Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap
Boy am I sorry I didn’t see this sooner! I was posting a comment on the Baltimore Sun this morning and to the right saw and ad for the Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap. I had never even heard of this, but I was immediately excited. Woohoo, someone is organizing clothing swaps in my very own city! I love clothing swaps because you can shop for free and reducing your carbon footprint by reusing the clothes that someone else no longer wants. I love to swap out my closet at least twice a year and since I discovered clothing swaps I don’t have to feel bad about it anymore; It’s glorious. I clicked on the link and noted that they were having a swap this Saturday, May 1 from 10am – 6pm in Mt. Vernon. I’ll be out of town on Saturday celebrating my Dad’s birthday, so unfortunately I’ll have to miss this one. The good news? They are traveling all over the city (and have been since early April) through the middle of May. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next swap so that I can spruce up my wardrobe for Spring. The Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap has it’s own website here where it says:
Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap:
Style & Sustainability Through Common Threads
April 18 – May 17, 2010All ages, genders and sizes are welcome to participate in a new kind of shopping experience that benefits the environment and the Baltimore community. Donate, trade or take clothing and accessories in an exciting, outdoor, store-like, money-free exchange. (Even if you do not donate, you may take up to three items!) The Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap will travel to a variety of locations throughout Baltimore city for one month.
The swap is free and open to the general public.
Their mission is simple, “The Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap’s mission is to raise awareness about recycling, focused on secondhand clothing and accessories, through an exciting and free service that benefits the environment and brings together the Baltimore community.” There are two very important differences from the little clothing swaps that I attend (usually put on by friends at my local bar/restaurant The Parkside):
1. You can only bring Ten (10) items to donate
2. You have to tag your items
Still, choosing only ten preloved items to donate may be the hardest part and if shopping for free means that you have to fill out some little paper tags I think it’s worth it.
Here are the remaining events; see you there!
Saturday, May 1
Mount Vernon Park, North Square
699 North Charles St
Baltimore, Maryland
10 am – 6 pm
JUST ADDED:
Sunday, May 2
Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar
Underneath the Jones Falls Expressway at Holliday & Saratoga streets
7 am – noon
Sunday, May 9
Patterson Park (specific address not yet determined)
10 am – 6 pm
Friday, May 14 – Monday, May 17
Maryland Institute College of Art, Mount Royal Station, Frost Plaza
1300 Mount Royal Ave
Baltimore, Maryland 21217
Fri: 11 am – 8 pm
Sat-Mon: 11 am – 5 pm
WorldofGood.com
I occasionally pick up crafting items/fabric from Ebay because I can get a used tshirt with free shipping for less than at my local Goodwill (which can run in excess of $4.00). Today, while perusing the site I came across a new section of Ebay called World of Good. The “About” section says, “WorldofGood.com by eBay is the world’s first online marketplace to convene thousands of People Positive and Eco Positive sellers and products all in one place, empowering you to shop in ways that align with your personal values. Respected, independent organizations verify the positive impact every product has on people and the planet. Our goal is to ensure that every choice you make here is a good one”.
WorldofGood.com breaks products down into four categories: People Positive, Eco Positive, Animal Friendly and Supports a Cause. People Positive ensures that “producers get great new opportunities”, or fair-trade practices. Eco Positive, are “good products for the planet” or what you think of as “green” items (ie, recycled, refashioned, use conservation-based raw materials and/or production methods. Animal Friendly and Supports a Cause are pretty self-evident in their product descriptions.
This new method of buying and selling is intriguing and I’m going to look into becoming a seller and I hope that this categorization helps people to more easily make informed decisions about the products they buy and how they affect the world around them.
Here is a link to the press release issued on September 3, 2008, “eBay Launches New Online Marketplace for Ethically Sourced and Eco-Friendly Products”.
Environmentally-Focused Christmas Shopping
Maybe you had planned to handmake your Christmas presents, but they didn’t turn out, or you just didn’t have the time to finish them (both of these have already happened to me). Even more likely, you just don’t have the time, energy or urge to make your own gifts, but you still want to buy something cool for your loved ones, but want to buy something recycled or refashioned to cut down on your enivronmental impact. With expedited shpping in most cases you can still purchase up to a few days before Christmas, but always check your estimated arrival dates and read the shipper’s policies before you purchase. If your items don’t arrive you can always print a photo and description of the item frome the website and give to your relatvies in a pretty card and let them know that they’ll receive it soon (again, I’ve had to do this more than once). I’ve scoured the innertubes (ie, the internet) and come up with a few really cool items and here they are in no particular order.
Warning: Shamless self promotion plug – buy something from me 
You can always request a custom item as well from my Etsy shop.
