Ecoboxes, Ecoboxes and More Fabulous Ecoboxes!! :D

We are in the midst of moving to our farm/acreage next week and I just can't wait! It's chaotic, crazy and exciting all at the same time!

The one problem I personally have when we are moving is leaving everything to the last minute and then panicking and throwing stuff in crappy cardboard boxes (that are usually falling apart) with the whole intent of going through everything and sorting it later (which of course never happens). Have I mentioned Procrastination is my middle name. ;o)

Last month in my attempts to be proactive and not leave everything to the last minute, I went online to find out where I could buy some sturdy cardboard boxes. I wasn't in the mood to start driving all over town collecting boxes from grocery stores and the like for free. I've so been there done that and it's annoying really, not to mention expensive when you factor in your time and the cost of gas etc.

This is our last move for a very long time and I was going to do what ever I could to make it as easy and go as smoothly as possible. Spending hundreds of dollars on plastic storage containers didn't appeal to me either, we're trying to lower our use of plastics as much as possible and I figured the lesser of two evils was cardboard that I could ensure would be recycled.

A quick Google search for "moving boxes Calgary" came up with a myriad of results and an eye opening moment of stupefied awe when I saw the actual cost of buying new cardboard boxes (can we say expensive?!?!) but it was the Ecoboxes that caught my eye right away. When I read this on the first page:

"How does it work? 

You rent our moving boxes, we deliver to your door, you move, we pick-up. Simple."

...I was sold. Totally completely sold. The fact that it was a local Calgary company who is basing their business practices on being environmentally responsible was even better!

I placed my order for 50 Ecoboxes right there on the website, set the date and time for delivery, paid securely via Paypal and a week later the owner, Adrian Gaska, was at my door at the time I specified that would work best for me. Free delivery, to my door, on time and with a friendly smile to boot! :D

I was totally impressed already. I had to know more about this company so I fired off an email to Adrian letting him know how happy I was with my decision to rent the Ecoboxes and asked him if he minded answering a few questions (a la mini interview style) that I could share with our readers. :o)

~~~

SS: How long have you been in business? 

AG: I have been in business for 2 years now. This is a Calgary based company. I have done everything on my own. Some people think I am a franchisee. But we are local. 


However, Ecobox has begun the franchise process nation wide. We want Canadians to buy into us because we have an efficient and profitable process that we are continually perfecting. We are constantly adapting to make moves easier for our customers. Our customers come first, that is why we have so many referrals, and return customers! 

SS: What inspired you to start Ecoboxes? 

AG: Many things inspired me. But one of the biggest things was some sort of action towards deforestation. Our trees are truly special. I bike lots and go skiing lots, and realized this was a business for me. 

SS: What are the boxes made of? 

AG: The boxes are a new plastic because they are custom made just for us. The boxes last on average for 400 uses. Depending on how our customers treat them, they can be used thousands of times.  90% of the plastic can be remade into another Ecobox when their life span is over!

~~~

In the time I have had my Ecoboxes I have completely fallen in love with them! I am definitely going to have a hard time giving them back. These are not your ordinary run of the mill flimsy plastic storage totes. The Ecoboxes are strong, sturdy and whether they are full or empty they are super easy to stack and transport. I would love to have some of these for around the farm/acreage!

If you are a procrastinating pack rat like me, the Ecoboxes stop that bad habit right in it's tracks too. Getting into a panic and tossing stuff in boxes at the very last minute with the intent of going through it later doesn't happen with these. You only have your Ecoboxes for a limited time and you have to give them back.

I don't know about you, but we have stuff  that we've been shuffling around with us one move after another for years promising ourselves we would sort through it all eventually. Life gets busy, we put it off for another day and years later we are finally forcing ourselves to go through everything because A) it's ridiculous to be carting all this crap around for no reason and B) we're paying for these Ecoboxes, it only makes sense to fill them with things we actually want to take with us and actually need.

We have 50 good-sized boxes and I'm trying to really only take what will fit in them all. We have so much excess 'stuff' that I can't imagine what we would possibly need that wouldn't fit in these 50 boxes (outside of furniture etc) ya know? The Goodwill and Freecycle are loving me lately, I think! :D

Moving is a time of craziness, packing, purging and often throwing your hands up in the air and going into what I call survival mode, until it is all over. The one thing I always find hard when moving is staying true to my environmentally conscious values. I am always trying but I am certainly far from perfect.

When I am having one of those moments I remind myself this wonderful little video that helps me keep things in perspective and reminds me I don't need all the "stuff" I think I do. If you haven't seen the Story of Stuff it's a fun video with a great message!



If you are moving anytime soon I strongly encourage you to look outside the box (pun totally intended here! :P) and find ways to complete your move that are more environmentally conscious and support your community at the same time. Maybe you can't afford to pack your entire house in rented boxes, but what about renting what you can afford or simply making sure that what you are using can and will be recycled? It's the little things that add up and every little bit does make a difference.

If you are in the Calgary area I wholeheartedly recommend Ecoboxes for your move. I have been thrilled with my boxes and the customer service is exceptional! They can be contacted via their website at Ecobox.ca or by phone at 403-890-8269. They also can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

To know that you are supporting a local business while at the same time using boxes that can most likely be used another few hundred times after you are finished and then recycled into brand new boxes is a very good feeling indeed!

