5 Reasons Why You Should Buy Secondhand Instead of New

Saving money isn't the only reason you should buy used items! Most importantly, shopping secondhand saves the environment from resource overuse and waste.

Guys, I am obsessed with secondhand shopping. I’ve always loved a good thrift find and grew up on garage sales and antiquing, but only recently have I switched to buying only clothing and household items that are pre-loved. I actually have not bought an item of clothing for myself or my kids since the spring and the last time I bought anything home-related was last year for my nature-inspired holiday decor.

Sure, I still buy new things sometimes. Ballet shoes, craft supplies, gifts. But man do I have really good luck thrifting.

Eco-Friendly School Supplies

Green your school year by investing in eco-friendly school supplies such as binders made from recycled materials and glue made from natural ingredients.

Back-to-school may be a stressful time, but with my eldest daughter entering Kindergarten – I’m actually pretty excited. I know she’s going to love it what with all the learning and the crafting and the playing. And – although having her away from home for two (sometimes three!) full days a week will be hard – I think it will be good for us as a family. Plus, sending her to school means I get to shop for school supplies – something I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with. And not just any school supplies, but eco-friendly ones!

I won’t lie, finding earth-friendly versions of everything on the list provided by her school was not easy. It isn’t that eco-friendly school supplies don’t exist, or even that they’re too expensive. But they weren’t easy to find in our local stores or on websites that would ship to us for a reasonable price. But don’t let that discourage you! The more of us that demand these types of products by refusing to buy anything else, the more readily available they’ll be.

10 Simple Eco-Friendly DIY Projects for Your Home

Want to green your home decor and help out the planet? Instead of buying new, try these ten eco-friendly DIY projects. Simple, sustainable... and super fun!

Some people DIY because they love the process. Some people DIY to save money. Some people DIY because it’s eco-friendly. And some people, like me, DIY because of a three reasons! Here are ten simple eco-friendly DIY projects I’ve tackled over the last five years. I hope they inspire you to do all kinds of cool things yourself. To create, to save money and to save the planet.

How to Buy Eco-Friendly Laminate Flooring

You may be asking: "Is laminate flooring eco-friendly?" If you know what to look for, then the answer is - yes!

How did someone who once declared they would NEVER install laminate flooring find themselves in a flooring store, barefoot and walking on half a dozen laminate samples? Because laminate flooring has evolved a lot in the last few years. And truthfully, so have I.

I’ll admit, my initial change of heart had to do with the cost factor. Of course I’d love to buy a sustainably sourced hardwood for Our House in Trees. But, simply put, we can’t afford it. So I began to research green laminate flooring, myself wondering: “Is laminate flooring eco-friendly?” The answer? It can be!

3 Easy Steps to a Clean and Healthy Home

Whether you want to protect your family from chemicals or to do your part greening our planet - these are both great reasons to create a healthy home!

If you’re like me, your home is your sanctuary. And depending on what mood I’m in or the amount of chaos going on in my life, I can be a bit of a hermit. Which is why having a clean and healthy home is one of my top priorities in life. (It has nothing to do with my control freak tendencies. Nope. Not at all.)

Whether you want your home to be a happy haven from the outside world, you want to protect your family from harmful chemicals and materials, or you want to do your part greening our planet – these are all great reasons to follow the below three healthy home tips!

Can You Afford an Eco-Friendly Home? Yes!

Can You Afford an Eco-Friendly Home? Yes!

Now more than ever – it’s easy to be green. Companies are putting out more eco-friendly products. Businesses are turning to eco-friendly practices. Governments are bringing about change through incentive programs and new laws. However, for an individual or a family it can still feel pretty overwhelming. This becomes even more true when coupled with an already overwhelming situation like building a new home. So it’s understandable the first question someone asks when considering a green build is – can I afford it?

The answer is – yes!

How to Stage Your Home for Sale the Eco-Friendly Way

Tips for staging your home for sale - with an eco-friendly slant. Readying your home for sale can be stressful. This handy list will simplify the process!

With the build of Our House in the Trees just around the corner (yikes!), we’ve begun readying our current home for sale (yikes again!). Getting your home ready to sell can feel very overwhelming, but there’s one thing I find that always helps in a situation like this – and that thing is a list.

So I’ve put together some tips on how to stage your home for sale. Even if you feel you have a pretty neat and tidy home (like I used to… before I had kids) there are still a few things you can do to make it more enticing to buyers.

And, since a post on this blog wouldn’t be complete without an eco-friendly slant, each of these tips for staging your home is accompanied with a Green Tip.

Hope these home staging tips and tricks help you out!

5 Simple and Unusual Uses for Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil essential oil has long been used to treat acne, cure infections and soothe bug bites. But did you know it can also be used to clean glasses?

If you aren’t already into essential oils, then I highly recommend giving them a try. Essential oils are all natural and thus so much more earth (and health!) friendly than other scented products. They can replace air deodorizers, cleaning supplies, medicinal supplies and more.

I think everyone who uses essential oils has a favourite – and mine is tea tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia). Tea tree oil essential oil has such a clean, fresh smell reminiscent of tree bark and dirt and rain. Maybe others would describe it differently, but it smells like nature to me. And when I wash my face with my tea tree oil soap and breathe in the scent of the earthy suds… oh man. Heaven. In my nostrils.

There are a ton of online resources listing things you can do with tea tree oil. Make cleaning supplies, treat acne, cure infections, soothe bug bites… But instead of reiterating those, I wanted to share a few more unusual tea tree essential oil uses. Most of these uses I just stumbled upon and did no research before trying. But they worked wonders for me! Maybe they will for you too?

Eco-Friendly Craft Supplies for Kids

Craft supplies for kids are usually non-toxic, but that doesn't mean they're earth-friendly. Here are few non-toxic AND eco-friendly craft supplies.

Ever since my eldest daughter could hold a crayon (without eating it), she’s been a crafter. Colouring, stickering, cutting, glueing – she does it all and loves it all. So, of course I’m always on the hunt for the most eco-friendly craft supplies I can find. You’d think it would be easy – after all, most kid’s craft supplies are non-toxic. But just because something is non-toxic to humans doesn’t mean it’s environmentally friendly. I’ve rounded up a few of the greenest craft supplies I could find. All of these products are made from natural materials or recycled content or both!

Let the crafting begin!

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