Thursday, July 22, 2010

DIY (Do It Yourself) Ideas for Summer!

The DIY (do it yourself) movement is a wonderful way to have fun and save money this summer.
Cooking dinner for friends, remodeling the house yourself, or growing your own vegetables are all great ways to be more environmentally conscious while developing new skills.

There are many resources available online and in the UCC Library to help you get started!


The site Readymade features an excellent on-line magazine full of ideas to use both in the house and the garden. Crafster.org also has many creative ways to stay busy around the house.

In the library, you will find many books to help you come up with some ideas around the kitchen and garden.

"Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades" by Steve Solomon is a great place to start for the aspiring gardener

Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer's "The Garden Vegan" and "How it all Vegan!" both provide many useful recipes and growing tips for the vegetable lover. For more ideas on what to do with your vegetables after they have harvested, browse through "Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It" by Karen Solomon or "Recipes from the Root Cellar" by Andrea Chesman.
"The Northwest Green Home Primer" by Kathleen O'Brien and Kathleen Smith is an excellent resource for do it yourself projects that are fun and help reduce utility bills.

Enjoy your summer in a healthy, pro-social way while improving your karma and going green! Don't forget to check out the music section of the library while you're at it, for some great music to relax in your new garden to.