Skip The Bag

Zero Waste Shampoo: Salon Solids

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 03:18:00 +0000

I've been on the hunt for a great zero waste shampoo. I realized that I was using shampoo bottles and just throwing them in the trash when they were emptied. Yep, I would trash recyclable containers. Which is silly since I was so good about recycling containers from the kitchen, but if it was emptied in the bathroom all bets were off. So if I'm doing it, I'm sure others are as well.

This post contains affiliate or referral links. It is a way for the site to earn advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services.

My first swap was to use a shampoo bar. I liked it at the beginning, after I learned some tricks on how to use it best. I found there was a bit of a learning curve, so I recommend reading my review with tips for how to use a shampoo bar. But after a while I felt like my hair had more breakage (my hair is very dry!) so I was once again on the hunt for a zero waste or plastic free alternative.

Enter Salon Solids. They are a plastic free shampoo product. They send you a small paper tube of crystals which you rehydrate and use.You don't have to pay for water either!

The product is made from 6 ingredients that are all plant based. I chose the citrus sent and think it is good. The scent is pleasant and not overpowering.

It's easy to make, just mix 8-10 ounces of warm water with the crystals, let it cool, and then use. I just used an old pump container I had laying around, but they also sell containers.

I'm on my second container of the shampoo. I felt that if 10 oz of water was good, more just be better. That's not the case. It was too runny to really lather much. This second container I used about 9 oz and I'm far happier with the results.

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Not sure you are ready to make your own shampoo? Then check out Plaine Products. They have refillable containers that you use and then send back. Check out my review of Plaine Products Conditioner.

Still not sure you've found your favorite zero waste shampoo? Check out 6 Zero Waste Shampoo Methods.

The Best Safety Razor For A Close Shave

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 14:33:00 +0000

I have been using a safety razor for a couple of years now. It was one of the simple swaps I recommend for the bathroom and an area that Hubby was zero waste long before I was.

Hubby was using his disposable razor for nearly a decade before I ventured into it. But once I got my first one I took to it like a duck to water. I seriously had no clue why I was so scared to switch or why it took so long to switch from plastic disposable razors.

I must have read several articles about using a safety tarot and watched tutorials about how to use them. But, if you are starting with a disposable razor it's not THAT different. Here are my tips for using a safety razor with getting cut.

In my research so many people went on and on about how close their shave was and how it was so much closer than a disposable razor. I was a little perplexed why that wasn't my experience.

Well one day hubby got a wild hair and wanted to try my razor. He has a short handled razor and mine is long handled. He tried it and promptly said my razor was awful. He said he had to shave his whole face again with his razor. Well that made me feel better that it was maybe the razor itself and not something I was missing.

I kept using it though. I mean, I thought about buying another one, but I couldn't justify the cost or the waste. I had a razor that did fine, it removed all the hair, it just wasn't making my legs that super soft all hair removed close shave feel. No need to discard it.

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Well then a few weeks later the razor fell off the ledge in my shower and broke. It must have fallen just right and the part that connected the top to the peg broke. I permanently had two parts: a top and the base with no way to secure the blade.

I tried to see if it could be repaired but apparently that part of the blade was plastic and it snapped. I thought about gluing it back together, but it would have made the razor uneven and there wasn't a good surface to even glue.

So there I was on the hunt for the perfect long handled safety razor. I went to Amazon, since I didn't have any local options. I am an affiliate for Amazon so this post contains affiliate or referral links. It's a way for the site to earn advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services. However, I have no affiliation with the company that makes the razor.

I sorted on price, lowest to highest, and started looking at reviews. As long as the blade cut I figured most of the price went into hype not function. I knew I wanted a long handled razor so that eliminated a bunch.

One of the razors looked promising, but a reviewer said the handle was smooth so it was hard to handle with soapy hands. No thanks! I passed on that one, but did start paying attention to handles.

I ended up with the Emarth Double Edge Safety Razor Long Handle.

This razor is awesome. It has a butterfly closure so you just open it up pop the blade in and go. The handle is not smooth so you'll drop it. The weight is good, and best of all the shave is SO much closer. Hubby is actually jealous and wants to see if they have a short handled version for him to use.

My only peeve is that sometimes hair gets caught between the blade and the base. So I have to open it out and clean it, but that's what happens when your blade actually works...you have to rinse out the hair! Although it just takes a quick swivel to open up and get to the blade, so even that is low hassle.

If you are in the market for a safety razor I highly recommend you get this razor. It's inexpensive too!

Go get yourself one if these razors, and some blades you wont regret it. Is it out of stock? Try this other highly rated blade which has most of the similar features.

Then check out my tips on how to USE a safety razor or find out some other simple swaps to make in the bathroom.

Zero Waste Coffee and Tea

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:01:00 +0000

I have a confession: I don't like coffee. I can't stand the taste. I don't even like coffee flavored ice cream...so you know it's bad. My whole life it was just wait until you go to college, you start working, or you have kids, and you'll start drinking it.

So you may wonder how I am at all qualified to write a post like this. Well I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, home to Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Stumptown, Seattle's Best Coffee and many more independent coffee roasters and coffee shops. I have been surrounded by coffee my entire life.

When I was 13 we went to the Olympics in Atlanta. We drove half way through Atlanta to find the only Starbucks in town and it was their training facility. They had just reached Atlanta. A bunch of 13 year old girls were shouting out their specialized coffee recipes and the baristas actually asked us to hold on while they wrote down the order! Granted this was in 1996 so a lot has changed, but coffee has just always been around.

And while I don't ever drink coffee, I drink tea. Chai is my favorite, and hard to find zero waste, but there are so many delicious tea flavors out there. So I understand the caffeine pick me up first thing in the morning or the desire to just have a warm beverage while you mull over the day to come. Unfortunately the habit that is creating a lot of waste.

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Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups a year. Just one take away cup a day can lead to 23 pounds of waste. (source). Pods are worse with 55 million being thrown away daily. Despite technically being recyclable the processes for doing so are not widespread so they have to be recycled via a program such as Terracycle (source).

The good news is that there are a number of ways to enjoy your morning coffee or tea without creating all the trash. This post contains affiliate or referral links. It is a way for the site to earn advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services.

I'm going to start with coffee and then move on to tea down below. We'll start with ideas for how to use your existing coffee machines to create less waste, then zero waste coffee makers, how to get beans, and finally we'll move on to tea (which I prefer over coffee!).

Making your existing coffee maker create less waste

Reusable Coffee Filter

If you already have a coffee maker you will likely need a filter. Purchasing a reusable filter will be a great way to reduce your waste. There are many different kinds including metal or cotton.

Refillable K- cup

If you have a Keurig machine, you may feel that there is no way to create less waste. The whole design of the machine is that you get a little cup and then throw it away. However, have no fear. You can get a refillable pod. My parent's use it and they love that they can use their own coffee (and it's better for the environment). I will caution you to make sure that you get one that fits your machine. There are actually a few different sizes and you don't want to get the wrong one.

Paper coffee filters

This option is less desirable because it still produces some waste. However paper, or even bamboo, can be an option in a pinch, and you can put it in the compost with your grounds when you are done. You are putting your coffee grounds in the compost aren't you? Or maybe you are making DIY beauty products. Remember, food does not belong in the trash.

Zero waste coffee makers

However let's say you are in the market for a whole new way to make coffee. There are several different options for coffee makers that create less waste. I'm embarrassed, er, pleased to say that we have several at home so we are able to provide a review of several of these coffee makers.

Bialetti

This is an Italian way of making coffee or espresso. Hubby uses the 6 cup Bialetti (makes 12 oz) nearly every day, but they also make larger ones 12 cup ( 25 oz) if you are wanting to make more than one cup or for more than one person. I don't actually like coffee so Hubby is the only one that drinks it.

The Bialetti produces a coffee that is between standard coffee and espresso. You put water in the bottom and coffee grounds in the metal filter and put it on the stove. Once the water boils up through the coffee grounds it is ready to go. Hubby uses a medium grind, but some recommend a coarser grind. Hubby says using a medium grind he occasionally has some silt in the pouring part, but it generally stays in the Bialetti itself and not in his cup.

French Press

French press is another way of making coffee. And I just realized you could brew tea in it too, but I've never used it for that purpose. You put the coffee grounds and hot water in the container. You'll find your perfect recipe. Hubby just eyeballs it, but uses roughly a heaping tablespoon per cup of water. Then once the coffee has percolated for your desired length of time (about 3-4 minutes), you push the plunger down to trap the grounds and pour off the coffee. You'll want the water nearly boiling and you'll want to use a coarser grind of bean so that it stays in the bottom rather than floating up in your coffee.

Cold brew

To make cold brew it's very similar to a French press in that the grounds and water come in contact with one another and then you separate them. However with cold brew they steep in cold water like the refrigerator. It is supposed to make a less bitter cup of coffee. I like this one because it uses a mason jar or this one looks like a cool science experiment! Of course you can always just use your own filter or a cloth bag to prevent the grounds from mixing in.

Pour over

This is more like a traditional coffee where the water only has quick contact with the grounds. Using a reusable filter makes this less waste. You can make individual cups with this, or get a whole apparatus or just the filter.

Espresso Machine

This is the most expensive option, but if you are really into coffee an espresso machine might be worth the price.

Reusable coffee mugs

These mugs are great for on the go. You can make your coffee at home and then take it with you as you go about your day. Carrying it with you also helps that when you go to a coffee shop you can ask if they can make it directly in your mug and not waste the cup. I'll warn you some coffee shops are better about this than others. However, as you develop a relationship with a particular coffee shop, especially if it is a local shop versus a large chain, you may be able to nudge them toward less waste.

Insulated Coffee Mug

This is the best travel mug. Hubby got it as a gift from mother in law a couple years ago and it's the only travel mug he uses. Both he and my mother in law rave about how good it is. I like that it is easy to clean and we can even put it in the dishwasher.

Ceramic Travel Mug

I prefer to use a ceramic mugs so I can put it in the microwave. I think it comes from the fact that I prepare tea and at work we don't have a way to really heat water or milk other than using the microwave. I feel like the silicone top makes me nervous, but once it is on fully it really doesn't leak. I wouldn't go dropping it or trying to flip it over, but it does prevent spills while drinking.

Zero Waste Tea

Loose Tea

Loose tea is best. You know there is no plastic lurking in the bag, however that means that you have to have your own filter to steep it. Hopefully you have a local supply of package free tea, but if not this might be an option. It looks really delicious!

Infuser Mug

I have this mug that you can steep the tea in the mug. It's very handy. I like the mug, but the fact that the infuser fits perfectly within the water is a huge advantage. Plus, I think it increases the surface area so more of the tea can be brewed. Of course you can get a traditional tea ball to use with any mug you already have.

So there you have my list for zero waste coffee and tea. Don't forget to compost or use the coffee grounds to make awesome DIY scrubs.

What is your favorite way to have your morning beverage?

Looking to create less waste? Check out this post on ways to prevent food waste.

2018 Green Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 13:00:00 +0000

I felt like I accomplished about half of my 2017 Green Resolutions. Which for me, is a win.

It was important to me to have "smart" goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound. I also wanted to set the bar low, so I could achieve as many as possible. (Of course, even then, I only managed to accomplish half! Ha!)

I got reusable napkins and menstrual products (but haven't gotten then hang of using them yet) and took my lunch to work pretty regularly. I didn't do quite so well about shopping at the bulk store or cooking a new item.

