Go Green

Help Me Save Langley - Giveaway

2012-02-10T15:25:00.004-05:00

I am in love with someone who I will most likely never meet. Someone who has no idea who I am or even that he is loved. It consumes me that I can not go and get him, that I can not be his Mom (Canadians are unable to adopt from his region).

This is Langley.

Langley is 4.5 and lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. He was given up as a baby by his parents because he has Down Syndrome. Unfortunately this is common in that part of the world. Children left, thrown away because there are not deemed as "perfect". What a warped definition of the word. Every single one of the children on Reece's Rainbow are perfect. They all need a home, a family and to know that they are loved. Because I can not go and get Langley myself I am attempting to do the next best thing. I am trying to raise his grant account as much as possible to make it financially easier for someone else to adopt him. Adoptions in his region typically cost $35,000 USD and all money raised will go into his grant account which goes directly towards the cost of his adoption.

Langley is due to be transferred to an adult mental institution soon. He may be there already actually (he can still be adopted after he is transferred). In these institutions children with disabilities are locked away from society like they do not even exist. Many end up dying within the first few years of arriving due to lack of food and being contained within rooms. Their heads are shaved, they are sedated 24/7, they have no toys or books. They are often tied to their cribs or left alone in their crib all day long. They just give up on life. I don't want this for Langley. I need for him to know what the warmth of a hug and belly ache from laughter feels like. Langley deserves to be playing with trucks and baseballs, not confined to a crib in an institution.

What I am asking is simple. Help me save Langley. Give what you would spend on a coffee or on lunch. As a thank you I will enter your name into a giveaway for some amazing prizes (see list below). Joey and I will personally match every donation up to $2,000.

Here is how it works:
* Every increment of $5 donated gets you 1 entry. The more you donate the more entries you get.
* Share via Twitter (and tag @JnJGoGreen), Facebook (and tag the Jen and Joey Go Green page) or your blog (link back to this post) to get additional entries. Leave a comment telling me you did this and linking to it.

How to Donate

Click on the Chip In box located on the right sidebar or down below. This will allow you to donate via PayPal. Make sure you specify 'Langley' in the special instructions. Your donation will then be transferred to Reece's Rainbow and Langley's grant account (it takes about 2 days to show up on the website). All donations are 100% tax deductible.

I will be notified of your donation and can add the appropriate number of entries into the giveaway. If you also share via social media please leave a comment and I will add the appropriate number of entries (I have a spreadsheet of course).

Premium Sponsors
RIM - BlackBerry Torch 9800 (Telus) (MRSP $599) Facebook Twitter
LVE Life - Solar Powered Backpack (MRSP $199 - Buy on Amazon) Facebook Twitter
Rapanui Clothing - Gift Package Facebook Twitter

Additional Fantastic Sponsors
Ethical Ocean - $25 Gift Card (there are 2 of them) Facebook Twitter
Darly Bird - $30 Gift Card
Clean and Green - Package of cleaning essentials Facebook Twitter
Blushing Pixie Jewelery - $40 Gift Card Facebook Twitter
Perseus Books - Copy of Skinny Bitch: Home Beauty and Style Twitter
William George - Baby Gift Package Facebook
Brant Heritage Travel (Marlin Travel) - 400 additional Air Miles upon booking
Samantha's Art Studio - 2 8x10 Prints Facebook Twitter *NEW*

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me do this.

If you are interested in adopting Langley or know someone who is please email me and I will put you in touch with the right people. You have my personal promise that I will do whatever it takes to help you fundraise his adoption costs. If you are unable to adopt in Langley's region but your heart is open to adoption please check out Reece's Rainbow for hundreds of other children waiting.

Wordless Wednesday - Green M&M's

2012-02-08T08:48:00.001-05:00

In London (UK) there is a massive M&M store. In one part there were theme rooms. One room was dedicated to a location project where women and girls have small businesses where they take recycled materials and make goods like purses, wallets and bags. You could find out more about the Mitz organization and also buy some of goods they have made with old M&M wrappers.

Polar bears, igloos and hairy backs

2012-02-07T21:27:00.002-05:00

When it is cold outside it is easy to be tempted to turn up the heat as your first reaction rather than getting a quilt, being active or putting on a sweater (and socks because my feet are always cold). We have a programmable thermostat which helps to regulate the temperature based on the day and time. You have to be smart about how low you keep it because you don't want to get sick or have your pipes freeze. We keep ours at 65F at night, 70F during the day and 73F in the evening. I am always cold (we could be in South America where it is 35C and if there is a little breeze I will shiver) so I am always wearing layers in the house. This way if am cleaning I can take off my hoodie but when I am just chilling on the couch watching ~~Revenge~~ Very Serious Environmental Documentaries I can still be warm without cranking the heat.

February 9th is National Sweater Day in Canada (doesn't mean you can't follow along my dear American and Overseas friends). The WWF is asking everyone to turn your heat down 2 degrees and put on a sweater. I say the uglier the better because lets face it, no one is going to notice if you are wearing a normal sweater. But everyone will notice if you are wearing this. And hello it's an opportunity to spread the word about National Sweater Day!

PSA - Do not google 'nice sweater'. I just saw more back hair and penis' than I care to see.

This years campaigns lets you get a reminder call (last day tomorrow - Feb 8th!!) from a granny to wear your sweater on the 9th! There are lots of grannies to pick from so you are bound to find one that suits your needs. ::insert evil laughter here::

So if you live in the south or west or anywhere that doesn't really get winter this post is probably not even remotely relevant. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun and send your polar bear friends a reminder phone call from a granny of your choice!

Who is in? Will you turn down your heat by 2 degrees on the 9th? (If you live somewhere where you are lucky enough to have the AC on this time of year will you turn yours up 2 degrees?). Will you wear a sweater?

Can I take my Snuggie to work? Or maybe I should just knit one of these.

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Cutting Grass and Blowing Snow

2012-02-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

This fall we noticed lots of our neighbours with large boxes in their driveways. We knew exactly what was inside of them...snow blowers. I have to admit I just don't get the need for one unless you have a massive driveway (so not in a sub division) or if you have back problems or if age is an issue. Hello, we are Canadian...shoveling snow is what we do. If it was an Olympic event Canada would be getting a gold medal.

There is an environmental impact to using a snow blower. They use gas and there are emissions from them. Studies from the EPA suggest that snow blowers emit 1 pound of carbon monoxide per hour which is similar to driving the average car 70 miles. There is also the noise pollution (why oh why do people snow blow at 1AM???). It is part of the reason we will never own one as long as we live in this house. Even though we have the longest stretch of sidewalk in our neighbourhood and a large driveway.

So then why do we have a gas lawn mower? Shouldn't the same principles apply to cutting grass and snow removal? They should but it is really rare to see someone with a manual lawn mower. For us it is because we have significantly more grass to mow than we have area that requires shoveling. If we had a smaller yard a manual mower would have been an option.

If you do have a snow blower here are some ways to reduce their impact

* Keep them properly maintained.

* Inspect prior to each use to ensure the auger is clear of debris (do this with the unit OFF).

* Refuel in an area where you can contain any spills. Always use a funnel.

* Think about when you need to use it. Is it really required when there is only 1cm of snow on the ground?

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Eco-Challenge: Unplugging to Save

2012-02-04T21:59:00.001-05:00

For the past 3 months I have been unplugging our cable box every night because I read that cable boxes can use as much power as a fridge. I have to admit that I was skeptical that ours uses that much since we don't have a PVR or HD box or anything like that. But I wanted to give it a try just in case our cable box was a energy sucking beast.

Turns out it isn't.

I looked at our hydro bills for the past 3 years and here are the results.

Nov 1 - Dec 17 2009: 653.34 kWh (hello mat leave)

Nov 1 - Dec 16 2010: 598.04 kWh

Nov 1 - Dec 16 2011: 561.48 kWh

The difference between 2010 and 2011 (similar years vs 2009 when I was home on mat leave) is 36.56 kWh. We have billing that is based on Off Peak, Mid Peak and On Peak hours so having the cable box unplugged from say 10PM - 5PM would mean we were hitting the Off Peak and On Peak hours. Because of this I used the Mid Peak cost to calculate how much we saved by unplugging the cable box for 2 months.

$3.63

That doesn't include the delivery charge, regulatory charges, debt retirement charges or tax so when you add that on it is a whopping $6.64. Which is 5.5% of our total bill. I'll be honest...it isn't worth it. It was easy unplugging it but plugging it back in and having to wait for it to start back up and get its signal was a huge pain. It would take a good 15 minutes to be back to normal. And when you have a toddler those 15 minutes are like 15 years.

If anyone has a PVR I would love to see you do a challenge similar to this and see what results you get.

Tonight our cable box will remain plugged in and Joe is about a kajillion times happier because of it. With these results would you keep unplugging your box each night?

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Sometimes I feel like a Used Car Salesman

2012-02-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

The downside of doing something like the 2011 in 2011 is that you end up with 2011 things that you have to do something with. Separating recycling, composting and trash was easy, it is the donate vs sell that is hard because seriously selling shit is a lot of work for so little money sometimes. At some consignment shops you get like 25 cents for a piece of clothing that they turn around and sell for $5. If you have more time and patience then there is always the option of selling directly to someone else. I have found that I get more money this way but I really have to wonder if it is worth it. Not just from time and energy perspective either but from the environmental perspective.

No one will debate that re-selling items so that they can be used by someone is the a great green solution. But what about the resources involved? I am on two Mom 2 Mom Facebook groups where I have sold a few things. One sale was local so I was able to drop it off on my way home from work. The other sales were in the town I grew up in and I was able to arrange the drop offs for when I was in town visiting my parents. In those situations I didn't feel like I was wasting gas or creating more emissions by selling my items.

This week I decided it was time to start selling the rest of the stuff that is currently littering the spare bedroom. As people inquire I love that I am able to sell things that B loved and has now outgrown but I am starting to question the environmental impact of it. Is it better to just take it all to a consignment shop get my nickel and walk away knowing I sold it all in one trip or is it better to sell the items myself and get more money but have to do several drop offs at various locations?

So I have thought about it and come up with what I think is the best solution. We have a fantastic classifieds website at work so I am going to list my items there. Anything that doesn't sell through this avenue I will try my local Mom 2 Mom Facebook site and try to arrange all drop offs to occur at the same public location around the same time so it is only one trip for me. Option 3 will be to take it to the consignment shop or donate whatever hasn't sold.

I think that there are lots of great ways for you to re-sell your stuff without having to increase your carbon footprint. You can:

* Buy a table at a Mom 2 Mom sale. Even do it with a friend to split the cost!

* Sell to people that live or work close to you

* Group clothing together and sell as a packaged deal

* Be realistic about your pricing You will have a better chance of selling if you give discounts for someone buying more items. Plus it means less trips to get rid of all your stuff.

* Sell items that you know you can get money for. It isn't worth it to drive around dropping something off that you are selling for $1. Donate anything that you feel isn't worth it.

* Mention that you have cleaned items with non toxic cleaners or soaps

I was going to suggest having a garage sale and this would decrease your own personal impact but think of all the people that drive around from garage sale to garage sale. I think it is still a green option but I think that there are others that have less of an overall impact.

I think this is also a great lesson to teach kids. Get them involved by allowing them to pick out what toys they want to sell or donate. If you are selling the items give a portion of it back to them to add to their piggy bank. I think it really goes a long way to showing them the value in selling and buying used goods.

