Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I am a "trash" picker and proud of it.  How does that saying go?  What is one man's trash is another man's treasure?  I'd like to change that to, what is one woman's trash is another woman's treasure.  I am astounded at the amount of usable stuff people put out to be picked up on trash day in my neighborhood.  You would not believe what I have "picked" over the years.  I love plants.  I rescued a plant that somebody was throwing away and it has sat in the corner of our living room for probably close to 5 years.  It is taller than my son now.  I have found Little Tyke toys that I have cleaned up and either donated to my son's class at school or given to Volunteers of America or other charities.  I took a journey into my daughter's closet over the holidays and found clothes she had either outgrown or didn't want.  I found about 100 hangers kicking around in there.  No wonder she couldn't fit any more clothes in her closet!  I like to pass along her clothes to friends who have younger kids.  When my daughter was a baby I used to love the hand-me-downs I received!  I bought our wood desk we keep in our living room at a yard sale - it was only $15.00, I'm sure it cost a lot more than that new!  I'm trying really hard to put less in our trashcan in our house. When we have a chicken or turkey I like to make soup out of the bones.  Very little food goes to waste in our house. My grandmother who lived to be 101 told me once that when she was little they would use every bit of the pig but the "squeal."  Going "green" just takes a little bit more effort, but I feel like I'm helping our environment a little bit at a time!