To Feel Guilty, Or Not To Feel Guilty? That, Is The Question.

Theres always that moment, either halfway through your presents or directly after, where you look at that huge pile of ripped up wrapping paper and instantly feel guilty. What should you do? Throw it away or recycle?

Depends.

Some wrapping paper, like metallic and foil papers, are least likely to be recycled. So, first tip DONT BUY FOIL PAPER. Second tip REUSE REUSE REUSE.

To try and recycle any kind of paper, theres the obvious, daunting answer. Save and use again next year! Or use anytime during the next year to give birthday presents, send packages, wrap cookies and goodies, etc. Which entails carefully taking off the tape, folding the paper up and storing it God-knows-where for the next 12 months.

I've always saved bows and tags to reuse next year. Attach the bows with tape, not the given adhesive, and remain vauge on the tags. Keep in giant plastic bag with your wrapping paper all year long.

Even bags in which presents were given are a great idea to save. A recycled bag is not a bad bag, its a saved bag from the landfill. Don't be shy to let your new receiver know that saving the bag isn't such a bad idea, because how worse could it get for your receivee to just chuck away that innocent, saved bag?

Acceptance of recyclible wrapping papers vary by state, county and city level. Its always a good idea to call your local waste management facility or check http://www.earth911.com/ for the correct information.

Suggestions that might help stretch your wallet out to next year:

Gift Bags: Easy to store, no wrapping paper needed, instead of acid tissue use newpaper to pack your bag. It probably wont be as pretty, but at least you know you can recycle that tissue afterwards! I bought more bags than I needed last year and ended up having enough for this year, which was great.

Sturdy, vauge paper wrap: The thicker it is the easier to fold and store and open presents without tearing it. Vauge, meaning one color, no patterns or ice skating penguins. You could use it for birthday presents, valentine gifts, cookies, sending your etsy package...etc.

Magazines: We all have them. The old, piled up copies of Cosmo in the closet, or a guilty collection of tabloids from the past year. Go through and tear it up! Use those pages as wrapping paper or tissue- your loved ones will instantly know how green and pro-active you are. You could even get crafty and find pictures you like or find funny and make tags out of them.

Don't Buy Foil Wraps.

Reuse and Save Bows and Tags: attach with not-so-strong scotch tape to presents.

Use the cardboard boxes you received the gifts in: Cover them in wrapping paper, eco-friendly wraps, or magazine pages and you can fit the whole families presents in one, probably.

Eco-friendly wrap

While you're at it, don't forget to recycle your Christmas tree -- Earth 911 lists places to do this nationwide.

Unless you're lugging around a huge suitcase at the airport, I suggest taking the stairs whenever you have a choice between an escalator or stairs.

I always see people crowd onto escalators, cramped and impatient to get to the bottom. How has America conditioned themselves to do the least amount of exercise possible day to day?

I always take the stairs if I have the choice. I find myself always the first to the bottom and I feel better about myself.

Its just one of those small steps that take little to no effort at all that is a drastic change to a healthier life.

Reusable grocery bags.

How could anyone not like this idea??

Jeff Schrier - The Saginaw News

image from blog.mlive.com

Sure, you have to remember to bring these bags to the market, but thats fixed easily just by throwing five or six in the trunk of your car. I know Ralphs in California will give you a nickel back for each bag you bring in.

A cute bag from Whole Foods made from 80% recycled plastic bags!

Express yourself too! Buy cute store-bought bags (I love the bags from Whole Foods and Haggens) or buy unique ones from online stores like Etsy.com, or make your own!

I would buy a plain tote bag from a craft store like JoAnn Fabrics or Micheals, and paint a unique design on, or cover in buttons and ribbon.

Or you can do even better by using all those non-biodegradable plastic bags youve been getting up till now. Layer all those bags on top of each other, lay wax paper over them and use an iron on silk setting to melt them all together. Then cut out the plastic like fabric and sew them together to make your own tote bag!

I don't know about you, but I plan on making LOTS of those.

Theres more information here and on etsy.com.

Health and Beauty

emphasis on Beauty...


---

I drink almost everything through a straw.

Reasons include:
1) it's fun. Gives my fidgity hands something to do and keeps me busy when I don't feel like talking over food.
2) easier and prettier than gulping - especially when you have ice threatening to knock back in your face and give you a black eye.
3) keeps your teeth white. Don't have to worry about water here, but coffee, juice, soda, they all are hazardous to your teeth. The acid could wear away enamel, and the straw cuts out the middle man (a-la your pearly whites!) and reduces chance of dull or weak teeth.

So, ask for lemon and a bendy straw in your water!

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

Recycle, recycle, recycle!!

Look at the bottom of your shampoo bottle, coke bottle, cereal box or plastic case that your new product came in. If you see the three arrows, throw that object in the recycle bin - quickly!

States are really trying to increase recycling, and are encouraging the people by paying them to do it! CA is now paying 5 cents for your used soda bottle that you dont need anymore, and neither does the dump.

I personally do not do it for money, but you can. Go to a recycling center and have them sort it for you, or go to a gorcery store that has recycling machines outside and put them in yourself.

Lets reduce the size of landfills by increasing our awareness and use of the recycling system!

Try to minimize your impact on the earth. Landfills are a huge problem that most people hardly ever think about. There are several ways to help, heres one.

Recycle - Reduce - Reuse

If you have a garden, start a compose pile. You could use a paper bag from the grocery store, put it under the sink, by the trashcan, outside, anywhere you will use it! Anything that rots, food products, egg shells, goes in a compose pile.

If you dont have a garden, some Whole Food stores have compose bins outside the store by their recyclables. Easy place to drop off your bag.

I promise you will feel better for taking a step toward a better life!

Try this - push your shopping cart all the way to the designated area for shopping carts. Why should you be so lazy just to leave it in the parking lot? You'll get some exercise and feel better about yourself.

Go ahead, do it.