In my search to try and find some predone menus for one to two weeks that also come with shopping lists, I came across this site.
I guess I'll have to send them to Woman Atop Her Soapbox for translation though because everything is in the freaking metric system and I have no idea how many grams of tomatoes I buy.
Nonetheless, a lot of these recipes look very good and very kid friendly and since they seem to hail from the UK, some of them are new to us altogether.
And we need to mix things up a little.
I am so bored with eating.
Check them out, see what you think.

Labels: cooking, menu planning, RBATOTD, recipes

Today's RBATOTD comes to us from the fabulous Jiffinner who had undoubtedly felt like I was never going to post one again since I've been all silent for several days.
I suck.
Sue me.
Jiffinner came over to my house on Saturday night for Fairy's birthday party. I had invited an adorable and WAY too young for me boy. As Jiffinner and I were getting everything set up for the impending par-tay, we were discussing the WAY too young for me boy and WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME. And Jiffinner just shrugged and said who effing cares? I mean, if he's fun and you like him, do what you want to do, don't worry about how old he is.
I pondered the possibilities while we cracked open some sangria and lit a bazillion candles.
I [heart] candles.
Then Jiffinner said, if something happens, you're going to blog about it right?
and I was like OH HELL YEAH I'M GOING TO BLOG ABOUT IT. Of course, if something does happen and I do blog about it, my readers would all die of heart attacks not only from the news of how WAY too young for me he is but also because OMG, SHE ACTUALLY HAD SEX??
I just don't have sex any more.
It is the absolute crap of all that is crappy.
Jiffinner laughed to herself and then said, you could title it "Not recycled but still totally bad-ass."
Which is one of a gazilliondy reasons I love her.

Jiffinner sent me an email last night and the subject line read:
Recycled? check. Bad-Ass? check.‏
Then there was a link to yet another awesome Etsy shop. I ask you readers, how did we survive prior to Etsy? I just don't know.
But 'check" indeed.
This chic is making light covers from old cans and once she carves the design into them, they throw the coolest shadows.
I do love them.
And I love you Jiffinner.

Labels: my crazy life, My pathetic excuse for a love life, RBATOTD, recycling, soul sisters

For my generation, I don't think there is anything more obsolete and "retro" than the cassette tape. Do you remember rewinding?? It makes me smile to myself when I see one of my daughters, who will undoubtedly think of cds & dvds the same way we think of cassettes and video tapes, complaining about their ipods.
Ipods!
Are you kidding me?
What I would have GIVEN for an ipod loaded with everything I wanted to listen to when I was thirteen. I'd have given just about anything... including all of my posters of Johnny Depp and River Phoenix and the Corey's...
*Sigh*
Of course, now when I run across a cassette tape or a VHS video, I am unsure of what the hell to do with it. I think I still have a VCR somewhere... but I know for a fact that there isn't a cassette player anywhere in my house. But I can't just toss Marky-Mark and The Funky Bunch in the trash can I? I mean, besides being a memento of my childhood and the first concert I ever went to, I have issues with throwing perfectly good (albeit perfectly useless) things away.
Some people who have less hoarding issues than I apparently do pull the tape out of their cassettes and VHS tapes and use it in the garden to freak the birds out. There is actually a metallic tape product which one can buy to hang from trees and confuse the pesky birds.
I guess it is a lot less work than building a scarecrow huh?
And since the tape itself is the only part of a cassette or video which isn't recyclable, it seems like a good alternate use which leaves the other parts of the tape ready for your recycling bin.
Over on My Recycled Bags (you remember them from the Plarn post a few days ago right?), she is doing what she does best and crocheting bags from the tape.

