Ingrid Callot: Paper Bags vs. Plastic Bags

From Ingrid Callot December

From Ingrid Callot December

My name is Ingrid Callot, and I long to one day meet Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and the Dalai Lama. In my dreams, the four of us go trick-or-treating on Halloween, with me as Betty Boop, the Dalai Lama dressed as Super Saiyan Goku, Martha as Marilyn Monroe, and Oprah as Whoopi Goldberg. I wonder how much candy we’d get.

From Ingrid Callot December

Last Christmas, my family and I made a vow to live green. We began favoring reusing and recycling over buying new things, eating only local produce, avoiding the purchase of detergents and substances that have toxic chemicals, refraining from using and buying things made out of plastic, and composting our organic waste.

From Ingrid Callot December

One day, my friend Edgardo pointed out that my environmentalism was still problematic. “Ingrid Callot, you are hopeless,” he said, cocking his head from side to side. “You ban all plastic bags, but you’re using these paper bags, which is worse.”

“Edgardo Versoza,” I said. “I use paper bags for a reason. They’re perfectly recyclable and biodegradable and hold more stuff than plastic bags can ever carry.”

“Call me when you graduate from being an entry-level environmentalist,” he said, before walking out.

From Ingrid Callot December

From Ingrid Callot December

Puzzled, I Googled “paper plastic environment,” and felt my jaw drop. According to an article from Treehugger, the best choice was neither paper nor plastic, but reusable canvas bags. A study showed that canvas bags, when used 500 times during their life cycle, are 14 times better than plastic, and 39 times better than paper on a range of aspects including the amount of energy used in manufacturing, environmental damage caused in production, and reuse as well as recycling rates.

With that, I dialed Edgardo’s number to invite him to go shopping for a reusable canvas shopping bag.

From Ingrid Callot December

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Small Touches: Ingrid Callot’s Alternative to the Romantic Big Splash

Exuding the calmness of a greenhorn who hears afresh the jolting notes of a war cry, I, Ingrid Callot, walk already a dead man past the arsenal of Anthropologie, away from the crimson fittings and blood-kissed accouterments that scream Valentine behind the tall glass windows of my once-favorite home décor shop.

I go home triumphant.

From Anthropologie

My baptism of fire in the fight for frugality last Christmas is working wonders for me. My husband waves his white flag of a bank statement in my face and congratulates me—I have just cut our household expenses down to a smashing 50 percent! February comes as a challenge that brings opportunity to save moolah once again.

Forget about the clinking of champagne glasses and bells. The Ingrid Callot contingency is to throw some fancy bonbons on a crystal candy dish, redeem the linen table from the closet, and concoct a self-blended potpourri in a wine glass. Voila! A romantic dining table masterpiece is set for me and Roger.

From Etsy

Take this from me: there is something saccharine about handpicked garden flowers arranged with the right colors. Let me tell you, my hard science-oriented husband appreciated the “art” outlining the floral arrangement I made for our Christmas dinner.

Toss in some paper napkins with kitschy designs as well. Forget about fancy tablecloth this V-Day. Let small touches spell out the romantic big splash for you. Besides, “no retreat, no surrender” is the game when it comes to the thriftiness test.

From Inspired Living Spaces

Learn how small touches can turn into big splash from my other blog, www.myspace.com/ingridcallot/blog.

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Ingrid Callot’s Eco-Chic Holiday Accents

Hello, my name is Ingrid Callot. It’s practically Christmas, and everyone is swamped with the holiday rush of dinner engagements with family and friends, menu preparations for guests and loved ones, company parties with colleagues and co-workers.

From etsy.com courtesy of Olive Brown

This year, however, the season’s demands are higher than ones past, as my husband, son, and I have all decided to minimize Christmas spending to less than half of last year’s expenses. An earnest desire to adopt a lifestyle of sustainable development cannot be stopped by even the most lavish occasions, and so we took it upon ourselves to stick to a solid, environmental approach towards the yuletide festivities.

From theinspiringbee.com

Now, “Ingrid Callot” is not a name easily equated with financial temperance, and my husband is very quick to back this statement up. Because of the state of the planet, however, I have come to believe that merry-making should be managed with consideration for Mother Earth and her many, many children.

From inthefunlane.com

To make a strong statement, eschew store-bought banners, posters, and decals. A great idea to spread some Christmas cheer is to spell out the season’s greetings in block letters. Use ceramic alphabet balls in different ways, or send Christmas wishes with Scrabble tiles.

From countryliving.com, courtesy of the Farm Chicks, Inc. by Sterling Publishing Co.

From theinspiringbee.com

Instead of abusing string lights and racking up a monstrous power bill, fashion elegant lanterns out of old tin cans using nails of different sizes to punch patterns in. Australian artist Tracey Johnson cut out stunning designs on old wine boxes to erect glowing totem poles. These lanterns don’t take much to light up any room, but please people just as much.

From designspongeonline.com

From dornob.com and traceyjohnson.com.au

Old sweaters make excellent party coasters, while old socks make a wonderful rosette wreath. These quirky affects have fun written all over them, providing you with mood-lifting, ice-breaking conversation pieces that help get your green Christmas party started.

From etsy.com courtesy of Olive Brown

From elizabethholcombe.typepad.com

Ingrid Callot Shows You How to Keep Your Accessories

Hi there, I’m Ingrid Callot. I’m a wife, a cosmetics representative, a blogger and a mother. Recently I’ve had trouble with my accessories collection. I have around thirty different kinds of belts, and after getting dressed belts I tried on will be strewn across the floor or on the bed. Jewelry also puzzles me. I used to keep every piece in an old shoe box in a corner on my dresser, but after I get dressed you’ll find all kinds of bracelets, cocktail rings and necklaces just littering my dresser.

From http://dallasvintageshop.com

Friends who come visit will say, “The Ingrid Callot I know wouldn’t have allowed this mess to happen.” I realized that I needed to act on all this chaos. It’s okay to keep collecting all these accessories, but I had to be able to store them right. On an organizer spree one day I found things that solved my storage problems incredibly.
Unlike a regular hanger, a belt hanger keeps belts from slipping because the hooks on it allow belts to hang by the buckle, saving a lot of space on your closet’s hanger rod.

From Bob Hiemstra via realsimple.com

A hanging jewelry organizer hangs nicely on your closet’s hanger rod and keeps necklaces, bracelets and earrings of all shapes and sizes. The transparent material lets you see the jewelry even while in storage.

From http://www.organize.com

For larger and bulkier bangles, you can turn an old wine bottle into a bangle tower.

From http://craftrecyclables.blogspot.com

It’s amazing how creating space makes everything so much better!