The Toby Show

Jars, Jars and more Jars

I am the opposite of a pack rat.  I love to purge closets and drawers on a regular basis and ditch unneeded junk.  I often accuse my mother of "collecting garbage" because of her sizable cardboard box collection. But I need to fess up.  The pack rat gene seems to be late onset and I'm beginning to show signs of succumbing to it's clutches.

I've been squirreling them away in the garage throughout the summer.  You know, just in case I need a good jar for something.  Hello?  Mom?  Is that you?  Stephen is starting to notice. 

To my credit I do use jars for a variety of things all over the house all the time.

I prefer to use jars rather than fancy vases for flowers.

I use them for dog & people treats. Big jars are perfect for any bulk bin item.

We use them for water and brushes when we paint or watercolor and also for storing art supplies.

Huck drinks out of old Bama Jam jars that I scavanged from my Mom who saved them from the 1970's. And that wonderful handled jar is from my Dad's favorite Plum Jelly.  My Mom has saved about 20 moreof them for me that are currently tucked into every empty nook and cranny of her kitchen cabinets.

And by golly, next year when I harvest food from my very own garden I'm going to can veggies and use all those Classico jars for my own homemade sauce!   Until then, there's a shelf in the garage that will display my growing collection of recycled jars.  

Call me if you need one.

More Quick Handmade (and Upcycled!) Blank Books

Over the weekend I made more little blank books to have around like the one Huck used for his I Love You book.  But I got pretty bored with my card stock choices--I've been using these 5 bright colors for EVERYTHING for the past couple of years.  But rather than wait until I could get to a store and then have to pony up and buy something new, I hit the recycling bin.  Once again, a "make do" item turned out to be WAY cooler than what I would have made if I'd bought the new supplies I thought I needed.

Cute, no?

Obviously, I just cut out cardboard food boxes for the cover and back, folded in half, folded blank paper inside and stapled.  Huck thought it was pretty neat. 

For a nicer version, check out these cool upcycled journals and notebooks from the Etsy shop Ivy Lane Designs.  What a great handmade gift along with some art supplies.  My project was a marriage between the Ivy Lane books (though not nearly as nicely done) and the handmade blank books I first saw on SouleMama.

Huck tested.  Huck approved.

Extreme Green

Over the past few years I've done a really good job of getting rid of unnecessary waste in the home.  I switched to reusable shopping bags, I went from paper towels to cloth napkins and microfiber cleaning cloths, I even converted to reusable feminine hygiene products. 

But I feel it's time to push the envelope a little farther.  Even with the changes mentioned above we all--you, me, our neighbors--create a ton of unnecessary waste material each and every day by using...

toilet paper.

That's right, I said unnecessary. 

Half the world doesn't even know what toilet paper is.  Even Americans did without it before 1857.  The Brits held out until 1890!  Just think for a moment how much trash you flush down your toilet daily by participating in this wasteful, relatively modern, "first-world", cultural phenomenon.  It's ridiculous.

The idea wormed it's way into my consciousness via the camping world.  A good friend of ours, Mike Clelland, is an outdoor instructor and backcountry guru.  He's even illustrated a few books on the subject.    

            

When trekking into the woods you want to carry as little as possible, and when trekking out again you want to leave no trace that you were there.  At 4 ounces, a roll of toilet paper is not considered a necessity and if you carry it in, you eventually have to carry it out again...used...possibly a few days, or weeks, later.  Yucky.

Fortunately, nature provides a bounty of choices allowing you to eschew the Charmin altogether.  And because, as Mike says, "Natural butt-wiping is a lost art" he even created this handy table that ranks your various outdoor alternatives.

So I started thinking, if it's eco-friendly in the backcountry, why not in the home as well?  Right? 

Thus began my search for an option to carry from the woods to the cabin, so to speak.

• Snow--Any backcountry enthusiast will tell you this is the best option.  Plentiful, sanitary...refreshing!  And we considered it.  But how long would a bucket of snow last in a powder room?  I mean really?  Even with our thermometer turned down low for maximum energy efficiency, a bucket of snow wouldn't outlast a dinner party.  And then, what to do come summer?
  

• Leaves & plant matter--Woolly Lamb's Ear and Old Man's Beard both sound lovely, but I just don't feel knowledgeable enough in the realm of poisonous & non-poisonous flora to have confidence choosing the correct plants.  And I'd hate to send a guest home with a rash. 

• Moss--Though not mentioned in the chart above, I personally think this would be the most comfortable choice.  Unfortunately, we don't get much moss around here.  Too dry.  But if you live in the Pacific Northwest I think this could be the way to go.  It would make a lovely display in the your bathroom.

