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🌱On a journey to less waste
🌿Nature crafts & low waste activities for families
🌱Party decor rentals & virtual kids parties
🎄Reusable advent calendars

This weeks holiday low waste craft uses a twig fro

This weeks holiday low waste craft uses a twig from outside and fabric scraps. I had lots of fabric scraps leftover from my advent calendars so cut some into strips and tied it around the stick.

You can use old clothes that are too old or ratty to donate for this or scraps from other DIY projects. You can also use bits of ribbon or yarn. This craft is great practice at tying knots and doesn’t require any glue.

Cut the edges at the end to form a smooth line of your tree. And tie on a piece of twine so you can hang it.

#diyornaments #christmascrafts #christmasornaments #holidaycrafts #naturecrafts #fabricscraps

Let’s talk holiday lights. We brought home some

Let’s talk holiday lights. We brought home some lights for the house last weekend and once home realized they were incandescent 🤦‍♀️ so back to the store they go. Here’s why we are taking them back.

LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting such as fluorescent and incandescent lights. 95% of the energy in LEDs is converted into light and only 5% is wasted as heat.

They draw less power which decreases greenhouse gas emissions and save you money on your electricity bill. They don’t contain toxic elements like fluorescent lights do which have mercury in them, becoming hazardous when disposed of.

They can last up to 20x longer than other bulbs, meaning less changing of the lightbulbs, fewer resources to manufacture the number of bulbs you need, less packaging and less transportation.

So when buying new lights - stick to LED. They are a larger investment up front but end up saving you money and are better for the environment.

#ledlights #christmaslights #christmasdecorating #holidaylights #deckthehalls

The countdown is on! It’s December 1st and we wo

The countdown is on! It’s December 1st and we woke up with this beautiful snow!

I may or may not have overfilled my advent calendar bags with chocolate from
@chocolatonjames but it’s for both Andrew and I so 🤷🏼‍♀️

Each day in December I’ll be opening the “green deed” from my advent calendar in my stories so follow along and participate in the 25 eco-friendly habits. The green deeds are there to help families develop greener habits during the holiday season.

Today’s green deed is perfect for this winter wonderland! Stay tuned in my stories!

#adventcalendar2020 #homemadeadventcalendar #ecofriendlyhabits #countdowntochristmas #deckthehalls #december1 #winterwonderland❄️ #awugreendeeds

Happy Saturday! Small business Saturday in fact! I

Happy Saturday! Small business Saturday in fact! I wanted to share the local shops I’ve bought or will be buying gifts at for my friends and family this holiday season!

Hamilton is filled with amazing local businesses and restaurants. Comment below with where you are buying your holiday gifts this year!

Swipe through and you’ll see @agreenerplace.ca, @wickdwax, @epicbookshamilton, @grainandgritbeer, @middlechildhamilton, @mrs_greenway, @chocolatonjames and @lowwasteleash

#shoplocalcanada #smallbusinesssaturday2020 #giftguide2020 #holidaygiftideas #holidaygiftgiving #hamontmakers #hamiltonontario #hamiltonbusiness

A good reminder for this shopping frenzy of a week

A good reminder for this shopping frenzy of a weekend. Get some good deals, maybe finish your Christmas shopping, support local but remember that it’s not what’s under the tree that is ultimately important.
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic that I have to watch every year. Usually not until December. The Holiday, Love Actually and The Santa Clause are also high on the list. What holiday movie do you have to watch each year?
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#holidaymoviequote #holidaymovies #howthegrinchstolechristmas #christmasmovies #christmasquotes

Hello! I haven’t done an about me post in a whil

Hello! I haven’t done an about me post in a while so this one is about me and the winter months. Comment below to tell me something about you and your relationship with winter.

1) I’m 1000% not a winter girl. I love the first snowfall and want a white Christmas but otherwise I’d rather it be warm. I like the warm weathered sports better, going outside without a jacket and sitting on patios/my back deck much more.

2) I have however gotten into snowshoeing in the last few years. My cousin has snow shoes but when she moved to Israel, she left them with me so we literally had no excuse not try it and it’s fun! (For a winter activity) does anyone have suggestions for great snowshoe areas that aren’t too far from Hamilton? ❄️

3) I’d give up all the other holidays for Christmas. I still feel the butterfly excitement waiting for Christmas morning and still feel the magic of this holiday. The music, the lights, the smells, the family. It’s the coziest time of year. 🎄

4) I find it a lot harder to make eco-friendly choices in the winter, particularly when it comes to food. I can grow food in the summer, you can get so much in season, without packaging and getting outside to enjoy nature is easier in the warm weather months.

