Brown bags instead of paper towels

I save my paper bags from carry-out meals to use when I make bacon or other greasy foods. Since these bags are used to collect grease, and they usually don't on the first use, I put them to work one more time before they get tossed. This limits my use of paper towels and cuts way back on my need to purchase them.

Check out my previous post on paper towel reduction: rags and newspaper instead of paper towels

Dear European Union friends,

Hello. I should let you know that I do not have any cookies set up on this blog. If cookies want to be set up from you looking at my page, then it is google, blogger, or someone else doing it.  Blogger told me that I have to inform EU citizens that visit my site of cookies. There are none as far as I know. But my favorite are chocolate chip and chocolate crackle cookies....mmm...cookies. I think I'll have some now. But not on this website, just in my tummy.

Have a good day! Stay Green.

Calendar Pages

Why did I wake up this morning thinking about calendar refill pages?



Franklin Covey has some nice pages that will fit both my Mead and DayRunner binders from 1997 and 2001, respectively. I bought those binder-style calendars thinking "I'll reuse these over and over." It's only taken me a few years to get back around to them. :D They are still in excellent condition. Here are the pages I'd like to reorder for those calendar binders. Mind you, I do only need one planner per year. I'll have to make a desicion.

• http://franklinplanner.fcorgp.com/store/category/prod2400005/AU-July-2015-Planners/Blooms-Ring-bound-Weekly-Planner?skuId=62777&idRecommendation=4-3154082879&idPrevPage=3159

Cloth Diapers

YouTube help by 

Whitney Sews 

and 

We are the Strange

• Inserts explained by type: youtube.com/watch?v=GVqIj0ZxcPM
• Etsy shop: etsy.com/listing/228242449/three-layer-insert?ref=shop_home_active_10
• Bag to carry used diapers: youtube.com/watch?v=hEnbL0-bLhM
• diapersewingsupplies.com
• maxaloon instructions. Pants that grow with you (and cover cloth diapers) youtube.com/watch?v=lSZD88ChwPU
• overview of all of We Are The Strange cloth diaper info: youtube.com/watch?v=p9Ey7Prk6OM
• Cloth wipes! youtube.com/watch?v=PATHEkxgzQc&list=PLdg2jAuzPRfrJniO15EDwdEVBC8Xc8Y13&index=6
• bamboo/hemp/organic cotton is best 

Patterns: 

• diapersewingsupplies.com/patterns/
• free newborn pattern

KAM Snaps: 

• www.kamsnaps.com (free shipping on $47 orders)
• diapersewingsupplies.com/kam-snaps

PUL fabric:

• diapersewingsupplies.com/what-is-pul-fabric-pul-fabric-by-eco-pul

Etsy stores: 

• BubbleBubbs
• MaxAndMeena
• TattooedMother

Blogs:

• theclothdiaperwhisperer.com

Buy Diapers ready to go: 

• kellyscloset.com
• 
  

home made personal care products

1. soap
2. lotion
3. facewash
4. body butter:
   http://loveandcupcakesblog.com/2013/04/03/homemade-beauty02/

homemade cleaning supplies

1. dryer balls
2. liquid hand soap
3. steam cleaner solution

Local Farm: Ray Family Farms

One thing that I do constantly need more and new of is FOOD! I love food. I just found a farm that is closer than almost any grocery store and I'm so excited. They are only open Friday and Saturday and I need to get there Friday for the milk!! 

www.rayfamilyfarms.com

Stacks and Stacks

I have SO many boxes of fabric and yarn. I've decided that the most organic and local thing I can do right now is to use these fabrics and yarns before I purchase more. As of yesterday, we moved all of our stuff out of the storage unit and into the house. I need to stop searching for new and more and use up what I have on hand.  :D

Organic Fabrics Source

http://www.madehereinamerica.com/Pages/FabricsWholesale.aspx

Here's a place with a long list of fabric wholesalers. 

