Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying by Bea Johnson

[try2bfrugal]

I just got this book from the library. I love it. I almost didn't pick it up because I have borrowed so many sustainable living books that it is hard to find new ones with original ideas. After a while they all have the same tips.

But I liked this book. Bea has lots of good ideas on make up, simple recipes and minimal living. Like she uses a bottle instead of a rolling pin.

Check it out if your library has a copy. It is worth a read. I found my way to her blog and now book from this article on Sunset magazine on her zero waste home -

http://www.sunset.com/home/natural-home/zero-waste-home-0111-00418000069984/

[Zoebird]

i've been reading her blog for a while, and love her ideas. i wish i could get rid of the waste part -- buy better in bulk, etc. It's a full tme job trying to figure that out. :)

[Tussiemussies]

This was very interesting to see and look at the pictures also. Thanks for posting!

[catherine]

Thanks for the share!! I'm definitely going to bookmark her blog. I LOVE the "refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot" Perfect!

[simplelife4me]

The article really amounts to an advertisement since she sells much of the stuff she uses in her home. You gotta live your OCD lifestyle in order to sell it to others eh?

[catherine]

The article really amounts to an advertisement since she sells much of the stuff she uses in her home. You gotta live your OCD lifestyle in order to sell it to others eh?

As they say, "Take what you like and leave the rest." I think she had some really interesting tips for people to reduce waste.

So she's trying to make a little money off the blog. So what?

[Float On]

I followed her blog for a while a couple years ago (right after the sunset article) and just the other day ran across her book at the book store and looked thru it. Will probably try to borrow from the library sometime.

[puglogic]

Thanks try2bfrugal. I've ordered from the library.

[try2bfrugal]

The article really amounts to an advertisement since she sells much of the stuff she uses in her home. You gotta live your OCD lifestyle in order to sell it to others eh?

She probably does have OCD. But as Catherine said, you don't have to do everything she does in the book. But for me the generic books don't have any new ideas. And she really does seem to try everything she writes about - the successes and the fails. A lot of the stuff on the web like the ehow articles seem to be written like generic school research papers where the authors don't have any specific subject expertise.

How many successful blogs don't have some kind of advertising? If you don't read anything on the web with advertising or product sales, that would cut out the majority of the successful online sites. Would you not read Mother Earth News or Tree Hugger because of advertising or product sales?

[catherine]

Just a question that came to mind while reading the review of this book on Amazon.. re the "refuse" and "rot" part...

I like to replace dishtowels somewhat frequently (quarterly?) I downgrade the ones that start looking yukky when I'm drying dishes to floor wipes and other general cleaning. But after that, what?

Can I compost 100% cotton rags if I cut them up? Or should I make a rag rug?

[puglogic]

Can I compost 100% cotton rags if I cut them up? Or should I make a rag rug?

Well, either would be a nice ending for them, but if they're 100% cotton, they'll compost nicely. I layer them between high-nitrogen things like food scraps or manure (they're a "brown"), and they go away fairly quickly.

[ApatheticNoMore]

The article really amounts to an advertisement since she sells much of the stuff she uses in her home. You gotta live your OCD lifestyle in order to sell it to others eh?

this post actually made me guffaw :) Actually I have never heard of the person in question and so have nothing against them, the advice might be useful, I have nothing against useful advice. But the guffaw was for me against the whole vanity genre and the selling of it, they think we're all dupes with our money.

[razz]

I use old cloths for pet bedding or donate it to the humane society for pet bedding. It helps that one of my neighbours is always looking for new used cloths for the humane society.

Sometimes old cloths are just garbage though. they can only wipe so much paint or the nap is gone from the old washcloths.

[Gardenarian]

Just got around to reading this post (I wish things stayed on the New Posts list longer!) and it looks like a fun blog/book. I like that she puts "Refuse" first in the whole reduce, recycle thing.
Thanks!