Live Lightly Tour

On Saturday morning we headed into Brattleboro and found Amy’s Bakery (as recommended by Megan). We enjoyed a steamy cup of coffee and a pear scone. They had a beautiful view of the river…through huge windows, in the back room. Brattleboro is somewhat of a tourist destination…so we were not the only people downtown on a beautiful, sunny weekend. We walked up and down the quaint streets and checked out all the cute shops. A couple of my favorites:

Sprout: A natural parent’s dream store. Holy moly. It’s a good
thing shopping isn’t in the budget and that we don’t have any more space because there were so many neat things. They had more cloth diapers than I’ve ever seen in a retail store (and all the new, cool ones too). They had a wall of slings…it’s so great to see traditional babywearing coming back into “style”. I lead a babywearing group when we lived in Des Moines, so I was excited to see them readily available to moms and dads in that area. They had every kind of maternity/nursing apparel you could want…natural toys…organic kids clothing. Buying these things may seem like traditional consumerism…but all of those products help the environment, each in their own way. There were many organic items (no pesticides poisoning the earth). Cloth diapers are a HUGE savings on the environment (and your finances). Higher quality toys do not have to be replaced as often…and are usually made from wood instead of plastics.

Save the Corporations: This cute little store had mostly hemp clothing, and some other natural fibers. Hemp is an amazing material (and no, hemp is not the same thing as marijuana!). It doesn’t require any pesticides to grow it, it can be made into many different products…clothing, rope, oil, paper..and more. Plus, hemp is so luxurious to wear…and it lasts forever and ever. It gets softer with time and doesn’t wear out. Always buy used clothing if possible, but if you are going to buy new, buy hemp or other natural fibers.

The Brattleboro Food Coop was another highlight. It’s a true coop, with a heart for activism. They have a large selection of local foods…I was able to get cheese, bread, potatoes, and onions…all locally grown/produced right in Vermont.

Overall, there is just a strong sense of environmentalism and local flavor flowing from Brattleboro. There were several free publications in town detailing all of the “green” organizations and businesses in the state and in neighboring New Hampshire. It’s a really great “small town”. So far, Vermont has been one of the highlights of our trip!

Photo album here.