9 Christmas gifts you don't have to buy

Well, it's that time again. It's time to go shopping for presents for our loved ones. We stand in long line-ups then race home to wrap it all. It's very stressful as we hope that the recipient will like what we bought them.

I'm not denying that I do this but I have been undergoing a transformation as of late: what about giving presents that you didn't buy? You may think that I am crazy but sometimes the best presents are ones that don't come from the store. What do I mean? Well, here are some ideas that might spark your imagination.

1. Jewelry: an item that was worn by a relative or important family member means more than buying the latest rock. I still get tears in my eyes every time I think of my necklace - it came from my great-aunt. I never take it off. Nothing that was bought can replace that connection.
2. Used hobby items: last year for Christmas I got my great-aunt's old knitting needles and it was the best present ever. Of course, I could buy an entire set into a craft store but she actually used these over the past 50 years. Now I am using them. All my mom had to do was fish them out of the closet! Other great items are pinking shears, scissors, pins, crochet hooks, yarn, fabric, books, patterns and such. If they are sitting around and you know someone who is interested in these items, gift them!
3. Dishes: for our wedding, we received a butter dish from an older lady who had originally received it for her wedding 54 years ago. This became a treasure in my house. Dishes last for such a long time and can be passed down in the family -- especially if they come with a special story.
4. Photos: old family photos are a real treasure. Sometimes everyone wants a copy of each photo, so why not go and get copies made of the old family photos and give those in a nice photo album?
5. Recipe cards: look for the old recipe cards that your grandmother or other family member wrote on. To make this present extra special, include the card (or a really good scan of the card) along with the item itself, made from the recipe. For example, grandma's fruitcake recipe with a fruitcake that you made.
6. Ornaments: just like dishes, some ornaments are treasures that were given to you by someone special. This is a great idea for whenever a grandparent passes away to give your children an ornament that they gave you one year. Perhaps include a few pictures of the grandparent and you with the ornament.
7. Furniture: if you have an item that was passed down in the family or bought from an antique furniture store, why not give that? It could be grandma's dresser or end table that will make someone else's day.
8. Articles of clothing: vintage clothing is very popular right now and you may have some items that you inherited or that you bought a long time ago but don't wear anymore. Some great ideas are purses and accessories but also shirts, dresses and such. I know that even if I don't like the item, I can remodel it and it is still something that my mother wore.
9. Blankets or quilts: family quilts are heirlooms. So are blankets, especially ones made by a grandparents.

10 holiday movies to watch

Time for a nice warm blanket, a mug of hot cocoa and one of these movies on Christmas Eve! What could be better?

1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946).
2. A Christmas Carol: and there are many versions to choose from! Many people prefer the version from 1938, while others prefer the one from 1951 or the one that the Muppets did in 1992. It's up to you!
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) or How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) with Jim Carrey.
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) .
5. A Christmas Story (1983).
6. Home Alone (1990).
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
8. Elf (2003).
9. Christmas Vacation (1989). 
10. Lady and the Tramp (1955) - the scene at the end.

10 (mostly) paperless ways to wrap presents

Christmas is so exciting but usually after all of the presents are opened, this is the scene:

Eco-guilt sets in. Especially in some parts of the world where this paper is sent to the dump instead of recycling. Well, what else can we use? Here are 10 mostly paperless (and re-usable) ideas for wrapping presents that can work for almost any holiday (not just Christmas):

1. Old paint cans: Clean them out well and take the label off. If you need to remove any sticky goo then you can get a product to do that. Get two cans of spray paint: one a primer and the other in a color of your choice. Then, spray the paint can first with the primer, allow it to dry, then paint it with the second color. After drying, find a present and some embellishments!
2. The wrapped box: instead of ripping the wrapping paper off of a box, pick some that have lids like shoeboxes and wrap the box. Wrap each part (the box and the lid, or just the lid) separately so that you can reuse it every year. Tie it shut with ribbon, twine or yarn and add a tag and embellishments.
3. The colorful box: you can buy boxes in almost any store (Zellars, Walmart, Dollarama) that have a decorated lid and a bottom. So, instead of wrapping it like the above option it is already done for you.
4. The paper bag: try this tutorial that I did for painting a paper bag.
5. Fabric bags: try this tutorial that I did for making reusable fabric bags.
6. Felt gift bags: try this tutorial that I did for making felt gift bags.
7. Mittens, scarves, hats, etc: wind a scarf around a box and tie it with ribbon or stuff a mitten and carefully fold it over. This way, the present (and the wrappings) are one and the same!
8. Dishcloths, dishtowels, etc: In addition to mittens and scarves, try wrapping the smaller presents in dishcloths and tie shut with twine, ribbon or yarn. You could also use towels, shower curtains, tablecloths or bolts of fabric for the larger presents.
9. Storage boxes or cubes: try buying a set of these (that are part of the gift), add the gift, close and wrap a ribbon around it. If you are gifting a cube, basket or such then cover the top with fabric to hide the gift then add the tag and an embellishment.
10. Reused materials: every Christmas, save the gift bags and wrapping paper so that the next Christmas, you can reuse them. We do this at home and these materials are used to wrap presents (mostly stocking stuffers) for the family.

