Novica for Christmas!

Since I last introduced you to NOVICA it has quickly become one of my favorite websites.  I am always getting complimented on the products I purchase from them and many times I will purchase gifts from them as well.  here is a reintroduction to NOVICA for those that missed the last post.  Please visit the website and take some time looking around, Im sure you will find products that you absolutely love! 

NOVICA is one of the leading fair trade artisan websites. They work with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market.

NOVICA seeks to provide artists with more income while providing collectors with lower prices. They provide a market place for artists around the world who might otherwise not have a means to show you their work. You can read about each artist on the website and choice to see just their work. They also have videos featuring some of the artists as well. 


They have a world of art to offer you on their site, seriously there is sooo much to look through! One thing I love about their site, that may seem tedious, is their shipping prices. I greatly dislike finding something I love on a website and going to check out, only to find the shipping prices are ridiculous. You don't need to worry about that with NOVICA their shipping prices are fantastic! 

Dont forget to check out their accessories for that special someone in your life!  Novica also has some pretty amazing mens accessories as well, check out their assortment of cufflinks.  I am going to check out their womens scarves for my mom and mother in law.  And the walking sticks are the perfect thing for my husband this Christmas!
They have so more! You could look at this site for hours, I have! You can shop by categories or peruse their gift suggestions. In each category you will also find an option to shop by price. There is also the options of creating a gift registry or adding items to a personal wish list.
A high quality handcrafted version of anything you might be looking for can be found on NOVICA.

Giveaway

If you would like to enter for a chance to win a $50 giveaway please visit Novica and leave me a link to one your favorite things.

For a second chance to win please take a look at their artists and let me know which artist catches your eye and why.

If you have ever ordered from Novica tell me what you ordered and if you are happy with your product and your shopping experience for a third entry.

I reserve the right to disqualify any entries.  Please follow the rules.

Giveaway ends Friday November 11th.  Winner will be contacted via email and will have 72 hours to respond.

I received a gift card from NOVICA to review their site and products. The overall opinion expressed in this review is purely my own and was not influenced by the gift card.

Sustainable Olives

- Musco Family Olive Company - Investing in a Sustainable Future from Cosimo Bullo on Vimeo.

Woman Facing Prosecution For Vegetable Garden in the Free USA

Are you FRAKING kidding me?!  A women, a mother, is facing 93 days in jail for growing a vegetable garden in her front yard.  This is not a joke that I am aware of, just a city with too much time on it's hands apparently.

She isnt growing mary jane.  There is no trash in her yard.  This isnt even some unruly wild vegetable garden.  It is a raised bed, nice and organized garden.  93 days in jail.  Seriously.
You can contact the following people with your lettersMayor Gerald Naftaly's e-mail: gnaftaly@att.net
City Planner Kevin Rulkowski's e-mail: krulkowski@ci.oak-park.mi.​us
Council Person Angela Diggs Jackson: adjack@comcast.net
Council Person Paul Levine: paul4oakpark@yahoo.com
Council Person Emile Duplessis: duplessis2@aol.com
Though the second email doesn't seem to be working.Here is my letter, written in a rush through slight rage but feel free to use it as a base;

"I'm sorry but I am floored at the thought of this woman being prosecuted for growing vegetable gardens in her front yard. 

"in her front yard"

 "her yard"

It's not drugs, it's not litter, it's not feces.  It is food.  

Who in the world decided they had a case for this and why in the world are their people choosing to back them? 

This makes sense to you?  Really?  Truly? 

Please rethink this while situation.  I am sure the money could be spent on more important and pressing matters.

Sincerely"

Hyla

Show your support, Tweet, Blog, Write, Facebook, etc.

Her Facebook Group:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201356863250156

Her Blog

http://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com/

Take it away blog land.  Make it big, cause if you don't they might think they have the right to come after YOU! 

Ditto - A Product Review

Have you heard of the brand new hanger that is about to take over the closets of the world??  Closet Domination sounds good!  

Now I have to tell you that I absolutely loath hangers.  I buy the plastic cheap ones made from recycled plastic, they look like all the other plastic hangers but they are usually black.  I can't stand them.  My kids are constantly playing with these hangers and snapping the necks off, or they pull down on a shirt they want and snap the neck off.  And that isn't the end of it.  Next they tackle the center part and snap that in two.  At any given time I can clean their room and find the pieces to 3 or 5 hangers.  It is soo frustrating, it seems like I never have enough hangers and I really don't with the way they destroy them.

