Water Balloons

Recently, a friend posted crocheted reusable water balloons on our Facebook group:

All I had to do was look at the picture and I was like:

Actually, at first I was going to buy some on Etsy because it seemed like they were cheap. But then when you actually look at the prices, they were way too expensive for me, so then it was CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

I am not a gifted crocheter. My grandma (who passed this summer), used to crochet the tops of dish towels so they would hook around the oven handle or a drawer handle.

In a full confession and being completely honest…… as a teenager…..I thought they were ugly.

Maybe it’s because most of the women in my family had like “country scenes” with ducks and snowmen or something like that in them. (Sorry Mom…..but Hi Mom!)

Plus….I always kind of felt like the loop that my grandma would crochet at at the end looked rather….ahem….phallic…..(picture coming up).

But while I taught outdoor education in my early 20’s and when I would visit her on weekends in college, I had one night where she was crocheting some dish towels and I realized that this may be my one chance to learn how to crochet these dish towels from my grandma.

I was all about learning and trying everything I could in my 20’s – something I’m trying to get back to.

So after a brief shopping trip to Kohl’s to buy some dish towels, we sat in her living room watching reruns of Lawrence Welk and Antiques Roadshow and she taught me how to crochet the tops of a dish towel while I took detailed notes.

(I crocheted the one on the left and the purple towel is one my grandma crocheted….and therefore I may never use…..)

However, my notes were like take the loop and make another loop and loop it up. Wrap your hook and pull through 2, then turn it around in a circle. And I drew pictures to help me remember and I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who could ever decipher these directions.

So, even though I think I’m totally amazing and talented and can crochet….yeah, I have no idea how to read crocheting directions. At all.

I prefer to crochet in rows. They’re simple. And I crochet for function – like dish towels and dish rags:

Balloons are most definitely round.

I CANNOT DO ROUND. Wow….it is a challenge. Not to mention, trying to decipher the crocheting directions on the website for the water balloons – well, I had to look up each of the stitches individually on a youtube video because I had no idea how to do a slip stitch or how to do a dc2tog (what in the world is a tog???).

Also, I was attempting to crochet my first balloon as I was also playing Throw Throw Burrito with my family at my nephew’s birthday party. So I was looking up these videos while people were having throwing burrito duels and I got a lot of weird looks and comments from my family.

It’s expected. 🙂

So my first water balloon took me a long time. Several hours from start to finish due to a taco buffet and kids playing outside and getting stung multiple times. Oh, and my 2 year old deciding that the massive ball of yarn used for these water balloons is an excellent play toy and starting rolling it around and batting at it with his feet like he was a cat hyped up on catnip who had never seen anything so amazing before in his life.

Do you see his feet next to my yarn ball taking a brief pause as he tried to steal a burrito from the table?

Yeah…..my balloon wasn’t great. I really tried to stretch this out to give it some semblance of a water balloon for this picture.

But the whole point of a water balloon is to focus on soaking your opponents as much as possible. I’m pretty sure that no one in my family – my kids or nephews or ruthless siblings (including the ones who married in) – are going to pause during a water balloon battle to be like, “Wow Julie, it really looks like you missed a stitch here and your tension on row 3 compared to row 1 just really isn’t working for me”.

And if they decide to do that…..they will feel my wrath. Which is about as scary as a cute fluffy bunny baby.

My next water balloon was much faster. I didn’t have to look up the stitches this time and the pattern is so simple, I had it memorized after making one:

Told ya – massive yarn ball.

I had a 3rd one made by that evening although I still wasn’t thrilled with how mine were turning out. I mean, when I get several rows down, all I can think is that they look like little asparagus hats for pet gerbils.

I mean – could there be a market out there for gerbil asparagus hats??? I need to check up on that because with a little bit of elastic, I think these suckers could be in high demand.

The really cool thing about crocheting these is that they do go pretty quickly. I haven’t exactly timed myself, but I think I’m probably around 20-30 minutes for one, depending on how many times my husband and/or children want to talk to me. And due to interruptions, and my lack of talent, I don’t think I’ve crocheted a single one according to the pattern yet.

But, it’s also not the easiest. I mean this yarn ball requires it’s own chair:

Also, when I’ve crocheted other things (only dish towels and dish rags), it’s been easy to count the stitches and know right where I am. The Bernat yarn used for these water balloons is well….rough.

It is so fuzzy that all I can think of when I crochet with it is that I’m crocheting with Muppet fur. Thankfully, Kermit is a slightly different shade of green or I would constantly be worried that he was shredded to make this yarn. The stitches all seem to blend together in this soft, fuzzy mass and between the asparagus hats and the Muppet references, it’s a constant battle for whether the theme to the Muppet show is playing in my head or the theme to Veggie Tales.

At the time of this writing (the current time is 10:30 PM), I have 4 made. Or as my husband puts it, time for a battle because we can each have one. For the record, I did NOT try to fluff these to make them look like balloons.

If you know me at all, you must know how challenging it is for me right now to not be buying this yarn in every single color so that I can alternate the color of the balloons I crochet – of course, in rainbow order. This yarn takes up so much space that I am DETERMINED to be an adult and use all the yarn per my one skein before I purchase another one.

It’s slowly killing me inside. I want the rainbow now.

Oh, and for the record – I used the pattern straight from Left in Knots (I mean not exactly, because I seriously have no idea if I actually do 16 stitches in Rows 3 and 4….too much fuzz…..) and she has some excellent videos that show you EXACTLY what to do, so if you have any interest, head on over there and check it out.

And of course, I’ll post a rainbow when I get to that point….sigh…..

It’s Hard Out There for a Do-Gooder

I am back from what should be my last trip of the summer before school starts. I got to go camping in the Adirondacks with my boys (minus the hubby) and my parents and we spent a little bit of time in Vermont and New Hampshire.

I will say that we have gone out-of-state A LOT this summer and it was incredibly magical – even all the bad “my child is throwing a tantrum in an open-air lean-to or in a cave while people are trying to listen to an organ” moments.

Anyhow, as I was driving through the mountains, I did think about how I thought I’d have more time to write this blog during the summer, but I’m so happy with my decision to prioritize my family and travel and my little projects.

But…all of these things, while sucking up my writing time, have also taken my focus a little away from my “do-gooder” project to promote zero waste in my community.

I can’t remember which blog post(s) I previously talked about this in, so I can’t link back to it, but my mother-in-law told me about applying for $250 through my husband’s Lutheran financial guy through something they call “Thrivent Action Teams”. If you’re a client (like my husband), you can pitch them an idea to educate or help out in your community and they will fund your project.

She thought the zero waste stuff would be perfect for it.

It was approved fast and at the beginning of July, I got on Amazon and ordered 270 reusable produce bags to hand out, leaving some money to make fliers on zero waste.

