I'm going to pop some tags!

Warning this is the original version so the language is not for little ones or work.
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)




It's a cute little rap about thrift store shopping.  Saying things like I have said hey it was 99 cents! You know for work that my shirts get stained it isn't the too bad to find a shirt that isn't too ugly.

You think this rap might make thrift store shopping more popular?

Love it Free Glass Straws

It was one of those nights, reading the stupid stuff on Facebook, scrolling down kinda in a burr of half reading it half not. I then see a magazine I liked... that had a post on Glass Dharma giving away free straws!

Be one of the first 1000 people in April to write an essay Titled : “I love my glass straws”.  




Here is my essay:

I love Glass Straws Because

   I love glass straws! It's a very creative idea to help reduce and reuse. How can you beat that? You have 2 out of the eco-friendly three Rs. And knowing the fact you can't recycle the plastic straw then it is a win win product. Walking the walk talking the talk of being green. NO more of these plastic straws and those static charged paper liners. Plus supporting a green company.

 Who could not love glass straws! It is a reward to our littlest environmentalists that do the right thing but keeps fun in reusing. Plus the fun factor is also important to keep the young mind interested in keeping up recycling, reducing and reusing! A perfect gift for your eco-friendly person on your gift list. Hint hint, to all my family reading this.... However my daughter shouldn't be reading this... I know she likes the color straws.... Even as a grown women I know she would love these. I know her mom does!!!

So head over to Glass Dharma and get your free glass straw!!

Has Cheezburger and hotdog

So today is my day off this week-end and I am planing a cook-out with the weather report of thunderstorms all day..... Guess we might have a cook-in... So enjoy your week-end and Labor Day!

Natural Dyes

Hey a summer project or something you can do at camp is tie dye.  Remember tie dye? Ok maybe some of you weren't around then ok.. snicker all you want.... Here are some ideas for natural dyes without chemicals and additives........ only alum or cream of tartar, which can be found at the grocery store in the spice area.Or washing Soda that is found in the laundry area.  If you have some citrus acid that help as a mordant (helps keep the color) I get mine from the health food store.Then I found that salt for berries and vinegar for roots and leaves......

Mordant is something you add to water and wet down the fabric before you dye the cloth. It helps the dye bond with the fabric.   Dry thoroughly before using any dye. 

Lavender
Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Red Zinger Tea

Violet Blue
Violet Blossoms
Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Hibiscus Tea
Red Wine

Blue
Canned Blueberries
Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled)
Purple Grape Juice

Green
Spinach Leaves (boiled)
Liquid Chlorophyll
Greenish Yellow
Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)

Yellow
Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled)
Carrot Tops (boiled)
Celery Seed (boiled)
Ground Cumin (boiled)
Ground Turmeric (boiled)
Chamomile Tea
Green Tea
Golden Brown
Dill Seeds

Brown
Strong Coffee
Instant Coffee
Black Walnut Shells (boiled)
Black Tea

Orange
Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)
Cooked Carrots
Chili Powder
Paprika

Pink
Beets
Cranberries or Juice
Raspberries
Red Grape Juice
Juice from Pickled Beets

Red
Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Canned Cherries with Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Raspberries

And remember that  mixing colors makes different colors.
Red+ yellow= orange
Blue+ yellow= green
Red + blue = purple
Red+ yellow+ blue = mud... I mean a muddy brown color

Rainy Day Fun

Yea it's raining here but hey maybe it will end before the cook-out in my backyard. Oh well it's a day to remember the brave men and women that gave their lives for our country not just a cook-out day...

So I am on line reading my email and surfing the net.

I land on Planet Green (yea who would think that would happen?? LOL)
 I find the craziest things sometimes. But tomato haikus?

So I had to make up one of my own Humm maybe I should have put this blog on my recipe blog:  The Sassy Semi-Vegetarian!!

Simple summer treat
Sliced ripe tomatoes on plate
Present as side dish

My parents, grandparents, and even my daughters' fathers' family did this is the heart of summer for a side dish. Nothing tastes so good on a hot summer day. For extra zing you can drizzle some Italian dressing over the tomatoes and chill before serving. 

