Holidays are coming quickly and although purse strings are tight for everyone it seems that the season of giving feels stronger and perhaps more important than ever.
 

Here is a quick, easy, affordable and delightful twist on holiday gift giving that EVERYONE loves so don't limit this idea to children. It can also incredibly eco friendlyas you can regift, reuse, and recycle things in your own home incorporating them into this great gift. How to make a SURPRISE BALL: What you need: Scissors ribbon crepe paper string or yarn fabric your items

1) Gather up any smaller sized items that you might want to wrap including pins, misfit game pieces, clips, buttons, coins, keys, poems, lockets, gems, ornaments, jewelry, candy, snow globes etc. If you are like me ( ok- i can be considered a hoarder) you randomly have most of these things sitting in the house anyways! or you can go to the dollar store, or even make many of the items. Try to gather about ten- fourteen per ball ( you can really have as many as you like, but it's fun to have at least ten)




2) Make a quick list of your friends and kids in your life and make a mental note of their hobbies, likes, or something personal about them and try to group little items. For example- my friend Terri loves vintage anything- so i put together some pins, buttons, images, a brooch, an antique key and made the very center of the gift a vintage belt buckle i found for her in an old antique store that cost me about $3.00. Then there is my seven year old daughter who loves fairies and kittens so her surprise ball had lots of little fun shells, fairies, rocks, a hello kitty eraser, a tiny bottle of nail polish, a tiny butterfly, and a fairy necklace. Boys love pirate coins, matchbox cars, tattoos, marbles, maps, silly putty or anything really.



3) Start by taking your largest item (My mother loves to cook so I made a beautiful french toile dish towel into a ball and used it as the center!) and then start to "wrap" the item in string, yarn or crepe paper winding it snugly so that it covers the entire item. As you go - keep adding a new item to another layer continuing to try to keep the shape (many of mine come out pear shaped but don't fret...they are just as much fun to open!) Once you have made your ball large enough you can add the finishing touches. I like to print out an image- cut it into a circle and add a strip of ribbon or cut the crepe into a smaller strip to make it look more festive. Use the glue to fasten your image or a sticker sealing the last loose end or ribbon. It's also nice to put a tag or sticker letting them know to unwrap their surprise being mindful that things will fall out as they go. They also "travel" very well so keep this in mind when you need to send a gift through the mail.


4) You can really be as creative as you want with these - giving them as hostess gifts, party favors, or creating a great tradition for other holidays. 

 

If you would rather skip the fun yourself and order one, you can always order your extra special surprise ball through me with an eco- twist- shaped like planet earth- the inside is filled with lots of great eco gifts and sentiments and my special price for the Green Girls is only $12.00 per ball but hurry and order before December 18th to get yours in time for x-mas by emailing me at rodgers107@cox.net.

Birds all over the world are losing their homes and dying out, and certain birds have already become extinct. We need to protect the ones that are left and you can be the hero that builds a place for a bird family to stay! First a few facts: Many birds migrate meaning that they can fly for tremendously long distances at different times of the year and because there are not enough trees or grasses in cities for all the birds to make their nests in- they have no place to "rest."

I the weather turns bad in late spring as it can sometimes do, birds who have flown back from the South to the North for the Summer months are left in frigid cold with no protection from the elements, so if you make a place for them to stay they might even make it "home" enough to raise a family right in your own back yard!

Kids absolutely love the wonder and beauty of birds, and their nests. They are fascinated by the little eggs, and how they hatch. Grab your kids and a a milk carton and find a good place to work together on a backyard birdhouse or two for your family. They also make a great gift!!
 

Materials: Empty (rinsed) half gallon cardboard milk carton Scissors 2 ft of wire ( medium grade- it needs to hold the birdhouse up but be pliable) Waterproof packing tape Dried Grass or leaves Hammer and nails

1. Cut open the top of the carton
2. Use the scissors to cut out a hole the size of an oreo cookie in one side of the carton for the "door" unless it already has a built in "spout" or hole in which case no need...
3. one the other side of the carton make 2 holes with the nail - the top hole 1/3 way down from the top of the carton, the bottom hole also 1/3 up from the bottom
4. Put the wire through the nail hole through the top hole along the inside of the carton and out the bottom hole
5. Make a bed for the birds by putting the dry grass in the bottom, close the top and seal it tight with packaging tape
6. Now take a walk around the yard and determine your "spot" - and if you can choose a spot close to a house window so you can watch..even better!
7. hammer two nails into the tree about 1' apart one above the other and wrap the wire around the nails nice and tight so that the house stays in place

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many are bustling to gather the flowers, chocolates and cards for their loved ones. Yet, for more than 45,000 Columbians, Valentine’s Day isn’t about these gifts. It is a holiday that helps fund groundbreaking social and environmental programs that change their lives.



Accounting for nearly 20% of their yearly revenue, Valentine’s day helps enrich the lives of the workers on 163 Florverde-certified farms. With the sales made on this day, these farms are able to sustain continuing educational programs, subsidize housing and child care and promote local health programs for their workers. These programs aim to eradicate illiteracy, provide subsidies for home purchases to over 2,000 families a year, and provide child care for families of farm workers.

Valentine’s Day also helps certified farms promote sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural practices. These “green” initiatives include the implementation of Integrated Pest Management to reduce the use of pesticides, the monitoring of soil nitrates and the prevention of water contamination, the improved recycling of waste products and more. Teamed with The Global Partnership for Good Agricultural Practice, Florverde standards mean healthier workers, fewer pesticides, stronger families, better training and personal opportunities, and a more sustainable future and environment. For more on this story, please visit http://inr.mediaseed.tv/Florverde_36260/

For more on Monica, visit EarthSavers.typepad.com

Ever wonder what you should do with the carnage of broken crayons that end up in every corner of the house? Here is a great idea that is practical, easy and fun for the kids.

  

1. Gather all your broken crayons and take the wrappers off
2. Cut them into small pieces.
3. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
4. Fill the muffin tin or a candy mold with an inch-thick layer of crayon pieces.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the wax is melted.
6. Allow the tin to cool; then pop out the crayons, and they're ready for use.

For more on Monica, visit EarthSavers.typepad.com