“SerendipiT sources fabrics from clothing purchased from thrift stores like Goodwill (and occasionally my own closet) and recycles the fabric into new, fun and practical items. Recycling these textiles ensures that they don’t end up in landfills and by purchasing repurposed, upcycled and refashioned goods you can reduce the harmful chemicals used in the production of new items. So reduce your carbon footprint, do something good for the Earth and your wallet by purcashing something fun or funky from SerendipiT.”
Here are some of my favorite Etsy items:
Upcycled Vinyl Record HEAVY Guitar Picks Free Shipping
Custom Vintage Silverware Garden Marker
Recycled DEF LEPPARD cassette wallet / iPod Nano case / business card holder
Antique Silver Spoon Ring, Avon Pattern.. Any Size… Free Shipping
UPCYCLED Blue Grey VINTAGE Train Case with RADIOHEAD Quote Black Star and Skeleton Keys
Try putting “recyled” in the search box and find thousands of goodies to suit your taste.
Amazon has lots of great recycled items too like:
terrasoles Women’s Tuckerman Clog,Charcoal,8 M
Nahui Ollin Itsy Bitsy Wristlet,Hearts,one size
terrasoles Men’s Snowmass Slip On,Charcoal,7 M
ROGUE Mingo Knee Boot,Honey,6 M
Nahui Ollin Large Cutie Pie Purse,Zig Zag,one size
There are so many online stores offering recycled and upcycled gifts that a simple search will reveal more websites than one can sift through in a day, but here are a few that caught my eye:
Eco-Artware.com
So hopefully, among your search for presents you’ll find something interesting, unique and sustainably crafted to give this year. Nothing says I love you like passing on a healthy planet to our future generations. Happy Shopping!
The Cookie Exchange: 4 Dozen Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
My mother has decided to begin an annual tradition of exchanging cookies. The idea is that everyone brings four dozen cookies and we all eat lunch, sample the cookies and play games to spend time with friends and kindle that Christmas spirit. The challenge is that we are a motley crew and among us we have meatatarians, country girls, gluten-free gals and some weirdo vegans (ie, mom, and yes that is a tongue-in-cheek reference). Everyone is short on time and funds during the holidays and some of us (ahem) are just challenged in the baking arena, so coming up with an easy, low-cost DIY gluten-free, vegan cookie recipe was tough. Luckily I found a good recipe base online and with just a few simple modifications I present to you:
The No-Bake Gluten-Free, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter “Cookie”
*The term cookie is used loosely here because there isn’t any actual cooking involved 
This recipe makes 48 cookies.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Sugar in the Raw
1 Cup RICE DREAM Rice Drink, Enriched Original, Organic
1 Cup Hershey’s Cocoa, Special Dark
5 Cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
1 Cup Smart Balance Light Butter
1 Cup Natural, No-stir peanut butter
2 tsp. Vanilla
Directions:
Place oats, peanut butter and vanilla into a large bowl. Next, combine sugar, milk, cocoa powder and butter substitute in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently and allow to boil for about one minute, or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined, thick and bubbly. Pour the chocolate mixture over the oats mixture and stir well. Really work to combine the mixture quickly because it will thicken and begin to solidify as it cools. Form about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time in your hands like little burger patties and then place onto waxed or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Once you have formed all 48, place into the fridge to cool. You can dust with powdered sugar once cooled to make them look a bit more festive, as in their natural state my daughter and I decided that they look a bit like reindeer poo Enjoy!
Home-made Gifts: Bath Salts
My family knows that each year I’m good for home-made gifts. I’m not sure if everyone appreciates them, but too freaking bad if they don’t. My daughter and I really enjoy spending time together making crafty Christmas presents for friends and family and its less expensive, more eco-friendly and we really put a lot of love into it. Last year we made soap and cookies, which we cycle through every few years. This year I’d like to make some other bath and beauty products using natural ingredients for our friends and family to use. I really love bath and body products, but unless the budget has a lot of space I often don’t splurge on these types of presents for myself. So, here is the first recipe that I have found for bath salts. I plan to try this out in the next few weeks so that the essential oils really have time to soak into the salts. I’m planning on saving the glass jars that my favorite peaches come in to re-purpose for the packaging. I think doing a multi-layer colored bath salts might be fun too, just to give the clear glass packaging some interest. I’ll take pictures and post once I’ve got a few finished. Essential oils are easily purchased online or at most craft stores fairly inexpensively. Fortunately in Baltimore City there are lots of great shops where I can visit to test before I buy and there are many organic, all-natural options as well. So, get ready to start crafting for the holidays. Here are a few recipes that I found online so you can DIY:
My favorite is actually a link to another blog that shows you how to make lots of homemade bath and body recipes and I’m really looking forward to trying these:
Bath Recipes (Pioneer Thinking)
- Great ideas on creating natural scents including using Dr. Bronner’s soap
and beet juice for coloring.
