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.  

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 ♥,

 

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! 

What Can I Recycle?

Although Laila and I are recycling fanatics, many of our friends are not (we're trying hard to convince them!). They say that it's inconvenient and they never know what can and cannot be recycled. We beg to differ!


Photo Credit


To help ease their recycling burden, I've come up with a quick list of basic items which can be recycled easily.  It's a good list for beginners.

Super Easy Homemade Honey Almond Facial Scrub!

I'm all about easy and natural these days and I've found one of the best places to start simplifying is with the products we buy, especially those for our skin and hair.

When it comes to skin care for myself and my family I'm a stickler for pure ingredients that aren't going to cause reproductive toxicity, among other things, with the pretty little bubbles they give the kids in the bath tub. I'm sure you've realized as well, products that have purer, safer ingredients aren't always the most budget friendly - especially when it comes to women's skin care lines.

If you haven't been to Skin Deep it's a fascinating place to hang out and learn more about everything you have in your bathroom and whether the listed ingredients are harmful or not to yourself and your kids. Some products surprised me in that they have improved over the years and others you realize, just don't care that they make, market and sell a product that is full of known carcinogenic substances and other toxic crap that just isn't good for you.

So what's a granola girl on a budget to do?

Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash

I did my big grocery shop yesterday. DH and I went to a local greenhouse to see what they had before we bought produce from afar - at the local grocery store.  This is what we got for $20:

• 6 peppers (red, orange, yellow)
• 4 heads of lettuce
• 8 tomatoes
• 1 bunch basil
• 3 eggplants
• 2 bags mini cucumbers

What a steal!!  :D  The produce is nicer than any I have seen in a store, because it's fresh.  It's local.  It's delicious.

Photo Credit

Side Note:   Laila and I also write for Keen for Green and I recently wrote about food miles.  You should check the labels on your produce and see how far they travelled to your kitchen table.

What we didn't find at the greenhouse, we bought at the grocery store.  I buy organic whenever I can, but if it's not an option, I buy non-organic.  Like others, I simply do the best I can.

I keep a big fruit bowl on our kitchen counter so we can grab fruit for a quick snack.  Organic or not, I always, always wash the fruit before putting it into the bowl.  I've used various cleansers for produce, but lately I've been making my own and I'm really happy with it.  Why?  Because I know what's in it.  And I'm it's cheap.  Here are a couple of different recipes that work wonders on your fruit and veggies.  For pennies.  Literally.  :)

1. In a spray bottle combine equal parts of vinegar and water.
2. In a spray bottle combine 1 TBSP lemon juice, 2 TBSP baking soda, 1 cup water.

For hard-skinned fruits and veggies, spray with cleaner, wait a couple of minutes, and rinse.  For soft-skineed fruits like grapes and strawberries, put equal parts water and vinegar into a bowl and soak fruit for a couple of minutes before rinsing.

For more homemade cleaners, check out this post.  And be sure to let us know about any homemade wonders you whip up!


 

Greenwashing: What is it and How to Spot it!

Comic courtesy of Tom Fishburne and Skydeckcartoons.com

Being good to the earth does not require complicated strategies or overwhelming efforts. So often we are led to believe that to be a truly environmentally conscious consumer, we must spend mass amounts of money and use only "special" products and buy certain "items". You know the products I am talking about right? The ones with that purty little 'green' label that make it look like it is the uber 'eco friendly' choice and worth all that extra money out of your wallet?

What is "greenwashing" you ask?

Greenwashing is when a company deliberately markets their product as being an environmentally friendly choice, when in fact it isn't. At all. Companies that greenwash their products do so, knowing they are blatantly misleading their customers into buying a product (and often paying up to 20 or 30 per cent *more*) that is neither organic, eco friendly, fair trade nor good to the environment. To put it simply, greenwashing products to trick consumers into buying them (and like I mentioned, paying more for them) means bigger profits for these corporations and companies. They don't care that they are lying to you. It is all about the bottom line - money, money and more money.

