Eco-ify your next Garage Sailing Adventure!

The birds are chirping, sun is shining and the clutter is piling, so let’s talk Garage Sales!

Whether your browsing others or the host, Garage sales are an excellent eco-friendly option. To take it a step further, here are some tips for making your next Garage Sale experience easier on, you, your wallet & the environment.

For the Garage Sale Shopper:

The key to successful garage sailing is in see the potential of repurposing, here are some suggestions...

• Garden Art - Be imaginative. If your looking for something to spice the garden up, consider old furniture such as dressers, metal work or even an old kettle can be turned into an indoor/outdoor planter. Use weather proof paint when possible and avoid small pieces birds and animals may eat. 

• Party Platters - Pretty dishes can be transformed to multi-tiered platters with just E600 super glue & candlesticks.

• Renewed furniture- Quality wood can be hard to find and expensive if you do but a fresh coat of paint will bring new life, save your pocket book & the planet!

• Picture Perfect - A beautiful picture frame with a not-so-nice picture can be easily swapped for another picture or even a mirror. 

• Think of the potential -  Handles & pulls can easily be changed, wallpaper the back of a shelf to fit decor, chalkboard paint gives new life & kids love it!

These are just a few of the many possibilities, (Pinterest is a great idea-source too) but just make sure whatever you buy that it’s something you will use, or it will just end taking up space until your own sale next spring!

For the Garage-Sale Host:

• Multi-Family sales are always a big draw. Invite your neighbors to run a sale the same day, or friends to join yours. Group sales mean you can split the cost of newspaper advertising and put up signs together reducing your work and materials needed.  

• Make an eco-friendly sign by using materials you already have or can get for free such as boxes with rocks used to hold them down. If you don’t have a cardboard box just ask a grocery or liquor store. If you do use signs, don’t forget to collect them once you are done and (with all the space you now have) save them in your garage for next year! 

• Get your stash looking nice & shiny to get more for your items. Clean the merchandise with an eco-friendly cleanser or household vinegar. Vinegar can be used on many household items (porcelain, glassware, brass, copper, wood & carpet) but some need dilution or a mixture so it’s best to check first. Never use vinegar on marble. Go to vinagartips.com/cleaning for a complete list. Wash all clothing in cold-water and if possible opt for detergent that is vegetable over petroleum based and phosphate free.

• Stock up on plastic bags to give to customers. Ask co-workers or friends if you need. It makes shopping easier and saves a plastic bag from the landfill.

• For any electronics missing the manuals, just check online. Many companies, Sony & Apple for example have an online version free to view/ print. Just point this out may close your sale, especially for pricier items.

Remember, one person's trash is another person's treasure. 

The lamp you think is outdated maybe someone’s dream D.I.Y project but you must be realistic when your trash is well, trash! Make sure you know where to recycle or dispose of items in their proper place. Visit lethbridge.ca/living-here/my-home/Waste-Recycling for more info on waste disposal around Lethbridge. 

Some items are also illegal at garage sales. Find more information at healthcanada.gc.ca/cps

In the end, re-using and re-purposing (when conscious of toxic chemicals & processes) can prevent useful, beautiful and unique items from the landfill and make wonderful, budget & planet-friendly additions to your home. So whether your a seasoned pro or a newbie, Garage Sales are a perfect option for saving more than just money & space!

Coming soon.. Pallet Gardens!

Eco & Budget-friendly halloween costumes

Halloween can mean many things... sexy get-ups, scary faces, once worn costumes and some serious fun. Obviously like many parties there is a real potential for budget busting and waste afterwards. Well no need to cancel the spooktacular plans! Inspired by fellow backpackers on Utila island, Honduras (read no wal-marts or costumes retailers ANYWHERE) here are 10 eco & budget-friendly costumes ideas!!

1.An Electrocution victim

Supplies:

Old t-shirt (your ok with ripping)

electrical cords (please use common sense here!)

2. Mario & Luigi

Supplies:

Jean coveralls or jeans w/ suspenders (duct tape if nothing else!)

Green & Red Tee-shirts

If available:

Big Yellow buttons

Green & Red Conductor hat

White Gloves

Brown shoes

3. A Giant Baby

Supplies:

Diaper (or white cloth secured w/ pins)

Soother or sucker

Baby Bottle

4. Greek God/ Goddess

Supplies:

White (or other colored) sheet (secured w/ pins)

Leaf, foliage

Gold ribbon (I used unraveled x-mas bows)

Additional ideas:

Cardboard (cut into lighting bolt shape)

Aluminum foil (cover cardboard)

5. Hunter S. Thompson

Supplies:

Bucket Hat or Visor

Sunglasses

Wacky button up T-shirt

Shorts

6. Tom Cruise from Risky Business

Supplies:

White button-down long-sleeve shirt

Tighty Whities

7. Zombie Hunter

Supplies:

Belt w/ gun holder (easy d.i.y)

Toy gun

Pretty flexible.. tight t-shirt/ tank top dark color

tights, jeans etc.