So when a representative sent me an email about the Ditto hangers I told him I would be pleased as punch to review them.  And he obliged!  

From the press release;

"The Ditto Ecological Paper Clothes Hanger 10-Pack is the latest smart, hip and stylish, and ecological product from Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions! Designed for retail stores around the world, Ditto Paper Hangers are now available to consumers who care about the environment and nonrecyclable plastic and wire hangers. Strong and long lasting, Ditto Paper Hangers can hold over 20lbs, strong enough to hold the heaviest leather jacket or winter coat. Made with 100% tree-free recycled paper Ditto Paper Hangers are made with soy-based inks and starch-based adhesives. And they don’t off-gas like ordinary plastic hangers. And they fit twice as many clothes in small closets than the normal hanger."

I have been using those plastic hangers for years so when I received the Ditto hangers in the mail I knew I would have to get used to the "bulk" of them.  Not "bulk" as in width just that unlike the emptiness of a plastic hanger, it has more surface area.  And that is a GOOD thing because that is what enables these hangers to individually hold up to 20 lbs!  Great for storing my husband's long leather jacket he hasn't worn in years!

The hangers are very firm and not bendable at all, they take up less space in my closet and they nicely hold all of my 3X shirts that I have shrunk out of!  I have only seen adult hangers in one size and when your clothes start getting to be sizes 2X and up, you start getting screwed on what those plastic hangers will hold when you are a woman who liks to where more open top shirts.  All they do is slide off and end up on the floor, which is a real pain in the "you know what".  Well I have had some of those old clothes hanging on the Ditto hangers for 2 weeks now and they are still right where I put them, not one is on the floor!

I really like these hangers and I think you will too!  The fact that they are eco friendly just makes my smile even larger!  Check out Ditto hangers!  And hopefully we will all be able to find them at a store near us soon!

In the meantime you can purchase them - at The Container Stores nationwide and

- via Amazon.com

 These are hangers you will not have to replace time and time again!

www.dittobrandsolutions.com

P.S.  To find out more about my awesome weight management click on the link!  Only after you've checked out the Ditto Hangers though ;)

Late Earth Day Post

About 3 weeks ago I was out in the backyard with the kids.  We rent our duplex and beyond the backyards is a tree line and it has been full of garbage since before we moved in.  On this particular day my eldest son, Celtic, just got sick of looking at it.  And before I knew it he had rounded up the neighbors kids, grabbed some trash bags and was giving out orders on what needed to be picked up!

They worked for about two hours gathering everything from a broken fish tank, a nintendo 64 game, 5 full size tires, a rusted out bicycle, beer cars, the back of a pick up and much much more.  The following day they went back out and found more tires, a couple of satellite dishes, a truck radio, part of a old swing set, shoes, and tons more!

 I am so proud of my son!  Three days later he came home with a permission slip from the school to help clean up the neighborhoods...He had signed his name to it before he gave it to me!!!  My little future eco leader!
His reason for cleaning up the tree line, was so that the deer and beaver would came back to live there.

Edible Easter Grass

It's edible.  It's from Germany.  It's not very good.

Vaska Herbatergent™

I recently was given a chance to try Herbatergent from Vaska, which is now available at your local Target store.  From the website;

"Herbatergent liquid laundry detergent uses real lavender and potent botanical cleaning agents to clean your clothing and linens effectively, but without harmful chemicals. Available in Light Lavender or Scent Free, Herbatergent uses natural herbal cleaning agents to fight germs and remove soap residue that damages fabrics and causes skin irritation. Laundry stays brighter, lasts longer, and feels softer.

Herbatergent Scent Free has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment program as safe for people and the environment."


I have found it difficult to find a detergent with all of the qualities I love. 
I require;
ketchup removal
chocolate removal
nice scent but not over powering
free of chemicals
eco friendly


I can honestly say that I have now found a detergent with all of these qualities.  It fought against the spills of my children and the mildew smells of the bath towels.  When the washer was going the room was not filled with an overpowering scent, however when the clothes came out of the dryer I got a slight whiff of lavender.  It is also biodegradable and plant based!  I also love the fact that I can purchase it at Target.  Herbatergent from Vaska is definitely a product I recommend you add to your life on your journey to becoming green!

