Having shared my blog with some newbies, I received an invitation to go shopping with one of my newest friends. She wanted to check out some second-hand stores in our area, so we made a day of it. We only had time to visit two stores this time, but looking forward to the next date! Our first stop was Twice [...]

We visited Walt Disney World for our family vacation during Thanksgiving, but, of course, my “green glasses” were on searching for all the Green Mickeys. The Recycling Bin Hunt During our visit, I was hunting recycling bins, most of which were in regular traffic paths for the public. The bins were plentiful and easy to find. However, there was NOT [...]

I once was told that recycling isn’t all there is to sustainability. Okay, while I agree, I have learned that recycling is a vital component to the success of sustainability, especially on a college campus. In February 2011, I started working back at my alma mater as their second sustainability coordinator. My background includes seven years of experience working at [...]

While wasting time before our flight home from Colorado, we stumbled upon one of the named experimental “green” Wal-Marts in the United States. Apparently, there were only two Wal-Mart Experimental Sustainable Supercenters, one in Aurora, CO and one in McKinney, TX. The 200,000-square-foot store, located at 3301 North Tower Road, in Aurora, CO opened in 2005 and was supposed to be [...]

The store’s slogan says, “Not the usual thrift store,” is right on the second-hand money. One of my favorite parts of my trip to Colorado included a visit to a second-hand store. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to visit at least one in this “green” state. So, I chose the Buffalo Exchange in Boulder, CO, which is a chain thrift [...]

It took just over three hours, but we purged through my entire closet and my dressers. We got rid of shirts, pants, shoes, purses and loads of t-shirts. We ended up with five large bags to donate. It was hard, emotional, but very cleansing. My sister and I spent our Friday night cleaning out my clothes and accessories. She was [...]

How many electronics do you have at home? The average American household owns about 24 electronics and spends more than $1,100 a year on these products, according to a press release from the Consumer Electronics Association. Electronics include televisions, cell phones, computers, DVD players, MP3 players, microwaves, small appliances, and even, clock radios. The newest iPhone version may arrive in [...]

You will never get a greeting card from me, not because I am forgetful, but because I think greeting cards are pointless. According to the Greeting Card Association, 7 billion greeting cards are purchased every year with the annual retail sales of cards estimated to be more than $7.5 billion. The average household buys 30-50 individual greeting cards a year, [...]

 The phrase “Go Green” has been one that most people have heard frequently, especially in today’s times. But what does going green actually mean? For the matter, what does sustainability really mean? Most people can give you the broad answer, having to do with protecting our environment. But why?  The education process pertaining to the environment and sustainability has been [...]

The options for buying local produce and products has grown tremendously in recent years. Buying local helps support the economy in your community. It puts dollars into local taxes, local supplies, and local families. Another popular trend is the concept of shopping at a Farmers Market, which has branched into small communities and even universities. The University of South Carolina’s [...]