Eco-Friendly Products Under $30

Happy Earth Day! 🌎🌍🌏

When it comes to being eco-friendly and leading a sustainable lifestyle, I’m far from perfect. I indulge in fast fashion shopping and order takeout and most likely use way too much electricity. Nonetheless, by switching to a few eco-friendly products, you can definitely make a difference!

Eco-Friendly Products Under $30 - Shades of Sarah

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First up, the Baggu reusable tote. I have three of these, and they’re perfect (they also make great small gifts!). They come in lots of fun prints and colors, and fold up into little pouches. It is so much easier to carry these around than the reusable bags sold at the grocery store. They’re made of nylon, so they’re super strong and easy to clean.

I’m pretty good at not keeping plastic water bottles in the house (disposable water bottles are basically the worst), but would run into trouble when I was out of the house. Then I found this Contigo water bottle (only $10 at Target!). It’s leakproof (so I can carry it in purse or tote no problem) and the silicone sleeve prevents condensation from making everything damp. It also has two removable tops, so it’s easy to fill with ice cubes. It’s also dishwasher-safe. So basically it’s 💯

I also recently switched to these reusable cotton rounds for my makeup remover and toner. (I still use regular cotton balls for nail polish remover, but I used to go through multiple cotton balls daily as part of my skincare routine.) They take some getting used to — since they’re flat and thin, they’re not super absorbent so the liquid tends to float on top. Once you figure that out, it’s just as easy a regular cotton ball to use. I can get multiple uses of one swab because they’re so large (I just fold them up as I go), and they come with a little bag for the wash. It’s such relief to not see my wastebasket full of dirty cotton balls.

Let me know if you guys use and love any of these!

~ Sarah

A Thrifty Earth Day

Inspired by my laziness and Mary from Style That Moves, I wanted to share some of my favorite thrifted pieces in honor of Earth Day. Thrifting is one of the best things for the environment when it comes to shopping. You reduce the amount of new goods purchased, reuse older pieces, and can recycle (or upcycle) different pieces or fabrics. From reverse chronological order…

Sunflower Blazer: Do we even need to discuss why I love this blazer?

Election: I’m pretty sure I bought this silk button-down for $7.

Brights with Black: This black print dress is perfect for every season and business casual workplaces.

Truffula Trees Are What Everyone Needs: This silk pencil skirt is part of a suit. Total cost: $12.

Whomp Whomp Wedges: This floral dress is everything for the summer months.

Gardenia: This Caribbean Joe bag is my go-to for work during the summer. Bonus points for the hand-me-down skirt?

Eat (Cheese)cake: I love my polo dress for rainy days – it’s perfect for layering.

Besides thrifting, how else are you Earth-friendly when shoppping? My other tip: canvas shopping bags. Say no to plastic, y’all.

~ Sarah

“All You Own is Earth”

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I hope everyone had a pleasant Earth Day, and at least remembered to do their recycling! I don’t have a heavy-duty post planned for today, but I just wanted to share this comprehensive article from CF on the harmful effects of bottled water. It’s also worth watching this video on bottled water from the “Story of Stuff” people.

While not everyone may prioritize their sustainability efforts, I think eliminating water bottles is as an easy change that most of us can make. What do you think? Do you use reusable water bottles?

☀ Sarah