Again, they are looking to expand and if I wasn't an aspiring midwife homeschooling 3 young children, moving to an acreage with grandiose plans of creating a fabulous organic farm, I would seriously consider the opportunity to join this franchise because I love what Adrian is doing and how committed he is. But that is just me and my personal opinion. :o) If you are looking for more information regarding Ecoboxes and their expansion plans, definitely give Adrian a call. He's a great guy who truly is passionate about his business and I know he will be more than happy to answer all your questions!

What about you? Do you have something like Ecoboxes in your community? How about any eco friendly tips and tricks to share for those of us caught up in the insanity of moving from one home to another? If you do, feel free to let us know!

Better and better,

It's Not Easy Being Green Some Days!

Good mother of G*d, last week was crazy! @_@

Like Heather mentioned on Monday, she was really sick, I was really sick (not to mention our family is in the thick of moving, my hubby's dear sweet Grandma passed away and at the same time I am trying to get back into the full swing of homeschooling the kids and implementing some sort, any sort of structure and routine before we all go completely off the deep end) and well, I think I can speak for both of us when I say I'm glad last week is over!

The one thing I have found through the stress of moving, family crises, being really sick and the like, is that keeping up with your own environmental expectations can really take a beating when you are overwhelmed and at your breaking point.

I know I'm not the only one with the best eco friendly intentions that has taken to just throwing everything into the garbage in 5 minutes in my desperate desire for a clean kitchen while I'm staving off a migraine, trying to cook supper and simultaneously convincing the kids not to hurtle each other across the room while they play "Super Heros in the Living Room!!!". You know, instead of separating the stuff to be composted, from the stuff to be recycled, from the stuff that is actually well, garbage. When you are sick and overwhelmed, just having a clean kitchen (and quiet kids who are playing oh so nicely) trumps all at that moment.

The other time I am known to fight off those moments is when I am up to my eyeballs in useless crap and clutter and I start to get that weird kind of twitch that makes people nervous and the neighbourhood kids run scared from my house while referring to me as "THAT crazy lady down the street". It's usually when we are moving (which we have done a lot of the last few years) and it's either A) move the useless clutter and crap in the name of "I will recycle, free cycle, donate all this useless crap and clutter when we get to our NEW house" or  B) "screw it" and just start tossing everything because I've been carting around said 'useless (to me) crap and clutter' now for hmm, let's see, well, some of it for 6 years with the wonderful intentions of making sure it is all disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.

And yes, I am fully aware of all the extra fuel and energy used to move this clutter around. Ironic really isn't it? :P

Which means...yep!...THIS time. THIS move, I will not take anything to my new house that we won't actually use or need in the next 12 months. I have this habit of finding great treasures at the thrift store and the like that I fully intend to do wonderfully creative things with, while completely forgetting that really, I'm not that wonderfully creative when it comes to arts and crafts, ya know? Things like that, combined with books (oooooh I love my books!) and the kids toys, and clothes and everything else that a family of 5 can accumulate in the blink of an eye. Before you know it you have a garage full of stuff that makes you want to curl up in a blanket and beg for a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand and, well, deal with your crap.

Considering this fairy godmother has not shown up to deal with my crap answered my desperate pleas for help, I am left to sort through all this *stuff* we have collected, take a deep breath and let most of it go.

That is the easy part, getting rid of it (for me anyway). The tricky part is fighting the urge to toss it all in the garbage to make it all just go away in one afternoon and instead organize my time to sort it all out to be donated (which will be most of it) free cycled, or take pictures and sell it online. All of which I don't have time for right now. At all. *groan*

Tossing it in the garbage would be so much easier and quicker wouldn't it? Put it in the garbage bin, close the lid and walk away.

The thing is, just because it gets picked up by the garbage truck once a week, doesn't mean it's gone. It's gone from the house, but it's not gone. It's just been moved to a larger pile of clutter and crap with the potential to wreck a lot of havoc on delicate ecosystems, spill into important water systems and do further harm to our environment.

I saw this video once and I just can't let those images go. I also know I can't in good conscience contribute to it anymore.

That swirling Texas sized patch of garbage in the Pacific gets me every time. It is also why I am bound and determined not to turn into a complete basket case this time we move let those feelings of being   completely and totally overwhelmed show up when I am packing up an entire house, juggling homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, fixing up our new house yadda, yadda yadda, to get in the way and whisper to me "Screw it, just toss it in the trash, no one will know..."

But I will know and thus, I can't toss it. So that is what I am doing this week, clearing out allllllllll of our clutter - making sure nothing goes in the garbage unless there is no other option, taking pictures of what can be sold or free cycled and donating the rest to those places that will take it.

If you don't hear from me, please feel free to send a search and rescue team to my garage - I'm probably just stuck under a massive box of broken toys and Christmas ornaments circa 1982. ;o)

How Eco-Friendly is Bamboo? Sometimes it's Not as 'Friendly' as You Think...

Oh Bamboo! There is much ado about you....

Sing with me here people!  

Sorry for the totally lame attempt at a rhyme, I couldn't help myself! ;o)

But really, bamboo is everywhere these days and it's touted as one of the most uber eco-friendly options out there when it comes to fabric, flooring and more. I've bought the odd item made from bamboo thinking that my choice was a more environmentally responsible one. Most times I was probably being grossly misled and if that was the case, I was definitely overcharged. Greenwashed if you will (which drives me nutty - I hate companies that greenwash! Grrr...)

