#67 Use your local library

As a big lover of books and reading, one of my favorite places is our public library. What better way is there to get all the books you want at no charge? And then return them so they don't clutter up your house? Not that I don't like to own books, and my kids especially have quite a few. But the library is the greenest way I know to do a lot of reading. Then I can know after I've read a book if it's one that I potentially want to have a copy to keep.

Pros: Free, reuses books therefore less trees used to make new books. Many libraries also have great kid programs, and movies.

Cons: Fines for not returning things on time. High demand books are sometimes hard to come by.

#66 the Wonder of the Wonder Box

What in the world is a wonder box? I asked the same question when it was announced we would be making them for a church activity. Okay, I'm always up for making adventurous new things. I just didn't realize how wonderful and useful the wonder box would be! I even ended up making 2 more for my sisters-in-law for Christmas. There is some great information and instructions here. Which is also where I got the pics (I'm feeling too lazy to go take pics of my own.)

You just have to heat whatever you're cooking through, then you can turn off the heat and stick it in the box. It will stay hot and continue cooking your food! Like I said, wonder-ful! The things I use it for most often are yogurt (a post about this coming soon) and rice. It can also be used to keep food cold-- like if you want to take ice cream to a picnic!

Pros: Decrease the amount of energy you use in cooking. Versatile, easy to make

Cons: Bulky to store, and the food you cook pretty much must be in liquid form. (So although I've heard there is a way you can bake bread in it, not sure how that would work.)

#65 Rechargable batts

I love my digital camera. But it eats battery power like crazy. I purchased a Duracell mini charger, and it's perfect for those devices that use so many batteries. I've actually had mine for a while, and I think I may have gotten it nearly free with rebate and coupons. The batteries charge fairly quickly, and I have been satisfied with how long the charge lasts. I just picked up a few more to put into some toys and into my wall clocks. Pros: Less wasted batteries, and batteries should not be thrown in the trash after use- so these save you the trouble of proper disposal-- at least not nearly as often. It saves money in the long run.

Cons: The batteries cost more initially than traditional batteries. Their one-charge life may be less than a traditional battery. When they need to be disposed of, it has to be in a proper way. (I actually haven't had to dispose of any yet-- but I saw that Lowe's had a recepticle for rechargeable batteries.)

#64 Paint cup

One of the frustrating things about my local recycling center is that they only recycle #1 and #2 plastics, and that means that all my containers for sour cream and cottage cheese have to go into the trash. I just can't do it-- so I save them to use for "tupperware" or freezer containers or whatever comes up that I need a simple container for. Whenever there is a use for something that is normally thrown away, I'm all over it. But even so, I still end up with more than I need (I guess I really love my sour cream!) So with all the painting I've been doing, I find they make great paint containers for the "cutting in" brush. If I need to stop before it's empty, I can snap the lid on and save it for later, and if I'm done I can toss it without having to wash it.

Pros: They are free. (I don't have to purchase a paint cup.) It puts plastic at least to multiple uses before being thrown away.

Cons: Doesn't have a handle like the store purchased cups. It still is plastic going into the trash.

#63 drop cloths, and my new year's goal

I have not forgotten this blog, or my resolve to get to those 100 things. I have not even run out of things to write about-- I just have been too busy! But my goal is to finish by July. Then I will see where I will go with my posts.

Anyway, Yes, I am still posting about painting things. Although I finished the painting project I was working on at the time that I posted those, I am about to start another. A couple more things had occured to me at the time and I just never posted them.
So-- about 3 years ago I bought new mattresses. And what did they come in? A huge plastic wrapping. A double plastic wrapping, in fact. I could not bear to just toss all that plastic into the trash, so I wadded it up and put it in a trash bag and stuck it into the storage room. Then when I started a year or so later on some painting projects, I pulled them out and used them as my drop cloths! Perfect! Big, square, thick plastic. It has now made it through many paint projects, and each time when I'm done it gets stashed the same way (except for the one my cat peed on-- I made an exception and threw that one out!)
I don't think that everyone is really going to have mattress wrappings lying around, but the next time you come across a big sheet of plastic (and yes, they are very common,) think about your next painting project and if it could be of use.

Pros: Free, and it's putting some trash to good use.

Cons: Bulky plastic can be hard to store. And occasionally your cat might pee on it.

Just in case.....

Just in case anyone is actually reading this blog (I don't pay any attention to reader counts or anything,) I've signed up as a partner at letsgogreen, and now anyone who uses my coupon code, MMR20 can get 20% off any purchase at their site! Great green products such as biodegradable trash bags and recycled paper products. See the banner on the side as well. You have to enter the code to get the discount, so make sure you do that at checkout.
Thanks!

#62 A use for the old holies.

Honestly I have never darned a sock in my life, but that doesn't mean that my old holey socks are going in the trash! I have done a huge amount of wood refinishing this year, and I love to use gel stains, even though they can be really messy. I've found that the best application tool is a sponge brush, and the best "wipe-off" tool is an old sock. It's better than wasting a rag that you would then have to throw away. This vanity is one of my recent projects. The picture isn't great-- but when we bought it it was a natural wood color with not much of a finish on it. Pros: A great use for an item that is trash. Cheap, and at my house, plentiful.

Cons: You still have to throw them away, and I try to do it in an empty stain can with the lid shut.

p.s. I've also used old socks for wax buffing my countertops.