Holiday Gift List: Get Lick’d Organic Dog Treats

Wondering what to get that furry friend of yours this holiday? Stock his or her tiny stocking with Get Lick’d Organic Dog Treats. They come in two flavors, peanut butter carob and a holiday favorite, pumpkin spice. These treats are made with human-grade, organic ingredients minus any chemical preservatives or artificial colors or flavors and shaped like little dog bones so your tiny pups can hold and eat them with no trouble at all. Get Lick’d Organic Dog Treats come packaged in an adorable Tiffany Blue bakery boxes perfect for the holiday … and no wrapping required.

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photo by Get Lick’d Organic Dog Treats

Wrap It Up: Eco-wise Wool Stripe Easy-Care Blanket

Does the chilly winter season just make you want to curl up in your most beloved blanket and lounge around the house? Eco-wise Wool Stripe Easy-Care Blanket ($98) is perfect for just that. Durable enough for the kids’ rooms but plush enough for the most sophisticated taste. Not only is this fabric richly colored and wonderful to touch, it’s also created to leave the least amount of impact on the earth. Pendleton Eco-Wise Wool® passes strict standards of sustainability and environmental responsibility, not to mention that wool is naturally biodegradable. Pendleton promises that their blanket will retain its softness and beautiful color after every wash. The ultra-soft blanket is 100% pure virgin wool and made in the U.S. Wrap yourself around that!

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photos by Pendleton

Tighten Your Purse Strings: DIY Placemat Purse

If you’re like us Greenista Girls, you’re on a budget. But, we still like to be fashionable, obvi. We’re always looking for new ways to get crafty and love this DIY Placemat Purse project. It’s easier (and more stylish) than it sounds. Try it …

DIY Placemat Purse

• A decorative cloth placemat that you have around the house.
• A pair of purse handles. These can be found at any craft store, or even Wal-Mart.
• Sewing kit or sewing machine
• Scissors

Lay the placemat face up on the floor. Fold up the bottom of the placemat.

Start sewing at the bottom edge of your fold. Sew all the way up to the top, stitching about a 1/8″ from the edge. Repeat on the other side of the placemat. Be sure to tie off your thread on the inside of each side to prevent your new seams from unraveling.

Center a handle on one side, just below the top. To find the center, gently fold one side in half. Be sure that your metal handle fasteners do not show. Sew around the metal hoops of the handle fastener. Use a buttonhole stitch for the best results.

When you sew the handles on, be sure you are using a thread that matches the outside of the placemat. If your placemat is lined, sew only through the inner layer so that no stitching shows on the outside of the bag.

Follow along with pictures.

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photo by DIY Fashion/About.com

Thanksgiving Prep Week: DIY Soy Candles

Feeling crafty? Whip up these soy candles and drape your house in your favorite fall scents. Soy candles make great alternatives to traditional petroleum-based candles and they are super easy to make. Plus, they make totally chic gifts, too. Check out these simple DIY instructions for eco-friendly soy candles.

DIY Soy Candles

• Soy wax, either blocks or flakes
• Pyrex measuring cup – preferably 2 cup capacity
• Cotton wick, readily available, use size suited to container
• 1 ounce of fragrance oil, your choice
• Wax dye to color candle, optional
• Glass container – try a reusable jar like jelly or Mason jars.
• Tape
• Super glue

Melt 2 cups of soy flakes in a heavy-duty plastic bag placed in boiling water.  If using the microwave, watch the soy wax closely and stir it often as it begins to melt.

When the wax has melted, pour in the fragrance. Add 1 ounce of fragrance to 15 ounces of wax. Be sure that the fragrance is compatible with soy wax. Next add the dye of your choice.

Using super glue, stick the wick to the bottom of the glass container. Make sure the wick is long enough to drape over the side of the container. Tape the wick in place so it doesn’t fall into the hot wax.

Slowly pour in the melted wax into the jar. Pour in the wax slowly.  Fill the container to the desired level.

Trim the wick to 5 mm length above the top of the wax, and voila!

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photos by KarenCheng

Soap Box: Vaska Detergent

Forgive us while we preach, but us Greenista Girls have Vaska on the brain and we’re not keeping it to ourselves. This self-dubbed Herbatergent ($10/48 oz.) uses herbs and botanicals to do the cleaning, instead of traditional toxic laundry chemicals. Vaska was developed by a clothing designer so you know it’s great for your duds (really, we tried it) and made from plant-based surfactants, vegetable conditioner, filtered water, and lavender extract. It’s also hypo-allergenic, biodegradable, recyclable, reduces static, safe for gray water systems, not tested on animals, softens fabrics, safe on colors, extends fabric life, and is great for sensitive skin and babies, too. You can also scoop up the fabric softener, spot remover, and oxygen bleach while you’re at it.

Watch the Queen of Clean explain how great it is …

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photo by Vaska