Shopping Ethically

My desire is to shop ethically, spiritually, soulfully. My experience up to this point in my life has been to see something in a store, like it, and buy it. Or even just think it's okay and buy it. Sometimes I have even bought things I didn't like just because I "needed" it at that point. Case in point, the shorts I bought when the Boy wet his pants at the mall and I hadn't planned ahead to bring a backup pair with me. My goal was to buy the cheapest thing in the store. 

However, the problem lies in the fact that the cheapest thing is probably such because it was made with the cheapest materials by the cheapest labor, possibly at the cheapest quality. Instead of assuming that these items magically appear in the mall out of nowhere, I want to start thinking about where they come from. Who made this sippy cup? How were they treated in the process? What did they use to make it? Is it full of harmful chemicals? (I recently read that baby mattresses often contain too-high levels of rat poison.) Will my owning this item actually benefit me and my family?

If I stop and think about these things before I buy I'll spend a lot less money. I may be able to afford the portrait of the kids I want to commission. Or a nice handmade piece of jewelry I've been eyeing. 

With birthdays falling this month for the kids, it's hard not to waste lots of money. Overspending on toys, party favors, paper plates, cake decorating supplies, etc. And most of it gets thrown in the trash. 

I'm going to start keeping a diary of things I buy. I think if I do that, it will waken me up to what comes in and out of my house. If I'm brave enough, I may even post it here.