Shop Because You Can

I bet you’re saying to yourself, “Emily, how am I supposed to go green and stay ridiculously fabulous?” Well, let me tell you that I LOVE fashion. I love fashion more than some people love their pets and I try to incorporate new pieces into my wardrobe weekly. I am constantly approached by passersby complimenting my choice of outfits and a personal stylist actually asked me to co-write her book because she was impressed with my “savvy sense of style.” I’ll share a secret with you, I shop almost exclusively at consignment shops, thrift stores and Goodwill. Yeah, it’s true.

Two things happened when I changed the way I approached shopping. First, I saved a ridiculous amount of money. It’s sickening how much I use to spend on clothes, shoes and accessories. When I tracked my spending for six months on the non-essentials I almost fainted. In fact, I almost died. While I won’t share the exact dollar amount with you it is near the $5,000 range. I almost fainted again by just typing that. I was appalled and told myself there had to be a cheaper way. That’s when my mom introduced me to the glorious world of consignment.

Second, I significantly reduced my environmental impact. By recycling clothing I am making almost no impact on our precious earth. Beside the fact I am saving a ton of cash and being green, I am supporting local charities and families. I am all about supporting my local community. It makes me feel really good to know the families that significantly benefit when I spend my hard earned money in their shops.

Another great way to incorporate new pieces into your fabulous wardrobe is to trade clothing with your girlfriends. Grab a few bottles of wine, make some brownies, throw your clothes in a pile on the floor and let the “shopping” begin. Fortunately enough for me, my girlfriends and I are all the same size. It’s like the “Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants,” but not really. If some of the pieces you find do not fit correctly, get them altered. You’re getting a garment for free, why not spend a little money at your local tailor to make it fit you fabulously? When you’re done, donate the clothes that didn’t make the cut to Goodwill.

Take some time this week to peruse your local consignment shops, thrift shops and Goodwill. I am almost certain you will be pleasantly surprised at what you discover!

Java Buzz

If you’re anything like me, you need a jolt of caffeine to get your mind and body functioning properly in the morning. Without my morning brew I am a foggy mess most of the day. Oddly enough, If I don’t get my morning “pick me up,” I walk around in a haze until around 6pm and then I get this crazy burst of energy that lasts until midnight. It vexes me to my very core.

I’ve gotten into the unfortunate habit of frequenting coffee shops to get my morning java fix. I have a coffee pot/espresso machine that was very expensive and super fabulous but admittedly, I’m addicted to the spunky coffee shop creations that I’m too lazy to make myself. Another reason I like to go to coffee shops for my morning brew is to get up and out of the house. I work from home so if I’m not careful I get tunnel vision and I end up working in my pajamas most of the day. One thing that recently came to my attention is the amount of paper cups from the coffee shops that I’ve used over the course of a month. One of my main concerns is that disposable coffee cups cannot be recycled because paper cups are coated with polyethylene for insulation and durability. It’s also a suspected carcinogen and coffee lids are also made of the same plastic. While your lid may prevent your coffee from spilling, it also offers the perfect environment for chemical leaching by combining hot acidic fluid with plastic. Translation: You’re being poisoned. I don’t want to be poisoned so I started searching for options to replace the paper cups. The most obvious solution came to me one morning, you can bring your own cup to your local coffee shop and they will fill it. SmartFem CEO Lea Haben is the person that made me aware of this. I met her at a coffee shop for a meeting and there she was with her cute white and baby pink reusable mug. She just stared at me with a shocked expression when I explained I didn’t know you could bring in your own mug. Starbucks will even take ten cents off your drink if you bring in a cup. This doesn’t seem like a lot but “a penny saved is a penny earned” …or whatever. The main reason this is beneficial is the paper resources that you’re saving by opting not to use one of their deposable cups. Just make sure you opt for a BPA free reusable cup!

This might seem inconvenient but you’ll feel great by doing something small for the environment that will make a big impact! That is the whole point of the Green Stiletto Project, to implementing small fabulous steps that make a big difference, and look fabulous doing it!

