Little House in the Valley

Living Green Can be Simple

Does it ever confuse you why green living can be so complicated? Some practices are almost a deterrent from incorporating this into our lifestyles. I have found that I desire to use green practices, but not at the cost of sacrificing my simple life practices. But there is one good thing that keeps me from feeling guilty, simple living often incorporates green living by its essence. Having less, means less garbage, less waste, less cleaning products to care for stuff, less time to care for stuff, less stuff to replace, etc. But how can you do more when you are already struggling to incorporate my simple living practices into your life?

Be thoughtful before you purchase an item. Do you need it? How will it affect the environment and now and in the future? Will there be continuing resources to purchase with using the product? Is there an environmentally friendly way to do this? Some products are now environmentally friendly due to companies making it easy for you. Refillable items, sold in recycled easily disposable items that are poured into a permanently re-usable dispenser are a great example of this. Technology companies often offer an easy method to recycle items such as ink cartridges and batteries by including prepaid envelopes to send the old and empty containers back to them in.

Wash your clothes in cold water only. This completely eliminates the heating of water. I have not found any significant difference in the cleanliness or stain removal of our clothing. I have not used warm or hot water for years. Once you get into this practice, if you have to purchase a new washer, you can often save money by purchasing a model that has fewer options. Additionally, with cold water I have noticed that I can use significantly less detergent to clean a load of laundry.

If at all possible, try carpooling for different activities. Even if you can’t use this practice every day, try finding ways to incorporate carpooling one or two days per week. You will save money, and be able save the environment at the same time. When you can’t carpool, consider sharing errands with a friend or neighbor. If you and a friend both have a designated errand day, that fall on different days, call each other the night before to ask if the other needs anything. This will help eliminate the need for you to make an extra trip out for some forgotten, but needed item for you AND your friend. This saves, time, gas, and emissions!

There are lots of ways to being incorporating green practices into your life style in a simple way. As with other simple living practices, don’t wait, and get started today, with just one idea that you can change this month!

These are my thoughts.

Leslie Valeska

~Contributing Writer~

Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.  With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking.  

For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visit her blog Journey to Simplicity. Need a source of encouragement, inspiration, and support on your journey to Godly womanhood? Visit Simple Journey Ministries (she has a FREE E-zine too!) Of course, don’t forget to visit the Simple Journey Bookstore!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Please stop by to visit Peggy to peek into the lives of other "Simple Women," and to read the guidelines for creating your own Daybook!

Check Out this Greenhouse!

Little House and the Big Garden posted these great pictures of their new greenhouse, go check it out!   They did a good job, and I know it will be a blessing to their family.   I am definitely showing this post to my own husband for a little "inspiration" .  The greenhouse that a friend "donated to my cause" was in such bad repair that it wasn't worth salvaging, which was very disappointing.  Perhaps we just might find room for one of these somewhere in our new yard. 

There is a link in the post to the book they got the plans from for my fellow book-lovers, too! 

Blessings,

Catherine

Making Apple Cider Vinegar at Home

Kristin Hoffman homesteads with her family in the hills of East Tennessee and blogs about alternative energy, family farming, and home schooling with her husband at www.solarfamilyfarm.com. She can also be found cooking in the kitchen with her homemade apple cider vinegar.

Things around the homestead

A serene Saturday & Sunday afternoon

Monday, Monday...

Monday....one of my favorite days of the week. So much promise for the week ahead...

Today is filled with our normal Monday routine...laundry and school work. Plus anything else that comes up. Today, I am determined to not use the dryer at all. I normally do one load in the dryer....socks, undies, washclothes and napkins.....all those little things that are time consuming to hang out. After realizing that our last month's electric bill did not include the rate increase, we are conserving even more. Our bill was a bit higher than I expected, though lower than years past for August usage. But, the weather was cooler and we didn't run the a/c as much as normal. And I was diligent about hanging out the laundry (except for that one load each laundry day). Then I read that the rate increase took effect Oct 1st. Oh! Now, I'm not looking forward to this bill at all!

When Honey left this morning, we heard deer in the front pasture snorting. It spooked me a bit when I first heard it, but Honey told me what it was and calmed me. What a sweetie. I sure didn't want to give him back to Home Depot this morning..but that's what Monday entails. Bummer...I'd so LOVE for him to work at home. I just love being with him. He's my favorite person in all the world.

I had posted some clothes for sale on our local swap and shop...I sold the 6 bags of clothes on Saturday...but also had separate listings for sleepers and such. A woman called last night and wants to buy ALL of them!! She also asked if we had any other clothes or toys to sell. I'm meeting her in town tomorrow, before MNO, to sell her this stuff. Natalie and Mary have been cleaning their room and I know they have toys that they no longer want or play with. The lady buying this stuff is helping out a family that lost their home to a fire. I plan to give her plenty of stuff to give to this family too. I know I have a bag of sheets that I'll wash up and give her...and I'll be looking around today for other things. She told me they have little children and another on the way. How awful to lose everything......

I'm hoping to sell enough "stuff" to be able to buy new tires for the Burb before our trip to Nashville later this month. The back tires are worn...and when the Burb gets to about 55mph, the back end vibrates alot. It would be so nice to have new tires and not deal with that on I-65 that day. I plan to call the tire store to get a price once Honey tells me what kind of tires he wants to replace them with. He'd like to get truck tires instead of the passenger car tires that are on it now. They don't seem to last as long as the truck tires do.