Just want to unload them?
I don't blame you... I have two or three boxes of VHS tapes just sitting in my shed, most of which have recorded tv shows on them.
You can freecyle them. Bound to me some people out there still rockin' the old school VCR.
Or you can send them off to be recycled. There was an article in Woman's Day about how.
"To keep them out of landfills, drop them in the mail to Alternative Community Training, a nonprofit Missouri company that provides jobs to people with disabilities.
Workers erase the tapes, reselling the ones that are in good shape and recycling the plastic parts of the rest. They’ve recycled more than 1 million tapes so far. Mail the tapes (at the cheaper USPS media mail rate) to:
ACT
2200 Burlington
Columbia, MO 65202"

Want to buy something made from recycled tapes? The options are endless... you can get coin purses and belt buckles and pretty much anything else that's crossed someone's mind...

Now if you have an ipod nano and dig rocking the retro look, you could get (or make?) yourself one of these little bad-asses.



Do you know about something bad-ass and recycled? Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: being Earth Friendly, RBATOTD, recycling, shopping

I hate throwing away broken crayons.
I also hate candles made from crayons.

Can you tell me what little boy wouldn't LOVE these race car crayons???


Don't dig the race cars as much? How about rocket ships?

No? How about teddy bears?

Or froggies?

The seller has several different types and styles of these recycled crayons available here. Too cute.

Do you know about something bad ass and recycled? Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: RBATOTD, recycling

These bags are no exception.
As with all cool things in the world, these too are found on Etsy.

Do you know about something bad-ass and recycled? Shoot me an email. Link's on the right.

Labels: RBATOTD, recycling, shopping, stuff I like

Ok, I have to tell ya'll something.
I can crochet.
But only in straight lines.
Which is to say that I can make blankets and scarves that are either square or rectangular. And that is all.
I cannot make hats, shirts, sweaters, mittens, or even blocks.
I don't know how.
And I've tried, believe you me. I have tried so hard to understand how to.
I've bought crocheting books, watched videos on youtube.
I'm hopeless.
And truthfully, a little resentful that other chics can do all of these "girly" things like cooking, gardening and crocheting and I struggle.
Poor poor me.
:P
Anyway, I can crochet some so I guess that is something. But I would very much like to learn how to make something like this:


Yeah, sure it just looks like a crocheted purse right?
Except it isn't made from yarn people, it's made from Plarn. Plarn is made from plastic grocery bags. Observe:



And you can use plarn similarly to how you use yarn to crochet things.
The genius behind this is My Recycled Bags. She can apparently make yarn out of just about anything...


And you know what? *I* think that is pretty effing bad-ass.
Tux? What do you think?

Do you know about something bad ass and recycled? Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: Being a Chic, RBATOTD, stuff I like

I have a green house.
But I do not have a green thumb unfortunately.
Sometimes if I rub my thumb, I can see a little teeny, tiny amount of green but it fades away before I can take a picture of it so I don't have any proof...
Right now, in my green house, I have a passion fruit vine which has the most gorgeous purple flowers, several tomato plants, a few herbs which smell great, an "irish clover" bush which constantly blooms white flowers, a hibiscus, a crown of thorns, two banana trees and sseveral sunflowers.
I have no idea how they manage to stay alive.
But I think that they would be extremely happy to have these decorating their pots...
It's no secret how much I love things made from recycled silverware. This seller is no exception to that rule.





Need I say more?

Labels: RBATOTD, recycling, shopping, stuff I like

This is totally something I would buy for Amanda.


Made from recycled perspex from a sign makers factory, these super cute bracelets would be the perfect gift for any animal lovin' preteen :)
Don't have a preteen?
You can send it to mine ;)

Do you knwo about something bad-ass and recycled?
Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: Amanda, being Earth Friendly, Being Mommy, RBATOTD, shopping, stuff I like

I've had babies on the brain.
THANK THE UNIVERSE I DON'T HAVE A UTERUS ANYMORE.
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou.
Yesterday, my baby-itis was only further fueled by the fact that the lovely Fairy is considering having one. I will WILL it to be a girl.
Universe? Do you hear me?
I WANT ANOTHER BABY GIRL!
Uhm, for Fairy of course.
Not for me.
I have three, goin' on four.
Of course, she was probably just teasing me yesterday with the possibility of having a baby AND buying the house next door.
But if she does, I will so be buying her stuff like this.