10 things to do with clementines

It's the holiday season and clementines are in season! What can you do with them?

1. Eat them! Just peel the zipper skin and eat them as is.
2. Boil the peels with some spices in some hot water to perfume or humidify the house.
3. Mandarin cheesecake: try fresh, peeled clementine sections instead* with a little more sugar.
4. Stuff them in the toe of your stockings to eat Christmas morning.
5. Make a fruit salad with clementines, apples, pomegranate seeds and kiwi.
6. Add the peeled sections to a nice spinach salad with a poppyseed dressing.
7. Try making a clementine juice* mimosa.
8. Substitute* mandarins for sectioned clementine in this beet salad recipe.
9. Try this fruit dip with sectioned clementines*.
10. Add the peeled, sectioned clementines to your cranberry sauce instead of orange juice.

*Substitutions: mandarins are sweeter than clementines so you may need to add sugar to achieve the same result.


Of course, no post on clementines would be complete without addressng the wooden clementine box! What on earth can you do with that?

1. Come spring, use it as a planter in the garden or as a window planter.
2. Break it up, remove all of the plastic, paper and staples then use it for kindling in the fire (if that is allowed, double check in your area).
3. Use it in your home organization. Remove the plastic, staples and paper and sand down any edges that could give you splinters. Add items, a label and put on the shelf.
4. Make mulch out of it. Remove all of the plastic, staples and paper then give it to someone who makes mulch out of wood. Once it's all crushed, it can be used on flower beds in the spring.

Here are some more ideas:

• eHow: how to reuse a wooden clementine box
• Clementine box crèche
• apartment therapy: What to do with Clementine boxes
• fun in the making: category: reuse clementine box

10 Fabulous Cheap (and homemade) Cat toys and treats

I decided that it was time to make some toys for my cat. I have lots of things around the house that I want to reuse or get out of my fabric stash.

1. Shoe box toy from this website
2. A stuffed sock.
3. A fabric ball: take a scrap piece of fabric and stuff it with some wadded up paper, aluminum foil or other scrap fabric along with some catnip and some noisy bells. Sew it up to form a stuffed ball and toss that around for the cat.
4. Any object made from eyelash yarn (bonus points if that is glittery or shiny eyelash yarn).
5. A twist-tie: just make sure that it has no exposed metal ends. I'm rather paranoid about that.
6. The cursor on your computer screen: ever notice how a cat really goes for that little moving arrow on your laptop? Mine sits next to me and watches it move around so I let him try to attack it - provided that he keeps the cardinal rule of never stepping on the computer keys. 
7. Crumpled up balls of aluminum foil or wads of scrap paper.
8. Leaves or pinecones from outside. 
9. Feathers (or objects that have feathers on them). 
10. An old tie. We don't use string as I knit but dragging an old tie around on the floor works wonders.

Ideas:

1. Homemade cat toy ideas
2. Homemade cat treats.
3. Top 5 Do it Yourself Cat Toys

10 things to do with eggnog

'Tis the season for lovely eggnog! I'm so excited! Here are 10 ideas for how to use up that eggnog this holiday season.

1. Steam some eggnog instead of milk and add it to your coffee for an eggnog latté.
2. Eggnog cheesecake -- or try eggnog cheesecake bars. You could probably take this very recipe and cut it into bars with caramel on the top.
3. Grog -- add a shot of dark rum to some eggnog for a spirited drink. Or, try an Eggnog Russian.
4. Try making homemade eggnog.
5. Drink it warm with some spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.
6. Make a smoothie using eggnog as the liquid instead of water, juice or milk!
7. Make an eggnog punch! Here is a recipe for Peppermint Eggnog Punch.
8. Eggnog truffles.
9. Eggnog cookies.
10. Eggnog fudge.

