Good to the Last Drop - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I'm one of those people.

I cut the bottom off of the lotion tube to scoop out the part that won't squeeze out.

I recycle every tiny piece of paper. Bigger good pieces are saved for art projects.

I feel guilty when I have to throw away actual trash.

I pay the city for recycling services.

I can't believe we don't recycle glass. It hurts me.

I have upside down bottles of stuff around the house, all to gather the dregs and put them to use.

I dumped the huge cream rinse container into a reused coffee cup and keep the ugly thing by the tub so I can get all the drips.

I have trained my honey to do the same thing.

I am upset that the fabric softener people do not make the cardboard refills anymore. I once had a plastic bottle that I kept for years, just by refilling. Until someone (who shall forever remain nameless and guilty) threw it out.

I make people use cloth napkins at my house. Some of them resist. But I keep trying.

We use real plates and silverware as often as possible.

Our recycling bin is larger than our trash bin.

Some of my clothes are decades old. Literally. If they look good, why get rid of them?

Some of the old, old clothes are ugly. They transform into work-in-the-yard and paint-the-house clothes just fine.

Hand-me-downs are fun. And already broken in.

I compost all I can. I wish the city would enable us to do more.

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. (Psalm 24:1)

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it. (Genesis 2:15)

There is so much I can do to make a positive impact to our natural world of finite resources. There is so much more I can do.

Choice by choice, I strive to not leave my mark.


What do you do? Maybe it is something I haven't thought of yet.


Angie Quantrell blogs from Yakima, Washington, where nature in the form of farms, orchards, vineyards, mountains, lakes, and rivers is abundant and beautiful. She would like to keep it that way.

Old Things, New Uses

Mabel has discovered a new use for the sink sprayer. It is now called a head rest.

We see normal everyday items being used in the traditional fashion. But what if we got creative? How many ways can we use that same old thing? Sort of like reuse and repurpose, but with a twist (the sink sprayer will still always be a sink sprayer).

Let's see what we can find.

Check out this wrapping paper plastic tub with wheels. Voila! It is now a water exploration tub.

Looks like a shopping bag and a basket, right? Wrong. Those are kitty beds.

What used to be old book pages, some ribbon, glue, tape, and pretty paper is transformed into pretty rosettes.

See how much fun it is to acknowledge our resourcefulness? Maybe a few more...

The old mini wine barrel has become a light and log filled beacon of welcome.

Nesting dolls become a game in graduating sizes.

An old picture frame, old paneling, and some paint transforms into a chalkboard.

This is fun! We are just being resourceful. I think I will keep looking.

What old things can your find new uses for?

Recycle a Kitty. Or Two.

I've long had goals of recycling everything I can get my hands on. After all, we live in a world with LIMITED resources. We should do all we can to preserve those resources.

Remember? Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Three key words to remind us how to decrease the amount in landfills and the need for raw materials.

Eons ago, recycling was new. And then I went to Western Washington University. On the West side of the state. Ecology and the environment were (and are) hot topics at Western.

And now, thankfully, ecology and the environment are big everywhere. True, I may go overboard at times, if one asks my family, but so what?

If we all went overboard to reduce our waste, reuse all we could, and recycle everything possible, just think how much we could save! Natural resources, money, landfills, garbage, the environment...

And I LOVE the new refurbishing movement. Let's take the old ugly, and transform it into something tres chic and use it for another 40 or 50 years. Amen, Sistah!

I am so glad to live in a city that has recycling as a part of its waste management plant. Not glass, but let's not open that bottle of worms - for now.

Being good stewards, after all, is a part of God's Big Plan. He gave us this place. We need to take care of it.

Enough preaching.

On the personal level, I've had additional help with recycling. And destruction, but that's another subject.

Meet my new converts. Mabel and Monet, on the job, condensing my recycling box so more can be added.

Way to go, girls!

Let's not fight about it! Let's see if you can get your kitties to recycle.

The gauntlet has been tossed.

Pockets

I often wear skirts or slacks that do not have pockets. As a teacher, I need to have some stuff at my beck and call. Like pencils, markers, pens, a whistle, lip balm. That sort of stuff. But my wardrobe did not cooperate.

So I made my own pocket. And, this cracks me up (probably only me, but I get the joke), I made my 'pocket' out of a pair of Taylor's (Army son) jeans. I just cut off a front pocket, sewed the holes, trimmed the edges, and added a strap.

Et voila! A pocket, worthy of a teacher. A pocket from a pocket. Ha-ha.

A bit of history. The pilgrims did not have pockets either. So they had a pouch they tied around their waist as a pocket. So triple ha!

And my students know exactly what I want when I say, "Where is my pocket?" or "It's in my pocket."

They caught on. And wanted their own pockets.

Whacked off some more old pants, trimmed the edges, added straps, and let them decorate with permanent markers to their hearts content. Ahhhh.

Recycle. Yes. Reuse. Yes. Repurpose. Yes.

The new 3 R's. All in kindergarten.