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The room where recycling fails the grade

I am partnering with the CARE TO RECYCLE program and The Motherhood. All opinions shared here are my own.

With Earth Day on April 22nd, it’s the time of year when we evaluate our level of “green.” Are we recycling enough? Are the kids turning the lights off when they leave the room? How do we educate the need to recycle, and also the how? We have talked about recycling with our kids since they were little and they are pretty fluent in knowing what items go in which bin. Yet there is one room where we can do a better job.

The bathroom.

Did you know only 1 in 5 people say they consistently recycle items they use in the bathroom? It’s hard, I know. Not everything is labeled. You don’t want to make a mistake and put in the “wrong” item. The good news is that so many of the items we come in contact with in the bathroom can be recycled.

  1. Toilet paper rolls
  2. Cardboard cartons from over-the-counter medicines.
  3. Shampoo bottles
  4. Empty prescription bottles
  5. Shaving cream can

Space is often limited in the bathroom so there may not be room for a recycling bin. Our system is to leave these items at the top of the stairs when they are empty. Another idea is to discard the cartons before they even reach the bathroom.  Some families can put a recycling bin in their second floor laundry room.

Here are some fun projects to reuse some of those bathroom products too.

Toilet paper tube owls

Fun toilet paper owls! (source)

 

Shampoo bottle pencil holders

Fun pencil holders made from shampoo bottles! Use acetone to remove the print (source)

 

Iphone caddy made from shampoo bottle

Cute iPhone Caddy (source)

Join me and other parents as we chat on Earth Day at a Twitter Party, 12:00 EST. #CareToRecycle

What: Did you know that four out of five American adults aren’t consistently recycling their personal health and beauty products? We’re talking perfectly recyclable everyday bathroom items like empty shampoo and lotion bottles. That’s why The Motherhood is excited to join the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies’ CARE TO RECYCLE® program to help spread the word about recycling in the bathroom. This Earth Day, we’re getting the whole family involved!

During the chat, we’ll be sharing fun, easy ways to teach your kids the importance of recycling beyond the kitchen and into the bathroom, and we encourage you to share your tips, too! We will be joined by two special guests, Keep America Beautiful and Recyclebank, who will be stopping by to share their tips and ideas, as well.

When: Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) at noon ET 

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #CareToRecycle hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Vite: http://vite.io/TheMotherhoodChats

Prizes! During the chat, we’ll be giving away five prizes to randomly selected participants who correctly answer the trivia questions tweeted by @TMChatHost. Four (4) winners will receive one (1) prize pack of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies health and beauty products. One (1) winner will receive one (1) partner prize pack including a $100 gift card to onetwine.com, courtesy of Recyclebank, and a family pack of t-shirts made from recycled content, courtesy of Keep America Beautiful.

Prizes limited to U.S. participants only. Official rules here.

Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @TMChatHost, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Co-hosts: @realadvicegal, @carogonza, @shoppingduck, @LittleUsBlog, @EmilyARoach, @busymomblog, @KBWhiskey, @allthingsfadra, @ALuckyLadybug, @ourpieceofearth

Special guests: @Recyclebank, @recyclesday

 See you at the party! 

 How else can you reuse your bathroom recyclables?

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Egg Carton Crafts for Kids

Kids Egg Carton Craft Projects

Who has some extra egg cartons in their house this week? As Easter approaches, everyone is busy dying eggs or crafting eggs with the latest designs. Now what do you do with all those extra egg cartons in the house?

Here’s a round up of fun projects to reuse egg crates. Keep the kids busy as you prep Easter dinner!

Egg Carton Mask

Egg carton mask in happy spring colors! Kids can wear them and run around while still on their sugar high. (source)

Alphabet egg carton game

Help kids learn their letters with this cute Alphabet Egg Carton Game. (source)

DIY egg carton birdfeeder

Craft a DIY Birdfeeder with the egg crates. I love how easy this project it and when the rain wrecks it, it can compost into the ground.

Egg carton caterpillarAn easy and fun project to celebrate A Very Hungry Caterpillar. Use the time to talk to the kids about nature and the transition of a life of a caterpillar to a butterfly. (source)

Egg carton mobil

 

Cut out each egg holder and thread into a unique mobile. Hang them outside as the weather warms up.

What other crafty ways have you reused an egg carton?

