I thought I'd write about our latest adventure in recycling/reusing. Here it's not against the law to dumpster dive. I hear it is in some states. If it's in the trash, it's free game. If you don't want it, you can put it on the curb out in front of your house, and someone will pick it up, or behind your house where the trash is picked up and someone will pick it up before the trash man goes by.
My husband goes by the day before trash days to scrounge for copper, steel and other recyclable metals. We collect cans to be turned in. Right now we're saving everything we can for my son's camping trip with his school. They're going to Sky Ranch sometime after school is out. I have to have $210 by April 1st. I just had to buy a hot water heater ($610) that I didn't have. I hate to tell him I can't send him when all the other kids in his Math and Science Institute of a school are going. One little girl said her mother is making home made tortillas and selling them in order to send her. This is all I know to do. No one buys home made knitted products anymore. My sister-in-law tried that. It didn't do well. They want to buy it for made in China prices, and you just can't make money that way. It doesn't even pay for your materials, let alone give you any profit.
So, with the snow softly falling over the Dallas/Ft. Worth area on this February day, my husband went out to look for materials. He took a vacation day to clean out his garage, but now it's too cold. It actually turned out to be quite a profitable day. He found a house that was either an eviction, or someone died and they cleaned it out. I'm wearing, as I type, a slanket. It's a blanket with sleeves in it. Already washed and dried. There were 4 pairs of shoes, in various sizes, one to fit my husband, one to fit his dad, and a few that will go to the cub scout garage sale. There were clothes that fit my oldest son, clothes for me, and a couple work shirts for my husband. He found a TV that doesn't work. You'd be amazed how much copper is in a broken TV. He scraps it out. He also found some jewelry. Most was cheap, but he found a pair of silver angel earrings, and 2 angel pins that may be gold, what appears to be bakelite ear rings and possibly a gold chain. Also some Christmas pins that have marks on them. We also found a set of metal wall plaques that appear to be from the 1950's. I tried to look them up. I found the manufacturer, but not that exact piece. It appears to be worth about $15 each. Not bad for finding it in the trash. If I can find a buyer....I'll hold on to it for a while, maybe put it on Ebay.
In these times, I'm not ashamed to say we dumpster dive. You'd be amazed what gets thrown out. Whatever we find and don't personally need, we donate to the cub scout garage sale. It benefits our boys, since my husband is a leader, and someone will get the use of it. It also saved space in the dump. It's getting used again. This was all going to be collected and thrown in the trash. It's all perfectly good stuff, being thrown out. It still has life in it. The TV doesn't, but it's being broken down into smaller components and recycled better. I don't know if the trash man takes a whole TV. As to getting paid for his time? Well, he's getting vacation pay today, so whatever he gets from it is icing.
So, the husband is off to the recycling center, and I'm pulling the 2nd load of wash out of the dryer.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Green Living 101: Things You Can Reuse To Save Money
I don't know if I'm doing this the right way or not, but here's the article I found...I'm supposed to "linkback" but I'm not sure how to do that. I posted her link to her article at the bottom of the article. There are a lot of neat ways to save money. It's not "true" recycling, as one of the comments noted, but hey, this is saving money, not the liberal version of recycling. We aren't in it to turn a bottle into a bottle. We're about saving money.
__________________
Green Living 101: Things You Can Reuse To Save Money
by heather on December 6, 2008
If you’re looking for ways to save money and go green, then this is the perfect list for you. I love it when things can do double-duty, and “Reuse” is second on the Holy Trio of green living (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).
I think many people have gotten really good at #3. After all, recycling is at an all time high. But, there’s a reason why it’s last on the list. Reducing consumption is, by and large, the best way to go green.
After that comes Reuse, which is what I’m focusing on today. Reusing things not only helps the environment, but it’s also a great way to save money.
The Magic Go Green List
1. Reuse Egg Cartons
Egg cartons make great seed starters in the spring.
If they’re styrofoam, you can break off each little egg cup and use them to cushion items when you have to ship something through the mail.
2. Reuse Your Blue Jeans
This idea came from one of our readers here at The Greenest Dollar. His idea? Use the leg of old jeans as door draft stoppers. Cut off a leg (a blue jean leg, that is), stuff it with old fabric or other filling like plastic bags, and sew up both ends. They work great for keeping doorway drafts at bay.
3. Reuse Your Coffee Grounds
Coffee Grounds (after you’ve made coffee, of course) make a great exfoliator. Use them to wash your hands after you’ve been digging in the dirt. Just mix a tablespoon of regular coffee grounds in your hand with one pump of your regular hand soap and you’re good to go!
Coffee grounds also work great in your yard. Sprinkle them in your flower beds or vegetable garden to add nutrients to the soil.
4. Reuse Wet Wipe Containers
If you have kids, then you have wet wipes. The empty containers are great for storing string and ribbon. Stick a piece of each ribbon out the hole and all you have to do is pull and cut. No tangles!
Wet wipe containers also work great for holding puzzle pieces or game pieces.
These containers are also perfect for storing Kleenex, especially in a bathroom that gets pretty wet or dusty.
5. Reuse Your Coffee Can
If you’re interested in composting, you don’t have to drop $30 on a ceramic “composting crock” for your kitchen. Just use your old coffee can. It’s airtight, so you won’t get any smell, and very easy to wash.
6. Reuse Old Maps
Old, dated maps make the best wrapping paper! Especially this time of year…
Old maps can also make interesting posters, especially if you have a bunch and can do a large section of wall.
7. Reuse Your Old Pens
Some households have absolutely no pens, ever. Others have so many pens they don’t know what to do with them all. If you have a ton of pens floating around, here are some ideas:
Donate them to your local school, library, women’s center, senior center, hospice home, or animal shelter.
Take them to work and put them in a jar by the copying machine for people to take with them.
