Go Green

Go Green at Chicago’s Green Festival

Posted in Go Green, Go Play Inside | May 21, 2010

If you are interested in learning more about being green and green companies, check out the Chicago Green Festival this weekend.

In addition to the more than 350 green business attending, you’ll also enjoy great how-to workshops, a Fair Trade pavilion, a Green Home pavilion, an Organic Food and Gardening pavilion, a Community Action and Green Careers pavilion, a Sweet Spot Café, a Green Kid’s activities and delicious organic beer, wine and cuisine.

Green Kids Zone activities include crafts, sing along, animal show, yoga, storytime and more.

Where – Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.)
When – Sat., May 22 from 10am-7pm, Sun., May 23 from 11am-6pm
Cost – Adults $10, kids are FREE

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Go Green – Throw a “greener” birthday party!

Posted in Go Green | April 20, 2010

As part of my Go Green Series in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this Thursday, I decided to do some research on throwing a greener birthday party. Like all parents, I’ve hosed and attended a lot of birthday parties. Along with the cake, presents and fun comes a lot of trash. This got me thinking about how I could be a greener guest and a greener host. I did some research online, and following are the best tips I found. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this topic too.

Be a Greener Guest:

Gift Wrap – Wrap your present in a reuseable cloth gift bag. Check out Lucky Crow and Reusableablebags.com.
Gift Wrap – Another less expensive option is to wrap your gift in a regular reusable bag. Most stores, including Toys R Us, sell reusable bags for about a dollar. Many of them have kid friendly designs, and for only about a buck they are cheaper than a traditional gift bag. No only that, but the receiver and use it again. Check out Toys R Us’s selection for $1.49 and the dollar section at Target.. I found small butterfly cloth bags in the dollar section yesterday.
Present – Bring a green toy. A number of Chicago retailers carry a great selection of eco-friendly toys including Green Genes (5111 N. Clark), Building Blocks (3306 N. Lincoln Ave. & 2130 W.Division), Bullfrogs & Butterflies (2124 W. Division), Timeless Toys (4749 N. Lincoln Ave.), and Little Green Baby (4654 N. Rockwell St.). Mightynest.com is locally owned and also carries a great selection. Don’t forget to think out of the box too. I have given stainless steel water bottles a few times this year. They are a great gift for the two year old crowd.
Present – Give an experiential birthday present. Chicago and the surround burbs have a plethora of activities to choose from. Give tickets to the movies, a gift certificate to go bowling or even a gift certificate to Make-a-Messterpiece or one of the children’s museums in Chicago, Glenview or DuPage. Better yet, offer to take the child yourself. This way you are being green, and giving your friend or family member an afternoon off!
Present – Give a recycled gift. My sister gave me a great baby hiking backpack she bought on eBay for my baby shower. It was in perfect condition, and was within her budget. Craig’s List is also a great place to find gently used toys. Given the savings, you can often times afford to give something better and bigger than you could if you bought new.

Host a Green Party:

Invitations – One simple way to green your invitations is to use ones printed on recycle paper.
Invitations – Another more unique option is to use invitations that are actually seeds. Check out Of The Earth flower seed paper.
Invitations – Save time, money and paper by using an Evite.
Party Favors – Put your party favors in re-useable bags. A friend found small, child appropriate reusable bags in the dollar section at Target for her daughter’s favors.
Party Favors – Instead of small, plastic toys; give a book or take home craft. The dollar section at Target often times has books and a friend of mine found Curious George books on Overstock.com for $2 each. Joann Fabrics has a great selection of small, kid friendly crafts kits.
Supplies and decorations – Using re-useable dishes, utensils, napkins and table cloths is a green option, but if your need for convenience outweighs your desire to be green on this one, opt for eco-friendly paper goods. Check out Preserve Plateware and GreenPartyGoods.com.
Food – Avoid individual juice boxes and water bottles. Use pitchers and individual reusable glasses instead. Why not make stainless steel water bottles your favor, and then have the kids and adults use their favor during the party. You can get kid size stainless steel bottles at Old Navy for $5.
Trash – Have a large, well marked recycling bin at the party.

Resources – If you want more tips and resouces, here are a couple of the articles I read on this topic.