I bought this Gogooda Brand from Amazon since they came highly recommended – also by my mother-in-law’s minister had ordered a bunch to see which brands are best and she liked this the best. I personally like my Earthwise brand, but I could get more of the Gogooda brand for the price, so that really sold me.

I had been debating between handing these out at Fresh Thyme or Mr. Bulky’s since they have food in bulk, but a few weeks ago I grocery shopped at Aldi for the first time in a long while, and I saw that they are starting to sell some produce in bulk!!!

They had apples, avocados, and peaches all in open boxes and I was so happy!!!

Oh – Aldi also had knock-off Caboodles!!!

If I dust mine off, can I finally start carrying mine around again?? Will students and colleagues mock me if I start carrying mine around at school? Wahoo! I may be coming back into style again – I knew there was a reason I kept this baby around!

With stuff from my childhood in it even…

Where was I….

Oh, so of course I bought apples and didn’t put them in a plastic produce bag and apologized to the cashier that I didn’t have my reusable produce bags (and of course how happy I was that everything isn’t entirely wrapped in plastic anymore). The cashier responded with, “You have those???”

Almost like she didn’t know they were a thing.

It got me thinking that despite Fresh Thyme and Mr. Bulky’s having food in bulk, I wanted to hand them out in my community to inspire more change around here.

So, I stopped at Giant Eagle and asked the manager if I could hand them out there…..

Declined.

I drove across the street and asked at Marc’s in Hartville if I could hand them out there…..

Declined.

I called Fresh Thyme and the store manager was super nice and loved the idea and said she would have to ask corporate, she took my information…..and hasn’t called me back yet.

And I get it – if they let me stand outside and hand stuff out (no matter how amazing and helpful and kind it is!), how can say they no to some other loon that wants to hand out therapy spiders made out of tin foil.

Blanket rules – I get it.

I know, I know – I should hitch up my ovaries, woman up and call Fresh Thyme, but I had been already thinking of back up options of places to hand them out.

And the next place on my list was my church.

It was because of my church that I fell in love with camp from my summer church camp, and then started working in outdoor education, sparking more of an interest in conservation.

So my plan now is to hand them out at my church to anyone who is interested or who would pass them along. Or to any of my 4 readers that don’t have any and would like some too (it’s better if I see you in person). And I called my sister to see if she wanted to hand some out at her church as well.

A very wise friend also recommended to me to just carry extra sets with me whenever I go shopping and just hand them out to people that I see shopping, which I may do as well.

I just want these bags out there in the world, being used, and people setting an example for others to find simple ways to cut plastic out of their lives.

Oh – and then hopefully do more of these. Next time with reusable straws. 😉

Hmm….maybe I should start carrying my zero waste stuff in my plastic Caboodle from 1990.

That’s My Jam

Once upon a time, in late June, the day after returning from Shenandoah National Park, I got up early and went strawberry picking.

But let’s go back first….

This past school year, my 4 year old went to Preschool two days a week and preferred a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his lunch. While I’ve found a great solution for zero waste peanut butter (seriously – it’s SO good!), I didn’t mind the jelly (jam) because it came in a glass jar that I could reuse.

However, when I lived in Washington and was in graduate school, I was fortunate enough to live in the woods with access to a ridiculous amount of blackberry bushes. I used to take my dogs with me and go blackberry picking for hours.

It was cute – the dogs would eat blackberries right off the vines. So I tended to pick blackberries that were higher up and gave them the lower berries.

Also….just in case they peed on them.

These were magical days when even though I was in grad school, I didn’t have children or many other obligations (…..sigh……), and I liked to try new things partly because I like the experience.

I like to be able to say, “yes” if I’m ever asked, “have you ever done _____?” It’s why I really want to milk a cow some day.

With so many blackberries at my disposal, I wanted to can some jam. So for a couple of years, I referenced the AMAZING directions on this pick your own website and made several batches of triple berry jam with blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

Aw man….it was so good!

I’ve dreamed of doing it again some day and as I was using my smallest rubber spatula to scrape out every last molecule of jam in the jar to slap together my son’s last sandwich for the school year….well, that day loomed a lot closer in my mind.

I thought not only would it be nice (and fun) to make my own jam again, but it would be amazing to use up some of the canning jars I have sitting on shelves in my basement instead of adding more glass to them.

If that’s not zero waste, I don’t know what is.

This time though, it was going to be straight strawberry jam with no other berries to carry it. These strawberries had to stand alone. I met my sister at a “nearby” pick your own farm and without having to monitor my children, I was able to quickly fill up two plastic tubs that previously held ice cream. In bulk.

The next day, I scrounged up my canning supplies from the basement and realized I needed to go buy pectin and some new canning lids.

Imagine my horror when I realized I couldn’t find sugar free pectin or canning lids in my town. And not like horror like, “Ahhhh! Nightmare on Elm Street kind of horror” but the horror you experience when you learn that your wife knows every single word to the Backstreet Boys “I Want it That Way” while on a multi-state drive, and you don’t even know who sings the song.

#notashamed

I always used sugar free pectin, per the instructions on my canning website, even though you still use sugar. I was able to find sugar pectin so I bought it….realizing I would have to put in EIGHT cups of white sugar instead of the FOUR I was used to. I drove ALL over searching for and asking about canning lids and finally, the woman at Big Lots told me the Dollar Store may have some.

They did. And at this point, I was seriously behind being able to make jam during nap time. #momwoes

Nevertheless, I went home, ~~I curled my hair and put on my June Cleaver dress, heels, and pearls~~ put on some comfy shoes and apron, and got to work – washing, chopping, and cooking.

There’s no way I can explain the process better than the website I linked to twice. Seriously – I don’t change a thing. It’s my black and white directions for canning jam.

I do want to show my photos though, since I took the time to take them and even got hit by a few splashes of boiling water in the name of zero waste jam-making. So if you’re taking the time to read this blog….well, thank you!….and humor me and look at my pictures like they’re amazing (you can even ooooh and aaaah if you like) because there’s more words later:

Hey, Good Lookin’ – Whatcha got Cookin’?

Yes, I absolutely pulled out my red-checked dish towel because it felt more “country” and appropriate for this venture.

There it is – 5 jars of jam that should last me a year, as long as I don’t get in one of those giving moods (or forget a Christmas present for someone!) and give them away.

Today was the first day I opened up a jar to try it. If I’m being honest, peanut butter & jelly is not my first choice in a sandwich – probably because I’m over the age of 10 by a couple decades. Given the choice of a deli sandwich with some nice butter or mayo, slice of cheese, lettuce, tomato….perhaps a pickle depending on my mood…..yeah, I’m going to pick that every time.

Almost always savory over sweet.

But being the mother of small children, I get the honor and privilege to finish their sandwiches that have a bite or two taken out of them.

