I wrote a guest post for The Greenbacks Gal on the natural, money-saving method of washing my hair that I have been using for the past nine years! This is an updated version of my vinegar hairwashing article from a few years ago, with some new tips...and a photo of me. I decided it makes … Continue reading How to Wash Your Hair with Vinegar
Environment
Apple Cider Vinegar as Facial Toner
You may have heard the old saying, "You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." I know I've heard it, and many clever variations on it, many times since I started using both honey and vinegar in my beauty routines! First I started washing my hair with white vinegar, then I started washing my … Continue reading Apple Cider Vinegar as Facial Toner
Cloth Wipes for Bedroom, Bathroom, and More!
I am excited to be a contributing writer in the Green in 365 series at Live Renewed! Check out my article on how to use cloth wipes instead of paper tissues to save trees, reduce pollution, save money, and just have a better experience in so many ways. I mean, look, aren't they pretty? I've … Continue reading Cloth Wipes for Bedroom, Bathroom, and More!
Cute and Thrifty Kitchen Scouring Powder
My dishwashing method gets most food to wipe right off the dishes, but some things still need to be scrubbed--tea and coffee stains in mugs, blueberry-juice stains in bowls, and bits of pasta that stuck to the pot, for example. I also like to scrub the cutting board really thoroughly after chopping onions. Baking soda … Continue reading Cute and Thrifty Kitchen Scouring Powder
Coffee Bags as Raw Material for Tote Bags
You know those metallized plastic bags that are often used to package coffee? Those have been bothering me for years: They're not recyclable and not biodegradable, so when I throw them in the trash I know they'll be in the landfill forever. And Daniel and I drink a lot of coffee! [UPDATE: We changed to … Continue reading Coffee Bags as Raw Material for Tote Bags
My Coupon Organizer
This is a project similar to our recipe binder, using reused materials to make something that does not look perfectly polished but is cheerful and works well for our household's specific needs. One difference is that this project started with a purchase of something specifically for the project: I bought this nylon thingy (specifically marketed … Continue reading My Coupon Organizer
Shovel snow with a broom!
This is a simple tip that I can see is familiar to a lot of the natives here in Pittsburgh, but it took me many years to catch on. I grew up in Oklahoma, where winter precipitation tends to involve freezing rain, so a lot of what you have to clear from your sidewalk is … Continue reading Shovel snow with a broom!
10 Lessons Learned from Rewiring an Old House
This is a guest post by Ben Stallings, my brother, who is a permaculture gardener, home energy efficiency auditor, and owner of a curbside recycling business in Kansas. I spent most of my spare time in 2011 rewiring our 1920 house, replacing the old knob & tube wiring with modern nonmetallic cable that meets code. … Continue reading 10 Lessons Learned from Rewiring an Old House
Pens Made from Recycled Plastic (B2P product review)
Note to my relatives coming to my house for Christmas: Spoiler alert! Don't read this until after Christmas! I've had a pretty hectic December--including a back injury that has made some tasks impossible and forced me to spend more time resting than usual--but my gift shopping has come together pretty well. Just last night, though, … Continue reading Pens Made from Recycled Plastic (B2P product review)
Great Shoes at a Fraction of the Price!
I've had some shoe trouble in the past couple of years, since Keen stopped making that style I raved about. All I want is a pair of black leather shoes that are comfortable for walking, don't smash my high arches, look good with skirts or jeans, and don't have Velcro. (I hate that ripping sound … Continue reading Great Shoes at a Fraction of the Price!
Sphagnum Moss Diapers
This is a guest post from storyteller Doug Elliott, whose free e-newsletter offers occasional stories like this one. Doug's storytelling DVD, and his books about nature for children and adults, would make great holiday gifts! Sphagnum moss sure is an amazing plant! I’ve been hanging out in some wetlands lately, and with our son Todd … Continue reading Sphagnum Moss Diapers
Milk: What kind we buy, and why
I love saving money, yet I routinely buy half-gallon cartons of milk that cost twice as much as the cheapest milk in the supermarket! Furthermore, two half-gallon paper cartons cost more than one gallon plastic jug, for the same amount of milk! What am I thinking?! Several years ago, Daniel and I decided that milk … Continue reading Milk: What kind we buy, and why
Clothesline Hangers for Basement or Porch
In my article on line-drying laundry, I verbally described these handy clothesline hangers that can be made out of scrap lumber and installed in any place that has exposed rafters/joists in the ceiling. I finally decided to share some photos of them, since this is the kind of thing that really is easier to understand … Continue reading Clothesline Hangers for Basement or Porch
A Different Party Favor–thrifty and earth-friendly!
Our seven-year-old Nicholas recently had a party. He also has attended several kids' parties this year and has come home from every one of them with a bag or bucket of items that he considers treasures and his parents consider crap--you know, cheap plastic toys made in China and low-quality, over-packaged candy and gum. We … Continue reading A Different Party Favor–thrifty and earth-friendly!
Get Rid of Ragweed and Grow Your Garden!
Organic gardener Ben Stallings explains how pulling up ragweed before it blooms reduces allergy suffering and provides a rich source of green matter for sheet composting.
How We Survive Without Air Conditioning
Today's Works-for-Me Wednesday lead article is about staying cool in the summertime. The author lives in Texas, where it is a lot hotter right now than it is here in Pennsylvania--but we do get hot weather here, we've had several 90-degree days already this year, and we know a lot of people here who think … Continue reading How We Survive Without Air Conditioning
Public Transit and Summer Fun (Plus tips on vacationing in Pittsburgh!)
Warm weather is here, and I'm looking forward to summer! We won't be taking any big vacations; most weekdays, I'll be going to work in my office as usual, and our seven-year-old Nicholas will be attending art and natural history day camps at the Carnegie Museum while his dad works from home. I take a … Continue reading Public Transit and Summer Fun (Plus tips on vacationing in Pittsburgh!)
What’s inside your smartphone?
Let me begin by saying that, although I do not own a smartphone or any kind of cellphone, I do own an iPad, and I know it contains many of the same components as an iPhone. Let me say also that I am not attacking Apple Computer in particular; the article to which I'm linking … Continue reading What’s inside your smartphone?
Our Favorite Publisher of Affordable Books
I recently had a birthday and was very pleased to be given three books from Dover Publications. Daniel knows that I can never get enough floor-plan books, and Dover prints gobs of great ones! They also have a wide selection of nonfiction, classic fiction, children's books, coloring books, how-to-draw books, clip-art collections, puzzle books, nature … Continue reading Our Favorite Publisher of Affordable Books
How our thrifty, green lifestyle makes it easier to cut ourselves some slack
Longtime readers may have noticed that I haven't written much lately and didn't write an article about what I learned during Lent like I have most years. Well, that's because this year, I was pregnant for Lent. No, of course that wasn't the Lenten discipline I planned! It was a surprise (not a mistake--we all … Continue reading How our thrifty, green lifestyle makes it easier to cut ourselves some slack
The Earthling's Handbook 