Living Green In the 'Hood

I decided I wanted to start a series on green living.  My very first guest blogger EVER is my good bloggy friend Not Blessed Mama!  I love her.  And, after reading this blog, you will too.

Hi! I'm so grateful to Mama Sili for asking me to guest post on her lovely blog. I am Not Blessed Mama, and if you have ever seen my site, you know I'm all about going green. From re-usable shopping bags to wearing the same clothes for 3 days in a row, I am commited to our lovely planet. It makes me sad when I think about my great-great-great grandchildren living in a 2012-esque world, where New York is covered in water (or ice? I forget) and life is hard. We obviously need to take care of our world- so here is my NUMBER ONE piece of advice for green living:

Stop buying shit.

Yup, that's it. Stop buying crap all the time. What could you go without in your life, if you tried? When you pick up that super cute dress on clearance at Target, stop. Look at it. Think. Do I need this dress? Do I have dresses at home? Try this with all of your purchases. Think, and think hard. As unpopular as it may be, we simply have to stop consuming so much as a society.

Sigh. It's hard, I know. I like shopping. I love the thrill of a good bargain. And I still do shop. Sometimes you need to- or just really want to. But I've greatly cut down on my purchases and the frequency with which I shop. I also thrift as much as possible. (I also have been known to ask friends and family for needed items- you know how much crap people keep in their houses!)

So the next time that you're at the mall and those adorable ballet flats at Macy's are calling your name, just take a minute. Think, and think hard. Maybe you can resist their siren's song- at least this time around.

Mama sent this my way just as I got back from shopping at Ikea.  Mama, I promise I'll stop buying shit (after this ;-) ).

About This 'Hood Member: What's so special about you, Not Bless'ed Mama? You sound like a nutcase to me. Well, guess what- I'm not (that much of) a nutcase. I'm a hard working mom, just like a million others out there. But what makes me special is the fact that I'm going to keep it real with you, dear mama friend. N.B.M.'s not gonna force feed you another one of those "parenting is sunshine and roses" blogs. I'm tired of them, aren't you? Keep it real! Parenting is sunshine and roses, but what about all the pee, poop, barf, blood and tears? Who writes about that? You guessed it- Not Bless'ed Mama. I'm not going to write about how blessed I am everyday- my general rule is that the amount you dis-like your children increases exponentially with the amount of times you mention how much you love them or how great they are. Be real!