Carbon Neutral Idea #1: Second-hand Goods

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I have always found vintage items to have such more appeal when decorating than newer items. The idea of rummaging through odds and ends to find that perfect quirky item has so much more character than that Pottery Barn end table that your friend's sister has.  Oh, and her friend has. And her sister-in-law. You catch my drift.  





In addition to the money you save, you are also helping offset your carbon footprint by reusing items rather than using more materials and energy to create more.  You can often find Brooklynn and myself scouring the downtown antique stores for decor or at thrift stores for necessities. Although we have some of the best antique stores right in Fremont, here are a few that I have found around the Bay Area:




Berkeley- Amoeba Records, Moe's Books, and Mars Mercantile on Telegraph Ave.
Hayward- ECO Thrift (comprised of a dozen different thrift stores that spans a 10-mile strip of roadway from Hayward to San Leandro)
Burlingame- Pick of the Litter (sales benefit the Humane Society and SPCA)
Concord- ARF Thrift store (store benefits the Animal Rescue Emergency Fund
Danville- Thrift Station (tons of kids' stuff and gently used name brand housewares)



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