Change The World Wednesday

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW). If you are new to our challenges, please click HERE to learn what we're all about and to check out the growing list of actions we've taken to date.

Let's jump right into this week's challenge. This is another wonderful suggestion from our friend Rewinn who gave us last week's challenge. He said, "I also like the idea of microgardening. Almost every living space ... and many work spaces ... have room for a pot or three where you can grow lettuce or mint. A window sill in a lunchroom? An odd window by the stairs? Where can you put in a pocket garden that you can harvest a couple times a year, and enjoy all the year?" So ... here's the challenge:

This week, plant something edible indoors (in your homes, offices, schools, etc.). Some ideas are lettuce, herbs, spinach, kale, and even tomatoes.

OR ...

If this is something you already do, we want to hear about it. Please tell us which items you grow, share any tips for success and comment on your overall feelings about the process.

Thanks, Rewinn ... this is going to be a fun one!

Did you enjoy last week's challenge? We asked that everyone head for a thrift/2nd hand store and check them out. When I was a kid, 2nd hand stores weren't pleasant places. Basically they were stores full of smelly junk. But things have changed a lot. Thrift stores, today, resemble department stores and carry a multitude of usable products ... many of which are practically brand new. My favorite store carries a bit of everything ... clothing, books, kitchen items, furniture and even medical care items (crutches, canes, walkers, etc.). So when you need something, I hope you will consider 2nd hand before buying new.

Let's see how our honor society did:

EcoGrrl shared that she found some silver serving trays at a thrift store which she uses to display her handmade truffles at holiday and craft fairs. EcoGrrl is soon to be off on an international vacation ... have a great time, EcoGrrl!!

Camp Full Monte joined us ... and from the previous week's challenge, they sent a few more pictures of their reduce, reuse and recycle efforts. You can see them HERE. One note ... the pictures contain non-sexual, naturist, nude imagery ... I personally didn't find anything offensive about them but you should be aware. Thanks, CFM!

Did you know that our friend, Argentum Vulgaris, is a chef? Yes indeedy! But (you might be wondering) ... how does that relate to this challenge? Well ... his marvelous kitchen is a perfect example of what one can do with second hand items. He's got pictures so ... head over HERE and take a look! And AV ... your post absolutely fit into this challenge ... thanks for sharing your soul with us!

All the way from Turkey, our friend İlhami Uyar stopped in. As always, he offers support and encouragement. Sevgili arkadaş, ziyaret ediyor. Senin desteğin ve teşvik fazlasıyla takdir edilir.

Our twitter friend, Regina McDonald (aka @chrysalisdesign) mentioned our challenge in The Artists Daily. Thanks, Regina ... I love your creative way of sharing our challenge!

Cinella (aka Newmami_rgv) from The Mommy Blog accepted the challenge. Great to have you with us, Cinella ... and thanks for being one of our newest followers!

Do you have problems finding clothes to fit you? Our friend, Inge', does. But she finds what she needs at thrift and consignment stores. Read all about her particular challenges and how they are met HERE.

Brian Mongold, of Five Free Apps, came by. From an earlier challenge he shared that he is now "trickling" water instead of running it full blast and he used the link we provided to contact the USPS to ask them to give us the option to refuse advertisement mailings. Yay, Brian! He also reminds us that living "green" often means saving money as well.

Rachel R., from Rachel's Reviews and Giveaways, found us through the blog hops listed in the side bar. Thanks for coming by, Rachel ... hope to see you again!

Our friend, Marcy, from Cooking Rut has placed our beautiful new banner in her side bar. Thanks, Marcy ... and I apologize for not seeing it before but ... in all fairness ... I get so caught up in your delicious posts that I don't notice much else. For those of you who haven't visited Marcy's blog, it is one of the better food blogs around ... she covers everything. She recently wrote a wonderful post about potatoes. So go check her out!

Mommy Tyme stopped in ... so nice to see you, Val! Val's comment included a whole bunch of great ideas ... making cleaning products (check out her blog for recipes), decorating a cereal box to use as a homemade laundry detergent container (very cleaver) and shopping thrift stores for craft materials (she found some old dress patterns that will become a mixed media piece). I first "met" Valerie through an artisan site and she talks about her creations on her blog. But ... browse around and you'll find other treasures ... "green" treasures ... like environmentally-friendly uses for baking soda. Thanks, Val!

Our friend, It's Not Easy To Be Green, came by. She reminds us that not buying anything is greener than buying from the second hand store. That's a great reminder! She visits thrift stores when she NEEDS something or for an occasional treat.

In this POST, Mrs. Green offers us 7 wonderful tips for shopping at thrift stores. Can you guess what "name-brand" items she found at her local second hand shop? Thanks, Mrs. Green!

To fulfill this challenge, Rewinn is being "Up Front about his First Time (... at a Thrift Store)". It's a great read ... you'll find out who received a cigarette lighter in the form of a golf-club head, who wears Hawaiian shirts and whether or not Rewinn plans to be buried with his solid metal wrench (a thrift store find).

Great posts and comments everyone! We also had a bunch of people tweeting about this challenge using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're on twitter, swing by and check them out ... they have a lot of good stuff to say:

@waylandcook
@whopaysthepiper
@junkkmale
@rewinn
@myzerowaste
@shoppingcharity
@bpb_edinburgh
@theglobalwe
@recyclecraft
@chrysalisdesign
@catcanpaint

If you wrote a post supporting this challenge, I have Stumbled, Tweeted and posted it on my Facebook Wall.

We have several more challenges which have been suggested by readers (and they are good). If you have a suggestion, please email it to me HERE.

Here's our mantra:

WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!