How do you sell things in a way that keeps your environmental impact as low as possible?

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Speed Bumps

Yellow Snow

2012-01-28T22:39:00.000-05:00

There are many lessons to be learned in life starting at a young age and well into adulthood. Tonight as we were shoveling our sidewalk I noticed that B was eating snow and I actually told him to not eat yellow snow. As if he even knows what means or that we could even see if it was yellow or not. But it did get me thinking about what else could be in that snow and how much control we have over our property and what we use to remove snow and ice.

I did think about putting down some of the concrete friendly de-icer we have in our garage but as I watched B eat snow off his mittens I realized that I have no idea what is in that de-icer. I didn't buy it after all, it was leftover when Joe's plant closed 4 years ago. Joe is pretty vague about what it is when I ask so my gut is telling me that it is not something that I would agree with or want anywhere near the snow B is eating....or any other kid or pet.

A few years ago I used EcoTraction and it works great for creating that traction on icy walkways. Joe didn't like it though, I think because he likes the ice melters. I know we need to find a solution that works for both of us and keeps everyone safe with no impact on the environment.

It amazes me at how something as simple as seeing B eat snow can completely change one of my habits. I normally would shovel and then throw down the 'whatever the hell that stuff is' on the stairs and sidewalk. Looks like it is time to google some solutions and get rid of the other stuff.

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Crazy Looks and Smelly Aisles

2012-01-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

The boys went to B's swimming lesson today so I decided to do the grocery shopping to get it out of the way so Joe didn't have to go and do it tomorrow. I brought my grocery bags with me but I completely forgot my produce bags at home. I realized it as I picked up Joe's oranges. So instead of using a plastic produce bag I just put the fruit into my cart. You should have seen the looks I got. It was like I was putting babies and poisonous snakes in my cart (which I wasn't because everyone knows you can't get either of those at a legit grocery store). I did have to use some plastic bags for some things I bought, like the bulk popcorn kernels. Because those I can't just dump in the cart and I think the cashier would have been pissed if I just pulled handfuls out of my pockets for her to weigh (plus who wants to pay extra for the pocket lint that would have been mixed in with the popcorn).

I was on the hunt for brown paper bags so we can make popcorn in the microwave without all the chemicals in microwave popcorn bags. I had no idea what aisle they were in so I went up and down all of them. You know what....the cleaning aisle really fucking stinks. I mean seriously how does anyone walk down that aisle and A. not pass out from the fumes, B. not get a perma migraine and C. pick anything up off the shelf? It is sensory overload with all the fragrances messing together. If it is that strong of a smell when the bottle is unopened imagine when it is opened. Note to self - never go into the aisle again because I feel like I lost 5 brain cells doing it today.

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Wordless Wednesday - Support Group Unite!

2012-01-25T22:25:00.003-05:00

This is just so perfect. On the way home I was thinking about Wordless Wednesday and hoping I could catch Joe in this situation. A perfect follow-up to our discussion on Monday. As Joe was cleaning up the kitchen the exact situation I was thinking about played out. This is what happens in our house. The water is running on full (and hot) and he is no where near the sink. In fact he is unloading the dishwasher which requires 0 water.

Speed Bumps

2012-01-23T14:01:00.002-05:00

Sometimes on our green journey we encounter speed bumps. Little things that slow us down or even take us on a completely different path. We aren't perfect and that sometimes means that we have to chose something that is not as green as we would like or heck not green at all. I try to not let it bother me when this happens but it is hard to not be a bit disappointed.

Speed Bump #1 - Food

I love me some food. And Joe loves meat. We (okay I) try to make sustainable choices for us but its hard yo. Organic and local is easy compared to non-GMO, no HFCS, No Nestle, and Fuck Monsanto. How does we even know what is GMO and what isn't? How do we know if Monsanto is linked to our food? HFCS is in everything and all the delicious stuff. No Nestle has been easy for me as long as I read all the labels closely. Joe on the other hand is not on board with it...because he loves Smarties.

Solutions to Reduce our Impact

* We buy local and organic as often as possible.

* We don't eat meat every night.

* We have a garden.

* We buy brands that we have investigated to ensure they are legit (as far as we can tell).

* HFCS, non-GMO and Fuck Monsanto are work in progress for me. Solutions are welcome.

Speed Bump #2 - Hair Care

I have had zero success with green hair products and I am terrified to try no-poo because I know I would have greasy hair for like 2 weeks. So I continue to use semi-green hair care products and some not so green. ::hangs chemical laden hair in shame::

Solutions to Reduce our Impact

* I found a recipe to make my own hairspray (edit: here is the recipe)

* I will keep looking for shampoo/conditioner options for myself and Joe

Speed Bump #3 - Diapers and Wipes

We tried cloth diapering and it just did not work for us or for B. There were so many factors at play but it came down to the fact that B broke out in a horrible rash from them. It may have been the diapers from the service we were using but regardless it meant we switched to disposables. We planned on switching back when he hit 6 months (and was going through less diapers each day) but our daycare provider wouldn't do cloth so we had to stick with disposable.

Solutions to Reduce our Impact

* We looked a lots of options for diapers and settled on Nature BabyCare based on what their diapers are made from (plus they work awesome)

* We use Nature BabyCare again because of what they are made from but recently tried out Jackson Reece wipes and OMG they rocked our socks off. They worked so good we only had to use half the amount we normally used to, they are made from natural ingredients AND they break down in your composter.

Speed Bump #4 - Water Usage (not mine)

Joe uses a lot of water sometimes...pretty much the entire time he is in the washroom or the kitchen the water is running. I don't know why he does it, I don't think he knows why he does it. I have come to the conclusion that there is no changing this and thus it is not worth my energy to try and fight it. DISCLAIMER - I reserve the right to turn the water off when I walk by.

What are your Speed Bumps? Do they keep you up at night or are you all cool with them?

Check out other blogs and what their speed bumps are as part of Change the World Wednesday.

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Public Transit is Exhausting Yo

2012-01-20T03:38:00.000-05:00

I am frickin tired. And not just end of week kind of tired...this is the kind of exhaustion that comes from running in heels. Taking stairs 2 a time...in heels. Commuters don't seem to wear running shoes to/from work like the ladies in Toronto do.

That's right ladies....it's on.

I'm still in London this week and each day I take the train to work. Usually I get my ticket on time and am standing there waiting a few minutes before they announce which track the train is on. But some days...like today I leave my hotel room 2 minutes later than normal and I am hauling ass through the station to get to the train on time.

It is the trip back to the hotel that wears me out. My shuttle leaves 10 minutes before the train arrives. Everyone else in the shuttle is somewhat calm but not me. Nope on the inside I am always screaming OMG MAKE THE LIGHT. Or WHY ARE YOU STOPPING FOR THAT BUS. I'm pretty sure I have the door to the van open before we even stop and then I (and everyone else on my train) sprint into the station. Of course our train is not right beside the station...we have to climb stairs and run across a bridge over the tracks and then down more stairs. Again...3 of the 5 days I have been in heels while doing this.

I have a whole new respect for anyone who takes public transit to work. My brother has been riding the Go Train (Toronto commuter train) for a decade and he is now a God in my books. How does he handle this kind of stress??? I don't want to say it because this is counter to my crunchy ways but it is way less stressful sitting in a car in traffic. I wonder if that is why so many people do not take public transit? If the stress of catching the train or the bus or the tube (hahaha already picking up the lingo) is just too much to do every day. Some days I have to stop what I am doing and quickly pack up so I can catch the shuttle to get the train. Sure I could wait for the next shuttle and next train but that one isn't express and for some unknown reason that pushes me to get out the door in a mad rush to get the express.

Now having said all of this I do enjoy the little commuter community that I have seen going on. I see the same people on the train each day and we do nod to each other or roll our eyes if we are running late. And people have been super kind in helping me out if I have that 'where the fuck am I going' look on my face.

If there was better public transit at home I would consider taking it to work. I would just wear something other than heels for the journey (and I would always have wine in the fridge because lets be serious...wine cures all).

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Green Improvements or Green Washing?

2012-01-12T16:25:00.003-05:00

I have stayed in 3 hotels in the last 4 days. 2 of the hotels have been major chains and 1 is a smaller local run hotel. To my surprise each has a whole host of green options available to their guests. Not just the typical 'we don't wash your towels if you leave it in xyz place' kind of stuff either.

Here are some of the things that I have seen:

* Your lights don't work unless your key card is in a slot on the wall (common in Europe) and it means that you can not leave your lights on when you leave!

* The lights and fan in the bathroom turned off automatically after 15 minutes. When I walked back in they turned on.

* Room service menu's feature all local foods.

* Environmental commitments posted right on the wall

* Fair trade tea and sugar in the room

* Lots of vegetarian options on the menu
*

But of course there have been some non eco items in these hotels.

* Soap wrapped tightly in plastic

* Heated towel rack (had a switch to turn it on though)

* Intensely strong water in the shower (am I an elephant?)

* The TV turns on automatically when you enter the room

I know there is much room for improvement and we can't possibly see all that a hotel is doing behind the scene's. So are the small things like this just a way for a hotel to green wash us into thinking they are really green when in fact they are not?

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Leaving on a Jet Plane

2012-01-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

Traveling to the UK yesterday (and this morning) was hard for me. Both as a Mom and as an environmentalist. From the Mom perspective it is because I have only been away from B for 4 nights in total since he was born. It took everything I had in me to walk away from the car with him bawling in the backseat yelling 'NO NO NO MOMMY'. From an environmentalist perspective I did what I could to reduce the impact of my trip but really there was only so much I could do.

Before the trip even started I was already in the red with this trip. I had to to break my no printing streak when I had to print an immigration letter from my company (which I was never asked for when I went through customs). I didn't technically print it because my boss printed it so she could sign it for me but still that counts as 'me' printing because it is something I needed.

I didn't print any of my itinerary but instead I kept copies on my BlackBerry and PlayBook in case I needed them. When I was checking in to my flight I did have the option to have my boarding pass emailed to me. Sweet! I took this option and the QR code it sent was scanned at each check point on the trip.

When dinner was served on the plane it all went downhill. I had brought my bamboo spork and water bottle but when my tray arrived it was full of plastic.

* Plastic container housing cucumber salad (with a lid)

* Plastic wrap around the bun

* Plastic wine bottle

* Plastic container with the main course (plastic film on top)

* Plastic bag with plastic form and knife

* Plastic container housing a brownie (with a lid)

* Plastic glass for the wine

* Plastic container of butter

* Bottle of water (Enviroclear spring water ::rolls eyes:: )

Based on what they gathered up independently during cleanup I would say that of all of this the only things that were recycled were the pop cans and the plastic cups. It looked like the rest maybe trash.

I plan on reaching out to the airline to find out what would have happened if I had refused the plastic cutlery bundle or the plastic bottle of water. I know when I did a waste audit for them when I was in university these unused items went into the trash so I would like to find out if that has changed.

How do you fly and reduce your impact?

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The chapter after Breastfeeding

2012-01-05T23:17:00.000-05:00

For a long time I never had to think about what kind of milk B would drink and I liked that. It was like I got to hit the pause button on making a decision. I know most people don't think twice about what kind of milk their child will drink so for me it was difficult to find people to talk to and hear their stories. That was until I was browsing my Facebook newsfeed one day and saw that my lovely friend Rachel was talking about milk options. There were lots of responses including those who are feeding their children soy milk, rice milk and almond milk. I don't think there was a single mention of cows milk which completely shocked me. Joe and I grew up on cows milk and had never had anything else. But I knew that I did not want to feed B cow's milk, I knew that I wanted to find an alternative that would make me feel as good about what I am feeding him as I did when he nursed.

