FREE CHICO BAG!

***UPDATE, 7/11/10 ***

And the winner is...

Monica Mackey, with 13 reusuable bags! Congratulations, Monica!

Stay green! :)

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Good morning readers!

July 9th is the last day to enter my free Chico Bay contest. Simply respond to this post telling me how many reusable grocery bags you own, and the person with the most will win the bag below. (No need to respond again if you commented on my June 30th blog post.) For you long distance readers, don't worry...if you win, I'll mail the bag to you!

What an easy way to win an awesome, free eco-friendly bag! I think I have the most right now, and it'd be a shame if I won my own contest, so post your comment today!

Always Listen to Your Mother and My First Giveaway

Do you wash your reusable shopping bags?

My mom called me yesterday with the same question and advice after she'd seen this story on her local news station.

Apparently, studies show that most people don't wash their reusable shopping bags, leaving them susceptible to lots of bacteria and cross contamination. 

It's great to see so many people using reusable bags nowadays in an effort to save the earth. Let's hope we all start to take precaution and clean our bags in an effort to save ourselves from potential illnesses. I'm definitely glad my mom called me about this issue...thanks, Mom!

Poll: How many reusable shopping bags do you own?

Leave a comment with your total number of bags for a chance to win this Chico bag. Whoever owns the most bags wins!

Five Steps Towards the Plastic-Free Life

A few months ago, I was inspired to live plastic free after hearing a radio show featuring Beth Terry, author of the blog Fake Plastic Fish. I'm not in the mood to get into why plastics are so bad, but I will tell you all the plastic-free changes I have made to date:

1. Bye Bye Paper Towels. I haven't bought paper towels for a month, even though they would have come in handy on a few occasions. I've been using old rags and towels, but I plan to buy Skoy cloths - absorbent, natural, 100% biodegradable multi-use cloths...each cloths is equivalent to 15 rolls of paper towels! Eco-friendly and economical
2. No Paper Napkins. Instead of using napkins or paper towels at meals, we've been using old washcloths for napkins. Eventually I'll buy (or make) some real cloth napkins.
3. This Way to the Bar. We use bar soap instead of body wash now. I was disappointed to see that some bar soaps come wrapped in plastic, but it's less than the amount of plastic used to make a bottle of body wash. Once my facial cleanser runs out, I plan to purchase the it's bar version. I'm also looking into using solid bars for deodorant, lotion, and shampoo as well. Lush offers great varieties in all of these areas, but they can be pricey.
4. Pass the Bottle. My son and I have multiple water bottles and travel mugs that we fill with juice or water instead of buying bottled versions. Look stainless steel bottles that keep your drinks hot or cold.
5. Just Throw It In the (Reusable) Bag. Like many people, I've been bringing resuable bags to the grocery store for a while (though I am guilty of getting plastic bags to use for garbage bags at home). For a cute, collapsable version that can fit in your purse, try Chico Bags. They come in a variety of colors and styles (sling, messenger, backpack, etc.).

I hope I've inspired you to jump on the plastic-free bandwagon...the more the merrier! It's actually not as difficult as you might think! I'll keep you updated on what other changes I've made as I make them...

Don't know where to begin? Be sure to check out Fake Plastic Fish to see the list of plastic free changes to get more ideas about how you can live the plastic-free life.