He’s been mentioning wanting a doll for a few weeks so we told him he could pick one out for Hanukkah. I thought we’d take him to the store with educational toys and he could get a baby of his own made from sustainable fabric or something. Instead, today we were in Target bracing for a surprise snowstorm and he spotted this:

That’s right, he wants twins. These ones in specific, because he claims they look like his brothers. I would have bought it on the spot, he was so sweet, if not for all the lousy plastic…

If anyone sees anything better in their shopping travels, let me know!

It’s Buy Nothing Day, so sage finds will pause in recognition of the consumerism brouhaha that is Black Friday and instead, let’s talk about what we can do with our free time!

• I’m still looking for a few people to do a holiday ornament swap. Feeling crafty? Make something cute and nondenominational with your kid(s) today!
• You might have the ingredients or materials around the house for some fun handmade gifts like Herbal Sugar Scrub or Holiday Granola.
• Gather up books and magazines that are cluttering your space and bring them to your local Childrens’ hospital. We were lucky that our little boys didn’t spend time in the NICU when they were born but many families aren’t so fortunate and the holidays are an especially difficult time to be juggling sick kids and other responsibilities.
• Hit the recycling center. This is our favorite day to bring piles of goods to the city lot, because it’s not a city holiday but the place is generally deserted.

What are you going to do with your Black Friday?

parenting

Mama Speaks posted the “So Easy Baby Food Kit,”  yet another example of something for $34.95 that you could put together for yourself or a friend for about $6.00. There are so many resources online (and in your library) for making your own baby food and BPA-free ice cube trays are not hard to find, even Rubbermaid makes some!

crafting

Eco Child’s Play has a pattern for upcycled Christmas stockings. Looks like fun!

Ask Moxie’s annual gifts you can make thread is open and has dozens of quick and easy ideas.

eating

Ooh, peanutbutter playdough! I’ve been looking for this recipe since P was a toddler but could only find the not-so-edible versions.

resources

Green Mom Finds lists several locations that recycle electronics. Might as well declutter a little if you’re shopping for the holidays. I know we have at least one printer in the basement that I would love to see taken care of responsibly, and if we got a little back for it, all the better!

More little frugal bits in the NYT — an article on shopping at Goodwill, something a lot of us picked up on a long time ago!, how cooking at home is frugal and healthier, and how parents are cutting back on purchases for themselves and even setting up swaps to get holiday items for their kids (Gawker’s take on it really spoke to me. Are we supposed to be feeling bad for people who sacrifice poorly made mall clothes for more plastic, battery powered toys, with all of the real problems families are facing in this country and beyond?) . I’m surprised that much of this is print worthy for the nation’s great paper. None of it is rocket science!

Crafty Crow send out the addresses for the ornament swap, and I didn’t get any. Then I checked over my email carefully, and there it was, still in the draft folder… my request to swap! Of course, I just posted about how orderly my universe has become, right? Hubris!

Anyhow, dear readers, I know you’re out there. Google Analytics tells me so. Anyone want to make a few ornaments with their kids and swap with mine? P is *so* excited to do this and mentions it every day. If 2+ readers want to jump in, that would be so much fun. Any takers???

I know I’ve been posting less, but I’m finding as my kids are getting a little older, I’m *doing* more! When I started sage, I considered it a repository of all the links to projects I wanted to do with my oldest son and green things to do around the house or make for dinner… someday. It was hard to imagine a time when I could do any of those things again.

Now the little boys are 8.5 months old (eek!), I’m 2 months into my new job/new nanny schedule, and into that nesting time of the year when you realize you’ll be bounded by your house for the foreseeable future so you ought to declutter a little, and somehow it’s all actually happening!

Friday, I had three babies napping and an older kid immersed in his Legos so I put the last of our orchard apples on the stove for a final batch of sauce, the bones from our rotisserie chicken (they’re $5.99 at our Whole Foods on Tuesdays, so I buy one each week and get 2+ meals out of it) into another pot to make stock, and a 2 pound container of baby bellas into the slow cooker for cream of mushroom soup. I’ve got my meals planned out for the next three weeks, so the stock is ready for Chicken Tortilla Soup tonight. Yum! I organized our pantry cabinet, too. It was a day of many accomplishments.

Saturday, we had 4 of the families on our block for a potluck vegetarian brunch and we also were going to a potluck Havdalah dinner, so I made two large mac and cheeses from a recipe that doubles exceedingly well. For the first time in my adult life, I didn’t get into a total CHAOS spell before our company came. I was very proud of myself.

Sunday, we caught up on laundry and picked up a new (to us) dining room table since our old one barely fit 6 people and their plates and, well, we’re 6 people every day now. And we crammed a few pounds of baby lima beans into the sleeves of a sweater with a busted zipper and my big boy sat at the piano hammering out a happy song about upcycling, making “door sausages“, and loving his momma. Joy!

How is it the end of November already? Let’s hope the entire winter flies by this quickly!

If you use Seventh Generation diapers or even if you like to include a pack of diapers along with baby shower gifts, you’re not going to find a better price than the Amazon deal posted at Baby Cheapskate this week. Basically, with a discount code and Subscribe & Save (which you can always cancel), you will get 1 pack free in a pack of 4. We go through less than a pack a month, but my boys are about 16 pounds so they will be in the very generous Size 3 for a long time, making a case totally worthwhile for us.

