Used > New

Since moving into the apartment two months ago, we hadn’t had a dining room table. Furnishing even a small apartment is expensive!

However, that was the last major item on the list, so I’d been searching Craigslist for an attractive, yet cheap table to no avail. (Side note: Some people think their junk is worth way too much.)

Turns out one of our friends who is about to move was planning on trashing her table with seating for six (the sixth is being used as a desk chair). What luck!

I love the current color, but I’m planning to paint the teal areas black so it will better match our other furniture. The apartment is now fully furnished with plenty of seating all around. And I feel good about reusing something that would have ended up in the trash!

When To Buy Organic

As someone committed to living more environmentally-friendly, organic foods are a natural step. I didn’t think I’d be one of those people unless I suddenly had lots of extra disposable income.

Well, I don’t have spare funds lying around, but I am making an effort to buy more organic.

Here are my determining factors when deciding between regular vs. organic:

1)      Not a huge cost difference. I don’t mind to pay a little extra (say less than $1), but I cannot afford to pay too much more than usual.
2)      Organic produce seems more authentic. These are crops you know are directly from the earth, so the less tampered with, the better.
3)      It could just be my imagination, but organic fruits (at least the bananas and strawberries I’ve tried) seem to have MUCH more flavor.
4)      Trader Joe’s and most farmers markets offer many organic products at nearly the same price as non-organic alternatives. Plus, at a farmers market, you’re supporting local farmers.

I may not be able to make sweeping changes, but I can do my part to support quality produce.

"Everyone needs an Alice"

This is my parents' cat Alice. This post isn't actually about her, but isn't she cute? She loves the camera, if you couldn't tell.

As I mentioned in my previous post, while searching for the final ingredient for the laundry detergent recipe, I stumbled upon the site, Alice.com, and have since become addicted.

I used to hate shopping for basics at the store: toilet paper, toothpaste, deoderant -- ugh.

Alice.com gives me the opportunity to shop for all of these things and more from my personal computer -- with free shipping -- and green options! Can you sense my obsession?

The only downsides I've noticed:

1. After your first order (which they use to hook you), your shopping cart must have a minimum of six items before you can place an order. 
2. Obviously with shopping online, you don't receive your purchases instantaneously, so you have to plan ahead a little. So far, though, my orders have arrived in 2-3 business days.

 I have experienced many more positive points:

1. Product reviews and descriptions so you can compare and see what you're buying
2. Prices lower or comparable to discount retailers such as Walmart and Target (especially when it comes to environmentally-friendly products)
3. Alice keeps track of what you've purchased and you can set reminders to reorder
4. A wide range of products and brands to choose from
5. Ability to sort by "green" products
6. Some items are marked with instant coupons, which are automatically deducted when you place an order
7. FREE SHIPPING

Here is a breakdown of my most recent order:

• Green Laundry Dryer Balls (2 in the package): $7.99
• Ultra Green Facial Tissue (1 box): $1.99
• Earth Friendly Bathroom Tissue (2 packages of 4 rolls): $2.79 each = $5.58
• Naturally Fresh Deoderant (1 stick -- I'm a little skeptical of this, to be honest. We'll see.): $3.99 - $0.25 coupon = $3.74
• EconoGreen Kitchen Garbage Bags (box of 30): $4.99

 From all my bragging, it's obvious I've been very pleased since finding this website. I fully recommend giving it a try and seeing if this service can save you the hassle and gas from making so many trips to the store.