Today I am excited to introduce you to wool dryer balls! Wool dryer balls are made from natural wool that can be thrown in your dryer to naturally soften your clothing as well as decrease drying time. This is just another simple way that using a natural alternative to chemicals (no more dryer sheets!) is not only environmentally friendly but also kind to your wallet. The dryer is one appliance that takes a lot of electricity, so I knew that if this product could help with this two fold purpose, it was worth the small investment (only $19.95 for a pack of 3). I have been pleasantly surprised to see it help reduce the drying time by at least 1/3 the normal time. I started with a load of towels in my experimenting (since they take so long to dry!), and yes, it was a success! My towels were softer and dried significantly faster than usual.

Wool dryer balls are safe for all laundry (including cloth diapers!), and will last for years to come. Check out the cute color selection and choose a three pack for best results.

Willow Store is offering 3 separate winners 1 set of dryer balls each today!

To Enter:

1. Head over to the Willow Store and check out the selection of wool dryer balls. Pick out your favorite – natural or assortment pack and come back and share in the comments. Share with us one tip you have learned for saving money while doing your laundry or housecleaning!

2. For a second optional entry, become a fan of The Willow Store on facebook or share about this giveaway on your own blog, facebook or twitter feed. Let us know in the comments below.

Giveaway Closed.

And the winners are…

Lisa Hurst
Amy Cook
Kelly Pool

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

Photo by Michele of frugalgranola.com

This post is written by contributing writer, Michele Augur.

Decorating with found items is both frugal and beautiful! As we bring in items found on walks, our family savors the scents and colors of the season.

I honestly don’t spend a lot of time decorating (and I’m certainly not trained in floral design!), but it is a joy to bless my family and friends with a festive and comfortable atmosphere.

I created the wreath in the photo above, using tree boughs and holly sprigs from the woods around our home. (If you live in the city, ask a neighbor if you can snip some branches from their overgrown holly or juniper bushes!) Carry small pruning shears with you on walks, or just gather fallen items from the ground.

I re-purposed an old wreath frame and floral foam from a dusty old silk flower wreath. (You can often find these at thrift stores or garage sales, or purchase them on sale from craft stores.) I accented with a few of the silk/paper flowers. I also enjoy decorating with dried rosebuds, seed pods, and hydrangeas from summer gardens.

To attach the greenery to the wreath, I used a combination of floral pins (reused from the old wreath) and green floral wire. Some of the branches were also just securely pushed into the floral foam. Mine has a bit of a  “rustic” look, but if you prefer a more classic look, you can trim the branches with pruning shears.

For my thick wreath, floral foam was tied to the wreath frame. (But you could omit the foam, and just tie items directly to the metal wreath frame.) If you don’t have floral wire, you can also attach flowers and holly sprigs with a hot glue gun. I followed Melissa’s advice, and purchased removable hooks to attach a wreath to our glass front door window.

During the past few months, my daughter has enjoyed collecting leaves and other found items to make garlands for our home along with me. For the leaves, she would poke a hole with a toothpick, and then thread them onto string. (This made a simple Thanksgiving decoration.)

You can also add in dehydrated slices of oranges or apples to your garlands. As we approach Christmas, you can create similar garlands out of pine cones or holly, as well.

Photo by Michele of frugalgranola.com

I keep decorating simple by filling bowls, baskets, and cake stands (from thrift stores) with greenery, paper/dried flowers, and fresh fruit. Instead of trying to make formal bouquets, this is a way for little ones to contribute their favorite found items! (We had a bowl of beautiful fall leaves sitting by our front door this past month to greet visitors.)

You can also place some greenery, mossy branches, or holly springs in a vase or pitcher, if desired. (And even use it as a Jesse Tree for Advent!) Just use what you have on hand.

A picture from Lindsay's Christmas table - ornaments in a punch bowl

A bowl of bright red apples is easily replenished with seasonal grocery purchases, and decorated with a holly branch. Some red vintage glass ornaments fill a cake stand, and are accented by simple white candles. Look around your home for glass or wooden bowls or baskets that you could use for the season!

