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Ask Mark With seven children and one grandchild, and over 37 years in the family business, I consider myself a consumer advocate. "Ask Mark" is an opporunity to get down to earth, common sense answers. askmark@lazarsfurniture.com - Mark Lazar |
The Green Guru Local is where it's at! August 2009 ::: I took my dog Boo, a puppy of 4 months to our Vet in Skokie. Boo and I were waiting in the examining room, when a doctor came in and said, “I thought I recognized you. You're Mark from Lazar's. We bought a stroller and some other stuff from you.” We chatted for a few moments about Boo, business and his young family. It was good seeing someone I knew at the Vet that I have been taking my animals to for years. He buys a stroller from me, Boo gets his shots from him. Everybody's happy . . . except Boo-no one likes getting a shot. I have the good feeling that my patronage helps support his family, and his mind. It sort of feels like a community. Guess what, it IS a community. I like to use the example of an ecosystem: an ecological community and its environment interacting and functioning as a unit, which is an integral part of being Green. The idea we refer to as “Green” may be a
hot topic now, but it has really always been with us, and refers
to the ecosystem of which we are apart. How big that system becomes
should depend on how well it meets its function of providing the
inhabitants and the environment a sustainable, renewable and working
model in which to function. Before we even thought of it, “Green”
had been at the heart of smaller communities forever. People working
together, caring for each other, sharing resources and producing
goods and services everyone needs and wants. It is only now that
the realization that the way things work may be in jeopardy. One
of the issues is keeping the wealth within the community that produces
it. When buying from big box stores, that wealth streams out of
the community, never to return. Certain businesses are inherently
local. The dry cleaner, the shoe repair shop, the cafes and privately
owned restaurants we frequent, the July 2009 ::: So, you're recycling, bringing reusable bags to the market, spending less on carry-out and bottled water, sometimes packing a lunch for yourself and bringing a reusable stainless steel bottle for water to work. You get the picture. We are all thinking of ways that we can cut our waste, our carbon footprint and save money. Now that you are expecting a baby, it is especially important to design your nursery with both your baby and the environment in mind. In the process, you will keep your baby and your home healthy, save money and achieve efficiency in your purchases. There are things you will purchase for your baby that will become obsolete. That is inevitable because many products are designed for infants, not adults, such as a bib or a car seat. But at Lazar's you can purchase ones that last, don't have to be replaced, and may even grow with your child. Our bottles become trainer cups, our high chairs become student desk chairs, and many of our cribs become double beds. No need to discard it-use it! In fact, many items within your nursery can be used indefinitely. The dresser you have been using as a changing table is still a dresser, and the gliding chair where you have soothed and nursed your infant is where you can sing a lullaby and read with your toddler. Many parents have converted their infant's furniture to the guest room. To me, being Green is a whole picture. You create that whole picture when you have your first child and are thoughtful of your purchases. When you start buying the things you and your baby will need, Green is the way to go. Green means buying quality products that are smart for you wallet, safe for your baby, safe for your home and safe for the environment-the environment your baby will inherit. What we hope you will find at Lazar's are products that are organic, natural and are designed to be as useful as they are beautiful. Here's hoping you are Greening Up! |