I just heard the washer stop for the second time this morning. I have one load already sorted in the basket and it's time for the second to join the first. The sun is slowing rising, though it will still be awhile before it starts shining down here in the "holler"....

Guess I'll go tend to that laundry...

Have a blessed day!

CHECK!!! Thank you for doing this!!

Sunday evening

Wow...two posts in two days....yeah me!

If you think of it, please say a prayer for my Aunt Nina today...it would have been her and my Uncle Wayne's 45th wedding anniversary today.

After breakfast this morning, Rebecca looked through the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook (from the library yesterday) and decided to make a very decadent chocolate cake with chocolate icing.... that's my girl!

I spent the day getting little things taken care of. I'm working on a chore schedule to go along with the chore packs from Teri Maxwell's Managers of their Chores book. I didn't read the entire book since I'd just seen her speak on this...but I'm looking forward to starting this chore pack system.

I'm loving this new printer!!! I just ordered more ink as the cartridges are only supposed to print about 200 pages...I ordered the XL cartridges this time. I found the cheapest place to order them was from HP directly. They are offering free shipping...of any sort...next day (if it's available in your area..it's not in my area), 2 day and regular 5-7 days. I also found a coupon on Retail Me Not for $10 off! Love that! Once the new ink cartridges arrive, I have some major printing to do.

First, I have been blessed with the Old School House planner!!! I'm so excited about this!! Second, I have also been blessed to be able to review a new e-book from The Old School House. I plan to print it and read it as intended, in book form.  What a treat!!! Next, I have some materials for Keepers/Contenders to be printed before our meeting on Friday. Yep, that will be one busy printer this week!

'Tis time to get everyone ready for bed....will be back in the morning...Monday comes soon....so does 3:30 am!

Saturday....

It's been a busy, but fruitful day today!

We were up bright and early...and hit the road at 8:15. The girls went with me to get our monthly grocery shopping completed. We were to meet a lady at Piggly Wiggly to sell her some clothes. We got there early, so decided to go ahead and start shopping. I had given the lady my cell phone number, so I knew she would call when she arrived.

We did find some great deals...I'm sad that PW is closing...not because I shopped there alot, but because it was another choice. Now, I'm back to Wal Mart only as a choice...

Anywho, they had 40% off the entire store. We bought over $200 worth of groceries for $99! I had several coupons to use as well.

While we were shopping, the lady called...and Rebecca went out to meet the her and sell the clothes. I was so proud of her! She doesn't like doing such things, but she did it right away and without complaint!  That's my girl!!

We left there and went to Walgreen's. Another great trip there! We bought $72 worth of stuff for $1. Yep, $1. I used many coupons and my rebate card from last month...and spent exactly $1 out of pocket! And...I have almost $15 worth of register rewards to use next time.

Then it was off to the library. I found a few cookbooks to read. It's turning cooler here...that means the baking and cooking bug is hitting my home. Both Rebecca and I love to bake...it shows in my waistline...but I do love it!

We then went to the second hand shop...I'm so not impressed with that store now. It used to be such a bargain to shop there. But, they've made some management changes...and it's no longer a bargain. I found a pair of jeans for Natalie...they were priced at $8! $8 for used jeans??! I don't think so!

Then it was off to Wal Mart to finish our shopping. This time, we spent $280. Combined with our $99 at Piggly Wiggly, that's not a bad total for the entire month's groceries. I did forget a couple of things...that will cost about $10...and will need to add produce and fruit....but for feeding a family of 6, that's not too bad!

After we unloaded and put away all the groceries, Rebecca and I decided to rearrange some cupboards. We had loaded up on the energy and granola bars she likes as well as dried fruit. We put that into the cabinet where the cookbooks were kept. Out they came....which led to us rearranging three more large cupboards, labeling everything and making it look oh so much nicer! We still have a few cupboards to rearrange, but that will get done soon. I love opening the cupboards and seeing it all neat and tidy!

Then, it was time to start supper. Chili and cornbread was on the menu. I started frying the hamburger for it and then decided to fry up the hamburger that was needed for this month's meals. So, the pot was filled with hamburger for chili, hamburger potato soup and tacos. The rest of the hamburger went into a freezer bag to be made into Swedish meatballs. While that cooked, I sliced up the round steak into Philly cheesesteak slices, and had enough for two meals' worth! Same with the beef stew meat. Two meals' worth...and both meals are on the menu only once this month, which means it will be there for next months' meals. Once the meat was finished frying, I drained it and ran water over the remaining meat to cool it off. Into freezer bags it went.

Now, when it's time for those meals, all I have to do is pull out the freezer bag and get started. What a time saver!

I'm ready for some relaxing time...think I'll go get Penny (one of our dachshunds) and snuggle up with her. Honey is enjoying our free preview month of DIY this month. Saturday nights are now filled with This Old House, New Yankee Workshop and Wood Works. Reminds me of our early years of marriage...oh how we enjoyed sitting in our bedroom watching that little tv...watching those same shows (minus the Wood Works..but including HomeTime, and other home improvement shows)...then we'd move onto other PBS shows like Julia Child, Frugal Gourmet and others. We both learned so very much watching those shows!

Have a blessed evening!