Second-hand shopping..check!

So sorry to neglect the blog for the last few weeks, it has been quite busy around here. I had to post today because I just got back from my first ever second-hand shopping spree. Now, I have been to second-hand shops before and usually feel lucky to find one thing that ends up working out. Today, however, was different.

Let's back track a moment. With a new full time clinic placement, I am now required to wear dress casual attire everyday. This presented a problem as I have been a student for 6 years and have a closet that demonstrates that quite well. About a month ago I picked up a few things from Zara, thinking that would suffice. Well, that lasted about 2 weeks and suddenly I realized when you wear dress casual everyday, it is much more difficult to stretch the wardrobe.

Today I had a couple of extra hours on my hands and decided that meant I had time to try a second-hand shop. I chose Plato's Closet in Lincoln Park because I figured they would have a decent selection of current clothes, and did they! Now if any of you are considering trying your hand at second-hand (hehe), ample time is definitely needed. I probably tried on 30 different items of clothing. I ended up with 3 cute tops and 5, count them 5, "new" pairs of pants. They even had designer jeans (which I never can rationalize to pay full price for)! So now my closet is stocked and my heart is happy knowing the money I spent on the clothes didn't support a an unethical company.

So in sum, today was a second-hand success. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement to stay committed to this process. We can't win 'em all, but we might as celebrate the minor victories along the way :).

Confessions

It is that time of year when the weather is changing and everything in my closet is looking old, dingy, and boring because I've worn it all winter. I am getting the itch to go buy new, pretty, bright, springy things. Simply digging some clothes out of storage would be a simple solution, but that just doesn't sound nearly as fun.

So for now, I am practicing restraint, I am praying I don't sink back into old habits. I am fighting the little temptations that creep across my mind: I've earned it, I "need" it, everyone else does it, it isn't going to make any difference.

We are almost to month 4 of my so called commitment. There have been victories and defeats (sometimes I really just want a Coke!). Are wondering why I shouldn't be drinking coke? Stay tuned. I feel like the major battle right now is to not lose my dedication. Not to become discouraged or overwhelmed by the largeness of the problem, and continue doing the small part I can play, even if it is the teeniest, tiniest part. So this week that is my goal, not to give up.

Know More

After some researching, I found this site which allows you to view the profiles of popular brands that detail labor relations among other issues. It is a good place to stop by when considering a new purchase, or just to learn more about the brands you commonly use.

Principles for the ethical consumer

I found this website. It has great principles to abide by when trying to be an ethical consumer (including when fair trade isn't an option). You can also search through pretty much any brand of items you would find at a grocery store to find out if they have any major offenses.

Yoga to stop Traffick

I've always had a deep secret desire to lead a christian yoga class. My friends think this is weird. I think it could catch on. Yoga clears your mind and helps you relax. The Lord brings peace and hope. Most yoga classes are 1 hr, most of my prayers don't last near that long, but maybe with each pose I could think about praying for something/one different. Now you think I am crazy too. I'm ok with that. At least now you know why this caught my eye:

Yoga to stop traffick:
http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/on_march_13_yoga_will_stop_traffick

The "Ugly Truth"

A friend sent me this link to an article explaining a recent audit by Apple for its factories. The findings? Of the 102 audited factories, "54% had employees that worked more than the maximum allowed 60-hour weeks; 24% were paid less than minimum wage; 37% failed to meet anti-discrimination practices, and three facilities had employed a total of 11 people who were 15 when they started working" (Whittemore, 2010). Apple has stated they are now trying to employ practices to move toward better compliance.
The article also points out that in many factories (where all of our electronics are made), Apple was the first to perform such an audit; therefore, many companies do not even know how their products are being made or who is making them.
The article closes with this, something I couldn't agree more with or say any better:
"Still, the larger question has to center on what we expect of our manufacturing processes. Consumer demand for lower prices drives pressure for unscrupulous practices. A huge part of changing the world, then, has to mean voting with our dollars" (Whittemore, 2010).