It goes without saying that nothing, for any amount of money, could have been as special as that little work of art he created. To this day it’s still one of my most treasured possessions.

If you’ve ever received a homemade gift then you know the warm feeling of happiness that goes along with it. In today’s consumerist society it doesn’t take a second thought to go out and buy someone something.

But to receive a homemade gift…well, that’s something special. Homemade gifts speak of love in its truest form. It’s time taken, creating something with an open heart, and given with the simple joy of giving.

If you want to give some special gifts this year, or you’re looking to save money or reduce waste by not shopping, then making homemade Christmas gifts is the way to go.

I decided to create a master list of homemade gift instructions. If you’re looking for a great homemade gift to start on, you’re in the right place. And if you’d like to see my article on “Eco-Friendly Holiday Gifts” for more ideas, you can click here.

Free Holiday Music

Want to listen to some free Christmas music online while you make your gifts?

You’re in luck, because I found some stations that play nothing but holiday music.

Christmas Broadband- This station has been streaming holiday music since 1999.

Lagniappe Christmas- Want Christmas Southern style? Here’s a station that plays the old standards, New Orleans’ style.

North Pole Radio- This site was really easy to listen to.

The Master List of Holiday Gifts

Courtesy How2DoStuff.blogspot.com

Ok, now that you’re feeling festive and have some tunes going (I have to admit, being from Louisiana, that I’m partial to the swanky Lagniappe Christmas station…) let’s dive into the world of homemade gifts and see what we can come up with.

1. Make A Secret Hollow Book- Ok, this idea is just really neat.

Thanks to How2DoStuff, we can easily make a “book safe” out of an old book, using only basic supplies.

The instructions to this great and unique project are crystal clear, and there are plenty of pictures to guide you along the way.

If you’d like to go right to the instructions for this project, click here.

2. Make a Concrete Lightbulb Hook

Sigh. I love Instructables.com. There are so many cool projects there, and I wish I actually had time to do them all!

Courtesy Instructables.com

As soon as I saw this one my heart sighed with delight. Yes, it’s a bit weird, and a concrete lightbulb hook would certainly make an out-of-the-box gift for anyone who loves industrial/modern design.

Um,someone like  me for instance…

But can’t you see a row of these hanging by a back door for purses and coats? How cool!

The instructions for this concrete lightbulb hook, on par with the rest of the projects at Instructables.com, are clear and easy to follow. If you try this particular project make sure you read the comments below for some great troubleshooting tips.

You can click here to go right to this project.

Courtesy Not Martha

3. Homemade Marble Magnets

You’ve probably seen these magnets in little boutiques. I love the ones with cut out pictures of old maps, and old pictures of birds.

Marble magnets make a funky, functional decoration for your fridge. And, they make a really cool, really inexpensive gifts.

Not Martha (as in, Not Martha Stewart) has a great set of instructions for making these cool magnets. And, you can easily print off photos from your computer and make some really personal magnets.

You can click here to go right to this project.

Courtesy Martha Stewart

4. Homemade Snow Globes

Yes, these are sweet times 10. And if you have plenty of baby food or larger sized jars lying around, this would be a great project to make for the holidays.

Although the homemade snow globes come to us via the real Martha Stewart, it really isn’t a difficult project to make at all. It’s been around a long time (I remember first seeing it back in 2003, in one of my first apartments!).

You can click here to go right to this project.

Martha Stewart also has amazing instructions for making your own homemade snowflake decorations. I’ve made these before and they come out amazing; definitely worth the time to do it! I’ve kept mine year after year with careful packing, so you don’t have to recycle them at the end of the holidays if you don’t want to.

5. Homemade Food In Jars

I love these gifts. LOVE THEM. As someone who battles her own demons with cooking, I love getting mixes where most of the work is done. What’s better than that?

Courtesy About.com

Homemade food mixes are great because it’s easy to make a huge batch. And, they’re pretty frugal to put together.

If you’d like to make your jar kits really pretty, you can check out this amazing kit by Creatively Green. Creatively Green is an art/craft supply store that only sells eco-friendly supplies. And their jar kit is full of vintage buttons, ribbons, and labels to make your jars really, really cool.

Now, the picture on the right is, take a deep breath here, White Chocolate Chunk Brownies.

Oh, yum.

I found this great list on About.com that has tons of gift mixes that work great in jars.

What about Mocha Coffee in a jar?

Or, homemade Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows? You could also try a Mexican Hot Cocoa. I love Mexican Hot Cocoa because it’s spicy and has a lot more personality than regular hot cocoa (it has chili powder in it, among other things!).

If you try this recipe of Mexican hot chocolate  just omit the wet ingredients and make a mix of the dry ingredients. Make sure you create a recipe card letting the receiver know what they have to do to finish it off!

6. Polish Paper Chandeliers

Courtesy Decor8

I stumbled onto these luscious Polish paper chandeliers, or pajaki, via Decor8 a few weeks ago. I still haven’t found any instructions online on how to make them, but I’m convinced my library must have something. I’m going to go look soon because I really, reallywant to make one.

For those of you who are naturally crafty-inclined you might not even need instructions; you could just look at it and figure it out. Me? I need instructions.

If you have ever made one of these, or you know where there are some instructions, could you please leave a comment with a link or a tip? I’m enthralled with the idea of these, and think they would make an amazing gift. But alas, I have no idea how you’d make those cool paper flowers!

7. Make A Wordle

I love Wordle. Wordle is a free site that allows you to make these really beautiful word clouds out of a list you type in. You can choose your color scheme and orientation to make it look more customized.

Why does this make a great gift?

Courtesy Wordle.net

Well, think how cool it would be if someone typed in 50 reasons why they love you. Or, 25 words that all describe your personality quirks.

