spring time – Eco Home Ideas

4 Places to Recycle Your Gently Used Clothing

It’s spring time which means it’s time to start cleaning out those closets and making room for new summer clothes! While you’re cleaning out your closet why not consider donating all your gently used clothing? It’s not only a tax deduction but it will help out others in need. Of course you can donate your old clothes to places like Goodwill; however there are some other great options available to you as well.

American Red Cross

Clothing you donate to the American Red Cross benefits victims of natural disasters. For instance, the American Red Cross provided much-needed clothing to Gulf Coast evacuees during Hurricane Katrina, and for Northerners that were stranded by Hurricane Sandy.

Vietnam Veterans of America

Vietnam Veterans of America provides support and services for veterans returning home after serving. These services include counseling, hospital treatments, and aid for homeless and disabled vets. The Vietnam Veterans of America sells donated items in resale shops, and the proceeds benefit the charity. The VVA accepts clothing, shoes, and accessories in good condition. You can schedule a pickup online here.

Big Brother Big Sister Foundation

The Big Brother Big Sister Foundation pairs at-risk kids with adult mentors. The foundation accepts any type of clothing in good condition. Your donations go to the foundation’s resale stores, and up to 100% of the proceeds benefit the charity.

Donate My Dress

Have a couple old prom dresses hanging in the closet? Donate My Dress collects new and gently used formal dresses, which are donated to low-income women so they can have the dress of their dreams for a special occasion like high school prom night. You can find a local donation center on the Donate My Dress website, here.

Why Ladybugs Are Great Garden Guests

With spring planting underway there are some major benefits to having bugs in your garden. That’s right you read it right, we said it is a good thing. Of course some insects are worse than others and some are better than others, however a good insect to have in your garden is the ladybug.

Ladybugs are small beetles that are about ¼ inch in length and are normally red or orange in color with black dots on their shells. Ladybugs can become a nuisance when they attempt to move indoors, however overall these bugs are good for your garden and the environment.

Here are three benefits to having ladybugs in your garden:

Reduce the insect population

Ladybugs are known predatory beetles that eat a very large amount of aphids. Aphids are plant lice and are bad news for your plants. However ladybugs can consume up to 5,000 aphids in their lifetime (about 30-40 a day).

Eliminate your use of pesticides

Since ladybugs eat many of the insects which cause damage to garden plants, a good population of ladybugs will make it unnecessary to use harmful pesticides. It can be a little difficult to get a large population to come to populate your garden but with a few at home gardening tricks (mixing wheat and yeast together and spraying on plants), will help attract lady bugs to your garden.

Make your garden BEAUTIFUL

Ladybugs are beautiful beetles. They are a gorgeous deep color that will add contrast and beauty to your garden. Ladybugs are a lot prettier to look at when compared to worms or slugs.

Sources: steamboattoday.com, (http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2013/mar/17/deb-babcock-benefits-lady-bugs/)