The Eco Dad

Temptation lurks all around us. We're inundated with the latest and greatest something or other. I got a phone for Christmas, liked the company's Instagram page and started following them. Problem with that is, aside from the cool pictures showcased by OnePlus owners, I've just recently been shown a really cool version of the phone I already have. The difference? It's limited edition black. Mine is charcoal. Now, I'm pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things, so I've never lined up for an iPhone when the latest one came out, but others do. I can almost guarantee that someone has gotten rid of their perfectly good charcoal OnePlus 3T in order to get the OnePlus 3T in Midnight Black. Just this week I've seen the same thing with the latest iPhone 7. Now there's a 'RED' version allegedly supporting a cause. Not satisfied with your black or silver Google Pixel? How about a 'Really Blue' Pixel? Companies don't even have to innovate anymore...

A few blog posts back I made mention that I would use some of my Kijiji earnings and support a friend's charitable endeavours. I did, but then more recently I thought to myself, why stop there? My finances may be finite, but I can raise more money for the cause by taking part in it myself. That said, I will raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation by completing the CN Tower Climb here in Toronto. It's just that there is always room for more good in the world. It's like Jello, and if I'm to believe the commercials of my childhood, there is always room for Jello. Who knows, maybe my kids will see me doing it and want to do it too. Granted, they're a little young at 2 and 3 years of age, but it gets them thinking. Here's an excerpt from a conversation I had with my 3 year old this evening about it ... Not sure I'll be able to save any 'cars' doing the WWF Stair Climb. 😕 So, he may have been thinking about Transformers and how some of th...

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....

As I enter my third month of not buying anything new, I am amazed at some of the stuff people part with. I guess I shouldn't be, given what I parted with, in terms of clothes and items. Everything I donated, or sold as the case may be, was in perfect working/wearable condition. I don't know though, it still kinda floors me. I guess one man's junk really is another man's treasure. Regardless, I took my oldest son on a donation run to lessen the load of toys in our house. I managed an entire garbage bag, but still I barely see a difference. Even now, as I type this, my eyes wander over to a corner with 'stuffy' toys that neither of them has even looked at in over a year. Why is it still there? So. Much. Stuff. I guess it'd take a long time to empty the ocean one bucket at a time, and that's exactly how this feels. Oh well, I did get one bucket (or bag) out of the house. I should take some consolation in that. Wow, clutter really distracts me! Anyways, in...

Well, I've been on a bit of a writing hiatus, but it's been pretty productive. I've actually managed to donate some kids toys, though not nearly enough of 'em. My oldest son even got in the spirit of not buying things by wearing his Mountie costume for the fourth time.  That's two trick-or-treating expeditions, one school dress up and a school Mardi Gras parade. And this isn't the last time the costume will be used either. Nope, my youngest will likely wear it a couple more times too. What does this all have to do with my blog of not buying new? Aside from the obvious 'reuse' from the three R's, it reinforces the notion of quality over quantity. Had we bought a dumpy, cheapy costume it likely would not have survived the first Halloween, let alone the subsequent uses. This goes for a lot of life's purchases. You often times get what you pay for. Cheap sunglasses break or scratch easily. Cheap clothes tear or wear sooner than higher quality clothes...