Timely Tips on Tuesday! Topic - Reuse, Reuse, Reuse!

Now, I'm not greatly involved in the whole green movement, although I do understand it and try my best to use items that aren't harmful to our planet.  But I am a practical minded person, and I've always looked for different ways to use (or reuse) products that most people would consider trash!  Case in point, my button collection is stored mostly in glass jars from pickles, olives, jelly, etc. that would normally have been thrown away.  Another example is my little bucket that once held an oxygen based cleaner, but thanks to a hole cut in the lid, now holds polyfill stuffing and lets me keep it close at hand. 

So today I wanted to share with you three things that normally go into the trash or recycling bin, that in my home will be reused as long as they'll last!  Take a peek . . .

The tall one in center is a creamer container.  I couldn't get a decent picture of it alone, so this is what you get I'm afraid!  But this is going in the garage, and will be filled with fertilizer so I can sprinkle just as much as I need on plants.  It's got a great triangular opening that will allow me to sprinkle as much or as little as I need.

And then there are these . . .

Every once in a while my hubby will have a chocolate milk craving and go buy a couple of these full of chocolate milk to ease the craving.  I have removed the shrink wrap labels, washed them well, and made sure there is no remaining chocolate milk scent.  Because these 16 ounce bottles have such great screw on lids, these babies will be filled almost to the top with drinking water and placed in the freezer.  Then, next time we go on a picnic, I'll toss these into our softsided cooler and use them to help keep our sandwiches cool, but then we will also have clean and cold drinking water right there ready and waiting.  And I can bring them home, wash and reuse them as long as they last.  I have also filled these with lemonade before, and frozen them for a picnic, and that works well, too!  (Note:  I put bottles of water into the freezer without their lids until they are frozen solid, and then I place the lids on tightly.  This allows for movement of the ice and the air in the bottle without causing bulges or splits on the bottles.)

And of course I saved the best for last!  Take a look at the cute little round bowl in the first picture above.  It's a 'side' container from Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Hubby brought it home to me the other day after he'd been to KFC for lunch.  The picture below is the bottom of the bowl, and it tells the best part of this tale . . .

That's right!  It's reusable, microwave and top shelf dishwasher safe!  The bowl holds 1/2 cup (4 ounces) and the lid seals okay - though I wouldn't put anything too liquidy in it if it's going into a lunch bag or backpack for a child!  But if you have small ones who take a snack to school or daycare, this would be great for gummies, cheerios, goldfish, cut up veggies and the like.  Since we don't have any little ones, I'll probably use this to put some craisins and walnuts in my bag for days when I might need a snack, or may even use it for storing something in my craft room.  The options are endless!

And I have to take off my hat to KFC!  This is one great idea!

So, what great ideas have YOU found for reusing things that would normally go in the trash?  Please leave a comment and let me (and everyone else) know what your favorite reusable items are!

Be joyful always!  Becky