Why Simple Living Isn't So Simple

Every year I seem to cycle between different feelings and goals around the same time according to the seasons. My "new year" isn't a true reset until the summer, usually after we go away on vacation. I have figured that it's likely because we pack only a small portion of our belongings and live with less for between a week to two weeks. I love the simplicity of such limited wardrobes and pared down toys. I eventually get tired of going out to eat and start dreaming of cooking everything from scratch. And then I put on my pioneer mama hat and start dreaming about living in the country.

Of living the simple life.

Pies resting on windowsills 
Children playing quietly with all wooden toys
Happily sweeping crumbs from corners
Wiping down floorboards with vinegar cleaner
Calling dinner "supper" all of a sudden

If you've followed me long enough, I'm sure you've experienced this transformation of mine first-hand. The problem has always been that it doesn't stick. I get caught up in the ideal of doing everything the "simple" way, and it becomes overwhelming. Because -- let's be honest -- milling your own grain and making all your own cleaning supplies isn't always the most convenient or easy task. Sure, you can get used to it and get into a good routine. But then life gets in the way.

There are some people who make all this stuff look so easy-breezy. You know the types. Their blogs and feeds are full of expertly color-coordinated photos of country scenes or everything in unbleached cotton. They seem like they're living in another time entirely. We can dream we live in that time, too. I mean, what's not to love? Not only are they successful in leaning out the non-essentials -- they make it look absolutely beautiful. Because if we're talking about simple living, we also have to recognize that there's a certain brand and aesthetic attached to it all. And that "look" makes it even more appealing . . . aspirational.

Life can be so uncomplicated!
So calm!

Or . . . can it, really?

Yes and no. I understand and appreciate the desire to live simply. We live in hectic, stressful times. We have too much literal and figurative noise in our lives. Many of us want to opt out. To escape. I recognize in myself that there are pure intentions I have with wanting to get back to the basics each year. But I also fully recognize that my efforts don't seem to fully stick in all areas of my life all year round. For example, I make big batches of homemade laundry detergent this time of year only to reach for my old stand-by when time gets away from me, never to return until the next refresh cycle.

Is it hard to make detergent? No.

But, again, simple living isn't always so simple to uphold, especially when life gets busy.

And, boy, can it get busy.

I have no wisdom or quick fix I'm ready to share today. I'm hoping in my microblogging over the next however long to explore some tactics for keeping up my personal goals in this area. But I also want to focus on when giving myself grace is totally OK. Well, it's always good to give yourself grace. We all know that, but the guilt creeps in.

In my next post, I'll share some of my personal goals and how I'm hoping to not only achieve them . . . but also to have them stick. This may mean not having the picture perfect simple life, but -- instead -- striving to find a happy medium where I'm making things work for my family in the long-term. If you feel passionate about this area, I'd love to hear your thoughts and things that have worked for you!

More soon, friends.

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Instant Gratification // Musings

Growing up in a small town before the internet became a big deal, I generally accepted that items I wanted/needed would take weeks to arrive and that most things I wanted/needed to do would close by 5PM.

It was a time of slow living. Simplicity.

There was no such thing as instant gratification. I remember browsing through the movie store, for example, looking at VHS after VHS. Finally, I’d arrive on the movie I wanted to see . . . only to find that all copies were checked out and I’d have to wait at least another week to see it.

24-hour grocery stores

Streaming television/movies

Amazon Prime’s shipping

Walk-in clinics open on Sundays

It sounds silly, but these things amaze me. They still do even years after first being exposed to them. I remember leaving home to go to college in Ithaca, which isn’t some big metropolis, and getting delivery calzones at 2AM. Can you imagine! That’s the middle of the night, and I could have hot food brought to me while I was in my pajamas. We won’t even go into the freshly baked cookies you could get at that hour. I’d sometimes drive to Wegmans just to walk around the empty store at midnight because I found the whole novelty of it just so incredible.

Small town girl right here. That’s me. Born and raised. Fifth generation, too. But life is so different now. And this applies even to my small hometown. I cannot even begin to tell you how Amazon would have changed my life. If a store didn’t have X, Y, or Z that you needed . . . we still joke that the owner would say “well -- long exhale -- we can order it in” and it would take seemingly weeks to arrive. As if by horse or something.

But, 2017. We can have basically anything we want, whenever we want it. Sure, some things are still more difficult to get. (Polar’s Unicorn Kisses sparkling water, anyone? Which, by the way, I found here!) And there are times when demand is high. Instant gratification is a great thing -- at least sometimes.

Lately, though, I’ve been grappling with how to bring up my girls in an age when they have access to so much. (PS: Has anyone read Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World? Wondering if it’s worth adding to the library list.)

I would love for them to feel that immense satisfaction of when you have waited so very long for something. It’s this painful place -- the waiting. I think it’s important. For one, it makes the reward so much sweeter. I feel like we’re missing that so much these days. Not that I want to give up any of it. Nope. I’ve become far too accustomed.

But I feel like always getting what we want (even if it’s just immediate rental of a movie) leads to this feeling that we NEED/WANT so much more. We’re ever-addicted to the feeling of joy, however fleeting it may be. And to rarely if ever have that waiting? I just wonder what that does to a person and his/her expectations out of life.

I feel like a lot of my homesteading efforts are also efforts to recapture those old times when things didn’t come so easy. To get that whole feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction again. Many of you were so kind to point out that convenience (from my last post) isn’t always such a bad thing. I totally agree with you.

When most everything is made for our convenience, I’m not so sure. But here I am today with another one of those aimless, thought-circling posts. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, so I suppose it’s good I’ve had time for that.

I’ll be back soon with some new meals that we’ve been making! Meal planning is much easier when you brach out and get excited about new recipes, right?!

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Why We’re So Bad at Saving Money, etc.

I’ve been mulling over a lot since I last wrote about our budget and desire to get out of debt. At the time when I wrote, Stephen was still home for summer break, and I was basically milling my own grain to bake homemade bread daily, cooking up fresh batches of yogurt + cheese, and generally being a model homesteading mother. I love this stuff. It’s the stuff of my life that brings me a lot of happiness. As the pace of life has picked up (here's our day in the life) with the start of school and coaching season, however, I have had a lightbulb moment.

It won’t shock any of you. But I’ve realized WHY we are so horrible at saving money even when we have the best of intentions. When life is slow and time is, well, plentiful, we have lots of energy to expend. Energy equals dollars, quite honestly. When I have lots of energy, I’m able to keep my house clean, I’m able to cook homemade meals, I’m able to mix together all my own household cleaners. When I have more energy and time, I am able to think of more ways to save money.

Heck, I’m able to think, period.

