This giveaway is now closed.
Photo from Flip & Tumble
One of the fun perks to the eco-savvy trend is all the great products out there now. And many times, their initial cost is worth the money-saving benefit they provide in the long run. Today, several of you will have a chance to win some!
Reusable bags are one of the easiest ways to go green – and let’s face it, they’re so much cuter than plastic grocery bags. Almost 1 trillion plastic bags are annually consumed worldwide, and they’re not biodegradable.
In the month I’ve had my reusable bags, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using them. When I whip one out from my purse in the checkout line, the most common response I get is, “Those are so cool!” I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using plastic.
Here are the brands I’ve enjoyed using, and who are rewarding a few Simple Mom readers with some of their bags.
Shop Wise Bags
• Perks – These durable oilcloth bags are shaped just like traditional grocery sacks, so they fold up nicely and stand up well. I’ve been using mine lately to cart around diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes for my kids in the car. And I love all their great patterns and colors.
• Giveaway – One reader will win a set of three high-quality Shop Wise bags!
Envirosax
• Perks – These bags are much bigger than they seem. They hold so much stuff, and they’re easy to fold up and secure with the velcro tabs. They’re pretty, too.
• Giveaway – One reader will win a set of five Envirosax bags!
B. Happybags
• Perks – These high-quality, durable canvas bags can hold a lot of stuff, and their wide openings mean I can toss big things along with no problem. Plus, they’re adorable.
• Giveaway – One reader will win four B. Happybags!
ACME Bags
• Perks – These are mesh bags, which are perfect for produce. They fold up tiny, so you can hold multiple in your purse no problem. I’m so impressed with how durable they are – for as lightweight as they are, they can really hold some heavy stuff.
• Giveaway – One reader will win three ACME mesh bags from ReusableBags.com!
RuMe
• Perks – I love how this micro bag folds up securely and easily, and its medium-sized shape holds things neatly. We use ours to tote books and crayons to and from the car.
• Giveaway – One reader will win a micro RuMe, a 13 ounce Earthlust bottle, and a Wrap-n-Mat from Mama Goes Green – all things I use and love!
Flip & Tumble
• Perks – These bags scrunch up nicely, and the colors are great, too. The 24-7 bags wads up into a ball, which means you’re carrying an instant toy for small children – and I love the felt shoulder pad, because normally bags and purses are always falling off my shoulder.
• Giveaway – One reader will win one 24-7 bag and two Loopt bags!
How to Win:
1. To be one of the six winners, leave a comment on this post and answer this question – What else do you reuse or repurpose around your home?
2. For a second entry, email me at simplemomblog (at) gmail (dot) com with the secret code in the email’s subject line (no need to write anything in the email’s body, as it won’t be read). To find the secret code, make sure you’ve subscribed to Simple Mom’s feed either via RSS or via email, and look in the footer of any post. I promise you – the code is there.
3. For a third entry, blog about this giveaway and make sure I know about it.
This giveaway ends on Saturday, November 22 at midnight CST.
I hope you win!
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We reuse:
~rain water for watering the plants, trees, and lawn.
~random grocery bags for dog walks and trips to the park or for the little wastebaskets in the bathrooms, otherwise they are recycled.
~our grocery sacks and a folding cooler for grocery shopping.
~water from steamed vegetables to water houseplants.
~clothing, bedding, magazines, and books by donating to shelters, hospitals, etc or listing on Freecycle.
~food waste and lawn trimmings. They are turned into compost.
~moving boxes. When we move (which is fairly often), we go to a local recycling center and grab as many boxes as we need, then return them to another center when we reach our new home.
~zip-top bags. Wash and dry with a little effort but saves a lot from the trash can.
Thanks for the great giveaway, Tsh!
We reuse:
~rain water for watering the plants, trees, and lawn.
~random grocery bags for dog walks and trips to the park or for the little wastebaskets in the bathrooms, otherwise they are recycled.
