Contact Paper Wall Art

Since we are living in a rental place, I didn’t want to do anything permanent to the walls.  So, I designed some wall lettering for the living room and art for the nursery and painted the designs onto clear contact paper. Then I cut out the pictures and phrases and pasted them to the wall.  Contact paper isn’t very sticky and easily peels off walls without taking off the paint.  An entire roll of contact paper costs around $5.00-$6.00 for the larger size so you can do quite a bit of decorating.  I did all the pictures in the nursery and the letters for the front room and still had left over material.

This is the phrase in the living room.  I used my inkjet printer to print the letters in the size (3” tall) and font that I wanted.  Then I placed the contact paper over the letters and traced the outline of the letters using a black marker.   I painted in the lines using charcoal-colored craft paint and then cut out ‘A Happy Family’ and ‘is Heaven on Earth’ as two separate pieces.  Make sure your wall is clean and dry and then stick the contact paper to the wall. 
The design is reusable.  I actually made this phrase and used it in our last house.  I pulled the words off the wall at our previous house and put them on wax paper, rolled it up, and then peeled it off the wax paper and put it on the new wall.  It doesn’t hurt the wax paper either so that can be re-used.
Unless you cut out each letter, you can sometimes see the clear contact paper on the wall.  I haven’t had anyone say that they thought it looked awful.  On the contrary, most people that have been to my home want to know how I made the letters and the pictures.  They’ll think you’re creative and you definitely can be.  The sky’s the limit when it comes to what you can design.
So besides the fact that it’s very inexpensive and not really all that time-consuming to make your own wall letters and art, I also like the fact that you can customize it with multiple colors or however you want. It’s hard to see, but in the phrase ‘It’s a Jungle Out There’ the words are outlined in a deep green and then painted in with a mint green.

I free-handed the animals using the bedding and some nursery toys as my inspiration.  You can make some pretty large designs.  You can buy contact paper that is 18” wide so that would be the width limit, but the length is whatever you would like.  The giraffe is probably a foot or so tall.  I also put colored spots all over the walls.  I used different sized cups and bowls and traced circles which I then painted different colors. 


My sister-in-law calls me the queen of contact paper..lol!  Have fun decorating with contact paper…I sure do!

Recipes for Fun

The local paper (Edmond Sun) this week had some fun recipes for Sidewalk Paint and No fuss Play Dough. My kids love playdough and they love to paint so we are going to try out the recipes this week. Plus, what's nice about these homemade recipes for fun is that the products are non-toxic and use ingredients that most people already have.

No Fuss Play Dough

1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tbs corn starch
food coloring

In a large bowl, mix together water, salt, oil and a few drops of food coloring. Mix flour and corn starch and add 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly (you may need a little more or a little less than 2 cups flour so make sure you stir until it is the right consistency. Knead for a few minutes with flour on your hands.

Sidewalk Paint

1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup water
food coloring

Combine the corn starch and water. Stir until you have worked any lumps out and have a nice smooth consistency. One option is to do this in cleaned yogurt or sour cream containers. Add food coloring and mix well. It's ready to be used for painting.

Have fun!

Earth Day 2009

My major as an undergraduate student was Conservation Biology. It was as a young college student that I was first introduced to the wonderful works of people like Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, and Wendell Berry, to name just a few. In honor of Earth Day, here are a few of my favorite quotes about Earth (in no particular order).

• The earth is what we all have in common. (Wendell Berry)
• We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. (Native American Proverb)
• Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. (Mahatma Gandhi)
• We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. (Aldo Leopold)
• Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. (Rachel Carson)

So how have we been celebrating Earth Day? The kids got their hands dirty and helped me plant some strawberries. There's nothing like gardening to help you connect with the Earth. We had a great time! We also washed the dog, and just played outdoors. It's a beautiful sunny day.
Happy Earth Day Everyone!

Teach Kids About Earth Day

I am part of a preschool co-op that my son attends one morning each week.  Today was my turn to teach and the theme of course was Earth Day!  I think kids are never too young to learn that they can play an important role in keeping the planet healthy.  My son who is 4 reminds me to turn off the light when we leave a room.  He knows that we have bins in our garage into which we place our recyclable items.   He loves to help Daddy smash aluminum cans and to put plastics and paper in their respective bins.
As part of a hands on learning experience, I dumped a bunch of cans, paper, and plastic containers into a clean garbage sack.  I set out three bins labeled paper, plastic, and cans.  I told the kids we were going to sort trash for recycling.  They all said “yuck” at first.  But, once we got going, they were so excited.  They immediately pointed it out when something was “accidentally” placed in the wrong bins.
We also made 3D Paper Earth  crafts and stapled a string to them so the kids could hang them up when they got home.  If you are looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day or for creative crafts to do with your kids, just type in Earth Day and you will be flooded with sites that have lots of fun and interesting information.
I also downloaded the Happy Earth Day Coloring and Activities Book and talked about ways to make the earth a better place. 

