Bzz Bags - BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag)

New Product

2011-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Still seeing lots of people at the Saturday Market in Eugene every week, just haven't been taking pictures. Seems to be wet every Saturday - ah, but the weatherman says sun next week. So ready for it. Even with the rain, we had a visitor stop buy to get a set for her Mom in California. Mom liked them so much that she ordered a set for her Mother and Mother-in-law. Nice to see that happen.

Meanwhile, Beth keeps finding fun fabrics and making new sets. Here's a picture of one of the new ones and we should have the website updated with them and others this week.

Hope to see you this coming weekend to check out our new Bag-bag sets (like above with a tote and 6 produce/bulk food bags) and our Six Bag Sets.

Saturday Market - 4/2/11

2011-04-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Just missed April Fool's for our first day of market for 2011. But, no fooling, it was a great day for sure. So nice to see everyone again. We didn't even get washed away so early in the season. Had some rain, but mostly sun and fun.

Our granddaughter, Lil was on hand and had fun petting and holding a bunny. Just one of the tons of things going on. I think her favorite thing was scoping out the bags that her grandma makes and sells at the market, but that's just my perspective (might be wrong). She ended up taking home a pet skunk - not a real one though - a little stuffed animal. Cute and doesn't smell as much - easier to take care of.

Hey, there's something for everyone, plenty for the kids to do and see. Good food, good people, good grief, come on down. See ya this Saturday, yes? And hey, if you forget to bring your own bag, just stop by and see Bzz Bags, we can help out with that one.

Here Comes the First Saturday Market 2011

2011-03-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Been a while and excited to get back on that horse again! Saturday Market in Eugene 2011 here we come. It appears that Bzz Bags will be in the same location we typically have been (South Park near the bottom left of the map. It will be great to see some old friends and make some new ones too.

As is normal for this time of year, the weather may come into play, but so far the weekend is looking to be warmer than we've seen this year. I know people are certainly ready to be able to be out doors and the market downtown is as good a reason as any to get out and enjoy whatever Mother Nature has in store. We'll be there, rain or shine, so come see what new items we have to share.

Beth has been a busy bee getting ready. Lots of new fun fabrics and some new ideas and designs. I'm sure she'll be happy to share some pictures of the new season after Saturday, but you should all come out and enjoy it first hand.

See you there and we'll work on saving the planet together.

New Year and Resolute

2011-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

We're not really into making New Years resolutions, but I think being resolute concerning our environment and how we impact it is important and very doable. Our family continues to use our reusable cotton bags and discover new ways to avoid using things that will stay in the landfill for years to come. We've even started to use our own bags when we go to Subway to grab a sandwich. It's all little steps, but little steps make for longer journeys and that's what we're talking about here.

About a year ago, we reduced the size of our city trash bin to the smallest they have and typically we now fill up only half of it, if that! A lot of it is simply thinking before just letting our habits take over. Do we really need a container to carry this stuff we just acquired? If we do, can we provide one with what we already have? Can we compost or recycle instead of throwing in the trash? Can this "throw away" item be used by someone else? Tons of different ways to keep from adding to the landfill - as much.

So our personal challenge for ourselves is to reduce even more. Turn it into a game. Create great new habits. Care to join in?

So maybe more of this -

Instead of this.

I know we can do it - share your ideas and look around for what others are doing. And remember to Bring Your Own Bag to the store, it's an easy place to start.

So if you've got any ideas you want to share here, feel free to comment or put it in your own blog or mention it to someone, just take a step in the right direction. You know, it feels kinda good to make that sort of change - one you know is right to do.

Like we said, make a game of it. Have fun with it. See ya.

Holiday Market First Day - 2010

2010-11-21T08:22:00.001-08:00

The first day of Holiday Market at the Eugene Fairgrounds has officially come and gone. It was filled with vendors and artisans from one end of the building to the other. Lots of music playing and people meandering through the isles on their way to Grandmother's house they go, no doubt.

. . . And, on their way to Grandma's house, should they decide to pick up some groceries ('cause Grandma's on a fixed income), they should stop by and get some reusable cotton bags. Grandma would be so impressed. Not only that they brought some food to share, but that they were so environmentally aware - Grandma's spry, she gets it.

Hope to see you there over the next few weeks.

More Prep for Holiday Market 2010

2010-11-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

We spent some time putting up posters in Cottage Grove for the 2010 Holiday Market coming up in a couple weeks. We'd like to thank all the local business that allowed us to use their window space, etc. One in particular is InColor Gallery & Design. This shop has local artisans on display and certainly worth a stop by on 6th Street when your in town. Thanks Laura.

We'd love to see you stop by our last Saturday Market of the year this coming Saturday. We'll be there rain or shine, then off to the Holiday Market the following weekend. Check out our previous posts for our schedule. We've got some new products and will be decked out for the holiday season along with a ton of other vendors with great stuff to peruse for holiday gifts (or heck, even stuff for yourself).

As always, remember to Bring Your Own Bags to the market. We're off to our local market today and have our bags with us. See ya soon.

Saturday Market - 10/29/10

2010-10-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's starting to wind down toward the end of the 2010 season at the Eugene Saturday Market, but that just means we're winding up to the Holiday Market. Then a chance to catch our collective breath and get ready for 2011 - hard to believe.

