What's the latest buzz about town? We are!

The I.D.E.A. Store was voted "Best Green Business" in the Buzz magazine's "Best of CU 2011" competition. Winners were featured in the Nov. 10 issue (also available online). Thanks to everyone who voted for us!

Be sure to bolt on over to The I.D.E.A. Store on SATURDAY, Nov. 19 as we host yet another fabulous Fabric Blowout Sale! Seamstresses, quilters and crafters alike will not want to miss this event, which will feature a cornucopia of materials sold not by the yard, but by the pound. Choose from remnants and partial bolts of prints and solids, including holiday-themes, stripes, checks, plaids, polka dots and more. You will be SEW AMAZED by the collection of goodies we've squirreled away for this sale.

The sale takes place in the classroom area during regular store hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 

But wait ... you say you don't know how to sew and have no use for fabric? Don't be so sure! Here are some other creative uses for fabric that you may want to try:

* Make instant  wall art using framed stretched canvas.

* Another wall art  variation using embroidery hoops as frames.

* "Easy-Peasy" no-sew curtains.

*  Run, but do not hide, from these simple DIY table transformations.

*  Bunches of ways to turn fabric into flowers pins, necklaces, headbands and more.

Education Coordinator Shauna Carey waves her handmade turkey glove.

You've probably noticed that The I.D.E.A. Store tends to go mobile without much prompting. That's because we love partnering with other community organizations that share our goals of making this a more sustainable, livable planet.

Earlier this month, we were invited back to the lobby of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to host a craft-making adventure during the free, noon-hour "Interval" performance by the Cornstalkers Cajun Band. Education Coordinator Shauna Carey and intern Sarah Dexter led the "hands-on" activity, in which visitors young and old learned to put a new spin on the old hand-tracing/Thanksgiving-turkey-making exercise.

Sarah, who contributes a monthly how-to article on kid-friendly crafts featuring recycled/reused materials to Chambanamoms.com's blog, passed along tips on how to make turkeys from recycled cereal boxes. Look for her easy instructions (with photos!) on the blog soon, under the "reader contributions" tab.

It's almost travel time!

During the holiday season, many of us will travel more and farther than usual to shop and visit. This is a great time to make more eco-friendly travel choices - for our personal safety and to conserve fuel, which helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

First, consider the transportation options. Traveling longer distances by bus or train is the least polluting option. Flying is more convenient and faster, but is the most polluting. Unless you drive a hybrid, going by car causes significant emissions. Renting hybrid vehicles is now an option to consider, as they will become more readily available each year.

If you choose to drive your own vehicle, tune it up with special attention to the tires. 

Do it yourself or have a "trip check" done by a trusted mechanic or car care business. Improper inflation can cause unsafe tire wear. At this time of year, because the air temperature is dropping, your tire pressure is probably low. With each 10-degree drop in air temperature, your tire's inflation pressure will be reduced by about 1 pound per square inch. Using a more accurate digital tire pressure gauge, check when your tires are cold. 

Practice fuel-saving driving habits. 

On longer trips when traffic flow allows, staying within the speed limit and using the cruise control on flat, open stretches will conserve gasoline, reducing carbon emissions. When doing errands locally, plan your stops to make a loop from starting point to final destination. Try to make right turns at stop lights to reduce idling time.

Look into carbon offsets. 

You can offset the carbon dioxide emissions that result from any mode of travel you choose by purchasing carbon credits. With each carbon credit you buy from an eco-minded business or non-profit organization, such as the Nature Conservancy, you can support activities (tree planting, for example) that will remove tons of carbon from the atmosphere. 

The Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation saw a need in the community to accomplish several things: 1.  Support the arts and arts education, 2.  Support environmental education in our communities, 3. Impact the environment by reducing the rate of waste disposal, 4. create a place for everyone to have access to quality materials and 5. Support itself in light of the difficult economic times.  So donate your discards and shop re-use.  Its about making a difference!

 www.cuSchoolsFoundation.org