Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick links helpful:

• Special Announcement
• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Last Week's Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

Last week we attempted to reduce/eliminate food waste. It sounds easy but when put into practice, it's not always that simple. As I wandered around, reading your tips and ideas, I was so impressed with your approach to a problem ... and the many creative solutions you shared.

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing a post about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Let's see what they had to say this week:

EcoGrrl has conquered food waste in her house. What doesn't get eaten gets composted, either in her backyard or in the collection bins provided by the city. Yep, Portland now accepts all food for composting. How great is that!! She shared a terrific link which you can read here: 163 Things You Can Compost (wow ... melted ice cream??). Before composting veggie scraps, however, she suggests that we use them to make veggie broth and freeze it. Thanks, EcoGrrl!

Argentum Vulgaris doesn't waste much but shares that he remains vigilant against the occassional bit of discarded food. In this POST he offers some tips that are not only Eco-friendly but frugal as well. He's been composting for a long time and says that shrimp shells, chicken bones, egg shells and coffee grounds all get added to the heap. After reading EcoGrrl's comments, AV wrote this ARTICLE. In it he talks about how composting has enabled him to grow vegetables in his concrete garden. Be sure to read the end of the post ... there's a link to information about how to compost including tips for those living in cooler climates. Thanks, AV!

Katie was a #CTWW Super Star this week. In Waste No Food she offers tips and some very interesting charts. One of them shows the #1 wasted food item in the US ... I think it'll surprise you ... it did me! Here's another idea from Katie: Leftovers Pie. She also found this link: 10 Tips to Reduce Food Waste During the Holidays. Katie gave us an update on the Vegan For A Day challenge HERE (can you believe she went meatless for Thanksgiving?) and offered us another wonderful Eco-friendly decorating idea HERE. Wow, Katie ... you've been busy! Thanks so much!

NonMom recently noticed a pattern to what gets tossed out. She hates waste and losing her hard-earned dollars. So, her solution to the problem is to simply not buy those foods. Brilliant! She shared some interesting information regarding our energy challenge ... she recently learned that her water heater was set way too high (probably by the previous owners of her home). It has been adjusted and should save both energy and money. Another tip she has for us is covering the windows with film ... she says that the savings last year were impressive. By the way, if you happen to have any bubble wrap around, just moisten the bubble side and place it on the windows (the moisture acts like glue) ... works great. Thanks, NonMom!

Marcy recommends the book "American Wasteland" which explores waste throughout the food system. She wrote Waste not, want not with some wonderful tips. One of them includes foil wrap ... hm ... can you guess how it's used? In another tip she shares how long leftovers can safely be kept. Any guesses? Head on over to find out! Thanks, Marcy!

I knew that Mrs. Green would like this challenge ... waste, especially food waste, is her passion. She wants to focus more on using the freezer but she's got the refrigerator items managed. Click HERE for her very creative zero-waste system. It's brilliant! Awhile back, Mrs. Green told us about a little gadget which is going to save a lot of energy. I have to admit that I had never heard of this device. Bet your curiosity is up, huh? Find out about it in Saving money on electricity - one simple step. Thanks, Mrs. Green

What do you do with tired fruits and veggies? Do you toss them? Rewinn doesn't ... he uses them! In Thankful for Corn, Crocosmia, and Family he shares a recipe for cheesecake (yep, it uses tired fruit), talks about his Eco-friendly decorating this year and tells us what happened to Thanksgiving leftovers. In Mutant Turkey Thanksgiving he talks about how his turkey actually helped him meet this week's challenge. Thanks, Rewinn!

Are you familiar with The River Wanders? It a great blog which discusses many of the social & political issues of our time ... all in a "real person" way. There is a great quote in the header "Apathy - the glove into which evil slips its hand; Action - the antidote to evil." The one thing you won't find in The River Wanders is apathy. The author, a very talented writer, touches on controversial subjects with honesty and heart. If you haven't visited, I highly recommend that you do. I was recently thrilled to read #BlackFriday, Thanksgiving Thursday, & #CTWW where Reduce Footprints got a lovely mention. But that's not all, the author shares something which her family does each year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving ... it's Eco-friendly and helps a bunch of people. Thanks, TRW!

Alicia has a freezer which helps her cut down on waste. If she sees that veggies or leftovers aren't going to be used, she freezes them and then, later, they make perfect ingredients for a quick soup, stew, etc. Not only does she eliminate waste this way, she saves money! As she says "Double Savings". Thanks, Alicia!

Kris says that her "minamalist approach" to meals helps her eliminate waste. That sounds interesting! In this POST she gives us more information on that and shares how sending guests home with leftovers and composting also help maintain zero-waste. Thanks, Kris!

Several online publications picked up #CTWW posts. The Food and Gardening Daily, The One Foot In Reality Daily and The Shopping Charity all contained articles. Was yours listed in any of them? Thank you all so much!

Would you consider dumpster diving a method for reducing food waste? How about becoming a Freegan? These are just a few of the concepts Stephanie shared this week in Dumpster diving anyone? But never fear ... if rummaging through a trash bin isn't for you, she shares a bunch of other ideas ... ones that don't involve any diving at all. Thanks, Stephanie!

Kristina decided to take a look at food scraps and see if she could find uses for them. She found so many uses that she couldn't fit them all into one post. So, she chose to write about one. In Change The World Wednesday - Lemons she shares a ton of uses for lemon peels ... the stuff that we typically toss out. Did you know that they can soften your elbows? That's just one of the many ways to use them. Head over to Kristina's place to read about other uses. Thanks, Kristina!

When Rachel read this challenge she said Waste food? Me? Never! But then, two clementines and nine apples (some bruised) gave her pause ... and promted action. So what did she do? Here's a hint ... it involves an ice tray. Thanks, Rachel!

Think it's hard to convey an idea in 140 characters or less? These folks seem to have no problem and offered us some great ideas this week:

From @givetreegifts
-If your eyes are bigger than your stomach, you can always package portions & freeze them for lunches
-Wash veggies & save the peels for a soup base. After you've extracted flavor & nutrients, compost peels
-Modify recipes for the appropriate portions. No need to make 10 portions for 5 people. Half the recipe
-Don't like bread crusts for sandwiches? Save them for stuffing or dry them for making meatloaf, etc.

From @eegarim
-I have zero food waste by putting all pulp from juicing and other peelings into compost pits.

From @rubbishgeek
-The challenge from ChangeTheWorldWednesday this week is:waste no food for a week!Harder than it sounds!Do you make a weekly meal plan?

Finally, Reduce Footprints was recently honored by being included in the Top 50 Green Living Blogs sponsored by Seametrics. And guess what ... some of your blogs were included on the list as well. WhooHoo!

