The Eco Dad

Well, I've been hit with a few clothing emergencies. Okay, so they aren't emergencies, but as life happens I'll need a couple things. I dodged a bullet with buying a suit because my son's daycare graduation was moved to a new date that clashed with a business outing. Given the choice I chose family. I always will. Yes, I know it's daycare and it's not a recognized diploma, but my son worked very hard on his Going to Kindergarten song and at four years old he knows if dad is, or isn't, there. Back to the suit though, this will likely require a consignment store. I don't see too many suits in a style I like on the thrift store racks. Consignment means paying more, but not everything second hand is going to be cheap or found in a store that relies solely on donations. It's sort of a negative connotation about second hand - that's it's cheap, beat up, useless stuff. Yes, you have to sift through the rough (and there's lots of rough), but you...

Over the past two days, little by little, I have endeavoured to make my best friend a trophy. Why? Because she deserves it. She has served her country for twenty years and I am fortunate to have been her partner (officially and unofficially, on and off) for almost the last four of them. I could go on and on about how awesome she is, but that's not the purpose of this blog. The trophy I made - that's why I'm writing today. So yeah, she's served her country for twenty years as an officer and there will be no pin, no plaque, no handshake, nothing. In fact she had to plan her own celebratory lunch. While I'm up for that, I wanted her to have something other than a full belly. My immediate thought was a gag gift - a used softball trophy from Value Village, likely a 1997 Pee Wee 'AA' Championship. It wasn't that I was looking for a softball trophy, I just figure that's the sorta trophy that gets thrown out. Having it used also keeps in step with my year ...

In the absence of purchasing anything new, I've found that thrift shopping or scouring used online ads has become a bit of a pastime, almost an addiction. There is something to be said about finding a great deal, but trying to keep in step with decluttering is becoming a bit of a battle. I've done well enough in terms of donating old clothes when I buy something 'new,' but I'm running out of clothes I'm willing to part with and I really enjoy finding something awesome at a second hand store. Just yesterday I found two used shirts I really liked, so I caved and purchased them. Coincidentally, it is Hockey Night in Canada! What else have I been scouring for? Well, I'd like a second iPad Mini 2 in order to minimize the fighting between my boys over the one iPad Mini 2 I have.  My Nexus 7, the one that allowed me to part ways with my Kobo in a previous post, is on it's last legs, so I started looking for a used Android tablet for me. Shoes. I ...

Kids grow up so fast - way too fast as it turns out. They outgrow their friggin' clothes and it's hard to keep up. If they aren't out growing the clothes, they are simply shredding them at the knees, elbows, collars, everywhere. The good thing is, in addition to my go to thrift store, there are kids only thrift stores called Once Upon a Child ! We managed a pretty sweet haul of clothes for the oldest boy. Unfortunately for the youngest, he will likely get second generation hand-me-downs that don't have holes in them. No one said life was fair. Green Lantern Meets Captain Thrift? My oldest son was pretty stoked about his new gear, as seen in the flexing pose above. You can't go wrong with a MEXX sweater for about $5.  We grabbed two other sweaters, three jeans and a pair of shorts. The Green Lantern glasses, pictured above, were already his from a Happy Meal.  Clothes aren't the most exciting thing for kids, but it seemed to make my little guy smile....

I found myself with a few minutes to spare today so I decided to try and go thrift shopping at the nearby Salvation Army. I'm particularly fussy with what I wear. I like slim fit shirts and boot-cut jeans. I've had zero luck at the last two thrift shops I checked out, but this challenge wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy, right? If everyone could do it, they would. Wait, that's not true. Everyone can do it. We just choose not to. We opt for the most recent trend/style/whatever and buy seasonally or annually or whatever it is, but it's unnecessary. We prefer convenience over the hunt for a good bargain at a thrift store. Maybe there's a stigma, albeit much undeserved. Luckily I'm quite fine with the timeless look of jeans and a t-shirt and I'll buy used 'cause I just don't care. Honestly, the pictures you see of me today versus five to six years ago are almost identical. I'd wager my look ten years ago would be identical. I even wear many ...