Some of my work...

12 of 12

OK, so this is a slight departure from my normal posts, but it's fun and it's my blog, so I can do whatever I want, right? My friend, Chad started a project called 12 of 12. The premise is to take 12 pictures of the 12th day of every month. I just recently got back into photography, so it seems like a good time to restart my participation in this global event. To see what other people did on the 12th of January, go here: 12 of 12: January 2009

7:40 am- Yay! Dead battery...what a great way to start the day. I guess the cold Tennessee winters are too much for my aging battery. Pay day is Thursday, until then I'll enjoy carpooling and jumper cables.


8:30 am- The weather is always different at work than it is at home. When I got to work, it dawned on me that Tennesse in winter can look a lot like Narnia...white witch Narnia that is.


8:45 am- Breakfast of Champions!


9:20 am- I noticed that my finch feeder was empty, so I went out to fill it. We've had a ton of pine siskins this year, and they are hogging the feeder. There is a goldfinch on the branch, patiently waiting his turn.


10:00 am- I made a calendar over the week end and needed to bring it in to scan the pictures so that I can make some more! October is my favorite.


11:15 am- I've been learning to work with the raptors, so I decided to take the Kestrel out for some bonding time. She really likes hanging out by the pond to spy on songbirds near the feeder.


11:25 am- On my walk with the Kestrel, I noticed that the witch hazel is blooming. It's one of the only plants in east Tennessee to bloom in the winter.


11:30 am- I also got this cool picture of birds on the big feeder...yep you guessed it- more pine siskins. They are small but they are bullies. The chickadees and finches have been forced over to a hopper feeder across the patio.


12:25 pm- Ah...Archer Farms. This mushroom gnocchi was yummy- even if it was from a box.


4:45 pm- Once I got home, after needing someone at work to jump start my car (embarassing), I decided I needed a hot bath and a guilty pleasure. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is my latest obsession. I didn't think I'd get into a vampire book, after all- I didn't like Interview with a Vampire at all. But I love these books, probably because the main character is a huge klutz...I can relate.


7:45 pm- A rare moment of peace between the 2 most rambunctious cats in the world. The peace treaty was probably brokered by the catnip toy seen on the floor between them.


8:00 pm- Wayne is settling in for a long evening of bad reality TV...The Bachelor and Momma's Boys. Mondays are really slim pickin's since MNF ended, so we've resorted to starting our week with a healthy helping of reality fodder.


That was my day on the 12th. Perhaps not the most interesting day of the year, but how many people get to put a picture of a falcon on their page?

'Tis Better to Give... part II

Continued from part I...

• Give for the greater good. Look for gifts that also help others build healthier and more sustainable lives. Organizations like Global Exchange, A Greater Gift, and Ten Thousand Villages offer fair-trade products grown or made by farmers and artisans in developing countries from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe. You can find other fair-trade retailers, both online and off, at TransFair USA and the Fair Trade Federation.

• Give a gift that keeps on giving. Shopping for someone who has everything? Why not give to someone less fortunate on his or her behalf? Heifer International, for example, lets you buy anything from a flock of chicks to a cow that will be given to a family for an ongoing food source. Or shop through FundraiserRewards, which connects you with retailers online and off that donate a portion of your purchase price to the organization of your choice.

• Give conflict-free. When purchasing items such as jewelry, consider the source of the metal and/or gems. Precious metals and stones are often mined with destructive mining processes and poor labor practices. Worse yet, some gems, such as the notorious “blood diamonds,” are mined in war zones and sold illegally to finance further violence. There are, however, options available that ensure that your gift does not support such practices. Be sure to spend a little time researching jewelry purchases.

• Give Chic. For creative and unique jewelry gifts, take a look at some wonderful jewelry made from cleverly recycled objects. Vendors such as Eco-Artwear or RepurposedForYou specialize in one-of-a-kind products made from repurposed materials. If your recipient’s jewelry preference is futuristic and tech-inspired, check out Arteco, featuring uniquely crafted jewelry items that make excellent use of recycled high–tech components.