It was pre-Halloween fun and scary times this past Saturday. We almost had to run and hide from this very, very scary witch who wandered by. But, we stood our ground.

We always seem to hear some interesting stories about our bags, like how they're being used or where they've traveled to with their new parents, stuff like that. But here was one we sure didn't see coming. Our friend and neighbor at the market, Heather, had purchased a set of bags for her vegetable (and other grocery) shopping. She decided to leave here tomatoes in a bag when she stored them in the fridge. While her husband, Rick, was looking for something in the refrigerator, he saw the bag and got a bit puzzled. He asked Heather why she had pajamas for the tomatoes. Just another reason to get some Bzz Bags. You wouldn't want your veggies to have to sleep naked - its cold in there.

Thanks for the story Heather. You can find Heather at the Saturday Market or online at a few places - earnestefforts.com or earnesteffortsnaturalwoodworking.blogspot.com and also on etsy at earnestefforts.etsy.com. Great crafted wood stuff. We had to get one for a present recently.

Remember to bring your bags to the market everyone - BYOB.

Holiday Bags Preview

2010-10-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

We're not putting these on the website for this season, but want to get some feedback at the Holiday Market in Eugene and see what happens. Here's a picture (by popular demand) of 3 of the bags we're going to introduce. The two on the left are gift bags and the taller one on the right is designed for a wine bottle, but we won't tell if you use them for something different.

I think the paper wrapping industry should be shaking in their paper rolls! Talk about easy to wrap - pull the drawstrings (we suggest putting the gift in first though) and stick a tag on it. Bet you could use these bags over for the rest of your lifetime if you wanted, but you'd have to get them back from your "giftee" to use them again - or, maybe they'll use them back to gift back to you the next year and they can travel back and forth as long as you keep liking each other enough to keep giving gifts - that would be your part. We'll be happy to just keep making bags and making sure their available to you.

If you can't make it to the market this year, just drop us an email and we can talk some turkey, but again, we'll keep these off of the website this season.

A reminder of where we'll be this season - we've decided to be there over 3 weekends for a total of 7 days. For two of the weekends we'll be right at the main entrance, easy to find. Our last weekend will be in the Holiday Hall.

Our dates at the Holiday Market are:

November 20 & 21

November 26, 27 & 28

December 18 & 19

Dang, a new way to Bring Your Own Bag - way cool.

Saturday Market - 9/18/10

2010-09-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

It was a wet one this past Saturday at the Eugene Saturday Market, so it was nice to have our 10 x 10 space with built-in protection from the elements. If you live in Oregon and don't go out in the rain, you must be living in the wrong place. That being said, we had quite a few people who are living in the right place and many came by and visited, shopped and browsed. Thanks to all.

We continue to get ready for the upcoming Holiday Market, making cotton gift bags, wine bottle bags and other fun holiday things to add to the current shopping bag collection. Should be fun and make available something unique for those visiting the Holiday Market this year.

We look forward to seeing you at both Markets by the end of the year. Remember to take your own reusable shopping bags when you do your weekly grocery shopping. Visit us at the market or online or make your own, just BYOB. So far, this is the only planet available to us, so let's keep it for a long, long time.

Saturday Market - 9/4/10

2010-09-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Great day to be out and about in Eugene on Saturday - as long as you missed the Ducks' Autzen Stadium traffic at game time. Crazy this time of year, but there're lots of other ways to get to where you want to go.

We keep gaining our customer base each Saturday and are so excited to see people going green in ways they didn't know they could before. Thanks to those who came by, considered and of course to those who spent a little green to be green.

By the way, when we went to the grocery store this weekend, the check insisted on weighing a bag and not including that in the weight of the products we were buying. You know, they weigh so little (about a quarter of an ounce) that we hate to see them go to the trouble, but as she explained, she's very into using less plastic and loves to see these come through the checkout. It's great to get the support and see people on board. Thanks Safeway lady.

We're working on our special Holiday Market products which will include wine bottle bags, gift bags and maybe some other surprises to add to our produce, bulk food and tote bags that we normally carry. I can hear Beth's Bernina working hard as I write this for her. She's all over it showing her dedication to improving how we treat our planet.

See next Saturday and/or at the Holiday Market. Hey, don't forget to check us out on our website too.

Saturday Market - 8/28/10

2010-08-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Lots of people this past weekend for a combination of the Saturday Market and the Eugene Celebration and parade . . . and yes, the characters were out. Here's a quick pic from the parade.

Just a reminder that we will be at the Holiday Market this year. See our last post for details of dates, etc.

Enjoy your week while you save up your dollars for more Bzz Bags next Saturday at the market. We'll see ya'll there.

Holiday Market Preview - 2010

2010-08-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Wanted to let everyone know that Bzz Bags will be at the Eugene Holiday Market this year. We've decided to be there over 3 weekends for a total of 7 days. For two of the weekends we'll be right at the main entrance, very cool. Our last weekend will be in the Holiday Hall. So, make sure to come by and say "hi" to us.

Our dates at the Holiday Market are:

November 20 & 21

November 26, 27 & 28

December 18 & 19

We are planning some different products like gift bags, wine bottle bags, jewelry bags. We'll be sharing a space with Kaige Walker who will offer jewelry and capes. Of course, we'll have plenty of our produce & bulk food bag sets, single bags as well as tote bag sets (bag-bags).

