We can minimize our fossil fuel use and support makers near us by buying more from local makers (and a lot less from big stores). I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So let's look at some of the best stuff together. 

from Intericon

Lots of people are starting their back to school shopping. Be sure to check out this list of back to school essentials (hello recycled paper and pens!), but here are some of my favorite book bags I have seen in my research. If you can find a good backpack secondhand, that is really the ideal solution, if not ethically-made nearby is the best you can do.

Some are definitely for grown-ups (see- very expensive and will need years of use), and some are more kid-friendly!

from Oliday

1. Oliday

 One of my favorite Etsy stores. Gorgeous laptop bags, camera bags and diaper bags all made in Los Angeles.  Right now, their bags are all made for at least high school age students and adults, but they have offered kids bags in the past, so I would check.

 We have been using an Oliday diaper bag for three years, so I can vouch for how well these bags are made. The bag still looks great, and my love for them has only grown.

The Curious Catbird

2. The Curious Catbird

This store screenprints adorable animals onto otherwise neutral backpacks. So cute, and perfect for an elementary schooler if you don't want them to grow out of it immediately. Some are more grown up geekery, so they might be perfect for a gym bag.

3. Stitchcrafty4u

For little kids' backpacks, my favorites are these adorable ones from Stitchcrafty4u. Super cute and handmade. They have a great selection of toddler back packs, but it looks like they are starting to make Big Kid ones too.

from Intercon

4. Intericon

 Mostly simple, but beautiful bags, and they are handmade in Hawaii! Most are between 70 and 100 dollars, and they also make super affordable lunch bags (you may just see them again on that list!). These sometimes have "hipster" in the title, but don't stress- they look effortlessly cool and great for kids.

from Medium Control

5. Medium Control

This store sells over 100 backpacks, all with exceptionally cool printing on them. I mean, what high schooler is going to school with a Bauhaus symbol on their bag? At least one, and that kid is way cooler than I was at that age (I mean, that's true of most high schoolers, but the Bauhaus kid is setting an even higher bar). Bags vary from 35 to 50 dollars, so well within affordable and actually cheaper than the LL Bean bags everyone has (that are made in China).

There are even more gems there! Check out the beauties from Bagamie, CanopyVerde, and christystudio.

If you are brave, you can even get sewing patterns from IThinkSewBags.



Happy school shopping! Where is your favorite place to buy a backpack?

1. Allenbrite Studio 

2. Eugenie2 

(Florida) makes these lovely knit stockings that would be great if you have chic and kitschy taste at once. Like a classy Christmas sweater made into a stocking. If you have the knitting skills, you can find patterns too.

3. Handmade Pretties 

(Iowa) make quilted stockings that remind me of the ones my Grammy made us as kids. So I am in love with them. If you think you have got this, you can find all sorts of patterns on Etsy as well.

4. Pink Slip Inspiration 

(San Diego) makes the most sophisticated stockings I have seen anywhere. Pretty girly, but I think in a good way. Angie and Lois and Westin House Design sell gorgeous and sophisticated stockings as well.

5. Three Schatze 

(Illinois) makes modern stockings with fun and quirky prints. The prints are very on trend, so just make sure you pick things that really fit so you can get lots of years of use.



Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

We can minimize our fossil fuel use and support makers near us by buying more from local makers (and a lot less from big stores). I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So let's look at some of the best stuff together. 

from Nevada Knits

1. Nevada Knits makes chunky knit pumpkins I want to hug. They remind me of a lot of stuff they sell at Michael's, with a sort of rustic feel, but these look like you should hug them (and not that much more expensive). They would be awesome with kids in the house

K and J Creations

2. K and J Creations (Texas) makes all sorts of sweet yard art out of reclaimed wood (so you know I love them), but they seem to turn it out most for Halloween, with jack o lanterns, candy corn, and ghosts! My favorite are the ghosts- you can't deny how cute these are.