For this year I'll admit I was a little stumped so I did a search of other sustainable resolutions. I was disappointed to find I was already doing them. I think that came out wrong. I am so happy that I'm already making an impact. I refuse plastic bags, I've cut out water bottles along with the other 5 simple ways to reduce plastic. Heck, we even have solar panels! I've already done so much of the "low hanging fruit".

Now of course, I could always do better. Plastic bags sneak in on a semi-regular basis. And I may not buy bottled water, but other plastic drink containers "magically" show up in my recycle bin. However, I'd like to use my resolutions to push myself in other ways.

1. Subscribe to our CSA.

I've been wanting to do this for a while, but haven't quite taken the plunge. Community-Supported Agriculture is a great way to support the local economy and they are good for the environment because they cut down on transportation costs.

2. Plant in our garden

I loved getting our garden set up, but we've basically allowed two growing seasons to pass without planting anything. So right now the only thing we've got growing is weeds! Now, to be fair, the growing seasons were fall and winter, which would not be growing weather in most parts of the world, but here in Florida, we missed out on some awesome food. Hopefully this resolution will get me motivated to go out and plant for all year long.

3. Less waste grocery shopping

We buy a lot of groceries and I want to find a way to do so while creating less waste. I know not all places have package free food, but most do! I wrote this great posts on tips for shopping from the bulk bins Zero Waste Grocery Shopping Bulk Buying Tips and Tricks. However at this stage in my life I'm not sure how that's going to work for everything. I'm buying larger quantities of food, so I'm hoping it leads to less waste. So next year I want to explore it more.

4. Take my lunch to work

Yes, this is verbatim repeat of last year. However, I've found myself slipping and taking my lunch less frequently AND wasting food that should have been eaten for lunch. By taking my lunch it would be a double win. Also, it gives me a chance to use my zero waste cutlery kit more!

Are you looking for some more motivation for your resolution list? Check out the lists from these other great sustainable and eco friendly bloggers! And don't forget to leave your resolutions in the comment below!

Zero Waste Wisdom

Curbside Overhaul

Everchange Productions

Little Sprouts Learning

The Pink Paper Doll

The Good Life

Design Life Hacks

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Reduce Your Plastic: Part 4 - Holidays, Garden, General Tips

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000

My friend Rosie at Green and Rosie Life posted 100 ways to reduce plastic and how she was doing with it. I thought I would do the same. These tips are the next 25 or so of her list and cover a variety of topics. Don't forget to check out the first post in this series that covers food, drink and shopping, the second which covers going out and about, babies and children, cleaning and personal care items, or the third about clothing, household, work and pets.

Leave a comment about how many you are doing! Most of the following links are to other posts I have written, but some links are affiliate links to Amazon. If you click the link and make a purchase I may receive a commission that helps to keep the blog running. Thanks for supporting Skip The Bag!

Gift Givings and Holidays Christmas, Easter, birthdays etc

76. Give service gifts such as a free baby sitting night, evening at the theatre, a meal out, sponsor a child or support a wildlife/environmental charity

I think experience gifts are the best sort of gifts! Don't forget to check out my post on zero waste gift ideas.

77. Wrap gifts without sellotape - use raffia or string and get creative.

This is one area I'd like to get better about. There is even paper tape, which could be a great alternative.

78. Make decorations from natural materials

I do this particularly for Halloween and fall! It's so easy to have some branches and/or leaves.

79. Make plastic free gifts such as preserves and handmade clothes/accessories

Homemade gifts are always nice. Check out my Pinterest collection of Zero Waste Gift Ideas for more inspiration.

80. Send e-cards

I'm not in the habit of this. I think that this is a great option for certain people or events however.

81. At parties ask guests to bring their own cutlery and crockery rather than supplying plastic throw away ones

When we have a party it's usually a potluck of such or just appetizers. I try to get appetizers that you can just eat by hand so we don't have to use silverware at all. With meals that's a little more difficult. I've never had anyone bring their own silverware or anything, but that's because we have WAY more than we needed for a family of two!

82. Make your own chocolate gifts at Easter to avoid all that plastic

What a great idea! I'd love to make my own treats for Easter.

83. Avoid buying online where products are often sent with lots of plastic wrapping

Ugh, I struggle with this. Online shopping is convenient and I'm able to get items that I can't get locally. However, I hate all the plastic wrapping that can come with it.

84. Grow your own flowers/pot plants as gifts

This is a great idea. We would give plants as gifts in lieu of cut flowers for holidays such as Mother's Day.

In the garden

85. Use terracotta or biodegradable plant pots

We mostly plant in the ground so we have very few pots. However I should buy terracotta pots to replace our two large herb pots. For seedlings I reuse the plastic ones we bought, or use plastic containers.

86. Re-purpose plastic fruit/veg trays as seed trays

Yep! I do this.

87. Re-purpose yoghurt pots as seedling pots

Absolutely! You can see a photo here of the ones I was using (link)

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88. Use plastic bottles to help direct water to the roots tomato plants etc - details here: water-wise tomatoes

We use a standard sprinkler. I'm sure it wastes some water, but with a timer it's easy breezy.

89. Use polystyrene as crocks in your plant pots

Again, we don't use pots much, and I don't use crocks. I don't know that I'd use polystyrene anyway.

89. Make your own labels from plastic bottles or buy those made from natural materials

We don't really label things in the garden, even for seedlings...which has led to some interesting discoveries! But someone recommended using old window blinds. A single blind can lead to many labels.

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In Summary

For the foreseeable future plastic is going to be part of our everyday lives but we can take steps to reduce how much we use which can be summarized thus:

90. Get into the habit of seeing where plastic exists is the first step to reducing how much of it you have in your life

I would recommend doing a trash audit to find out what is contributing to your trash and waste.

91. Think before you buy and switch to non plastic alternatives where possible - silicone is a safer option

If you are looking for some places to get started here is a list of 5 easy ways to use less plastic and 5 simple plastic-free swaps for the bathroom.

92. Re-use the plastic you do have as much as you can

Yes, reusing is important, but so are things like precycling. Which I didn't even know about prior to starting this journey.

93. Upcycle plastic into new things

I'm always on the look out for great ways to upcycle products. I've made some upcycles, but nothing specifically from plastic that I've written about on the blog. Some I have written about are DIY washer necklaces, Rolodex Calendar, and Christmas Card Wreath

94. Ask yourself "Do I really need to buy this plastic product?"

You should always ask yourself this whether it is plastic or not! Of course, I tend toward minimalism.

95. Write to manufacturers to say you are boycotting their plastic based products or packaging

I haven't really done this. I have tagged a company on twitter before, but this really is an important step. If companies don't know people are unhappy with their products they don't know to make the changes.

96. If you must buy plastic then look for second hand rather than new

I love buying "pre-loved" items. That's one of my tips for an environmentally friendly closet.

97. Work towards eliminating single use plastic in your life

Absolutely! 5 easy ways to use less plastic will help cover a lot! How do we compare?

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98. If you have to buy a plastic item (not something in plastic packaging) make it the best quality possible to ensure it lasts as long as possible

This is a great thing to keep in mind!

99. If you follow the 4 Rs you will help reduce your plastic use - reduce, re-use, repair and recycle (the first 3 being the most important)

I've actually found 7 R's of Zero Waste! They all have their time and place, but refusing and reducing are important aspects.

100. Finally and perhaps most important of all we need a fifth R - Raising awareness. When people are aware of a problem they are much better placed to find a solution so please, share this post and let's help everyone to reduce their plastic habit!

I guess there really should be 8 R's! Raising awareness is why I started Skip The Bag in the first place.

I've enjoyed seeing how far I've come with reducing waste and plastic and taken notes of some areas I still can improve upon. Don't forget to check out Part 1: Food, Drink and Shopping; Part 2: Cleaning, Babies, and Personal Care; and Part 3: Clothes, Work, Home and Pets.

Reduce Your Waste: Part 3- Clothes, Around the House, At Work, Pets

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 12:50:00 +0000

My friend Rosie at Green and Rosie Life posted 100 ways to reduce plastic and how she was doing with it. I thought I would do the same. These tips are the next 25 or so of her list and cover a variety of topics. Don't forget to check out the first post in this series that covers food, drink and shopping or the second which covers going out and about, babies and children, cleaning and personal care items.

Leave a comment about how many you are doing! Most links are to other posts I have written. Some links are affiliate links to Amazon. If you click the link and make a purchase I may receive a commission that helps to keep the blog running. Thanks for supporting Skip The Bag!

Clothes

53. Avoid clothes and shoes made from synthetic materials

Absolutely. That is one of the 10 tips for an environmentally friendly closet!

54. Make your own clothes using old materiel when you can or upcycling old clothes to new

I haven't made my own clothes or upcycled them yet, but they are so cute! People are really creative and clever.

55. Buy second hand clothes that have minimal plastic packaging

I love buying clothes from thrift stores or consignment stores. It's another one of the 10 tips for an environmentally friendly closet.

Around the house

56. Use glass, metal or wooden storage containers

Yes, I love my Pyrex and Anchor containers. I don't have metal or wooden ones yet, but these look intriguing!

57. Use wooden or metal cooking utensils

A large number of our cooking utensils are metal. We got them from a restaurant supply store, but you can get spatulas or spoons from just about anywhere. Metal is great for cast iron! Read how to clean and care for cast iron.

58. Do you really need to bag it before you bin it?

This could be in reference to a number of bags in the trash can. For example, do you need to throw it in a bag before putting it into your trash can? I think of people who bag up a chicken carcass prior to putting it in the trash. Maybe you don't need to do that. Or maybe it's referring to a trash liner at all. We don't use a trash bag for our recycling. In fact, our trash cans have a removable liner that we can just take out and wash it if it gets dirty. We still use a bag for our trash, but since we compost most of our food scraps and recycle a large part of our trash. Other people use newspaper liners, but we still have a bunch of plastic trash bags we use up.

59. If it's broken can you mend it?

Yep, thankfully Hubby is really handy.

60. Say no to junk mail

This is still on my to-do list. It drives me crazy, thankfully most of it is recyclable.

61. Download music and films instead of buying CDs and DVDs
We use Amazon Prime (try it free for 30 days), Netflix or Red Box for most of our movies. I tend to listen to the radio or podcasts over buying CDs. (Do you have a favorite podcast?)

62. Use matches not a disposable lighter

Hmm, I hadn't really thought about this. We don't really need to start a lot of fires. In general you think the sturdier item will be more environmentally friendly than the item you use once and throw away. However with lighters it's not really true. Matches are from the earth and will burn and join the earth, but the lighters take a ton of resources to make and you can't refill them. So a double loss. I'll be making sure we get matches from here on out!

63. When doing DIY and house renovations go for natural products - wooden door frames, cotton curtains etc

Yes, you don't have to build a new house to take advantage of incorporating environmentally friendly products into your house. The cotton curtains seem like such a no-brainer, but I probably wouldn't have thought to check! I can't say I've purchased a whole lot of curtains in my life though.

64. Use old sheets as dust covers not new plastic ones

I don't use dust covers. We do have a fabric tarp thing that we lay out when we do paint projects.

65. Wash and reuse plastic freezer bags.

I do this some, but I'm not 100% consistent about it. I'm working to phase out freezer bags altogether.

Don't forget to pin for later!

At work

66. Take in your own mug for water and drinks from the machines.

I bring my own water bottle to work. Don't forget to check out my article on ways to go green at work.

67. Use all paper jiffy bags, not those with plastic inside

I have a reusable lunch bag that I use and then I use my glass containers to bring food for lunch. Bringing my lunch to work was done of my green resolutions.