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:

@allnaturalkatie @givetreegifts @whopaysthepiper @dazediva @nurturedbeauty @theorganicblond @chainedheartdes @tif_hamilton @groovygreenlivi @cinbrad @hardknoxfirst

@littlegreenblog @theriverwanders @groovygrapevine @intellihot @waxelene @eegarim @EarthyUrban @PeopleTowels @ggirlggreen @erinely @ShoppingCharity

@smallbits @waylandcook @envirofusion @UpcycledLove @laalicia @teedazzle @goodblogposts @AlwaysWellWithn @rubbishgeek @gwened02 @hshawjr

My Final Thoughts: Waste of any kind is terrible ... but food waste seems particularly bad. It is like money down the drain (or more specifically, in the landfill) and in these hard economic times, who can afford to toss money away. From an environmental standpoint, rotting food produces methane which contributes to global warming. It also contaminates our waterways as the high concentration of degrading nutrients causes plant "blooms", robbing streams and rivers of vital oxygen. And then there is the human aspect of wasting food. There have been many periods in history when food was scarce. Today, there are more than a few places on the earth where a full stomach is a luxury. It's a sobering thought! Eliminating food waste may be one of the most important, life-changing actions we can take ... and it's really not so hard.

Great job, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.

This Week's Challenge:

At the beginning of November, we took an energy reading and then spent the month trying to reduce that number by 10%. Now we're going to finish up that challenge. Here you go:

Energy Challenge, Part 2: Throughout the month of December, please take another reading and report back on your efforts. We'd like to know what worked, what didn't, and any lessons learned. This will be an information sharing challenge and hopefully we'll discover more effective ways to minimize our energy consumption.

Special Announcement: Part 2 of our Energy Challenge will be the last challenge of the year. After the December Vegan Recipe goes up, I'll be taking a break from blogging to spend the holidays with my family. It has been an amazing year of Change The World Wednesday ... we have taken on so many activities and, in my opinion, made the world a better place. You can all be proud! Thanks to each and every one of you for participating, sharing ideas and for your true willingness to search out the truth and live in an Eco-friendly way. I'll be back towards the end of January with more challenges and, perhaps, a few surprises. Until then ... enjoy the holidays!

And remember ...

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick-click links helpful:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Last Week's Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

What happens when you combine creative, artistic ideas with a love for the earth? You get fabulous Eco-friendly decorating ideas from the participants of last week's challenge. And wow ... such wonderful ideas ... ideas which honor "Mother Nature" and bring true beauty to our homes. Let's take a look ...

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing a post about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Let's see what they had to say this week:

EcoGrrl keeps decorating pretty simple. In her words "i am not a huge decorator - i do a tree every few years but not regularly, and i keep it simple with a few candles. my house is more simple/zen than anything, with just photographs that i've taken on the wall. i've had the simple black frames and mats from utrecht for over 15 years and rather than glue them down, i use tape on the edges so that way, whenever i want to change pictures on the wall, i just slip a new one in. so i'm constantly reusing the same frames. i've never been a fan of knick knacks as i think they clutter up most spaces, but i do have a few of my grandmother's brownie cameras and the seashells i've gathered since i was a kid in a big bowl. books and photos, what else does one really need?" Your space sounds lovely and peaceful, EcoGrrl!

Argentum Vulgaris furnishes his home with found treasures. In this POST you can take a peek into his home and read all about it. I love the brick holding utensils ... great idea!

La Alicia is an artisan and creates beautiful handmade items. I was browsing her Etsy shop and found these: Decor by La Alicia.

Jennifer chooses items which have meaning, such as photos which she and her husband have taken ... or photos taken by friends. She says "Frequent redecorating, like wardrobe overhauls, seem wasteful and unnecessary." Nicely put, Jennifer!

Cindy (aka @cinbrad on twitter) is making a stunning wreath. Want to see it? Click HERE. Wow, I am in awe of the talent (and work) required to finish that piece ... it's going to be beautiful! I hope you'll come back with a picture of the completed project, Cindy!

In this POST Cinella says that she and her girls are busy creating something special. Hm ... I wonder what it will be. I guess I'll just have to wait until it's finished because Cinella isn't giving out hints. She promises, however, to post pictures when it's finished.

Early in the week Katie said that her goal is to NOT buy anything but rather make it herself. And then, later in the week I saw this ARTICLE. Wow ... she's come up with some lovely handmade decorations. My favorites are the door adornments ... simply elegant! She promises to put up tutorials soon. By the way, don't forget that Katie runs a series called Green Motivation Monday ... this week's tip is one of my favorites!

Ann posted our banner in this POST where she also talks about chicken and animal cruelty. From our previous challenge on winterizing our homes, she suggests that we winterize our diet by making large quantities of vegetable soup and then freezing appropriate portions for use during the cold months ahead.

Rachel uses evergreens to decorate her home. She prefers holly and ivy, which she's lucky enough to have in her yard, but says that any evergreen works. Once the holidays are over, she takes her decorations and spreads them around the peas in her garden to protect them from mice.

Michele's local farmer's market offers live, potted Christmas trees for sale. After the holidays, one can plant the tree in the yard. But here's the unique part ... for those people who aren't able to plant the tree, the market will buy it back and replant it. It's like "borrowing" a live tree for the holidays. What a brilliant idea!

CL Beck stopped in. So nice to see you Cindy ... hope you'll drop by again!

Mrs. Green and her family celebrate "Yule". Her ornaments are a true celebration of the season and honor the earth. I was particularly impressed with what she does with these ornaments after the holidays. You can find out HERE. And in this ARTICLE, she gives us an update on the energy challenge. I'm sorry to hear that you injured your hand, Mrs. Green ... hope it is much better by this posting!

Alicia has so many wonderful ideas for us. Well ... here ... let's let her tell us: "I like to use greenery and grapevines from our yard for table centerpieces. We like to get Christmas trees that can be planted after the holidays also. Instead of a lot of wrapping paper I use all kinds of cute baskets that the person receiving the gift can use for other things. Instead of bows I use things like pine cones, dried apples, dried cranberries and cedar pieces and glue that to the front of the packages, not only does it look pretty it smells wonderful. The best part is it doesn't go to the landfill! Also small pine cones make great place card holders to set out in front of your place settings so your guests will know where to set." Great ideas, Alicia ... I particularly like the place card holders.