from HBixbyArtworks

3. HBixby Artworks (Yakima, Washington) makes these pumpkins out of recycled books. A little sad, but they also come out very cute and at least the book isn't wasted completely. And this good idea comes with lots of variations so you can find something perfectly your style; try  MonAmiePaperie (New Mexico) or Hi Butterfly (Colorado) as well.

from A Black Star

4. A Black Star handpaints Silhouettes onto pillow covers (always a great way to decorate- not much room to store and lots of impact). They have some awesome Halloween-themed ones, from Beetlejuice to Bride of Frankenstein. They also have Jack Skellington and Sally, but everyone Nightmare before Christmas is a Christmas movie. I like Halloween Kelley's Collection pillows as well.

from Playin with Scraps

5. Playin with Scraps (Pennsylvania) sells ornaments made with recycled scrap metal, but my favorite is this bat. Very cute and recycled too! Double win.



Have a favorite etsy shop that didn't make the list? Point me there! Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

We can minimize our fossil fuel use and support makers near us by buying more from local makers (and a lot less from big stores). I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So let's look at some of the best stuff together. 

You can find costumes for little ones in all sorts of consignment stores, and it makes so much sense, because especially when they are this little, costumes can't get much reuse. If you are going to buy a super original and adorable (and probably expensive) Etsy costume this year, get something in consignment next year. Alternating between these routes will even out to be comparable to buying those plastic bags filled with polyester from Target, K Mart, or Walmart. It's a different approach, but it might reap some cool rewards.

from TreeAndVine

I love TreeAndVine so much. We bought our son a phoenix costume for a Halloween costume. Not only are their gorgeous (and mostly bird-related) costumes made in Maine, but they are sewn out of Eco-felt, which is made of recycled plastic bottles. Could it possibly be any better? Your kid can be a little recycling bird! Unbeatable!

from The Wishing Elephant

If you are looking for cute, but you want to see a lot of options, try The Wishing Elephant (New Hampshire). And its clear they have amazing designs and tons of positive reviews. They have such a wide bunch of baby costumes- the Staypuff marshmallow man, a pineapple, C3P0, and a swan tutu (it's so good. Somebody dress their baby at Bjork). Lovely choices and sparkling reviews! My favorite is their flamingo dress. The fatter the baby, the better.

from Boo Bah Blue

Boo Bah Blue (Washington) sells the kind of costumes you imagine you would make if you actually sewed things. They kind of look like costumes from old 70's Halloween pictures, and in the best way. Plus, a toddler dressed as an ewok can't be denied.

from The Costume Cafe

The Costume Cafe (Austin, TX) is popular enough that they are done taking orders for Halloween a month in advance (crud!), but if you want to dress your spawn as food (and who can blame you?), I would start here. Their costumes sometimes look simple, but they have really thoughtful and funny details sure to make their getups a huge hit. Plus, the hats. The hats!

from KidHub

Last year, I bought one of these dinosaur hoodies from KidHub, and it is so well-made and adorable. The Bub wore it out all the time. Even better, the costume is incredibly low key and non-fussy, so if you have an uncooperative toddler (or very cold weather) this could be the ticket. Also, I think it would look damn cute with a tutu, which is really the best part of having a little girl.



Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So starting a series to focus on the greatest stuff we have found. 

from BoredInc

1. Sweet Summer Slowness

Sorry friends! I know I went MIA for a little while there, but our family was traveling and then when we got back we had plenty to do just to get things back to normal and have our Seattle adventures! I missed writing, but we really loved some time to focus on the fam and have adventures. So important!

2. Family Bonfires

I love the smell of a bonfire. It smells like summer. We had an awesome bonfire one of our first days home, and it really reminded me to appreciate that time together, because it just makes such a difference. It can be so hard to let go of the phone, or know this blog is sitting dormant as big news about plastic and the state of our planet comes out, but I have to follow my own advice and really be present in my own life as well. A toddler, a bonfire, and smores don't leave a hand to check my phone!

