Making A Home And Family

My husband and I have decided to go napkin and paper towel free in the kitchen as one of our approaches to going green.  He broke out the sewing machine to make his own backpack last week, so I finally got the motivation to go to St. Vincent DePaul’s for the items I needed.  I bought a twin flat sheet that was light colored with pretty yellow and pink flowers (it matches my kitchen yellow), and that will become the napkins.  I have 10 cut and pinned but I need to buy a new sewing needle before I finish.

As for the paper towel, I will be cutting up a few old shirts that we never wear anymore and putting them in a drawer.  They will be our rags that will replace our paper towel.  Both of these will be easy to convert to – wash them, put them away, use them, put in hamper, repeat.

I also bought a picnic table cloth (the vinyl kind), so I could make reusable sandwich bags.  I got the idea from Michele, who shared this tutorial a few weeks ago.  These are also cut and pinned waiting for the sewing machine to be functional.

 Not only do I feel I am being frugal, but I’m also making less waste.  That’s a good thing!

For more frugal ideas, visit Biblical Womanhood.

Six weeks ago, I made a big decision about my hair.  After years of struggling with curly and frizzy long locks – fighting with it to be perfectly curled or unnaturally straight – I made a change.

I got dreadlocks!  Now I am not saying everyday I love my hair now because it is still an ongoing struggle, but it’s a struggle that I needed.  A struggle with patience.  A struggle understanding that my hair doesn’t have to be the societal norm or perfection for me to be pretty or have confidence in myself.  A struggle to leave my hair do its thing because that is what it does best.

In this effort, I have really began to save money on hair products and accessories.  I used to use (pretty much daily): shampoo, conditioner, bodywash or soap, gel/mouse, comb and brush.  I have cut down my washing to about every 3 days, and I now use one bar of soap for my entire body.  I use Dr. Bronner’s Castile Peppermint Soap Bar for shampooing my hair, washing my face, and washing my body.  I believe a $2.99 bar will last my husband and I at least one month.  Not only is it frugal, but it sure does smell good too.

For more frugal ideas, please visit Biblical Womanhood.