More Information:

Vaska's patented Herbatergent™ fuels the entire product line, including:

·        Herbatergent ™ liquid laundry detergent.  Available in Light Lavender or Scent Free.

$9.99 for a 48 oz bottle/32 loads and $15.99 for a 96 oz bottle/64 loads

·        Herbasoft™ liquid fabric softener $9.99 for a 48 oz bottle/32 loads

·        Oxygenbleach is a natural, chlorine free bleach $6.99 for a 48 oz bottle/32 loads  

·        Spotoff™ is an all natural stain remover $9.59 for a 22 oz spray bottle   

With just a few easy changes, you can save energy, money and your clothes.

Natural Dye Easter Eggs

Originally Posted March 2010

Good Morrow, loyal readers! I am back this week to tell you about natural dye for Easter eggs. Read to the end of this post for information about the Madeline DVD giveaway on my blog...

(Image: Mother Earth News, Rosalind Creasy)

I read a wonderful article yesterday on Mother Earth News about using natural dyes for Ester eggs. Truthfully, I was not even going to bother to color any eggs this year because I can no longer find any justification for purchasing artificial food dye. Sorry, Paas!

So, I tried out the recipes. The article mentioned beets for those reddish eggs, blueberries for those purple/blue eggs, and onion skins for the yellow eggs. It also mentioned using white eggs and white vinegar, and straining your dyes through a cheesecloth if you want to avoid spotted and splotchy color.

I did not have beets, blueberries, yellow onions, white eggs, or white vinegar. This means that I had none of the requirements, yet I thought I could make a go of it anyway. Here is why you might want to actually follow the directions in the article: my test was unsuccessful.

I have frozen blackberries, which are a good substitute for the blueberries. I have turmeric, which is a good substitute for the yellow onion skins. These will work with the proper eggs and vinegar. I have apple cider vinegar, which is not a good substitute in this instance for distilled white vinegar. I have chickens that lay tan/brown eggs, which are NOT a good substitute for white eggs on this project.

Now that you know the pitfalls, here is the link to the article that will tell you how to make the beautiful eggs you see in the photo above. My experiment was not even good enough to yield photos! (Mother Earth News Article)

After you have read the article, please visit my blog for a chance to win a copy of The Madeline Movie: Lost in Paris. Giveaway ends 11:59 PM, PST on April 10, 2010.

, guest blogging from http://naturewithme.blogspot.com

How To Do An ECO Easter Part One

Orignally Posted Easter of 2009


So I have been putting a lot of thought into this lately and Easter is literally right around the corner! First thing is first, Easter eggs. I did a search for aluminum/stainless steel Easter eggs, apparently no one is manufacturing those yet, maybe by next Easter? Then I thought well maybe wood eggs. The only thing I could find were nesting eggs or solid wooden eggs. Nesting eggs are not cost effective and solid eggs do not work for an child's Easter egg hunt.

So then I was think paper mache ( I can not find instructions for this), but you can't use those over again and you need balloons (not ECO friendly) to create the eggs. And then I thought, well what about those paper toys that everyone makes? It shouldn't be that hard to make an egg (nor could I find instructions for this), kind of like making a replacement lampshade. If I made them with recycled printer paper..........and I could use vegetables and fruit to dye the paper........hmm this could work.......but tape isn't ECO friendly (at least I have not come across ECO friendly tape yet, let me know if you have). The tape could be pulled off to recycle the paper, but then they are not reusable...........hmmmm. Crochet eggs??? I can kind of crochet. Maybe I can find some on Etsy that are already made.

By Etsy artist SalvagedExpression

Yep I found some that I can fill and reuse. But not enough for 3 kids. I guess I will have to venture into making my own. YouTube it is!!! OK, so if you can crochet here is a free video pattern you can use to make the Easter eggs, I have run through the pattern twice, she is very easy to understand and the pattern is very easy. At the very end instead of stuffing the egg and sewing it shut, tie off the end and then pull a piece of yarn in and out of the last row of stitches so you can pull it shut and open it back up, like a pouch. Depending on the size of opening you leave, you can put in small toys, such as Matchbox cars (they are durable, cheap and they last forever and they are great for boys and girls!) or some small candies, preferably organic/fair trade!




