SNOWY DAY! Wow. I'm so glad I stayed up last night to finish knitting my daughter's spare wool hat!

Repurposed and Upcycled

I've been thinking about something lately and thought I'd share it with you. My aim is to be real, and by that I do not want to throw around new hot words without making sure I am using them correctly. I do not do what I do because green is in. I do it because it is the right thing to do. Anyway.... on with my thoughts... repurposed, upcycled...what do these terms really mean?

According to Merriam-Webster the definition of repurposed is " to give a new purpose or use to."

So we have repurpose. What about upcycle? I had to go to wikipedia for that one. Here it is:

""Upcycling" is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of equal or better quality. The term was originally coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The goal of upcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials by making use of existing ones. This reduces the consumption of new raw materials when creating new products. Reducing the use of new raw materials can result in a reduction of energy usage, air pollution, water pollution and even greenhouse gas emissions."

OK, so they're not that different. When I take an old discarded bed sheet and make it into a reusable sandwich baggie I am giving it a new purpose. I am also making something out of it that is a better quality and more useful than it's original state. Way cooler than just throwing something in the recycling bin after you are finished with it. My aim is to do this more and more...think before recycling and find at least one more use for it before it gets recycled. Ahh, less waste, less energy, less carbon emitted....less.

So, why am I thinking about all of this? I'm starting to plan for my January craftiness. I have some beautiful vintage sheets and pillowcases. Not sure of their final destination, I begin thinking about how many ways they have been useful over the years... and how happy I was to find them and give them new life.

I LOVE shopping for new fabric. There's just something so relaxing about walking thru my favorite huge non-big box fabric store and seeing all of the bolts of potential. But I am learning to think differently about crafting and these 2 buzz words come to mind. Repurposed and upcycled. I'm learning to change my thinking and see the same potential when on a thrift store date with my daughter or when walking thru a rummage sale.

These words also remind me of one of my favorite movies of all time, The Sound of Music. Remember the curtains? No, no worries, I will not start dressing my kids in matchy-matchy outfits. But I do have a beautiful pillowcase that is whispering to me to gain new life as a skirt for my daughter...

I also have a really pretty pink flowery vintage flat sheet. What should I do with it? Want to see more upcycled sandwich/snack baggies? Would you like to see bulk bags made from them? What about lunchbox napkins or hankies? Let me know. Maybe I'll make them and you can be the first person to call them your own!

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Just so you know, my last sale is over. But my lunchbox napkins are still listed at a reduced price. Be sure to become a FaceBook fan to be the first to know of sales and specials!

winners!

Here are the winners! Congrats! Expect an email from me soon. If I don't hear back from you I'll choose some new random #s.

lunchbox napkins go to:

CORALEE who said "lovely and green - thanks for the chance to win!"

reusable sandwich baggies go to:

MELISSA who's FB fan comment won but she also said "I just visited your etsy store and I'm drooling over the custom longies slot. I've never taken the plunge to buy them- we just have boring old fitteds and covers or Fuzzibunz around here."

hankies go to:

ERIKA who said "Those hankies sound like they'd be really nice to have this winter!"

thank you everyone for participating and i hope you've had fun! my 10% off sale will go thru next week.

Last Minute Shopping Discount

If you have found my site thru SewMamaSew and have entered my giveaway....just so you know I will offer you a 10% discount (via pp refund) on any orders in my Etsy store from now until 12/19. Many of my items make great teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, Advent treats, etc. I can generally get your items in the mail within 1-2 days after payment. To receive your discount, please provide code: SMSGiveaway in the comment section of your order.

GiveAway Day is HERE!

I am SO excited to be able to participate in SewMamaSew's(www.sewmamasew.com/blog2) big giveaway day!!! This is one of my favorite blogs and shops...if you haven't visited it...do!

My Etsy shop is currently my crafting outlet. I started it because friends kept asking me about items I had made for my own family. It features handmade and hand-designed items to help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. I thought it was only fitting if I include some of my family's favorite items in my giveaway.

First, a set of 2 reusable cloth lunchbox napkins in a festive winter print. I don't know about you but it's mitten time here! I love using these napkins for on-the-go lunches and also to add fun to family meals at home.

I consider this next item the most popular thing in my kitchen...reusable sandwich baggies! I have 2 of these baggies to add, colors not yet determined.

And third, another winter essential... hankies. These are oh-so-soft on your nose. They are made from repurposed flannel. This part of the giveaway will be a set of 6.

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Here are the rules: This giveaway will run from today through Dec 6th with items shipped around Dec 12th. Sorry, but I'm keeping this specific giveaway open to addresses in the USA and Canada only. Enter first just by commenting. You can increase your chances by also joining my FaceBook fan page and letting me know you did by commenting on here, and also by visiting my Etsy shop (SustainableHomestead.Etsy.com) and commenting here about your favorite item. So, that gives you up to 3 chances. I will chose winners at random and email you - please be sure I have your email address.

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GOOD LUCK, HAPPY CRAFTING AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!