Actually, Kermie, It's Not That Hard

I've been trying to be more aware of my impact on the planet, so I've made the decision to start phasing out disposable paper and plastic "party ware". There's just no need to spend the money and waste the resources on disposable things. I'm planning on scouring Good Will and tag sales for plates, utensils and mugs in good condition that I can pull out for parties and store in the basement.

I think I'll have a better handle on what I need tomorrow after our cookout (with the amazing, growing guest list!... eh. More the merrier!).

In addition to party plates, my everyday "green moves" include using cloth napkins ("even for pizza?!" Stu! asked me incredulously when I handed her one. Yep! Even for pizza.), and I've been cutting up holey white cotton undershirts to use for "nice" rags. They're great for kitchen messes that would normally require a paper towel... or seven. If you ever see me cook, you'll know what I'm talking about. I also plan on using them for spit-up rags and baby wipes.

I'll need some cheap-o napkins for parties, too, but those shouldn't be too hard to come by.

We're DONE with disposable batteries, and use only rechargeables from Radio Shack (next step: having them all charged together on a power strip... no more scrounging!) and I've gotten good at remembering to take my own bags to the grocery store. For smaller items in other stores, I've taken to slipping them into my purse as-is (no more cute Sephora bags for me!) and I've gotten really good at saying, "I don't need a bag" for larger items that are easy to carry. You get a surprising amount of strange looks when you say that, but I'm surprised more people aren't doing it, really. Maybe it'll catch on, and then I can be all, "Oh, I was doing that BEFORE it was cool".