8. Beggar

Supplies:

Scruffy shirt & pants

cardboard sign & felt 

booze in a brown paper bag

9. Bottle of Rum

Supplies:

Large rectangular cardboard box

Felt markers

10. Mermaid

Supplies:

Long, peasant skirt

matching top bikini, tube etc..

shells, flowers to clip in hair

if available:

shimmer to underwater look

A special thanks to everyone featured & all of the great people @ Cross Creeks Halloween 2009!

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10 ways to make your home - and the planet - a more beautiful place to live.

While browsing through the very useful Style at Home website, I discovered this eco-chic list of 10 ways to make your home -  and the planet - a more beautiful place to live.

1 Colour your world "green"
Freshen up your walls with eco-friendly paint. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in conventional paints are bad for your health and contribute to global warming, so opt for low-VOC  or VOC-free lines instead. Other options: milk and biodegradable paints, which are nontoxic, and recycled paints, which reduce landfill waste.

2 Go au naturel
If privacy isn't an issue, leave your windows unadorned. The airy look lets in light, which can warm a cold room, and also means you have one less item to dispose of when a drapery style becomes passé. If direct sun makes the room too hot or you're feeling shy about naked panes, select window treatments that are made of natural textured materials, like linen, bamboo or seagrass.

3 Say no to PVC
Instead of buying a vinyl shower curtain, choose a cloth one. The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in most plastic varieties emits carcinogens (bad for your health) and is non-biodegradable (bad for the earth). If you're about to embark on a bathroom reno, consider designing a shower area with a glass door or partition, so you don't need a curtain at all.

4 Watch what you toss
Take eco-friendly waste disposal beyond the recycling bin and compost heap: keep your renovation garbage and old furniture out of landfill. First, consider reusing items: Do you need new cabinets or just doors? How about reupholstering that chair instead of discarding it? If you can't use an item, donate it to a charity or used-building-materials supplier like Habitat for Humanity's ReStores. For unwanted refuse, it's surprising what's recyclable these days: most metals and plastics, yes, but did you know asphalt shingles, concrete and sometimes even drywall can find new life? Contact your local sanitation department to find out more.

5 Grow your decor
Not only does a little greenery make a room look more homey and lived-in, but plants also filter out harmful airborne chemicals. Add palms, ferns or potted gerbera daisies, which all have high ratings for their ability to remove chemical vapours, throughout your home and you'll find you'll breathe easier.

6 Tread softly
Chemical dyes, stain-resistant treatments and heavy-duty adhesives in some carpets off-gas harmful toxins. Instead of noxious pile, roll out alternatives like sisal, seagrass or coir (made from coconuts), or rugs with recycled content. Carpet tiles are a smart choice, too: you can replace only the worn or stained sections, reducing the amount that goes to landfill.

7 Sleep soundly
Ever wake up feeling a little stuffy? Your bed could be the culprit. To alleviate the problem, choose bedding made of organic cottons or linens; they're harvested responsibly and expose you to fewer allergy-inducing chemicals than ordinary cotton or wrinkle-free sheets. When it's time to replace your mattress, purchase an all-wool or natural latex model.

8 Furnish with care
More retailers are taking up the cause, making it easier to find earth-friendly furniture. Look for pieces containing reclaimed wood or wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and organic fabric and upholstery fill. Avoid particleboard, plywood and other wood composites, which often contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde. Also consider buying vintage or antique furniture; you may even find a gorgeous piece in a now-endangered wood, like African afrormosia, that you wouldn't dream of buying new!

9 Lay down friendly floors
There are plenty of options underfoot; for instance, salvaged wood has a beautiful patina, and fast-growing bamboo comes in a variety of looks to suit different tastes. For new wood flooring, look for FSC-certified products. Other options: sustainably harvested cork, polished concrete, stone, recycled-glass tiles or old-fashioned linoleum.

10 Be label conscious
For each new product you buy, look for certification from these reputable programs: Energy Star (energy-efficient appliances), FSC (wood from well-managed forestry operations), Green Label Plus (low-emitting carpets and rugs), Green Seal (paints), Greenguard (low-emitting interior products), Rediscovered Wood (forest operations that use reclaimed or recycled wood materials) and Scientific Certification Systems (recycled content and biodegradability). Eco-smart design has come a long way from rustic hippy chic -- these days you can outfit your home in the latest fashions while showing the earth some TLC. 

For more green living tips take a peak at what else Style at Home has to offer....

Pictures sourced from:

Modern Home Decor Windows windowdecoration design

home-interior-design-pictures.blogspot.com

indoor plant settings Home interior tropicalplants and palms

eastofedenplants.co.uk

Vintage Furniture http://vintage-furniture-guides.blogspot.com/2011/04/vintage-furniture.html

http://penanbamboo.en.made-in-china.com/product/CeVxdakGXIhP/China-Bamboo-Flooring-Tiger-Strand-Woven-http://penanbamboo.en.made-in-china.com/product/CeVxdakGXIhP/China-Bamboo-Flooring-Tiger-Strand-Woven-Bamboo-.html