Post-Christmas Wasteland

I'm admittedly late on posting this week's Tree Hugging Tuesday post - and I'm blaming it on the post-Christmas Wasteland that has consumed our home!

As we unwrapped gifts, we sorted everything into appropriate bags to make this week's recycling easier. I thought we did well, but it seems everywhere I turn I find scraps of wrapping paper, ribbon, and tinsel. We have puppies, so we've been trying hard to keep the floor free of anything that will hurt them, but I swear everywhere I look, is something that had been missed.

On top of that, we've been cleaning out the fridge and the garage (that we use for extra storage in the winter, as it's as cold as a fridge) and there are so many plastic containers that various food items came in. We are so sick of appetizers that I'm sure if I made a single appie in the next 6 months, my family would rebel.

We still haven't taken all gifts out of their original packaging - we like to give the kids a couple of days to play with new things before we open everything, so our recycle pile keeps growing and growing.

Then there are the shampoo and laundry bottles that always seem to run out at the same time... it's never ending this week!

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So, I have a couple of reminders for you as you clean after all that cooking, company, and gift exchange:

1) Keep those gift bags for next year! Even those with a few small wrinkles will be just fine if stored folded properly with other bags. If the tissue paper isn't too wrinkled, save that too! Your wallet will thank you!

2) Keep a recycle box upstairs (or near the bedrooms and bathroom) - give your bottles and containers a rinse, and toss them into the recycle instead of the garbage. Same goes for the wrappers on pads and tampons, for those who use them.

3) Start keeping a list of items that your family might like next Christmas that don't require a lot of packaging. This may mean making gifts yourself, and packaging them in reusable cloths or containers.

In any case, be sure to recycle as much as you possibly can. That may mean extra sorting for many people, but you'll feel good about it when it's done (and your grandkids will thank you one day!)

Friday Finds - December 24

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The only thing I have found today, is how best to be with my family and friends. We are enjoying great food, many laughs, board games, and each other.

I hope you are all having an equally satisfying Christmas Eve. For those of you, my friends, who are having a difficult time this Christmas, I wish you strength and comfort. May God (whoever he/she is) bless you.

Tree Hugging Tuesday - The Perfect Gift

The perfect gift is within reach - arm's reach, to be exact. It has a zero carbon footprint and is completely free.

The gift is... you. Spend time with someone you love.

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Spend an extra 5 minutes reading to your son.  Bake the cookies your daughter has been asking for.  Schedule a date night in with your significant other.  Visit your grandparent.  Whoever you choose to give yourself to, do it freely and with patience.

This is most eco-friendly gift of all - enjoy it. :)

Friday Finds for December 17th!

I can't believe it is Friday again all ready! Is it just me or does the time just keep flying by faster and faster?

I'll share my fabulous Friday Finds with you, but I also want to know, what have you found lately that you think is super cool and you want to share with the world?

With the weather we've been having lately I'm having to come up with cool ideas to keep my kids entertained. Today one of my BFF's, Tina and I took the kids out for lunch and to the movies, but I can't afford to do this everyday obviously. We need to get back into our arts and crafts and like I mentioned in previous posts, I suck at coming up with ideas so I rely on my friends and fellow bloggers/moms to help me out in that department!

Today I stumbled across this amazing blog with all sorts of ideas! It makes me giddy just looking at it! :D

If you are hoping for the kidlets to make some home made gifts this year and you're like me and don't know where to start or what to do, check out the CraftyCrow.net! She's gathered some of the best of the best when it comes to the crafty type blogs and it's hard to go over there and not get totally lost (in a great way!) on her site checking out all the unique (and wonderfully simple) ideas. Not only are there great tips and tricks in regards to arts and crafts for your kids to make, but also some fantastic ideas for yourself as well.

A perfect example is this adorable little notepad holder - this is truly suitable for any age. Click here for the simple instructions on how to help your child make this perfect little stocking stuffer!