What has me on this rant against bamboo? Well, it started with a conversation I was having with my cousin - a fellow granola girl (and a definite soul sister for sure - I'm sure we were twins in a past life or something, but that is for an entirely different post... :Þ). As I mentioned last week, we bought a lovely old farmhouse on 10 acres and before we move in next month we want to fix up and refinish as much as we can. 

There is original hardwood on the main level which of course we will restore, but I am looking for other flooring options for the basement and the top floor. We're on a ridiculously tight budget and we want to make sure we are making choices that fit our budget and that we aren't getting greenwashed (ie being misled/tricked into buying something that appears to be environmentally responsible when in fact it isn't). One of the ideas I had in mind for flooring to look into was bamboo. All I've read and heard about is how eco friendly, sustainable, renewable, and wonderful it is for the environment and how it is a much better choice than say, chopping down trees.

It was my enlightened cousin (hi K! ♥) who told me to wait and do a bit more research into bamboo, especially for floors. She explained that when she was having to choose new flooring for her home she looked into bamboo too and found that a lot of the bamboo options on the market aren't nearly as eco friendly as they are touted to be.  

Whoosh! And There Goes Summer...

Omigosh it is almost September! What the heck?! It feels like I just posted yesterday and yet it has been well over a month already. Where does the time go?

So, did y'all think Heather and I fell of the face of the earth and forgot you? Ha! Not a chance! We love our little blog and writing about "this, that and everything in between" and we are super excited to get back at the keyboard in the next couple of weeks.

So, how is everyone? How was your summer? Anything new and exciting? Do tell!

I have to gush that I am absolutely fabulous! :D

We bought an acreage this summer that we take possession of on September 2nd and I am up to my eyeballs in the beautiful mess that comes with packing up a house and family of 5. It's quite the story of how it all came together (can we say "divine intervention"?!) and we're really looking forward to creating our own modern homestead, becoming self sufficient and living off our land as much as we possibly can. As 'crunchy' as I am, I also have to humbly admit I'm a total city slicker having grown up in Vancouver and Calgary - so you can be sure that you will get your fill of humorous stories detailing the ins and outs of all of us trying to adapt to a rural lifestyle! :Þ

The kids are excited to build chicken coops and get their chickens and I can't wait for the eggs our sweet little heritage hens will provide. At the same time I realize too, since we have a dream of doing a little bit of free range farming to raise our own meat and eggs, that I am actually going to have to learn to get over my um, fear of chickens and farm animals and well, pick.one.up. I've never picked up a chicken before, let alone raised a flock (is that what they are even called? I don't even know for sure what a group of hens is called...I need "Raising Free Range Chickens For Dummies"...)

We (as a family and as a society) are so used to buying what we need, be it organic, free range and everything in between, that we are quite clueless and totally dependant on others for one of the necessities of life (food in case you are wondering what I am getting at here) and I think it is quite sad, really. Scary even. I can't wait to learn with my children about how to grow and make our own food, raise our own animals and not be so dependant on everyone else for our survival.

Most of all I am looking forward to the quiet, the space, the freedom the kids will have to run, play and learn hands on and to sound cliche, just get away from it all. It will be a wonderful learning experience for the entire family and something my husband and I have been dreaming about for years!

Well, that is my little recap of the summer! We had some great road trips, visited with our friends and family, I got my Level 2 Reiki and we bought our first home and acreage - to say it has been a wonderful summer would be an understatement. ♥

Heather and I will be back into the blogging swing of things again next week after the Labour Day long weekend. We have some great ideas swimming around in our heads that we are twitching to write about and even better, we have some fabulous give aways coming up for the next few months!

Be sure to stay tuned!

With love and light always,

 

Super Yummy Power Muffins That the Kids Will *LOVE*!

I stumbled across this muffin recipe the other day in a desperate attempt to keep my 3 year old (well, almost 4 but I don't want to go there yet *sniff*) entertained while his sister was off to her friends house up the street (a place where he isn't usually invited because, well, what two nine year old girls want to hang out with a 3 year old boy? None. :P )

I looked in the pantry and I had some oatmeal, some flax seeds and a few other things. I wasn't sure if it would be enough to make anything decent but it was worth a try even if it was just to keep Noah happy for a bit! 

After searching on Google for a few minutes I found a wonderful website called "Oh She Glows" and it is full of fabulously healthy recipes, including my new favourite "Flax and Oat Breakfast Power Muffins"! 

Noah and I whipped up a batch in no time at all and they were delicious, super healthy and even better, they were also very kid friendly to make. The family, (especially my picky, picky eater Matty, who is 7), has been asking for more every day. Wooohooo! They could eat these all day and night and I would be thrilled! I'm realizing I need to take an afternoon and make a bunch of them and then just keep them in the freezer.

So here is my fvourite treehugging recipe for the week...they don't call me Crunchy Canadian for nothin'. ;o)

Flax and Oat Breakfast Power Muffins

Recipe and photo courtesy of Angela Liddon, owner of Glo Bakery and OhSheGlows.com

Prep Time: 15 min   ~  Cook Time: 20 min   ~ 

Total Time: 35 min  ~  Yield: 6 power muffins

Ingredients

• 1 ripened banana
• 2 tsp. Olive Oil
• 1 organic brown egg
• 1/4 cup non-packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly grounded flax seed
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 6 muffin tins.
2. Mash banana into a medium sized bowl.
3. Beat in oil, egg, and brown sugar.
4. Grind 1/2 cup flax in a blender for a couple min.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (Oats, ground flax, whole wheat flour, baking soda).
6. Add dry ingredients into wet and stir. Do not over mix.
7. Add nuts or dark chocolate chips if preferred.
8. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 min.

