Environmentally Friendly Mother’s Day Ideas

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Instead of sending the usual vase of flowers that will last for a short time and need to be discarded, think about giving Mom a gift that won’t clutter her space or create more waste. Unclutterer has some great ideas for food, services, adventures and other gifts that will go over well. If Mom is a do-it-yourselfer, offer to take her shopping for materials for the project of her choice. You could visit ReStore or a hobby store to get your supplies. Better yet, plan a day with Mom to help her with those DIY projects!

Combining Upcycled Pieces to Create Something Fresh

It’s always great to reuse something someone else has given away in one of your own creations. It’s even

Adina's Upcycled Wood Frame Wall Flower Vase

better to use two reusable items in a new creation! Adina at My Simple Country Life has a great vase and picture frame combo that puts two old pieces to good use. Here’s the finished product. Check out her blog for the complete instructions to make your own.

Country Living has 10 Easy Upcycling Craft Projects, including a mason jar soap dispenser, a rake stemware holder, and shelves made out of blueberry crates.

Planet Save gets really creative in its 10 Ways to Upcycle Junk Creatively post. Check out how they cut up old plastic cards to make a colorful picture frame, use old record album covers to create a box, and use wine bottle corks to make a bulletin board. These ideas are likely to inspire your own creativity!

Check out these ideas and look for more online, in books or on do-it-yourself magazines and TV shows. When you visit ReStore, you may also see other items that you never thought about using in a craft project, but may be exactly what you need for that spring do-it-yourself project!

 

Celebrate Earth Day – Shop at ReStore for Great Sales!

April 22 is Earth Day and ReStore is celebrating with a sale of up to 75 percent off lots of items in the store. As you plan your Earth-friendly weekend, schedule some time to shop at ReStore and help us divert usable material from landfills. In 2011, ReStore diverted approximately 354 tons of material from landfills.

Supporting ReStore by donating reusable items or shopping at the store not only promotes and encourages recycling, it also supports Habitat’s mission to provide affordable housing for qualified residents in our community. We saw the exciting results of this support last month when it was announced that ReStore would be the first full house sponsor of a Habitat house in Montgomery County. That means ReStore will provide the full $230,000 needed to build the first townhome in the Maple Hill community in Gaithersburg, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013.

Another great way to protect the environment this month is to learn how to reduce energy consumption in your home. When you reduce energy consumption, you help protect the environment  and save money on your monthly bills. Habitat for Humanity is offering Watt Watchers, a free two-session course on Saturday April 21 and May 19 to help you learn how to reduce energy consumption. Learn more about the course and how to register.

ReStore has been supporting Habitat’s mission and diverting reusable material from landfills in our community since 2006. Come show your support as we mark our sixth anniversary with a sale in honor of Earth Day on April 20-21.

ReStore Honors National Volunteer Week

April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week. ReStore thanks all our volunteers for their support and contribution to our mission of supporting affordable housing in Montgomery County. In this post, we feature volunteer Rich Burnes.  

Retired project manager Rich Burnes says he started volunteering at ReStore 13 months ago because it gives him a chance to practice his hobby of working with his

ReStore volunteer Rich Burnes

hands while giving back to his community. Rich first became involved with Habitat for Humanity in Virginia when he joined co-workers on building projects during his career at British Telecomm (BT). He started at BT as a programmer and then managed a software development group there for 20 years before working for BAE Systems as a project manager.

Rich has been retired now for 18 months and says volunteering twice a week at ReStore gives him a chance to use the skills he developed in shop class beginning in elementary school. “I built furniture from scratch in shop class and always enjoyed woodworking and working with my hands,” said Rich. “One summer in junior high I helped a neighbor build a house, and I’ve enjoyed working on houses and furniture ever since.” Rich says when he comes in to ReStore the first thing he does is ask the floor manager if there is anything that needs repairing or any building work to be done.

Rich enjoys the interaction with customers that comes along with his volunteer position. He says one of the most interesting challenges about the work is trying to help people fit their purchases into small vehicles. Rich also enjoys the challenge of arranging the show room floor and making it look appealing.

“I really enjoy volunteering at ReStore, but I’m also looking forward to being able to work on the Maple Hill project later this year,” said Rich. Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County broke ground on the Maple Hill community of 19 townhomes in Gaithersburg last month. Rich says he feels fortunate with what he’s been able to accomplish and what life has given him and he believes strongly that we all have a right and responsibility to be involved in our community and to give back.

Thank you for your contribution Rich and all ReStore volunteers!

A ReStore Before and After: Old Chairs Get a New Look!

Before

Interior Decorator Jenifer Yoon bought these chairs at ReStore and gave them a fresh and colorful look.

Jen said the steps for this project were:

• Bought chairs from ReStore for $5 each
• Bought new upholstery fabric and some additional batting to add more cushion to the seat.
• Using the fabric as inspiration, she then selected a spray paint color to repaint the chair frame.
• Unscrewed the seat of the chair and removed from the frame.

Frame

• Used a fine grit sand paper on the chair frame to allow the paint to better adhere to the metal surface.
• Primed the frame using spray paint primer.
  

  After

• Painted 3-5 coats of red paint
• Finished with 2 coats of high gloss clear coat spray paint.

Seat

• Removed old upholstery fabric
• Added on additional batting & fabric
• Used a staple gun to secure it to the wood base of the seat
• After the fabric was attached and trimmed up, used a staple gun to add some black fabric to the bottom of the chair to hide the rough edges.
• Once the spray paint was fully dried, she reattached the seat to the frame and Voila! From frumpy and outdated to adorable and appealing!

Come see what you can find to restyle at ReStore! Tell us about it on DIY Exchange!