Or, you could take any of these ideas and put them into Google Search to find other recipes.

How to reuse a planter

Has your plant died recently? Or, perhaps you have planters lying around the house or garage just waiting for spring. Well, here are some ideas on what to do with those planters during the off-season -- or any time of the year.  

1. Use it to hold vegetables in the fridge: despite what your planter is made out of (plastic, terracota, ceramic, porcelain, etc.) it can go in the fridge. Clean it, and use it to store items like apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, peppers and such. It actually helps you to organize your fridge.

   
2. Use it to store cat or dog toys: every night, pick up the toys off of the floor and put them in the planter. Put the planter up high to store the toys and when you want them again, simply take it down and start tossing them around.

   
3. Use it to display ornaments for Christmas: fill a cleaned planter with ornaments, pinecones or leftover garland and wrap a long ribbon around it, tied with a bow. Display as a table centrepiece or on a night table. 

4. Use it as a transfer vessel: if you store potatoes, onions, pears, apples or anything else in another room, you need to put them into something to bring them to the kitchen. Clean a planter and use it as the transfer vessel. 

5. Use it in your home organization: if you have a shed or a storage room, use it to store smaller items like tennis balls, paint brushes, tools and/or nails, cleaning cloths, etc. This is a bonus if your planter is meant to mount on the wall.  

6. Use it to hold crafty or office items: this could be sewing thread, yarn, knitting needles, small bolts of fabric, embroidery floss, etc. It would be great for holding office supplies or scrapbooking supplies as well. Display it on your desk so that you items are within reach.  

7. Use it to hold scraps of yarn: put the leftover bits of yarn in here for whenever you need a small amount to hold stitches or other uses.  

8. Use it to hold small sports equipment in the summer: when you take the kids out to the park, use the planter to hold the baseballs, tennis balls, badminton birdies or other small items so that you don't loose them.


9. Use it to hold fabric handkerchiefs: once you have a collection of fabric handkerchiefs you need to put them somewhere. Decorate the planter with a ribbon, clean the inside and store them all rolled up in here. Take one out whenever you need one.

10. Use it to hold your keys or electronics by the door: everyday when you get home, put your keys, iPod, cell phone or other daily items here so that you always know where they are. Put the planter on a stand by the door and make a habit of always putting the items here. If you have a key ring, it's still perfect for the electronics. It's also great for holding gloves and scarves in the winter time.

10 Great Presents for your Parents

I like to spoil my parents at Xmas. Each year I like to spend time thinking of some great things to give my parents for the holidays. These are some of the great ideas that I have thought of:

1. Homemade Videos on DVDs: take all of the videos that your parents took of you when you were a child and take them into a camera or video store that migrates from a video to a DVD. Get them to digitize the video and burn it onto a DVD for you. If you can, get the digital copies of the video as well. 
2. Scrapbooks: take pictures of when you were young or from the past year and create a scrapbook for your parents. 
3. Digital Picture Frame: load up a digital photo frame with pictures from the past year and let your parents enjoy seeing what you have been up to - this is a bonus if you have kids. Whenever you have new photos or visit home, load up the frame with new photos for a gift that keeps on giving. 
4. Restored Old Family Photos: scan them at a very high resolution and either get a photo editor to restore them or you can try it yourself with a program like Picasa or Adobe Photoshop. Get the photos developed and frame them for a surprising gift.
5. Genealogy scrapbook: building on scrapbooks and restored old family photos, why not create a scrapbook detailing your family history complete with old photos, stories and old recipe cards.
6. His and her scarves: knit a scarf set: hat, scarf and mitts for each parent. You can use a different pattern for each of them in their favorite colors.
7. Recipe book: if your parents never wrote down their recipes, perhaps you could do it for them. Write them down and assemble them in a journal, perhaps complete with photos. You can also do it in a spiral notebook with tabs to divide meals, desserts and holidays.
8. Old TV shows and movies: buy them a collection of movies or TV shows that they grew up with. Movie studios are releasing many older TV shows on DVD so it's great for your parents to relive their childhood or youth. 
9. Lessons or Classes: pay for them to take a class in a topic that interests them, or perhaps a topic that they've wanted to learn more about. 
10. Time: turn off the TV and put the computers away then spend the afternoon playing all of the games that you grew up on: Monopoly, Sorry, Battleship, Checkers, etc. 

