It's that time again....a new year with new resolutions. How many of us actually accomplished all of our resolutions from last year? I know I didn't. But this year I have a plan! FIVE SIMPLE, yet life changing, resolutions! Each of the 5 resolutions is simple and straightforward so they should be easier to follow through with, right? Well, hopefully! But the real plan is that they become lifetime habits that I eventually don't even have to think about! Health 1. Eat Whole Foods - this is not a diet but if done properly should lead to losing weight and feeling more energetic. Eating whole foods means exactly that: eating fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats instead of anything that is processed. If the foods are all organic, then even better! If the food required some sort of processing in a plant and has ingredients added for whatever reason, then it is OUT! Need some help with this? Then check out the following site:
2. Exercise - Five minutes a day is all that's needed to get started and it can be simple like walking to the store instead of driving!
Family 3. More Quality Family Time - are you usually too busy for your spouse, children, or even your parents or siblings? Then make time for them before it is too late! It doesn't have to cost anything either! You can simply make a plan to do something for 1-3 hours each week. It can be as simple as playing a game like monopoly, or going for a nature walk at the local park. The idea is to make it a priority and schedule it in if you have to!
Household 4. Organize - get the house in order! This will make everything so much simpler this year. It makes it easier to clean, takes less time to find what you need (Don't you hate searching for something?), and of course frees up quality time to spend with your family!
Financial 5. Grow Your Savings - even if you have debt, it is important to have some money in a savings account. Having money saved makes me feel protected in case of emergency like when our stove blew up last year. I usually set a certain goal to reach each year. I don't always meet it, but it helps!
I wish you and your family a Healthy and Happy New Year! Thank you for visiting :-)
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Hate shopping? Clueless about what to give someone this year? Tired of giving boring gift cards? Want to give a gift that is a little more creative but doesn't take a lot of time to do? Are you on a budget or limited to a certain amount of money? Here are some great ideas that would even be great for the FAMILY, FRIEND, OR OFFICE GRAB BAG! The best part is....I've done most of the work for you! All links below are affiliate links with Amazon. All shown prices are subject to change as many, if not all, are currently on sale for the holidays! Many of them can also be purchased elsewhere for better prices so always shop around, however I personally can not beat the convenience of shopping online! Be sure that you are also shopping through EBATES (sometimes there is cash back on Amazon) and that you are getting FREE SHIPPING if available. If I am not getting items shipped for free, then I am not buying! But thats just me.... 1. FOUR Movies and Snacks
2. Not Just a Mug!
3. Reusable Handwarmers and Gloves
4. Key Chain and USB Charger Combo
5. A Flask and a 'little something' to go with it!
6. Infusion Water Bottle with Fresh Fruit!
7. For Wine Lovers...
8. Stress Relievers....
9. For the Kitchen....
10. Garden Lovers....
BONUS IDEA: For the Birds...
OTHER IDEAS TO SEARCH ON YOUR OWN:
Be creative and have some fun! Hope this post helps you do your holiday shopping this year ;-) Thanks for visiting! Sincerely,
A zero waste home means throwing NOTHING away....is this even remotely possible? The answer is YES! By simply following these six simple steps, a zero waste household is closer to reality than you might think! Six Simple Steps to a Zero Waste Household: This is the last in a series of SIX Recycling Posts.... 1. REFUSE Just say NO! This means that you SHOULD NOT accept anything onto your property or into your home that you know can not or will not be recycled, redistributed, repurposed, reused, etc. THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE YOU CAN MAKE TOWARD HAVING A ZERO WASTE HOUSEHOLD! Here are some my personal favorite examples:
2. RECYCLE Know what you are able to recycle at your local facility or through your local waste pick-up and make sure you recycle it properly! Most communities recycle #1 and #2 plastics, aluminum cans, glass jars, newspapers and magazines. Don't forget about recycling the strange things your local community does not:
3. REDISTRIBUTE This means to sell or donate items that can still be useful to someone else! One mans junk is another mans treasure....I don't know who said that but it couldn't be more true! Items such as furniture, clothes, household items, cell phones, toys, and more can be easily sold or donated. 4. REPURPOSE If you can't do the first three, then maybe you can find a way to repurpose the product for something else. You may be surprised at all the creative ways that exist to repurpose the strangest items! Even some common every day items like tires! Click on the picture below for a slide show that shares some really awesome ideas! 5. REUSE Theres nothing better than buying or making products that can be reused over and over and over again. Stop bringing disposables into your home! They are a waste of money and they needlessly add to landfills. A few of the worst offenders (in my opinion):
6. REDUCE Not only does this mean reduce what you need and use overall, but it also means to reduce what garbage still remains in your home after steps 1-5 above. Here are a few that still remain....