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and ReStore Collecting Denim

Are you looking for an environmentally friendly use for your old jeans?

How about donating your old jeans so that the denim can be used in insulation for homes? ReStore collects denim for this purpose, and now Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is partnering with ReStore to collect denim from April 3 to April 20. The donated items will be added to our contribution to Cotton, Incorporated’s from Blue to Green® denim drive. The drive was started in 2006 to encourage donations of unwanted denim for use in UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation.

ReStore began collecting donated denim to be used in insulation for homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina and collected 7,000 pairs of jeans over a three-year period. As a result, ReStore was selected by Cotton Incorporated to receive 25,000 square feet of the insulation for use in Habitat homes here in Montgomery County. HFH-MC has already installed the UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation in the attics of two homes, which have experienced 31 percent and 28 percent air leakage reductions, respectively.

So, the insulation is efficient and because it’s made from repurposed denim, manufacturing and using it is a great way to recycle! Support this effort by bringing your unwanted denim to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital or ReStore. You’ll be helping turn blue to green!

When: April 3-20, 2012 at Shady Grove Adventists Hospital (or ongoing at ReStore)

Where: Collection Bins are available in the Main Lobby, the Emergency Room Lobby, the Physician’s Entrance, and the Cafeteria at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital at 9901 Medical Center Drive in Rockville.

ReStore To Be First Full Sponsor of a Habitat House

ReStore has always been proud that all store proceeds support building affordable housing for families in Montgomery County. Today we have some really exciting news to share about our support of this important goal. At this morning’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Maple Hill townhome community – one of the affiliate’s largest projects yet – Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County Executive Director John Paukstis announced that ReStore will be the first full sponsor of a Habitat house in Montgomery County. This means that ReStore is providing the full $230,000 needed to build the first townhome in the Maple Hill community.

It’s not just about providing shelter. In his remarks, Mr. Paukstis shared comments from a survey of families who are living in houses built by Habitat. The positive effects on the family members’ self-esteem, well-being and health reach far beyond just having a place to live. One survey respondent said her son started excelling at school after the family moved into a Habitat house where they could implement consistent bed times and provide a quiet place for homework, which were not possible when the family was staying with someone else. “We are reminded about why we work so hard for affordable housing,” said Mr. Paukstis. “We are working to help families get out of substandard housing and experience all the benefits of homeownership, and ReStore is an important part of that.”

Maple Hill will be a 19-townhome community located on Emory Grove Road in Gaithersburg, across from Strawberry Knoll Road. The community is within walking distance of an elementary school and is on existing bus lines. The total cost of the project is $4.4 million and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013. With a full sponsorship of the first house, it’s easy to see the direct and substantial impact of all donations and purchases at ReStore. We thank all ReStore donors and shoppers for their contributions to providing affordable housing!

Of Course You Want to Save on Your Energy Bills, Come to Watt Watchers

Who doesn’t want to save money on those monthly energy bills? Did you know that the typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills? To make matters worse, a large portion of that energy is wasted. There are lots of things you can do to reduce the amount you spend on energy bills. Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County wants to help you learn how to save with a free two-session course on Saturday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Watt Watchers course was designed specifically to educate and empower consumers to learn how they can minimize energy bills. Watt Watchers will share Energy Saving Tips to develop strategies to save money at home and a Seasonal Checklist to provide recommendations that can be implemented very easily while having a significant impact on your consumption.

You can also use the Consumption Calculator and Resources section to further understand your household’s carbon footprint.

Rules and things to know!

1. This is class 1 of 2. Both classes are required if you want to receive a gift valued at over $40! (April 21 and May 19)
2. You must bring your most recent electric utility bill with you.
3. Only one person per household please. Our space is limited!
4. Habitat will manually register you for Session 2 once registration for Session 1 is confirmed. Session 2 will be Saturday, May 19th at 10am.
5. If you cannot attend both sessions, please do not register.

Location

Habitat Offices at 9100 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Register now

Questions?

Contact Molly Pelzer

More Information

Watt Watchers of Maryland

Hot Decorating Colors for Spring 2012

This spring, we’re seeing a lot of color used in home furnishings. The great thing is

Chandelier with soft-blue shades.

you can find these colors just about everywhere. We found this adorable mini chandelier at ReStore this week. Its shades are just the type of color that is featured in home furnishings these days.

Check out the blues, greens, oranges and other colors blogger Pamela Jaffke found at the Las Vegas Home Furnishings Market last month. And to see more about this year’s color palate, Better Homes and Gardens has a great video showing what’s in for Spring 2012.

But if you find a piece you like that isn’t one of the fun colors that are popular these days, all you have to do is paint it.  Visit Elizabeth & Co., to see the ladies take a ho-hum wooden book-case and makes it fresh for spring.

So have fun this season freshening up your own furnishings with color or giving recycled pieces a new look!

Making Spring Cleaning Safe

When we talk about cleaning and organizing our space, it’s usually in order to make us feel better, be more productive, and just have a nice place to call home. But it’s also an issue of safety.

We’ve heard the stories of massive amounts of paper serving as fuel for a house or office fire, and clutter that blocks a door slowing down safe exit in an emergency. Well, Erin Doland of Unclutterer gives us more reasons to think about safety, like hazardous mold hidden behind clutter in a basement or garage that can poison the air. And there are safety concerns once you start decluttering too. You need to make sure any hazardous items are disposed of properly.

As you start your spring cleaning, remember to donate your gently used furniture, appliances and building supplies to ReStore. But to learn more about all those other items that may be hazardous, visit Montgomery County’s disposal information.

And read more tips on www.unclutterer.com!