In fact, my 4 year old took a couple bites of his sandwich and handed it back today. Now of course, I’m looking for constructive feedback so I asked him to be specific – “is it the bread? the peanut butter? the jelly? wrong beverage to accompany your meal? and what exactly didn’t you like about any of those….please – don’t hold back”

He said, “Uh…the jelly” and walked off to play with Paw Patrol toys, leaving me disappointed at the lack of feedback.

I added more jelly to his sandwich, finished it, and then tried a small spoonful of jam myself.

The boy is crazy!

I don’t know what his mama is teaching him, but that jam is THE JAM!

I mean it was crazy sweet and I would personally not seek out that kind of sandwich unless I were having a major sugar craving or it’s the only option during a snow storm or zombie apocalypse or something similar, but I needn’t be so worried that my strawberry jam was going to be bad.

I’m sure he’ll come around to it when there isn’t the draw of Paw Patrol toys and he didn’t eat a massive amount of pancakes at breakfast. And he will LOVE every last sandwich at preschool this year – I can FEEL it! THIS IS MY YEAR!

And next year….I’m going to make sure to acquire sugar-free pectin a few days before I start. (And I’m not editing this since it’s late – so apologies for grammatical errors – there’s only so much time in the day)

Living the Dream with an Unsponge & Dr. Bronner

I have been waiting to try out a bar of dish soap for months. Basically ever since I saw this photo and wanted to recreate it and pretend like I came up with this totally original idea on my own:

I made a deal with myself that when I found a hand-thrown, original, ceramic bowl at a thrift store, I would allow myself to buy the soap, a scrub brush, and go on a hunt for some river rocks.

That time came in June, while I was in Florida, and I found this ceramic bowl at a thrift store for $2:

Thank you MAC for your hand-made contribution to my kitchen counter.

(There is something I love about finding bowls at a thrift store that are hand-thrown (and cheap!). I like to think about the history of it and the time and care someone took to make it. If I find them pretty, I have a hard time passing them up – just like Terracotta pots….)

Yes, I can be that sappy.

With my treasure found, I happily turned my attention to the internet to find a bamboo brush to buy and some bar dish soap.

Oh – and I needed to find some smooth rocks to help with drainage in my bowl.

The bamboo brush was the thing I was most excited about. I can’t explain it. I think a bamboo dish scrub brush just symbolizes the entire zero waste movement for me. It’s become this shining beacon in my mind that my home will be eco-conscious and more “natural” with that in it.

I know….it doesn’t make sense. It’s still there though.

As I naturally turned to search on Amazon (my internet Home), I started reading reviews of the bamboo brush I had been admiring for months and realized that most of the reviews indicated that the brush tends to crack – similar to my bamboo toothbrush holder.

Ugh.

And the more I looked at it, it gave Rational Julie enough time to poke her little head out of the corner of my brain and say, “Uh…Julie? You don’t really use scrub brushes to clean. You’re more of a sponge girl. You only use brushes for your reusable water bottles and you already have some plastic ones that are in good condition. It would be wasteful to buy something new like this just because you want it.”

Rational Julie sucks sometimes.

So I ~~walked away from it~~ closed out the Amazon tab on my computer and felt good about my decision. Perhaps if I’m a good girl (or just need a pick me up later on this year), Santa will bring me one.

Santa….Can you hear me? Let me just say that again: Perhaps if I’m a good girl, Santa will bring me one for Christmas.

Actually, I didn’t close out the tab – I started looking at bar dish soap on Amazon. I had found some bar dish soap on Amazon for about $10 that I had my eye on – scented like Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Citronella. It seemed to be made by a family business and like a good company etc. etc. and I had previously determined that THIS would be the bar of dish soap I would purchase.

So gazed at it some more on the interwebs.

Before buying, I decided to do some research and actually stopped after the first blog post I found on it. The blog is g. Donna’s – Generations Before Us and I read all about how they use bar dish soap in their house. Bronner’s Soap to be exact.

Side note – while washing their dishes, they collect their “grey water” (used water) in a bucket and take it outside to their garden. I have heard so much about this (people do this in their shower too) and I aspire to one day be at this level. I am SO NOT THERE yet.

It got me thinking….Bronner’s soap is a little less than $5 a bar and if I don’t like it for dishes, I happen to LOVE it for bathing or I’ve even made laundry detergent with it. And I could get TWO bars for the price of the ONE bar on Amazon.

I officially closed the tabs to Amazon and headed out to my local Target. ….Well….at my earliest convenience. I have small children – I don’t have that kind of freedom anymore.

A few days later, I was at Target and they didn’t have unscented soap, so I went with Lavender because I happen to love that scent and it was way more preferable to the other Bronner’s scent that was there that I’ve already forgotten what it was.

As for the smooth rocks to put in the bottom of my bowl, while I did find some at a garage sale (yay!), my bowl is so shallow (“How shallow is it?”) – it’s so shallow that there’s not really space for rocks. And I’ve found they haven’t been necessary so far.

Have you caught on to the life lesson in there? If you haven’t – let me spell it out for you:

Sometimes, you may think that all you want is this one thing, but when it really comes down to it, you need something else entirely. Or this something else is actually better for you.

So, so much to be learned on this zero waste journey. Or at least, to be reminded of because I’m pretty sure the Rolling Stones already hit that lesson pretty well.

Even my 4 year old knows that song…even if he can’t finish the chorus.

The cool thing about Bronner’s soap is that it’s Castille and they market it as an 18 in 1 soap. They’ve identified 18 things that you can use it for to replace other products that you may be tempted to buy separately – including washing fruit and using it to brush your teeth.

In fact, they believe it is the All in One soap so much, they make sure you know it, even once the wrapper is off:

You could have this soap on your counter to use for your dishes and to wash hands. Or teeth. Or vegetables. I haven’t done the last two, but it feels like the year to try it…

But just check out the corner of my kitchen sink now – even if there are no “natural” elements like a bamboo scrub brush and naturally smooth river rocks for drainage:

Yes, that is a shark with my whale unsponge in its mouth. And yes, he (and the kitchen counter) got a serious bath before this picture was taken.

I will say that having an open bar of Lavender soap on my counter does give off quite the aroma in my kitchen and I’ve always associated Lavender moreso with my bathroom and laundry room so it kinda throws me. Not in a bad way – I will either get used to it or try out other scents. So be warned. And the lavender scent doesn’t linger on the dishes.

I think the Bronner’s soap has been FANTASTIC. We still use our dishwasher (I recently read that a nice energy efficient dishwasher can save as much as 6 gallons of water compared to hand-washing; so if you can – use your dishwasher), but there are always those items that we don’t put in the dishwasher.

Most things have just been sparkling after their Bronner’s bath (like this wine glass that didn’t make it in the dishwasher load on July 15):

Yesterday, I washed a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish and I noticed it was a little water spotted. They didn’t bother me….how many times do my dishes come out of the dishwasher with spots on them?