• Keep your neighborhood clean by picking up litter and trash
• Recycle cans, plastics, glass, and paper
• Help keep the air clean-walk or ride your bicycle
• Save paper-use both sides
• Help save water-don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth
• Help save energy-turn off the TV when you are done watching and turn out the lights when you leave the room
• Wash fruits and vegetables-to clean off dirt

Kids love to learn and I think they have an inborn love for the earth and for the wonders of nature.  My son spent hours today just playing in the “dirt” with his friend.  Sometimes he walks through the wooded part of our yard and says he is walking in the forest.  My daughter got on the ground to observe an ant walking around.  She gets so excited whenever she sees a “bug!”  Kids have a natural sense of wonder that is so fun and exciting to see.  Unfortunately, as adults, many of us have lost that wonderful sense of curiosity and the excitement of just being in nature.
So…How are we going to celebrate Earth Day tomorrow?  We’ll probably just play outside and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.  And, we’ll continue to try and do our part to make the earth a better place.   After all, can’t or shouldn’t every day be Earth Day?

Green Furniture

While I was in the mood for buying new furniture, I came across an interesting online furniture store that sells couches, loveseats, and sectionals.  It is called Home Reserve.com. 

They use all USA made raw materials.  The wood frame is made of strand-board which is strong and comes from high-yielding, fast-growing trees that have the Sustainable Forestry Initiative label.  Their products make use of recycled foam.  The company prides themselves on the “renewability” of their products.  In other words, all the various parts of the furniture can be serviced.  Foam and fabric components can be replaced. 

This is a quote from their website:

The most important element in conservation, is to keep consumer products out of the landfill and waste cycle. If a product can be maintained, parts replaced and the service life extended, that has the biggest positive impact upon the environment. It eliminates the need for the consumption of more raw materials, the production of electrical power to be used in manufacturing, and the use of fuel in transportation.

I also like the furniture because I have young children.  The furniture has built-in storage and has been “kid-tested” using tests developed by Purdue University for the US Government.  The furniture also has a 5-year frame warranty.

If you are interested in purchasing new furniture and care about the environment, check out Home Reserve.com. 

Oil Man's Wife-Not!

The last two weeks were a little strange for me. I think I might have been experiencing some kind of inner turmoil between my wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle yet not being able to shake the notion of wanting more STUFF!

I started with wanting a house. There's nothing wrong with that except that it really doesn't make any sense for us. For starters, we aren't sure that we are planning on staying here long term. We might move with his company again in the near future or there is always the potential for being laid off. Since moving from Houston, DH has survived 5 layoffs in 8 months. Last reason for not buying a house is that we have relocation benefits for another 2 years.

After I shook the notion of buying a house, I decided that I wanted new furniture/home decor items. Which, after thinking about it, I thought was a silly notion as well. After all, I just wanted new things to deck out the rental place that we currently live in and which we may not be living in much longer depending on the circumstances. We definitely won't be living here after the relocation benefits run out. I do plan on making some smaller purchases since I haven't done much with the house because my attitude has been that we won't be here long. I decided against big ticket items, but I would like to make this place feel like home. So, I'm going to get some things that I know I will use for a long time and that I can take with me wherever we end up.

DH told a friend at work about my wanting more STUFF. His friend said that I was becoming an oil man's wife. When I heard about it, I told DH that he should tell his friend that I am not an oil man's wife. DH is an ecologist's husband...lol! Poor DH doesn't own that 4X4 he wants. He doesn't get to go off-roading since I am opposed to it. I keep the thermostat between 80-82 in the summer and 70-72 in the winter. We replace our bulbs with the energy-saving fluorescent type. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

If I am not a conservationist, then I would label myself as a cheapskate. I had thought about re-naming the blog Cheapskate Mommy, but it just didn't sound as good...lol! I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting or having high quality items. For myself, I just don't believe in paying a premium for things I just want and don't need. I really like abiding by the 3 r's in my life. It's important to me and I think it makes good sense to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Green Easter

Here are some things we try and do to have a greener Easter.

