27 weeks 3 days ago

Little York, NY

Vinegar and baking soda are a great cleaner in a pinch. Not the best scent in the world, but it is always on hand.

Dark Green

Dish Liquid Detergent

When I met my husband, he did not recycle anything! He burned garbage and thought nothing of take out containers, single use dishes, disposable everything. He is a convert to the core now. I got him to stop using Tru-green chem lawn. HE fertilizes with corn gluten now. Our family of 5, recyles more products than garbage. Our weekly garbage pick up is about 2 bags to one full container of recyclables. My daughters always take a bag on a walk to pick up any ( and I mean any!) refuse on the the sides of the road. We live on a lake in Upstate NY. My husband use to have a jet boat, we now have two kayaks and a canoe. No more jet boat. The girls pack their lunches using tupperware containers for sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, drinks, everything. Cloth napkins for always. 2 out of 3 girls were cloth diaper babies. Oldest daughter and myself use gladrags.com for our feminine products every month, they are awesome cotton pads! They are cooler, kinder to the skin and cleaner. They will last 10 years or more! What a relief to our minds, not to be contributing plasticy pads every month to the landfill! I teach my M.O.P.s group about gladrags. Clothing recycling is big here. We all share the kids clothes. I already know who gets the next set of hand me downs from my youngest girl. My teenager and I shop at the thrift stores before we go anywhere else for back to school shopping, even semi-formal dress! We moms share too. I get some great clothes from friends who still do "retail therapy" and then realize they are never going to fit it or they just do not have a big enough closet! My children are appreciating what they have so much more. When they get a brand new item of clothing, they take really good care of it. They are excited their little sister or friend will get to use it next. I challenge moms and dads to see if they can get tough and be frugal finders of quality second hand clothes. See the amount of money they can save! (towards college!)