DIY Life

Sure, herbs smell great and taste even better --- but have you ever considered decorating with them? Kelly Edwards has the scoop:



Why should you decorate with herbs? It's easy --- not only are they super functional when cooking, but they happen to be gorgeous and smell fantastic. Plus, they last longer than flowers, which is great for someone who always forgets to throw away their dead plants (hanging my head in shame over here...).

Want some fresh (pun intended!) ideas on storing and displaying your own little interior herb garden? Try placing a few small herbs in a teacup or mug for an unexpected look. Or, double up on functional storage by placing a potted herb in an ice bucket when not in use. Even better? A cake stand doubles as a decorative element to create a circled montage of your favorite herbs. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks, Kelly!

Summer may be long gone, but I'm still allowed to dream of astroturf, right? Especially after seeing this lovely DIY AstroTurf couch in a recent ReadyMade mag issue. The perfect outdoor seating would look just as smashing on a front porch or sunroom, and I'm half tempted to strike a deal with the husband -- if he helps me build an AstroTurf couch, I'll let him use the leftovers for his very own backyard golf course. Good deal, right?

And you know what? Turns out I don't even need his help to build it! The instructions couldn't be easier:

1. Take removable cushions off of the sofa. Lay AstroTurf down on the sofa and cut into pieces just large enough to cover each area with a slight overlap.
2. Using the staple gun, attach AstroTurf, stretching as you go for a snug fit. You don't need to cover the bottom of the sofa, but try not to leave any gaps where water might seep in.
3. Cover removable cushions separately.

Super fun, right? So excited to try it!

College students: want to go green? Even if you call a dorm room home and you're on a serious budget, you can still pack tons of positive changes into your lifestyle. Here are a few easy and budget-friendly ideas to try:

1. Go solar. Buy an inexpensive solar desk lamp, like IKEA's Sunnan, which comes in a bunch of vibrant colors. Consider a solar charger for your iPod, cell and other electronics, too.

2. Buy organic. If you can't afford an all-organic diet, don't fret. Most of us can't. But you can commit to buying organic versions of some of the foods you eat most often. At the very least, skip the "dirty dozen" – the 12 fruits and veggies most contaminated with pesticide residue. While you're at it, pick up some Fair Trade Certified coffee and feel better about your caffeine breaks.

Want to get healthy? Be green? Increasingly, this means shopping locally grown. Don't know about you, but I'm definitely trying to buy more locally grown food these days!

Whether local products are certified organic -- bearing the USDA's green and white seal of approval -- or not, small-scale growers are often dedicated to healthier growing practices. Healthier for the earth, their animals, and our bodies, that is. And when you shop local, you support local farmers, too.

If you need help deciding where to shop, here are a couple websites that make it easy as pie: Local Harvest and Eat Well Guide. Both are online directories of sustainable food suppliers, searchable by location. Just pop in your zip code and pull up a list of who's growing sustainably and/or organic in your area.

According to Super Eco, it depends. With the growing popularity of bamboo, eco-fabrics and "green"wear, the environmental-friendly clothing may not be quite as friendly as you assume. Here's why:

1. Chemically manufactured bamboo fiber is a "regenerated cellulose fiber similar to rayon or modal." And where are chemically-manufactured fibers created? In manufacturing facilities, most of which pose potential health hazards and damage to the surrounding environment.

2. A research team at Colorado State University recently found that, contrary to bamboo's finest selling points, the anti-bacterial qualities praised in bamboo fabric are found in many other fibers and are not unique to eco-friendly fabrics. What this means? If you're paying more for the deodorizing, antibacterial effect, take your money elsewhere.

3. Many bamboo fabrics originate in China, where labor practice is often suspect.

So how can you be sure your tee is green? According to the LA Times, check for the Oeko-Tek 100 certification, which won't be placed on a clothing label, but most manufacturers will post their certification on their site. The Oeko-Tek 100 is proof that your clothing is free of dangerous and potentially harmful chemicals.

Bamboozled? Don't be. Just remember to shop smart and do your research. You'll be living green in no time!

