Is there a hole in the heart of that beloved camel cashmere from your freshman year at Stanford?

Don’t become unraveled! The crafty set – people like Stefanie Girard, who wrote Sweater Surgery – take the green approach to spinning yarns, reconfiguring new objects d’smart from those ratty pullovers that once warmed our bones.

Handwash your old sweater (I like to use baby shampoo) and treat it for unsightly coffee or red wine stains. Then circumvent those Jarlsberg cheese holes in the wool and make something cool!

Here’s a …

Tags: cashmere , cozies , crafts , design , dog sweaters , dogs , doll clothes , environment , hairbands , jewelry , kitchen , knitwear , recycle , reuse , sew , slippers , sweaters , teapot , wool

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Have you entered one of the giveaway contests this week yet? Your chances of winning are certainly better than the lottery! Here’s today’s Mother’s Day prize: this indispensable Buddha bowl. Equally perfect for a calming cup of tea at the end of a hectic day or an energizing boost of warm oatmeal in the morning, this simple piece of serve ware rests comfortably in your palm as you wash away your worries in functional, timeless style. Holds just the right amount of soup, noodles, tea or cereal. …

Tags: giveaway , green , kitchen , Mother's Day gifts , serve ware

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I’ve made peace with housework, but I still loathe mopping. I save that dreaded chore for last, when the kitchen floor is just too dirty to keep ignoring.

So what do I use to mop? My broom closet features an old fashioned string mop, but since I have to squeeze out the excess water by hand, using it becomes up becoming wet and unwieldy.

Method gives us the Omop, and though it is ergonomic and uses corn-based, compostable sweeping cloths, I see it as just another plastic product. The essence …

Tags: floor , home , kitchen , lifestyle , review

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Hand contact spreads 80% of infections. For each minute of the work day, you touch an average of 30 objects. There are over 20,000 germs on every square inch of your desk, which is almost 400 times the amount found on toilets. Approximately 3000 bacteria lurk on your hands. Women’s hands harbor a more diverse variety of microbes than those of men.

These unsettling statistics are enough to make germophobes out of us all. But, you can’t very well run to the bathroom every five minutes to wash up. That will get …

Tags: cleanser , disinfectant , DIY , kitchen , natural , sanitizer , spray , surface

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Is the economy beating you up? It’s time to get creative. Next time you have an ache or pain, forget about a costly trip to the drugstore and test drive some of your grandmother’s remedies instead. It’ll save money and be gentler on your body and the environment. Recessionistas (and Gents), welcome to the DIY medicine cabinet.
Indigestion and Heartburn

It almost goes without saying – but consider why you’re getting heartburn in …

Tags: DIY , health , herbal , Herbology , kitchen , medicine , personal care

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I’m not referring to my favorite pasta dish or sports car, but rather the fabulous modern kitchen designs of the Italian manufacturer, Valcucine. Founded in 1980, they’ve perfected the art of the sleek, clean and simple space where we cook. But what I find even more commendable is their effort to be green.

For almost three decades, Valcucine has been diligent in its technological and engineering advances – all geared toward lessening their environmental impact. They embody the ultimate in cutting edge design meshed brilliantly with an …

Tags: Artematica Vitrum , design , kitchen , modular , prefab , Valcucine

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Having happily sworn off bottled water in favor of refillable pitcher filters (like Brita or Pur), many of us save countless plastic bottles from the landfill. But now we have bulky plastic filters to throw out every couple of months. Sure, it’s less trash than bottles, but still, what gives?

Take Back The Filter has launched a campaign pushing Clorox (the owners of Brita) to either set up a filter recycling program or create a reusable filter with a permanent housing, in which you only have to replace the environmentally-safe carbon granules …

Tags: accessory , appliance , drink , innovation , kitchen , recycled , reuse , sustainable , wellness

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When my late grandmother lived in Brooklyn, I remember the mysterious chute in the trash room that would send whatever was placed inside sliding down into the abyss. Back then any inanimate object that could fit – paper, plastic, clothing, food – was fair game and would be shipped to the incinerator and burned. We’ve learned a lot about the environment since those days, and now the science of those chutes are being put to good use to green new kitchens with the Clean Chute Recycling System.

Much

…

Tags: Clean Chute , disposal , environment , kitchen , recycling

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The usual Thanksgiving suspects can be so heavy – especially when all are combined – mashed potatoes, stuffing, and rolls, oh my!

Try this ethereal soufflé. It will dress up your Thanksgiving table without causing havoc in the kitchen. It really is easy. Cook the squash a few days ahead and you can mix it up quickly and bake it while the turkey (or tofurkey) rests.

When selecting your squash, do yourself a favor and visit a local farmers’ market to savor all the gorgeous local, organic varieties available right now in …

Tags: cooking , Eating , entertaining , food , holiday , kitchen , Living , local , organic , Recipe , seasonal , Seasons , the , vegetarian , wellness , with

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