10 things to do with crayons

After perusing Etsy, one of my favorite websites, and the internet I found tons of cool things to do with leftover or new crayons. I found this very interesting as I know many people who have jars of leftover crayons that just sit around. Here is some inspiration of what to do with those crayons (and, a post that I intend to tuck away for when I have children of my own).

1. Upcycle them: melt them all together in moulds so that you get rainbow crayons like this. It will definitely use up the crayon stash and lead to really cool variegated colored masterpieces.
2. Crayon art: on Etsy, I found melted crayon art in blue/green, rainbow, neon, and more. I really like this one.
3. Crayon wreath: what a wonderful Christmas idea for kids! Check this one out!
4. Reform them: there are so many great ideas. All you need is the molds and then you can do it yourself (here is a post on homemade by Jill that shows you how). Or, go on Etsy to find some in the shapes of robots, race cars, lego pieces, teapots, fortune cookies, cupcakes and so much more. 
5. Crayon clock: here is one from Etsy although you can probably figure out how to make it.
6. Framed crayon letters: you can glue crayons together and form them in the shape of a letter like this one then frame it.
7. Make a crayon roll: you can make a crayon roll so that the kids can take their crayons with them without them going everywhere.
8. Crayon party favors: remold crayons according to the theme of the party and give them to little guests in bags as party favors.
9. Cookie crayons: this crafter made crayons that look like Oreo cookies! What a great idea!
10. Crayon candles: if you can reform them into new crayons, you can also form them into candles with a wick. Here is a question on Yahoo! that explains this.

A paperless office

I work at an office that is moving from paper to digital resources and workflow. I have been thinking about how to do this. For example, what would happen if they took the printer away from your office? What would you do?

1. Computers: If you want to go digital, then you have to have computers. This seems silly to say but I don't just mean a computer at your work station, but also a digital method of writing notes in meetings and such. Laptops work better, especially ones that dock and allow the user to use a screen like a desktop.
2. Shared directories: have a shared directory for documents on a server. This means that you can save a document but everyone can see it. When you want a colleague to edit a document, send them an e-mail with a link to the document on the shared drive instead of printing them a copy. Also, on the shared directory, save documents in a logical file structure so that you and your colleagues can find things.
3. Digital editing: I was used to printing out assignments and essays and manually editing them. Now, to save paper, I want to take advantage of editing my documents digitally. This could mean running a really good spelling and grammar checker (within the document on a tool on the web) to sending the document around as an attachment to others to edit and then send back to you.
4. Switch to digital bills, payslips and reports: this means switching all of your bills at home to electronic stubs. If you have the option to switch to a digital paycheck and pension report, then do so. I will do the same for any other work-related reports like union updates and such.
5. Digitize the to-do list: if you keep post-it notes or any other paper-based way of keeping a to-do list, it's time to go digital. Create a word document for each month to record your to-do list. You can update it as you have done an item and then each month, save it as the name of the next month and delete the completed tasks in the new file so that you don't have to constantly rewrite the unfinished tasks.You might even have an e-mail software that has a built in calendar and to-do list to help you stay organized.
6. Keep a word document to record running thoughts: need to do something at home? Do you suddenly remember how to cook supper and have the urge to write it down and stuff it in your purse? Keep a USB key at work with a Word document on it and record these thoughts in the document. Open it on your computer when you get home. I call this my "Memory Management" document as I often find myself writing down things that I want to create or sudden epiphanies on how to organize my finances.
7. Don't print off e-mails: keep them digitally, store them in an archive that is stored on a shared drive or one that is backed-up often. If an e-mail contains important information that you need for a meeting, read through it a few times before the meeting instead of printing it.
8. Use word documents to record all actions that were taken: no matter what you are working with, but use word processing documents, spreadsheets, project software, or presentation software to keep it online. Don't print things out and submit them and don't work off of paper lists. Do it all with digital documents that are stored on a shared drive.
9. Take screenshots: instead of printing off information so that you have a copy of a code or confirmation number, use the screenshot software on your computer (mine is called Snipping Tool because I have Windows 7) to take a screenshot and save the digital image in a folder that you will refer to for this type of information (ex. Confirmation numbers).
10. Write up meeting notes: if you had to record meetings on paper, as soon as you get back to your desk write them up in a word document on the computer. Save it in a folder like "Team Meetings" with the date as the name of the document.

