Halloween

I look forward every year to our city's "trick or treat" time. We live in an older neighborhood with lots of mature trees. It is fun to walk the block, watch the other families walking around, but most of all stopping for a quick visit with our neighbors. I also enjoy hearing the sound of crunching leaves under everone's feet. I purposely do not rake up our leaves until after Halloween. The crunching of leaves underfoot as trick or treaters arrive at our door has become a treasured sound that I only associate with Halloween night.

Our oldest daughter enjoys passing out the candy. Tonight she put her garden hat on that she decorated with a bunch of fake flowers someone had given us along with her apron. This year she has been three different things-a "hippie" (her friend and her went as peace (hippie) and quiet (mime) for their youth group dance), telepath (her friend and her dressed alike and wore homemade antennas on their head to home school coop on Thursday) and tonight a florist. All inexpensive costumes made from things here at home. She has enjoyed sitting on our front porch the past couple of years, dressed up in a costume and pass out goodies to the neighborhood kids. 

In the meantime, Chuck and I took our youngest daughter, dressed up as a princess from an assortment of play dress-up clothes she keeps in her room, around the neighborhood to trick or treat.

I have always encouraged our children once they are old enough to come up with their own costumes. We have acquired various accessories over the years. Some we keep in Makenzie's dress up drawer. Others we pack away in our Halloween holiday boxes downstairs.

It was an enjoyable family night followed with our annual viewing of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

Happy Halloween!

Weisenberger Mill

Wednesday, I drove out to Weisenberger Mill just outside of Lexington. They ground wheat into flour there and sell it directly to individual customers as well as restaurants and retail establishments. Some of the wheat and other products are grown locally. I buy my flour from them in 25 lb bags and store it at home in an air tight container. The flour is fresh and makes a noticeable difference in the texture of our bake goods.

I always enjoy the couple times a year I replenish my flour supply. I have a country route that I take which is relaxing to me. I enjoy looking at the stream which is next to the mill. It is a peaceful morning for me when I get to go.

Not only is my flour fresh but I am helping a local business. If you live in the Lexington area, you should take a drive out and check them out someday. They are on Weisenberger Road which is off Leestown Road right after the first Highway 62 turnoff. If you don't live here locally do some investigating and see if there is a local mill close to you.

Dishwahser Soap Recipe

If there is one soap that you should especially buy green or make homemade, it is dishwasher detergent. Phosphates are used to soften water. They have been phased out of your laundry detergents but not dishwasher detergents. Phosphates are a natural occurring substance in nature. The problem is that when algae in water gets too much of it, they go wild. They love this stuff and it creates algae blooms. These blooms can take over a body of water and kill the other things living there.

Here is the recipe. The borax and washing soda are usually in most major store's laundry aisle. Kosher salt is usually in the baking aisle with the rest of the salts. I get the citric acid at Good Foods Coop here in Lexington. It is in the bulk spice area and very cheap. If you don't live here locally, try your local health food or coop. 

1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1/4 cup food grade citric acid
1/4 cup kosher salt (larger salt crystals than table salt)

Mix above ingredients together. Store in airtight container. Use 1 TBLS per load. Can also use a little white distilled vinegar in the rinse agent cup if needed to control spotting.

We have been using this recipe for a while and have not noticed any decrease in cleanliness of dishes. The best part about this is it saves you lots of money. A load costs less than $.01 compared to boughten detergents which can cost up to $.50 per load. I always like when I can be green and save money.

Green Cleaning-Kitchen

The kitchen can be easily cleaned and sanitized with green cleaners. Here are some suggestions for specific tasks.

Dish washing-use green vegetable based cleaners, check labels (I will share dishwasher soap recipe in another post)
Counters-use vinegar and water spray. Can add grapefruit oils to cleanser to give it an extra antiseptic boost.
Sinks-Wet sink, sprinkle baking soda on it and scrub clean.
Garbage disposal-sprinkle baking soda in it and let set to deodorize. Can also chew up lemon half for extra tough odors.
Kitchen floors-use a combination of 1/4 cup vinegar to 2 cups water. Increase proportionally for larger amounts.
Refrigerator- use green dish washing soap and water or add vinegar if needed. Use baking soda for deodorizing.
Oven-Wet down surface with water. Sprinkle baking soda or salt on tough stains. Let sit a couple of hours or overnight. Scrub clean.