Miss Animals Rights wrote her own tomato haiku but doesn't want it here on my blog. Oh well be that way....... LOL. This is the young woman that loves to eat tomatoes like a apple, whole!

Oh no!!   Another haiku?

Eating tomatoes whole
Enjoy the taste of summer
Fresh juicy goodness

Ok I have to stop... I like writing  haikus- one more crazy fact about me....

Making beads

Flour Beads
2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (helps keep from cracking)

Mix flour and salt together. Slowly add water. If too dry add more water, too moist add more flour.
Knead for 15 minutes. Cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Pinch off a piece of dough form a bead and poke with a toothpick, straw, stick, skewer or nail.
Bake at 350 for 2 or more hours.

Add different flours for different effects.
Can add Unsweetened Kool-aid, paint or food coloring to the beads before baking. Can paint after baking.

Jewelry Clay Beads

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 flour
1/2 salt
1/2 cup water

Coffee Dough (the dough kinda drys to look like stone)
1 cup flour
1 cup coffee grounds (cold)
1/2 salt
1/2 cup of cold coffee



Can add some small flower petals,  ground herbs or flowers to any bead recipe for beads that smell nice.


Sawdust  Beads
2 cups sawdust
1 cup flour
1 cup water

Knead  until mixed.
Pinch off a piece of dough form a bead and poke with a stick, skewer or nail.
Can be sanded after dry.


 Paper beads.
news paper, magazines, catalogs, colored paper, copy paper, junk mail,  brown paper bags, gift wrap (not heavy or shinny) or scrapbook paper.
glue

You cut the paper into strips some may be triangles, Different sizes will make different size beads, Have fun making all sizes and shapes.

Paint glue on the wrong side of the paper.
Roll  up the paper from the widest end; with a toothpick, straw, stick, nail or skewer.
Add a small drop at the end of the bead.

Can be painted if wanted.  To help protect the beads use  paint the bead with clear/top coat nail polish or a clear glossy varnish.

Spring Hoilday crafts........

I found a cloth basket directions at Family Fun. Going to get a couple old tee shirts  out of the good will box and make one.  Ok maybe more than one. Maybe get the girls in on the fun to make one for Crawling Machine. I will ad a picture if it turns out......

A basket made from a milk carton.My girls are way to old for that.... but I thought some of my followers have little ones, why not add that link.

A vine to decorate the house.  at Enchanted Learning which is a great site for home-schooled projects and teachers.

Today special blog is by Miss Cuddly feline

She is not happy I am online and posted that picture of the canine -OMG what was I thinking, she has repeatedly stepped on keys to stop this horror........... I have had programs open the page go in different directions and I started to get a little dizzy........


. So I give you my long hair cuddly fixed  female tabby........... The One I refer to as the Ambassador

Ok honey now here you go type away.  I'm going to get a snack and something to drink... this blog post is all yours.......

This what I return too:

  Guess she told me......... animals they are as bad as children............. Or is that the other way around......... Ok they are as sweet as children can't hate her;  she looks so sweet there with her tongue out........... 

Getting Ready for Halloween

I love Halloween! The costumes, the candy, and the parties that make Halloween my favorite holiday of all. But how can a green momma make this eco-friendly? I have thought and fought this for many years.

The costume is the most fun thing for a small child. It also can be the biggest fight. See rows and rows of plastic I want that costumes at the big stores is my biggest fight. I hated those things when I was a kid. The mask would get all gross from me breathing in to the mask. The plastic would feel weird and shift making it hard to walk. So not because I was green it was because I had girls that hated the feel of labels in their clothes let alone the seams on the socks. I would make costumes from old clothes and adding some wonderful accessories.

We had princesses with fancy dress that they didn't like to wear to school because they were too puffy. Add some necklaces and a crown that we made from a headband or got from the dollar store. Now being jeans and t-shirt people, we had hippies with this outfit very easily. One daughter loved ballet so she was a ballerina. She wore her Tu-Tu, tights and leotard and became a ballerina. Cowgirls was easy too. A flannel shirt from Dad and jeans with a cowboy hat. They got to carry a rope and a play gun. A black cat was a favorite costume. I made ears from black fuzzy material. Very easy to do. Cut triangles from the back and pink for the inside. Sew together leaving the bottom open. Stuff with fiberfill. Sew bottoms to a heavy plastic hair headband the type with a open end. Sew the bottom of this tight to the hair band.......... She get to wear black sweat pants and a black sweatshirt. Ta Da. She was also a dog one year with long ears but that was something her grandparent found for her at the store....