Exactly.

Could I blame it all on the soap though? I changed TWO variables at once – bar dish soap AND an unsponge.

Any good 5th grade (or higher) Science teacher will tell you….that’s bad.

But let’s review first before we go blaming an unsponge:

As for my week or so with unsponges – I like them a lot, too. I think they’ll be my solution to synthetic sponges (which Santa used to always bring me in my stocking).

Santa….did you hear me? Please, no more synthetic sponges in my stocking. I’m trying to save the whales…Thank You!

There were many hand-washing experiences while using my unsponge that I encountered internal mind conversations along the lines of, “Julie….this is ridiculous. Why did you go to all the trouble of making this unsponge when you could just use a dish rag!? It’s the SAME THING!”

Fact. You could use a wash rag, wash cloth – whatever you want to call it – and it’s the same thing as the bottom of an unsponge.

Honestly though, I like the size of the unsponge and I prefer to not have a giant dish rag flopping around everywhere.

I am a sponge kinda girl afterall.

So, when I noticed the water spots more after like a week & half to 2 weeks of using an unsponge, I said to myself, “Self – perhaps it’s time to switch out your unsponge”.

That’s just what I did.

I threw it in with my laundry, and this is how it came out…..most likely due to my limitations in sewing than the actual unsponge and my decision to use a massive pair of adorable whale shorts that I found on a Clearance rack as my fabric:

One thing I noticed right away is that I really prefer my unsponges with less filling. The first few I sewed I stuffed uber full because in my mind, they were like little tiny pillows and I tend to get mad at my fluffy pillows when over time, they flatten out.

I had that worry for my unsponges and I think I overdid it.

I pulled out a thinner unsponge for this go around and even though it just made it’s appearance in the shark today, I think I’m going to like it better. Here’s a comparison of the thickness:

We didn’t have any dishes to handwash tonight (yay!), but I’ll be keeping an eye out for streaks and spots and I’ll report back.

Oh – and my whale unsponge came out of the dryer a little damp. Not so much where I felt like it needed more time in there to dry, but I noticed a little dampness. It’ll be interesting to see if they start to smell over time.

But as always, I’ll report back.

Sewing Up A Storm

Two weeks ago, my kids were gone for an entire 6 days. 😊

Have I mentioned that?

I had a lot of MAJOR house projects I wanted to do, but I decided at the last minute to limit myself. The biggest thing I did was paint a bookshelf that I found at a garage sale, but I just tried to enjoy “MY TIME”, so I busted out my new, trusty sewing machine.

I really like to sew.

I’m not necessarily “good” at it. If talented sewers were to look at the things I sew, I’m sure they would give me that “fake mommy appreciation of toddler effort” where they’re kind of like, “Oh…that’s so sweet dear – look how hard you’re trying to sew! What a nice job you do!”

I think I’m “good” at sewing because…well, I try and I have a high level of “stick-to-it-ness” that makes me complete things even when they get frustrating and my bobbin becomes a tangled mess and I want to throw my machine across the room while screaming and send my project “as is” to Goodwill.

(That doesn’t happen as much now since I upgraded my sewing machine – boy, Janome HD3000 – You. Are. Good.)

I also enjoy the challenge of creating something and the satisfaction that comes with completing a project…..when that happens.

I really have to be in the zone to sew a project though. The Sew Zone.

In order to help me get in the Sew Zone 2 weeks ago, I first took out all my fabrics that have been in storage containers for the LONGEST time and I rolled around in them for awhile….like Scrooge McDuck in his vault of money.

I really wish that was more of a joke than an actual thing…

I mean I literally took almost all my fabric out of their bins one by one while I sat on the floor………rubbed my face all over them…..and then laid on top of them for awhile……and then stared at Gilmore Girls on the TV for awhile….

Then I was ready to sew.

(Is that not something you should admit on the internet?)

It can take me awhile to start a project, so what was “lucky?” for me was that I found some old projects that I had started (in Washington state, OVER 6 years ago….) never finished! but of course it made sense to cart those half created/half terrible projects with me across the country.

They were mostly pot holders made out of old towels that kids would leave at camp and of course no mom ever wants back because she sent her kid to camp with the worst possible towels in the house full well knowing her child will not bring them home and the kid becomes some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy when it comes to camp towels.

And then…..some nerdy, way too eco-conscious, and “ambitious when it comes to silly projects” assistant camp director comes along and takes them all home.

To sew….pot holders….

I actually did 5, but they’re put away and I don’t know where they are. Still……it felt really satisfying to finish some things up.

I then sewed 3 silverware storage pouches for my family zero waste kits (or just to stash around in my car and my jam-packed school “office”, which previously may have been a storage closet):

I had sewn the blue one on the left a few months ago, but I wanted some for my family. They’re gonna be SO THRILLED! (pssst….that was sarcasm….)

Not that they’ll hate them, they’ll just be completely indifferent and not want to spin them around in a meadow of wildflowers like I want to.

Plus, I found this set of silverware at a garage sale for $2. Now every zero waste silverware set for my family has both a regular spoon AND a soup spoon.

We are too classy…

So months ago, before sewing my blue silverware pouch, I had this super creative idea for how to sew a silverware pouch using old zippers from jeans and khackis (because yep….I save those too…..) and it would unzip like an awesome mummy sleeping bag type pouch and flare out my utensils in complete zero-waste nerd style.

Yeah…I wasn’t in the Sew Zone and I couldn’t figure it out or finish it. I wish I had a before picture to show you.

But 2 weeks ago, I was not only in the Sew Zone – I was Mayor of the Sew Zone and giving people directions – so I was able to take that shameful, started-and-not-finished project and finish it:

Ok, now J.C. – friend, colleague, sewing queen – if you’re reading this…avert your eyes now!!! Here’s my annoyance on the silverware mummy bag:

My zipper ends (on both sides!) didn’t get tucked in. I think I have a couple of grandmas rolling over in their graves – making a mental note to come back on All Hallow’s Eve and teach me how to sew properly.

Still, it got finished and I have a bonus silverware bag – Huzzah!

However….

The major thing that I wanted to sew – that has been on my to-do list for about 3 months now – that I kept putting off even though I was in the Sew Zone, was unsponges.

To recap, an unsponge is made from all repurposed, 100% cotton materials. It’s meant to replace regular, synthetic sponges that get thrown in the trash. An unsponge can be washed with your laundry and then technically composted when you’re through with them.

They’re for sale ALL OVER the internet, but it’s hard to find directions for them. I found two videos – both out of the UK – that I used as my inspiration.

I had bought a white towel for this purpose at Goodwill……and after swimming and lounging a little more in my fabric….

……..when I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t sew at least one during this time and could no longer put it off…. I started.

I found an old t-shirt sleeve that I used to sew a little “insert” pouch for the absorptive stuffing for the middle. On the 2 videos I watched, one recommended 100% cotton fabric scraps and the other recommended like a tulle or something that would dry out quickly.

