Let’s start at the very beginning…

Let me begin my saying, thanks. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and check out this little blog of mine. As I write this, I’m bursting with excitement and gratitude to embark on this journey.

I should probably do a bit of an “about me”…I’m Molly. Born in 1989 (you do the math). Occupation: Toddler teacher. Bride to be. Health nut. Bookworm. Former shopaholic. Earth lover. Striving to find a way to make a difference while letting the creative juices flow….which brings me to the reason I’m sitting here typing.

In short, I want to embark on a yearlong journey of buying nothing new. Yes, you read that correctly: an entire year of buying nothing new. Is that really possible today in a society filled with consumerism?? Well, I’m making it a mission to prove it possible.

Beginning today, not tomorrow….TODAY.

Here are the ground rules and some goals I’ve set for myself:

• From February 19th, 2015-February 19th, 2016, I am making a commitment to buy nothing new. Every purchase I make for myself must be thrifted, used, handmade…you get the gist. This includes, but not limited to: clothes (underwear being an exception…obviously), accessories, books, movies, home goods and technology.
• What about things like toiletries? Glad you asked! Most of my toiletries over the next year will be D.I.Y. That includes cosmetics, hair care, etc. Any personal care I cannot recreate will be purchased in the most sustainable, nontoxic form possible.
• Cleaning products? Same as above ^^
• Food: When it comes to food, I will focus on buying local, seasonal and as minimally processed as possible. I will only purchase food with very little to no packaging and do my best to avoid food packaged in plastic.
• Be mindful of trash and waste: My fiancé and I have already been discussing ways we can reduce the waste in our lives. Now is the perfect time to put this discussion into action! We will be reducing our trash, recycling everything possible, composting, and again, trying to avoid plastic (post on this to come).
• Wedding planning: As you probably caught in the about me, I am a bride to be! I’m beyond blessed to be tying the knot with the love of my life on October 17th, 2015. Basically the same rules and goals will apply. I will be creating my dream wedding using thrifted/homemade decor. I will also focus on making my wedding as environmentally sustainable as possible.
• Buy only local and support small businesses: While I already strive to do this, I feel there is plenty of room for improvement.  This means making simple changes like choosing a local coffee shop versus Starbucks and shopping the Farmer’s Market rather than going to the grocery store. It also means choosing small businesses for services. I will be doing posts on little gems I find throughout the community.

Whew! Sounds like a lot, to take on, right? That’s why I’ve created this nifty blog, “The Thrifted Year”. Here I will compile tips, tricks, progress, setbacks, trials, epic fails…anything really.  Having a place to share will remind be of the commitment I made and hold me accountable. Some posts will be planned and well thought out and others may be frazzled ramblings. I’m not perfect. Anything goes. So, thanks again for joining me on this journey, and as Julie Andrews once sang:

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…”