Green the Season: Gift Wrapping ~ my vintage paper makes its debut.

I wrapped my first Christmas gift of the season today. I'm normally not so on top of things -- I'm the one frantically wrapping at midnight on Christmas Eve -- but this gift needs to be mailed soon, so I dug out the supplies and went to work.

Wrapping paper is typically a no-no in our house as we try to opt for greener alternatives, but vintage wrapping paper practically jumped into my arms at an estate sale and begged to be taken home. So I was really saving it from the landfill, right??

The twine is from our local thrift shop and I purchased a huge bag of gift tags at Goodwill early in the year.

I haven't really planned out my wrapping motif yet this year. I guess I better get thinking. Here are some ideas from last year...

 Kraft paper, raffia, sheet music & an old button.

 Gifts from my mom. She's really the master of packaging. She put mini biscotti in a vintage glass jar, a scarf wrapped in white cloth "tied" with wire threaded through buttons, and other gifts wrapped in sheet music. Hello Martha!

Several different types of ribbon and a small piece of evergreen.

I wish I could say that I made this little box, but it was one of my gifts!

A clever way to package gift cards in an Altoids tin...

And the crafty inside-out cereal box wrapping job I did...

How will you be packaging your gifts this year? Any clever ideas for me?

Green the Season with @Loving_Eco + Free Cyber Monday Gift!

Loving Eco is a fun site dedicated to stylish and innovative products that are also eco-friendly. Hip and green - what could be better? Ah, yes, the products are also sold at a great discount, with 3% of the net proceeds going towards social and environmental causes.

Today - Cyber Monday - Loving Eco is offering a FREE Hurraw vegan lip balm with every purchase. Here's a sampling of what they have to offer...

Conscious Box - Sale: $9.50!

Get a special holiday-themed Conscious Box and discover a variety of pure and natural products. The Conscious Box is dedicated to introducing you to the most ethical, sustainable products, and this holiday-themed box is a great gift!

WE ADVANCE Necklace - $44.95

This exclusive handcrafted necklace, designed by actress and activist Maria Bello, features a medallion pendant with the symbol of Maria's WE ADVANCE non-profit organization. The medallion is made from recycled oil drums. The taupe paper beads are made from recycled cereal boxes and the aqua beads are made from porcelain. The necklace is about 17" long and the medallion pendant is about 2" long.

This beautiful necklace makes a statement for "Style for Change." By purchasing this piece, you are helping to advance the health and well being of women throughout Haiti. 50% of net proceeds go to WE ADVANCE.

C. Marchuska - Christine Dress - Sale: $39 (Orig $130!)

A-line button dress made of : 50% cotton and 50% modal fabric with Italian recycled polyester buttons. Made with care in New York's Garment District, USA. Available only in noir black. Part of the cmarchuska Signature Collection. Can be worn as a stand alone dress or with tights. Try it with your favorite dress pants or skinny jeans for a daytime casual look.

LovingEco - Stand Up To Cancer Bracelet Exclusive

In honor of the life and work of Laura Ziskin, 100% of net proceeds of this limited edition, exclusive bracelet go to Stand Up To Cancer.

"Thai artisan Panapha combines the timeless allure of hill tribe jewelry with a bold sense of originality for this wrap bracelet. She crafts it by hand, tying bright carnelian gems into a sleek leather strap featuring a florid Karen hill tribe silver clasp. The soft pink pearl symbolizes friendship, harmony and inner peace. Carnelian's bright orange glow is energizing and fosters a sense of humor."

Loving Eco sells jewelry, home products, clothing, food, bath and body products, and loads more. They always have something new, so stop in today and sign up for their newsletter. They'll send you emails alerting you to their ever-changing merchandise and deals.

Don't forget to pick up your free vegan lip balm with your purchase today!

DIY: Custom Paper Clips

The best discovery I've made this year has to be the website Pick Your Plum. It's like Groupon for crafters. They sell all sorts of supplies at highly discounted prices and I end up buying lots of things I "need" but don't need...if you know what I mean. Here's some of my PYP stash: paper clip blanks, necklace blanks, stamps, and unfinished wood earrings. All items you think "Ohhhh the things I could do with those!" when you see them on the site.

This weekend I made some sweet little button paper clips with the paper clip blanks I bought from PYP a few weeks ago. You can also find them on Etsy (search "paper clip blanks" or in craft stores).