The Saturday Market this past weekend was great again, with perfect weather for all the vendors. Thank you so much for showing interest in helping to save the planet. Our bags are, what we feel, simply one piece to a huge puzzle. Do what you can and don't miss an opportunity to leave our Mother Earth better than how we entered into the mix. What a great gift we can give to our children and grandchildren and on and on. So - BYOB every week.

Saturday Market - 8/7/10

2010-08-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just a tad on the warm side. Even though I said I wouldn't do a stand-in for the weather person anymore, it was hard to avoid the fact that (did I mention) it was warm. The Saturday Market area was probably a few degrees cooler than some other hot spots, so we are thankful for that. Still, lots of people came out to enjoy the company and hand-made products created by local vendors.

Always something new, even though we didn't get a picture this time, sinks made out of stone? Way cool, and you'll have to come in next week to find the vendor. And while you're here, you might as well stop by and see what new bag sets we've come up with for the week. Hey, you gotta have something to put your stuff in, right? Might as well be 100% cotton and reusable. Check them out at BzzBags.com.

Here's one we're working on this week - still in progress, pins and all. Be the first on your block to "bag" this baby. See you at the market next Saturday. Remember BYOB earth fans.

Saturday Market - 7/31/2010

2010-08-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Already the last day of July, just can't believe it. What a beautiful day to finish off a great month at the Eugene Saturday Market. We had a lot of family stop by again and toured the vendors for fresh fruit, veggies, cool frozen fruit bars and, of course balloon creatures. Fun was had by all.

If you're one of the many who stopped by our booth to say hi and talk about saving the planet, thank you so much. We had lots of interest and some good discussions and I really think that is what will help us to turn the tide and help people to pay attention to what they can do to keep Mother Earth happy.

We're starting to get ready for the upcoming (not all that far away) Holiday Market and some new bag products to try out and see what ya'll think. Of course, we always consider special orders and this past weekend we had a few interesting ones that we will do our best to accommodate.

Hope everyone has a great stay-cool week and we'll see you next Saturday. Hey, did you take your reusable bags to the store this week? BYOB - cool, thanks.

Saturday Market - 7/17/10

2010-07-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous summer day in Eugene for the Saturday Market this past weekend. Lots of foot traffic and people enjoying the weather, the products and the entertainment that floods the market. We were excited to have some of our bags travel with their new families to other parts of the United States. Check them out if you head to Connecticut, I'm sure they are out shopping with their adopted family. We've also had some venture to Canada, South Carolina, New York (apple bags in the Big Apple???), California, Colorado. I guess with Canada, that makes us international. Thanks Saturday Market for the exposure.

We had a ton of family at the market this time, with an age range of about 60 years. Never too young or too old. So, come on down next weekend and have some fun in the sun. We'll "bee" there and lots of diverse products all around. Remember to BYOB when you go to the store this week. Use ours or whatever you've already got. What an easy way to make a positive impact on Mother Earth. She needs our help.

Saturday Market - 6/3/2010

2010-07-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend to be in Eugene with lots of activities including the market. Just a ton of people in and out of the Saturday Market, likely on their way to or from events around town. We even had the King and Queen stop by forgoing what I can only assume is their usual entourage, they stopped long enough for a quick photo op and to praise our collection of bags.

I think they might have seen our bags before online but not positive about that. Anyway, so good of them to stop by. See, you never know what you'll find at the Saturday Market, so you'd better make it next weekend.

We're dabbling with putting some products on etsy, so if that's a more comfortable place to shop, please check it out. It's still in process and pretty crude beginnings right now (making the formatting fit, etc.), but what the heck.

Did you take your bags to the store with you this week? If not, leave yourself a note and make it part of your shopping list. BYOB people. See ya next time.

Saturday Market - 6/26/2010

2010-06-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Lots of the community showed up to the market this weekend. Even saw most of our local family there to shop and get some locally grown produce. Nice to chat and help them find some good food and support the community. We had a lot of interest in our single bags - great for someone who just wants to spend a few bucks and start creating their repertoire of eco-friendly shopping experience bags. We've got a bunch of different fun looking bags to choose from.

Check them out online on our website, then come and visit them in person next weekend. We'll be there waiting to visit and answer any questions you may have. The weather is slated to be another great one for being outdoors and of course, supported your local vendors doing there best to stimulate our economy, starting right here in the Eugene area.

So see you this next weekend and remember to Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) when you do your grocery shopping. It feels great to help save the planet any way you can - in our case, one bag at a time.

Saturday Market - 6/19/2010

2010-06-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who came to the market this past weekend. We had a new neighbor Saturday. She had tea of all kinds and we were able to sample all day. Caroline (The Tea Lady) was so kind to let us try and keep us hydrated.

Eaduard finally got a spot this week and looks like he has some new items to add to his hair sticks - he had some chop sticks. Very cool stuff. If you didn't stop by, make sure and be there next Saturday. Welcome to the world of the semi-permanent-maybe-will-be-there ground Eaduard.