Welcome back to Rewinn ... we've missed you and your always-entertaining posts! In this ARTICLE his first tip begins like this: "Say it loud and say it proud: you do not NEED to buy holiday ornaments." He follows that up with several wonderful ideas. Be sure to check out the picture of Rewinn with Santa. :-) He also suggests that we check out this article entitled Guerilla Gardening at Occupy Wall Street where we'll find some Eco-friendly ideas appropriate for any time of year. Thanks, Rewinn!

Kris says that her lack of decorating makes her "Eco-Friendly". In this POST you'll learn all about it. Towards the end of her article, she talks about new window coverings in the master bedroom. While reading it, I was reminded that beautiful decor can also be functional ... and that it's wise to consider the use of a room when choosing adornments. Thanks, Kris!

In the debate about Christmas Trees (real vs. fake ... cut vs. potted), where do you stand? In this ARTICLE, Stephanie shares information (including some great links) and her thoughts. She not only touches on the tree itself but talks about how it is farmed and the amount of CO2 that one single tree can absorb. And here's a hint about her choice ... she likes Charlie Brown's tree.

Once again this week, Twitter was alive with tips and ideas:

From @upcycledlove
-Turn your old T-shirt into framed art :D

From @peopletowels
-http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10031606&N=&Ntt=baking

From @noteasy2begreen
-I try to live by Wm Morris quote: "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I don't always succeed!

From @earthcjewelry
-Earth is where our Maker has placed us. We need to be better stewards to our environment and stop the abuse.
-Make a comittment to give only Eco friendly gifts this year. It shows that you care for Earth and the person receiving the gift.
-Eco Friendly and Fair Trade are both trustworthy. Will you make an effort to consider Eco Friendly and Fair Trade products?

From @givetreegifts
-Eco-Friendly Decorating...Add color & texture w/natural fabrics such as hemp, cotton, canvas, muslin, ramie, silk, linen & wool.
-Choose a mattress of organic cotton or wool so you aren't sleeping with harmful chemicals. 4 the mattress core look 4 natural latex
-Carpeting or rugs can add warmth comfort & texture to a room. Wool fibers or recycled materials are the best eco-friendly choices.
-Sea Grass: soft silky texture when woven that's smoother than some other natural fibers. Gr8 choice of floor mat & stain resistant
-Eco Wood furniture cleaner: 1 tsp olive oil, 1 Cup white vinegar, mix, dip soft rag & wipe lightly over furniture to dust & polish
-When buying wood furniture or accessories, look for the FSC label, to ensure the wood was grown & harvested in sustainable manner
-Furniture from reclaimed wood typically has unique characteristics. Look for the "SmartWood Rediscovered" label (Rainforest Alliance)
-Bring nature into your home with live flowers and plants. They improve air quality, are visually appealing, uplifting & ALIVE!
-Fruits & Vegetables are a simple way to add seasonal color to your home
-Found Art:: A walk in the woods or a stroll down the beach are perfect to gather small treasures to add a personal touch at home
-Earth Tones - colors from nature: Green is comfortable, healing & nature's ultimate neutral color. Found in warm or cool shades
-Furniture that is always in style! Eco-friendly décorating for the abode: The Navy chair shar.es/oH3w6
-Recycling or restoring your furniture Eco-friendly tips while designing your... is.gd/DfgTWM
-10 cool ideas for eco-friendly furniture & decor. ht.ly/7uBYb
-eco-friendly lounge at CTIA! Wood furniture made from reclaimed wood; living succulents yfrog.com/j2c1gg
-How The Latest Tech Is Finally Affecting Furniture Design: The FlatMate Secretary bit.ly/u3rWxO
-Redecorate Your Living Room the Eco-Friendly Way tinyurl.com/5tfvlhm
-Trivet featured in this houzz.com article about reusing wine corks! Sweet!... fb.me/uaJpUUg6
-10 useful Tips how to Green your Lighting shar.es/bMEZw


The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:

@nurturedbeauty @mom2tle @ggirlggreen @blackdogworld @groovygreenlivi @accessorygal @intellihot @noteasy2begreen @waylandcook @msmoreau_guid @upcycledlove @ecoverus

@bestrawesome @smallbits @peopletowels @dazediva @laalicia @earthcjewelry @earthyurban @skipbang @michele_plus2 @chainedheartdes @jchapstk @dearcreatives

@greengiftsguide @givetreegifts @whopaysthepiper @envirofusion @littlegreenblog @pinkladyapril @tif_hamilton @erinely @tiffanystoybox @cinbrad @theorganicblond

My Final Thoughts: When I was a child, I asked my Grandmother how she and her parents decorated their Christmas tree when she was growing up in Italy. She described how they would hang fresh fruit and nuts on their tree ... items which would then be shared with visitors. They weren't trying to be Eco-friendly ... they simply used what they had. With all of the holiday items on the shelves today, we sometimes forget that there is great beauty in nature ... beauty that we can thoughtfully bring indoors to adorn our homes.

Great job, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.

This Week's Challenge:

This week's challenge is inspired by an article which I recently read (you can read it HERE). It's from the Worldwatch Institute, "an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues". It discusses food waste and hunger in the world ... the numbers are staggering. With Thanksgiving and the holidays coming up, I think we could make a huge difference by accomplishing this activity. Here you go:

WEEK-LONG CHALLENGE: This week make a conscious effort to waste no food. If you need some ideas on how to accomplish this, please read the article referenced in the previous paragraph.

Or ...

If you never, ever waste even a morsel of food ... WOW ... you are a hero. Pat yourself on the back and then sit back and relax in the knowledge that you are doing a great thing for the earth!

We have one more week to accomplish the first part of our electricity challenge so, if you haven't started ... get busy! Here it is:

MONTH-LONG CHALLENGE: This month make note of the electricity (Kilowatts) used in your home (find this number on your electric bill, by reading the meter, by using a home electricity monitor, etc.). Then, spend one month reducing that number by 10%. In December we'll come back and report on our success including the actions we've taken to reduce our usage.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick-click links helpful:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Last Week's Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

Last week we got busy and prepared our homes for winter ... or summer, as the case may be (waving at you AV). We had suggestions about insulating walls, caulking cracks around windows and preparing the water heater. Some folks are grabbing sweaters and blankets while others are making use of the heat from the oven. One participant uses T-shirts creatively while another is thinking about winterizing her yard. It was a great week full of helpful ideas to ensure that our homes are warm, cozy and "green".

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing a post about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Let's see what they had to say this week:

In this POST Jen offers us a whole list of ideas to winterize our homes. One involves Eco-friendly and pet-friendly de-icers and traction materials. Brilliant!

EcoGrrl changed the filter in her furnace, removed the water hoses from outside and covered the faucets to keep them from freezing. She also moved her winter clothing out of storage and, before putting the summer stuff away, sorted all items. The clothing which will no longer be used was taken to Goodwill. She also made a big change this year ... she had new windows installed in her living room and shares that the switch allows her to feel comfortable with less heat (she can set the thermostat at 66).