I thought they'd be cute with these cabachons I had in my stash (also from Etsy), but decided that the recipients would prefer the buttons. Just glue them on and you're good to go!

I'm planning to use them as stocking stuffers this Christmas. I think they'll be sweet little page markers for the avid reader on your list or just a very pretty paper clip, of course. These are quick and easy to put together, but make a thoughtful and fun gift.

This post is linked to: Nifty Thrifty Sunday | Not Bad Sundays | Strut Your Stuff Sundays | Petite Hermine | Sew Darn Crafty | Lolly Jane | Someday Crafts | Handy Man, Crafty Woman | Wow Us Wednesdays | What I Made Wednesday | Bedazzle Me Monday | Homemaker in Heels | Show & Tell Saturday | Whatcha Got Weekend |

#Giveaway: Ethiopian Coffee Pack From World Vision!

If you're still on the hunt for some meaningful holiday gifts, I have a great resource - and giveaway! - for you today: The World Vision Gift Catalog.

World Vision is a humanitarian organization serving children, families and communities in 100 countries around the world. Their gift catalog, which can also be found online, has almost 250 items ranging from $16 to $39,000 that help children and families in need, including:

Two chickens that provide a daily supply of eggs (with plenty of protein and 13 essential vitamins and minerals) - $25

Feed a family in the US for a day with a Family Food Kit which includes nutritious meals like oatmeal, lentil soup or pasta, and a bean and rice casserole - $16

Ten fruit trees such as apple trees, orange trees, and mango trees provide the vitamins and nutrients growing kids need - $60

In addition to the items above, World Vision offers several Maximum Impact Fund gifts that help answer specific, urgent needs of children and families that might otherwise go unmet. One such gift is the Fair-Trade Coffee Set which includes coffee from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Costa Rica blended by OneCup.org delivered in a bag of African fabric hand-sewn by local women. It is accompanied by a hand-carved olivewood scoop made to benefit over 200 orphans of the Kamba tribe.

Because Ethiopia is very near and dear to our hearts, our family hopes you'll consider making this gift your first choice for all of the coffee drinkers on your list. If coffee isn't really your first choice, we understand. Watch this quick video and see other ways that you can help through World Vision...





And because World Vision is so amazing, they've asked me to do a giveaway of one Fair-Trade Coffee Set! There are multiple ways to win. You can pick one or all of these. Just leave a comment for each one that you do.

1. Watch the video above. Let me know you did.
2. Share the video via Facebook and/or Twitter.
3. Share this post (via the email button below) with friends who might like to win!
4. "Like" World Vision on Facebook.
5. Follow World Vision on Twitter.
6. "Like" World Vision's The True Spirit of Christmas page on Facebook.

Let's use our holiday buying power for good this year!

Please check back next Saturday, December 3rd to see if you've won, or leave me a way to contact you. Good luck!

Three Way Beauty Giveaway Winner!

Hope all of our American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We cooked and cooked and stuffed our little bellies until we couldn't eat anymore. It was a beautiful day here in Colorado and I'm looking forward to two more days of weekend!

Since I'm already a day behind on this, I thought I better pick the winner for the Shhh bar from 3 Way Beauty. Random.org has worked its magic and chosen~

Meig Heyburn said...

Awesome giveaway. Thanks!

You are very welcome Meig! I'll be contacting you soon. I hope you enjoy the beauty bar as much as I do.

Stay tuned for another great giveaway - I hope to have it posted it by tomorrow at the latest.

PSA: Save Green Monday!

First and foremost, one of my favorite green companies, To-Go Ware, is offering 30% off from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, using code "savegreen". Their tiffins and bamboo utensils are great for taking your lunch on the go, or, gift it to someone you want to encourage to live more sustainably.

Second, To-Go Ware and 20 other eco-friendly companies are participating in Save Green Monday, where they'll be offering 15 - 50% off their products on Cyber Monday. Just visit the site to see who's participating!

Green the Season With Global Girlfriend

Global Girlfriend has been one of my favorite sources for gifts over the past few years. Started in 2003 by a woman with a vision, the company helps women in need in countries all over the world...

