Handkerchiefs: They may seem yucky but cutting down trees is yuckier!

A simple way to use less paper (and therefore save trees) is to carry a handy dandy hanky in your pocket or purse.

When I was a kid, my dad always carried a handkerchief around in his pocket. And even as a nose picking child, I thought it was gross. You blow snot out of your nose into a little piece of cotton.... and then you neatly fold it up and put it into your pocket to use again later. Lovely!

But it's environmentally friendly: it saves a whole lot of paper, which saves trees. Doesn't that outweigh the yuck factor? It should. But it didn't for me for a long time. It wasn't until a good friend started carrying one that I thought, if she's doing it, I should too! Yup, good ol' peer pressure.

Now I've become an all-in, no going back, official handkerchief carrying preacher. I never leave home without my 'snot rag'.

I have a camo hanky, a Corona hanky and a lot of bandana handkerchiefs. I even used one of my mom's neckerchiefs from the sixties as a hanky (shocking!). I mostly buy mine from thrift stores so they are definitely eclectic.

But if you you want something in particular you can find a good selection of pretty, funky or just plain hankies at many stores. You can even make your own. So start using a nice cotton handkerchief (you can compost the cotton once it's threadbare) and save some trees.