So...
this is so not crafty-so if that is what you are looking for, sorry.
Well, the whole eating local thing is going well. There is an amazing store here that has this intense website. It is so cool because the products that are from Oregon, Northern California and Southern Washington have special local markers. I look to see if there is anything local on sale-and put those things in my virtual cart. Then I look at the produce section and add local things in my cart. Then I see what kinds of dishes I can make from the sale items and in season produce. I delete any unnecessary items from the virtual cart, peruse my pantry and add any other items I may need and then print out the list. This way-I know exactly what I am getting, I know exactly what I am spending, it is organized (all the dairy items together, etc), and I minimize the amount of wasted food because I have a planned out menu! I am so happy about this. Let me tell you, I am usually not a very organized person.
Last night we had homemade pizza with local cheese, onions, and cremini mushrooms with a side of garlicky swiss chard. And it was cheap because the stuff was local! My favorite part about this eating local business is the fact that we buy our milk in a glass bottle from a local dairy and then we return it and it gets refilled-just like in "the good ol' days". This is important to me because it often uses more time, energy and money to recycle something than to just plain re-use something.
I watched the Frontline about Wal-Mart last night ( you can watch it here online). It just really makes me sad that American manufacturers are being shut down and jobs are being sent by thousands overseas where labor laws aren't exactly fair. I would much rather buy clothing from American companies like this one. You know, it is really not just WalMart-it's Target, Kmart, BestBuy an all of those other "Big Box" stores that are popping up in strip malls across the nation. These companies spends millions targeting us, too! Females 18-45 years of age are a huge market for these places-I just love Target advertisements and I must remind myself that they spent millions studying brains of my peers-that's why! You know-that is just not okay with me. I will not let myself be roped into that. I am smarter than that and saving money isn't worth giving up my beliefs. Anyway, I buy too much junk as it is. Do we really need more junk?
You know, it is really sad when you are traveling and every town looks the same-oh there's the Olive Garden/Target/PetsMart/Chili's/Starbucks strip mall. Mearles, a most awesome diner in my hometown was the place to have ice cream, a first date, a birthday party, etc. Locally owned and operated since the 1950's it was adorable with its bright yellow booths and salty waitresses. After the recent invasion of a giant strip mall that included said restaurants above Mearle's just couldn't make it anymore. How sad is that? The one cool place left in town has been shut down because they just couldn't compete. Let's not let this happen!
I am vowing here and now-not that it matters to anyone but myself-but I am pledging to support local business. I am pledging to support handmade business, too. I rarely go to these giant conglomerates-but now-I will never go again. That's right-never. It is not okay to me. I can get that shower curtain from the local hardware store-that cute Issac Mizrahi stuff is not as cute as stuff I can find at the thrift store. Yes, no more target, Wal-mart, or kmart for me.