My nephew turns 8 next month and I can't wait to attend his birthday party at the local bowling alley. In lieu of gifts, my nephew is asking for charitable donations [I know, such a philanthropist in his young age], which, if you think about it, is a very green thing to do. Here are a few other tips to make your child's bday earth [and kid!]-friendly:

1. Ask guests to wrap any gifts in homemade paper, including newspaper with food coloring, or perhaps grocery sacks.

2. Avoid giving out party favors. Instead, throw your child's party at a local zoo, kid-friendly restaurant or even park. The event will be an experience guests will remember, and a favor will be less necessary. Besides, does any child really need 14 plastic kazoos?

3. Consider an environmental-friendly theme. Use recyclable paper plates, a globe cake and share fun facts about our Earth during the party.

4. Stack a few recycled-paper coloring books and soy crayons on the picnic table for less active guests.

5. Play "hot potato" with a bouncy globe ball or run relay races with burlap sacks. The kids will be entertained for hours!

Most of all, explain to your child why he/she should consider hosting an environment-friendly party. Chances are, your child will start a neighborhood trend and before you know it, your town will be greener than ever.

July is moving faster than ever, and I'm vowing today to soak up all of the sun I can get before August comes and goes! This weekend, I'm planning a picnic with my honey. My goal? To prepare the greenest, most earth-friendly picnic ever. Here's what I've got on my list:

TO CARRY
Eco Picnic Basket, $125, Uncommon Goods
OK, so I get that it's a bit of a massive amount to spend on one date. So, if you already have a picnic basket [or any basket for that matter], feel free to purchase these bamboo utensils and these recycled wine glasses and you'll have the general gist of the eco-friendly picnic basket.

Recycled Mexican Blanket, $34.95, Turning Life
A blanket made from completely recycled fibers that won't itch your legs? I'm sold. Bonus? You can re-use the blanket as a warm wintery throw in cooler months.

Did you know that air-drying your clothes can save up to 700 lbs of CO2 each year? Neither did I, and luckily for both of us, I've rounded up a few other green tips for your laundry that are 100% free to implement. I keep a list of these in my laundry room as a reminder that taking a few extra steps in my daily laundry routine can make a HUGE difference...


1. Clean out your dryer's lint trap before each use to improve efficiency, which saves energy in the long run.
[BONUS: Dryers are the third leading cause of household fires, so by keeping it lint-free, you're keeping your family safe and sound.]

2. Run the cold cycle. Trust me, it gets the job done just as well as warm, and there's even a special cold water detergent you can purchase if you don't believe me.
[BONUS: Your clothes are less likely to bleed in cold water, so when your husband throws that bright red dishcloth in with your whites, running the cold cycle will have more than likely saved your marriage.]

3. Swap bleach for baking soda or vinegar. Bleach can be harmful to the environment, so switch your bleach-infused softener to white vinegar or baking soda.
[BONUS: Both ingredients are ridiculously cheaper than softener and perform double duty when it's time to clean your kitchen.]

4. Wash in full loads to save water. Always, always, always.
[BONUS: You'll end up doing less laundry loads, which means more time with your family!]

I'm a sucker for all-in-one products, but they all seem so harmful to the environment. Until now...

Care2 teaches us how to make a green cleaning kit using supplies that I guarantee are already in your household (except perhaps tea tree oil, which you can purchase right here for less than my a pack of socks). By using the same key ingredients, you can create a green cleaning agent for every room in your home! I'm simply amazed.

Round up your spray bottles and mix away! Don't forget a handy caddy to hold all of your new cleaners in (I love The Container Store's lace basket right here).

Bonus? Your homemade mix will cost about a tenth of the price as household cleaners from your grocer. You'll save time, money and who knows? You may even save the environment.

Strap a brown-bag lunch to your wheels and head off to work. According to GreenYour.com, restaurants produce over 50,000 pounds of trash per year and consume more energy per square foot than any other U.S. industry. By steering clear of restaurants during your workweek, you can be part of a small change to decreasing both of those numbers (and probably decreasing another number while you're at it--- those dreaded numbers on your bathroom scale).

Luckily for you, reusable lunch bags are cuter than ever, and with this tutorial from Evil Mad Scientist, you can create your own over the weekend, green-ifying your work ritual by Monday.

Don't bike to work? The reusable bag is the perfect size for a weekend biking jaunt-- just right for nestling your keys, wallet and perhaps a great book to take to the park. Sure beats a plastic bag, and you're guaranteed the cutest bike on the block.