How do you spot greenwashing?

You need to be vigilant and read labels. Do your research. This is your hard earned money and you have the right to give/spend it where you want and to not be manipulated by a misleading label. It doesn't have to be hours of research, but if you see a product that is making the claim to be a better choice for you, the environment or both, just a quick Google search with the product name will get you quite far, especially if you start Googling the ingredients. I always get good, honest results if I Google "the truth about {insert what you want to research here}".

I find cleaning and baby products are often the most greenwashed, especially by many mainstream corporations who want in, financially speaking, on the large consumer trend toward eco friendly shopping.

This is my favourite example of a greenwashed baby product:

Recycled Eyeglasses = Bright Futures

This morning after I got dressed, I chose which pair of eyeglasses I'd wear today. I have 4 pairs to choose from. Well, techinically, I have 2 pairs to choose from. One is an old pair that have become too wide for me to wear. The second non-option is a brand-new pair of glasses I ordered online. The arms are a bit short and my eyelashes touch the lenses when I wear them. So that leaves 2 pairs that I wear, depending on mood and color choice.

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I've been thinking (for about 5 years now) that I should really donate them, but I haven't taken the time to figure out where I should drop them off or mail them. I mean, the need couldn't possibly be that great, could it?

WRONG!  I was absolutely, embarassingly, naively wrong.  Plain and simple.  According to the World Health Organization, 150 million people in the word need to have their eyes tested or need glasses.  Imagine a man trying to support his family, whose work options are severely limited due to poor eye sight.  Imagine a child and their infinite potential - if only they could see the board clearly.  Imagine a mom who can't read to her child because she can't afford a pair of eyeglasses.  And I couldn't decide which pair to put on this morning...

Today I stopped thinking about donating and found information - that I'm thrilled to share with you.  I'm guessing that if you've bought a new pair of glasses in the last five years, you still have an old pair kicking around somewhere and if you do, I encourage you to toss them in the mail.  Today.  Not next week.  Today.  :)

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Once I began looking, I found copious organizations who accept eyeglasses on behalf of those in third world countries.  There are also many retailers who collect used glasses to send to organizations, so if you don't live near a donation center, be sure to call your optometrist or eyeglass store to ask if they accept used eyeglasses.

Canada
Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (CLERC)
Third World Eye Care Society Canada

US
One Sight
Click here for Lions Club recyling center locations in Alaska, Arizona, California and Nevada, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Australia
Lions Recycle for Sight

UK
Gift of Sight

Other countries
Find a Lions Club near you.

I know we are all busy - it seems we can't sit down for five minutes without the kids needing something, the phone ringing, making dinner, or a zillion other things, but please take five minutes to make a call to find out where you can mail or drop off your used eyeglasses.  This donation is techinically free, because the glasses are just sitting there - doing nothing, when they could be changing someone's life. 

What if you don't wear glasses?  I'm happy to say that all of the organizations listed above will gladly accept monetary donations as well.  :)

Well, I'm off to make my phone call - will you?

PS - And don't forget to head over to our Facebook Page to enter our Share to Show You Care Contest!

   

Why Don't You Recycle?

It's Earth Day next week and the snow is melting around here and both events remind me why I am committed to going plastic-free (as much as I possibly can), to help my family and our earth stay as healthy and vibrant as possible.

At the same time, every spring I end up in this mood, this confused and some what cantankerous mood, where I am scratching my head as the snow melts, looking at all the garbage left strewn about on the ground, (most of which is recyclable btw), and I wonder what on earth is wrong with people and why so many people don't recycle and why so many people think that continuous daily use of disposble products, especially plastic ones, is okay?!?!

I gotta admit, I just don't get it?
I promised myself I wouldn't carry on (like you all know I am prone to doing when I am passionate about something! :D ), so I'm just going to get to the point here.

