Twilight drops her curtain down, and pins it with a star. ~Lucy Maud Montgomery
Hope everyone had a great weekend! I am just getting back online after unplugging for the weekend. I enjoyed a weekend full of nature and my family, but couldn't start the week off without our usual Sustainable Sundays post! After searching our team's weekly threads and social networking posts, I found a few shops upcycling into the night! ;)
Here are three creations for any warm summer evening!
More free stuff for you this Friday the 13th! Hope you aren't superstitious and hiding out worrying about bad luck coming your way today...
Today I thought it'd be fun to share some really cool apps (sorry not really free appetizers, lol) for your smart phone and of course, since this is Thank God It's Free-day, they are all FREE!
The other day I mentioned an app that would be fun for kids to use on a road trip that might keep them occupied, at least for a little while, lol. It's a Compass from Catch.com, I love it! It actually moves just like a compass would, with the needle and all. Like many apps, you can find it in your Google Play store. It is essentially a GPS as well, allowing you to navigate to locations and save them also.
In the same genre, so to speak, another fun navigating app is Google Sky Map. You can stargaze with your smartphone just by pointing it towards the sky, or explore by search terms!
And one more travel app I fell in love with: Relax and Sleep. I'm thinking this would be a great one for traveling little ones~ imagine putting on some white noise, ocean sounds or gentle music to sleep by. They'd be out like a light~ you hope!
Since our team of Upcyclers and this blog is eco oriented, I couldn't resist looking for eco and environmental apps. I thought the grand prize winner of the Dept. of Energy's Apps for Energy Competition was pretty cool (so did they obviously!). It's called Leafully and brings energy usage into simple understandable terms of trees, basically the number of trees needed to offset your energy consumption. Like most energy apps, "it uses Green Button which is an open standard for sharing electricity data of utility customers."*1
Melon is along the same lines, but for a commercial building application. You can measure your Energy Star benchmark just by entering your building information, upload your Green Button data and then it converts to your Energy Star score. From there, it will make recommendations for improved energy usage. If you are a manager or owner of a large corporate building or facility you can help to bring your usage in line with the use of this free App~ or you can also suggest it to management if you work in such an environment!
You can even find the right light bulb with an app called, what else, Light Bulb Finder!
There are also some terrific eco game apps you can check out! Whirleo lets you clean up pollutants by the begrimed Guzzlers (ahem, I think they mean us...). Free from the iTunes appstore, you can try it out before purchasing the unlocked version.
My Water Diary lets you measure your daily water usage over a week's time and thereby regulate or reduce it.
You can find apps for anything these days, as most of you know~ so I'll wind this up with a few about my personal favorite: Food! Or should I say Fooducate? This app lets you scan the UPC's of over 200,000 products and tells you the nutritional info on each. Make healthier choices right in the grocery store!
Use Locavore to find "local, in-season food. Pinpoint nearby farmers' markets that sell the products you love"!
And last, if you love seafood like I do, you'll love Seafood Watch! This app lets you find ocean-friendly seafood at your favorite restaurants or stores. Along with the current recommendations for seafood, you can also get complete information about the best farming and fishing methods.
So there you go, lots of FREE APP-"etizers" for you to check out~ that's if you venture out from under your bed this Friday the 13th...bwahaha!!!
I promised an article about "one tank trips" a while back when I published 'Wasteless Wednesday~ Staycation Instead!', so here you go: A Guide to the best One Tank Trip EVER!
First and foremost, all trips take planning. And practicality. Of course, the premise of this article is practicality due to a tight budget and saving money in today's economy. But you also have to add practical planning and packing for a great trip, even if it's close to home! So here's the first tip I recommend for a fantastic getaway...
1. Be Prepared! Even on a short excursion, small unexpected emergencies can happen. Be sure your vehicle has a check-up: oil, transmission, radiator and brake fluid levels, tire pressure, spare tire and jack, wipers and washer fluid; and above all, an emergency road kit that includes a first aid box, flashlight, flares and a cell phone with full charge. Consider subscribing to a roadside emergency service also.
Natural First Aid Kit from KsNatureProducts
2. Where do you want to go? I wish I could just share some one tank trips in my area, but that's not feasible since our readers are from all over the world! (But let me know if you want to know about some great spots in Florida, lol!) But I can give you some advice on choosing a spot in your area! First get a detailed road map or pull one up online. Be sure it's interactive if you do it online so you can mark your dream destinations, especially if you are planning several trips throughout the summer season. Mark on the map where a half tank of gas will take you by marking a spot at the furthest point and drawing a circle with that radius from your home. Next get brochures from your local Chamber of Commerce or Tourism Agency, or even a travel agency may have one. You can even go into a local hotel and find them in the lobby. You can also look for historic markers on the map, factories that offer tours, wineries, farms, interactive trails and tours, etc. Then think like a tourist! Look for places you and your companions/family would be interested in seeing. Consider everyone's feelings for a good experience, no one wants to be dragged along to something they have no interest in. Now, mark the spots on your map and plan your trip(s)!
Upcycled Atlas Ornaments by Granny Panty Designs
3. Plan your route ahead of time.
Look for the best way to travel to your chosen spot. Scenic, direct,
other places to stop on the way, facilities and services. What works
best for you and your fellow travelers? The fastest way there, or the
road not taken? Use a map, GPS or other devices to have a safe journey.
One fun tip: use a compass app on your smart phone to keep kids busy
tracking your route!