5) One of my favourite winter memories was in university. I lived in a house with 4 friends and we had a gigantic snowstorm. It was exam time and they were cancelled for a day (or two?) we treated that day as if we were grade school kids having a snow day. We played outside (I’m talking snowmen & snow angels, drank hot chocolate and felt like our responsibilities were gone. It was such a great day. ☃️

What’s your favourite winter memory?

#aboutme #introduction #hamiltonontario #wintertime❄️ #snowshoeing #winteractivities #getoutsideeveryday #walkinginawinterwonderland #wintermemories

Last chance! I have the time to take 3 more advent

Last chance! I have the time to take 3 more advent calendar orders to get them to you before December 1. I’m so grateful for all the orders and kind words so far - I’ve certainly gotten better and faster at sewing this month!

Throughout the month of December, I’ll be opening my advent calendar each day on here and talking about the green deeds in each bag. Follow along if you have a calendar or just get inspired to do the daily eco habits with me. I’ll also be getting some chocolate from @chocolatonjames to get treats for inside each of my bags. What are you filling yours with?

Calendars are $65 and you can purchase via DM. I will still be making the decor trees throughout December but just 3 more advent calendars.

#reusableadventcalendar #adventcalendar2020 #countdowntochristmas #christmas2020 #hamiltonontario #hamiltonmoms #adventcalendars #reducereuserecycle♻️ #reclaimedwoodart #hamontmakers #homemadedecor

Giving back. This year is hard. So many people hav

Giving back. This year is hard. So many people have lost their jobs and are struggling financially. If you still have an income, how are you giving back at this time of year? Share in the comments any holiday drives you know taking place and ways our community can give back.

Here are a few here in Hamilton:

@n2ncentre has a Christmas Market for food. They helped 1514 households last year and expect more this year

@citykidz does the Gift of Christmas, giving new toys to kids in the Hamilton area.

St.Matthew’s House has an “adopt a family” program, providing Christmas hampers to thousands in the community. Good Shepherd Centres also has a similar program.

Comment below with other alternatives that you know of!

#givingbacktothecommunity #christmasgiving #hamiltonontario #christmastime🎄 #helpyourneighbor

What do you do with holiday cards that you receive

What do you do with holiday cards that you receive. I put them on display for that year but what about when the season is over? Turn them into garland or gift tags.

Here I’ve taken the picture sides of cards and cut them into circles to create a 3D garland. Swipe left to see how it’s constructed. Fold 4 circles in half and glue them together with twine in the centre.

Another great way to use up holiday cards is to make gift tags from the picture side (as long as there’s no writing on the back).

Holiday cards usually have such a nice design on them. It would be such a waste to get rid of them before giving them a second life.

#ecofriendlyideas #christmascards #christmasgarland #holidaygarland #diydecoration #holidaycards #reusereducerecycle #lowwastetips #hamiltonontario

Deleted my post by accident 🤦‍♀️ so posti

Deleted my post by accident 🤦‍♀️ so posting again because I think the ideas are worth sharing!
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Eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas is what we’re talking about today! Did you know that a lot of holiday wrapping paper isn’t recyclable? Wrapping with glitter, foil and shiny coatings are all not recyclable and if you put it in a clear bag it will contaminate a whole bag of recyclables - sending the entire thing to the dump. So number 1 is to make sure you only recycle what you know is recycling.

Here are some alternatives to the rolls of wrapping paper.

1 & 2) fabric gift bags. Many eco-friendly shops carry fabric gift bags. I made the ones in the first photo myself. Photo 2 are fabric bags that came with a bedsheet set. Take off the labels and you have 3 great bags for gift wrapping

3) scarves and tea towels. Use a bonus gift to wrap with. Look up how to wrap a gift with furoshiki which will explain the Japanese art of folding fabric into a package

4) I love the idea of using @ten_and_co sponge cloths to amp up a wine bottle. Add some greenery and you have a great gift for a colleague, neighbour or friend.

5) Kraft paper is recyclable! It can look simple and elegant. Most kids love to draw. Why not get them to make wrapping paper this year if they will be drawing anyways? Get a roll of brown Kraft paper and let them design this year’s wrapping paper print.

Do you have any other sustainable gift wrapping ideas to share? Comment below!

