Reflections: Week 11 & 12

Week 11

Due:

• Advocacy: Issue Overview
  
• Eco-Chic Week 8
  
• Read n Seed: 4th quarter of "Diet for a Small Planet"
  

This week in class we had one of the most interesting classes yet! We all received five different objects that we only had a set amount of time with. We had to come up with as many different junking ideas to transform the object into something new and creative!

Our group consisted of Hailey, Abby, and myself... I'd have to say we had a blast thinking of strange and inventive ideas! Laughter was endless with the ideas we conjured up about these five items. I'll list a few crazy ideas to let you know a few of the inventions we chuckled over: Plus below are a few examples of the items that were brought in:

Item 1 (tripod item): candle holder, plant stand, camera stand, boot dryer, chandelier, tree stand, chair/stool, table, ceiling fan, door wedge, and meat pounder. 
 
Item 2 (glass conductor): lamp cover, cup, balloon weight, hors d'oeuvres holder, juicer, hair stuff holder, change holder, paper weight, and cookie cutter. 

Item 3 (hardware): utensil holder on wall, drawer hardware, door knobs, hold curtain rod in bathroom, wind chime, and brass knuckles.

Item 4 (wooden drawer): pet coffin, Christmas ribbon holder, hold a statue of Mary, sock and underwear drawer, and to build a fire if you are stranded and it is your only item.

Item 5 (metal/wooden item): hold folders/letters, scarf rack, yard rake, baking rack cooler, toothbrush holder, and doll holder/Barbie holder for a child.

Week 12

Due:

• Photo Essay
  
• Eco-Chic Week 9

We learned how to create a blog hop. I found this to be sort of confusing while we watched the whole video but once we got to actually have a hands on interaction it seemed to be much easier than I expected.

I really thought it was cool how we all had an interconnected MckLinky Links on all of our Eye Opener: Photo Essay posts however! After we connected our final bog hops we took the chance to go through everyone's photo essays created for class.

So many people had such great essays and even depicted photographs that I could relate to growing up in my own family. By doing this photo essay it really made me feel more connected to my classmates and what they've gone through in their own lives. I've learned that everyone has their own little quirks that make them who they are and sometimes these quirks are similar to others' --> YAY :)

Share & Voice: Health Fair

UMD HEALTH FAIR 2009

Eta Sigma Gamma Presents:

OUR MYTH: An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

We preached the sound theory of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables to keep you healthy. Not just consuming only apples to maintain a healthy diet.

We presented an activity for passers-by to really engage in learning about their fruits and vegetables. We had a variety of different items in one of our reusable bags (avocados, carrots, pomegranates etc.) and the task was to reach your hand in the bag and determine what fruit/vegetable you had. Right or wrong we then gave out educational information on the fruit/vegetable you chose and the benefits you gain from eating it.

Georgia decided to take a hands on approach and partake in our activity -->

The group of us that I tabled with on Tuesday December 1st was Shar Drew, Hannah S, Tara, and Abby.
<---

REMEMBER CLASS: 

EAT A VARIETY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES

(not ONE item is better than all the rest)

Share & Voice: Conservation Tip

I found this website and I thought it was totally fitting for the upcoming holidays. Please take this advice and really work on conserving even the simplest things (wrapping a gift).

64: Wrap your gifts creatively

Giving gifts is great, but gift wrap isn’t. Most gift wrap is never reused or recycled — in fact many recycling programs do not accept glittered or shiny foil paper because of the high metal content. Instead of using gift wrap, try one of these alternatives or come up with your own!

• Use and reuse any wrapping paper you already have. If you’re careful when unwrapping presents (try using a knife to cut any tape) the paper can be reused almost indefinitely. Just store it with the holiday decorations.
• Secure your wrapping paper with ribbon, yarn, or twine rather than tape. This makes reusing the paper even easier. For extra points and style, use the shiny black tape from an old VHS cassette.
• Instead of buying wrapping paper, use colorful newspaper, magazines, old maps, or calendars. Again, reuse the paper when you’re done and then recycle it.
• Hide gifts in bags. Decorating brown paper bags with markers can be a fun project for kids.
• Wrap small gifts in a cloth. Drape large gifts with a sheet, or just tie on a ribbon.
• Use other gifts as wrapping. Wrap a pan with a kitchen towel or hide a book in a shirt.
• Give a gift that doesn’t need wrapping at all — breakfast in bed, a massage, a hiking or camping trip… the possibilities are endless.

I love this blog!! I think it's honestly the heartfelt idea too; just like homemade cards seem to always make someone happier than the store bought kind. Creating your own decorating design on someone's gift not only shows off your creative side but lets them know you took that extra time to really put something special into it.

Remember:

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9: Weekly Update

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

MY PHOTO ESSAY: REUSING/JUNKING

After heading home for Thanksgiving and thinking about my photo essay project I realized how creative my mother really is! She has tons of different junking items that she's completely recreated!! --> WAY TO GO MOM!

It made me start thinking that if I took the time to look around my house up in Duluth would she have had rubbed off any creative juices onto me??

This is what I found out: I'm a reusable junkie!!! I completely forgot when I moved into my first home my sophomore year I went to a used hotel furniture store in Hermantown...

INFO:

USED MOTEL HOTEL FURNITURE 5315 Miller Trunk Hwy, Hermantown, MN 5581155811 Click for Phone (218) 729-8641

With my mom and dad we purchased a coffee table, an end table, and a desk.

I've reused them into my tv stand for my room (coffee table), a nightstand (end table), and a tv stand in my living room (desk) .

I've also created my own pieces that could be reused:

• bottles that I use for candle holders
  
  
• cups I've used for jewelry & pens
  
  
• My roommate Bre (who has given me permission to use this photo) created a desk created out of a piece of wood, Plexiglass, and some plastic drawers.
  
  
• My roommate Mona (who has given me permission to use this photo) has hung up a piece of material from one of her favorite blankets onto the wall for a artistic vibe.

PLUS
• The coolest thing I found was in my neighbors backyard--> a table and two chairs. I actually went up to his door and asked him if I could use these items for a project since they were just laying out in the farthest corner of his yard. He happily agreed to me 'taking these items off his hands'. I'll have to have an update blog once spring rolls around and I can remodel these babies!