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Go Green – Resale Maternity & Kids Clothing Stores in Chicago

Posted in Go Green, Go Shop | April 15, 2010

Check out my other Go Green posts: Chicago Area Earth Day Celebrations, Where to buy used children’s’ books and Do you want to be greener on the go?

As part of my Go Green series, I did a bit of research on resale shops that sell maternity and kids clothes. Not only can you find some high-end designer kids clothes for a fraction of the cost (I found 2T Lucky Jeans for less than $10), you can also make a buck or two selling your old maternity and kids clothes.

I recommend calling the stores prior to brining in any clothes you hope to sell. They usually purchase clothes by season, and sometimes are only excepting specific sizes. If you plan to sell them furniture or gear (strollers, etc.), I recommend checking Craig’s List first to ensure you are not getting significantly less than you could sell them for privately.

Many of the stores also keep lists of wanted items. For example, I was looking for a Maclaren umbrealla stroller last summer. Once Upon A Child took my name and number, and called me about a month later when one came in.

I wanted to provide a complete listing of Chicago resale shops, so I utilized the descriptions from their websites for the stores I have not visited.

Kids Clothes

The Second Child (954 W. Armitage Ave.) - Second Child is an upscale children’s and maternity wear resale boutique. They regularly have designer children’s clothes by Oilily, Jacadi, Cakewalk, Lilly Pulitzer, and Baby Lulu. I’ve visited this boutique a couple of times, and found some really cute stuff for my girls. They also carry some baby gear.
Pish Posh (3950 N. Southport Ave.) – Pish Posh carries certified pre-owned children’s clothing and accessories. If you are looking for something special or if you have something special you would like to consign, you’ve found the right place.
Jordan’s Closet (106 E. 51st St.) - Jordan’s Closets is a resale boutique that caters to little girls newborn to size 16. They carry lovingly cared for clothing, accessories, shoes, and outerwear. Their clothing is freshly laundered and carefully inspected to insure to that they are free from stains rips or excessive fading. They offer brand name clothing such as Carter’s, Osh Kosh B’Gosh, The Children’s Place, Guess, Little Me, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger just to name a few.
All New To Me (4546 N. Western Ave.) – This store recently opened in the old Thrifty Baby location. I have not visited it yet, but have read some favorable reviews. They do not have a website, so I could not include a description.
Once Upon A Child (7246 W. Foster Ave., plus multiple suburban locations) -They buy and sell gently used clothes, furniture, equipment and more. Once Upon A Child carries all of the fashionable brands-new and gently used Tyco, Baby Gap, Graco and more. I have sold and purchased clothes at this location. I’ve found some great deals on clothes (Lucky Jeans, Ralph Lauren dress, gap shirt, etc.), but was disappointed with what they offered me for an umbrella stroller I was selling.
My Sister’s Closet (5413 W. Devon Ave.) -My Sister’s Closet carries women’s, some men’s, children’s and a small selection of maternity clothes. They also carry books, toys and shoes.

Maternity

The Second Child (954 W. Armitage Ave.) - Second Child is an upscale children’s and maternity wear resale boutique. Their inventory of maternity clothing is carefully selected to ensure that the styles are current and the condition is excellent. You’ll find everything from casual to business to black tie apparel. Inventory can include Citizens for Humanity, Michael Stars, Japanese Weekend, 3dot and Mimi.
McShane’s Exchange (815 W. Armitage Ave.) - Since 1988, McShane’s Exchange has set the stage with their premier shops in Lincoln Park. “If You Can’t Afford Your Own Designer Wardrobe, Buy Someone Else’s.” There’s a certain sophistication that comes with a $1,800 Armani Jacket. But if you can’t (or simply won’t) part with that kind of money, McShane’s is the boutique you’re looking for.
My Sister’s Closet (5413 W. Devon Ave.) -My Sister’s Closet carries women’s, some men’s, children’s and a small selection of maternity clothes. They also carry books, toys and shoes.

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Go Green – Chicago Area Earth Day Activities!

Posted in Go Green, Holiday/Seasonal | April 14, 2010

As part of my Go Green series in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, I’ve compiled a list of family friendly Earth Day events happening around Chicago this month. Like all special events and holidays, there is no shortage of fun things to do with your kids to help celebrate the Earth and inspire them to preserve it. I’ve listed events by date and then by cost (FREE first). I also listed some further afield activities that looked like they would be worth the drive.