When energy and time are taken out of the equations, that’s when convenience enters. Again, this isn’t mind-blowing by any means, but when you’re just surviving everyday life . . . it can be hard to pinpoint why exactly, say, you’re driving to get a bagel and coffee (and you don’t even like coffee) in a haze and then somehow also want to fork over $20 or more for takeout on a Wednesday evening. And then your mind is made up that you may never cook again.

Convenience has both good and bad connotations, doesn’t it? 

It means easy-breezy and comfortable. 

It also means waste (packaging, money, etc.) and laziness. 

What am I talking about? Well, packaged foods and beverages come to mind. Takeout and heat-up meals are another offender. Then there’s stuff like paper towels, which we actually have successfully broken the habit of using. Then there’s this grey area of just buying things -- no matter what they are -- in the moment because they’ll help you in some way. Perhaps this is my own emotional purchasing, but like buying a small toy because my kid won’t stop screaming due to teething, and I think it will help.

Where am I going with this?

OK. So, all this stuff costs money. Time equals energy to do things like making laundry detergent, baking bread, and generally being less wasteful. When I don’t have time, I spend lots of money for both practical and emotional reasons. And then it’s this vicious cycle that’s difficult if not impossible to break. Even harder because our society seems set up to drive us into consumerism by default.


So, how to combat this issue?

One thing would be to somehow get more time. Are you snickering? I am. I think all of us would love to find the magic that would provide this luxury. Getting up earlier has certainly given me more time, but I’m using that time for work and exercise right now. Alright, then there’s having more money. LOL again. How about getting more energy somehow? I know a lot of people drink coffee. I go in phases with the stuff. I’ve mentioned it before, but it actually gives me a headache, so I’ve tried tea . . . but it doesn’t give me much of a boost. I also don’t want to be dependent on some substance all the time.

In the absence of more time, money, and energy, I think all that’s left to do is to resist the urge to give in to all conveniences. Some, sure. But I think it’s a slippery slope once you get going. Or at least once I get going, it seems like one convenience leads to another. Resist is such a heavy word. It sounds difficult and laborious. And that’s exactly what it is. Beyond resisting, I suppose it's finding balance and also finding faster ways to do the things that will make all that homemade stuff more convenient.

I had written up a series a while back, Green in 15. I suppose I need to take a lesson from myself. As an aside, I’m sure you’ve realized by now that bloggers are no more expert at anything than you are. We just like to talk and take photos of things we often do for the first time and find groundbreaking. To be fair, there are plenty of things I’ve shared in this space that I’ve honed for years and years. But there are definitely a few I’m guilty of jumping the gun on sharing.

Back to my original thoughts:

A.) I can’t do it all. I need to give myself grace if I give in to things that make my life easier. Even if that means temporarily creating more waste and spending more money.

B.) Not everything has to take such a long time. Maybe there are even some smart hacks I could try on my old methods to make my favorite DIY stuff.

C.) I can look at one thing at a time. Maybe some weeks, I just need a clear goal. Like cooking all our meals at home could be first. It doesn’t have to be difficult. I could get back into batch cooking or freezer meals. After that, I could nudge myself out of the freezer aisle and stop buying more prepared foods at insane markups. The next week, I could try out a dry laundry soap recipe that takes less time than the one I mix together by boiling. Etc.

How do you deal with this situation in your everyday life? Have you triumphed over the time/energy trappings? I’ll be sure to report back on my progress. 

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Zero Waste Update

It’s been a while since I wrote about our less-waste efforts. To be clear, the movement is called zero waste, but we are still very far away from declaring the 100% zero waste goal as a goal for our family. When we left off, we knew our weak spot. We had tons of packaged stuff in the pantry. While not everything was garbage, our recycling was overflowing each week. In a word, it was overwhelming.

BTW: If you’re interested, here are 12 tools to help you transition to less waste.

And here’s where we started with "zero-waste” in the spring.

To recap, here’s what we were doing right back then:

• Bringing our own bags for grocery and other shopping. Including produce bags. (Here are more ways we've tried eliminating plastics.)

• Buying produce from a CSA where we fill a huge bag with the foods versus getting them packaged in the store.

• Using DIY beeswax wrap to cover goods in the refrigerator.

• Trying to buy foods in bulk when possible.

• Cloth diapering -- at least some of the time. 

• Using or fixing the things we have versus always going out and buying new.

• Carrying our own water bottles (always) and coffee mugs (when we remember).

• Using a cloth towel system versus paper towels.

• Making many of our own cleaners, like laundry detergent, dish washing detergent, and all-purpose spray.

And here’s where we’ve improved:

• Started making even more of our own pantry items, including items we eat A LOT of, like yogurt, bread, mozzarella cheese, and jarred jalapeños, pickles, etc. Posts are coming on all of these things.

• Stopped eating many packaged foods, like tortilla chips or gummies, and transitioned to more whole or homemade foods, like apples and homemade granola bars. I’ll be sure to post more when the school year starts about how we’re dealing with this in relation to school lunches.

• In general, we have really changed how we eat. I’m cooking much more from bulk ingredients, like dry black beans, and freezing a lot of ingredients, like bulk picked blueberries. This area has been the hardest because it requires a lot of thought and planning.

• Made a new batch of beeswax wrap to replace plastic wrap. We also found these nifty silicone bowl lids that we use quite frequently -- they use suction to stay on top.

• Refreshed all our at-home cleaning supplies (links above and below) and we’ve added a few antimicrobial wood fiber cloths to our no-paper towel collection.

• I finally purchased silicone squeeze packets -- I went with The Original Squeeze ones -- to replace all those individual baby foods and applesauces we had been buying.

• While we never used fabric softener or dryer sheets, I did also get some wool dryer balls to use. I’m excited to see how they work with my essential oils.

• I continue to buy 98 percent of my clothing (and Eloise’s) second-hand (here are my favorite thrift shopping tips!). Ada’s wardrobe is about 60 percent second-hand, but my mother-in-law bought her a bunch of new school clothing from Target this year. Very much appreciated.

// Fail

I am always real with you guys. No fronting here. Our current weak spot is that I have decided not to cloth diaper. After I wrote the last post on less waste, I made a concerted effort to get back into it. I tried for several weeks to get into a groove. The thing is, Eloise wasn’t a fan. I could tell she wasn’t liking being wetter than disposables made her. She was also getting rashes far more often. Then our washing machine died and we waited a few months to buy a new one (because money). I still have them folded in the drawer next to the disposable diapers.

Excuses, excuses. I know tons of people who absolutely love cloth diapering. I’ve have good and bad experiences. I don’t really know what to do. I feel guilty a lot of the time. It’s one area that should be “easy” to navigate. But for whatever reason, it just hasn’t worked for us.


