Andy's Idea Factory

Looking for last minute gifts for a good price from a retailer you know will deliver in time? Here's my Top Five Favorite Holiday Picks plus a few bonuses! Happy holidays! #1 Sleep Innovations Currently marked down to $370 from $650 for king size* We've had a Sleep Innovations mattress for 13 years and loved it. Every time we came home from travels my husband and I would both say how we'd missed our bed the most. So it came time for us to buy a new one and were pleased to find this mattress at a fraction of the cost of both traditional mattress and memory foam as well. Is a quality brand, and a firm yet relenting and supportive mattress. It comes compressed in a 3x4x2 box that's easily delivered, and easy enough for one person to set-up and let expand. We let it expend and air out for two nights. By the second night, it was ready, and as before, the best night sleep! The box it comes in is compact and manageable Cutting off the plastic on our new bed! ...

We just switched the very last of our not-so-clean cleaning products (the wet swiffer's hardwood floor spray with water, vinegar and lemon essential oil), and it prompted me to share this. These solutions have been used for centuries until the last fifty years, and they do a better job, keep our lungs, minds, and skin happy and healthy, and well, are just plain cheaper!  Make the switch... Here are "The Basic Ten" products you can use to clean just about anything, courtesy of GreenAmerica.org : 1) White vinegar: An antifungal that also kills germs and bacteria. 2) Baking soda: Eliminates odors and works as a gentle scouring powder. 3) Borax: T he common name for the natural mineral compound sodium borate, eliminates odors, removes dirt, and acts as an antifungal and possible disinfectant. Use with care around children and pets, as it can be toxic if swallowed. 4) Hydrogen peroxide (3% concentration): A great nontoxic bleach and stain remover, as well as a prove...

This past Tuesday the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council hosted its monthly Talking Green event on "Greening Up Your Holidays," and I spent several days gathering tips in many categories to present on.  I thought I'd post it here as well, enjoy! Halloween Costumes Buy face paints and lipstick without lead, nickel, cobalt, chromium, which can affect brain development cosmeticsdatabase.com Buy safe nail polish from Skin Deep Avoid powder cosmetics which can affect the lungs Skip the hairspray which have toxic chemicals Use non-paraffin (petroleum based) and non-scented candles for cleaner air Create low-impact costumes (used, homemade, etc), or host your own costume swap Food If hosting larger parties, see our Zero Waste Event Guidelines Compost all food waste Use paper bags instead of plastic for baking the turkey Replace canned ingredients with local foods with minimal travel distance for reducing carbon fo...

Today we're on our way to Miami for the No Barriers Festival and it reminded me to share the many travel ideas we've gathered along the way! Our travels take us far and wide, and some of these ideas make us feel like we're not that far from home. 1. Lists. If you're an organizer, think about making "packing lists" based on the type of trip (we have business, vacation, and camping lists). We were forever scribbling on Post-Its before our trips and forgetting something every time, when I finally realized I could write a master list that we could add to any time and save sheet after sheet of yellow sticky paper. To take it one green step further, print out the lists and laminate them, then cross off what you've packed with a grease pencil and clean it off when you're done! Make one for every family member so they're in charge of their own belongings and forgotten items! 2. Drier Sheets. My favorite trick for the suitcase and keeping clothes fresh, ...

Re-Gift: something that you've gotten as a gift but either don't like, doesn't fit, or you won't ever use and you either put it in the Salvation Army pile or you (gasp!) throw it out. This touchy subject brings up several notions of "white elephant" and "gag" presents and Etiquette 101 from grandma. But you either regift or you don't, and if you do, here are some helpful tips to making sure you're not faux-pas-ing yourself into the BadGirl corner where you may never receive any gifts ever again! (Perish the thought!) I learned about regifting when I was a very small girl. As an only child, my gifts piled up after each holiday, and my "oh-so-thoughtful" mother started a wonderful ritual for me that I always assumed everyone did... after a big loot-earning holiday we'd assess my toy box. At about 2'x4'x2', there wasn't much room in this storage bench for all the toys. So before putting the new toys in there,...