How do you decorate naturally for Christmas?

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

2 Tablespoons beeswax (about 1 oz)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 Tablespoons shea butter
12 lip balm containers
dropper

Directions:

1. Melt beeswax in a small pan or crockpot over low heat. Add coconut oil and shea butter until all ingredients a melted. Add a few drops essential oil if desired. I did not use any essential oil and it is smells wonderfully like honey!
2. Using a small medicinal dropper, pour the melted liquid into your lip balm containers. Add a few extra drops to the top after filling each container as the ingredients will shrink as they cool.
3. Cool completely to harden. Cover with cap and decorate or label as desired.

Enjoy nice cool and refreshing natural lips!

I purchased all the ingredients, including dropper and lip balm containers from Mountain Rose Herbs.

This video is offered courtesy of Made On Hard Lotion bars, where you can purchase these lovely lip balms already prepared for you!

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

Photo by Michele of Frugal Granola

Post written by contributing writer, Michele Augur.

After using activated charcoal as a natural pimple remedy (moisten your face, and dab a little as a “mask” onto the spot; leave on for 15-20 min, then wash off), I realized that it could also work as a natural, inexpensive mascara option!

I have purchased the Aloe Vera Gel from Mountain Rose Herbs, and use the activated charcoal from NaturoKits. I have also found activated charcoal at natural herb stores in bulk.
.

Natural Homemade Mascara

• 1/8 tsp. Activated Charcoal (about 1/2 capsule)
• 1/8 tsp. Aloe Vera Gel

Mix together aloe and charcoal. (I use a small baby spoon, since I’m not using them for baby food!) Then, dip in a clean mascara brush wand, pressing it against the inside of the bowl to coat it evenly onto the wand, smoothing out any clumps. Apply to eyelashes as usual. Wait a few seconds before blinking, to let the mascara dry, so that it doesn’t get on your cheeks.

I was able to remove the majority of mascara with a warm washcloth, just like typical mascara. (I haven’t usually purchased “waterproof” mascara, anyway.) The mascara has stayed on well, even when I got teary-eyed during a worship service, but I haven’t tried wearing outside in a downpour yet!

I haven’t tried storing this mixture, as it tends to dry out fairly quickly, and I don’t use makeup everyday. (However, experiment, and see what works for you! It might be feasible to store a little bit in a small airtight jar or makeup “pot.”) I was not able to successfully stuff it into an old mascara container, since this mixture is very thick and does not pour.

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

I used plastic vinyl shower curtain liners for several years and just knew inwardly that those smells were probably not good for our family, especially because it regularly caused headaches. This last year, I made the effort to find an alternative when the time came to replace it. I wanted something that would not contain this toxin, but also wouldn’t be wasteful. Plastic shower curtains liners get quite disgusting in a short time and then disposed of and replaced.

There are several alternatives on the market. Choose fabric! Hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, or recycled materials are all available. They are excellent options but rather expensive (ranging in price from $85-195 dollars).

The best option I have found is the simple 100% polyester fabric shower curtain liners. They are available online or at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $10 in an array of solid colors. The polyester repels the water and dries quickly. They last forever and can hide any water stains very nicely, especially if you get a chocolate colored one (like us!). When it comes time, you can throw it in the wash on a gentle cold cycle and then hang to dry back in its home. Mine just received its first washing after 9 months of use and it looks practically brand new again. These liners can actually be used completely on their own in replacement of any shower curtain. They function perfectly well in keeping all the droplets in the shower.

There are also other PVC free plastic curtains made from EVA vinyl, which is a non-chlorinated, odor free, environmentally friendly vinyl, on the market. They are safer but just as disposable and thus a fabric choice would be more sustainable due to its washability.

I think $10 is a worthwhile frugal investment to keeping those toxic smells out of your home, what say you?