 

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How to Tackle Your Creative Stash of Stuff

how to tackle your creative stash

The new year brought about a renewed awareness of “stuff” in our house. Do we need it? Do we love it? Does it add value to our everyday life? As I sorted and purged through the nooks and crannies in our house, I was able to make a quick decision on most items. (Especially after reading this book.) The trickier things are those that are project driven. The scrapbook supplies for the baby book I didn’t put together, the fancy stamps for card making, the old sweaters to cut into fingerless gloves. How do you know when it’s time to let go?

It feels wasteful to just toss some of these things, and I am not quite ready to give up on making time for more creative endeavors in my life. After pulling everything together, I tried to think about the stuff in this light.

  1. If I finished the product, where would it go in my home or closet?
  2. How much will I use my creation?
  3. Do I still enjoy this hobby?
  4. Could I borrow like items from friends if I decided to let mine go?

As the sorting continues, I saw that an eCourse is part of the new Ultimate DIY Bundle called “Use Your Stash” and written by Elise Joy (who’s podcast Elise Gets Crafty is awesome!) I consider it a little kick in the pants to get moving and just DO something. It will encourage you to use up the stuff you have and enjoy the process. Make something fabulous and be okay with using something up.

This even can apply to your kids craft supplies. Let them go a little wild and use their stash. There is no need to hoard pompoms and pipe cleaners. Let them use their stickers. Set out their creative bits and bobbins and see what happens. Adults can learn a thing or two about freedom of expression as you watch the kids use their stuff with abandon.

reuse old sweaters in new ways

This sweater is so beautiful, but it has moth holes. Now what?

If you are encouraged to use some of your creative stash, but need a little jumpstart, there is the Ultimate DIY Bundle available Jan 21-Jan 26. There are 76 ebooks, which cover photography, sewing, writing, small business and more. My favorite part this go round are the ecourses- Use Your Stash and the Photo editing one both look awesome. The value of everything is $1200 and is only $34.95.

I’m not going to read more than half of what’s included, but the ones I do want to read would cost:

  • Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose $3.99
  • The Social Spread $129.99  (amazing deal on social media update ideas for a year!)
  • Say No to Auto $10.00
  • Easy DIY Crafts for Every Season $10.00
  • TOTAL $153.98

So I bought the bundle. I saved $119.  Plus I may finally make those sweater covers for mason jars I keep seeing on Pinterest…

What will you make?

 

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. I bought it on my own and think it’s a valuable resource. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

make time for creativity in your life

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Super Black Friday Deal on Kiwi Crates

Kiwi Crate Family Brands >>
Our kids are long time fans of Kiwi Crates since they first came to market a couple years ago. The novelty of craft kits arriving in the mail for them was so fun. It’s the same feeling I get when my blue Stitch Fix box arrives on the doorstep. In case you haven’t visited them in awhile, their assortment of crates has broadened to meet a growing demand from both younger and older children. {Plus they have a great Black Friday deal happening too! Tell those grandparents and extended family about the deal!}

Koala Crate

New group of crafts geared for children ages 3-4. This is great for when you have a wider age range of kids and the second sibling crate won’t work for both kids.

Kiwi Crate

The original is for kids ages 4-8. Hands on fun, right at your doorstep. We still have our Penguin bowling set in our Christmas decoration box. It was too cute to recycle!

Tinker Crate

This is one of the new ones for older kids, ages 9-14+. As your kids are exposed to STEAM at school, the Tinker Crate will be a fun compliment. It’s a blend of creativity plus utilizing problem solving skills.

Doodle Crate

I can’t wait to get this for Madison when she gets a little older. It’s such a cool crafting kit…I see it as encouraging a whole new generation of Etsy sellers. This one is also for ages 9-16+.

 

For any of the Crates, you can get or give a 3 month, 6 month or 12 month subscription.

Shop Black Friday Sale For 60% off your first month of any Kiwi Crate, use code: MERRYSUB

 

Disclosure~ some links are affiliate links. I only share products I use (and love!) with my readers. Happy shopping!

