Posted on 22nd April 2010 by Mish in cloth diapers | earth day | food | frugal | green
baby wipes, bathroom cleaner, earth day, earth day 2010, eco-friendly, eco-friendly paper towels, frugal, green, green cleaner, homemade, homemade baby wipes, homemade laundry detergent, homemade paper towels, laundry detergent, natural stain remover, stain remover, stains, vinegar, vinegar uses
And it’s definitely not frugal…”
I recently read about all of the things that we can buy as consumers to make our lives “greener.” Eco-friendly detergents, paper towels, bathroom cleaner, towels, place mats, you name it. Rather than encourage people to live simpler and do without, we’ve simply created a newer, more expensive marketing machine for “green” products.
I appreciate that some people would like to help and buying a name-brand expensive eco-friendly cleaner makes them feel good, but aren’t we then just contributing to the problem further?
So, instead of buying paper towels – even eco-friendly ones – use an old bath towel cut up into washcloth sizes. You can even hem them to keep them from fraying. Or if you must BUY something, buy a huge pile of rags or microfiber cloths they sell in the automotive department. Their cheap – and get this – reusable!
Make your own laundry detergent. Here’s the recipe.
Need a bathroom cleaner? Fill a spray bottle (recycled of course) with half vinegar and half water. Need a scrubbing agent in the tub? Use a little baking soda. Hate the smell of vinegar? Try lemon juice instead.
Stains in the laundry or on your carpet? Don’t go for your chemical stain stick, look for remedies that utilize rubbing alcohol (ink); vinegar (carpet); cold water (protein-based); and hot water (grease and oil) to get rid of those stains.
Baby wipes are handy. But rather than buy a bunch of disposable ones, go to the washcloth again. Place about an inch or two of water and a mild soap (Ivory liquid works great) in a bucket with a lid (ice cream buckets are perfect). Fold up a bunch of washcloths or rags and place them in the bucket. Need a wipe? Grab one out of the bucket. This method is also portable. If you don’t want to bring the bucket, use a waterproof nylon bag (the kind to keep valuables safe camping or at the beach) and place your wipes in there. Get a second one and label it or use a different color and keep the used ones in there.
Technorati Tags: baby wipes, bathroom cleaner, earth day, earth day 2010, eco-friendly, eco-friendly paper towels, frugal, green, green cleaner, homemade, homemade baby wipes, homemade laundry detergent, homemade paper towels, laundry detergent, natural stain remover, stain remover, stains, vinegar, vinegar uses
Posted on 21st April 2010 by Mish in frugal | gardening | green
earth day, frugal, gardening, green, green living, natural childbirth, organic, saving money
Get the first two chapters of Michelle’s new book, A Fine Mess: Living Simply With Children, for free! Michelle is the homeschooling mother of 7 children and has lots of humor, tips and hints for living with so many for much less. Want to try it out for nothing? Just email Michelle and put “free chapters” in the subject line.
- Bring your own bags – everywhere! This is so simple that it’s criminal that we don’t all do it already. I leave 4 or 5 canvas bags in my car at all times and just grab them when I go into a store. Have a bunch of plastic ones? Well, put them in your car and just reuse those! You don’t need to buy a fancy canvas bag like this one, from Organically Inclined! I wish that when I went to the store I wasn’t the only one around who answers “neither” when asked if they want paper or plastic.
- Don’t Buy Things! This is so simple even a baby can do it. Just don’t buy stuff. Don’t go to stores. Don’t buy things that have lots of packaging. If you must buy something – check out Craigslist.org, Freecycle.org or hit your local yard sales and thrift stores (bringing your own bags of course). You’d be amazed at how much money you’ll save by simply not purchasing things…and how kind you’ll be to the planet.
- Stay home. Don’t get in the car. Don’t drive away. Don’t go out to eat. Don’t go buy things (see above). Don’t do anything. Sit in a hammock in your backyard. Pick weeds. Do the laundry. Watch a movie. You’ll save gas, emissions and money all at the same time. (more…)
Technorati Tags: earth day, frugal, gardening, green, green living, natural childbirth, organic, saving money
Posted on 10th July 2009 by Mish in frugal | green
being frugal, frugal, frugal tips, going green, green
Another reason to hang your laundry:
Hanging your laundry not only saves you money on energy by not running your dryer – it also saves you money on clothing!
