Drying clothes!

Sorry I have been away for so long! We moved and it has been hectic trying to get floors refinished, walls torn down and rebuilt, cabinets painted, and things organized!

I'll leave you with this little bit of green living before I have to fly away to do some more remodeling! One of my many improvements to the house has been this wonderful clothesline! Assisted by by washer, basket, and some clothespins!

Stay green,
Yasha

Another score!

This "dumpster" score brought to you by a closing daycare. Any time a day care or preschool closes, moves, or wants to update equipment check with them to see if they are willing to part with older equipment and toys for cheap or free.

Here are some things I acquired for free:

 A Swing! Hooray! This one works!








A sink and Stove combo! I'll have to build a refrigerator and install some shelves under the sink for storage but it's very promising!







Some things I scored from dumpsters and lucky finds!

 Lucky Find! A Friend found this for me and saved it! It's a child's card table with matching chair.

 That same awesome friend found this couch for the kids. It was actually less stained before my kids got a hold of it!

 My Luckiest dumpster find! A working non smelly couch! It's lazy boy brand and works perfectly. I couldn't figure out why they tossed it except that it was stained and had a few tears.

And a like-new very sturdy bookshelf for the kids!

Stay green,
Yasha

Use It Up, Wear It Out...

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. That's what grandma said right? I try to take it to heart at our house so food, clothes, and other assorted things don't usually get wasted.

This is a big reason I shop used stores. I feel bad paying full price for kids clothes that I know they will grow out of before they get a hole in them.

I've scored pretty big over the years by shopping used but the biggest score is using it until it wears out completely. Take these shoes for instance. My favorite sandals have lasted me 4+ years of heavy wear. These poor shoes are practically the only thing I have worn in warm weather during that time.

It may now be time for new shoes but by using up my shoes until they have completely worn out I have probably saved about $40. That isn't much to some people but it's a day's worth of meals for my family.

Hope this inspires you to keep something a bit longer than you would normally!

Stay green,
Yasha

Dumpster Score!

Say what!?

Most Parents discourage children from touching, going near, or even thinking about dumpsters. I try to encourage mine to look at them. Why? Well sometimes people throw out completely good things. Toys, chairs, couches. Any of these things can be spruced up and resold or kept depending on he condition.

Now I haven't gone so far as to actually jump in a dumpster nor would I let my kids do it (or see me do it if I ever work up the courage.) Jumping in a dumpster takes some preparation and caution. You don't know what is in there. If it will shift. If it will break. If there are bugs. *shudder* However, things conveniently placed next to a dumpster are fair game.

Trash day has become one of my favorite days. I have found some of the more affluent neighborhoods are awesome to cruise through on trash day. Amazingly, there are still a lot of people out there that never take things to Goodwill. They just leave them on the curb.



Still think I'm crazy? Take a look at some of the treasures I found.

Kitchen Chair needed a new bolt
(Please ignore the pile of blue bags in the corner. They're full of donations waiting to go.)

Fully functional keyboard needed new batteries

Dora the Explorer chair Hole needed sewn up

Un-paper towels.

I find myself, on a daily basis, wiping up sticky messes, eewie gooey crud, and just random "what is that!?" spots. So, of course, I love prepackaged wipes. I mean loooove. As in dewy eyed drool on myself trip over my feet L-O-V-E. Not everyone feels this way about wipes but not everyone has kids either. (I'm sure other moms out here have a similar infatuation.)

Small problem with wipes... They're expensive!

So how to solve this? Unpaper towels. A simple linen napkin that I wet with either water or vinegar to wipe up messes. Works just the same as a pop up wipe but I can toss this into the laundry when done.

What's that? Do they scrub? You bet your cookies they do! I never dry these with dryer sheets and most of the time I hang them so they do scrub really well.

Now if you don't like my simple linen wipes they have a ton of cutesy ones on etsy. If you prefer scented just fill a container with 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar, and your choice of essential oil (just a few drops should do). Either put the mix in a spray bottle to spray and wipe or put he mix in a container with the wipes and leave them until you need them. I personally prefer the spray method but I know some people that use the soaked ones.

Either way you look at it unpaper towels will save you a bundle.

Stay green,

Yasha

The coffee table said what!?

Well let me just go deal with that!

Ok I'm back and I think the coffee table took the worst of it. Ok, ok. I'm not punishing the family coffee table. I'm merely bringing it new life. Follow along with my sporadic posts as I refinish this wonderful piece of history. Well it should be history. At least if you consider a hand me down from your mother in law a piece of history.

