The Story of Stuff

As I got my daily digest from Citymommy.com today, there was an intriguing email entitled " Before you buy more "stuff", please check this out". I'm not one to pass a good bargain and it's true that our house keeps seeing new additions almost every week. A new dress for my girls here, a great book there, a new music CD or a discounted DVD: the occasions are limitless. I know for a fact that a trip to Target is a risky trip because some prices are too good to be true, especially their $1 section with little items that make for great party treats for kids.

However when I went on the website of The Story of Stuff and started watching the 20-minute long nonfiction/animation on consumerism and its ecological consequences, it really hit a chord. I understood why the movie was so good when I read it was produced by Free Range Studios. They are the creators of the award-winning movie The Meatrix, a sharp critical eye on mass produced meat in the US, and the hilarious Store Wars, a spoof of Star Wars criticizing industrial food (the dark side of the farm) featuring smart food characters (Ham Solo, Obiwan Cannoli, Princess Lettuce and Cuke Skywalker amongst others) fighting in the Organic Rebellion against pesticides.

Coming back to The Story of Stuff, I think it enlightened me somehow. We just can't keep buying stuff, can we? I mean it's not like our walls are going to expand, are they? So I'm on my way to "de-cluttering" our basement by getting rid of some children's clothing (I've saved all my girls' clothes since they were born) and toys we don't use anymore. Check back on my progress in a month.