It is the end of another year and time for new year resolutions.  I am looking forward to 2012.  Here is a list of some of my eco-friendly new year resolutions for the upcoming year:
- 100% donations and/or giveaways of outgrown clothes and toys
- Learn how to make jewelry using recycled materials
- Learn more about recycled metal art (I came across a website  happyscraps.net that highlights metal art made from recycled metal and look forward to seeing their gallery of work at a local spring festival in 2012).
- Expand gardening goals to produce 20% of more of my meals from my own garden (very ambitious given the size of my garden)
- set up a rain barrel (finally, I have been wanting to do this for years!!)
- learn how to quilt so that I can recycle some worn clothes (that have sentimental value)
- participate in a family park replanting event (with my family)

Here are some of my other new year resolutions:
- complete second half marathon (with a new Personal Record)
- complete my first triathlon 

Looking forward to another year!

When one considers purchasing jewelry, there are a few general criteria one may use in order to determine if the jewelry is eco-friendly:
1) How much effort or "mining" did it take to retrieve or process the material?  If it takes a substantial amount of effort to harvast or "mine" the material, then, the material is not eco-friendly.
2) Is the item an antique?  If so, it can be considered eco-friendly because you are in essense reusing the item.
3) Are the materials naturally occuring in nature (not extensively processed) or is it made from recycled synthetic materials?  If the materials are naturally occuring and sourced in an environmentally sustainable way, then, it may be considered eco-friendly.
Besides the above criteria, one may also consider how the profits are used from the purchase, some individuals make purchases from companies that contribute a percent of their profits to charitable and/or eco-friendly causes.

The art of making jewelry can be traced back to over 5,000 B.C.  Ancient ancestors have figured out creative ways to utilize natural resources such as leaves, nuts and vines to string beautiful ornaments.  Jewelry making is so engrained into our civilization and society, children often learn how to string Cheerios before they are able to speak in complete sentences.  Like many others, I enjoy wearing various jewelry and am very impressed with how jewelry making is able to sustain societies throughout the world.  


Philip and Katy Leakey have developed their Zulugrass jewelry as a direct result of providing work for the Maasai women of Kenya.  Zulugrass is available in a wide range of colors and styles.  I love their simplistic and faltering styles. Wearing their jewelry makes a statement and supports such an important cause,... empowering women with fair trade opportunities.


For more information about their products, please visit www.leakeycollection.com.

I've recently finished reading a book, "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson.  This is a very inspirational non-fiction book about how the author was able to make a difference by raising funds and building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Education and job opportunities are the fundamental foundations for a stable and peaceful nation.    

If you want to help make a difference, www.oneworldprojects.com offers fair trade eco-friendly products from developing countries.  Many products are made from renewable resources, thus providing artisans with incentives to conserve, protect, and in many cases restore their natural resources and biologically-diverse ecosystems. All One World Projects' products provide viable economic alternatives to artisans and their families in developing countries while promoting social and environmental responsibility.   This is a photo of the beautiful handcrafted necklace and earrings made of blue quartz and silver toned beads by craftspeople from Afghanistan.

For more product information, please visit www.oneworldprojects.com.  This is an opportunity to make a difference in these developing countries.