I made a variety of each – but the majority had small little towel squares stuffed inside.

On some of them, I stuffed in little bits of this old reusable grocery bag that has ripped beyond repair and I was going to have to bin it:

After sewing up my t-shirt pouch of absorbent material, I cut out a portion of my white thrift towel and a portion of a decorative fabric and made a pouch of that, inserting other pouch inside:

To sew up the final side and add a nice edge, I sewed all the way around the edges on the outside – shifting all the bulk around as I went to keep it in the middle. The videos recommended even putting on some of the netting from like a bag of oranges or something similar to add more “scrub” but I didn’t have any on hand. And I was afraid it would rip easily.

So that’s the side you use to scrub your dishes; the scrubby side of the sponge, if you will. And although I was hesitant to start, they were so simple and I ended up making a bunch since I had the time and didn’t know if I would have the time again. I figured if I hated them, I could always hand them out to people because maybe they’d like them.

And since nothing is uniform in my house, they’re in a variety of sizes and thicknesses and it’ll be interesting to see which size I like the best.

Well….interesting to me and only me.

Here’s all my finished unsponges in all of their unspongey glory:

I’ve been using the whale one for a little while now, but you’ll have to wait to hear that update. 🙂

Cheap Things Come to Those Who Wait

If you’ve been following for awhile, you may remember this post from way back in the winter talking about how I used to thrift shop all the time, but thrifting stopped for me when I had kids.

I was pressed for time. And – Hello, breakables + small children = embarassed mom.

But in that post, I talked about how I was no stranger to thrifting and/or dumpster diving and fixing things up for use in my house. And it was a goal of mine to wait and see what I could find for 3 problem areas in my house that were bugging me – 1) The board games that desperately needed a shelf 2) The books in my bedroom that desperately needed a shelf and 3) My entryway which could use a better solution to corral all the junk that we tend to drop when we come inside.

Well, I still don’t have a solution for my entryway, but I’ve found solutions for the other two.

Before my birthday (end of May), I went to my local thrift store which has GREAT deals when/if they have what you’re looking for:

And there, buried in the back below old exercise equipment and kitschy wooden shelves from the 80’s, I found this rusty old garage shelf for $15.

I texted a picture of it to my husband to see what he thought as I carried it to the front to buy it, in order to make it seem like “we’re a team”, but really my mind was made up.

Someone in my family asked me if I was going to sand it down (get the rust off) and spray paint it, but I liked it as is.

Wait, wait, wait!!!! Let me pretend like I’m on HGTV!!!!

It just has this rustic, industrial feel that I really love and think will bring a fun vibe to the space.

🙂

Not to mention without sides on the shelf, I finally get to break my Harry Potter bookends out of storage. That’s a MAJOR plus for me. 🙂

All I really did was scrub it multiple times with some vinegar, water, and a microfiber cloth since there was definitely some random garage goo on some of the shelves.

I personally think it looks great and even though our bedroom does need some serious work in the realm of decorating – specifically needing new flooring – it works for our books.

Yes, Harry Potter gets an entire shelf entirely devoted to himself + Shel Silverstein.

Here was my other annoyance….the top of the refrigerator:

Our games were hidden messily in a closet and on top of the refrigerator out of reach of our children. They tend to get into a game and destroy it by losing pieces, breaking things, or ripping cards.

I was planning on buying something new last December, until I took on this zero waste journey, and that’s when I knew I could wait to find something secondhand instead of buying new.

The waiting stinks sometimes…it took 6 months.

On the last day of school, I headed up to my sister’s neighborhood for her neighborhood garage sale and found the perfect shelf. For $20!

I was even more excited because a colleague/friend of mine was also hitting up those same garage sales -specifically looking for a booksehlf – and I feel like I found the awesome deal. I sent this as a back-up option for my friend. I don’t think it was appreciated after my bragging texts about my bookshelf:

I really liked the cherry finish on my new bookshelf, but just about everything in my downstairs is white or a light wood finish. The dark wood was just not working.

So after many a internal battle inside my mind, I decided to paint it white. I did it last week while my kids were gone (have I mentioned that yet?).

Painting and improvement projects always freak me out because whenever you take that first step….things don’t look good. Things get messy and I find myself questioning whether or not I made the right choice. The trick is to see it through.

Not to mention – I’m a terrible painter. I’m sloppy and messy and I always end up with drips no matter how hard I try to prevent them.

I’m pretty sure that if Bob Villa came to my house to teach me how to paint and do home improvement projects, he would eventually take my paintbrush from me and say, “Ok, sweetheart – get me some lemonade and I’ll just finish up here.”

And after throat punching him in a blind feminist rage, he would choke out that he wasn’t trying to be condescending, it’s just that lemonade happens to be his most favorite refreshing summer beverage and he really thinks I’m a sweetheart.

Then, we would hug it out and both enjoy some lemonade on my deck (which would be really refreshing!), while he stays a healthy distance away from me and seems nervous during our entire conversation about the weather and life in Ohio.

Wow….that took a dark turn…

Ahem…

I think the moral of that story – well, not Bob Villa, but also a lot of my stories – is that secondhand things can work out and sometimes they only need a little bit of DIY to make it work for you and your family.

This journey has reminded me that it’s OK to wait for a solution instead of rushing out to buy the first thing you find.

I’m really glad that I waited to find reusable, secondhand solutions for these two areas in my house. I think it’s more fun and it was definitely the cheaper option. I mean, I paid $35 total for 2 bookshelves with a lot of character.

Actually less than that because the garage sale that I bought the bookshelf in threw in some candles and terra cotta pots that I also wanted to buy (I have quite the collection of terra cotta pots). What a steal!

And despite my drips and uneven painting – and the annoyance of needing to put on like 6 coats of paint + primer since it was such a dark color to begin with – nobody is even going to notice the imperfections because it’s already chock full of family play things.

And if anybody does come over and point out the imperfections, maybe I’ll just punch them in the throat and teach them a valuable lesson.

(I’m just kidding – I’m really not that violent. And to Bob Villa or any of his lawyers who may be reading this, that was also a joke. I would love to work with Bob Villa and is welcome to come and fix up my house at any time and I would get him as much lemonade as he wants and be super polite and not harm him in any way.)

It’s true though….good things (and cheap things!) come to those who wait. And these shelves were both worth the wait.

Travels and Treasures

Before I can get to what I’ve been up to lately, I feel I need to take it back…

During my online blog absence, there were lots of things going on.

At the end of May, I turned 36 which actually felt great. I’ll write more on that later.

I got to chaperone at 5th grade camp before the end of the school year – revisiting some of my outdoor education roots. Ah….memories!