3. Hummingbird Glass Straws

We finally got a set of straws, and I think they are really great so far. My plan is to make a zero waste kit for my bags so when a plastic spoon is the only choice, we can leave it there and use what we have instead. It's such a simple thing to do, but I just haven't done it yet. Ready to make this positive change.

4. New Homes for Old Toys

Things at my Dad's house have definitely changed (and gotten much cuter), so I feel less like I can use my old space there as a holding area for stuff I may or may not find important later. So I sorted through a giant chest of old favorite toys that I was saving for a hypothetical daughter I am clearly not having. This chest had more toys in it than both of my boys have put together! So I pulled out a few treasures for them and split the rest between friends' little girls and my sweet neice and still had plenty to take to Salvation Army.

These are some old beanie babies snuggling with my friend's daughter's kitty. It makes me so happy to think those toys will get a second life and be loved by another kid instead of sitting in a chest somewhere collecting dust. I still believe it is worth it to save some special toys, but man I took it to another level. It feels good that I am making it right and making more room for my Dad's sweet new life.

5. Franklin Rocks

 Our hometown does this cute thing where you can paint a rock, write "Franklin Rocks" on the back, and rehide the rocks. Come on. That is so damn cute and just goes to show it doesn't matter where you are, you can come up with something fun to do (without just buying stuff). Check your neighborhood- you might have one too!

6. This Sweet Gift

 We spent a few days on the tail end of the trip up in Maine with my grandparents in their cabin. When we got there, there were two different pails of rocks for our toddler to throw in the lake- I just thought it was such a special and thoughtful thing to do. I love gifts, it will never stop being my love language, but now I can see that thoughtful gifts like these are the ones people remember most.

7. This Lady

I basically want to be my Grammy when I grow up. She is pretty spectacular with kids (among other things), and now as an adult I can see what makes her so great:

 First, she gets on the floor and plays. She isn't a spectator, she really plays. It's amazing how much more positive your interactions with kids are if you just give them something more fun to do than misbehave.

Second, she talks to them like human beings and actually listens to what they say.

Third, she has so much patience! She did the same puzzle with The Bub 30 times in 4 days. Even though he just kept sabotaging her.

She is a big gifter, but the best thing about her is just being around her, and I think that is why her grandchildren are such a deeply devoted fan club. Spending the long weekend with her left me inspired to keep pushing myself to be present and to play. It makes a huge difference!

8. Maggie the Cow and Other Old Stuff

We loved visiting the Portland Children's Museum as kids. There are 2 big things I remember- the firetruck you could drive and a cow that you could actually milk! We took our kids to visit the museum and it was just like I remembered (just smaller, go figure). I was most excited that the cow is still holding on, delighting kids with her squishy udders. Also, The Bub loved feeding her lobster, mussels, and anything else my son could find. Anyway, I was just so tickled that they had taken such good care of that cow that she was still in use 20 years after I use it.

I also feel for the first time like I am old enough to appreciate my grandparents and their commitment to using what still works. The cups, tools, everything in their cabin is pretty old because they just keep making them work instead of getting something new. I feel like this should be a goal for all of us. Don't replace it- if it still works, use it! Be like Maggie the milkable cow!

9. Discovering new Made in America Stuff (and Lobster Rolls)

 We walked around Kittery Trading Post, found some new Made in America stuff (Farm to Feet?) So cool. We didn't buy anything (why would I want a Maine Christmas ornament shipped from China?), but we did find some new cool companies to check out. My shopping has really just turned into fact finding mission. Then we shared a lemonade and a lobster roll. Not shabby!

10. Made in America Week

 I am excited that this week the White House is trying to highlight American-made products, including my beloved Liberty Bottleworks! I fight for Made in America because buying less and moving our stuff much shorter distances is epically important. Made in America is seen as sweet or nostalgic, but it has real environmental impact, the more we all do it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think it takes deep and absolute hypocrisy to push American-made when your companies make literally nothing in America. Someday, when I am feeling even sassier than usual, I could offer options for our grand leader's deeply unpatriotic merchandise.

