A is for Apple Apron with Ann!

Are you handy with a sewing machine?  This workshop is for you!  Ann, who is back as a GE committee member after a 'furlough,' will present this double workshop.  Bring a yard of fall fabric and your sewing machine.  She will finish your apron with the cute embroidery!  Register now!

French Memo Board Workshop

Would you like to make one of these cute memo boards?

Register for Great Escape and sign up for the workshop - hurry because workshop size is limited.  Kudos to presenter Karina, who is graduating from WPI this morning with lots of honors and stuff!

If this workshop is already full, there are many more - see the list!

Register For The 2015 Great Escape!

We've opened registration for 2015 at our registration page.  Mark your calendars for September 25 - 29 at beautiful Wabasso!  The workshop lineup is particularly rich this year, but many have limited capacity, so sign up now if you want to make truffles or a painted wine glass.

The food will be great and our hospitality guru Danielle is working on new luxurious touches to enhance our experience.  Music, art, crafts, fun, games, ceremonies - camp for grown up Girl Scouts!  Register before August 1st to get the Early Bird Discount! 

Order your L.L. Bean jacket or fleece vest, too - if you missed them last year, they were cozy and warm.  I appreciated mine all winter long!

Volunteer Appreciation Week

I'm a bit late with this one but that's ok, because judging from the number of great GS volunteers I know, one day or one week isn't enough.

New Member of the Hospitality Committee

This adorable little girl joined us last week and we've already awarded her a campership for Great Escape this September!

Her job will be to teach a workshop on slowing down and cooing gently.

Mom and baby are doing fine!  Congratulations to proud parents Danielle and Nick.

Earth Day - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 6

If you had to wash two custom made chintz window valences, bras, pantihose, socks, a new 'bateau' sailor top, a pair of 'good' charcoal gray pants and 6 scrubby bathroom nylon net puffs (the kind that come with shower gel, etc.) how many loads of laundry would you need to do?

If you use laundry bags, the answer is one.  All of the items above can be washed together in cold water if they are placed in these handy dandy bags!  These are available at TJX stores (Marshall's, Home Goods, TJ Maxx.)  I've seen some at Market Basket and the Dollar Store.  And yes, the basic model is better known to all Girl Scouts as a 'dunk bag.'  Some tie closed; but the ones that zip are a good investment.  Save money, save time, save water, save the earth - it's easy and fast.

These bags make a great graduation gift for high schoolers about to go off to college and be responsible for their laundry for the next few years.

I hope you enjoyed these posts in the run up to Earth Day.  Teach your children well!

Earth Day - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 5

Plastic bags.  Have you ever stopped to reflect how much of our food comes in plastic bags?  Reusing those bags can help you reduce your purchases of - plastic bags.

The bread, cheese, chicken and lettuce in this sandwich all came packaged in plastic bags.  All of those bags can be used as lunch bags.  Or, as packaging for other food stuffs - a loaf of home made banana bread can be slipped into a bag like the one shown above, rather than being wrapped in new plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

So save those bags.  I stuff them into an emptied tissue box, and pop one out when I need it.  If you make lunches every day, as I do (sometimes one, sometimes three depending on our work schedules) you will find that you save money and reduce your trash output!