68. Buy envelopes without plastic windows.

I haven't bought envelopes in a while, but I'm pretty sure the ones I have don't have plastic windows.This is a simple way to use less plastic. This would have been a great addition to my ways to go green at work it's got tons of great tips for any workplace setting, but an office in particular!

69. Go for paperless billing to avoid plastic window envelopes

Absolutely! I'd also add that this reduces on transportation pollution of bills and the price of stamps! Win, win, win.

70. Buy a "real" pen that uses a refill

I know a lot of zero wasters have gone this route. I'm not quite there on my journey yet.

71. Do not upgrade to a new phone etc. You were quite happy with your old one when you first got it!

Thankfully neither Hubby or I are that into technology, we pretty much just replace things as they need it, which is still too often in my opinion!

Pets

72. Say no to plastic pet toys

We have a few, but in general I go for stuffed animals or ropes (these look amazing!).

73. Avoid plastic feed bowls

We have metal bowls.

74. Avoid pet food in plastic sachets

We haven't found a bag free alternative for our pets or the chickens.

75. Make your own pet treats

We've yet to be able to make rawhide or meal worms, so we still purchase these. I've heard you can grow meal worms though!

This week definitely had some ideas I hadn't really thought of such as using matches and making sure the envelopes I buy are all paper and don't have a plastic window. Don't forget to check out Part 1: Food, Drink and Shopping and Part 2: Cleaning, Babies, and Personal Care

Reduce Your Plastic: Part 2- Going Out and About, Babies and Children, Cleaning and Personal Care Items

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000

My friend Rosie at Green and Rosie Life posted 100 ways to reduce plastic and how she was doing with it. I thought I would do the same. These tips are the next 25 or so of her list and cover a variety of topics. Don't forget to check out the first post in this series that covers food, drink and shopping.

Leave a comment about how many you are doing! Most links are to other posts I have written. Some links are affiliate links to Amazon. If you click the link and make a purchase I may receive a commission that helps to keep the blog running. Thanks for supporting Skip The Bag!

Out and About

25. Say no to plastic straws in food outlets

I love carrying my zero waste silverware kit! It helps me avoid straws and plastic utensils. There are a number of different kinds of straws that aren't made from plastic. You can get metal, bamboo, glass and even paper. Check out this article about National Drinking Straw Day to read more about these alternatives.

26. Say no to plastic bags in all shops, not just supermarkets

Absolutely! This blog isn't called Skip The Bag for no reason. I always carry a reusable bag in my purse and I've been able to refuse bags all over town even at hardware stores and clothing stores.

27. If you find somewhere that doesn't use plastic throw away cutlery, tell the world about it via your social media.

I love this idea! I haven't done this yet, but I love the idea of praising restaurants that are doing their part (rather than shaming those who aren't).

28. Say no to "cardboard" coffee cups - they are lined with polyethylene aka plastic. Take your own mug instead.
This is one I struggle with. Mostly because I so rarely get coffee that it's far harder for me to plan for a maybe once a month occurrence rather than a daily occurrence. Hubby, who drinks coffee daily, carries his own travel mug and he LOVES this one. I've thought about getting one for me, because he loves it so much, but haven't yet.

29. Take your own wooden chop sticks to your local Chinese restaurant

I don't think I would have thought about this! Many people have chopsticks included in their Zero Waste Silverware Kit. We have bamboo chopsticks for at home, but I don't regularly use them outside of the house so I haven't added it to my silverware kit.

30. Ask for a finger bowl and cloth instead of plastic wrapped wipes in restaurants

I don't eat many places that have wrapped wipes, but this is a reusable solution to that I hadn't thought of before.

31. Don't buy plastic wrapped magazines

I don't really buy magazines. I have a couple of subscriptions that were gifted to me, but that's about it.

Don't forget to pin this list for later!

Babies and Children

32. Switch from disposable nappies to washable cloth ones
I will use cloth diapers with any infants I have!

33. Ditch disposable wipes and use a washable cloth

I love this idea!

34. Buy glass feeding bottles

Absolutely! Glass is better than plastic.

35. Buy wooden toys

I love this idea! I'm always on the hunt for great wooden toys for the children in my life.

36. For pack lunches avoid plastic wrapped foods and offer sandwiches wrapped in foil or greaseproof paper, a piece of fruit, a home-made snack and a drink in a reusable bottle
Lunchables are a no-go in my house! We make our own sandwiches and put whole fruit for them. Although most schools provide lunch (and breakfast!) so we won't need to do this much.

37. Pass on unwanted plastic toys to younger children/toy libraries/play groups, etc
It's so crazy to me how people want to just give children toys! Don't they know they already have a houseful?!

Cleaning

38. Make your own cleaning products with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar ensuring these are bought in cardboard boxes and glass bottles
I buy them in cardboard and glass, but I'm not as consistent about using them as cleaning products as I could be.

39. Use washing powder sold in cardboard boxes rather than washing liquid

I just bought some dish washing powder instead of the liquid in a plastic container. I'm excited that I have reduced a source of plastic in our house.

40. Use soap nuts or washing balls instead of washing liquid

I'm not here yet. I'd consider going back to powder, but I have an HE wash and it didn't work as well. Although this is a new washer so it may work better.

41. You don't need wipes - use a washable cloth

I do this, in fact I use dishcloths my grandmother kitted as my face cloth.

42. Use dishwasher tabs in biodegradable film

This is probably the first one I disagree with. I don't think people should use dishwasher tabs at all. Ok, that's a little strong. I guess I should say: I think there are better alternatives to wash your dishes than dishwasher tabs, even if the film is biodegradable.

Personal Care

43. Ditch disposable razors for a metal safety razor or go hirsute

I love my safety razor. Check out my articles all about safety razors, how to use a safety razor and not get cut, and a review on the best safety razor. It's seriously easy to use and I wonder why I didn't switch over years ago.

44. Use a bar of soap not liquid soap in a plastic bottle
Yep, this is one of my 5 simple plastic-free swaps for the bathroom that I've done.

45. Use shampoo bars

I am loving my shampoo bars. If you are considering them check out the ones I use and my review of using a shampoo bar that includes tips of how to use them.

46. Stop using shower gels that contain micro beads - these are made from polyethylene i.e. plastic

I never used a lot of these, but I have completely eliminated them.

47. Buy wooden handled tooth brushes

Yes! Another simple swap and I have been loving my bamboo toothbrushes.

48. Buy a wooden handled hairbrush
When I need a new hairbrush I'll buy this.

49. Use washable menstrual products
I have a cup, but haven't really got to try it out yet.

50. Make your own remedies for minor ailments e.g. elderberry port for sore throats stored in a glass bottle
This isn't really my style. I work in health care, so I'm particular about what I use for ailments.

51. Use a handkerchief not plastic wrapped tissues

I don't do this, but we rarely use tissues. We maybe to go through a box a year.

52. Give up smoking!

Thankfully I've never done this!

This week there was more of a grab bag of items, but I'm happy to see I've been doing most of these things. Especially since so much of it focused on personal care and swaps in the bathroom. Don't forget to check out these more advanced swaps!

Reduce Your Plastic: Part 1 - Food, Drink, Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000

My friend Rosie at Green and Rosie Life posted 100 ways to reduce plastic and how she was doing with it. I thought I would do the same. I'm going to break it down so this week we are going to cover food, drink and shopping. There are a total of 24 tips in this section. Leave a comment about how many you are doing! Most links are to other posts I have written. Some links are affiliate links to Amazon. If you click the link and make a purchase I may receive a commission that helps to keep the blog running. Thanks for supporting Skip The Bag!

Food, Drink, and Shopping

1. Buy food from bulk bins that use paper bags

This was one of my Green Resolutions. I was doing great during the 1st quarter update, but I haven't done a midpoint because I am failing at this one part. We have one store that has bulk food locally and it's unfortunately not the one that I go to often. I still want to go, but I think I'm in the contemplation stage and need to just do it!

2. Store loose food in glass jars - mason or kilner jars

I do this! Especially if it is a food I buy in bulk. I take the jars with me. You can read my bulk buying tips, which make it very easy.

3. Say no to fizzy drinks and water in plastic bottles

I rarely drink soda. I have started a small habit of drinking carbonated flavored water out of cans, which I'm trying to break. In fact I want Hubby to rig up our own carbonated water dispenser. I do try to avoid plastic bottles as much as possible especially for water! I have my own water bottle that I usually carry around.

4. Squeeze your own fruit juice

We aren't big juice drinkers. Honestly most of the time we use juice its for mixing in cocktails. I've taken to buying lemon and lime juice in glass jars (which are always organic and cost more!). Although we just planted lemon and lime tree so we will likely be doing this less often. Pineapple juice comes in a can. I try to buy plastic over tetrapaks as the plastic can be recycled. (Yes, tetrapaks can be recycled, but only in certain locations and none of them are by me, so in this instance plastic is the better choice.)

5. Make your own coleslaw and other salads

We could do better at this. Ideally we would grow our own lettuce and cabbage, but unfortunately we haven't had much luck. We have tried to make our own sauerkraut, and love making coleslaw from cabbage and poppyseed dressing, but generally at least one of the steps uses plastic. This last time I went to the store I wanted to get plastic free lettuce, but they did not have any if you can believe that! But our tomatoes are going gangbusters and our peppers are holding their own. So we have some of the components, bust not all of them.

6. Buy loose fruit/veg not those that are pre-packed in plastic bags or trays

I try! But honestly it is a challenge. I'm not sure why it became a norm to group a couple veggies together and place on Styrofoam and wrap with plastic wrap. Have we become so lazy that even picking out 3 or 4 squash is too much for us?

7. You don't need to place a single fruit or veg you buy in a bag at all

Absolutely! And you can use your own produce bags and use as many bags as you want!

8. Avoid ready meals

We do pretty well preparing our own food, but there still are some conveniences.

9. Eat less take-aways

It seems like they always come in Styrofoam. We don't get much food to-go, we generally would dine st the restaurant. So for us leftovers is the spot where we could cut down on Styrofoam and plastic containers.

10. Make your own ketchup/mayonnaise etc or buy these in glass bottles

We buy in glass and have made our own in the past. I think technically it was aioli, but either way it was yummy. We may have to try it more regularly.

11. Stop chewing gum

I chew gun about once a year or so. I can't remember the last pack I purchased. So this is such a rare imevent. However I didn't know it was made with plastic!

12. Grow some of your own food

We love having our garden. We aren't really replacing a significant portion of our food supply yet, but we haven't had to buy tomatoes, bell peppers, or basil for a while!

13. Shop at farmers' markets and take your own non plastic bags

I love our local farmers market. I've heard there is another one in the next city over, but I haven't made it over there yet. But they are great and you can use your own produce bags and reusable bags.

14. Use local shops (butcher, baker etc) who will allow you to take your own non plastic bags

I am on the hunt for places that has all of this. I went to a local butcher shop, but it had all of its meat in Styrofoam and wrapped in plastic. So that was a bust. I was able to find unwrapped bread at four winds so that was exciting, but I don't regularly shop there.

Enjoying this list? Don't forget to pin it for later!

Continue reading below.

15. Use a milk man

I'm not a huge milk drinker. I haven't found, or sought out a milk man. However I guess they do sell milk at the weekly farmer's market. So I suppose that could be considered a modern day milk man equivalent. I did find out that our local grocery store that sold milk in a glass container with a deposit.

