.jeri.

I present to you... the amazing reusable bag:

In the past year I've definitely become a bit of a crazy lady when it comes to buying environmentally friendly things at the stores. One thing I became obsessed with since my visit to Portland last year was reusable bags. I didn't like any of the ones they sold at the stores here because they were all advertisements for the stores themselves, which prevented me from buying them. In Portland, cool reusable bags are a dime a dozen. When I came back home I was determined to start tracking down good ones. And now I will turn this into a big, fat promotion.

One of the best brands I've found is Flip and Tumble. They sell single- and double-handled shopping bags that are sturdy and pleasant on the eyes.

The 24-7 Bags are available in a rainbow of colors or in some cool prints. Amy and I both have a couple of these. They get compliments all the time, they're easily folded and carried in a purse, and that felt strip on the strap keeps them in place. I like using them for small shopping or carrying things like my workout clothes.

The bag boys at the grocery store weren't fans of the 24-7s, though, because the single handle prevents them from opening the bag wide to stuff items in quickly. So, I recently bought a Shopper Bag, and they were cool with it. By the way, the Shopper Bags can scrunch up into perfect little balls for easy portability. I loooove grocery shopping with these bags. They conserve, they can carry a lot of weight, and they don't break at inconvenient moments like those pesky plastics.

Flip and Tumble also makes reusable Produce Bags. What an awesome idea! I always feel like it's so wasteful to buy produce in a bunch of separate plastic bags and then just throw it all away the instant I get home. These are clear enough for the cashier to make out what's inside.

Of course, now that I've got all these bags, I need to get a regular system going on in my household, so that I remember to have these stored in my car when I go grocery shopping, or have a couple in my purse when I'm out and about town. If that's the hardest thing about having reusable bags, then what's stopping you from giving them a try? Most likely, you'll end up glad you've gone "green" simply because they make life easier on you; the lack of waste is just the icing on the cake.