Then they printed off this cool little work of art, framed it, and gave it to you.

I’ve made Wordles for my goals in life, and I find them really inspiring. I think they would make a really touching gift.

8. Homemade Lavender Oil

I started making homemade lavender oil this summer and I have to tell you, I LOVE it. I use it every day instead of traditional lotion, and it’s doing a great job of keeping my skin moist all day.

I ended up using olive oil for my base and it has turned out great. It really does smell like lavender, and I only need to use it once per day. There’s a good reason why Spanish and Italian people are so beautiful; they know how amazing olive oil is for your skin!

If you’d like to see how to make your own homemade lavender oil, you can check out my post here. Put in a pretty bottle with a cork, this would make a fantastic gift.

More Homemade Gift Ideas…

Want some more ideas? Here are some great resources:

1. 100+ Homemade Gift Ideas from Semicolon

2. More Gifts In A Jar from Good Housekeeping

3. Easy Floor Pillow for Kids from Life123

4. Gift Giving Alternatives from Buy Nothing Christmas

5. Homemade Limoncello from Examiner

6. 9 Easy Recipes for Homemade Holiday Gifts from Real Simple

7. Healthy Homemade Holiday Gifts from CookingLight

Last Word…

Do you have any homemade holiday gifts you love to give every year? If so I’d love to hear about them and share them with readers, so please send them in!

Yowza.

I thought I’d start a little early this year on my top eco-friendly gifts list. Why? Well first off, most people budget for the holidays. So if you see something you’d like to get for someone you love, you can save up for it.

Another reason is that I’m just really excited to share some of these things with you. I didn’t want to wait.

If you’d like to see last year’s list, “Eco-Friendly Gifts For Under $40“, you can click here.

How These Gifts Are Sorted

This year I decided to expand my list somewhat. In this post I’m going to focus on eco-friendly gifts, as well as artistic or handmade gifts.  In my follow up post later this week, I’m going to focus on frugal gifts, or gifts that you can make at home yourself for next to nothing.

Post-Publication Addition: Here’s the link for The Master List of Homemade Holiday Gifts, as promised!

So, let’s jump in!

Eco-Friendly Gifts

1. Kill-A-Watt

I’m pretty sure I put the Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor on last year’s list, but there’s a good reason why I’m putting it on this year’s list as well. I’ve got one of these little things, and it’s so darn handy I can’t imagine not having one.

This little device not only helps keep me aware of how much electricity I’m using, but that awareness has helped me reduce my usage and make smarter decisions. And when I finally do start work on our off-grid home, it’s going to be an essential tool in helping me decide what appliances and electronics devices I can keep, and which ones have to go.

What does it do? Well, the Kill A Watt tells you exactly how much energy everything in your house (that plugs in) is using.

For instance, if you want to know just how much electricity you use every time you vacuum the floor, the Kill A Watt will tell you. And that pot of coffee? Same thing.

Like I said, using this gadget is endlessly fun and educational. I love mine! And the best news? They’re only $20.

The Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor can be bought on Amazon if you’re interested in checking it out.

2. The Smart Strip

Ok, I don’t have one of these, but I sure do want one.

The Smart Strip Energy Saving Power Strip helps you save energy by automatically stopping phantom power. You know, when your TV and DVD player keeps sucking down power even when they’re turned off.

Some reviewers on Amazon have reported saving $89/year on their energy bill with each strip. Wow.

I know that giving someone a power strip as a holiday gift might not be super jolly or romantic. But, it will definitely help reduce their energy use, and save them money in the process.

These strips work best in areas where there are several electronic devices plugged in. Like, your TV, DVD, cable box, and stereo system. Or, a home office where there’s a computer, printer, and perhaps some speakers plugged in.

So, what does a Smart Strip Energy Saving Power Strip cost? Around $30 on Amazon.

Image courtesy ReusableBags.com

3. Reusable Organic Cotton Produce Bags

I have three of these babies, and I love them so, so much.

These organic cotton produce bags are meant for one thing: reducing the use of plastic produce bags at the grocery store. But an added benefit is that once you bring these bags home, they actually help your leafy vegetables stay fresher longer (because they don’t trap moisture like the plastic bags do).

The great thing about these bags is that they a) last forever, b) reduce our use of plastic and c) don’t cost a lot.

Each organic cotton bag is $3.95 at ReusableBags.com. The regular cotton bags run $2.55 each.

Artistic/Socially Responsible/Handmade Gifts

As consumers we can go down to the local Target to buy a gift. That’s an option.

OR, we could choose to support independents artists, socially-responsible companies, or people simply making cool, handmade stuff.

Me? I’ll opt for local, artistic, and responsible every time. It just feels good.

1. Hand-Embroidered Belts From Peru

Yes, my heart is lusting after these super-cool belts. Can’t you just see them with a pair of faded jeans and a summery t-shirt? It may be almost snowing outside as I write this, but I think of June and barefeet when I see these belts.

These embroidered, handmade belts are made in a woman’s co-op in Peru. They’re sold by Twine.com, and are $65.

Want to know what else is really cool? Each one is completely unique. No two belts look alike. And, they come in two sizes.

Want to see them for yourself? You can click here to find out more.

2. Calaveras Limited Edition Gocco Serigraph

I’m a huge fan of Spanish and Mexican art. To me, it’s so full of life and color!

This amazing print (and a lot more like it) are made by artist Jose Pulido, and sold in his Etsy shop.

Jose’s prints are usually 5×7, and they’re printed on rag paper, which is great for framing.

And the best part? Not only are you supporting an independent artist by buying his work, but you’re also saving a bundle.

Each print is only $10.

No, that’s not a typo. I said $10. (I’ve already bought three of his pieces!). Spend another $10 on a frame and you’ve got a completely unique, completely cool gift. For $20.