16. Buy an ice cream cone rather than plastic wrapped ice cream

I am ashamed to say that I used to always get ice cream in a cup because it was fewer calories. All those plastic spoons are haunting me. Now that I carry around my own silverware kit, I suppose I would eliminate the plastic spoon and only have to worry about the bowl.

17. Make your own yogurt

I have wanted to try this, but haven't. I also rarely eat yogurt so that is probably one reason why.

18. Make your own snack bars, cakes and biscuits

I don't eat a ton of snacks like this, so that's how I reduce the amount of waste created from these items. However I see that in the future that might change, so I should start making more of these.

19. Avoid multi-packs with products wrapped in plastic film or cans with ring holders

I try! Unfortunately shopping at places like Sam's Club makes this difficult.

20. If you must buy something in plastic buy the biggest size possible which contains proportionally less plastic per kg/litre of product.

I generally try to do this when it makes sense and the item will not spoil before it can all be eaten.

21. Buy wine with real corks, not plastic

Now this is a suggestion I can get behind! Let's all buy wine. If it has glass and cork, it's zero waste and natural. Besides there are tons of crafts you can do with the girls too.

22. Buy refills which use less plastic packaging than new products

I'm not entirely sure what this is referencing. Especially in terms of food. I can see show getting larger bottles to refill the small bottles of items like soap would save on plastic. But condiments are about the only food product I could see refilling and I'm not sure that would save on plastic waste.

23. Do not use coffee pods

Thankfully I don't like coffee so this isn't a huge draw. Although I know they have items like hot chocolate and tea too.

24. Do not buy individually plastic wrapped tea bags

I'm also not a huge tea drinker, but my preference, of course, would be to avoid plastic in my tea bags. Loose tea is definitely the way to go. My sister in law got me an awesome mug for making loose tea that I love.

Phew! What a great list. I'm happy to say that I'm doing more of these than I'm not doing.

Ready to start tackling the bathroom? Here are my 5 simple plastic free swaps for the bathroom.

Going green in the office

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

One of the area that has been hardest for me to green is my workplace. I work in healthcare so there is a lot of inherent waste and plastic use to help keep patients healthy and alive. I've made peace with that. Its a little hard to reconcile freaking out over a straw versus trashing a liter of fluid because the medication expired, but there aren't great alternatives for IV fluids, but there are great plastic free alternatives to straws.

Anyway, my job has transitioned to more of an office job so there are great tips for that, but hopefully there will be some tips for everyone in almost any work setting.

So what have I done to green my office?

I don't have a trash can.

Now this isn't to say I don't ever throw away things, but I just don't have a trash can in my office. Our custodians line the trash cans with plastic bags and then come in on a daily basis to change the liner. The would empty it even if it only had one thing in it. I work in an office that has one entryway and 4 offices. Each person has their own under desk trash AND the entryway has a huge thigh high trash can. I decided that I didn't need a trash can in my office. If I needed to throw something away I could walk the 5 steps to the entryway trash. The extra steps are good for me anyway.

I print double sided.

I try to limit what I print as much as possible, but there are reports and documents we just need to have hard copies of. So, I try to print double sided. If it's something that's just for me to read, like an article, I'll print it double sided and two per page. 4 pages on one sheet!

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advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services.

I save single sided sheets.

Any paper I run across through the course of a day that doesn't have patient information on it and is only printed on one side gets saved. Right now I have a huge stack that I can print on. For a while I was printing double sided when it was more than 2 pages long, but now I realize that is still using "fresh" paper, so I'm trying to use salvaged paper and print on the back.

I would be better about this, but the printer I use isn't my own. It's in the entryway office so anyone can print to it. People who are printing formal reports may not like the fact their report now has someone else's information on the back of it! So, since I have to remember to swap it out before I hit print, sometimes I forget. When I do, though I save it so I can print on the back of it later.

I cut papers up to turn into a notepad.

I take little notes all throughout the day. Before I started this zero waste journey I would use post-it notes. I realized that most of the time I didn't need to "post" it anywhere so that sticky side was just an added cost. So remember all of that single sided printed paper I had? I turned it into a notepad. I would cut the papers in half lengthwise for a long list or quarter the paper for shorter lists. I would just keep them paper clipped in the corner and they were available to me when I needed handy notes. This worked great for a while, but I've since moved to another method that saves even more paper.

I use a dry erase board.

I realized that most of my notes were things that I only needed for a few minutes or hours: A phone number while listening to messages, a quick to-do list that I would accomplish that day. So I decided to buy a dry erase board for notes like that. I purchased one that was a little bit smaller than an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. It is awesome and in so glad it has been introduced to my work flow. The top half usually has my to do list or other projects while the bottom is open and can be used to scribble temporary notes. One of the advantages is that patient information can just be erased rather than go to the shred bin.

Want to remember these for later? Don't forget to Pin it!

More tips below.

I use paperclips.

I feel paperclips have several advantages over staples (and one disadvantage). First paperclips are designed to be reusable. They will keep paperwork together and then when you no longer need it you can just take it off and keep it for your next project. Ever try to reuse a staple? Next, paperclips do not alter the page. I hate it when the information I need it stapled to the street in front of it. Or it's damaged so I can't read it due to the staple placement.

The biggest negative is that paperclips can move or get displaced, so there is a small risk of your stack coming apart. Binder clips are a better option if this is a concern and binder clips come in all sorts of sizes and colors. Some even have cute designs! Don't worry paperclips can come in fun colors too!

Recycle paper.

The one area I'd like to improve is recycling. I was happy to hear that the paper that goes into the shred bin is recycled. I wasn't sure what the best course of action is with paper that didn't have patient information on it. I wasn't quite ready to be carting home reams of paper to recycle, but now that I know it is recycled I'm going to make sure all paper goes in there. Next, I'm going to talk to the purchaser of our paper products and see if we are buying paper made from recycled paper. That way I know we are doing the best we can.

Enough with the paperwork, hopefully your job deals with with less paper then mine and there are still ways to be more environmentally friendly.

More tips below.

Turn off your computer.

Someone tipped me to this several months ago and I've been doing it ever since. I just hit "shut down" as I was leaving for the night rather than "log off". Then in the morning I'd hit the power button and have to wait less than a minute longer for it to turn on.

Let's pretend you are only at work for 40 hours (funny, I know), but that means there are 128 hours a week you aren't at work and your computer doesn't need to be on. If everyone would turn off their computer when they leave for the night it would save a ton of power.

I started by just shutting it down over the weekend, but quickly realized that it was easy enough to just turn off every night. Unfortunately about 3 weeks ago they swapped out my laptop at work and I've been noticing that it is on when I come into work. I keep forgetting to be patient and investigate if it is an issue with the computer not shutting down all the way at night. I usually hit the shut down button, turn off the light, and race out of the office. When I spoke with a guy at IT and he thought it might be that the IT department may be forcing it to wake up during the night for updates. So I might not be saving as much energy as you, but I'm still doing better than I would otherwise.

Bring your lunch to work.

I try to bring mine at least half of the time. But unfortunately that still means I eat food from the cafeteria half the time. My cafeteria serve food in Styrofoam to go containers and plastic silverware. It drives me crazy and most of the reason why I made taking my lunch to work a green resolution.

Keep silverware at work.

Having silverware at work, (as silverware kit), allows me to avoid even more plastic cutlery . One time I had forgot my silverware kit in the office and I was being lazy and didn't want to walk back. I asked the cafeteria worker if they had any metal silverware and they did! So it never hurts to ask.

Stock up the kitchen with reusables.

Does your job have a kitchen area? Stock plates, mugs and silverware for when there are birthdays and potlucks. It will reduce disposable items that are used. We also make sure that we have a scrub brush and dish soap available to wash.Get thrift store mugs to keep instead of buying coffee with disposable cups.

Have you started any green initiatives at work?

Looking to make an impact in the bathroom? Have you tackled these 5 simple plastic free swaps?

The Ultimate Homemade Deodorant List

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Hello, my name is Katy and I have a deodorant addiction. When I was in high school I would regularly apply deodorant.

Get up in the morning and get ready for school? Apply deodorant. About to leave the house to go see some friends after school? Apply deodorant. Just finish swim practice to go home for the night? Apply deodorant.

I'm not really sure whether it was the fear of smell or the sweat that motivated my need to apply deodorant several times through the day. I have gotten better about only needing to apply deodorant once a day, so that's good. However I still apply more than some people. I had a girlfriend who would apply a single swipe. That would never do. I must swipe at 3 times just to make sure I cover the entire area.

So all of this is leading to my confession: I still use conventional deodorant. My extensive history with deodorant means that I am needing a little more courage to swap to a homemade or plastic free alternative. If I had to place where I am on the scale of being ready to quit plastic deodorant I'd say I'm in the contemplation stage. You can read more about the stages of quitting here.

So I reached out to some of my favorite bloggers to see what their favorite deodorant recipes are. I thought having this list might be that oomph I need to make the change.

Non- Toxic DIY Deodorant - The Soft Landing

DIY Natural Deodorant Bar With Organic Ingredients - Mama Instincts

Natural Homemade Deodorant and Antiperspirant - Heartful Habits

All Natural Homemade Deodorant - The Pistachio Project

Going Natural With Lemon Sage Deodorant - Life Infused

Not quite there yet with making your own?

Here are some alternatives that you can buy. These are affiliate links so the price to you is the same, but if you make a purchase I may make a commission.

Don't forget to pin this for later!

My Experiences With A Capsule Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

"The only time a real-life 30x30 situation happens is if you take a trip that lasts 30 days."

I used to be really into fashion blogs. Ok, maybe not THAT into them, but there would be 3 or 4 that I read religiously and another 4 or 5 that I would kind of keep tabs on. Prior to discovering these blogs I had never really given much thought to outfits. I had worn them, obviously, but never really realized what goes into making an outfit and how to interchange the pieces to create a cohesive wardrobe. It was a very eye opening experience.

For a while it was very popular to do 30x30 challenges. Heck, it might still be, I've sort of left the fashion blog scene. Anyway, if you are unfamiliar, a 30x30 is where you would select 30 articles of clothing and only wear those items for 30 days. Thankfully you could be the master of the rules, so things like socks, shoes, necklaces and workout clothing didn't count toward that 30 item count...or maybe it did if you wanted an extra challenge. Either way it was a way to push yourself to wear items in different ways to make it through the month.

I was intrigued by building a remixable wardrobe and trying a 30x30 challenge, but wasn't quite ready to take the plunge. That's when I read the sentence, "the only time a real-life 30x30 situation happens is if you take a trip that lasts 30 days." It was from one of the bloggers I followed explaining why she wasn't going to participate in a 30x30 challenge on her blog. However, I WAS going to be in a situation where I only had a suitcase of clothing that I had to live out of for 30 days: I was moving to Hawaii.

Hubby and I were moving to Hawaii from Florida. The movers were coming a few days before we left Florida and then we were going to spend about 10 days in Oregon seeing family before arriving to Hawaii. We would be in Hawaii a couple weeks or more house hunting before our household goods (and the rest of my clothing!) would arrive. So I knew we would be without my clothing for at least 30 days so I took this move as a challenge and the perfect opportunity to test out my skills.

First I had to think about the weather. It was February so it was winter in Portland, but essentially summer in Hawaii. So I would have to pack cardigans, jackets, and pants along with swimsuits, shorts and tank tops. It's funny I thought I would wear most of the cold weather items in Oregon, but Pensacola actually had near freezing weather and even some snow before I left. So I ended up wearing most of my cardigans and jeans in Florida. I was afraid that I'd get sick of my cold weather clothing wearing it so long, but it turns out that I was able to wear some more of my more temperate clothing in Oregon.

