Sharing my favorite posts of the week

It’s Friday again and time for my favorite posts of the week.  I have quite a few new blogging friends I would like to introduce this week, hope you enjoy your weekend reading.

Environmental Issues

1. Everyday life on a shoestring is on a mission to reduce their trash and recyclables you can read all about how they are reducing their waste from how they buy to how they are re-purposing items here.
2. While the dollar is losing its monetary value, while in our hands it has much power.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing what to purchase with your hard earned money to make a difference.
3. Do you know the difference between a consumer and a stakeholder when it comes to the environment?  Here’s some food for thought.
4. I try to do everything I can this time of year to make sure the wildlife still visiting the area have plenty to eat so this article on saving birds stood out for me. Hope you can learn something as well.

Home and Family

1. Sometimes we may wonder what other people think of how we live, and if they can see the gem we see in our homes, especially when we decide to live a different lifestyle from the norm.  Rebecca received a surprisingly honest compliment on her home this week.
2. Fairy had a trying week with zero electricity for just over 2 days due to storms.  She recaps her month here and shows how she saved thawing food by canning without electricity which also meant she had to haul in water.  This is dedication to reaching for zero waste in her home.
3. If you enjoyed reading Fairy’s monthly recap you can find the blog which originated this concept and find more bloggers recapping their monthly goals from links here.
4. I am not much of a canner, I am just not comfortable with it fearing I may poison my family.  For those of you who do can, Creative Savv shares her tips for saving undercooked jams, jelly and marmalade.
5. It seems so many of the things I find of interest cross categories this is just one of many.  DIY Confessions had carpet stained with paint. While many people would believe the carpet was ruined, she found an environmentally safe way to easily remove dried in paint from her carpet with all my projects around here I’m glad I keep this one ingredient on hand.
6. Caitlin decided to do her own Reverse 100 thing challenge.  Having already gone through her belongings before moving into her new apartment I am surprised she found so much to get rid of.  She shares her list of items she will be getting rid of and is asking for ideas on what to do with them.  Maybe she has something you need, take a look and find out?
7. While this post isn’t new, it’s new to me having just found it this week.  Kimberlee began a series of posts with this one as the first on how her family of 6 lives on less than $28,000.
8. By the length of this category can you tell I am in what my son refers to as my winter nesting phase?  You all know I love a good, inexpensive re-purposed story.  Well this one didn’t disappoint.  Have you ever priced farmhouse tables?  Pricey right?  Well here’s how to make one for $30.

Creativity

1. One of my favorite artists completed a remodel of a home for her favorite collectibles.  I wanted to share this with you as it’s a perfect reflection of adding something little to make a house feel like a home.
2. Are you wanting to hang a piece of art in an area of your home but don’t want to spend the money right now?  Why not make art yourself. If you can crochet then this crochet painting is for you.  Isn’t it gorgeous?
3. What is better than making art from things that would be tossed in the trash or garbage. While this was made with construction paper and double sided tape, you could easily make this out of empty toilet paper rolls or other scraps around your home and is a great indoor project just for children.
4. I had a hard time choosing which category this particular post should be listed in.  First the ideas are environmentally safe and sound, it’s creative, and the ingredients come right from your garden.  Want to dye yarn using onion skins and logwood?  Who knew it could be so easy.
5. Bulletin boards are great if you need a way to organize your schedule or to display pictures, I don’t know about you but while I love the look of a natural cork floor I don’t care for the look of corkboards on my walls.  This corkboard is absolutely gorgeous and can be free to make if you have a little extra paint sitting around.

Gardening

1. The Microgardener has a great post on easy DIY container gardens that use re-purposed containers in ways that are both functional and lovely.  We can grow food in small spaces and indoors in an attractive way costing us very little if anything at all.
2. There are containers and then there are containers.  Here are 10 gorgeous cinder block planters everyone can make.
3. Do you have fruit peels and don’t know what to do with them?  How about making a zero cost bird feeder with them?

Being Frugal

1. We are all looking for ways to spend less as things get more and more expensive.  This list may be helpful to you.  Check out the ABC’s of spending less money here.
2. Thoughts on tracking your spending with a bit of humor, which had me smiling throughout,  can be found here.
3. Looking for more ways to save money this year?  Eliza at Happy Simple Living the originator of the January Money Diet had a wonderful post with links to some amazing bloggers who share how they manage their money.
4. Creative Savv had another great post this week, this time on ways to use every piece of that used clothing fabric this week it’s re-purposing flannel pajama pants, no it’s not something else to wear.

Food for Thought

1. There are a lot of ways to make money online, but one that really bugs me is the people who try to sell you their product or service by convincing you that what you want to do will cost you thousands unless you pay for their service/product. It turns out I’m not the only one bugged by this.  One of the biggest misconceptions out there is to make money writing, and all bloggers I believe want to be writers, it will cost you thousands of dollars.  Annienygma shares a rant on these people who try to convince you it is an expensive prospect and shares how she began her writing career with no money. You have to love a good rant
2. Everyone is talking about the Green Economy, but what could that really look like?  Here’s one take on the subject from Tegan at Earth Baby. I’d love to hear your ideas on what you see as a viable green economy.

Humor

1. While Craigslist and Freecycle are great ways to not only pass on items we no longer need or find items we do need we need to make sure we are not walking into a bad situation.   Shanna was able to avoid just such a possibility this week, but her telling is hilarious and I had to share it with you.
2. Last November the people in Washington state voted to legalize marijuana.  Little did I know this act would bring me to the biggest surprise of the week and quite the laugh.

Guess that’s all I have for you today.  What have I missed?

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