Vintage Map Journal from Naturally Heartfelt
4. What should you pack? I know, it's just a one tank trip. But even if you aren't staying over you still need to pack. A great rule of thumb is to plan for an overnight stay even if you're not. Use a backpack, tote bag or a re-usable market bag and bring an extra outfit, pair of shoes or sandals and a travel sack of toiletries for each member of your travel party.
Upcycled 'Cool Globes' Travel Bag by WheresMyBag
5. What should you bring? This is what you need for your drive. Got kids? Bring travel games or plan on some road games. 20 questions, color or sign games help pass the time, even on a short trip, you'll be asked dozens of times: "Are we there yet?" And no matter what age group, bring snacks! A small cooler is great for bottled water or juice and some fruit & veggies to nibble on. Plan ahead and freeze drinks to keep everything else cold. They'll melt enough to drink in the summer heat before you know it. This saves you money so that you'll be able to have a meal out. Or you can bring a complete picnic! Lots of roads have wayside rest stops and picnic areas. Maybe your destination will have accommodations for you, perhaps even a grill.
Water Bottle Holder by GreenerRoute
6. Thanks for the memories! Don't forget to journal your journey! Take photos, write down memorable moments, find or purchase small souvenirs. Even a postcard, brochure, ticket stub or small trinket can evoke memories of your trip for years to come. It doesn't have to cost a thing to become a priceless keepsake...
Rebound Travel Journal by PrairiePeasant
7. Make the journey home just as much fun as the trip there. Remember to keep the drive home interesting so you don't hear "but I don't wanna go home yet!!!" (insert whining voice) When you plan your route (#2 & 3) think about a place to stop on the way home. Or plan your snacks or picnic for the trip back. Take a different route if possible than the way there. You get the idea~ Enjoy the whole trip from start to finish. You might even spend time talking about the fantastic time you just had! (Hint: turn off the radio/satellite, smart phones or any electronic games or devices and just TALK!)
Newspapers have seen a decline over the past decade. Many readers are turning to the Internet to get their daily news. If your daily passion is still reading the paper while sipping on a hot cup of coffee, just make sure you recycle it, or better yet upcycle it. And here's a few good reasons why...
To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000
trees must be cut down.
Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York
Times would save 75,000 trees.
27% of the newspapers produced in America are
recycled.
If all our newspaper was recycled, we could save
about 250,000,000 trees each year!
This upcycled garland consists of 24 paper houses and one big house to keep it all in. Each house is created from doubled newspaper for durability.
"A newspaper is lumber made malleable. It is ink made into words and
pictures. It is conceived, born, grows up and dies of old age in a day." Jim
Bishop
Our second Upcyclers Creativity Challenge was a huge success! So many ideas from so many Upcyclers! This month's judge, Marcy from Rinnovato, had a hard job! :)
Here is Marcy's synopsis of our second upcycled creativity challenge...
"I was very excited when it was my turn to choose the upcycling medium for June's creativity challenge, but it came upon me quickly and I found it be much tougher than I thought to settle on one material! I had so many ideas jockeying for position in my mind. I really wanted to come up with something unique, but at the same time something that could be turned into a quality new product that others might use or possibly even be able to list for sale in their shops.
I also wanted it to be something fairly easy to find and versatile to work with, so I found myself crossing many items off my list and coming back to the old standards. I have seen so many beautiful, cute and clever things done with a simple glass jar or bottle, and I know that in my house they take up most of the room in the recycling bin; so that was the winning selection.
The challenge was to use any type of recycled glass container... a mason jar, left over food jar, wine/beer/liquor bottle, baby food jar, candy dish, salt/pepper shaker, canister, etc....There were just so many creative possibilities for this project – candle holders, vases, lamps, specialty storage or display - especially when adding other materials into the mix. I was afraid I might be disappointing my teammates with such a basic selection, but the response was wonderful!
She used two orphaned whiskey glasses to make these pretty hanging candle holders. I loved the addition of the macrame rope. I could just picture these hanging on a cozy patio on a warm summer night!
Bee from The Wooden Bee surely did not disappoint with her wonderful (and a bit nostalgic) upcycled night light. She used a very cool Silver Patron tequila bottle (a keepsake from her 30th birthday) topped with a round cork and filled it with a strand of decorative white lights for an amazing look! (Not as simple as I made it sound – see her blog for the awesome tutorial!)
A simple concept executed so brilliantly. With the bright colors and professional logo, it looked like something you could find to purchase in any popular children's store right now. Adorable!
I loved how SweetSomeday and k5art used unique materials for their candle holders (vintage paper and patterned wall paper); Elodie thought “outside of the jar” for her yummy appetizers; and of course Super Sock made me smile, as usual, with the amazing magical unicorn snow globe! Patricia L. Johnson Glass Art was super artistic with her use of doilies as paint templates and handmade polymer clay knobs – done in black for a bold and chic look; and Jana from bhangtiez made a really sweet macrame plant hanger with a recycled glass container inside.
I truly enjoyed each and every entry and I was so impressed with the blogs that some upcyclers did along with their projects, highlighting the steps of their creative process... including great photos and a shout out to team Upcyclers!.... Thanks to all for the hard work and great participation!! ~ Marcy"
Thank YOU Marcy! We loved what talented Marcy made for the Challenge as well!
Let's continue upcycling! Team Members be sure to check out our discussion board! Our next challenge is underway, so check out what Nikki from ThisNThat Creations picked for July!