I have my favorite too. I fall back on being a gypsy! I wear a flowing top with a big skirt add a shawl. Add a bunch of necklaces and I become a gypsy. I really like the bohemian look to this day. So it isn't to hard for me to pull this off. I can't wear a shirt or a head-cover. So I am going to wear a pair of black pants and flowing shirt I got from Good Will.

My first giveaway! Rubbermaid takealongs!

The nice people Erin, Jim and Lauren at Rubbermaid blog Adventures in Organization are giving me a chance to host a giveaway!
When the package arrived we opened right away. As you see this is the box it came in. The green in me thought that was a big box for the little items but NO Styrofoam peanuts so they got bonus points for that. Plus Miss Princess thought they sent it to her for a nice bed.... She also had to check out the blue ice fun shape... She licked it and rubbed up against it so I think she likes it.. Really she followed it from the box to the table. Silly cat!

I received a package of 4 TakeAlong squares. The new quick Clik seal makes sure the lids snaps into place. We sealed by pushing in the middle of the lid. They are dishwasher and freezer safe. I tried the freezer. Nice it didn't crack after I took it out and tried to get the food out of it like some container have done to me. At first I thought I over filled them, so I used less the next time and still had the stupid thing crack. Can't freeze things in something cracked.
Rubbermaid will tell you that they are microwave safe but I don't like to microwave any food. Goodhousekeeping did testing on all the plastic containers and none has large amount of phthalates or BPA so I do use them for food storage just don't microwave food in them, I tend to heat the contents to high and melt the package....... But for testing I put some hot tomato sauce in one. It did not stain the container at all. I thought it would melt and stain. It was straight from the stove bubbling hot.

The blue ice fun shape lasted so long! We have used the block blue ice for our lunch bags. Yes most of us who live here, including me take our lunch. Sometimes when I have a short day I take a snack and a drink and got smaller ice packs, you know the ones that look like a pop cap or something like that. They don't last long. I end up with a tepid drink. So I thought this small ice pack isn't going to last the 6 hours before lunch, well it did and was still cool to the touch after 8 hours. The monkey was so cute, Rubbermaid also have a frog and football shapes. Of course the daughter was upset at the time I got the package that she didn't get the football too, seeing how she was excited about the Brown's game on that night and her boyfriend coming over.... but she loves the monkey shape too. Then we tried the container out for his monster sandwich.. turkey, ham, pepperjack cheese, lettuce, tomato, pepper slice, onion and Italian dressing. IT fit! Without smashing the bread down.

Rubbermaid is giving one lucky person from this blog a 4 pack of Takealong square containers and one blue ice fun shape Plus the marker for notes to your child. I know my daughter works with younger kids and they have to mark their containers. They have to mark everything they bring in their lunch box. This was handy to have. Rubbermaid was thinking for notes and we thought before reading the letter, to mark containers for school or work...... LOL
this giveaway will end on September 19 at 1:00 AM EST
Winner will be picked by Random.org
Open to anyone in the US and Canada.


Go to the Rubbermaid site and look around post something you like. Heck I have a few Rubbermaid Items already! But found more I would like to get... hehe
Follow my blog. Shades of Green or remind me that you do follow my blog
Subscribe to their blog Adventures in Organization
Follow on twitter @rubbermaid
Become a fan of Rubbermaid's Facebook page
Please leave a email address so i can reach you if you win....Whether or not a boy or girl will be using the fun shape primarily or whether it should be gender neutral.
Leave a comment for each action you make....

Good Luck!

More craft recipes

I remember letting my little one when I was painting use her baby cereal as paint. No color added just a piece of paper and her cereal and she "painted" just like Mommy. Then we used juices to color the cereal. So naturally as she got older I looked for recipes for safer craft products.