(**Note from Laila: Noah insisted on adding some vanilla and cinnamon in for fun. Oh and we also doubled the recipe and everything turned out great. It seems to be an easy recipe to play around with! ♥)

 

Nutritional Profile (per muffin):

 

200 calories

9 grams of healthy fats (from flax and olive oil!)

6 grams fibre

6.5 grams of protein

 

I hope you are all having a great week so far!

 

With love and light ♥,

 

Fantastic and Safer Alternatives to Bug Sprays Loaded With DEET!

I hate mosquitoes. However, I hate DEET even more. Something about spraying myself and the kids down with DEET every time we step outside the house, to avoid the nasty little blood suckers that seem to be waiting for us, just doesn't sit right with me ya know?

So I've been on this search to find something that is safter and more natural that actually works. Over the years I think I have tried everything I could get my hands on. I don't know about you, but sprays made from citronella and/or cat nip just don't cut it for our family and no matter how much or how often we applied them we still were a walking buffet for the mosquitoes in our neighborhood.

Last month however, I happened to notice a conversation going on on a Yahoo group that I'm a member of and they were all talking about a certain blend of essential oils that apparently were working like a charm. Could it be? A natural alternative to DEET that really, really works?! I was definitely intrigued and I'll admit a little skeptical at the same time.

Later I happened to be our local Community Natural Foods here in Calgary and I stumbled across a book called The Fragrant Pharmacy - A Complete Guide to Aromatherapy and Essential Oils by Valerie Ann Worwood. In there was a section on insect repellents using just a few easy to find essential oils. I grabbed the book and bought the extra oils I needed, excited to get home and mix up this lovely little concoction and put it to the test. The mosquitoes are awful around here and some days a heavy duty DEET based spray doesn't even work. If this blend of essential oils actually worked, I would be totally impressed.

I wasn't sure how to apply the bug repellent that would be easy so I decided to mix it up into a small mason jar with my Green Beaver Sunscreen (which totally rocks btw, I LOVE this sunscreen!) and apply it that way since we are using the sunscreen all the time when we are outside anyway.

You know what? The essential oils work! It really, really worked!

I took the kids to the park and we all had our bug repellent/sunscreen combo on that I had mixed up. We also had a couple of neighbourhood kids tag along and they didn't have any type of bug repellent on. I was sitting there on the grass and noticed that me and my kids weren't getting bitten. The poor neighborhood kids however were being feasted on by all the mosquitoes swarming around. I offered my jar of sunscreen to them explaining it also had a natural 'bug spray' if they wanted to scoop their hands in and put some on, but they weren't interested and seeing that they weren't my kids I obviously couldn't (and would never) force the issue. It was hard watching them get bitten like that though! To say I was impressed with the fact that the kids and I were going home 'bite free' would be an absolute understatement.

It is worth noting that the mosquitoes were landing on all of us, but they weren't biting me and the kids. Not once (and we were at the park on the grass for a good 45 minutes or so). The blend of essential oils as well, didn't keep the mosquitoes from buzzing around us, but I can handle that if I'm not going to get feasted on every 5 seconds or having to coat myself in DEET to try and avoid them.

So,without making you wait any longer, here this lovely little blend I found in The Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Worwood. :D

Insect Deterrent Synergistic Blend

From The Fragrant Pharmacy, page 60.

Essential Oils of:

Thyme - 4 drops

Lemongrass - 8 drops

Lavender - 4 drops

Peppermint - 4 drops

That's it! Of course double, triple, quadruple etc as you see fit. But that is the proper ratio according to the book and the ratios that I have been using and having success with so far this summer.

I knew I could mix it up in a good carrier oil (sweet almond oil is my go to favourite), but at the same time I didn't want to smother my children in oil during the hot summer days and inadvertently roast them to a crisp in my attempts to keep the bugs away. I didn't have a small enough spray bottle handy to spray it on them sooooooo, I settled on squeezing my sunscreen into one of my trusty little mason jars and mixing it all up together. :Þ

It's the synergistic effect however that works, not just one oil in particular. Like Valerie says in her book, "By mixing together two or more essential oils you are creating a chemical compound that is different to any of the component parts, and these synergistic blends are very particular and powerful." 

Another apparently fabulous safe and natural mosquito repellant is The Insect Defend Patch. It's a transdermal patch that contains 75mgs of vitamin B1. I haven't had a chance to try it simply because I haven't been able to find it anywhere, it's all sold out!

For this great little find I have to thank my friend Nadine who posted about it on Facebook! She lives in an area that has had to deal with ridiculous mosquito populations this summer and it's been soooooo bad that people are staying inside, even on beautiful sunny days. When school was finishing up in June the schools had to keep the kids in during lunch and recess and people have been commenting that any and every bug spray isn't working at all. Nadine happened to mention that her girls wore the Insect Defend Patch patch to day camp and didn't get one single bite, which is absolutey astounding considering the mosquito problems they have been having this year!

We, as a culture, have this complacent way of thinking and believing that if it is on a store shelf it must be safe and that just isn't true. Sunscreens can contain toxic ingredients, bug sprays contain toxic ingredients and what happens every summer is that we coat our skin, one of the most absorbable organs we have, in carcinogenic creams and sprays in our efforts to stay healthy. Rather ironic isn't it?