8. Reuse Your Electronics
Go to Gazelle.com to sell your electronics to others who really need them. Gazelle focuses on everything electric: cell phones, camcorders, video game consoles, computers, PDAs, cameras, movies, MP3 players…everything gets an offer, and they’ll even send you a box to ship it out for free. If you have anything electric you want to get rid of, check out their site. You’ll help the environment, and earn money at the same time. Gazelle has been featured on the Today Show and CNN Money.
9. Reuse Old Envelopes
I use the envelopes from the mail I get everyday as shopping list paper. They’re the perfect size, and when I’m done with the list I toss it into the recycle bin. I never buy new paper for scribbling notes or To Do lists!
10. Reuse Roll-On Deodorant Sticks
Once the deodorant is used up wash out the base and then fill it with paint for your kids to play with. Stick the roller ball back in, and they’re good to go.
If you have a cat, the roller ball itself will make a fun toy for her to bat around.
If you’re into ping pong, then use the ball for your next game. Fun!
Additional Resources
I stumbled onto a fantastic site while doing research for this article.
How Can I Recycle This? is a site fully devoted to reusing things you normally have around the house. Some of her suggestions were sheer genius, so if you’re interested in learning more about how to reuse the common “stuff” you have around the house, please check out her site.
Republishing Policy:
Like this post? Great! You’re welcome to reprint anything that’s posted on TheGreenestDollar.com, as long as you link back to the original article. Please see my Republishing Policy for more information.
Spread the Love!
Tagged as: green living, Recycling
http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2008/12/green-living-101-things-you-can-reuse-to-save-money/
__________________
Green Living 101: Things You Can Reuse To Save Money
by heather on December 6, 2008
If you’re looking for ways to save money and go green, then this is the perfect list for you. I love it when things can do double-duty, and “Reuse” is second on the Holy Trio of green living (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).
I think many people have gotten really good at #3. After all, recycling is at an all time high. But, there’s a reason why it’s last on the list. Reducing consumption is, by and large, the best way to go green.
After that comes Reuse, which is what I’m focusing on today. Reusing things not only helps the environment, but it’s also a great way to save money.
The Magic Go Green List
1. Reuse Egg Cartons
Egg cartons make great seed starters in the spring.
If they’re styrofoam, you can break off each little egg cup and use them to cushion items when you have to ship something through the mail.
2. Reuse Your Blue Jeans
This idea came from one of our readers here at The Greenest Dollar. His idea? Use the leg of old jeans as door draft stoppers. Cut off a leg (a blue jean leg, that is), stuff it with old fabric or other filling like plastic bags, and sew up both ends. They work great for keeping doorway drafts at bay.
3. Reuse Your Coffee Grounds
Coffee Grounds (after you’ve made coffee, of course) make a great exfoliator. Use them to wash your hands after you’ve been digging in the dirt. Just mix a tablespoon of regular coffee grounds in your hand with one pump of your regular hand soap and you’re good to go!
Coffee grounds also work great in your yard. Sprinkle them in your flower beds or vegetable garden to add nutrients to the soil.
4. Reuse Wet Wipe Containers
If you have kids, then you have wet wipes. The empty containers are great for storing string and ribbon. Stick a piece of each ribbon out the hole and all you have to do is pull and cut. No tangles!
Wet wipe containers also work great for holding puzzle pieces or game pieces.
These containers are also perfect for storing Kleenex, especially in a bathroom that gets pretty wet or dusty.
5. Reuse Your Coffee Can
If you’re interested in composting, you don’t have to drop $30 on a ceramic “composting crock” for your kitchen. Just use your old coffee can. It’s airtight, so you won’t get any smell, and very easy to wash.
6. Reuse Old Maps
Old, dated maps make the best wrapping paper! Especially this time of year…
Old maps can also make interesting posters, especially if you have a bunch and can do a large section of wall.
7. Reuse Your Old Pens
Some households have absolutely no pens, ever. Others have so many pens they don’t know what to do with them all. If you have a ton of pens floating around, here are some ideas:
Donate them to your local school, library, women’s center, senior center, hospice home, or animal shelter.
Take them to work and put them in a jar by the copying machine for people to take with them.
8. Reuse Your Electronics
Go to Gazelle.com to sell your electronics to others who really need them. Gazelle focuses on everything electric: cell phones, camcorders, video game consoles, computers, PDAs, cameras, movies, MP3 players…everything gets an offer, and they’ll even send you a box to ship it out for free. If you have anything electric you want to get rid of, check out their site. You’ll help the environment, and earn money at the same time. Gazelle has been featured on the Today Show and CNN Money.
9. Reuse Old Envelopes
I use the envelopes from the mail I get everyday as shopping list paper. They’re the perfect size, and when I’m done with the list I toss it into the recycle bin. I never buy new paper for scribbling notes or To Do lists!
10. Reuse Roll-On Deodorant Sticks
Once the deodorant is used up wash out the base and then fill it with paint for your kids to play with. Stick the roller ball back in, and they’re good to go.
If you have a cat, the roller ball itself will make a fun toy for her to bat around.
If you’re into ping pong, then use the ball for your next game. Fun!
Additional Resources
I stumbled onto a fantastic site while doing research for this article.
How Can I Recycle This? is a site fully devoted to reusing things you normally have around the house. Some of her suggestions were sheer genius, so if you’re interested in learning more about how to reuse the common “stuff” you have around the house, please check out her site.
Republishing Policy:
Like this post? Great! You’re welcome to reprint anything that’s posted on TheGreenestDollar.com, as long as you link back to the original article. Please see my Republishing Policy for more information.
Spread the Love!
Tagged as: green living, Recycling
http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2008/12/green-living-101-things-you-can-reuse-to-save-money/
Introduction
I'm setting this blog up for the purpose of preparing everyone for what's ahead. I've posted 2 blogs that I've written in the past on the subject, but I plan on writing more original works, and collecting information from the Internet and posting it here. That will be the main point of this blog, to gather information all in one place, with my comments to supplement it.