We (okay me) decided against cow's milk because of the amount of hormones, steroids and antibiotics that are in the milk. I worked my ass off to provide B with breastmilk for 27 months so it didn't feel right to start the chapter after breastfeeding with milk that I wasn't comfortable giving to him.

Here are some things I learned in my research

* Our bodies are not even designed to process dairy products from cow's.

* There is frickin pesticides and dioxin in cow's milk. The FDA even says that virtual 100% of dairy products produced and sold in the US have pesticides in them.

* People are grossed out by human milk but not by cow's milk

* Cows udders can become infected but they are still milked. That means there is puss in the milk (hence pasteurization).

* Drinking large amounts of cow's milk can block iron absorption leading to iron deficiency.

Soy milk was off the list immediately because of the information I read about estrogen in the milk that can be bad for little boys. It was down to rice or almond milk. There is no reason I picked almond milk over rice milk maybe because I couldn't stop laughing at Joe's very helpful comment 'how the hell do you milk an almond anyways?'. Honestly I just kind of stopped researching at that point and went to almond milk.One thing to keep in mind with almond milk is that you can get lots of different flavours. Look for the unsweetened kind because of the sugar levels in the vanilla and original flavours.

And the cherry on top of all of this is that I too have made the switch to almond milk. Joe well not so much...I can't even get him to taste it. I get the feeling he thinks it is gross. If only he had read what I have read about cow's milk.

Resources
Diet for a Poisoned Planet: How to Choose Safe Foods for You and your Family by David Steinman
Milk Sucks
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (just search Milk)
The Ecologist
Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Rachel's Facebook Page (bawawawah - no seriously)

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Wordless Wednesday - Is it Spring Yet?

2012-01-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

Things you are probably doing wrong (but so was I)

2012-01-01T21:14:00.001-05:00

There are things that we all do every day that are using resources and energy and increasing our impact on the environment. Not exactly what we want now is it! Some of these things I have been doing forever without even realizing the impact. It is like I am just on auto pilot doing it because that is what I know and not questioning it because I didn't see the harm in it. No more I say! I have spent the last year or so really paying attention to the simple day to day things so we could easily target area's to cut back on. Here are some common things that we are probably all doing wrong.

1. Using the heat setting to dry your dishes in your dishwasher
           * Using this setting means you are using 15-20% more energy with each load
           * Try using the 'air-dry' setting if you have it or opening the door to dry the dishes

2. Keeping your cable box plugged in when not in use
           * Cable boxes can use as much energy as a fridge regardless if they are off
           * Stay tuned for our own results of unplugging the box every night for the last 2 months

3. Leaving the bathroom fan on all day
           * The fan only needs to stay on for 20 minutes after a shower
           * Install a timer if you normally leave within 20 minutes of turning the fan on
           * Clean the dust off the fan to ensure it operates efficiently

4. Keeping curtains/blinds closed when it is sunny (in the winter)
           * You want to keep them open to let the heat from the sun in
           * Close them at night to keep the heat in
           * Position your TV and furniture so you don't get glare from sunlight

5. Not thoroughly separating waste streams
   * It is easier and requires less energy for you to separate at home
           * It prevents waste stream contamination which could result in recycling in the landfill
           * Remove cereal bags from inside the cereal box and recycle separately
           * Remove stickers from fruit before composting
           * Check floor sweepings for non compostables before composting

6. Leaving a desktop computer on when not in use
           * Computers use roughly 250 kwh/year which is more than a TV
           * Check your settings to ensure your computer goes into sleep mode when not in use
   * When not in use for long periods turn it right off
           * Turn off all your computer accessories when not in use

7. Cranking the faucet to the 'hot' position even when getting a small amount of water
           * It will still draw hot water even if you stop using the water before it becomes hot

8. Air ducts are supposed to be cleaned????
           * Clean ducts will allow air to move freely, reducing your heating/cooling costs
           * Clean dusts will improve the air quality of your home
           * Follow the schedule on your furnace for regular cleanings (ours is every 4 years)
           * Clean out under your dryer lint trap once a month using your vacuum attachment

9. Keeping chargers plugged in even after they are done charging
           * Chargers will continue to draw power even after they are done charging
           * Have a handy spot to store chargers so it is easy to put them away right after use

10. What can you think of that would be a good #10?

How many of these do you do? How many have you caught yourself doing and stopped?

Here is how we stack up
#1 - Just stopped doing 3 days ago
#2 - Stopped in early November
#3 - Still do
#4 - Stopped when we installed our new curtains
#5 - Just stopped doing the sticker thing...the rest we were good at
#6 - Turned off this summer after months of not using it
#7 - Still do
#8 - Cleaning package bought, on Joe's to do list to get them here
#9 - Still do

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New Things for a New Year

2011-12-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has fantastic plans for New Years Eve and that the weeks leading up to tomorrow gave you an opportunity to reflect on 2011 and all the possibilities that 2012 can hold for you. That is what I like about the new year. I like that it is a clean slate where you can set new goals (if you do that) and focus on what you want to accomplish in the year. But let's not set ourselves up for failure mmmmkay? Be realistic with your goals and you will achieve them.

One of my goals (from my 101 in 1001) was to set up a Facebook page for this blog. I was looking for an opportunity for us all to connect and chat about environmental issues that may not be big enough to warrant a full blown blog. Plus I wanted a place where you could post about what you are doing so we can all learn and grow together. So I set up the Facebook page. Come on over and 'Like' it.

Now let's talk about Google Friend Connect. Starting in March Google is discontinuing GFC for all non-Blogger blogs. This blog is on the Blogger platform so as far as I can tell GFC is safe and you will still get my posts dumping into your feed. But I think it is time to not rely on it so I will be removing it from the page. In its place I will be adding FeedBurner so you can subscribe in whatever manner you wish.

Here is hoping that 2012 is a kick ass awesome year!

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When the Holidays keep on giving

2011-12-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

Over the years we have perfected our gift wrapping abilities. Where we can we use gift bags that seem to circulate through the family year after year. Tissue paper is reused as well...until it gets to wrinkly and has holes in it. We used to use wrapping paper that was FSC certified and could be recycled after use. This year we made our own wrapping paper from paper we saved from packages we received.

But what is wrapped around the present is just the tip of the iceberg. There can be so much packaging on gifts (especially toys) that it can add up to a lot of waste at the curb the week after the holidays. Here are some tips so you can reduce the amount of waste at your curb:

* Look at the boxes and figure out if you can reuse them. Multiple uses = better
* Recycle gift tags or save them and use them for kids crafts!
* Recycle gift wrap and tissue paper that can no longer be used
* Save and reuse gift bags and tissue paper
* Save ribbons and reuse them next year
* All those plastic ties that hold toys in place in the box - hella annoying eh? - save those too. You can use them to tie power cords or keep bags closed in the pantry.
* Separate plastic from cardboard in the packaging. This will reduce the amount of contamination in each of those waste streams.
* Check to see what can be recycled in your area. You may be surprised. We were able to recycle all the packaging that came with every present we got.

Here is what our waste look liked this week. The green bin is 75% full and is from the full week (that turkey takes up a lot of room!). The garbage bag is 3 weeks worth of waste. The blue bins are 2 weeks worth of recycling and no we did not drink all that in the box on the far right. I was de-cluttering and got rid of our collection of wine/booze bottles.

How did you reduce the amount of waste you produced this holiday?

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Wordless Wednesday - Snow Dude

2011-12-28T13:37:00.002-05:00

This is the first snow man I have ever built (and same with B).

More than Monsters under the bed

2011-12-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

How often do you look under your bed? I can't remember the last time I looked under there...and I mean really looked not just looking a few centimeters under while looking for a lost elastic or something. Yesterday I was looking for something for Joey and on a whim I decided to look under the bed. It was right near the edge so I didn't have to look very far but once we opened the box we found these little bugs on one of the bags. I lost.my.shit. I went upstairs and vacuumed the crap out of our room. I got right under the bed too, not just the edges. I found all kinds of stuff under there including feathers from our pillows, pennies (finding these means clearly I can retire early), cat puke (dear lord how long has that been there??) and freezie wrappers. I did not find any bugs thankfully so they must have been from within the package itself.

Ensuring you have a clean home (not military clean because come on....that just isn't going to happen) will ensure that you are reducing any negative health implications onto your family. Dust in the air can affect your respiratory tract, cause dry eyes and lead to an excessive amount of boogers. Which in our house means a certain little boy has his finger up his nose far too often.

Do you know what dust is exactly? It is made up of many things including dead skin cells, hair and POOP. Dust is in the air, on the floor and on furniture. This means dust mites are also on the floor and furniture. Cleaning often will probably not get rid of them completely but it will reduce the number that you have. Dust mites gross me right out so I have upped my cleaning schedule. What I like about it is that I don't spend very much time cleaning. That deep clean of our bedroom yesterday took me 35 minutes. My goal is to clean for 1 hour a day (doesn't have to be all at once). 30 minutes of that is the every day cleaning like dishes and wiping counter tops. The other 30 minutes is spent deep cleaning other rooms in the house. I do 1 room/area every day which means that each room/area is deep cleaned every 10-14 days.

You don't need any chemicals to keep your house clean either. Use steam cleaners (not the one I have), vinegar, baking soda, non toxic cleaners and vacuums with filters. There is absolutely no sense in have a clean house that got that way by using toxic chemicals. You are just trading one health hazard for another.

Cleaning is Step 1 in our journey to a healthier home. I don't think it is the most important decision we will make but I do think that it is the cheapest and easiest transition to make.

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101 in 1001 Update

2011-12-22T22:40:00.002-05:00

I have always hated New Years resolutions. I used to make them every year and they would last maybe a month and then I would be done with them. I am sure I am not alone in this. A few years ago I started doing the 101 in 1001 instead of making New Years resolutions. I liked this idea because it meant I could make a list of meaningful list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish over 1001 days. More time is exactly what I needed. Also I didn't feel the pressure to make it big things like I typically tried to do with New Years resolutions.

Earlier this year I came to the end of my first 1001 days with somewhat mixed results. I didn't accomplish all 101 items and really I was okay with that. I carried some over as I made my new list of 101 items and made more realistic goals this time around....things that didn't rely as heavily on step 1-3 happening first.

I have completed 5 items already and have 19 others that are in progress.

Blog - There will be some changes in the new year...I am excited about starting them and hope you will be too. Just time for some spring cleaning and a new face lift! I'm also branching out into Facebook so we can all chat a bit more. Look for an announcement on that in the next few weeks!

Family - We have been trying to have more date nights. Whether that means we go out or stay in...it still counts and I love that we are trying to make more time for nights like this.

Fitness/Health - We have a little Healthy Holiday Challenge going on at work right now that is really helping me with a couple of the items in this category. If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed that basically I abruptly stop tweeting around 11:15 every night. That is because one of my goals is to be in bed by 11:15 5 nights a week and because I get points for every night I do this I literally run up the stairs and jump head first into bed at 11:14.

Food - Lots going on with this category. In the new year I will be talking about finding a CSA that works for you and also looking for farmers that you can buy direct from.

