• Community E-waste collection event: Going on NOW, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 23 at 310 E. Plumb Lane (Old Park Lane Mall). Disposal of electronics is free with a $10 donation per vehicle. More info here.

• Tahoe Truckee Earth Day: Going on NOW, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 23, Village at Squaw Valley. More info here.

• Earth Day Celebration: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 1, Idlewild Park, Reno. More info here.

• Great Truckee Meadows Community Cleanup: 8:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 7, various locations. More info here.

• Tour de’Green: A tour of sustainable businesses and buildings in Reno hosted by SiGBA, the Sierra Green Building Association. 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. More info here.

• Spring Seedling Sale: 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 21, Great Basin Community Food Co-op parking lot, 542 1/2 Plumas Street. More info here.

• Phone Book Recycling: Now through Dec. 30. Phone books can be recycled at area Scolari’s, Sak ‘N Save, Waste Management Recycle America and AT&T offices or with curbside recyclables. In addition, AT&T and the Arbor Day Foundation will donate trees to area parks when they are recycled at select Reno, Sparks and Washoe County park locations. Click here for more information.

• Green Energy Forum: 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, Bishop Manogue High School Community Room. Hosted by the Reno Gazette-Journal and Holland & Hart, LLP. Moderated by Frank Woodbeck, Director of Operations and Workforce Initiatives for the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, with panelists Tom Price, CEO, Clean Path Renewable Development, Paul Thomsen, Ormat Technologies, Tom Clark, Holland & Hart and Rich Hamilton, Clean Energy Center. Click here for more information.

• Reno Green Drinks: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, Aspen Electric, 855 S. Center St., Reno. This month’s Green Drinks is also the Grand Opening Celebration for Aspen Electric – northern Nevada’s largest, and most experienced installer of custom solar and wind solutions for homes and businesses. Click here for more information.

• First Basin-wide Green Networking Event: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, Embassy Suites, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. Join other leaders from the Tahoe and Reno area in the 1st basin-wide Green Networking event, hosted by Sustainable Tahoe and the Embassy Suites. Open to anyone that is passionate about creating a more sustainable community of Lake Tahoe, Reno, and every other town along the Truckee river. Click here for more information.

• Student World Water Forum: Thursday, Nov. 18 and Friday, Nov. 19 in the Joe Crowley Student Union Great Room at UNR. Includes student presentations and Keynote Speaker Dr. Trevor Birkenholtz, Rutgers University: “Waiting for Water: Urbanization and Water Development in the Global South.” Click here for more information.

• Indie Reno Craft Fair: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Lakeside Mansion, Court and Arlington streets, Reno. Click here for more information.

• Swap and Trade: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Great Basin Community Food Co-Op Parking Lot, 542 1/2 Plumas St.  Bring any of your giveaways and make some trades! Click here for more information.

• Gasland: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21 at Studio on 4th, 432 E. Fourth St. Reno Artemisia hosts a screening of the film Gasland, followed by a panel discussion with local environmental specialists John Hadder and Bob Tregilus. Tickets $7 general admission, $6 for cyclists and GBFS members.

• Book-luck Book Exchange and Potluck: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 24, Great Basin Community Food Co-Op Parking Lot, 542 1/2 Plumas St. The book-luck group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month to exchange books, thoughts, and delicious food! Click here for more information.

• Turkey Trot: 8:30 a.m. to noon, Thursday, Nov. 25, starts and ends at Scheel’s at Legends at Sparks Marina. Timed 10k run and non-timed 2 mile run/walk benefit Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. Click here for more information and here to register.

• Black Friday Bus Tour: Friday, Nov. 26, Junkee Clothing Exchange is hosting a bus tour with Jessica Schneider and Laura Romero as guides. The tour costs $32.50 and includes wine and lunch. Find out about Reno’s hidden hot spots and have wine and h’ors d’oeuvres between shops. The event boasts no crowds to fight, a gourmet lunch and tons of new friends by the end of the day. Tickets available at Junkee, 960 S. Virignia St.

I like to collage journals to give as fun personalized presents. I just cut out pictures from magazines, old greeting cards or even photographs and then use a glue stick on a basic notebook. I’m looking into finding recycled paper notebooks to make the gift even more eco-friendly.

This year, I’ve been getting into collaging boxes also. It started with an old iPod box, and now I’m moving onto jars, poster tubes and pretty much anything that I can glue pictures on.

Click on photos to view larger.

Submit your own craft projects to tammykrikorian (at) gmail (dot) com.

If You Care baking cups on the left, Martha Stewart baking cups at right

A few weeks ago, I bought some baking cups labeled “If You Care.” According to the cardboard box they were packaged in, the cups are unbleached, have no toxins, and are biodegradable and compostable. The box they came in is made from 100 percent recycled fibers, also with no chlorine or toxins, and is recyclable and biodegradable. “As no chlorine is used for bleaching, no chlorine is dumped into our lakes, rivers and streams,” the box says.

So what’s the problem? Well, the box also tells me it’s a Product of Sweden. Some 6,000 miles away from Reno, which means fuel was used to transport the cups at least 6,000-something miles by plane, ship, car or some combination of those. Which means they might be better than the alternative, but not quite 100 percent environmentally friendly for consumers outside of Europe.

For comparison, I pulled some Martha Stewart baking cups out of my pantry. I was pleasantly surprised to see they were manufactured by EK Success Ltd. in New Jersey. But then I continued reading: Printed in Taiwan; assembled in China. I’m not quite sure what it means, then, to say they are manufactured in New Jersey. I was going to e-mail the company, but I was hesitant to fill out the form that requires my address in order to submit my question. But if you figure more than 6,000 miles from China to New Jersey and an additional 2,700 miles from New Jersey to Reno, the plastic box the Martha Stewart cups were packaged in (not to mention the metal tab at the top for hanging) and assuming there was some bleach or dyes used to create the pink-polka dotted cups, then you can also assume the If You Care cups are better for the environment than the other brand. But maybe not the best option.

Of course, there are many more makers of cupcake/muffin liners, and there may be some produced in the United States that I am unaware of. The point is to be more a more conscious consumer, and be aware of where things come from. And to question it. It can often be hard to find products that are made in the United States, let alone in your region. Does that need to change? And what would need to happen for that to change to occur?

Update: I stopped at the grocery store on my way home this afternoon and while there I checked the baking cups. CakeMate’s are marked Made in the U.S.A and Reynolds brand don’t specifically say where they are made but give a company address in Virginia, so it would appear that these two brands traveled far less than the other two. I guess the question is whether the shorter travel distance makes up for the environmentally friendly packaging and manufacturing of the If You Care brand?

This blog is designed to be about YOU, the community, more than anything else, so for this holiday season I am hoping you will share your holiday craft projects. It will be fun to see what each other are up to, and also spark some inspiration and ideas and get our collective creative juices flowing. Any sort of craft project, giftwrap idea, etc. is welcome. Send your photos, a description of your project, your name and what city you live in to tammykrikorian (at) gmail (dot) com and they will all be posted here.

Happy crafting!

• Booksale Bonanza: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7 at the old EXCEL Building at 5205 Mill St. Sale is hosted by the Friends of Washoe County Library. Thousands of books plus vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and collectibles. Prices start at $1 for hardcovers, 50 cents for pocketbooks and 25 cents for children’s books. All regularly priced books (except collectibles and nearly new) are half off Sunday. Click here for more information.

• Fall Farmers Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and every Saturday through autumn at Bistro 7, 7111 S. Virginia St. Regional farmers will sell vegetables, meat, eggs, pasta and more. Click here for more information.

• Galena Creek Recreation Area Grand Opening: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Galena Creek Visitor Center and Recreation Area, 18250 Mt. Rose Highway. Family-friendly outdoor activities include hikes, exhibits, crafts, displays and Smokey Bear. Click here for more information or call 849-4948.

• Green Living: Noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10 in the 15th Street Food Court at UNR. Reno’s leading experts on green living share easy tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint. Click here for more information.

• Smart Living Lecture: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., DRI Maxey Conference Room, 2215 Raggio Parkway. Learn how LEDs have made an impact as the newest light source since fluorescent. See how they are used in architectural spaces, indoors and outdoors, including residential, commercial, retail, landscape, and other applications. Learn how to find viable products as a consumer or designer. Click here for more information.

• Golden Pinecone Awards: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12 at McKinley Arts Center. Tickets are $35. The annual event honors individuals and organizations for their contributions toward sustaining and improving the natural environment of the Truckee Meadows. Click here for more information.

• Build a hoophouse workshop: 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 14. Help build a hoophouse for local farmer Salisha’s Delicious and at the same time, you can enjoy a hands-on workshop on how to build your own homemade, low-cost hoophouse. The workshop is $50 for both days, and includes a potluck lunch. All proceeds go toward materials. You can donate to the cause if you’re not able to attend. To sign up, email Steve & Marcia Litsinger at churchillbutte@yahoo.com or call 775-721-6068 or 775-721-6068.

• Phone Book Recycling: Nov. 15 through Dec. 30. Phone books can be recycled at area Scolari’s, Sak ‘N Save, Waste Management Recycle America and AT&T offices or with curbside recyclables. In addition, AT&T and the Arbor Day Foundation will donate trees to area parks when they are recycled at select Reno, Sparks and Washoe County park locations. Click here for more information.

• Reno Green Drinks: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, Aspen Electric, 855 S. Center St., Reno. This month’s Green Drinks is also the Grand Opening Celebration for Aspen Electric – northern Nevada’s largest, and most experienced installer of custom solar and wind solutions for homes and businesses. Click here for more information.

• First Basin-wide Green Networking Event: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, Embassy Suites, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. Join other leaders from the Tahoe and Reno area in the 1st basin-wide Green Networking event, hosted by Sustainable Tahoe and the Embassy Suites. Open to anyone that is passionate about creating a more sustainable community of Lake Tahoe, Reno, and every other town along the Truckee river. Click here for more information.

• Student World Water Forum: Thursday, Nov. 18 and Friday, Nov. 19 in the Joe Crowley Student Union Great Room at UNR. Includes student presentations and Keynote Speaker Dr. Trevor Birkenholtz, Rutgers University: “Waiting for Water: Urbanization and Water Development in the Global South.” Click here for more information.

• Indie Reno Craft Fair: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Lakeside Mansion, Court and Arlington streets, Reno. Click here for more information.

• Swap and Trade: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Great Basin Community Food Co-Op Parking Lot, 542 1/2 Plumas St.  Bring any of your giveaways and make some trades! Click here for more information.

• Book-luck Book Exchange and Potluck: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 24, Great Basin Community Food Co-Op Parking Lot, 542 1/2 Plumas St. The book-luck group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month to exchange books, thoughts, and delicious food! Click here for more information.

• Turkey Trot: 8:30 a.m. to noon, Thursday, Nov. 25, starts and ends at Scheel’s at Legends at Sparks Marina. Timed 10k run and non-timed 2 mile run/walk benefit Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. Click here for more information and here to register.

• Black Friday Bus Tour: Friday, Nov. 26, Junkee Clothing Exchange is hosting a bus tour with Jessica Schneider and Laura Romero as guides. The tour costs $32.50 and includes wine and lunch. Find out about Reno’s hidden hot spots and have wine and h’ors d’oeuvres between shops. The event boasts no crowds to fight, a gourmet lunch and tons of new friends by the end of the day. Tickets available at Junkee, 960 S. Virignia St.

We will be giving a way free swag bags to the first 25 people to arrive, offering free giftwrapping and holding a raffle (tickets $1) to benefit VSA Artsof Nevada at the Lake Mansion.

Handmade Hustlers is a not-for-profit association of local artists/crafters on Etsy.com. The women in this group are incredibly talented with a variety of items from jewelry to clothing to accessories to housewares and more, and several of them use upcycled materials. You’ll find links to all of their Etsy shops here. Come and check it out!

(1) sewing patterns as giftwrap; (2) newspaper end roll stamped; (3) brown paper bag; (4) sheet of Sierra Nevada bottle labels found at recycling center; (5) sewing patterns as tissue paper; (6) box lid wrapped with scrapbooking paper; (7) Starbucks sleeves as gift tags; (8) map; (9) newspaper; (10) scarf.

On the blog How About Orange, I found instructions for making bows out of magazine pages and did a lot of them:

How About Orange also has a post on how to make gift bags out of newspapers.

Another upcycled idea is to use a tag punch and make gift tags out of last year’s Christmas cards:

Near my building at school there were lots of little pinecones on the ground last winter. I used those to decorate packages and make ornaments. It adds a little touch of home.

This is just a small sample of many ways you could make your own gift wrap.

What are some of your ideas?

LiveLocal RenoSparks has launched a “Keep Your Money Home for the Holidays” campaign. The following is a Q-and-A about the campaign and the non-profit with Director Dave Asher.

Question: What is the goal of Keep Your Money Home for the Holidays and 10% shift in 2011?