There is something awful we have created and we've done this through our continuous use of disposable products, our ignorance in regards to reducing our overconsumption of products we don't even need, our lack of recycling efforts and our flat out arrogance with our heads in the sand thinking it won't affect us. Yes, we did this, we helped to create this toxic mess:

It's The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The vortex of plastic and garbage that accumulates in the Pacific Ocean, where it NEVER breaks down. Never. The plastics just get smaller and smaller and no, no, no, don't think that 'getting smaller' is good because it is not. Just because that plastic bottle you tossed in the garbage back in 2005 is now breaking apart into smaller pieces in the Pacific Ocean does not mean it is 'going away'.

Why is it not good you ask, why is it not going away?

It's not good because, to put it in very simple terms, almost all the marine life eats it, or ends up trapped by it somehow. It's not good because all the birds that depend on marine life for survival, well they can inadvertently eat it too because they think it is food and then they mistakenly feed it to their offspring. Just Google "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" and then click on "Images" to see what I mean...

And as for why it doesn't go away, well, because plastic does NOT EVER go away unless it is incinerated or recycled into something new. Let me ask you, what you do you think happens to living creatures, big and small, when they are literally eating plastic?

Anyone?

Well, when when living creatures are exposed to and/or eat plastic they can not survive.
Oh right! You don't eat plastic, so you are probably okay and this has nothing to do with you. Think again. Chances are the plastics are getting into your system too one way or another. Oh and just because it is BPA free does not mean it's okay, it just means, well, that it doesn't have BPA in it.

Oh I know, I know. You don't see all this so it doesn't affect you right? You put your garbage in that trusty plastic bag, put it out on the curb and forget about it. Well, whether or not you want to know, I am going to tell you just where it could end up and then maybe you will see why I am so confused about people who don't recycle:



Hey, did you catch the part where Oprah explained that this lovely garbage patch swirling around in the Pacific Ocean is TWICE THE SIZE OF TEXAS and 90 FEET DEEP? Twice the size of Texas. I'm going to say it again in case you didn't quite get it. There are 'patches' of garbage swirling around in the Pacific Ocean that are twice the size of Texas and 90 feet deep in some points. That is totally messed up  to put it mildly (that's the censored version of what I really said when I learned about this years ago).

I have to say, in my opinion, there is almost ZERO excuse to not recycle (and I say 'almost' because there is always a justifiable exception to every rule). Chances are if the city or town where you live doesn't automatically offer curbside recycling like they do garbage pick up, then someone has a business where they specialize just in going around and picking up people's recyclables for a nominal fee. And if those two aren't an option for you, then find a way to do it yourself. If you are a healthy, able bodied individual there is no excuse not to.

Feeling a little uncomfortable now that you have realized all that plastic you have thrown out in the garbage over the years is still around?

Well, take a deep breath, get over your guilt and take action. Do something about it and break this bad habit you have of depending on disposable one use products and then throwing those perfectly recyclable goods into the garbage.

Here's a secret - it's not difficult. I'm not telling you to co-ordinate a space mission with NASA every week and send your plastic water bottles to the moon here people! :D  I'm saying start recycling if you haven't already. Realize that it is easy and there is pretty much no excuse not to recycle. Find ways to reduce your dependence on plastic and disposable products.

Can you imagine the difference that can be made not only to the environment but also your health if you decided to cut out all your beverages that come in disposable conainers (ie water bottles, 'sports' drinks, any drink in a can, coffee to go, etc etc etc)?

If it comes in a disposable container, chances are you don't need it and it isn't doing your body any favours. Clean water comes out of the tap, and almost all bottled water, is tap water. It never ceases to amaze me that people will freak out about the cost of gas and then pay for bottled water, which actually costs more per litre most times and can be obtained for pennies (or less) very easily in our country. It's actually quite amusing when you think about it. 

I am by no means perfect, none of us are, but I am passionate about recycling and living as eco-friendly as possible on a very tight budget. To gear up for Earth Day 2011, I will share with you what I have done to help my family start going plastic free - my simple solutions that can have significant impact and hopefully some of my changes and ideas will help you and your family too. ♥

If you don't think that you personally can make a difference, I am here to tell you otherwise.

