Buying Less, Living More

I recently made a commitment to shop at local thrift shops for my spring and summer clothes and shoes. 

I’m not a fan of retail shopping. I always pick up unhappy vibes at stores, don't you? People are stressed. Prices are silly high. I don’t want to support sweat shop enterprises and greedy entrepreneurship. I don’t like the pressure of bending to fashion trends. I feel drained after spending time in a store or even a supermarket.

I also like keeping unwanted clothing out of landfills and extending the life of perfectly usable clothes. And I love freeing up money up for other things besides brand new clothes and shoes – like travel or good food or time with my husband.

The best part of the thrift shops I choose is that they benefit charities and non-profits instead of avaricious corporations. My current favorite shop is a 10-minute walk from my house (love that I can get there on foot), and all proceeds benefit our town food pantry, providing nourishment and other provisions to those who can’t afford it. That’s a win for everyone. 

And finally, trillions of gallons of water and billions of pounds of carbon dioxide are saved each year though buying secondhand. Good for people and good for Mama Earth.

Banish any idea about secondhand clothing being unclean or ugly. A lot of really well-heeled people in this part of Connecticut buy beautiful and expensive clothing and footwear, wear it once or not at all, and then donate it.  And thrift shops are selective about what they offer. You won’t find tattered or dirty clothes there.

I wanted to share this past weekend’s thrift shop finds: two Gaiam brand, like-new, crisscross back, super soft, flowy yoga tops – one lavender and one gray –  for $1 a piece; and a pair of brand-new, vegan, beautifully embroidered Chinese shoes made of cloth and bamboo that fit me perfectly and cost $4.

On the gardening front, we’ve been grappling with a cool, rainy spring. My husband tilled the garden beds last week. They’ll rest and be tilled again in about another week, and then we plant the greens beds.

Yesterday, I harvested the first chives from our chives bed, added some to last night’s stir-fry, and made chive cream cheese for a friend. We bought three new tea rose bushes that will go into the ground this weekend, and I’ll start watermelon seeds, cucumber seeds, and squash seeds, all for transplant in the garden after Mother’s Day.

Yesterday, I walked the gardens barefoot in the rain (take every opportunity to do some earthing) and cut back dead wood from the garden perennials. Beach roses, hydrangea, lilies, Hosta, columbine, and clematis are all putting out new, green growth. Red tulips, and purple, pink, and white hyacinth are in bloom. There are tiny salmon-colored blossoms on the peach trees. I have pots of lemon verbena, lemongrass, dill, arugula, rosemary, Province lavender, and Italian parsley on the back deck. Three pots of basil seedlings I started in the kitchen are spending the days outdoors and nights in the house. In mid-May I’ll start Holy Basil and Thai basil seedlings.

In the meantime, my husband is working regularly on the boat, getting it ready for the 2019 season. Summer is getting closer and soon we’ll be breathing in that good-ass summertime prana. Peace.

Barbie xo