Check out my other Go Green posts, Where to buy used Children’s books in Chicago and Do you want to be “greener” on the go?

Earth Day in the Parks – Celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up our parks and learning more about our planet and its resources. Join in with a couple hundred volunteers to celebrate Earth Day at various park locations throughout the city.

Where – More than 75 parks and preserves. Click here for a complete list.
When – Saturday, April 17 from 9am-noon
Cost – FREE

Irish American Heritage Center’s Green Family Festival – The festival will feature experts, celebrity chefs, demonstrations and exhibitors all focused on the importance of raising children in a balanced, holistic way. The day will be filled with entertainment, live music, family activities and food.

Where – Irish American Heritage Center (4626 N. Knox)
When – April 17 10am-6pm and April 18 10am-5pm
Cost – FREE

Eco Expo/Earth Day Celebration - Want to make your life a little greener? Want your family to learn more about recycling, energy efficiency and organic foods? Join ChicaGO Green at Lincoln Park Zoo to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. This free event will feature fun activities for kids and information for everyone about carbon footprints and solar power.

Where – Lincoln Park Zoo (2200 N. Cannon Dr.)
When – April 17 & 18 at 10am – 5pm
Cost - FREE

Celebrate the Earth with Lakeshore Learning Store – Hands-on activities, crafts and plant our own flower seed. Plus, buy one get one at 50% off sale.

Where – Lakeshore Learning Store (2255 W. 95th St.)
When – April 17 from 11am-3pm
Cost – FREE

North Lake Shore Community Earth Day 2010 - Join in the various workshops, presentations and panels and hear about neighborhood food policy, making stock from vegetable scraps, making your own baby food, and learning the basics of edible landscaping. Children will have fun as they learn about seed planting, nature’s creatures, eating organic, yoga, collaging and composting and a full day of additional activities at State Representative Harry Osterman’s Kid’s Corner.

Where – Layola University, Quinlan Life Science Building (1050 W. Sheridan Rd.)
When – April 17 from 9am-4:30pm
Cost – FREE

Lurie Garden Family Workshop: Re-Purpose Planters – Learn how to turn a Ziploc bag, pop bottle and newspaper into a fun and functional planter. Then add seeds to make your own home garden.

Where – Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.)
When – April 17 from 2-4pm
Cost – FREE, Advance registration required.

Super Family Earth Day Dance Party at Eugene Park - Bring your kids under five for music, Earth Day-themed crafts and exhibits, and face painting.

Where – Eugene Field Park Field-house (5100 N. Ridgeway)
When – April 17 from 3-4:30pm
Cost – $5 per family

Celebrate Earth Day with Miss Candy at Walker Library – Join our Earth Day celebration with folksinger Candy Heitner. Families with young children will have fun singing and playing interactive musical games about our earth and how we care for it. All participants will make a colorful rainbow while sharing with each other the things they love about our earth.

Where – Walker Library (11071 S. Hoyne Ave.)
When – April 20 at 6:30pm
Cost – FREE, call to register – 312.747.1920

Celebrate Earth Day at The Beverly Library - Earth Day stories and activities

Where – Beverly Library (1962 W. 95th St.)
When – April 21 from 3:30-4:30pm
Cost – FREE

Earth Day, Our Way – Children’s Potting Workshop – Let kids get their hands dirty while having some good, clean fun. They’ll help spread the gardening bug to your budding botanist!

Where – Anthropologie (3532 N. Southport Ave.)
When – April 22 from 10am-12pm
Cost – FREE, reservations suggested 773.935.2693

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day at Chicago Lawn Library – Listen to stories and songs about the Earth. Each child will start their own plant to take home.

Where – Chicago Lawn Library (6120 S. Kedzie Ave.)
When – April 22 from 6-7pm
Cost – FREE, to register call 312-747-0639

Celebrate Earth Day with Miss Candy at Mount Greenwood Library - Join our Earth Day celebration with folksinger Candy Heitner. Families with young children will have fun singing and playing interactive musical games about our earth and how we care for it. All participants will make a colorful rainbow while sharing with each other the things they love about our earth.

Where – Mount Greenwood Library (11010 S. Kedzie Ave.)
When – April 22 at 3:30pm
Cost – FREE, call the library to register

Kids in Action: Earth Day, Every Day – With this “Kids in Action” interactive program, you can celebrate Earth Day 2010 with Sue Black, Queen of Green Tales, and learn to teach Melbourne and others how to share and make this Earth a better place for everyone every day. For children ages 4 to 10 years old.

