Over the last years, experience taught me the whole New Years' resolutions-thing might not be for me.
The new exercise-regime that would make me happier and healthier requires going outside and is soon forgotten in the dreary days of January. Besides, I do not have the right shoes for running as I decided to drastically cut my spending on clothes, an intention I can usually keep up for about a week-and-a-half or until I have to run an errand in the city-center and stumble across a flashy final sale-sign (which could happen as early as January 3rd).

Most of my friends luckily seem to have the same personality-flaw problem, and by the end of January we are usually all back to our old habits, not overly bothered by our failure. (Who'd want to be perfect anyway, right? ;-))

This year I decided to not make a fuss over improving my habits in the first place, so as not to set myself up for disillusionment early in the year.
However, standing in the garden of a friends' house with an empty glass ready for the champagne that would pop any minute and collectively counting down to the new year, I couldn't help but get excited about this new beginning. In a few seconds a new year would start, and this year I would be better, I would do better, I would, I would....THREE - TWO - ONE.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Luckily my thoughts hadn't solidified into a resolution yet... although... in my haze I might have mentioned to a few people that I am planning on taking a lot more pictures this year. Hm... We'll see how that goes.

Actually the whole reason for this post is not the new year or overly-ambitious intentions, but a small resolution I actually kept.
I believe it was a June 7th resolution (it could have been June 8th or 9th, I'm not completely sure), that day I decided to try to always have an extra bag with me so I wouldn't have to buy plastic bags in grocery stores anymore and cycle around with a large, slowly stretching out advertisement dangling dangerously from my handle-bar.

To help me keep this resolution I made myself a tote that would make me happy everytime I would use it. And whether it is because this bag makes me start humming each time I unfold it or because of the conveniently long shoulder-straps, it worked. I can now proudly say that over the last six months I have been in a lot less handle-bar-dangling-related hazardous situations, and saved at least € 6,- (1 plastic bag worth 20 eurocents every week) and counting.

For your convenience these colourful happy and handy linen bags are now available at the Driftwood web shop for € 10,-.
For the DIY enthusiasts, I will post a tutorial soon.