Green Tips

Tips to make life easier while staying 'green'

Re-use bread tags to identify cords

Re-use a wet wipe container to store plastic bags- 

I'm going to make one of these for my car!

I love this idea and love how it looks- 

Re-use old gutters to make a window box veggie garden.

We recently bought a stove top pop corn maker which we love- 

This idea of using plain paper bags alleviates the plastic lined bags usually used for microwave popcorn.

 What are your favorite 'green' tips to make life easier? 

California Academy Of Science

The only place on the planet where you can explore an aquarium, planetarium and natural history museum under one living roof.

The Rainforests Of The World is a climate controlled sphere within the building. 

Visitors enter at the base of the rainforest and continue upwards.

The floor of the rainforest displays animals found there- snakes, insects, lizards, spiders etc. 

As you move upwards you see the animals that live in the canopy- free flying birds and butterflies-

From the top of the sphere an elevator takes you to the base- where the aquarium and over 2,000 reef fish dart about the Technicolored forest of coral. 

 There is a really cool area where visitors are able to touch and examine marine life through a microscope  which transmits the images on a TV screen above. 

I thought this exhibit was pretty cool:

The living roof houses over two and a half acres of native California plants: 

The natural history museum houses African penguins which the monkeys loved- they had a 'show' where they fed the penguins which was a highlight. 

The planetarium had a great show narrated by Jodi Foster- I have not been to a planetarium since I was in HS seeing Led Zeppelin laser shows- not any less trippy and made me a bit dizzy. 

What is your favorite Natural History Museum? 

Did you see laser shows at the planetarium? 

Recycled, Upcycled Plastic Bags

It takes 1,000 years for ONE PLASTIC BAG to degrade 
(and contaminate our soil and water)


My friend S has been making these cool upcycled creations out of plastic grocery bags.

She cuts up strips and uses it as if it were a yarn to knit these little pocket books.  She then uses vintage buttons to complete the piece.  Each bag takes a few hours to make but can be used indefinitely.  They are surprisingly sturdy and can even be machine washed.   

I use the minimal plastic bags I do get as small trash bags or poop and scoop bags-
I am in the habit of bringing my own bags with me wherever I go.

To read more creative tips on how to reduce your plastic use
Read about The Plastic Coalitions Pledge

I wrote a post here about about a hotel made out of beach trash and about the Pacific Garbage Patch 

How do you reuse your plastic bags?

Don't forget to enter Green Mama Design's Giveaway hosted by me!

Nature Mobile

Making art with what you have is one of the most important 'lessons' I hope to instill on my monkeys.  Really it translates to how to have overall happiness in life and keeps creativity flowing. 

I love making art out of recycled objects, found objects and the gifts nature provides. 

While we were in Colorado we had the opportunity to go for many walks in the forest.  We often found  fallen trees and so one day brought a hand saw with us to cut some branches.  We also collected cattails, pine cones, twigs and rocks.  No living things were harmed in our artistic process.

The original idea was to make nature mobiles using a few basic tools.

After collecting more branches then we could ever use we cut specific lengths:

My oldest monkey had the idea of making a marionette- instead of a mobile.

The monkeys had loads of fun sawing, hammering and tying knots.

They loved the final result:

This is what 'Steve' the marionette looks like sleeping, covered- in the mudroom:

Questions to consider while creating:

What materials are we using? Where do they come from?  What kind of tree?

What is recycled art?  Found object art?

Great opportunity to go over how to safely saw wood, hammer nails.

Could this be considered a sculpture? (yes- it is three dimensional art)

What is kinetic art and is this kinetic art? (sure- it moves and can be moved).

Check out more than 20 other Farts and Crafts projects we've made.

What are your favorite Farts and Crafts to make using nature? 

A Week In Reflection-

When you live in the desert and the temperatures sore over a hundred (or 45*c) you can either hole up in air-conditioned indoor spaces or embrace it and get wet-  We spend every day in water (seems unnatural in a desert but none the less effective).

I took the monkeys to two different playgrounds that have water features- which here means soft squishy recycled plastic flooring- with fountain like water spouts.

Paseo Park

Mountain Ridge Park

We also went to our club where the water slides and 'other kids' factors are a huge draw.

Most morning we hang out by our pool and I get some quiet time to read- this is what I'm reading now

To make our pool more 'brother friendly' I try and stock it up with shoot 'em toys-

This weeks find (at Home Goods) was a set of inflatable rafts with water shooter features

And when we are all pruned up and do need to be indoors- we like to head to our library

Or do some indoor climbing

How was your week? 

Have a lovely weekend! 

Diorama- Art Education

A diorama is a three dimensional replica of something like a historical event, nature, city or made up world.  These can be used to showcase for the purpose of entertainment or education.  

In the 19th century they were often used as a showcasing tool for theatre:

This one is of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice

I took all the above images at the National Gallery in Prague- but unfortunately didn't get all the information regarding them.

Here are some shots of my youngest making a replica of a Torah story (his idea).

We always use recycled material and things we find around our house. 

Usually the project is done over the course of a few days and is continually added to and played with-

We made a large scale city last summer which the monkeys played with forever.

This summer we are planning on making a forest diorama with found objects (chosen carefully to preserve nature) from a trip we have planned.

We are also going to make dioramas of a scene from a favorite book we are reading this summer. 

Questions to consider while creating:

Make a plan, tell a story, what is your intention to showcase? Draw a plan or outline. 

What materials (medium) are we using to create?

What types of art genres use found objects or recycled objects? (most commonly Assemblage but also Found Art, Junk Art and a fairly new term is Up-cycled Art) 

Could this be considered a sculpture? (yes- it is three dimensional art)

Do you enjoy making dioramas?