Home - We have lots of projects on the go and we are considering our environmental impact on all of them. I will share our success and hilarious failures as we finish them up.

Okay, so what are some of your goals for 2012? Or are you doing the 101 in 1001? If so link it up so I can see what you are working on!

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Love is Local

2011-12-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

This time of year we all struggle to find that perfect gift for those who we love. For my family it is even worse though...because my birthday is only a few days before Christmas. So what does someone get an eco-chick? Not useless stuff that is for sure. This year Joe took me to the restaurant Borealis that serves all local food. I know that the asparagus in the chips we had with our spinach dip are from a farm a quick 20 minute walk from our home and that Joe's beer came from the city beside us.This restaurant is like a dream come true for me. I love knowing that I am eating local food and supporting our local farmers. Best of all the food was out of this world good.

I am a firm believer in supporting local businesses where possible and I know that can be really hard sometimes, especially depending on where you live. Food however can be much easier but usually just when we are looking to buy and prepare at home. I love that when we go out to eat we have an option now that reflects our lifestyle when we are at home.

I encourage you to look for restaurants similar to Borealis in your city. If there isn't one then look for restaurants that have local dishes on their menu and chose those options. The more demand there is for local dishes the more dishes will appear on the menu.

Picture from Borealis website

Have you been to Borealis or a similar restaurant? What were your thoughts? How do you ensure you eat locally when you are out at a restaurant?

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Failing and Feeling like a Giant

2011-12-19T21:10:00.000-05:00

Do you ever just feel like a giant? It could be because you are wearing a kick ass pair of heels or because you are surrounded by 2 year olds or if could just be because you are driving a vehicle that is about 2318758238 times larger than your own. My car was due for its Drive Clean test and yesterday the results of that test were a big fat F. Everyone including the technician were shocked. I was pissed that I was potentially driving around a car that was spouting off 50% more NO emissions. Today Joey had to take my car in to get a diagnostic run so we could figure out why it failed and fix it. This means I had to drive his truck. Today my friends I felt like a giant driving to work. Each car I passed was like a little ant that I could squish at any moment.

Sometimes I feel like that in life. Like if I am not the perfect environmentalist that I am going to get a big fat F in the eyes of my eco friends. I am sure that we all feel that way sometimes. At points there are moments where I think 'OMG what if someone asks me something and I don't know the answer???' I wonder if I have set myself to fail by calling myself an environmentalist. If I am making myself a giant in a world full of 2 year olds.

As I reflect on the year passed I think about the successes and the failures we have had. I linger on those moments that make my sides hurt from laughing, those moments that we seriously high 5'd over. I don't think as much about what we did gloriously wrong because it really isn't worth the energy. There is no shame in not being the perfect environmentalist or not knowing all the answers. No one is perfect, not even the eco-hero's we all look up to.

Our day ended on a few positive notes. It turns out the car did not get a big fat F on the Drive Clean test...in fact it got an A+. You see something went wrong with the first test and the equipment malfunctioned resulting in the F. I also made it home tonight without squashing a single ant. And celebrate a day of feeling like a giant I made these.

My only little army of not caring if I am perfect 2 year olds.

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Mother Nature's Fuel

2011-12-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

On the way to work today I stopped to get some gas and this is what was on the pump. Okay this first picture is mine but I had to take it from the comfort of my car on the DL because the employee in the booth was giving me the stink eye (and because it isn't safe to use your cellphone whilst fueling your vehicle).

Also, seriously rain in December - COME ON MOTHER NATURE!!!

No you are not alone...I can't make out what it says either. So here is a clearer picture that I got from Google.

::blank stare::

Mother Nature's Fuel??? Notice the green leaves too...those are there so that you will think that this gas is eco-friendly. So why are such claims being made? Well the claim is that the fuel is blended with ethanol that comes from surplus grain and that fuel that contains plant bases reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Great that sounds awesome right! Sure but reading further I found out that the maximum amount of ethanol in the fuel is 10% meaning the other 90+% is coming from places like the Tar Sands and I am pretty sure Mother Nature is hella pissed about that project. Keep in mind that most provinces have regulations in place that mandate that producers put ethanol into their fuel anyways.

::more blank stares::

I'm all for making fuel burn more efficiently so that we do not create as many emissions while we try to find a way to stop our reliance on oil in the first place. And if that means adding more ethanol than what is mandated then that is fantastic but be clear with your branding and marketing. Don't change your colour to green (pumps used to be blue and red), add some leafs and throw in a catchy name to make people they are buying something that they aren't. Because what they aren't buying is a sustainable solution and they certainly aren't buying something Mother Nature would be proud to have her name on.

What Green Washing have you seen lately?

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Wordless Wednesday - Where's Waldo (Waldo not included)

2011-12-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

(side note - I hate these curtains - can't wait to get rid of them in the next few weeks)

Shopping Locally

2011-12-13T21:07:00.002-05:00

There is a personal sense of satisfaction when you find exactly what you are looking for and it is made locally. We usually try to find things that are made in Canada but it is a bonus if they are in the same province/city as us.

There are 2 components to shopping locally:
1. Buying from local stores rather than the big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot
2. Buying goods that have been made locally

This is how we shop locally:

* Farmers markets can not only have local food but also local crafts, furniture and jewellery

* We try to support local businesses even when it comes to a big box store (Zellers instead of Walmart, Rona instead of Home Depot).

* We ask if there is a Canadian made option when buying items like furniture

* Look for your countries flag on products...we always look for the red maple leaf

I like shopping on Etsy when I can because homemade just seems better to me! You can look specifically in your local area for vendors as well. I like that you can determine what local means to you. Does it mean the same country, province or city. I usually try and search for Canada and then narrow it down from there. When looking for dolls for my niece this holiday season I narrowed the choice down to a doll made in New Jersey and one made in Toronto. In the end I went with the Toronto doll (even though it cost more) because it was local.

I stumbled upon a really cool site today when I was leaving a link to my blog on the Great Canadian Link Exchange. 100 Mile Finds lets you enter in your location details, what product you are looking for and how far away you want to look. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I find this site AFTER I am done my shopping?? This site just made shopping locally a little bit easier.

Do you try to shop locally? How do you manage this?

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Dust Bunnies Beware

2011-12-12T21:05:00.000-05:00

As part of our Healthy Home Challenge we decided to first focus on our floors. My steam mop sucks ass and is either haunted or broken so I am on the hunt for replacements. Our vacuum also sucks....well actually it doesn't suck and that sucks for a vacuum. Old Dusty does however make the best cat fur baseballs but I have been told that this is "gross". (Haters).

Our replacement for Old Dusty is not as easy as the steam mop. It was like a Coke vs Pepsi battle up in here! I grew up with portable vacuums and Joe grew up with a central vac. But he made some fantastic points and so we are researching central vacs. Our house is roughed in for one but we have recently come to realize that when the previous owners built our home they made some changes to the floor plan and the builder in turn did not change the location of the central vac ports and pipes. So when the pipe should run down the inside of the wall it actually does something entirely different because that wall is not there. We don't know where it goes or what it does so that should add some "fun" to this project.

Central vac vs portable vacuum is a personal decision. From a green and health perspective there are not that many major differences. You want to look for the following in either option:

* Energy efficiency
* HEPA filters
* Reusable filters or something that can be recycled
* Warranty - you want something that will last/can be fixed so you aren't throwing it out in a few years
* Size should be compatible with the size of your home. You don't want to have to upgrade afterwards or buy a second portable unit.

From an environmental perspective you want to go with a canister option because it means you don't have to use or throw out bags. But from a health perspective bags may be the better option because you won't get particulate matter getting back into your house when you dump a canister. An option would be to dump the canister outside of your house (this is easy with a central vac because you can locate it in your garage).

Do not buy used because seriously you do not know where that vacuum has been!

Mom jeans not included with purchase

So why does having a good vacuum matter? No one really likes vacuuming right so if you are going to do it you might as well get it done right (so you don't have to do it as often). You want to get all the dust, dead skin, dust mites, dirt, poop (yep there is poop) and other particulate out of your house. You will find there is less dust in the air and that means better quality air for you and your family. Buying a good quality vacuum is a great step in accomplishing this.

What do you vacuum with? Love it or hate it? And while we are at it how often do you vacuum your whole house?

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I am ruining Christmas (so someone says)

2011-12-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

We are in the middle of another busy weekend. Doesn't that always seem to be the way things go this time of year? I just thought I would write a quick post to show off what B and I worked on last night. We are making our own wrapping paper using packaging paper that I have been saving from random packages we have received. Originally I was going to paint with him but I didn't have time to research some natural paint recipes (without paying the price for natural paint). Oh well...next year.

This year we coloured with crayons. It is really hard to come up with simple holiday things that B I can draw. Joe kept suggesting things like a sled, elves, Santa and the baby Jesus and I am sure I looked at him with this look on my face.

And when I decided instead to stick to simple things like Christmas trees, really badly drawn reindeer, candy canes, presents, lights and wreaths Joe told me I was ruining Christmas.

Does this look like I am ruining Christmas?

Wrinkles = Love

This should be hanging in an art gallery somewhere. I totally nailed the essence of that reindeer. The scribbles are not mine...they belong to B. And look I actually wrapped presents with it!

Martha Stuart is probably so jealous.

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Green Body Care Product Review - Kiss My Face Deodorant

2011-12-08T21:33:00.000-05:00

I don't really know what to say about Kiss My Face deodorant. I had high hopes because I love my other Kiss My Face products but I just feel like their deodorant doesn't hold up to the street cred that their other products have. Now I think this is common in the natural deodorant game...let's face it 99% of the people I know who have tried them say that they do not work for them.

I tried the Fragrance Free and the Cucumber Green Tea and the results did vary. The Fragrance Free did not work at all. Like within a few hours I felt like I stunk like a compost bin on a hot summers day. I ended up having to carry it around with me all the time so that I could reapply when required. I actually become pretty ninja like applying it on the down low. The Cucumber Green Tea performed a bit better but I think that is because the light fragrance helps to mask things so that I don't need to reply as often (I guess this is what all scented deodorants do).

What I like about this product is that it is cheaper than the expensive Secret deodorant I was using before. It also lasts longer (even with the constant reapplication) and is aluminum free.

Cosmetic Safety Database
Secret Clinical Strength - 5
Kiss My Face - Fragrance Free - 1
Kiss My Face - Cucumber Green Tea - ? (the lavender fragrance is a 1 so this one may be too)
Note - not all of their deodorants have the same rating. The liquid rock one's are significantly higher so check them out before you buy them.

I am trying out the Lavender fragrance now to see if it is any better so I will update this review when I can say yah or nay.

Have you tried a natural deodorant? Did it work for you?

**I was not given this product to review. I bought and paid for them myself. I am an affiliate of well.ca where these products can be purchased**

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Choices

2011-12-05T22:36:00.001-05:00

We always have a choice in life. We make them every single day. Blog or play around on Facebook, organic vs local, paper or plastic, water or pop, walk or drive, sleep or coffee. Sometimes things work out perfectly and we don't have to pick between two choices that we like. We can buy local food that is also organic. But most of the time we do have to make a decision. We have to pick which is the lesser evil, which is going to have the least impact on the environment. It can be a very personal decision. Like if I only have the choice of local and not organic or not local and organic I will pick the local option because I like to support our local farmers and there is less environmental impact in getting that food to me. But others may chose to go the organic route regardless of origin.

