A 100% packaging free grocery store! How much greener can you get!?

A friend of mine shared an article with me from Time Magazine just the other day and it's so cool that I must share it with you all.

The article is about a new grocery store, one-of-a-kind, located in Austin of course!  (aren't all the cool things in Austin? so, not, fair...)  The grocery store will be called in.gredients and it will sell only 100% package free products.  They hope to open in October but are still trying to meet their fundraising goals.

The TIME Magazine article points out...

Americans throw away 1.4 billion pounds of waste every day, and 40% of it comes from one-time packaging. But it's hard trying to be a conscious recycler after a while because of the double or triple wrappings for every product.

I think this is exciting news, a great step, more of a leap in my opinion, in the right direction.  Green concepts like these really get me excited about the future for our children and their children and I look forward to more innovative business concepts such as this one.

To learn more about in.gredients please watch this nice little youtube video about them and/or read the TIME Magazien article linked to above.

Read More

Father's Day Gift Ideas on a Budget!

Fathers' Day is just around the corner, that means it's time to buckle down and do some crafting with the kids!  There are tons of inexpensive and many free craft and gift ideas you can do that daddy's sure to love and cherish.

Just to get your creative juices flowing here are some quick and easy ideas I've come across from around the world wide web!

Photo Courtesy of Kaboodle.com

Homemade #1 Dad Trophy
This is an absolutely darling idea that is super easy to do and the kids will have fun making it.  Kaboodle has shared this pic and also step-by-step instructions.

Family TV Photo
Another great and super quick project that you can do with found objects from around the home.  Make a Family TV Photo Box!

Photo Courtesy of Kaboodle.com

Duct Tape Wallet
Silly, yes.  But will your kids love making this duct tape wallet for dad?  Of course!  Visit Disney Family Fun for this great tutorial.

Eco-Freindly Crafts for Dad
Mother Nature Network has a great post on their site with 9 eco-friendly crafts for dad that can be made mostly from recycled and repurposed materials.  Make sure to check out Mother Nature Network for more details.

More Handmade Gift Ideas
Tip Junky also has some great gift ideas you can make on your own.  They're mostly super easy to do, some do involve baking, but overall you'll save a ton of money by making dad gifts that he'll love just as much as any store bought ones.

Craftster
Craftster is a humongous resource for all things sewing and crafting.  You'll find a ton of free patterns, tutorials, photos and ideas galore.  Make something out of recycled neck ties, old t-shirts, golf balls...You name it and Craftster has an idea for it!

Etsy
Last but definitely not least, make sure you check out Etsy!  You can get some inspiration by checking out others handmade items or if you don't have time to make something or just aren't that crafty, you can buy a nice handmade gift for dad.

Do you have any links to any other great sites our readers can check out?  Please share them here or leave a comment on our FB Wall!

Read More

Tips for becoming a little "greener" this Earth Day!

Earth Day is here and it's a perfect time to increase your shade of green, take it up a notch or two!  There are pretty hardcore ways of living a greener or more eco-friendly lifestyle if you're so inclined, however we're going to share with you some simple every day things you can do to go green or "greener."

Recycle just a little bit more!  Recycling is one the the easiest things to do in my opinion.  In today's age most of us have special bins for our recyclables and even special recycling pickup on designated days of the week.  Recycling is much cleaner than keeping all that funky garbage around and it just make so much more sense.

If you already recycle then try stepping it up a bit.  Add some new items to the list of things you recycle.  Cereal and pasta boxes, egg cartons, and the styrofoam  commonly used in meat packaging are often forgotten and go unrecycled.

Green Your Cleaning Routine!  Try purchasing more environmentally friendly household cleaners or make your own.  Vinegar has a variety of uses.  Mix 1 part water with 1 part vinegar in an old spray bottle and it works great for surface cleaning, mopping, and more!

Switch to un-paper towels!  Un-paper towels are similar to dish towels but frequently made out of inexpensive flannels or cottons.  Fold 12 x 12 squares in a cute basket and encourage their use instead of reaching for a paper towel throughout the day.  You'll find that you're saving money and trees, plus they're way cuter!

Try Mama Cloth or a Green Menstrual Alternative!  Using a Diva Cup or reusable Mama Cloth can save you a lot of money and prevent a lot of unnecessary waste and save your septic system if you have one.  If you're afraid to switch completely to reusable menstrual products try just one day at a time until you're comfortable and have perfected your routine!

These are just a few of the simple ways you can go a little greener this Earth Day!  We hope you'll choose at least a couple to try.  Enjoy!

Read More