Grocery Tote Bags

I did it!

I used the old tote bags for my groceries last night. It was great - so much less to carry into the house! And I only came home with 2 plastic bags. I had only brought 4 of my 5 tote bags into the store, so would have ended up with no plastic if I brought them all in. Also, they stopped filling one because they said it would be too heavy for me to carry if they put any more in. . . ...What, is it like I'm big pregnant or something?? ;-)

I will say they were quite a bit too bulky. They took up all of the cart nearest me - where baby usually sits. I can see how being able to fold them up into nice flat little pouches would be better. Also, to have them all look the same (same type of material, sizes, etc.) would be nicer, but hey, this is what I had!! The baggers/checkers didn't balk at all. I just put the bags on the conveyor before my groceries and they seemed to know what to do. At the first store where I only got a few things, I brought the biggest bag in and the checker said, "Gee, I could get the whole store in here!"

So anyway, the grocery tote bag experience was a positive one, I will be repeating it. I was headed out the door and told D I was bringing the tote bags for the groceries (as we hadn't talked about my "big plan" and I felt a little silly with all those bags on my shoulder) and he said "I'm really glad you're doing that!"

Poor people at the store, now they have to deal with all my coupons, rain checks, price changes... and personal tote bags.

About the "Green" Stuff

OK, so are you wondering about the sudden amount of "Green" postings? I just want everyone to know that I am not a strict environmentalist. (I don't have enough time for that!) :-) I still have lots of plastic bags in my house that I use and throw away and I am OK with that. I still use my clothes dryer even when it is 70+ degrees outside, but not as much. I have not gotten rid of the chemicals I use to clean my house. I still use some commercial weed killer outside.

I am just trying to make some better choices, where I can, to "help out". Some things just take too much time for me right now... like washing out and reusing Ziploc type baggies. I am all for switching to cloth napkins, just haven't gotten that far yet. We do use plastic containers in Big D's lunch box instead of baggies and take coffee in reusable travel mugs instead of buying it out... though that may just be a budget thing! And Bid D is using natural ingredients for garden fertilizer in the garden instead of commercial mixes. (That and the horse p**p is amazing!)

So I'm not going to frown on you if you don't hang your clothes out, etc. I am just starting to make some different choices here that are affecting our lives and hopefully our children's lives and I want to share with you. My life has been going so quickly (since having kids) that I haven't really thought too much about the chemicals we use and how to make them have less of an impact, but I see lots of bloggers talking about making their own cleaning supplies/shampoos, etc.. (Of course I am aware of what I use around the kids/babies at home, just haven't gone homemade or organic on anything yet.)

Anyway, grocery shopping tonight for the first time bringing my old tote bags. I wonder what the baggers will do with them? Do I just throw them on the counter when I head up there? Do I put them on the conveyor belt before my groceries? Do I tell them to "cram it all in there" because they will hold so much more than the plastic? Do they know that? I will let you know how it goes.

I am off with my GroceryGame lists again tonight. I have really been able to snag some great deals using this system. It is a bit of a budget planning nightmare, but having those 10 boxes of 70% off granola bars in the pantry now (since I would have bought them in the future anyway - probably at full price) was a great purchase!! Go ahead and try the $1 trial membership for 4 weeks and see what you think. My only caution is to watch the price difference between the sale items and the generic brands. We use a lot of generic, but the list still beats it quite a bit of the time, especially combining with coupons.

OK, would love to "talk" some more, but we are off to the library this morning. Would love your comments... :-)

Green-ish Update

Second try at the clothesline. It was unfortunately after several more loads of laundry that I could get more on the line because of the rain. So first try was towels, this second try was sheets. The sheets and pillowcases were almost dry before I even finished hanging all of them up. Well, not exactly, but they did dry incredibly quickly on the line. I think they would dry out there on a 40 deg. day. OK, maybe not, but it didn't seem to take much.

Maybe I can sneak some more out there today, I don't see any rain coming... yet. Of course this is Washington, and you never know! Doesn't the saying go "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change."

I'm sad we waited so long to put this up. It seems like such a waste to use the clothes dryer on good weather days.

More Green Stuff: Shopping Bags

Please view this slideshow about plastic bags.

Plastic Bag Slideshow

I don't know how many plastic bags you bring home from the grocery store every week.

I have counted as many as 24 coming into our house - from one trip!

Are you a good steward of the Earth God has given us?

I am now convicted and want to make some grocery bags. Until I get it done I will be taking some tote bags we have hanging around here that just seem to show up - where do they all come from?? More fun to make them of fabrics I already have - I'm hoping not buy anything for this project... you know, reduce, reuse... As a former fabric stroe employee, it isn't like I don't have any fabric laying around here!! Of course it is boxed up at the storage unit, but that is another discussion! I think it would be neat to make them of fun fabrics, maybe inspire more people to do the same? I saw one bag example that had a transfer on it (or maybe it was painted on?) saying "I'm so glad I'm not plastic!!"

Here are some links for patterns to make your own grocery shopping bags:

http://unabashed.wordpress.com/make-a-reusable-grocery-bag/

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/clothbags.html

http://sewing.about.com/od/bagstotespurseproject/ss/grocerybag.htm

A big link with 35 ideas for sewing, knitting or crocheting your new grocery bags:

http://www.curbly.com/Chrisjob/posts/4179-35-Free-Patterns-for-Reusable-Grocery-Bags-

Now get busy! ;-) ...um, you know I was talking to me, right?

Can you believe that ESPRIT bag has been around since middle school... umm, should I say that was in the 80's or does it just being ESPRIT give it away?? But look at that cute stitching I added to it, ah, creative even then. :-)