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

This post is written by contributing writer, Michele.

A homemade Calendula Salve is a staple in my homemade remedies box. It is the perfect treatment for chapped hands and faces (such as from winter winds, gardening, or babies’ teething drool), soothing little ones’ scraped knees, or mild burns.

I purchase organic herb seeds inexpensively from Mountain Rose Herbs, along with saving seeds from previous harvests (the most frugal option!) to plant in my garden. If you don’t have access to the fresh flowers, you can also find bulk dried calendula flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs or your local natural food/herb store. If you are harvesting your own flowers, pick the petals later in the morning, after the dew dries, but before the noon heat sets in.

To prepare my Calendula Salve, I have used Hemp Oil, which has a very high percentage of Essential Fatty Acids, and can be especially nourishing for skin conditions, such as eczema or dry skin, while being non-greasy and easily absorbed into skin. However, Olive Oil (which typically has a longer shelf-life) could be substituted instead.

When preparing the salve, make sure not to overheat it! Both the oil and the petals must be kept over low heat to prevent “cooking” them.

This is also a wonderful project for incorporating into learning a home with little ones! They love to harvest the petals, and sprinkle/stir them into the pot, before you turn on the heat. (I prepared my most recent batch along with my own daughter, as well as my visiting youngest sister.)

Calendula Salve

• 2 Cups Calendula Petals (not the entire flower “heads”)

• 1 Cup Hemp or Olive Oil

• 1/4 Cup Beeswax Pastilles/Pellets

• 10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

1. Pour calendula petals into a stainless steel pot, and add oil. Turn on low heat, and stir to combine. Watch for tiny bubbles in the oil to gauge the temperature- it should not get any warmer than the “tiny bubbles stage!” Continue stirring occasionally over the next 2 hours, keeping the oil gently warm.
2. Meanwhile, begin gently melting the beeswax in the top of a double boiler (don’t let this get too hot; you’ll want it to be a similar temperature as the oil, when you combine the two).
3. After 2 hours, strain the petals from the oil. (You can use a fine-meshed strainer, tea filters, or cheesecloth.) Squeeze/press out as much of the oil as you can into a bowl. Then slowly pour the oil into the melted beeswax in the double boiler, stirring to combine. Then stir in the drops of lavender essential oil. (The oil acts as a “preservative,” as well as being a healing and calming ingredient.)
4. Pour the warm oil into small jars/containers, and allow to cool. Avoid using clear glass, if possible. Choose containers (such as white plastic cosmetic containers or amber/cobalt-colored glass jars) that will help protect the salve from sunlight. (I repurpose containers from purchased shea or cocoa butters.) Store in a cool place.

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

As I have pursued the art of learning how to maintain my home simply and naturally, my methods have changed and adapted to the seasons of life. I started out with the all frugal natural method of vinegar for most housecleaning, but found I didn’t care for the way the homemade concoctions always seemed to clog my spray bottles or go bad. Then I adapted to using more of the commercial natural products, but didn’t care for the expense and complexity of such a variety of products for your every need. Does it really have to be that complicated?

I have finally concluded that all of these homemade recipes and commercial products are truly not necessary. You don’t need 10 different products to clean your home. You really only need water and a little soap on occasion. I personally have found my  favorite tool is the Norwex Microfiber Enviro Cloth (this link provides my full review). With one of the Norwex Enviro cloth and one Norwex Window cloth (buy in a set here), I am practically set. These cleaning clothes are quality and do the job well. They kill any bacteria through the silver particles in the design. I accomplish all my housecleaning with these two simple tools.

When it comes down to it, it is really not worth it to stress over germs. Consider that the chemicals are likely more harmful than the germs. Keeping a simple maintenance method is key. It makes natural homemaking possible and stress free. It makes it easy to keep my home maintained and prepared to be a welcoming place of comfort and rest to my family and the community that God has desired for us to reach out to.

