Reduce Reuse Recycle Refashion

My life has been completely taken over by work. March is always my busiest time of the year with my big deadline at the end of the month. The entire yearbook must be done and edited and ready to turn over to the publishing company. Stress...it creeps into my dreams. I spend hours on Adobe InDesign every day and then dream about it every night. Therefore, I have no time to do the things I truly enjoy.

                                                                        Source: themotherhuddle.com via Jessica on Pinterest

                                                                             Source: re-nest.com via Jessica on Pinterest

While I was working last night, I watched a film called No Impact Man, brought home to me by my husband who teaches and lives environmental science. It's about a family in New York who lives with no impact on the environment for a year. This includes a vegetarian diet of local food, no electricity, no material consumption, just to name a few of the many changes they made in their life. I didn't think twice about the environment (or even once to be honest) until I met my husband and now things like compost and recycling are a natural part of my daily life. I even spent some time on a permaculture farm, although I couldn't work much because I was newly pregnant at the time.

                                                                          Source: Uploaded by user via Jessica on Pinterest

Anyway, after watching this film, I've been contemplating all day what more I can do. I know I can do more. Can I go without electricity? I don't think so. But I can reduce, reuse, recycle in other ways. I'm still brainstorming some ideas and have to have some serious thought before I commit to any of them. In the meantime, I enjoyed taking a break from work and browsing Pinterest for some cute, clever, and creative ways to reuse, recycle, and refashion! 

make a Zipper Pouch from a coffee bag

make a Hot Plate & Coasters from wine corks

make Vegetable Bags from t-shirts

make a Pencil Holder from a cheese grater

make Boy Shorts from a man's shirt

make a Dress from a pillowcase