10 cheap, homemade present ideas for kids

I like making my gifts because I think that they mean more to the recipient. Of course, gift cards and toys are always acceptable and I am not saying that everything has to be homemade, but these are the gifts that they will most likely remember and keep.

1. Scrapbooks: I am making this for my nephews this year and I hope that they will enjoy it for years to come. I also plan to do this with my kids: each one of them can get a scrapbook detailing the past year for Xmas so that when they leave the nest they have these gifts. If you don't have time to make a scrapbook, a photo album always works too.
2. Re-molded crayons and coloring books: what a great way to use up old crayons! The blog notes that this works best with Crayola or another good name brand of crayons and perhaps not with cheaper Dollarama crayons.  
3. T-shirt tote bags made from their favorite t-shirt which was stained, too small or wore to rags. This way they can still have happy memories of that shirt for years to come, even if it doesn't fit.
4. Clothes: whether bought or homemade, they are always welcome, especially if their favorite super hero or cartoon character is featured. You can always take a plain t-shirt and buy some fabric with their favorite super hero or celebrity on it. Cut out an image from the fabric and sew it onto the front of the plain t-shirt for a custom shirt that they will love. This is even better if you make a pair of pajama pants to match.
5. Room sign: make a sign for the door into their room. I used to do this in camp on a piece of wood that we painted with our names and splattered our favorite shades of paint all over it. I still have it and I remember thinking when I was a kid that it was the coolest thing ever that I could display on my door.
6. Knitted or crocheted blanket: you can make kids a cozy blanket out of their favorite colors. I made one of my nephew and I made it big enough for him to use until he's in his teens. I did a subtle ribbing pattern on it.
7. Christmas ornaments: make one every year since your child was born with the date on it so that when they grow up and leave the house, they already have a small collection of ornaments for their own tree. This could be as simple as wooden snowflakes that you have painted white and wrote the name and date with a gold pen on the back. You could use that same gold pen to outline snowflake details on the front too.
8. Room decorating: all kids like to decorate their room. What about if your Christmas gift to them was a redecoration of their room? That means paint, wallpaper (maybe) and perhaps a few matching items for their room. You could wallpaper the back of the door or the back space of the bookshelves for dramatic effect.
9. Personal plates: do up their own place setting with a cup, mug, plate and silverware. You can buy these now in craft stores and paint them yourself then fire then in the oven or glaze them. Do a nice design on them so that they look forward to eating everything on their plate to see that design (we wish!).
10. A candy or cookie bag: make their favorite cookies or homemade candies, bag them up and put them in their stocking for Christmas morning. I can remember fudge, truffles and snickerdoodle cookies being my favorite and we only ate them at Christmas.

10 things I learned from my wedding

Well, I just got married and now I have lots of interesting tidbits to share with you. Some of you will laugh at this, but I thought that all I had to do was walk down the aisle and smile. I learned some new things on that day. This is for all of you girls who want to get married some day!