This one is out of Asheville, NC: http://organiccottonplus.com/

One Without Limits, responsible clothing

Here's a company that is thinking it through. They make clothing from sustainable, organic fabrics from the USA. In fact, I taught this designer to sew. :D And we share these ethics. I'm so proud of what he has done with this company. I need to find out where he's getting his fabric. :D  Please visit and shop www.onewithoutlimits.com 

Natural Fiber Yarns

What do you do with "roving" yarns, please tell me? Perhaps weaving, or spinning?

The LB Collection by Lion Brand Yarns has a nice assortment organic and natural yarns. I found a couple of other sites worth returning to: 

• KnitPicks has 100gr/273yd of 100% Merino wool on clearance for $8.99; and 
• Yarn.com ships orders of $25 for free! Be sure to check out Grampa's Clearance. 
• SolitdeWool.com is located in Virginia. I'm in North Carolina, so I'm considering this a local source.  Yeah!
• ThreeWatersFarm is in Chapel Hill, NC and sells in their shop and at the Carrboro Farmers' Market each Saturday.

I'm still on the hunt for:

WOOL

• Here's an eBay search for "wool yarn". The interface and search options are nice to select the types of yarn available. I didn't realise eBay is so hip to its yarn community.
• Baby Wool Yarn by Lion Brand Yarn, retail: $6.99 for 1.75 oz
• Alpine Wool by Lion Brand Yarn, retail $8.29 for 3 oz (only solid colors are 100% wool)
• Patons Wool on Joann.com $5.24 for 3.5 oz/223 yd

BAMBOO

• Bamboo yarn from the Phillipeans on eBay: 99C for 50gr 70% bamboo/ 30% cotton

ORGANIC COTTON

• Lion Brand on Fabric.com at $6.28 for 85gr/103yd. Or at Lion Brand website. However, this yarn is discontinued. 

The more I search for yarn, the more I realize that there is very little information of the origins of any of these yarns. Perhaps, I'll start looking into locally spun yarns, but you know they are going to be expensive. Man oh man, what a world. 

Convertor

• Here's a great converter! Sweet! Thanks, Google!
• 
  
• TemperatureLengthMassSpeedVolumeAreaFuel consumptionTimeDigital Storage
• Metric tonKilogramGramMilligramMcgLong tonShort tonStonePoundOunce
  =
  Metric tonKilogramGramMilligramMcgLong tonShort tonStonePoundOunce

Fisherman's Wool: Natural Yarn

WOOL

• Fisherman's Wool by Lion Brand -  All 100% virgin, undyed wool (except the "Birch Tweed").  Sold in 8 oz skeins with 465 yards. 
• Retail value $12.99.
• Craftsy -40% =$7.80. (free shipping on $99 orders)
• Amazon = $8.19 and free shipping on $35 orders.
• Etsy: YarnShop4U = $8.25. (Combine shipping on her other 4 shops, too.)
• fabric.com = $8.48 (free shipping on $35 orders)
• Joann = $8.24. (free shipping on $60 orders)
• Review from Joann: "OK, WONDERFUL yardage for the money. That's pretty much where the love ends here. I found in just a single skein several knots and broken plies, thin spots, and odd (what's this sorts of color blobs). Yes, its *natural*, but the quality here is a little lacking. My finished shawl is going to take a lot of work to block into softness and wearabilty. (A little bit more money and you could get something MUCH softer.) Defnitely not a next-to-the-skin wool. Thinnish for a wosted weight. I imagine this would be great for felting however, and I love the natrual color range."

Times are changing

In the past, I've used this platform to write about ways to waste less resources. Now, I'm going to start entering information I find while researching online. This will help me to eliminate repeated searches and save a lot of precious time. Time is the one resource that is absolutely non-renewable. Use it the most wisely.

Toothbrushes

I save all my old toothbrushes. They are great for cleaning corners and cleaning trims and textured picture frames. I also use them to polish up my tortoise's shell. I do throw them away once they become discolored or the bristles, bent.