Dish Water, Showers and Trash Bags! Oh My!

Have you been wearing your Green Stilettos? It can be hard to break in a new pair of shoes and changing your habits can be a tricky little game.

I have three small steps you can take around your house to help manage your environmental impact.

Dish Water:

I am reading this amazing book called “The Green Book” by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen and was blown away by this factoid about dishwashers:

“Run full loads in your dishwasher and save energy, and don’t pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in. Do both and you’ll save up to 20 gallons of water per dish load, or 7,300 gallons over a year. That’s as much water as the average person drinks in an lifetime. (If you must hand wash, turn off the tap while you scrub)”

You read that correctly, seven thousand three hundred gallons over the course of ONE year! This is the easiest tip I have ever seen. It cuts down on your personal effort because now you have an excuse not to pre rinse and saves twenty gallons of water per load. Consider it done. Next, please.

Shower Time:

Did you know that every two minutes you shower you use around 10 gallons of water? Imagine if everyone in America was able to cut down on their shower time. If everyone in the United States saved a measly one gallon of water a day from their shower, annually it would equal twice the amount of freshwater we draw from the Great Lakes every single day. The Great Lakes are the world’s largest source of freshwater and I don’t know about you but we should definitely conserve this precious resource.

Trash:

You should be using the reusable bags we talked about in my previous article when you go shopping, but realistically I know this isn’t always possible. So, what do you do with the plastic bags you end up with? Use them as trash can liners! This will reduce the cost of buying trash can liners which generally cost around five dollars. It cuts down on waste and saves you money. 2 birds, 1 stone!

Take these three simple steps and they can make an astronomical difference in our environment. Go get ‘em gorgeous!

The Green Stiletto Project

Listen up, ladies. There is a huge misconception that being green means sacrificing yourself to the Hippie Gods. Going green doesn’t mean you have to stop shaving your pits and wear patchouli. In fact, I implore you to shave your armpits, legs and wherever else hair grows where hair should not be on a woman. I started The Green Stiletto Project as a way to spread the news about being eco-friendly while staying fabulous. Don’t sacrifice your beauty, fashion sense and overall sanity by going green. It doesn’t have to be hard, time consuming or smelly. Yeah, I said smelly. You understand. There are simple baby steps you can take to change your habits that will greatly impact our environment and your overall health. So, put on your “Green” Stilettos and let’s do this!

Baby Steps:

Let’s start with two simple changes that you’ve heard a million times, yet still aren’t listening to.

First thing first. I’m going to let Oprah tug on your heart strings. Watch this video.

1) Stop buying bottled water. It’s just water. Honestly, contrary to popular belief, bottled water is no healthier for you than tap water. In the U.S. more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away each day. Where do most of those end up? You guessed it, the trash bog in the middle of the Pacific. There are many alternatives to bottled water that are just as convenient. Buy a water filter and a reusable metal water bottle and voila! Problem solved. You can still have filtered water and you still have a bottle to throw in your gym bag.

You can buy most water filters for less than $32 and they come in a variety of colors. Do it, you’ll be happy you did.

Reusable metal water bottles can be purchased online or local sporting goods stores and they also come in a variety of colors and designs. I really like the colorful ones, as they bring out the teenage girl in me.

2) Bring reusable bags when you go shopping. I never leave home without my reusable bags. I’ve collected several throughout the years and they rather resemble a group of mismatched socks at the bottom of the sock drawer. They’re not pretty but they get the job done. I’ve considered getting new bags to match but then I’m just refuting the purpose of ranting.

Most grocery stores sell reusable bags at the register for as little as a dollar. For the more stylish consumer you can also purchase designer bags online.

By making two simple changes you can make a huge impact on OUR environment, and you will make Oprah proud. I don’t know about you but that alone makes me want to change.

Make sure to check your SmartFem daily for updates on green living and being fabulous!