You can make a difference. It just starts with one small step at a time. It starts with you.

Stay tuned and goodness, start recycling if you haven't already! Just for today, make one small change and commit to it and let me know what it is so I can cheer you on! :D

PS If you are interested in knowing more about this atrocity which is also known as the "Largest Garbage Dump In The World", check out these links:

Better Planet, The World's Largest Dump: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

VBS.Tv's Toxic Garbage Island




PS Again! If you want to get started on getting rid of disposable products in your home the best way to start is with your food storage!

We have a great give away going on for a KangaSac Litterless Lunch System courtesy of BummersOnline. Heather had the opportunity to try these out and give a review and every time I talk to her she can't stop raving about them! I was going to hold off until I made a trip out to Medicine Hat in the next little while and pick some up from Bummers directly, but I couldn't wait. :Þ Being the impatient Aries that I am, I had to try these for myself immediately, so I took advantage of the deal they have on free shipping and I ordered 3 sets today from Amber (she's the amazing and talented WAHM and owner of BummersOnline :D ) for my busy kids!

Check out our Friday Finds post from last week for all the nitty gritty details on how to win a KangaSac Litterless Lunch System (which is the KangaSac Reusable Lunch Bag, the KangaSac Reusable Sandwich Bag, and the KangaSac Reusable Snack Bag) valued at $31.85 USD!

Have a great week everyone!

With love and light ♥,

 

Handbook of Nature Study

I am not a homeschooler (but Laila is!)  However, a couple of years ago we were really looking into it, and we found the most amazing website to help us learn about nature.

Although we are definately a 'green' family and spend a ton of time outdoors, we didn't really know a lot about the many, many, MANY things that nature has to offer.  I know we can't possibly be the only family who loves the outdoors, but don't know a lot about it.  When we came across Handbook of Nature Study, we were sold - hook, line, and sinker.  And I can (almost) promise that you will be, too.

The author of the site uses Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study as a platform, and then gives you challenges and lessons to point you in the direction of learning something new and wonderful about the world around you.  The book will have one of these two covers:

The site's Outdoor Hour Challenge is for families who want to get out into nature but aren't sure where to begin.  The first step is to purchase a copy of Handbook of Nature Study, or view the book online here. 

Once you have access to the book, you will follow the site's suggestions for a nature activity (including those done with kids).  She also gives follow up activities such as a drawing in your nature journal or spending extra time studying something your kids are really into.  The activity will take no more than 20 minutes a week (unless you're having a great time with it!), plus about 20 minutes of reading for parents.

The activities and lessons are adaptable to your part of the world - just go with whatever your climate allows.  In the summer, our kids love their nature journals and never leave home without their sketch pads and box of pencil crayons.

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Speaking of Nature Journals, you can read about how to make them here.  You can see photos of Outdoor Hour Nature Journals for kids 8 and under and 9 and up on their Flickr page.  Nature Journals don't have to contain artwork that rivals famous artists - they are meant to be a special place to keep your child's connection to the world around him.

I know that we are chomping at the bit to get out and begin this summer's nature study with Handbook of Nature Study.  Will you join us?

eMission - the Facebook Game That is Fun and Makes a Difference!

It's not very often I will download a Facebook App, especially not a gaming app, but this time I couldn't help it...

Image courtesy of DoSomething.org

Have you tried eMission? I found it last night (because you know, I really didn't have enough to do online already *ahem* :Þ) and OMG it is sooooooooooo fun!

I'm going to let the creators of eMission explain this themselves because well, they do it best since it is their product after all. :o)

From their About section on Facebook:

"eMission is a unique Facebook game (currently in Beta) with a social mission that gives you the opportunity to fight climate change! Created by DoSomething.org, in partnership with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program, this game allows you to protect your own coastal habitat online and share your successes with friends.