Thank you, Jose Pulido, for giving us amazing art at a price we can actually afford. You rock.

If you want to see everything in his Etsy shop, you can click here.

Image courtesy SeaFindDesigns

3. Sea Glass Necklace

I just love these necklaces.

This artist, who runs SeaFindDesigns on Etsy,  lives on the Northeast coast and is an avid beachcomber. Every piece of sea glass she uses is glass she’s found herself. So, she’s taking glass that would other lie on the beach, and turning it into something beautiful for us to wear.

I just love that.

The necklace that’s pictured is $25, but she has a really amazing variety of designs to choose from. All of them are beautiful, and completely unique.

Want to see more? You can click here to go right to her Etsy shop.

Want More?

Want some more ideas for eco-friendly, artistic gifts? Here you go!

Courtesy GeekGear

This cool Sun/Moon nightlight is made from almost all recycled parts. It’s sold by GeekGear, on Etsy, and is $16.99.

This recycled wallet is made out of old inner tubes. It’s sold on The Rainforest Site, and is made with Fair Trade Labor in El Salvador. $19.95

Image courtesy NanaBrown

These reusable sandwich bags are made by NanaBrown on Etsy, and for $10 you get two handmade bags.

Image courtesy EcoArtware.com

This recycled vase is made from old inner tubes. It’s $25, and sold at Eco-Artware.com.

The Grand Finale…

Ok, if you’re a Twilight fan then you know exactly when Bella wore these fabulous mittens in the movie!

KnitsCrochetAndMore, a knitter in Farmington Hills, MI has exactly copied the design from Twilight and produced a super cozy pair of mittens. Each pair of mittens is handmade by her, and you can see them on her Etsy shop. $35

I have to tell you that yes, I have a pair. And yes, they are exactly like the ones Bella wore in the movie. My old mittens were super raggedy and I bought them for a treat. Worth every penny, and I got to support  a Michigan artist.

Now, she sells out of these super fast (it took me three tries before I snagged a pair) so if you want to gift them to someone you should start now. Again, she hand makes these, and with New Moon coming out in a few weeks I’m sure she’s going to be swamped.

]]> http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/11/eco-friendly-holiday-gifts/feed/ http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/11/eco-friendly-holiday-gifts/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thegreenestdollar/fSZp/~3/QYpQYSJgJS0/ http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/11/how-to-love-cooking/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:23:14 +0000 heather http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/?p=2371

Photo courtesy La tartine gourmande

Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: you’ve worked all day and just walked in the door. You’re tired, and you’ve love nothing more than to collapse on the couch for an hour with a glass of wine and just chill.

But, you’re hungry. Which means you’ve got to drag yourself into the kitchen and actually cook something. This requires finding a recipe, assembling the ingredients (if you have all of them on-hand), prep time, and then cook time.

Gack.

What do you do? You drag yourself out the door and hit Wendy’s/Jimmy Johns/Taco Bell to save yourself the trouble. Which means you’ve spent money on something that’s completely unhealthy.

Is your hand raised? Mine sure is. I can’t tell you how many meals I’ve eaten standing up, in my kitchen, eating odds and ends (like olives, leftover noodles, and cheese) simply because I couldn’t muster up the panache to cook something I actually wanted.

So why the heck am I writing an article about how to love cooking? Because I’ve been experiencing a change of heart lately.  And I realized last night that I’ve taken a few subconscious actions that have led to this change of heart.

And there it was: a blog post was born.

How To Love Cooking

So what have I been doing lately to put cooking in a new light?

Image courtesy of seller "stilettoheights" on Etsy.com

1. Make your kitchen a place you want to be.

Over the past few months I’ve made some changes to my kitchen. The first thing I did was paint it a very cheerful, bright orange.

This might not sound like it’d do anything for my cooking, but the truth is that it did. I really like being in my kitchen now. That orange just brightens up my day.

You know what else I did? I bought some really cool artwork off of Etsy, and hung it right where I do most of my chopping.  An example of the art I bought is on the right, from StilettoHeights. For $18 I got two completely unique prints.

I also hung up a ton of pictures from our Barcelona trip on another wall.

These small changes (the color, the artwork, and the pictures) have completely changed the personality of my kitchen. I used to see this space as a place to do stuff I wasn’t crazy about doing. Now, it’s turning into a room of mystery and character. It’s a room I really love hanging out in.

The Lesson: If your kitchen is actually a place where you like spending time, then you’re more apt to want to go in there to cook something.

To Do: If you’re not crazy about your kitchen, then find out why. Do you hate the paint? Is it too dark? Is it lacking some character?

Make some effort to turn your kitchen into a place where you really feel comfortable. If you want to hang up some crazy artwork, do it! Etsy.com is a wonderful place to find some really amazing artwork for bargain prices. And, you can feel good about supporting artists directly.

Add light. Add plants. Add color. Add some of yourself. And I guarantee you’ll be drawn to this room more than you were before.

2. Clear some space.

You might be surprised to find out I used to be a professional organizer. And you know what? Hands down, kitchens were always the most cluttered rooms in the house.

So who were the culprits?

Pampered Chef tools. The Magic Bullet. The Williams-Sonoma avocado slicer. The Black and Decker chicken rotisserie. The Kitchen Aid monster mixer. The towering pile of plastic and paper shopping bags.

You know what I’m talking about here. Many people have their kitchens stuffed with more appliances and cooking tools than they know what to do with. These appliances take up a ton of space, and probably only get used a few times per year, if that.

As a result, a lot of clutter ends up on the counters because there’s simply nowhere else for it to go. And, this can make cooking a stressful and frustrating experience.

I’ve been going through my own kitchen the past few months, donating and organizing, and I now have a lot more space than I used to. And you know what? I haven’t yet missed anything I’ve gotten rid of, and my kitchen feels much more open and inviting.

