Brush Your Teeth and Save the Earth

I will start with a confession of sorts: I rarely shave my legs. Maybe twice a week in the summer, twice in a once in while during the colder months. (Insert whatever synonym of weird, gross, and repulsive here...feel sorry for my husband here...continuing reading when done.)

I have much better things to do with my time than remove hair from my body that God obviously put there for some rhyme or reason. I think I have the woods to blame for this... camp, Second Nature, being married to a fella who doesn't really care about the hair on my legs...it all kind of melds together.

But I have had my eye on an amazing razor that I stumbled upon several months ago in the "Natural" section of the Kroge. It's bright greenness - color and earthloving - called to me.

The beaute that may change my hairy legs forever.

And what, one may ask, is so special about this seemingly normal and disposable looking piece of green plastic?

It is made completely out of recycled yogurt containers, minus the blade part of course.

Scratching your head at this one? I know I was blown away.

Yep. This company, Preserve, has been around since 1997 when they made their first toothbrush out of recycled #5 plastic. And they have been making and developing more products -tableware, razors, kitchen utensils, etc.- ever since. There is tons of info available on their website, but the gist is this: The founder, Eric Hudson, was committed to the need to use our earth's resources more efficiently and responsibly. Starting small with the toothbrush he recognized the growing market for recycled products and capitalized.

Amazing. It made me wish that I shaved more to justify the purchase at the time. Unfortunately, it's price, at first, didn't beckon quite as friendly as I had hoped. Considering I still had several disposables at home, I could't justify the $6. Ugh.

But the thrill of living on a budget is watching and waiting for products that you really enjoy to become affordable. And today, ladies and gents, was our lucky day. The razor and refill cartridges were on a closeout sale at Kroger, for half price! Not only did I score a razor (feel less sorry for Chris here because I may just be enticed to shave more) but we are the proud owner of two new toothbrushes, also half price. (Sidenote: I also found an expired coupon that would have saved us another buck. Blast.)

Can it get any better? Shaving, brushing, and recycling all at the same time?

Precious.

Being the good earthloving nerd that I am I came home and researched all about the company, who they are, why they do what they do and I stumbled upon the greatest thing I've seen in a long time: Toothbrush Subscriptions.

What does that even mean?

Well, it's simple. For $13, Preserve will send you one toothbrush every three months as the dentist recommends. They send your first one in a travel container, the remaining three in mail-back packages for you to send your used one back so it can be recycled into lumber used to make picnic tables and park benches. Oh yes, it just got better.

I think I am in love.

And I think I've just found my new favorite gift to give...I just need to know your bristle preference.