Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags...

Well, the long weekend is over...and boy am I glad! (never thought I would say that!) It was a very long weekend though, and it will be nice to get back into the routine of normal life. My Hubby and I have vowed to slow down. Take on less. Sleep at home more often. Work on our own home and lives... wouldn't that be nice!

Needless to say, I have not posted because I have not been home since Thursday morning. It sure feels nice to sleep in your own bed!

Since I have not been home, I obviously have not been crafting. So... I thought I would share about something I really like...reusable bags!! The hatch of my car is full of grocery bags (I think I have at least one from all of the different grocery stores in town!). Here are a few of my favourites...

For part of our wedding present, my sister Lydia made me some fantastic reusable bags. They are very strong and a great shape for carting stuff around. Also, the fabric is bright and fun!

(I haven't washed them in a while... so excuse the dirt!). The bags sit really nicely because they have a square shape...very useful!

They are also VERY strong (sorry the pic is blurry!) as you can see... the handles are nicely reinfored.

I actually keep these ones hanging in the house for everyday use instead of in my car.

Here you can also see some of my apron collection hanging on my pantry door for easy access. Want to see how the beautiful red aprong was made? Check it out here!!

I know I just posted pics of these bags the other day... but they are my new fav!! My little sister-in-law got these for me in Europe last month. Aren't they terrific?? I love the sweaters and mittens. These will be especially fun to use for winter shopping... thanks Kandace!

I love reusable bags, and I hate waste...so it is the perfect solution! Don't waste those plastic bags folks! If you get out and find or make some fantastic reusable bags... you'll never want a plastic bag from the grocery store again! Rah rah!

Side Note... don't forget to link your "Sentimental Journey" layouts over at Lasting Memories Layout Challenge Blog! Need some inspiration? Check out what the design team has been coming up with!

Rich Black Earth Starts in the Kitchen

Over Easter Weekend we took a drive down to Grande Prairie to go shopping and visit my sister and brother-in-law. Of course our two main stops were Wholesale Sports (where Kurtis bought a new shotgun), and Costco, where I bought a large compost tumbler! Kurt assembled it for me and I already have lots of compost started! It is quite a large tumbler and will hold all of our kitchen waste as well as yard clippings and weeds.

I cannot wait for the next few months to pass so that I can begin my garden. I have several plans drawn up, and Kurt has said he will build me some raised beds to start my plot off this year. Because our home is so new, we do not even have a fence up yet, so I am hoping we can get started on that right away... or my garden might be a little late! I already have lots of lovely plants started, and herbs galore!

The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

Green-wash (green’wash’, -wôsh’) – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

Sin of the Hidden Trade-off:


A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.

Sin of No Proof:

An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence.

Sin of Vagueness:

A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

Sin of Worshiping False Labels:

A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

Sin of Irrelevance:

An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.

Sin of Lesser of Two Evils:

A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this Sin, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle.

Sin of Fibbing:

Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples were products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY!


…Rethink…Refuse…Reduce…Reuse…Recycle…

http://www.sinsofgreenwashing.org/