The Lesson: The less cluttered and more organized your kitchen is, the more you’re going to want to go in there to cook and have fun.

To Do: If your kitchen is overflowing with plastic bags, old appliances, faded Tupperware, and defunct Magic Bullet accessories, then it might be time to go an organizing binge. Donate whatever you can that still works, and find a local recycling facility (use Earth911.com) for everything that’s broken.

Photo courtesy Erika Rudolph

3. Cook to music.

I find that if I’m listening to music that I really love when I’m cooking, it’s much more enjoyable. I have a funky old radio that stays in there, but I also have a little boombox for my iPod that I bring in when I’m cooking.

And you know what?

I have a blast.

Lesson: Music makes anything funner.

To Do: Find a way to get music into your kitchen. Whether you click on NPR to catch up on the news or jam out to Elton John, cooking is more enjoyable when you’ve got something to listen to.

4. Change your mindset.

My biggest hangup with cooking was my mindset. I always approached cooking as the necessary evil I had to go through in order to get the prize (ie: something tasty).

But, cooking is an experience. Every step, from measuring out flour to pulling cupcakes out of the oven, is something I should pay attention to and enjoy. If I can have the mindset that cooking is just as relaxing as other things I enjoy, like running or gardening, then I can fully put myself into the experience.

The Lesson: If you can look at cooking as a journey, not a destination, you might find you enjoy the process more.

To Do: The next meal you cook, really pay attention to what you’re doing. Don’t look at those vegetables that need chopping as just something you’ve got to get done before you can proceed to step two. Really focus on chopping them up. Relax while you’re doing it. Let your mind wander and daydream.

I’m here to tell you cooking really can be relaxing. But, it takes the right mindset. I’m still working on this myself, but it’s getting easier!

5. Don’t forget the wine…

Cooking is way, way more enjoyable if I’ve got a glass of wine in my hand. Yes, I buy the cheap stuff (eco-friendly Corbet Canyon: it’s tasty, frugal, and every part of the box and bladder can be recycled…), it’s a great way to relax as I get going.

Lesson: Wine or other drinks can be a great addition to the cooking process. After all, even cleaning toilets would be enjoyable after a couple of glasses…

To Do: Buy a bottle or box of wine for your next meal. But, don’t save it for the meal itself. Celebrate the act of cooking with a glass while you cook.

6. Experiment!

I’ve been getting bolder in the kitchen. Sometimes my experiments turn out great. Sometimes, they bomb (like the vegetarian crock pot stew I made last week. I was going to write a whole post about that frugal recipe if it turned out. But, it didn’t turn out…we ended up eating pizza…)

The point here is that I’ve learned to let go of the expectation that each meal needs to be perfect. And letting that go has been really liberating. I’ve been trying more recipes as a result because I’m not afraid to try them. Cooking has actually gotten a bit, dare I say it, fun.

I’m still not into long, drawn out recipes. I don’t know if I’ll ever be. But I have gotten a bit more adventurous.

Lesson: You don’t have to perfect, can you believe it? Every meal isn’t going to turn out with Martha Stewart perfection. I know, I was shocked too.

To Do: Embrace the inherent fun of cooking. Experiment with different styles and flavors. For instance, A and I made tapas for the first time on Halloween. Did we know what we were doing? Not really. But they turned out really great! And we had just as much fun making them as we did eating them.

Last Word…

You don’t need me to tell you that cooking at home saves far more money than going out to eat. I’ve had my digressions, but I really am trying to cook at home more lately. I need to save that money, and it really is healthier. But, I think I’m doing good so far!

How about you? Do you have any tips to help me and other readers enjoy the cooking process? Any tips you have to keep yourself motivated? Please share!

Music dramatically influences our daily lives, from how fast our workday goes to how sad or happy we’re feeling in a given moment. All of us have a different relationship to music, but that’s what makes it so personal. After all, what we choose to listen to says a whole lot about who are are.

As wonderful as music is, it can, however, be an expensive passion.  So, I decided to write a short guide to free online music so we can all have a happier day.

Stealing Music Is Bad

Now, I should take a minute to explain what this post is not.

This post is not a “how to” guide on getting free downloadable music online. Musicians put a lot of time, money, and effort into making music for us to enjoy. I believe they should be paid for their efforts just like we pay for everything else.

What is this post about? It’s a listing of sites that allow you to listen to free, legal streaming music, like a radio. But, much more customizable than your local FM station.

1. Pandora.com

By far my favorite site for music is Pandora.com.

Pandora is a result of the Music Genome Project. The Music Genome Project is an incredible analysis of music which has been taking place over the past 8 years.  Every song in the Genome database has been analyzed using 400 different musical characteristics. And, Pandora uses this information to give you only music you love.

How does it work? Well, with Pandora you start by picking an artist you really like. For an example, let’s choose the Beatles.

By picking the Beatles, you’re essentially creating a “station” for yourself. This station will only play music by the Beatles, and other artists that Pandora feels are similar to the Beatles.

What makes Pandora so cool is that you can “like” or “dislike” every song that Pandora plays for you. With each rating your station gets even more customized. And when you “dislike” a song, Pandora immediately chooses another for you to listen to.

A Beatles station is going to play songs like Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, the Turtles, Jethro Tull, etc. You might also get some Grand Funk Railroad in there, or some Stones.

The point here is that you’re telling Pandora what you want to hear. So every time you “dislike” a song, that’s the last time you hear it on that station. And the stuff you like? Pandora gives you more of the same.

And of course, the site saves all your information in your account.

It’s very, very cool. My workday would be a silent, sad thing without Pandora.

