Save the planet and save your money

Most people want to be kind to the environment but it’s sometimes convenience that make us choose less eco-friendly options. Sometimes we opt for a cheaper product that is not so environmentally friendly only because we prefer not to spend any extra cash. I have given this a lot of thought and I have come up with many different ways we can save money while being eco-friendly. We can very easily make choices that are kind to the environment and also good for our cash flow.

1. Instead of buying cleaning rags, start cutting up all those old towels, t-shirts and other clothes that are not quite wearable anymore and use them as cleaning rags.

2. Upcycle all the clothes that are too good to make into rags but don’t quite fit anymore. Make dresses into skirts, t-shirts into aprons, create scrunchies, pillow covers, kids toys, book covers and so much more.

3. DIY laundry detergent and other cleaning products. With some baking soda, castile soap and vinegar you can make pretty much any cleaning detergent you will need for a fraction of the price of standard detergents.

4. Give up sandwich bags and plastic wrap once and for all and get yourself some reusable beeswax wraps. They are also quite easy to make.

5. If you buy bottled water, consider getting yourself a reusable water bottle and start filling it up with tap water.

6. Find some local thrift stores and start shopping second hand clothes. This is great for kids, since they usually grow out of their clothes quicker then the clothes get worn out. Even for adults, it’s not necessary to spend a fortune on clothes when you can find some unique items for a minimal fee. Plus, second hand clothing encourages and develops a recycling community.

7. Grow your own food. However much or however little garden space you have, you can grow something. Even if you have no garden space at all, it’s possible to grow herbs and some vegetables in pots. You won’t save a fortune, but if there is something that you and your family eat a lot of, then plant mostly that. It also doesn’t have to cost anything to get started. We have a full vegetable patch in our garden that we started growing mainly from seeds taken from vegetable scraps. The only plants we bought were egg plants, zucchini and cucumbers (still need to work out how to get seeds out of those).

8. Stop buying single use straws and get these reusable stainless steel straws. So many straws get into our oceans and are destroying the sea life. These straws are reusable and will last you years!

9. Cook and bake from scratch. It’s a little more time consuming then buying ready made food. But it’s so worthwhile. Considering the environmental issue and health benefits. To save a little time, when you cook, make double the quantity you need and freeze half for another easy meal. Same goes for baking, bake in large quantities and have some home baked bread, muffins and biscuits in the freezer for whenever you need.

10. Ditch disposables. We used to spend a fortune on disposable bowls, cups and cutlery. With five kids in the house, it is very easy to go down that route. I switched to eco-friendly disposables, which is fine for the environment but it is still like throwing money away. So as hard as it was, we are trying to ditch disposables all together. We take turns to do the washing up and the big kids need to be responsible for washing their own dishes. Like in the good old days I suppose (when did disposables become so mainstream anyway!?)

If you are drying your clothes in a dryer, start air-drying. Air-drying clothes uses less energy, which saves money and makes less of an impact on the environment. Air-drying also extends the lifetime of clothing by reducing wear and tear in the dryer.

Why use Natural Mosquito Repellents

Many common mosquito repellents are based on DEET. It’s an old-timer, used for more than half a century to ward off mosquitoes and ticks. DEET is a chemical that was developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 for protection of soldiers in insect-infested areas. The question is, how safe is it to use DEET?

According to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine, most cases of serious side effects caused by DEET involve long-term, frequent application of the repellent. When it’s applied with common sense and only on exposed skin for short periods of time, many researchers believe that DEET can be used as an effective and safe way to avoid insect-borne diseases. Still, people today aren’t just dealing with DEET, but rather a toxic body burden threat that includes exposure to dozens, if not hundreds, of different chemicals on a daily basis. In some cases, DEET alone may cause minor to serious reactions and conditions, including the following concerns:

1. Allergic Reactions

For some people, when DEET is applied to the skin, especially for an extended period of time, it can cause adverse reactions like redness, rash and swelling.

2. Seizures and Brain Malfunction

In some cases, ingestion of DEET can lead to seizures. There are also reports of DEET-induced seizures in children. According to a case analysis published in Human and Experimental Toxicology, clinical reports of children under 16 years old who suffered from brain damage indicate that symptoms can be caused by not only the ingestion of DEET, and repeated and extensive application, but also brief exposure to the insect repellent. The most prominent symptom among the reported cases was seizures, which affected 72 percent of the patients and was significantly more frequent when DEET products were applied to the skin. Researchers concluded that “repellents containing DEET are not safe when applied to children’s skin and should be avoided in children.”

3. Gulf War Syndrome

Gulf war syndrome is a condition that affects veterans of the Gulf War and causes chronic headaches, fatigue, respiratory disorders and skin conditions. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that the emergence of these symptoms may be linked to the simultaneous exposure to multiple agents that were used to protect the health of service personnel, particularly DEET, the anti-nerve agent pyridostigmine bromide and the insecticide permethrin.

It sounds like something I’d rather not be rubbing on my skin and certainly not on my kids.

There are several natural mosquito repellents available and many essential oils that keep those little bugs away. For example; citronella, lemon eucalyptus, eucalyptus, peppermint, clove, lavender and basil. Evergreen-life uses a blend of coconut oil, lavender and eucalyptus which was tested at an effectiveness of approximately 93% protection against mosquitos for up to 4 hours. Enjoy your summer mosquito-free with our Natural Mosquito Repellent.

Recycle old t-shirts into face masks

I have been wanting to sew a face mask since the corona virus started but only now did I get around to doing it. We have made bandana masks, masks cut out of socks, we tried all kinds but this is a good quality mask that should last. It is reusable and machine washable. I see disposable face masks lying around everywhere, which is a real shame. There's no need to spend a small fortune on disposable masks just to throw them out at the end of the day.

For this face mask you will need:

~A piece of fabric about 30 square cm. I used an old lightly used shirt.

~Needle and thread

~ Scissors

~A large dining plate to use as a template

~A pencil

Instructions:

1. Using the plate as a template, draw a circle onto the fabric by drawing around the plate.

2. Cut out the circle.

3. Fold the circle into quarters and cut along the folded lines. You should now have 4 quarters of the fabric circle.

4. Place two quarters together with the right sides together and sew along the rounded side.

5. Now do the same with the other two quarters of fabric.

6. You should now have two similar pieces which you place right sides together and sew around the outer edges. Leaving a small space of about 3 cm unsewn.

7. Once that is done, turn it inside out through the small space that you left unsewn and sew in one rubber band on each side.

And done!