? WHATS LEFT ? Hopefully nothing or a very small amount if you have done everything in the pyramid from the top down! Remember, be creative and find a way! Go to Google and see what other options there are for disposing of particular items before putting them in the garbage! Simply throwing stuff out, as easy as it is to do, should be the absolute last resort! Most importantly, remember to make it easy for yourself BY CHOOSING TO NOT LET IT ENTER YOUR HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE! FREE RECYCLING CHART: Click on the picture or the button below to download a FREE pdf file! Visit our page Household Waste for additional information and check out our Pinterest Boards for more great ideas:
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Want to be friendly to the Earth and contribute LESS to landfills? Then start buying products that can be used over and over again! And guess what....they can save money too! Buying reusable products is a real bonus in our home. It minimizes what I need to buy each week at the grocery store while saving money at the same time. It minimizes the garbage that we are left with each week since we are not throwing disposable items out. That of course also minimizes how much recycling and repurposing we need to do each week as well. And of course the best part is knowing that we are doing our part for the Earth by not needlessly contributing to landfills that can take hundreds to millions of years to decompose. Even longer in sanitary landfills! And remember, even paper doesn't decompose in a sanitary landfill... REUSING IN THE KITCHEN
REUSABLE CLEANING
REUSABLE ON THE GO
REUSABLE MISCELLANEOUS
Other items that can be reused (affiliate links): Check out our past Recycling Posts: RECYCLING PART I - AT HOME BASICS - How to recycling glass, cans, paper etc. at home. RECYCLING PART II - ODDBALL ITEMS - Recycling strange things like wires, cd's, and more. RECYCLING PART III - SELLING & DONATING - Where to sell or donate instead of throwing out. RECYCLING PART IV - REPURPOSING - What else can it be used for? Only one RECYCLING POST LEFT! Stay tuned for: RECYCLING IV - ZERO WASTE HOME. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board "REUSABLE IDEAS" for more! Thank you for visiting. Please like and follow us!
Save and reuse your plastic grocery bags in an organized and neat way with this quick and easy crochet project! FREE directions and printable label included! Supplies needed to make the two color Plastic Bag Holder:
Crochet the bottom: In second color, connect to bottom using slip stitch. Row 1: chain 2 and double crochet in the bottom of each chain around. Slip stitch to top of first double crochet. Row 2: Scallop Trim: double crochet 5 times into second stitch from hook. Skip one stitch and connect with slip stitch in second stitch from where you did six double crochets. Skip a stitch and double crochet 6 times into the second stitch from hook again. Continue pattern (slip, skip, 5 doubles, skip, repeat from slip) all the way around and finish with a slip stitch where you started. Finishing: Weave all hanging yarn ends using the yarn needle. Cut a piece of elastic the same width as the bag holder (about 4"). Put a safety pin in each end of the elastic. Weave the elastic in and out through the double crochet stitches around the bottom. Bring both elastic ends to the inside of the holder and sew together using the needle and thread. Presentation: If you want to give these as gifts you can print out the free printable label below. A handmade gift is really from the heart :-) The picture above shows the plastic bag holder folded up nicely and paired with a set of reusable/washable crochet dishcloths. Find the pattern and free dishcloth printable for the Dishcloths Here! Print the label by clicking on either the picture or the button below. It's a pdf file designed for 8.5" x 11" paper. I printed mine on KRAFT Brown Bag Paper from Amazon (affiliate link). Print the labels out (5 to a sheet) and cut between the dotted lines! FREE PRINTABLE LABEL!
