Reuse, Recyle, & Save a Bunch of Money!!

This is my honorary Earth Day post.  I'm not writing this because I'm Green to the core, not because I wear shoes made of hemp,  and not because I am an activist, but mostly because I got a free reusable grocery bag from Kroger.  I like the earth and all, don't get me wrong.  It's a nice place and I'm glad God made it.  However, in this particular span of life I'm a bigger fan of saving money. It is not a passion for squandering my cash  or something that I do "for fun".  I do it out of necessity, and with passion, while for caring for my family.  I'm all for being responsible stewards of this place we live, but within reason. 

 And just because I always like a good laugh, I thought I'd pass this little funny on to you also.

The following is an excerpt that I was given from a fellow "educator".

EARTH DAY LESSON PLANS FOR THE LAZY TEACHER

LAME STUFF YOU CAN DO:

Have your class plant a tree. Yawn.

To get to the park to plant your tree, take the big yellow school bus that spits out thick black exhaust fumes.

As a reward for good behavior, bring the class to McDonalds, a company that is known for systematically destroying rain forests to make way for more pre-cooked cows to graze. NOT TO MENTION the fact that what they serve there is barely fit for human consumption and wouldn't even make good compost.

After the meal, undoubtedly, the children will release hot methane gas into the air.

Litter Clean Up Day

As negative reinforcement, when the children complain of being really tired, you can tell them: "Do well in school so when you are a grown-up, you don't have to do this for a living."

Turn red when the children remind you that the school janitor makes more money than you.

** Just in case you're wondering...I am NOT a lazy teacher and we did not do the above activities.  We actually spent the day working on planting our garden.  

Moving on...

Spring also brings out some fun ways to get into the "Reuse & Recycle" mode of things.  Each Spring I love to clean out rooms, closets, cupboards, drawers, cabinets and any other spare nook or cranny.  There is so much stuff that we acquire over the course of a year...where does it all come from??    What joy it brings me to bag or box up clothes that the kids have outgrown!!  (...things that haven't been reduced to threads, that is.)  With 5 children you wouldn't be surprised to hear that we have the "hand-me-down" thing going on in a serious way!  Going up into the attic to "go shopping" for one of the younger children is so much faster than dragging myself and my young folk to the Mall.  

It was great to find out that all three of the younger children have what they need for Spring/Summer through the Hayden Hand-Me-Down program.  That just leaves the older two...who just keep growing!! 

Which brings me to another great thing I like...Resale shops & Thrift stores!!  

This is a great place to drop off things that clutter up my house, like clothes I haven't worn in years.  Why, do we keep them in our closets for soooo long??  I spent at least 2 hours going through my closet and came out with 3 trash bags FULL of clothes, shoes & purses.  Why did I have 3 shirts in my closet that were too small after washing them?  Did I think that since they're cotton, if I left them hanging long enough they might start growing again?  WHY? did I have size 4 clothing in my closet?  I have never been a size 4...a size 6 back a while ago, but size 4??  What was I thinking!?  I'd have to shave down some of my bone structure to fit in size 4!!

Another reason I like Resale shops and Thrift stores is because most Americans buy clothes like they're disposable!  I'm convinced of this because all the shops I frequent are packed to the gills with clothes!  Just about every time I shop at one of these store I find new items with the tags on.  This bodes well with my budget especially when I'm trying to find outfits for children who will outgrown their clothes in less than 6 months!! Obviously, its a hit and miss kind of thing and it does take more time since there is so much to look through, but it is so very worth it.  

Here is what I found today for Sophia...

From Left to right ...

1-Old Navy Tank, white

1-Arizona Co. Sweater vest thingy, green

1-Arizona Crochet top w/cardigan 

1-Earth Girls Crinkle skirt

1-Green Rainbow floral print baby doll shirt, brown/yellow

1-Circo Striped polo, pink

1-Gap T shirt, white

1-Arizona Co. Knee-ish length Crinkle skirt,pink/purple

1-Circo Flower printed t shirt, purple (on Sophia)

1- Brown Leather Sandals, brand new w/tags from Elder Beerman 

All of these items are stain free and in like new condition (now I sound like an Ebay auction).

The grand total for all of these items was $ 23.00!  Just try and go to the mall and get all of this for that price!! It is fun to look up the prices on similar items and add up what it may have cost at the mall, you should try it sometime. 

Now these clothes are clean and stylish and ready to be worn by Sophia, the second owner.  We may not recycle aluminum cans (gasp!), but we recycle clothes.  We don't recycle cans because we don't buy pop in cans, actually, we rarely buy pop, but that's a whole different story.