Second I had to think about which clothing to bring. I had to make sure they all went together. Below is a photo example that I took to make sure things went together. It wasn't as limiting as one would think. I loved each piece and it was fun to see how they could mix and match to make different outfits. I made sure that each shirt would go with most, if not all of the pants and shorts I was bringing. I had cardigans in navy and burgundy which would match most of the tops and dresses. Finally I had accessories like scarves and necklaces that would tie the outfits together.

Make sure the colors coordinate! This light blue shirt went with my jeans, yellow shorts,
burgundy pants, scarf, khaki skirt, white pants and blue cardigan.

As I was getting everything ready and packed into the suitcase I realized I had plenty of outfits, but it didn't fill my suitcase! It made me nervous to pack so light so I threw a few extra pieces in for good measure. I truly didn't know how long it would be before the rest of our clothing arrived. However as I was mulling over the outfits I realized I still had plenty of clothing to get me through nearly eternity so I removed one or two of the extra pieces. I can't say I perfectly fit with 30 pieces, but I was pretty darn close.

So how was it?
I loved it! Many of the items I chose were my favorites; items I would go to over and over again while at home. It was fun to push and grow and see how I could layer several of them with a scarf in the cold weather and then stripped down with a necklace and shorts in the warm weather. I'll admit there were some outfits I probably wouldn't wear again (I'm not sure my chambray top is the best for layering over clothing), but many of them I would wear again. It was just wearing my clothing...I just had less to choose from!

At the time I would have said I was doing a 30x30, but really I was probably doing a capsule wardrobe. I think the main difference between them is there are no real rules to doing a capsule wardrobe. You don't have to fret over the 32nd item, just because of a game you are playing, nor do you have to stop wearing that clothing because a calendar month has passed. Some people even have capsule wardrobes that last a season or all year long. I think at that point it's just a small, minimalist closet. ;)

I really enjoyed trying to make the outfits and wasn't bored. It ended up being about 45 days of living out of that suitcase before we finally got our household goods and my clothing. I'll admit, I was so excited to see all my other clothing. I was like a kid in a candy store remembering all the other clothes I had missed. However, after about a week or so I was reaching back to many of the items I had packed in my capsule wardrobe. After all, they were my favorite articles of clothing and I couldn't stay away for long!

Have you tried to do a capsule wardrobe or a 30x30 remix?

Want to read about some other ways you can build an environmentally friendly closet? Check out this article where I highlight 10 different ways.

Don't forget to pin this so you can find it later!

The Ultimate Homemade Toothpaste List

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Tempted to try homemade toothpaste, but aren't sure how to go about it? Well you are in luck!

You may recall my experience making homemade toothpaste and Hubby exclaiming, "I don't love the earth this much!" Needless to say my first endeavor in homemade toothpaste did not go over well. I ended up using the whole container, and I didn't think it was that bad. Unfortunately I think the scoop Hubby got wasn't as mixed up as it could have been.

You don't need to worry about that happening to you though! I reached out to some of my favorite bloggers and asked them for their favorite homemade toothpaste recipes. So now we have 10 fantastic homemade toothpaste recipes to choose from.

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commission, but your price is unchanged! Thank you for supporting the blog!

Homemade Whitening Toothpaste - The Granola Hustle

All Natural Homemade Toothpaste - Zero Waste Memoirs

DIY Toothpaste Recipe - Mama Instincts

Dentist Approved Tooth Powder - Going Zero Waste

DIY Natural Toothpaste - Sew Historically

Homemade Clay & Thieves Toothpaste - Measuring Flower

Pin this for future reference! More recipes below.

Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste - The Pistachio Project

3 Ingredient Homemade Toothpaste - Heartful Habits

Whitening Remineralizing, Detoxifying Coconut Oil Toothpaste - Butter For All

Orange Peppermint Homemade Toothpaste - Mindful Momma

Still aren't sure if homemade toothpaste is your thing? Here are some alternatives you can purchase.

Looking to make other homemade alternatives of everyday products. Check out my super simple homemade face powder recipe. It takes seconds to prepare and you probably already have all the ingredients! The best part? You can customize the color to match your skin tone!

If you want to read more about my failed attempt at making homemade toothpaste and see which recipe I used don't forget to click here. I didn't find it that bad, especially after it got mixed up better.

Homemade Toothpaste Fail - SkipTheBag

What's your favorite toothpaste recipe?

Zero Waste Travel Tips: Air, Car, Hotel and More

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

I love getting out and exploring a new location. There are so many things I love to see and do while traveling.

First I love to eat the local food. Yes, Hubby and I are foodies, but it's just so good! Some of my favorite foods from travel are paprakash from Hungary, poke from Hawaii, and pallella from Spain. You can learn so much about an area based on the foods they cook with and how they prepare the dish.

Next I like to see the history of the area. Whether that means visiting a museum like the British Museum in London or a place where history occurred like Dealey Plaza in Houston or even just a notable attraction like Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Finally, I like to see the markets or shops. I'm not a huge shopper, but I like to see what they offer. Our souvenirs from our central European trip were umbrellas because it was pouring down rain and we forgot to pack any. We still use and love those umbrellas and every time we use them we are reminded of our time there. By visiting the shops you can find some unique souvenirs from the country or even just see how package free their food is.

Unfortunately traveling can lead to increase waste. The following are some resources to help you minimize the waste while broadening your horizons.

Zero Waste Hotel Stay

If you are staying in a hotel versus an airbnb or hostel here are some tips for making less waste.

Less Waste Air Travel

Some planning can ensure that you minimize the waste wile flying to your destination.

Less Waste Car Travel

If you've got a road trip planned use these tips to avoid unnecessary packaging while on the road.

Zero Waste Silverware Kit

Some people carry this every day, but while traveling it can come in handy to avoid all the plastic cutlery and straws.

Plastic Free Toiletry Kit

You can still reduce your reliance on plastic in your toiletries.

What is your favorite way to go zero waste while exploring the world?

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Homemade Face Powder

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Ever have life force your hand?

Twice I had intentions of making my own face powder, but didn't. Instead I ran to the store and bought some more powder. I had every excuse in the book for why I couldn't just make my own:

I haven't had time to research recipes.
I don't think I have all of the ingredients.
It's going to take all day and I have to work tomorrow.

Well let me tell you that all of that was bogus. I was running out of face powder again and I was tempted to just go buy another container, but with some encouragement, I decided I was just going to try making my own.

It was the easiest thing in the world: I had all of the ingredients and it only took 30 seconds to mix. It literally took longer to walk into my kitchen than it did to make it.

So what is this great recipe?

Cornstarch

Cocoa Powder

Yep, that's it. 2 whole ingredients that I bet you already have in your kitchen (or maybe, already have in your bathroom!)

Now the exact ratio will depend on your skin color, but that's the beauty of it. You can customize it to fit your exact skin color. Needing to go darker for your glowing summer tan? Just add some more cocoa powder.

I've used cornstarch alone before and it is great for absorbing sweat when it's hot outside. Unfortunately it can make you look pretty pale. The cocoa powder gives you some color and helps it so you don't look like a vampire. (True story! I slathered on the cornstarch when I went as a vampire for Halloween!)

How do I mix it?

I'm pretty pale, so I'm at a 1:5 or 1:4 ratio, so 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 1/5 or 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder. This combination fits a broad range of skin tones though because one can use straight cocoa powder or straight cornstarch. You'll just have to play around to find your ideal color.

How do you apply it?

I use a makeup brush, the same one I was using with compressed powder. It is loose powder so you have to tap the brush well or you'll be covered in powder!

Does it make you smell like chocolate?

I'll admit, I do get a whiff of chocolate when I apply the powder. Who doesn't like a little chocolate scent in the morning? However it quickly dissipates and I do NOT smell it the rest of the day. Seriously, you will NOT smell like chocolate!

Does it work?

This is the real question, isn't it? I think it does. I am still using a commercial foundation, so that provides most of the cover-up/ color consistency. However there had been days that I had forgot to apply my powder and it wasn't pretty. There were pores for days! However since using this powder I've not noticed that problem and in fact it does provide some color--which is better than just plain corn starch!

Have you made your own face powder?

Looking to make other changes in the bathroom? Check out 5 Simple Plastic Free Swaps For The Bathroom.

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Baby Chick Essentials

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

We got some more chicks! If you get the newsletter, you've already received a sneak peek of the chicks. Sign up so you don't miss any more happenings!

We feel so much more confident about raising chicks now that we've done it a couple of times before. We started with Rhode Island Reds, then Ameraucanas, and now we have a mixed flock: 3 Leghorns and 5 Golden Comets.

We've had some great success with raising our chicks (and have yet to lose a chick- knock on wood!). If you are looking to get started here are the essentials for raising baby chicks. The links below for items are affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase I may make a commission, but the price to you is unchanged.

Coop/Brooder

Your chicks need somewhere to live. Technically that place is a brooder while it is heated, and a coop if it is not. For us, a house is a house no matter what you call it, and, regardless of what you call it, their first one does not need to be fancy. For our first set of chickens we used a large cardboard box with some hardware cloth over it. Know what? It worked out perfectly. Your chicks are only going to be in there a few months so it's plenty.

Now for our second batch of chicks we knew we'd need something a little more robust not only because our dogs were beginning to understand what chickens were, but we wanted something we could use when it was time to introduce the two flocks. So we knew this coop would need to withstand chickens fighting and it would need to have screens so they could see one another.

We built what we affectionately call our Mini Coop. It's plenty large to hold baby chicks. It held our 6 juvenile Ameraucanas with no problems. Whether you use a box or a coop, they'll need a protected home. Read how we made their big coop.

Water

There are nearly an infinite number of ways that you can provide water for your chicks. At a young age I recommend a waterer or poultry drinker that has a trough. I haven't used a nipple waterer, but I imagine it might be hard for chicks to figure out and I've heard algae can grow up in them. It's far easier to take apart and wash a trough.

When ours are babies we use this one (ours is plastic, and I wish I had known they make it in metal). I love that we can use regular mason jars for them. The larger the mason jar you use, the less often you have to refill it. However I'd advise against getting one too large and you have to be careful where it is placed. Chickens like to scratch at the ground and they almost always kick up litter into the water so it will need to be cleaned regularly.

When they get larger you should get this waterer because it uses a float to prevent water from leaking out. You can take the top off and refill it with a hose rather than waiting until it is empty. It also doesn't use nipples which can get stuck with algae. I am so happy we got this one, it is a huge time saver for us and we never have to worry about running out of water or it spilling everywhere.

Food

Your chicks will need to eat something. It is up to you if you want to use organic chick feed or medicated/conventional chick feed. We've always elected to use the medicated feed because we didn't want them to get coccidiosis, an intestinal disease, and we weren't raising them to be organic egg layers or organic meat. If you are raising them to be organic you will obviously want to go with the non-medicated feed.

We feed them the medicated started the first month or so, usually just a bag or two, but our current 8 seem to be eating up a storm (or spilling it everywhere), so we may need some more. After the first month we convert to non medicated starter or starter/grower. This has a higher protein content and lower calcium content than you'll want once they start laying. At that age, about 5 months or so, you'll want to switch to layer feed. I also swap to pellets so its easier to clean up the messes. I am so thankful they named the types of feed so it makes sense: starter to start, grower to get them big, and layer for while they are laying!

