Victory

I haven't vented about plastic bags, especially from Target, in a while, but I just noticed a few things the other day:

1. Target now gives me a five-cent credit for bringing my own bag.
2. The cashiers are routinely impressed with how much I can fit into my reusable bag (I pack my own).
3. We're out of Target bags at home! Still using a few miscellanous-sized plastic bags from the back of the closet, and you've always got to keep a few around for emergencies, but it feels like I've won. Of course, the kitchen chairs are overrun with our reusable bags, but we've been very good about moving them from the car to the kitchen and back to the car. My husband is even trained in this process.

Other things that make me feel as if I'm accomplishing something:

1. We rarely have soda in the house... only when we're expecting guests who expect soda.
2. My husband has given up white bread, and the child doesn't remember ever eating it.
3. Most of the child's "new" fall clothes came from resale shops.
4. My husband has started using our natural shampoo.
5. We had a Dumpster in our driveway (new roof), and the roofers were shocked that we didn't have any junk to throw in it. Anything we aren't using either goes to our neighborhood rummage sale, the thrift store, or our community's recycling center.

Finally, discovering recently that my sister-in-law and a neighbor have similar beliefs and feelings toward these issues really helps and gives me someone with whom to share ideas. I could be doing so much more, but every little step helps.