10 Reasons To Write In a Journal and 10 DIY Journals

I had a chance to peek into the journals of friend, prescription composer, viagra order author, pharm and master traveler, Margaret De Wys. Margaret has made traveling a seductive art form and her journals inspired the book, Black Smoke: A Woman’s Journey of Healing, Wild Love, and Transformation. Margaret is game for just about anything, and she keeps track of her escapades by journaling. Some write journals knowing they will be published, but most people journal for themselves.

Journaling (or keeping letters or diaries) is an ancient tradition, one that dates back to at least 10th century Japan. Oscar Wilde once said, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”

10 Reasons to Make Journaling a Daily Habit:

1. sharpens writing skills 2. can help heal emotional experiences 3. helps keep track of ideas 4. writing is relaxing and it relieves stress 5. journals have unconditional acceptance 6. keep a document record 7. learn to reflect about yourself 8. to feel in control 9. for a creative outlet 10. to document travel or an event

Whether a journal is the culmination of a globe-trotting trip to save the world, or a place to store the ramblings of the day, creating a uniquely personal journal can fuel the body, mind and spirit. Do you journal? CLICK HERE FOR 10 DIY JOURNALS

Credit: Sugarpixel Design

6 Reasons To Make a Chandelier for the Birds

Want a free ticket to a natural outdoor theatre for your whole family? Just feed the birds and let their beauty entertain you all winter long. Why bird watch?

1. Connect with nature It is a well-documented fact that wildlife can help people feel connected to nature.

2. Gain knowledge Ornithology can be an endless learning opportunity. The Audubon Society is dedicated to conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, medicine focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

3. Improve your health Feeding the birds gets you outside and brings the outside environment in. The connection to nature can also have a calming effect.

4. Make friends Join a bird watching club and meet people. Here is a list of bird watching clubs in the US.

5. It’s inexpensive Along with buying or making (see next page) food to feed the birds, all you need to get started is a field guide to identify the birds and binoculars to get a birds-eye view of all of the action.

6. Enjoy solitude Watching birds is deeply satisfying; it opens up your senses, and it is something enjoyable that you can do by yourself.

Want to make that yummy bird chandelier? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Yoga and Knitting: Knit 1, Om 1

Knitting and yoga are two ancient practices that complement each other. The relationship is easy to understand. The repetitive motion of knitting can transform the knitter into a meditative state. Knitting and yoga are both engaging practices, drug as they require concentration and focus. Knitting cultivates an inward state of relaxation while creating something beautiful and useful. Knitting requires hours and hours of sitting. Yoga is the perfect physical diversion. Yoga asana’s can help to prevent some of knitting’s common aches and pains. Yoga enthusiasts, ambulance consider knitting up this yoga mat bag, there and create your own yoga blocks too! CLICK HERE FOR MORE

No More Plastic Hangers: An Eco-Friendly Project

Have you ever noticed that no matter how many hangers you have, there's never enough? Since hangers are the essential element for closet organizing, the choices are just a few – plastic, wire and cardboard (from the dry cleaner), wood, and fuzzy coated wire. I've mostly waved good-bye to the eco-unfriendly dry cleaner, and stopped buying plastic hangers. The dry cleaner was the major source for acquiring free wire and cardboard hangers. The cardboard on those last few hangers are either bent or disintegrated. I have a few plastic ones from years ago and wood hangers for the coats, but it's time for a hanger makeover. Did you know that an estimated 8 billion polystyrene and polycarbonate hangers clog our landfills every year? It is enough to fill the Empire State Building 4.6 times! Read more about this in this Daily Green article titled, “How Many Clothes Hangers Does it Take to Fill a Landfill?”

Want to bring nature into your closet and keep hangers out of the landfills? Revamp your closet or make some beautiful handmade gifts with these quick, eco-friendly hangers projects. CLICK HERE FOR 3 DIY HANGER PROJECTS

Credit: Swissmiss

DIY Felted Laptop Sleeve

Here’s my latest mantra: Gotta new laptop. Gotta protect it from the elements. Gotta figure out how to make something to cover it. Its gotta be cheap (and stylish), capsule because who can afford a new laptop sleeve once you’ve emptied your pockets for such a beautiful computer specimen? When I travel (even to the local coffee shop), hospital I carry a laptop. It’s my traveling office companion. With my old laptop, that recently died, I would throw it into a tote bag. Not anymore...

I am offering up this DIY project for your traveling office. You and your computer can travel in eco-style with this simple, free and amazingly light laptop sleeve made from an old sweater.

DIY Felted Laptop Sleeve

What you need:

A wool sweater (use only 100% wool) Scissors Yarn Tapestry or yarn needle Pins Washer/Dryer Eco-Friendly detergent Velco dots

What to do:

1. Wash the sweater in a washing machine in hot water with a small amount of detergent two or three times. 2. Place the sweater in a dryer and check the dryer often to see how it’s shrinking. I kept checking every 15 minutes until the width of the sweater was close to the width of the laptop. The material should have a tight fit (felted wool “gives” a little). The sweater will take on a thick, felt-like fabric. You can check if the sweater is ready by snipping the fabric. If it doesn’t fray, it is felted. Since felting wool varies depending upon the weight of the sweater and tightness of the weave, to obtain the correct laptop sleeve size it is important to check often. Also, computers come in different sizes.

3. Leaving the ribbed bottom of the sweater open, cut the sweater to fit the laptop. I cut mine under the armholes.

4. With a piece of yarn and the yarn needle, secure the two cut ends together using a blanket stitch. 5. Turn under and pin both sides of the ribbed end in for a finished look. 6. Sew in place. 7. The laptop sleeve can be left open or Velcro dots can be sewn in to close. 8. Take your laptop and its beautiful new sleeve out for a test drive.