Reusable Bags!

**I had some comments asking for links for the bags... here they are :)
Envirosax - reusable grocery bags.

DaisyDots - Etsy store with reusable nylon produce bags.

Reusablebags.com - They sell reusable organic cotton produce bags (and larger grocery bags).

This is sort of a two-part post :) First, a vent about supermarket checkers and then a great new find!

Vent:
I've had my reusable grocery bags for quite a while - just added some really cute Envirosax to the collection (they have the Retro Kitchen designs - fun!)
Anyway, I was at the store today just picking up a few things I'd forgotten earlier in the week and placed two Envirosax bags on top of my groceries. These things are bright blue and yellow - hard to miss! Well, the checker starts bagging my stuff in plastic! I told her "Oh, I brought my own bags but I can re-bag the stuff for you." She replied "Oh really, I didn't see them!" and then added some silly little giggle. Ugh.. how the hell could you not see them? Are you blind? I spared her the snark and went on to re-bag my stuff. I did comment on how she could then re-use the plastic bags I was giving back... heh, had to slip some passive-agressiveness in there somehow ;)
To make matters worse, I'd gotten a small package of tortillas for my enchiladas for Saturday... she had put the 1 small, thin package of tortillas in its own personal plastic bag! Aye...! Do people really not get it that plastics are clogging up the planet faster than we can say plastic? So sad...
BTW, for my not-so-green-obsessed readers (do I have any of those?!), even my conservative DH shook his head at this (or was that at me venting about this?!) He applauds my break-up with plastics :) It's not just for us hippie liberals! :) I do think he believes I go a bit overboard in other areas of my greeniness but whatever... he knew what I was like before he married me. ;)

Great new find:
This is related to the reusable bags.
I have recently been feeling a bit hypocritical for using all these great reusable bags for groceries and other shopping but then putting produce in plastic! LOL :) Seems a bit silly when you think about it, doesn't it?
I have long been one of those who does not bag things with their own natural packaging (oranges, bananas, potatoes, onions, garlic, etc) but wanted a solution for the things like green onions that don't have a protective shell (especially since I have not been able to come up with a way to reuse those cheesy little produce bags and my area will not take them for recycling... grrr!)
Well, after asking on the What's Cooking? board and the new Eco-Friendly Family Board (yes, I'm child-free but my DH and I count as a family and I was raised in cloth diapers so I *get* all the cloth diaper talk! lol), I found some Etsy sites for people who make and sell these great produce bags!
I ordered some nylon reusable produce bags on Wednesday and had them in my mailbox yesterday! Woot! :) I found out the girl I ordered from is actually fairly local (less than 100 miles from me) so that makes it even more exciting. Can't wait to try them out.
I was also referred to a site which sells organic cotton mesh bags for produce so I'll be getting some of those, too (because really, isn't a nylon bag just a plastic bag? :) I have issues with my Envirosax for the same reasons - they're polyester - but at least these *plastic* bags will last me a long time!)

Yeay!
I'm sure I'll get some funny looks for these mesh produce bags (you should see the scowls I get from checkers when I place my loose oranges/whatever on the conveyor!) but oh well.. good thing I do most of my shopping at a local market (well, it's a chain but not a big-box chain) - they give discounts for bringing in your own bags :)

Now I just have to find an eco-friendly solution for lining the trash cans in the bathrooms (I used to use plastic grocery bags!) :)