1. That wedding dress is HOT: Ok, if you are getting married in a poufy dress like I did, you will be very warm under that dress. It felt like I was wearing four wool sweaters over my legs the whole time. I wasn't cold at all despite the fact that it was a Fall day.
2. You will cry: I kept saying that I wouldn't cry at my wedding and I couldn't understand why brides did. Well, I did. Almost the whole evening. I cried that the food was so good, or during the speeches. I cried during the slideshow and during pictures. I laughed so hard that I cried.
3. Your wedding dress will not be clean: seriously, just try keeping that dress clean. It is impossible. People step on it and leave their shoe marks, you drag it on the ground and the flower petals leave stains on it. Your dress will not be clean unless you have walk around with a personal dry cleaner.
4. Bring food to the photo session: in all of the rush, we forgot to bring food with us and there was five hours between the ceremony and the reception. I regretted that in my post on what I would have done differently. Seriously, bring food. Everyone is hungry.
5. Your reception list will change: I had to submit a head count for my reception but even then, some people cancel at the last minute or some decide that they will go after the fact. 
6. Do all of the fun stuff at the beginning of the reception: when you plan a reception, do all of the fun stuff during the first two to three hours. We had our meal and then had the speeches, attendant gifts and a slideshow. At that point, anyone who went to bed early or had to go home to their kids left but still had a fabulous time leaving the rest of us hooligans to dance and mingle around. We all had fun, but don't plan the fun stuff at 11pm.
7. You will not sleep for days - before and after the wedding: I seriously couldn't sleep for two days before the wedding because my brain would not shut off, then (surprisingly) I couldn't sleep for two days after the wedding either! It was such a big event that my brain was still processing everything that had happened during those nights.  
8. Expect the unexpected: I thought that I had planned everything but my wedding started 15 minutes late because we were waiting on some very important guests. Just go with it. Everything still turned out fine. Expect a few bumps and don't take it personally.
9. Nothing will be perfect, either: don't expect for your make-up and hair to still look perfect 5 hours later, that is, after the ceremony and photo shoot. Some things won't stay in place (like bobby pins or your veil) and some things you'll just have to take off (like your shoes). I went barefoot for the entire reception.
10. It is the busiest, most stressful, and most enjoyable day of your life: I have never had such a good day in my life. I had the most fun anyone could ever have in a single day. I laughed, I cried, I jumped for joy.

10 Things I wish I had done on my wedding day

Well, we all look back and say, "I wish that I had done that!" or "I wish that I had thought of that!". Perhaps these tidbits will help anyone who is about to get married so that they might not forget these things and learn from my mistakes.

1. I wish that I had brought food to the photo session: I feel really bad about this one. One of my matrons of honour was 38 weeks pregnant and she couldn't eat until the reception because I forgot the food in the fridge. We were all a little hungry, but she needed to eat.
2. I wish that I had painted my toenails: I totally forgot that for the garter toss that my dress would be lifted up a bit, that is, enough to expose my toenails. I wish that I had painted them! I thought that I wouldn't need to. No one noticed, but I did.
3. I wish that I had reapplied my make-up before the reception: I didn't reapply the make-up and come the end of the night, my lipstick was gone. I didn't take a look at my hair either. I wish that I had. Not that any pictures didn't turn out right, but I'm a girl. I just want to look good.
4. I wish that I hadn't worn pantyhose: man, I was so happy to get those off. My dress had a built-in corset so that combined with pantyhose did not make me a happy camper. Word of caution: just break in your shoes more.
5. I wish that I had charged my camera battery: the battery was gone taking a picture of me getting into the limo to go to the church. I wish that I had charged that battery, and even had a second one ready (also fully charged) for someone to take pictures at the ceremony, photo shoot and the reception. That sounds like doubling the photographer pictures, but I had to wait 6 weeks for photos from the photographer so at least I would have something on my camera.
6. I wish that I had drank more water that day: along with the wish to bring food, I wish that I had brought water as well. Everyone was so thirsty that day and we really noticed it the day after the wedding.
7. I wish that I had forced myself to get more sleep: as I mentioned in another post, I didn't sleep for two days leading up to the wedding and two days afterwards. I wish that I had taken sleeping pills or something for those days because it really caught up with me the whole week after the wedding.
8. I wish that I had finished a few things well ahead of time: for example, we had a slideshow. I wish that we had finished that (along with some other crafts) at least a month before the wedding instead of at the last minute. It was a stress that we didn't need.
9. I wish that I had spent more time with people at the reception: don't get me wrong, we had an absolutely fabulous reception, but I wish that I had mingled more with guests before the slideshow. Some people had to leave early before we got a chance to sit and talk with them and I feel like I didn't really see them or spend time with them. I'm glad that they were there though!
10. I wish that I had a glass of water at the ceremony: we're only in the church for 30 minutes, right? Well, I had a coughing fit and no water! My mom passed me a cough drop but I had a hard time keeping the cough down and paying attention to the priest so I really wish that I had brought a bottle of water with us. If I didn't use it in the church, I could have referred to point 6 of this list.

Using up small scraps of paper when scrapbooking

Ahh, scrapbooking. A past time that I would love to spend more time on. I have glorious visions of all of my photos carefully catalogued in stacks of scrapbooks although I don't think that would ever happen. However, whenever I do sit down to scrapbook I always have the issue of what to do with the small scraps. I feel very guilty if I toss them into the recycling bin so I always try to find ways to reuse them. But what on earth can you do with small scraps of paper? Here are 10 things that I can think of that may help me and you towards greener scrapbooking. 