Make sure to use reusable cleaning rags versus paper towels. This should get you started on green cleaning the kitchen area of your home. Happy cleaning!

Wind Damage

Went to clean out chicken house late this AM. Watched it blow completely over as I walked up to it. Had a large wind storm today and it was sitting broadside in the direct path of the wind. Fortunately, chickens were outside at the time and none of us were in its path when it fell. Sent Makenzie for Mary to help.

Rounded up the chickens and put them in something temporary to hold them. Mary and I were able to lift the house back up with some effort. We then pushed it to a new place that was not sitting in direct path of prevailing wind.

Next, came the clean-up. Water, food and bedding had flung everywhere At least there was no egg mess, Makenzie had just collected them. Cleaned everything out of it, refilled everything and then put the chickens back into the house. 

We were lucky. The chickens were not injured and the house appears to have no permanent damage.

Green Cleaning-Bathroom

I've talked about the different green cleaners and what they do. Let's put them into action and talk about cleaning specific things. Let's start in the bathroom.

Sinks/Mirrors/Glass-Combine 1 part white vinegar mixed to 3 parts water. Put in spray bottle, spray on surface and wipe clean with clean rag or newspapers (non-colored portion)
Toilet-Sprinkle baking soda around edges. Pour in white vinegar and let set for 15 minutes. Scrub with toilet brush and flush. (This one is a little science experiment each time you do it. Should bubble and fizz due to the acid/base reaction going on)
Bathtub-Pour in baking soda. Wet it a bit. Scrub. Will take some elbow grease. Can use vinegar on soap scum and mold. Hydrogen peroxide applied directly to mold will help clean off tough areas.
Tile Floor-1/4 cup vinegar with 2 cups water. Increase amounts proportionally for large areas. Use as mop water.

Happy green cleaning!

Chipotle Restaurant

Today, my daughter had a doctor's appointment in Cincinnati. Afterwards as a special treat, I took her to Chipotle Restaurant for lunch. She loves this place and was very excited. I like to go there because they are  hands down the best environmental fast food place in the country. This restaurant chain is redefining fast food. The food is not highly processed like other such establishments, but fresh and delicious. They are working on trying to have all of their meat and dairy products come from pasture raised animals. Right now a substantial amount of their meat comes from naturally raised farms. They buy vegetables locally when they are in season. They also buy organic whenever possible. The food is of good quality and tastes great.

They are also working on their environmental impact as a corporation. They currently are building two restaurants that have received the platinum level LEED certification. This certification stands for how friendly a building is environmentally. It has stringent guidelines and platinum level is the highest level that can be obtained.

The best part is the food is delicious and the price is not outrageous. Next time, you get a chance give them a try. You can go on their website http://www.chipotle.com/ for more information or to find a restaurant near you,

Marilyn

Today we had a memorial service at church for a friend to many including me, Marilyn. It was neat hearing all the memories and sharing that went on about her life. Marilyn was a quiet giver. She gave generously not only financially but mostly of her time. She never needed recognition or thanks. She gave because she knew it was the right thing to do. There were people there not just from our church but several organizations where she volunteered her time. Not only did Marilyn give of her time but she brought cheer to the room and was a good listener. 

As I listened in on the sharing going on today during her memorial service, I realized that her life touched many lives while she was here on earth. It got me to thinking about how many lives has my life touched, helped or loved. At the end of my life, what will people remember about me? Will it be that I was stingy with my money? Will it be that I was indifferent to those in need? Will it be that I did not have time to listen to a friend because I was too busy? I hope instead that I will be remembered like Marilyn, an imperfect person, like all of us, that touched the lives of many people.

The world is a better place because Marilyn was here on it. I hope that someday that can be said about me.

How will people remember you when your time on earth here is done?

Green Cleaners-Soaps and Oils

Although baking soda and vinegar can tackle most cleaning jobs around the house, sometimes you need something to give them a little boost. Here are some green soaps you can try.

