Bring your own bags

First of all, I deserve a pat on the back. And since, as my dear sweet sister put it, "blogs are sort of self-serving by nature,"  I am going to take advantage of that right now...

Go ahead...

...just give it a little pat... 

My back circa summer '09, and little Felek- almost 2.

Because...the last time I went grocery shopping... I used... these...

Fun Fact: The night I went into labor with Hejjo, I made Martin drive me to the store to buy Kix, at midnight, because I was starving and craving them.  

Aren't I awesome? Don't I deserve a pat on the back, a big thumbs up, a big ol' one of these...

?

Well, I do. And here's why. I bought those dang bags about 3 years ago and they have never been used *once* for their intended purpose. I have used them as storage bags to store other reusable bags. I have used them to hold wet things like bathing suits and dirty things, like shoes. And I have even used it as an overnight bag (as stated before...all class, all the time...). But I have never actually taken my "green" green grocery bags to the grocery store and loaded groceries into them. Until now. And do you know why I finally got around to using them?  I'll tell you. I started using them (ok, I've only done it once but that counts as starting) for two reasons. 1) I would like to save the environment. I know this hurts a lot of people's feelings, those who want to deny that our trash has any impact on the environment and future generations, but it does and so I do. 2) I'm practicing for Poland.

In Poland you will often notice, at least I always have, that just about everyone is carrying some sort of bag that has been re-purposed. Everyone saves every bag. That's right EVERYONE saves EVERY BAG...(don't you just love absolutes)? This is important in Poland. Grocery stores and open air markets generally do not provide bags for their customers. In some of the bigger stores you can buy them for a small fee if you forget yours, but I've done this and the cashiers do not like it. They give you mad faces and thrust the bags at you as if you are inconveniencing them. Maybe they just really care about the environment, I don't know, I can't ask them, I don't speak Polish.

So, all this saving of bags is a great thing, and you have to remember to always bring bags with you wherever you go, just in case you want to pop in somewhere and buy something on the go. It's not a huge deal, but I am not in the habit of doing this. I have to practice. So the last time I went grocery shopping I said to myself that I would use those blasted green bags, and, I forgot them, and then, I drove all the way back home (about 3/4 of a mile) to get them. That's real dedication.

Side note, but related...

This "saving of bags" in Poland is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the extent to which Martin takes the whole "keeping things you could reuse" thing. In fact, as an example, I have no less than three bags full of old undershirts. He can't wear them anymore for various reasons but refuses to throw them out. And of course it is my job to figure out what to do with them. I had/have no idea...so I googled the query and found this idea...

source

Aren't those pretty much awesome in every way? I think the colors are the best part, and second, the recycling bit, and thirdly, the fact they are awesomely functional and cheap. 

Produce bags, and grocery bags made out of dyed and recycled t-shirts....the cosmos are aligning.

Now if only I had the time to dye all of his shirts and cut out the bags and make them look this cute...

Maybe around Christmas, when things are a little calmer.  ;).