In Brazil, Argentum Vulgaris is moving into the summer months. In this POST he shares how he's getting his home ready. One of his ideas involves a Papaya tree ... can you guess what he's doing? Head on over ... it's a great tip ... one which I used during the summer months and it really works!

Jen heard that we're in for a hard winter this year so she believes that prepping is especially important this year.

Mrs. Green took an energy reading and set goals in this ARTICLE. Check out her plans for the router ... unique and brilliant! She's also been busy prepping her home for the cold months ahead. One of her ideas involves food ... something I wouldn't normally think about when winterizing. Curious about it? Click HERE.

Sometimes living "green" can be a little overwhelming ... sometimes we don't want to make the effort or feel we can't try something new. This week Katie shared a wonderful post ... one which I think we could call The #CTWW Declaration. Click HERE to be motivated and inspired! For this week's challenge, Katie covered HEATING and her YARD.

Lynn is changing the world in her "jammies" (oh she's so cute). She's also winterizing her home with the use of T-shirts. Yep ... you know you want to read it ... and can do so HERE.

Amity's best tip is to bundle up. It just proves that sometimes the simplest actions work best.

Vaishali left a nice comment on our challenge to go vegan for a day. She shares that a vegan diet not only protects animals but is a delicious way to help the earth. By the way, Vaishali's site is just full of wonderful recipes ... my mouth waters every time I visit her site. Thanks for stopping by, Vaishali ... hope to "see" you again!

My friend and NC neighbor, Kat Magendie stopped by. Nice to see you, Kat! By the way, Kat is an author ... I've read all her books and love them. So (hint alert) ... gift-giving is soon upon us. I'm just saying!

Alicia had great ideas to share with us. In her words "We always keep our filters changed which helps out a lot. We also check around all of the windows and doors to see if we can feel any air seeping through. If so my husband gets out his caulking gun and fills in any cracks, It is amazing how much money a tube of caulk can save you!! We have a crack at the bottom of our front door which can't be caulked but lets in cold air so I took a piece of material sewed it down one side and filled it with beans then stitched the top. It works wonderfully for stopping the air from coming in under that door."

A member of the elite #CTWW Gang crossed over and joined the illustrious ranks of the Honor Society this week. Intellihot shared this POST about how to winterize the water heater. Wow ... I learned something new because I had no idea the water heater needed winterizing. Thanks, Intellihot, for a very informative article!

Kris says that she doesn't deliberately set out to winterize her home but she and her husband do many things, regularly, which accomplish the task. There is one thing, however, that she hasn't done and will do to keep things running well in the cold months. Can you guess what it is? Find out HERE. In that post she also talks about the month-long challenge to reduce energy use and the one thing which is making that challenge hard.

How many of you consider "cuddling" a home winterizing task? Well, Stephanie does (and I do too). Read about that tip, and several more, in this ARTICLE.

The SHOPPING CHARITY picked up several #CTWW posts ... was one of them yours?

Some great ideas and tips were shared via Twitter. Let's take a look:

From @pinkladyapril
-I've changed to our winter duvets & started using the slow cooker once a week which often makes enough for 2 days meals

From @gwened02
-we insulated walls & loft last year & have good windows & doors. Preparing the car for winter was on my to do list

From @givetreegifts
-We're having vegetarian chili for supper tonight. Happy #CTWW
-Have your furnace properly maintained to save energy & reduce risk of no heat when you need it the most. Keep filters on hand.
-If you haven't already, switch to a programmable thermostat & program it with a lower temperature while you are sleeping or at work.
-In winter, wear warmer clothes around the house so you can turn down the thermostat a bit. Cooler indoor temps make you more alert
-Check your fridge door. A poorly sealed fridge door can contribute to heat loss & has to work harder to keep food cool
-Install ceiling fans. They direct warm air back down where its needed.
-Replace your old furnace. Consider a condensing gas furnace, which uses 33 to 38% less energy.
-Clean your vents. Ensure furnace, stove and dryer vents are clean and free from dust and debris
-Upgrade your water heater. An energy efficient water heater performs 40% better, reducing energy costs
-Insulate. Fill wall cavities & attic space with foam insulation to prevent heat loss. Install foam gaskets around outlets
-Protect your windows. If double glazed windows aren't an option, buy plastic insulating kits
-Seal cracks. Check doors, windows and walls inside and out
-Consider a home energy audit to identify areas where heat is escaping, cold is getting in, or energy wasted.
-Install a programmable thermostat. The temperature can be set lower at night or while you're away

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:

@intellihot @tif_hamilton @ggirlggreen @littlegreenblog @whopaysthepiper @givetreegifts @gwened02 @pinkladyapril @groovygreenlivi @beckleecottage @waylandcook @caradafforn @passportfrugal @accessorygal

@noteasy2begreen @nurturedbeauty @oneadayart @blackdogworld @krjuchem @laalicia @tiffanystoybox @thegreenfamilia @greengiftsguide @etsyrocks @alwayswellwithn @lisaborden @peopletowels

@chainedheartdes @bestrawesome @allnaturalkatie @lynn_stone @mom2tle @fivefreeapps @envirofusion @marjoriecracked @ericastflblog @gaiaperspective @greenerideal @cinbrad @upcycledlove

My Final Thoughts: Throughout most of the world, people are recognizing extremes in temperatures. The summers are hotter, the winters are colder. That means that it is now more of a challenge, than ever before, to keep our homes comfortable in an environmentally sound way. Hopefully some of the ideas shared this week have shown us that while it might be a tough task, it's definitely worth the effort.

Great job, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted and Facebooked it. And brand new this week, I'm also posting them on Google + ... if you're a member, come follow me. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.

This Week's Challenge:

This week's challenge idea comes from Cinella. It's a good one! Here you go:

WEEK-LONG CHALLENGE: At this time of year, many people are planning holiday dinners, family get-togethers, etc. Typically, decorations play into these events. So this week, we'd like your tips & ideas for decorating in a "green" way. And, of course, we'd like you to choose Eco-friendly decorations for your event.

Or ...

If you are not planning to decorate for a special occasion this year, we'd like to know how you generally adorn your living space. For example, do you purchase recycled items (wall hangings, knickknacks, etc.). Is your furniture made of Eco-friendly materials? Again, we'd love your tips & ideas for creating a comfortable, "green" living space ... and if you're thinking of adding anything new to your home, please choose an Eco-friendly item.

And don't forget, we're still working on a month-long challenge ...

