Nice collective back to school commentary/carnival ( our 4th annual!!) by green moms hosted this month by Micaela Preston of Mindful Mama about greener shopping, mindful purchasing, green schools and homeschooling !
The calendar page turns.
Holy smokes - it’s August.
It’s that back to school time.
Can you feel it?
Time to spend absolute crazy amounts of money for “Back To School” things.
Must all those back to school things be brand spanking new?
I know it’s time to stand in squeaky new shoes, fresh haircuts, have sharpened No. 2′s ready to write, color matching notebooks and folders. We all gear up for the delicious smell of crayons, book day, committee work, making school lunches and car pooling. We are all beginning to endure the registration lines.
I get this ritual. I did this year after year. and i love the feeling of back to school.
I use to actually save the entire year for the volume of cash I laid out at this time. I had an envelope titled school and each month I put money away. The three major cash outlays each year; back to school, the holidays and summer activities.
I think it’s time to pause and re-think this marketing ploy.
I think that some of the back to school expenses are not necessary.
I’d love to suggest a bit of restraint.
A bit of anti-consumerism.
Ask ourselves do we really really NEED all of this stuff?
If the shoes we have now fit, and are in good condition – could we wait to buy the new ones until we need to ? Is there someone in school noticing if your daughter’s hair has just been cut? Perhaps there are pencils, markers and crayons from last year that still function?? How can we re-use the binders and folders from the year prior?
I ask this not only to have one save money, but also from an environment perspective too. So much is just pitched these days. Mass purchasing lead to more pitching. Where does it begin and where does end?
Think about it.
I can’t believe that it’s our THIRD annual back to school carnival with green moms!
What a gathering of remarkable GREEN minded back to school information. Please mark this post as a resource for you and share it with those you might know!
Happy Back To School!!
photograph by Karen Hanrahan
It’s rock and roll and back to school time for college kids.
You can feel the flurry of purchasing.
You can feel the excitement and anticipation.
I have two in college this year.
From a parent perspective, when I think of college I think of parties, germs; especially in those icky dorm showers. I think of poor quality eating - can you say iceberg lettuce? Not to mention the likelihood of weight gain,stress and illness.
With parents often miles away – what can we do?
I suggest we encourage healthy living and prevention.
I’s also have you consider spending your consumer dollars with a conscientious company.
I personally will do all I can to encourage and support any college student who wants to be vibrant, healthy and alert for school.
( please ask me about my college student 50% shipping offer!)
My daughter by choice, not by insistence on my part, is taking much of what the list below suggests. Her brother when he left for school had his list too, and years later he is particular about the products he cleans with or puts on his body. I am grateful for their positive attitudes and their exampling to others. It could have been a time of breaking away that included choosing their own brands and yet they remain loyal to how they were raised. I think that’s cool.
Who do you know who’s going to college who might want to take on their health and well being?
The following high quality nutritional supplements and non-toxic green clean products are very popular with college students:
Things to Take to Prevent Illness:
Healthy Breakfast and Snacks on the go:
meal replacement with added fiber
Personal Care Products:
hand and body lotion
bath gel
non-soap bar
herbal cream for athletes feet
all purpose* – now comes in wipes too
germicide* - also comes in wipes
laundry* - liquid or powder or HE formulas
softener* - liquid or sheets (dryer sheets are made from vegetables)
* these have dispensing products that help usage
Clean Filtered Water:
pitcher and one filter – silver free
replacement filter/last 2 months or buy a 6 pack and get a filter free
* this water pitcher has been totally updated …
OTHER* ___________________
*could include fluoride free toothpaste, plant sourced paraben free shampoo, plant sourced skin care, mineral sourced talc-free ma
keup etc
The calendar page turns.
Holy Smokes - it’s August.
It’s freak out time!!
( A friend emailed sharing her list of gotta gotta’s and said she’s freakin’ – I thought hey that’s a blog title!! )
It’s time to pack in all of what is left of summer, time to spend crazy amounts of money for “Back To School” things. Time to stand in squeaky new shoes, get fresh haircuts, gather sharpened No. 2′s, and endure registration lines. Let’s gear up for book day, committee work, making school lunches and car pooling.
I use to save an entire year for the volume of cash I laid out at this time .
The truth is do we NEED all of this stuff??
In 2009 a group of remarkable like minded woman started gathering monthly to write about topics of greenness. How cool is that! Click on here to find twenty eight green savvy perspectives and awesome resources regarding back to school !!
