Earth Day, Eco-friendly Tips and Freebies

Happy Earth Day!!!!

Hi everyone, I hope everyone is having a great day! I'm pretty excited about Earth Day. I think it's a great day to raise awareness and to remind people to take care of our planet. As inhabitants of this lovely planet, it's our duty to take care of it, nourish it and restore it whenever we've misused it. It's the only planet we can live in so we should try to maintain it as clean and organic as possible. Here are a few simple tips to make everyday more eco-friendly.

1. Recycle. Recycle paper, plastic and metal. This will help us accumulate less waste which is better for the Earth.

2. Use energy efficient light bulbs. Not only will this help you save on your electric bill but you will also help save the Earth by saving energy. HOWEVER, you MUST recycle these light bulbs once they stop working because they contain mercury which is very harmful for the environment.

3. Use reusable shopping bags. Did you know that the U.S. alone goes through 4 BILLION shopping bags annually? That is a lot of plastic! Sadly, only about 1-3% of plastic bags are recycled worldwide. So when you go shopping take your own reusable bags. They are super sturdy and come in all sorts shapes, sizes and designs you're most likely to find one that suits your needs and wants.

4. Buy organic. Yes, I know these products are more expensive and may not fit into everyone's budget but if you can, buy organic because they don't contain synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and/or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These are not only bad for humans but also for the soil, water, plants and animals.

Freebies:
Freebies for Earth Day: (Note- These are not sponsored, I'm just sharing the love with you guys!)

Disney Store- Bring 5 plastic bags and get a free reusable bag. I think you can choose between a Brave or Cars bag.

HEB- (For fellow Texans) Bring 5 plastic bags and get a free reusable bag.

Caribou Coffee- Bring in your mug for some free coffee.

Pottery Barn Kids- Get a free seed packet.

National Parks- Free admission to all national parks all week.

Please Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and Happy Earth Day! :)

Elastic Waist Skirt Refashion

My aunt had been asking me for the past couple of weeks to help her go through my grandma's closet to get rid of things that she doesn't want or that don't fit anymore. So finally, last weekend I decided to go help her and clean out the closet. We filled about four trash bags worth of clothes (to donate, not throw away) and we didn't even finish going through everything. The good part was is that I was able to keep pieces of clothing that I liked. I kept five of my grandma's long skirts. However, they are way too small for me because back in her day, my grandma had a really small waist and well, let's just say my waist is nowhere near her old size. The good thing is that they are gathered at the waist, meaning that if I cut off the waistband, I'll have a bunch of extra fabric and then I can use them to make myself a dress or skirt that actually fits. 

These are skirts I got, minus a brown one I had already cut up for another project.

Anyway...I'm so excited to share my first complete tutorial with pictures with you guys! For this skirt I made I used:

First, cut the top of the skirt to remove the waistband so that the fabric can lay flat on your table or cutting area. Now, you'll have a big rectangle of fabric. Cut from the top (that way you won't have to hem the skirt since it'll already be done for you!) to your desired length + 2 1/2 inches (for the elastic casing).

Now turn your skirt inside out and lay flat. Fold and iron 1/2 inch. This is to enclose the raw edge of the fabric in the elastic casing. Then, put the elastic near that 1/2 inch fold and fold the fabric over to cover the elastic. This is just to determine the width of the casing for the elastic. Now remove the elastic and pin the casing down. You might want to iron the casing before you start pinning so it creates a crease exactly at the width you want it, just in case it unfolds. Do this for both sides of the skirt.

Sew close to the bottom almost all the way around but leave a 2 inch opening to insert the elastic through.

Measure a piece of elastic around your waist or hips, depending on where you want to wear your skirt and cut the elastic. Don't worry about adding seam allowance because you actually want your elastic to be a bit smaller than your waist/hips. Attach a safety pin to the edge of the elastic and thread it through the casing.

Overlap the edges of the elastic 1 inch and sew them together. Then, sew the 2 inch opening of the casing shut. This is how I sewed the elastic. I had to draw a diagram because I forgot to take a picture. Ooops!

And you're done! 

I chose to accessorize my skirt with a cute brown belt!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

<3, Martha