While they are eating chick feed they do not need supplemental calcium or grit.

Heat

Baby chicks don't have all their feathers in nor do ours have their Momma to burrow under. So you have to make sure they stay warm enough. Recommendations I've heard are to keep them at about 95 degrees for the first week and then lower it by 5 degrees every week. So week two keep them at about 90 degrees, week three would be 85.

Keep it going until they have all their feathers or you have caught up to ambient temperature. Now pay attention to your birds. If they are all huddled together it means they are too cold, if they are spread out and "panting" they are too hot. Don't force them to be at 90 degrees simply because that's what the recommendation is.

How do you provide heat?

In the past we've just used a small utility light with a standard incandescent bulb. You'll want to avoid an LED light, because while it will shine, it will not provide any heat! This is the one time you should get a standard bulb over the environmentally friendly option. Just the regular light bulb has worked well for us, but we live in Florida and chick raising is in the spring and summer when temperatures are getting warmer.

For these chicks we purchased a heat bulb. The red is supposed to help them with their circadian rhythm and provides heat. We noticed that they were getting too hot with the lamp and the air, so we turn the light off in the day and just keep it on at night when it gets cooler and eventually we switched back to a regular incandescent light. Again, watch your chicks, they'll tell you what they need.

How do you measure the heat?

A thermometer! It doesn't matter how fancy it is. It can be an old mercury thermometer or a fancy laser thermometer. We've used both.

Litter

You'll need to put something in the bottom of the coop. It helps absorb the poop and chickens love to scratch at things. We've used old leaves, wood chips, and straw. Pretty much the only thing I've heard advised against is cedar. The fumes and scent off of the cedar chips made someone's chicks ill. Remember the chicks will be in an enclosed space with this so limit items with a strong odor.

We change ours about once week. The reason for this is two fold. First, it's a small space with a lot of birds. The number one thing chickens were put on earth to do is poop. So it can start to smell if the poop-to-litter ratio gets off. Second, they like to scratch and some falls out the holes so it needs a topping off.

Roost

Your little chicks will start to sleep on a roost at a young age. A roost is a raised area where chickens sleep. It generally is a a bar or rod shaped item raised off the ground for the chickens to sleep on. Depending on when you move them into a permanent coop you might be able to get away from this, but they chicks experiment jumping up on the roost and trying to balance up there from a young age. Our first roost was a piece of bamboo strung up between both sides of the box. It might have been a little narrow for our chicks, but they got the hang of it. Our outdoor coop has a 2x2 piece of wood that the chickens all jump up on to sleep.

That's it! It's very easy to raise baby chicks. Now that you have some babies, you'd better start working on their coop. Or maybe you want to learn from some of the set backs we experienced such as them molting, eating their eggs or getting chicken pox (yes, that's a thing!).

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How To Use A Safety Razor For A Close Shave And Not Get Cut

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Worried shaving with a safety razor is going to be a blood bath? I'm here to tell you not to worry; it won't be like a scene out of a horror film once you read these tips for how to use a safety razor.

Safety razors are a great way to minimize plastic waste in the bathroom. Most disposable razors have some sort of plastic that you throw away: either the entire razor or the razor cartridge. Safety razors, however are plastic free! You just replace the blade which may be able to be recycled.

For some reason safety razors have received a bad rap that you are more likely to cut yourself. Well they don't call them safety razor for no reason. I was nervous too when I first started, but once I actually did it, I realized that it wasn't a whole lot different than using a regular razor. However there are some tips which will help you get a close shave and minimize the likelihood of getting cut.

The general goal of using a safety razor is to have the blade run along a smooth shaving surface with the blade in the optimal position to cut the hair without cutting the skin.

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Get a safety razor.

Hubby uses a short handled razor and I use a long handled one (read a review of my favorite zero waste safety razor here). And we both prefer the ones we have over the other. I think his short handled razor is better for the large number of angles he has to deal with. I guess you could say the short handled razor is more maneuverable. I prefer the long handled razor for shaving legs. It helps extend your reach, plus it's more similar to other razors you are used to. For more on kinds of safer razors read All About Safety Razors.

Use a fresh blade

Obviously the first time you use the razor the blade should be new. Don't share blades: that's just asking for trouble! However you should change blades (or sharpen them) if you notice it is getting a bit dull. Getting cut with a newer or sharper blade will make a smaller cut and it will heal more nicely. Try these blades.

Maintain a 30 degree angle

The third photo shows the appropriate angle whereas the other
two don't get the blade in proper cutting position.

The angle is important for the razor to work and provide a close shave. If you make the angle of the safety razor too shallow you'll just be moving the glide along and if the angle is too high it's just the top. Either angle will not cut the hair well and you are liable to get cut. Fortunately most razors are shaped in a manner that tries to encourage the correct blade angle. In the photo you see the first two put the blade at a bad angle, but the third has the razor run right along the leg.

Use short strokes

You will find this advice everywhere, but honestly I generally run my blade the length of my shin, calf and thigh. So why am I advocating it here for you? It's easier to keep the 30 degree angle with shorter strokes. Legs and faces are curvy places, each curve means you have to continually change the angle. So using shorter strokes will likely help you keep the angle, but it's the angle that's magic, not the stroke length.

Keep the blade clean and dry

Doing this will help extend the life of each blade and prevent rusting of the razor itself. I'll admit I'm not great about this. Just this morning I realized my blade had soap scum in the blade guard. Whoops! Well I cleaned it out and changed the blade and I noticed it shaved so much better!

Use the weight of the head

A safety razor head has a little heft to it and it's designed that way for a reason: to keep it close to the skin. You don't need to push down on it. In fact, if you push you mess up the angle and prevent a flat shaving surface and can cause cuts. Believe me, you don't need much pressure. The blade wants to cut the hair, just put it in the right spot.

Keep skin taut

I don't have issues with this on my calf and shin, but up around my knee I've found I provide a flatter shaving surface if I pull the skin taut.

Use a lubricant

This is something to help the razor run more smoothly along the shaving surface. I'll admit I don't have to use a lubricant, but I notice it slides easier and jumps less (so less potential for knicks!). I have dry shaved on the side of a bathtub, but I know not everyone can do this. So for lubricants there are a number of options. I generally either just use water while in the shower, but find I like using soap better. The lather of regular soap doesn't stick around long, so getting shave soap may be better. I've heard others use conditioner or olive oil. Whatever you choose to use the goal is to help the blade slide along your leg. Be sure to rinse the lubricant off the blade though or it will get dull.

Learning curve

Finally, I have cut myself exactly once using a safety razor. It was on my shin, not a "high risk" area like ankle or knee. I had been using the razor for about a month and I have no clue how it happened. I didn't notice it until after I was out of the shower. That one cut is probably more than I received in the last 5 years of using disposable razors, however it is nowhere near the number of cuts I received while first learning to shave. So if you do cut yourself I recommend being patient while you are learning.

In general, using a safety razor has been no different than using disposable...except from an environmental and cost perspective. Looking to buy one? Check out this one!!

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Rematch: Plastic Free Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

I'm a competitive person. Now for most things I'm gracious and helpful, but if it comes to games or my husband: I will win. So needless to say when I discovered a year ago that his bathroom routine created less waste than mine I knew some changes needed to be made.

I'm not one to throw out perfectly good stuff so I knew there would be a transition period, but I figured that would just give me more time to research and prepare. So the fact that it's taken me a year to get where I'm comfortable in my routine and to compare us again is not a surprise. I'm roughly where I was 3 months ago anyway.

I have not specifically gone over this list, so I hope I've made improvements and am not missing something huge. Let's get the competition going and see what the standings are now!

Shampoo/conditioner

Shampoo and conditioner is one spot that is really easy to cut down on your plastic use and waste. There are a lot of ways of going zero waste (or low waste) with your shampoo and conditioner. In fact, I wrote a post about 6 zero waste shampoo methods.

Hubby does no shampoo, he just simply goes without and just rinses his hair with water. I use a shampoo bar. After figuring out some tricks on how to use the shampoo bar, I've been really liking it. I guess it technically creates minimally more waste than him (the paper around the shampoo bar), but I'm calling this one a wash (ha, ha,ha).

Hubby also doesn't use conditioner and while I tried a conditioner bar, I quickly learned it wasn't for me. Since then I've been using Plaine Products conditioner and this creates no waste for me as I can ship back the containers and they will refill them before recycling them.

Verdict: Tie!

Soap

Hubby has been using bar soap all along and now I do too! No more loofah and body wash for me. I went to a CVS and the only bar soap available without plastic was on clearance so I saved the earth and my pocketbook all at the same time.

I have noticed that my skin may be a little dryer or not quite as exfoliated as when I was using a loofah so I'm tempted to exfoliate with my mixture of olive oil and sugar or salt.

Verdict: Tie!

Razors

I tried Hubby's short handled razor for one shave and immediately knew I wanted the long handled safety razor. I think safety razors are great and wonder why people are afraid of them! Thinking about getting your own safety razor? Learn more here. After using mine for a while I wrote this post about how to use a safety razor and not get cut. Update: I just got a new razor which I love! Check out my review of the razor and why it's so good.

Verdict: Tie!

Hair care and makeup products

Hubby, naturally, does not use these products, but I do still use them in a regular basis. I've just run out of my face powder and I'm considering subbing it with corn starch and cocoa powder, but haven't quite made the leap yet. Update: I've made the leap and it's awesome!

Verdict: Hubby

Moisturizer

Still doing ok on this front. I'm enjoying using coconut oil, although another oil might be better. Hubby still doesn't use this so I'm going to call it a tie.

Verdict: Tie

Toothbrush

Both of us were using plastic brushes with plastic brushes. We've since converted to bamboo and it's great. I've found that I go through the bamboo toothbrushes more quickly than Hubby because I apparently push really hard while brushing and the bristles get bent quickly. This probably happened with plastic toothbrushes I just didn't notice.

Verdict:Tie!

I'm so proud of how far I've come. I was failing miserably a year ago, but now I've pretty much tied it up. In fact we've both improved since we now are using bamboo toothbrushes. There are still improvements to be made (like makeup), but I'm just happy that we are reducing our impact on the environment. I guess a little competition is a good thing! So how do you stack up?

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Toiletries: Plastic Free Travel

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 22 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

With all the traveling I've been doing I figured I'd share what is in my travel toiletry bag. I've got some products I love, and some items I'm eyeing when I need replacements. The links are affiliate links, so if you use them and make a purchase I may receive a commission (thank you for your support!)

I'm working on eliminating the plastic from my bathroom as a whole, but my travel toiletry kit presents itself with some added challenges.

Shampoo Bar

I exclusively use a shampoo bar to wash my hair, and once I figured it out, I love it. However every time I pack my bag to go on a trip I'm reminded with how happy I am with the decision to have a shampoo bar. To fly with the airlines there are no regulations about the size of container and what size bag it is in. Since shampoo bars aren't liquid they aren't subject to those rules so I can simply just throw the bar in the bag and go.

Conditioner

I tried using a conditioner bar, but the one I got didn't meet my needs. I still have about half a bar left. it's the green bar in the top photo, so I throw it in my travel stuff along with my shampoo bar and I use it while traveling particularly if traveling via airplane and not checking a bag (since it's not a liquid...)

However after the conditioner bar I moved to Plaine Products conditioner, so I have an old plastic container I fill with Plaine Products conditioner. However I just found out they started selling a travel size of refillable conditioner so you want to just buy that directly (or try out the product before committing to a large size).