Photo courtesy of Let's Explore via the Crafty Crow 

I have to thank my good friend Darla for this next find today! It won't help you with your shopping, not this decade at least, but if you were around in the 80's you will love to remember these great Christmas commercials! I totally forgot about some of these! It's making me all nostalgic for my mixed tapes and the Kenny and Dolly Christmas specials - remember those? ;o)

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Click here to go back in time and check them out. Michael J. Fox and his DeLorean not necessary... ;o)

Now, I wouldn't be true to my crunchy granola self if I didn't include a few "green" finds for the week. One site I really like is the Examiner.com. They have great authors and articles from all over the USA and Canada.

Alicia Bayer wrote these great tips on how to stay warm this winter without once having to touch the thermostat on your wall. Great reminders that are really just common sense!

Click here to find out "15 Ways to Warm Up Without Turning Up the Thermostat". The earth and your bank account will thank you!

So what have you found this week that you think is fabulous and share-worthy? Comment below and let us know!

Have a great weekend everyone! ♥

With love and light,

 

Tree Huggin' Tuesday - Quick and Easy, Eco Friendly Gifts

Omigosh I am starting to panic. I have not done any shopping yet and it is 11 days until Christmas morning! @_@

Our life in this house has been so hectic and chaotic the last 2 months that it suddenly hit me this morning, it's the middle of December and I am not even close to being ready. YIKES!

The problem with suddenly realizing that you basically have 10 days to get your sh*t together is that it is very easy to get caught up in the mass consumerism of the season. I find I am telling myself I'll just pop over to Costco and get all the gifts and everything I need and then I can be done. But there really is no thought in that because I know I'll just be there buying gifts for the sake of getting gifts and what good is that? And for the record I am not saying that just because you shopped at Costco your gifts are meaningless, not at all. I am just musing to myself that if I go there (it's 5 minutes from my house) and just shop for the sake of shopping and getting things that the gifts from me wouldn't have as much meaning and thought as I would like...does that make any sense? It's been a really long day around here.... :Þ

For one thing, I hate crowds.

{shudder}

The thought of hitting the stores this week or next is enough to sending me running for the hills screaming incomprehensible things while smacking myself on the forehead and hoping the little men in white jackets don't catch up with me.

For another thing, I feel like the meaning of this time of year is starting to fade. For some it is celebrating the birth of Jesus. For others, it is a celebration of light, of welcoming back the sun and just being close to friends and family. Whatever your reason for celebrating at this time of year, ask yourself, what does it mean to you? Is it about having the biggest and best and most expensive present to give or show off? Or the most presents? Why do people feel the need to literally spend thousands of dollars on gifts?!?! If it is not about that, then why is that always the focus? I don't get it and it's not what I want to teach my children.

Let's re-cap here.... I am wayyyyyyyyyyyyy behind in the gift giving/making department, it's December 14th, I hate crowds and mass consumerism really irritates me. So what is a girl to do?

Stay home, have a glass of wine and get into your zen spot by making your own gifts that have meaning and are filled with love and good energy.

I am not that crafty (although I am a crafty girl wannabe in the most desperate of ways :D LOL), I am not creative when it comes to coming up with ideas, but I am stubborn and tenacious and despite everything we've been through this little while, I am not letting it be my free pass this year to just hit the stores and get 'stuff' for the sake of having things to wrap up and give away. I might suck it up and shop a little bit if I can find the right gift for the right person and it is something they love (ie there is truly thought behind it), but other than that I plan to lay low for the next couple of weeks and remember the spirit of the season.

If it weren't for my children, I think I would just skip this craziness all together, but they are getting so excited and I have to remember that really, the magic of this season is still in them. They still believe in Santa and have so excitedly started their letters to send off.  One of the things they really want is actual toys from Santa's work shop. Not from the stores, but 'original' toys. Basically Maria and Matty are getting old enough to question the whole concept and want to know why Santa just gets everyone store bought toys.

