Learning to live a greener life .......saving money! Don't throw it away.

Recycle Reuse

New Takes on Neckties: 8 Ways to Put Dad’s Tie Collection to Better Use

By Jessica Harlan
Posted: 06.08.10 | Tagged: craft projects, recycle, reuse

All those Father's Day neckties that dad's received over the years have a way of accumulating. If he's got more than he can handle, why not repurpose a few? From a different gift for dad to a fashion statement for mom, or even something to dress up the house, there are plenty of ways to reuse neckties once they've been retired. Let the patterns and colors inspire you to come up with other terrific ways to reuse and recycle neckties; here are eight ideas to get you started.

1. If dad's dapper enough, he could get away with a pocket square made from an old, favorite necktie. Cut off six inches or so from the wide end of a necktie, fold the cut end under, and then hem it if you'd like (the hemming isn't necessary, since the cut end will be tucked into the pocket). If it's too wide, you can fold the sides of the tie back, and iron a crease into the sides so that they'll stay neat. This look would work best with light, solid-colored ties.
2. Wear one as an accessory — just not around your neck. The right color and pattern can set off a sporty outfit when you use a tie as a casual belt (just thread it through your belt loops and tie to one side) or a headband (use the skinny end of the tie and cut off the excess).
3. Avoid scalded hands with a coffee sleeve fashioned from one of dad's cast-offs. To make a necktie coffee sleeve, all you need is a pair of scissors and some self-adhesive Velcro. It's the perfect gift for the eco-conscious (and fashion-conscious) dad: not only will his cup of joe look good, but he'll avoid wasting the disposable cardboard sleeves handed out at coffee shops.
4. Use neckties as home décor. Choose two ties that have similar colors or patterns and use them as tiebacks for curtains — or, sew a bunch of ties together to make a pillowcase. Multiple ties can even be woven together to create the seat of a chair.
5. Make a toy snake. Stuff a necktie with cotton batting, sew the openings closed on either end, and make a face on the wide end by adding button eyes and a red felt tongue. The snake can also be used as a draft catcher for doors and windows.
6. The silky textures, bright colors, and pretty patterns of neckties make them the ideal scraps for sewing projects big or small. If you're handy with a sewing machine, a single tie can be used to make a case for eyeglasses, an iPod, or a cell phone; multiple neckties can be sewn together to make a handbag, a skirt, or even a quilt.
7. Dress up your dog. Make a necktie collar for your pup and he'll be ready for a busy day as man's best friend.
8. Several places accept necktie donations. Prairie Moon Quilts, for instance, sews donated neckties into quilts that are then given to charities. Similarly, Ties That Matter recycles neckties into bags and pillows, and even creates jobs for refugees by seeking their help with production.

 Tip:  Living Green
 Save some money.  An  inexpensive way to use cloth napkins is to use washcloths. They are perfect for napkins.  Buy different colors (a pack of 12 at  Wal Mart less than $5.00) give each family member their own color--then you don't have to wash them until they need it. Use them year-round... Let's save the paper napkin money for something we really  want.

 Refurbished Goods

By Diane MacEachern
Tagged: electronics, recycle, reuse

I keep seeing the word "refurbished" and I don't understand what it means. How does it affect the manufacturing process, why should consumers buy into it, and where do we find it?
"Refurbished" is part of that eco-friendly "re" family — as in reuse, reduce, recycle. It usually starts with repair. Goods are repaired so that they work as well as they did when they were brand new. The process extends the life of products and keeps them out of the trash bin for as long as possible. It also saves energy and reduces pollution because repairing goods is far more efficient than making something new from scratch. Here's an added benefit: refurbished goods usually cost less than those that are brand new.

Adding additional life to computers by refurbishing them saves 5 to 20 times more energy than recycling them.

Consider cell phones. According to Newsweek magazine, the average life of a cell phone before it is replaced is approximately 18 months. There are more than 500 million cell phones in the world right now (often made with copper, silver and gold) that will eventually be thrown away. If these phones were refurbished, it would save the world more than $40 million in copper, $61 million in silver, and $392 million in gold.
Refurbished computers offer equally impressive benefits, which is why TechSoup has launched its Refurbished Computer Initiative. "Producing the average 53-pound desktop computer and CRT monitor requires 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 50 pounds of chemicals, and 3,330 pounds of water," says TechSoup. And that's just for one computer. There are literally millions of computers being manufactured every day, and millions more being thrown away. "Adding additional life to computers by refurbishing them saves 5 to 20 times more energy than recycling them over the computer's life cycle."
In addition to cell phones and computers, many consumer goods are available refurbished, including LCD TVs, office equipment like copiers and fax machines, and office furniture. I recently refurbished my 20-year-old sofa and love seat by replacing the foam in the cushions and then reupholstering both the cushions and the frame with durable cotton fabric. It will now probably give me another 20 years' use.
One note of caution: when buying refurbished electronics, be sure to ask for a warranty or performance guarantee, just as you would for a product off the shelf. Get a list of parts that were repaired or replaced, and review test results to verify quality assurance. Buy from reputable refurbishers, and be clear on the return policy should the product fail to perform as promised.
Have your brought any great items back to life? Share your thoughts by commenting below.


Freebies
I have not used this service, but I am going t try it.  If you try it, let me know how well it works.

5 Free Services for Conference Calls

Submitted by: Ray @ Tip Hero  04/15/2010

Want to plan a family get together, a night out with friends, or collaborate with colleagues? Setting up a conference call is one great way to get everyone together on the same page. There are a number of services out their to help you set-up your own conference call, some for free. Many of these services call them free but that isn't entirely accurate. Most of the free conference call services are basically toll services meaning that callers pay their own long distance. I've read in comments by users who have used these services that if you have plans with unlimited long distance the calls are essentially free. The way these services work is you register online and you are given a phone number also known as a bridge number, and a pass code. All the people on the call have to do is enter the phone number and pass code and they are connected to the conference call. Many of these services also offer recordings of your conference call so people who missed the call, or call participants can go back and hear the call again. This service sometimes comes with an extra fee. Free BeingGirl Sample Kit  ***Visit allyou.com everyday for free samples Free sample: Free BeingGirl Sample Kit How to get it: This free kit is being offered again! Sign up for your kit including: 3 Tampax Pearl Tampons, 2 Always Ultra Thin Pads and 2 Always Thin Panty Liners.   "Let's save some momey"   Jean

I came across a good article that provides a brief overview of five of the largest free conference call services: How To Do Phone Conferencing: 5 Ways To Make