Use for mismatched socks - part two

1.  For Toddlers:  They make great arm warmers.  Cut the toes off and slide them

up their arms and over their mittens.  Cover their legs for crawling.

.

2.  Cold:   Keep a couple handy to slip ice into when you need an ice pack.

3.  Sachet:  Place dried herbs such as lavender or rosemary inside a sock.

Tie the sock closed with a ribbon and put it in a drawer or closet.

4.  Cleaning:  Many people use them for dusting, but you can slip a sock

on a yardstick and secure with a rubber band to clean hard to reach places.

5.  Coffee cup sleeve/cosy:  Cut the foot and trim to fit a travel mug or takeout

coffee cup.  Looks nicer with colored or print socks. 

Saginaw News

Use for mismatched socks - part one

Here are a few practical ways to use them.

1.  In the bathroom: Keep soap slivers inside a clean sock and use

as a bath mitt.

2.  Money:  If you tend to toss loose change on your dresser, 

contain it in a spare sock instead.

3.  Covers:  Place over golf clubs to protect them.  Or in the car for 

a wet umbrella.  Or slide a cut sock onto a seatbelt to prevent

it from irritating your skin.

4.  Pet toys:  Fill a sock with catnip for a cat, or knot a couple

together and insert a tennis ball to use as a dog toy.

Saginaw News

Go Green in the Winter

1. 
   
   Save energy by making sure that your doors and windows have good seals on them. Leaky windows and doors can be like having an open window in your home, letting cold air in and warm air escape. By getting better seals, you'll also save on your winter heating bills.
   
2. 
   
   Winterize your bike for commutes and errands. Although biking can be a bit trickier in snow, you can often still bike when the weather gets cold. Use wide tires, wear layers and protect your hands and feet. Take care to identify roads that will give you enough room to ride with snow on the sides and know when the weather may be too bad to ride safely.
   
3. 
   
   Wear more layers inside to keep the heat down. Turning the heat down just a few degrees can make a big difference in your energy consumption. Make use of sweaters, slippers and throw blankets to stay warm.
   
4. 
   
   Use non-toxic de-icers on your driveway and other areas. "Rock salt" contains cyanide. Chemical de-icers can also be harmful to pets and wild animals. Instead, throw plain sand down on your driveway for the traction that you need.
   
5. 
   
   Try green activities for the family like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and sledding. You'll get a great workout and you won't have to use electricity or fuel to have fun.

     6.

         Replace your old light bulbs with fluorescent ones. Winter means fewer hours of sunlight and more time          indoors, so use light bulbs that last longer and are more energy efficient.

Recycle and earn!

Chances are you’ve had an old electronic device, cell phone, video game or DVD at one time or another that you no longer use but weren’t sure what to do with. Did you know you can earn money by recycling them?
Several retailers, including Target, Walmart and Best Buy, have trade-in programs that will give you store gift cards by recycling your electronic devices. Or you can earn points redeemable for gift cards through online programs such as Swag Bucks and RecycleBank. These companies will refurbish the items they receive or dispose of them properly, keeping them out of the landfill.
Each of these programs will give you an estimate of how much you can earn from your item. If you need to mail your item to the company, you will be provided with a pre-paid mailing label that you can print and use to mail your electronic device at no cost to you (besides maybe packaging materials). The final amount you receive will be determined after your product is received and reviewed.
Here are some more details for individual stores/companies:

These ideas were found at:  

 Pocket Your Dollars, LLC

Valentine's Day will be here before we know it !

Valentine's Day

The most traditional gift on Valentine's Day is a bouquet of flowers.  After these flowers dry up, they are usually thrown away and end up in a landfill.  A compost bin provides a better location for the flowers to keep them out of the trash.  If you are looking for a different gift idea, call a local florist and ask if they have organic flowers or fresh flowers, trees or shrubs that can be replanted in the spring.

For a creative gift, consider tickets to a movie, concert or sporting event.  It will provide an opportunity to spend more time with your loved ones and creates less trash.  Look for gifts made from recycled materials such as fleece jackets and scarves made from water and soda bottles and kitchen tools and house décor made from recycled plastic and glass.  Also consider gift certificates to a spa or a favorite store.  When taking a trip to the mall or your favorite shopping store, take some friends and carpool and bring your own shopping bags.

For a homemade gift, make dinner at home and eat by candlelight.  Not only is it romantic, but it can save a little electricity with the lights turned off.  If considering a favorite restaurant instead, walk if it's a short distance away or take mass transit.  For friends and family, bake cookies or make homemade candy and package them in a decorated reusable or recycled container.  And when giving greeting cards, purchase those that have high recycled paper content or that can be easily recycled.  If the gift giver is feeling very creative, there are plenty of great projects for reuse of kids Valentine's cards either on the internet. 

More new products

We have added new military cuffs to our store.  These are custom-you can have your name, date of service,

branch and which war you served in or where you served if it was in peace time service.   Also,  we have memorial cuffs where you can add names and. dates.

Normally, we donate $1.00 from each cuff sold to the Wounded Warriors Project but,  with these we are donating $2.00. 

New Products in the Cangles Store

Every once in awhile I publish pictures of some of our most recent additions to our store.

Here are a few of those items.

Happy New Year!