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Before you throw it out or recycle, can it be used for something else? Repurpose - to give a new purpose or use to (as per Merriam-Webster). Why not use your garbage for something else rather than needlessly adding it to a landfill? There are so many ways to repurpose items I couldn't possibly include them all. However, I think I put together a pretty nice assortment of possibilities! Slide Show of Repurposing Possibilities Links to all items in the slide show can be found below. I apologize if you have any problems with the links due to circumstances beyond my control. Links can also be found on my Pinterest Board Repurposing. Repurposing from the Kitchen
Repurposing Out of the Closet
Repurposing Old or Damaged Furniture
Repurposing Old Toys
Repurposing Other Household Items
Repurposing Outdoor Items
Check out our Pinterest Repurposing Board for many more great ideas! Remember, think about what else you might be able to use it for before throwing it away! THIS IS POST NUMBER FOUR (IV) IN A SIX (VI) PART RECYCLING SERIES. COMING SOON: RECYCLING PART V: TRY REUSABLES INSTEAD! CHECK OUT THE PAST RECYCLING POSTS HERE:
Check our our Minimizing Household Waste page on our Website! Please like and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram!
Stop buying and throwing out unnecessary waste! Why buy something that you use once or twice and then throw it away? What a waste of resources, money, and landfill space! These swifter sweeper covers take about 5 minutes to make, cost $1 and can be washed and reused over and over again! I made two for myself so if one is being washed, I have another one that I can use!
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Don't just throw it out...sell it or donate it if you can! Have you thrown any of the following items in the garbage?
We discussed the basics in Recycling Part I - At Home Basics and in Recycling Part II - Oddball Items we talked about where to recycle household hazardous waste, plastics #4 and #5, e-waste, and other oddball items that did not fit into the basics category. We mentioned that if the item was in good working order to wait for todays post: Selling and Donating Items, because if it's good, why not sell it or donate it to someone who needs or wants it? Selling and Donating Items "One mans junk is another mans treasure." I don't know who originally said that, but it couldn't be more true! If your garbage can be useful to someone else, then please don't just throw it out! Either sell it for some extra money or donate it! It would be a shame to let good stuff take up space in a landfill...
Donating Your Stuff Theres a fine line between donating and recycling...sometimes they call it recycling when it is actually a donation. Bottom line: as long as it stays out of a landfill, who cares what it's called? Donating Basic Items: It' pretty common knowledge that you can donate toys, clothes, and many usable household items to several different charities such as: Most or all of them will even come and pick up directly from your home on a scheduled date. How convenient! Just click on one of the links for more information. Be sure to check the list of items they are willing and NOT willing to take. But what about some of the other stuff? Like old sneakers that aren't even worth donating! How about stuffed animals or old video game systems? Do you want to help children in bad situations? Well, take a look at the list below to see what sort of 'other stuff' can be donated. I think you might find some of them very surprising!
What's left? For other items, especially large ones, that you think might be worth something to someone else (swing sets, trampolines, sheds, etc.) and even other things you just don't want to be bothered selling or mailing out, make an account and post them on FreeCycle. On this site you can find a group of people in your local area that recycle items by posting them and sharing them for FREE! The first person to respond get first dibs on scheduling a pick-up time and date. You just leave the item out on the agreed upon date and they come and get it! It's better than needlessly adding to a landfill. You can also find items you might want on there rather than buying brand new! Coming Soon - Recycling Part IV - Repurposing Your Garbage! Please remember to like and follow us on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest!
When in doubt, don't just throw it out! Have you ever thrown out any of the items in the picture above? Well, all of those items are either recyclable or residential hazardous waste. Yes, hazardous waste! Bottom line: none of them should be going in the regular garbage or into a landfill. Especially the hazardous waste which can leach out of the landfill and into the groundwater. I certainly don't want any of them in my drinking water! In my last post Recycling Part I - At Home Basics we discussed the basics of recycling aluminum and tin cans, plastics #1 and #2, glass jars and bottles, paper, and corrugated cardboard. Today we will talk about the other garbage, the oddball stuff that also includes hazardous waste. Getting Rid of Garbage Step by Step:
Hazardous Waste Products Household hazardous waste (HHW) is any household product that contains corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients. These are items that should NEVER be put in the regular garbage. Town waste facilities provide a means for disposing of most hazardous waste, so you should be able to take all of these there. However there are few things that may be more difficult to recycle and for those I provide some alternatives.