I'll also be keeping everyone up to date on my own Freedom Patch exploits. I plan on planting a square foot garden this spring. We just moved into a new house last April. I live in Texas, not sun! We are strapped financially, paying 2 mortgages. No, that doesn't mean we have a vacation home. We left a bad situation, which I won't go into on this forum. We still owe a mortgage on that house, while my in-laws are living in it, and we're trying to sell that house. They own their half, but can't move until it sells, because all the equity is tied up in the house. We have no choice but to save. So I want to share my experiences of how we're doing it.
I have to admit, I'm a capitalist. But, I'm also an American. Any information I can gather on how to do this, I am willing to share, freely. Now, that said, I have a political blog that is not monetized. I will be monetizing this blog. I will also be placing a disclaimer on this blog, as I have no idea what they will advertise on this blog. I'm not responsible if they put liberal clap trap stuff on here. I am very conservative in my political views. I recycle, I try to eat healthy, but I am very conservative politically. Live with it. My political views will leak through this blog. It's who I am. I live, eat, breathe and poop politics as of the last year or so. I have fire proof panties, and I can take criticism, so fire away if you feel you must. I will try to stick to the subject, but no promises.
My plans? A garden to grow mostly salad stuff. I tried last year to grow tomatoes up close, but my patio shaded the spot I picked to well. That, and I made an organic bug killer that worked too well. It killed ALL the bugs and they didn't get on the plant to germinate the flowers, which didn't turn into tomatoes. Lots of flowers, no tomatoes. Live and learn. Now I'll spray the bug killer only after the tomatoes come on. And I'm moving my tomato patch out to the fence row. I don't have a camera yet. Can't afford it. So I can't post pictures.
My brother in law and his wife, both) has a job with AT&T. My only birthday present wish is that everyone in my family pool their money and get me a digital camera.....for whatever gift giving occasion they choose. I would be happy if, for Christmas, that was the only gift I opened. I nice camera. I would be playing with it while everyone else in the family continued to open presents. I always wanted to be a photo-journalist. I only went to 1 year of college before dropping out and joining the Navy as a sub-hunter.
So, I composted all last summer, a patch out by my fence....it's got really nice soil by now for a patch of vegetables. My husband ran out of materials to give me another patch to work on. He has an adopted sister who has a fiancee, who we're going to hire to get rid of our Pampas grass and add another raised bed for composting over the spring/summer. He just has to get more scrap lumber.
In the current one, I'll grow tomatoes, cucumbers (up a trellis), peppers, and whatever else I can squeeze in. I haven't mapped it out by how big it is...it's still cold here in Texas. It's 27 degrees today. Eventually, we want to clear the whole back fence because it gets good sunshine. Up by where I planted the tomatoes last year, we'll plant the herbs like I did last year. They did good. I planted basil, dill and rosemary. The rosemary is still there. I planted cilantro by my roses, but I think the soil was too poor for it to grow well. I need to put more compost around the roses. I read that cilantro will keep your roses healthy. I'll buy more and plant it more freely. Maybe I spread it out too thinly.
I'm also stocking up on food whenever I can. We may be trying to build a series of shelves in the garage for the canned goods. Right now I have them above my dryer. I don't have much money to stock up. Whenever they have a buy one get one free, I do. I buy the big cans at Wal-Mart or Sam's. That's not the best thing to do, but it's better than nothing. One big can of green beans with potatoes and sausage will make a meal.
As a quick note, it's winter, is everyone venting their dryers into the house? You can stick a knee high on the end of the hose, or you can stick it into the end of a can of water and duct tape it around the top of the lid. Or they make special holders just for you to do that. We bought one when it was on sale for something like $7. I do a load a day, to help with the heating bills. Wash, dry, fold and put away. Better than spending a whole day doing laundry, any way.
Lori Ann Smith
I'll also be keeping everyone up to date on my own Freedom Patch exploits. I plan on planting a square foot garden this spring. We just moved into a new house last April. I live in Texas, not sun! We are strapped financially, paying 2 mortgages. No, that doesn't mean we have a vacation home. We left a bad situation, which I won't go into on this forum. We still owe a mortgage on that house, while my in-laws are living in it, and we're trying to sell that house. They own their half, but can't move until it sells, because all the equity is tied up in the house. We have no choice but to save. So I want to share my experiences of how we're doing it.
I have to admit, I'm a capitalist. But, I'm also an American. Any information I can gather on how to do this, I am willing to share, freely. Now, that said, I have a political blog that is not monetized. I will be monetizing this blog. I will also be placing a disclaimer on this blog, as I have no idea what they will advertise on this blog. I'm not responsible if they put liberal clap trap stuff on here. I am very conservative in my political views. I recycle, I try to eat healthy, but I am very conservative politically. Live with it. My political views will leak through this blog. It's who I am. I live, eat, breathe and poop politics as of the last year or so. I have fire proof panties, and I can take criticism, so fire away if you feel you must. I will try to stick to the subject, but no promises.
My plans? A garden to grow mostly salad stuff. I tried last year to grow tomatoes up close, but my patio shaded the spot I picked to well. That, and I made an organic bug killer that worked too well. It killed ALL the bugs and they didn't get on the plant to germinate the flowers, which didn't turn into tomatoes. Lots of flowers, no tomatoes. Live and learn. Now I'll spray the bug killer only after the tomatoes come on. And I'm moving my tomato patch out to the fence row. I don't have a camera yet. Can't afford it. So I can't post pictures.
My brother in law and his wife, both) has a job with AT&T. My only birthday present wish is that everyone in my family pool their money and get me a digital camera.....for whatever gift giving occasion they choose. I would be happy if, for Christmas, that was the only gift I opened. I nice camera. I would be playing with it while everyone else in the family continued to open presents. I always wanted to be a photo-journalist. I only went to 1 year of college before dropping out and joining the Navy as a sub-hunter.