In 2003, Global Girlfriend founder Stacey Edgar had a $2,000 tax return and a deep desire to help provide economic security for women in need. She knew that of the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1 per day, seventy percent are women. What she didn't have was a business plan. Or a passport. But that didn't stop her from creating a socially conscious business that has helped poor women in five continents feed their families and send their children to school. Global Girlfriend has since grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise that specializes in handmade, fairly traded, eco-conscious apparel, accessories, and items made by women all over the world. Global Girlfriends is Stacey's inspiring story of following her convictions, as well as her passionate argument for simple actions we can all take to eliminate extreme poverty. Stacey Edgar refused to be paralyzed by the size of world poverty; she started by taking several small steps, personal responsibility firmly in hand, and never looked back. {source}

You can buy a copy of Stacey's book, Global Girlfriends, and support her mission, or choose from thousands of amazing eco-friendly, organic, fair trade products on the site. Here are a few of my faves that I wouldn't mind seeing under my tree this year. {ahem}

Organic Africa Pocket Skirt - $36

"A pocketful of pretty! Handsewn in Kampala, our soft and stretchy skirt is made of 100% organic cotton. Made by seamstresses who found themselves living in poverty when the government closed down their factories -- your purchase offers them new hope for the future."

Wouldn't this skirt (in, say, a  medium, brown) go with everything? I can see wearing it all summer, plus with boots and tights in the winter.

Start Small, Dream Big, Change Lives Leather Bracelet - $12.95

"Our leather bracelets are made by the women artisans of the Sapia fair trade group in Colombia. They're a perfect gesture of friendship, or a reminder to yourself to dream big and follow through!"

Recycled Water Pack Wallet - $7.95

Wouldn't this be a fun stocking stuffer for the guys in your life?

"Finding value in seemingly valueless materials, the makers of these innovative bags pride themselves on low-energy recycling solutions for the countless drink packets discarded everywhere around Ghana. Due to its ubiquitous presence and indiscriminate disposal in the streets of Ghana, the plastic sachet is recognized regionally as a potent symbol of the solid waste problems faced by the nation. The millions of discarded plastic sachets that are collected by the Trashy Bags group are triple-washed, disinfected, then dried before being turned into durable and eye-catching bags."

Recycled Soda Bottle Soy Candle - $16.95

I love the Black Cherry version of this candle. I saw something similar at a craft fair last weekend for twice the price!

"Old Boylan Bottling Company soda bottles have been cut in half and transformed into candle jars, creating quirky home additions that catch the eye and charm the soul. Another bonus -- after serving as a home for your candles, these tumblers can be washed and used as glassware. Soy wax burns more cleanly, and at a cooler temperature than paraffin wax, so candles last longer. The candles are produced by women involved with Bright Endeavors, a nonprofit social enterprise that helps inner-city and at-risk women gain the skills needed to make a living and become self-sufficient."

Ugandan Waxcloth Lunch Bag - $22

I love the colors on these. What a great gift for someone who takes her lunch to go.

"Crafted with hand-printed Ugandan waxcloth, each bag is a unique work of art. And because it's handmade by women artisans in Uganda, your purchase helps to improve their lives -- as well as those of their families and community."

There are some great deals to be had on the Sale section of Global Girlfriend's site too. You can stock up on gifts for everyone on your list.

The very best part of Global Girlfriend's site though, is their Gifts That Give More area. There you can choose from hundreds of ways to donate directly to the causes you support, from helping shelter dogs, to donating clean birthing kids to women in Africa, to fighting breast cancer, to helping homeless veterans.

I hope you'll stop by their Global Girlfriend today and see how you can lend support!

#Giveaway Thursday: 3 Way Beauty's Shhh bar

One of the very first things we did to "go green" was to ditch those body washes and shower gels that come in plastic containers and go back to good old fashioned, no-waste bar soap. Easy change. A year or so later I decided to see if I could eliminate shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles as well. That didn't go as smoothly. Let's just say the "no poo" thing wasn't for me. My hair was a hot mess.

I counted the whole experiment as a green fail and moved on with my life, coming to terms with the fact that I'd probably always use shampoo and conditioner. Until, that is, 3 Way Beauty asked me to try their Shhh bar.

Their motto?

"Shampoo, shower and shave. No shit."

It's as easy as that. Use this one little bar to replace your shampoo, your soap and your shaving cream.