1. Use it when journaling (labelling photographs or detailing events). If you want to mount white paper, use a piece of colored paper below and cut to the proper dimensions.
2. Use it for the titles of pages. You can mount white paper and use the colored piece underneath.
3. If you only have small scraps, cut them into photo edges and add them to your page.
   
   

   
4. If you have larger pieces, use it to mount photographs with a border behind.
5. Again, for larger or long, skinny pieces, use it as a border on the edges or on the page itself.
6. Use small scraps to cut out letters. I find it easier to draw the letter on the paper first and cut out afterwards. You can also draw the letters on white paper and mount them on colored paper scraps.
7. Use a scrap to create a paper button. Cut it out into a button shape and draw the four holes in the middle and trace an “edge”. Then, use it like a button to pin a tag on the page.
8. If you have small, ripped scraps, use it behind photographs for some background detail.
9. If you have small squares, use them on a page for a diamond detail. This works well if the scraps are in a color that matches the layout (ex. Brown paper with green leaves goes well with green or white scraps).
10. Use scraps as “tags” on pages. You can cut it out to look like a tag and journal in a title and details.

10 Modern Habits I Want to Stop

I have been thinking a lot lately about older generations versus our generation. We seem to be lazy and addicted to technology versus past generations that worked 16 hour days (mom, dad and child in some cases) to make enough money to run a house. I’m not going to work 16 hour days but I think that I am guilty of some lazy habits that I don’t necessarily need.

1.   Watching TV while playing on the computer: I really am doing something important on the computer. Really. But, why is the TV on while I do it? I don’t know. Maybe if I turn it off I won’t notice any difference in my habits.

2.   Listening to my iPod 24/7: I am completely guilty of listening to my iPod on the bus and at work – all day. That’s an average of 9-10 hours per day. I plan on using it on the bus but trying to wean myself off of it at work.

3.   Not eating at the table: Once I hit university, I ate supper wherever I was sitting. This could have been at my desk while studying or in front of the TV. We really have to eat at the table – with no TV in the background as well.

4.   Drinking sugary beverages: I too am guilty of drinking WAY too much pop. I have been drinking water instead of these sugary beverages and I have already lost 10 lbs (bonus!). I feel better too. It’s strange to say that I could have been addicted to these drinks, but I think after awhile this is true.

5.   Texting during the day: I have to admit, I don’t text much. I prefer one action-packed phone call to texting back and forth. If I text, it will be a short message like “bus stuck in traffic, will be late” that I don’t want to get on the phone for.

6.   Complaining about traffic: I think that it’s stupid to complain about traffic because I made the choice to go home during rush hour. I actually adjusted my work schedule so that I only hit the beginning of rush hour but still, traffic builds up on Mackenzie King Bridge. However, there is one ultimate truth when it comes to traffic – complaining about it won’t make it go faster.

7.   Taking work home with me: this is one that I thought would never happen – that is, until I started really caring about work. I enjoy my work and my workplace. But, I have to implement one absolute rule: work is at work, work ends at the same time every day, and home is at home.

8.   Being overweight: I am guilty of this and I admit that I am not the size that I would like to be but I am comfortable with where I am. I really should lose weight though and I have to make better friends with our treadmill. It’s not a question of if I want to or not, it’s a question of my long-term health and the habits that I want to carry on to my children.

9.   Making excuses and procrastinating: if you think about, this has always existed but in the past generations, work got done or you didn’t get paid or you didn’t eat. Our generation tends to take on more work whether we can do it or not then we procrastinate when it comes time to get it done. This year, I am trying a new goal: get things done. Now.

10. Everything is disposable: at least, it seems that way. Our landfills are not thanking us for this habit so this year I have waged war on disposable waste. This means changing my mind about certain things (ex. Tissues versus. Cloth napkins) but it is working.

Reusing Small Containers

Sometimes, small containers are the hardest to reuse. They are too small to hold some things, and too big to hold others! Here are 10 ideas that I can think of for reusing smaller containers.