So, I composted all last summer, a patch out by my fence....it's got really nice soil by now for a patch of vegetables. My husband ran out of materials to give me another patch to work on. He has an adopted sister who has a fiancee, who we're going to hire to get rid of our Pampas grass and add another raised bed for composting over the spring/summer. He just has to get more scrap lumber.
In the current one, I'll grow tomatoes, cucumbers (up a trellis), peppers, and whatever else I can squeeze in. I haven't mapped it out by how big it is...it's still cold here in Texas. It's 27 degrees today. Eventually, we want to clear the whole back fence because it gets good sunshine. Up by where I planted the tomatoes last year, we'll plant the herbs like I did last year. They did good. I planted basil, dill and rosemary. The rosemary is still there. I planted cilantro by my roses, but I think the soil was too poor for it to grow well. I need to put more compost around the roses. I read that cilantro will keep your roses healthy. I'll buy more and plant it more freely. Maybe I spread it out too thinly.
I'm also stocking up on food whenever I can. We may be trying to build a series of shelves in the garage for the canned goods. Right now I have them above my dryer. I don't have much money to stock up. Whenever they have a buy one get one free, I do. I buy the big cans at Wal-Mart or Sam's. That's not the best thing to do, but it's better than nothing. One big can of green beans with potatoes and sausage will make a meal.
As a quick note, it's winter, is everyone venting their dryers into the house? You can stick a knee high on the end of the hose, or you can stick it into the end of a can of water and duct tape it around the top of the lid. Or they make special holders just for you to do that. We bought one when it was on sale for something like $7. I do a load a day, to help with the heating bills. Wash, dry, fold and put away. Better than spending a whole day doing laundry, any way.
Lori Ann Smith
Survival List
Survival List
I've been going down the list on the main site for 100 items likely to disappear in an Emergency(posted on Asamom.org). I went through the list the first time with the mind of what do I have now? I checked items off the list. My family camps, so we had quite a few items. I craft, so there were more to check off. I've begun stock-piling essentials like toilet paper and paper towels, only because I'm brand concious and when mine goes on sale, I buy it whether I need it or not. I've always done that. Then I started at the top again with the mind-set to research what I could do home-made.
I found an article on line, and don't know if this is a double post or not, on how to make your own filtration system for drinking water. I'm wondering how many more I can compile in one site, so here goes:
Portable Water Filters
One other type of homemade water filter is far more portable and personal. The materials for this style of water filter are readily available and can be found easily in most households.
A two-liter plastic water bottle with the lid will serve as the housing for the filtration system. An ordinary plastic straw will serve as the spout. The filtration system will consist of cotton batting, fine and large grain gravel, fine and large grain sand, and a coffee filter. Activated charcoal granules may be added for an extra level of filtration. The filtered water can be captured in a mug or jar.
To create this style of homemade water filter, cut off the bottom of the two-liter water bottle. Create a hole in the lid of the bottle so that a straw may fit snugly. The straw must sit half way through the opening in the lid. This housing configuration will sit on the jar or mug with the straw end of the housing inside the jar.
Place the cotton batting at the bottom of the two-liter bottle, this will serve as the lining for your filtration system. Start with a layer of activated charcoal granules.
Next, place a layer of fine grain sand followed by a layer of large grain sand. Follow the layers of sand with a layer of fine grain gravel then larger grain gravel.
Alternate these layers until you reach the top of the bottle.
Top the filtration system with the coffee filter. Once the filtration system is in place, pour in the unfiltered water through the coffee filter. The untreated water will work through the layers of sediment to wick away the impurities in the water. The cotton batting catches particulates from the sediment and acts as a final buffer. The filtered water will flow through the straw spout into the jar for drinking. Adding a couple of drops of chlorine can add another level of filtration to the process.
How to Make Homemade Soap
Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
This soap is a pleasure to give - and to receive.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need:
Soap Coloring
Soap Fragrance
Soap Molds
Colored Crayons
Thick Bath Towels
Coconut Oil
Distilled Waters
Non-virgin Olive (not Virgin) Oil
Vegetable Oils
Vinegar
Vinegar
Fragrant Essential Oils
Lye
Rubber Gloves
Rubber Gloves
Crisco Shortenings
Candy Thermometer
Measuring Cups And Spoons
Mixing Spoons
Plastic Bowls
Rubber Spatulas
Stainless Steel Stockpots
Stirring Spoons
Mitre Boxes
Safety Goggles
Safety Goggles
Rubber spatulas
Soap Making 101
Step 1Dissolve 12 oz. lye in 32 oz. softened water in a plastic or glass bowl. If at all possible, do this outside or under an exhaust fan.
Step 2Add the lye to the water, not vice versa. Pour the lye slowly and in a steady stream, and stir constantly with a plastic spoon.
Step 3Set the mixture aside to cool. The mixture will heat up considerably due to the lye reacting with fats in the oils. This is called saponification.
Step 4Melt 24 oz. coconut oil and 38 oz. solid vegetable shortening in a stainless steel pot.
Step 5Add 25 oz. olive oil (not virgin) and any fragrance oils you want to use.
Step 6Allow the oils to cool.
Step 7Grease the soap mold with Crisco.
Step 8When both the oil and lye mixtures have cooled to room temperature, slowly combine them, adding the lye to the oils.
Step 9Stir slowly and constantly. If you see bubbles, stir more slowly.
Step 10Drizzle the soap into the pot once in a while. When it keeps its shape momentarily before sinking into the rest of the mix (tracing), it's time to add whatever extras you want.
Step 11Stir your botanicals, grains and coloring into a cup of soap taken from the mix.
Step 12Combine that back into the original mixture.
Step 13Pour the soap into the mold.