Come on!
Little baby fairy shoes made from recycled satin.
Shut up.

Or these (which aren't recycled, which is why they didn't headline this post, but ARE resuable):

How pretty are they? And the seller makes a TON of stuff and uses AMAZING fabrics.

Ok, back to work, Big Boss is here today.
Can't get caught bloggin' at work ;)

Labels: At work, being Earth Friendly, Being Mommy, RBATOTD

Labels: RBATOTD, shopping, stuff I like

There is a guy who I work with that LOVES puzzles and brain teasers.
The first week I worked here he righted my rubix cube. The rubix cube that had been messed up since I had gotten it months, maybe even years before I started working here.
In one afternoon, he righted it.
Which left me without anything to do when I was on hold...
Since then I've brought in a few metal brain teasers, I didn't realize that they were called "Tavern Puzzles" until I saw these though...

"Whether you trying your hand at Twenty-One, taking your revenge out on Captain Blackbeard or testing your Patience, these rustic tavern puzzles will put your jigsaw to shame. Traditionally forged by blacksmiths to amuse friends and sailors at taverns, these wrought-iron brainteasers require a sharp mind and determination. But don't worry; if you can't solve it on the first try, we won't make you walk the plank. Handmade in the USA of recycled steel."
Get a couple, they are super fun.

Do you know about something bad ass and recycled?
Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: At work, RBATOTD, shopping, stuff I like

With my brother moving into his new place, I have been paying attention to the types of things one needs when moving and not really having the basic things you need for a new place.
One of those things that you don't really have that you need is shower curtains.
I bought one when we moved into my new place without even giving so much as a second thought to whether they sold them recycled.
They do.
So today, two very different recycled shower curtains.
The first shower curtain is made from recycled billboard signs. The shower curtain is made from two different billboards and sewn together. Silver grommet rings. Hooks not included. Handmade in Tucson, Arizona by Iraqi and Afghani refugees.

Truthfully, I think the recycled billboard sign shower curtain is my favorite. A lot of color and character.

The second is a shower curtain made from recycled sails... as in sail boats.

This would be so perfect for someone's beach house!

Either way, you are recycling. AND I bet these last considerably longer than the ten dollar shower curtains you get at Walmart.

Do you know about something bad-ass and recycled?
Shoot me an email, link's on the right.
Peace.

Labels: being a Home Owner, Noah, RBATOTD, shopping, stuff I like

I truly, truly believe that one of the coolest things that I've found since I started this whole recycled thing of the day column is the plantable paper. I love that stuff, you guys seem to have loved it since it solicited the most emails and I just LOVE the idea of being able to plant your birthday card after you receive it.
So how does it get any better than that?

Planting your wrapping paper!
I have made a major effort in my house to no longer use wrapping paper. We use reusable gift bags here now in order to cut down on the amount of trees being... well, cut down. But with this stuff? I could start wrapping gifts again!
Do you know about something bad ass and recycled? Shoot me an email, link is on the right.

Labels: birthday, Christmas, RBATOTD, shopping, stuff I like

One of the things I mentally battle with on a regular basis is my use of paper towels. They are so necessary in all of my cleaning up that I buy them pretty frequently and every time I do, I feel bad. But when you have kids and spills and you weigh the amount of stuff you'd have to wash if you cleaned up every spill with a small towel... I mean, would the amount of laundry you'd have to do waste more energy and resources than the paper towels?
I've never been great at math.

But these seem like a pretty decent alternative to the paper towel for most cleaning up problems that I would usually use a paper towel for.
And when they are rendered no longer useful, I can throw them in my compost pile.
And the price? $15 is the same price as two packages of Bounty and these cloths would surely outlast them.