I need to come up with something original. I need to be 'Santa's Workshop' and some how turn into an Elf and create something amazing. In ten days.

Luckily there is Google and fellow bloggers with super nifty crafty ideas that share what they come up with!

For Noah it is going to be these fabulous Fabric Alphabet Fridge Magnets that I saw awhile back on SpearmintBaby.com (and posted about on December 3rd) and fell in love with.

Aren't they just adorable?!?! :D

  

Photo and idea courtesy of SpearmintBaby.com

And really, he's 3. If my sewing is less than stellar I'm sure he won't notice. ;o)

Matty loves, loves, loves playdough and that is sooooooooooooo easy to make. If I put it in some original and unique packaging, use some cool colours with some car shaped cookie cutters, he'll be thrilled!

I haven't made playdough in a long time, but when I do this is the recipe that ends up the best for us:

Simple and Easy Homemade Playdough Recipe

• 1 cup of plain white flour (Save the organic whole wheat stuff for something else and just use the whitest all purpose flour you can find. Yes for us crunchy granola girl types it feels weird to use white flour for anything, but this is the time and the place for it! LOL :D)
• 1/2 cup table salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar
• Food coloring

Using a large pot add in all your ingredients and mix together over medium heat. Eventually the consistency turns to something like thick and sticky mashed potatoes. When this happens remove from heat and carefully start kneading the dough until it gets a smooth finish. Just watch out because it will be hot at first. I usually tip the pot over onto the table and let the playdough drop there and it cools off faster that way while I knead it.

For my Gluten Free friends, here is a great recipe that has gotten rave reviews!

Easy Gluten Free Playdough recipe:

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tsp. cooking oil
• food coloring

Mix all ingredients together in saucepan, cook on low heat, stirring occassionally for at least 5 minutes or until it forms a ball. Remove from heat, let cool for 10 minutes. Scoop into a large bowl, add at least 1/2 cup more rice flour, and 1/2 cup more corn starch, knead until well mixed and no longer sticky. Store in airtight container.

  

Photo Courtesy of MumsBabyMagazine.com

For the colours, I use the food colouring pastes that you find in cake decorating stores. They seem more expensive yes, at first compared to the liquid kind you find in the grocery store etc, but they last for years and years and years. They are well worth the upfront cost. Just a teeny tiny speck on a toothpick will you give you rich and vibrant colours that are hard to find in store bought play dough varieties.

If you add some vanilla extract the playdough smells super yummy and the extract hlps preserve the dough so it lasts longer. You can use peppermint extract too which would be fun for this time of year!

Add some glitter to make sparkly dough. The kids love it! Make some special 'Santa Dough' by leaving the dough uncoloured and then add in red, green and silver glitter. :o)

Cooked playdough lasts longer and is easier to play with (in my not so humble opinion) than its non cooked counter part. It is also super easy to make, ridiculously simple to clean up and it costs just pennies for what turns out to be a really fun and unique gift!

Are you making any homemade gifts this year? I'll be on a mission all week for great ideas so feel free to share and I'll be sure to pop back and let you know any cool links and ideas I find too!

With love and light, ♥

 

Take a Breather

Life is hectic. There is so much running around to do with work or school (I write my last final on Wednesday and I can't tell you how happy that makes me!), the kids and their extra-curricular activities, and when you add Christmas into the mix, it gets downright stressful. Shopping and baking and concerts, oh my! It's enough to make me want to curl up in the fetal position and wish for January.

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I do believe that despite good intentions to simplify, the vast majority of us feel some added stress during the holidays. Here are a few simple ways to take a breather:

1) Say no. This isn't as rude or ugly as it sounds! Simply turn down something your don't really want or need to do. If you already feel stretched for time and patience, but you're asked to do some baking for the kid's class or for a cookie exchange or for your church, say no. A simple 'I'm afraid I can't help this time' will suffice. Chances are, the person asking, will not ask why you can't do it. They will simply move on to the next person on their list. Don't feel badly or guilty - in fact, celebrate your choice with a cup of tea - in the quiet of your own home.