MONTH-LONG CHALLENGE: This month make note of the electricity (Kilowatts) used in your home (find this number on your electric bill, by reading the meter, by using a home electricity monitor, etc.). Then, spend one month reducing that number by 10%. In December we'll come back and report on our success including the actions we've taken to reduce our usage.

I'm really looking forward to all your ideas this week!

Until next time ...

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick-click links helpful:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• This Week's Challenge

This past week was so much fun! We began our month-long challenge to reduce energy use by 10% and some of you are well on your way with readings taken and a plan in place. Our week-long challenge asked that we go vegan for a day and wow ... there were recipes and menu plans flying around the Internet. Some people found that meatless meals are easy to incorporate into any diet ... others found that it takes some planning and, perhaps, a little education on vegan nutrition. Hopefully everyone had fun, tried something new, and will be able to add at least one meatless meal a week to their diet.

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing a post about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Let's see what they had to say this week:

EcoGrrl is an omnivore but shares that nearly half of the people in her office are vegetarian or vegan. She often brings treats to share and recently found this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. For her vegan day, she had oatmeal with jam for breakfast, vegan pizza for lunch and risotto with porcini mushrooms, shallots and hazelnuts for dinner. Yum! She says, however, that it was a challenge and required a lot of attention to detail. Regarding the energy challenge, she's having a tough time because of a less-than-conscientious tenant. It'll be interesting to learn how she handles the situation.

Rachel chose not to participate in the vegan challenge. For the energy challenge she suggests that we take our baseline over a period of time rather than with just one reading ... for example, take a reading at the beginning and end of the week to get an idea of one week's use and then reduce that number in future weeks. Great idea, Rachel ... that will help even out any unusual events. She's having a new heating system installed and, with testing and all, her readings won't represent true usage. So, instead, she's going to write about how the new system will impact electrical use once it's up and running.

Argentum Vulgaris was all ready to tackle this challenge but then ... he realized that eggs aren't vegan. So he went vegetarian for day. Want to know what he whipped up? Find out in this POST. Knowing that AV is a chef, I "double-dog dared" him to try another day of veganism with what I'm sure would be interesting dishes. As of this writing ... not sure if he took me up on that dare. In this ARTICLE, he did a little research and found that there are many foods which might be thought vegan but which are not. It's an interesting list!

The Shopping Charity picked up several #CTWW tweets about your articles ... was one of them yours? That edition also contains some great pieces on lung cancer ... definitely worth a visit.

I love Alicia's enthusiasm. She and her family went vegan a few months ago and it sounds like they are having fun with new recipes! She recently made chili out of chick peas, black beans, onions, garlic and tomatoes and served it with vegan cornbread. Mmm! Alicia shares that they haven't found a vegan recipe yet that they haven't liked.

Mandi says "The benefits of being vegan are amazing- you help the planet, your body, and so many animals." She points out that clothing made from animals (leather, fur, etc.) should be avoided because chemicals are typically used in processing ... definitely NOT Eco-friendly. Be sure to check out Mandi's site ... she has many excellent articles about being vegan and a whole page with recipes. By the way ... thanks, so much, Mandi for including Reduce Footprints in your list of Favorite Blogs.

Jennifer is a vegetarian and, except for a small amount of milk and an occasional dollop of mayo on a sandwich, has vegan days without thinking about it. She recently enjoyed a mock tuna (mashed chickpeas, celery, pickles, green onion, mayo) sandwich for lunch and says she likes it better than she ever liked the "real thing". Jennifer shares a recipe for [Almost] Vegan Lime Cheesecake HERE. Oh wow ... I'm seriously drooling over this recipe!

Mrs. Green is gearing up for the energy reduction challenge. In this POST she shares that she often takes a reading and is always surprised that there is room for improvement. She does have one activity going on this week that might skew the data ... head on over to her place to find out what that is. Even though Mrs. Green has some reservations about a vegan diet, she completed this week's challenge. How'd she do and what does she think? You'll find out in this ARTICLE.

LaTisha says that she'll try to go vegan this week but admits that she enjoys getting her protein from chicken and turkey. She will, at the minimum, try to cut back on animal products. Great, LaTisha ... that will definitely help!

Alana Lanai stopped in - great to "see" you Alana. She says that she buys mostly organic food. So Alana, is that in addition to buying vegan food or are you an omnivore?

Emma Cooper recently did a brave thing ... she challenged herself to write about any subject suggested by her readers. So ... here's the idea I came up with: "How about the best ways to reduce energy use in the cooler months." Oh yeah ... always looking for more tips and ideas to help us meet a challenge. Emma is a true "pro" and accepted the challenge by writing this POST. In it you'll find out about snakes and refrigerator magnets. Huh??? Oh yeah ... energy saving ideas!!

Nicole, another brave woman, decided to take her family along for a vegan day ... without telling them. But wow ... with this MENU I don't think she'll hear any complaints! In this POST she shares a great way to help us cut our energy use by 10%. Here's a hint ... it involves Christmas lights.

Katie and her husband try to work in a vegetarian meal once a week but her husband is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. Even so, she's embracing vegan food for a day and bringing her husband along for the ride. First, she decided on a MENU. Oh my ... Banana and Peanut Butter Oatmeal, Chipotle Veggie Bowl and Black Bean and Avocado Quesadilla (without cheese). Doesn't that sound good? So ... did Katie succeed? Did her husband join her? Did they like the food? You'll find out the results HERE. And finally, you'll find out how Katie will approach the energy challenge HERE. Wow, Katie ... you were busy this week (and we benefited)!

If every American skipped meat and cheese one day a week, what kind of environmental impact could we realize? Stephanie answers that question in this POST. I think you'll be amazed ... I was certainly surprised. She goes on to share a lot of information about switching to a plant-based diet, including her favorite vegan chefs and a typical day's menu in her house. And the "pièce de résistance" ... a recipe for Lemon Pie (oh my).