Do you know about something bad ass and recycled?
Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: being a Home Owner, Being Mommy, RBATOTD, recycling, shopping

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday due to a combination of housework, cleaning out my car and my laptop charger thingy being broken and making using the computer less convenient. So today, you get a two-fer.
After minutes of internet scouring, I found the following two items, both of which I could totally buy for Amanda and she would love.
The first of the two are these "Nerd Flashcards". They are printed on recycled paper with vegetable inks so they pass the RBATOTD test, no problemo. Granted Amanda is a little old for alphabet flashcards BUT they could be framed and used around her room and I know she would love them because they are science based and she is a science nerd.


The second item I found that I know Amanda would love is the Panda Poo Paper! Yes, remember the other day? With the elephant poo paper? Evidentally elephants aren't the only mammals contributing to the Save The Trees cause.


There you go. You can now go back to your regularly scheduled weekend.
Of course, you should still send me recycled bad-ass stuff you've found, link's on the right.

Labels: Amanda, RBATOTD, recycling, shopping, stuff I like

In the next week or two, my house will consist of the following inhabitants:
Myself, Amanda Panda, Emo, Trin-Trin, Madame Chicita Puppy, Crush the Turtle, Woodstock the very vane cockatiel, and Peanut the World's Grumpiest Parrot.
At which point, my intentions are to go through every room in my house one by one, all the closets, all the cabinets, under the beds, the shelves... you name it. I want to know exactly where everything is and get rid of a bunch of stuff we don't need.
It's no weekend project people.
It's a SEVERAL weekends project.
And that's cool. Because, in case you haven't noticed, I don't have much of a social life :) And once I'm done going through my house, I will be going through my shed and seeing what the hell lives in my carport.
Now that it is finally going to just be me and my girls and gang of pets we've managed to accumulate, I want to make it our house again. And I want to enjoy all of the hard work that is going to go into not just restructuring the things in our home, but also in restructuring the way we take care of our home as a family (read: chores hehehehe).
So what am I going to want at the end of a long day of cleaning and organizing and restructuring?
Something that could go into one of these recycled newsprint wine bags.

Right?
I'm already dreaming of sangria.
Jiffinner? Fairy? The Cake Lady?
You know you want to come drinks sangria _{and maybe help me reorganize my house on your weekends off} right?
Hehehehe...
Do you know about something bad ass and recycled?
Shoot me an email. Link's on the right.

Labels: Amanda, being a Home Owner, being Earth Friendly, Being Mommy, Emilee, family drama, RBATOTD, recycling, shopping, soul sisters, stuff I like, Triniti

Sometimes I wish I were in my Forever House.
I wish I'd found the house I wanted to keep forever and leave to my girls.
I'm not.
I'm in a house that I can hopefully build up enough equity in so when I sell it when property value is at an all time high, I can make a decent chunk of change and use that to make a big life and/or location change.
I hope I will be a published author when that time comes so I can work for me and live the dream and all that jazz.
When I try to envision that house, my Forever House, I can't just barely get a fuzzy picture in my head... I know, as much as I say otherwise, I want a big house... two stories, three or more bedrooms, lots of wood (says the environmentalist)... cabin-y, home-y... I HAVE to be near water, I know that... my soul needs water. Whether it is a lake or an ocean or a river, I need to have water near me.
And it would have to be filled with comfy furniture and walls of books.
*sigh*
In the meantime, while I am in my just for now house, I have to resist the urge to redo stuff. My floors were a neccesity. I CAN'T deal with carpet. And in the next year, all of my floors will be redone.
But other stuff? Like my cabinets? And painting? Not necessary and really just a waste of money. Plus, the biggest thing for me is not to put too much of myself in the house. Because it should be a neautral pallet for someone else when I sell it.
But if I could?
If I wanted to take all my cabinets out and replace them and redo the tiles and the backsplashes? I would so totally use recycled glass tiles.

