Tag Archives: consumerism

Disney Innovation in Times Square

Times Square is one of New York City’s most famous destinations, both for the sights and for the shopping. In many cases, the two come together in one iconic attraction. Think of the FAO Schwartz life-sized keyboard-dancing scene in the movie “Big,” or giant playful displays of candy at the M&M’s store and you’ll see what I mean. When I was little, the store that felt the most like a delightful attraction was, of course, the Disney Store. As I’ve mentioned before, I could go there and pretend I was amongst my favorite Disney characters for awhile. In fall 2010 … Continue reading →

The New “R” in Green Living

You may have heard about the three “Rs” in green living. These are easy to remember guides to practicing responsible consuming. These three points are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reduce means to consume less and produce less waste. Reuse means to get the most out of something, rather than discarding it and replacing it with something new. Recycle means you either repurpose something old that you don’t need into something new that you do need, or to recycle that product so it can be made into something new by someone else. There is a new “R” to add to our … Continue reading →

How Much Disposable Family “Stuff”?

My two eldest children have been getting on my case about the amount of plastics we use and the amount of disposable items that our family “supports” that end up either in the recycling or the trash. As green and aware as I want to be, I also fully admit that the realities of herding a single parent family sometimes reinforce my choosing convenience over environmentally sound. Besides, it sometimes feels like opening a huge can of worms or a battle that no matter what I try to do I never will fully be able to win… I thought I … Continue reading →

Single Parents and Budgeting—Don’t Give in to Peer Pressure

I suppose if I am going to be completely clear, I should say “peer pressure, family pressure, social pressure, and child pressure.” The fact is there is so much external pressure on us in a consumer-oriented capitalist society, that it can be incredibly hard for anyone to stick to a budget or financial plan—not just a single parent. But we single parents have the added challenge of feeling like we need to compete and compare with two-parent, two-income household, or our own household economic situation prior to our becoming single parents. It takes a great deal of strength and character … Continue reading →

Hold On To Your Eggs—This You Have To See!

What’s your morning routine? Do you make coffee, read the paper, scan the cereal box’s ingredient list, or look at the faces of missing children on the milk carton? Well, if eating eggs is part of your breakfast routine you could be adding another item to your “reading” list. The CBS television network announced today that it is planning to begin advertising on eggs. That’s right, EGGS. Can you believe it? The network says that as part of a deal between the CBS Marketing Group and EggFusion, an egg-coding company, more than 35 million eggs will be distributed to markets … Continue reading →