I plogged some of my runs and couldn’t believe what I would find from one day to the next running the exact same route:

We went to the beach in Florida where I celebrated each find of plastic on the beach as if I had just discovered the Earth’s most beautiful seashell. My husband was kind enough to give me that “fake enthusiasm” that’s usually reserved for really young children.

We went to ~~a giant swamp~~ the Everglades National Park and saw a ridiculous amount of alligators:

Between camp and some travels this summer, it’s made me reflect back to when I started reading up on our plastic problem.

I was really anxious and scared because I didn’t know if it would be possible for me to make any zero waste changes. And my family is still not perfectly zero-waste – we won’t be! – but I remember feeling like I was standing at the base of a huge mountain that I didn’t think I could climb.

The thing is, I’ve had that feeling so many times before…training before my first half marathon, before my international travels, before every new job…that feeling of uncertainty that I can and want to do something hard.

But it’s possible if you’re just willing to try. And you never know until you do try something new. But here is a picture of my travel toiletry kit way back on January 1st when I started all this:

This is my toiletry kit as of about 2 weeks ago:

Minus the scrubby gloves. They’re always a part of it too.

I’m frustrated by the giant crack in my bamboo toothbrush holder….ugh….and I finally smartened up and put some of my homemade toothpaste in the little plastic container with the blue lid.

Actually, when I went to 5th grade camp – I forgot other toothpaste besides the Lush toothpaste tablets that had been quite the experience the first time I used them. I realized I was keeping them in my toiletry bag and carting them around and talking about them like I’m so cool for using them, when really I only tried them that one time.

So, my faulty packing led me to have to walk the walk to go with all my talking (online) so each time I had to brush my teeth, I walked down with my toothbrush and a tablet. I felt awkward – like I was an actual 5th grader who was going to get bullied by the other 5th graders and would end up crying on her bunk.

But, thankfully, I didn’t get bullied by 5th graders (at least not about my toothpaste tablet) and I was able to handle the strength of the tablet better than my first time using it.

In fact, when my husband and I went to Bahama Breeze and Lush last week, I asked if I could try a sample of one of their other flavors of toothpaste tablets – thinking I’d just pocket one for later – and the lady gave me 5 tablets!!! What???

It is now my mission to ask to try EVERY FLAVOR of Lush toothpaste tablets and collect a bunch of free samples. #newlifegoal I aim high.

Oh – I also wanted to mention that my Amazon Prime face moisturizer bar from Lush (which I still REALLY like) melted on the drive home from Florida. I don’t think it was in the sun or anything – I was mystified if truth be told – but luckily the tin didn’t leak into my bag at all.

I’ve still been able to use it by rubbing my fingers on the lotion and then applying it to my face, and eventually I was able to pop it out of the corner and use it as a lotion bar again.

In Florida, I saw this interesting thing at the Mote Aquarium called a Cora Ball.

I‘ve barely looked into them, but from what I can gather they catch the microfibers off your clothes so they don’t go into rivers and waterways.

What??? O. M. G. Is this something else to worry about that I didn’t even know I should be worrying about?? This will require some more research. Thank you Mote Aquarium for introducing me to a new zero waste concept.

Maybe that’s something that will have to go on my list for Santa…

I also hit up some stores in Florida and I found this amazing store called Rehab on Dearborn in Englewood, Florida and it was full of junk (which I would definitely call treasures) and the guy was telling me that a bunch of people in the area with different “skills” will get together and make the different objects in the store out of repurposed materials.

I could have walked out of there with so many things, but I practiced a lot of restraint. I did come home with this chicken which is now hanging in my kitchen:

And this ‘Wander’ sign that I happen to adore:

Naturally, I went to every thrift store I could find in a 10 mile radius of where we were staying in Florida – not only to see what ~~junk~~ treasures I could find – but I’ve been on a mission to find a ceramic bowl to hold a bar of dish soap by my sink ever since I saw this image on Pinterest:

I have wanted to try out bar dish soap SO FREAK’N BAD!!! I made a deal with myself that if I found a cute ceramic bowl, that was a sign to give it a go.

I had no luck until I ran across a thrift store that didn’t show up on my Google search, but it was also on Dearborn street. I found a ceramic bowl for $2 and at first, I wasn’t thrilled with it but I will take a gamble on $2.

As it’s sat on my kitchen counter the past month, begging for a bar of dish soap – it’s grown on me.

The time has come.

The bar dish soap experiment has arrived.

I’ve been trying to contain my excitement.…I’m so excited though!

DISH SOAP is making me excited!!

So, I feel like this skimmed over a lot of things and I’ll fill in those gaps later – especially the dish soap. I know that is what people REALLY want to hear about instead of the fact that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston may be getting back together…? (Say what??)

Date Week

Do you like how just last weekend I was all, “Oh, I can’t believe I’ve been so absent from the blog these past 2 months and I can’t wait to get back into it” and then I went silent for a week?

Ugh – that Julie girl is such a liar.

Truth is, I considered last week my 4th vacation of the summer because my in-laws kept my kids this past week.

Let’s take a moment and let the full impact of that sink in.

I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to jinx it and end up with a my 2 year old Mama’s boy clinging to me so tightly that I would have no choice but to bring him home. But he stayed.

It. Was. Glorious.

I made a point last week to do things that I normally don’t get to do and to not make a to-do list or feel pressured to do anything (including blog posts).

We didn’t cook, didn’t do laundry, didn’t do yard work, didn’t clean. I slept in. I sewed things (more on that later). I painted things. I ran when I wanted to. I read a book…..in bubble baths. On Wednesday all I had was a taco and several bowls of ice cream during the day.

It. Was. Glorious.

My husband still had to work (day freedom for me!), but we did the week right and we went out to eat 3 of the 5 nights. With total freedom.

So here is my confession – despite this journey and the thought of zero waste being on my mind every day…I am quite terrible at remembering my zero waste kit when I go out. Specifically, I’m terrible at remembering my own “take home” container.

We honestly go out to eat so infrequently with our kids being 2 and 4. Oh, and we’re really cheap. We don’t really like to pay for babysitters or going out. But this week – since we didn’t have to pay for sitters and armed with numerous gift cards – we took advantage of it.

So on Monday night, before we left for Outback Steakhouse without children, naturally, I was all like:

Such Bliss! Such Joy! Such Happiness! It had been SUCH a great day doing what I wanted!

We were maybe 10 minutes away when I realized I forgot a reusable take home container. For someone who is trying to live a more plastic-free life and is trying to promote zero waste by being an example…I was crushed.

In fact, I didn’t bring anything except my reusable straws that were in my purse. (In fact, I ordered NEW reusable straws because I went out to eat recently with my dad and he had this set full of beautiful colors and I knew they needed to be mine. Not to mention, I knew we would need more to put in different places and we’ll inevitably lose a bunch of them. And it was June which is Pride month so it felt appropriate.)

Aren’t they beautiful?

