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      News — Going Zero Waste

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      Plant a Magical Tea Garden

      Plant a Magical Tea Garden

      Wanting to invite a bit of plant magic into your life?  Consider planting a tea garden.   I love to drink herbal teas and for the past few years I've been making my own.  This is especially lovely in the summer growing months as you can wander in your garden picking flowers and leaves to steep.  Each day you pick you get a slightly different blend.  That’s the start of the magic.  Once your batch of petals have steeped you have a delicious and refreshing drink.  Perfect hot, lukewarm or with ice.  One pot is good for the day.

      Learn how to create your own magical tea brew with herbs and flowers.

       

      You don’t need to invest a lot of money for this delightful activity.  Plants for sure and also a teapot with a stainless steel strainer.  You could use a smaller tea strainer but a teapot with a larger strainer means you can use bigger pieces and not worry about stems.  A well crafted teapot is an excellent investment.

      Herbal tea magic starts with a teapot and stainless steel strainer.

       

      Beyond the sheer pleasure of drinking your homemade brew making your own tea is an act of sustainability.  “Believe it or not, the humble teabag often contains a non-biodegradable plastic called polypropylene, which releases billions of microplastic particles every time you brew a cuppa.”  We are learning more each day about how invasive plastic is in our daily life and any chance we get to eliminate plastic is an opportunity we should take.  In the long run, you will also save money while  adding a bit of pleasure and ritual to your day.   Tea making will become an act you look forward to.   

      Magical tea brewing is good for the environment.

       

      Here’s a list of my favorite plants.  No worries if you don’t have a lot of space, these plants will do fine in a container.

      Peppermint- this is the backbone of my herb blend.  Super fresh taste and very, very easy to grow- that means it can be invasive so choose your spot carefully.  What I love about the mints besides being easy to grow is they add bulk as well as flavor.

       Fancy mint- this can be a flavored mint, my favorite is Pineapple but there are many varieties.  Wander the herb aisle at your favorite garden shop to find the variety for you.  In my garden zone these tend to be a bit tender and often will not over winter.

      Chamomile-  has a mellow, gentle flavor slightly “appley” flavor and known to help you relax, even get sleepy.  You can scatter seeds and lightly cover with soil or transplant.  Chamomile often selfs sows so keep your eye out the following spring.

      Calendula- this bright orang/yellow flower is pure sunshine and happiness.  Their favor is a bit spicy and peppery adding a nice tang to your brew.  It’s a very sturdy, forgiving plant and can adapt to a lot of different soil types and selfs sows.

      Lavender- has a bright floral flavor, too much is considered “soapy” but it’s one of my favorite additions to my brew.  It’s important to pick the right variety for your area as it’s a perennial.  Be sure to ask at your garden center for the variety that’s right for your area.

      The magic of growing flowers and herbs for tea

      Brewing your own tea is an easy way to add a peaceful ritual to your day, add a bit of flavor to your life and to enjoy a plastic free, very sustainable drink. ENJOY!

      Seven Years of Zero Waste

      Seven Years of Zero Waste

      I’ve written about my zero waste journey beginning in 2017.  Mostly in the forms of lists ‘cause that’s how I roll.  Each year, I added an action until Covid.  We all know how challenging that was!   

      If you are wanting to start 2023 by reducing a bit of your trash- go back and read any of the blogs.  All the info is valid, you will have to makes tweaks to fit your life style.  Please remember going zero waste is like any goal or accomplishment, it’s a dance.  Two steps forward, one back, a bit of spinning in the same space and then two steps forward.

      I’m not going to add to that list but I’d love to hear your suggestions and strategies.   Instead I'm sharing another list with ideas about how to help address the imbalance in our economy.

      I believe if you want to help heal our planet one step you can take is to “buy local, shop indie”.  Sure I’m biased because I have a small business but I have a small business because I want the world to be a better place. 

      Here’s my list of ways to support small and indie businesses-

       Word of mouth really matters- take the time to tell others about your favorite businesses and why you like them.

       Sign up for emails- in the ever changing word of social media an email list is a godsend to a small business, it’s where they can actually connect with people who are interested in their product or service

       Unsubscribe from emails you never open.  In order to sent out batches of emails you need to subscribe to an email server and you pay for the service.  If you are on someone’s list but never open an email you still count in terms of payment.  It’s very helpful for a small company to have you unsubscribe because they safe money and you will stop getting an email that you’re not interested in.

      Post a nice comment on social to help the algorithms used in social media sites.  The way this works is a site limits access to how many folks can see a post because they want to make money.  Liking, sharing and commenting on a post makes it more “popular” and visible.

      Post a picture and tag a business to help spread the word.

      Use locations and hashtags, another way to help a business be visible on social media. 

      Write reviews and share your positive experience.  If your experience was negative contact the business first before posting on social media.  Social media thrives on negativity so post with caution and kindness.

      Say “thank you” whenever possible and be understanding with problems.  Chances are if you have a problem you’ll get way better service and results than with a big business.

       Buy gift cards especially at busy holiday seasons.  It can be quite challenging in today’s ever changing world to keep items stocked and gift cards do help.

       When it’s time to make a purchase investigate options and if possible buy small, local and indie first before giving all the big boys your money.

       Consider a subscription service.  Similar to a CSA for farms a subscription service helps weather the year during slower times.  Subscription services are also a great way to support a creative that you admire.  The way social media works makes it easy to expect information and inspiration for free but it’s a lot of work and a subscription helps someone stay creative.

      Enjoy your zero waste journey and share your success.

      Your Zero Waste Journey for 2022

      Your Zero Waste Journey for 2022
      My 2022 Zero waste/plastic free blog dives a bit deeper into three areas, closet, kitchen and bathroom.

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      Sweater Mends: Learn the Buttonhole Stitch

      Sweater Mends: Learn the Buttonhole Stitch
      We all have sweaters with holes in them.  Instead of throwing them up turn them into wearable art using the simple buttonhole stitch to mend and strengthen any holes or tears.  We take you step by step through the buttonhole stitch as well as how to use it for mending. Happy mending!!!!

      Read more

      Mend Along- Let's Mend the World Not Trash It

      Mend Along- Let's Mend the World Not Trash It

      There are so many reasons to mend and we hope you'll join us in Feb to be inspired and connected with fellow menders.    We'll be posting on social media tips and tools as well as putting together videos with techniques and DIY.

      Here's the schedule for the month-

      Week 1

      Patches- we'll explore fixing knees and elbows, crotches and reclaiming ugly jeans 

      Week 2 

      Sweater Mends- dealing with moth holes, rips and tears and fuzz balls

      Week 3

      Stains- decorative patches, embellishment and dying to add new life to worn clothes

      Week 4

      Socks, Gloves and Mittens- toe and heel holes and repurposing items that are too far gone

      We hope you'll join us.  "Clothes worth wearing are worth repairing."