We added single bags to our list of sellables this past weekend, so if you're in the market for just one bag instead of a whole set, we got 'em. We won't list those on the website, but it will just be a market thing, so stop by. As always, feel free to browse on the Bzz Bags website. You can buy there or just figure out what it is you want and stop in and see us at the market.

See you next blog, next market and/or online. Meanwhile, keep bringing your own bags to the store.

Saturday Market - 6/12/2010

2010-06-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Another packed Saturday Market in Eugene this past weekend. I'd like to think it was all Bzz Bags, but likely some of the other great vendors and a little help from Mother Nature and the track and field activity at the U of O all had some impact too.

We had some great feedback from people who have purchased our bags in the past. I heard one lady telling another that she uses them every week and the checkers love them. Ahh, incentive to carry on. We love hearing that sort of stuff and good to know our products have a positive impact on the environment.

As if we weren't relaxed enough, here are a couple Zen-type-relaxing thing we encountered this weekend. Ahhhh or Ohmmm.

So, relax, be one with nature, use reusable resources (Bzz Bags - hint) and enjoy what we have and what our following generations will also be able to have. Later bag fans.

Saturday Market - 6/5/2010

2010-06-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

Another fun-filled Eugene Saturday Market. We moved back to our "usual" spot along the south edge of the market this week and enjoyed the green grass in front of us and the great June weather.

We keep our product moving, so you'll have to stop by and see what we have from before and what we've added. Here's a cool print that we don't have on the website yet, but we'll have for next weekend's market. We've got it mixed with a nice deep green leafy looking material that we think makes a nice set.

Short and sweet this week. Come on by and see us and remember to BYOB when you go shopping. Its something easy we can all do to help save the planet. See ya.

Saturday Market - 5/29/2010

2010-05-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been the Saturday Market weather reporter lately, so this will be my attempt to ween myself off of that slippery slope. If you want to know, you'll just have to come on by on Saturday and be your own expert. But, since I'm weening, it wasn't cold and it wasn't wet. Now I feel complete.

We moved to a different, bigger location again this past weekend. I felt that we were kind of sandwiched in, so we'll move next time again. Always a trial and error process until we find a permanent home at some point. That said, we made some new friends and saw some "old" ones again. Nice to do some business with our friends from The Daily Bagel. Yummy good stuff there, you should check it out.

We were apparently camera shy this past Saturday so I'll just share something from the achieves and hope to see you next weekend or on our website. And remember, use reusable bags and bring them shopping with you - that's what they live for - BYOB. Later gator.

Saturday Market - 5/22/2010

2010-05-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

The season is buzzing by. I can't believe we're almost through with May. Next weekend should be interesting being Memorial Day weekend. This past Saturday at the Market was a little dryer than anticipated - really not bad at all. We set up Bzz Bags in a larger area than we usually do, to try it out. Had some new neighbors and it was fun meeting more folks.

This picture is from a couple weeks ago. Folks checking out clothing made by one of the vendors. Something for everyone, for sure.

I wanted to mention that our website has gotten a face lift of sorts. Come take a look and see what you think. We have a number of tote sets - we like to call them Bag-Bags - as well as updating our custom product fabric inventory divided out by types; animals, plant-life, designs and produce.

Enjoy wandering through our site. Make sure to come and wander by all the vendors next Saturday. Just to entice you, we'd love to give you $2 off on any of our bag sets. Just tell us that you saw us on our blog and remember this secret word for Saturday, May 29th - "BLUEBERRY" - shhhh. Don't tell anyone except for us when you stop by.

Remember to save a couple bucks next Saturday and especially remember to BYOB when you go to the store next time.

Saturday Market - 5/15/2010

2010-05-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday Market now dives into its 41st year with the birthday celebration taking place for the 40th last week. And to celebrate, the weather was magnificent. Lots of musicians out and about Saturday also, and here's picture-proof. Didn't catch their group's name, but it was some good bluegrass and we sure appreciated them playing in front of our little space.

Again, a great turnout to enjoy the day, the local made-products, good food and enjoyable people-watching.

We sold a few sets of Bzz Bags which always makes us feel great knowing that more and more people are using reusable, recyclable materials to do their shopping. We see a number of people that have purchased our bags in the past and sure makes us happy to hear that they are taking them to the store each week. Thanks everyone.

We've mentioned before that we make custom bags too. We have made some bags for a local bagel store, a market vendor for hair sticks and have had recent requests for a cell phone bag and one for party gifts, so there are lots of fun, inventive was to find uses. But for us, the most important is to use bags as a replacement for plastic. We've found, in our house that our overall use of plastic has been reduced by about 90%. Just think, if everyone did that . . . So, make your own, find someone online or buy ours, but please remember to BYOB to the store.

See ya next time.

Saturday Market - 5/8/2010

2010-05-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday Market was exceptional this past weekend. Best weather this year and the turnout was a direct reflection. All the vendor spots were filled and people just poured in. Great people, great entertainment - what a fun mix for a weekend. Here's a shot of a dancing fairy (not her, in her left hand) and face painting. Fun stuff for the kids.

We're getting a lot of requests this year for custom bags and we love making them for specific situations. We've done some for hair sticks, for bagels, we have some for coffee beans and of course many sets for your grocery shopping bulk food and produce, either in sets or individual if you prefer.