Many of you have been asking about our homemade pantry items. In my next post, I’ll cover the tools we use to create things like homemade breads, yogurt, cheese, canned goods, etc.

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Frugal Accomplishments // 1

I’ve run into many accounts of “frugal accomplishments” by different bloggers. I always enjoy reading what other families are doing to save money and avoid consumption. And I thought I might like to start making my own lists on this space from time to time. I’ll try to keep them to just five bullet items. Maybe these things will help inspire you like they do for me. It’s always nice to get a nudge in the frugal direction, especially if you find yourself struggling.

There are always areas to improve upon, right?

#1: Added to our homemade pantry

We’ve been beefing up our homemade pantry with more goods we’ve made from CSA ingredients and otherwise. This weekend, Stephen and I both made a batch of jarred jalapeños and some pickled zucchini noodles. Both seem to be tasty so far, and they should last in the fridge for a good month (though we’ll surely eat them before this date!). For the brine, we followed the directions on this recipe. All the produce came from our CSA, though we should have a good showing of zucchinis in our backyard garden soon enough.

Along with these foods, I have started testing out recipes for a sandwich bread I hope to replace store-bought bread with. My first two attempts were tasty, but not quite the right texture. Stay tuned on that one. Stephen has also started up his yearly batch of pickles. He’s also brewing more kombucha. And while we’re at it and thinking of bread, I should probably try to get another sourdough starter going. I cannot seem to keep it alive long enough. Any tips on that?

#2: Started back-to-school shopping

I have made my rounds at the local thrift shops to start Ada’s school wardrobe for this fall. I cannot believe it’s almost time for classes to start back up! Anyway, I was lucky enough to find a lot (4) of Hanna Andersson dresses for $2.99 each in her size (well, the one that she’s currently growing into). I ask found a like-new pair of Hanna Andersson clogs for $8 at Once Upon a Child, where I had a 15% off coupon, making the total $6.80! Ada actually has quite a good number of clothes that stuff fit her well from last year, so we’ll resist buying new and go with what we have.

Side note: I really like Hanna Andersson because these clothes hold up very well. Ada has many more dresses in other sizes that should be in near-perfect condition for Eloise when she’s bigger. Gotta love being a girl-mom. Hand-me-downs!

#3: Scouted out a new thrift shop

Along with my school clothes shopping, I also found a new second-hand store that’s less than a mile from my house. It isn’t in the most desirable location, but everything in the store is $2 or less. I pawed my way through everything and was able to find a couple like-new Cat + Jack pieces for Ada’s school wardrobe. I also found a tank + cardigan set -- a SET -- of FLAX (here’s why I love FLAX) for $2! So, that means each piece was just $1. It’s my new favorite thrift spot based on price alone. Can’t beat it.

I’ll be adding this place to my regular rotation, though I don’t think it has as many treasures as my beloved Thrifty Shopper up the road.

#4: Visited the library

I always have the best intentions to check out materials from the library versus buying them on-demand. So, I set out in August with a new intention to think ahead and really use my library card versus ordering books for instant gratification. The library can be such a treasure trove for free entertainment, especially in the colder months. I have a hold on Ariel Levy’s memoir The Rules Do Not Apply. I also need to head back to examine some of the local calendars for different classes/groups that meet there.

I’ll be returning at the end of the month to sign up Eloise for the September story hour group that meets once a week.

#5: Found a new playground 

File this one under free entertainment. We spend a lot of time in our own backyard. But Eloise doesn’t have a lot of age-appropriate toys to ram around on now that’s she’s in full toddler mode. When I was out for my long run this week (8 miles -- yahoo!), I happened to do a lap around a nearby elementary school. To my pleasure, there was a small playground in the back for younger children with all sorts of toddler toys scattered about. We headed there last night with Eloise and Ada to play, and it’s basically the perfect setup. Ada is a fan of monkey bars these days, so she had at it on those. Eloise crawled around in the tunnels, play house, and went down the tiny slide. We even found some of those painted rocks everyone has been talking about.

I will be relying more and more on free places to go and things to do as cross country season heats up. What kind of places do you like to take your little ones for some free things to do?


What are some of your own recent frugal accomplishments?

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More Thoughts, Fewer Ideas

Of course, when I write about possibly stopping writing . . . I all of a sudden have so much to say. First, I wanted to extend a big thank you to those of you who sent me comments and messages on this topic. That's the reason I've continued on as long as I have. This community is so supportive and kind. I have loved "knowing" some of you for the past decade, give or take.

It seems like you guys mostly understand where I am right now with blogging. I love writing. I don't love content generation. Also, I think some of you were confused when I wrote that I like watching YouTube and Instastories more lately. I don't mean I'm considering replacing writing with these things. In my experience, putting together videos for my YouTube channel takes so much more time and energy. Writing flows. I also don't have to get dressed or put on makeup to write. I suppose I don't need to do that to record either -- but you know, vanity.

The more thought I've put into the whole situation, the more I've decided that less is definitely more. As a writer and as a reader, I think this idea holds true. A return, perhaps, to the good old days of blogging may be my thing. A 2005-style (thanks, Chrissy!) of longer or at least more poignant narratives, less often. More of my thoughts and less take-home ideas (though I'm sure bits and pieces will spark things you may want to try for yourselves). A recipe where it feels right, but not testing and tooling for recipe creation's sake.

Obviously, I'll continue to share the everyday things I'm doing. Like how we're building a glorified kiddie pool with a filter (!!!) so we won't have to continually dump and refill all summer long! (By the way, if you've wondered where I've been on social media recently -- I've been digging and leveling.)


I've always been meaning to share more about my homesteading efforts, too. I just planted our garden for the year, for example, and I'm excited to start small.  I had all these sweeping plans to be much more impressive, but -- again -- the theme this year seems to be less is more.

A longstanding goal of mine is to grow more of our own food in the backyard. I have had many missteps along the way. But instead of forcing . . . sharing my tips and tricks, I'd rather just share the chronicles. Because I actually don't know what I'm doing! I'd rather write about my observation of the pesky robins and other birds who jump the fence I took a good hour erecting. They laugh in my face as they nosh on the would-be eggplants and peppers.


Somehow when I inserted that last image, it deleted the rest of what I had written. Several paragraphs. Fail. So, I mostly wanted to say that I appreciate there are some of you who still read blogs. Already, writing in this more narrative style versus TIPS and DIY THIS and PIN ME! It's just easier. It suits me more in this stage of life.

So, if you'll keep reading . . . I'd love to keep at it in this way. And if you read blogs that are in this style, please share them with me. I'd love to get back to more reading, too.

Let's begin this resurgence of old-school blogging. I'm all in!