You know all that lint in your lint screen? Yup – it’s your clothes, falling apart, right in front of your eyes! Who knows – maybe that’s where the other sock goes to die…it doesn’t disappear, it just disintegrates into lint!
Hanging your laundry is also a great way to “bleach” your clothes without using bleach. I have hung stained whites on the line and been surprised to find them bleached and stain-free when I come back to take them down later in the day. The sun has bleached – and sanitized – my clothes for me and it didn’t cost a dime.
This is also a great way to keep cloth diapers fresh and clean.
Have a frugal and green tip? Email Michelle!
Technorati Tags: being frugal, frugal, frugal tips, going green, green
Posted on 25th February 2009 by Mish in miscellaneous
bamboo, bed, green, miscellaneous, sex
I realized this morning that I talk a lot about greening up life with baby – but what about before baby arrives? Can sex be GREEN? Without involving lime-flavored Jello? Because that’s just gross…
Here’s what I’ve come up with:
1. Shower together. Save water and your utility bill! But don’t forget to shut the shower off if things get a little too steamy!
2. Candle-light dinners will save your electric bill. And a fire in the fireplace will encourage the use of a renewable heat source (oh yeah, and it’s romantic).
3. Eat fair trade, and very sexy, dark chocolate. Together.
4. Try a natural aphrodesiac – like Horny Goat Weed (yes, it’s real) or Ginseng. For some really slippery fun – eat raw oysters!
5. Be green in bed. Turn down the thermostat and snuggle together on some new bamboo sheets! Bamboo is a wonderfully natural, renewable resource that you can use for anything from floors to sheets to good luck charms!
Technorati Tags: bamboo, bed, green, miscellaneous, sex
Posted on 28th January 2009 by Mish in frugal
freecycle, frugal, green, recycle, yard sale
It often seems like it’s difficult to “be green” all of the time. A lot of us simply don’t think we have the time. It seems much easier to just buy a new this or that and put the old one on the curb, rather than take the time to recycle it; donate it; or fix it.
My dryer is acting goofy. It runs, but it doesn’t heat up. And when it runs, it either blows out the breaker – or keeps running and doesn’t stop unless I go and stop it. So, the first problem is that I have to remember to go and stop it…let’s just say that I’m not good at remembering.
Because it is fantastically below zero here in Green Bay right now, I do depend on judicious use of my dryer. I try and hang a lot of things, but with six kids – some things just need to get dry!
I recently bought a new washing machine – a super-efficient, water and electricity-saving front loader – basically my dream washer. Yes, I bought it new – but it was the floor model and because it had a ding in the front I got it for half it’s original price. Anyway, I’m not really in the market for a new dryer. But, because this one was getting giving me such a hassle – I almost just went out and bought one anyway. Especially after super Mr. Fix-It hubby realized that he didn’t have the correct stuff to fix it.
I was frustrated and ready to put an ad on Craigslist for it. But, doing some quick math, I realized that calling a repairman (yes, they still have those!) would most likely be cheaper than a new dryer. Hopefully, he’ll be able to fix it and I will have saved both my wallet and the planet an extra bit of junk!
The same is true for a pair of great clogs I have with a broken buckle. I found one of the last few cobblers in the world works out of my city. I intend to take my clogs there and for about $5 he can save my $75 clogs (the ones my sister gave me for Christmas). Totally worth it! I also found out that he fixes coat zippers – which is fabulous because in my old town, no one did, and I often had to buy new (used) coats for the kids who are always breaking their zippers.
So – one great way to be green everyday is to find ways to reuse or fix things that you are tempted to throw out. Just look at it and say, what can I do to not put this in the trash? You might be surprised! And if you really must part with it – add it to your yard sale stash or put it up for free on Craigslist or Freecycle. Someone might have the time or knowledge to fix it.
Technorati Tags: freecycle, frugal, green, recycle, yard sale
Posted on 11th September 2008 by Mish in miscellaneous
green, green living, miscellaneous, paper towels, SKOY, SKOY cloth
SKOY eco-friendly cloths instead of paper towels (giveaway) | Crunchy Domestic Goddess.