By Debra McDuffee

Green? I bet you thought red, white, and blue would be the appropriate colors for an Independence Day BBQ, not green.

Think again. Clearly, most people are interested in doing even little things to help keep their families healthy and preserve the environment in this age of toxins and pollution. Here are some things you can do to help while throwing a bang-up July Fourth party:

• Skip the plastic plates and cups. Go for anything recyclable or reusable, even bamboo.
• Natural gas grills pollute the air less than charcoal grills.
• Don't shoot off polluting fireworks at home. If you'd like to enjoy the big boomers, find a town celebration nearby.
• Serve up local, organic food, which causes less transportation pollution to the environment -- and your food will be super-fresh.
• Throw a potluck party to share resources.

You'll find more details on how to have a greener Independence Day in Greenzer's article. So fire up that barbie with a clear conscience!

Colony collapse disorder, the mysterious phenomenon that has entire colonies of honeybees vanishing into thin air, has brought the state of our bee population to the forefront. Not many people realize this, but bees pollinate about 90% of our flowering crops. What that means is: without bees, we don't eat.

Creating a bee-friendly yard may not solve the issue of colony collapse disorder, but it is a great way of doing your part to encourage a healthy bee population. It'll also ensure that any of your own fruit, vegetable, and flower crops get pollinated, so that you have fresh food to eat and a beautiful yard to enjoy. In addition, the same plants that draw bees bring other pollinators, like butterflies.

So how do you go about attracting bees to your yard? It's not difficult at all. Read more about it after the break.

It seems that when I look at our budget, the greater portion of our expenses seem to be spent on food. Yes, we are self-proclaimed Foodies, so we tend to splurge on good things to eat. The good news is that there are ways to save money in the kitchen; your love of food doesn't have to break the bank.

1. Make a weekly menu and shop accordingly: Creative meal planning wastes less. You'll be less apt to buy things that aren't on your grocery list, and you'll have everything you need for the week's meals, thereby saving gas on fewer trips to the grocery store.

2. Use extra foods to make soups or stews: It's OK to buy that jumbo bag of broccoli florets. After you use what you need in Tuesday's stir-fry, throw the rest into a pot with onions, broth, some dried beans, and some seasonings. The result will be a healthy soup that you can freeze for lunches later. Some of my favorite meals have been the clean-out-the-refrigerator-stews!

I dare you to find an American household without any carrots in the fridge. Granted, most will probably be the scrubbed-clean, prepackaged, more expensive baby carrots. If you'd like to save money (and waste less food!), read on.

First of all, buying whole carrots -- or, better yet, growing them -- is cheaper than buying baby carrots. A good thing, right? Well, if you learn how to peel them just so, you'll be able to save more of the carrot... and more money.

According to eHow, if you peel away from you with a sharp-bladed peeler, you'll peel off less carrot. Additionally, if you peel the top until no green is showing, then peel the tip as well -- no chopping -- you'll end up with more of the carrot.

It seems like a simple way to be frugal while respecting the Earth's resources.

Some would say so. I became more convinced after I read an article expounding on 10 reasons to shave with a straight razor. The reason I was so interested is that I've been a cup 'n brush man since I was 17 years old. I won't say how many years it's been since then. I was forced to use the foaming goo in A.F. boot camp and hated it.

The 10 reasons are compelling:

1. Save money. I can relate; I use a Merkur safety razor. You know, the double-edged blade like gramps used? About a buck and a half for 10 blades.
2. Go green. It's true, why keep throwing away all that plastic?
3. Be a macho man. Or babe.
4. Pamper yourself. True, like using real shaving soap, you'll get a real shave, not a scrape job.
5. Get in on the ground floor. Like the man said, straight razors are on the cusp of cool!
6. Embrace danger. Are you bold enough after watching Sweeney Todd? Where's that jugular again?
7. Make new friends. Hey, if people can get together to make scrapbooks, they can get together to shave.
8. Take up a new hobby. Shaving as a hobby? Why not?
9. Learn a new trade. What, you've never fantasized about living the exciting life of a barber? Liar.
10. And (drum roll), channel your Grizzly Adams. Don't try to tackle that mane with a disposable razor!
    

[Via onlyknives]

(This post has been edited since publication to correct a photo error.)