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12 Tools to Help You Go Zero Waste

Alright, I'm still learning so much about becoming less wasteful. While ZERO WASTE is definitely a good goal to have, it's very difficult. I am far from being there, but I am learning that there are many things I can do to improve on where we're at in the present moment. This involves getting some things on the front-end to set up for success later on.

Here are my favorite products* and tools to eliminate waste:

Mesh Produce Bags. Comes in a set of 9 assorted sizes. I've shared these with you before. I love them. When I was using them at the store on Monday, I got several compliments and requests to share where I got them. They work wonderfully for produce and bulk items. I used them specifically this week for garlic, sweet potatoes, ginger, broccoli, and lentils.

WeeSprout Pouches. A reader shared the idea with me to start using reusable food pouches for applesauce, yogurt, and other things I like to include in Ada's lunches. Not only is this less wasteful, but it also saves a ton of cash. I'll report back on how they work, how to clean them, etc.

MIRA Stainless Steel Food Containers. We've been through plastic containers, glass containers, etc. The thing is, we were using glass for a while . . . but it's breakable. Stephen has broken so many Ball jar salad containers. Ada took applesauce in glass to school, but I worried about her breaking them, too.

Stainless steel containers come in assorted shapes + sizes, they're also awesome, BPA-free, and won't break!

Blue Avocado (re)Zip Bags. I've come to the conclusion that I need to buy several sets of these reusable freezer bags. I love my freezer cooking. If you follow me on Instagram, you see that I cooked 11 dinners yesterday alone. Everything is in gallon zip bags. It's wasteful. But it's also something I need, so there's tons of room for improvement here.

There are other brands of reusable zip bags, too. Do you guys have a favorite?

Wegreeco Reusable Snack Bags. Here's something else we've been using for Ada's lunches - reusable fabric snack bags. You can pop these guys in your washing machine to clean them. The kind we have uses Velcro closures, but if I buy more, I will get this brand because it's zip and won't let stuff out.

ECOHip Shopping Bags. I have a lot of different kinds of reusable grocery bags. When I went to buy a few more last month, I decided to get a set of these ECOHip ones because they are so darned compact. This is good because I have started bringing them with me whenever I'm out shopping for non-food items as well. They fit conveniently into my purse and stretch to fit all sorts of stuff.

Klean Kanteen Water Bottle. I bought this specific bottle because I found it while shopping at Wegmans. I didn't give it a lot of thought, but it's a great, sturdy bottle. Much lighter than glass, better than plastic, etc. I even got Ada a kid's kanteen -- she loves the purple color and the sport cap.

And while researching this post, I discovered that they also make a kid's kanteen with a sippy top that I may get for Eloise.

Stanley Vacuum Mug. I bought Stephen this mug for Christmas and he says it's the best one he's ever used. It's definitely life-proof. I got him the 16-ounce version that keeps stuff warm or cold for 7 hours.

Bee's Wrap. If you don't want to make your own reusable wax food wrap, you can buy it online. This pack comes with three different sizes and will last you up to a year if you take care of it properly.

Silicone Wrap. I'm also intrigued by these stretchable silicone bowl covers. I think they might be useful when prepping food or making bread (as a cover during rise times). Has anyone used them? Different brands get mixed reviews. Like the bee's wrap, it comes in three different sizes.

32-Ounce Ball Jars. We use these for storing bulk foods, making pickles, drinking glasses, and food storage. I cannot go on enough about how awesome Ball jars are. Yes, you have to be careful because they are glass. But they are OK for freezing stuff and -- if you know how -- even canning.

My tip is to get the plastic lids so you can close them up really well if you plan to use them for storage.

Bar Towels. I also know I've shared this trick many times, but we have TONS of these bar towels in my house that we use as napkin and as paper towels for wiping up messes. No paper towels needed. Just get a good system going and it becomes very automatic.

What?!

You may be thinking: "But, Ashley! Buying stuff online means lots of packaging before it gets to your house." And, I get it. I don't really know what to do about that. I cannot buy some of this stuff locally, so I'm not sure what I should do. I could travel an hour away where I think the store may carry a few items, but I'd be taking gas money ($) and also spending some CO2 emissions to get there.

You see how this all becomes very difficult. While I say "zero" waste is the goal, I do not know if ZERO is totally realistic for our family. I know people do it. Instead, I'd like to work toward leaning out our recycling to just one bin per week (we have several each week) and maybe just one trash bin every week or maybe even two.

Related

• Green in 15 // Living a More Sustainable Life 
• Zero Waste Family? 
• No More Paper Towels -- Our System
• DIY Reusable Food Wrap 
• 5 Green Cleaners That Work
• 5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
• 8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
• Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
• Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

 

* These are affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase these products, I will get a (very!) small kickback. But I want you to know that I am sincere in my sharing. We actually own most of these items and plan to purchase the rest as we move toward less waste. Thank you for supporting the blog!

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Green in 15 // Living a More Sustainable Life

When I was deep into my college years, I was taking mostly writing + anthropology classes. I also flirted with a minor in environmental studies. Over and over again, we'd calculate our ecological footprint and then spend a lot of time talking about ways to be more sustainable. It was a practice I completed often. And -- at the time -- my footprint was impressively small.

I've toured pioneering co-housing communities, interviewed people who have built their own straw-bale houses, lived in a town where composting has been mainstream even at restaurants, farmers markets, and beyond for years longer than I've been alive. Where local food and farm-to-table seems like the natural choice.

It's funny how moving an hour or so away can make sure a difference . . . but when you don't have a community set up for cultivating this type of lifestyle, it's much more difficult to do it on your own.

So, I thought I'd revisit this whole activity of calculating my carbon footprint. (Here's how you can, too. It takes less than 15 minutes!) The quiz is sort of difficult and required a bit of estimation on my part. Anyway, our family's result was 35 tons of CO2/year. That's actually pretty good. Apparently 44 percent better than average. Before I pat myself on the back, I think a lot of that has to do with not doing any air travel or travel in general, basically ever.

If you're not thrilled with your results or -- like me -- you just want to do better, there are tons of little tweaks you can make in your routine to get there. These are the absolute basics. Consider it a refresher course. In other words, we ALL know this stuff and just need reminding.

If you eat meat, you can try eating less of it. 

Obviously, this is a vegetarian site, so you know I'm all about loving plant foods and all. I think our family could shift to a more plant-based diet because we do get dairy heavy from time to time. Even people who are hardcore carnivores can make a big impact by going meat-free at least some of the time. If you do choose to eat meat and animal products, try choosing local sources as often as possible.

Do the waste-free thing. 

One of my professors used to carry around a fork and spoon inside of a clean napkin everywhere he went. That way, he wouldn't need to use plastic utensils AND he'd have some easy "packaging" if he wanted to take something home. And the man even used that large napkin to bring salad greens home -- sans dressing, of course.