Labels: Make Your Own, Did You Know, Life With My Kids, Holidays

How To Have An ECO Easter Part Two

Originally Posted Easter of 2009

I adjusted the pattern from the YouTube video I posted yesterday for the crochet eggs. Here are my adjustments, this is the first time I have tried to explain crochet, so please ask wuestions in the comments if you have them and I will get back to you and everyone else.

Here are the adjustments that I made:
At the beginning of the pattern, I crochet 4 singles instead of 3.

Then I do 7 stitches instead of 6 around. So when I get to the doubling part I end up with 22 instead of 18.

When I get to Row 8 on stitch number 11, I crochet 11 into the egg and then crochet a chain of 4. Then I count the stitches on the egg and connect the chain of 4 into the 15th stitch.

This leaves an opening for me to stuff the eggs and I when I get done the hole is big enough to stuff the egg, but not to big to be spilling out when the eggs are sitting around.

Row 9 I crochet the ring of 22, just go into one side of each chain stitch and continue as usual. Crochet Rows 10 and 11.

When you get to your decreasing rows, just decreases until you can not decrease anymore tie it off and pull then ends through to the center of the egg.


So for the rest of my Easter plan I will NOT be using store bought already filled Easter baskets. Those baskets are made to look as full as possible but really there is nothing in them. And the items in them are cheap toys that will not last more than a week. So I am putting my own baskets together.



Each child will get one 100% Organic Cotton T-Shirt made by Faded Glory, you can find them right now at Walmart. And each of my kids will be getting 2 books, they LOVE books. Guinevere is getting a wooden penguin and unicorn from Etsy seller Dadswoodentoys, they are handmade.


Celtic is getting his first yo-yo and jacobs' ladder, both are wooden toys made by Etsy seller McCoyToys.


Sheamus is receiving some more diecast cars from the Pixar movie CARs. he absolutely loves this movie and has for a couple of years.

The crochet eggs will be filled with Organic/Fair trade candy that we can find at our local Wegmans. That is all I can think of that we have planned for Easter, of course there are 3 screaming playing children surrounding me and that is why this post is late in the first place!

Oh! I will be using medium sized canvas tote bags as the Easter baskets, you can find them at Walmart in the craft section.

What are you doing for Easter to more environmentally friendly?



Labels: Make Your Own, Life With My Kids, Did You Know

Recover Those Dinig Room Chairs and Give Them a Second Chance

Instead of purchasing a new set of dining chairs consider revamping the old ones.  Not only is it easy but it is more cost effective.  Recovering your old dining chairs gives you the freedom to be as crazy or conservative as you want to be!  Below is a picture of the chairs we inherited one in the old fabric and one in the new fabric.  At first I was thinking of sanding them down and refinishing them. This however does not work for me this year because it is the middle of winter and my kids are still little so I think it would be a waste of time and money right now.

First go to the craft shop and purchase about 3 1/2 yards of the fabric you would like to use.  Upholstery fabric is going to cost more but will last longer.  I got a cheap cotton fabric that I really like.  I also got about 5 yards because I plan on making a matching table cloth.

Next wipe down your chairs.  Take your first chair and flip it over.  Most chair seats are screwed to the base.  Usually a screw driver will work but if your screws are rusted you might need a drill.

Set the screws aside and out of reach from any children.  Trace the chair seat onto the underside of the fabric (you may need to iron the fabric or throw it in the dryer for a few minutes).  Make sure to leave room to pull the fabric over the sides of the chair seat and onto the bottom when you cut it, about a couple of inches.

Grab your staple gun and remove the safety catch.  If your fabric has a pattern on it, make sure to line up the pattern so when you flip the seat over it will be straight.  Start on the bottom edge and staple gun the fabric to the seat in the middle. 

Then go to the top edge and do the same.I would like to mention here that you can remove any old fabric and batting if you like.  I choose not because I was trying to get this done while my children were otherwise occupied.

Fold the corners like a present.

Pull tight and staple on the fold.  Do this for all four corners and then staple of the middle of each of the side edges.  Put the seat back onto the base, line it up and replace the screws.  Repeat.  Repeat. Repeat ...

Place the chairs around the table and admire your handy work!

Then make the kids admire it!