Resolution: Don’t buy more things/Use what I have

Happy New Year! The parties were had, the food was ate and the drinks were drank. Now comes the fun part of actually following through with your resolutions. So without further ado, I will share how I have already started in on mine…

As I have cut down on the plastic bottles in the shower, I find myself with a few more bars of soap (3 to be exact: hair/body, face, and shaving, though I’m sure this could all be accomplished with just one) and not enough soap dishes. I thought, “Ooo! I need a couple more good looking soap dishes!” So I sat down and started googling “pretty soap di…,” then remembered my resolutions of buying less and using what I have. So I pressed delete and changed my google search to “homemade soap dishes.” Y’all, there are some unbelievable incredibly resourceful less waste folks out there who have been doing this DECADES longer than I have and within seconds, I was reading some pretty neat ideas for homemade soap dishes. One in particular caught my eye since I had the 2 materials needed, an empty cardboard milk carton and rubber bands. Three minutes later, the final product is what you see in the picture.

Now, I’m not saying these materials are sustainable (rubber bands) or that it’s pretty to look at (When Andrew got in the shower, I heard him guffaw and yell, “Babe…!”) or that this will last a lifetime but what I can say is that this project cost me no money, used what I had, did not create more trash than already existed and served the purpose that I needed. I’m sure I will need to replace it within a few months but by then maybe I will have acquired a small dish (secondhand) or replace the rubber bands with twine which I didn’t have since I ran out while wrapping presents. So here is my encouragement to you, try to stop before you rush to the store or push “purchase” on that computer screen. There are some amazing people out there with amazing ideas who have a lot to offer if you need something and want to use material you already have on hand. It might take you a few minutes to research but it’s worth it!

Cheers to you and your 2017 less waste endeavors! I look forward to pursuing them alongside you!