Pandora lets you listen to 40 hours per month completely for free. If you go over you can pay 99 cents to listen unlimited for the rest of the month. Or you can become a member for $36 per year. Membership gives you unlimited listening, a higher quality sound, and no ads, amongst other things.

2. TheRadio.com

If you run out of time at Pandora (like I did this month), then you can head over to TheRadio.com.

TheRadio is similar to Pandora in the sense that you can choose a specific artist to listen to, and hear other similar artists on the same station. And, you can “like” and “dislike” songs.

I haven’t spent much time on TheRadio. I really only discovered it a few days ago when a good friend recommended it. So far, I still like Pandora better. Why? Because they do a much better job recommending similar songs to listen to.

Here’s an example. As I write this, I have TheRadio on. I just picked a station featuring the Sundays. They’re a mellow girl group that was big in the ’90’s.

The song that came on next was The O’Kaysion’s, “Girl Watcher”, from their ’60’s Summer Beach Hits Album.

That song sounds nothing like the Sundays. Different genres, different styles, and completely different eras.

So with TheRadio, you’re never sure what you’re going to get. This can be good, or not so good.

3. Grooveshark

Your third option is to head over to Grooveshark.

Grooveshark is another site I’ve only recently discovered. It’s a bit different than Pandora and TheRadio in the sense that you type in an artist or group you want to listen to, and then you get a list of pretty much of every song they ever wrote.

You can start listening immediately, just going down the list. Or you can sort the songs by album, and listen to them that way. And if you take the time to create an account, you can “heart” songs and artists, and start creating a master list of your favorite tunes.

Grooveshark is cool because you can also listen to other people’s playlists, which is actually a pretty neat, voyeuristic way to discover new music and new mixes. And, it lets you search by artist.

So if you typed in “JJ Cale”, you’d be able to browse other people’s mixes that have JJ Cale on them. And, some of the mixes other people have put together are really great. They’ve taken all the work out of the process, so if you find one you like you can just listen to their entire mix.

Yep, it’s cool. And it’s completely free.

Last Word…

I think most of us could use more music in our lives. I think most people listen to music in their car, but forget about listening to it at home. But it’s at home, I think, where it can do the most good.

I have music playing all day when I’m at home, working. But, I also have it playing when I’m cooking dinner, cleaning the house, or just relaxing in the living room at night.

Utilizing streaming online stations is not only a great way to rediscover your old favorites, but they’re always great ways to discover new artists. And the best part? They’re completely free.

Do you have an online music site you love? Let me know! I’d love to find more options to check out and share with readers.

The company sent me everything in their eco-friendly Small Steps line: paper towels, facial tissue, toilet tissue, dinner napkins, and everyday napkins.

And, I have to say I was pretty impressed, not only with how green the company is, but how well their recycled products held up.

Marcal’s Green Initiatives

What I love about this company is that all their products are made from paper, not trees. The company has been in business since 1950, and they estimate that they’ve saved over 20 million trees to date with their eco-friendly paper products. They were making recycled paper products when green was still just a color, not a movement.

I like that.

They not only use recycled paper to make their products, but they also skip the chlorine bleach, which is incredibly harmful to the environment. And, they reuse over 200,000 tons of paper each year to make their products.

So, they’re definitely an ethical, eco-friendly company. But how do their products stand up?

The Paper Towels

I only use paper towels for the really dirty jobs. I won’t go into detail, but I have two dogs so I’ll let you use your imagination.

How did the Small Steps paper towels handle the tough stuff?

Well, I was pretty impressed. I can’t say they were as tough as Bounty (you’d have to drag those paper towels behind your car to get them to shred), but then again, Bounty uses god-only-knows how many trees to make their towels.

Marcal uses zero.

Given the choice, I’d buy Marcal every time. They held up pretty well on the big messes, great on the small ones, and I can use them without feeling bad that a tree had to die just so I could have a paper towel.

The Toilet Paper

I was really happy with the toilet paper. It was just as good as the Green Forest I’d been using. Is it super-fluffy-soft? No. I haven’t found any recycled toilet paper that is, simply because that super-fluffy-soft feeling comes from wood pulp found in very young trees.

Besides, how fluffy does it really need to be? It’s toilet paper, after all.

The toilet paper was thin, but not paper thin (like the CVS Recycled Toilet Paper I just got to try). Would I buy it in the store? Definitely.

The Facial Tissue

Thanks to my fall allergies I used every single tissue in this box. For extended use (as in, blowing my nose at least 25 times per day) I have to say that my nose got kind of shredded. But if you were going to use them like a normal person, these tissues would work great.

The Napkins

Marcal sent me two types of napkins to try: dinner napkins and everyday napkins.

The dinner napkins were really nice. They’re the kind that you’d want to use if you were having a nice dinner party. They were thick and soft, and you couldn’t tell at all they were made from recycled paper.

The everyday napkins were great. They were just regular folded napkins and, just like the fancier dinner napkins, you’d never guess they were made from recycled paper.

Last Word…

Although I’ve really tried to limit my use of paper products over the past year, I was really impressed with these products. They’re just as good as the other recycled paper products I’ve tested (like Seventh Generation and Green Forest), and better than some.

The good news is that Kroger carries Marcal products, which means that if I can buy them right up the road in my little town, chances are you can find them fairly close to you.

LED Christmas lights

Well, it’s almost Halloween, and you know what that means. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and after that comes the crazy, wonderful winter holiday season.

If you want to save money and save electricity this year, then you might want to think about investing in some LED holiday lights.

I recently bought a string because I was really curious at how much energy the LED lights use versus regular twinkle lights. I donated all my regular lights this spring, knowing I wanted to switch to LEDs, and thought that now would be a great time to test them out.

The LED lights I bought were $9, and there were 60 lights on the string.