~our grocery sacks and a folding cooler for grocery shopping.
~water from steamed vegetables to water houseplants.
~clothing, bedding, magazines, and books by donating to shelters, hospitals, etc or listing on Freecycle.
~food waste and lawn trimmings. They are turned into compost.
~moving boxes. When we move (which is fairly often), we go to a local recycling center and grab as many boxes as we need, then return them to another center when we reach our new home.
~zip-top bags. Wash and dry with a little effort but saves a lot from the trash can.
Thanks for the great giveaway, Tsh.
PAPER, no reason to throw away or recycle a totally good piece just because something is on the other side. Now that we have two kids in school there is no need to buy any paper at our house.
We are firm believers in hand me downs. I get a ton of super-high quality hand me downs from various family members for both of my kids, and we then pass them down to others that can use them. I have also started to shop at consignment or used children clothing stores. (Much better selection than Goodwill.)
I recently canned a bunch of fruit, veggies and jams and bought a bunch of second hand canning jars at a resale shop, and then other family members (my aunts) heard I was starting to can and they gave me all their canning supplies that they no longer are using. Win-win for all: I get free jars and they get rid of clutter in their basement.
I’ve also started ripping up old t-shirts to use as cleaning rags, and old socks work as great dust cloths, especially for little hands that want to help!
Instead of wrapping packages in gift paper, I make sure I have a few brown paper bags on hand. (Works great for e-bay packages too) We use the bags to wrap the packages, and then the kids color, stamp or use stickers to decorate the bags. Everyone loves getting them!
Great post and I love reading everyone else’s responses!
I love the Envirosax bags they are so pretty! WE use pages from magazines for kid art at our house, and also we use empty oatmeal containers for storage of that art!
Chantel´s last blog post…I wish I had these sheets!
Sorry about the numerous posts…I thought it wasn’t posting. Augh.
Thank you for the chance to enter the contest. Baby steps: using cloth shopping bags, cloth napkins, cloth sandwich bags.
We reuse lots of plastic bags and plastic containers. I’ve also used soup cans-spray painted or decorated for pencils holders on my desk. And since my son is still very little, when I go through my magazine basket, I donate all of my old magazines to a local elementary school for art projects & collages.
We try to reuse what we can at home or at least put it in recycling. We keep paper bags for holding paper to recycle. We use any plastic bags we get for lining small trash cans. Another fun thing is I like to reuse #10 cans for canisters. It works well and they are easy to store in the pantry. We keep oatmeal, rice, sugar, etc. in them. We also keep any containers and use them for leftovers or in lunches.
We reuse some of the grocery store plastic bags for trash bags. We also wash and keep glass containers and use to hold leftovers. I have been making my own cleaners and laundry detergent too. I am horrible about remembering my bags. It would be great to have some to leave in the car.
Tracie´s last blog post…First snow of the season
I re-use many little things when I handmake cards: ribbons, buttons, beads, other cards, paper & fabric & felt scraps and so on.
I use old towels, cloths, or cut up clothing for rags to clean with.
I re-use jars (pb, jelly, etc) to store items (pantry and other).
Instead of buying a new piece of furniture, I sometimes paint something old and add new knobs to create a new look. For instance, my daughter’s bedroom furniture is a hand-me-down from her young aunt–I repainted for a new look. I have a cute decorative table in my living room that my husband found on the side of the road, which I repainted.
My kids wear some of my cousin’s hand-me-downs. There are those classic items, the basics, that are always useful.
I love to buy antiques and previously owned items. Also, a good portion of my decorative items in my house once belonged to another family member (paintings from grandma, dresser from parents…).
My children now read many books that were my sister’s and mine when we were little, or were my husband’s and his siblings’ when they were little. Both our parents saved their children’s books, so my kids were born with a library already at their fingertips.
Christy´s last blog post…leaf silhouette notecard
My home has been a huge reuse project, we got our hands on a 1980 single wide for “free” we gutted it, and renovated it. We got all lightly used appliances and furniture. My husband reuses coffee buckets for his nails, screws and other small stuff. Thanks for the giveaway!