I was still ridiculously happy to be out on a date when we arrived at the restaurant. So, with some disappointment in my heart and an extremely full bladder, I dashed off to the bathroom first thing. Sadly, while I was in there chatting it up with an acquaintance that I ran into while in there (isn’t that the way it always goes?), the waitress brought out water with plastic straws already in the drinks.

Such sadness…

I had to keep reminding myself that it was OK. Plastic happens – I can’t change everything and I just need to remember that any time I DO remember my own stuff, it’s a step in the right direction.

Partly since I didn’t eat all day and partly since I wanted to redeem myself from being forgetful, I ate every single bite of my meal. Appetizer, salad, entree, side of fries. Gone.

I don’t promote that, mind you. My belly was FULL. But I did it.

And I vowed to do better at zero waste.

The issue I think I’ve been having with my zero waste kit is that I frequently need different things depending on where I am. Sometimes I need a smaller solo kit. Sometimes I need enough for the whole family. I feel like I’m constantly switching things around and I don’t have a good storage spot to keep all of my “going out stuff” to just grab and go.

So the next day, I grabbed a different canvas tote since clearly my issue is just that I didn’t have the right accessory instead of being forgetful. 🙂

I chose my whale tote to remind myself that if I want to SAVE the whales, I should bring a whale with me (see what I did there??).

The next night, we went out for Mexican and I summoned all my teacher bladder super powers and immediately told the waitress that we didn’t need plastic straws.

She appeared to be in high school and seemed a little apathetic/confused by the whole situation. But she was good about it and double-checked that we didn’t want straws when she brought out our margaritas later. I also brought my own take out containers – which we used.

That was a WIN for Julie!!!

And the whales.

Two nights later, we made the drive to Beachwood to go to Bahama Breeze since we had gift cards, had never been, and we COULD drive an hour away to go to dinner because I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet….but we were KID FREE last week!

I hit up the waiter right away as he was in mid-action of setting the individually wrapped in plastic, plastic straws on our table and said probably a little too loudly, “We don’t need straws! I brought my own!” and flared out my new rainbow straws in dramatic fashion.

He seemed taken aback at first, but then chuckled and said, “I get it – I always carry my own plastic silverware with me” and I unabashedly chimed in with, “Oh, I brought my own metal silverware too. And take-home containers!”

As he continued to return to our table throughout our dining experience, he kept inquiring about my motives. He asked, “So…is this to be more eco-friendly or is it something else?” I said something like, “Saving the whales man – one plastic straw at a time”. Well, that’s what I said in my head. I guess my husband could confirm what actually came out of my head, but I know I also said something about trying to cut out single use plastics. The woman who brought out our food set down our plates and said, “I LOVE your straws!”

And they both seemed really genuine! Maybe they were just being polite and trying to get more tips, but hey, it’s more awareness the way I see it – even if they don’t personally make changes.

The REALLY nice thing about bringing your own take-out container is that you can box it up as soon as you’re finished eating. Or as soon as you know you SHOULD be finished eating. No waiting on a wait-person to bring you a plastic container of death.

Score! Check, please!

You Never Know Until You Try

Before the end of the school year, I finished my first tube of zero waste deodorant that I got from FreeWheelinMarket on Etsy (way back in January) of this year. Since then, I purchased 2 tubes of zero waste from Hammond Herbs on Etsy and I’ve been using a combination of the 3 ever since….because I can. Usually whatever is closest I put on.

I was really happy with my first deodorant from FreeWheelin’ Market and only decided to explore my options and shop around to see if there was anything better out there.

You know, like dating. I’ve courted 2 different brands of zero waste deodorant at this point in my life – I feel like such a player!

You never know what you like, until you try it out!

Let me tell you….it was super satisfying throwing my empty cardboard tube of deodorant from FreeWheelin’ Market into our compost tumbler. Even more satisfying than landing an amazing “across the bedroom jump shot” of a plastic tube into my trash can when I would finish my old commercial deodorant.

I liked the smell of the FreeWheelin’ tube, LOVED the price (it’s down to $6.80!), and was happy to support someone in Ohio – my home state.

But let’s talk about an issue…

I tend to wear a lot of black clothing ~~to match the darkness in my heart~~ because when I used to travel, it was less likely to show dirt/stains etc. and I still like to pretend that I’m the 20-something adventurer that I once was.

I also tend to be on the pale side most of the year so the black ~~makes me feel like a hipster vampire~~ just works with my skin tone.

However….my school has t-shirts that are light grey and we would typically wear them like every other Friday or on special days (honestly I can’t remember the frequency now that school is out). And what I noticed about the FreeWheelin’ Market tube was it was more likely to stain my clothes:

Hmm…the staining doesn’t seem as noticeable in that picture as it felt in real life. And maybe I’m more cognizant of it because it makes me super self-conscious.

I remember once trying a Pinterest stain remover recipe using Dawn blue dish soap and some other ingredients that worked really well, so when I get some time this summer, I plan on whipping up a batch and pulling out an old plastic toothbrush and scrubbing the pits on this shirt to see if it makes a difference.

I don’t feel like the Hammond Herbs deodorant stains as much as the FreeWheelin’ stuff, so even though it’s more expensive (and I’m wicked cheap), I think I’ll keep with it for awhile.

Also – I REALLY like the Lemongrass & Peppermint scent that I got from Hammond Herbs. Surprisingly more than the Tea Tree and Lavender which are two of my favorite smells.

School, my job, tends to be a stressful situation for me and the biggest challenge in transitioning to zero waste deodorant this year was the fact that I was no longer wearing an antiperspirant….JUST a deodorant. So on really stressful days, I would be really moist….like Molly Shannon Super Star kinda wet…

Ugh.

I would just reapply and pray for the end of the school day. No biggie.

However…I would like to take the opportunity, on this – my 2nd post in over a month of internet silence – to once again MARVEL at the physiological change in my body after phasing out commercial deodorant.

I started wearing deodorant in 2nd grade.

I used to have to put on deodorant frequently to ensure I wouldn’t smell. I would always apply in the morning, but let’s say I showered after a run in the evening – I would apply before bed so I wouldn’t smell. And even if I applied before a run, I would probably stink afterwards. That’s not to mention all the other random applications if I changed clothes or was going out.

So, SO many applications (onto MY body) of something chock full of toxins.

But now…depending on what I do during the day…there have been multiple days this summer that I haven’t applied deodorant at all.

Actually right now, as I type this, I just got back from a 20-some minute run (I’m seriously out of shape…) and I don’t smell. It’s midday and the last time I applied was yesterday morning.

THIS WAS NEVER POSSIBLE BEFORE!!!

I think I’ve truly detoxed from my old Secret brand.

I wish I had a picture of it to post to you all, but I guess if you really want some proof, you’ll have to track me down and take a big ‘ol whiff of my pits.

Which I encourage…depending on the setting.

