Friday, June 25, 2010

Friday's Fancies {an eco-friendly summer}

Happy Friday, lovelies!

Wow! How can a week go by so fast?!? And why do they call them the lazy days of summer? Since school got out, we've been busy with one thing or another every day!

My Cottage philosophy aligns with the well-known adage coined in the Great Depression era: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

At our home, things are repurposed, upcycled, recycled, patched . . . even my kids get into the act by creating "toys" from cast-away items.

In honor of this philosophy, this week's Friday's Fancies is a tribute to all things eco-friendly.

 {clockwise from top left}

I just love this newsboy-style upcycled Kinn Jones hat by Sparky Jones. Super-cute style, and created with upcycled fabrics! Perfect for keeping sun off of your face in the summer, whilst feeling environmentally responsible!

Wow! This organic tangerine toothpaste from twig & leaf botanicals is SO much more appealing than brushing your teeth with plain baking soda! This toothpaste just looks beautiful! Packaged in a recycled glass bottle, and created with natural ingredients that I can pronounce!  And the tangerine flavor sounds so refreshing!

I've never seen anything like these lavender laundry sachets from SubEarthen Cottage. Just toss one into your washing machine. The laundry soap inside the sachet cleans your clothes. Then you pop it into the dryer with your clothing, where the lavender buds are heated, scenting your clothes with the lovely smells of summer! The nice cotton sachets can then be reused in many ways! Very clever!


I just love reusable bags, and these great organic reusable vegetable bags by Wonder Thunder are so cheery! Made with organic cotton and screenprinted with a happy motif, they are sure to turn a few heads at your local farmer's market!

Next week, I'll be posting a few photos of my own eco-friendly creations.

A few quick eco-friendly summer tips:

*ride your bicycle or walk everywhere you can* 
{you save gasoline and get exercise at the same time! :)}

*hang your clothing out on the line* 
{it saves electricity, and your clothes smell so much better!}

*use a mixture of baking soda and pure orange oil for cleaning purposes*
{it's not toxic, works great on any kind of grime, and leaves your house smelling fresh}

*grow a kitchen herb garden on your windowsill or just outside the back door*
{no need to worry about pesticides, and fresh herbs just taste yummy!}

Wishing you all a very happy and eco-friendly weekend!

Fondly, Kate

2 comments:

  1. great post, kate! awesome selections! love all of them and am def. going to check out the toothpaste. thanks for all the eco reminders :)
    have a great weekend & summer,
    kendra

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  2. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Yes! Instead of adding to the trash heap of the earth; every time we throw something away, we need to remember "There IS no AWAY!"

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