With Christmas I had a choice to make...shop in a store and have a hard time finding a selection of eco-gifts or shop online and have a huge variety of options. I chose the latter but this year it seems to have come at a cost...that looks like this:

This is the new packaging that is being used by Chapters. The packaging boasts the following:

* It reduces weight in each package which reduces shipping costs (and by default fuel). I find this to be debatable because the craft paper they used previously did not seem to make the boxes weigh more.

* It can be reused in other packages

* When deflated will reduce by 99% of its volume.

* It can be send for recycling which involves deflating them and sending them to South Carolina.

Now you tell me which of these is the greenest solution? I have placed an ad on a local Mom 2 Mom board as well as Freecycle so hopefully someone will take them for reuse in shipping holiday packages (if you are local and need packaging for parcels email me and I will give you these for free). Sending them to South Carolina may mean that they get recycled into new products but it also means that there is emissions and energy usage from getting them there. In fact the better option if I can not find someone to reuse them would be for me to deflate them and recycle them in our blue box program.

Now was it worth it? I still say yes because I was able to buy environmentally friendly non toxic toys for the kiddo's in our lives....items which I have not been able to find in any local store (maybe they were just sold out..who knows).

What choices have you had to make lately? Do you stand by your decision?

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Healthy Home...because it is less gross

2011-12-01T10:16:00.028-05:00

We focus a lot on reducing our impact on the environment...essentially on the community in which we live. But what about the impact that we are having on ourselves? What about the environment inside our home? Enter the newest book in the Skinny Bitch series by Kim Barnouin. It focuses on Home, Beauty and Health and let me tell you I was only a mere 16 pages in when I put the book down got up and went upstairs to vacuum.

What I like about this book is that it tells you all the fucked up things in your house and it freaks you right out. It makes you check the top of your fridge and put your pillows in the freezer. But then it tells you what you can do to create a more healthy home. It gives you options....things you can look for if you are buying new or in need of replacing items in your home and it also gives you options if you can't or don't want to buy something new. I like this because Kim is realistic in her approach. There is no need to throw out that mattress that you bought 6 months ago but you can protect yourself by buying covers for it. She also gives you resources that you can check out to find the products you are looking for or the certifications that you should look for to make sure you are getting an eco friendly and healthy product.

I'm not done reading the book yet. I am about 75% of the way through it because I am literally reading every single word and then stopping mid way through chapters to ~~vomit~~ clean. I really encourage you to pick this book up. You can find it in your local bookstores, online or it is available for e-readers. For me this book will be life changing. I feel like we have a good handle on our impact on the environment outside of our home (still load of work to do though) but I feel it is time to refocus some of that energy on the environment inside our home. It not only will have a positive impact on the environment as a whole but also on our health.

We have already made some positive changes that help to create a healthy home. We have switched to natural or homemade cleaners, I am in the process of switching all of my body care products (B's products are already natural), we painted using low VOC paint, B has an organic mattress, organic sheets and sustainable furniture with non toxic stain. We have not even scratched the surface on our journey to a Healthy Home.

** I was given a copy of Kim Barnouin's book Skinny Bitch: Home, Beauty & Style but all opinions expressed are my own.**

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Wordless Wednesday - Literally

2011-11-30T00:01:00.002-05:00

How many days left?

2011-11-29T22:38:00.000-05:00

When someone at work said there was a month left until Christmas I nearly crapped my pants. It is coming up way to fast and I feel like I am behind the 8 ball. I am attempting to be as sustainable as I can possibly be when buying for 18 people. The past 2 days I have been looking for eco friendly toy ideas and frankly getting frustrated. There are not many affordable options out there. I mean I could spend $200 on a handmade organic doll but that is well over the budget for what we spend on our nieces and nephews.

So far I have bought a lot of wooden toys. I'm also trying to buy from a Canadian store and where possible items that are made in Canada. When looking around I have found the best selection of wooden toys with the best prices at Chapters. I have also found second hand toys on my local Mom 2 Mom page on Facebook. I am also trying to find presents for the older kids (okay they aren't that old...they are 4.5) that are more activity based

The gift I am the most excited to give is my doll cradle from when I am a little girl. It needs a little bit of TLC and a non $200 non toxic doll to go with it but I am seriously excited to hand this down to my niece.

Here are some tips that I have learned over the last several days:
* Buy practical and useful gifts rather than flash in the pan "top toys".
* Stick with eco friendly brand names that you can trust.
* Etsy is the holy grail for home made eco friendly gifts.
* If you have a child and they are younger put practical items in their stocking...they are too young to hate you for putting bamboo toothbrushes or biodegradable shampoo in there.
* Buy as close to you as possible to reduce emissions from transportation. Sure you could buy something from a big name store online but then your purchase is cris-crossing across the country or even internationally which negates any positive impact you had by purchasing an eco friendly toy.
* If you can buy second hand. There are loads of groups on Facebook but also check out Kijiji and Craigslist.
* Make presents! I am making a fort kit for my nephew and can't wait to see how it turns out.

How are you doing with your shopping list?

Tomorrow you won't see me on any social media. No blogging, twitter, BBM, personal email, facebook (I only have a personal one...not one for the blog...don't worry you aren't missing out on something). I will only be checking my work email. Tomorrow is the Vow of Silence which is an opportunity of people around the world to raise awareness and stand up against children who are silenced by poverty, disease and exploitation. They are denied the right to have a voice in their own lives so let us stand in solidarity with them and help Free the Children to raise awareness and funds to help these children.

Am I really Green?

2011-11-25T13:45:00.016-05:00

So I got asked by Jen to comment on what it’s like from my perspective whether or not I’m “green”, or what it’s like living this lifestyle?

Well in short, in my opinion I knew what I was getting into. Jen is VERY passionate in what she believes in…yet she is “somewhat” still understanding that I don’t see everything the same way she does. We are two different people living our lives the best way we can, providing each other with different angles on life, hopefully guiding B down a road that will empower him to make the proper decisions in life that reflects BOTH of our opinions.

Hey, I will be the first to admit that Jen has opened my eyes to many great things, things I’ve never really paid attention to but now do. There are the obvious ones such as the recycling, reduction, reuse; but what I’m talking about are the bigger life lessons. The ones that have an impact not on us as adults, but the ones that have an impact on our Son or his kids for the many years and decades to come.

Now there are many times that I still give her the stink-eye for the smaller choices we make….you know the one! Like “Really Jen, are you kidding me. Do you know how long it takes the freaking cable box to load all the data when I plug it back in after you unplugged it when I go to bed!!!” Or when I come back from shopping (hells ya, I CAN grocery shop…..on my own even) and I pull out the roll of Saran Wrap or re-sealable plastic sandwich bags and get the look of death. Don’t even let me begin to explain the wrath that’s forthcoming when she sees the little plastic produce bags, or worse yet the paper towels.

To get back to the point and the question, “am I Green”? The answer is No. Have I made a lifestyle change, absolutely yes! I am comfortable admitting that Jen has had a profound influence on how I think when it comes to certain circumstances; I now look for bio-degradable options, I’m reading labels and looking for certain chemicals. I'm looking if there are more eco-friendly options, can I buy local (LOVE the farmers market now and would never have said that before), do I really need to by new or is there a second hand option, and so on.

Are Jen and I going to agree on everything….you can forget that!! Am I still going to make decisions that are not the most environmentally friendly…..more than likely. Am I still going to be “wasteful”….in certain ways probably (just don’t ask Jen about my ability to be water-wise). What I can tell you with certainty is that I have a choice, and on most occasions that choice is to think smart and to think sustainably. Not for just my personal and greedy reasons, but for the future of our Son and his friends. And for the ability to know what those options are, all that I owe thanks to my wife.

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Shot through the heart

2011-11-22T22:12:00.000-05:00

Today started off hard. Anyone who has had a kid wean knows what an emotional roller coaster it is. There is that moment where you realize that you area finally through it and that you have made peace with the fact that a pretty kick ass chapter in your life has ended. I had that moment just a few nights ago. I finally came to terms with the fact that I am no longer a breast feeder and never will be again.

But then this morning I walked into B's room to wake him up and he happily greeted me with 'Hi Mommy' which was followed by a soft little cry and 'Mommy's Malk??' I tried to explain to him that there is no more Mommy Milk left but that we could go downstairs and have some Airplane Milk (he drinks his almond milk out of an airplane cup) but B was not buying what I was selling. He cried and asked for Mommy Malk over and over again. He didn't understand that there was none left. I tried to comfort him but seriously it was so hard to not be able to give him what he wanted and to see how confused he was. He was probably all 'Yo Homeslice I have been coming to this buffet for over 27 months. So now you are saying there is no food left?? Homie don't play that' (because this is totally how I think my kid talks).

It gets easier and better right???

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Is Joey really 'Green'?

2011-11-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

I get asked a lot for tips on how to help someones partner be more comfortable with adopting a more eco-conscious lifestyle. My advice usually goes something like this: You can't make someone be green, they have to want to make that change themselves. But the easiest way to helping them understand how easy it can be to be green is to make small changes over time. If you go balls to the walls right out of the gate chances are you will scare the crap out of them and they will revolt until they are hiding in a corner covered in paper towel and eating Big Mac's.

I don't always get full support for making green decisions in our life but I also don't have to put up with a lot of push back...the occasional eye roll or side eye yes but never a full on revolt. No Joey is not as eco-conscious as I am and I don't think he ever will be. He will always run the water while he is cleaning the kitchen or while brushing his teeth. Nothing I do or say will change that....not even putting a post it note on the mirror letting him know how much water goes down the drain each minute and how many kids that could help in another country. Not that I have done this...but I have thought about it.

Joe has grown along with me on our eco journey and he is supportive of most of the ideas I bring up (he is not supportive of this month's eco-challenge because it takes a good 5 minutes for the cable box to ramp back up). There are these awesome moments too where he suggests that we think outside of the box and find an alternative greener solution.

So if you are looking for a magic way to make your partner be fully supportive of your green initiatives I'm sorry to say there isn't one. I am fortunate that Joey is supportive of my ideas and the changes I want to make in our life. I am also fortunate that he throws in his own ideas of how we can make improvements. But he will never be as green as I am and no amount of blogging, research, post it notes or arguments is going to change that. And that my friends is A-Ok with me.

Stay tuned for a post from Joey this week on his take on this subject. I wonder what life is like on the other side of the crunchy coin?

Giving used toys is the new black

2011-11-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

Okay my American friends I have done all I can to Respect the Turkey but our Thanksgiving was a long ass time ago and so I am feeling the need to talk about Christmas. Your Thanksgiving is less than a week away anyways so I'm not breaking the rules by too much right? Besides our Santa Clause parade was tonight, radio stations are playing Holiday music and I am currently watching a Holiday movie.

What???? You don't decorate your tree with soccer balls?

This year I have started to look at the holidays differently. As an adult it was never about the gift receiving for me. I do love giving gifts and seeing people's reaction as they open them. This year I am trying to make it even less about presents and more about traditions and memories. I don't think B gets Christmas but that doesn't mean that we can't start to instill in him that the holidays are about family, having fun and giving back.

When it comes to presents we are looking for something in particular and are looking to buy it used. Yep, the big gift for B under the tree will not be something new from a store. It will be something that another child has loved and then outgrown. I do draw the line at buying used toys for anyone other than B because I am not sure what the reaction would be and honestly I don't want to upset anyone.

