Going Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today is all about green. I'm half Irish and filled with delicious memories of my mom making corned beef and cabbage to celebrate. Sometimes she even made green eggs and ham or green jello. Since I haven't eaten any meat since last Saturday, I won't be eating any corned beef, although I am still cooking some for my boyfriend. So I'm putting a little twist on celebrating this holiday full o' green... by doing a few simple things to be more 'green'.

Yesterday I went to Hancock Fabrics. It's one of my favorite places, aside from the library or Half Price Books, because everyone is friendly and interested in knowing what you're making, and also because I like walking up and down the aisles touching the different textures of fabric. I made my way slowly to the back of the store and chose a white nylon mesh material. When I took it to the counter, the clerk told me it was on sale and only $2.50 a yard, which made me even happier. So I bought 2 yards and drove home with the windows rolled down listening to Florence & the Machine extremely loud.

2 hours and a tall can of Chelada later, this is what I had...

nylon mesh reusable produce bag

A few years ago I started collecting tote bags to put my groceries in so that I didn't have to use plastic. But when I buy produce I'm stuck with using those annoying rolls of plastic bags that refuse to cooperate and always stick together. So I did a little research online and found a few tutorials on how to make my own reusable bags. I didn't follow a pattern and just kind of experimented, but I'm pretty pleased with my first attempt. I chose a pretty green ribbon with flowers that I'd had for a while to make a drawstring to tie the bag closed. Sewing it by hand was kind of a pain and took forever but luckily Miranda is visiting me next month and she's going to thread my sewing machine and show me how to use it so I can make more bags in less time!

My other green project for the day was inspired by my friend Diana, who sent me an email with a link to Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes. Not only are they safe but they're also cheaper! I personally can't say whether they're more effective because I just bought all the ingredients this morning and haven't made them yet, but I will let you know tomorrow!