Shopping Green (and loving it)

In between mountain biking and attending an outdoor play last weekend, I happened upon an estate sale, and well, let's just say I exited with more than I entered.

I'm a big fan of garage sales, estate sales, and thrift stores. Most of my favorite outfits are either half or entirely from Goodwill stores. In addition to finding cool stuff, buying used clothing and housewares is just another way I can reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Since the estate sale, I now have 24 beautiful glasses that match and cover all the sizes, as well as 10 gorgeous plates with floral designs. Although found in different parts of the house, the glasses and plates make stunning partners because they both have clear glass structures and frosted accents. I walked out of that house about $15 poorer, and now I'm ready to set up my own kitchen!

In addition to thrift shopping, another way of shopping green is to buy recycled housewares, like goblets and tumblers made of recycled glass bottles. In fact, I found an eco-focused site that has suggestions and products to make practically every room in the house "greener." It's called GreenHome.com. If you're decking out a new apartment or home, I suggest the Cobalt Collection for serving cool drinks in the summer. They're so sleek and contemporary, it's hard to believe they're made of recycled glass. I guess that's the beauty of shopping green.