Thirty-Six - DIY Hand Sanitizer

Schools are breeding grounds for disease and bacteria -- and teachers need to do anything they can to keep themselves from getting sick. I am not a fan of hand sanitizer because I don't really know what's in it and it is used so religiously by many people, though I understand the benefits of having clean hands, especially when I can't stop and wash them every time I touch something another person has touched. I found this recipe I decided to try from Discovery's Plant Green.

Simple. The hardest part is collecting the ingredients, but once you have them, they last a long time. I was able to get them all at my co-op (of course).





In a small dispenser bottle, combine 1 teaspoon of aloe Vera gel with 2 drops each of cinnamon, clove, rosemary and eucalyptus essentials oils. (Cinnamon oil is a natural antibacterial). Then add 5 drops of either lemon, grapefruit or orange oil a little bit of distilled water to top it off. Shake it and you're good to go!

Peace!

Recycling Update

One of our CFLs finally died. :( We've had them for a long, long time. But now were wondering -- what do we do with them? Turns out, it's illegal to throw them in the trash due to mercury. Here is a write-up from the City of Minneapolis' website (which we linked in our blog post on our recycling center).


"Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) can now be recycled at Menard’s or Home Depot. Only CFL are accepted. It is illegal to throw CFL’s in the garbage due to the presence of a small amount of mercury. For more information on your recycling options, visit: www.minnesota.earth911.org or http://www.pca.state.mn.us/"


Peace!

Thirty-Five - Learning a New Skill

Guthrie and I decided that we could save money and become more sustainable if we learned new skills.

Laura - Knitting

My mitten!

I started a knitting class at the Yarnery that I LOVE! Well, let me back up. I asked my mother, a knitter, to reteach me. That last time I knitted
was over ten years ago and it was a scarf that was never finished (it was definitely not
rectangular!). My mother showed me how to knit a basic scarf, and I was instantly hooked.
Plus, I was so happy when I could give it to Guthrie, who was in the market for another
scarf. Despite start up costs (needles), it was cheaper for me to make it. The class is great!
I am learning how to make mittens -- casting on, knitting, purling, adding, decreasing, spit-
splicing, sewing, different stitch patterns, reading a pattern, the works! I am pumped for my
next projects - fingerless mittens, leg warmers, a new scarf for me (definitely in need since
moving back to MN!), birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, all hand-made by me. Now if only I had
a sheep and was able to make my own yarn... :)

Guthrie - Home Brewing
I started thinking about all of the tasty beer I have had over the years and how I don't have a clue as to how to make beer. I decided that learning how to brew my own beer will not only be cost effective in the long run and more environmentally friendly than buying my beer elsewhere all the time, but will enhance my appreciation of good beer. I hope to one day grow my own hops to make my new skill an even more enviro friendly one. As soon as I get a brew kettle I will be starting!

Thirty-Four - Plastic Bread Clips/Ties

We love bread, but there are usually two things that come with bread: the plastic bag and the twist-tie or plastic clip. We reused the plastic bag for cleaning out our kittie's litter boxes, but Guthrie decided to go on a mission to find a better use for the tie instead of the trash, and then in our oceans. From a couple of websites (Gomestic and RecycleThis) he found some ideas (the ones in bold are what we will be using them for):

-put them on the end of parcel tape--you won't lose the end!
-guitar pick
-use as a scraper on non-stick pans -- they won't scratch the surface
-bookmark (clip a couple of pages together)
-children can use it for counting and sorting (as a teacher, I am always looking for manipulatives like these, I've never thought of this before!)
-scrape paint off of glass windows without scratching the surface
-organize and label all of the cords and cables behind your entertainment center
-sewers/knitters can use this to wind spare thread and yarn or extra long tails
-knitters/crocheters can also use them as markers
-poker chips
-board game markers when you lose them
-ties can be used to secure plants to stakes

You may be wondering why Guthrie isn't writing the entry if this was his idea, but he is currently undertaking one of the projects (labeling our cords) and so I am helping him out. :)

Honestly, the real solution to this is making our own bread at home and storing it in a dry large tin (like those popcorn tins) or a tight closing bread box. I have made wheat bread a few times, but with grad school, I am going to use the time excuse :( Hopefully we will have a blog down the road with how we have changed our bakery habits--it's on the list of ideas. Remember, going green means small changes that are sustainable in you own life. Little by little!

Oh! Guthrie just finished - there you go:

Peace!

Thirty-Three - Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Guthrie and I have our first Christmas tree! We have been looking into this one for a long time. We first approached the debate as which is greener: a real tree you cut down year after year (and hardwood forests which store more CO2 are being cut down to put up pine tree farms) and dispose of or an artificial tree you buy about every ten years, reuse, and it made all of plastic (PVC) and are mostly made in China. Turns out, the former is more eco-friendly (if you replant it or recycle it and turn it into mulch. TreeHugger debates these two options. We went with neither! Instead, we opted for the tree that is living and stays living for hopefully a long, long time. We bought a pine tree in a pot for the house! It is a pretty looking house plant called a Norfolk Pine that is soft and fairly low-maintaince. You repot it every 3-4 years. We started with a little 3' one that was $30 from Linders. We figure this way we can grow into it. The tree is sturdy enough from some decorations for a month out of the year (just make sure the lights are cool and the ornaments are not too heavy!). 

Happy holidays and peace!