There are lots of benefits to buying used toys including:
* Extending the life of toys to prevent them from ending up in the landfill.
* Hello cash monies savings!
* Less natural resources being used up in producing new toys.
* No waste from packaging.

I'm excited for the holidays this year! Over the next month I will be sharing with you the new traditions we are starting that will help to make our holidays as green as possible.

Have you ever bought second hand toys for the holidays? What about other gifts?

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Wordless Wednesday - Don't Judge Me

2011-11-16T07:45:00.002-05:00

A disgusting discovery yesterday (top of our fridge hidden under a cabinet)....that is an impressive build up over 4.5 years Stay tuned over the next few weeks for an exciting series of posts on having a Healthy Home.

Last Monday

2011-11-14T22:04:00.005-05:00

I remember the last time like it was the first time. I was sitting in probably the least comfortable chair possible. I was exhausted yet so incredibly awake and present in the moment. I was instructed to basically pretend B was a football so that he wouldn't put pressure on my abdomen. Her voice was soft and caring as she told me what the perfect latch would look it. I visualized it in my head and I am pretty sure I mimicked it with my own mouth as I tried to figure out how to get him to latch. That first latch is weird and awesome. I remember the next few days being filled with moments of awe and putting my ear as close as possible to my boob to try and hear if he was gulping down milk. My midwife told me that when my milk came in I would know. Oh boy was she right..there was no mistaking that sound!

I was hooked on breastfeeding right from the start. What I didn't know was that I was headed down the path to being an extended breastfeeder. I have nursed in public and private in 6 different countries but last Monday was the last time that B would nurse. We nursed for 27 months and 3 days. I remember the last time perfectly as I had started to be more aware of each time we nursed. I was more present in the moment just in case it was the last time. I planned on writing about that moment but I can't seem to bring myself to type it out. Not that I don't want to share but I also just want it to be something between B and I.

Nursing B in Bahamas when he was 7 months. He always hated being covered.

Last Monday a chapter in our lives ended and I would be lying if I said I am not sad. But I am also happy that we ended it in a way that worked for us and that we got so many wonderful moments together...just the two of us (and family....and the random people in public places).

I had grand plans to pump after B weaned so I could donate my milk to another parent through Human Milk for Human Babies (check them out on Facebook for the group near you). I sat down with my pump last week and after 30 minutes had 1/100th of an ounce. It is embarrassing really since I used to get like 6oz with one pump of the pump.

I mean seriously look at this....30 min both breasts. He was obviously more efficient than this pump.

I was given some Honey Suckle breast milk storage bags to test out so I will be donating those to a local Mom who pumps to donate milk to another family. They have all the traditional features that storage bags have but they are also the first breast milk storage bag that is biodegradable (within 18 months of disposal). Pumping and storing milk always made the tree hugger in me cringe so these are a fantastic solution that will produce less waste when pumping and storing is required.

I received the Honey Suckle breast milk storage bags to review but all opinions expressed are my own.

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Unwanted Treasure Hunt

2011-11-12T22:05:00.001-05:00

Today B and I went for a walk which lead us through a new housing development. There are houses still being built, houses people are living in and lots that are a dumping ground for construction debris. As we walked I was reminded of when Joe built our backyard patio. We found so much crap when we excavated...bricks, coffee cups, chucks of concrete, siding, paper, insulation, water bottles. It really is no wonder that after 4 years we still have been unable to get our lawn to grow. Hell we can't even get it to be grass...it is just patches of weeds and sharp pointy plants.

Our house was the access point for all the other houses on our side of the street. Construction equipment drove all over our backyard to get to our neighbours houses. In doing so they used our backyard as a dumping ground. Today I saw it happening again and it is always the house on the corner that it happens to. I contacted the 2 main builders in that new development to find out what they do with their debris and the one who did get back to me told me that their debris goes into bins and then ends up as fill. But it appears that not every builder has this policy and that sometimes debris and waste ends up buried under the thinnest layer of "topsoil" possible.

The environmental impacts of these activities include:

Increased water, seed and fertilizer usage - When we first moved in we watered our lawn as often as we were allowed (once a week) in order to try and save the lawn. We also spend every spring and fall seeding and fertilizing in an attempt to stimulate growth.

Sod replacement - We have 2 neighbours who have had to replace their lawn twice in 6 years. There is really no other option for us as well and so it looks like we will have to rip up the "lawn" and lay down new top soil and sod (or seed).

Now if you are building a new home there are some things you can do to prevent this from happening.
* Look for a builder with a history of green initiatives
* Visit the builders current work sites to see their practices in action
* Ask exactly what they do with all the waste being generated during the build

If you already live in a home where you have a similar problem to what we have there is hope!
* Try to save your lawn for 1 season. Seed in the fall and winter and see if you can bring it back.
* Look for grass alternatives like building gardens or sitting areas or laying down clover.
* Install a sprinkler system. This will ensure you use less water than a traditional sprinkler

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Snot Factory

2011-11-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

How does someone so small produce so much snot? And why is it running one minute and the next rock hard? And who taught my kid to pick his nose AND EAT IT????

Last weekend was pretty rough in our house. B had a runny nose, sounded like he smokes 50 packs a day and had a fever. I try to not give medicine right away by using some more natural methods. I think it is easier to go the natural way when your kids are young because typically they are not old enough for a lot of the medicine on the market.

Coughing

For coughing I gave B 2 tablespoons of honey. I didn't have the buckwheat honey that is recommended so instead I just used the organic honey that I had in the pantry. I gave it to him before his nap and before bedtime. Both times his coughing was not as bad and didn't wake him up nearly as much as it did the night prior where I had not given him any honey.

Cool Baths

I think I confused B when I took him up for a bath mid morning. His fever was sticking around so I thought a cool bath was in order to help to bring the temperature down. He kept saying 'No No No' when I was running the water but once he got in there he just played with his toys and I made sure to keep pouring some cool water over his body. Now you don't want the water to be too cold because it will be a shock to the system. I just run it a bit cooler than what his normal bath would be. It brought his temperature right down and his spirits were up again (so much so that he just wanted to play baseball).

Dehumidifier
For congestion we use a dehumidifier. I keep it on at night time and it helps to keep his chest and nose a bit clearer. One important thing to remember is to regularly clean your dehumidifier so that it will operate properly and not propel any bacteria or spores into the air.

Comfort Food

I often wonder if what I give B now when he is sick will end up becoming his comfort food later in life. Mine is tomato soup and grilled cheese. Joey's is chicken noodle soup and peanut butter sandwiches (which he dips into his soup). When B is sick I always try to give him some soup but sometimes he isn't in the mood for it. I also continue to nurse him or give him almond milk. Some milk products can increase mucus build up so be careful what you give if you are trying to prevent congestion.

What natural remedy do you use when you or your child is sick? What is your comfort food?

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Wordless Wednedsay - Oh no he didn't

2011-11-09T08:22:00.006-05:00

This is what happens when your husband "forgets" to take the produce bags to the grocery store to be reused when he does the grocery shopping.

Plastic Bags - Solutions and Alternative Uses

2011-11-08T21:35:00.001-05:00

In June 2009 a plastic bag at the grocery store started to cost us a shiny nickel. At first I wondered how I would survive without these bags. I didn't need them for carrying our groceries but rather for use around the house. I used them to put our cat litter in, for bathroom waste, for my lunch bag (seriously WTH Jen). I remember wondering what I was going to do when my "stash" of bags ran out.

Oh silly 2009 Jen. 2+ years later and I don't even know why I would need a plastic shopping bag. I use paper bags (like wine bags, bags from chinese food take out, mushroom bags) for our cat litter, which we can now compost. I don't use a bag at all for our bathroom waste. 99% of it is recycled or composted now so we just throw it right in the bin and then sort it when it is full. For my lunch bag I take a reusable bag. I may occasionally still use a plastic bag if I don't want the milk for my protein shake to spill all over the place but I reuse that bag over and over again.

We still have room for improvement though. Any plastic bags that we do have I have put away to take them to be recycled. Lots of stores take them back now (grocery stores, Walmart etc) and use them to make other products. I also would love to get to the point where we don't put our garbage into a kitchen sized bag and then into a black garbage bag. We fill up a kitchen sized bag every 2 weeks so it is feasible to just put that out on the curb but I always seem to rip the bag pulling it out of the trash can. So instead it goes into a black garbage bag in the garage and once a month that bag goes out to the curb. I either need to improve my skills at pulling it out of the trash can or don't use a bag at all in there and then dump it straight into a black garbage bag. I am pretty sure I like option 1 better (and I am sure Joe would agree).

Obviously the best thing we can all do is look for products that do not contain plastic bags but sometimes this is just not realistic. Here are some other plastic bags to think about:

Water softener/cat litter/milk/bread bags - check if they can be recycled in your city.. I thought that the water softener bags could be in our region but they didn't get take the 2 times I put them out. Instead I used them the following weeks in the place of a garbage bag. If you can't recycle them at the curb look for a store run recycling program. If you have really cut back on your waste production you can use a bread or milk bag to hold your weekly garbage.

Ziplock bags - we have no need for the sandwich sized bags. I have 2 reusable bags instead. We do however use the freezer bags still for our meat. I wash and reuse them over and over again though.

Produce bags - I reuse the same ones over and over again (plan on buying reusable ones soon). Make sure if you do this that you do not tie a tight knot in them or else you may have to rip them open.

Cereal/cracker bags - I think these would be great to use for crafts. They are crinkly enough that you could use them for stuffing inside of something (just make sure it isn't something that a young kid will put in their mouth).

What do you do with plastic bags? Does your region have a fee for plastic bags at stores?

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Misconceptions with Public Transit

2011-11-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

Environmentalist (myself included) are always talking about alternative modes of transportation. Like riding your bike, walking or taking public transportation. But what I wonder is are there misconceptions about taking the bus? Do people look at those on or for a bus and think that they are doing it because they are concerned about the environment and trying to reduce their impact or do you think that they are just too poor to afford a car? Is taking the bus not cool?

When I see someone waiting for the bus I will admit that my first thought is not that they are doing so to reduce their environmental impact. My first thought it usually that they do not have access to a vehicle at that time. I don't know why I think this way. I have been thinking about it for weeks after my friend Sam suggested I blog about this subject. What I have realized is that I don't think this all the time, just when the public transit system isn't user friendly. When I think about the transit system in Toronto, New York City or San Fransisco I think that people take the transit because they want to save time or money or because they want to reduce their environmental impact (or all of the above!). But when I think about the transit system where I live I can't imagine someone wanting to take it. There are much needed improvements coming to the overall system but right now it seems very inefficient. For short routes it is easy but for longer routes (say from my home to work) it is complicated and take a long time (2 hours). So I guess I think that if someone is taking the transit system here they must be doing so because they have to...not because they want to.

What are your perceptions of public transit?

This idea for this post came from my friend Sam. If you live in Virgina you totally need to stop by her blog and facebook and check out her Pollinator Plates.

Raising Green Kids

2011-11-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

Today's blog post is brought to you from inside this kick ass fort I built. I didn't built it for me per-say but B is making me sit in here and has blocked all the exits so I have no escape route. Note to self - next time build a secret escape route or add a bathroom. At least this fort has wifi right?

