More underwear

Sorry the exposure's so bad!

One Less Car Underwear--Limited Edition!

Um, and this picture is full-size so y'all can click on it to get your undies super-sized, if you dare! Boo! Haha! Happy Halloween!

Orange and BLUUUUUE!

Ways to make coffee: Paper, cloth, or pure gold

I was tooling around on one of my favorite new blogs to read, Nom, nom, nom! and she was giving her take on how she makes coffee. I can relate because I use a death-dealing, bisphenol-A plastic Melita maker, as well. She combines paper filters with one of those gold filters (which she claims you can find at a garage sale but I have never, ever seen one). It's an ingenious method of putting the paper filter in the Melita maker, then puting the gold filter on top of that and then puting the coffee in the gold filter. That way she can get rid of the coffee grounds without damaging the paper filter and can reuse the paper filter because, let's face it, the gold filters by themselves suuuuuck...

A few months ago (when I was foot-loose and fancy-free; that has sadly ended) I posted about making a Melita-style filter using fancy cheese cloth and some old bias tape I had lying around. Boy, I wish I had more time to sew stuff, because I'd make that Nom, nom, nom! person a filter.

Need-a-Bag? project update 10.18.08

Note: The Need-a-Bag? project was created to promote sustainable bagging at the Hwy 441 Alachua County Farmer's Market each Saturday morning. We supply reusable tote bags reclaimed from thrift stores and garage sales. The Need-a-Bag? project also utilizes old tank tops as tote bags by sewing up the bottoms (these are called t-totes). We invite you to read the other posts on the project by clicking the "Need-a-Bag? Project" label at the bottom of this post.

It was a little busier today at the farmer's market. It is a nice thing to see. Because DG and the old man went to the FOL book sale at early o' clock, DJ was enlisted to help with Need-a-Bag? this morning. He was a great help! When we had gotten to the bottom of the bin he noticed there were all these plastic bags and was like, "if you're trying to discourage people from using plastic bags, why do you have this pile of plastic bags." Good point, son, now let's change the subject!

We also got a bag back! And we also got another bag! And, it was not even Jean who donated it! I think this is the beginning of stage two -- people are realizing that we will do this every weekend and are not hoarding bags. Hooray!

Stace said that when she and her husband went to collect bags later that morning there were 7 left on the fence. We probably had close to 20 out there, so business is picking up.

This weekend also marked the first usage of the new fabric labels. I was unable to get the paper backing off so sewed the whole thing on a couple of cloth bags before leaving for the market. It takes way more time to tack the label on the bag with a few stitches at each corner than slapping on a paper label, but I think it will be worth it in the long run because it will wear better and last longer than the paper labels after repeated washings.

The fact remains, though, that sewing the labels onto each bag will be more labor-intensive, something that Need-a-Bag? Project Associates do not need to be messing with. That is why I propose a concerted effort to find a Bedazzler at a garage sale or thrift shop for attaching the labels. They'll be securely attached and they'll be all shiny and pretty.


Top Photo: The Need-a-Bag? Project's first corporate sponsorship. They thought they were being all smart by taking the "?" off, and they didn't put the web address for the AE blog like I asked, either! Feh.

Got the photo of the Bedazzler from AsSeenonTVGuys.com

Update on Charlie's Soap

Well I was wrong about rinsing out the washtub with vinegar. You use a double scoop (two tablespoons) of the soap with some old rags and run the machine through the entire cycle. I had a bunch of rags that I was going to wash, anyway, so right on.

First, the 5-gallon bucket is dang heavy and, unfortunately for me, the old man had already gone to bed. Bend the knees, that's my advice.

Anyway, my first impressions are good -- they give you a tablespoon scoop taped to the top of the bucket -- the bucket is type 2 plastic so entirely recyclable.

Update: I've used Charlie's soap for 3 loads and it is working very nicely. It essentially works like the petroleum-based detergents I've been using up until now, so at least it's not under-performing. The laundry also smells fresh, like it's been line-dried. I'm so going to miss that sharp, weird, synthetic flower smell but I have to get beyond that.

Here's a link to the babysashanmom blog that has lots of good information and links -- mostly pertaining to washing diapers with Charlie's soap, but all of the information is directly relative to other clothing.

Charlie's Soap has arrived

Hi, sorry to Dan who posted a comment about what my impressions are of the Charlie's Soap. Well, Dan, I was lazy, as usual after making a declaration such as, "I'm buying a buttload of Charlie's Soap everyone!" Of course, I've just received it in the mail this past Friday. I will tell you this about Charlie's Soap, their customer service is tops and it was free shipping for orders over 25-dollars in the U.S.

Promise! Will try Charlie's Soap immediately! In fact, I have a load of laundry sitting right next to me. I think I have to rinse the washer tub with vinegar to get all of the scum off from those nasty, un-eco-friendly detergents, so will commence to do that now. I promise! Here I go...wait, oh, a new email just came in...