• Douglas Fir Cones--Lord knows we have these in abundance.  In fact, I often use a small bowl of them on the table as a holiday centerpiece.  But despite the high marks for ease of use and absorbency, I worry about creating confusion between the potpourri and the potty wipes.  A misstep at Thanksgiving dinner could be quite embarrassing for everyone.  Plus, I'm really only interested in a comfort rating of 4 or higher.  Call me bourgeois, but that's how I feel.
  

• Rocks--All-natural, attractive, comfortable and reusable! Perfect for us!  In fact, they last forever making them by far the greenest choice, after snow. 

I think they give my bathroom a wonderful, Zen-like feel.

Smooth ones work the best.*  Not too large as to be unwieldy, but not too small either (see diagram below).  Something flat-ish to ensure a good grip.  A bit of a rounded point is handy, too. 

Even after just a few days, we've found that we each have our favorites.  And guess what?  They hold heat!  You can warm them in your hands for a bit before use.  We're even thinking of picking up a small Crockpot at the thrift store for this purpose.  A toasty slab on a frosty morning?  Now that would be the height of luxury!

Not to put too fine a point on it, but you'll also need to provide a small bucket or waste bin of soapy water for the "dirties."  A swing lid would be a nice touch.

Perhaps I'll post on the proper cleaning and sanitation of used potty rocks in another entry but this seems like a good start for now.

Sure, it's a little awkward at first, but that's a small price to pay.  Just think how much better you'll feel knowing you've reduced your output of garbage by simply ending your lavish, outdated attachment to toilet paper.

In times such as these, it's really the least we can do for the planet.

*A note to readers in Hawaii--Lava rocks are not recommended.

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A Patch of Spring

Not outside.  Not yet.  We did have a handful of messy, melty days but more weather was just around the corner.   We've only just dug out from days of pounding snow.

No, I used some beautiful canvas fabric I got from Good-ness back when I bought material for these two baby quilts and patched up a pair of hand-me-down jeans Huck got from some friends.  Thank you Jerry (et al)!  The fit was great and they are perfectly broken-in but they were a bit too "breezy" for our weather.

How cute is this stuff?  It makes me want to patch things that don't even have holes!  I always wanted one of those Ronco Rhinestone setters, too.  But even as a kid I somehow knew the dangers of owning a device that powerful--over embellishment! 

I was going more for strength than perfection so I just went back and forth with a zigzag stitch a few times.  Then I frayed the overhang a bit.  I like the messy look. 

Stephen thinks they look "girlie."  Funny, I find adorable forest creatures to be completely unisex.  He is only three.  And I have Walt Disney on my side.

Still, maybe I'll track down some different canvas for next time.  I anticipate he'll be making a few holes of his own come summer.   Are sheep manly?  No?  How about Hedgehogs?  The ladybugs maybe take that one off the list.  Maybe it's the whole cutsy animal thing?  What about carrots?  Are carrots manly?  There's some turnips in there, too.  I know, I know!  Vespas! 

Joking aside, making your own patches is so much cuter than using those stiff store-bought iron-ons.  And canvas gives you some added toughness.  I just sewed this patch on but here's a quick tutorial for making your own iron-ons with your favorite fabrics.  I'd use that method only with a sheet of fusible webbing instead of the tape, I think.  Here's a nice set of japanese canvas fat quarters that would give you a fun fabric selection to pull from when your kids come in with holes in their pants this summer. 

Okay, finally!  Frogs and robots!  Looks like I'll be able to salvage Huck's manhood after all.  

It's a great way to save that favorite pair of old but perfect-fitting mommy jeans, too--I think I'll go with the Vespas. I've said it before...Frugal is the new black!

Green Birthday Party!

This was the birthday party that almost wasn't!  The festivities were scheduled from 2-4pm, which turned out to be a few hours after a big snowstorm hit.  Huck was incredibly excited about having friends over for a party, but at 2:30...nobody was here.  As I watched my poor little guy checking and re-checking the window, I started to think about how I would keep from crying in front of him if it was a total bust.  Fortunately, 2 guests finally arrived (his 2 closest buddies) and we had a wonderful time despite the smaller gathering.  He couldn't have cared less.

We went the old-school, no-pressure, frugal, laid-back, green route.  For anyone else wanting to take some of the pressure, expense and waste out of a birthday party, here's what we did to keep things simple, sustainable and fun.

• Location.  There's this great place for parties in my town that is comfortable, has a kitchen, lots of toys and games to play with and is FREE.  It's called my house!  I'm sure we'll get to the age of wanting ski hill and art center parties but you can't beat the cheap of doing it at home.

