You may have seen me on the Today Show this morning sharing some of my favorite upcycling craft projects. One of the easiest and most popular with upcyclers is to take an everyday object—-crayons—-and recycle them into new, fun crayons in just a few easy steps. Start off with old crayons (kids and restaurants that give out coloring books are great places to find them) and snap them into small pieces and place inside a silicone mold.
Now “bake” them at 300 degrees in the oven (on a cookie sheet since the silicone tray is not sturdy) and watch it carefully until it’s completely melted. This should take about 15 minutes.
Swirl the melted crayons with a toothpick to get the colors to mix together into interesting patterns. Then pop it in the freezer until the melted crayon mixture firms up and solidifies.
And there ya have it: new crayons in fun shapes and fun colors. You could sort the crayons by color to do solid ones, but I find mixing up the colors is more fun and, frankly, easier. The silicone molds help a lot because they release the crayons very easily, all while keeping their shape. Fun stuff!
There will be no post today because I’m up in my eyeballs with crafting.
Putting together a very fun crafting segment for The Today Show on NBC and I’ll make sure I post a tutorial for all the projects (and hopefully some video).
Until then, I’m back to making birdhouses, clocks and a million different other things. Yes, do I have stylists in NYC who could do this for me? You bet I do. Am I a control freak? 100%.
And that’s why I’m sitting here….crafting away like a crazy man.
Last Saturday, I made one of my regular appearances on CBS The Early Show to give co-anchor Erica Hill some tips on creating an eco-friendly nursery. Erica, who is just 2 1/2 weeks away from her due date, was the one who came to me for some help and advice and as the show’s resident eco-expert, I was happy to show her my favorite new picks.
Tip #1: Choose a Healthy Crib. While it may seem like the greenest choice to reuse an antique crib or buy one second-hand, it can actually be a dangerous one. Since a baby spends a majority of their time sleeping, it makes sense to invest in the very best, non-toxic crib you can find. Older cribs may have peeling paint, broken slats or could be unsafe due to being recalled. If you insist on reusing a crib that isn’t too old, check recalls.gov to make sure it’s safe. When buying a new crib, be sure to find one finished with zero VOC paint or finishes and made with sustainable materials like bamboo. Another green and money saving tip: Since babies grow quickly, look for convertible beds, which easily transition from crib to toddler bed, extending the life of the piece of furniture. On the Show: Q Collection Junior Luna 3-in-1 Crib.
Tip #2: Use Safe Products. While it’s easier now for parents to use non-toxic cleaning products and choose zero-VOC paints, there are many products that are necessary for a healthy home that can also be toxic for babies.Household insecticides are necessary to keep harmful insects at bay—ants and cockroaches—but can incredibly carcinogenic when used indoors.An alternative that keeps insects at bay and is completely non-toxic are insecticides made with a blend of essential oils proven to only kill insects and be safe around humans and pets.By mimicking the science of plants found in nature that naturally repel insects, these eco insecticides target the systems only found in insects.These products are so safe, you can eat them. Seen on the show: EcoSmart Organic Insecticides.
Tip #3: Go BPA-Free Bottles. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical building block used to make polycarbonate plastics—the clear, tough, material used in everything from DVD players to baby bottles. For decades, almost all plastic baby bottles contained BPA until a study from the National Toxicology Program found that bottles with BPA in them have the risk of leaking the chemical into the baby’s drinks, which could cause hormone disruption to the baby. Parents everywhere have been seeking BPA-free bottles, but the obvious alternative—glass bottles—have traditionally not been safe due to shattering. New glass bottles married with high-tech silicone sleeves gives the mom the safety of a glass bottle with the protective cover to prevent slipping or breakage. The special glass allows it to be safely used from freezer to boiling water, all without fear of shattering. Seen on the show: Lifefactory Baby and Beverage Bottles.
Tip#4: Clean the Air. It’s natural that most parents will want to put an air purifier in the nursery to clean out dust, mold, pollen and dander to give the cleanest air possible for their baby. But many air purifiers that do a good job clean the air end up polluting it with ozone, which the EPA says can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and, throat irritation. Some air purifiers that emit ozone can actually create dangerous levels of air quality equal to a smog-filled room. It’s important to choose an air purifier that cleans well and emits zero ozone into the air. One new air purifier uses the natural detoxing properties found in houseplants and supercharges them, but usingfan to draw in the toxins, then circulates them around the plant’s leaves and roots to naturally metabolize the toxins. Seen on the show: Andrea Plant Air Purifier at the Home Depot.
Tip #5: Toys and Accessories. Less is more here, especially since newborns and babies are prone to put things into the mouths. Look for organic, unbleached plus toys, unpainted wooden blocks and decorative accessories and PVC-free or plastic-free toys. Look for bibs, playmats and placemats that are 100% PVC-free and, if possible, 100% certified organic cotton. TIP: Never allow a baby to play with your keys; many keys have lead in them to make them pliable. Since a baby will likely put the keys in their mouth, they are susceptible to lead poisoning. Seen on the show: Giggle organic cotton toys, bibs and playmats.