Jen
Eco-Office Gals
Jennifer Smith´s last blog post…Great Green Stuff! 90210 Organics
Where we live we receive coupons for local businesses in the mail. I use the backs of those for scratch paper. We do not use top sheets. I have a cute set that I am planning to cut up and make into cloth napkins.
Love the bags! I have been using ones from Publix. They get the job done; but, they are not as cute.
I reuse formula cans. I wrap them in scrapbook paper and stack cookies in them as gifts.
Jamie´s last blog post…Oh, brother!
What a great giveaway! At our house, clothes are the biggest recycling project – handmedowns are lifesavers, and we’ve come to look forward to our “new-to-you” swaps.
I love to use the wrappers from Choice tea bags as grocery lists. (I drink loose black tea, but my son gets herbal and decaf tea in bags.)
I also use glass jars from peanut butter and spaghetti sauce to store grains and beans in. Both useful and beautiful.
The Purloined Letter´s last blog post…Public and Private Acts
I love using canvas bags for shopping–and I seem to inspire others as well. One thing I’ve done at home is eliminate the need for paper towels, I just buy some inexpensive dish rags that can be used over & over, and throw them in the wash!
Thanks for the chance to win!
These bags put mine to shame! We reuse everything…down to toilet paper and paper towel rolls. My 4 year old loves making crafts out of them!
Gina´s last blog post…The "Iwannas"
Cool bags! I have a few I knitted that we use around here all the time for hauling baby stuff. We reuse a lot of our printing paper for notepads, glass jars for storage and baby fun, paper towel rolls for art projects or string storage, and egg cases for fire starters/gifts.
kimberly´s last blog post…November 08
I love my reusable shopping bags and could sure use some more! Something else I reuse around the house? I have a lot of paper from work I reuse — I let the kids color on it, I print personal (but unimportant) things on it, and we often use it to make snowflakes!
I’ve had a bad case of Envirosax envy lately so this is perfect.
We reuse all the bags that come into our house, whether disposable or reusable. Another way we reuse is to not buy lots of expensive toys for our year-old daughter; her favorites right now are a wooden spoon and a cardboard box.
A small house and limited resources are great assistants in learning how much can actually be reused.
All of the bags are so cool!
I am forever trying to think of ways to recycle or re-use items. The most common is taking old T-shirts and using them for cleaning rags. I am also learning how to sew and want to turn old articles of clothing into re-usable bags.
All those bags are adorable! Much more stylish than my reusable bags. They’ve come a long way since I bought mine.
I try to reuse lots of stuff around the house for my craft room. I use lots of glass jars from the kitchen to sort buttons and ribbons and flowers in my craft room. And little plastic trays from some frozen foods can be washed and used for paint or other kiddo crafting projects.
Tonya´s last blog post…a couple more cards I made this afternoon…
They’re all just so lovely!
We reuse dryer sheets around here as well. They keep their scent after they’re used, so we’ll just drop one or two in the bottom of the diaper pail to keep things smelling a little fresher. I’ve also swiped one across our dog if she’s not smelling so nice, too. She likes the attention and I like the fact that for a little while she doesn’t smell so much like a … dog.
What a great giveaway! We reuse many things. Egg cartons become paint containers for when my boys paint. Newspapers are used to clean windows and mirrors.
Heather G´s last blog post…Why didn’t I do this sooner?
toilet paper rolls are a great toy for my daughters gerbil and any jar or container that holds food is reused to hold food again or craft supplies or homemade bath salts and bubble bath. I love these bags!!
I love the RuMe bags – I bought an extra three sets this year at Delight.com and I’m using them as giftwrap for holiday packages so that we don’t waste the paper used to wrap gifts.
I keep all of my empty cans from soups and beans and I wash them out and soak them to remove the paper and glue and then I bake cornbread or pumpkin bread in them – it’s the perfect compliment to Chili or a Mug of Hot Cocoa on the go.
