In going through my wardrobe recently, I culled some decade-old sweaters that had holes beyond repair. I had already darned some holes and new ones were appearing. So it was time for them to go. The sad part was that they were cashmere, which is a beautiful fabric that I hate to waste. So I Read More…
Category: Zero Waste
Compost Success
Do you remember the story about my attempt to compost? In that post, I mentioned that I had built a ‘soil factory’ in a bin on my balcony, in the hope of producing usable compost for potted plants, all made from our own kitchen waste. The bin was plagued by flies, however, and over the winter Read More…
Cloth Diapers: Are They Cheaper? Are They Greener?
Since I often write about reducing waste and general homemaking, it might be strange that I haven’t yet written about cloth diapers. The main reason why, however, was that this subject can veer in all kinds of bad directions. For example: boring and tedious, holier-than-thou, overwhelming, judgmental, guilt-inducing. Not only that, but despite being very Read More…
A Year of ‘Zero Waste’
It’s now been a year since I started my zero waste project last February. When I mentioned this to Mike, he couldn’t believe it had been that long; I’m taking that as a good sign that it hasn’t been too catastrophic for our household! Since it has now been a full year that I’ve been trying Read More…
Useful Sewing Lately
Small, useful sewing projects have been my favourites lately. For example, I converted two pairs of old pyjamas into some cloths that we use for cleaning baby hands and face after a meal. They are very raggy because I left the edges un-hemmed. These cloths are square and each is two layers of flannel sewn together Read More…
Zero Waste: The Composting Saga
The end of this saga is that we compost our food scraps. But how we got there is an eight months’ story of failure, flies, stink and slop. In fact some of the flies are still with us today, but I think their days are numbered. It began last year, a few months into my zero Read More…
January’s Project: More Careful Purchasing
This month, I am going to pay closer attention to my shopping habits. I’m allowed to buy things as usual, but I aim to keep two detailed records: Keep an ongoing wish list of things I want, including those little thoughts that pop up and flit away as quickly – ‘I should try that soap’, Read More…
Crafty Christmas, Zero Waste Style
This Christmas, I am thinking more carefully about my festivities and trying to make them less wasteful. I’m not eschewing gift-giving or anything like that, but as far as it’s within my power, I’m trying to enjoy treats and activities that come with less packaging and less unnecessary consumption. So, while I was walking outside Read More…
Has Zero Waste Simplified or Complicated Life?
Something I have been wanting to find out since starting my zero waste project back in February is this: has zero waste complicated my life, or simplified it overall? Advocates of the zero waste movement tend to claim that zero waste has simplified their lives. Bea Johnson’s book, Zero Waste Home, is subtitled The ultimate guide to Read More…
Useful Sewing
Clothing is still my favourite thing to sew, because nothing represents a better interaction of beauty, use, and challenge. However, lately I’ve been enjoying a break from clothing and have been sewing some useful items. Aside from being quicker to make, they require less perfection! The first thing I made was some bunting for Edith’s and Read More…