I've written more about our quest to create less waste, so if you're interested you should give it a read.

Some of my favorite waste-free tools include:

• Earthwise Mesh Produce Bags ($11 for set of 9)
• ECO Hip Grocery Bags ($13 for set of 3)
• Ball Jars in assorted sizes for storing, drinking, bulk buying, etc.
• Wax Food Wrap (or you can make your own)
• Utopia Bar Rags ($12.50 for 24 -- for no-paper towel system) 

Use your car less often. 

This seems like an obvious, but if you live in an area like we do -- public transportation (or alternative modes, like biking or walking) isn't so friendly. Small communities like Ithaca and large cities have it figured out. But where we live, the routes are spotty (and dangerous) between areas and at times quite inconvenient. Still, this is an area where we could surely improve. I'm trying to group my shopping trips with other errands so we don't need to head out on multiple occasions, for example.

I also try to walk as much as possible to run errands despite not living in a very pedestrian friendly area overall. Our neighborhood, though, does have some spots that are handy and close-by. For example, we've changed our pharmacy to the one that's closest to our home, we use the vet that's closest, we use the doctor (for Stephen and myself) that's closest, we chose the preschool that was closest so I could walk, etc., we often go to the diner that's a half mile away simply because we can walk there.

Turn out the lights.

One thing I always find funny (and I mention this because they're coming today), is that my in-laws are always turning all the lights on in our home. I never notice it being dark or too dim when they aren't here. We just . . . don't turn on many lights. Maybe in the kitchen while we're cooking. Otherwise, I try to rely on the daylight and as few lamps as possible. We've also moved to LED bulbs in many rooms.

Now that the daylight hours are longer, this one is an easy change! At very least, turn out the lights when you leave the room.

Buy less, want less, etc.

This whole minimalism trend (because you have to admit, it's become a trend) does have something worthwhile inside of it. And I know not everyone does minimalism because it's the "cool" thing -- but all the videos on YouTube may make you scratch your head. Anyway, buying less is great for your footprint. Or if you do buy, maybe consider buying more items second-hand. (Poshmark, ThredUp, and other online shops make this easier, too. But I still favor my local stores because they are the least expensive.)

Here's an outfit I wore this week that was entirely second-hand, save the VT-made bag I bought on Etsy from my talented internet-friend Tessa at Foliage.


Of course, always try your best to reuse and repurpose your stuff before buying, too. I'll be back in the future with some more specific ways you can move toward sustainability in your home. If you're new to the blog, check out my Green in 15 series, my homesteading posts, and some of the related links below. There's tons of good reads in the archives!

// RELATED

Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Read more...

Homesteading // Zero Waste Family

I got very much off track from my original posting plan for this week. I hope you don't mind if I skip around a bit. I get compelled to go in different directions depending on what's pulling me most in my everyday life. Right now, it's simplification and minimalization. I am pretending that's a word. And actually, these have been homesteading goals of mine for several years. Executing them with kids, though, proves difficult in my book.

I'm sure you've noticed that I've flirted with zero waste in the past. It's a goal of mine that I keep highly regarded in my head. And when it comes to actually doing it, I make good efforts. But it falls flat because life is hectic and -- let's face it -- cutting down on garbage and other waste is really difficult.

Strides we've made:

• Bringing our own bags for grocery and other shopping. Including produce bags. (Here are more ways we've tried eliminating plastics.)
• Buying produce from a CSA where we fill a huge bag with the foods versus getting them packaged in the store.
• Using DIY "plastic" wrap to cover goods in the refrigerator.
• Trying to buy foods in bulk when possible. But I'll get to that in a moment.
• Cloth diapering -- at least some of the time. Again, I'll get to that.
• Using or fixing the things we have versus always going out and buying new.
• Carrying our own water bottles (always) and coffee mugs (when we remember).
• Using a cloth towel system versus paper towels.
• Making many of our own cleaners, like laundry detergent, dish washing detergent, and all-purpose spray.

Even with sticking to most of these changes most of the time, we still have way more recycling and garbage than I'd like to admit. I am happy that we have made the efforts and at least lessened our impact. That's a start. So, in 2017 . . . I'm looking to keep this conversation going. I'm looking to do better. And I've love hearing from you.


Here are the three areas we struggle with the most.

• Buying all or even most of our foods in bulk isn't possible. I did visit some local mom + pops, and the prices were too high. The ingredients are high-quality, that's for sure. I have to stick within our budget AND try to lessen waste. And sometimes these things are at odds. Aldi, for example, has such great deals on food. But it seems like everything is packaged up in boxes upon boxes. When I come home, I always feel like our recycling bin is bursting.
• Cloth diapering is a love/hate thing over here. I wrote about it yesterday on Instagram. We actually had stopped doing cloth in Eloise's third month because life got crazy. I am attempting to start back up, but I have trouble committing because she doesn't seem as comfortable in the diapers. I also cannot seem to get the best wash process down with our extremely hard water. That said, diapers are SUCH an awful thing to keep tossing in the trash if I have cloth diapers just sitting in drawers. I hope to do an update after this month's trial goes.
• Being out and about just seems to invite waste, like coffee cups, takeout containers, and etc. I am thinking some of this stuff will naturally lean out once we're making most of our own meals again and not spending as much on entertainment money. (Yup! This is the month we are finally starting to make sense of our debt!)

I've decided that my best bet is to set one goal each month to see if we can smash it. This month, I'd like to work on meal planning in such a way that we aren't using as many foods in packages (pasta, cooked beans, frozen veggies, etc.). This includes baby food, which I have definitely gotten lazy about. I've been buying tubs of it versus just mashing my own. It's so easy and would save a lot of money.

Anyway, accomplishing this goal obviously won't eliminate all our waste, but my goal is to see if we can go a whole week before filling the garbage and recycling bins.

I'll give an update in March along with my next goal!

Related Posts

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Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
5 Green Cleaners That Work
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8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
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Green in 15: No More Paper Towels

I've been meaning to post about our no paper towels system for ages. It's not that it's complicated or fussy. It was laziness on getting a good photo. I figured I need to get over that part and just post about it already! So, here's my latest installment of Green in 15, all about banishing paper towels from your home.