• Guest List.  We don't have family up here so this was just a kids party.  I originally invited 7 kids.  Totally manageable.  2 were out of town so I invited 2 more kids on the fly when I ran into their Mom's in town--a Mom I just met and am wanting to get to know better and a friend with an older kid. 

• Invites.  Didn't do 'em.  Evites are all the rage, totally green and usually free, but I didn't even do that.  I have a phone and internet service.  I called everyone about 10 days before and sent an email reminder the Wednesday before the party on Saturday.  **Warning--This laid back approach felt great when I did it, but not so great when it was 2:30 and I was wondering if anyone would show.  When you are laid back about invites, your guests are laid back about letting you know they won't be there.  That might be fine with you--just be aware.

• Timing.  We scheduled the party for 2-4pm so I didn't have to worry about serving a meal.  No picky eaters to contend with and I didn't have to feed the parents too.  Less expense, preparation and stress for me.  Before lunch could be good as well if lots of your guests are still napping.

• Gifts.  We have just come off of Christmas and Huck has lots of family who sent him even more gifts for his birthday.  Instead of getting another load of toys from friends, we asked guests to bring a bag of pet food or pet treats for the local animal shelter.  Tomorrow we'll be taking Huck to the shelter to visit the animals and take them all the food and treats he collected.  This can be done for any charity, but as a first step in learning about giving the animal shelter seemed like a more fun choice for this age group.  August/September birthdays could collect school supplies for kids.  November/December birthdays could do toys for angel trees or homeless shelters.  Collecting for care packages for soldiers overseas would be great, too.

• Decorations.  I made the fabric Birthday Bunting.  It was the most outlay of time but we will use it for the whole family for years to come.  I made some child-sized cloth napkins in a fun print and we used Huck's regular Fiestaware plates and old Bama Jam Jar glasses--all durable, reusable and festive.  Even if you choose to buy party plates, you can get inexpensive ceramic ones or even melamine in fun colors and designs and use them every year.  You can even make or buy a coordinating cloth or vinyl tablecloth to keep with your "party stash."  We used oilcloth off the bolt which I've been using under our regular tablecloth for arts and craft.  Besides the mountain of leftover cupcakes (in unbleached baking cups) that ended up as garbage, we didn't have any other paper trash!  We did also have some balloons.  I couldn't help myself.

• Activities.  The main activity was playing with Play Dough.  I made up a large homemade batch using my recipe (doubled) but Beth's idea of mixing the food coloring in afterward (duh!).  I made a lot of colors and formed them into lots of 2-3 inch balls.  Months ago, I bought a bag of dough cookie cutters, some dough presses from Discount School Supply and put together with some wooden rollers and hammers I had to make a nice Play Dough set for Huck.  They were all on the table with the little dough balls when the kids arrived.  Huck also received a 130 pc set of Mr. Potato Head pieces from my parents (who clearly must hate me to give us such a "gift").  I put those out as well and bought a bag of russet potatoes so we could show the kids how they played Mr. Potato Head back in the olden days.  They all had a blast sticking noses and feet on the spuds and in the dough and generally pounding and pressing and making a royal mess.  I must say, the adults enjoyed the play dough as much as the 3 kids did.  I also had supplies on hand for cereal necklaces and, though we didn't end up playing it, we had a homemade "Pin the Nose on the Clown" game for good measure.

• Food.  The food was actually another activity--decorate your own cupcake.  Huge hit!  I baked up a bunch of cupcakes but left them naked.  I made up one batch of vanilla frosting, used food coloring to make several different colors, and put out a variety of sprinkles and decorations in little finger bowls.  No one had to wait to eat theirs, but when Huck was finished making his, we stuck a candle in it and sang the song. 

• Gift bags.  If you've ever purchased anything from Discount School Supplies you know that you always get more than you need.  We sent everyone home with 2 dough cookie cutters, a dough press, 2 balls of homemade dough and the recipe on an index card.  My Mom picked the gift bags up off a dollar table somewhere in Texas and brought them up here when they visited saying, "Surely you'll be able to do something with these."  Why, yes, I can.

So that's it.  No pressure, low cost, sustainable and fun.

EnviroMom has a great collection of posts on green birthdays that I used as a resource for planning ours.  I highly recommend checking them out if you're interested in forgoing the paper decoration, hire a pony & a clown, gift orgy route. 

Green Holiday Series :: Your Friends & Neighbors

My intention (ahhh, that lovely road to hell) was that this entry into the Green Holiday Series would be just as comprehensive as the others have been.  Unfortunately, it's just not going to be.  In fact, it's likely to be the last Green Holiday entry for 2008.  I'm trying to look on the bright side--it just means I'll be able to continue additions to the series and fill in the few gaps in 2009!