Liquid Castile Soap (vegetable based soap)-mild and versatile cleaning agent
Glycerin-provides lubrication and is often used in milder cleansers
Liquid hand and dishwashing soap-look for premade green cleaners that list all of their chemicals; should be vegetable based like liquid Castile soap and usually will contain some glycerin

If you want to add some scent to your cleaners and some extra boost of cleaning you can also add essential oils. These are concentrated plant oils that you can buy usually at your local health food store. Some can also act as disinfectants.

That is the list of cleaners. The next couple of posts will give some specific recipes and ideas for cleaning specific areas of the house.

Green Acidic Cleaners

Yesterday, I talked about green alkaline cleaners. Today, we will talk about the acidic cleaners and what they do well.

White distilled vinegar-deodorizes, grease cutter, stain remover (alkaline or base stains)

Lemon Juice (contains citric acid)- bleaches, disinfects, deodorizes, cuts grease
     -can use either fresh or bottled
Hydrogen Peroxide (works as an oxygen bleach)-kills germs

These along with the cleaners I mentioned yesterday will clean about anything. The next post I will talk about soaps and oils. These added in small proportions to the above ingredients can knock-out most dirty jobs.

Happy cleaning!

Green Alkaline Cleaners

The two power horses of green cleaning are white distilled vinegar (acid) and baking soda (base/alkaline). If you have just these two ingredients in your repertoire you can clean about anything. With that said sometimes you need a cleaner that is specific to the task. Here is a list of the green alkaline or base cleaners and what they clean well.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)-stain remover for acid stains, mild abrasive, shines up aluminum, chrome, silver and other metals, grease and dirt cutter, deodorizer
Washing Soda (sodium carbonate)-laundry, a little stronger than baking soda so good for jobs baking soda needs a little help completing, can usually be found in your laundry aisle of most stores
Borax (sodium borate)-disinfection (also can be found in laundry aisle)
Cornstarch-mild and absorbent cleaner
Cornmeal-mild and absorbent cleaner
Cream of tartar-makes great paste for scrubbing cookware
Salt (sodium chloride)-natural scrubbing agent

Happy cleaning!!!

Green Cleaning

I have been working this week on putting a lesson plan together on green cleaning for the sustainable living class I teach. We have been doing the green cleaning thing here at our home long before it became popular. We have several severe allergies to chemicals so we adopted the cleaners of years gone by and have been cleaning with them ever since. You can buy the prepared green cleaners but be ready to spend a small fortune. As an alternative, homemade cleaners are easy to use and very economical. Looking for a way to save a little money then make your own cleaners. Here are some basics.

There are two basic types of cleaning products-acids and bases (alkaline). They interact with each other and neutralize each other. For example, if you have a tomato stain (acid) on your table cloth then you would use a base (baking soda) to get it out. If you had a build-up of alkaline detergent on your tablecloth, you would put vinegar (acid) in your rinse water to get it out.

The two power horses of cleaning are baking soda and white distilled vinegar. With these in your home you can clean about anything. Tomorrow, I will talk about the different acid and base cleaners and their uses. Over the next couple of days we will then talk about some specific ways to clean common household items. 

Fall Leaves

I have to admit I love fall. I like the chill in the air at night after hot, sultry nights during the summer. I love to watch the leaves on the trees change color. Most of all I love to hear the sound of crunching leaves under foot. Who needs fall decorations when you have a beautiful carpet of colorful leaves on the ground. Then, they turn brown and it is time to rake them up so they don't kill my grass. What to do with all those leaves besides putting them in a bag and sending them to the landfill. Here are a few ideas.

First, I only rake large areas of leaves. A few leaves on the ground will not kill anything and the breakdown of them will provide nutrients to the tree. In nature, leaves provide a mulch that inhibits growth of new plants underneath the tree that compete for its needed water and nutrients. More importantly leaves break down to provide a rich humus to help fertilize the tree.

Second, the leaves I do rake I do various things with around the yard. I use them for mulch around delicate plants to give them extra warmth during the winter. I also put large piles of them in areas that I want to kill back weeds in my flower beds and garden. I will put them on my garden and turn them into the soil. The rest of the leaves go into our compost pile.

Thirdly, we do not have a leaf blower or use one. We rake them. Who needs a gym membership when you can rake leaves? Leaf blowers create noise pollution as well as air pollution. Rakes just increase your body strength. I say this from experience because we have a yard full of trees. Raking is a large task here in the fall. We break it up into different sessions and do it together, Makes for some fun afternoons together.