I tested them last night using my Kill A Watt and had an amazing discovery. After being left on for 12 hours, they only used .02 kilowatts of electricity. This means that, for this strand, it would take 25 days to use 1 kw of electricity. And, that’s if they were left on 24 hours a day.

Wow.

How does this stack up to regular holiday lights? Well, again, I donated all mine so I couldn’t test them personally, but I did find this great study done by the Department of Energy.

They tested LED holiday lights and compared them to regular incandescent lights to see exactly how much it would cost to run them 12 hours per day for 40 days. Here’s what they found:

Type of Light

Standard C-7

(125 bulbs, 4 watts each) Cost: $25.13

Mini incandescent lights

(300 bulbs, 0.4 watts each) Cost: $6.03

LED holiday lights

(280 bulbs, 0.04 watts each) Cost: $0.56

Make sure you pay attention to the number of bulbs in this study. The LED lights were on a strand with a total of 280 bulbs, which is only 20 fewer bulbs than the mini incandescent lights, and yet they only used .56 cents of electricity over 40 days. That’s a significant savings over the regular bulbs.

Upfront Costs For LED Holiday Lights Are Higher, But You Save Over Time…

Now, I know it’s tempting to get sticker shock when you start pricing out LED holiday lights. After all, I just paid $9 for a string of 60 bulbs (but as you can see from the picture, they’re pretty big bulbs).

I bought my strand at Wal-Mart, and as far as I can tell from pricing them on Amazon and at Target, they’ve got the cheapest price. The LED lights I bought are not GE brand, or any other name brand, so I don’t know how good they are. It might be worth it to spend more for a brand name, or it might not be. I just don’t know yet.

The point here is that yes, you’re going to pay more up front for LED lights. But as you can see from the DOE study, you’re going to make your money back with a lower energy bill. And, The DOE says that LED lights last longer, and are safer to use, than traditional mini lights.

Last Word…

I’m definitely sold on these lights. I’m going to go back and buy two more strands for my front porch. They use so little energy I can finally feel ok about putting lights up. Yahoo!

What about you? Are you using LED holiday lights? If so, is it worth it to spend more on brand name (like GE) or are the generic, Wal-Mart LEDs just as good? If you’re not using them, have the numbers from DOE convinced you to switch?

Please chime in and let me know!

Yahoo!

1. Mint.com

Mint.com is a financial planning site that helps users track their spending by pulling information from their online bank account, and then uses that detailed information to graph exactly where their money goes.

Yeah, I can hear your heart drop from here, because when I first heard about Mint.com last year, my heart did the same thing. But I decided to give the site a try anyway, because it had gotten amazing reviews from Kiplinger.com, who named it the best budgeting site out there, and Money Magazine, who gave it a 5-Star Top Pick.

Well, I got all the way to the part where I enter my bank account and routing number and then I chickened out. I was just too afraid that someone would hack the site and have instant access to my bank account.

I forgot all about Mint.com until today. I browsed through the site again, and have decided to give it another go. After all, if Kiplinger and Money Magazine have endorsed the site, it has to be secure. And, Mint.com uses the same security that many major financial institutions do. So, it’s at least as safe as my online banking.

How can Mint.com help you save money? Well, the site will help you to:

• Easily create a budget that revolves around your current spending
• Meet your savings goals
• See exactly how much you’re spending each month on housing, food, entertainment, utilities, etc. with easy, color-coded graphs and pie charts
• See exactly how much debt you have, and come up with a plan to pay it off
• Receive alerts from Mint.com to help you stay on top of debt repayment and savings goals

Pretty nifty, right? And, it’s completely free.

2. TheLaw.com

Are you getting an uncontested divorce? Need some advice on filing for bankruptcy? Need to figure out how to create a living will, or get out of the lease agreement you just signed with your landlord?

TheLaw.com is a website that offers people and businesses free legal advice on everything from child custody to real estate deals to immigration. Their forums are divided up by very specific topics, and lawyers from all over the country volunteer their time to answer questions.

The site also has an amazing list of free, downloadable legal forms that everyone can access, and there are tons of well-written, well-sourced legal articles that you can use for research.

3. Flickr’s Creative Commons Site

If you have a blog or business and need some copyright-free photos to use (like the one shown on the right), then check out Flickr’s site of photos that fall under Creative Commons License.

The Creative Commons License is a way for people to share their work with others under certain conditions without the strictness of full copyright.

For instance, some photos on the site are available for anyone to use for any reason, but only if you give that photographer credit for the image.

Fair, right?

Other photos can be used without giving credit at all. And still others can be used without credit, as long as they’re not sold or used for commercial reasons.

Flickr gives a very clear explanation of what photos can be used in what ways. So if you want to save money on photos, this is a great way to find some great images without paying a dime.

The full site address is: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

4. TechGuy.org

If you’ve ever had to pay someone to come out to fix your computer, create a network for your business, figure out why Vista won’t work EVER, or clean up your hard drive from viruses, then you know how expensive it can be.

Well, TechGuy.org is a website that offers free, yes free, tech support to people and business owners. Techies from all over the world volunteer their time on the site to help non-tech people (like me) do everything from update software to solve incredibly mysterious and complicated computer problems.

TechGuy.org has been around for ten years and they’ve been featured on The Today Show, the BBC, in PC World Magazine, and in Reader’s Digest, just to name a few.

5. Wix.com

If you’re starting a small or home-based business you’re going to need a website. But, you probably can’t afford to hire someone to make you a nice one.

This is where Wix.com comes in. Wix.com is a site that allows you to build sleek, professional-looking Flash sites for free. And, it’s practically fool-proof.

The site was designed specifically for people who don’t know how to build websites. So don’t worry if you don’t know what the heck you’re doing; Wix.com has made it really, really easy to build a great site. And again, it’s all free.