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In my opinion, homemade and edible is the way to go this year.  It's frugal, you can do it all in one big batch, but it says that you care enough to spend some time and labor to show your appreciation for the people who support you on a day to day basis--friends, neighbors, teachers, service people. 

Plus...it's not too late!!

Remember that easy Pumpkin Apple Butter I did in the bread machine?  The "old family recipe?"

 

10 minutes to put the ingredients together, an hour & 20 minutes to cook while I do any number of other things like sit and make goo-goo faces at my new baby, then 5 minutes to package.  I made it in double batches and it will go to our neighbors, the mailman, and a few friends.

My dream neighbor gift would have been to make up small "Bread and Spread" gift baskets (our thrift store always has a bunch for 50 cents).  They would have included a pint jar of pumpkin apple butter, a half pint jar of the spinach pesto, and a small one pound peasant loaf from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking.
 
A speaking of this idea, any of the Gift Baskets from that entry in the series would be great neighbor and friend baskets.

Another great idea is Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls.  She's got a great big batch recipe that turns out 8 pans of the smack.  It looks amazing and the reader reviews are downright evangelical.

I also considered making cookies--a wonderful and traditional standby for this kind of gift.  I would have done a half dozen Ginger Molasses Cookies and a half dozen Snickerdoodles (with red or green cinnamon sugar).  They would have been stacked, wrapped in wax paper and tied with that simple red and white baking string.  I'm still thinking that I might get around to putting up a bunch of dough to have on hand for Christmas cookies--but at this point, it will be for us!

I'm afraid that's all I can muster for ideas this year, but please add your own ideas in the comments section.  What are you giving to friends, neighbors teachers and service people this year?

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For any last minute Green Christmas ideas,
be sure and check out the whole list of Green Holiday entries. 
May your days be merry and bright!

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Yule Log Tutorial

Welcome Crafty Crow readers! 
Check out my Green Holiday and Cheap & Easy series.  I think you'll like them.
 Enjoy the show!

Someone just humor me and tell me they think our hearth crock is funny.  We thought it was the most hysterical thing we'd ever thought of.  We rolled on the floor with laughter and slapped each other on the back like fools.  In 5 years not a single, solitary soul has ever even noticed it. 

A little Bolshevik humor anyone?  Get it?  LLBean crock?  Communists?  Consumerism?

Is this thing on?   

Oh well.  Moving on.

Yule logs were originally a pagan Winter Solstice custom to honor of the Germanic god Thor--by far my favorite of the Germanic gods.  You burned the Yule log on the shortest day of winter as an offering of sorts to ensure the return of the light.  Here's a really neat explanation of the origins and some modern celebations of Yule.  It goes into way more detail than I will here. 

Despite it's pagan origins, many of the Yule traditions were co-opted by early Christians to bring pagans into the fold.  Regardless of your religious leanings, it's a fun idea to decorate and burn a yule log as part of your Winter Solstice or Christmas celebration.  Your not supposed to work while the Yule log burns so most Moms should dig this idea.  Burn baby, burn.

Since this is our first year making a Yule log, I didn't really plan ahead.  One tradition says "real" Yule logs must be oak.  Not gonna happen up here.  Another says they must be cut from last year's Christmas tree and kept protected by the hearth for a year.  Neat way to recycle!  Once the holidays are over, we'll be cutting a few small logs from the trunk of the tree before we cart it off to our friends Summer Solstice bonfire pile. This year our logs just came from the woodpile--local dry pine.  I've never been a stickler for the rules so I'm cool with that.

Another thing I read was that "real" Yule logs must be received as gift.  But I want to actually burn one this year and let's face it, not enough people do Yule logs for us to bank on getting one.  So out goes that tradition, too.  We made our own, and made an extra that we can gift to someone.

Supplies:

• Round Logs, 12"-24" long (depending on the size of your fireplace or woodstove)
• Twine, raffia or ribbon (make sure it's paper or 100% cotton)
• Scissors
• Some natural goodies: Pinecones, small pine boughs, berries, mistletoe, holly, cinnamon sticks, etc.

If you live in an area that has this stuff, it's great to go out in late fall or early winter with baskets and let the kids collect the decorations themselves.

Now all you do is group your decorations and tie them on.  Huck did the choosing and the holding and I did the tying with twine.  Then we went back and tucked in a few more items.

Think with your nose.  What will smell good burning in your house?  The Norse also sprinkled mead on theirs for the aroma and to keep the log burning longer (remember, no work while it burns--this is a tradition we'll be embracing).  But if you just don't happen to be big mead people, you can try mulled cider or mulled wine instead.  Orange rinds or dried apple rings would be cool, too.