Cass´s last blog post…Making Baby Food – The Fun Way
Ive just recently started recycling and am amazed at how much stuff we were dumping into the landfill! I compost the kitchen scraps and it really does make my flower and vegetable garden soil great. Right now, Im making paper gifts out of my mountain of paper scraps from all the scrapbook albums Ive done. that’s a good feeling not to waste even an inch of those beautiful papers.
What great bags. I will look so trendy…I won’t know how to behave. We do a ton of three R’s around our thrifty home. My 8- and 9-year-olds are always scouting the recycle bin for craft ideas. Cardboard boxes become horse barns, doll houses, telescopes, Japanese dolls, etc. My daughter recently re purposed a beautiful shirt of hers (a little bleach incident ruined it) into a skirt, pillow, scarf and pair of pants for one of her dolls. Their school is even recycling the plastic milk bottles from lunch and lids get sent off to Aveda to make more lids.
We re-use old t-shirts for rags, pet foot wiping, etc. We store things in used plastic and glass containers. And we shred up all unwanted mail, things with our personal info on it and much without it, and use the grindings when we’re shipping out boxes as the “styrofoam peanuts” replacement. It’s fun to find a re-purpose for everything we want to put in the garbage. It’s a challenge to be the one to come up with the re-purpose!
Very nice bags for the giveaways!
I reuse the backs of printer paper to write out my grocery lists, my honey-do lists, everything
.
We’ve started drinking a lot of juice (bought in glass bottles) and I was worried about just recycling and not reusing the bottles. Recently, we’ve been keeping at least some of the bottles around and have used them to help do a cleanse and to tote around large amounts of tea for the day. I hope to always be able to reuse my glass bottles at least a few times before recycling them.
Nicole´s last blog post…November 13: Recycling Mail
Those are super cute! I live in Europe too, so I would use them for EVERYTHING…. seriously. I am thinking library books right now to take to and from on the tram!!
Julie´s last blog post…Vaudeville Turkey Eli created…
I repurpose old fabric!! I love creating new things with old fabrics. There’s something special in the finished object when created with reused fabrics.
Allison J´s last blog post…Holiday Wish Lists
I use the huge pickle jars for canisters for everything. My ex-MIL usually sends them home with the kids. They are the perfect size for my lower cabinets. I also use other jars for storage for nearly everything.
Christi´s last blog post…Making a Weekly Plan
Fabulous giveaway! We reuse the plastic grocery bags to use when cleaning out the litter box!
What great bags! I will look so trendy that I won’t know how to behave. We do a ton of 3 R’s in our thrifty home. My 8- and 9-year old are always scouting the recycling bin for craft project material. Cardboard boxes become horse barns, parking garages, doll houses, telescopes, and fancy Japanese dolls. My daughter recently re purposed a beautiful top that had a little run-in with some bleach?? She made a pillow, skirt, pants, and scarf for one of her dolls.
I have been wanting to try some of these! What a fantabulous give-away!!!
Around here our newest ventures into re-using involves “shopping” in our attic for clothes for my one-year-old…clothes that were her older sister’s 7 years ago. Also, the clothes that were too worn to be passed along are cut up and used for rags…the old flannel sheets and nighties make wonderful washcloths.
I also have a stash of plastic grocery bags that I cut up and crotchet into various sized bags.
My latest repurposing is turning our old fleece jackets, sweatshirts, etc. into breathable diaper covers for the baby using Katrina’s Soaker Pattern…now my favorite covers are free!
Jacqueline´s last blog post…How to Order…
We live in Europe, so these would be so helpful here and we would use them for everything…like going to the library…instead of using our standard grocery bag!!!
These are great! thanks!!!
Julie´s last blog post…Vaudeville Turkey Eli created…
I actually repurpose bags: fancy stores that give you a fancy bag like Godiva or Victoria’s Secret work well as gift bags. Giving a guy a gift in a Victoria’s Secret bag sure will make him wonder!
