HOW TO: Make Recycled Sand and Water Toys

Since we live in Florida a huge part of our free time to spent either playing in the sand at our local beach or splashing in the ocean or swimming pool. And what makes pool and beach time more fun? Sand and water toys, of course. Many of the sand and water toys that you will find at the store are made using flimsy (un-eco) plastic that easily cracks and breaks or they get lost or left at the pool – never to been seen again, and probably piling up in a landfill somewhere. So my son and I made a set of sand and water toys and everything we needed was in our recycling bin. The best part: If these toys get left behind at the pool or break – they can be tossed back into the recycling bin. Learn how to whip up a set of recycled sand and water toys for your kiddos.

Welcome New Sponsor | SIRCUIT SKIN Cosmeceuticals

Please join me in welcoming Sweet Greens’ newest sponsor: SIRCUIT SKIN Cosmeceuticals. SIRCUIT SKIN Cosmeceuticals is green skin care company based in Los Angeles, California. SIRCUIT SKIN offers 100% fresh, pure skin care treatment solutions containing only the highest quality ingredients.

You will never find artificial colors, preservatives, fragrances, parabens or sulfates in SIRCUIT SKIN and all of their products are cruelty free. SIRCUIT SKIN believes in natural skin care that really works, providing extensive ingredient information (so you know exactly what you get!) and truthful marketing. With products designed for creating a healthier and more beautiful body, SIRCUIT SKIN offers something for everyone. Think of SIRCUIT SKIN as your daily at home facial!

Check out the complete collection at SIRCUIT SKIN Cosmeceuticals and pamper yourself today! And stay tuned for a very special Sweet Greens review and giveaway of SIRCUIT SKIN Cosmecueticals!

A huge thank you to SIRCUIT SKIN Cosmeceuticals for sponsoring Sweet Greens. Would you like to share your eco-friendly goodies with a great green community? You can advertise on Sweet Greens too, click here to get started. I would love to have you!

7 Ways to Experience the Farmer’s Market with Kids

For some kids, an early morning trip to the farmer’s market might not be the ideal way to spend a Saturday, especially when bikes, baseball, or the park are the alternatives. However, spending a day together as family, enjoying the great outdoors, supporting your local community and purchasing fresh, whole foods and other goodies is always better than staying at home. You can get your children just as excited about a trip to the farmer’s market as a trip the park by following my favorite seven ways to get kids involved.

Cocoon Designs | Quirky Recycled Creatures

Karna of Cocoon Designs created a collection of quirky, colorful dolls and creatures in her Etsy shop. Wow! They are fantastic. Made from eco-friendly, recycled and upcycled fibers and fabrics. They look so unique, fun and absolutely lovable!

I think finding wonderful handmade toys that your child can love for years and that can be passed down through the generations is lovely. I love the eyes and expressions on her sweet little creatures!

Do you like quirky stuffed toys? Would these be a purchase you would surprise your children with?

Broken Appliances? Fixing it Yourself is an Eco-Friendly Option!

We have a energy star, front loading washing and dryer set from Frigidaire that I ADORE. However, the door handle on the washer completely broke off during our move. And it wasn’t just the fact that the washer didn’t look pretty, but because the door handle was missing, a steady stream of water would drip out during the wash cycle. It’s not exactly conserving water!

I called a repair man to find out what the cost would be to replace the handle. Wowzers! It was going to cost almost as much as it would to just buy a new one! I didn’t want a new one, I wanted the washer that matches my dryer, not to mention, simply buying a new washer because the handle was broken seemed crazy. Then, I thought, I should replace the door handle myself, except I had no idea where I would find the right replacement piece.

PartSelect (who has been a Sweet Greens’ sponsor for years) offers an online service where you can look up parts for your appliances and order them — popped into my head. Guess what? They had my door handle (at a fraction of the cost, that the repairman wanted to charge) and the installation video showed that it would take less than 15 minutes for me to replace the part myself! How great is that?

I love the idea of fixing a broken appliance instead of simply purchasing a new one. I feel that if an appliance can be fixed, that is the best eco-friendly option (in most cases!) My washer was in perfect condition, except for the broken door handle and now that it is replaced, it is like new again. Win. Win.

Do you fix your own appliances?
Or do you still feel more comfortable calling the repairman?

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Thanks to PartSelect for sponsoring this post and for sharing these great tools to give consumers the option to fix their broken appliances by themselves. Repairing a home appliance not only saves the customer money and time, it is also great for the environment!