I just think they are so pretty. And if I were making long term changes that reflected MY taste, I would so totally use recycled glass tiles...
Do you know about something bad ass and recycled? Shoot me an email. Link's on the right.

Labels: being a Home Owner, RBATOTD, shopping, stuff I like

Ok, so today, because I feel like you guys are ready to start making that kind of effort, I am giving you the link to the How to Recycle Anything guide.
I have to be honest, lately I've felt more like helping you recycle things you already have rather than pointing you in the direction of where to buy things that other people have recycled into something.
Not that that isn't fabulous.
We LOVE those people.
But, it's much Earth friendlier for you to recycle your own stuff and keep your carbon footprint even smaller by avoiding having your package be one of the ones on the airplane contributing to the fuel being burned off and polluting our planet.
Oh. My. God.
I am such a hippie.
We are mere minutes away from dreadlocks.
Anyway, this link will give you a breakdown of how to recycle a lot of things you may not have known you could. I personally prefer it when I can find links that show all of you how to repurpose your stuff rather than recycle it, but I realize that you can't keep everything you buy forever.
In fact, I am almost ready to start whittling down my insane collection of CRAP to less. I won't be throwing it all out though, I will be putting a BUNCH of stuff up on freecycle.org and repurposing the rest of it.
An Earth friendly purge if you will.
So check it out and see what you could be recycling that you are currently chunking. Then you can bookmark the site for future reference. And if there is another item YOU know how to recycle that isn't on that list, put it in the comments and I'll add it :)
Oh yeah, and in case you didn't know already, if you know about something bad-ass and recycled, shoot me an email and I will post it. Cuz that's just how I roll, yo.

Labels: being Earth Friendly, RBATOTD, recycling

Yup.
You read right.
Elephant. Dung. Paper.
How could you be ANY MORE Earth Friendly than buying paper made from poop?
I say you can't.
In fact, I challenge you to find a more Earth friendly product...
No, seriously, go ahead and try.
I'll wait here.
And how can you bitch about the price? Someone takes poop and turns it into paper. Can you really say, "Hmmm, I think that's a little pricey for dung paper..."
Yet another cool find from a link sent to me by WAHS.

Did you find something bad-ass and recycled?
Shoot me an email yo, link's on the right.

Labels: RBATOTD, shopping

Ok, so I have had babies on the brain... probably because I know a couple of people who are expecting one, a couple of people who have had one and because I am dreaming about them. Jiffinner? Totally had a VERY vivid dream that you had a little baby girl. I was holding her and telling her I was her "aunty" (that's what Fairy's son calls me). She was stunning.
So, with all the baby on the brain, it got me to thinking about some baby/Earth friendly stuff. And then, last night, when I was on Twitter, I saw an ad for reusable training pants for toddlers...
I know right? Twitter? WTF?
I have to be honest here... Rob Thomas, as in Matchbox effing Twenty, has a twitter page. That he updates. Himself. Like with random what he's doing every day stuff. I couldn't resist after I found that out. My ONLY option was to begin stalking him.
Anyway, if you twitter, you can search me... katehopeeden. I'm the one who is stalking Rob Thomas.
Back to the diapers though... in case you didn't know, Dooce just had an adorable baby girl who they name Marlo Iris, which is a super cool name... and as I was looking at her "twit-pics", this ad came up for reusable diapers which got my brain wheels a-spinnin' and led to today's post.
On Natural Violet, there is a step by step guide on how to turn a t-shirt into a reusable diaper.


One of the things I truly regret is that I didn't use cloth diapers with my children. My mother used them with all three of us and I really wish I had used them on all three of my girls instead of dumping a gazilliondy disposable diapers into the landfills.

Do you know about something bad-ass and recycled? Shoot me an email, link's on the right.

Labels: being Earth Friendly, Being Mommy, RBATOTD