Here you go:

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS

• Basically, we have 25-35 assorted towels. Some are flour sacks, some are nubby bar cloths, some are tea towels, and there are a few stray rags and washcloths in there, too.
• We hung a fabric tote (similar to this one) containing all towels using some hooks in the closet right off the kitchen. I think this space was originally a utility closet, but it's quite small. Our vacuum doesn't fit very well, so I like using it for this purpose.
• Underneath, we have a slim Simple Human Trash Can lined with a diaper pail liner to collect all the dirty rags.
• You take a clean rag, use it up, and when it's dirty -- toss it into the bin. Easy, right? 
• When the bin gets full, we grab the liner and take it downstairs to wash everything. We usually have a good stock of towels to use on wash day (and only do laundry once or twice a week).
• We don't take the time to fold the towels. We simply toss them into the bin. We use the towels for general kitchen cleanup, napkins at dinner, and general cleaning tasks. 
• Though they're all tossed in together, we use the nubbier cloths to do heavy cleaning, the flour sacks for everyday kitchen spills and even helping bread rise (in place of plastic wrap), and the tea towels for napkins. It's not always perfect, but it works.
• To wash, we use our homemade laundry detergent and pour some vinegar into the rinse. They don't smell, though some do have stains from heavy use.

And that's really it!

You may already have towels on hand and some of the other supplies you need to get a system like this going. Mostly it's a matter of finding nooks and crannies to store everything into. You could probably sneak something like this on a smaller scale underneath your kitchen sink or in an unoccupied kitchen cabinet.

Those of you who don't use paper towels, what do your system look like?

// RELATED

Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning

So, I had this idea the other day. It came out of a conversation I had with a woman at the grocery store when I was buying a gallon jug of vinegar (on sale for $2.50!). She asked: "What in the world are you planning to do with all that vinegar?" And I was like "What CAN'T I do with it?!" I proceeded to list off all my uses, and I think she got a bit freaked out by my enthusiasm.

When people think about making all their cleaning supplies from scratch, it can become overwhelming. It's a lot like cooking everything from scratch. But with a little practice and some smart recipes -- it becomes second nature. We've been using vinegar, baking soda, and some other basic cleansers to do the bulk of our home cleaning for several years now. It takes very little effort to make the switch.

Green in 15 is a new series of sorts I'll be sharing that gives you some activities you can finish in just 15 minutes (or fewer) that will lead you in the right direction. Today, I thought I'd start with the absolute basics: Greening your all-purpose cleaning processes using vinegar. While you're at it, you can also start banishing paper towels with a few tips.

THE SUPPLIES

• Vinegar (approx $3 per gallon, or less)
• Water (free-ish?)
• Isopropol alcohol (got mine at the $1 store)
• Rags (free if you have 'em or $12 for a pack of 24)
• Old spray bottles (free if you have 'em)

COST: Between $4 and $16

THE RECIPES 

#1: All-Purpose Cleaner -- Just fill up half an old spray bottle (you can also buy them on Amazon -- here's a 3-pack of plastic or some nice glass ones) with vinegar and the rest with water and maybe a few essential oil drops. Give a good shake and use for cleaning countertops, tabletops, and -- really -- anywhere else. It's ALL PURPOSE!

#2: Window Cleaner -- I add a bit of alcohol to the all-purpose mix (a few tablespoons works -- I make a smaller spray bottle of it for this purpose) and that helps windows stay streak-free!

#3: Dish Rinse -- I mentioned in our 5 Green Cleaners That Actually Work post that we make our own dishwasher detergent. We fill our rinse basin with plain vinegar mixed with essential oils. Works like a charm and takes two seconds.

#4: Veggie Wash -- If you don't like the Castile Soap Method for cleaning fruits and vegetables, you can make an easy spray wash using around 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar (hmm, sounds a lot like the dilution above -- score for multi-purpose!)

#5: Bathtub Cleaner, Etc. -- I also use full-strength vinegar in our bathroom for most cleaning (tub, tiles, shower surround, sink. For tough jobs, I combine with our natural scouring scrub.

Want more in-depth info? Check out my homesteading post about Cleaning with Vinegar. It includes these recipes plus 10 more uses for your gallon of the stuff.

CLOTH VERSUS PAPER

For most of your cleaning tasks, a good, nubby washcloth or rag will do the heavy lifting. We keep a bin of the clean ones in the kitchen utility closet. We keep a bag of the dirty ones hanging on the door of that closet. Then we wash them every couple days. Keeping around 24 rags is a good number if you're wiping down surfaces regularly. You may find you need more or less depending on the size of your home and your cleaning habits.

Just grab a clean rag and get to cleaning as you normally would.

Oh! Someone had asked me how we deal with occasional cat episodes. We use our rags (we have a few that have been around longer and are dirtier). We just rinse them out well after cleaning the cat mess and clean them with the rest.

I'll be sure to snap some photos and share more about switching from paper to cloth soon. It's dreadfully dark and rainy here today and all my shots are coming out quite depressing.

// RELATED

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Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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3-Ingredient DIY Face Scrub Vlog

Happy Friday, friends! Here’s a weekend project you can knock out in only a couple minutes, but the reward will last much, much longer. I love exfoliating scrubs for my face. My combination skin requires both gentle and more powerful cleansers, though. Since a lot of scrubs on the market contain those plastic microbeads, I started making my own at home.

This recipe is safe for pregnancy, contains just three ingredients, and will last a good month or more in an airtight container. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get more fun videos like these! (Oh, and don’t mind my wicked-awful roots. Going blonde before pregnancy wasn’t the smartest idea, right?)

BASIC DIY FACE SCRUB

You’ll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup unrefined coconut oil

TO MAKE: Just mix together everything in a food processor, pour into an airtight container, and love your skin! For best results, use only once a day (or less frequently) and scrub gently.




Here’s some facial scrub inspiration:

• Lemon + Sugar Body/Face Scrub
• Baking Soda Exfoliator
• Tea Tree Coconut Oil Face Scrub

* One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that the feel of the scrub, especially after rinsing your face, does take some adjustment. It initially leaves an oily residue that comes off 90% when you towel dry. The hint of oil left behind provides some nice moisturize -- especially this time of year.


More homemade beauty products, etc.:

• DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
• 5-minute Homemade Deodorant
• No More Shampoo, Really!
• Homesteading // Cleaning with Baking Soda

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Homesteading // Less Waste, pt. 1

This is a topic I’ve wanted to cover for a while. I touch on it from time to time, but have never dedicated an entire post to waste. You see, in all our budget and homesteading efforts, we still have a hefty trash bag at the end of each week. Lots of recycling, too. And, like many families, we go through good and bad cycles with trying to lessen our environmental impact.

Stephen is actually the driver behind this household goal for the new year. We’ve been watching Morgan Spurlock’s Inside Man on Netflix and finally got to the episode on where our garbage goes. We’ve seen all sorts of other features on this topic, and going to college in an uber eco-conscious town had us composting, recycling, and making package-free choices from young adulthood.

Then we moved seven years ago and got somewhat lazy.

Where we live, the opportunities to buy things in bulk are there . . . they’re just not terribly convenient. Composting is something we tend to do a much better job with during the summer months. And there’s a whole lot of other stuff to take into consideration.