Every parent wants their children to struggle less than we did, to have a better life. For me that doesn't revolve around money, vacations or 'stuff' it is about B being able to enjoy this world in the same way or better than Joe and I did growing up. I want B to be able to enjoy nature, go for hikes, camp, observe wildlife in their natural habitat and buy food from local farmers. I want him to have options. I do not want him to be surrounded by the concrete jungle with no means to escape.

I believe a lot of the way that I am now as an adult is because of how my parents raised me. We spent a lot of time outside in nature and learning to appreciate it. I hope I can instill these same values in B so he will grow up respecting the awesomeness that is Canada and how lucky we are to have nature a few steps away from our home.

Here are some quick wins for how you can start to raise green kids:

* Teach your kids about waste. Most importantly focus on Reduce...if they don't create the waste in the first place then they don't have to figure out how to manage it.

* Donate toys to the less fortunate. We will be using the 1 in 1 out rule and letting B pick which organization the toys can go to.

* Buy used. Kids (and adults) can sometimes think that buying second hand isn't cool. Teach your kids that it is cool and show them how many awesome things you can find or how you can re purpose something just for them.

* Spend time outside. Yes this means putting down the Wii and turning off Treehouse but there is so much more value in going outside then there is in sitting in front of the TV.

* Recycle materials for craft time.

* Attend local environment events. Most events will have activities for kids that are geared at helping them learn about the environment and the role they can play.

* Tour local farms and show the kids where their food is coming from. Tour landfills to show them where their waste is going.

* Walk the walk. Kids learn by example so live the life you want them to live.

* Get your kids involved in creating their own litterless lunch.

* Have fun! Being green certainly isn't boring so show your kids this.

If you don't have kids there is no reason you can't do these same things with the kids in your life (friends kids, nieces, nephews etc). As adults we can be influential on all the kids in our life. This is our opportunity to make the world a better place for them.

What are you doing to raise green kids?

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My Steam Mop is Haunted

2011-11-05T13:15:00.000-04:00

Last year I bought a steam mop because all I ever heard from people was how awesome they are...that they made sliced bread look like unsliced bread. Such dirty dirty lies. Today as I was washing the floors I didn't have my usual struggle to push the mop along. Now either bootcamp is working and I am super strong now or maybe this steam mop is actually working like it should! Normally I get a steam mop facial when I use it but today there was very little steam coming out of the top. I assumed this meant that it was coming out of the bottom...like a steam mop should and that this was sign #2 that it may actually have decided to start working. But then I realized how much water I was going through. About 3 times what I normally would. And the floors were not warm to the touch...they were cold.

My Nancy Drew skills determined that perhaps my steam mop was not working at all and was instead just dripping water onto the pad thereby making it easier to push but not actually doing any real cleaning. Funny enough I think it was actually easier to get the floors clean. Food came up with very little work compared to when there is steam billowing out of the mop.

Now here is where it gets really weird. When I was done cleaning and unplugged the mop it started to generate steam. And it kept generating steam for a good 10 minutes. Spooooky.

Today I realized I have no idea how a steam mop should function because I clearly thought mine had finally started to work when in fact it appears that it is completely broken. Or haunted.

It feels like such a waste to throw this one out and buy another one (different brand obviously) so I am going to try a few things first. First step will be cleaning it with vinegar in case there has been any calcium/hard water build up.

Do you have a steam mop? Which one do you have and do you love it? If you don't have one what do you use to clean your floors?

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Traffic Jams

2011-11-04T21:22:00.001-04:00

Today was a brutal day for traffic. A flipped over truck on the 401 (our major highway) caused traffic in both directions and on pretty much every local street within a 10km radius to grind to a halt. Joe was stuck in it for an hour and a half when it normally would only take him 15 minutes. Stop and go traffic can significantly increase vehicle emissions vs a steady speed (even if driving slow). Add sitting idle on the road to the equation and you are looking at a significant increase in CO2 emissions over the usual emissions for that time.

There has to be some way to prevent this or at least reduce the worst case emissions scenario. Here are some ideas that can help:

* Listen to the radio or check online to check out your route prior to leaving. If you hear of an accident then find an alternative route. Google, Beat the Traffic or other Apps are great at showing real time traffic patterns based on speed. Look for the route with traffic moving at a steady speed.

* Get a hybrid when you buy your next car. At lower speeds your car will run on electricity. When you are idling your engine will shut off and not start again until you start to move again.

* Take public transit. Now if there is an accident you may not be able to avoid sitting in traffic but the more people who take public transit the less cars there will be on the road leading to less congestion over all. Bonus points if you can take a train or subway and get off the road completely.

* When you do start moving accelerate slowly. Don't step on the gas and then break hard when you need to stop.

* Put your car in neutral when you are stuck sitting on the road and not moving. If it is a major traffic jam and you are not moving at all for long periods of time just turn your car right off.

Got any other tips to share on how we can reduce our CO2 emissions while driving/sitting/crawling in traffic jams?

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Weekly Eco-Challenge: Unplugging to Save

2011-11-03T10:25:00.057-04:00

I recently read a report by the National Resource Defense Council about how cable boxes are a massive energy user even when turned off . When I say that they consume a lot of energy I mean that they use more energy than a fridge. Mind blowing right? A typical household set up is one PVR and one HD cable box which combined use 446 kWh/year of electricity. A 21 cubic foot Energy Star refrigerator uses 415 kWh/year.

When I heard this my first thought was that it shouldn't be a problem for us because we turn the cable box off when we are not using it. But it turns out that they still pull a lot of energy even when turned off. The only way to stop this is to unplug them or turn off the power bar they are plugged into.

Some more stats:
* In 2010, cable boxes consumed the same amount of power as the annual output of 9 coal fired plants.

* The energy required to run all the cable boxes in the US is equivalent to annual household consumption of the entire state of Maryland and resulted in 16 million metric tons of CO2 emissions.

* PVR's use 40% more power than the non-recording cable boxes.

* Nearly 2/3 of energy usage from cable boxes is when they are not in use.

Okay on to the challenge. This month we will be unplugging our cable boxes (we have 2) to determine the impact we can have on our electric bill. We do not have a PVR so our energy consumption is lower right out of the gate. The NRDC report shows that the average consumption of our HD box is 171 kWh/year.

I am really interested to see if this eco-challenge will have any impact on our bill.

Drafts - not the beer kind

2011-11-02T21:00:00.000-04:00

Our front door sucks. It is probably the cheapest one that the people who built this house could have selected. To make matters worse they had some dude who was driving around with windows in the back of his truck cut a hole in the door and install a window. I don't know if there is insulation in it, I have bent it while trying to open it and just this week Joey knocked something off the bottom of it. When we picked it up we realized it is what our weather stripping should be attached to but there was nothing there. Maybe it was an upgrade to include weather stripping with your door...when you live in Canada.

See this is what happens to our front door in the winter.

Our windows are crap. Again I think they went with the most basic model ever. They are cold, drafty and cold....and drafty. Thankfully the Building Code in Ontario is changing January 1 to incorporate increased energy efficiency. But obviously that does nothing for us now and we are stuck with the choices that we made when the house was built.

The nights are getting longer and the temperatures are dropping so for those of us with winter on the way that means it is time to look at our houses for preparations we can do to save energy (and money).

These are quick wins that you can do to prepare for winter:

* Clean/replace the filters on your furnace. The cleaner the filter the more efficient your furnace will work.

* Clean your duct work. Blockages will prevent hot air from getting where it needs to go.

* Repair and replace weather stripping on all doors. Drafts suck and weather stripping is a quick fix.

* Bubble wrap your windows. Keep the wrap to use year after year.

* Set your programmable thermostat. Have 'home', 'away' and 'night' settings. We have ours set at 72 when home, 68 when away and 65 at night.

* Clean your chimney. Again it will burn more efficiently if it is clean.

* Wash your blankets...time to cuddle under a blanket rather than cranking the heat.

* Open your curtains when the sun is shining in and close them when it is not. This will allow the heat in when it is sunny and keep it in when it is not.

* Bleed out your exterior water lines and bring all accessories inside. Seriously do this one.

* Stock up on eco-friendly and pet friendly de-icer and traction materials.

I plan on tracking the energy savings we experience this winter by winterizing a bit so stay tuned for that.

What are you doing to prepare for winter? Do you track your energy consumption season to season?

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Waste Diversion

2011-10-30T14:29:00.000-04:00

We recently took B on a tour of our local landfill. I had been there before as part of a school project but that was a long time ago and a lot has changed in the regions waste management division. The tour was an opportunity for us to see their processes and for B to see his beloved 'garbie rucks'. The facilities are set up to handle multiple streams of waste the problem is that they are not all being fully utilized by our community. Every Wednesday I drive past all the houses with their bags of trash out at the curb and maybe just maybe their blue box. Rarely do I see a green bin. Our landfill currently has a lifespan of 25 years but if more people used their blue boxes and green bins that could be extended to 50 years. Right now 2/3 of everything that ends up in the landfill could have been diverted to the blue box or green bin program. That is shocking and sad.

I get that the green bin program can be gross. It even grosses me out sometimes. But think about the alternative...it could be that a new landfill is built in your backyard. Now which is grosser?

I think this is something I will never understand. People do not want something like a landfill in their backyard yet they chose every single day to not do what it takes to extend the life of the current landfill.

What else did we learn?

* There is a difference between a dump and a landfill (landfills are engineered to protect the environment)

* New technologies for covering trash at the end of each day is helping to expand the lifespan of landfills. Previously they had to use 3 inches of cover each day...think of how much space is being used up each day with just cover material!

* When a landfill is full they place clay on the top and sides to encase the trash. This 'garbage mountain' never gets smaller....the bio degradation process is so slow that these landfills will never go away.

* Our landfill was the first in North America to be ISO 14001 certified

* Beside our landfill is protected space and the latest studies show that the landfills operations have had zero effect on this space.

* There is a Habitat for Humanity trailer right at the landfill where they can collect building materials for reuse.

What can you do?

* Conduct a mini waste audit in your own home. Know what you are producing and how to reduce it.

* Recycle. Set up your kitchen and outdoor space to make it easy for the whole family to be involved.

* Compost either through your city program or in your own backyard or heck do both if you can.

* Take part in your local yard waste program.

* Donate old clothes, furniture and toys. Don't throw these things out!

* Buy used whenever you can.

* Know your waste management policies. We can't recycle styrofoam at the curb but we can bring it into the recycling center at the landfill.

* Take a tour of your local landfill

Have you toured your local landfill? Do you do all that you can do to divert waste from your landfill? Have you ever done an audit of what you produce? I am thinking we need to do ours as the last one we did was over 2 years ago.

Change the World Wednesday

2011-10-26T23:22:00.000-04:00

A few times a month you may notice that I post about things like picking up trash, sustainable halloween, reducing food waste, and a million uses for vinegar. These are all part of a weekly challenge called Change the World Wednesday. Each week Reduce Footprints announce the results of the previous challenge and what the next challenge will be. I really enjoy these challenges as it gives me something to work on each week and because they are small enough that you can tackle them within a week.

The philosophy behind the challenges are that together a group of people can make a difference. I strongly believe in this and participate in the challenges as I can.

I have learned a lot from the other bloggers that participate as well. Even though we are all blogging about virtually the same topic I love how we can all find a different spin on how to apply it to our lives. My favourites are It's Not Easy to Be Green, Little Green Blog, Green Baby Diaper Service and Good Girl Gone Green. I highly recommend checking them out in addition to following along with the weekly challenge to see what everyone is doing.

