Hummingbirds!

My grandparents had several hummingbird feeders, and I remember as a child watching them with awe. They were always there, and grandma was always re-filling the "juice". After my grandfather passed away, I got one of those feeders, and I've been trying my best to bring the hummers to our house! We live in a new development, and so there aren't many trees (though we're working on landscaping our yard, especially with hummingbird attracting plants). I was getting discouraged...it's been a couple of months.

But, this week....we have a regular visitor! (the pictures are a little blurry, taken through our kitchen window, and then zoomed in). I went with a different style feeder (easier to clean, and with a perch around the edge), and it finally worked! We've been enjoying watching this little guy land, eat, and then return. I never knew they actually sat still, but read that they actually use so much energy hovering that the prefer to eat while perched.

My youngest son has named him "chocolate hero" :)

I also have this feeder from Glorious Glass Garden on Etsy, which they hover around but haven't visited - I need to fill it with something other than water.

Next on my list is to get another little one, like this. Let's get some more birdies to our bare backyard!

Lovely fall treasury

Check out this lovely fall themed treasury, created by a fellow EcoEtsy team member. It features my latest listing, a recycled lambswool diaper cover. I'm tickled to have been included with these beauties, thank you LindaEve!

Click image above to explore the treasury items in Etsy!

Diaper Drive for Cloth Diaper Foundation

Are you done with part of your stash and not sure what to do with it? Check out the current diaper drive going on at the Cloth Diaper Foundation - they are looking to collect enough donations to keep afloat and be able to offer diapers to people who need them. You can help!

The Cloth Diaper Foundation is a great organization that Winkydinks is proud to support!

The Review Stew giveaway winning item

Congratulations to Susan who won her choice of Eco-Fleece soaker from The Review Stew (This is a size small in charcoal)! Thanks for playing, and enjoy! To get your own Eco-Fleece soaker (made from 89% recycled pop bottles), visit my Etsy or Hyena Cart shops.

Tank top gift bags - super easy!

Looking for an interesting way to wrap a birthday gift? Or need a few extra reusable bags to stash in the glove box? Find an old tank top, and in a few minutes your problem is solved! With just a few stitches from a sewing machine, you can do it!

1. Turn the tank top inside out

 2. Sew a straight stitch along the bottom of the shirt (however long you want the bag to be)

3. Fluff open the bag at the seam you just made, adjust the fabric so the new seam is in the middle of the fabric, and sew a perpendicular line to your new seam. This creates a gusset (square bottom). You can omit this step for a flat bag.

4. Trim the excess fabric

5. Turn the bag right side out. Voila! You did it!

You can tie the "handles" together, or use a fancy ribbon. Maybe decorate with fabric paint, or even an iron on transfer for a one of a kind gift!

Half off deals!

Have you seen these sites? They're the new "cool thing"! Each site offers a different deal of the day. They are only there ONE day, and they tend to sell out quickly (sometimes in minutes). If you love stalking for diapers, watch out, this can get addicting too! So far I've been happy with my [far too many] purchases! You do need to read the fine print, but they are all first quality items, and GREAT deals -- even some cloth diaper items.

BabyHalfOff.com
Babysteals.com
Kidsteals.com
MamaBargains.com
Hippobargains.com

And not kid related, but MOM related
ScrapbookSteals.com
LivingSocial.com

One of the best ways to keep tabs on the offers is to follow them on Facebook or get daily emails.
Have any of you made purchases from these? Do you know of any others? I'd love to hear your stories!

Friday Favorite - RsLangArtPottery & Butter keepers!

I received an email awhile back regarding butter and margarine...while it turned out to be an inaccurate email forward, it did get me thinking.  On my "green" list of things to do is to try to eat more natural foods. I decided for me, a tablespoon of butter every now and again is going to be better for me than something filled with chemicals. But I HATE trying to spread cold butter!!! 

My mother-in-law introduced me to the concept of butter bells - a way to keep fresh butter room temperature, without spoiling. After searching the commercial brands, I wondered if anyone made them on Etsy. Lo and behold, I found some! The one I settled on was from RS Lang Art Pottery - it holds much more than most of the others I found, and I liked the styles and colors.


This is the one I got - it matches our granite counter tops very well! I am VERY happy with my purchase! It fits well in my hands, keeps the butter soft and fresh, SUPER fast shipping, and great communication.