As i reflect on this month and the changes that i hope to keep, some will be easy; switching from disposable shavers to steel ones. May add a little more time while i shave but it will be one way that i can do my part in keeping it plastic out of dumps/waste stations and hopefully out of ocean. Not having disposable water bottles in my truck, rather making sure that i have my water bottle with me is not only good for planet but also good for my pocketbook. Educating myself on all the plastic i can take out of my life and sharing with my family and friends  is something that I will continue to do. What i have learned and will continue to learn about is how we all can do our small part and those small parts add up. 

Today, I took my rising 9th grader "back to school" shopping. Instead of "fast fashion" we went to Rag-o-Rama, a local consignment shop. It was PERFECT! As a kid that's been in school uniforms from K - 8, this is the first time he has been able to really explore his sense of fashion.  

We brought our own bag,  and the lady said, "since you brought your own, we donate the cost of the bag to a local charity" and gave us a wooden chip to deposit into the charity of our choice. My son, an animal lover,  didn't hesitate to put the coin into Paws' slot. 

This entire experience felt REALLY GOOD.  

And my son has some clothes that he wouldn't have had we gone to a store that sold new clothes/fast fashion.

Now I look forward to going back there to shop for myself, should I need to.  

And I feel like I taught my son some lessons, too. On the way home,  he said,  "that's a really cool store." In Teenagese, that is saying a whole lot! #OneHappyMomma

Oh man! Old habits die HARD sometimes. I went to the grocery store today after work and I totally forgot about this. It wasn't until I got home and I was putting my food away and I was mortified! After almost a month of doing REALLY WELL,  I drew a complete BLANK today.  

I'm at least grateful for the awareness. And now, my goal is to get as many uses from those bags as I can.  

I learned a lot... some of what I've learned was super disturbing but mostly,  I'd say this experience has been inspiring and enlightening.  I appreciate the push to think more about how my family's choices impact the environment.  

I also have some cool new plastic-free products in my rotation that I didn't before. 

This past weekend was TOUGH! My kids and I traveled for our family reunion and I was NOT prepared. Although i had in my mind all the things I was going to do and pack to show that I've got this thing DOWN... well,  yeah.  Let's just say,  I accomplished none of that.  I didn't pack my straws or my water bottles to refill.  I ended up getting some regular bottled water and decided we'd refill those.  But then,  I never found a place to refill them. 

I want to integrate this more into my lifestyle such that my day can veer from the normal daily routine and I'm still able to maintain.  

I think preparation is the most important part of this.  With preparation comes the ability to pivot when life gets a little hectic. 

Plastic Free July is now represented at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture 💜💜💜