Step 14Wrap the mold in a towel and leave it undisturbed for 18 hours. The soap mixture will heat up and then cool down. Avoid uncovering it until it's cooled.
Step 15Allow the soap to sit in the uncovered mold for another 12 hours.
Step 16Loosen the sides by wiggling the mold a little.
Step 17Turn the mold over onto a clean counter.
Step 18Cut the soap into bars with a knife. Some people use a miter box to make square corners.
Step 19Allow the bars to cure for three to four weeks before using. Smaller bars cure faster than larger ones.
Additives
Step 1Mix candle coloring into the oil solution. If it's wax-based, melt it first in a couple of tablespoons of oil and then add it to the rest of the oil mix.
Step 2Realize that you can also use crayons for coloring. Experiment with colors. Note that purples are very difficult to keep true.
Step 3Use 1 tsp. per pound of soap of the following ingredients: cocoa powder for brown, cayenne pepper for pink-peach, liquid chlorophyll for light green, turmeric for yellow, paprika for peach and titanium dioxide for white.
Step 4Use 1 oz. essential oil to scent a 4-lb. batch of soap.
Step 5Know that 2 tsp. ground cloves makes a great-smelling soap. Try grated orange or lemon peel or ginger, too.
Step 6Use rose water instead of regular water for rose soap.
Step 7Oatmeal makes a great complexion soap. Use 8 oz.
Step 8Add 4 oz. cornmeal for a gritty texture.
Step 9Make soap with 1/2 oz. geranium oil for dry skin.
Step 10Use tea tree oil - 1/2 oz. - for problem skin.
Natural Repellents (For Mosquitoes)
It's very easy to make your own natural mosquito repellent. These natural products will effectively repel mosquitoes, but they require more frequent reapplication (at least every 2 hours) and higher concentrations than DEET. Because of the differences between types of mosquitoes, products that contain multiple repellents tend to be more effective than those containing a single ingredient. As you can see, natural repellents tend to be volatile plant oils.
•Citronella Oil
•Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
•Cinnamon Oil
•Castor Oil
•Rosemary Oil
•Lemongrass Oil
•Cedar Oil
•Peppermint Oil
•Clove Oil
•Geranium Oil
•Possibly Oils from Verbena, Pennyroyal, Lavender, Pine, Cajeput, Basil, Thyme, Allspice, Soybean, and Garlic
Another plant-derived substance, pyrethrum, is an insecticide. Pyrethrum comes from the flowers of the daisy Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium.
Things that Lower Repellent Effectiveness
•Many Sunscreens
•Dilution from Rain, Perspiration, or Swimming
•Absorption into the Skin
•Evaporation from Wind or High Temperatures
Keep in mind that 'natural' does not automatically imply 'safe'. Many people are sensitive to plant oils. Some natural insect repellents are actually toxic. Therefore, although natural repellents provide an alternative to synthetic chemicals, please remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using these products.
_________
There are also books out on natural remedies. I have one called Green Pharmacy. I am checking into natural remedies for the major maladies of my family. It's funny because we had considered this a few years back because we didn't want the chemicals in our bodies and now we can't afford to go all vegetarian. At one time our family was 70-80% raw, with the rest vegan (and it was a diet, we weren't a green nut), and we gave up most families meds. My husband and I didn't need our blood pressure meds, my youngest didn't need his adhd meds... but we had to go off the diet because I developed Cancer, and then we moved to a different state, long story. Now we can't afford it. Buying all vegetables is expensive. The liberal left has a racket. Don't let them tell you they're looking out for your health, and aren't capitolists. They're totally in it for the money.
I've been going down the list on the main site for 100 items likely to disappear in an Emergency(posted on Asamom.org). I went through the list the first time with the mind of what do I have now? I checked items off the list. My family camps, so we had quite a few items. I craft, so there were more to check off. I've begun stock-piling essentials like toilet paper and paper towels, only because I'm brand concious and when mine goes on sale, I buy it whether I need it or not. I've always done that. Then I started at the top again with the mind-set to research what I could do home-made.
I found an article on line, and don't know if this is a double post or not, on how to make your own filtration system for drinking water. I'm wondering how many more I can compile in one site, so here goes:
Portable Water Filters
One other type of homemade water filter is far more portable and personal. The materials for this style of water filter are readily available and can be found easily in most households.
A two-liter plastic water bottle with the lid will serve as the housing for the filtration system. An ordinary plastic straw will serve as the spout. The filtration system will consist of cotton batting, fine and large grain gravel, fine and large grain sand, and a coffee filter. Activated charcoal granules may be added for an extra level of filtration. The filtered water can be captured in a mug or jar.
To create this style of homemade water filter, cut off the bottom of the two-liter water bottle. Create a hole in the lid of the bottle so that a straw may fit snugly. The straw must sit half way through the opening in the lid. This housing configuration will sit on the jar or mug with the straw end of the housing inside the jar.
Place the cotton batting at the bottom of the two-liter bottle, this will serve as the lining for your filtration system. Start with a layer of activated charcoal granules.
Next, place a layer of fine grain sand followed by a layer of large grain sand. Follow the layers of sand with a layer of fine grain gravel then larger grain gravel.
Alternate these layers until you reach the top of the bottle.
Top the filtration system with the coffee filter. Once the filtration system is in place, pour in the unfiltered water through the coffee filter. The untreated water will work through the layers of sediment to wick away the impurities in the water. The cotton batting catches particulates from the sediment and acts as a final buffer. The filtered water will flow through the straw spout into the jar for drinking. Adding a couple of drops of chlorine can add another level of filtration to the process.