Last Word…

I have to admit that I was overjoyed about the Flickr discovery. It’s so time-consuming to look for photos I can legally use on this blog, and I’m over the moon that so many photographers have generously donated their photos for public use!

I’m also going to sign up for Mint.com today (and yes, I’m really going to go through with it this time!). I’ll post a review of the site within the next week to let you all know how I like the service, and if I think it’s going to help save me money.

Do any of you know some great sites like these that help you save money? Want to share? I’d love to hear about them!

“When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something’s suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful.” -Barbara Bloom

You know what one of my favorite things in my house is?

It’s a bunch of candleholders that I made from small jelly jars. All I did was wash them out and stick some tea lights in there. But you know what?

They’re the best candleholders I’ve ever had. They send clear, shimmery light on the walls, and I use them every single night instead of leaving the lights on. They’re special to me not only because they were free, but because I think of the woman who made the blackberry-raspberry jam the jars held every time I see them.

My jelly-jars-turned-candleholders have history, and good memories. And they’re far more interesting to me than any of the swanky, super glittery candleholders I could have bought at Target.

Here in America, we have a serious “throw it away and buy something new” problem. Instead of fixing something that’s broken, or finding a new use for it, into the trash it goes and a shiny, spanky new product takes its place.

But by doing this I think we’re robbing ourselves of the lessons the Japanese have learned a long time ago. And that lesson?

The lesson is that the items we use everyday become dear by our use and familiarity with them. Everything, from our brooms to water jugs to masking tape, can have another purpose if we’ll stop and think about it. And when we give that thing a new life, we give it a history.

I have to tell you that when my copy of Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things: 2,317 Ways to Save Money and Time finally came in, I was enraptured from the first page. It’s a book that teaches us how to give new life to the ordinary things we’ve got around the house.

This thing is the mega-dictionary for frugalistas everywhere, and these tips will not only help you save money, but get a longer life out of the things you’ve already got. They’ll save you time, and help give some of the ordinary things around your house some history when you reuse them as something else.

Fabulous.

So, what are some of my favorite tips from this book?

Let’s go:

• Treat Sore Muscles- Don’t spend money on an expensive “muscle-relaxing” beanbag (the kind you heat in the microwave). Make your own! Just pour a couple of handfuls of beans into an old shoe bag or sock and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Let cool for just a minute, and then drape it over your aching muscle.

• Tuna Can Egg Poacher- Use an empty tuna can for an egg poacher. Remove the top and bottom of a 6 oz. tuna can, and the paper label. Place the metal ring in a skillet of simmering water, and crack your egg into it. Perfect poached eggs in just a few minutes!

• Never Hit Your Finger With A Hammer Again- I loved this tip! If you hit your fingers when you’re trying to hammer in a nail, simply tear off a hand-sized chunk of cardboard and stick the nail through it. Then use the cardboard to steady the nail as you hammer it in. Genius!

• Hit the Carpet Stores for Carpet Tubes- Carpet stores have a plethera of very sturdy, very huge cardboard tubes (the carpet gets rolled around them). These are great for kids to build indoor log cabins. Ask the carpet store to cut them into thirds (they’re often 12 ft. long) and then notch the ends with a craft knife when you get them home. Your kids can easily build a house of these things, and they can also be easily painted.

• Keep Bathroom Mirrors Fog-Free- Want to see yourself in the mirror right after you get out of the shower? Then apply a small amount of car paste wax to the mirror, let dry, and buff it with a small cloth. No more fog!

• Cut Vacuum Time- Need to vacuum out a drawer filled with small things, but don’t want to take the time to empty it out? Simply cover your vacuum nozzle with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band.

• Stop Scrubbing Your Cheese Grater- Tired of having to scrub your cheese grater in the sink after you grate cheese? Spray it lightly with cooking spray before you start grating and the cheese won’t stick.

• Shovel Snow Easier- Cooking spray also helps keeps your snow shovel free of stuck snow when you’re shoveling. Simply spray it lightly before you get started and the snow won’t stick! It also works for snow throwers; spray the inside of the discharge chute to prevent it from clogging.

• Open That Stuck Lid- Rubber gloves will help you easily open a stuck lid.

• Clean Silver Jewelry With Ketchup- Ketchup works great for polishing silver. Leave silver jewelry in a small bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. If your jewelry has crevices, use an old toothbrush to scrub it. Your jewelry will be good as new when it’s rinsed clean.

• Use Magazine Pages As Gift Wrap- This tip is eco-friendly and saves money. I love it!

• Keep Brown Sugar Soft- Tired of rock-hard brown sugar as soon as you open the bag? Pop a few marshmallows in there after you open it; they’ll keep the sugar moist for weeks.

• Keep Dough Off Your Rolling Pin- If you’re a bread baker or pie maker, then you know how hard it can be to keep dough off your rolling pin. Well, sticking your rolling pin through the leg of an old pair of pantyhose will keep even the wettest dough from sticking.

• Keep Frozen Bread From Getting Soggy- Boy Howdy I loved this tip, because I hate soggy, frozen bread. When you’re dethawing your frozen bread, simply place a paper towel in the bag. It will absorb the moisture and keep the bread just right!

Last Word…

These money-saving, eco friendly tips are only the tip of the iceberg of what’s in here. I’m completely impressed with this book, and I don’t know where Reader’s Digest found all this great information but the sheer quality and volume of information is amazing.

For me, these tips are like a way to cheat the system. For instance, it seems like these days companies make a product for everything. No matter what’s wrong, or what we need, we’ve got to “buy” something to address it. And our homes fill up with dozens of different products and sprays when only a few would suffice.

