This is the post where I get to show off my stylish new grocery bags...

Grocery shopping this week was a joy.  I felt good about putting away all of my groceries into reusable bags.  This was a great reason to not only shop for food, but to collect art, in the form of delightful reusuable grocery bags by fellow artist, Judi Krew.

Acme is right on with these reminder signs posted in their parking lots!

Maybe you are like me, and only sometimes manage to use reusable bags for shopping.

This week, I asked myself: 

What has stopped me from using reusable bags more often?  

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• I commonly forget them in my car. I now plan to store them in the front of my car, next to where I place my purse while driving, instead of out of sight in the back trunk.   
• Plastic is so integrated into my life that I didn’t even consciously think about the extra bags that I normally use for fruit and vegetables.  My husband is really good about not using the vegetable bags.  I like them, but I could either purchase some open weave sturdy bags or just get used to cleaning out my reusable bags and store the fruit & veggies in there until I get to the checkout.
• My reusable “grocery” bags get repurposed for storage of other items (like diapers and toys). Any mother will know what I am talking about.  I had so many different kinds it was hard to gather them all together, and for true grocery shop, I need at least 4-7 of them.  Now that I have a beautiful whole set of Judi Krew bags, I can more easily keep them all together.  (Although I’m still going to need to guard them from my 3 year old, who was quite taken with the first “Acme Annie” bag I got and determined it was hers.  
  

Now, I can do my shop more often at one of several stores that do not supply bags (then I can recycle cardboard boxes).  But best of all would be to visit the Farmer’s Market more often, because of all the other scrumptious benefits, plus, there I am more aware of the need to bring bags.  

And that’s exactly where I plan to go this weekend. 

• Do any of you have any tips about how to completely convert to reusable bags?
  

P.S.  Now I have added Judi Krew’s bags to my selection of prizes for playing and posting to the Touch-Nature Game! 

Come to my reception Friday, June 27th, for the first drawing.  The top winner will get an original Emily Vigil painting. Other prizes include cards, gift certificates to Deli Ohio (where they make delicious food using locally grown ingredients) and Judi Krew “Acme Annie” bags.  Although the painting prize will only be offered once, I will be continuing the other prizes all year long with a drawing each month.