Reuse

A few months ago, we went to Costco and bought these organic animal crackers to go with our evening tea. It's actually a pretty durable tub and we were so hesitant to throw it away so we held on to it at the risk of feeling packrat-ish. Our basement, where the washing machine and dryer are, is a bit damp and so any powdered laundry detergent that is not in an airtight container will get really clumpy. It's just not fun breaking up big clumps of soap to do laundry (diapers specifically). So we bought the latest box of powdered detergent and I had resolved to just take the soap down any time I needed to do the wash. Then the hubby remembered the Costco cookie container. We re-used it to hold soap powder.

The packaging for some of the stuff we buy as Americans is just really unnecessary. Too much plastic. Too much paper. Just too much. Personally, I hate all the waste. I hate that we are living in such a throw-away society. One-time use this and disposable that.

But I love to be able to re-use things, I mean really usefully re-use things. I saved all the wrapping paper and gift bags from Z1's baby shower. He's 3 now and I am just now running out of gift wrapping stuff! I always save the wrapping paper, ribbons and stuff because to me, it's just not garbage. I go to the thrift store not only because it's thrifty but because the clothes there are usually very slightly used. I know we could get so much more out of them before they go in the trash.

Not to get on any high horses or be preachy but I think we are all coming to see now that we are to be guardians and stewards of the Earth in whatever little or (and big) ways we can. A whole bunch of little gestures make a grand one.

Anyway, what have you re-used lately?