Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...

A couple good things that have come from the state our world is in right now....now it's not only socially acceptable but actually celebrated when you a. don't spend a lot of money and b. make sacrifices for the sake of the environment! So this holiday season I plan on gifting, decorating, and generally living keeping that in mind. Here are a few things I've spotted (I can't take full credit) that are great ways to cut a few corners.


While I was home in Columbus we were at Giuseppe's in Bexley (our second home, basically) and I noticed that their row of fresh cut flowers were in old Patron bottles and they looked so cool! Once you take the label off the bottles look instantly antiqued are the perfect size for a simple bouquet. (I didn't get a picture at home but this one is courtesy of Nadia Knows)


Ok, bare with me on this one. It certainly applies to "reuse" and "recycle" but I'd say generally anything Hermes doesn't really apply to the "reduce" category. That being said, if you ever have a scarf with a tear in it or a stain or something this would be a great way to salvage it. Vivre's price point is certainly higher than DIY project would be in this case - but I mean, they are really beautiful.



One of the best affordable gifts I know is anything edible and even better is anything edible and homemade. I love making homemade granola, it's so easy, and I feel like its much appreciated because usually people only give food that's not so great for you (I'm not complaining about that - give me cookies any day!) So it's nice, especially around the holidays, to get a guilt-free treat.

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 cup dried blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss oats, coconut, and almonds. In a small bowl, stir together oil and honey. Pour over oat mixture and toss. Bake, tossing occasionally, until lightly toasted, 16 to 20 minutes. (I usually bake it in 2 batches to make sure the oil/honey mixture gets spread evenly)
   
2. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in blueberries.

Once you've made the granola buy some mason jars from the Container Store or find some kind of vintage container on etsy, tie a ribbon on it, and voila!