I thought I’d share what we do in the following areas (just the first five -- the easiest to tackle, in my opinion), as well as where we can use some improvement. It’s our goal to expend the extra energy it takes to make strides toward being a less wasteful home. I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas about how to lean out waste in these categories too!

Saying NO to Plastic Bags

This is a natural -- and it’s likely something most people are doing already. We have a good stock of our own reusable grocery bags and bins. My favorite is our collapsable market style basket that is sturdy enough to handle a full load of even the heaviest groceries. I also keep a compact reusable bag inside my purse at all times for those random shopping trips.

Action: Purchase (or create) and stock of some produce bags (I like these washable ones and these mesh ones) for taking along on shopping trips. Not a lot of the produce is available in bulk (like greens, carrots, for example), so we’ll do what we can. Also very excited to do a CSA this year. We ended up skipping out last year because we just weren’t around much during the summer.

Buying in Bulk

Bring your own containers to the store, figure out the tare, and fill them up with food. Here’s where things have gotten a little hard for us. My budget tells me that shopping at Aldi is king for saving cash. In theory, buying in bulk is cheaper, but at the stores in our area -- not entirely so. We’re trying to determine and cost-compare certain things (flour, peanut butter, grains, beans, oats, soap, honey + syrup, coffee, tea, etc.) to see what we could start buying in bulk.

Action: This weekend we’re heading to an out-of-the-way natural foods store to check out prices. The one closest to us gives me some sticker shock. I’ll report back soon.

Banishing Paper Towels

We’re doing pretty well on this one. We bought tons of basic flour sack towels that we keep in a bin inside the kitchen. If there’s a mess or something to wipe up, we grab a towel. Same for most cleaning tasks. We had old rags and washcloths to do the dirty work. Then we wash them twice a week. The stash is going strong, and I’d love to write up exactly how this system works in another post (how we store, how we wash, etc.).

Action: I’ll admit we do still buy natural disinfecting wipes for the dirtiest of messes. I know it’s pretty easy to make these by mixing together your own cleaning solution and soaking rags in it. So, that’s an area for improvement.

Skipping Plastic Wrap, etc.

I wrote about my Reusable Food Wrap a while back. It lasted a few months, but I got distracted and didn’t make more. The stuff was perfect for topping bowls, wrapping cheese, and it was also really easy and inexpensive to make. We’ve also slowly been building our army of covered glass containers (we have that exact set and hope to add to it) that we use for storing hummus, sauces, leftovers, etc.

Action: Make more reusable food wrap. Get a few more glass containers. Do not buy more plastic wrap. Somehow I always end up with one because we have more to cover than I have things to cover them. Along these same lines, I’d love to find a better storage option for my freezer stuff (I do some glass, but all my bagels, burgers, and soups, etc. end up in plastic freezer bags).

Making Our Own Stuff

One way to eliminate waste is by not buying stuff in the first place. We’ve done a good job making our own laundry detergent and storing it in a big jug atop the washer. We also mix together basic cleaners that actually work using a solution of castile soap, water, and essential oils. Wow can you use castile soap and baking soda and vinegar in 1,000,000 different ways! As with everything else, though, this all takes time, energy, and foresight.

Action: Make a chart of all the cleaners and other household things we can make ourselves. Write down all the recipes so they are handy. And maybe even create some schedule for refreshing our stock of them. I’d also like to improve my formula for dishwashing detergent because our hard water has been an issue lately.

Do you have a goal to create less waste in 2016? 

What are your action items?

Related Posts

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Cleaning With Vinegar Basics
Homesteading Stuff You Can Buy at the $1 Store
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
10 Smart Ways to Use Epsom Salts
Our Composting Arrangement
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Chores + Other Scenes

I just finished my run, and it’s only 7AM! I’m absolutely not a morning runner, but I guess we’re expected to have temps in the 90s the next couple days. No, thanks. (Fall, where are you?!) I will say that starting my day early with a run certainly has me more productive. I really am a morning person at heart, so I hope the school season will hopefully shift me more back in that direction.

Yeah. Stephen goes back to work today. We’re so lucky to have him home with us for 10 weeks over the summer. I’d say we made the most of our time together. Now that it’s back to the grind, I’ve been preparing with all sorts of chores, organization projects, and other stuff.

I started by creating this yoga nook in our bedroom. It’s really no big deal, but I liked the idea of having a dedicated place to practice. You know, besides in the living room while my preschooler crawls all over me and I have to listen to Octonauts in the background.

I simply gathered up all my mats, blocks, straps, balls, and even a set of light weights and put them in a sturdy basket in the corner of the room. I also removed the old fluffy rug that was there and cleaned up the mirror so I can check my posture. I keep some essential oil room sprays in the shelf (for those of you who were asking, here’s a similar one) to help set the mood.


We ran out of laundry soap over the weekend, so I whipped up a new batch using my favorite recipe + a bar of Kirk’s Castile. I’ll have to let you know if I notice any difference changing soap. Some of you asked how we store our laundry soap (because we do liquid batches, 5 gallons at a time). We use an old Igloo Water Cooler we had in our garage. It works really well. We just make sure to stir everything up every week or so.

We’ve been making our own laundry soap for well over a year now, and I really like it. I will admit that for stinkier loads (exercise clothes -- lots of ‘em), we add an occasional scoop of OxiClean Free. It helps keep the stink at bay in those shorts that might have been in the basket a couple days.


I hung a few hooks in the kitchen door to make a place for my pizza peel and apron to live. Having ingredients, kitchen tools, and other stuff hanging around can look sort of busy. Still, I’ve found the functionality of having everything I regularly use so accessible to be well worth small visual disturbances.

I need to do an updated kitchen tour soon. We also hung this nifty spice rack I found at a thrift shop that was brand new, in the box from the 80s -- and it’s absolutely perfect! I also made the switch from our heavy Fiestaware (most of ours is in Peacock) to Corelle (I went with simple White) dishes for everyday eating. I still love all the colors and the classic appeal of Fiestaware, but it’s so cumbersome.


Speaking of kitchen tools, I gave my beloved spoons and other woodens some love this weekend. For the longest time I was entirely intimidated by wooden utensils and the like. They’d inevitably dry out when Stephen would -- with the best of intentions -- run them through the dishwasher. That’s a huge no-no.

For everyday use, simply rinse the wooden thing with hot water. That should get the majority of gunk off, especially if you do it at once when you’ve finished cooking or baking. I have also collected a few antique items through the years (that blonde rolling pin, for example), so to get that up to speed I use some Dr. Bronner’s soap and hot water. Wash a couple times.