Marian´s last blog post…One DOWN!!
Take three…sorry I keep trying to post, but nothing is coming up.
I would use them all the time, I live in Europe and I would love to use them for our library books…super cute!
Julie´s last blog post…Vaudeville Turkey Eli created…
Those bags are all really cool! (I made a set of my own from the wall of fabric stash I’m trying to use up. But every once in a while I run out of them at the store. )
What we reuse/repurpose:
- clothespins as food clips (I see I’m not the only one) and portrait background holders.
- liquid laundry soap measuring cups as paint cups for kiddos. (Just started doing this.)
Avlor´s last blog post…Cream vs. Creamcheese
I also have re-usable bags for grocery shopping, but they don’t look so nice
Anyway, I re-use the paper that comes in mail to print on the blank side.
I also re-use glass bottles (say from jam etc.) to store things around the house.
I also keep the plastic containers(sourcream etc.) – great to send home leftovers to whom I invite home.
i use an old dish drainer to organize the lids for my pots and pans:) Also, re: reusable bags, I have 2 (which unfortunately don’t hold all of my groceries) but I love them. The long handles fit over my shoulder to carry groceries up stairs. (I hate taking multiple trips up the stairs…hah.)
tara´s last blog post…baby, it’s cold outside?
What a great giveaway. I love all the bags. Hmm, I just got a reusable idea. I could support these business by buying some bags to “WRAP” my Christmas gifts in for friends and family. We recycle paper, and magazines (when done reading I exchange with friends for their read magazines), thift shopping is a donefall. I love a bargain. Plastic containers and reusable bags always find a new life at our house.
Love the bags! Our store gives 5 cents for every reusable bag used!
One of our favorite was to be frugal/green is to buy used books. We all love to read and have quite a collection of books. We look on the website booksalefinder.com (which allows searches by state) to find used book sales near us.
I keep two collapsible crates with lids in my van. The grocery store I use most often doesn’t bag your groceries, in fact you have to buy the plastic bags. They just put everything back in your cart as they scan. So I roll on out to my van and load it in my crates. Not only am I reusing them each week but they are also easier to carry into the house than 2 dozen plastic bags.
stephaniesmommybrain´s last blog post…Apple Pie Making with Grandma
Besides using re-usable bags at the commissary, we use old t-shirts for rags and for wiping muddy paws, etc. We re-use as many food containers as possible to store something else.
We grind up all unwanted mail, especially anything with our personal info on it. We then use the grindings as “styrofoam peanut” replacements in any boxes we send out.
We love to find a new purpose for everything headed for the garbage and try to use everything at least one more time for something. GREAT giveaway bags!!
I compost all our fruit, veggies and egg shells and our garden waste along with our indoor plants leaves. We also use cloth diapers for our babies. I have also cut out paper napkins and paper towels completely! It feels great not to have to worry about running out of those staples anymore! I try to remember my reusable bags to the store but I have to admit I often forget them. I bet if they were cute bags I wouldn’t forget!
How about reusing butter plastic containers. My husband hates it when I do that. He will open it expecting butter and gets frustrated.
I reuse my baby food jars for all sorts of stuff (including homemade baby food). I also reuse anything that comes in a box. Cardboard is super handy for making puzzles and games for little ones.
Mostly I just try to reduce what I bring into my house. I now use reusable glass containers for my leftovers and lunches.
Pick me! Pick me!!
Vanessa van der Meer´s last blog post…Remembrance Day
I keep two collapsible crates in my van. The grocery store I use doesn’t bag for you AND you have to buy the plastic bags. They put it all back in the cart after scanning. I just roll on out to the van and put it all in the crates. Not only are they reusable but they are easier to carry into the house than all those separate bags.
stephaniesmommybrain´s last blog post…Apple Pie Making with Grandma
We reuse plastic bags for our diaper champ….must cheaper and better than buying ones made for a diaper genie! We also reuse spaghetti sauce jars for lots of things (mainly to hold random little things) and diaper boxes become clothing storage for outgrown and out-of-season clothes.