Here’s our current natural housecleaning routine:

Mondays – Laundry (I wash all the laundry over the weekend and fold on Monday and put it away so we are covered for the week)
Tuesdays - Toilets – I take my damp Enviro cloth and wipe down the sink, mirror, toilet, and tub. I use the dry Norwex window cloth to polish and dry the mirror and counters, and it does a beautiful streak free job! I then use my toilet brush to scrub out the inside of the toilet with a little oxygen bleach or castile soap and occasionally a stainless steel scrubby for any tough dried scum. Wipe bathrooms floors as needed with enviro cloth.
Wednesdays – Dust & Vacuum (upstairs every other week, downstairs every week) – I use the Enviro cloth to dust as well, and simply rinse out with a little soap and hang to dry between uses.
Thursday - Kitchen – wipe down kitchen counters, floor and appliances with damp enviro cloth. Polish appliances with dry window cloth.
Friday – reserved for any larger monthly or quarterly chores – such as cleaning out cupboards, spot cleaning carpets, decluttering a closet, etc.

Does it stay the same every week? Hardly. In fact, many weeks I only clean the bathrooms and vacuum the floor. But that’s okay. It a guideline and its simple. I don’t stress over perfection, because with two littles ones, I don’t have time for that. We have time to cultivate beauty and simplicity. We have time to keep things picked up and light cleaning maintained. Beyond that is another season.

My encouragement to you…don’t stress over the perfect maintenance schedule or what cleaner to use for every little job. Keep it easy. Soap and water will honestly accomplish most any task. Put some Dr Bronners organic castile soap or your favorite natural soap diluted in a spray bottle with a basic rag and get to work. And if you use the Enviro cloths, no spray bottles, only water is needed! How frugal is that? No chemicals…just pure simplicity.

Have you learned any tips for simplifying your routines?

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

Photo Credit

Thrush (yeast) is a common issue for breastfeeding mamas and new babies.

You may notice symptoms such as white spots in baby’s mouth, and painful nursing.

When my little boy began presenting early thrush symptoms when he was a couple months old, my doctor guided me to some natural and inexpensive remedies instead of automatically prescribing an expensive chemical-based remedy.

With some simple steps, the thrush was gone!

• Most importantly, take your probiotics!
  You can purchase acidophilus/probiotic supplements and/or eat live-cultured unsweetened yogurt daily. The probiotic benefits will pass from the nursing mama to baby, but if your little one is old enough to eat solids, give baby some yogurt too. There are some probiotic solutions available for little ones, too, if your doctor recommends it.

• Reduce/eliminate sugar.
  If thrush is especially lingering, you may even want to limit fruit and dairy products, as they contain natural sugars. Make sure you are getting plenty of B vitamins, too.

Photo Credit

• Use a 1% solution of Genetian Violet.
  (Apply to mama & baby before & after feeding). Beware of the purple-staining factor, though; keep bibs handy! If you can only find 2% solution, dilute it by half with sterile water. I have seen this in natural food stores and in the cosmetic sections of “hispanic food aisles” in grocery stores.

• Wash the nipple-shield (and Mama), if using.
  Use a diluted solution of 5 oz water + 5 drops of grapefruit seed extract after every feeding, and rinse well. If using a nipple-shield (with a lactation consultant’s direction), this can be a barrier to your body’s natural “self-cleaning” antimicrobial process during breastfeeding. (I purchase the grapefruit seed extract from Mountain Rose Herbs.)

• Wash bedding, towels, nursing bras, blankets, washcloths, etc!
  Thrush is very easily spread. Even if you feel it’s a bit “obsessive,” wash all items after one use, and change to a fresh one. My no-sew cloth bed pads are can be tucked into the bed, and changed each morning (instead of changing the whole bed everyday!).

• Get some sunshine!
  Dry your clothing/linens in the sun, which has an antimicrobial effect. If your bedroom window is secluded, mama can nap privately to allow for air flow and sun on her bare chest, which will help clear the yeast.

