The Power of Creative Recycling

Going green can be a creative undertaking with your family and friends. Inspire each other to create new ways to simplify and green-up your life.

Have you grown weary of the words, green and recycle? Is it because you doubt your efforts will make even the slightest difference in the long run? Maybe you can look at this challenge from another angle. You already recycle paper, plastics and glass, you turn off lights when leaving the room, you might even buy green cleansers. So what else can you do, and what's fun about it?

Try turning this green revolution into a game. Ignite a chain reaction within your family or group of friends and watch your environmental footprint begin to fade. Where does one start? You could ask yourself this question; what can I repurpose to benefit someone? Try something new and start with something old!

• Use chipped china plates to make a mosaic gift item (a photo frame, mirror, table top).
• Wrapping paper created from the Sunday comics is always an eco-friendly choice.
• Take old paperbacks to the local consignment book store to redeem new books with store credit.
• Go online to www.freecycle.org and swap unwanted items. What used to be thrift store cheap is now thrift store chic!
• Take vintage dishtowels (you know you'll never use them) and turn them into kitchen curtains with a kitschy flavor.
• Clean out closets and save old gowns, high heels, hats and capes for your children's dress-up box, perfect for indoor play dates.
• Tee shirts and teens are inseparable. Take old tees with cool graphic designs and turn them into easy-to-sew throw pillows. Stuff them with plastic bags.

Challenge your family members to come up with new ideas, you'll inspire each other to make going green a way of life. Start training your children early by a good example.

• Hold in-family competitions for the best homegrown spinach, lettuce, cukes or tomatoes to spice up your salads.
• Order seeds and catalogs on www.LocalHarvest.org.
• Add used coffee grounds to naturally fertilize acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries.
• If you can't plant a tree, then at least purify your indoor air with live plants instead of artificial air fresheners. Good ones to grow indoors include Boston ferns, philodendrons, corn plants, rubber plants and ivy.
• For weed control, try a chemical-free hot water or lemon juice spritz.
• If ladybugs are visiting your yard, let them eat free...they control the aphids!

Take a stand against harmful chemicals and waste in your daily life. Add a little creativity to make the changes fun and please let me know what your family is doing to participate in the grenovation of America!

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