Now, if you are travelling or live in places where you are at risk of contracting malaria, Lyme Disease and other serious diseases carried by mosquitoes, ticks etc then you need to weigh the pros and cons obviously. But here where I live, running around the park shouldn't require massive amounts of chemicals when there are safer and natural alternatives that actually work. Like anything in life, do your research and make informed decisions. :o)

Click here to read more about the dangers of most sunscreen ingredients and to find a list of safer alternatives. Also, be sure to read about DEET and the long term impacts it can have. DEET has it's place, but it is not something to be taken or used lightly.

There are safer alternatives out there, you just have to look for them. Yes sometimes they cost a little more but sometimes spending the extra few dollars if you can afford to, is worth it in the long run.

Do you have a natural alternative to a commonly used product that is safer and actually works? Let us know!

Better and better ♥,

 

In Search of That Elusive 'Perfect Mother'...

I have to confess, I'm having a week. You know, one of  *those* weeks. Apparently, I'm told, we all have them. I'm tired. I'm cranky. My nerves are raw and some moments I have found myself up in my bathroom crying quietly to myself, where no one can see or hear me. It's a nice release sometimes to be able to do that I find.

I feel like there are all these expectations piled on me that I just can't meet, like what I am doing (or not doing) and who I am just isn't good enough.

So who is this 'Perfect Mother' I hear about all the time? Does she really exist? You know who she is right? Perfect Mother is usually found online, although sometimes, very rarely, you'll catch a glimpse of her in real life.

She is the one with the perfect children who never fight and if they do all problems are solved perfectly by absolute gentle discipline standards all the time. Perfect Mother never yells or raises her voice and her children always listen to her - not because they have to, but because they live in such a perfect democratically respectful household that they want to. She's doesn't need any form of western medicine because herbs and homeopathics cure all her family's problems, all the time without fail. Always.

Who is this woman out there who has a perfectly clean and organized house and happy perfect neuro-typical kids and homeschools so well her perfect children are 2 grades ahead and gifted beyond Einstein? This in addition to homebirthing and breastfeeding until the politically correct age of 2.5 years, babywears, follows elimination communication because she is totally beyond cloth diapers, has the perfect marriage, perfect house, perfect fridge and pantry nicely stocked with only organic foods from which she is able to make perfect nutritious meals and snacks from scratch all the time? Oh and this perfect mama also finds time for a run everyday, is in fabulous shape and is oh so happy all time. Perfect Mother is the perfect human. The perfect wife and well, perfect everything.

Just a heads up 'Perfect Mother' doesn't live here. Neither do 'Perfect Children'.

Now you'll have to excuse me while I sign off so I can feed my kids a smoothie, a sandwich or a bowl of cereal for supper, because like I said, it's been one of those weeks.

(trying to be) Better and better,

 

Confession Time - I'm sick of technology...

There. I said it. Whew, I needed to get that out!

(Yes, yes I do realize the irony that I am confessing this on a blog post. :Þ)

I was up at my BFF's cabin at the beginning of June for almost 2 weeks. Chatting on the phone with Heather and another friend Lisa while driving up there I happily shared with them that I would be able to use my iPhone as a wireless hotspot so I could stay in touch and post while I was away. I had wonderful visions of sitting at the kitchen table (away from the blood sucking F-18's flying out at dusk mosquitoes) watching the sunset while blissfully posting updates about our trip. Cue in some lovely New Agey music and the added visual of three happily sleeping children by 8pm and you'll see where I was at before I got my reality check... ;o)

The Universe however had other plans. Just to get a decent cell signal you basically have to stand at a 72 degree angle in the middle of the road facing due west with your left hand in the air, and your right pinky toe facing south. Don't even get your hopes up for a phone call if it happened to be cloudy or raining either. Yes, to say that cell service was limited and sketchy would be an understatement.  I soon realized setting up a nifty little wifi hotspot with my iPhone wasn't going to be an option. I soon realized that I was *GASP* cutoff. o_O

Did I start jonesing out? To steal a line from our dear and favourite Sarah P. - You betcha!

You don't realize how plugged in you are, until you are, well, forcibly unplugged without warning. After 3 or 4 days of constantly checking my email, the news, or Facebook or Twitter and waiting...and waiting...and............waiting for the pages to load, I gave up. It dawned on me how ridiculous it was that I was surrounded by serenity (family, friendship and more) and I was missing it because I was staring at my stupid phone waiting for the Huffington Post or Facebook and Twitter to load. Once I realized that getting online quickly and easily wasn't an option, I felt sooooooo unbelievably free.

Since then I've had a hard time getting plugged back in. I really like that feeling of being unplugged and all that goes with it. Maybe it is because it's summer and these lazy hot days we've been having are not enticing me to sit in front of my laptop thus I'm just not into it as much and don't really know what to say....or maybe it's because I've realized these last few weeks that while yes, we are 'connected' so to speak when we blog, text, post, update, search and browse - we are also simultaneously disconnected from something and/or someone at the same time, mainly those around us 'in real life' (which is why I've waited until everyone has gone to bed before posting this).

(I'll also confess I am a total and complete weather geek. I won't get into my obsession with clouds, weather, the Environment Canada Website and their continuously updated doppler radar that I can access on said iPhone anytime I like. *blush* Show me a puffy white cloud in the summer time when the ground is hot and there is a moist cool mass of air flowing in overtop and I'll track that puppy all day on doppler radar... I need professional help for that one I think...)