Heather´s last blog post…Okay…so I lied
We reuse paper, plastic containers (like from yogurt, butter, etc) and plastic bags as trash bags, etc. Thanks for the chance to win!
Those are so cute, I reuse bags too, but mine are not so cute.
I have cloth napkins so we never use paper ones. I also kept all of our little baby wash cloths to cut down on paper towel usage.
We refill our soap dispensers too. I do these things more because I loathe to spend money replacing them and less because I’m concerned about environmental causes, but every little bit helps right? ;-P
Jenny´s last blog post…50 months
I love using Huggies wet wipes containers for all manner of storage. The pop-up lid makes it easy to drop small things in the box, and the durable plastic is great. Thanks for the great giveaway!!
I save my bread bags and re-use them for homemade bread, rolls, etc.
Shanna´s last blog post…Before and After
We reuse junk mail and magazines for art projects for the kids
Oh where to begin… I guess my favorite re-use around the house is our compost! We live on a small suburban lot and have made room to keep a nice garden, so our fruit/veggie/coffee scraps= free fertilizer.
I love reusable bags. We reuse anything at our house. Coffee containers have become our food scrap holder until it can go to the outside organics container, paper towel tubes become art projects, or musical instruments, and empty cereal boxes are cut up and used to line my fabric boxes.
I’ve been reusing the glass jars my applesauce comes in. Things look so much prettier stored in a glass jar!
We repurpose a lot of stuff around here, and try to use things several times before throwing it out. The food containers and stuff is pretty common but other things we have done is turn sheets into reuseable grocery bags, mop buckets into kids block storage, cut off onsie bottoms into diaper covers for under skirts and dresses, and a cd rack as kid shoe storage.
I try to reuse pretty much everything (ziploc bags, fabric from worn out clothes, etc.), but my latest obsession is using magazine pages, junk mail, and other papers that would just go straight into the recycle bin. I’ve made paper bowls to use as gift baskets for my Holiday gifts and am finishing up a set of large spiral dots to hang on my wall. It’s so fun and I can do it while my daughter and I watch a movie. Plus when I look at them I feel like some shnazzy indie artist!!
Michelle´s last blog post…To whomever came up with this brilliant idea,
I love, love, love shopping bags! But the ones I use aren’t nearly as cute as these, I hope I win one!
Something we reuse around our house is rags. We cut up old t-shirts and baby receiving blankets and use them to wipe up spills and clean bathrooms. I also use microfiber cloths (bought in the automotive section where they’re cheaper!) for dusting and cleaning.
I use reusable dryer sheets.
Meryl´s last blog post…Five Things I Wanna Do Very Soon and One Request for Good Vibes for a Certain Welsh Terrier
I reuse envelopes from junk mail to write down shopping lists!
Kirstin´s last blog post…Product Review – Miessence Certified Organics
Hi there! Thanks for the great giveaway. I love having reusable bags around for everything from groceries to carting kids’ stuff. Speaking of kids’ stuff… we often reuse plastics (concentrated fruit juice, oatmeal, etc) for kids’ and mommy’s crafts. One of my all-time favorites is using 2-liter plastic soda bottles to create a mini terrarium so the kiddos can observe nature first-hand. Anyone remember that from their school days?
Hey! I wash out (really well!) the foam trays that meat comes in from the store. The kids can use them for paint trays. Also, I reuse my plastic bags from the grocery store as small trash can liners.
I reuse my plastic produce bags for wrapping eBay items. And, I reuse my printer paper for notes and doodling!
Joy (from Just Plain Joy)´s last blog post…Tuesday’s Top Pick: Organized Mommy
I am repurposing some ClosetMaid organizers and an old shelf by turning them into a kitchen set for my son. With a little creativity and a few power tools, it will be fabulous!