We had good thoughts from our Twitter friends:
From @nonmom:
For my small #ctww I am going to turn my furnace back 'off' when I get home to save power etc. Don't need it this week, fleece is fine :)
From @givetreegifts:
We have a portable solar panel power pack in our south facing window. We use it to recharge our ipod, etc & take it along camping
From @ethicaldeal:
Here's our Vancouver's Community Manager's Secret Chili Recipe..http://ow.ly/7iaEn

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. This week we had a record number of "Gang" members ... 66. WhooHoo! If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:

@whopaysthepiper @myqualitytime @givetreegifts @allnaturalkatie @greengiftsguide @shoppingcharity @bordenteam @tiffanystoybox @lynn_stone @groovygreenlivi @gaiaperspective @thegreenfamilia @oneadayart @berryplusclean @noteasy2begreen @skipbang @a23kiki23 @ethicaldeal @nonmom @laalicia @mom2tle @gbarrocas

@theshepeoples @peopletowels @tif_hamilton @intellihot @waylandcook @pfwoman @theorganicblond @nurturedbeauty @beckleecottage @blackdogworld @envirofusion @ggirlggreen @leadenhalluk @fivefreeapps @accessorygal @krjuchem @ChainedHeartDes @marjoriecracked @waxelene @sigiedhimawan @littlegreenblog @gwened02

@haroldshawjr @caradafforn @agingreluctantl @bg_garden @parentingextra @myfitcoach @mom2ryliepaige @passportfrugal @mmgmom3 @mommyltloriley @ericastflblog @emilyreviewscom @langata145 @veggiebuzz @kristinnw @ntiveheart @recycledwarmth @AlwaysWellWithn @ohsosavvymom @susanmcneill @twiceblessdlife @alittleumbrella

My final thoughts: Living a "green" life means that we make choices which will impact the environment in a positive way ... or, when a negative impact is inevitable, choices that minimize the harm. Often, our choices must be balanced with life ... health issues, safety, etc. While a long-term vegan diet may not be for everyone, a meatless meal now and again is doable. In my opinion, we owe it to ourselves and our environment to make the effort. Opening our minds to new cuisine is one simple way to change the world. And who knows ... maybe it'll be a culinary adventure filled with fabulous, Eco-friendly delights.

Great job, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted and Facebooked it. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.

This Week's Challenge:

This week's challenge idea comes from Jen. It's perfect for this time of year! And don't forget that we have a month-long challenge in play so if you haven't started that one, now's the time! Here you go:

WEEK-LONG CHALLENGE: This week, prepare your home for winter. Do at least one thing which will ensure that your winter is Eco-friendly. Need some ideas? Click HERE. If you are moving into spring/summer, prepare your home for the warm months ... you'll find some ideas HERE.

Or ...

If you've already prepared your home for the cold (or warm) months ahead, we'd like to know what you've done. Please include tips, ideas and any do-it-yourself advice.

MONTH-LONG CHALLENGE: This month make note of the electricity (Kilowatts) used in your home (find this number on your electric bill, by reading the meter, by using a home electricity monitor, etc.). Then, spend one month reducing that number by 10%. In December we'll come back and report on our success including the actions we've taken to reduce our usage.

What do you think? Are you up for this challenge? I know that you are!!

Until next time ...

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

Vegan Recipe - Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes with Maple Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting

It's the first Friday of the month and that means it's time to share another delicious recipe with you. So why does a blog about "green" living post vegan recipes? Simply put, it takes less natural resources to produce one pound of plant-based foods versus one pound of animal-based foods. Consider this ... say, for example, that we have one acre of land. We decide to grow vegetables. So we plant our seeds, water the plants and then harvest the veggies. Now let's say we decide to raise beef on that acre of land. The cattle will quickly eat anything growing on the one acre so we'll need to acquire more. That means we'll either need to buy it from a farmer who grew it on his one acre of land or we'll need to buy another acre of land to grow feed on. The cattle will need water to drink ... and their feed will need water to grow. So already we're using more land and water to produce meat. And that doesn't begin to address the additional pollution of raising animals versus that of raising veggies. Eating a plant-based diet is the simplest way to reduce our carbon footprint.

This month's recipe comes from one of my new favorite blogs, The Vegetarian (Who Hates Tofu). Michele, the author and "head chef", has put together a beautiful blog full of wonderful recipes. My first impression of the blog was how clean and fresh it is ... in addition to the Home page, there is a page of recipes and a page of Michele's Favorites (links to her favorite books, movies and blogs). The Recipe page includes such tasty treasures as Cauliflower Steak and Tortilla Soup. On the Home Page, I found a list of keywords and the word "breakfast" was listed. For me, creative and delicious vegan breakfasts are a challenge. So I was interested to see what I'd find. Michele offers several dishes including Cinna-Mini Pancakes, Carrot Cake Muffins and Mochi Breakfast Bites. Mmm! If you are interested in incorporating more meatless meals into your diet, then you'll want to bookmark The Vegetarian (Who Hates Tofu) and visit often.

Michele has kindly agreed to share one of her recipes with us. It is perfect for this time of year with all the colors and flavors of fall. I can't wait to give it a try!


Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes
with Maple Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes

¼ cup almond milk
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 medium tart apple, cored and peeled
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup safflower oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine almond milk and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree apple. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin and apple puree till well combined. Stir in oil, almond milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Mix well. Pour into a lined cupcake pan (fill to the top). Bake at 350 for 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before decorating.

Maple Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting

½ cup Earth Balance butter
1 ½ cup confectioners' sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp almond milk

Beat Earth Balance until creamy, about a minute. Add sugar and cinnamon and beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla, maple syrup and almond milk. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes.

Top each cupcake with a dollop of frosting & enjoy!

Thanks, again, to Michele of The Vegetarian (Who Hates Tofu).

If you have a vegan recipe which you'd like to share, please send it to me HERE. And for all the recipes we've shared so far, be sure to visit our recipe page using the tabs at the top of the page ... or by clicking HERE.

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick-click links helpful:

• This Week's Challenge
• The Honor Society
• The #CTWW Gang

Last week we challenged ourselves to start thinking about Eco-friendly gift giving. What a fun week! As always, the readers of this blog rose to the occassion and offered a variety of terrific ideas. You might want to bookmark this post for future reference ... your ideas are just THAT good!

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing a post about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Let's see what they had to say this week:

One of the more unique gift ideas that I received this week came from Catalog Choice, one of my favorite sites for eliminating junk mail from your mailbox. They have always offered a free title-specific opt-out service ... basically one manually types in relevant information from a catalog or advertisement and then, like magic, Catalog Choice gets your name off the mailing list. Now they are offering a subscription service ... they work on a client's behalf to remove personal information from third party marketing lists and personal search services. How does this tie in with green gift giving? They have arranged it so that we can give the "gift of less" to our friends and family for a modest donation. If you're as intrigued as I was, click HERE for more information.

EcoGrrl says that when she gives gifts, she prefers to give her time or an experience. In her words, "When my friends have birthdays I rarely think "what doodad can I buy them?" - instead it's 'how can I make them feel good?' - is it a massage? a night out? babysit? go to the park? people still get me stuff occasionally, but i remember their time more. ... let's help each other see that there's more besides 'stuff', more besides tradition for tradition's sake, and give when it's in your heart, not because a calendar tells you, and give of your time."