As an additional resource, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding offers some additional tips for addressing thrush and healthy breastfeeding.

Do YOU have any helpful tips to share?

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

I came across these 10 recycling habits written by my friend, Ryan, and I wanted to share it with you all. He granted me permission to share it with you all. Some of the ideas may not be new, but may this challenge refresh and encourage you to keep up the work! Thanks Ryan!

You should be all about recycling. If you’re a Christian you should be especially passionate about recycling.

Consider the fact that in recycling you are taking something that is spent, used up, and old, and giving it new life, purpose, and usefulness.

As Randy Alcorn shares: “Psalms 24:1 states, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” This is not our place to trash. It’s God’s place to treasure. To care for the world is to care for its people. To care for its people is to fulfill the second commandment, to love our neighbors as ourselves. As we see it mandated in Genesis 1:28, God entrusts us with the earth as He entrusts us with our bodies, and He intends for us to take care of both.”

As a follower of Jesus, listed below are some of the ways both big and small that I think the invitation to recycle is available. It is obviously in no way an exhaustive list, and neither is it listed in any particular order. So without further adieu here are my top ten recycling habits:

1. Food

If you don’t have chickens to give your old scraps to (and thus produce eggs and great fertilizer), then get a compost pile so that your old food will turn into rich soil. Also, using old veggies (flimsy celery and carrots, onion skins, etc) and animal bones to make stock is a great way to recycle stuff that you will not eat.

2. Water

There are some pretty amazing ways you can recycle water. You can collect the water from the bathroom sink in a bucket and use that bucket to flush the toilet. Other creative ideas include collecting water from dishwashers and washing machines drained out to use for gardening, etc. Personally, I don’t do that stuff, but I do collect our rain water and use it to water the garden! I do use my kids kiddie pool water to water my plants (instead of dumping it every few days). Next time you’re about to dump out the remains of your glass of water, dump it in your houseplant instead.

3. Bags

You can buy cloth bags for grocery shopping. We do. But we also forget to use them as often as we remember. So if you have to do the unthinkable (haha) and use plastic shopping bags, they work great as your new garbage can liners. We have nor purchased garbage bags in years because we just use these from our local supermarket. Sure you have to empty the garbage a bit more often, but it’ll shave a few bucks off your grocery bill and it will put those bags back to use. These bags can also be recycled at most grocery stores.

4. Money

Buy locally. If you buy locally from local businesses and local owners and local shops and local food and…then your money stays in the community you love. The money you use to buy your kids a birthday present will go to a local family who owns the local toy shop that employs local individuals who buy things from their local supermarket who…etc. When you spend and shop locally, your money is recycled within your community to grow and develop the community you love.

5. Clothes

Buy from used clothing stores. Give your old clothes to others. Old clothes can also be quite useful for household projects! I grew up with a giant canvas tent for camping. The tent bag for our giant tent was a pair of my dads old jeans. The pockets were where the stakes were kept, the tent slid into the legs (that had been sewed together into one large space), and a drawstring was put through the belt loops. My wife has made purses out of old t-shirts, hats out of old sweaters, skirts out of old shirts, etc. Put those old clothes to work.

6. Travel

Ok, this is a bit of a stretch, but if we change our behaviors so that our travel accomplishes more than getting us from A to B then we are creating more out of something than previously existed. If you ride your bike, not only are you cutting down on emissions and traffic, but you’re also exercising at the same time. If you take the bus, you’re also being able to read or work on homework. If you carpool, your also creating community and relationship.

7. Death

Even in your death you can allow life to emerge by being an organ donor. Don’t hold out, you won’t need your heart anymore, so give it away.

8. Yard

We American’s love our grass. Our yards can be so much more than pretty grass, instead we can make them work for us by building garden plots, by growing strawberries and lettuces where grass might have been before. Get some chickens, grow some blueberries or grapes, allow your yard to do something for you, to be useful, and to bring more to your life.

