Bag Lady

To know me is to love, and accept, my abhorrence of waste. I'm constantly on the prowl for ways to reduce, or eliminate entirely, the amount of things we toss in the garbage. This means loads of recycling, making abundant use of Craigslist and Freecyle for unloading used goods, donating to thrift stores, and reusing and repurposing whenever it makes sense.

Plastic bags are one item in my waste purging mission that drive me batty. We've completely removed any need for them at the grocery store, and frequently turn them down when shopping for household or personal items. That said, I find that I can't avoid them entirely. Many things I use and rely on come in plastic bags. So, while I can't get away from them completely, I can do something about them when they're in my possession. Things like the plastic bags that bedding for the chicken coop come in get emptied and recycled, while reusable storage bags, like those pictured above, get washed, rinsed, dried and used again and again (and again and again and again, to their death!!!).

I'm stoked about the new wooden bag dryer we picked up recently. It's made locally by Branching Out Woodworks (we picked ours up at the Amazing Savings on South French Broad Ave.). Hubs gave it a coating of chocolate brown paint so it would blend in better with the laundry area where we placed it. He attached it to the wall yesterday (it comes unassembled; you secure the dowels with wood glue and then attach it wherever you want by driving the screws-which are provided-through pre-drilled pilot holes in the base).

This dryer is a serious upgrade from my previous bag-drying set-up, which simply involved inverting bags onto the ends of the upright ironing board or over a large vase above the utility sink. Now I've got something both functional and attractive to look at. This bag lady couldn't be more thrilled!