Let's take breather and do something fun. Like a giveaway.
I spend far too much time in my own head.
***
As we've covered here before, I am a big hippy. I like to recycle, remake and reuse. And one of my favorite activities is op–shopping.
Op shops are awesome, and the smaller the area, the better the stuff you find. For most things I need– a bread box, an egg keeper, jumpers for the kids, running shoes for me– they can all be purchased, very cheaply, from local op–shops. And scrounging through a load of other man’s junk to find what you need is half the fun.
I buy a lot of my own clothes from op–shops, as well as huge bags of rags for five bucks each that replace dishcloths and paper towels in my house. My kids are dressed almost exclusively in hand me downs– in two and a half years I've bought exactly two items of clothing, not including socks and singlets, for my daughter– and I fill in the gaps with op shop bargains– thick jumpers for three dollars, pretty skirts for two dollars.
To start with, it's cheap. More importantly, it's a matter of using what's already there instead of buying things new. Clothes are so inexpensive to buy– a pair of children's tracksuit pants can be purchased for less than a loaf of gourmet bread. But just because their cheap, doesn't mean you have to buy them new. Factor in the materials and resources used to produce new clothing, the cost to transport them, so on and so forth... The actual cost adds up. Clothes eventually become landfill. So we might as well take as much usefulness from them as possible before they do– as many owners as possible, then used as rags before they're thrown out.
Can you tell, this is something I'm passionate about? Yuhuh. Just like I said– hippy.
With a thing for online shopping.
Combine the two, and what do you get? Well I ended up on Etsy, looking for super cool online traders that remake tired old op–shop finds into groovy new bits and pieces.
I got myself, among a few other things, a recycled iPad cover– awesome, yes? I love. In fact, I love so much that I decided to harass politely as the store owner for some stuff to give away. I certainly wouldn't recommend harassment to anyone– but it worked.
Giveaway starts.... now.
First thing first– this terribly cool recycled jumper. Or jacket. Or sweater. Depending on what continent you live on.
And secondly– one for the blokes, or your husbands or dads or Bunnies or whoever– this funky men's steam punk ring.
Both handmade by Stephanie from Our Children's Earth, from recycled and reclaimed materials. Allow me to repeat myself one more time– I love.
Okies, jellybeans. Here's the fine print...
To enter this competition, visit Our Children's Earth and tell me, in a comment on this post, what you would buy and for who– your budget is $70.
The answer that amuses or confuses me the most wins. My decision is final and no discussion will be entered into.
This one's open to everyone, in every country- yay!
Entries open at Wednesday 14th March and close midnight Tuesday 20th March.
The winner will be announced via RRSAHM’s FaceBook page and Twitter feed. Winners will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond to that email, or the prize will be redrawn.
Comments must have a valid email address to be included in this competition.
And I think that's that. For the purpose of disclosure, I actually haven't been paid for this post– this is just me bringing stuff I love and am passionate about to the blog and to you guys.
Because, of course, I am fucking awesome like that.
Your time starts... now. Happy hippy shopping!