When – Harold Washington Library Center Children’s Program Room (400 S. State St.)
When – April 22 at 11am
Cost – FREE

Earth Day Celebration at Pottery Barn – Earth-friendly giveaways, activities and storytime througout the day.

Where – Pottery Barn Kids (2111 N. Clybourn Ave.)
When – April 22 at 11am and 3pm
Cost – FREE

Celebrate Earth Day at the Notebaert Nature Museum

Where – Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon Dr.)
When – April 22 from 9am-4:30pm
Cost – Free with admission (adults $9, children $6, under 3 free)

Green Sprouts Earth Day Family Workshop – Bring your toddler for this hands-on green workshop for both baby and parent. While your toddler enjoys story time with local author, Jennifer Murphy, join the other parents for an informative workshop on making natural body products for your baby, lead by local green expert Eleanor Riley.

Where – Greenheart Shop (1911 W. Division)
When – April 22 from 10-11am
Cost – $15 per parent, RSVP at info@greenheartshop.org or call 312-264-1625.

Green & Growing Fair – Kick off the growing season, and celebrate Earth Day, at the 18th Annual Green & Growing Fair at the Garfield Park Conservatory. This urban gardening fair plunges into spring by hosting a variety of vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and family activities to get your rusty green thumb up and running. Family take-home planting activities, such as rot pot seed starting activities, and grow a pizza garden! Live music in the Green Cafe.

Where – Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.)
When – April 24 from 10am-3pm
Cost – FREE

Chicago 5K for Earth Day/Green Living Expo – Family friendly 5k run/walk, the race will culminate at the Humboldt Park boat house with a free Green Living Expo. All runners, walkers, and their families are envited to the green living expo and farmers market steps from the finish line. The expo will include various health and environmental organizations as well as local farmers with organic produce.

Where – Humbolt Park Boat House (14oo N. Sacramento)
When – April 24 at 8am
Cost – $35 adult, $20 youth, kids under 10 are FREE

Earth Day Story Time at REI - Join REI and guest Author Helen Foster James for a wonderful eco-conscious story time to celebrate earth week! Event is located upstairs on our second floor. A big tent will be set up for the kids to play in!

Where – REI (1466 N. Halstead St.)
When – April 25 from 1-2:15pm
Cost – FREE

FURTHER AFIELD

Celebrate the Earth with McHenry County Conservation District -Event includes special performance by Green E , the environmental Elvis; Square Drum Circle and Off Square Music. Your family can also enjoy a guided nature hike, puppet show, games and crafts.

Where – Prairieview Education Center (18140 US Highway 14, Woodstock)
When – April 17 from 11am-4pm
Cost - FREE

Heritage Prairie Farm Earth Day Dinner - Earth Dinner is a new way for family and friends to come together to appreciate the remarkable role food plays in our lives, in our family histories, and on our planet. Heritage Prairie Farm’s Earth Day Farm Dinner is intended to connect people to the earth, their food, and each other. Bring the kids! We will be offering free babysitting in the farmhouse. Kids can watch a movie, play games & have a kid-friendly dinner!

Where – Heritage Prairie Farm (2N308 Brundige Rd., Elburn)
When – April 23 at 6pm
Cost – $65 per person and can be purchased online, or call 630-443-8253.

Olmstead Nature Shack Earth Day Celebration - Connect with nature at this wonderful and wild event. Camp under the stars, catch and release fish, frogs and insects, climb a tree, plant a flower, play in the mud. There will be cold blooded reptiles to see and touch. Dress for a mess. You have had a good time if you come home dirty.

Where - Olmstead Nature Shack (920 Cypress Lane, Elk Grove)
When – April 24 from 1-4pm
Cost - FREE

Morton Arboretum Earth Day Necklaces & Substainable with Style - Celebrate Earth Day by making a mini greenhouse inside a necklace and get ideas on how to live a green lifestyle with a showcase of eco-friendly products and services, from landscape architecture to eco-fashion to cleaning products. Event also includes free garden lectures from local vendors.

