Why Victor LeBeau is a moron, why I need to change, & why I'm grateful for awesome friends

Let me open with two things. The first, a disclaimer that, no, I am not perfect - I am not, by any means, the picture of sustainable living or even a good example of one who hasn't succumbed to the system. You know how I know? Because I've been wanting a pair of distressed Frye boots for like, a year now. And I'll probably always wear makeup (the not-tested-on-animals-kind, of course) and will always enjoy finding unique stuff to wear at Uptown Cheapskate, clothing swaps, and even Francesca's.

But the older I get - the more I've come to understand America's system of overconsumption, I realize how unimportant these things are, how I continue to contribute to this hideous perversion of happiness, how the need to "buy" has literally destroyed the finances and sometimes lives of friends and family.

Second, a quote from Victor LeBeau (Retail analyst post WWII):
“Our enormously productive economy…demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption…we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.”

I'm not sure if the man was a genius for his foresight or an idiot for promoting such a heinous idea. My best friend introduced me to the video "The Story of Stuff" yesterday - most of the info I've already heard (such as the disproportionate rate at which America is consuming the world's natural resources, or the disparity between price/cost of production, etc.). What I didn't know was that only a whopping ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTS CONSUMED ARE STILL BEING USED 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. 

Can that be for real?!

Without turning this post into a lengthy rant on why we shouldn't purchase things made in China, why those little souvenir shops at the beach literally make me nauseated, or why everyone needs to visit the third world as a right of passage before they graduate middle school just to see how the rest of the world lives - to compare THE AMOUNT OF WASTE WE PRODUCE HERE IN THE STATES TO THE LACK OF EVEN THE MOST MINIMAL, BARE NECESSITIES AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE - I'm just going to post my goals for the month. I really, really need to step it up, and am very grateful for a conversation had yesterday with my bestie that inspired me even more to change my lifestyle. 

I suppose it's not an easy place to get to after having consumption drilled into our brains from birth, but I did get to a point several years ago where I realized that "things" are so unimportant that they're often a turn-off for me. Did I love it when Tad bought me a Keurig for Valentine's Day last year? You bet. I use that thing every morning and will run it into the ground. But I can't remember the last "gift" he gave me before or after, because I've asked him specifically for years now not to get me "things" anymore. Take me to a unique restaurant instead. Drive me to Boston for Christmas so we can ice skate on the Frog Pond (squeeee, can't wait!). For me, it's about experiences and time spent discovering and enjoying the world, not consuming goods that I don't need. I wish there was a way to help revolutionize the American dependence on "stuff."

For now, I really need to step up my anti-waste goals. I will admit to something shameful: I tried for months to get Baltimore County to register us for their recycling route when we first moved in, but because Baltimore Co. kept saying they didn't recognize our address, I quit trying. This month my 3 goals will focus on eliminating waste. 

1: Get on the recycle route. Like, yesterday. 
2: Replace disposable kitchen items with reusable items - no more plastic bags, no more paper towels.  
   Washable, reusable hand towels and napkins for us. 
   Last month I purchased my first reusable produce bag from Etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/103080604/reusable-produce-bag-hand-printed-with
   I plan to pick a burlap coffee bag distributor and pick up some cheap cotton for lining so I can make
   some huge market totes for groceries. They've got some really neat ones on Etsy right now:
   http://www.etsy.com/listing/90389499/tote-bags-reusable-market-bags-set-of-3?ref=usr_faveitems
   As much as I enjoy purchasing handmade, made-in-America items, I'm broke right now and will be using
   these for inspiration. :)
3: Eliminate food waste. My goal is ZERO FOOD WASTE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
   ZERO. Makes me sick to throw away produce that I forgot to eat.

For December - overconsumption hell - I will be focusing on eliminating items that contribute toxins to both the environment and to my body. Any comments/suggestions are appreciated!!!