Repurposed Baby Food Jars

We're going through lots of baby food jars over here and I hate to just recycle such nice glass jars. I've been hanging on to them for a few months now, debating what to use them for.

When I hosted a baby shower in February I thought it would be cute to use them as vases and line a few down the middle of my table with a gerbera daisy in each one. (Whoops, I forgot to do that!)

Anyway, I've decided to use them for end-of-the-year teacher gifts. But, first, I wanted to pretty them up.

What you'll need:

glass jars and lids
Goo Gone
decorative paper
ribbon in a coordinating color
scissors
multipurpose craft glue (I like Aleene's Tacky glue)
thin paintbrush, for applying the glue
decoupage sealer (I used Aleene's Collage Pauge--Glossy)
foam brush, for applying the decoupage

What to do:

1. Wash jars and lids, removing any labels or stickers
2. If necessary, use Goo Gone to remove adhesive residue
3. With a pencil, trace the lid on the back of your decorative paper
4. Cut out
5. Apply thin layer of glue to top of lid and spread evenly with paintbrush; press and hold paper to lid for a few seconds
6. Cut length of ribbon to fit around side of lid; apply glue to lid; press and hold
7. Let glue set for at least several hours or overnight
8. Apply decoupage sealer with foam brush, lightly coating the edges and top of lid
9. Let dry overnight

And now to fill them!

J and I had fun making a homemade sugar scrub for his teachers. Here's the recipe we used:

1 c. sugar
5 T. olive oil
Squirt clear dishsoap
6 drops favorite essential oil

Once the ingredients were combined, I found that I needed to add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to get a moist enough consistency. I tripled the recipe and it filled 4 baby food jars.

Then I created a label in Word and printed it out on clear adhesive-backed paper. Without the label, I think these would look cute with a piece of twine tied around the neck and a gift tag dangling down.

For the teacher gifts, I'm pairing this with another little gift, which I'll try to post about later. For now, enjoy these last few days of school!

Green Goodness

Lots of New Year's Resolutions have been flying around the past week, and I'm actually not typically one for making them. I mean, I am perfectly willing and able to set goals and make changes, but I've never really subscribed to the idea that you have to come up with a zillion ways to change/improve yourself right at the mark of a new year. Who needs that kind of stress and anxiety-inducement right after the holidays?

However, this year I actually made a couple. And, I'm inspired by Amy's challenge at Crunchy Domestic Goddess to blog about a few of my "green" goals for 2009.

She began her post by taking stock of the green goals she accomplished in 2008 and that seems a good place to start. We made a few small changes at our house that really stuck:

1. C. planted a small vegetable garden this summer.


2. I read a lot of books about green living, gaining invaluable amounts of information and ideas. (My favorite "green" book of the year was Healthy Child, Healthy World.)


3. I switched to Seventh Generation laundry detergent (powedered) and dish detergent.


4. I rid the house of toxic cleaners and have kept a pretty clean house for the last year with mostly just soap, baking soda, vinegar, and hot water!

In 2009, I plan to keep on keepin' on with these new routines, but also make some other changes that will hopefully have an even greater impact. In no particular order, here goes:

1. Plant a bigger vegetable garden - tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, maybe a lettuce or two and also create an herb garden


2. Shop more farmer's markets. This goal will require some help from C. because I work every Saturday. But I know he enjoys shopping these markets, so I think he's up for the challenge. It'll just be a matter of planning ahead a little better.


3. Install a rainwater collection barrel. I'm really impressed with these guys, the Rain Brothers, who are local. They make rain barrels out of recycled plastic. And, what's really cool is that they make deliveries by bicycle whenever possible!


4. Set up a clothesline - just like Mom used to do!

Lastly, this isn't really a goal, but is something I've just begun to explore. I was invited to join an online community called Moms Meet, a collaboration between KIWI magazine and Earth's Best.

"What is Moms Meet," you ask? This page on their web site explains just that. Its purpose is to be an "online resource empowering parents looking to lead a greener lifestyle". The "Moms Meet" aspect involves setting up a community of moms (or dads, I assume) and sharing and discussing information/tips on green living. It seems the project is just in the kick-off stages, so that's about all I know at this point. I'll update as I learn more.

So, how about you? Any recommendations, tips, resolutions of your own?

Join the Green Goal Challenge here.