hold my breath, here i go

Most of the time I shop, it isn't with the mission that I'm going to find something cute as well as environmentally sustainable. So let's start with something easy that will make living in this world just a bit simpler - my first step to making myself just a tad bit more "green" was not quite literally on the outside (as in clothing) but within my everyday activities. 

Reusable bags! Not only are these becoming

 super trendy, in as many ways as they can, but the distributors have priced them super low ($1, generally) to keep them easy accessible. Whether you hop over to your favorite supermarket (Trader Joe's and Henry's are my favorite) or find an old one in the back of your closet from some random activities you've participated in over the years (the marathon's I've ran in always seem to hand out free, cloth bags), these guys not only accent your outfit with that bohemian look even the best hippies can't imitate while also showing off your desire to help out the environment. Nothing looks better than that! 

H20! My favorite healthy alternative to water bottles has become the Nalgene. Sure, the brand name is a bit more expensive that one's just picked up from the superstore, but if you are all about brands, everyone knows this one. Not only are you reusing something that you should be using/consuming every day, but it saves our landfills from those dozens upon dozens of plastic bottles that never really stopped being produced. Sure, Costco makes them cheap, but there is no alternative to an on-hand bottle that not only prevents any of those funny rumors about leaving plastic bottles in the sun to something that can easily fit into your purse and includes colorful options that aren't just for the latest athlete. 

Starbucks! The iconic green symbol with its white background isn't just filling up gossip magazines, it's filling up trash cans. Sure, you might look trendy the first five minutes it takes you to down coffee in the early hours of office time, but for the majority of us who don't have to worry about being pictured in Ok! Magazine the next day, check out the shelves during your latest coffee run. Filling them up are reusable mugs, and not just the jumbo ones your parents used growing up. Today, they are plastic, metal, pink, green and can even be filled with your pretty face via photo slots. Not only that, but when you bring in your reusable mug for your morning latte, the guys at Coffee Bean, Starbucks or any local shop give you a discount - a big one. Just the other morning I spent one tenth of what I would normally pay on a black coffee because of my handy dandy reusable mug. I finished the cup, washed it out and saved a tree. It is as easy as "One - Two - Three."