let them dry before I bolted the legs to the boards, which made life a lot easier.
I took the game to my in-laws farm and it was big hit with everyone in attendance. I’m sure we’ll get a lot of use out of it for years to come.
Hey FTC: The stores and brands I mentioned in this post didn’t pay me to mention them because they don’t even know I exist at the corporate level (tragic, considering my local stores know me very well. I spend lots of my money there.) I bought everything with my own money with the exception of the Dremel and the Mouse because I got those as Christmas gifts. Exactly how do it report that?
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Thursday, July 8, 2010
Using Recycled Toiled Paper Take One
July’s One Small Green Change is one place I thought I’d never go – switching to a toilet paper made from recycled fiber. Now before you get all grossed out let me clarify a common misconception about recycled toilet paper. They make recycled toilet paper from the type of paper and fiber you normally put into your household recycling bin. They do not make it from used toilet paper because:
Moving on.
Why buy toilet paper with recycled content? According to Time magazine, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) “estimates that if every household in the U.S. replaced just one 500-sheet roll of virgin-fiber TP a year with a roll made from 100% recycled paper, nearly 425,000 trees would be saved annually.”
That’s a lot of trees!
- Ugh! Gross!
- Think about it, how would they reclaim the paper once you’ve flushed it and it broke down in your city’s sewer system?
- Ugh! Gross!
Moving on.
Why buy toilet paper with recycled content? According to Time magazine, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) “estimates that if every household in the U.S. replaced just one 500-sheet roll of virgin-fiber TP a year with a roll made from 100% recycled paper, nearly 425,000 trees would be saved annually.”
That’s a lot of trees!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Make Patriotic Hair Bow Barrettes
I’m reliving my high school glory days and twirling flag in a parade with a local marching band this summer. It’s amazing how some things come back to you after *cough* years – just like falling off a bike!
Parade day is always the hottest day of the year without fail. It’s like marching across Vulcan’s anvil. I’m definitely wearing my hair up in a ponytail.
Since I am the only girl on the line (unlike high school) and my uniform is ever so butch (cargo shorts and a polo shirt) I wanted some little doodad for my hair that’s girly. The only one I have is this hair bow I bought from Lucky Kat.
Oh and it has to be subtle because the band director has a strict “no bling” policy for band members even though we are all adults.
Maybe that’s because we are all adults :)
I found some ribbon in my craft stash that matches my uniform and a bare barrette from my professional jester days. I sewed clippie barrette thingies to the inside of my jester hat to staple it on to my head when I danced or did cartwheels. I decided to make my own hair bow barette instead buying one from Etsy because I've already shelled out some bucks for a uniform shirt and shorts I may never wear again.
How to Make an Easy Hair Bow Clip
You will need:
Ribbon (I used two colors of ribbon you can you more or less if you like)
Needle
Thread
Straight pin
Scissors
Barrette Clip (check your local craft store)
1. Wind the ribbon around your hand at least two times for a small bow or several times for a larger bow.
2. Cut the ribbon with the scissors, pin the front and back sides together.
3. Stitch the front and back sides together with the needle and thread.
4. Gather the ribbon in the center, stitch/wind the thread around the center, and tie it off to hold it into place.
5. Stitch a second piece of ribbon to the back of the bow.
6. Wind the ribbon around the front of the blow, clip the end and stitch it into place on the back of the bow.
7. Sew the bow to the barrette.
8. Fluff the bow.
9. Wear it and look cute!
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Parade day is always the hottest day of the year without fail. It’s like marching across Vulcan’s anvil. I’m definitely wearing my hair up in a ponytail.
Since I am the only girl on the line (unlike high school) and my uniform is ever so butch (cargo shorts and a polo shirt) I wanted some little doodad for my hair that’s girly. The only one I have is this hair bow I bought from Lucky Kat.
Twisted and totally me but not fitting the Celebrate Our Families theme of the parade (unless you do not like your family I suppose.)
Oh and it has to be subtle because the band director has a strict “no bling” policy for band members even though we are all adults.
Maybe that’s because we are all adults :)
I found some ribbon in my craft stash that matches my uniform and a bare barrette from my professional jester days. I sewed clippie barrette thingies to the inside of my jester hat to staple it on to my head when I danced or did cartwheels. I decided to make my own hair bow barette instead buying one from Etsy because I've already shelled out some bucks for a uniform shirt and shorts I may never wear again.
How to Make an Easy Hair Bow Clip
You will need:
Ribbon (I used two colors of ribbon you can you more or less if you like)
Needle
Thread
Straight pin
Scissors
Barrette Clip (check your local craft store)
1. Wind the ribbon around your hand at least two times for a small bow or several times for a larger bow.
2. Cut the ribbon with the scissors, pin the front and back sides together.
3. Stitch the front and back sides together with the needle and thread.
Hand stitching is fine for this project.
4. Gather the ribbon in the center, stitch/wind the thread around the center, and tie it off to hold it into place.
5. Stitch a second piece of ribbon to the back of the bow.
I used pinking shears to cut my ribbon. If you don't have pinking shears don't worry about it.
6. Wind the ribbon around the front of the blow, clip the end and stitch it into place on the back of the bow.
7. Sew the bow to the barrette.
Almost done!
8. Fluff the bow.
Girly!
9. Wear it and look cute!
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If you are joining us from House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Tales from Bloggeritaville, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Beyond The Picket Fence, Seven Thirty Three - A Creative Blog, Life as Lori, Just a Girl, Everything Etsy, Pony Tails & Fish Scales - welcome!
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