Come by and say "hi" next Saturday and/or stop by our website and see what we have. BzzBags.com (we pronounce it Bee's Bags, but call it whatever you want, just BYOB to the store). Help save our planet one bag at a time by using reusable cotton bags as an alternative to plastic in your daily adventures.

Saturday Market - 5/1/2010

2010-05-03T06:45:00.001-07:00

Almost blew away this weekend, but we held down the fort at the Saturday Market in Eugene. But it was a dry wind, thank you very much. Met a lot of people from out of town, many in for Sunday's Eugene Marathon. Great to see some of our bags and the message to reuse your shopping bags extend out of the valley.

Many vendors donated items for the raffle being held for Mother's Day next weekend, so make sure and be there and get something "free" for Mom. How cool is that?

Some come to the market this coming Saturday and remember to Bring Your Own Bags with you to throw in some great fresh local produce and artisan fun toys.

Eaduard is a vendor at the Saturday Market. He makes and sells some amazing looking hairsticks. He requested some custom bags from us and we obliged, so check them out along with his products. Here's a link to Eaduard's Etsy site online. Very cool and good luck Mr. E.

Saturday Market - 4/24/2010

2010-04-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Another good market day. I'd say fun in the sun, but dang, the wind made it a tad chilly today. Got a bit 'o rain too, yet still a number of hardy folks braved it all and we sure enjoyed seeing them.

One of the things I really enjoy is making new friends. The market has a lot of really great people showing their wares. Even if you don't want to buy anything, you should come out next weekend and enjoy the people. It really rejuvenates. Feels great.

Here's a picture from earlier in the season. Jammin' the Saturday Market.

We made a new partner through the market this past week. Srithip and her husband own The Daily Bagel in Eugene. She commissioned us to make some reusable cotton bags for her customers to carry home their bagels instead of using plastic bags. Great idea and we sure hope it works out well for so many reasons.

Till next time - and Bring Your Own Bags folks - we just happen to have some online.

Market - 4/17/2010

2010-04-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous day in Eugene this past Saturday and the Eugene Saturday Market had a ton of people taking it in. We seem to be creating more and more stir each week with our approach to helping save the planet, one bag at a time. As always it was great to see some old friends and new faces. We were not lacking in food, products or entertainment this weekend.

Now these fairies are just cute, no different way to slice it. But, if you stop by to purchase one of these from our neighboring vendor, make sure to stop in an a get a 100% cotton bag to carry it home in. Wouldn't want to get it dirty on the way home and hey, the bag is washable, so no problem.

As always, if you can't make it, let someone know about BzzBags.com where we have all sorts of great fun fabrics to choose from or even get some custom made. All hand made in the US. See ya next go-around and remember to BYOB - Bring Your Own Bag.

Day Two Market 2010

2010-04-11T08:18:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful day at the Eugene Saturday Market this past weekend. A little cool in the morning, but absolutely gorgeous as the day went on - and people came out in droves. Here's a shot of some the the day's entertainment with some very interested onlookers. How fun!

Great to see people flock to, and support local growers and craftspeople. Again lots to see, do, buy and eat. Great stuff. Come on out next weekend and we'll have more fun. Bring Your Own Bag and fill it up with vendors' items. Hey, forget your bag? Then stop by and see us first and get your reusable fun print bag for tons of different items. We have sets with totes too.

Did you visit us yet at BzzBags? See ya soon.

Day One Market 2010

2010-04-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

It finally arrived and it went fast. First Eugene Saturday Market is over. Sure want to thank everyone that braved the potential exciting weather. It really ended up being a pretty nice day with the exception of one downpour mid-afternoon which came equipped with wind. So we had it all; sun, rain, clouds, wind. Also had some great music traveling around so the senses were peaked for sure.

It was great to back in the saddle and see everyone again. No pictures this week, I didn't have an underwater camera and was afraid to risk mine for the event, but I'm assured we'll get some snaps next weekend.

Come on by and see us all next Saturday for day two and visit us at our website. Talk to ya'll soon.

First 2010 Saturday Market

2010-03-23T13:45:00.001-07:00

Just about ready to kick it off again for 2010. The Eugene Saturday Market starts as fresh as spring on Saturday, April 3rd. Be there or be equal on four sides (that's a square). We got some new sets of bags and ready to kick it out. Join us and the rest of the troops as we brave the unknown Eugene weather early in the season. Should be a ton of energy - lots to do, see and buy.
This is a fabric we just brought back from Maui, just for you. Come on by and we can make a custom set, just like you want. See ya on the 3rd and any Saturday after that you want to come by. Just check the market schedule.

Holiday Market - Eugene 2009

2009-12-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

Since finishing up the season in the Saturday Market in Eugene, Beth has been working on tote sets and getting ready to test the waters at the Holiday Market at the fairgrounds in Eugene. This will be our first appearance there and we've decided to be there for one weekend only, the last weekend before Christmas. Come on out and see us on either Saturday or Sunday the 19th and/or 20th. We'll be there from 9 AM to about 5 PM in the Farmer's Market section.

We'll have some holiday specials and certainly something different for those hard-to-buy people on your Christmas list. You can only get these babies from Bzz Bags, so find us online or see us at the Holiday Market in December. We'll keep a light on for you - wait, that one's been used. We'll keep a bag open for you - lame, but you get the idea.