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2) Stay in. Christmas is still 2 weeks away and I already dread going to the stores - even buying groceries has become a chore. Parking lots are crowded, shoppers are getting cranky, and the line ups to pay are way too long - my time is better spent with my family than standing in line to pay for things. If you have a grocery store that offers online ordering and delivery to your door, take advantage of it. You don't have to do it all the time, but at this busy time of the year, splurge and spend the $10 delivery fee - I promise you'll thank me for it! Staying in doesn't mean you have to stay busy and go from project to project - when you tuck the kids into bed, don't reach for your 'to do' list. Instead, pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of tea and sit down! Watch a movie, read a book or talk to someone who doesn't stress you out. Enjoy a little down time without worrying about what needs to be done.

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3) Go out. Yes, I did just say stay in! And now I'm saying go out - but not to run errands - pull on your toque, wrap up in a warm scarf, and head out to the toboggan hill with your kids! Not for you? Not to worry! Head out around the block or to a nature area nearby - get some fresh air, walk off some bad energy, and be free to think about all of the good things in your life. On Saturday night the kids and I went to a nearby church   for horse-drawn sleigh rides and a bonfire complete with hot dogs and hot chocolate.  After the sleigh ride, we went inside for a Christmas concert.  We didn't last for the entire concert, but we had a terrific time.  Two days later, the kids are still talking about how much fun we had. It was free, we were warm, and we laughed and sang.

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4) Be grateful. Count your blessings. Watch your kids or your husband sleep. Take a few minutes each day to really think about what you are grateful for. Be thankful that you can take a breather while considering what is really important at this time of year.

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How are you going to take a breather?

Friday Finds for December 10!

I love Fridays, I really do! It means that I actually have a place to share all the crazy things I find on the internet all week long (and I am a bit of an internet junkie, so I have a lot of things I am bookmarking all the time :D ).

Now, Noah who is my youngest and turned 3 in August has *finally* potty trained. Do you hear the angels singing? I sure do! I have had at least one in diapers (often two) for the last... *gasp*... EIGHT years. Eight years. @_@ OMG that makes me dizzy just thinking about it!

Even though Noah is out of diapers, I still can't help browsing through some of my favourite online stores that helped feed my cloth diaper addiction. If you aren't currently using cloth diapers and wonder how on earth one can become addicted to them, well check these cuties out from EcoBabyCanada.com!

Fuzzi Bunz Daisy print from EcoBabyCanada.com

KiwiDot Goodmama from EcoBabyCanada.com

Then I noticed that she has her Goodmama's on sale and that alone is enough to almost make me want to put Noah back in diapers. :Þ I *LOVE* Goodmama's, they are one of my absolute favourites and were one of the most well used and well loved diapers in my stash. They are worth every.single.penny because they last forever and are oh so soft and cushy. Really, who can resist cute diapers like this? ♥

I could go on and on and on about cloth diapers, but I will stop there for now! :D

How are you all doing with your holiday shopping? I have to confess with everything going on in my life lately I haven't even started.

If you plan to order online, you are best to get finished this weekend if you want to have everything delivered in time for Christmas without paying a fortune in shipping. I have to thank David Suzuki for reminding me of that fact. While I would  love to say David told me that little shipping tid bit personally, I can't. :Þ

Being a huge fan of his, I was on his website today to see what was hot over there for the holiday season and noticed that they have mentioned to order by December 11 to get your goodies at regular parcel rates (for US customers this might be different, just so ya know).

I fell in love with this calendar they have in their store "Nature in the City 2011"! Check out this car!

Photo Courtesy of The David Suzuki Foundation "Nature in the City 2011 Calendar"

I LOVE IT! :D A car that has been reclaimed as an urban garden. How cool is that? According to the David Suzuki Foundation website/holiday store:

 "...we asked Canadians to grab their cameras and show us the natural world interwoven into the urban landscape, as viewed through their camera lenses. Hundreds of photographers across the country entered thousands of images to our Nature in the City photo contest. The twelve winners, featured in this 2011 calendar, were chosen by our panel of guest judges - all professional photographers."