Where – Morton Arboretum 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle (Necklaces -Children’s Garden, boutique Visitor Center)
When – April 24 & 25 from 11am-4pm
Cost – Free with admission (adults $11, kids $8, under two FREE)

Party for the Planet featuring the ChicaGO Green Expo - The Chicago Zoological Society’s mission is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature, and what better way to do this than at Brookfield Zoo’s Earth Day extravaganza! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the event will have everyone thinking “green” with Earth-themed activities.

Where – Brookfield Zoo (8400 31st St., Brookfield)
When – May 1 & 2 10am-5pm
Cost – Zoo Admission (Adults $13.50, Children $9.50, parking $9)

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Go Green – Where to buy used Children’s books in Chicago

Posted in Go Green, Go Shop | April 7, 2010

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22nd, I thought I would expand on my blog post “Do you want to be greener On The Go?“ by creating a series of articles on how to be a bit greener. As I mentioned in my previous post, I would by no means consider my household to be “green,” but I am committed to making incremental changes in my lifestyle to reduce my “Shaq” size green foot print to something I am less embarrassed by and could actually stand “in” proudly!

First on my list is used books! Used books are not only a lot greener, but they are also a lot cheaper! Like most children, my kids LOVE books. To my chagrin, they tend to like to read the same books over and over again. In an attempt to maintain some level of sanity, I try to introduce a new book to the rotation as often as possible.

We love our local Chicago Public Library branch, but have found that my one and two year old are just a bit too hard on books for me to borrow them in good conscience! This led me to do some research on used bookstores. To my surprise, a number of the Chicago area used bookstores carry children’s books.

Following is a list of Chicago area used bookstores that have a substantial number of children’s books (more than a couple shelves):

Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that operates an extraordinary bookstore, provides community programs, and mobilizes passionate volunteers to promote literacy in Chicago and beyond. They have a huge selection of children’s books (over 10,000 at the moment). Plus, the money raised from selling books goes towards their literacy programs.

Location – 213 W. Institute Pl.
Phone – 312.475.1355
Neighborhood – Near North Side
Events – weekly storytime, monthly puppet show and craft nights

Ravenswood Used Books is a full service used book store with thousands of fine titles packed into an intimate space. They carry books in nearly every category, including children’s. They buy or trade for store credit.

Location – 4626 N. Lincoln Ave.
Phone – 773.593.9166
Neighborhood – Ravenswood/Lincoln Square

Myopic Books is one of Chicago’s oldest and largest used bookstores. They have three floors full of books, an amount totaling over 80,000 editions. They carry sections such as fiction, art, architecture, music, film, philosophy, science, religion, psychology, literary criticism, mythology, children’s, cooking, sci-fi, biography and local history/interest… and many more.

Location – 1564 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Phone – 773.862.4882
Neighborhood – Wicker Park

After-Words has shelves upon shelves stocked with current fiction and nonfiction; as well as used books at a substantial discount. The store searches for obscure and out-of-print books upon request and buys used books from customers, offering cash or store credit in exchange.

Location – 23 E. Illinois St.
Phone – 312.464.1110
Neighborhood – Near North Side

Booklegger’s Used Books has over 10,000 used books in stock on all subjects (including children’s), plus CDs, cassettes, books on cassette and videos.

Location – 2907 N. Broadway St.
Phone – 773.404.8780
Neighborhood – Lakeview

Bookworks offers quality, hardbacks & paperbacks (including children’s books), select new titles and out of print and rare books. Hard to locate and antiquarian items always part of our extensive stock. They also sell used and rare records and CDs with a selection especially strong in jazz, blues and classical music. Other unusual offerings include vintage paperbacks, old paper items and antique photographs.

Location – 3444 N. Clark St.
Phone – 773.871.5318
Neighborhood – Lakeview

Powell’s Bookstore specializes in quality used, rare, and discounted books, primarily academic and scholarly. They are particularly strong in medieval studies and classics, philosophy and books on books, but they also carry many other subjects including children’s books.

Location – 1501 E. 57th St.
Phone – 773.955.7780
Neighborhood – Hyde Park

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Do you want to be greener on the go?

Posted in Go Green, Go Shop, Tips & Cool Finds | March 12, 2010

Like most new parents, my green footprint significantly increased when I had children. I think significantly increased is putting it mildly. It was something like going from a size 9 shoe to Shaquille O’Neal’s size 23!

