Recycle those holiday cans for cash

Remember recycling cans (and sometimes bottles) equals cash. Turn those holiday parties into a little extra change.

We found this in Wisconsin the week we moved there but don’t think we ever used it but twice because we’d given up soda.

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The not so green pumpkin = #5

#5. We inherited two pumpkins this year from the generous woman across the apartment complex who moved out.

Green things we did while sort of homeless #4

We collected the compost and froze it in the freezer.

#1 Moving boxes

1. Daily my mother traveled up the street to the Dollar Store or I trudged to the elementary school behind her home to pull out empty boxes from their trash and recycling bins.

Life in transition and greening a military move

Since June, we’ve been involved with two different moves. Downsizing my mom’s and moving from Wisconsin to the south, yet again. It has been non-stop packing, unpacking and dealing with a nightmare moving company, purchasing a home, fighting to get insurance, home repairs, and trying to sell our house in Wisconsin, one thing after another. But landing in a home and shuffling through boxes does a holiday make.

Oh what a mess!

Last military move

As we transition into civilian life, there are things I’ll miss and things that I won’t.
But the moves…..those darn moves.

Collectables

My husband has collected shot glasses for years from every place he’s ever been. They are great conversation pieces, made of glass, lovely, small decor, easily transported with us in constant moves. But each time we move, the movers pack each one separately in paper. Yes, really. It makes my stomach knot. What right do I have to tell my husband he needs to get rid of them? They are his memories, his collectables.

But do we need to continue collecting them? When is enough? When does a collector get to the end? When does he/she decide to stop?

Eco-friendly cleaning products

As renters, you never know what you’re going to find when you move in. The best part of the military move is cleaning other people’s houses–the one you’re leaving and the one you’re moving into. (My husband said, “People are going to think you’re serious.” Hmmm…. That would be sarcasm.) Sometimes, the ovens are so disgusting, we have to break down and use Oven Cleaner. There is no other way to get that crusty, black, burnt meal off from five months back that dripped to the bottom of the oven and stayed there—FOREVER. (Forever should be said in a Darth Vader voice.)

Green military move

The main three things of a military move consist of: boxes, paper and tape.

Packing paper.

The lovely boxes. (with tape)

“That was such an epic fail…” –Katy Perry

Traveling for two days, I generated a surprising amount of trash. I’m finding one of the most important aspects to being “green” and living the zero waste lifestyle is…… planning ahead! (Which I did not.)

Trash from the car at the end of the trip.