How to Make Homemade Soap
Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
This soap is a pleasure to give - and to receive.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need:
Soap Coloring
Soap Fragrance
Soap Molds
Colored Crayons
Thick Bath Towels
Coconut Oil
Distilled Waters
Non-virgin Olive (not Virgin) Oil
Vegetable Oils
Vinegar
Vinegar
Fragrant Essential Oils
Lye
Rubber Gloves
Rubber Gloves
Crisco Shortenings
Candy Thermometer
Measuring Cups And Spoons
Mixing Spoons
Plastic Bowls
Rubber Spatulas
Stainless Steel Stockpots
Stirring Spoons
Mitre Boxes
Safety Goggles
Safety Goggles
Rubber spatulas
Soap Making 101
Step 1Dissolve 12 oz. lye in 32 oz. softened water in a plastic or glass bowl. If at all possible, do this outside or under an exhaust fan.
Step 2Add the lye to the water, not vice versa. Pour the lye slowly and in a steady stream, and stir constantly with a plastic spoon.
Step 3Set the mixture aside to cool. The mixture will heat up considerably due to the lye reacting with fats in the oils. This is called saponification.
Step 4Melt 24 oz. coconut oil and 38 oz. solid vegetable shortening in a stainless steel pot.
Step 5Add 25 oz. olive oil (not virgin) and any fragrance oils you want to use.
Step 6Allow the oils to cool.
Step 7Grease the soap mold with Crisco.
Step 8When both the oil and lye mixtures have cooled to room temperature, slowly combine them, adding the lye to the oils.
Step 9Stir slowly and constantly. If you see bubbles, stir more slowly.
Step 10Drizzle the soap into the pot once in a while. When it keeps its shape momentarily before sinking into the rest of the mix (tracing), it's time to add whatever extras you want.
Step 11Stir your botanicals, grains and coloring into a cup of soap taken from the mix.
Step 12Combine that back into the original mixture.
Step 13Pour the soap into the mold.
Step 14Wrap the mold in a towel and leave it undisturbed for 18 hours. The soap mixture will heat up and then cool down. Avoid uncovering it until it's cooled.
Step 15Allow the soap to sit in the uncovered mold for another 12 hours.
Step 16Loosen the sides by wiggling the mold a little.
Step 17Turn the mold over onto a clean counter.
Step 18Cut the soap into bars with a knife. Some people use a miter box to make square corners.
Step 19Allow the bars to cure for three to four weeks before using. Smaller bars cure faster than larger ones.
Additives
Step 1Mix candle coloring into the oil solution. If it's wax-based, melt it first in a couple of tablespoons of oil and then add it to the rest of the oil mix.
Step 2Realize that you can also use crayons for coloring. Experiment with colors. Note that purples are very difficult to keep true.
Step 3Use 1 tsp. per pound of soap of the following ingredients: cocoa powder for brown, cayenne pepper for pink-peach, liquid chlorophyll for light green, turmeric for yellow, paprika for peach and titanium dioxide for white.
Step 4Use 1 oz. essential oil to scent a 4-lb. batch of soap.
Step 5Know that 2 tsp. ground cloves makes a great-smelling soap. Try grated orange or lemon peel or ginger, too.
Step 6Use rose water instead of regular water for rose soap.
Step 7Oatmeal makes a great complexion soap. Use 8 oz.
Step 8Add 4 oz. cornmeal for a gritty texture.
Step 9Make soap with 1/2 oz. geranium oil for dry skin.
Step 10Use tea tree oil - 1/2 oz. - for problem skin.
Natural Repellents (For Mosquitoes)
It's very easy to make your own natural mosquito repellent. These natural products will effectively repel mosquitoes, but they require more frequent reapplication (at least every 2 hours) and higher concentrations than DEET. Because of the differences between types of mosquitoes, products that contain multiple repellents tend to be more effective than those containing a single ingredient. As you can see, natural repellents tend to be volatile plant oils.
•Citronella Oil
•Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
•Cinnamon Oil
•Castor Oil
•Rosemary Oil
•Lemongrass Oil
•Cedar Oil
•Peppermint Oil
•Clove Oil
•Geranium Oil
•Possibly Oils from Verbena, Pennyroyal, Lavender, Pine, Cajeput, Basil, Thyme, Allspice, Soybean, and Garlic
Another plant-derived substance, pyrethrum, is an insecticide. Pyrethrum comes from the flowers of the daisy Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium.
Things that Lower Repellent Effectiveness
•Many Sunscreens
•Dilution from Rain, Perspiration, or Swimming
•Absorption into the Skin
•Evaporation from Wind or High Temperatures
Keep in mind that 'natural' does not automatically imply 'safe'. Many people are sensitive to plant oils. Some natural insect repellents are actually toxic. Therefore, although natural repellents provide an alternative to synthetic chemicals, please remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using these products.
_________
There are also books out on natural remedies. I have one called Green Pharmacy. I am checking into natural remedies for the major maladies of my family. It's funny because we had considered this a few years back because we didn't want the chemicals in our bodies and now we can't afford to go all vegetarian. At one time our family was 70-80% raw, with the rest vegan (and it was a diet, we weren't a green nut), and we gave up most families meds. My husband and I didn't need our blood pressure meds, my youngest didn't need his adhd meds... but we had to go off the diet because I developed Cancer, and then we moved to a different state, long story. Now we can't afford it. Buying all vegetables is expensive. The liberal left has a racket. Don't let them tell you they're looking out for your health, and aren't capitolists. They're totally in it for the money.
Are You Ready for the Economic Collapse?
Are You Ready for the Economic Collapse?
Are you ready for the worst case scenario? Are you ready if the dollar falls and our economy collapses? There have been predictions that just that could happen and we could be headed for another depression. I’m not really worried because I was raised on stories from my grandpa. I’m only 45, but my dad was fairly old when he started his family. My dad was 33 when I was born. My grandpa was born in 1907. My dad was born in 1932, so the depression had been going on for 3 years already. Grandpa had to borrow money for the wedding ring that cost $15 when he married grandma. And he married her 17 days before my dad was born. But that’s neither here nor there.