Unfortunately, my desire to be green competes with my need for convenience. I have resigned myself to making small incremental lifestyle changes in the hope that over time I can significantly reduce my family’s footprint.

It was amazing to me the amount of trash I was generating on my average outing with the girls. Between Ziploc bags (several a day), shopping bags and water bottles I felt like I was emptying out half my diaper bag into the trash when we got home.

So this year I am focusing my efforts on being greener On The Go!

I am sure most of you have already switched to re-useable grocery bags and stainless steel water bottles, but following are a few tips on other small changes you can make to be greener on the go.

Say goodbye to Ziplocs and hello to re-useable bags - I was using Ziploc bags for snacks, sandwiches and often times I put all my little Ziplocs in one big gallon size bag. I’ve tried out a number of different re-useable bags and like different ones for different uses. All of them are washable, BPA free and relatively affordable (especially when you consider the price of Ziplocs and how fast we went through them).

Snack Taxi – This product was showcased on Oprah, and is among the most popular re-useable snack/sandwich options. I also recently had the good fortune of meeting one of the owners (Chicagoan) of MightyNest.com – a website dedicated to helping parents research and purchase non-toxic alternatives for a safe and healthy home. They too highly recommend the Snack Taxi as a Ziploc alternative. I’ve tried out both the sandwich and snack size, but prefer this product for sandwiches. My two year old has a hard time opening and holding the snack size. The sandwich size works great and really washes up easily. Even sticky PB&J wipes right off. The Snack Taxi was the most durable of all the re-useable bags I tested.
Fresh Snack Pack – These bags look more like a traditional Ziploc, but are BPA free and re-useable. The sandwich size unfolds to create a little placemat too, which can be handy. Like the Snack Taxi, my two year old has a hard time opening and holding the snack size bag, but we love the sandwich size bag. It is surprisingly durable and REALLY easy to clean.
FoodStuffs Reusable Snack Package – These bags have a velcro closure that is easy for my two year old to operate. They are also bigger on the bottom, so they sit on the table nicely and hold A LOT. This bag was the easiest for my two year old to operate. I currently have the owner of this store sewing me a gallon size bag. In all of my online research, I have yet to find a large re-usable bag to replace gallon size Ziplocs. I’ll let you know what I think once I receive it.
Kids Konserve Sandwich Bag – This product is also available at MightyNest, and works great for sandwiches. I love that it turns into a placemat too. Like the others, it washes up easily and seems pretty durable.
Snack Trap – They now offer BPA free Snack Traps. Like all moms I know, I could not live without this product. They don’t completely eliminate the mess, but they sure do cut down on the number of flying Cheerios coming from my stroller. One more tip, they make lids for Snack Traps. I might be the only one, but I was unaware of the lids for the first year I used them. Why oh why do they sell them separately?

Lunch Bags/Lunch Boxes - Did you know that during a school year, one child creates an average of 67 pounds of lunch waste? (Environmental Protection Agency). Since my kids don’t go to school yet, I asked my friends at MightyNest for a recommendation. They love the Kids Konserve Waste-Free Lunch Set.

Re-useable Shopping Bags - As mentioned above, I am sure most of you have seen, if not switched to, re-useable shopping bags for your groceries. I have made a concerted effort to not only use re-useable bags when I go grocery shopping but for all types of shopping. I found the biggest obstacle to using re-useable bags at the pharmacy, convenience store or mall was that I never seemed to have them with me or the right size. I now have two re-usable shopping bags in my purse (the kind that roll-up and snap into a little ball), two in my stroller and one in my diaper bag. I also have two large plastic shopping bags (similar to the paper ones you receive from a department store) in my car. They only cost $3.99 at the Container Store, and fold up pretty small. I now bring them with me when I go shopping, and have not used a bag from a clothing or shoe store all year.

I by no means consider my self to be “green”, but I do feel like I can make little changes in my life to help shrink my “Shaq” size foot print into something a little more reasonable. Let me know what your family is doing to be greener. I would love some new ideas!

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On The Go Chicago

A mom and two kids on the go in Chicago!

Go Green

Go Green at Chicago’s Green Festival

Go Green – Throw a “greener” birthday party!

Go Green – Resale Maternity & Kids Clothing Stores in Chicago

Go Green – Chicago Area Earth Day Activities!

Go Green – Where to buy used Children’s books in Chicago

Do you want to be greener on the go?

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