For Patty Selly's family, the Compact began Jan. 1. So far so good, said the Minneapolis mom of 6-month-old Julian and 21/2-year-old Lucy. "We haven't had any major withdrawal," said Patty. That's not to say she hasn't had to catch herself. She put back a wind-up toy she grabbed "without thinking" while at Whole Foods. And the other night she made a mental note to purchase more Tupperware before remembering her pledge.
When the Sellys first heard about the Compact around Thanksgiving, something clicked.
"We're pretty mindful [consumers], but we also have a lot of stuff we don't really need or use or want," including a pile of tech gadgets and a "huge collection of kids' toys," she said.
An environmental educator, she said her family's impact on the world is never far from her mind. And since her husband, Dominic, thought the idea was cool, the family joined. Dominic set up a blog to document their experiences. It's subtitled "Simplifying for sanity."
The family stocked up on onesies, sippy cups and other items before the new year began. (Whether that's cheating is a topic addressed in the blog). Patty looks forward to more quality time with family and the financial benefit of no "weekly mindless trip to Target."
Kara McGuire will periodically check in with the family's journey on KaBlog: www.startribune.com/kablog.