9. Books

I love books. I hate borrowing them, I love owning them. But as I work to get over my ownership mentality I’m seeing that not only is borrowing books from the library a great recycling practice, but loaning your books out to others and borrowing others books is a great way to let books have a greater life than the shelf. How cool would it be if we began to loan our books out and asked people to mark them up, highlight them, and jot down notes in the margins so that when you got the book back it would carry with it some of the life of the previous reader! Check out your library’s inter-library loan program to find practically any book you may desire. If you must buy a book, buy it used through Amazon, Powell’s Books, and many more sources.

10. Paper

This one should be redundant in our culture, but don’t use paper. Read your newspaper or magazine online. Use email instead of snail mail. Cut down on your junk mail by opting out. Opt out from getting those obsolete phone books as well. Setup your bills so that you don’t receive hard copies but only electronic copies. Dare I say buy a Kindle? Ok, I’m not ready to go there yet, but it’s probably inevitable!

I’m certain there are many other creative ways to recycle. Spend a few hours on Etsy.com and let your brain cram all the amazing and creative ways to recycle old materials. Shop at recycled stores, shop less, etc. There are so many ways we can embrace the beautiful opportunity to be a part of giving old, spent, and used up things new life and purpose. I mean, isn’t this what God does with humanity? Why should we do anything different?

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook

Summer is a great time for visiting with friends, as well as tackling projects around your home. Combine the two, and invite your friends for a “Declutter Party!”

A “Declutter Party” is a wonderful opportunity to simplify your home by clearing out unnecessary items, as well as providing a frugal option for obtaining some needed things. (Plus having fun with friends at the same time!)

I have enjoyed participating in a few of these events over the years. In pursuit of wise stewardship, it is nice to be able to “recycle/reuse” items when possible.

In essence, a “Declutter Party” functions as a swap. You can bring/take home any number of items. Participants will “shop” through all the items for free. Any leftovers can be donated to charity.

Event Ideas-

• Women’s Clothing Swap- Set up tables with spaces marked for the various sizes. Provide changing areas for trying on clothes. Make sure to invite women of different sizes; as guests bring too big/too small items, there will be enough for everyone. You can include shoes, purses, and accessories in this swap, too.

• “Anything Goes”-  A “garage sale style” event; neatly set out items in “categories.”

• Craft Supply Swap- This is a great opportunity to simplify your sewing/craft cabinet, reevaluate your hobbies, and find some new creative inspiration for the kids. (Have a project that’s been unfinished for the past 10 years? Let someone else have the joy of competing it!)

Planning Tips to Consider-

• Guests: Is it just for women or will it be a family event?

• Theme: You can have a specific focus for your items (such as a women’s or children’s clothing swap) or an “anything goes” garage-sale style event. Clearly communicate the swap guidelines in your invitation.

• Focus: Do you want to highlight a charity or have a ministry emphasis? A clothing swap can feature modest wardrobe ideas or a devotional on modesty for young ladies. A crafty swap can make/sew items for local or international ministries (such as baby items).

In a swap with friends last year, I was able to pick up some wall shelves and more cute glass jars to use for my sewing storage! (I organize the supplies for my sewing business in attractive glass jars at my sewing area in our living room.)

It was so nice to put these unused items (my friends’ “clutter”) to good use in blessing my family with a tidy home. At the same time, I cleared out a large bag full of unused items from our closets!

Have you participated in a similar swap? I’d love to hear if you have, or if you’re planning one!

Share/Save

Current Sponsors:

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique - Where green comes naturally - free shipping on cloth diapers and more!
• The Willow Store - Reusable diapers, dryer balls, and natural resources for your home
• Jenuinely Pure -Organic products for the body, face, home and baby
• Paula's Bread -Kitchen appliances and safe tools for all your homemade health adventures
• Tell Your Time - How to Schedule Your Time to Live Your Life Fulfilled eBook