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Back to School Organizing with Sharpies {courtesy of Staples}

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia  #StaplesBTS http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Back to School Organizing with Sharpies

It’s nearly back to school season! Don’t you just love the rush of getting the kids all ready for school and buying beautiful new notebooks, markers and lunch boxes? I’m a sucker for pretty notebooks and colorful markers. I still remember how excited I was to go back to school shopping for all the items on our supply list when I was younger, back in my Trapper Keeper days.  While my excitement for back to school now focuses on my kids, it’s also about getting our family back into a routine.

Yummy Sharpie Colors. I just can't get enough!

As I started looking at the back to school deals at Staples, the fashion assortment of Sharpies caught my eye. All those colors…all that color coding I can do. Yes, even I who loves all things digital, has paper calendars and check lists. I read an article last year that said we remember more of what we write down on paper than we do after keying it into a computer (or phone.) The brain registers these two actions differently, and it’s handwriting that has the staying power. After reading this, I felt better about sticking with paper and pen for my weekly agenda. It has made a difference keeping track of my schedule as I write out the week ahead, along with my menu plan, every Sunday.

Free Printable Weekly Calendar

September has always felt like a fresh start to me, even if it’s not really a “new year.” Today I wanted to share with you a fun, FREE, printable calendar that you can use each week to stay organized. There are three ways you could use this to help keep everyone on the same page in your home.

Cute weekly calendar printable

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WEEKLY CALENDAR PRINTABLE

(this is a file in Google Drive, open the link then go to File–>Print)

1. Print out the calendar each week and write out your family’s schedule and color code with Sharpie markers. The Fine and Ultra Fine Sharpie packs are currently on sale at Staples through August 24th, while supplies last. I love all the colors in the fashion pack I bought. (I dug up my Nana’s old cranberry mold glass jar to hold them all for easy access. You can get the same effect with a wide mouth pint jar.) 

2. Print out the calendar once, color code your “master” schedule and then laminate it. You can then add in the weekly appointments that change using a dry erase marker. (Hint- I use the wet erase markers, which you can also find at Staples.)

3. Print out the calendar for each child and write out their weekly schedule with them. I know the young ones ask a hundred times a day when they are doing something and which day it is. Having their own calendar schedule is a great way to teach them the days of the week, and explain to them when their activities will be. Use the Sharpie colors to color code their schedule for non-readers. Red = school, blue = swimming and so on.

Sharpies from Staples for Back to School

What other ways can you use this calendar? Are you a back to school organizing junkie like me? Want to shopping at Staples together and see what deals we can find? 

 

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Christmas Craft A Day Update

Just wanted to share a few photos from the Christmas Craft a Day project. If you are following along on Instagram (I’m there as RandomRecycling), you can see the latest photos and find them under the hashtag #xmascraftaday. On the Random Recycling Facebook page, you may or may not see the updates. The Facebook metrics have changed so the daily updates don’t reach as many people as I would like. Stop by the page to comment on a post and you will hopefully see the updates again.

thumbprint christmas lights #xmascraftaday

christmas play dough craft #xmascraftaday

Candy Cane Reindeer #xmascraftaday

King Crown #xmascraftaday

Reindeer crowns #xmascraftaday

Sugar Cookie Baking #xmascraftaday

Thumbprint Christmas Tree #xmascraftaday

Pipecleaner Candy Cane #xmascraftaday

If you need directions for any of the projects above, let me know in the comments and I’ll reply with the details. Share the craft ideas for later and pin them to your Christmas or holiday boards. You can find all my Pinterest boards here.

Happy crafting!

P.S. Today is the LAST day for standard shipping via Amazon. Now might be a good time to order a few stocking stuffers and avoid the lines at the stores! If you shop via my Amazon link, it helps supports this site, at no cost to you. Thanks!

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A Christmas Craft A Day

Christmas Craft A Day

The holiday season has finally arrived and I just love the excitement it brings to the kids. They love all the little things like opening the Advent calendar in the morning, looking for Christmas lights on our drive, and of course, the crafts. I’m trying to spend a bit less time online this month to allow myself more time to play with the kids. The Christmas season is a little shorter this year and I want to enjoy the little things along with them. The kids want to make simple crafts, and they want me to make them with them. In your home, creating crafts may be a way to keep the kids busy while you get the holiday cards addresses. Whatever works for you when it comes to crafting, enjoy.

