Unique Find: Eco Resin

Hi Friends! Got another great find from Unique LA this past weekend. Get this, environmentally friendlier resin... I know! If you are a crafty, you know resin is one one of the nastiest things to deal with, not only because you have got to protect yourself from the chemicals when working with it, but also because those chemicals are no bueno for the earth.

We stumbled across this amazing new product when we were checking out the jewelry by Cast & Combed. Her booth caught our eye with it's funky and bright accessories, but we had to stop by when we saw the sign that said, "Made in LA with Eco Resin." Turns out, the eco resin is ALSO made in LA (double bonus for shopping local and sustainable). The stuff is made by Entropy Resins in Gardena, CA using sap. Genius! And like their website says, "There is no better chemist than Mother Nature." Agreed.

We hope to be trying this stuff out soon on upcoming projects. We're pumped to have found this great product. To see what it looks like fully finished, check out the Cast & Combed website.

Got a great eco-friendly craft product you are working with? Tell us about it and we'd love to review it (or you can too... we are totally open to guest bloggers)!

New Uses for Things You NEVER Use

There are so many fun and creative ways to update old household items taking up space in your house.  When you get the spring cleaning itch we want to encourage you to look at the items you have accumulated in  you life.

You should have a:

1) Donate box or give-a-way pile. 

2) Update box, these things that may need fixing, an updated fresh coat of paint or a quick transformation.

3) A recycling pile.

4) E-waste or other items that need special handling.

***If there still happens to be anything that would roll into the general section of "trash" double check to make sure it shouldn't be in any of the above categories ;)

Here are some things to do with the items that you NEVER use that are way too good for the trash. 

Cinephile Movie Journal

Do you have a ton of VHS cassettes that you are saving even though you have a Blu-ray player? Here is a fun way to put the sleeves to good use as a notebook -This way you can still donate the VHS tapes but hold on to the nostalgia. 

This Top Gun note book was one we made previously as a custom order on Etsy. The purchaser had a friend that was obsessed with Top Gun and they wanted to use all of the cover as the outside of the notebook. I bonded the cover to a scrap piece of card stock so that it was nice and secure to hold up as a note book. Other than that, it is a simple as making two cuts and inserting paper!

Fun for Foodies

If your neighborhood is anything like ours you get a TON of to-go menus pilling up. Seriously, I don't understand why these businesses waste the same menu on us multiple times. Then if you do order from them, they send you another menu like you didn't use one to order!!! Jeez! If you decide to clean up your menu drawer make some stationary for your foodie friends.

You can trace an envelope you have and like to make your own. If you want a more substantial template here are some on Etsy. 

Give yourself a fun fashion update!

Maybe in your pile you have an old purse, shoes, or jacket that was once your favorite that could use some simple decoration to bring back your old feelings. Sometimes a new coat of paint or some added flourishes is all you need to have a "new" item. Rehab items you are not using as a fun weekend project instead of hitting the mall. It is a far more rewarding feeling telling someone who compliments a piece of your outfit that you made it vs. say "thanks, I bought it at [insert pricey store here]."

With the simple addition of buttons this clutch went from boring to fabulous without breaking the bank!

Make Something Out of Nothing

If you are a crafter then you know the busy craft fair season is fast approaching! Upcycle the air bubble packaging often in shipping for your own branded shopping bags with this tutorial here.

Here is a quick product round up for other household items you may have around that you can Upcycle:
Regular Dryer Sheets, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Dryer Sheets, Potato Chip Bags, Old T-Shirts, Paper Coffee Sleeves, Toilet Paper Rolls, Bottle Caps, Wine Corks, and Crystal Light Containers.

Top 5 Green Grocery Tips

That are Also Easy on Your Wallet too!

1. BYOB- Bring Your Own Bags: There are all kinds of reusable bags you can bring to the grocery store. Produce netting bags are a great way to tote your fruits and veggies without using plastic. Insulted bags keep frozen foods cold and hot foods hot all the way home. Canvas bags in all weights and sizes to bring your haul home no matter what amount you bring back with you! Even reusing plastic bags you accumulate can give them a longer life. A lot of retailers grant a green bag discount incentive saving you money for your efforts.

2. Buy from the Bulk Bin: This one is huge! The bulk bin is often cheaper and you are using far less packaging. You can reuse the plastic bags you get when you carry your bulk items in by saving the bags and bringing them back for the next trip.

3. Watch Out for Individual Convenience: Individually wrapped and packaged items often cost more and all of that extra packaging is usually landfill bound! By either buying out of the bulk bin or at Costco and portioning everything out in reusable containers you are saving yourself major bucks while keeping extra packaging out of the landfills.

4. Waste Not: Make sure you are prepared for shopping trips so you don't buy anything you don't need or that you will not use right away and will spoil. Plan out your weekly meals and map out a shopping list outfitting your needs wit out extras that could wind-up being wasted. American households toss about 14 percent of the food they purchase. Food waste accounts for 1.3 billion tons annually and even more astonishing this figure is about 1/3 of global food production amount. You personally may have more than enough to eat at home- but how sad is it to waste that much food when there are people battling against hunger all over the world.

5. Get a SodaStream: Cut back on wasted bottles and cans, redemption fees, and what is essentially overpriced sugar water. The SodaStream costs around $100 to get started and about $6 for flavor refills that makes around 33 cans of soda. (Each "can price" at home for the syrup costs under $0.25!!) There is tank recycling programs available as conveniently places like Staples where you can pick up CO2 after recycling at under $20. Putting all this in mind, you can have a wonderful soda with less guilt & packaging for ~$0.75. Plus what little packaging is used is BPA free and recyclable.

KC's Tip: My favorite use for the SodaStream is getting filtered water extra bubbly then adding fresh lime juice- giving me an added boost of Vitamin C! Tastes great and I am saving a ton of money usually spent on bottles of fancy mineral water! 

Well, Shop Away Friends! XOXO, KC

This just in-
Tasting Table is doing more than just making sure you’re well fed, they’re also joining the fight to make sure everyone is well fed. They recently partnered with Whole Foods Market®’s charitable initiative, Whole Planet Foundation®’s 2012 Prosperity Campaign. Whole Planet Foundation®’s mission is poverty alleviation in developing communities worldwide where Whole Foods Market sources products. Whole Planet Foundation® provides financial support to micro-lenders in 50 countries, who in turn offer loan programs and training to women looking to create and develop their own sustainable businesses.

From now until March 31st, Tasting Table will donate $1.00 to Whole Planet Foundation® on behalf of every new member who signs up for their free daily email magazine. Help Whole Planet Foundation® raise money by signing up for Tasting Table and inviting friends too!

That’s right—all you have to do to help this amazing foundation is sign up for Tasting Table’s fabulous (and free) foodie email today! Click here to join!