Bath Salts (from Sherri Osborn on About.com)
- I have some reservations about the mess in my tub that the food coloring might make…I’ll be sure to do a test run before gifting…
Homemade Bath Salts and Decorative Jars (Jane Lake)
- Very thorough with free labels for decorating your jars
General Instructions:
1. Collect your jars, remove labels, then wash and dry thoroughly.
2. For most bath salts recipes you can use your choice of epsom salts or sea salt, with baking soda, if desired, or a combination of all three. One good mix is one cup of epsom salts, with 1/4 cup of sea salt, and two or three tablespoons of baking soda. A little more or less of each ingredient is fine for most bath salts. Epsom salts and sea salt are soothing for tired muscles, while both will gently soften the water for a luxurious bath experience. You could also add a tablespoon or two of finely ground regular oatmeal (not quick cooking) for silky, skin-softening water.
3. Fill each jar to the top with the combination of bath salts that you plan to use. Empty the salts into a mixing jar and add a drop or two of glycerin, if using. Add your choice of essential oil – how many drops you use is a personal preference, but start with two or three drops and see if you like the fragrance. The same goes for the liquid food coloring; sometimes I use quite a few drops of food color to get the strong hue that I like, but so far it hasn’t stained the bath tub or anyone’s skin. Remember that the color and fragrance will be much diluted in the bath water. Stir the salts vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
For specific aromatherapy bath salts recipes, and how to decorate each jar, please see the individual instructions that follow:
I used a small canning jar for this project, with a screw top one piece lid. I also used only epsom salts, adding about six drops of mandarin essential oil and about six drops of orange food color. The lid is decorated with 1/2″ orange ribbon, cut in strips to cover the top. Coat the lid with tacky glue and lay the first strip going across the middle of the lid and extending over the rim just a little on both sides. Add ribbon strips on either side, each one overlapping just a little, until the top of the lid is covered. Take another strip and glue it around the lid rim, covering the edges of the top ribbons. Overlap the ends of the lid rim strip and glue down firmly. Cover these ends by making a small bow, then gluing it in place.
Screw the ribbon lid in place securely. Print out our free Mandarin Orange Bath Salts Labels and glue the front label centered beneath the ribbon bow, with the other label being glued to the back of the jar.
I used 1 cup of epsom salts, half a cup of sea salt, and a few tablespoons of baking soda for this recipe, adding 8 drops of lavender. (This one was for me, and I adore lavender – it made the bathroom smell heavenly!) Adjust the fragrance, just adding one or two drops at a time until you’re happy with it. Lavender is a difficult color to achieve with food coloring, I found, but I managed to get a lavender color that I liked by using far more red than blue.
To decorate the jar, thread lavender ribbon through the openings in an ecru doily, tie in place and make a bow. If this isn’t possible, use a rubber band to secure the doily in place, then tie the ribbon over it. Print and cut out our free Lavender Bath Salts Labels then glue in place to finish the jar.
Use only sea salt – either fine or coarse, or a combination of both, for this recipe. Add an essential oil that reminds you of the sea – I used sandlewood. A drop of eucalyptus might enhance this mixture. Jasmine would also work well. Add drops of blue food coloring, if desired, either to all the mixture, or just half, so you can funnel white and blue layers into the jar.
For the nautical rope decoration, take 3 lengths of household twine, each about 3 feet long and braid them together. Coat the jar lid with tacky glue and, in the middle of the lid, start twisting the braid around itself in a spiral, pushing the flat side of the braid firmly into the glue. Go right over the lid edge and around the rim, adding extra glue to secure the end. Make another braid to decorate the bottom of the jar in similar fashion. Take this braid up the jar about an inch or so, then secure the end at the back of the jar.
Print out our Bath Salts from the Sea Gift Jar Labels, coat with glue and stick firmly to the front and back of the bottle. Take a single strand of twine and glue it around the front label. Tie another single strand of twine in a bow around the neck of the bottle.
Patchouli oil has a sensual woodsy aroma, valued for its tranquil calming effect and long-lasting intense fragrance. Add sparingly to epsom salts, sea salt, or a combination of both. Color the bath salts green with food coloring, add glycerin, if using, and bottle.
The rope decoration is simple. Just coat the jar lid with tacky glue and begin to spiral a single strand of household twine around the top and down the sides of the lid. Do the same at the bottom of the jar, bringing the twine up the jar to a depth of about an inch. You can use extra glue on top of the twine if it is necessary to make it secure; the twine absorbs the glue, which then dries clear. Fashion the handle by tying a double strand of twine tightly around the neck of the jar, then twist the strands loosely together, looping them over the lid top, and back to the other side to knot in place. Print our Patchouli Bath Salts Gift Jar Label and glue to front and back of the jar to finish.