Bar Soap

This is another no-brainer as it is the soap I use everyday. However it is far more convenient for travel, as there is no possibility of it spilling like body wash can.

Bar Soap Carrying Container

With all of these bars I have to have a way of carrying them, especially if damp from the shower. Right now I am using a typical plastic bar soap container. It was one we already had and I'll have it until it breaks, which will hopefully be a long time. I say hopefully because I don't want to have to buy something and there are very few plastic free alternatives out there. I was able to find these metal tins that are large enough to hold a bar of soap so that would be an option. Another could be using a reusable food bag.

Bamboo toothbrush

Again, this is the one I use every day, I just take it with me. When I was a kid I used to have a fold up toothbrush, but again, I haven't been able to find a plastic free version.

Toothbrush Holder

I am currently using a plastic toothbrush holder that I had. Mine covers the total brush but there are smaller plastic ones that cover the brush head. I was able to find two that are made out of bamboo, and I will be checking them out when I need to replace my current toothbrush holder Gaia Guy and Brush Naked. I also found this one that looks like it has the toothbrush and case together.

Razor

I use my safety razor. I will warn you that the razor can go in a carry on, but the razor blade cannot. This makes it a little more tricky to travel with. One option is checking a bag, another option is buying blades where you are traveling too. A third option is to have a disposable razor or disposable razor head that you only use for travel, but then I guess it wouldn't be plastic free, just plastic light. Read more about safety razors.

Face Wash/Moisturizer

As you may remember I use oil to wash and moisturize my face. While traveling I have done a number of things: bring my oil wash, use oil from where I'm staying, use one of the bars of soap I've brought or don't just scrub my face. When you use olive oil and salt as your face wash/scrub, it's easy to find while traveling! When I have brought my own I've used a small Rubbermaid plastic container, but I like that these have locking lids. There are also silicone options.

Makeup, Deodorant, and Hair Products

Honestly, there could be (and in the future there may be!) whole posts dedicated to plastic free or homemade make up, deodorant and hair products. If you aren't using plastic free versions of those products at home on a regular basis, you likely won't enjoy trying to figure them out while out on vacation. So just pack up what you have and strive to have made changes by your next trip.
Update: I've started making my own face powder!

Toiletry Bag

Now this doesn't need to be anything special. It can simply be a bag that you have around the house. This one looks the most like mine which I've had for years and have given it quite the beating. Hubby's is leather and looks similar to this, but a lighter color.

As you can tell I've made a lot of progress to eliminate plastic from my bathroom routine. However, there is still some progress to be made. Most of it comes from the fact that I don't see the need to discard the plastic I'm currently using.

What do you have in your toiletry kit?

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Why All Of My Dishes Are White

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 15 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

I'm not one to get jealous easily, but when I saw a mosaic another blogger made from her broken dishes I was suddenly green with envy. She talked about how she would go and buy fun coffee cups and saucers in fun patterns. They were adorable in fun, bright colors and they made such a cute mosaic and succulent holder.

My mind quickly went to what my mosaic would look like if I used our broken dishes and I realized it would be boring because all of my dishes are white. I was almost tempted to run out and get some fun dishes, but thankfully I thought about it a second and realized that I'm far happier with my decision to have all white dishes.

White dishes are easy to find

White ceramic dishes can be found pretty much anywhere. If we break one I don't have to worry about finding a replacement. Almost anywhere that sells dishes has white ceramic in addition to the pretty colors and patterns. Even if I had them in a solid color, it might be hard to find the exact shade or color. White is white and it's not going anywhere.

White dishes all match

There is a certain appeal to having a mismatched set, but sooner or later it would drive me crazy. We technically have two different plate sets, and have for years, but, because they are all white, no one notices that they are different.

One store near us has an entire row of serving supplies that are all white. They have white pitchers, platters, dishes and bowls. Any of them would fit in perfectly with my dishes and continue the theme. If I wanted to add some difference I would consider getting the square plates to add some dimension.

White dishes won't go out of style

Remember your grandmother's china? I have great memories of my grandmother's china that had an ivy leaf design on them, but it would not be my preference to serve off of in my house. Our white dishes will never go out of style, and while I doubt our grand kids would want our dishes, they certainly could!

Holiday decorating is a breeze

Growing up we had a set of Christmas dishes that had Christmas trees on them and another with snowmen and snowflake. Now the dishes were really cute, but 11 months out of the year they just took up space...and that's assuming we remembered to use them! Sometimes it was too much work to drag them down from the back of the top shelf.

My white dishes are perfect for any holiday. I love to have fun centerpieces so the white complements any style. If you want more color you can get festive place mats or serving dishes. It is far cheaper to get a set of place mats than to get a set of dishes. So that means you can celebrate more holidays.

So while I was initially a little jealous that her dishes are so fun. I'm far happier with my decision in the long run.

What do your dishes look like?

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Ways To Refuse Plastic Bags While Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 08 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Does this ever happen to you? You pop into the grocery store to pick up a few items for dinner. You load your items onto the belt and as the transaction in front of you finishes up you start digging in your purse to find your reusable bag.

Yes, I have to dig, my purse isn't even that big, but inevitably my bag falls to the bottom or gets pushed to one side so it takes a minute for me to find it. Don't even get my started on my keys which have a magical ability to bury down to the bottom of the purse within 2 minutes.

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You pull out your bag the transaction finishes so you move up to the area where you pay. You then notice that the cashier has already started ringing up your items and placed them in a plastic bag. What do you do? Do you take the bag? Do you refuse it?

Cashiers are so quick! You either have to alert them that you want a reusable bag by placing it at the front of your items on the belt or catch them in the belt-scan-bag act. Hubby and I have got good at saying "we don't need a bag" as we notice their arm pass the scanner towards the plastic bags.

So today I'm going to offer up fun and practical ways to refuse the plastic bags.

The world uses one trillion bags each year, I'm trying to do my part to reduce that.
5 minutes in the bag, forever in the landfill.
I'm worried about the mermaids.
I've got so many plastic bags at home I don't need any more.
I carried it up here without a bag.
I'm just running it out to the car.
I don't want a sea turtle to confuse it with a jelly fish.
I don't need a bag, I brought my own.
I'm going to use/eat it now.
My reusable bag carries more.
We're trying to reduce our plastic use.
I brought my reusable bag.
I don't need another thing to recycle.
I feel guilty because I learned about a whale who died from eating plastic bags.
I prefer not to use things that can only be downcycled, not recycled.
I don't need my meat in a separate bag, I wash them.

And finally:

No thank you, I don't need a bag.

Please remember that cashiers are just trying to do their job. Being efficient is how they succeed. So recognize that you might be messing with their flow or they don't feel the same way about plastic bags as you. So gauge your audience when you try some of these and always remember to be polite.

How do you refuse the bags?

If you are looking for more alternatives to plastic bags check out my post talking about different kinds of reusable bags and some out of the box alternatives.

Or if you want to know about my favorite reusable bag check out this post.

Heartbroken

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Fri, 05 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

We had a massacre. All of our chickens were killed. Hubby woke up on Tuesday morning and found that something had gone into the coop and dragged each of our Rhode Island Reds out and killed them. We were devastated. We never really considered the chickens as our pets; we never named them and didn't really hold them that much, but they were still our animals and we were saddened by the loss.

We weren't sure what got into the coop or when it happened. We had a class that got out late Monday night so when we came back home we basically called the dogs in and went to bed. The dogs were a little slow to come into the house, but nothing too concerning. So now that we knew something got the chickens we were wondering if the dogs had got into the coop while we were at class or if something had snuck in during the middle of the night after the dogs had come inside.

A neighbor had seen a raccoon at their house, and raccoons are tricky animals that can break into coops. Monday night I happened to notice a small spot in the coop where the hardware cloth was coming apart, but it wasn't nearly large enough for one of the dogs to get in. Hubby said when he found them the next morning it might have been large enough for Maggie, the puppy, to fit, but not really Lexy. We just couldn't have pictured the dog going in and dragging them out.

The ameraucana chicks were spared. They were in their small coop. We had started the process of introducing the two flocks. We wanted the Rhodies to start getting used to the ameraucanas without being able to injure them.

Hubby patched up the coop. He reattached the hardware cloth to the coop. There were staples about every two inches. He also made changes to the coop to allow the ameraucanas free to roam. We had to lower the feeder and waterer so they could reach. We talked about how the dogs had been sullen and avoided Hubby all day and then decided to get tacos from a local taco truck (it was Tuesday after all).

That night when we home the dogs were really energized. Lexy was panting so hard she could hardly climb up the stairs. I was afraid that the dogs might be chasing whatever it was that broke into the coop. Well we walked outside and found they had broke into the coop again and this time killed the ameraucana chicks. This time there was no denying that it was the dogs that broke into the coop. Unfortunately it wasn't the first time they'd killed chickens either.

They pulled at the corner of the door and pulled and pulled until it created a hole large enough for them to get in the coop. So it looks like we will be reinforcing the coop before getting any more chickens. Around the rest of the coop we've buried the hardware cloth underground so it would be much harder for predators to get into the coop. The door is a weak spot because we can't bury it underground. We are considering screwing it between two pieces of wood so they can't open it.

We know that it is in the dog's nature to want to get chickens and that it is our job to protect the chickens from predators. So we are sad about the incident, but will resolve to do better.

Have you ever had a predator break into your coop? How did you secure the coop?

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Ameraucana Chickens

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 01 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

SkipTheBag uses affiliate links. If you click on the links below and make a purchase I may receive a commission, but the price to you remains the same (disclosure).

We've added to our flock! With the loss of two of our chickens, we were itching to get some more. We have Rhode Island Reds which produce brown eggs, although one of ours lay eggs which are more pink than brown. However this time around we wanted to get a chicken that lays another color of egg.

First let me say that the shell of the egg is a different color, not the yolk or egg white. I told someone that our chicks would lay blue eggs and she did not think that sounded appealing at all. However, when I explained that I misspoke and it was just the shells she was far more interested.

There are a couple of different types of chickens which will produce blue or green eggs namely Araucanas, Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas. Where we live the Ameraucanas are far easier to obtain, but still not very common. Stores were just starting to get some chicks in and our favorite feed store had just sold out of their Ameraucanas. The following week we called around to a couple of stores to see if anyone had any Ameraucanas. Several did not have any, but one had four left. Hubby rushed over to the store and got those four.

The guy at the store said since they were the last four they were a little bit older. Typically chicks are only a day or two old so they may not have eaten yet. In fact the box says to give them water but no food for 5 hours. Our chicks were already eating, drinking and had a few feathers.

These four are also very feisty. They immediately run away and try to hide in the corner when we put our hands in. They run away even if we aren't trying to pick them up but are sticking our hands in there to make sure they have food and water. Once we have cornered them and picked them up about half the time they will squawk loudly and the other half of the time they tolerate it. This is very different from our Rhode Island Reds which didn't seem to mind people and would generally just stay put and not run away.

I wasn't sure if all Ameraucanas were this feisty or if, by the fact these were the last four left at the store, they were the quick and skittish ones that hadn't been caught yet. Many sites say that Ameraucanas are docile, but several have commented that they are very skittish even when hand raised. So it looks like they we might have got the spunky ones of the bunch.

We didn't do a whole lot of research about Ameraucanas before we got them. In fact, it was only a day or two before getting them that I learned it is spelled Ameraucanas. I had assumed it was spelled like it sounds: Americana. But alas their names aren't quite that patriotic. Instead they give a nod to the Araucana chickens, from which they came. However they were crossbred here in the United States so maybe their names are a little patriotic.

