In our grandma’s and great grandma’s day, what we now call “Green” was simply commonsense. I spent the last week in Georgia with my lovely in-laws (yes, I’m one of those rare women who adores her mother-in-law!), and our bedroom was filled with the most gorgeous hand-stitched quilts that her mother made years ago. When I think about the time that it must have taken to sit and painstakingly stitch tablecloths, napkins, and queen-size bed quilts, I am beyond impressed. I can barely to get it together to sew missing buttons on my daughter’s school uniform, however, I’m realizing that I’ve got to get with the crafty thing to be truly green. Our grandparents didn’t throw things away either. Electronics were made on home soil and made well – made to last, unlike the short life-span that’s purposely built into everything we buy today. I wanted to make a smoothie out of the incredible blueberries that were literally dripping off the bushes in my father-in-law’s garden and I was presented with a pale pink fifties model that look although it belonged in a vintage museum. With trepidation, I added ice, almond milk and the aforementioned berries. Standing at arms length, in case it exploded, I was amazed to see it did a more efficient job than any blender I have ever operated, and for a smoothie-guzzling girl like me, we’re talking about a bunch of blenders! Same deal with the hair dryer. I had disastrously forgotten mine, which is a worry with the humidity/frizz factor. Out came a fifties model (pale pink too,) which I doubted would even tame the teeniest section of my unruly hair. On it came with an astonishing turbo charge and smoothed out the frizz in just a few minutes. Both baby pink appliances were carefully put away – a dust jacket thingy over the blender and I’m sure they’ll work just as well in another fifty years. Here’s a couple of green tips that my in-laws asked me to pass on to all you Gorgeously Green girls:
1. Razors: If you dry off your razor really well after using, it can last for up to a year. I love the Preserve razor, which are made out of recycled plastic. My father -in-law has tried this experiment and is proud to say that it works a treat and the blade doesn’t dull at all.
2. Nail Polish: If you want to make your manicure last twice as long, apply a top coat of non-toxic polish (I love Kaia House Bio-Polish -top & base coat,) every morning.
3. Shampoo & Conditioner: Use a third of what you would normally use and add a bit more water while lathering up.
4.Line-dry: Now it’s summer, line-drying your clothes, towels and sheets, will make them last 10 times longer.
I grew up using a hand egg beater for smaller jobs (much easier and faster than using a whisk). Since leaving home i have really missed havign one for small jobs such as making pancakes, to big a job to get out the electric one and then clean it off after. Fortunately my husbands grandma went into a home and I got hers – score! I use it at least once a week.
I still have an eggbeater – the kind you crank – that I bought at a yard sale years ago. My grandmother wouldn’t give me hers! I use an old potato masher for tons of things in the kitchen. Growing up in the country on a farm I am all to aware of how our grandparents lived – never throwing anything away and the old “make-do” philosophy. We should go back to those times.
I purchased a 25 year old Kirby vacuum with all the attachments at a garage sale a few weeks ago for the lovely price of $5!!! It works like a dream and far better than any vacuum I’ve ever owned. I took it in today for some maintenance and a tune-up and it will still cost me less than buying a new vacuum. Gotta love stuff that was made to last! 🙂