1. Use it to hold game pieces like checkers, chess pieces, mosaics or poker chips.
2. Use it as a money bank for the kids. Once it is full, empty it on the floor with the kids, separate out the pennies, nickels, dimes and such then roll them up. I still do this with my dad.
3. Use it as a discipline tool for the kids. My mom used to do this with little orange plastic chips used in games. We had to earn the chips with chores and each of us had a little “bank” (enter the small container) with a slot cut into the top. We could cash in the chips for rewards like a trip to the mall for new clothes, supper in our favorite restaurant, hair coloring or a movie.
4. Use it at your desk to store small portions of snacks like almonds, pistachios, wasabi peas or peanuts.
5. Save them and take them with you to the beach in the summer. Let kids use them as molds when making sandcastles.
6. Reuse it as a water or food dish for the pets.
7. Reuse plastic gum containers (such as 60-piece Juicy Fruit or Excel ones) to dispense more gum or snacks like nuts, seeds or wasabi peas. Wash and reuse.
8. Reuse it to make a signature coffee or hot chocolate mix. You can make it at home and spoon it out at work. Once it is gone, just take the container home, wash it and make more.
9. Use them in crafts to hold buttons, needles, beads, stitch markers, or other doodads.
10. Use them in the garage to separate out different sized nails, washers or bolts. 

Using less Electricity around the House

I don’t know about you, but our hydro bill seems to get more expensive every year. This might have something to do with the fact that Hydro Ontario raised their prices but we also seem to use a lot of electricity in this apartment. I am now wondering of ways to cut back on the electricity that we use so that our bill is lower – especially with winter coming.

1. This winter, I will try to keep the heat around 22 degrees C. During the day, we will turn it down to 19 and the first person that arrives home from work turns it back to 22.
2. In the winter, I will try to wear socks and a sweater around the house so that I have no reason to get cold or turn up the heat. That also goes for my nice, fluffy blanket that I seem to carry around with me. Drinking warm liquids (hot chocolate, decaf coffee or tea, etc.) also seems to help.
3. Unplug the computer at night. It’s not in use so why let it draw power from the outlet?
4. Also, unplug the TV at night. Ditto to above. I bet it draws more power than the computer does.
5. Unplug all of the small appliances that are not in use all of the time (microwave, toaster, coffee machine, etc.). I also have a tv in the bedroom that I will unplug and only plug it in when I use it.
6. Unplug all of the larger items that do not need power all of the time (in this case, this would be our huge treadmill). Only plug them in when you use them then unplug them for the rest of the time.
7. Use cold water most of the time. Heating up water uses electricity so I will try to use cold whenever possible (for example, when using water to cook pasta or vegetables, for brushing teeth, etc.).
8. Take shorter showers so that the time required to heat up water isn’t so long.
9. Use appliances less. We tend to watch TV or a Blu-ray while playing on computers. If we cut one out of the picture (the TV or the computer) then this will cut down on the power usage.
10. Turn lights off when no one is in the room. Although, we are really good at this one but it’s a reminder.

10 ways to reuse a pump container

Pump containers (such as face wash, shampoo and hand soap containers) can be reused instead of going into the garbage. If you buy products in bulk, then you can simply wash out the pump container before reusing it again (and again, and again...). 

1. Use it to dispense dish soap (like Palmolive) around the sink.
2. Once cleaned thoroughly (pump and container), use it to dispense olive oil for cooking. This is best for ceramic dish soap containers that haven’t had soap or cleaner in them.
3. Also, once cleaned thoroughly (pump and container), use it to dispense vinegar. This is best for ceramic dish soap containers that haven’t had soap or cleaner in them.
4. Reuse it to dispense hand soap (if you don’t have a hand soap pump).
5. Reuse it to dispense the product that came in it (body wash, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner). Or, if you haven’t thought of these uses, here are some ideas.  This is best for products bought in bulk and you can simply refill the dispensers.
6. Use it to dispense mouthwash in the bathroom.
7. If you do a lot of crafting with kids, use it to dispense liquid glue.
8. Use it to dispense liquid laundry soap. This is especially useful in college or apartments. If you are in a house, use it to dispense fabric softener.
9. Use it to dispense liquid cleaning products that you have bought in bulk (floor cleaner, all purpose cleaner, etc.).
10. Take the pump and put it on a bleach bottle. Whenever you want bleach, dispense it instead of tipping a large bottle (and possibly spilling it everywhere).