So I apologize if you've texted and I totally sucked at texting you back. I really prefer to talk on the phone in real life! :D Oh and as for phonecalls, well I would call you if my iPhone wasn't going to fill your ears with static or drop the call and cut us off 5 times in the first 12 minutes. Apparently everyone in Metro Calgary is having the same idea about just using their cell phone as their main phone instead of a land line and I'm thinking that our major service providers (you know who you are you monopolizing technological giants with crappy networks with the cutesy commercials and such) just can't keep up with the demand.

Oh and I'll also apologize in advance for my lacking Facebook and Twitter presence over the next couple of months as well. It's summer time and I have so much that I want to do, catch up on and be in the moment for ya know?

If I do happen to have a relapse of my tech addiction, I'll just simply imagine I'm back at the cabin with a cell signal that only works if you are standing at a 72 degree angle in the middle of the road facing due west with your left hand in the air, and your right pinky toe facing south. ;o)

Here's the view from the cabin at sunset (and also middle of the road facing west)...not too shabby eh? :D

I hope you are all having a fabulous summer like I am so far!

With love and light always,

 

Happy Birthday Canada! It's good to be 144 eh?

Ahhh Canada, you are growing up so fast! It just seems like yesterday I was waving my little maple leaf flag and celebrating your 114th birthday. Where does the time go?

In celebration of our great nation's special day, I thought I would share some of my favourite Canadianisms! :D

First, just to get you in the mood and up and grooving around - my favourite video and song for Canada Day by Gunnarolla - "Canadian, Please" (also referred to as "I Know That You Wanna Be Canadian")! Even if you aren't Canadian I'm sure you'll appreciate the tongue in cheek humour that pokes a bit of fun at our Canadian culture while celebrating it all at the same time. ;o)

And goodness, we can't forget Joe. Before we had Gunarolla's "Canadian, Please" we had Joe and his infectious patriotic monologue that moved a nation to it's feet faster than a hockey game in overtime. Who can ever forget Joe from the infamous Molson beer commercials, "I am Canadian!" ? I think almost every Canadian had this one memorized verbatim at one point. :D

To end this fabulous day, I will leave you with a bit of weird Canadian trivia that I have collected just for today... :D

~Canada stems from the St. Lawrence-Iroquoian word 'Kanata' which means "village" or "settlement"

~The Canadian/American border spans 8,840 kilometers or 5,525 miles and is thus the longest border in the world

~Canada officially became a country on July 1st 1867 when the British Parliment passed the British North America Act

~The longest running TV show in Canada is Hockey Night in Canda (shocker! :P)

~Canadians consume more Mac and Cheese than any other nation on earth

~In BC it is against the law to kill a Sasquatch

~If you are in Ottawa just a heads up that it is illegal to eat ice cream on a Sunday on Bank Street. That is a good one to know if you ask me...

~The first commercial brewery in Canada was built in Quebec City in 1668

~Even though no city in Canada has ever experienced snow all year round, Calgary is the one Candadian city that has recorded snow at least once during every month of the year at one point and I can personally vouch for this!

And with that my friends, I hope you are having a fabulous Canada Day!

Here's a little pic of Lake Louise and where the kids and I are headed next week for the day. Yes I am glad to be Canadian and thrilled that I live so close to one of the most beautiful places in the world. :D

 

Our Daughters and the Media

Why as women are we still being quiet with the way we are constantly objectified in the media? Why are we still being quiet at the toys and images that are directed to our children, especially our daughters?

Right now, as women and mothers, (especially blogging mothers) we have some power here girls. Why are we so quiet about this? Seriously, I've seen what a group of women can do and the change we can create. Simply tell a woman in a store that she can't breastfeed there and watch how fast a group of women can spring into action and stand up and say "this is not acceptable", and more times than not actually make that change happen.

I'm tired of being a 'good girl'. You know what I mean right?

Many of us were raised to be "good girls". Good girls that weren't loud. Good girls that weren't too opinionated or too bossy. Good girls who did what they were told. Good girls who always aimed to please and didn't rock the boat. Good girls who always put everyone else but themselves first. Because that is what good girls do apparently.

Then there was "pretty". As little girls, most of us all just loved hearing how pretty we were. Sadly as we grew up, we didn't hear it for the reasons we needed to hear it. You know, 'pretty' for who you are or because of the way your eyes sparkled when you laughed (underneath your rebellious shocking fuchsia pink hair and nose ring).  No, the word 'pretty' usually came out when you were wearing the right clothes, (usually "girly") or 'pretty' because you were wearing the clothes your parents thought you should wear.

My daughter is almost 9 and I look around at the world we live in and the culture she is growing up in and I want to freak out and shield her from it all. The perfectionistic media imagery regarding women is being shoved down our throats, but as grown women we know how (hopefully) to talk ourselves around it. Even Cindy Crawford has said that she wished she looked like "Cindy Crawford".

I see an ad now and I know it is Photoshop'd to oblivion - there is something peaceful in finally realizing that. And what I mean is every ad and magazine cover I see, I don't even believe it so it doesn't get to me anymore. It's tragic that we have even gotten to the point in our society that fake people (men, women and children who are photoshopped beyond recognition) are the only thing that companies feel can sell their product. As adults, we know that and we are so much more aware of it now. But do our daughters?