Finger Paint

1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup water
Food coloring

Stir a small amount of water together with cornstarch, making a paste. Just like making gravy! Add the paste to the rest of the water in a pot. Over low heat stir while simmering until clear thick. Cool completely. Divide Add food coloring.

Natural Dyes
Lavender
Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Red Zinger Tea

Violet Blue
Violet Blossoms
Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Hibiscus Tea
Red Wine

Blue
Canned Blueberries
Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled)
Purple Grape Juice

Green
Spinach Leaves (boiled)

Greenish Yellow
Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)

Yellow
Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled)
Carrot Tops (boiled)
Celery Seed (boiled)
Ground Cumin (boiled)
Ground Turmeric (boiled)
Chamomile Tea
Green Tea

Golden Brown
Dill Seeds
Brown
Strong Coffee
Instant Coffee
Black Walnut Shells (boiled)
Black Tea

Orange
Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)
Cooked Carrots
Chili Powder
Paprika

Pink
Beets
Cranberries or Juice
Raspberries
Red Grape Juice
Juice from Pickled Beets

Red
Canned Cherries with Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Raspberries

Save the water from cooking the vegetables and use in the recipe.......

Not the greatest recipe for paint but it safer. Specially for little ones that fingers are finding their mouths.

I liked this one but it does have detergent in it so it is for older kids

1/2 flour
1/2 water
1 Tablespoon liquid detergent
Food coloring

Combine flour, water and detergent together. Stir until it become a smooth paste/ Divide and add food coloring

Paste

1/2 cup flour

Cold water

Add cold water to flour until a thick cream forms. Simmer on stove for 5 minutes. Add food coloring or flavoring if desired.

Cornstarch paste
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup water

Mix sugar and cornstarch together ina pot with a small amount of water. Stir until it makes a paste. Slowly add the rest of the water. Simmer until it looks like pudding. Cool and store in the refrigerator.

homemade craft supplies

Slime

Make a 50% water 50% white glue solution. Take 1/4 cup of each and mix thoroughly

Add 1 tsp. Borax to 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir until completely dissolved.

add the borax and water to the glue solution.

Add a couple drops of food coloring.
knead mixture together

If slime is too sticky, add a little more borax. If slime is too slippery, add a little more white glue solution. (50% glue/50% water)

Basic Play Dough:

Ingredients:

* 1 cup flour
* 1/4 cup salt
* 1 cup warm water
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* Add drops of food coloring
* For natural color, use beet, spinach, grape, blueberry or carrot juice

Directions:

Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until dough becomes stiff.
Let cool for five minutes. Place dough onto wax paper until cool.
Knead until the dough is the proper consistency.
Divide and add drops of coloring to each ball, and knead until the color is distributed.
Add vanilla, peppermint, lemon or almond extract to the dough for a better smell.
Vitamin E oil to help protect against bacteria forming.

Can bake your little one masterpieces i the oven at 350 for 20 or until hardened. Let cool completely.

My favorite for keeping a masterpiece is:

Salt dough

4 Parts Flour & 1 Part Salt
Water (enough to make dough stiff )
Mix items together. Shape or roll and cut dough into shapes. When rolling out, do not roll thinner than ¼ inch – any thinner will break when dried. Paint can be added to dough and with glitter. Poke a hole at the top for a ribbon or string for hanging. Bake in a 225 degree oven for several hours and leave the ornaments in the oven to dry overnight. Can be painted/glittered after dry also

And for holiday ornaments I like:

Cinnamon Ornaments

1 Cup of Regular Applesauce (not the chunky variety)
1 Cups of Ground Cinnamon
1/4 cup of ground allspice
1/4 cup of ground nutmeg
1/3 Cup of White Glue

Mix all items together. Chill for 30 minutes or more to stiffen dough. Shape or roll and cut dough into shapes. When rolling out, don't roll thinner than ¼ inch, because it may crumble and break. Use more cinnamon instead of flour to keep from sticking. Poke a hole at the top for a ribbon or string for hanging. Place the shapes on a cooling rack and dry for about two days. The color is a deep brown when the dough is wet, will lighten when dry. .