Tag Archives: Environment

Homestead Hack: Disposing of Confidential Documents

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 
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This time of year after RancherMan & I gather documents needed for our income tax return, we always do a quick cleanup of the remaining confidential documents that we no longer need.

We utilize electronic bill-pay for almost all of our bills. And we enroll in paperless billing whenever possible. But there are still some cases where paper receipts are received such as packing slips, receipts, etc. So even though we fight against extraneous paper coming into our home, come it does!

Many people shred these documents for security’s sake. But we don’t have a shredder and I don’t fancy ripping all the paper by hand. So here’s what I do to actually USE that ‘trash’ instead. Check out this Homestead Hack:

Come see how we easily dispose of confidential documents without using a shredder. And that 'trash' actually serves a purpose! #TexasHomesteader

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EcoBricks. What Are They? How I Use Them In The Garden.

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by Texas Homesteader~ 

Several months ago I found a very used 100-gallon galvanized trough at our metal recycling place. It had interior rust, a few small holes & was missing the plug. So it obviously wasn’t being used to water livestock anymore.

But it would be perfect for my vegetable garden. I’d love to fill it with soil and garden plants. I love the look – seems I’m obsessed with galvanized metal, y’all!

And it should also certainly ease harvest in this section of my vegetable garden. I’m not getting any younger, ya know! I’m constantly looking for ways to simplify my garden tasks. 

So I asked if they’d sell it to me. For $10 it was mine! But to plant this huge 100-gallon trough, I first needed to put something at the bottom to allow for drainage.

In a potted plant you can add broken pieces of pottery and such. But I needed something much larger & chunkier for this much space. I decided to make up a few ‘ecobricks’.

EcoBricks are plastic bottles packed tightly with non-recyclable trash. They can be used for lots of things, but come see how I use them in the garden. #TexasHomesteader

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Low-Waste Storage Idea To Neatly Store Boots

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by Texas Homesteader ~

In my closet are several different styles of women’s boots. I have mid-calf boots & higher-calf boots. There are boots that go with leggings and boots that go with blue jeans.

I’m not a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination. But c’mon, a girl’s still gotta have fashionable footwear!

Recently I did a heavy Decluttering of my closet. I removed tons of items that I no longer wear and sent them off to a Thrift Store. Then everything that remained was returned neatly to my closet.

But oh those boots…

My boots slouched over and fell from the shelf, I needed a low-waste to keep them neat and organized. I used cardboard and it works great #TexasHomesteader

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12 Easy Ways To Repurpose Empty Coffee Canisters

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by Texas Homesteader ~

RancherMan & I love our coffee. We enjoy that hot cup-o-joe each morning.

Although I hate plastic, our favorite coffee comes in a plastic canister. Of course when they’re empty I offer those handy containers to others around me who I feel could use them.

But when I could no longer give them away I started looking for various ways to repurpose them myself. If you’re looking for inspiration too, come see what I’ve been able to make with them. Links to details are in the titles.

Come see different ways I've been able to repurpose those empty coffee canisters. They're handy for so many things. #TexasHomesteader

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Planting A Blueberry Bush In An Old Galvanized Tub

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by Texas Homesteader ~

I love blueberries. And I’d love to grow my own. But I’ve planted blueberry bushes repeatedly only to have them succumb. I guess I’m not paying enough attention to the acidity. I’d given up on growing blueberries.

But recently at a plant fair I looked longingly at the blueberry bushes. RancherMan said “Look! You love blueberries”.

Well, yes, but…

The woman at the booth overheard & said this blueberry was a miniature so it works well in a large pot. And she mentioned that if you have it in a pot, it’s easier to moderate and correct the PH levels. Hummmm…. SOLD!

I was able to repurpose an old, rustic, rusted, mishapen galvanized tub to add beauty to our porch landscape. I planted a blueberry in it. #TexasHomesteader

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Soap Grows On Trees! Using Soapberries For A Natural Shampoo

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by Texas Homesteader ~

I have a super-smart friend from whom I always learn oh-so-much. Recently we were at a luncheon together & she mentioned that she uses soapberries for shampoo – no conditioner required.

She puts dried soapberries in water and lets them sit for about 6 weeks before she removes the berries. Then she adds a bit of baking soda and uses it to clean her hair.

Well color me intrigued! I found a Soapberry Tree on our property several years ago. So I decided to give it a try.

Using Soapberries for a natural shampoo is easy on your hair and easy on your budget. It's true - soap really DOES grow on trees! #TexasHomesteader

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3 Rainwater Catchment Systems Used At Our Homestead

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by Texas Homesteader ~
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The heat & humidity here in Texas during a typical summer can create some gardening challenges. And in our area of NE Texas, we’ve been in drought conditions for several years in a row. It can feel like an expensive losing battle to keep your garden watered.

But I don’t pay for treated water to irrigate my gardens. They’re all watered with harvested rainwater. Come see three rainwater harvesting systems that work best for us.

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Stop Garden Weeds With Biodegradable Weed Block

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by Texas Homesteader ~
*contains affiliate link

At the Mother Earth News Fair this year I attended several gardening seminars. One presenter spoke about ‘biodegradable weed block‘. It’s supposed to suppress weeds during garden season. Then it naturally degrades by the end of garden season to just be turned back into the soil. Now I hate plastic weed block because weeds grow right through the blasted stuff, it’s messy, it’s expensive and it’s PLASTIC. But I’ve never even thought about biodegradable weed block.

I wondered how it worked, what it was made of, how expensive it might be, etc. So I went online to research. I found it’s made of ‘wood pulp’. Hey, could that be PAPER??

So I’m thinking of using those heavy paper feed sacks RancherMan’s been saving for me. I’ve always used those paper feed sacks in the walkways of my garden covered by mulch. But I’d never given thought to using it in the actual planting areas. Hummmm…

Biodegradable weed block for the garden? As it turns out, it's really a thing! And it degrades by the end of the season to just mix back into your soil. I hate the plastic weed block, this more natural material appeals to me! #TexasHomesteader

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