Ameraucana chickens lay blue to green eggs which we are excited for. They tend to take a little longer to start laying about 22 to 26 weeks, but some as late as 30 weeks whereas our Rhode Island Reds started just about 20 or 21 weeks. Ameraucanas also don't lay quite as much as about 5 eggs per week versus the 6 eggs per week a Rhode Island Red will get.

One thing we now have to figure out is how to introduce the two flocks. Heard of the term "pecking order"? Well it came from chickens trying to exert their dominance. We were warned during our chicken class that you should introduce new birds to the flock slowly to get them used to one another and prevent the older chickens from bullying (and even killing) the new ones.

Hubby is making a coop to go inside our current coop for the babies to go into (once they have enough feathers to go outside). That way they can get used to seeing one another, but the chicks will be protected from beaks and talons. Hopefully the fact that the babies are so feisty and the older ones have been so docile it will be a smooth transition.

Have any tips for raising Ameraucanas or introducing flocks to one another?

Don't forget to check this baby chick essentials post to make sure you have everything you need for your new flock!

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Liebster Award Nomination

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Skin and Satori for nominating me for a Liebster Award. It is a huge complement and I am very flattered. I recently discovered the Skin and Satori blog and it is such a great resource for homemade and natural beauty products.

For those who aren't aware the Liebster Award is given from bloggers to bloggers and is a way to recognize and spread the word about blogs you like. Liebster is a German word and has a number of meanings such as sweetheart or darling. Awarded bloggers answer questions posed by their nominator then select their own nominees and pose questions. So sit back and enjoy learning a little bit more about me and the blogs I'm reading.

So here the questions posed to me:

1. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

When Hubby and I talk about where we are in life we joke that it's because we've made good life decisions. Now I know we've been set up incredibly well by our parents and our work ethics have brought us along the way too, but sometimes it's all about just making the right decision at the right time.

Financially I think one of the best moves we made was early in our marriage we had an opportunity to rent an apartment that was just over his housing allowance. The rent was $1300 per month and his allowance was $1200. It was a nice loft apartment in a good part of town with a neat complex community. Our other option was a town home that was $800 per month and a little more quirky in a less desirable part of town. We went with the town home and ended up being able to use the housing allowance for rent, utilities, and most of our food budget. That meant that we were able to save more of our income. We could have made that $1300 a month work, but the amount we saved meant we were able to buy a house far sooner than I had predicted. We also have fond memories of the counter top that only came halfway up our legs and fishing off the dock at the complex.

2. When you have a writer's block what do you do to work it out?

I don't usually do anything to work it out. My normal work flow is such that I have a ton of draft posts waiting. Some are no more than a title when an idea strikes. Others are more fleshed out with bullet points or actual paragraphs. If I have time to write but little motivation I'll flip through my draft posts to see if I can get any of them further to completion. I like to keep some posts scheduled so I generally don't feel the pressure of a deadline, but sometimes that's helped motivate and inspire me too.

3. What is your favorite place in the entire world?

Somewhere in Hawaii. I'm trying to pinpoint where exactly. There were just so many places that took my breath away. Whether it was seeing the waterfalls along the Ko'olau mountains after a rainstorm driving on the Pali. Or seeing the Mokes off the shore at Lanikai Beach. Maybe it's the view from the pillboxes or Olomana. I just love seeing the beauty of nature.

4. If you could give 1 million dollars to a charity, which would it be and why?

I'm a little surprised at where my gut instincts took me for this one. I would have thought that an environmental group would have been first on my mind, but instead it was Girl Scouts. I was in Girl Scouts from a first grade Brownie up though a Senior Scout in high school. Yep, 12 years of scouting as a member, and I've been a leader too some since graduating high school. I learned so much in through Girl Scouts that I would honored to give them a million dollars.

When I turned my thoughts to an environmental charity the first two images that popped into my head were a plastic bag and a honu (Hawaiian for sea turtle) so maybe something like Plastic Free Hawaii and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. That organization that gave me the first reusable bag that would fold up so I could carry it with me and I actually used. They work to educate the community on a number of environmental topics including the dangers of plastic.

5. What is your favorite animal and why?

A cat. My favorite animal has always been a cat. While Maggie and Lexy have definitely have turned me into more of a dog person, I still love Callie. And no, the chickens haven't stolen the top spot either. Besides, they are more livestock for us and less pets.

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know me better and now I'd like to nominate some of the blogs I enjoy reading.

Ever Change Productions

Urban Naturale

Organic 4 Greenlivings

Made Right Here

Oak Hill Homestead

HealthyGreenSavvy

My questions for my nominees are:

1. What was your favorite vacation and why?
2. What motivated you to start blogging?
3. What was your first job?
4. What is your favorite food?
5. What is your guilty pleasure?

A huge thanks again to Skin and Satori for the nomination. Be sure to check out her blog! I can't wait to read the responses from those who were nominated.

Zero Waste Silverware Kit

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Plastic silverware and straws are the bane of my existence. It uses a tremendous amount of resources to produce, package, and deliver the silverware to you. Then you use it for one meal and it goes to the landfill where it takes at least decades, but likely hundreds of years to decompose.

The crazy thing is that you find them everywhere. The cafeteria at work, the fast food restaurant, a sit down restaurant, a fair or festival, a food truck, church, a potluck, a party, just about anywhere that food is served there is a high possibility that plastic silverware is lurking.

Straws are even worse! Most restaurants that use metal silverware will still provide straws. I have noticed that the prevalence of straw usage varies by region in the United States. In the Northwest we are rarely given straws, but in the South you'd be hard pressed to find a restaurant that doesn't give you a straw with your beverage.

So what is the solution to avoiding all of these plastic flatware? Bring your own utensils! I almost always am carrying a zero waste silverware kit now. Now my European friends have made fun of me for calling it silverware or flatware. So yes, I'm talking about cutlery. The utensils you use to eat with. These are all options for zero waste cutlery kits.

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Here are four main options (with several ideas within each option!) for having your own zero waste cutlery to avoid having to use plastic. The Amazon links are affiliate links, which means if you click the link, I may receive a commission, but don't worry the price to you remains unchanged.

1. Metal Silverware in a pouch

I purchased this kit off of Amazon. It has a spoon, fork and knife in a neoprene travel case. The knife in the kit is VERY sharp and pointed. You would have no problems cutting anything you wanted with it. The silverware also fits nicely in the pouch so it is pretty compact.

There are other versions that have chopsticks, straws, or even a bottle opener in addition to the silverware. So there are several different options for what you want for travel utensils in a case.

2. Bamboo silverware

Bamboo is a great alternative to metal. I love that this one has colors on them. It's a fun decoration, but you could also get different colors for different people. They have blue, red and green. That set doesn't come with a carrying case, but this one does.

3. Of course you can always make your own.

When my mom gave me this adorable Vera Bradly Pencil Bag by my mom for Christmas and I immediately knew I was going to turn it into a zero waste silverware kit. Just about any pencil case or small satchel could become a reusable cutlery pouch. I'm partial to this one because it is fabric so it could be washed and it is beautiful!

A fork, knife and spoon easily fit in it. The straw I had was a little long, but Hubby was able to cut it down to size and now it fits perfectly too. Since it was meant to be carried, it easily fits in my purse. I usually keep a reusable napkin in there too.

As you may recall one of my New Year's resolutions is to take my lunch at least twice a week. So I make sure to throw whatever silverware I'm going to need to eat the meal in the bag with me.

I do want to give a little warning to you. Do not take the knives from any of these kits with you when traveling by airplane. Twice I have lost knives going through security. I keep my zero waste silverware kit in my purse at all times and don't think about it. Well twice I have had my knife taken away. The first time I had an ultra sharp, pointy serrated knife so I sort of understood. The second time however, it was essentially a butter knife. It wouldn't hardly cut anything let alone harm anyone. So just remember when traveling to either leave the knife at home, stash it in your checked bag, or opt for bamboo. Bamboo doesn't show up on x-ray machines!

Update:

4. Sporks

Immediately after I published this I got questions why I didn't include sporks..so I updated this. Sporks are a great space saver! There are ones like this which have a spoon on one side and a fork on the other. It even has a sharp edge which an be used to cut. This brand also has several which are made with BPA-free Tritan and come in different sizes and even have a left handed spork! Then there are some that resemble the plastic spork I had in elementary school that is a spoon with little tines. So yes, sporks are a great way to cut down on what you are carrying.

What sort of silverware kit do you have?

Have you made these 5 simple swaps for the bathroom?

Looking for more tips to create less waste while traveling? Check out these less waste travel tips!

Review: Plaine Products Conditioner

noreply@blogger.com (SkipTheBag) — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

My mom used to always say, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." This isn't really a student/teacher scenario, but I was searching for a zero waste conditioner when it nearly fell into my lap.

As you may know I am working on getting my shower plastic free. I now use a shampoo bar and switched to bar soap. Conditioner, however, was a bit more elusive for me.

At first I had just purchased a huge container of conditioner and I didn't want it to go to waste. Then I made a trip to Lush and found out about their conditioner bar. It was ok, but not really what I was looking for. To be honest I haven't even finished the bar.

I then was using apple cider vinegar as a conditioner. It was working fine, but Hubby was not a fan of the smell. I'll say that it doesn't really smell once rinsed and dried on your hair. But it does smell like vinegar while applying it and can smell while your hair is a little damp, especially if you don't rinse it thoroughly.

So I had my eyes and ears out for another alternative. That's where Plaine Products comes in. I was given this conditioner to review and they sponsored the Earth Day Giveaway for their three pack of shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I'll also note that links to Plaine Products are affiliate links where I receive a commission if you purchase an item (thank you!), but the price to you remains unchanged (privacy and disclosure).

Update: Plaine Products has offered a coupon code to my followers for a limited time. If you enter the coupon code: skipthebag you will receive 15% off the purchase price. Hurry and take advantage of this great deal!

Their commitment to reducing plastic waste from production to shipping is what first hooked me. Their containers are aluminum which can be refilled. This is huge. There is so much energy production surrounding the production and recycling of containers. By being able to refill them this is a huge win. Don't worry, they are cleaned and sterilize them before sending them on their way again. Finally since their containers are made of aluminum they are able to be fully recycled. As you may remember that plastic containers can really only be downcycled.

Next their packaging is rather unique. It is made from 95% post-consumer waste and 5% post-industrial waste. That means no new materials go into making the boxes! Since the containers are refillable Plaine Products wants them back. So when they send you a new one, you keep the box and ship back the empty one at no cost to you.

So up until now I've been bragging about how great their concept is, but now that I've been using their conditioner for a little while, how do I like it? I think it is great too!

Their products are vegan, organic, sulfate and paraben free. So all the things you would want in a product. The conditioner smells great and has made my hair happy. I think my hair is looking better than normal with less fly aways. Someone even asked if I'd gotten my hair done. Hubby is probably most excited for the change. He's far more happy with rosemary vanilla mint scent.

One day I thought it was making my hair a little greasy, but it turns out, it was due to the other product that I was using. I had been using CHI Total Defense Lotion to help moisturize and protect my hair. I love that product, but I was feeling guilty since it's plastic. However since using the conditioner I don't need to use it. What a win-win. One less product I need to use and that much less plastic being produced and wasted.

So I'm now in love with the zero waste refillable containers, their shipping practices, and their products. You should check it out for yourself!

So there it is a great zero waste option for shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I suggest you try it out!

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