by Texas Homesteader ~
Emergency preparedness is important. When natural disaster hits & the electricity is out, a solar oven can help keep your family fed. Even if the power is out for days or weeks, you only need the power of the sun to cook.
by Texas Homesteader ~
Rubbing alcohol has natural antibacterial properties. So it makes an easy way to eliminate odors as a deodorant without harsh chemicals or extraneous plastic in my personal hygiene routine.
It’s easy, it’s fast and it’s cheap!
by Texas Homesteader ~
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I repurposed an empty coffee canister and turned it into a cute, red & black country-style breadbox. I love the way it turned out. And repurposing these empty cans makes my crunchy heart happy.
Do you have an empty coffee can? Want to make your own cute bread box? Well read on, dear friends.
by Texas Homesteader ~
It’s no secret I have an environmental bend. But many people think that ‘going green‘ is complicated or requires special equipment. Here’s the good news – you don’t need special equipment or to do anything complicated to be Eco-friendly.
I thought it would be fun to rattle off things that are a typical day that just flow with my regular chores. No extra effort needed, no special equipment.
On this day we have a few errands to run and I need to make yogurt for breakfasts & a supply of boiled eggs for RancherMan’s snacking. Let’s see how smoothly this environmental thing can be done without much thought at all!
by Texas Homesteader ~
A few months ago RancherMan & I joined my parents for a quick dinner at a local restaurant. On the sidewalk outside the restaurant was a cute planter. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a small, thick tire that was painted & then planted.
RancherMan said it was probably a riding lawn mower or golf cart tire. I loved it! Heck you always wonder what to do with an old tire anyway. And their disposal is always an issue.
Plus I often worry that planters that you buy just can’t hold up to the rough Texas weather year after year. Spring hail storms can render that cute ceramic planter useless in short order!
These repurposed-tire planters seemed to be the best of both worlds – interesting looks, very durable and using something previously wasted. I decided to give it a try.
But I didn’t have an old lawn mower tire and I really didn’t want to buy a new one. It seems like such a waste of resources to buy a perfectly good usable tire & paint it!
by Texas Homesteader ~
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I’d never heard of plastic-Free July before, but I’m willing to jump on the bandwagon to eliminate as much extra plastic from our lives as possible. Now I hate plastic and I shun it every day anyway. But for me, it’s all about balance. If I stumble I don’t obsess about it, life’s just too short.
But I’m usually pretty successful in eliminating lots of plastic with super-easy changes. Come see ways I’ve been able to stop lots of plastic from coming into our home. Maybe you can pick up a few tips.
We’d love to hear your tips too, be sure to share in the comments. We can all learn from each other!
by Texas Homesteader ~
Coffee canisters are easy to repurpose for any number of things. And repurpose them we do!
Y’all know we love our coffee. We prefer Folgers to other brands of coffee. But at least their coffee canister is food-grade plastic. So in addition to other non-food repurposes, I’m able to do even more with it.
I can store large quantities of dried herbs in them.
by Texas Homesteader ~
It’s all the rage to decorate farm style or country chic. I love the simplicity of using canning jars for flower vases.
One day RancherMan & I enjoyed a little exploring time in an area on our property where previous homesteaders took their ‘trash’ decades ago. There were several unbroken old canning jars, no longer fit for canning obviously.
I love to catch a little glimpse into the past when I see what those homesteaders long ago discarded. Especially when I can repurpose those things into something I love for our home.