This year try not to look at your leaves as trouble. Look on them as free mulch and fertilizer. Also, see them for the beauty they create as they fall on your yard. Then, remember to get some good exercise and rake them up versus blow them from your yard.

Happy leaf watching!

Tree and Flower Identification

Yesterday was my day at my friends farm. We spent the day wondering her pastures trying to identify her trees and flower growing there. If was so much fun (and also great exercise going up and down the hills). She home schools her son as we home school our daughters. They are currently working on a tree unit. We were identifying their trees and plants so she could send her son on a nature scavenger hunt this week.

My parents were nature lovers. They did not camp or hike but loved to garden. They grew up on farms and in farming communities all of their lives. Their parents had taught them the names of plants and trees and how to identify them. They passed much of that knowledge on to me. It was done in a fun way. When we came to plants it was not called a "tree" or "flower" but a red oak, hickory, goldenrod, black-eyed susan, etc. Through this technique I became quite familiar with the names of plants and trees. As an adult I carry ID books when we hike and try to learn the names of the trees and flowers around me. Trust me I still have a minimal knowledge. I have tried to use the same technique with my children.

I bring this up because today we seem to be so detached from nature. How do we expect people to do the right thing for the planet if they don't even know what the beautiful natural things around them do or even are called. I am trying to instill a love of nature and an awe of the wonderful creation God has given us in my children and the home school children I teach science to each year.

Try to take some time this week to learn about the "nature" around you. Walk around your yard; learn the names of the flowers and trees that grow there. If you know them, teach your children. Go for walks in the woods. Take basic guidebooks with you. Look up the names of flowers, birds and trees that you see. I think you will be surprised at the amazing things that you see before you.

Happy IDing!

Mexican Quiche

This is one of my favorite quiches to make. It is simple and delicious. Took it to our church's potluck brunch yesterday and was asked for the recipe again so I thought I would share it with all of you.

Mexican Quiche
1-9" pie crust
4 eggs
1 pint prepared salsa (I use my homemade canned stuff but have also used store bought with good results)
4 oz shredded mexican cheese
1 TBLS chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tsp dried)
1 chopped banana pepper

Beat eggs slightly. Add rest of ingredients and stir thoroughly. Put in pie crust. Bake 350 for 45 mins-1 hour. Quiche is done when center is set.

Frozen Apple Pie Filling

Now, back to apples. I want to share a trick a friend taught me several years go. Instead of canning apple pie filling, I freeze it. It is great to be able to pull this out and throw it in a pie crust or just a pan for cobbler.

Frozen Apple Pie Filling 
8 cups sliced, peeled apples (fresh from the orchard is best)
1/2-3/4 cups sugar or Splenda (I usually use 1/2 cup)
2 Tbls whole wheat pastry flour (can also substitute white flour)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Stir all ingredients together and put in gallon size freezer bag or similar size container. Store in freezer. When ready to use, thaw out thoroughly. Make 9" pie crust and put filling in crust. Put on topping of choice. Bake 375 for 30-40 minutes. It is done when hot and bubbly in center and apples are soft.

Note: If you eat this fresh and don't freeze, decrease apples to 6 cups vs 8 cups and bake 50-60 minutes until apples are tender.

Enjoy!

Fiber Festival

One more detour today from my apple recipes. Yesterday, I went with my friend to the Southern Indiana Fiber Festival in Corydon, Indiana. We had so much fun there. We were able to find accommodations for our children for the day so it was just the two of us. I loved having the day without children. I firmly believe that we all need that break sometime to be better parents and spouses.

My friend owns fiber animals and crafts with their fiber. She taught me many of the techniques and I find I really enjoy doing them. Yesterday, we stocked up on supplies. I have been trying to buy my product locally from individuals. My goal is to have enough product made to try my hand at some craft fairs starting in the spring. I have done a couple with my friend so I know that I enjoy this plus can sell things. I was up to 12:30 last night working of projects with my new fiber and toys. I will let you know how it goes.

In addition, it looks like I may have solved our chicken problem (we are down to two). The same people my friend has bought goats from also has chickens for sale. They are about four months old and are a mix of Buff Orpington and Rhode Island Red. We should have them in a couple of weeks.

Hope you are having a good day!

