Trash to Treasure: Preserving our Planet

{via}

When it comes to design, I love a good trash to treasure transformation as much as the next person. What's not to love? Pieces found for free or for a steal become something wonderful and creativity shines though in an amazing way that inspires others.

Today's post is about a different kind of transformation. Some of you may know that I'm an Eco-enthusiast. I enjoy a good river clean up, composting and it makes me sad to see my neighbors tossing all of their recyclables into the trash bin considering we're so fortunate to have a recycle pickup, as not every city or county does. I love new and innovative products that are made with materials that simply need to be 'recycled'. Classy women care about not only their own home environment, but the planet too so I thought this would be a great way to show you how a tiny bit of effort can do a lot of good.

Did you know that Whole Foods has a drop-off bin near the store entry/exit where you can recycle your No.5 plastics? Well, they do and I'm really excited about it. You see most cities, like here in Orlando, only recycle No.1 & 2 plastics leaving the rest to either be reused again (which we often do) and then eventually they'll wind up in the trash. There is a great way to to not only avoid this but make something wonderful in the process.

The best part is your yogurt and food containers as well as used Brita filters (yes, they recycle those too)  can go from this.....

to THIS!

{Kitchen Starter Set}

{Food Storage Set}

{Preserve Tooth Brushes}

Neat, huh? A company called Preserve collects all of the No.5 plastic and turns it into usable, practical and fun products so the plastic will have a second life and spare our landfills from anymore needless waste. When they reach their lifetime, you can recycle them yet again. :) For someone who gets excited about recycling this is great news!  Preserve creates everything from cutting boards, measuring cups and food storage containers to razors and toothbrushes! The best part is it's all BPA-free and made in the USA. You can see their neat little video on how items are made HERE.

All you need to do is wash out your No.5 plastics (look on the underside of your container for the little recycle triangle) and put them in a bag or box and drop them off at a 'Gimme 5' location when you are in the area. Preserve will do the rest and you'll feel good about making a difference too!

For those of you that felt a little mislead by the post title but made it this this point, I thought I'd share a fun, new blog that I found called Pure Green Design. HERE is one of their great trash to treasure posts which features the image shown at the top.

Now, in the spirit of turning trash to treasure, I'd love to hear how YOU reuse or give old items a new life in your own home. Feel free to leave a link to your thrifty trash to treasure decor posts too-I love those!

A Sweet Surprise!

Guess what I found today?! I was running some errands and popped into Whole Foods to do an exchange and happened to turn around while I was waiting at the returns desk and I spotted these lovelies.

My heart literally skipped a beat and I felt my eyes start to tear up. It was like seeing an old friend. lol. I've been dreaming of peonies and if you read my post titled Pining for Peonies a few weeks ago then you know how much I adore them.

In Florida they are very rare unless imported and cannot be grown here because of the extreme heat. I haven't had any in this home we share ever and in fact I haven't seen any in almost 4 years. I have been deprived, that was until today! I've been seeing posts on peonies pop up everywhere during the past couple weeks which always makes me smile my but nothing brightened my day more than seeing all those florist buckets filled with bouquets of pale pink peonies. *SWOON*

I was so excited and asked the clerk how much they were-just $9.99 for a 5 hearty stems! That is a steal compared to the  $10 per stem with a minimum $100 order requirement that the florist shop wanted to charge, when I inquired. I kept staring over at them propped up against the passenger seat all the way home and couldn't wait to pull the plastic off, snip the stems, remove some excess leaves and get them into a vase. Since this opportunity doesn't come around often here, I couldn't help but start snapping photos of each individual bloom and the arrangement in the vase. They started out here on the kitchen table.

Then I decided that they should be in the place where I spend my day so I can admire them as much as possible, so they are now in my office on this table here:

I love that little framed art which reads "The World is Your Oyster" which I made a few months ago. I really do feel like it is at this moment. I'm so excited that my week has started off so wonderful. Lots of good things are happening, I had another great sponsor contact me today for a fun, new giveaway and I can't wait to share the details with you in June.

Oh, and I also picked up another one of my favorite things at Whole Foods-their amazing lemon bars. This is what I ate for dessert tonight and enjoyed every last bite.

It's amazing how the little things truly are the greatest gifts and can be the sweetest of surprises.

