Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Little Things We Do

At the start of each new year I am always  filled with ideas and thoughts of what I want to change or improve on in my life. Committing to being a better protector of our planet is an important decision to make.
Committing to a life of green doesn’t mean you have to become a tree huggin', granola (although, I think I would take that as a compliment). You don't even have to start wearing patchouli! You can start making small changes that together can make a big difference.
Here is a list of little things we do around our house that take very little effort. 

Hankies
I have always used a handkerchief instead of tissues. The fibers of the tissues irritate my allergies and handkerchiefs are reusable! I like to collect pretty vintage hankies and save my packs of plain white ones for cold and flu season! :) (anyone recognize my very first hankie? 1979 Hello Kitty Little Star Twins!)


Egg Cartons
I use egg cartons a lot  for organization of small items. Here I’ve used some in my jewelry box to organize my earrings. I also use them to store ornaments or packing breakable collections when moving.



Bag Trash Can
I too, forget my cloth bags in the car at the grocery store and end up with tons of plastic bags. I take some back to the store and the rest I save for trash bags. This is our kitchen trashcan that uses shopping bags. Because of its size, this small can also forces you not to put anything in it that can go in the recycling or compost bins.



Fruit Crates
I love fruit crates! Here I used a large one as a recycling bin for newspapers and mags and then I have clementine crates all over my house organizing anything from kitchen linens to vitamins. They are compact and stackable!!





Drying Rack
I use a drying rack to dry our cloth diapers as well as some delicate laundry. I put the rack outside in the summer and near a heat vent in the winter!



Old to New Crayons
My daughter can’t keep from breaking a crayon to save her life and I can’t stand 100 tiny pieces!! Ahhh! As a compromise we melted down the pieces in a silicon ice cube tray and made her new heart shaped chubby crayons! (theses are harder to break too!)


Jars
I love jars!! I save jars from everything (ball jars, soda, juice) and use them for decorating, lighting and storage!

 


(this is a solar powered lid with a bulb that fits most jars to create jar lights!)

Rechargeable Batteries
We have kids therefore we go through a TON of batteries. We use rechargeable batteries as much as we can. I have to admit that rechargeables do not work that great for large items such as a massive baby swing; but for remotes, small toys and flashlights, they are great!


See, we haven't gone mad around here!! We just do a little here and there and it all adds up! Take a glance around your home, I bet you are greener than you think!
Buzz!

1 comment:

  1. Loved this one Brandy!! Will keep all of this in mind, you will be glad to know i do the same with grocery bags and jars! :) The melted crayons was great idea, i know so many moms that would love that!

    ReplyDelete