Here’s how it works: [this is the part I love! ~L.] eMission encourages players to protect their online world by reducing their CO₂ in the real world—all while scoring points in the game. To earn the most points and reduce the most CO₂, you need to complete the energy-efficient and environmentally friendly offline missions—such as changing incandescent bulbs to ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs; powering down your computers; recycling plastic bags, bottles, or aluminum cans; walking, biking, or taking public transportation instead of driving; and more!"

How cool is that?! To succeed at this game online, you actually have to complete eco friendly tasks offline. Brilliant! I love a good game that won't leave you feeling like you've totally wasted your time. This is also a game that I won't mind my children playing at all and in fact I can't wait to show it to them!

Through finding eMission, I also found the webssite, as I mentioned above, DoSomething.org. From looking around and checking it out, it is a fabulous website for children and teens that encourages them to get involved by intertwining online and offline activities. You can also pop over and visit them on their Facebook page too. Whatever your child is passionate about, I'm sure they'll find something here that interests them and encourages them to get involved and make a difference!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

With love and light ♥,

Reminder: Earth Hour - March 26 at 8:30pm

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Let me see a show of comments if you participate in Earth Hour!

For those who may not know, Earth Hour is a global movement that began in 2007 with 2.2 million people and 2,000 businesses in Australia. By turning off all of the lights in your home or business, you are showing your support for a sustainable planet and taking a stand against climate change.

Since the very first Earth Hour in 2007, support has skyrocketed. In 2010, billions of people in more than 128 countries showed their support by participating in Earth Hour.

On Saturday, March 26 at 8:30pm (that is 8:30 your time, wherever you live), turn off your lights and do your best to not to use any electricity. Read a story to your kids by candle light. If your kids are already in bed by 8:30, have a glass of something delicious while talking to your spouse. Reconnect. Even better, treat yourself by going to bed early and turn one hour into 8 hours.

Watch the official Earth Hour video and then make sure you have enough candles in the house to get by for at least one hour this Saturday.



Support a sustainable planet. Participate in Earth Hour 2011.

Now, go to the bottom of this post and add a comment letting us know what you did for Earth Hour while your lights were out. What you did last year or what you'll do this year - we want to know! :)

My Love Affair With Mason (Jars That Is!)...

I will confess, that I have developed a teensy weensy addiction to hoarding collecting Mason jars (this is in addition to my subconscious fear of running out of clothes hangers, as Heather found out when she helped me move last fall. I hold on to weird things I know, but I digress... :Þ).

It started off a few weeks ago when I came out of my winter fog, looked at my kitchen cupboards and pantry and was completely horrified at the amount of plastic I had accumulated without even realizing it. Little things like all my dry goods stored in zip lock bags, plastic containers piled up  from the dollar store for the kids snacks and what not. Everywhere I looked in my kitchen there was plastic, plastic, PLASTIC. Not only that, to add insult to my injured eco-ego, it was all a complete cluttered disorganized mess. I realized something needed to be done!
The beauty of mason jars is you don't need to save them just for canning. Oh no my friends, they can be used for soooooooooooo much more!

The little tiny ones that are about 125ml (or 1/2 cup) are fantastic for snacks, even for the kids. Not only are they sturdy but you don't need to worry about crappy chemicals leaching into your food. Yes, they are glass but it really does take a lot for them to break. They've been dropped on our hardwood floor and are still intact with nary a scratch or crack to be found. I am all for stainless steel food storage containers and other adorable eco friendly options that are out there, but we are on a very strict budget and I needed something more inexpensive to hold the kids snacks that was chemical free and also leak proof. I was able to find 12 half cup (125 ml) little jars at Safeway a few weeks back for $12.99! That works out to $1.13 per container tax included. Not bad for an eco friendly, plastic free option if I do say so myself!

