Unpaper Products

I've been convicted lately about my personal waste. I'm working towards having no paper towels or napkins in my home and no longer using plastic bags. It's a journey that takes one step at a time. I've learned a lot along the way and am still learning. One major thing I've learned is the importance of convenience. That's why I use so many paper towels and napkins, they are handy and easy. This means I need to make using cloth convenient. There are many ways I can do that. One way is by having them available everywhere I would need them and easy to get to, no reaching in drawers or under cabinets with messy hands. They need to be in my bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, basement and garage; anywhere and everywhere there is potential for a need.



I'm planning to replace the towel holder that's on the wall in the kitchen with a hanging basket where I can stack towels. So where I used to reach for paper I can reach for cloth, which means I'm not making things harder on myself.  I've also learned it's necessary to have a plan in place for what to do with the cloth towel once it's soiled. A plan can be walking the cloth to the laundry room and placing it in a bucket or laundry basket. To make it even easier you can hang a wet bag in the areas where you're most likely to use cloth towels, like the kitchen, or you could have a bucket under the sink.

Some families use paper napkins and paper towels. We've always been one of those families. Although a paper towel sometimes takes the place of a napkin. They can be helpful when covering something to warm up in the microwave or holding the hot dish when it comes out. Do you know what I mean? So to me paper towels and paper napkins are interchangeable.

Another thing I've learned along the way is it's so much fun using cloth! It really makes things feel special. There are such a variety of colors and patterns it's unbelievable. Right now the majority of cloth I've invested in is the practical white cloth towels. I thought they would be easier to keep clean looking and more durable. Getting some of the fun pretty stuff motivates me though; to keep using cloth and never look back. I mean wouldn't you much rather wipe your mouth or the mouth of your child with a soft cotton fabric then a toxic, rough, bleach filled paper product?



Each time we get paid I buy a few more unpaper products. That way we can have a stash built up and ready for our every need. This brings me to some exciting news. I want to share this unpaper product joy with you my faithful readers and the world! I've always thought it would be so much fun to host a swap. I participate in the calendar swap every year over at Design Crush. I love picking out the perfect calendar for my swapmate and then wait in giddy anticipation for what I will get in return. It's always a wonderful surprise! With that being said I'm going to be hosting an Unpaper Swap here on the blog. No I'm not telling everyone to rid their homes of paper towels and napkins. I'm just hoping to inspire, encourage and have some fun! Having a beautiful cloth towel to use could result in a little less waste. Hopefully we can all agree that a little less waste will make our beautiful planet enjoyable for future generations. There will be lots more details coming soon so stay posted! Don't hesitate to share the image below with your friends or on your own page. The more people who are involved in the swap the more fun it will be!



                                                         <a border="0" href="http://www.creatingthroughlife.com/p/unpaper-swap.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z445/creatingthroughlife/FinalSavetheDate_zps01a506b5.jpg"/></a>