Making It Yourself

Let necessity be the mother of your inventions. When you have a need or want but would rather not spend, see what alternative you could make yourself. Examples:

• Recently, I was bored with my selection of pants, so I dug out the pair I had been unhappy with and figured out (with not much formal sewing knowledge) that I could make a little alteration. Voila – favorite new pants!
• Since all the billboards began popping up in September, I’ve been craving a pumpkin spice latte. Today I realized that there are usually internet instructions for store-bought favorites. Sure enough, I give you: DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte. It is cheaper than Starbucks, if you have the ingredients on hand and use the rest of the pumpkin for something else.
• Finally, something I can’t wait to try, courtesy of Martha Stewart: accessories made with old jewelry and ribbons.

One caveat: these do-it-yourself projects can become addicting. That being said, do you have any good and crafty links to share?

KFC Getting Green Praise

This just in: KFC, maker of the controversial “Double Down” sandwich, is getting positive press for replacing most of its Styrofoam with truly reusable take-home containers. The tubs are dishwasher and microwave safe, require 25% less energy to make than foam, and produces 50% fewer greenhouse gases. For their efforts, KFC even won the 2010  Greener Package Award.

This isn’t a new idea, but it is one that may be over-due for a comeback. In the 80s, some restaurants issued reusable dishware as an incentive, like toys in a Happy Meal. The idea has good and bad points: on the one hand, the containers still use non-renewable petroleum, but KFC plans to limit this somehow. On the other hand, preliminary studies are showing that customers are reusing them, at least for several weeks. Some might argue that biodegradable plastic is the only way to go, but the material is still cost-prohibitive for many companies.

What do you think – is this a step in the right direction or just a step sideways?