The bigger ones of course are even better for storing dry goods (in addition to being used for canning) and not only that, everything looks so much prettier stored in Mason jars then in say, ugly plastic containers. Again, 12 one litre jars for 15 bucks is a very inexpensive plastic free storage option. Just thinking about it makes me giddy!! :D

I spent part of my afternoon today taking pictures of my messy, disheveled cupboards and pantry and then studiously switching all my dry goods to my fabulous Mason jars with the whole intent of course, of sharing my before and after pics with you. Of course Murphy's law would say, that if you have great pictures to share on your blog about your transformation to organized, domestic, eco friendly bliss, chances are your computer won't download them off your camera. ARGH. So you will have to wait, but I promise it will be worth it! Eco Diva I may be, Domestic Diva not so much, but I'm working on getting the two inner "divas" to meet somewhere in the middle...eventually. ;o)

Unfortunately, people often assume that being eco friendly and/or environmentally conscious requires the ability to spend a lot of money. That really couldn't be further from the truth! So that being said, what are your favourite ways to be environmentally friendly/aware while not breaking the bank to do it?

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! If you haven't had a chance to donate to the earthquake relief efforts in Japan and South Asia, please click over to our post from last week to read more about ways to help out and give back. ♥

With love and light,

 

Eco-Friendly Dog Options

This morning I was so rudely awakened by two sweet whining puppies (whom we lovingly refer to as 'the pug-a-lugs') who were begging to be let outside.  As I was contemplating selling them getting out of bed, I remembered that today is Tree Hugging Tuesdays and it's my turn to write.  :) 


Hubble and Oscar
(A photographer I am not!!)

 With pugs on the brain, I thought I'd share some of my favorite eco (and animal!) friendly fare.  I've also got a couple of recipes for tasty treats for you to try.

What dog doesn't love treats?  And what dog owner doesn't love treats that are actually good for their canine friends? If you have sweet potatoes and aging apples on hand, you're all set to make these simple but delicious and healthy dog treats.

Oven-Dried Sweet Potato Dog Treats

• Set oven to 250°.
• Take a sweet potato and give it a rinse (or not).  :P
• Slice it about 1/4 inch thick (the thicker the slices, the longer the cooking time).
• Place on a ligthly sprayed baking sheet (or line with parchment paper).
• Bake for 1.5 hours then flip and bake an additional 1.5 hours.

Treats can be stored in the fridge safely for 2-3 weeks (or frozen for a couple of months), but honestly, they don't last more than a couple of days around here. Warning - your house will smell absolutely divine while these are baking!



Photo Credit

Cinnamon Apple Treats


• Set oven to 350°.
• Slice apple - slices (or rings) should be about the same size.
• Dip apple slices into an acidic juice - lemon, lime, orange, or pineapple to keep them from turning brown.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake for about 20 minutes (this will depend on thickness).
• Turn off the oven and let them cook an additional 15 minutes.

This recipe is really handy for when your apples are on their way to the compost bin.  If they are bruised or wrinkly, whip up these apple treats and compost the cores.

Quality dog bowls are easy to come by.  Stainless steel, ceramic, and glass are all good options - they will not leach plastic toxins into your dog's food and water and they will last much, much longer before needing to be replaced.

And moving on to a less appetizing topic:  poop bags.  (groan, I know!)  Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that cleaning up after them is a necessity.  Poop bags are a must-have item, but it stinks (pun intended!) that you have to spend hard earned cash on them, plus they are not good for the environment.  So what's a dog owner to do?  Look for compostable bags at your local dollar store or thrift store.  I buy biodegradable bags in a box made of recycled paperboard at my local dollar store.  $1.25 for 48 bags.  Not a bad deal and a much better option for the earth.

These days environmentally friendly pet supplies are literally at our fingertips - with the click of your mouse and in your local pet stores.  Check out these sites for eco (and pet!) friendly items:

Earth Doggy Eco-Friendly Dog Boutique

The Eco Market

Great Green Pets

Simply 4 Paws

Annie's Sweat Shop

I'd love to hear about your favorite earth friendly dog products!