Ilhami Uyar stopped by. He likes the ideas shared and says that we must guard the environment and the world.

Rachel has a blog called Growing Things and Making Things so you know she has some good ideas. Here's what she had to say, "...much as I hate thinking about Christmas too much in advance, I find that some "green" gifts take a lot of advance planning. For example, this year I'll be giving my mother in law a cutting from a lavender bush that I took over a year ago. OK I didn't really plan that far ahead - I took more cuttings than I needed in case some didn't take, then ended up with spare plants, which are now established and flowering. In general, I think that giving consumable presents are a good way of avoiding the accumulation of stuff. I give homemade sweets, jam, wine, soap and moisturizer. I also like the idea of flavoured oils and vinegar, but the people I give to probably wouldn't appreciate those."

In this POST Argentum Vulgaris shares his ideas for "green" gift giving including some ideas for reusing computer components. Very clever! He also wrote this ARTICLE about how our mailboxes are full of wrapping paper. Thanks, AV!

Betty Manousos stopped by! Nice to see you, Betty!

Teresa shared a link to Stoney Mountain Farm, a North Carolina farm which preserves the ways of the past while honoring Mother Nature. They sell Eco-friendly products such as wool dryer balls and cat toys. Thanks, T! By the way ... I happen to know that Teresa makes and sells jewelry. Many of her pieces are made with recycled materials ... all of them are gorgeous. So, click on her name and you'll find her shops listed in the side bar.

If you'd rather make your own wool dryer balls to give as gifts, check out this ARTICLE where Alicia shares detailed instructions. You might remember from a previous challenge that Alicia finds materials for her dryer balls at Goodwill. These aren't the only "green" gifts she comes up with ... in her words, "Since Christmas is the Celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we have always taught our children that gifts from the heart are the best ones. We all love to bake so each year we will bake lots of different things and then use recycled materials for the gift wrap. This past year our son went into the woods behind our house and collected grape vines and we made some really cute baskets to put the goodies in. I also have used Christmas table cloths and napkins to make super cute gift bags. I know that technically giving baked items is not considered a green gift but most people like food so it doesn't go to waste and there is no wrapping paper to throw away and the bag or basket can be reused. I am doing a post on this next month because it is amazing the amount of wrapping paper that goes into the landfills during the holidays!" And don't forget that Alicia makes and sells "green" soaps, lotions, lip balms, etc. You'll find a link to her store in the upper right corner of her blog.

The Accessory Lady shared some great ideas. In her words, "I've found that I get the biggest smiles from handcrafted or handmade gifts, and I took it one step further one year and I made green personal care and home product: Laundry detergent, body soap, hand soap, home sprays, etc. I put them in sanitized glass food jars that would have gone to recycling and decorated them. They were a hit and most of the recipes were easy, inexpensive and can be found all over the net. If you don't have time to make them yourself, their are literally thousands handmade/crafted independent merchants that would be so thrilled for your business this holiday season. You can find them on Etsy, Artfire, Storenvy.com & bigcartel.com . They are very good about posting detailed ingredients too. I better get working on this so that I'll have my batch ready for the Holidays! :) " The Accessory Lady is an artisan herself ... she makes lovely items, using Eco-friendly materials. Here's a sample of what you'll find in her shop: Terrestre Organic Cotton Beige Bracelet.

Jennifer is busy making gifts this year. Here's what she has to say "I really like the idea of giving service-based gifts, like gift certificates to a local massage therapist, tickets to an event, or registration for a special class or workshop. After a certain point in our lives (gosh, I sound old), we have just about everything we need and want, so it's silly to keep spending money on things. When I do give physical presents now, they tend to be handmade (usually by me!) or antique, so I'm not supporting big corporations with dubious ethics. This time of year, I'm busy making dainty ceramic mugs at the pottery studio and am thinking of trying to make homemade caramels or truffles to fill them with."

Kris wrote this POST where she talks about a very unique gift that she makes. I haven't seen her idea in any of the other suggestions and it's not only very clever, it's a gift that totally pleases the lucky people who receive it. Thanks, Kris!

With a blog named "Green GiftsGuide.Com", you know that Amity has a LOT of ideas for us. Here's her formula for Eco-friendly gift giving: ADD A LITTLE THOUGHT TO YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT LIST. Mix in THE 2011 ETHICAL HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE. Take the finished product and WRAP IT GREEN. Nice!

Mrs. Green suggested this challenge because ... well ... she has a dilema which I'm guessing many parents face. Has she come up with the solution? Click HERE to find out.

Ange makes earth-friendly gifts for the people on her list and likes the idea of giving a pretty homemade vouchers for a unique service such as a week's ironing or housework, or babysitting for a tired mother. Children, including her own, are more difficult when it comes to "green" gifts. In her words, "With the 'outside influence' even though they are homeschooled, it's not easy. They are quite happy however getting something that's not 'new' so I spend a bit of time in advance hunting through flea markets and 'brocantes' here in France for things that are pre-loved but still in great condition that they might like, if only for stocking fillers. We also have a tendency to buy group or useful presents for Christmas like a trampoline for all one year for example. We encourage the kids to make gifts for their friends and our family with all the stuff I have a tendency to hoard for a 'rainy creative day.' Don't forget to donate toys and games your kids don't use any more to Good will. Our kids love sorting through their things so they can give something in great condition to children less fortunate than themselves. It also encourages healthy 'decluttering' at a younger age :)" If you're looking for a truly unique gift to purchase, check out Ange's shop Signed By Ange. Using words and recycled materials, she creates beautiful home decor.

Our twitter friend, @peopletowels ... a regular challenge participant, sells Eco-friendly towels. And get this, they sell packs that support other great causes like The Breast Cancer Fund. Hm ... a gift that truly gives ... and gives back. Check them out HERE.

Twitter was buzzing with great ideas this week:
From Melanie (aka @mom2tle): Not sure if this counts as green, but we often give as their holiday gift donations to causes in honor of the person
From Gwen (aka @gwened02): me & @liliacangel are doing a 2 day course called "gifts from my kitchen" hope to create Eco friendly gifts on 26th nov
From April (aka @pinkladyapril): Eco gifts. I make a large Xmas cake & cut into mini ones for gifts. Have also made plum jam (from plums I was given)
From Josefin (aka @GaiaPerspective): It feels almost like an obligation to give unnecessary gifts for x-mas. Usually I ask what ppl want, to make sure it'll be appreciated. We can re-give things that we have no use for anymore and reuse wrapping paper from last year. An experience like a consert or a day at the carnival can be a fun and memorable gift as well.
From Ethical Deal (aka @ethicaldeal): Noticed today's #CTWW is #green #gifts! Check out ethicalDeal.com for more green gift ideas!
From Harold Shaw (aka @haroldshawjr): We plan to not use wrapping paper but instead Sunday comics/newspaper and paper bags, then either recycle/fire starter.
From Tanya (aka @pfwoman): Agree, I try really hard to get what they want/need. I'd like to do more home-made this year.