I have so much good stuff coming and so many good ideas from 2 weeks of thinking and unplugging a little. Stay tuned!

I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So starting a series to focus on the greatest stuff we have found. 

from Violet Vale Designs

aVintageParcel (Minnesota) These are made from Hamilton printing press drawers, and they look so cool. Also check out Pebbles and Sticks (Idaho) for vintage cabinet pulls.


DaRosa (Canada) makes all sorts of knobs, mostly out of recycled items like legos or these hot wheels pulls. I am obsessed. Not only are they eco-friendly because they re-use items for a new purpose, they would also be perfectly genius in a kid's room. They also have insects, birds, all sorts of cool pulls. Check them out.


Hollow Creek Welding (Texas) makes pulls and knobs that are beautiful but also really tough looking. These square ones might be perfect if you have a rustic but modern style.

Forge Hardware Studio (Florida) is the perfect stop if you are looking for streamlined and modern hardware. Everything looks really clean, and they have a bunch of different materials. Hook and Knob (Florida) has modern knob as well, with a more feminine aesthetic.


Lakehouse Treasury (Ohio) sells these beautiful stone cabinet knobs. I just think these are so gorgeous, and would look great anywhere that is near the water. I also think the smoothness and neutral colors lend themselves to more sophisticated and natural designs.


Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

Wow, another truly terrible week if you care about the environment this year. But I am still pointing to positive spots I saw this week, and I hope you can too.



1. Farmer's Market Treats- About every other Saturday we go to our farmer's market. The produce is great, but the food we get for lunch is maybe even better. I got a quesadilla filled with winter veggies, including beets, which are basically the best things ever. I used to hate beets. Life is filled with surprises. Also awesome? We got our apple cider from a lady in a pussy hat and snacked on Freedom fries. Eventually, I will want to get back to Pennsylvania. But at this moment, I just love my liberal bubble.

2. Solar Power- Just as the regulations which keep our air and water clean get stripped away so billionaires can get even more billionairy, a number of reports about solar power have come out, and lots of the news is good:

Amazon is continuing to go big on clean energy for their warehouses
China has opened a giant solar farm and has decreased their pollution and CO2 emissions with a huge solar push
Solar is now providing twice as many new jobs as coal
Renton's new Ikea has a giant solar farm on top (this could be all huge stores soon enough)
Tesla is speeding along on their solar roof (and it will cost less than a regular roof even before the energy savings)
Solar power is the cheapest form of energy in almost 60 countries
Japan is building floating solar farms (this video is beautiful)

Yay clean energy! If our government is going to be just TERRIBLE to try to help fossil fuels take more desperate grabs for money, it feels good to see solar (and wind) having such a great season anyway. I bet carriage-makers weren't that excited about the car, and they could try to keep them from happening, but I have to believe clean energy is as inevitable as it is necessary.


3. Faith Ringgold- This artist could not be speaking more prescient truths for this moment, and her work is so beautiful. This week, I read her book We Are America to a group of kids who both connected with her discussion of race and her quilt Tar Beach. So fun to see their projects and to talk about all the cultures that make up American culture. I bet when people donated these fabric scraps, they never expected something so cool.


4. Crayons and a Cardboard Box- This has been our primary form of entertainment for days. Everything they say about kids and boxes are true, and any weird drawings you see on the box are clearly The Boy's, because I am totally normal.

5. More and More Mainstream Environmentalism- You would think, in the current climate, that people would forget about the environment, but I think it has woken people up, and they see this is another area in which you have to be an active participant to do some good. Lots of mainstream sites (even Readers Digest) keep posting about the eco-friendly choices we should all be making. I am still hopeful that this horrible season doesn't do too much damage, and that it makes people more aware daily of how much their spending is their vote. We can do a lot of good once we identify who is really chipping away at American culture.