YumSugar

Simple Tip: Keep Reusable Totes in Your Trunk

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:50:50 -0700

From drinking less bottled water to making more educated seafood choices, I've been all about adopting a greener lifestyle. But simple as it sounds, the one thing I could never quite nail down was bringing reusable totebags to the grocery store.

Every Sunday, without fail, I'd pull into my local Trader Joe's, and catch the "Don't forget to bring your reusable bags!" sign in the parking lot, only to realize that I'd left all of my totebags at home. After repeating this mistake too many times to count, I finally collected all of my market totes and put them in the trunk of my car. Now, I have an array of bag sizes that come in handy not just for my weekly groceries, but also for takeout, dinner party leftovers, and anything else you can imagine.

Where do you keep your reusable bags, so you don't forget them?

What's Your Favorite Farmers Market Tote?

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:45:13 -0700

In honor of this weekend's colossal Slow Food Nation event, PartySugar and I are celebrating sustainable living by using (and showing off!) our favorite farmers market totes. Now we want you to do the same! Snap a pic of you with your favorite reusable farmers market bag and send it to us. I'll feature all the submissions in an upcoming post.

After we've received all of the entries, we'll pick one lucky winner to get her very own YumSugar tote! I can't wait to see your favorite totes.

Don't Forget to Show Us Your Farmers Market Totebags!

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:00:19 -0700

Currently, I'm bringing back this navy blue Marc by Marc Jacobs tote that I bought last year. It's soft and flexible, yet able to hold everything I buy. I love the way it pokes fun at itself as well as designer labels in general.
To celebrate Slow Food, both PartySugar and I have taken pictures (she debuted hers earlier this week) with our beloved farmers market totes, and now we want you to do the same! Snap a pic of you with your favorite reusable farmers market bag and send it to us. You can use the Look Book feature on TeamSugar, post it in a blog, or on your own website. When everyone's submitted their photos (due date: Sept. 1), I'll do a giant post featuring everyone's pictures (and you don't have to cover your face, we're just shy!)

To be included in the roundup, notify me via email with "YumSugar Farmers Market Tote" in the subject line, or personal message me with the following information:

- Name you want me to use
- Where you're from
- What farmers market you shop at
- Details about your favorite totebag
- Link to your LookBook, blog post, or website or photo of you holding your favorite tote
- One short sentence on why you chose that tote

After we've received all of the submissions, we'll pick one lucky winner and send her her very own YumSugar tote! I can't wait to see your favorite totes.

Show Us Your Farmers Market Totebags!

partysugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:15:02 -0700

The culinary world is gearing up for Slow Food Nation. The festival, which celebrates local, sustainable farm-to-table food, is in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend. Slow Food encourages people to purchase seasonal produce from farmers markets in an environmentally-friendly manner. That means toting the goods in a reusable bag rather than a disposable one. In my opinion, carrying a fabulous farmers market tote is just as glamorous as sporting a designer handbag. Currently, I'm obsessed with this large, bright-blue tote by Chronicle Books. The tote perfectly demonstrated the publisher's motto ("see things differently") because it folds up into a flat book when not being used.

To celebrate Slow Food, we've (YumSugar will share hers later this week) both taken pictures with our beloved farmers market totes. and now we want you to do the same! Snap a pic of you with your favorite reusable farmers market bag and send it to us. You can use the Look Book feature on TeamSugar, post it in a blog, or on your own website. When everyone's submitted their photos (due date: Sept. 1), I'll do a giant post featuring everyone's pictures (and you don't have to cover your face, we're just shy!)!

To be included in the roundup, notify me via email with "YumSugar Farmers Market Tote" in the subject line, or personal message me with the following information:

- Name you want me to use
- Where you're from
- What farmers market you shop at
- Details about your favorite totebag
- Link to your Look Book, blog post, or website OR photo of you holding your favorite tote
- One short sentence on why you chose that tote

After we've received all of the submissions, we'll pick one lucky winner and send her her very own YumSugar tote! I can't wait to see your favorite totes.

Trend Alert: Celebrity-Crafted Food Carryalls

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

These days, virtually every celebrity - from Lauren Conrad to Jessica Simpson - has his or her own womenswear, footwear, accessory, and fragrance line. But celebrity lunchbags and farmers market totebags? Lately we've seen the celebrity, fashion, and food worlds collide, with all sorts of celebrity-designed carryalls for everything from our groceries to our lunch.

PartySugar and I might have been on to something when we said that we prefer to carry our farmers market goodies in style. It seems others were thinking the exact same thing. First, Whole Foods announced Sheryl Crow would be custom-designing its latest green grocery bag. Then celebrity chef Mario Batali jumped on the design bandwagon, randomly unveiling his own line of sleek lunch bags. The latest? A collaboration between Jennie Garth and the Sierra Club.