Juliet

I am taking a quick detour from our apple blogs to talk about an experience that happened here yesterday. We found one of our chickens dead. This death leads me to a topic that is important to me so I thought I would blog about it today while this death is fresh in my mind. In our culture today, we avoid talking about death and even acknowledging its existence. We can hide from the truth as much as we want but death, just like birth, is a natural part of life. As much as we want to run and hide from this reality, everyone experiences both of these in their lifetime. Deaths of loved ones and staring our own mortality in the face are difficult. However, we need to come to terms with both of them in order to truly experience life.

I think having animals can somewhat demystify death for children. When you are regularly around animals, death can easier be seen as a natural part of the cycle. Animals die due to sickness, disease and to provide food for us. Yesterday, when we found one of our chickens dead, our youngest who is very attached to the chickens cried. We did not hide the death from her and today we will bury the chicken and she will help in the process. We want her to know that death is a natural part of life. It is not something to be feared or avoid!

I grew up in a farming community. My parents took me to funeral homes and funerals. It was not fun but I learned death is natural and not something to be feared. It has helped me develop what I see as a a healthy way of dealing with death and has prepared me for the journey we are currently on with our youngest daughter. Makenzie has a progressive, neuromuscular disease for which there is no cure. Although it is hard, sad and very overwhelming at times; reality is that her life will be drastically shortened by this disease. It does not mean that we give up hope for a cure but we have made a decision from the start that we will not abnormally prolong her life. Instead, we will focus on giving her the best quality of life. Our medical choices are made on these decisions. When she was first diagnosed with this terrible disease, we talked with each of our immediate family members, doctors and minister about this decision. We are involved in a hospice program, however, we seek out the best doctors to help with her care to make sure her quality of life is the best we can give her. Our daughter has exceeded all expectations and we have had some wonderful years. I don't know what her future or ours hold but I do know that when the time comes to make the decision to let her go we will be supported and will be able to make the right decision for her.

I bring this topic up not because we want you to feel sorry for us or her but to show you where I am coming from these days. In this journey we have encountered many people (including health care professionals) that have a problem with this view. We see people hold on to dying family members for whom there is no hope for survival and prolong their suffering. We see grown adults unwilling to go to hospitals or funeral homes to support loved ones in their time of need because of their own fears. We see people not willing to take their children to funerals or funeral homes because they don't want to expose them to such "unpleasantness". Their children then grow up to see death as a terrifying thing to be avoided at all costs. We can run as long as we want but eventually death will catch up with us.

Yes, Juliet died yesterday. Makenzie is sad because she lost a pet she loved but we will not hide the truth from her. We will love and support her through this natural life stage. Later on, we hope this will allow her to deal with death in a healthy way.

Apple Cake

Hands down, this is probably one of my family's favorite apple recipes-fresh apple cake.They like it with a little whipped cream but is delicious without it. Here is the recipe.

Apple Cake 
Wet ingredients
1 cup sugar (can also use 1/2 cup splenda and 1/2 cup sugar)
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce (can substitute additional canola oil for this)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can also use white flour for this)
1 cup white flour
1 tsp salt (I omit this)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 cups diced raw apples (I leave skin on unless it is tough)

Mix wet ingredients together and set aside. Mix dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Add apples and stir until just combined. (Batter will be very thick.) Put in 9x13 sprayed pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. It is done when toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 

Hope your family enjoys it as much as we do.

Apple orchard

One thing I love about the fall is driving through the country (have several circuitous routes) and seeing the fall leaves change. My favorite destination is the apple orchard. There is no comparison between their apples versus the ones you buy in the store. Once apple season starts we enjoy apples in all sorts of ways. I am going to share a few of those over the next few posts.

The first favorite is apple cider. This one also has no comparison to store bought. In fact, we do not buy apple cider or juice at any other time of the year or from anyone else. They just can't come close to the taste of fresh pressed apples. (Remember though to never serve unpasteurized apple cider to young children or anyone with a compromised immune system.) We can polish off a half-gallon of this in about a day.

Take a little time out of your week and head to your nearest apple orchard. You can check online for the nearest one. Buy a little apple cider, sit down with a glass and enjoy. The added benefit is that you are supporting your local economy.

Plastic Recycling Numbers part 2

Here are the last two plastic recycling numbers.