• Give power. When buying electronic toys and other portable items that are used regularly, remember to buy rechargeable batteries and a battery charger to go with them. About 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, which reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away, and can save money in the long run.

No matter how you begin the gift-giving process, be sure to evaluate items already in your home. Donate last year’s unused gifts or toys that the kids have outgrown to charity. Gently-used gift items are in high demand during the holiday season.

'Tis Better to Give... part I

After a great deal of research, I've come across so much good information about gifts that I find it cumbersome for a single post. As such, I've decided to split it up into more digestible pieces. We all overeat during the holidays, but there is not need to do so while belly up to the blog table. For your enjoyment, I now present the first course of gift-giving advice for eco-savvy consumers.

In general, if you buy gifts, look for durable and re-usable items and resist the latest “fad” at the mall. Think of how many pet rocks, mood rings, and cabbage patch dolls ended up in the landfill! Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper, less durable items often wear out quickly, creating waste and costing you money. In the end, it truly is the thought that counts, so spend some time thinking about your gift-giving efforts this year. You can not only provide a thoughtful token to your loved ones, but you can also help spread an ethic of sustainability and earth-friendly living.

Gift-giving Do’s:

• Give useful. Rather than giving Dad yet another tie he won’t wear or buying another toy car that will eventually settle to the bottom of a toy bin, give gifts people will really use. Think unique, healthful, and organic foods; organic and chemical-free soaps; shade-grown coffees; flowering or fruiting plants; drawing or writing sets with recycled paper and non-toxic ink pens; or memberships to an area zoo, museum or other child-friendly place.

• Give yourself. Set a good example by giving homemade food. Cookies, cakes, jams, bread and other baked goods make warm and welcome gifts for friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

• Give Green. Literally. For kids, start a savings account or give stocks or bonds. It’s fun to watch money grow and it teaches children the value of financial conservation.

• Give Creativity. Shop for gifts at antique stores, estate sales or flea markets, since one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Old clothes and jewelry make a great dress-up box for kids. Tools and gadgets make a great idea box for a young inventor. You can also have outdated “family heirloom” pieces refashioned into something current.

• Give Sustainability. Give gifts that encourage others to use less stuff, like a book about making crafts from reusable items, cookbook for leftovers, reusable tote bags. You can even set a good example by giving gifts that you made yourself from reused items.

• Give Conservation. Choose gifts that help reduce energy consumption or protect the environment. These can range from solar-powered cell phone and battery chargers and sun-driven garden fountains and bat boxes (for attracting nature’s most effective mosquito-zapper) to bicycles, organic-cotton sheets and pillowcases, and natural beeswax candle sets.

Part II tomorrow...

Doing a "World of Good" Online

I’m a regular fixture on eBay. Over 80 million of you are, admit it. I look for hard to find scrapbook supplies, bargain prices on sports jerseys, and browse prices to see how much my Barbie and Star Wars items are worth. You know you do it, don’t roll your eyes.

Recently, however, I was searching for more eco-friendly and sustainable gift alternatives. To my delight, I stumbled into WorldOfGood.com by eBay. This recent collaboration between World of Good, Inc. and eBay allows consumers to find ethically-produced goods at the click of a button.

Perhaps the most exciting news about WorldofGood.com is that every item listed in the virtual marketplace is pre-screened, so there's a kind of firewall against would-be greenwashers, scammers, forgers and other unscrupulous opportunists. An eBay spokesperson explains that the screening is done by third-party trust partners (examples include the well established TransFair USA, Co-op America and Aid to Artisans). Items are listed with their Trustology stats, which list the organizations that have verified the seller and/or the producer or both. With so many new retailers, peddling allegedly-sustainable wares, it’s nice to have the stamp of approval from the organizations that know best.

My favorite feature of the site is the "goodprints," which include "people positive," "eco positive," "animal friendly," and "supports a cause." These stamps can be found on item description for every product, and let you know how your purchase makes a difference. How great is that? WorldOfGood.com's general manager, Robert Chatwani, explained that the goal was to empower eBay's 84.5 million users to "not only shop for great products, but for the story behind them, and to benefit people and the planet."