Last Bzz Bags Saturday Market for 2009

2009-11-07T17:44:00.001-08:00

It's been a great first year for us at the Saturday Market in Eugene. We'd like to thank the team that coordinates the event and allowed us to be a part. We were unable to attend this weekend due to being a bit under the weather, so sorry if you came by. But remember to come visit the Bzz Bags website - because I know you'll miss us.

Beth is working on some new combinations of tote bags (we like to call them Bzz Bags' bags for bags - 4Bs) with coordinated bulk food and produce bags. The first tests look very cool and work well for sure. We'll get some pictures of them here and on the website soon, but for now, here's one under construction.

Just wanted to thank everyone who was motivated to either buy our product or make their own in an effort to help save our planet one bag at a time. Remember to BYOB every time you go to the store. After you've done it 6 or 7 times, it starts becoming routine and you'd feel like you were missing something if you didn't pack them up.

Halloween at Saturday Market

2009-11-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well if you think we folk at the Saturday Market in Eugene are weird, you should have been there on Halloween; yep even weirder if that is possible. What fun. In my attempt to do my "homework" by taking pictures, I can honestly say that my dog ate my homework.

Great strange story, but here is. About a year ago, with three dogs, two of them puppies at the time, we went to our son's graduation from the police academy in Salem. When we got home, we couldn't find our Exilim camera. It remained lost for at least two months. We found it in the backyard at our house under some straw. It had chew marks on it, but surprisingly enough, it still worked! But who was the evil doer (yes this could be a Halloween story for sure)?

After a bit, we decided to see the pictures from the graduation and what do you know, there were now three additional pictures at the end. Two pointed straight up at some trees in the backyard and one more - the one picture that would hold up in puppy court - the side of a red face. Only one of the dogs is red, so, busted! Its a little out of focus, but we're thinking about getting her some formal training.
The camera worked fine for about the next year, then last week - certain death. A new camera is on the way and I promise to get more pictures once it arrives. Until then, enjoy this shot of the Evil Eleanore probably tired after eating a phone or something. It took time, but eventually the dog ate my homework.
Come visit the Bzz Bags' website and help support our camera recovery program

Fairies' Arrival

2009-10-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Southern California and took some Bzz Bags time, to find some great new fabrics for our bags. B can't wait to start working on the new Bug-Eyed Fairies. Way cute.

Keep an eye out for them on the website soon. In the meantime, come on by and see us this Saturday at the Eugene Saturday Market. It'll be good to get back after a couple weeks away and see our new old friends and we plan to make some new ones. Don't forget to get your bags out of the drawer and take them with you to the store. They don't do any good unless you take them with, so make sure they are #1 on your shopping list.

Not at the Market

2009-10-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

We will not be at the Saturday Market for two Saturdays this month. The Bzz needs a rest and a chance to pick up some new material, so off we go to the deep south (of California). We'll miss the rain and the people, but we'll be back on the 31st, so make sure to stop by.

Not much new to share this week, but we will most likely have some new fabrics to add to the arsenal, so keep a close eye on our website for the latest.

Pictured here is our 6-bag set of Earth Day Jungle. This is fun and colorful set as you can see. Come on by or check it on the web.

Saturday Market - 10/10

2009-10-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Another market day come and gone. Good turnout on a day that required some patients to get the sun up and started. Eventually the coffee kicked in and the sun and people got more active. Thank you to those that came out - no Duck game to compete with in town this time.

Wanted to take a second and introduce our Bzz Bags coffee bean bag - one of our newer family members. As with all of our other bags, it is 100% cotton with an elastic band at the mouth of the bag for easy access. Just need to wrap a tie (supplied by the store) to the top with the product number. We reuse our tie a number of times to create less waste that way too.

So join the recycle, save and BYOB generation. One way is through our website at BzzBags.com. Another is to stop by the Saturday Market in Eugene and see us. Heck, make your own or find another vendor online, just do it (sorry Nike).

Saturday Market - Eugene 10/3

2009-10-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Summer has left us, as you could see Saturday with the change of leaves, cooler weather and a Saturday Market that had most of the Oregon Duck football team cruising through. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of the team as we were still setting up to help save the planet one bag at a time. Not a bad turnout with rain predicted that never really materialized. We had a few droplets, but that was about it. The wind made it a little chilly, but it really didn't deter the market fans. So if you came out, thank you.

We wanted to share a picture of our newest set of bags to the Bzz Bag family. These are organic material. We'll be selling them in a set a seen here as well as individually - in two sizes. Take a look later this week on our website. We should have it updated by mid-week to include the new bags. I know a lot of people are really interested in using organic materials, so this is very exciting for us. Please visit us next Saturday or check it out online.

Saturday Market - Eugene 9/26

2009-09-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a beautiful day it was in Eugene this past Saturday. Saw some friends today taking in the sun and the atmosphere. As you can see, the flowers were out and about, walking around - with a little help.

We're going to be at the next two markets, then take a little vacation, but back for more later in October. Hope you don't miss us too much.

There was another home Ducks game this weekend and made for some more interesting traffic. But if you come down during game time, no problem, just escape before the end. Eugene doesn't sport much in the way of traffic, except . . .

