Reduce waste: Hand soap

So hard these days to find bulk liquid hand soaps that are not anti-bacterial and the one brand they have at our local big-box store smells noxious (to me, as I don't like scented soap). This has led me to start using bar soaps for everyday and only pull out the liquid soaps for when company comes, as most people seem to prefer liquid these days. Since the bar soaps come in little paper boxes as opposed to a whopping big plastic bottle, seems like this makes sense ecologically too.

Reducing waste: Adios cling wrap!

Inspired by the sites Fake Plastic Fish and Zero Waste Home, I now consciously try to use less single-use plastics, in this case cling wrap. When melting butter, etc., topping a bowl with a plate works just as well as cling wrap at keeping the microwave clean. Best part is no plastic in landfill here AND the plate is already paid for, so I'm not wasting money on some plastic that I'd use once then toss. Such a "low-hanging-fruit" style of waste reduction, why did it take me so long to do this? Oh, I know there are times when cling wrap is a must, but when I read that David Lebovitz washes and reuses his plastic cling wrap, I tried it. Guess what? Works like a charm!

All Of Me

Cute little video on Do the Green Thing's site, a reminder to use it all up...to the last drop, whatever "it" might be! Can't think on whose site someone commented about how she wasn't going to stress out over using the last of a bar of soap or whatever. To me, using every last drop or bit means MORE of my money going to me & mine & LESS of my money going to manufacturers. Besides, if you find it stressful to clean out a jar with a spatula or place a sliver of soap on a new bar 'til they meld, maybe you need to start meditating or do some other stress-reducing activity. Just sayin'. Anyway, check out this cute little video on http://www.dothegreenthing.com/content/all_of_me: All of Me.

It's enough: Minimal light

At night, instead of turning on the overhead lights for quick trips to the kitchen or bathroom, we have these little CFL nightlights, which throw off a surprising amount of light for so little electrical output (1.6Watts). Maybe not a big saving in the grand scheme of things, but as a frugal Ursuline friend of mine always says, "mind the nickels and dimes and the dollars will mind themselves."

Cloudy day laundry solution

I never fear cloudy, iffy-might-rain-can't-tell days anymore. On those days I just hang all the laundry on hangers, keep an eye on the weather & whisk them all inside if needed to save them from the rain. Of course, it helps that I have indoor clothes rods. Caveat: be careful on super windy days or your laundry will end up strewn on your lawn! Often, even when it's not threatening rain, I will go ahead and hang clothing on hangers, rather than on the line with clothespins. Saves time when bringing in the laundry and putting the clothes away.

Frugal tips from TreeHugger

This blog has always been just for me...never have told a soul about it. Yesterday, for some inexplicable reason, I decided to change the setting to "public." Just for curiosity's sake maybe. Anyway, I'll continue to post info that helps ME to become more a conscientious consumer. Time will tell if my ramblings appeal to anyone else who might stumble upon this site. Loved reading this article today...definitely gonna try the bathtub cleaner recipe: 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup castille soap, plus drops of lavender, optional. Check out Treehugger's 6 Frugal Tips!

Beer bread, revisited

More homemade bread = less packaging waste. Came across someone's blog that pictured a trumped up beer bread. The person actually incorporated pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese into their beer bread batter. It looked gorgeous, and I tried it myself, though I chickened out when it came to adding sauce. I thought the added pepperoni bits and cheese really upped the interest, but Hubby disagreed. So, it's back to plain ole, plain ole for us! Beer bread: Mix 3 cups self-rising flour, scant 1/4 cup sugar and 1 room-temp 12-oz can beer. Place in 9x5 bread pan then top with 4 tbs. of melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min., top with 3 more tbs. melted butter, returning to oven for 25 more minutes until done. Tender inside, crispy out...serve warm!