*As stated earlier, local waste facilities usually manage the collection of the hazardous products mentioned above (as well as others). My facility requires proof of residency and that the products are placed in sealed plastic bags. All products must also be in the original labeled container. Whatever is necessary to properly dispose of the hazardous waste is worth it. These items should NEVER be in a landfill that could leach into the groundwater (and ALL landfills will eventually leach). Miscellaneous Recyclables These are items that usually must be recycled in a special way. I simply keep a bin - see the label I use above - in my house and just put these items into it as I go. When I know I am going to be at or near one of the locations I take the items with me to drop off! Simple! Best Buy Recycling Kiosks: The kiosks are right in the front of the store. I love this because it's a one-stop-drop! Simple!
NOTE: If it the item is in working order, wait for Recycling Part III - Selling & Donating! E-Waste Recycling through Best Buy Recycling: Just click on the link, choose your state, and then choose the item you want to recycle. Most items are free to recycle, but there are some exceptions so it is best to check before you go. It's that easy! Here is a partial list of items they will take (they literally take hundreds of items):
They DO NOT take large or small kitchen appliances. Don't Want to Bring Your E-Waste to Best Buy? Then check out the EPA's Donation/Recycle E-Waste to find other locations near you! NOTE: If any products are in working order, wait for Recycling Part III - Selling or Donating!
Are You Part of An Organization? Terracycle collects large amounts of a particular type of waste and gives proceeds to a cause of your choice – example: all Garnier Fructis Beauty Products or squeezable Juice containers. You just arrange to collect it, then mail it to them. Just go the site, select your waste, collect, and send. Simple! Sources: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8817.html http://www.earth911.com http://www.wm.com/enterprise/municipalities/residential-solutions/household-hazardous-waste.jsp Coming Soon: Recycling Part III - Selling and Donating! Please like us on Facebook and sign up for our mailing list!
I don't like the chore of recycling, but I am proud to say that I do it. Why? Because I am doing my part to help the environment for myself, for my children, their children and so on. Baloney you say? Actually, no. It's truer than you think. What Does Biodegradable Mean? Biodegradable means that a substance or object is capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. Anything made of organic compounds is biodegradable. The problem is how long it takes. Unfortunately, some substances take so long (we are talking hundreds to millions of years) that they could be considered non-biodegradable. What Do I Know? I know there are arguments for why recycling is a waste of time. How it actually costs more money than it saves, etc. Despite all of the arguments (and there are many), what I do know is this:
Some Questions:
Should You Recycle? YES! Obviously I believe that it is our personal responsibility to get rid of all our garbage in the most responsible way possible and this means recycling, reusing, repurposing, and polluting our environment as little as possible in the process. Side note: It's practically impossible not to pollute. Driving a car, burning fuel to cook and many other things all contribute to polluting the Earth whether you want to or not. The Basics of Recycling at Home: Metal, Plastic, Glass and Paper STEP 1 - Know Your Town's Expectations Where I live we only have to separate into three containers. Metals, plastics, and glass all go into one, paper/corrugated cardboard goes in another, and regular garbage into the third. The bins were provided by my town (thanks to my tax dollars) and they really make it easy for us to recycle. If your town doesn't provide the containers then you need to provide them yourself. You will definitely need to know exactly what they expect as far as sorting goes so you know how many containers to get. If you don't know your town's expectations then either call them directly or google them online! STEP 2 - Know What Can Be Recycled No matter what town you live in the basics of recycling are pretty much the same. At this point in time pretty much every town recycles metal, plastic, glass, and paper/cardboard in some way. However, not all metals, plastics, etc. are created equal. This is why it's important to know exactly what your town accepts and doesn't accept.
STEP 3 - Get Rid Of It! Ours is picked up every Wednesday. The town has a schedule as to which Wednesday is Paper/Cardboard, and which is Metal-Glass-Plastic. This is of course different everywhere. My parents live upstate and they actually have to bring it to the local waste facility (dump) themselves. They have an option to pay for a local service to do this, but either way it is important to know where, when, and how to properly get rid of your recyclables! Remember: you are doing a good thing! Be proud:-) Part II Coming Soon: What about the oddball items?
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Hi there! I'm Kathie, the author behind Creating A Simpler Life blog. I'm excited to share our longterm projects (and planning) toward building our future retirement homestead in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In the meantime I will be sharing all the other little things we do that are part of creating our simpler life!
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