Creative Containers

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

-New England proverb   

Dare I say, Spring is finally here?  Yes, I am going to take the bold step forward and declare it!  And, with the promise of warmer days ahead, we can turn our sights to venturing outside and preparing our gardens.  Whether you have a large yard, just a small patch of earth, or even if your springtime greenery is indoors, there are ways you can enjoy the cathartic act of planting without spending more than the price of the seeds or plants.  

Sprucing up your garden with a new theme or creating a new planting space, inside or out, can be done simply through the use of some of the things you have lying around your house.  An old pair of worn out work boots make a great containers for outdoor flowers.  A brightly colored chipped piece of pottery adds it's own color to greenery.  An old mug that you like or a small bowl are also great options.

Just last week my daughter mentioned a planting idea she had seen that she'd like to try in her apartment.  It is to use hanging shoe pockets.  I love this idea and think it would also be great for growing an assortment of herbs in or near the kitchen.  What fun!  Take a look.

What Do You Do with Your Techno-Junk?

 Electronic waste accounts for 70 percent of the overall toxic waste currently found in landfills.

- Global Futures Foundation                                 

I received some pretty cool gifts for my birthday this month and one of them was this:

It's a bowl made from an old vinyl record album ("Saturday Night Fever" actually!).  My son picked this up for me in Philly.  I really love this.  It's an album from my era and looks great as a decorative bowl on my piano.

This makes me think about how we sometimes have a hard time parting with the things that were connected with our youth - even though we may never even pull them out of their storage boxes again.  And, especially when it comes to technology, even if we do venture a trip down memory lane the things we find may be unusable or toxic to just throw in the garbage.

If you're hanging on to records, cds or computer discs that you no longer have the technology with which to run them on, you have some choices.  

Try a craft.  For vinyl records, you can actually make your own bowl like the one my son gave me.  Old cds can be turned into all sorts of other items: coasters, sun-catchers, even clocks!

If you don't feel up to crafting but are still motivated to clear out some old stuff, make sure you dispose of your techno-junk responsibly.  Participate in local electronics recycling events in your area or check Earth911 to find out how and where to dispose of it.