Three Ways to Recycle Crayons

Crafts and Projects the Whole Family Will Enjoy

Love living a green life but struggling to encourage friends and/ or family members to do the same?  Try to find greenliving crafts, events, and activities that everyone will enjoy!

Many items that cannot be traditionally recycled can be "upcycled", a term that means reused, through fun, creative, DIY crafts and projects.  Family members of any age can find DIY projects that reuse household items and, simultaneously, promote a green lifestyle.

Have a bunch of old crayons lying around the house?  Learn about three craft ideas that can turn old crayons into creative, new ideas:

Three Steps for Summer Plant Care

Simple Plant Care Tips for This Season

Indoor and outdoor plants can be a staple in many homes.  Plants can serve as creative decor and also promote a green lifestyle.  

What are some tips to best caring for plants during the summertime?  Some plants need extra care during warmer months to flourish under humid temperatures and hot, direct sunlight.  Plant leaves or plant stem turning brown?  This is known as "leaf scorch" and can easily happen during warmer months.   If indoor or outdoor plants begin to display dried out, brown leaves, the plant may have had too much exposure to direct sunlight this summer.  Learn three tips and remedies here:

Submerge in water: Plants that are drying up and displaying brown leaves need to be soaked in water.  Fill a basin or bucket with cool water and totally submerge the plant's soil in water.  Leave the plant in the water for about thirty minutes, and then remove and place somewhere to drain.

Five Ways to Reuse Tea Bags

A Green Way to Make the Most of All Resources

Few things can be more refreshing than a large glass of iced tea on a hot summer day.  But what can be done with the tea bags after?  Instead of throwing away tea bags, they can actually be re-purposed for a variety of DIY personal and household crafts, projects, and uses.

What are some ways to re-purpose used tea bags?  Learn a few methods here:

1) Plants: Keep indoor plants?  Tea improves soil quality that will help plant growth.  Break open a few used tea bags and sprinkle the tea into the soil of the plant and/ or plants.  

2) Sunburns: Outside a lot this summer?  Ease the pain of small sun burns by applying cooled tea bags to the burned skin.  Tea bags will help take away the sting and irritation of the burn.

3) Hair and skin: Tea has many natural, positive advantages for the body.  Sprinkle some tea into baths for smooth skin.  Tea added to shampoo and conditioner will improve hair growth.  Green tea is particularly helpful to temporarily relieve skin irritants like bug bites.  

4) DIY odor eliminator: Tea is a natural odor eliminator.  Dry out old tea bags and leave them around the house to neutralize any odors.  Sprinkle tea into rugs or carpets to help remove any dirt or grime.  Tea sprinkled into litter boxes eliminate odors as well.

5) Around the house: Tea bags can help remove caked on grease on pots and pans.  In addition, tea bags can help polish wood.  Tea can also be sprinkled into compost bins.

Do you have other uses for tea bags?  Comment below to let us know!

Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more about Grady Management on our website or Facebook page.

Three Eco-Friendly Tips for the Fourth of July

Fireworks, Food, Fun, and a Green Lifestyle

Today is the Fourth of July!  While some may be enjoying time with friends and family indoors, others are planning to spend some time outside: grilling, watching fireworks, and/ or enjoying local celebrations.

Even though it is a holiday, it doesn't mean it is okay to take a day off from a green lifestyle.  Remember these following tips during the day's festivities:  

1. "Pack out and pack in" supplies: Grilling or having a cookout for Independence Day?  Remember the "pack in and pack out" strategy for all outdoor meals.  Anything taken outside for meals- utensils, Tupperware containers, plates and/ or plastic cups, etc. - need to packed up and taken back inside after the meal.  Remember that forgotten supplies, such as napkins, can accidentally be left behind and damage animal habitats or pollute waterways.  Try to remember everything brought outside so it can be packed up and removed from outdoors at the end of the day.