We should have some organic bags ready to go on the website this coming week, so stop by online and check it out. What a great way to help save the planet. Its one you can do easily, one bag at a time. Reduce your use of plastic bags in the landfill - and its really fun with a ton of different patterns to choose from. See ya'll soon.

Saturday Market - Eugene 9/19

2009-09-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

No self-defined "good open market" would (or wood) be complete without a "tree guy" roaming the neighborhood. Just one of the many things you missed if you haven't been to the Saturday Market in Eugene. Lots of vendors sharing their talents, products and eccentricities. Now, this past Saturday was a little wet for the tree guy; he might have just grown roots.

But, we were there none-the-less and missed seeing you if you decided to stay home or go to the Oregon Duck game. Next time, stop by on your way to or from the game really support the area artisans and the green world. If you insist on staying home, then visit us here or on our Bzz Bags website.

Our organic bags are just around the corner and our cotton bulk food and produce bags are ready to start using today. Hey, have you put in your two cents worth yet on how to remember to bring your bags to the store? You can post your thoughts on our contest post.

See you next weekend, right?

Saturday Market - Eugene 9/5

2009-09-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Dispersed in this post are pictures from the Eugene Celebration parade. I'll let you figure out what the heck they all mean . . . It was a wet day at the market this Saturday and not as much activity as we would have liked. The Eugene Celebration was going on at the same time and the parade was in the "back yard" of our booth.This year's theme was "Strange We Can Believe In," and no, I have no idea what that means, but it sure fits Eugene. But we weathered the storms and held the front lines - where were you? In the safety and dryness of your homes? I guess I can't blame you for that one. So come out and see us next weekend and we'll call it even.
Hey, don't forget to go to our contest post and help us figure out the best way to remember to bring your bags to the store. It only does good to have some if you use them. Gotta start changing the mindset and old habits (hope I didn't offend any nuns out there reading this). We just extended the contest to last through the end of October to makes sure we get a stockpile of great ideas. Next subject is organic bags. We're just about done with our first set and will have them up and available on our website - BzzBags.com - in a week or so. These will cost a little more as the fabric is a bit pricier, but for those that find organic material important, it should be no problem. We're excited about being able to offer this new product along with all our other 100% cotton fabrics.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Never a dull moment in Eugene.

Saturday Market - Eugene 8/22

2009-08-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday Market in Eugene, another beautiful day to spend outside. About 82 today with morning clouds - perfect.
Met a lot of great people this weekend, so if you weren't there, you missed out. Here's some pics for you to soak in. I'm telling you, it was nice and the fountains help for a great ambiance.

These guys were probably just taking a break from their intensive Bzz Bags shopping experience. There we are in the background. Hope you stop by next weekend. See you there.

Organic Bags Coming Soon

2009-08-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Exciting news for those who are organically driven. Bzz Bags is going organic with new certified organic fabric. We will continue to use the popular elastic banding sewn into the opening of the bag, so you'll get the best of both worlds.

No pictures to share yet, but it will be coming soon. Come on out to the Saturday Market in Eugene or visit the us at BzzBags.com to see what we've come up with for you.

So, until then, keep remembering to BYOB - Bring Your Own Bags. Whether you're buying from Bzz Bags, making your own or buying from someone else, the important thing is to remember to grab them, take them to the store and use them over and over again. We've got one planet and we should all think green - do the right thing - help save our planet one bag at a time. Recycle what you can't reuse and think about leaving this place in better shape than it when you first got to it. That's just got to make you feel good.

Plant to Help Pollinate

2009-07-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a test. What kind of plant do you think this is. Is it under water? Is it from a rain forest?

Okay, we'll pull the picture back a little and see if this helps.

Give up? Well, first of all, the bees love them when you let them bloom, but you've given up a good meal for it, so your decision. If you just let them go, the artichoke plants have a unique bloom and the pollinators seem to love it. So from our garden, to you your computer - the blooming artichoke.
Here's a couple more plants that the critters love. Remember, if we didn't have pollinating critters, there would be no need for Bzz Bags, because you wouldn't have any good food stuff to put in them.

Saturday Market - Eugene 7/18

2009-07-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Got a lot of feedback from our give away of bags from last week. We heard and saw people using them at the market today and it really feels like a grass roots push. Can't wait to start hearing from people at the grocery stores in the area.

It was warm today in Eugene - low 90's, with a decent turn-out. Here's a picture of a local pirate. Okay, probably not a pirate, but he did have a bird on his shoulder. They don't allow dogs at the market, so I'm only guessing here, but this must have been his next best choice - man's second-best friend.

Speaking of birds, we've started to Twitter - so feel free to check it out on the site. You can also see the most recent twitters just to the right of this - second from the top.

Have a great one folks and don't forget to Bring Your Own Bags (BYOB) when you go to the store. Lot's of folks are starting to now and its definately the thing to do. Get ours, make your own, buy from someone else, just do it. Its fun to watch things change and head in a more responsible direction and its even more fun to know that you're part of the change.

Saturday Market - Eugene 7/11

2009-07-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Lil, my grandaughter came to the Saturday Market this weekend. I never mentioned that you can get your face painted while you're standing in the long line to buy Bzz Bags. Hard to understand, but Lilian would have more fun getting her face painted instead of helping us sell bags. I would have chosen a bag painted on mine, but she, for some reason, chose a unicorn - kids, what ya gonna do?