You have to get this calendar, I mean really, isn't there some pseudo hippie in your family that would love this? ;o)

Okay, okay, so maybe not everyone in your circle of family/friends is into cloth diapers and David Suzuki, but you have to have some sort of techie in your famliy right? Have you seen these on Etsy.com?

Photo courtesy of DebbyAremDesigns on Etsy.com

It is recycled circuit board light switch!! :D

Or this, for the Lego fan in your life who loves to read, how can you resist this cute little stocking stuffer?

Photo courtesy of "misscourageous" on Etsy.com

And my personal favourite:

{drum roll please.....}

Photo courtesy of FloppyDiskCreations on Etsy.com

It's a floppy disk night light!!!!! I am so in love with it that I am putting it on my wish list this year for sure. It reminds me of the good 'ole days before USB drives and cable internet. :D Remember dial up? Ahh, I can hear the dial up tones just like it was yesterday....

And with that my friends I am going to go and put some early Pearl Jam on the iPod and get my letter to Santa finished up...

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! ♥

With love and light,

 

Wordy Wednesday - Go Green This Christmas

Christmas is creeping up on us, and none too slowly.  But not to worry, there is still time to green your Christmas and these books will help you do it in style.

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More

Santa Claus Is Green!: How to Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas (Little Green Books)

Green Christmas: How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

If you have any book recommendations on greening your holidays, share with us in the comments.

No Wrapping Needed

The stresses of Christmas will set in for most people in the next week or two, but try not to get wrapped up (pun intended! in it. To cut down on the time you'd normally spend going from store to store to store (which for Laila and I, includes starting a vehicle and letting it warm up first - easily adding 20 min to an already hectic shopping trip), consider going online to check out some fabulous websites.

Try giving a gift that doesn't require shopping, doesn't require shipping, and doesn't require wrapping. It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? It's not. Give the gift of a donation or your time.

This year we are gifting the following organizations:

1) Central Asia Institute, which is an international aid organization that supports education (especially for girls) in Pakistan and Afghanistan. If you educate a girl, you will eventually educate an entire community. The book Three Cups of Tea explains everything in great detail.

If you haven't read it yet, you absolutely must. It's about "One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time". If you insist on giving an actual, physical gift, give this book. Give it to a friend, family member, your child's school, or the local college or university. In my opinion, it should be a required read for every single person, especially those in developed countries.

2)  I love the Heifer organization.  For as little as $10 you can give a share of a pig.  That's right - you read p-i-g.  (I am using the pig for an example, simply because it's the most cost effective item for a family on a tight budget.) 

Photo from Heifer.org
Heifer offers a variety of animals that are 'purchased', and are given to families in developing countries.  These animals are gifts that keep on giving.  The pig, for example, provides income when the families sell the offspring.  Its manure provides an ideal fertilizer for their crops, and when butchered, it provides protein for the family.  Self-reliance is an incredible gift for a struggling family, and it comes at such a low cost to us.

If you are making a donation instead of giving a physical gift to a friend, simply hand write a note to the recipient stating that you've made a donation in their name.  I dare say that anyone would be happy to receive a gift like these.

3)  Laila has been blogging about 29 Gifts and how to give of yourself.    I'm going to take her idea and run with it (but not too far!).

Call a local hospital or nursing home to ask if you can visit with patients and residents.  If you're permitted to do so, take your kids and give someone the gift of your time.  Having worked in a nursing home, I can tell you that many, many seniors don't have visitors for months at a time - especially around the holidays.  They ache for your time and simple conversation.  If you're uncomfortable but willing to try it, mention to them that you only have a few minutes - they will be happy with whatever time you're able to devote to them. I'll bet not a single one of them would reminisce about the gifts they received in their lifetime, but I would bet that you'd hear stories of their lives - their families and friends. After all, isn't that what our lives should be about?

