September 2019 Favorites
Another month gone, another month of favorites! When September first comes around, I start to celebrate Fall. With Fall comes a new set of favorite items that are making me smile this month. Enjoy the following list and let me know if any of them are your September Favorites as well!
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This month is a little light on favorites since I wasn't making a lot of purchases while I have been focusing on starting my family photography business. In line with the global climate (literally), I have also been trying to be more eco-friendly. Some of the products featured in this post will be some of the items I have been using to reduce my carbon footprint, so that you can do the same!
Eco-Friendly
One product that I have been using for a while is compostable trash bags for Lydia's diaper pail. When she was first born, we were just using plastic grocery bags and stocking up when we went to a grocery store or box store that used plastic bags. This was beginning to feel extremely wasteful since the pail bag was getting changed about every other day. At the time we were using a diaper that was partially compostable (Naty diapers, still my favorite diaper!) but while I am still building up my business we have had to switch to a more budget friendly diaper.
We feel so much better about using compostable bags because then at least the bag can break down so that the material inside can also potentially break down faster. These bags can also be used for your actual compost, or you could use them at the grocery store for produce if your local grocery store does not offer compostable produce bags (our local Trader Joe's now only carries compostable bags, so go Trader Joe's!).
The bags we use also take forever to go through, in a good way! I bought 100 bags shortly after Lydia was born and it took me about a year to buy another set of them. They also used to be more flimsy and would get moist (I'm sorry!! I know it's the worst word ever!!), but they must have changed the bags because they are much more sturdy now.
Since doing the Whole30, we drank a lot of seltzer. Like... a lot of seltzer. And instead of drinking my seltzer from a can like a savage, I would put it in a mason jar with some ice and a straw.
But not just any straw... a silicone straw!! The straws that I got came from a super cute little shop in both Portsmouth, NH and Portland, ME called Gus & Ruby. One of my best friends works there and told me about these super cute silicone straws that they had, so of course, I bought some.
I really have enjoyed using my silicone straws because it does make me feel better about getting an iced drink, and the straws I got can be used for either hot or cold beverages. They are also great because Lydia loves drinking out of our straws and I try to always have one on hand in my diaper bag for when we are out so she can have a sip of my water, lemonade, iced tea, etc. Whenever she sees us using a straw she gets very excited.
I couldn't find the exact straws that I bought, but here is a link to some on Amazon that looked comparable.
An item that I bought recently in my quest to replace all single use products in my home was the reusable Q-tip. I saw these on my Instagram feed (follow me @thebeadedsheep if you aren't already!) and had never thought about a reusable Q-tip before, but it made a lot of sense.
Right off the bat, I started looking online and found a pair that I liked because not only does it have a Q-tip for your ears, but it also has a second one more geared for makeup touch ups. As someone who only uses mascara, you would think I would know how to apply it without getting it all over my lips, but alas, not all dreams come true. Every day I use a Q-tip to touch up and wipe mascara off of my eyelid so that I don't look like I got attacked by a Sharpie.
So far, this little dude is doing its job and I am enjoying not having to use so many Q-tips to be decent. I also love that they come in a cute little travel case, so that they are easy to take with me when I am going places. If you have not gotten on the reusable Q-tip train, hop on board!
Lastly on my eco-friendly tour, is where I have been sending all of my clothes and bags and shoes on my KonMari journey, which is ThredUP!I have been sending them boxes of goodies as I clean out our home so that a.) these things are no longer in my possession, b.) they no longer take up a ton of room in my house, c.) I can get credit/money from the clothes I sell to either cash in or use to buy other clothes.
If I am honest, I have never been much of a second-hand clothes consumer. Growing up, it was not something that I heard about very often and in middle/high school it was not yet deemed "cool" to go thrifting. People these days are super thrifty and create the most unique outfits with their second-hand finds.
This year I am trying to make a more conscious effort to buy clothes second-hand from ThredUP, especially with the money I have earned! I just placed my first order today for a long sleeve top and a chambray button up that I am so excited to receive. During my order I was also able to request a few of their Clean Out kits as well, which will be helpful as I continue to go through things.