In keeping with the spirit of the Ditch the Disposables Challenge, I have to tell you about one of my new favorite eco-friendly paper towel replacements – the SKOY cloth. SKOY cloths are reusable, very absorbent, bright and fun, machine washable and microwavable, and at the end of their life, biodegradable. They are non-toxic, chlorine-free and made using water-based colors and inks. According to SKOYcloth.com, “Using one SKOY cloth is the equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home.”
Read more
Technorati Tags: green, green living, miscellaneous, paper towels, SKOY, SKOY cloth
Posted on 18th July 2008 by mishakennedy in frugal
freecycle, frugal, green, precycle, recycle
by Melanie Bowden
Everyone’s heard of recycling, but what about precycling?Also known as source reduction, precycling is reducing the amount of trash you generate in the first place.Not only can you lower trash going to your local landfill, but you can save money to boot.
You can save as much as $3,000 a year by being more aware of your shopping habits and always buying the largest size your household can use.According to the Save Money and the Environment Too campaign, buying in large sizes saves a family of four $175 a year on apple juice and $118 a year on cereal, while producing 50 percent less waste.On average, individual oatmeal and cereal packs cost three times as much per serving, and cookie and chip packages twice as much per serving, when compared to the large sizes.
Stay-at-home mom Lisa Horton found the statistics surprising.“I didn’t realize it was that substantial a savings,” she says.“I do buy in bulk and it helps, but I could do more–like use more reusable items.I think making the public aware of little things they can do is really important. (more…)
Technorati Tags: freecycle, frugal, green, precycle, recycle
Posted on 18th June 2008 by mishakennedy in frugal
frugal, green, homeschool, unschool
Once in a while I get the bug to be more organized – particularly in homeschool matters. I start to feel like maybe I’m not doing enough to keep everything together, especially after I read a few homeschool blogs or go to one of any number of sites that have all sorts of organizational pages for me to download.
In my last nine years of homeschooling at least one and sometimes all of my children, I have put together probably 47 homeschool organization binders; filled out 8,000 assignment sheets; and posted all sorts of charts designed to make our home run more efficiently.
Let me first just say Kudos! to those who find these items really worthwhile. I am, however, a miserable failure when it comes to keeping track of these sorts of things. Instead, I have found that a good, old fashioned chalkboard in the dining room (where I put the week’s known events: games, practices, etc.) and a calendar that can be written on for events ahead of time are a great asset. In addition, I have become a huge fan of my Yahoo! calendar. Mostly because I check my email every morning first thing and the calendar lets me know what’s going on – as long as I’ve remembered to tell it what’s going on! Yahoo! also adds info from various homeschool groups I’ve joined so that I know when their activities are happening too.
It seems like everywhere I turn someone is trying to sell me a new system for getting organized. Somehow, getting more stuff is going to make my life simpler. Well, quite frankly, I don’t buy it. If I need a “chart” or an assignment page I make it myself. It’s really not that hard. In addition, using something like a chalkboard (for the household) or my Yahoo! calendar (for just me), is a frugal and green way to keep on task.
Technorati Tags: frugal, green, homeschool, unschool
Posted on 27th May 2008 by mishakennedy in food | frugal
family, food, frugal, green, vegan, vegetarian
Or none at all. While I, personally, am trying to eat none, I will admit that it is a difficult habit to break. And not because I’m a big steak eater but because of two small things – hot dogs and bacon! I have a lot of baseball games to go to this time of year and there is always a hot dog vendor…I’m weak for a good old (gross, yes I know what’s in them) hot dog!
Bacon on a Sunday morning is my second failing. If my husband starts frying bacon with pancakes first thing on Sunday morning, I am out of bed and probably two pounds heavier. I’m also a sucker for a good BLT. But I digress.
I am trying to eat less meat. I rarely serve it as a main dinner dish anymore and we eat it less and less, but a Saturday BBQ with friends is hard to give up!
So, why eat less meat? (more…)
Technorati Tags: family, food, frugal, green, vegan, vegetarian
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