If times get tough, America will have to live like the stories I grew up on. Grandma taught me to crochet. She made a lot of things with crochet. She seldom used patterns. She made all kinds of things. Her sister taught my dad how to knit, and he taught me. Grandma said she didn’t have enough fingers to knit. I throw my thread, but my aunt must have tried to teach her the continental method. Grandma also sewed all her clothes. I’m sure it started out with mending. She didn’t make grandpa’s clothes, but she made most of her clothes way up into the time frame that I knew her. She didn’t make her “dress clothes,” but she still made her everyday clothes. She made all my Barbie’s clothes, too .
My other grandma taught me how to quilt. Both my grandmas could make quilts. Grandma Waldo made tie quilts that where hand made and hand sewn. Grandma Robinson used a sewing machine (when I knew them). I don’t know how they did it during the depression era. Grandma Robinson crocheted a lot of blankets, too.
Grandma Waldo also did a lot of canning. That’s something I’m new to. My mother-in-law has always put up stewed tomatoes, and the past three years I’ve helped, so I know how. This year is the first summer that I actually did it all by myself. If tomatoes go down to 29 cents a pound again at Fiesta, I’ll do it again. I know now that it takes about 8 pounds for four quarts of stewed tomatoes, along with a half of a green pepper, a couple stalks of celery and a half of an onion and the spices. I would also suggest that you get an older Betty Crocker CookBook. I have one from the 1980’s. They have canning recipes in the back. When fruit goes on sale, you can put up jars of fruit, too. A dozen canning jars only cost about $12 at Wal-Mart.
Now, fall is coming so you can’t plant a garden, but it’s the perfect time to start a compost pile for the garden you want next spring. I have a patch laid out in my back yard. You can do it a couple ways. I’m not real good at this, so I’m doing this on my father in law’s advice. I’ll let you know how it goes. He suggested one of two ways. Either you put yard waste (leaves, etc.) and let it rot, which is the long way, or you put dirt and food scraps, but you can’t do both. He said the yard waste would cook the earthworms that come to the food scraps. So I have a patch for my food scraps that I constantly bury. I’ll be doing that all winter, so that come spring, I’ll have great dirt to plant my little patch of vegetables in. I have a patch up close that I discovered is not good for vegetables (new house) but great for herbs. A good book for this is Lasagna Gardening. By Patricia Lanza, if you can still get it. I got my copy from a library sale. In Texas, it's really too hot for lettuce, so I'll probably grow some lettuce in this patch, too.
So, when spring gets here, plant a garden of what vegetables you think your family will eat, and you think you can grow. If you don’t have enough land on your property, or don’t think you do, another good book is Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. I believe he even goes into container growing. He tells you how much space is needed to grow what vegetables. If nothing else, grow a “salad garden.” That’s what I always did. Then I only had to buy the lettuce. I had everything else to go in the salad. That alone will save you money. And if you have left over tomatoes, stew them at the end of the season.
Invest in a dehydrator. Get one with an adjustable thermostat. The lower the temperature that you can dehydrate, the better. At least that’s what the health nuts will tell you. I set mine outside during the summer, but bring it inside during the winter. Might as well, because I could use the extra heat INSIDE. I just dehydrated my basil leaves. I was afraid the plant would go to waste, getting close to the temperature dropping. Now I have my own dehydrated basil leaves. Also if you buy bananas, and they are getting too close to going bad, you can slice them and dehydrate them into banana chips.
And speaking of heat, during the winter months, use one of those dryer vent things so that your dryer air is used to heat your house. It hooks to your dryer, and then goes into a little square box that you put water in. It not only allows your dryer to supplement your heater; it puts humidity into your house every time you do a load of clothes. I got mine from one of the catalogues I get in the mail all the time. You could make one with a coffee can duct tape if you were creative. Just make sure the thing is ventilated.
Learn to recycle as much as you can. Remember all the crafts we did with our kids? Keep that mentality. Think of the things you throw out all the time and try to think what you could use it for before you throw it out. The plastic things that strawberries come in? Could you use them to organize your junk drawer instead of buying a drawer organizer? Hand clothes down to younger kids, or relatives. You might be surprised that they hand things down to you. I don’t worry too much about trying to find ways to MAKE money anymore. I worry about how to make what I have last. How to use what I have for other things. There are other people out there trying to make money, too. Unless you can come up with something extremely unique, there’s going to come a time when there just won’t be people with money to spend. My husband collects soda cans off the road, because aluminum can still be turned in to recycling centers. It’s amazing how much scrap aluminum and copper is just laying on the side of the road.
If you don’t use the reusable bags, and you bring home those plastic store bags, use them in your wastebaskets. Use them when you walk the dog. I remember my grandma crocheting bags out of them to make store bags that were water proof. She also cut up juice bags and made me a purse way back in the 70's. I saw one the other day and it's back in style. If you start to make quilts, use clothes that you would have thrown out instead of buying new material. I once made a quilt with old jeans cut up. I made a purse out of a pair of jeans…came out really cute, pockets and all. I used the front zipper as a phone pocket by lining it. You can use a fuzzy blanket as the “batting” and a sheet as the back side. Be creative. If the idea of all that stitching to put it together scares you, do a tied one. If doing a full size quilt scares you, do it one square at a time, and then sew the squares together. That's called lap quilting.
The greatest gift my dad taught me was how to read directions. He told me that if you can read directions, you can teach yourself how to do anything. There's going to come a time when we may all need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and go on. My worry is that this younger generation, the Me generation, will become the Take generation. Except for those who were taught better by those like us. We need to educate ourselves now on how to take care of ourselves.
Are you ready for the worst case scenario? Are you ready if the dollar falls and our economy collapses? There have been predictions that just that could happen and we could be headed for another depression. I’m not really worried because I was raised on stories from my grandpa. I’m only 45, but my dad was fairly old when he started his family. My dad was 33 when I was born. My grandpa was born in 1907. My dad was born in 1932, so the depression had been going on for 3 years already. Grandpa had to borrow money for the wedding ring that cost $15 when he married grandma. And he married her 17 days before my dad was born. But that’s neither here nor there.