Joanna´s last blog post…Time Warp
One of my favorite uses for my current reusable shopping bag is lugging my family’s library books in and out! It’s a great way to carry a bunch of heavy books on one side and a baby on the other side.
Other things we reuse around here: baby food jars make great little tealight holders and are good for many other crafts; plastic spice containers make perfect “maracas” for little hands when they are rinsed out and have a few pennies dropped in them; cardboard boxes of any kind make a great canvas for kiddies to draw on and build with.
It’s amazing how little eyes change your perspective on what is “trash” and what is “treasure”!
I reuse plastic ziploc bags, the plastic grocery bags we come home with. Also plastic containers for leftovers.
I try to re-use packaging whenever possible. And since I LOVE wrapping gifts, I re-use my homemade bow’s over and over and over. I’m also always looking for something cool to re-use and use instead of wrapping paper… makes a pretty present and its fun and different!
Of all the reusable grocery bags I’ve used, the ones that stand up on their own are the best. Grocery baggers won’t give you dirty looks when you hand them over.
I actually wash my Ziplocs and reuse them. Yes, I do.
Angie (from over at http://www.HalfAssedKitchen.com)
Half Assed Kitchen´s last blog post…Hokey Pokey–confection at its finest. And easiest.
I reuse brown paper bags, especially the ones with handles. They last a long time! I also use shopping bags gleaned from my friends who mall shop, to carry shoes and extra stuff when we travel. If it gets dirty or tears, no problem!
I need one, cause I don’t have one. I think I should start using them. But should I haul 10 to the store when I grocery shop? I do recycle my plastic ones, though!
Hillary´s last blog post…Wicked good!
When I forget to bring my reusable bags to the store (which happens too often), I at least take comfort in that I can and do reuse the plastic bags again. Either for wet/gross baby clothes when we’re out and about or she’s at daycare, or for changing the litter box (ew! but we use a lot this way!)
We reuse everything we can… as a homeschooler we find lots of uses for empty product containers. Oatmeal boxes become pinhole cameras, baby food jars hold paint for mixing, sour cream tubs hold sloppy science experiments and become planters, etc…
Shannon´s last blog post…Why homeschooling is so great
I reuse the paper bags we get at our grocery store since I don’t YET
have any reusable ones for…
…drawing/painting/craft paper for my son
…wrapping paper (after my son paints/draws on it)
…to collect lemons and oranges from our trees.
Pamela´s last blog post…The Plight of the Second Child
i’ve been trying to reuse more and more lately. we reuse the containers our lunchmeat comes in. i reuse scrapbook paper for making handmade cards around the holidays. i also reuse bits of yarn for smaller projects, or for adding as stuffing into toys and such.
we reuse books by sharing them with friends, and we also reuse old clothes by cutting undershirts into cleaning rags.
now, if only we could find a way to reuse all that pet hair!
Ooh – I love reusable bags.
I’m currently reusing baby food jars to make favors for my daughter’s first birthday party. I reuse the baby wipes containers to store various stuff (small toys, pens, plastic bags for the dogs). We reuse the plastic bags we have to store recycling. Milk jugs get cleaned out and filled with sand to use to keep the tarp on our wood pile. Whenever I get a gift bag I save it to reuse it when i give a gift.
I’m always looking for ways to reuse things instead of throwing them away or recyling them immediately. I love posts like this too because we can all share some great ideas.
Holly´s last blog post…Works For Me Wednesday – Gmail
We keep almost all glass jars — we use them for storage of bacon fat, hummus, homemade sauces, spice rubs, etc. They often find their way into the craft room for storage. Two are filled with foreign coins and money and used as bookends. We also use them for disposal of cooking oil when we have a large amount.
Beautiful bags! I would love to add to my collection. You can never have too many, can you?
In my house, we have been trying to kick our paper towel habit by using wash cloths instead.
I also blogged about your giveaway.
