Ode to the cloth bag

My sister-in-law recently did a post on her blog about some new cloth bags she had discovered. She renewed my interest in the quest for the perfect cloth bag. Through my search I found that there is not one, there are many! SO MANY!

Here is the first type of cloth grocery bag I ever purchased. From Whole Foods, obviously, for 99 cents. I ended up purchasing up to about 10 of them, as at the time they were the only bag available. I think I was pregnant at the time, and I loved that I could throw the long strap over my shoulder to pick up just those few little things (ohhhh... the old days!) at the store. I loved everything about them (especially the statement I was making as not many people used cloth then) except for the strange smell they had. But I could deal with it!

Then one day, I saw THIS bag! It was sleek, it was glamorous, it was NEW! I had an infant snuggled to me in the Moby Wrap and this just seemed so .... beautiful! (haha) I purchased 3 of them. They are still my favorites. More sturdy, more stable. Not smelly. A bit bigger.

Oh and more attractive and I love that the recycled content is proudly displayed.

Again, these cost 99 cents each!





Then one day I was at Ikea. I couldn't help but go in since I was driving right by it.
I saw these bags and WOW they were so great! STILL my favorite farmer's market bags. They are SO BIG and hold SO MUCH. And they are stupid looking enough to be cute.

And I was satisfied.


Then I had to go and read about these cute little bags that folded up to nothing.
I needed some!




These little bags with two wide shoulder straps are such a great size and easy to use and so convenient to carry along since they fold up to be so small.

But my quest didn't end there. I had a yearning, a hunger!

Which led me to...

This next bag, my new favorite. I love the colors, the shoulder patch, the single long strap so I can put it over my neck...

The way it "tumbles" up

And how the bag that holds it together doubles as an inner pocket. I never carry a purse (not enough hands) so this little pocket holds my keys and chapstick.

This bag will always be a special bag for me... since it was given to us when our son was born. It also turns out to be a fantastic milk bag for those heavy glass jars!

These organic cotton mesh and muslin drawstring produce bags are FABULOUS! Even when I had gone completely to cloth, I sometimes HAD to use a plastic bag for mushrooms or little tomatoes, etc. NOT ANYMORE!

Oh cloth bag, how far you have come!
Now if everyone could find you and eliminate mountains of waste.