Xmas Craft A Day

We are trying to work on a Christmas Craft-A-Day plan. I’m planning ahead a bit and getting materials ready for the next day. Once there is a lull in our daily schedule, we can all sit down and work on the latest project. My little ones are nearly 5 and 3 so these are simple projects. I have pinned lots of ideas in my Christmas Fun board on Pinterest. You can also just type into the search area of Pinterest for an idea based on materials you already have at home.

#XmasCraftADay

Follow along with our craft projects on Instagram and share yours with the hashtag #XmasCraftADay. Then everyone can find some new ideas!

What is your kids favorite Christmas craft to make?

 

 

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Creative Ways to Use Your Beach Treasures

Creative ways to use your beach treasures via RandomRecycling

If you frequented the beach this summer, there is a good chance you have collected a stash of seashells, sea glass or driftwood. On our beach, we are lucky to also collect sand dollars. The big question at the end of the season is what to do with all of our beach treasures? Here are a couple of easy ideas you can make with just a few craft materials.

Seaglass Wreath via RandomRecycling

Easy sea glass wreath using a foam wreath form and a hot glue gun.

Sea Glass Votives via RandomRecyclingEmbellish some plain candle votives with sea glass to bring a little of the beach to your table.

Love this beach inspired mason jar craft too.

Driftwood mirror via RandomRecycling

Layer pieces of driftwood to create a textured mirror. Use a flat mirror to start with to make it easier to apply the driftwood. (Ikea made this one.) Check out this fancier driftwood mirror if you have a big collection to use.

This post shares more driftwood project ideas.

Painting Sand dollars via RandomRecycling

Watercolor paints work great for painting sand dollars and seashells.

Got seashells? Here are 20+ ways to use them.

Share your creative  ways to use seashells in the comments.

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Recycle Your Flower Pots Into Cute Containers

As people start planting flowers and vegetables in their gardens, there is a plethora of leftover plastic flower pots to deal with. My friend Andrea shared this clever project, recycling her plastic flower containers into cute containers for her girl’s room. All you need is some Mod Podge glue, cute fabric and some spray adhesive and you’ve got yourself some cute new containers for a bedroom, kitchen or home office.

Recycled Flower Pot Container

The first steps are to clean out the flower pots thoroughly with dish soap. Dry well.

Recycle Flower Pot Project

Pick up some cotton fabric at your local store.

Mod Podge and Fabric Project

Cut the fabric to fit around your pot. Spray adhesive in a well ventilated space and then wrap the fabric around the pot. Once dry, paint the pot with Mod Podge glue to finish the look. (Alternatively, you can skip the spray adhesive and just use the Mod Podge only.)

Mod Podge Flower Pot Project

Let the pots dry thoroughly before using.

Match the containers to your kid’s room, or pick some fun fabric to dress up your home office. The options are endless.

Recycled Flower Pot Containers for Girls Room

Do you have a fun recycling project to share? Send me an email with the details and you may be featured here!

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Monday Meal Plan May 27th

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone is enjoying a long weekend. We are excited to finally get a day of sun and be able to play outside with the kids all day. The menu this week could be tricky…baby still hasn’t arrived so there may be some swings in the next week or two (or month or two!). I have freezer meals tucked away but I’ll wait until the baby arrives and I’m home to break those out.

Today we (almost) could have put the heat on as it was a little chilly when we woke up. By Thursday, it’s supposed to be 90 degrees. If it gets too hot, we may just have to make smoothies for dinner!

Monday Meal Plan May 27

Sunday~ BBQ day with sausages and hot dogs, corn on the cob and coleslaw.

Monday~ Salmon burgers, pesto pasta and salad

Tuesday~ Meatballs (Madison’s request), pasta and green beans

Wednesday~ C.O.R.N. {Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Thursday~ Eggs

Friday~ Pizza

Saturday~ Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Did you notice how clear the chalkboard menu plan is this week? No, I did not master some new photo editing tool. I was sent the new Lullaby chalkboard paint to test out and it works beautifully!  Lullaby Paints has 16 fun colors of chalkboard paints and they’re totally non-toxic, zero-VOC, and safe for my kitchen. I love how smooth the paint went on and the colors on the kid’s section of the menu board seem much more vibrant now too.

Chalkboard Paint Menu Board

For more inspiration, see my past menus here, or the Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

 

Disclosure: I did receive the Lullaby Paints to test out. All opinions shared here are my own. Just wait till we show you what we did with the chalkboard paint in our basement!

 

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