Why buy a new ereader when you can buy a new-to-you ereader?

Dudes, did you know that Half Price Books sells (and buys, obviously) used ereaders?

Whelp, now you do. Having had not-the-best luck with the fine folks at Craigslist, it's nice to know that this option exists if I ever decide to abandon my love of print books (borrowed from the library).

Want to learn more about the eco-friendliness of ereaders? Check out this infographic.

Give That Back: Columbus Companies Who Reuse Their Packaging

Recently, I've been feeling a wave of nostalgia toward the age of the milkman. Reusing glass milk jugs, instead of treating them as disposable, just makes sense to me.

So when I heard that two of my favorite companies in Columbus, The Candle Lab and Sweet Thing Gourmet were offering to take back their glass jars for reuse, I got super excited.

I know I've mentioned The Candle Lab before. They sell create-your-own-scent or prefab soy candles (a preferable alternative to candles made with paraffin wax.) They also let you bring in your own jars, which means you could totally take in that sentimental pickle jar you've been hoarding for the right occasion and pay by the ounce to fill it with candle love.

Anyway, if you buy one of their jars, the beauty is that you can take it back when you've burned down every last bit of it, rather than chucking it in the recycle bin. 

And what about when you dig the last spoonful of yummy goodness out of a jar of Sweet Thing Gourmet's jams & jellies. Hand them back the jar and you get a quarter. Woot, woot!

What an excellent way to encourage a repeat customer like me.

Do you know of any other Columbus companies who offer similar services?

Update: Middle West Spirits will take back their bottles for Candles with a Cause. Though they are recycling the bottles rather than reusing them, it's still a good deal. Especially when you consider that they give a 10% discount on one non-alcohol item in their gift shop when you return a bottle. Or you could make this outdoor torch.

3 Easy Ways to Reuse in the Kitchen

1. Reuse the coffee bag when you buy do-it-yourself ground coffee.

I have a few and rotate between them when I go to Raisin Rack for refills. The only trick is remembering to take them with you to the store.

2. Reuse the rubber bands from produce (like broccoli stalks) for random household needs.

These tend to be thicker and shorter than typical rubber bands, which may be just what you need when you're in a "bind". Keep 'em around and I guarantee you'll find a use for them.

3. Reuse produce baskets to help organize your kitchen.

A place to keep my reusable rags...

A place to hold all of my odds and ends in the medicine cabinet...

Or a place to keep all of my office supplies and aforementioned rubber bands.

What everyday items do you reuse in the kitchen?

By Hand: Unplugged Utensils in the Kitchen

Using non-electric utensils in the kitchen is not always practical or preferable, but sometimes going old school isn't so bad.

 Here are my favorite non-electric tools for the kitchen:

• Can opener - Growing up, we always had an electric can opener. Not until I went to college did I find out that opening a can was just as easy with a hand-cranked can opener. Added bonus: it frees up prime real estate on the counter top.
• Garlic press - I know a lot of people who use mini food processors to chop garlic, but really, unless you're doing a whole jar's worth, it's a lot easier and a lot less messy to use a garlic press. (Confession: I only use the press to break the skin of the clove, then chop with a knife so I don't have to wash out the press, which can get a bit messy. I probably don't even need this tool, but as long as there's space in the drawer, I'll keep it.)
• French press - Although I still have to use an electric appliance (i.e. a microwave or stove) to heat the water, this handy dandy device is still one of my favorites. (Learn more from my previous post.)
• Juicer - I don't do a lot of heavy duty juicing, so a simple citrus squeezer does the trick for me. Right now, the one I have is plastic. I'm tempted to upgrade to stainless steel, but don't want to be wasteful. 
• Knife - The most versatile tool in the world. Although blenders and food processors and mixers might do it faster, there's something about the monotony of chopping up a mound of veggies that I find to be quite comforting.
• Potato masher - Yeah, it's a bit more work, but lumpy mashed potatoes can be charming, right? And hey, you're building muscle, or so you tell yourself.

