Come on, modern moms: next time you’re at a coffee shop and you know you’re going to savour every last sip there, ask the barista for a real mug instead of wasting another paper cup!
I am so lucky that one of Hartley’s favourite things to do is to hit the coffee shop. We usually go after a trip to the library, and we’re lucky to have one right next to the other, both new, in the hub of our community. As soon as we’re loaded down with, like, 34 books (many of them on dinosaurs) and a few DVDs (Zaboomafoo and The Adventures of Huckle), we head to our regular spot. Everybody’s happy.
I’m also lucky that both my kids make it easy for me to actually hang out in a coffee shop; some friends say there is no way they could pull off such an outing because their kids would be climbing up the chairs and bouncing off the windows, attracting the evil eye from other customers. I don’t mean to gloat, but my guys behave pretty much perfectly.
I get a latte (in a ceramic mug). Hartley gets his usual: a fruit smoothie (in a glass) and a trail-mix bar (on a plate). Hale gets a carrot-bran muffin. We’ve started people-watching, which is hilarious from a three-year-old’s perspective. Unless you’re the one being watched.
Anyway, it pains me to see so many people sipping out of plastic or paper cups. Next time you’re at a café, have a look yourself: everywhere you turn will be waste, waste, waste! It will really start to bother you. Some people simply aren’t aware that all you have to do to get a “for here” mug is ato sk for one. Of course, you can always bring your own.
We need to take care of this planet, and the coffee shop is as good a place to start as any.
What other suggestions do you have when it comes to green living?