#giftwrapping #ecofriendlygifts #fabricwrapping #furoshiki #sustainablechristmas #ecofriendlychristmas #wrappingpaper #christmasideas

Nature holiday crafts! Save this post to a craft h

Nature holiday crafts! Save this post to a craft highlight to do this holiday season. After some fall pruning, I ended up with some branches and decided to bring some inside to make ornaments with. This tree and reindeer are made from twigs, hot glue, twine and pipe cleaners. Here’s how:

🌲 Tree ornament:
- break or cut your sticks to the size you want
- hot glue them together to create a triangle
- starting at the top, twist a green pipe cleaner around the triangle in a zigzag pattern. You can do as many back and forth zigzags as you want.
- add a loop to hang it

🦌 Reindeer ornament:
- pick your sticks, looking for two that have antler like pieces at the top
- hot glue into a triangle, leaving the antlers out of the triangle
- wrap twine around the top cross piece twig to cover it and glue each end in place
- wrap twine around the triangle back and forth until you reach the point. Glue the ends in place
- add a red Pom Pom or piece of pipe cleaner for the nose
- add a loop to hang the ornament from

These ornaments could make great gifts from your little ones to grandparents and other family.
Happy crafting!

#naturecrafts #wintercrafts #happycrafting #christmascrafts #diyornaments #hamiltonontario #hamiltonmoms #burlingtonmoms #craftersofinstagram #hamontmakers #holidaycrafts

If you don’t make a plan for this holiday season

If you don’t make a plan for this holiday season, it will lead to buying last minute gifts online that ship quickly, overbuying and stress. Having a plan is one of the best ways to ensure you support local businesses, make sustainable choices and get meaningful gifts for your friends and family.

Smaller businesses often have an earlier cut off for holiday shipping than big box stores, so to ensure you can support them, the time is now to get your orders in. DIY gifts take more time and planning to create. And second hand finds take more searching.

One great place to start is with @ecohamilton sustainable gift guide. Each day a different member of the collective is giving you their favourite sustainable gift ideas and there’s already some fantastic ones. Each day there is something to buy, something to make and an experience gift. Today is my day so go over to @ecohamilton and check out my ideas!

What are your best tips for planning for a sustainable holiday?

#countdowntochristmas #planningforchristmas #giftguide2020 #lowwastetips #sustainablegifts #supportsmallbusiness #holidaygifts #itstheholidayseason

What are the green deeds? Each of daily bags in my

What are the green deeds? Each of daily bags in my advent calendar is filled with a green deed prompt. Something to help build greener and community oriented habits around the holidays. It can be easy to forget that this season should be about giving back but the green deeds are here to help with that.

Each day you and your kids will open up the corresponding numbered little bag to find something you can do that day to better care for the planet and the people in your community. The one you see here is to make a pinecone bird feeder but you’ll also find “turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth”, “walk somewhere instead of drive”, “wrap a gift with untraditional wrapping” and “donate a used book to a little library in your neighbourhood”. Each prompt gives a little explanation about why that habit is eco-friendly and instructions or ideas on how to do it.

Instead of just focusing on what they are getting this year, teach your kids the importance of doing good, kind, sustainable actions. Calendars are $70 and can be purchased via DM. Currently I have orders to fulfill until the middle of November so be sure to order soon to get it before the end of November.

#reusableadventcalendar #adventcalendar2020 #adventcalendars #ecofriendlyliving #holidaydecor #handmadeincanada #hamontmakers #hamiltonmoms #burlingtonmoms

This weather has me wanting to put the canoe back

This weather has me wanting to put the canoe back in the water for another camping trip! I can’t remember a time when it was this gorgeous in November. And I’m trying to soak it all in. We had a pretty quiet weekend, doing some fall gardening, a run, working on our mud pit of a backyard and walking around the neighbourhood with some friends. We also got ice cream @cremedelacremehamilton and YUM!
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Soak in the next couple of days because there is no way we will be getting weather like this again until next year.
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#soakupthesun #sunnyday #enjoythesunshine #fallweather #hamiltonontario #sundayfunday☀️

Today I want to share a story about why I decided

Today I want to share a story about why I decided to make advent calendars this year. Advent calendars have a very special place in my heart. If you know me you know I LOVE Christmas. And this photo was taken in 2015 when Andrew and I lived in our old apartment in Toronto. I suggested that year we make each other advent calendars instead of any Christmas gifts and he actually said yes!