To me this seems like the perfect gift for a traveler. Whether you're packing light for a trip to another country, or you're jaunting to the mountains for the weekend and don't want to lug every product you own along.

Shhh makes a great gift for the man in your life because, let's face it, they're not know for their desire to use multiple products when getting ready. When I handed the sample to my husband he mumbled something to the effect of, "Finally, somebody's listening to me."

I loved the soap too. It was nice to have one do-it-all product in the shower - especially one that involved no plastic! I did find that I needed to use my regular shampoo about one a week, but my hair is long, inexplicably thick, coarse and naturally frizzy curly. Kind of like horse hair with a perm. Lucky me.

The Shhh bar comes in a 1.5 oz size for $5 (hello stocking stuffer!) and 6 oz for $17 which, in my opinion, is not a bad price for replacing three products.

Shhh is manufactured in Minnesota by a family-run company in a 100% hydro powered mill. The bars are free of synthetics, preservatives, artificial fragrance and coloring. All packaging is 100% compostable and recyclable, making it a great Green the Season gift!

Of course, I'll be giving away a small Shhh bar this week. There are two ways to enter:

1. Follow 3 Way Beauty on Facebook
2. Follow 3 Way Beauty of Twitter

Just leave me a comment letting me know which one(s) you did. A winner will be chosen next week. Check back to see if you've won, or let me know how to reach you. Good luck!

This post is linked to Someday Crafts.

Winner of the Ingredients DVD!

Congratulations to DramaMama, winner of the DVD Ingredients: The Local Food Movement Takes Root!

DramaMama said...

I'm curious to see this film...and the one the previous commenter mentioned! I'm in SE WI and we used to go up to Mackinac Island a lot when I was little. But back to documentaries I've seen - not many! Food Inc, of course and Supersize Me, which I watched when I was pregnant and it made me hungry!! Is that bad? LOL I wish I could see more of Joel Salatin, there wasn't enough of him in Food Inc if you ask me. I have some documentaries on my list that I would LIKE to see - there's one called Flow and another about trees being planted around the world, I forgot the title...if only I had more time to watch! Can't wait until my kids get a little older and we can watch together =)

Please email me at kellie (at) mysocalledgreenlife (dot) com and I'll send this out to you!

And stay tuned for another giveaway, coming soon!

Upcycle: Old frame into chalkboard serving tray!

I've been on the lookout for an old wooden serving tray for months now. The plan was to paint the bottom with chalkboard paint, so one could label what she was serving guests. Brilliant! Only I haven't seen a tray at any of the second hand stores I've visited.

Then I had a light bulb moment (If you haven't seen Despicable Me, it went something like this.) where I decided to use an old picture frame instead. More brilliant!

I rushed to my local thrift store and found a lovely framed poem about marriage for $7. A little spendy, but it was a great frame, with glass...plus this is a Christmas gift, so I didn't mind spending a little more to get just what I was looking for.

Anyhoo... If you'd like to make one of these, here's how to do it.

Take the backing off your frame and disassemble it. Sand the frame down so you take all the varnish off. If, at this point, you feel like your frame doesn't look rustic enough, try this tip for instantly aging wood. (Really, check it out. It will be the best thing you've learned all year. Promise!)

If you're happy with the frame, wash it off, let it dry completely, then stain. I chose a dark mahogany.

While the stain is drying, you'll paint your glass with chalkboard paint. Word to the wise: try using a primer coat of something meant for glass. The chalkboard paint I used was not specifically designed for glass so I had a bit of a problem with it at first. So prime your glass...or find a chalkboard paint you can use on glass.

When it's dry, prime the painted surface by rubbing chalk on it, then wiping it off.

Put the glass and backing back into the frame and bend the staples back down around it to secure. If you're a geek like me who happens to have a ginormous roll of kraft paper, you can finish off the back of the frame.

Simply cut the craft paper to the size of your frame and use Tacky Glue around the edges.

Now you're ready to throw a party!

Or share a bottle of wine with the one you love. (Who is sure to comment on your ingenuity and crafting skills!)

