Tag Archives: shopping

I Need to Go Shoe Shopping?

I’m not a big shoe collector. Most of the year in Poway I got by in my sandals, occasionally wearing sneakers when we were lucky enough to get rain. I wear heels even more rarely, although I do have some.

I’ve come to realize that here in Yucaipa boots might just be a good idea for winter.

The thought occurred to me the other morning while walking my daughter to school. I could feel the cold air on my feet even through my sneakers. That’s on a dry morning, temperatures in the 40s, and it’s not really even winter yet.

So I’m starting to look at boots. Seems strange to me, even though I already bought some for the kids. I haven’t had boots in years.

I kind of like the looks of Earth’s Mirage 2. Looks nice and warm. But then there’s the Keen Kaley, which looks more stylish to me.

They’re honestly both a bit more than I’d like to spend. I haven’t spent that much on a pair of shoes in a long time. I’m trying to keep this one reasonable for our current budget, while balancing style, environmental friendliness and function.

Oh, and I have no intention of driving all over town for the right shoes, wasting gas. Thank goodness for the internet, where I can figure out what I’d like and if it can be bought on a regular errand or if I have to have it shipped here.

Is the Trouble of Going Green Worth It?

One of the reasons I hear sometimes for not worrying about how a particular person can be more environmentally friendly in their day to day life is that the difference isn’t big enough. Some people feel that we need the big corporations to take steps first, and that should be the focus.

No doubt, that would be a wonderful thing. But it’s not exactly easy to convince big corporations to do such things without a pretty impressive social movement behind it. They’re businesses, after all. It’s easier for them to do things that make money than for currently abstract ideas of what will happen if they don’t make changes.

Yes, your individual changes and sacrifices only make the smallest of differences when big ones are needed. But they’re a part of what it takes to make those bigger changes.

Admittedly, not all the changes are exactly ideal. There’s more pressure for companies to carry organic goods, for example, and so the standards for organic have changed and been made easier to reach.

“Green” goods get marketed more so that people can play at being green while enjoying their usual shopping habits without really looking at whether or not the product is needed or produced in a way that is minimally damaging to the environment.

There’s a reason why green consumerism is a bit of a problem.

On the plus side, individual interest is probably a big part of why reusable shopping bags are so easy to find now. Many of the stores I go to even have more interesting ones now than the plain ones with a simple store logo on them.

Not to mention government rules protecting the environment. The rules may get weakened and strengthened depending on the party in office, but at least they’re there!

In so many ways you can say that if we individuals don’t care, there will never be a reason for corporations or governments to care. And if they don’t care, they won’t change. And if they won’t change, what will?

It can be frustrating dealing with people who don’t see how their small contributions can add to your small contributions can add to other people’s small contributions. But the difference is more than just the carbon you produce, the plastic you avoid and so forth. It’s the momentum built.

Off to a Cheap Start on Back to School Shopping!

Back to school is off to a cheap start for us this year. I didn’t buy anything for my daughter before school started because her backpack and lunch bag are still in good condition, and I didn’t know what else she would need, as the school hadn’t sent a list.

Turns out that was the exact right move.

Her teacher provided all the supplies she has to have. I really hope it all came from a school budget. The teacher does have a small wish list, and apparently this is the first year the school is allowing teachers to ask parents to help with supplies.

Compared with the lists from last year, that came as a surprise.

Of course, this means I have no say in how environmentally friendly any of my daughter’s school supplies are… aside from going ahead and getting some pencils for the class or something, that being the level of things on her 4 item wish list.

We still have plenty of supplies for at home from last year, so I’m thinking I won’t need to buy anything, at least not until later in the year.

Great Books for Green Parents

Whether you read them enough to make them worth buying, or just borrow for a quick read from the library, books are another great resource for parents wanting help in taking care of the environment and their families. There’s so much to know!

Free Range Kids
I was lucky enough to be sent a review copy of this one for one of my other sites. Great book, and while it’s not about environmentalism, there’s a lot to it that can be combined with teaching kids to care about the environment.

Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home
I reviewed this one a while ago. Lots of tips on living cleaner and greener, and broken into separate sections so it’s easy to pick the areas you want to get started with.

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
Another book I got to review a while back. Lots of fun and a great reminder of how very important it is to get your family outside.

Books I haven’t read that sound promising:

The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen’s Guide to Saving the Planet

The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Environmentally-Friendly Living

Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care

6 Ways Cutting Back is Good for Your Family

Like a lot of families, we’ve had to cut back this past year and a half or so. Not that we were extravagant in the past, far from it. But like a lot of families, our income is down this year, and the need to save still more has hit pretty hard.

Really, it’s good for us. Even if you’re lucky enough to not have to cut back, it’s probably good for your family too.

1. More time playing as a family at home.

Family game nights have long been a good idea. When you don’t have the money to spend on going to the movies or taking vacations, they’re a good way to still have some family fun.

Games can be active too. Tag, hide and seek and so forth don’t have to just be for the kids.

2. You find out just how great deals can be at thrift stores.

This has been gaining in popularity as more people realize that great clothes and other things are available for low prices through thrift stores.

This can also help if you have kids who are really into trendy clothes. You probably won’t get the most trendy stuff, but you can often find the right names at thrift stores. If you find clothes that are clearly barely worn or even still have their tags on them, it’s a lesson on how much people can waste just on wardrobe.

There’s no rule saying kids have to have the trendiest clothes, after all. That can be a painful lesson for some people, especially if all their friends are really trendy, but it’s a great lesson to learn.

3. Gardening is good for you.

Especially organic gardening. Once things are going, you can earn back your investment in fresh, better than from the grocery store produce. Plus you get exercise working in the garden.

Try to get the whole family involved. My kids have an absolute obsession with planting seeds, most of which don’t come up because they start forgetting to water them.

Besides, it’s fun telling kids that yes, they may snack off the tomato vines, beans or peas. Having kids beg for something healthy is great.

Plus you can give great lessons in sharing by having the kids give the excess to neighbors.

4. Doing it yourself encourages creativity.

Whether it’s sewing, knitting, home repair, cooking, making play dough or other such things, it’s good to know how to do it yourself. Making things builds an appreciation for them. Kids especially love the feeling of knowing that they made something by themselves.

For example, I’ve promised my daughter that I’ll teach her some basic sewing this year. Not the sewing with yarn kits that she has done with her grand mother, real sewing. She’s really excited by the notion, especially since we might just haul out the sewing machine once we’ve done some basic hand sewing. It doesn’t really save money compared to thrift store shopping, but for the pride of  “I made that!” it can’t be beat.

5. Simpler family outings can be a good thing.

Most of our family outings involve hiking, a wonderful free activity. It also helps to build an appreciation for nature. If you aren’t good at naming plants, try checking out a local nature guide from the library. You might be amazed at what grows wild in your area.

6. You can save a lot of money.

Some ways to cut back will cost extra at first, such as starting a garden, but in the long run should pay off.

It’s not always easy to cut back, but both financially and environmentally speaking it’s often a great choice. Keep in mind the differences between frugal, cheap and green, so that you can focus on which matters most to you.