It's subtle, pervasive and F'ing everywhere. You can't get away from it...

Watch this to see what I mean. To make it even more effective, turn the music off and just watch the images.

It starts with this at 3...

To this at 13...

To this at 23...

(nothing sells clothes like being 1/2 naked with a vacant stare and spread eagle on a bed o_0 )

To this at 33...

(because y'all that is how I looked and felt when I was pregnant and a few weeks away from my due date...not)

How as women are we not supposed to feel objectified? How the hell are we supposed to convince our daughters that all that they see in print and other media is 99% fake and not even close to being attainable, let alone normal or healthy?

We can talk until we are blue in the face to our girls about Photoshopping and advertising and then we have to leave the house with them and go out and see the demeaning ads and marketing everywhere. Billboards on the streets, ads on and around the transit systems, in the stores in the form of toys, clothes, magazine covers and more.

We don't watch much TV at all, because I hate the ads, most of the programming and don't want my children exposed to them. However, at least with TV you can turn it off.

I can't turn off the magazine covers in line at the grocery store. The ones that are at perfect eye level for my daughter. The ones that talk about how to be good in bed - a perfect combination of the submissive vixen. The ones that boast on how to lose 100 pounds by next week, how to make him love you more, how to cook the perfect meal and have the perfect house so your family will adore you.

Because apparently, according to the magazine covers, you aren't good enough as you are. No, you should strive to be a size zero kinky gymnast in the bedroom that knows how to channel her inner Martha Stewart and be the perfect mother all at the same time. Oh and make sure supper is on the table and the house is spotless.

The best thing I can do for my daughter? Aside from loving her for the perfect amazing creature that she is?

I can love who I am - the good, the bad and everything in between. I can admit I'm not perfect and that's okay because I don't want to be perfect.

I can be my own biggest cheerleader and also openly admit my faults and learn from my mistakes.

I can love my body with all it's lumps, bumps and stretchmarks and forever be in awe of it because it grew and nourished 3 amazing little human beings.

And speaking of nourishing little baby humans, my boobs? My boobs were working boobs - they are not for selling beer, pick up trucks and winning wet t-shirt contests.

No, they are better than that.

I can show her it's okay to stand up, be loud and shout "I rocked that one!". I need to assure her it's okay to be bossy sometimes - in men they call it 'strong leadership skills'.

I need to be her constant 'billboard'. For her, I need to be the woman I want her to grow up to be.

Oh and PS American Apparel and Diesel? You suck.



Better and better ♥,

 

Fabulous Noshpockets! A Product Review and Give-Away!

Summer is almost here and that means the kids and I are out and about as much as possible. After our ridiculously long winter and being cooped up in the house, staying home is not on our list of things to do these days!

As a mom of three, the one thing I have found is that if you are leaving the house for any length of time, you need to have a steady supply of healthy snacks. Otherwise if you're like me, you'll find yourself with cranky kids that are quickly able to convince you to hit a drive through -  if anything just to bring the volume down while you wait in rush hour traffic to get home!

A few weeks back when I was shopping at my local Planet Organic here in Calgary I happened to come across Noshpockets and I have absolutely fallen in love with them!

I love that they are of course plastic free, easy to store, easily portable, easy for little fingers to open, super easy to clean (just toss in the washing machine if needed) and last but certainly not least, Noshpockets are made right here in Calgary! So when I buy them I am also supporting a local business! Win, win, win!

(For all our friends out there who don't live in Calgary, don't despair! No matter where in the world you live, you too can have your own stash of Noshpockets because you can order them online!)

In fact, Noshpockets are so popular here that they have been nominated for a Calgary Choice Award under the Best in Eco Friendly Product or Service! If you ask me, Noshpockets definitely deserve to win so if you like to support local home based businesses, especially those that make eco friendly alternatives to plastic then simply click here to vote and show your support! :D

Now, I am so happy with my little Noshpockets and completely impressed with how well they are made that I was bursting to share the love with our readers! I let Terry (the sweet, wonderful creator and founder of Noshpockets) know how much I loved them and we've teamed up together to host a give away for these cute little 'pockets!

That's right my friends, you have a chance to win a set of two Noshpockets, but you have to act fast because the contest closes on June 17th! That is one Noshpocket that is sandwich sized (7.5 x 6.25 inches) AND one Noshpocket that is snack sized (6 x 4.75 inches)!

How to enter the contest...

Entering is super easy and you have more than one chance to win! Oh and this contest is open to our readers around the world! As Canadians, Heather and I know know how super annoying it is to be left out of fabulous contests that are only open to residents of a specific country. So, we try our best to have give-aways that are inclusive to everyone. We have wonderful readers from around the world and we appreciate you all! :o)

To be entered in the contest you simply need to head on over to the Noshpockets product page (<--- just click that link there) and check out all the great patterns and fabrics Terry has for these cute and totally eco friendly alternatives to ziplock baggies and plastic sandwich bags! Decide which two designs are your favourites!

Once you've decided which Noshpockets designs are your faves, simply do just one of the following (or all of them for more chances) to win:

♥ Leave a comment here on our blog letting us know which designs you will choose if you win!

♥ Leave a comment on the Facebook page of Noshpockets letting Miss Terry know which fabric designs are your favourites! She's just getting started with social media so make sure you show her some Facebook love! :D

♥ Leave a comment on our Significantly Simple Facebook page telling us which fabric designs are your favourites!