BYOB - just Bring Your Own Bags and everything else is gravy.

4th of July Market

2009-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Summer's here in Eugene, Oregon. Our Saturday Market was at about 94 degrees today. Hey, this is why we moved away from the desert!!! Oh, well, we also moved here because we love the seasons, so much to my dismay, summer is a season too. Here's a quick shot of people waiting at the start of the Saturday Market on July 4th.

In addition to crafts and other hand-made items (like Bzz Bags), they have some great food and a large locally grown fresh produce area. This picture shows where we sign up in the AM, and behind that is the produce section. We set up off to the left around a grassy area this time.

Hope to see you next week. Come on by, we've request slightly cooler weather for that weekend.

Promoting BYOB

2009-06-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun way to promote Bring Your Own Bag. Lots of us like to wear stuff that says how we feel. Well, dang it, I feel that we should bring our own bags to the grocery store and do what we can to save the planet. This is Bzz Bags way of saying how we feel - and we think it looks kinda cool too.

So jump on board and pick a shirt or a hat or whatever you find on our Cafe Press site we call BYOBzzBag. Have some fun with it, I know we have already. See you at the grocery store.

Saturday Market - Eugene 6/20

2009-06-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

We had great weather this past Saturday for the Eugene Saturday Market. No rain, in the mid-60's with some sunshine peaking through every once in awhile. A little light on attendance this week, but lots of food, fun, music and good company. This is a great open air market venue with hand made items from around the state. Come on by and visit us or just listen to the music.

Here's a picture of one little corner of the market this past week. We had a small 4' booth and talked to a lot of people about using resuable bags and being good friends of the environment. Cool stuff. And another shot of some of the local musicians. We look forward to seeing you here next week.

Eugene Saturday Market 2009

2009-05-27T19:19:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to say that I've joined the Eugene Saturday Market (Eugene, Oregon). They are celebrating their 40 year anniversary this year http://eugenesaturdaymarket.org/. This is a fun venue for artisans and is adjacent to the farmers market. Both support local businesses. Please come on by and check out the event any Saturday from now through November from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Hey, don't forget that June is National Pollinators' Month. So, help the bees and plant some flowers.
Visit our website at bzzbags.com and see what we've go new to offer. Or better yet, come visit us at the Saturday Market - fun in the sun.

Web Site Up and Running

2009-02-25T06:39:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm not sure "up and running" is exactly correct, but it is functional. BzzBags.com is finally a reality. Just having the opportunity to get the message out in a different format is really exciting. All of our various bag set combinations are up to date and available for purchase. I'm also thrilled to help anyone make their own shopping bags - the point is to use less plastic that fills up the landfill and stays there for years and years.
I've notice that there are a growing number of sites out there now that offer similar type bags for sale. Some of them are on my links here. I love it! I hope more and more show their faces and continue to help save our planet, one bag at a time. Remember to BYOB - bring your own bags - when you shop.

We're also going to have some animal only bags on tapirback.com - my sister-in-law's long standing site for animal preservation. Nothing like a picture of a tapir with a plastic bag in its mouth to make you want to keep this stuff out of the landfill.
Enjoy your bag journey helping keep our planet clean and alive for future generations. Thanks

Pollinators Partnership, Bzz Bags & Cottage Grove Growers Market

2008-04-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Bzz Bags is proud to be a supporter of The Pollinators Partnership. Pollinators are birds, bees, butterflies, mosquitoes, beetles and bats that help transfer pollen between seed plants. Recently, I became aware of what has been dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) which refers to honey bee colonies around the world that have been mysteriously disappearing. Remember that many (nearly 80%) of the world's crops require pollination. So, its a big deal if it doesn't get done and we certainly rely on nature to do its part.

When Bzz Bags begins to market our produce and bulk food bags, planned for the beginning of summer in our "home town" of Cottage Grove, a portion of our profits will be donated to this group and a cause that certainly gives us pause and concern.

So, feel free to join us in Cottage Grove in Oregon on Wednesdays in the park downtown (Coiner Park) starting June 25th. The first week happens to coincide with National Pollinators' Week, which is recognized in many states - Oregon currently is an exception. I have written to Governor Kulongoske to request that Oregon jump on the bandwagon, but either way, I will be giving my support and would love to have yours. In addition to Bzz Bags, there will be many local growers and artisans along with live music. I will be there each Wednesday throughout the summer, so come on by and have some fun and maybe even help save the planet . . . one bag at a time.

The weekly events are a combination of "Concerts in the Park" and "Cottage Grove Growers' Market." Remember Wednesdays throughout the summer - late afternoon through early evening - 4PM to 8 PM. Have some fun, get some good deals and great locally grown produce, oh and save the world.

I have a blog

2008-04-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well this is my stuff an here's my first blog. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Bags from the bag lady.

Cafe Press has some fun products with Bzz Bags logo imprinted if you're interested. The bags will be available soon through this blog and on my upcoming website. For now, you can give me a call at 541-521-3097 or write me at Beth@BzzBags.com. Here are some of my current fabric samples, but there are lots more. Talk to you soon.