New Year and Resolute

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.