If times get tough, America will have to live like the stories I grew up on. Grandma taught me to crochet. She made a lot of things with crochet. She seldom used patterns. She made all kinds of things. Her sister taught my dad how to knit, and he taught me. Grandma said she didn’t have enough fingers to knit. I throw my thread, but my aunt must have tried to teach her the continental method. Grandma also sewed all her clothes. I’m sure it started out with mending. She didn’t make grandpa’s clothes, but she made most of her clothes way up into the time frame that I knew her. She didn’t make her “dress clothes,” but she still made her everyday clothes. She made all my Barbie’s clothes, too .
My other grandma taught me how to quilt. Both my grandmas could make quilts. Grandma Waldo made tie quilts that where hand made and hand sewn. Grandma Robinson used a sewing machine (when I knew them). I don’t know how they did it during the depression era. Grandma Robinson crocheted a lot of blankets, too.
Grandma Waldo also did a lot of canning. That’s something I’m new to. My mother-in-law has always put up stewed tomatoes, and the past three years I’ve helped, so I know how. This year is the first summer that I actually did it all by myself. If tomatoes go down to 29 cents a pound again at Fiesta, I’ll do it again. I know now that it takes about 8 pounds for four quarts of stewed tomatoes, along with a half of a green pepper, a couple stalks of celery and a half of an onion and the spices. I would also suggest that you get an older Betty Crocker CookBook. I have one from the 1980’s. They have canning recipes in the back. When fruit goes on sale, you can put up jars of fruit, too. A dozen canning jars only cost about $12 at Wal-Mart.
Now, fall is coming so you can’t plant a garden, but it’s the perfect time to start a compost pile for the garden you want next spring. I have a patch laid out in my back yard. You can do it a couple ways. I’m not real good at this, so I’m doing this on my father in law’s advice. I’ll let you know how it goes. He suggested one of two ways. Either you put yard waste (leaves, etc.) and let it rot, which is the long way, or you put dirt and food scraps, but you can’t do both. He said the yard waste would cook the earthworms that come to the food scraps. So I have a patch for my food scraps that I constantly bury. I’ll be doing that all winter, so that come spring, I’ll have great dirt to plant my little patch of vegetables in. I have a patch up close that I discovered is not good for vegetables (new house) but great for herbs. A good book for this is Lasagna Gardening. By Patricia Lanza, if you can still get it. I got my copy from a library sale. In Texas, it's really too hot for lettuce, so I'll probably grow some lettuce in this patch, too.
So, when spring gets here, plant a garden of what vegetables you think your family will eat, and you think you can grow. If you don’t have enough land on your property, or don’t think you do, another good book is Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. I believe he even goes into container growing. He tells you how much space is needed to grow what vegetables. If nothing else, grow a “salad garden.” That’s what I always did. Then I only had to buy the lettuce. I had everything else to go in the salad. That alone will save you money. And if you have left over tomatoes, stew them at the end of the season.
Invest in a dehydrator. Get one with an adjustable thermostat. The lower the temperature that you can dehydrate, the better. At least that’s what the health nuts will tell you. I set mine outside during the summer, but bring it inside during the winter. Might as well, because I could use the extra heat INSIDE. I just dehydrated my basil leaves. I was afraid the plant would go to waste, getting close to the temperature dropping. Now I have my own dehydrated basil leaves. Also if you buy bananas, and they are getting too close to going bad, you can slice them and dehydrate them into banana chips.
And speaking of heat, during the winter months, use one of those dryer vent things so that your dryer air is used to heat your house. It hooks to your dryer, and then goes into a little square box that you put water in. It not only allows your dryer to supplement your heater; it puts humidity into your house every time you do a load of clothes. I got mine from one of the catalogues I get in the mail all the time. You could make one with a coffee can duct tape if you were creative. Just make sure the thing is ventilated.
Learn to recycle as much as you can. Remember all the crafts we did with our kids? Keep that mentality. Think of the things you throw out all the time and try to think what you could use it for before you throw it out. The plastic things that strawberries come in? Could you use them to organize your junk drawer instead of buying a drawer organizer? Hand clothes down to younger kids, or relatives. You might be surprised that they hand things down to you. I don’t worry too much about trying to find ways to MAKE money anymore. I worry about how to make what I have last. How to use what I have for other things. There are other people out there trying to make money, too. Unless you can come up with something extremely unique, there’s going to come a time when there just won’t be people with money to spend. My husband collects soda cans off the road, because aluminum can still be turned in to recycling centers. It’s amazing how much scrap aluminum and copper is just laying on the side of the road.
If you don’t use the reusable bags, and you bring home those plastic store bags, use them in your wastebaskets. Use them when you walk the dog. I remember my grandma crocheting bags out of them to make store bags that were water proof. She also cut up juice bags and made me a purse way back in the 70's. I saw one the other day and it's back in style. If you start to make quilts, use clothes that you would have thrown out instead of buying new material. I once made a quilt with old jeans cut up. I made a purse out of a pair of jeans…came out really cute, pockets and all. I used the front zipper as a phone pocket by lining it. You can use a fuzzy blanket as the “batting” and a sheet as the back side. Be creative. If the idea of all that stitching to put it together scares you, do a tied one. If doing a full size quilt scares you, do it one square at a time, and then sew the squares together. That's called lap quilting.
The greatest gift my dad taught me was how to read directions. He told me that if you can read directions, you can teach yourself how to do anything. There's going to come a time when we may all need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and go on. My worry is that this younger generation, the Me generation, will become the Take generation. Except for those who were taught better by those like us. We need to educate ourselves now on how to take care of ourselves.
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