The Daily Life of Sweetpea[s]

Yay!

I love reusable bags. And I know of a chicobags coop closing this week, if anyone wants bags that fold up really really small for half price!
 

The key seems to be getting into a habit of carrying the resuable bags in the car so that they're always there when you need 'em.

I've been meaning to do this for a long time...
 

yeah, i would do it, except two chihuahuas put out a LOT of poop each day, so i feel justified getting plastic bags that will be recyled as poop picker-uppers. :)
 

it's fun to say "poop picker-uppers."
 

Also handy as poop-wrapper-uppers before they are deposited in the diaper pail. These real-food diapers are stiiiiiinky!
 

I hate to be a party pooper, but just so you all know, Patagonia proudly gives some of their profits every year to several causes they want to support and one of them is planned parenthood. They have a web page that lists all of their regular contributions if you would like to google it. Anyway, I don't know how any of you feel about Planned Parenthood, but for myself, I was quite disappointed and saddened that Patagonia regularly donates to them. I was especially sad about this since Patagonia makes some of my favorite outdoorsy stuff. I've been looking more into North Face and other brands lately.
 

thanks, kellsey! i didn't know that.
 

Hey, Planned Parenthood gave out $9 birth control in Waco, and they are one of the only places where a girl can get a free exam, pregnancy test, condoms, etc. in Odessa. I'm not sure I'd dump Patagonia for that.
 

However, if you are pro-life, you may choose not to support a staunchly pro-choice organization, however indirectly. Kellsey inserted this comment, as she stated, not knowing how people felt about PP. I happen to know that Kellsey is also very careful not to shop at stores with a history of getting their manufacturing done at sweatshops. She is consuming according to her conscience and I respect that.
 

Well, I can understand that perspective. I just think companies who are trying to do the right thing by their communities, like Patagonia has a history of doing, often catch flack that is escaped by companies who don't bother trying at all. I don't think they're necessarily one to one logic equations: "I am pro-life, so therefore Patagonia is off limits to me," or "Patagonia supports Planned Parenthood because they hate babies."
 

I support planned parenthood, generically speaking. Young people should get married and plan to have kids. (Who let this guy in here?)
 

For myself, I have a hard time buying something that I know will pay for an abortion. I am glad that Patagonia does try to do things that invest back into the earth and into communities, but I can invest in other companies or organizations that will invest in their communities and give back to the earth without giving money towards an organization that will be providing abortions.
That said, i realize that the abortion issue is many faceted. There may be extreme, and I do meann EXTREME situations in which I MIGHT consider it, but PLanned Parenthood pays for MANY MANY abortions that I would not put into that category.

I do not think that this is an issue best discussed online, and I certainly don't want to get everybody angry over an issue that we are probably divided on.

As Sweetpea pointed out, I did not know how most people felt about Planned Parenthood, but I thought if any of you were not big fans that you might want to know that Patagonia financially supports them on a regular basis. After that, it is between you and God as to where you feel led to shop. I am not going make a judgement about where you shop because I really don't think that's my job. I just thought that some of you might want to have the information.

Kind of along a similar vein, I buy cloth diapers. I do this because I felt like this was the next way that God was calling me to be a good steward of the earth that he has entrusted to us. I think that there are a million ways to try to be a good steward of the environment and that no one can do all of them. It seems like we must do the best we can to follow where God leads us. Cloth diapers is one of the ways that God led me. He may not lead everybody to this option, and that is fine by me. I am not a cloth diaper crusader. Similarly, I am not an anti-Planned Parenthood shopping crusader (so to speak). I do not want to buy from companies who support them myself as I feel that God has personally convicted me on this, however, that does not mean that He has done so with anyone else I know. So, please shop where you want according to your conscience and according to where God has led you. I trust Him to give good guidance to you and everyone even if it may not look exactly the same for you as it does for me.
 

who DID let that guy in here?? :)
 

Uh, I can't afford to shop at Patagonia anyway.


...and I do know that you all shop very responsibly; I like that. I just thought that one was worth ...noting another way to think about the shopping, and maybe pointing out that PP is not all evil. Not trying to change your views on abortion in my blog comment... !
 

Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate your comments and your suggestions.

;-)