Fiat 500 : Eco Friendly Car

Courtesy of MotorVillage

If you are shopping for a car, the  Fiat 500 is an environmentally friendly car with low CO2 emissions. Great fuel economy makes this car super green.

Recent reports indicate the Fiat 500 gets 40MPG. That in itself is amazing. Surely driving around in this makes being green super cool.  It's a fun, quirky looking car that's available in loads of colur combinations.

Gucci Fiat 500 Fashionista Meets Green Chic Courtesy of MotorVillage

There are four Fiat 500 series style cars available. I learned about them doing more research on them after seeing the fashion ad for the Fiat 500 Gucci . If you ask me, the best part is you don't have to spend a fortune to be more environmentally responsible.  It offers great value for money and you can feel good about spending less on gas.

Upcycled Romantic Bath Salt Containers Perfect for Valentine's Day Gift Giving!

 "Victorian Nude Bath Tub Bather Dictionary Print" by Etsy Shop "Dictionary Art Pages". 

What could be more romantic than a Victorian Valentine's Day bath?! Captivate your lover this upcoming V-Day with the alluring aroma of homemade bath salts infused with your favorite blend of aromatherapy essential oils...carefully selected with aphrodisiac properties of course! All you need are some Epsom Salts which are wonderful for relaxing your tired muscles after a long day and they nourish your body with magnesium which naturally relaxes you too! Most of us are deficient in magnesium, so indulge in a romantic bath with your sweetheart and supply your body with this beneficial mineral. My favorite pure essential oil blend is Frankincense and Rosewood...which you can find both here in the delightful Etsy Shop "Shanti Aromatherapy".

Homemade gifts are the ones we cherish and hold close to our hearts. Give the gift that will nourish the body and libido this Valentine's Day with this upcycled decoupage Victorian bath salt canister! I gave these lovely ladies away for Christmas to all of my favorite females in the family; however, I'm getting this little tutorial out just before Valentine's Day so you can use it if you'd like to create your very own functional masterpieces!

All you need is a large plastic recycled whey protein container...I used Dr. Mercola's Miracle Whey Protein and I am so addicted to their banana flavored nutritional drink! These are perfect for transforming into bath salt containers because they all come with a little plastic scoop inside! Thoroughly clean out the container and then pour in as much Epsom salts as you would like; I suggest leaving about an 1-2 inches of room at the top. Then add in your desired essential oils...might want to look up which ones are aphrodisiacs for Valentine's Day amour! Depending on the type of essential oil determines the amount of drops that you put in; I suggest using the smell test and create a blend to your preference. Now it is time to close the lid (make sure that the scoop is removed) and shake, shake, shake...until you have a beautiful bouquet sealed inside. Place the scoop inside and now it is time to decoupage!

For decoupaging these romantic Victorian bath salt canisters, I selected recycled magazine clippings from one of my favorite catalogs the "Victorian Trading Company"; my mother-in-law Beverly introduced me to this wonderful company when she showed me the gorgeous Victorian greeting cards she had purchased from them. The large full-page covers of the catalogs work beautifully for creating the outside decoupage label of these canisters! You can fit two Victorian Trading Company magazine covers on the outside; measure them to fit, cut, and then paste with craft glue onto the outside of the canister. You can also do something similar to the top; I created a label on the top of the lid describing the contents of the bath salts, you can also give them a romantic, creative name like "Baroness's Bath Salts". I also embellished the tops of the lids with inspirational sayings from Yogi brand tea tags; such as: "When ego is lost, limit is lost, you become infinite, kind, and beautiful.", "Where there is love, there is no question.", and "Compassion has no limit. Kindness has no enemy", etc. When you have finished decorating the outside of canister with your pasted on clippings, apply two coats of Mod Podge; making sure to let it completely dry in between coats. Vwa la! Your masterpiece is complete and now ready for gift giving!

Perhaps you would like to use a printable romantic Victorian print to decoupage onto your creation?! The one featured above is called "Engaged - Digital Art or Card Stock Print from Early 1900's Pompeian Advertisement" which can be found in my twin sister Andrea's Etsy Shop "Storybook Artifact". 

Would you like a vintage Victorian bath accessory to give with your homemade Victorian themed bath salts?! Check out my sister Andrea's Etsy Shop Storybook Artifact for many lovelies from yesteryear like the ones featured below...

 "Bathe in Blossoms - Ornate Chamber Bath Pitcher" by "Storybook Artifact".

"Vanity Brush with Mirror Victorian Style Vintage 50's Plastic Hair Brush" by "Storybook Artifact". 

This blog article was contributed by the Etsy Recylcer's Guild Team Captain Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles.

Electric Bicycles for Eco Friendly Commuting

Reef Electric Bike : I love this.

Commute Green Style 

With the holidays over, it's back to work, and one company, Reef in Australia is making sure that Australia is doing it in Eco friendly style. I'm talking about their brand of earth friendly, transport, the electric bicycle. I really couldn't believe it at first, but it's true--someone I know online actually rides one and commutes to and from work every day.  I was like what?

The Stingray Electric Bicycle runs you $32/month or $1899 in full. 

The Reasons and Benefits of Electric Bicycles

The need arose when Reef realized it costs over $6000 per year to drive a car in Australia (In the USA, try twice that with gas, insurance, emissions, repairs, and payments!) They wanted an eco friendly and sustainable form of transport and wanted to reduce carbon emissions. Most of their bikes will hold a charge for at least 50 Kilometers, and go up to 25KMH, and of course, no license required!  Yes, you can ride them in the rain (amazing, right?)   Lithium batteries recharge in about 4-6 hours after your long ride.

These bikes reduce carbon emissions, decrease use of fuel and gas and is a super low cost of commuting.  Bikes last forever, and the company stands behind their product often given a full bumper-to-bumper bike warranty for a year and even up to three on the frames!

$1499 for the Pearl, comes in male or female versions.

You Can Afford Them 

ReefBrand bikes range in price but most are 1/10 the price you may pay for a new economy car. Sure, you could "charge your ride" onto your credit card and pay it off in no time--but even better, you can work out a payment plan with the company!  Take for instance the tricycle Escape which I pictured first in this article, may only cost you $39 a month.  Wow. No six year car payments here.

The bike above, "The Pearl", has a built in USB charger so while on the go, you can charge your phone or tablet. Is that crazy or what?

The Australians are lucky, it's mostly free shipping anywhere in Australia. My question is, when can I get one?

The Video Says It All 

I had a good laugh watching this Youtube video while everyone else was stuck in traffic, the biker just coasts by...



Find out more on their website, Reef.

A Rustic Nostalgic Rake Barware Holder for Our New Year's Champagne Flutes!

Happy New Year Everyone! To ring in the new year, I wanted to do something fun for our New Year's champagne flutes. I've had this old, rustic rake head that I picked up at my mother-in-law's home. I think it was her father Joe's, whom my husband was named after "Joe". He had passed away years ago, and thus I wanted to do something special with his old trusty rake. With a little online research, I discovered this awesome idea of transforming your old rake head into a wine glass or champagne flute holder which has beautifully added some country, homespun flair to our kitchen!

This rustic barware holder is very easy to put up; just hammer a couple nails in the wall and it looks fabulous! Our rake head has a little bit of rust and wear, but that just adds to the rustic appeal! Now we have a nostalgic family memento to cherish that is upcycled, functional, and decorative! Cheers!

This blog article was contributed by the Etsy Recylcer's Guild Team Captain Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles.