Ten Ways To Make Your Summer Camping Experience Greener

It's summer and to many that means camping trips!

You can be a Planetpal when you go camping!

For a lot of people camping is a lifestyle and to others, this year in particular,  it's an economical way to take the family on a vacation.

According to the UK Telegraph "Nearly double the number of holiday makers are considering a camping holiday this summer as the recession forces people to cut back on expensive holidays". 

Camping can be fun and green, too! 

So, whether you are a first time camper or lifelong lover of the camping experience, these ten ideas will help you make that camping trip greener, cleaner and more natural:

1. Repurpose items. Be creative! Make a sleeping bag liner from old sheets, a tent catch all from a multi pocket shoe bag, a water container from a juice bottle. Use your imagination!
2. Give new life to old objects. Reuse various items from home inventory: Pots and pans,  silverware, towels etc  (see the camp kitchen below)
3. Be thrifty!  Hunt for camping gear at yard sales, thrift shops, on freecycle or the swap shop at your town recycle center. People often disgard great camping equipment and useful items they no longer need. 
4. Give your old tent, canvas and camper textiles a new life by steam cleaning or fabric freshener (ie: Fabreeze, ammonia and  water, other solutions) to freshen them up! 
5. Whether travelling in an RV or by car use greener GAS saving tips to save on the trip drive
6. Be a camping minimalist: Go greener by using less propane, electric or water in your RV and while camping
7. Use reusable containers, dishware and silverware instead of disposable ones.  Have the kids wash them out after meals-Make it part of the camping experience!
8. Forgoe the portable TV!  Tell stories by the campfire, play board games or read a classic book aloud
9. Toss the junk food!  Plan more natural meals.  Try grilling fish you catch or fruits and veggies you grow.  Make it all part of the natural experience. Why not have everyone think up a recipe to try!
10. When you leave, leave a "no trace" campsite! That means pack plenty of trash bags and use the campground's trash and recycle bins diligently.  Make one of these handy recycle trash bag holders for your tent or RV.

Whatever you do, care for your natural surroundings and they will stay that way for you to enjoy for years to come. 

DIY Camper Kitchen Chuck Box © planetpals.com

Recycle Finds:  We found this old camper kitchen (chuck box) and repainted it, put new handles, hooks and a folding paper towel holder!  Now, it's good for another 30 years.  See what you can find and what you can think up to make your camping experience greener , more functional and more fun!

Follow our Pinterest boards on Camping! Greensapirational!

Want more ideas?

Check out our Green Camping Board, Upcycled Glampers & Campers, VW Camper Restorations on Pinterest

Check out our Green Forest Journal for other ideas

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  © Judith Gorgone creator planetpals.com all rights reserved. Contact us for usage and licensing information for Planetpals content and  Planetpals Characters and Brand.

Join @planetpals on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Twitter 

All Roads Lead To Healthy Biking

How and Where to Bike for a Healthier Planet and Healthier People: Tips, Aps, Routes, Safety, More

All roads lead to healthy biking with these bicycle, bike trip and safety tips

Recycle and Re-think Bicycle!

Friends and family that bike together are green to go

Biking is a great way to help Earth and help stay in shape.  It's also a great way to spend time with friends and family and instill good healthy habits in kids. Biking can be a fun filled family activity when you are camping, at the beach, on vacation or just about anytime.

Sometimes, however, it's hard to know where to bike safely. Google has a bike route app for just that! It helps you find local bike routes. 

So, whether you are home or someplace new, you can find a local bike map.  

Biking Everyday 

In many countries, such as Japan,  using bicycles for transportation is a norm. Many cities such as Paris and Boston have implemented Bike Share Programs  which allow you the freedom to get a bike without worrying about storage or transporting one.

You can also rent from private bike companies.  Just check online for the country of your choice.  Here are lists for finding bike rentals in USA and in Europe 

Did you know? 

• Bicycles  displace over 238 million gallons of gasoline per year, by replacing car trips with bicycle trips
• When Worldwatch Institute compared energy used per passenger-mile (calories), they found that a bicycle needed only 35 calories, whereas a car expended a whopping 1,860
• Bicycles use 2% as much energy as cars per passenger-kilometer
• Bicycles cost less than 3% as much to purchase
• 6 to 20. bikes can be parked in a single car parking space in a paved lot

(Facts courtesy of www.treehugger.com)

Bicycle Safety

• Always wear a helmet.
• Obey traffic signs and signals.
• Wear Light or bright-colored clothing
• Have reflectors
• Install a horn or bell that can be heard up to 100-feet.
• Ride in the right-most lane that goes with the direction or flow of traffic.
• Signal your moves 
• Beware of cars opening doors 
• Re-think music player
• Put the mobile phone on hold
• Avoid busy streets -use designated routes and trails whenever possible

For more detailed info on these tips, such as how to make hand signals, check out this great article from the Baltimore Sun

Happy Biking! 

© jag planetpals.com all rights reserved The Re-cycle design available from Planetpals Shop

Be a Planetpal Bike Healthy and Be Happy.

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  © Judith Gorgone creator planetpals.com all rights reserved. Contact us for usage and licensing information for Planetpals content and  Planetpals Characters and Brand.

Join @planetpals on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Twitter  

- See more at: http://planetpalsblog.blogspot.com/#sthash.obkTEeir.dpuf

Patriotic Crafts That Are A Natural For Summer!

Make your holiday RED, WHITE, BLUE and GREEN!

Memorial day marks the beginning of the beach season, at least here in the Northeast.  It's a time when  families open up their summer homes and embrace the coming sun and sea.

If you are headed for one of those sandy beaches on Cape Cod, the Maine Coast or elsewhere, gather some stones and head home to make a patriotic craft you can enjoy all summer long for  Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The lazy days of summer allow us the perfect time to do nature crafts.  

Cape Cod is a stone's throw to sandy beaches where beach rocks, shells and driftwood are plentiful.  Add some paint and you have the perfect summer project!

Busy being patriotic and creative!

Ten neighborhood kids in Sandwich, MA decided to make painted rocks, shells and wood to sell in their lemonade stand to put towards their summer activity fund.  The project included children ages 5 to 13.  

It was a perfect way to start the summer and a patriotic holiday...and did I say a blast for Fourth of July?

Painted shells pieces and rocks make great flags! 

Stars and stripes decor for Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day any Patriotic Holiday

A fun craft for any age.

Kids can learn to take pride in their country and their work.

Almost ready for the holiday weekend.  

photos © planetpals  all rights reserved.

For more Patriotic USA Crafts and Crafty Food Ideas check out our  Holiday Craft Page and Pinterest Board

For more summer ideas check out Planetpals Summer Journal 

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  © Judith Gorgone creator planetpals.com all rights res

erved. Contact us for usage and licensing information for Planetpals content and  Planetpals Characters and Brand.

Join @planetpals on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Twitter  

How To Tap A Maple Tree And Make Maple Syrup - A Sweet Lesson For Spring

Did you know it's really simple to tap a MAPLE TREE and get some liquid gold ?

Photo compliments of Anne Shuman

This project is a natural!

Beat the Winter blues and celebrate Spring by making it an adventure in learning!  This is a sweet nature project my friends Richard and Anne did with their grandson.  You can try this at home, too. All you need is a Maple tree, containers, a spike, jars, patience and ingenuity.

You have to tap the trees in Early Spring, after snow. The equipment needed is simple, you can buy new equipment or reuse things you have around the house.  It's up to you!  

If it's too late for you to do this this year, be sure and put it on your calendar for next!

The Simple Art of Tapping A Maple Tree:
How, when, where:

• Generally, the sap starts to flow between mid-February and mid-March. (check for best times where you live). It can change year to year depending on the weather, too.
• Trees should be at least 12-20 inches in diameter.  If the tree is 12-20 inches you can have one tap.  If it's 21-27 inches you can have 2.  Larger, you can have 3. 
• Once you capture the sap you need to boil it down a lot.  
• For more information and a complete guide go to TAP MY TREE
• Need More Help? Great tips on this Video

What you need: (You can buy a tapping kit or be creative and make your own)

• Healthy tree
• Drill
• Spike (Or Spile)
• Bucket or containers
• Jars

What you will need to do:

• Clean equipment
• Drill holes
• Insert a spike
• Tap the tree
• Boil
• Prepare jars
• Fill

Drill holes or buy maple syrup plugs (reusable)

Photo compliments of Anne Shuman

Boil, Boil, Boil.  It takes several containers of sap to make a jar of syrup.

Photo compliments of Anne Shuman

Use recycled or new jars to store the maple syrup

Photo compliments of Anne Shuman

Why not have kids jar their own maple syrup :)  Such a sweet educational nature project for them, too!

Photo compliments of Anne Shuman

Complete Guide Available:

A simple and complete guide with detailed information can be found at TAPMYTREES.com.  It's a great source with diagrams, charts, more.

From Tap My Trees .com

Maple Syrup Recycle, Recipes and More Ideas:

For more ideas on maple syrup and items you can recycle to tap Check out Planetpals TAP TAP TAP for Maple Syrup Board on Pinterest

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  © Judith Gorgone creator planetpals.com all rights reserved. Contact us for usage and licensing information for Planetpals content and  Planetpals Characters and Brand.

Join @planetpals on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Twitter 

Thanks to my friends Anne and Richard for a great story. If you would like to contribute a story idea to this blog contact me :)

How To Make A Fairy Garden With Found and Natural Objects

The Fun and Fantasy Of A Fairy Garden

Make a fairy garden with your kids or grandkids.  It's a simple recipe to teach them about gardening and recycling at the same time, not to mention a chance to share.

This creative project is perfect for the home or the classroom. It allows children to use their imagination and ingenuity to create a world based on any theme.  Fairy gardens can be made around many themes such as folklore, storybook, circus, camping and more.

All you need to know is how to grow moss, or  grow flowers that work well in a fairy garden, for your particular environment (shady spaces, sunny spaces etc), and lastly, gather ideas to make cottages, furniture and other objects for your magical world.

What fun it can be to create items from natural objects such as acorns and twigs, and recycled objects like buttons and bottle caps.  The sky is the limit! Pile it mile high, work it around your flower beds or make it in a container. Then add gates and swings and create signage.  It's your own little world of fun and fantasy.  Perfect for tiny hands and one kids will never forget.

We love this project because it's not only innovative, it's a great way to recycle, repurpose and reuse!

Where do you get things to put in your garden? Get crafty! Get creative!

We suggest you consider recycling and repurposing any of these objects to make items for your fairy garden:

Natural Objects-

• shells, coral and sand dollars
• small stones
• twigs
• acorns
• gourds
• pine cones
• pine needles
• berries
• pods
• nut shells
• seeds and pits
• feathers
• small flowers
• moss
• small plants, succulents and cacti
• wood
• nests
• dried flowers
• old hives (careful!)

Found Objects-

• buttons
• thread spools
• thimbles
• bottle caps
• small bottles, cans and tins
• k-cups, fruit cups, and yogurt cups
• popsicle sticks
• beads
• small toys
• old game parts
• dollhouse items
• china pieces
• sea glass
• glass garden pebbles
• wire
• thread and twine
• burlap and fabric scraps
• onion bag mesh or net
• lace
• small plates and cups
• miniature frames
• miniatures

Check out Planetpals Fairy Garden Board on Pinterest, It's loaded with imaginative and unique ideas and alternatives to making your own DIY Fairy garden a wonderland!

  © Judith Gorgone creator planetpals.com all rights reserved. Contact us for usage and licensing information for Planetpals content and  Planetpals Characters and Brand.

Join @planetpals on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Twitter