♥ Tweet us your Noshpocket favourites using the hashtag #noshpockets. Our Twitter ID is @EcoDivasCanada

♥ Tweet the contest on Twitter with a link to this post (so people know what to do to win!) and also use the hastag #noshpockets so we can count your entry!

♥ Spread the word on your own Facebook page or personal account (or both!) letting others know about this awesome hand made eco friendly product and the contest we have going on! Make sure you use the Facebook tag @Noshpockets or @SignificantlySimple so we know! If you don't tag at least one of our Facebook pages then we won't know and you don't want to lose out on an extra couple of chances to be entered right? And yes if you mention it on your page and your personal account that will count as two entries. :o)

♥ If you have a blog simply mention this post and this Noshpockets contest on your site for another chance to win!

That is up to EIGHT chances to win a fabulously adorable eco friendly set of Noshpockets!

And because it's summer time, we've made this contest run a little longer. Instead of our normal weeklong contest, this giveaway will run for 10 days until 8am MDT on June 17th. Our contest winner will be announced on our Friday Finds post for June 17th. The winner will have until the following Monday (June 20th ) to respond to us via email (SignificantlySimple @gmail.com) letting us know their address to send the Noshpockets to and of course letting us know their fabric design choices! If we don't hear from the winner by June 20th then a new winner will be chosen. The winner is chosen via Random.org.

Have a fabulous week everyone!

Better and better,

SafeMama's 2011 Sunscreen Cheat Sheet and Why You Need to Read It!

Hmmm...apparently Summer is on the way although you wouldn't know it in these parts with all the rain we've been getting! It's so dreary in Calgary it reminds me of those overcast drizzly winter days I grew up with on the West Coast. It's certainly not the kind of weather that reminds me I need to be getting prepared for summer once the clouds clear away, that's for sure!

If you are a parent you know that the one thing you need to have in your child's summertime tool box is sunscreen. If you are like me though, you are nit picky about sunscreen and would rather not slather your children in the toxic brews that tempt you from the store shelves and promise ultimate protection under the beguiling façade of safety. It seems the debate starts around the playgrounds and splash parks every year around this time on what brand of sunscreen is actually safe, followed by a few comments that they all must be safe or they wouldn't be sold (which is sadly not the case and even sadder is many people don't want to hear that fact) or that any sunscreen, no matter how toxic the ingredients, is better than nothing.

What's a parent to do? It is an incredibly confusing product to figure out sometimes and yet it's equally important that you do. Skin cancer is, of course, a clear risk from running around in the bright afternoon without sun protection and at the same time our bodies need the sun to help us synthesize Vitamin D. You can watch the clock when it comes to outdoor time and cover yourself in protective clothing, but that isn't always the most feasible option, so you end up turning to sunscreen.

Do your research simply because many companies are counting on you NOT to...

These are chemicals that are being put on your child's skin countless times over the next few months (and for many of you, possibly year round) and will be absorbed into their sensitive little bodies. Please, please stop being complacent and research your ingredients.  In this case you don't even need to search that hard because I am going to link you up some of the best resources I have found when it comes to the safety of your children. All you have to do is click and read. Easy peasy! ♥

Know that most sunscreens on the mainstream marketplace contain incredibly toxic ingredients like Oxybenzone, and retinyl palmitate (which has, ironically, been linked to skin tumors and if that wasn't bad enough, it's also believed to speed up the formation of cancerous cells. I'm serious folks, I couldn't make this up if I tried). Not only that, your SPF 50 that you put on your little bean this summer might only be SPF 10. You literally might end up paying more for an SPF 50+ that is full of carcinogenic, hormone disrupting ingredients and isn't even doing what you paid for. I don't know about you, but I would be royally ticked off if that was the case.

Do you have sunscreen in the house? Then click the bold green link to read the Environmental Working Group/Skin Deep's 2011 Sunscreen Hall of Shame to learn more about the ingredients listed. It will certainly be eye opening if nothing else!

Which sunscreen should you buy then, you ask?

I personally am partial to Badger and Green Beaver products. I love them and they work. Plus it just gives you that warm squishy feeling inside when you buy one of them and know you are getting an awesome product that is produced either 'locally' (as in here in Canada for you fellow Canucks) or by a family run business like the Badger products are in New Hampshire.

I realize though not all chemically safe sunscreens are available in all places, so I present to you 

drumroll please...... 

THE Queen Bee of the blog-o-sphere when it comes to product safety for children and families,

a fellow Mama Bear,

someone whom we would proudly place in our Eco Diva Hall of Fame (if we had one, which on second thought I'm going to make one, because us Eco Divas need to band together right?!?),

  

the one and only,

 SafeMama and her 2011 Sunscreen Cheat Sheet!  

I love SafeMama, and her dedication to child safety and non toxic products. She makes me feel less neurotic totally normal that I am concerned about this stuff and research all these topics. Plus, she sums everything up so beautifully in easy to understand language that doesn't require a chemistry degree to understand.

Needless to say I was thrilled to see my beloved Badger Sunscreen on her list! She has listed over 25 different sun protection products that are safe for you and your family - it is one of the best resources I have found when it comes to sun/skin care and it is most definitely a list worth looking at. 

Everything you need to know about sunscreen ingredients including the good, the bad and the ugly, can be found over at SafeMama. Do yourself and your family a favour and click on over and take a read through! ♥

I hope you are having a great week so far!