If you’re the cosmetics-wearing type, notoriously inexpensive ELF has a $5 lipstick you might want to check out.

This new mineral version has no parabens, preservatives, or chemical dyes. And at that price, even if you’re an occasional user (lots of holiday parties coming up?), it’s not too much of a splurge. (Found at Eco-Cheap and Chic)

It’s not the time of year we think of stocking up the first aid cabinet for scrapes and cuts, but Centsible Savings points out this is a great coupon for $3 off any 2 Johnson & Johnson Red Cross products. Some might be close to free with coupon!

In the market for a diaper bag? How about a really cool one made of recycled plastic bottle fabric?

It’s the Fleurville Rerun in Olive Lily, and it’s $22 at the seconds sale through tomorrow (Thursday). Other products are listed as well. Enjoy!

parenting

Well, I took the plunge.

We’re going to make some ornaments, probably something like these (via re-nest):

by raiding my button jar and ribbon stash over the Thanksgiving weekend. I’ll post some pictures where we’re done. We made handprint turkeys this week, though I didn’t have any success getting the cute triplet handprints I really wanted. Maybe we’ll try out the cereal box turkeys instead?

I haven’t been successful with much in the past week because we’ve all been sick, so I’m taking this primer on fighting off flu seriously! We’re starting simple with more hand washing, extra sleeping, and some vitamin C.

crafting

I’ve been convincing myself I need a sewing machine to make a draft catcher. Then Crafting A Green World inspired me to upcycle some long sleeved shirts instead. I’m going to tie off the ends with ribbon like a bolster pillow, so this will be a no-sew project! I bought 3 pounds of bulk beans today and will tackle this for our living room-to-sunroom french doors tomorrow. I’ll be looking for recipes using lots and lots of organic white dried lima beans in the spring

eating

I hope it won’t come to Spam for us (or whatever the equivalent is in a pork-free household), but the New York Times has an interesting story on the sign of the economic times in terms of purchases, and an infographic that clearly proves that frugal and green can go hand-in-hand. Just look at all the people buying fewer paper towels!

I think I bought eggs today just to make Alisha’s three item Peanutbutter Cookie recipe (PB, sugar, eggs). I’ve been craving them since she posted the recipe!

resources

I’m not personally familiar with Chico Bags, but they appear to have a following online. What makes me a fan and eager to try them out is that they will recycle any reusable bag, not just their own. According to Tiny Choices,

Chico Bags, you may know, take back their bags for recycling. But did you know they take back ALL reusable BAGS for recycling? This is *great* news for me because I have a habit to overload my reusable bags profoundly and have had a few freebee canvas sacks entirely give up and rip in the handle area. They say that they don’t “want ANY reusable bag to be left in a dark closet or sent to a landfill”… So, what’s really neat is what Chico Bag does with thes bags when they receive them for recycing. They either distribute them to low income families so they can start to reuse them for their own reusable bag needs, or, they’ve partnered with a group located in northeastern PA called The Grateful Thread and there they are recycled into woven rugs.

So what’s green about a $5 off coupon to True Value? CFLs, weather stripping to save energy, rain barrels, compost bins… It’s a long list. And according to BeCentsAble, Lowe’s and Home Depot honor competitor coupons, so you should be able to find a store near you to take advantage! Expires December 7.

Ecobunga shares some coupons for Earthbound Organics Products. You have to take a short quiz, but you will also reciece a pocket guide to buying organic produce and the first 9000 respondents will get Horizon Organics coupons as well.

‘Tis the season for lots of free (plus shipping) photo deals. Get the 8×11 book featured on Oprah from Snapfish by the end of the day today, or the free digital scrapbook from Inkubook available through Simple Mom. You can also get a free 8×10 family portrait from JC Penney.

I admit it: I boasted a long time ago about how I address my holiday cards by Columbus Day, but this year it just didn’t happen. Still hasn’t happened. I’m still running on triplet time, which means it takes me about 6 weeks longer to get to something than I expect. And who knows how long that effect will be in place?

Excuses aside, I have cards, I have photos, and I have photo cards. (Want some photo cards quick and free besides shipping? Freebies 4 Mom has the details. There is also information on a free photo book that you have to claim today and order by the 16th, if you’re looking for an easy gift.) I just don’t have any time! I will get to it soon and luckily all of the elements are in place. Plus, I’m behind on my deadline, but the real world deadline is still a full month away.

I also don’t have a gift list together. I’m hoping the economic situation means the exuberant side of my family is willing to pare back and do a swap. We’re putting it out there that we would like a “no stuff” holiday, and instead would prefer contributions for P to continue various (expensive!) classes and lessons, restaurant gift cards so we can go out as a family, and other experience-based gifts.

For our purchases, we’re joining in on the No Plastic Holiday Challenge!

It shouldn’t be too hard since I already challenged my self to a “tiny choices” holiday where we will be giving some of our favorite green household items to family and friends. Very ambitious, I know, given that I’m running on triplet time and all!