Going Green...or a lighter shade of brown?

I wouldn't call myself an environmentalist {not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not me} but I do try to do my part. I am aware that our natural resources won't last forever and believe we should be good stewards over the resources we've been given. So while I haven't put out the cash for a hybrid car yet I do recycle my paper products each week and try to re-purpose or give to other people items that I no longer have use for. Now you see why I don't call myself an environmentalist, I don't do much beyond being aware and recycling - but every little bit counts right? Oh and thanks to my dad's constant reminders growing up I'm really good about turning off lights when they aren't in use.

One thing I've been wanting to do is get reusable grocery bags. In recent months the commissary has been promoting using paper over plastic because it's better for our environment, costs the store less and we can recycle the paper bags easily each week. So I started using paper bags more often, though sometimes I would forget to specify. Anyone who has 'gone green' will be glad to know that I save my plastic bags to use later in my bathroom garbage can, for garbage in my car and other various things. Monday as I was getting ready to check out I saw a rack with reusable grocery bags selling for 70 cents. They look similar to the one pictured above but are green and with a different logo. I bought two because I was curious how much they would hold and asked that any other bags be paper. My next trip I'll be buying a couple extra bags. They hold quite a bit, probably the same as two plastic bags, and have handles which makes carrying SO much easier. This is a big bonus for me shopping with two little ones and having to carry it all in the house myself, less trips the better.

Do any of your grocery stores offer reusable bags? Have you tried them? If they don't sell them I recommend doing a quick google search or clicking on the picture above to order some. I did a search sometime ago and found bags for 99 cents a piece. Now I just need to remember to keep the bags in my trunk and remember to pull them out of the trunk each time I go in the store. There's one more thing I can add to my list of contributions to this earth - using the reusable grocery bag and telling others about it. If you're using a reusable grocery bag or being mindful about our natural resources give yourself a pat on the back and spread the word.