30 Things in 30 Days - #7 - Reusable Produce Bags

I need to get out my sewing machine. I am not very good at sewing but I think a perfect project to get me practicing would be to make reusable produce bags. I am always surprised when I go looking for these in stores and don't find them. I just had a lightning bolt tonight that you could use the mesh lingerie bags that people use for laundering their unmentionables in the washing machine. However, these bags are quite fancy with their zippers, and possibly a bit heavy on a produce scale. Check out these options on Etsy from The June Bride (simple, lovely bags), Fickle Faerie (who has color choices), and AMK Designs (who supplies a super cute and useful storage bag with hers). Sales must be exploding because a couple of months ago there was only one shop making that I knew of making these on Etsy. She could not keep up with the demand. I better get out my machine...

30 Things in 30 Days - #6 - Reusable Lunch Bag Options

Remember when we had lunch boxes as kids? That was soooo great! I always loved picking mine out when my old one had become worn out, cracked, or otherwise unusable. Kids are so hard on their stuff! I actually recently purchased a Snoopy lunch box that was probably from when I was a kid. It was $2 at a thrift store and I could not resist. It will probably hold letters or other odds and ends in my studio, but it got me thinking about lunch options...

I wrote about the ultra cool reusable lunch options by Laptop Lunches, here. And I mentioned Binski Studios in the post below that relates to reusable shopping bags. It was while I was researching for that post that I found this awesome Design Your Own lunch tote, which uses gorgeous Amy Butler fabric. Check it out! Your lunch tote won't be like anyone else's.



And if you really want to be unique, how about this $75 vintage French yellow and black enamel lunch box from Eurolux Antiques.



I LOVE this see through lunch box, from Five Petals Red, and what a great price! If it is sold it is because I bought it!



And if it is a vintage cartoon lunch box you are after just go to Etsy and search lunch box under the vintage category. Pee Wee Herman, Rainbow Brite, The Partridge Family, they are all here! Come on, ditch your plastic shopping bag or paper lunch bag, find something reusable that you really love so you will look forward to bringing your lunch from home AND you will help our environment.

30 Things in 30 Days - #5 - Reusable Shopping Bags

What simpler way to help our environment then to start using reusable shopping bags? There are soooooo many options from the utilitarian, walking advertisement bags from your local grocery store to absolutely lovely and fashionable bags such as the ones made by my friend's sister-in-laws at Skeeda to this insulated beauty from Binski Studio. Oh, and my friend, Sheasy, recommended Chico bags which you can fold up and stick in your purse when not using. This will certainly be a plus for those people who forget their bags at home or in their trunk. Don't worry, it happens to all of us!

I have blogged on at length about reusable shopping bags. For more info and statistics please see my other posts here and here.

Greener Footprints...

In Canada, 17,000 plastic shopping bags are being used per minute! I have previously written about an acquaintance of mine, who has become a friend and my employer, and her quest to ban plastic bags in Canmore, Alberta. Pam Currie, owner of Silver Spoon Children's Boutique in Canmore, has been talking the talk AND walking the walk when it comes to getting rid of plastic bags in this beautiful town in the Rocky Mountains. In her shop, where I work twice a week, Pam doesn't have the option of plastic, just cloth bags for $1 or no bags. The plastic bag issue can be confusing at best and I want to look at it more closely in coming entries. For now, I will direct you to the site of the company that Pam gets her cloth bags from, Greener Footprints. They have an excellent page on Plastic Bag Facts. If you have not done so already please do your best to stock up on cloth bags and then really use them. They say it takes about three weeks to make something a habit, so don't be too hard on yourself if you forget them in your home, garage, trunk, etc. Just try, try again :)