I think we'll use the small one above as a centerpiece on the table and then as a gift for some neighbors who host a big Christmas soup and caroling party every year.  Then on either the Winter Solstice or Christmas Eve, we'll have a nice meal and burn the big one.  Another Yule tradition I like is that everyone gets to make a wish for the new year as you light the log.  

From start (collecting the decorations from nature) to finish (feasting, burning and making a wish) this is a really fun tradition for kids. 

One tradition called for sprinkling the ashes of the Yule log around the house as a blessing.  I ain't doing that either.  I just got this place clean.

Newborn Baby Caps

Amanda (aka SouleMama) has recently launched a new blog, Mama to Mama.  Every month or two Mama to Mama will be focusing on a collective "craftivism" project that has mothers helping mothers through crafts.  It's a wonderful idea and a wonderful blog.

The first project was Caps to Cap-Haitien and asked that women make these simple newborn caps (the pattern is downloadable as a pdf) out of old but clean t-shirts.  The caps are going into Safe Birthing Kits that are being provided to women in northern Haiti, which has very high infant and maternal mortality rates.  Most women there deliver without even the most basic medical assistance or backup and poor sanitation.

Now if that won't get you to clean out the closet and get rid of a few t-shirts from the bottom of the stack, I don't know what will. 

I'm so happy with my little pile of hats for this project--though I may have to save one for my girl--but I really wish I had been on the ball enough to have done this a month ago when I first heard about it.  Then I could have promoted it better.

The deadline is December 10th (um, I mean today).  It is being stretched a bit but Amanda wants to get this wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.  So, if you can get on this quickly, then check out the site and do it--maybe you can even mail yours in a flat rate priority envelope as I'm doing.  Only $4.80. 

If not, please check back in with Mama to Mama in the coming weeks and see what the next craftivism project will be.  I'll try to keep you informed about it, too.

It's a really great feeling to put your skills and interests to work in service of other mothers in need.

Green Holiday Series :: Helping Others

This may be the greenest of all my holiday suggestions.  Instead of buying, or even making more stuff, give a helping hand instead.  Lots more people are suffering this year and lots of non-profit organizations are feeling the pinch, too.  Charitable organizations that are used to ongoing contributions, and even a surge around the holidays, are getting way less this year.  When they get less, the needy people they serve get less too.

My husband has 4 siblings.  Multiply that by spouses, kids, stepkids, etc and you've got a ton of people.  We collectively decided years ago that it just wasn't feasible for us to try and give gifts to everyone.  So we developed a system.  We draw names for all the youngest kids and they get ONE gift from "the family."  But all the adults pay into a pool--a certain amount per family unit--then we make one donation to a charitable organization.  We've done Microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries through Kiva and bought livestock to help families create sustainable income through Heifer International.  Last year we bought a low cost computer for a child through One Laptop One Child.  If you're not familiar with those organizations, please check them out.  Besides being great worthwhile causes, these are the kinds of charitable gifts that kids can get very interested in.

And don't forget to think locally, too.  Food Banks are in dire need right now.  The shelves are empty in many places.  A special shopping trip with your kids where you have a set amount of cash and a mandate of filling a box for a family for the holidays would be great.  Or just call up your local foodbank or soup kitchen and ask what they need. 

Then there's the gift of your time.  Volunteering as a family is a wonderful way to teach kids a great lesson without being all preachy.  In fact, you don't really have to say anything at all.  Just DOING it, sends a valuable message.  

Helping others is also a good way to destress and put your own priorities in order during a season that can easily run to excess.

Green Holiday Series :: Buy Local

The economy has me thinking a little differently this year.  How about you?  Yes, I'm cutting back.  Yes, I'm doing handmade as much as possible.  And yes, I'm opting for sustainable and long lasting gifts when I buy things.   But there's another way to be "green" and mindful of the changing economic climate that doesn't get much play...Shop Local.

Businesses are struggling.  You can read it on shop owners faces when you go into a store, or more specifically when you leave without making a purchase.  They're sweating.  The retail numbers for October were dismal--the worst drop on record.

Living in the middle of nowhere, I know something about not being able to get what I want where I live.  But this year, I'm trying hard to come up with a local solution first.  Talk to shop owners about whether they're willing to order specific things for you.  Or just go with something a little different that they do carry. 

I've done this with some toys and jewelry for Christmas this year for the sole purpose of supporting the local economy rather than sending all my money outside of my community.

Search out the small local shops that make your community unique.  These businesses need your help.  Keep your dollars at home as much as possible and support your community.