So as you are looking for last-minute gifts, consider WorldOfGood.com. Perhaps you can choose some fair trade, handmade earrings for your sister-in-law, or an organic cotton stuffed animal for your cousin's toddler. You'll feel so righteous about your purchase that you might even throw in some gourmet chocolates for yourself...after all you've been very good this year.

If you can get all your holiday shopping done, while at the same time empowering craftspeople around the world AND saving the planet, why wouldn't you? Oh, and did I mention that the prices are incredibly reasonable? With WorldOfGood.com, eco-sensitive, sustainable-savvy shoppers have found a place where they don't have to spend more to spend better. That sounds good to me.

Worry-free Gift Wrap

If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. Holiday wrapping can be much more fun than just covering a gift with colored paper. Delve into the options below for exciting green alternatives to store-bought wrapping:

• Use reusable fabric gift bags. They are simple to make yourself, or you can purchase them from a variety of retailers.
• Give a gift in a gift: A set of canisters, a towel, a sheet, a cup or mug, a hat or cigar box can all wrap or hold gifts without contributing to landfill problems. Visit a garage sale for more container ideas.
• Select pictures and stories from newspapers, magazines, and old calendar pictures to make creative wrapping that thoughtfully suits your gift and/or its recipient.
• Wrap a travel related present with an out-of-date road map.
• Wrap a present in old sheet music.
• Wrap presents with used paper or in used boxes and glue magazine pictures on top for color, humor, and style.
• Reuse wrapping paper and spice it up by gluing on pictures taken from cards and magazines.
• Use flowers or reusable hair ribbons instead of plastic bows.
• Use popcorn instead of conventional packing "peanuts" and insert a note explaining that birds can eat it.
• Instead of wrapping gifts for the kids, hide the presents, plant clues to where they’re hidden and transform the search into a holiday treasure hunt.

If you are going to purchase wrapping paper, opt for recycled or environmentally-friendly alternatives. Several companies offer beautiful gift wrap and trimmings, made of hemp and recycled materials.

Make sure to recycle all wrapping paper when possible, but check first with your local recycling program to make sure they accept conventional wrapping paper. Most conventional wrapping paper contains a high content of metal and is therefore not accepted by most programs. When not using recycled wrap, try not to buy the metallic wrap because of this reason. In addition to the fact that metallic papers are not usually recyclable, they are also often produced in environmentally unfriendly manner.

With so many fun alternatives to traditional wrapping paper, it's a wonder that we use it at all. Let loose, be creative and see what unique solutions you can create for wrapping gifts this year. And that's a wrap!

Once Upon a Time...

...there was a company called Piggy Tales that specialized in creating unique and fun scrapbook supplies named after favorite fairy tales. In 2008, the company announced that it would be printing their entire collection on recycled paper with organic inks. They are promoting the initiative as an effort to save memories and trees.

Company CEO Debbie Juden states, “For an industry that is made up of more than 70 percent paper products, going ‘green’ with our paper seemed like a logical and responsible step. We want to do our part to preserve our natural resources, and we want to be able to give scrapbookers the means to do the same. Scrapbookers are naturally passionate about saving memories; now we are giving them the chance to save the environment as well. It’s just one more reason to feel good about scrapbooking.”

In addition to using recycled paper, Piggy Tales’ paper is lignen and acid free and is printed with soy ink rather than the standard petroleum-based inks. Soy ink contains non-toxic soybean oil and is not only more environmentally friendly, but also makes it easier to recycle the paper. An added benefit of soy-based ink is that it does not contribute to our country's dependency on foreign oil sources.

Many paper companies shy away from recycled paper because of higher costs and difficulty in maintaing vibrant colors and creative designs that are trademarks of popular scrapbook paper collections. Piggy Tales owners, however, say the challenge is worth it. Plus, I think you'll agree that if the new collections are any indication, Piggy Tales has surpassed the bar of brilliant hues and stunning design. And if they can contribute to a general feeling of well-being regarding paper crafting, then I think we'll live happily ever after!