Lost Posts

I had hoped that my blog posts would return from the Bermuda Triangle.....But, I can see they are long gone now!
I have been up to my eyebrows in fabric...cutting and sewing eco towels for my Zibbet Shop .  The have soft flannel on one side and a light weight terry cloth on the other side.  The benefits of a lighter weight terry is that it dries a lot quicker than a regular wash cloth.  I am also making unpaper towels and assorted wipes.

I have never been a big fan of traditional paper towels and love making eco-friendly, products for my shop. I am sewing some birdseye towels and researching natural dyes.

Earth Day....

Texas: H-E-B to give away reusable green bags on Earth Day Apr 21, 2009
H-E-B on Wednesday will give away 300,000 reusable shopping bags to celebrate Earth Day.

From 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 22
receive a coupon for a free reusable shopping bag when you drop at least five plastic shopping bags into the recycling bins located at the front of the store.

Limit one coupon per customer while supplies last.

H-E-B’s reusable bags are made of non-woven polypropylene, which is tough, strong, water resistant and recyclable. The bags, which typically can last for two years of weekly use, are made of the same type of plastic that’s used in yogurt containers, syrup bottles, straws and medicine bottles.

“Giving away green bags on Earth Day is a great way to encourage our customers to switch to reusable bags and build on their recycling habits for a better environment which contributes to a better community,” says Susan Ghertner, Manager of Environmental Affairs.

Plastics dropped into the recycling bins are recycled into plastic lumber, which has a range of uses including playground equipment, decks and fencing. In fact, the recycling bins themselves are made, in large part, from recycled plastic bags previously collected at H-E-B stores.

Check your money saving skills with the Spare Change Challenge

Do you wish you had more money?
Could you find ways to your "Spare change" to good use.
Take this money saving quiz from Quicken to see how you rate.

Spare Change Challenge

There were several questions on the challenge that did not apply for me.
I think they left quite a few things off the list that I saved lots of money by doing:

• Do you use the dryer or hang your clothes? (saves on energy cost and wear and tear on clothing)
• Do you grow some of your own food or herbs?
• Shop thrift stores or garage sales?
• Have you had an energy audit done on your home?  
  
• Do you have a rainbarrel? 
• Water saving aerators and shower heads (one of the first thing I install when I move into a new place)
• Turn the water flow down under the sinks (no one ever noticed that one!)
• Insulated windows and water heater?
  
• Trade or barter?
• Cook (from scratch)-make in advance-freeze casseroles ready to heat, for those nothing in the house/save on gas by not going for take out at home meals.
  
• Buy on sale (add a coupon, if you have it)
• Read online newspapers and magazines
• Egg and Potato water (Let cool for watering plants)
  
• Do you know where the clearance section is in every store? Check those back endcaps for some end of season closeouts.
  
• Use Freecycyle?
• Do you make holiday gifts?
  
• Donate and recycle instead of throw out? (Deduction is a bonus).
• Don't pay for services you can do yourself. Lawn, landscaping, family haircuts, painting, moving,
  
• Use the library for books and movies.
• Fill out entry forms for freebies-samples on the web and in-store promotions (You never know...better odds than Vegas).
  
• Walk or bike (when-where you can)

That is just a few of the things that I thought of. I know there are many, many more cost cutters that I have done over the years to stretch the budget and not waste resources, too. I always check all the money saving challenge, thrifty lists to make sure I am not missing something new.

New handmade large clothespin bags

Large sized Cloth Clothespin Bags
12 inches high x 11 inches wide
Sturdy double layered fused 100% cotton fabric.
Green: Tropical Tropics

Ivory: Cocktail Party