Josie´s last blog post…Playroom Ideas – Flat Surfaces
I love all these bags! Like many of your readers, we reuse our plastic bags for liners, our glass jars for storage containers, our old t-shirts and towels for cleaning rags. One of my weaknesses is thinking that I need to go buy this or that really cool organizing item that will make my life simpler. My husband really challenges me to instead look around the house and see what I can use to make my own organizer. His latest success story is making me a jewelry organizer for my necklaces out of paperclips. It works great! Next project is to use cardboard for making some art for my daughter’s wall.
I’ve reused babyfood jars to store pins, nuts, bolts, screws. The plastic bags we don’t recycle are used to carry lunches or get donated to a daycare to place kids’ soiled clothes in.
We reuse several things in our home but the one that comes to mind first is clothes (that are not able to be recycled through Salvation Army or Goodwill) and most linens become rags. Our other common reused item is the plastic grocery bags we have. We haven’t had a regular trash can for years.
Liz´s last blog post…3 Little Snow People
glass jars of all sizes
We already use our own bags to bag the groceries and confuse the checkers at the department stores, but I have never had ones for the produce, a spot where we would sorely love to reduce our consumption of bags (not the food itself though!)
Cheers!
I reuse the plastic grocery bags in my small trash cans.
Shelley´s last blog post…Trickin’ It To The Treats
I’ve wanted to switch to reusable for a while, but I think I’ll still take a few plastic, because I always re-use them for wrapping up dirty diapers, wastebasket liners, or little trash bags for the car. What I have left I use as packing material so I don’t have to buy bubble wrap or those goofy peanuts!
I’m also starting to save my newspapers (I buy a few each wk for the coupons) for packaging materials!
Erica M´s last blog post…Gadget Thursday – Slow Cooker
I re-use our empty plastic coffee containers. They are great to store my sons art supplies and Hot Wheel cars and a multitude of other tiny things. You can also spray paint them with that great paint just for plastic to customize them to your space. And they have LIDS to keep little things contained!
Our paper is often delivered in plastic bags, which irritates me but is a necessary evil. I use the bags to pick up dog droopings from the yard. I also use our nicer dish towels as napkins at the dinner table. And, I reuse any paper that comes into the house with one side blank to print on.
Karen´s last blog post…Techno tackle
We reuse the typical things: both sides of the paper, junk mail as note paper, plastic bags as garbage bags (and poop bags for the dog), our child’s clothes are 90% second (or third) hand, old t-shirts as rags, etc.
We’ve been using re-usable bags at the grocery store for over a year now, but they are not nearly as good-looking as these bags. The mesh bags for produce are a great idea!
coffee cans are big around my house……..my kids are so excited when we finish off a Maxwell House or a Chock full of Nuts, because the cans become space stations or houses or whatever they are planning to play that week………
i am obsessed with using any piece of paper i can for scrap paper to make lists, make notes, etc. when my kids bring home notes from school, i check out the backside and if it’s blank i fold it in half and put in our scrap paper slot on my desk. same thing goes for mail. if any piece of mail has an empty side, i use it for scrap paper.
I like reusable bags but when I do get the plastic ones, I use them to put smelly diapers in. We also do our notes & lists on scrap paper & junk mail envelopes. Hope I win!
Kristin Solomon´s last blog post…Liking the New Camera
We love using reusable bags at our house, but none of ours are as pretty as these! We’ve also started the switch from paper napkins to cloth ones. It makes us feel fancy and a little green at the same time!
Katie´s last blog post…Twitterpated…
I posted about your giveaway on my blog. http://modern50shousewife.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-love-idea-of-fabric-bags.html
Great giveaway!
Liz´s last blog post…3 Little Snow People
I love reusing “trash” items from my home. I enjoy using old phone books as gluing tools. When I am working on a craft and need to get glue to the very edges of the paper I use an open phone book and then I can tear out the gluey paper. Then I can use that paper as compost in my garden.
Rean Day´s last blog post…Purpose Driven Life – Day 3
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