These tips, at least to me, take us back to a simpler time when we didn’t have to whip out our wallets for the latest garlic press or ultra-swivel-nozzle vacuum cleaner. There was no “KABOOM!” to clean the tub, or “SHAM-WOW” to mop up that huge spill.

People made do with what they had, and found multiple uses for their everyday things.

Simple. Frugal. Eco friendly.

Just a quick not to share some awesome news. I was in Home Depot this morning buying more insulation for my attic (my Do-It-Yourself project for this weekend) and made a very happy discovery.

All their unfaced insulation is 50% off right now.

Yahoo!

Normally they’re $20 per roll (for the R-30 rolls), and they’re currently on sale for $9.99. So if you have ANY insulating projects you need to do, nows the time to do them! I bought two rolls, but am going to go back and get a third.

You can also claim this expense on your taxes, so make sure you keep your receipt.

Terra Plana Dundan boots

When I first reviewed Terra Plana’s Lucy shoe back in May, I honestly thought I would never find a shoe I loved so much. I wrapped my heart around those shoes, said “I Do”, and never looked back.

Well, I’m thrilled to be able to say that Terra Plana has stolen my heart even more on the next go-round with their Vivo Barefoot Dundan boot.

And, keep reading because, yet again, they’ve generously agreed to give readers of The Greenest Dollar a 20% off coupon. Yay!

Why Terra Plana Shoes Are So Amazing

For those of you who have already read my Lucy shoe review on why Terra Plana is so unique, you can skip this section and scroll down to the next.

But if this is your first time ever hearing about Terra Plana, and their Vivo Barefoot line, then stay with me here. You won’t be sorry.

Now, Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot line is like no other shoe you’ve ever worn. They’re shoes that feel nothing like shoes.

Here’s why: 99% of the shoes out there mold your foot into a certain shape with the insole. When you put them on, your foot is forced into a certain shape, and you feel like you’re wearing shoes.

But Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot line doesn’t do this. This line is designed to simulate barefoot walking. Your foot is left in its natural shape as you walk and your toes spread out, free and unencumbered by the shoe itself.

The reason why Terra Plana makes shoes like this is because of the health benefits. Human beings were designed to walk barefoot, and our bodies are just naturally happier when they’re not being forced to walk in a certain way by our shoes.

The Vivo Barefoot line keeps your feet in their natural form with an ultra-thin sole that lets you feel every rock, brick, and pebble you walk on. With these it’s really hard to trip, because your feet are able to feel and respond to the ground underneath. You always know what’s going on because you can feel it.

Viva the Vivo Barefoot!

So, what’s so special about these boots?

Wow, let me count the ways…

Your Second Skin…

First of all, they feel like a part of my skin. I don’t feel like I’m wearing a “boot” at all.

Here’s an analogy: If I was a Scottish clansman and painstakingly handmade a custom pair of boots from the softest leather and then wore them every day for six years through the highlands, they might be as comfortable as these boots. Maybe.

With the Dundan, you get that “custom made and completely broken in” feel the moment you pull them out of the box. No kidding.

I also did not get one single blister from these boots. I have worn the mess out of them since they came in, and this includes carting them across the Atlantic to Barcelona, where I walked 10+ miles per day in them for 11 days.

Not. One. Blister.

They’ve Got Sole…

I also need to take a minute to rave about the sole. Now, you might think a “thin sole” means that it could easily be punctured by something sharp, like glass.

Not so. Need proof? Well, A and I love to dance, and when we were in Barcelona we went out dancing in this really dark, really packed dance club. And since my Dundan boots were the only shoes I brought, this means I went out dancing in them.

The floor was littered with all kinds of stuff, most of which “crunched” while we were dancing. I could feel it through the thin sole, but couldn’t tell what the heck it was. After about an hour the lights got brighter for just a bit, and I was able to look down and see what I’d been dancing on all this time.

It was broken glass.

People had dropped beer bottles and glasses all over the floor, and I’d been grinding my feet into it for the past hour. And the soles hadn’t gotten punctured once.

Yes, the sole of the Dundan boot is thin. And yes, you can feel everything under your feet. But this sole is tough as nails. You’d really have to put some effort into it to puncture the bottom of these boots.

Cozy Warmth…

Another great thing about the Dundan boot is that it’s warm. It has a thin layer of insulation on the inside for chilly winter days. And they’re water resistant, so you can tromp through the snow and not have to worry about ruining them.

Vegetable Dyed Leather…

Another cool thing about the Dundan boot is that they’re made from vegetable dyed leather. Vegetable dyed leathers are much more eco-friendly than traditional dyed leathers because they don’t use any harsh chemicals. You can find out more on the benefits of using vegetable dyes on leather here.

Why Is Terra Plana Green?

So, what makes Terra Plana such a green company?

Well, they add recycled elements to all their shoes. Each shoe is different, but there could be recycled rice husks in the sole, recycled foam in the footbed, recycled leather in the shoe itself, or recycled PET bottles in the mesh.

Terra Plana is also the winner of the Observer Ethical Fashion award, and recently picked up an award from Drapers for Ethical Retailer of the Year. They’re definitely taking some cool steps to make sure their business is green (and this includes using old parachutes and old coats in their shoes!).

Terra Plana Coupon

So, want to try a pair for your very own? Well, Terra Plana has generously agreed to give us all a 20% off coupon. Thanks Terra Plana!

The coupon is for their Vivo Barefoot line only, and is good from Oct. 19-Nov. 30. Just enter the coupon code “GREENEST20” when you check out.

You can click here to check out their Vivo Barefoot line.

Last Word…

So, what’s my last word on these eco friendly boots?

Well, if you couldn’t tell already, I absolutely love them. Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot line is amazing, and I love feeling like I’m not really wearing a shoe at all. My feet feel so free in these boots, and I know I’m going to be wearing them all winter.