Sustainable Haps... and an Etsy discount!

One thing Shane didn’t mention in yesterday’s post was that all of our “local haps” were accessible by foot, bus, and/or train! Especially with all of the snow dumped on us Friday night, city driving would have been worse than usual, but in general, we try not to drive at all. We’re a one car family, which is wonderful when we leave the city or take large-item shopping trips. For the most part, however, we prefer to walk (healthier) or take public transit (we have monthly passes through work that are deducted from our paychecks, pre-tax, saving us about 30%). And in months of better, warmer weather, we love taking advantage of our bikes.

On Sunday, we made a stop to B3 on our way home from Trader Joe’s. Oma (my grandma) redeemed the rewards from her credit card for gift card and sent it to us! She asked first whether we’d prefer Olive Garden or Bed Bath and Beyond, and although OG is TASTY(!!), it’s likely not going to help us with the healthy eating habits we’ve been practicing lately, but I honestly don’t know where the nearest one is. B3, on the other hand, is 4 blocks away. And we already knew what we’d use it on: a new drying rack for laundry. The kitties helped us decide what else to use it on :)



This vinyl table cloth was NOT meant to be anything fancy, but it was cute and protected the glass... until now. The new one we picked out is made from recycled bottles (along with matching napkins)! 

Look! We re-purposed 31 bottles!

We also bought a new vinyl pad to put under it to protect the glass in the table. And as I was typing (and thinking how it wasn’t very sustainable to buy a white vinyl sheet that’s meant to be cut up anyway) I realized how unnecessary it was... we’re going to re-purpose the one the cats chewed up instead! For the most part only the edges were demolished. 



The small nail marks and fading found all over won’t really matter once it’s covered up by the new, pretty cloth! Our spray bottle now goes with us everywhere (do they make holsters for this type of thing?) to let the cats know not to go near the table.

As for the drying rack, we weren’t looking for anything in particular except sturdiness, plenty of drying space, and a low price. We prefer to hang dry the majority of our clothes. It saves on laundry money (we have coin-op machines on the first floor), the clothes last longer, and it saves energy by not using a machine. We’ll keep the old one, despite its lack of support. It works for lightweight clothes and the cats enjoy climbing it (if they weren’t so quick, I’d include a photo). But this new one is metal rather than wood so we’re hoping that it holds up a bit better. On a  related note, we “sustainably declined” a second, larger shopping bag to carry the rack with because it seemed unnecessary. Then I thought, great for the environment, but an awkward walk home... this thing should come with a handle. So I made one! I’m probably more proud of this innovative, quick thinking than I need to be :)

In resolution-related news, I finally opened my Etsy shop last Monday! (Take note of my fancy, self-promoting banner over there --->) I decided to turn this into a side project after creating our holiday cards this year. It was a lot of fun to design them, so I started on a few samples for other card themes. I’m currently searching for photos of families, babies, kids, couples etc to feature in samples in order to expand my “inventory.” As much as I’m sure prospective buyers LOVE seeing me featured in each item (har har har!) I’m feeling the need for a little variety. I already have a couple birth announcement templates, but no babies to display! If you have photos (or know someone who does) that I can use for a new sample, please let me know - I’m happy to work out some sort of a deal on a future order. 

Source: etsy.com via Natalie on Pinterest

And for YOU, our dedicated readers, I have a special offer good through Feb 29!

Discount code: LGC25 for 25% off any design and FREE customization if I’m not currently featuring a theme you’re interested in.

What old items have you re-purposed? What are some small ways that you try to be “greener” in your every day routine? We love knowing that every person doing something small makes a BIG impact :)