#6's: Polystyrene (Styrofoam): Most of us are pretty familiar with this type of plastic. It makes up many of the disposable containers, packaging, plates and cups. It is difficult to recycle and most recycling places will not accept it.

#7's: Hodgepodge: This category includes basically everything else. It is composed of plastics invented after 1987. Polycarbonate (including the much talked about BPA) falls into this category. Modern plastics used for everything from iPods to computer cases are grouped here. Also included are baby bottles and food storage containers which reduce staining. This plastic is difficult to recycle and most recycling programs will not accept it.

As you can tell, there are a wide variety of plastics. The key is trying to decrease plastic usage in general. In addition to most of them not being easily recyclable, they use valuable oil reserves to manufacture and increase our carbon footprints. Avoiding plastic totally is difficult in the modern world so choose wisely. Check what your local recycling program takes and try to choose those numbered plastics over the others. Remember to recycle them when you are finished.

Happy recycling!

Plastic Recycling Numbers

What do all those numbers mean anyway? Why can I only recycle 1's & 2's? Here is the breakdown of the plastic recycling numbers. Plastics are made from chemicals derived from oil and their different chemical make-ups give them their various properties.

#1's-This plastic is called polyethylene terephatalate (PETE or PET for short). Most of your disposable pop and water bottles are made of this usually clear plastic. It is picked up by most curbside recycling programs.

#2's-High density polyethylene (HDPE): Most milk jugs, butter tubs, and detergent, toiletry and juice bottles are made of this plastic. It is picked up by most recycling programs.

#3's-Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): This plastic is used in food wraps, cooking oil bottles and plumbing pipes. It is rarely accepted by curbside recycling programs.

#4's-Low density polyethylene (LDPE): This is used to make grocery bags, some food wraps, squeezable bottles and bread bags. This plastic is not often accepted by curbside recycling programs but plastic grocery bags can usually be recycled at the stores in which you obtained them.

#5's-Polypropylene: Yogurt cups and similiar wide-necked containers are oftne made from it as well as water bottles with a cloudy finish. Other items include medicine, ketchup and syrup bottles as well as straws. Curbside recycling programs are starting to accept this plastic more and more.

I will cover #'s 6 & 7 tomorrow in my post.

Recycling

Now for the last "R" which is the first one we always seem to think about-recycling. It can mean so much more though than just what you can put out to the curb. Here are some ideas:

1) Be familiar with your local recycling program. Recycle everything you can.
2) Designate a special trash can in the house to put recycling in to make it easier for everyone.
3) Home Depots across the nation recycle CFL bulbs.
4) Batteries Plus will recycle old batteries.
5) Used motor fluids can be take to most automotive parts stores to be recycled.
6) Keep a Goodwill (or other charity) bag around the house and put things you don't normally use in them.
7) Offer things on websites like freecycle.
8) Used old clothes for rags.
9) Old CD's, VHS tapes, DVD's and books can be donated to the library.
10) If you have brought home store plastic shopping bags, use as small trash can liners or take back to store to be recycled.
11) Food scraps (non-meat or oil) can be composted.
12) Yard debris can be composted.
13) Grass clippings can be left on lawn.
14) Leaves can be used as mulch or put on compost pile.

Practicing the 3-R's of recycling takes some creativity but it is worth it and more cost effective for your city or county government. More facts on these things in future posts.

Recycling: Reuse

Sorry I have been remiss in posting. My daughter ended up in the hospital but is doing fine now.

To continue our discussion of recycling, let us talk about reusing. This means to reuse items that normally would go in the recycling bins or trash. It also can mean buying things that others have already used instead of buying new.

1) Take apart old things to scavenge things that can be used again-screws, parts still functioning that can be used in similar machine, good wood scraps, etc.
2) Wash baggies not used for meat and use again
3) Smooth out aluminum foil and use again
4) Hang used CD's around fruit and garden to scare off birds. Remember to move so they continue to be novel to birds.
5) Buy products made of recycled materials.
6) Use junk mail and other one sided paper in printer.
7) Donate old magazines to nursing homes, preschools (craft projects) and other organizations.
8) Buy clothing and other household items from garage sales, consignments stores and Goodwill type places.

Be creative. Share other ideas you may have to reuse.