While I'm a bigger fan of some of the designs than others, if this trend encourages shoppers to be more eco-friendly - wasting less resources on plastic and paper grocery bags and lunch bags - then it's for the better. What do you think of the trend? Would you buy Sheryl's, Mario's, or Jennie's bags?

Source, Source, Source, and Source

Gail Simmons on Eco-Friendly Weddings

partysugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:41 -0700

Last week when I spoke with Gail Simmons about weddings, I was blown away by her inspirational ideas. Although she may not come across as a green goddess when she's judging Top Chef, she's actually very eco-conscious. Having an environmentally friendly wedding was very important to her and her now-husband, Jeremy. To find out her suggestions for throwing an eco-chic event, read more.

Send a save the date email. Instead of sending formal save the date cards, Gail chose to save paper. She let her loved ones know when and where her wedding would take place through a short, but sweet email.
Cut back on the invite. Gail examined every aspect of the invite and asked herself where she could use less paper. "I've never understood why wedding invites come with two envelopes. What is that second envelope for? Why is it necessary?" She ditched the extra envelope and sent information on hotels and lodging to only out-of-town guests.
Use recycled paper. This is a no-brainer! Gail printed all of her wedding stationary on regular sized, 100-percent recycled paper.
Don't waste the flowers. "Flowers are such a big thing, but they are wasteful. They cost so much money, are on a table for a couple of hours, and then what?" Gail came up with a clever way to lengthen the life of her wedding flowers. While she and her guests were dancing the night away, her wedding planner gathered the vases and wrapped each bouquet in craft paper. When her friends and family left the wedding, they were given a bouquet of fresh flowers to take home!
Give an eco favor. Gail's wedding favor was a reusable farmers market tote bag. "My friends still use them to this day."

Did you go green at your wedding? Share your stylish eco-tips with us below!

Source

An Inconveniently Convenient Bag

partysugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:01:31 -0700

I have always had a thing for fabulous handbags. Last year, when it became uncool to use environmentally unfriendly plastic and paper grocery bags, I suddenly started collecting reusable, canvas grocery bags. Last season I was obsessed with the I'm Not A Plastic Bag statement tote and this year I'm crazy about The Inconvenient Bag ($19.99) carryall.

Neither paper nor plastic, this large canvas tote - available in four different designs - is the size of a normal, brown grocery bag and can hold up to 45 pounds. The bags are made in LA from biodegradable cotton and non-toxic dyes. While it may not be as convenient as carrying groceries home in paper or plastic, toting my food in the inconvenient bag, makes me feel like I'm doing my part to help save the world.

If you don't have a reusable tote, I highly recommend this fun, fashionable, eco-friendly bag!

YumSugar Gift Guide: The Farmers Market Mother

partysugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:15:57 -0800

Wondering what to get your mother this year? Encourage her to head to the farmers market with a hook-and-go cart. She can hang her reusable totes packed with fresh produce and products on the side hooks.

If she's too busy to make it to the market bring the farmers to her with a community shared agriculture box. Each week local, in-season fruit and vegetables will be delivered to her door!

For more gift ideas, browse the selection below. Check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

Will You Carry Your Groceries In Reusable Bags?

partysugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 08:53:19 -0700

Last week the city of San Francisco announced the ban of all plastic grocery bags. I've always chosen paper over plastic because they don't dig into the tender skins on the palm of your hands and was happy to learn that my choice was also the more environmentally correct option. Then on Saturday when I was making a cake my mom was in the kitchen reading the new Time magazine aloud to me (my family is big on reading aloud) going over the 51 steps we could take to make the world a greener place. Halfway through she mentioned carrying reusable totes as grocery bags and we got to talking about the ban on plastic baggies. Fast forward a few hours and my bff Emily shows up at dinner with a surprise for me. It's called a chicobag, and it's a reusable grocery bag that folds up and fits into a tiny bag that will easily slide unnoticed into your oversized everyday Marc Jacobs purse. I'm really excited about being able to do my part to help save the world from global warming and wonder will you carry your groceries in reusable bags?

Off to Market Recap: New Lunchbox

partysugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:32:17 -0700

To make the transition from Summer to school a little easier on her daughters, FitSugar has decided to give them a first day of school surprise: new lunchboxes. You helped by heading off to market in search of the most lovely lunchboxes. You saved the lunchboxes in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag new lunchbox.

I was astounded by all of the cute designs and cool technology available in lunchboxes nowadays. This Uno Insulated Lunch Tote For One, bookmarked by Shelleymonster, will keep perishables cool and has space for eco-friendly reusable utensils. (Maybe I should get one of these for myself.) There were also some girly picks that are less utilitarian but extra cute. Check out all of our finds below.

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