I made him a beer advent calendar with 24 beers he had never tried and he made me this. It had chocolates in it as well as some of my favourite lip balms and other small gifts. But on December 23rd when I opened the advent calendar bag, there was nothing there but a note saying that today’s item wouldn’t fit. So he had me close my eyes and went to get a book that he had made me all about our relationship. He had me read it out loud and as I turned the pages I realized what was happening. At the end he proposed and I said yes. 💕

So advent calendars have always brought me joy as we were counting down to Christmas and then 2015 make them so so special. And 2020 can use more joy. This was the only year we made advent calendars for each other. I’m excited to have my own advent tree now to use year after year and make them a tradition for our family.

#adventcalendar2020 #countdowntochristmas #christmascountdown2020 #homemadeadventcalendar #diyadventcalendar #hamiltonontario #proposalideas

⛄️ Save this post to make it later! ⛄️ Ma

⛄️ Save this post to make it later! ⛄️
Make this trash snowman as a winter activity this year. It’s a great one to do with kids because it involves no sewing. This snowman uses almost nothing new and helps divert a little trash from the landfill.

⛄️ Here’s what you need:

- 2 old socks (one white, one other colour) they can be stretched out or have small holes in them.
- soft garbage like plastic bags, packaging material, fabric scraps, dryer lint, receipts
- 2 elastic bands
- dried black beans
- orange pipe cleaner or marker

Stuff your white sock with your garbage. I used the small fabric scraps leftover from my advent calendars. Tie up the end of the sock with an elastic band and put another elastic on the sock to separate the head from the body.

Hot glue on the black beans for the eyes, mouth and buttons and use the orange pipe cleaner or orange marker for the carrot nose.

Cut off the toe of your other sock and put it on your snowman’s head like a hat. Add other little details like a scarf using a fabric scrap or ribbon and a pom-Pom on the hat. I also made a broom out of nature supplies. Get creative and add your own details depending on what you have at home. And voila! A trash snowman!

#upcycledcraft #wintercrafts #craftforkids #craftsforkids #snowmancraft #easycrafts #hamiltonontario #hamiltonmoms #ecofriendlycrafts

And breathe. Headphones in. News off. I’m going

And breathe. Headphones in. News off. I’m going for a run in the forest. How’s everyone else doing?

Today we are back to fall-like temperatures. Get outside, clear your head and move your body.

#moveyourbodyeveryday #getoutside #forestbathing

Halloween has come and gone but the scariest part

Halloween has come and gone but the scariest part of Halloween? The waste!Don’t put your pumpkin in the trash! They end up rotting away and not decomposing properly, contributing methane to the air, damaging the environment.

So what can you do with the pumpkins? If they haven’t been cut you can eat them! Remember that pumpkins are actually a good crop. Make pumpkin purée and bake with it. But if they were jack-o-lanterns they are no longer safe to eat. If you have a municipal yard waste or green bin program, pumpkins can go in there (just check your municipality) or you can add pumpkins to your own compost. Just make sure to you cut it up first so it breaks down more easily.

Some farms also collect pumpkins for treats for their animals. @triplecfarm13 is taking them and has set up a trailer for you to drop them off at their front entrance. Do you know of any other farms that take and use the pumpkins?

Finally save those candy wrappers and bring them to a location with a Terracycle box for candy wrappers. They will get recycled properly instead of ending up in landfill. @mrs_greenway will be having @terracycleca boxes in their stores soon so save them up and take a trip over to them.

#spookyhalloween #pumpkinseason #pumpkinleftovers #rottingpumpkin #halloweenpumpkins #reducewaste

Flashback Friday to some of my previous Halloween

Flashback Friday to some of my previous Halloween costumes. I love to dress up but only when there is somewhere to go so no costumes this year so I wanted to reminisce on some from the past.

Which is your favourite look??

Most parts of these costumes are homemade, often with items from thrift stores. @beakaleak chimney sweeper pole is made from an old broom. And of course my mom with her fantastic sewing skills did a lot too - particularly on the two from university days.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween no matter what it looks like this year. I’ve seen some incredible socially distant ways of handing out candy, Halloween hunts, decor walks and more. So whatever your plans, have a great weekend! 🎃

#happyhalloween🎃 #happyhalloween2020 #halloween2020🎃 #halloweencostumes

This year we did pumpkins a little bit differently

This year we did pumpkins a little bit differently and made a little pumpkin nature village. We collected nature supplies to add to what we’ve carved and accessories like a little clothes line and ladder.

What do you think of our pumpkin village? Have you tried something like this before? Kids would love adding the nature extras, giving them a little more they can do than when you just carve. With 2 days till Halloween you still have time to make some pumpkin creations!

@beakaleak

#happyhalloween🎃 #halloweendecorations #halloweencraftsforkids #pumpkincarvingideas #pumpkinfairyhouse #pumpkinseason

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