Answer: A 10% shift of our GDP from non local to local owned businesses would create more than $350 MILLION dollars staying in our local economy. That is money that would leave our community as corporate profits and franchise royalties. These numbers are modified from a study done by Civic Economics in Grand Rapids Mi. I adjusted to the population and average wage in Reno/Sparks. The holiday’s campaign is a way to get it started now when we are getting ready to spend a lot of money and help some locally owned businesses get through the winter. Here is a link to that study.

Q: How does shopping local benefit the local economy?

A: Let’s compare a local vs. franchise/chain hamburger restaurant as an example. The locally owned buys its meat, bread, soda, beer, produce, advertising, legal needs, accounting, printing, and more from other local business. The non-local has all of its supplies come in on a truck, from out of state. It gets all of the other services from the head corporation, out of state. So the locally owned supports many other local businesses. That creates local jobs.

Q: How does shopping local benefit the environment?

A: Reduced transportation cost is the biggest benefit, thus reducing the local carbon footprint.

Q: Your website says $68 of every $100 spent at a local store stays in the local economy, compared to $43 at a chain store. Is that number higher if the items purchased at a local store are also produced locally?

A: These numbers look mostly at where the profit goes after the sale. A locally owned gas station can’t buy locally made gas, we don’t have any. But the profits stay here. If you buy something made locally at a locally owned business, ALL of the money stays here. We do need more locally made products. That is where we can get many new jobs.

Q: How do you measure whether or not the campaign is catching on?

A: We are forming a “Locally Owned Business Co-Op”. I will be in direct contact with the business owners. My message to them is to support other locally owned businesses as much as possible. I will be looking for direct feedback on our progress. Here is the link.

Q: I’ve sometimes heard complaints that locally-owned stores are more expensive to shop at than chain stores. How do you convince consumers of the benefits of paying more?

A: First the Locally Owned Businesses have to step up and compete. They have to provide outstanding service and value. By educating consumers that maybe you saved a buck, you lost a buck and a quarter for your community by shopping at a chain store. Supporting locals’ adds to our tax base, parks, schools, fire dept. and police. If the price difference to too much, buy at the chain store. Then you will have more money to spend at another local business. My message is: shop local first, the local owned franchise second, shop the chain store when you have to. Shopping online, out of state is the worst choice for our community.

Q: Are you aware of any Black Friday promotions local retailers will be offering to try to capture some of the customers that might otherwise shop at chain stores that day?

A: The only campaign I’ve heard of so far is our own, “Keep your money Home for the Holidays.”

I do hope retailers and organizations get the “buy local” message going. We need to our economy around, now. This holiday season is the perfect place to start. Then we will head into 2011 with the 10% shift and create over $350 MILLION working in our community!

• Make gifts: I enjoy crafts, and in the past I have made jewelry, ornaments, magnets and other items as gifts.

• Buy handmade: There are some items that are beyond my skill level to make myself, but I can still buy them handmade. Etsy is a great place to find handmade items, and you can find lots of local vendors there as well (full disclosure: I am one of them). EcoReno sells the wares of some local Etsians – I recently bought a hat made by Zizzies and Izzies for a friend’s daughter there.

• Buy items made from recycled materials: This could include a variety of things, whether it’s used clothing from Goodwill or Junkee or electronics or furniture from Craigslist. My mom’s boyfriend found a beautiful dining room table in great condition on Craigslist for my mom and saved money as well as resources. It could also mean purchasing new items made from recycled materials. I bought my niece a tea set made from recycled plastic at EcoReno for Christmas last year and she loves it.

• Buy local: When possible, I shop at locally-owned stores instead of national chains. LiveLocal RenoSparks says $68 of every $100 spent at a local store stays in the local economy, compared to $43 at a chain store. Locally-roasted coffee for the coffee lover or books from Sundance or Grassroots Books for the avid reader are just a couple ideas.

• Give an experience rather than a thing: Tickets to a play, a concert, a sporting event, etc. don’t use material items and often create a long-lasting memory as well.

• Donate to a favorite charity: There are many local non-profit and charity organizations in need of donations, especially around the holidays. Making a contribution in someone’s name to a cause they care about can be a personal and touching way to give them a gift. Many (but not all) local non-profit organizations are listed here.

How do you normally gift at the holidays? Do you have a favorite family craft? Or favorite local stores? Please share your ideas in the comments!