This post is linked to: Someday Crafts | Penny Pinching Party | Wicked Awesome Wednesday | Wow Us Wednesday | House of Hepworth | Strut Your Stuff Thursday | Freestyle Friday | Check Me Out Saturday | Not Bad Sundays | Saturday Soiree | Show & Tell Saturday | Whatcha Got Weekend | Saturday Spotlight | Funky Junk Interiors | Party Mindie Style | Young & Crafty | Once Upon a Weekend | Nifty Thrifty Things | Creative Me Monday | The Kurtz Corner | Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | Today's Creative | Tabletop Tuesday | Knick of Time Tuesday | Homestories A to Z | Twice Owned Tuesday | Nifty Thrifty Tuesday |

#Green the Season: Craft Fairs

Local craft fairs are always a great source for holiday gifts. Yesterday was my Super Bowl of craft fairs with our local high school organizing a show and one of the local churches having their annual Alternative Gift Fair.

The show at the high school was made up of local artists and crafters. I found some great organic soaps and lotions. Evidently the big thing this year (or maybe I'm way behind?) is lotion in a bar form that comes in a little tin. It's similar to a tin of hand salve, only the product is more solid like a bar of soap and actually comes out of the tin, where salve does not. You warm it up by rubbing it between your palms, then rub it into your skin. Such a neat idea (no more lotion explosions in my purse, or frozen lotion in my glove compartment) and every soap booth was selling them. I picked up a few from Evergreen Candleworks, a local, family-owned company here in town. They use organic soy, fair trade shea butter and their operation is run completely on wind power. These make great stocking stuffers, so check them out!

The Alternative Gift Fair was filled with non-profits that help those in need from here in Colorado to the Himalayas. From the Women's Bean Project, which employs homeless women in Denver, to One Mother, which helps HIV positive women in India, each gift purchased helps a person in need. Plus, you get a gift for someone you love, hence their "Buy Once, Gift Twice" slogan.

I got some fabulous gifts here as well. My favorite vendor has to be One Mother whose blankets, scarves, place mats and change purses are made in India from recycled saris. The colors and patterns are brilliant.

Will you be hitting any local craft shows this year?

#Giveaway Thursday: Ingredients documentary on DVD

Are you a proponent of the local food movement? Or perhaps you'd like to encourage a friend or loved one to eat locally-grown seasonal foods? The documentary Ingredients: The Local Food Movement Takes Root will make a great gift for yourself or someone near and dear to you.


With the world's population recently reaching 7 billion people, it's no secret that change must be made to our already-failing industrialized food system.

Cases of diabetes in our country are rising rapidly among adults and children. Our lifespan is expected to be shorter than past generations. Our overly processed, genetically modified, shipped-from-halfway-around-the-world food is killing us and the environment.

Ingredients seeks to reconnect viewers with their food, where it comes from and the people who grow it by introducing them to chefs and farmers around the nation who are working together to take local, sustainable food from farm to table.

Win a copy of Ingredients by leaving a comment here. I love a good documentary, so let me know about one you've seen - on any topic - and loved. A winner will be picked next Thursday, November 17th. Good luck!

Every Man Jack Giveaway Winner!

Giveaway time is here and Random.org has chosen... {drumroll please}

Heather said...

I liked them on facebook! My husband would LOVE these. I like it when he smells nice, and it's almost a girl with his Axe stuff and Old Spice things. :)

Congratulations Heather! Please email me at kellie {at} mysocalledgreenlife {dot} com and we'll get your prize out to you.  Once you use these products up, you can find a list of retailers here, buy directly from their site, or from online stores like Drugstore.com.

Hope you enjoy the products!

If you didn't win, don't be sad. I'll be posting another giveaway later today, so stay tuned!

Green the Season: Gifts for Teachers

Visit the Green Phone Booth today and read my guest post on thoughtful gifts for teachers. With eight teachers to gift, we end up giving items that are mostly handmade.

According to the Hubby, who teaches at a mostly Latino inner-city school, he prefers to receive home made green chili (cuisine may vary in your region) :-) and baked goods over more #1Teacher mugs. Because female teachers may be a little more figure-sensitive, they may not want 20 to 30 dozen cookies though, so Hubby suggests gift cards to a locally owned bookstore or teacher supply store. Personally, I think a gift certificate for a manicure would be nice if it's in your budget. He also receives many Starbucks cards, which I appreciate, since he doesn't drink coffee.

If you're giving a gift card, consider personalizing the gift with one of these little gift card holders where your teacher can store all the cards she receives this year.

What will you be buying or making for your teachers this year? What's been well-received in the past?