Let’s face it: we parents do a lot of shopping. The rigors of keeping our growing kids clothed, fed and cared for means, like it or not, we’re incessantly in the market for goods. Luckily for me, my partner is a true environmentalist and is always gently encouraging me to be more mindful about my choices. He makes sure our family prioritizes low-carbon materials in our home. He grows organic vegetables for our dinner table, thinks about buying local whenever possible and stays watchful of our food waste. I’m glad to have someone like him holding me accountable and challenging me to be more thoughtful about my carbon footprint, because, ya’ll, prioritizing sustainability is hard when you’re a busy parent with a career, relationships and playdates to juggle. In case you’re like me and are looking for approachable, grounded ways to reduce your carbon footprint as a parent, here are some places across the Portland area that can help you on your way.
Clothing
Pinwheels ReSale for Kids
Located in southeast Portland, Pinwheels sells kids’ clothing, shoes, toys, maternity clothing, and all sorts of useful parenting gear like exersaucers, strollers, carriers and upseats. For the pregnant or nursing mothers out there, you can also score big on some nice maternity brands. The real gem of Pinwheels ReSale is owner Sara Holmes, who is genuine and kind as they come. She and her team really seem to love helping out families, which makes supporting this Portland business even sweeter. Pro tip: They take current season items only, and be sure to call ahead if you’re hoping to resell any big gear like a stroller to make sure they have room.
Sweatpea’s
If you find yourself in the Sellwood area, be sure to stop into Sweatpea’s, which sells maternity and children’s consignment. Being a first-time mother, the staff at this shop have been such an invaluable resource for our family, introducing us to great brands like Ten Little, which carries kids shoes that are less narrow and healthier for the kiddos. They’ve also got a great kid’s toys section. Pro tip: Clothes are accepted by appointment (50 items or less) and walk-ins (10 items or fewer), Monday-Thursday.
Beanstalk Children’s Resale
Nestled in the heart of the neighborhood is resale staple Beanstalk’s SE location (pictured above), with a store layout and wide selection shoppers will find pleasantly organized and highly curated. This Beanstalk location has an impressive amount of space compared to most kid’s consignment shops. The kids’ toy section is full of high-end wooden toys and shoe selection always seems to have high-quality brands like See Kai Run, Sorel and Keen. Pro tip: They accept items Tuesday-Saturday, from 10am-3pm. No appointment needed.
Looking for even more family-friendly consignment shops? Click here!
Food
Farmers Markets
A great way to reduce your family’s carbon footprint is to support your local farmer’s market. Happily, Oregon boasts some of the most beautiful farms in the country! One hack for maximizing your market trip is to meal plan before shopping. Looking up what is available and in season locally at the farmers market and basing meal plans on available produce is a great way to align your cooking with what’s available near you, cutting down on the fossil fuels needed to transport food over long distances. The downtown PSU Saturday market is, of course, the biggest and has the widest selection of vendors, and there is even a playground for the littles at the west end of the market. Oh, the things you come to appreciate once you have children! Some of my favorite vendors there are Deck Family Farms for meat, Kiyokawa Family Orchards for stone fruit, and Eloisa Organic Farm for produce. Other markets our family has loved are the Saturday Hollywood Market for its live music once the weather improves in May and the King Market near Alberta Arts District on Sunday, for the excellent playground on the north side of the market. When the summer is in full blast, be sure to check out the Gresham farmer’s market for the giant splash pad next to the live music.
Find a farmers market near you here!
The Realm Refillery
The Realm Refillery is a specialty grocery story on NE Broadway with a waste-free mission, offering everything from bulk dry goods and glass containers to green cleaning products and non-toxic toiletries. If you haven’t found their Instagram account yet, please fix that ASAP. They’re a thought leader in the digital waste-free and climate crisis conversation, boasting a huge online following because of their thoughtful and curated content.
Toys
Bricks & Minifigs
While the kids’ consignment shops mentioned above each have a toy selection, when it comes to gently-used LEGOs, Bricks & Minifigs is the place to go. Bricks & Minifigs, with locations on NE Sandy, in Beaverton, Gresham, Canby and Vancouver, is a Lego resale shop where families can buy, sell or trade their used LEGO sets. Pretty genius, right? Aficionados can find rare pieces for their collections and space is even available for birthday and corporate parties!
Repair Fairs
Repair PDX
Resurrecting the “buy it for life” ethos, Repair PDX has operated since 2013 and organizes “repair cafes” across the Greater Portland Metro area. Check out their schedule of repair events here, and sign up for one near you to see their volunteers in action as they darn socks, sew buttons, repair bikes, fix zippers and repair all sorts of household appliances. If you live in Clackamas County, check out the Repair Fairs; Washington County’s Repair Fairs for Beaverton-area families and Repair Cafes in Gresham. What cool community services to support, and another excellent way to avoid sending household items off to the landfill.