And don't forget about the most versatile tool that you're never without: your hands.

Sandwich Bag Drying Rack

I decided to start reusing sandwich bags. This seemed like a daunting task, but then I discovered this pin on Pinterest.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Tamara on Pinterest

I decided to make one of my very own, but I was even lazier and eliminated the rice. Voila!

One glass (that I can use for other purposes when not in need of a sandwich bag dryer) + wooden skewers (that I got in a swap) = Easy peasy.

Bikes and Books

I'll be the first to admit it; the new bike rest stop on the Ohio to Erie Trail behind the Westerville Public Library is awesome.

Its official name is the Westerville Legacy Train Depot and it features:

• Shelter with picnic tables
• Benches 
• Tire air pump
• Bike racks
• Bike lockers
• Water fountain with pet bowl
• and best of all, Bathrooms

Isn't it purty?

Green Gift Guide

Everyone else is doing a holiday gift guide, so I figured I might as well throw my suggestions into the mix.

MixedBagDesigns
These bags are super cute, durable and hold just about anything you need to cart around. I use mine for trips to the grocery store,  the library and just about anywhere else.

LightMyFire's All-In-One Utensil
It's a spoon. It's a fork. It's a knife. It's all three in one! This utensil is extremely lightweight and easy to wash. It can be used when camping or it can camp out in your purse for unexpected food adventures. If you don't want to order online, I've often seen these at the checkout stations in Eddie Bauer.

Zip-It Drain Cleaner
I know it seems a bit unromantic, but this thing would make a great stocking stuffer for a new home owner. It works, I swear. You could also pair it with a universal coil brush that can clean out from under your fridge, as I blogged about a while back.

Wind-Up LED Flashlight
I'm terrible about remembering to buy batteries. Plus, batteries aren't so good for the old environment. So this flashlight makes me happy. It even provides a bit of much-needed exercise.

Candles from The Candle Lab

I've made two different candles at The Candle Lab this year: Dark chocolate and fig was one and campfire, pine needles and dirt was the other. I love them both. All candles are made with soy, which burns much slower than traditional candles.

The Wilds 
I heart The Wilds. For me, it is so much more magical than a zoo, because the animals get to roam over 9,000 acres of land. I've given gift certificates for tours a couple of times now and I haven't heard any complaints. 

Keepsake Solutions
Old home videos are a treasured asset that cannot be replaced. Why not convert your old home videos on VHS tapes into DVDs for your family members? I just recently did this and I am excited to finally see what I've been missing sans VCR for the last 10 years.

Bluebell Giving
For the person who has everything, this is a wonderful idea. When you buy a card from Bluebell Giving, you can pledge a certain amount of money to charity. But the fun part is that your card's recipient gets to choose which of the 180+ supported charity will receive the donation.

Can you think of other eco-friendly products or services that would make green gifts this season?

Grow What You Eat: Peppers

I bought a green pepper plant & a jalapeno pepper plant from Raisin Rack on May 18, 2011 for approximately $4 each. Both came in 4-inch pots.

I planted both in the same wooden planter as two tomato plants.

June 9, 2011

The green pepper plant was totally overshadowed by the tomato plants and never got enough sunlight or space to grow. The jalapeno pepper plant fared better. By the beginning of July, I could see baby peppers.

July 9, 2011

Since it didn't require as much space and got a bit more sunlight, it ended up producing a handful of spicy peppers that I used to make salsa.

July 23, 2011

They were all about the size of a pinky finger.

July 29, 2011

The green pepper plant actually started producing miniature peppers after the tomato plant had died off and left it some room to grow, but it was too late in the season for the peppers to fully develop. In any case, the baby green peppers were super cute, and at least I'll know what to look for next year.

October 22, 2011

The jalapeno pepper plant also lasted until the end of October, even putting out a few wicked-looking attempts in the last inning.

Things I'll Do Differently Next Year:

I will probably end up planting both pepper plants in a separate wooden box or pot in order to give them enough space and sunlight to grow and produce. 