Then -- whatever your method -- let it dry completely (several hours) before applying walnut oil (from my research, one of the only food oils that won’t go rancid) or mineral oil (petroleum-based, but that’s what most of the “cutting board” oils you’ll find that the store are) with a cloth. Let that soak in for 12 to 24 hours before using.

Oh, and I must say that my olive wood utensils fare the best of all.

HAPPY TUESDAY!

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Back Into the Swing // Fall

I have a bit of a rant about secondary infertility coming your way soon (I guess you’ve been warned!). But I’m not really in the mood to polish it off today, if you know what I mean. I thought I’d give you some up-to-the-minute updates instead. More fun, right? Stephen is coaching cross country this year. He’s in charge of the high school boys, and his schedule is going to be insane.

So, Ada and I are getting a head start on our return to the fall routine. Here’s a bit from our morning. I’ll probably elaborate on some of these things in other posts. Especially the command center. I cannot wait to see if this helps us stay organized this year.

#1: We filled the fridge with food. 

From Wal*Mart. I haven’t shopped there for groceries in ages, but since I was on that side of town, I thought I’d try. Wow. Not impressed with prices. Even Wegmans has them beat on a lot of stuff. The yogurt might be better priced, though.

I got all the watermelon Chobani I could carry.


#2: I made a green smoothie big enough for our whole family. 

I’m sipping the tall one right now!


#3: We’re created a command center.

I’ll try to snap more detailed shots once we actually put stuff on there. I’ve seen these on Pinterest for years. I want to organize our activities, meals, bills, obligations, and everything else on here. I went to Target and picked up a whiteboard weekly planner, a large cork board, and some magnets/pins/pens/etc.

My favorite part? The magnetic container. It’s the Biggy Perch by Urbio! When I looked it up online, I discovered that people use Urbio containers to make indoor gardens. Really cool.


#4: I’m making a fresh batch of laundry detergent.

I haven’t used Kirk’s Castile before, but I couldn’t find any Dr. Bronner’s on my search this morning. If you haven’t made your own DIY Laundry Detergent yet, you really should try. It’s changed how we wash our clothes.

Less crap in the water and WAY, way, way cheaper.


#5: My kitchen.

Yeah. I think it’s time for me to hop off and go clean this monster. I have a lot of cooking I want to do. I need to make a new bulk batch of Veggie Burgers to freeze. I’m getting ready to simmer the season’s first pot of Homemade Applesauce. And I’ll probably make a good number of Freezer Waffles for our busy mornings.

Yeah. We’re slowly getting back into the swing, and it feels good.

What’s on your back-to-school to-do list? 

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Reusable Food Wrap

I’m researching an article on beeswax, and I found something really awesome to do with the stuff. This tip to make beeswax fabric comes from Mother Earth News -- you may never need plastic wrap again! Oh, and this project is incredibly easy and adorable to boot.

Take a look. It’s yet another way to eliminate the use of plastics in your home!

BEESWAX FABRIC FOOD WRAP 

What you need . . .

• A couple ounces of grated beeswax
• 100% cotton fabric (I washed + dried + ironed mine first)
• Tin foil
• Baking sheet
• Clothespins (optional, to hang and set)
• Pinking shears (optional, to keep from fraying)

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Sprinkle grated wax over fabric. 
3. Bake for around 10 minutes -- until everything has melted and absorbed into the fabric.
4. Then remove immediately (I used my fingers, but a clothespin works well too) so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
5. I did find that this project is forgiving. I didn’t add enough beeswax to my first one, so I added a bit more and just left in the oven until everything melted.
6. Let cool before using.

This food wrap is easy to fold and secure. It forms with the warmth from your hands and even sticks a bit like cling wrap. Honestly, I’m super impressed and can’t wait to make more to lee in my stash. Beeswax is amazing stuff, isn’t it?

I’ll be sure to report back on how this ends up working in the long run. The author of the original tutorial said her batch was going strong several weeks after she made them. Just rinse with cool water -- not hot -- to clean. Use them for sandwiches, cheeses, leftover bowls, and all other stuff you need to cover.

And don’t miss . . .

Related Posts

Cleaning With Baking Soda Basics
Cleaning With Vinegar Basics
Homesteading Stuff You Can Buy at the $1 Store
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
10 Smart Ways to Use Epsom Salts
Our Composting Arrangement
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

* Here’s the image source for the 1800s garden above.

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Composting

We had a pretty good composting operation set up at our old house. So, when we moved last year, we knew we wanted to start up again. It took us a while to get started, but we finally installed our new backyard composter a couple months ago. Here’s some notes on how we organize the process.

#1: Garbage Bowl

We started off with a Garbage Bowl in the kitchen to collect all our organic food scraps. You can use anything for this bowl, but there are also specific garbage bowls on the market. The idea here is making it easy to save the scraps from the trash while you’re cooking. After a while, it becomes mindless.


Usually we try to keep our food scraps chopped up pretty small because they decompose faster that way. Sometimes a spoiled apple or something bigger sneaks in, though. I know that some people prefer to keep their bits + pieces in the freezer, especially during the cold months.

#2: Indoor Bin

We also have a small compost collector in our kitchen which is the staging area before everything heads outdoors. We cook a lot with a lot of whole foods, so we need multiple options. You can buy containers with carbon filters to keep your kitchen smelling nice. Since we take ours out daily, I found a cute galvanized ice bucket (+ scoop) with a plastic bin in it. It works great and looks nice.

#3: Outdoor Bin

From there, everything goes into our outdoor composter. We bought a galvanized garbage can, drilled holes into the bottom half, dug a deep hole in the yard, and snugged it in. The holes allow worms to enter and break the food down. It was also one of the least expensive (and more attractive) composter solutions I have come across.

#4: Starter

To get our compost started, we actually bought some compost starter this year at the suggestion of a friend. It fast forwards the microorganism activity and breaks down the food scraps faster. We happened to have a lot of veggie and fruit scraps in a short period of time, so it would have taken a while to break all that down otherwise.

#5: What’s Inside

We compost everything from fruit and veggie scraps to eggshells to Stephen’s endless supply of coffee grounds. Yard waste -- grass clippings, leaves, etc. -- too. If you’re new, here’s a great chart for the DOs and DON’Ts of what goes into the bin. After you add a batch of “fresh” scraps, you always want to cover with some brown matter (newspaper, leaves, straw, sawdust, etc.). The brown stuff gives your compost more air and carbon, which are two essentials to the process.

#6: How/When to Use

We have yet to use any of the compost in our garden. You know your batch is “ready” when it’s nice and dark and breaks up easily. It just looks like incredibly rich, awesome soil. The amount of time it takes to get to this point can vary greatly, so be patient. Here’s some more information about using compost.

I’d love to hear about your composting process!

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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