Shovel your elderly neighbor's sidewalk (or rake their lawn, or weed their flower bed).

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If you have a thrift store that benefits a charity, considering volunteering for an afternoon.  Make a call and offer to go in and sort clothes or arrange knick knacks or stock shelves.

There is no need to let the stress in this year. Whether you give a donation or your time, I promise you that this small action you take will put Christmas (and maybe your life) back into perspective. None of these gifts need to be wrapped, making them perfectly eco-friendly, and none of them are overly time consuming.  But, they do all have two  things in common - they are free, and they benefit many people, including yourself. 

I'm interested in learning what your favorite charities are, and how you give of your time.

Friday Finds for Dec 3!

Oh my, oh my, oh my! Did I ever find something last weekend when Heather and I were out shopping at the new Cross Iron Mills Mall here in Calgary!

Have you ever heard of Lush? OMG people, you MUST TRY LUSH! They are all handmade soaps, lotions, potions and skincare and everything I have tried so far is d.i.v.i.n.e!!!!

I had actually heard of Lush before and I thought "meh, sounds like another Body Shop" but boy was I wrong!

The Godiva Shampoo Bar. Photo Courtesy of Lush Cosmetics

For so long I have been allergic to sooooo many different shampoos/conditioners etc, so I tried their Godiva Shampoo Bar and I think I actually got one step closer to heaven - it is amazing! My head/scalp isn't itchy, my hair smells like jasmine and looks even better if I do say so myself! I was so shocked that this little itty bitty round disc shaped thingy even worked, let alone is so rock solid it feels like it will last forever. I followed it up with their Jungle Solid Conditioner (which is a bar by the way, not a bottle of conditioner - who knew?!) which actually tamed my thick and wild locks (I'm not bragging either, my hair is thick and crazy and drives me to the brink some days...) All in all $80 later between their shampoo, conditioner, skin cleansers and bubble bars I've been smelling purty all week!

The Jungle Solid Conditioner. Photo Courtesy of Lush Cosmetics

What I also love about Lush, is their lack of packaging. If I buy a bar of shampoo or a bubble bar for example, it is handmade in Vancouver, BC Canada AND it doesn't come in any unnecessary plastic packaging!! WOOOT! I love that. A few of their products need packaging but I love that only the products that *really* need it are in plastic bottles or tubs.

You have to try it out, you will be sooooooooooooooo glad you did!

'Pop In The Bath' Bubble Bar. Photo Courtesy of Lush Cosmetics

For our Canadian friends simply go to http://www.lush.ca/, for our American friends pop on over to http://www.lushusa.com/ and all our other international friends you can click your way to http://www.lush.com/ and they will help you get to the right place.

Moving right along...  :o)

I have also become a HUGE fan of Laurette Lynn aka The Unplugged Mom. I dream, no actually I drool over the thought of becoming an unplugged house (which will never happen because my husband is a sports and HDTV addict - *sigh*), so I live a lot of the time, vicariously through her. She has a truly informative and inspiring blog radio show as well every Sunday night at 10pm Central (thats 8pm PST, 9pm MST and 11pm EST). Laurette has a fabulous blog and radio show and I think you should go and check her out! For more information about Laurette's show just click here!

Speaking of fabulous ideas and wonderful blogs, I found this little gem on Spearmint Baby and fell in love!

Photo courtesy of Spearmint Baby

They are fabric alphabet fridge magnets! I was always nervous of the little plastic fridge magnets so I never kept them in the house. But these are great and I can't wait to make some for my little Noah this month and tuck them under the tree! :D

Now I found this on Spearmint Baby, but this is what I love about blogging - we all share the love! Spearmint Baby found this on the Daily B. So going to either site will give you the instructions on how to make these wonderful little letters.



What have you found this week that you want to share? Make sure to comment and let us know!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! ♥

With love and light,