Grow What You Eat: Rosemary

I love rosemary. The problem is that I don't know what to do with it.

My staple recipe for rosemary is to add it to a skillet of sauteed onions, green peppers and feta cheese, then serve it with pita bread. Besides that, I've been at a loss this year for what to do with this beautiful herb.

I bought a rosemary plant in a 4-inch pot from the Franklin Park Conservatory on May 14, 2011 for approximately $3. I potted it in a medium-sized clay pot and ignored everything I read about using sandy soil because of laziness.

June 9, 2011

It didn't seem to mind.

August 27, 2011

I don't think I harvested anything from it until mid-September.

September 5, 2011

Since it seemed to be doing well and I checked to make sure it wasn't on the ASPCA's list of plants that are toxic to cats, I brought it inside for the winter.

October 24, 2011

Things I'll do differently next year: Find more recipes that call for rosemary.

Grow What You Eat: Basil

I bought two basil plants at Westerville Farmer's Market for approximately $2.50 for a 4-inch potted plant.

Note: All of the books I read suggested buying 4-inch plants because they will be less scrawny and will bush out better over time.

May 25, 2011

I potted each plant in a separate plastic hanging plant container that I'd saved from previous summers.

The plants started out fairly small and compact, but they grew quickly.

June 9, 2011

I started harvesting basil within a month, though I could have probably done so sooner.

A large batch of basil, harvested on June 23, 2011

I ended up making several huge batches of pesto over the course of the summer, using lemon juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and slivered almonds, all of which I mixed together in a mini food processor.

Basil in mini food processor

Frozen in an ice cube tray then placed in freezer bags, ready to use

After a while, I found that I got lazy and stopped harvesting the basil on a regular basis. It started to lose some of its vibrant green color and when I researched the problem, I found that it was due to my lack of constant pruning.

July 9, 2011

So I tried to harvest on bi-weekly basis, and though the leaves at the bottom of the plants never bounced back, the plants started to slowly regain their color.

July 29, 2011

By the end of August the plants were looking a bit worse for the ware...

August 27, 2011

And by the beginning of September, they were all but done for the season.

September 5, 2011

Things I'll do differently next year:

Really, I think the only thing I would change for next year is to harvest more often to prevent the plant from losing its color, a la Bunnicula style.

Everything else, including the soil, pot, location and frequency of watering seemed to work well.

Grow What You Eat: Cucumbers

I heart cucumbers. They are one of the easiest, most refreshing vegetables of the summer.


(Note: This picture was taken by my sis, of Photo Kitchen fame. You will easily be able to tell the difference between her pics and mine throughout this blog, as mine are very matter-of-fact and hers are magical.)

I picked up a cucumber plant at Raisin Rack on May 18 for approximately $4. It came with only a hand-written tag that said "AC Picking Cucumber", which, after a half-hearted Google search, I assume means this?



By June 9, I could see tiny cucumbers beginning to grow. Though there were 3 or 4 babies on the plant at a time, usually only one of them grew into a full-fledged cucumber. According to this article, the shriveled baby cucumbers are due to lack of pollination. Oops.



I harvested the first cucumber on June 23. It was beautiful.



Some of the cucumbers were a bit misshapen, but still just as tasty.

I realized a bit too late that the plant was yellowing because there was a cucumber hanging out of sight over the edge of the deck. I think if I would have noticed it and picked it sooner, the plant would have started to send its nutrients to the rest of its limbs.



But the real death of the plant came with a raccoon attack. The roots were dug up and exposed. Though I tried to replant it, it soon shriveled and died.



In the end, I was able to harvest 5 cucumbers throughout the summer.

Though this variety is meant for pickling, I was too lazy to learn how, so I just ate them in my staple summer salad consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, red wine vinegar, olive oil and feta cheese.

Things I'll Do Differently Next Year:

• Try to keep the raccoons from digging up the plant (though I'm not quite sure how yet.)
• Buy more than one plant.
  
• Actually attempt to pollinate the plant by following these instructions.
  
• Try pickling?