I hope you all had a wonderful start to your week too!



*images all my original work

Gift Cards Are the New Fruitcake?

If you're thinking of giving a gift card this year, you might want to rethink your idea. It turns out that they may not be the gift that keeps on giving or the best choice for that hard-to-shop-for person after all.  

Last year I discovered that not all gift cards are created equally. While many of us believe gift cards will never expire and are as good as the cash value they're denoted with, it may not be so.


I came across a great article about the negative aspects of the gift card and thought these highlights might be worth a read before selecting them for your gift recipient this Christmas.


THE UGLY SIDE OF GIFT CARDS


1. Infinity and Beyond?- Many believe that gift cards are good forever, and most stores do operate this way and honor that policy. On the other hand, some do not and have expiry dates unbeknownst to the purchaser and the recipient. This is generally not the case with a major credit card gift card such as Visa or Amex, however some smaller stores often do implement such a restriction. If you are the recipient of such a card, it is best to mark the expiry date on your calendar and use the card up as quickly as you can.


2. Fees, Fees, Fees- Did you know that many gift cards issued by credit card companies will actually start deducting from the balance of the card if it hasn't been used in a particular timeframe? Some cards may start deducting as much as $2.50 per month after the first year! Many of these cards involve a fee to obtain them to begin with so they can be quite pricey all around. This doesn't wish you or the gift recipient a very Merry Christmas.


3. Left High and Dry- With the plethora of stores that are going bankrupt, they leave gift card recipients without a place to use their card, thus it goes to waste. A friend of mine purchased a prepaid gift card for herself to a prepared dinner club where frozen, homemade meals can be purchased, only to find out they had gone under and she had barely put a dent in her card. She found this out by dropping by and seeing a sign in the window. She called and tried to get her money back but they were unable to help her out. Before buying a gift card for anyone make sure you know the financial status of the company.


4. Some Restrictions Apply- Many retailers with online stores will not allow their gift cards to be used on the web such as CVS. These restrictions can be quite frustrating in general, especially for men who typically don't frequent stores and aren't generally interested in shopping in busy stores. Another common issue is cards purchased in say the U.S and mailed to Canada. I found this out the hard way with a $200 Potterybarn gift card that some colleagues' had purchased for my bridal shower. When I went to shop online or redeem after I had moved to the U.S., the card was only good in Canada. I had to wait until I was back in my good old home town to make my purchase.


5. He's Just Not that Interested!- Sometimes our best intentions to provide a useful gift such as a gift card may not be well received. Perhaps the recipient isn't interested in the particular store that the gift card was purchased from. Worse than this are those that ldamage or ose their cards or misplace them in a shuffle of paperwork or they are stolen, etc. Most times these cannot be replaced, but there are some companies that will help you out. If you are the recipient of a card for a store you loathe, you can sell or trade yours on http://www.plasticjungle.com/ or http://www.giftcardsagain.com/


 It's been reported that a whopping $5 Billion of the money spent on giftcards in the U.S. will NEVER be used! Shocking, isn't it? This actually happens to be the exact reason why store gift cards are so heavily promoted. Many stores recognize that many will never be redeemed AND if they ever are, the recipient will usually purchase something for beyond the amount that the card is valued at, so it is a win-win for them. Another common scenario are shoppers that make purchases with their gift card and wind up with $3.42 for example as a remaining balance. Many will never make the trip back to a particualar store just to redeem that amount so it is money lost.
Here is the original article.
 
In spite of this new found data, I will gladly accept a Potterybarn (despite my previous experience), Ikea, Whole Foods or Starbuck's giftcard any day of the week. They are solid stores that always have what I love!


How about you-have you ever had one of the above situations happen while attempting to use a gift card?

A Few of My Favorite Things at Whole Foods

I made a trip to Whole Foods yesterday, one that I'd been putting off for a week. I'm spoiled by having so much so close to me, that if something is more than 10-15 mins away I put it off until I have something else I need in the same area so I can lower my carbon footprint and be more green. There are 2 Whole Foods stores in my general area but they are on opposite sides of town and they are both 20 minutes from my house. I needed to stop by Home Goods today so I went to the larger Whole Foods which was down the street.