1. Re-use the same container each year.  I stopped buying those cheap Easter baskets that you find at the dollar store or Walmart.  Instead, I opted for plastic buckets that are sturdy and can be used year after year.  My son will be turning 4 this year, and this will be the 3rd time he is using the same bucket.  My daughter also has her same bucket from last year.  Next Easter, for my youngest daughter, I may try making a bag or maybe even making my own basket .  She’s too young to participate in any Easter egg hunts this year.
2. Keep the plastic eggs and re-use them each year or hide real eggs.  Keep count of how many boiled eggs you’ve hidden or you will be sorry.
3. Skip the plastic Easter grass (what we do) or if you must have it, try using shredded paper which can then be recycled.
4. Use natural Easter egg dyes or use food coloring and vinegar to color your eggs instead of buying those wasteful dye kits. 
5. We teach our kids that Easter is not about new clothes, flowers, Easter bunnies, fluffy chicks, candy, Easter eggs or Easter egg hunts, but that it is about remembering the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (which is something we should always keep in remembrance).  

Veggie Tales Lesson

I watched the Veggie Tale video Madame Blueberry with my kids tonight. The theme was about being thankful. I love the part at the beginning where Larry the Cucumber says he needs the Suzy Action Camper, jet skis, and other accessories to go with this Suzy Action Jeep and then he would be happy. Bob the Tomato basically asks him how much stuff he needs to be happy and Larry says, "I don't know. How much stuff is there?" The answer was humorus yet on some level disturbing since it is human nature to want the things that we don't have. We think if I had this or if this happened, then I would be happy. The video told the story of Madame Blueberry who already had alot of things, but was still "blue." In the end, she realizes that material things do not bring happiness. The take home message is that "a thankful heart is a happy heart."

If you haven't ever seen the Veggie Tale videos, they are a lot of fun and teach kids great principles. I enjoy watching them with my kids. Tonight I was reminded about how rich I am in blessings. I had already been thinking lately, especially given the current economy, how blessed I am that my husband has a good job, that we have a roof over our heads, food to eat, and that my kids are generally healthy and happy. I also have a wonderful extended family and the best friends anyone could ever ask for. I want to reach the point where I can be content and happy regardless of my external circumstances. At this point, I must still constantly remind myself that I should be thankful and happy with the things that I have and where I am in life. Less really can be more. I want to teach my kids that quality of life is not equated with the number of material possessions that we own. Happiness and contentment come from within.

Hazardous Waste Disposal in Edmond, OK

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DREW HARMON / The Edmond Sun


Most places probably have a place where you can properly dispose of hazardous waste without dumping it in your trash. If you live in Edmond, OK, there is a free household hazardous waste collection day this saturday (April 6, 2009) from 8am to noon at the University of Central Oklahoma campus. Items that can disposed of include: telvisions, computer supplies, VCR and DVD players, microwaves, typewriters, camcorders and cameras.

Other hazardous waste materials that may be accepted at this site include cleaning supplies, painting supplies, indoor home supplies, garden supplies, automotive fluids, home and car batteries, hobby supplies, and florescent lamps.

Most landfills now have liners and leachate collection systems that prevent leakage of hazardous materials into groundwater. Putting your hazardous waste into the trash is still a better alternative to dumping your waste someplace where it does not end up in the landfill. The purpose of these hazardous collection sites is to ensure that hazardous waste is disposed of properly.

If you can find a place to properly dispose of your hazardous materials, please do it. If not, placing your computer in the trash is still an EPA-approved method of collection. Do not drive your trash to some remote location and dump it. Then the lead, mercury, and other toxic materials will not be properly contained. Many of these contaminants are damaging to your nervous system and may even cause cancer.

If your electronics are still functional or you have excess paint from a project for example, post a listing on a re-use group or Craigslist. Give someone else the opportunity to use or re-use it.

Try Belize

My uncle lives in Belize.  He has a travel/tourism business called the Orchid Garden Eco-Village.  My uncle loves nature and is just an overall great guy.  He has wanted me to come visit for years.  I just felt like I never had enough time or money to spend on a vacation.  This year DH and I have decided that we are going to go visit Belize.  My parents are coming also.  It should be a lot of fun.  I am excited to see my uncle’s place.   I’m not going until July so it will be awhile.  But, if you are interested, check out his website and see what you think.  I have read that Belize is a beautiful place.  I can’t wait to go!