Step one: Sanding off the old finish.
We'll call this step half done.

25+ Fantastic Fall Recipes

Mmmm. From Craberry Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Streusle to Eggplant and Chicken Puttanesca Snacks these recipes will make your mouth water. Sweet, savory, rich and creamy these recipes are great for crowds, small gatherings, or lunch!

I read through these and they are mostly easy to make with simple ingredients. Many of them have items that can be found at the Farmer's Market in the fall. I love buying fresh produce from the FM I get such a good deal on it!

I just can't wait to try the applebutter recipe!

Stay green,
Yasha




SERVINGS
Yields 3 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS
5 pounds cooking apples, cored and quartered
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

PREPARATION
1. Combine the apples, cider, and orange juice in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft -- 30 to 40 minutes.

2. Remove the pan from the heat. In small batches, puree the apples and any cooking liquid through a food mill.

3. Return the puree to the Dutch oven, add the sugars, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, still stirring, until the puree thickens slightly -- about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. Transfer the butter to a clean jar and cool completely. Store refrigerated for up to 1 month.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(based on individual servings)
Calories: 49
Total Fat: .1 g
Sodium: 1.2 mg
Carbohydrates: 12.6 g
Fiber: .8 g
Protein: .1 g

Originally published in Country Living.


http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/fall-recipes-50092209?click=pp

Repurposing the Desk

I have this old cheap desk that I used for my computer before my hubby moved in with his awesome one. I've been getting around to repurposing it to fit my baby's needs. All I need to do is install some shelves and I think I'll be done.

Ready for a new home?

I bet you've never thought of this.

Amazing Homes and Offices Built from Shipping Containers

That's right a new home made from a shipping container! Amazingly affordable. Surprizingly spacious. It's a wonder they haven't caught on more in the states.

A few place in Europe have started dedicating buildings made from these containers as student housing. What do the students think? They love it!

Shipping containers are well insulated, spacious, easy to modify, and abundant. It's the perfect green home. Since many of the houses are modular prefabs you can order as much or as little space as you need. Need more space? No problem just order a few more rooms, haul them into place, and voila! A larger home!

I know this sounds like an ad for shippin containers but I really do think they are a good idea. Since the materials are already there why not use them?

Stay green,
Yasha

Not ready for the Cloth Diaper?

Want to recycle more but can't stand the thought of washing poopy diapers? Your knight in shining armor has arrived!


Knowaste


A British phenomenon that is quickly catching on in other places. This company specialises in processing and recycling old "regular" diapers. They use the recycled material to make plastic wood, plastic tiles, roofing material, absorbent material, and other things!

They also recycle adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene products. How sweet is that?

Stay green,
Yasha

How I save money (or the environment) with laundry!

I've posted before that I live in an apartment. This usually means I would have 2 choices on laundry. Wash and dry in a laundromat/dry cleaners or Wash and dry at home.

If I lived in a house I could go into my backyard and use a clothesline. No backyard = no clothesline, right? Wrong! I just set one up in the living room or baby's room on days when I don't plan on having company; usually it's the day I scrub the house from top to bottom. I have my own little makeshift clothesline made of hard materials. I use a bamboo pole and 2 metal DVD racks but I will be switching to a bamboo rack once I get rid of the DVD racks. I'll post a picture of the new racks when they're built.

Line drying can be used for any type of clothing and I greatly encourage it!!! With whites it will help bleach out any stains and save cash on your electric bill. Double bonus!

Ok so who wants an eyesore clothesline in the backyard 24/7? I wouldn't. However, your clotheslines don't have to be an eyesore. Consider alternative clotheslines such as wooden drying racks which can be placed on a patio, porch, or in the home; many of these fold up for easy storage as well.

If you like to garden try turning your "eyesore" into a trellis. Two wooden posts placed about a foot and a half apart with wooden crossbeams make a wonderful base for any climbing plant. You can plant sweet peas, roses, gardenias, you name it. Just have 2 sets of these trellises spaced far enough apart to string up your laundry.

The last option is to have a clothesline that can be taken down when not in use. Similar to the makeshift type I use in my apartment, you would only need to place it outside and take it down when not in use. I hope this gives you some ideas.

May you have many sunny days of drying!

Stay green,
Yasha

For more tips on clotheslines check out these sites:
livingonadime.com: Air Drying Clothes Without A Clothesline