Remember how I asked you all to fill out the new blog poll, well so far we've received two responses so I wanted today's post to reflect the first vote of something 'personal'. Speaking of personal, you can read an earlier post on getting personal with me, in case you missed it.

Some of My Favorite Things at Whole Foods:

1. Tazo Plum Pomegranate Iced Tea-I couldn't resist their $1 sale. If you like something other than the same old plain jane iced tea, try Tazo! They offer many flavors of black and green teas infused with amazing flavors. The Plum Pomogranate is my new favorite!

2. Organic Sea Salt/Black Pepper Kettle Chips-They have a hint of jalapeno but not much so they are the perfect combination of salt and spice and are completely organic and yummy. They were $2/bag so I grabbed one to try and I'm in LOVE! These may be my new favorite snack.

3. Banana Bread Lara Bars-Raw food bars that have the most simple ingredient list consisting of anywhere from 3-6 ingredients, all natural, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, no added sugar, gluten-free, non gmo, unprocessed and kosher. The best part is they actually taste really great! My favorite flavor is Banana Bread, followed by Lemon Bar, then Apple Pie. YUM! They are $1.69 each but make a great mid-day snack or breakfast!

4. Whole Foods Baked Pecan bars-These are just pure delight! If you like pecan pie or turtle chocolates you'll love their homemade pecan bars. They are $1.79 each but totally worth it! Here is a photo below in the package, these did not last but a few hours in our home.

5. Whole Foods Baked Lemon Bars-If you love lemon like I do, you'll appreciate the fresh baked lemon bars. They aren't bright yellow in color, more of a pale yellow but the flavor created is just perfect! They use just the right amount of lemon so it is a little bit tart and a little bit sweet, but never sour. $1.79 each.

6. 365 Brand Herbal Mint Shower Gel-I usually buy the 16oz bottles for $2 on sale, but right now they have their travel size 2oz bottles for just 25 cents each. They are free from harmul fragrances and chemicals and only use essential oils. Herbal mint is my favorite because it wakes me up in the morning. Also available are Lavender blend and Citrus Grapefruit.

7. Whole Foods Brand Vanilla and Tangerine Soy Candles-These smell delicious enough to eat! There are several other fragrances like Lavender -Lemongrass and Spearmint-Lemon. They may sound like odd combinations but I assure you they are nothing short of amazing. The best part is they are made from soy and vegetable wax so they burn clean and are infused with natural essential oils instead of heavy artificial chemical fragrances that may even contain pthalates. I bought a pack of 4 votives (which are making my bedroom smell heavenly and a bit like creamsicle icecream), they also offer a travel candle size and an elegant glass candle too.

8. Izze Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Bottled Drink-These can be found in other stores too by the 4-pack case or individually in many flavors. My favorite (which also happens to be sold out a lot of the time, including yesterday's trip) is the Pink Grapefruit. It has just enough fizz, flavor and fruitiness. It also has no added sugar, which was a surprise to me! Usually around $1.50 each. Hubby and I have one every time we stop in and dine on mexican at  the Chipotle chain.

9.  365 Brand Organic Dark Chocolate & Mint Crisp Chocolate Bar-Last year I discovered some inexpensive organic chocolate in a large bar format for under $2, it was the 365 brand. My favorite flavor is Chocolate with Mint Crisps. Such a great after dinner treat!


10.  BioKleen Bac-Out Fabric Refresher Spray-Last month I was looking for something that was similar to the mainstream fabric refresher that would also kill bacteria. I came across this product in Lemon Thyme scent, they also offer Lavender. It works really well and does not contain any weird chemicals or allergens that are bound to make you sneeze. The scent is so fresh and it naturally kills bacteria, it was just $4.

Hopefully I haven't made you too hungry! I can't say enough good things about Whole Foods, if I could afford to buy all of my groceries there, I probably would. Today when I walked into the store they had a lovely fall display of orange and white pumpkins on top of hay bales, large standing cornstalks and beautifully bloomed mums. I only wished that I had my camera (the camera on my blackberry is weak) so I could show you all. Once inside the store, it smelled so fresh and fragrant, I suppose that's why I can never seem to get out of there in under 45 mins.

Do you shop at Whole Foods? What are your favorite products? Leave a comment and share them with us!

Stay tuned for more personal posts in the coming weeks and tomorrow's post that will appeal to voter #2 which is all about great finds for less.