Many people have said that gifts for kids are a problem. Tiffany has solved that problem: "I love making gifts, especially when it comes to the kids. SO have your kids make something like a mug, t-shirt, picture frame or some other cool decorative item to give as a gift. My sons, tristin and tyler love drawing so they make pictures and then make frames out of recycled materials and decorate the frames!" Hey Tiffany, what kinds of things do you make for the boys?

Mean Joe Green likes to give gift certificates to Eco-friendly restaurants to his friends and family. And to make the experience even more "green", he suggests biking to dinner. Have you browsed Joe's blog lately? Well, he's the creator of Eco-friendly cartoons ... but that's not all ... he writes children's poetry and sells art. I'm guessing it's all Eco-friendly and would make a wonderful gift for someone on your list.

Amy (aka NonMom) stopped by with some ideas: "I made my own lavendar and vanilla bath salts and packaged them up nicely too. I also crochet gifts for friends and family. I figure this way there's less drives to the store and I know what I'm getting and sending out and what the ingredients are. Other ideas are giving home baking...again, homemade always has better ingredients."

What is one of Stephanie's all time favorite and most memorable gifts? It's a good one which you can read about in this POST. She has other ideas, as well, including giving tickets to an event. But here's the truly fascinating part of her post ... green gifts that are waste-free. Wow! Be sure to stop by and see what she has to say about that! Thanks, Stephanie!

Joanne sent in a ton of great links to Eco-friendly sites for us to consider:
http://www.ecobears.co.uk/
http://www.eco3p.com/
http://etsyearthteam.blogspot.com/p/mission.html
http://www.etsy.com/shop/recycledwarmth
http://www.gogreen-now.net/gift-giving.html
http://www.earthdivas.com/
http://www.marjoriescracked.com/
https://wwfstore.donorportal.ca/default.aspx
http://greensewn.com/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/green-gifting/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/baisebeige
http://www.thewoodenbee.com/
http://www.maggiebags.net/
Wowee! Don't forget that Joanne offers very "green" gifts on her site ... just click on her name above.

Michele stopped by with some nice ideas: "I love to give baked goods as well. I do all my baking vegan & use organic ingredients, so I feel like that is more eco-friendly then buying some other gifts. My brother always likes to get music and books, but he has a Kindle and an Ipod now so I can buy the downloadable versions. I also like the idea of giving an experience, like a gift card to a spa or tickets to the theater." Be sure to stop by on Friday because Michele is going to be our "Guest Chef" and the recipe she'll be sharing is a winner!

Katie has several great ideas about gifts and wrapping. You'll find them in this POST. One of her suggestions is to add "bonus" eco-friendly gifts. Curious about that? Head on over to read all about it!

Tiffany makes truly unique green eco-chic jewelry ... they are beautiful (I know because I'm a proud owner of several pieces). But she's focusing on how to give them with no waste. She wrote this ARTICLE about creating a new, better way to give during the holidays. Be sure to check out Tiffany's shop ... you'll find a link on her blog.

Nicki Woo plans to give her neighbors Eco-friendly and conscious gifts ... gifts that will feed their tummies as well as their spirits. Her lucky neighbors will get homemade canned fruit and homemade granola .... mmm, makes me wish I were one of her neighbors. :-) Nicki also left a comment about our pet challenge ... her daughter decided to use their dog in her science experiment (no animals were hurt in this project). She is experimenting with various dog foods to find out which food gives her dog more fuel (fuel as in usable energy vs. empty calories). So far they've discovered that foods made primarily out of meat are better ... and foods made out of grains and fillers aren't. She promises to come back when the project is complete and let us know her daughter's findings.

Ann stopped in and, regarding our pet challenge, says that she's going to begin making dog treats. Yay!

Also from our challenge on pets, Lynn writes this ARTICLE. In it you'll find tightrope walking, tutus and fish. Oh you know you want to read it!

And, Miss T says "For Jennifer who is wondering about the catfood, if it is of any comfort to her, I have read that pets do a lot better on this kind of diet- raw meat. Apparently it works well for dogs too. They are much healthier as a result of it so making an effort to feed them this way as local as she can is well worth it."

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:

@allnaturalkatie @beckleecottage @waylandcook @ggirlggreen @noteasy2begreen @gaiaperspective @peopletowels @tanyasharkey @pfwoman @tif_hamilton @laalicia @greengiftsguide @lynn_stone @maggie_bags

@nurturedbeauty @givetreegifts @mom2tle @tiffanystoybox @gwened02 @groovygreenlivi @theorganicblond @thegreenfamilia @whopaysthepiper @pinkladyapril @envirofusion @accessorygal @ethicaldeal @robineaston

@intellihot @waxelene @escapingjourney @skipbang @haroldshawjr @ReneeANDSharon @littlegreenblog @recycledwarmth @a23kiki23 @chainedheartdes @wwfcanada @marjoriecracked @pixieguido @fivefreeapps

My final thoughts: I recently read that a gift can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad. It can be something we buy or something we make ... it can be an experience or simply our time. There is another definition that I particularly like ... a gift can be a favor, forgiveness, appreciation, kindness or simply wishing the best for another. A gift is freely given without expectation. Most people will say that the true meaning of gift giving (whether it's for Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays or Halloween) has become too commercial. Given all that, it hardly seems fair to give gifts that hurt our environment. Imagine what our world would be like if we made this one small change ... if every gift we give pleases the recipient and is kind to the earth.

Great job, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted and Facebooked it. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.

This Week's Challenge:

Are you up for TWO challenges this week? We're going to start a month-long challenge suggested by Mrs. Green and a week-long challenge suggested by EcoGrrl. Here you go:

MONTH-LONG CHALLENGE: This month make note of the electricity (Kilowatts) used in your home (find this number on your electric bill, by reading the meter, by using a home electricity monitor, etc.). Then, spend one month reducing that number by 10%. In December we'll come back and report on our success including the actions we've taken to reduce our usage.

WEEK-LONG CHALLENGE: This week, eat Vegan for one entire day. That means, for one entire day eat only plant-based foods ... no meat, poultry, fish, dairy, etc.

Or ...

If you eat a Vegan diet every day, we'd like to benefit from your experience so please share tips, ideas, recipes, etc.

So ... we're going to be busy with these challenges. What fun!!

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