photo by Carrie J

“Use it up- wear it out- make it do or do without”. This old pioneer adage is repeated so often in my house my kids start rolling their eyes before I even get to the “up”. I try to make it apply to school supplies, new clothes, cars, and even food. We don’t buy new until what we have is worn out or totally used up. And even then I really like to find a new purpose for the things we are replacing. In my kitchen leftovers get a new life as a new meal, scraps get boiled down to broth, and over-ripe fruits become delicious pies and crisps. Making a conscious effort to use everything up is very rewarding to my pocket-book, the environment, and my sense of creativity and accomplishment. It really bugs me when I can’t think of some way to re-purpose clothes, containers, and other household items. SO- you can imagine my frustration when I find myself with a whole drawer full of canning lids and rings and no ideas for how to put them to use.
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