We're not plastic bags!

Have you heard the news? As of last Tuesday, a new ordinance has been passed in San Francisco banning large grocery stores from giving customers plastic bags. (Please don't hassle our friends working retail about plastic bags, however -- the ordinance allows retail stores and small groceries to continue to hand them out.)

So why not invest in some cute tote bags for your grocery shopping? They're much sturdier and cuter than a paper bag, and you can certainly get your money's worth out of them the more you use them.

One of my favorites I've seen is this adorable bok choy tote bag from the Emily Carr Institute student shop. I also love the persimmon one. It's great that these totes include pockets so you don't have to dig for your keys or wallet -- the unfortunate side effect of using a tote bag for a purse.

From Karmaloop.com, this adorable bag with a bear folds into a pouch so you can tuck it into your bag and have it ready when you need it; I know I have a tendency to forget my tote bag, only to realize it when I'm standing in the check-out line.

Or, okay, maybe you still want one of the Anya Hindmarch I'm Not a Plastic Bag bags. Well, they've been sold out for months, you guys, and honestly? I've seen a couple in person, in Tokyo and in San Francisco, and they're really not as cute in person as they look in the photos. However, this tote, which looks an awful lot like the original UK bag, is pretty adorable AND it has the text directly embroidered on -- a nice touch!

And, as always, don't forget Etsy.com for searching for great handmade totes -- I've got one that I adore. For an adorable fall tote bag, I really like this one in corduroy. Corduroy's been my thing lately; I had a hankering for skinny cords all spring and summer long, strangely enough. If you're more partial to denim than corduroy, though, she's got an equally cute one in raw denim.

Tote bags are a great way to make a statement; not only are you helping by carrying your own bags and sparing the use of another plastic or paper (because really, is paper all that much better?) bag, you have another way to show your style, too.

images from http://www.ecistudioshop.ca/shop/ and www.karmaloop.com