I thought phasing out regular deodorant would be impossible. And if that’s one thing I’ve learned on this zero waste journey – you never know what’s possible until you try. Zero waste deodorant has been such a positive change in my life (and for the environment) and I NEVER would have tried it if I hadn’t taken this on.

It makes me wonder….what other changes in my life do I think are impossible, but really – I just need to try?

Uh….Julie?? You Still There?

So it’s been…….awhile….since I last wrote…..

Much longer than I would have liked if truth be told.

Things really seemed to pick up towards the end of the school year and I quickly fell out of the habit of writing a blog post in the evening. I kept saying to myself, “I’ll do one tomorrow” and that quickly turned into almost 2 months.

All this time, I’ve been writing blog posts in my head. And as I was in JoAnn Fabrics writing a tremendously boring post in my head about carefully selecting 100% cotton thread for my sewing machine and how I was wishing in the store that thread spools were once again made of wood instead of plastic so it all would be easily compostable in the future, I went to my negative place: “Julie…NO ONE wants to read a blog post on zero waste thread…”

That trip and inner monologue honestly made me question if this blog had run it’s course. Not my zero waste journey, but the blog.

I had kept saying to myself that I was doing all of this for me and the whole reason I started a blog was to A) keep myself accountable to my New Year’s resolution and B) to see if I could inspire even ONE person in the process. I felt I had kind of accomplished both of those, so if it was the end….eh….not a huge deal.

I don’t have the Facebook app on my phone because it brings me a lot of negative thoughts and some serious Potter Puppet Pals Harry Potter angst and FOMO, so I don’t always check Facebook anymore. One day, my husband had texted me from work that I needed to look on Facebook and I was like, “Ugh….why???? It’s summer – leave me alone!!”

But I did and saw this incredible news article which was shared on the small zero waste Facebook group we started (once again – let me know if you want an invite to see zero waste shares by others!), and my heart was filled with SO. MUCH. JOY! That boy is the son of one of my four readers and I had no idea this family was advocating for so much positive change in their community!

And I was like…hmmm….maybe I SHOULD post about thread after all. 🙂

Don’t worry – I won’t. 🙂

But I was like, “This was the push I needed! – I will get back on my chromebook and write a post! Tomorrow….” If other people are still committed, I can still post about my commitments and minor changes I’m making to phase out plastics.

However….

The next day my Grandma died. And we were leaving for vacation in 2 days (I’ve been on 3 back to back vacations actually – I’m a teacher, I can do it). It all threw me off even more.

But this post is dedicated to my Grandma and is about something that is completely unnecessary, but really just a fun way to reuse old wall calendars.

First, let me go back…

In my 20’s I was very fortunate to be able to travel quite a bit more than your average bear. I would email my family with tales of my adventures (and to verify I was still breathing) and my Grandma expressed that she was sad that everyone else knew what was going on with me and she never knew.

That was an easy fix.

I started hand-writing her letters, even when I wasn’t traveling and I was just going through my boring every-day life – I truly tried for a letter a week. This started more routinely in 2007 when I moved out to Washington State. She wrote me back and were established pen pals for years, until she couldn’t write anymore. But for 12ish years, these letters were happening and I didn’t even realize it was that long until just this moment.

Even after she couldn’t write, I still attempted to write every week and the majority of the time, I was really good about it, but I occasionally missed a week or two when life would get busy.

She understood, but every time I saw her in person or spoke to her on the phone, she made it a point to mention just how much she looked forward to my letters. And she made all my cousins and aunts read them also (sorry about that, ladies!).

Since I’m really cheap and I enjoy crafting/creating, I made my own cards using old calendars for the envelopes and cardstock for the cards. Usually just picking one of my rubber stamps that was “seasonally appropriate” and stamping it in black on the front of the cardstock.

I always wished I was more artsy and creative to actually draw or do something neat on the front cover of the cards, but…yeah…I’m limited there….

My Grandma loved it so much, and of course was one of the people who received like 10 free calendars each December, that she would save them all and hand them to me in a not-so-sly manner that said, “Ok, you should have plenty to keep writing me for this next year….or decade….so keep it up”.

I loved it. It was such a special relationship we had and I like to think that it maybe brought a little bit more happiness to her life.

But it was really easy to make the cards and it was a nice way to reuse something before it just got tossed in the recycle bin. And when you’re done with this cards….you can still toss them in the recycle bin! And not pay $5 for a card that is possibly made with “virgin tree pulp”.

To make them, I took an old birthday card envelope (actually, I have several in different sizes) to use as a template and opened it up carefully to use as a stencil. Then I’d trace it onto a calendar page, sometimes being very careful and “purposeful” about the location of the envelope so the prettiest parts of the picture would make it onto the front of the envelope. Other times, not so much.

I’m on my “3rd vacation” – ahem – this summer and I don’t have a picture of my template for you, just a picture of it traced onto a calendar page:

You cut it out (on the black lines):

And fold it up into an envelope. I would always glue the bottom flap on the back, but when I would mail it, I always taped the top flap. It wouldn’t be any different to tape the bottom flap and top flap if you didn’t want to take the time to glue it.

What I happen to LOVE about this particular envelope template is that it was the PERFECT size for cards that were half a sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock. I could just take my paper cutter, cut it in half and easily have two cards.

To mail it, I would use a blank, printable address label and write the address on it and of course use a sticker return address label and stamp. They never had issues being delivered. And I like to think of it as a fun, lovely, thing to receive in the mail instead of all the junk mail that seems to inhabit my mailbox.

A unique way to spread some love without breaking the bank.

And I enjoyed the mindless, simple task of it all and would usually do something like this while watching a movie or TV in the evening to unwind from the day.

My family gets these too, although no one got them as frequently as my Grandma (and my Grandpa, on the other side of the family ,for awhile, when he was still alive). They tend to get them for birthdays and I tend to write them in the van on the way TO their birthday party because once again, I’m cheap and forgetful. 🙂

This post made me remember (and I wish I had pictures of this to post too – perhaps I’ll post them when I come back) when I was a vagabond living out of my car and teaching outdoor education (Ah…those were the days…), I had found an old large book at a thrift store, hollowed it out, and decoupaged the cover with cancelled stamps (aka – I glued a bunch of stamps on the covers since apparently I had nothing better to do with my life). I made a pocket in the front cover for my sheets of stamps and in the hollowed out portion, I could carry cards and envelopes inside it in my tote bags or back packs and not have them get crumpled up in the bottom of my bags.

Yes, that was a legit issue for me before I made this hollowed-out-book-card-holder contraption (official name).

I still think it’s really cool, even if now I have a house and no longer need it.

I’ll probably post pictures of it later because it’s my blog and if I want to talk about hollowing out books…….and thread………I will.

It’s good to be back. 🙂

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Time for fireworks and Stranger Things…

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