If it seems like you’re doing laundry all the time, you’re not alone.
It consumes much more of our time than most of us realize.
Gallup’s annual Social Series Lifestyle poll on what a typical American does in a typical day indicated laundry was one of the top tasks for both men and women. Sixty-eight percent of wives and 10 percent of husbands did laundry in a typical day, with both spending approximately 2.8 and 2.1 hours, respectively, on housekeeping, including laundry.
The Environmental Protection Agency says the average family washes nearly 400 loads of laundry a year — more than load a day — and Americans spend more than $3 billion on detergent.
But while many people to loathe laundry day, when it’s time to get down and dirty with your family’s clothing, there are ways to make the job more environmentally-friendly and get better results, while saving money, as well!
Over the weekend, I appeared on CBS THE EARLY SHOW to share my faster, greener laundry tips. Watch the video above!
First, bear in mind that 90 percent of the energy used by a washing machine is for heating water; cold water washing can yield significant energy savings.
There are innovations and products that aren’t just more Earth-friendly, they’re designed to cut back on the amount of time, money and resources used to do laundry.
IF YOU NEED A NEW WASHER, NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY
The Department of Energy recently allocated $300 million to all 50 states as part of its “Cash for Appliances” rebate program. States have compiled different rules and regulations on when their programs will start, what will qualify and how you can apply the rebate savings. The overall rule is that only Energy Star-rated appliances will be eligible. That means for states offering rebates on washing machines, the same rebate won’t apply to the matching dryer, since no dryers currently qualify for the Energy Star mark. So, if your dryer is working fine, just buy the washing machine to take advantage of the rebate. All programs are starting at different times — from February to April — and will continue until all the funding is used up. Keep track of your state at EnergySavers.gov/Rebates.
Seo showed a Whirlpool Duet Energy Star-qualified washer. It uses 74 percent less water and 80 percent less energy than a typical washer and can save up to $900 in energy costs, basically paying for itself.
STOP OVERDOSING
One dirty secret of the laundry business is that we’re all guilty of over-dosing. If you’ve ever filled a washing machine with clothes you felt could use an extra boost of cleaning power, you may have added more than the recommended amount of detergent. Believe it or not, that can actually make your clothes dirtier.
Since washing machines are becoming more energy- and water-efficient, too much detergent can leave a film on your clothes. Since detergent is designed to attract dirt, wearing overdosed clothing can actually make them dirtier, faster, when you wear them, causing you to wash your clothes more often. And residual detergent inside the machine can build up, causing the machine to work less efficiently and leaving a mildew smell.
To “clean” your washing machine, pour two cups of white vinegar and run the machine as usual. That will remove all the residual soap and give you a clean palette to start from.
CHUCK THE DETERGENT JUG
One of the drudgeries of laundry is hauling the heavy jug of detergent home from the grocery store. It was only in 2007 that Wal-Mart mandated that detergent sold in their stores had to be a minimum of two-times concentrated, which led to smaller bottles and a savings of 95 million pounds of plastic resin. Less-watered down formulas saved 400 million gallons of water. Three years later, a detergent bottle so small it can fit in your front pocket will be debuting. It’s eight-times concentrated and features a patented precise pump that delivers the exact amount of detergent needed, with no messy caps or drips on the side of the bottle. For city-dwellers, busy moms and anyone who dreads dragging a heavy bottle to the laundromat or home from the store, this is a revolution in laundry.
LET YOUR HAMPER SORT FOR YOU
Nothing can ruin a load of laundry like a red sock mixed with a load of whites. To save on the thime it takes to sort through dirty clothes spread all over the floor or on the table at the laundromat, invest in a three-compartment hamper that sorts whites, colors and delicate clothes for you. Each compartment is marked clearly with a sign, so every member of your family knows what goes in which bin. For apartment dwellers, three-compartment tote bags are also available for smaller washes.
SPEED UP THE DRYING PROCESS
While a clothesline may be the greenest option, it’s not the fastest or practical for most people. To save time, try to dry one batch of clothes after another; the residual heat from the first batch will dry the next one faster. Add a DRY towel to a batch of wet clothes in the dryer; the towel will absorb moisture while the clothing dries and speed up the drying process. When drying towels and bedding, throw in two tennis balls saturated with fabric softener; the balls will help fluff the towels and bedding to speed up drying, keep them softer and less-wrinkly, and save you money, since you won’t need to invest in fabric softener sheets.
I helped this style-challenged gal get an amazing backyard makeover. See the results tonight, SATURDAY, JANUARY 16th at 9PM (EST) on the Style Network! Let me know what you think!
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