Related Posts - Check them Out
The Power of 1
2011 in 2011
101 in 1001

Week 35 - 2011 in 2011

2011-10-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

Cleaning out some clothing that B has outgrown was all I needed to tip the scale over 2011 items I have gotten rid of this year. As it stands right now (end of week 35) the total is 2037 items. Here is the total breakdown of where everything went.

Recycled - 721
Garbage - 176
Hazardous Waste - 93
Donate - 413
Sell - 457
Giveaway - 84
Return - 20
Compost - 61
? - 12
Total - 2037 items

It feels good to get rid of so many items but it feels even better to know that I diverted as much as I could from the landfill. So what did I learn from all of this? Well I learned that I hold on to random things for no particular reason...boxes of things that I had never unpacked when we moved here 4 years ago. I also now know how easy it can be to have 'stuff' build up. We don't tend to have a lot of junk laying around so it did surprise me at how quickly our total started to add up. What we did have was a lot of items that we didn't use anymore that still had life left in them that someone else could use. And of course baby items fall into this category. I like the 1 in 1 out rule but am not sure we could apply it to everything in the house. I do however think we could easily apply it to B's toys. As he gets new one's for Christmas and his birthday we will donate or sell the same number of toys that he has outgrown. This year we will pick them for him but next year we plan on including him in the process so he can understand the value in what it means to donate things.

Have you done a challenge like this? What results did you find?

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2011 in 2011

Zero Waste Week - Focusing on waste outside of our home

Come walk with us

Protecting your Boobs

2011-10-20T22:50:00.004-04:00

When I was a teenager I went to a Girl Guide conference my Mom. At least I think it was a conference...truthfully I don't remember much about the day other than the fact that my Mom and I learned how to do self breast exams. Before that day I didn't know much about the importance of self exams much less how to do it. 17 year olds don't think about breast cancer...at least they didn't when I was a teenager. I walked away from that day and started to do self exams. I learned that yes you may find bumps and lumps but that these may not be anything to be concerned about as they may come and go with your cycle. Of course this doesn't mean that I didn't freak out every time I felt something that I didn't think belonged. Did we even have the internet back then? If we did I am sure I 'Excite'd' to find out if I had cause for concern. As with any teenager 'fads' wane and I stopped doing my weekly checks. It wasn't until just this past week that I started again. I can't tell you what it is that made me start again but I just found myself in the shower and thinking 'huh maybe I should just give myself a good old exam here and see what we got going on'. Note to self - it is much hard to give yourself an exam on huge adult boobs than it is on big teenager boobs.

Truthfully I am glad that I have started again and will continue to check myself weekly. Cancer scares the crap out of me.The past 2 years I have walked in the Toronto Weekend to End Women's Cancers with all the proceeds of my fundraising ($3450!!) going to breast cancer research at Princess Margaret Hospital. Each year as we walk we meet women who have lost loved one's or who are battling cancer themselves. We meet survivors and hero's. 2 years ago there was a young girl handing out high 5's at the end of our 60km journey. We thought she was the daughter of a walker and just there to cheer everyone on. We were wrong. She is Canada's youngest breast cancer survivor at the tender age of 4 (then, now 5). She was 2 and a half when her mom discovered the lump in her breast and since then she has undergone treatments to kick cancers ass including a full mastectomy. (Photo courtesy of Globe and Mail)

2 and a half....seriously that makes the 17 year old me for thinking that breast cancer couldn't happen to me. Walking those 95km has opened my eyes to the disease and the importance of protecting our boobs. So what can we all do? Well nothing is guaranteed but I think that if you live a healthy life you will reduce your chances of getting breast cancer. What exactly does that mean?

Eat well

Eat less meat and more whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Make it organic too to reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides. If you do eat meat then make sure it is antibiotic and hormone free.

Stay fit

Go for walks (or you know train for a nice fall 60km walk), run, join a gym, sign up for boot camp ....do whatever it is that you need to do to stay healthy and active.

Reduce your exposure to chemicals

Don't use chemicals on your lawn or garden, don't use toxic cleaners in your home and don't use them on yourself either! Look for green cleaners and body care products that are certified or from a reputable company. Do your research and know what is in the products you are exposing yourself to so you can limit your exposure to harmful chemicals.

Touch your boobs

Yep, touch them. Take a course if you need to or use Google to find instructional videos or photos of the best way to do a self exam. Stay proactive. Studies show that when breast cancer is detected early the survival rate (5 year) is 98%. Sadly over 30% of women are diagnosed after the cancer has spread and is no longer localized.

Know your family history

If there is a history of breast cancer in your family make sure you talk to your doctor. Get clinical breast exams and talk about early mammograms.

Resources
National Breast Cancer Foundation
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Wordless Wednesday - Memory Lane

2011-10-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

This is where we were 3 years ago. Amazing pizza, great culture, fantastic tours and hands down the best gelato in the universe.

Where in the World

2011-10-16T21:20:00.000-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day and World Food Day. As I reflected on what I should write about I thought about the comments I have gotten lately when I talk about what we are doing to reduce the impact of our food. The most common is 'I don't really want to know where my food comes from because I think it will scare me'. So true....because it will scare you.

We as a society spend a lot of time researching the car we want to buy, the school we will send our children to, we inspect houses before we buy them but we don't do any of this for the food we consume. The majority of people do not know where their food comes from. Sure they may read that little sticker and see the country of origin but that means very little in the grand scheme of things. You see that innocent sticker on your banana/cucumber/orange and see that it is from Peru/Argentina/Mexico and most likely don't really think about what that means. The transportation, different farming practices, wages and treatment of workers and the quality...oh the lack of quality. Not saying that goods from other regions can't be good but there is nothing compared to locally grown.Why do we continue to pay for goods from other regions when it is better for the environment and way tastier to buy local?

This year I have tried to focus on our food consumption. We found a local market that we love and who I feel comfortable asking questions to (he tractor tweets and everything!). We cut back on fast food, processed food, bought more organic and made more of our food from scratch. We looked at the quality of the food we were eating, looked at the impact of our food, I switched to almond milk (more on that later) and cut back on the amount of food waste we were producing. The only 2 things left to do are build a bigger backyard garden and find a local sustainable meat farmer.

What have you done to reduce your food footprint?

Related Posts - Check them Out
Tip of the Day - Shop Locally
Because I am a girl
The Power of 1

Supporting Sustainable Businesses

2011-10-11T22:38:00.006-04:00

My friend Tanya and I lost our sanity for a moment and signed up for Boot Camp. We have been going for a few weeks now and I am loving it. Not just because Leah kicks my ass every week but because of the steps she is taking to reduce the impact of her business.

When we first registered she sent back release forms for us to complete. My first thought was 'Oh Crap! My No Printing Initiative is screwed!' But she has no problem at all with me completing my forms electronically and emailing them back to her.

She works hard to reduce the use of paper products in her gym. She has face cloths in the bathroom that you can use to dry your hands. She also recommends that you bring your own 'sweat cloth' to wipe down your mat after cool down instead of using paper towels.

There is recycling onsite and in the right location to ensure it is used.

There is no air conditioning (OMG this would be hellish in the summer) but instead she leaves all the doors, including an overhead warehouse door open to give a cross breeze. There are fans as well but they aren't on now as there really is no need.

I try to find sustainable companies to buy products and services from but every once in awhile I find one when I am not even looking....and seriously I love that.

Have you been surprised by the little things a business does? Does it make you buy more from them?

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Halloween can be Spooky and Sustainable

2011-10-10T16:17:00.004-04:00

Halloween kicks off the part of the year where we all tend to get a bit more wasteful. There are always options on how we can reduce the impact of these holidays. I have outlined some tips below and what we will be doing to make sure we celebrate sustainably.

Candy

There are lots of options when it comes to candy. Usually the biggest option when buying is chocolate or chips. Let's change this thinking and add other options like organic candy, sugar free candy, apple chips, veggie chips, pumpkin seeds, granola bars or non food alternatives (pencils, erasers, stickers). This year we are giving out organic candy. I found Pure Fun candy at our local grocery store and am also going to give out Yummy Earth Organic suckers.

If you do not want to buy organic or don't have options readily available to you there are still smart choices that you can make. Chose to not buy Nestle products due to their unethical business practices including their misleading marketing of formula and continued environmental destruction.

Costumes

There is no need to buy a new costume every year. Look for alternatives like:

* Buying 2nd hand from a consignment shop and online website

* Trading costumes with friends/neighbours/coworkers/family

* Making costumes from every day materials you have in your home

It was easy for us this year as we thought ahead last year and bought a costume that was a bit too big. It still fits him this year so he will yet again be a shark.

To collect his candy in (okay the candy is technically for us) we carry a re-useable bag. I remember when I was a kid we would use pillow cases and I see loads of kids still doing this. It is rare to see someone showing up at the door with a plastic bag so I think that is a positive trend.

Decorations

We don't really decorate for Halloween other than carving 3 pumpkins. We get our pumpkins from a local farm where we can pick our own. We make spicy pumpkin seeds out of the insides and then compost the pumpkins when we are done with them.

If you do put up decorations there are some ideas:

* Buy items that you can reuse year after year

* Look for items that use no power or batteries

     * Make decorations from items you have around the house
   * Use leaves to 'stuff' decorations

How do you ensure you have a sustainable Halloween? Check out all the other ideas at Change the World Wednesday.

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Christmas Round-Up
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Weekly Eco-Challenge: No More Fast Food

2011-10-08T20:57:00.000-04:00

September is over which means that technically our No More Fast Food Eco-Challenge is over. As I was telling people about what we were doing the majority seemed to think we were crazy and that it would be "impossible" to do. People asked why we were doing this challenge. There are a few reasons:

* Fast food makes you feel like crap. Sluggish, greasy, gross

* There is a ridiculous amount of sodium in fast food (1040mg in a Big Mac)

* No way is any of the food local

* Some companies are known for destructive environmental practices

* Money doesn't grow on trees so there are better places for us to spend it

Regardless of why we were doing it I still thought it would be hard too...more so for Joey than me. But it really wasn't all that hard. Here is what made it easy.

* I stocked us up with homemade burgers and buns so if we craved that we easily had it on hand

* I made sweet potato fries in the oven instead of buying deep fried french fries

* I bought pizza shells and toppings so we could make our own pizza at home

* I started to menu plan again so had what we needed each night

* I prepped food the night before if required (ie: chopping toppings, marinades)

I did slip up once. I had just walked 35 km and I was exhausted and just felt like Wendy's. I craved their spicy chicken sandwich and dipping my fries into Joe's chili. I had no ability to make dinner that night and decided to just eat what I craved.

I can't say that I feel "better" after only a month. I think it takes longer to get it out of your system. But both Joe and I do agree that overall we feel healthier because we made smart meal choices. This Eco-Challenge isn't ending here. We both agreed that the pizza we have been making at home is better than what we had been buying from a local pizza place. The fast food burgers can not even come close to Joe's homemade burgers.

Want to know the nutritional information in your fast food? Check this out.

Related Posts - Check them Out
Weekly Eco-Challenge: Plastic Problems
Weekly Eco-Challenge: Waste Streams
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Environmental Impact of an Election Campaign

2011-10-05T23:21:00.003-04:00

Over the last week I have been interviewing candidates from the NDP, Liberal and Green Parties. I reached out to the PC Party as well but did not hear back from any of the candidates. The last question I asked each of them was about how they have reduced the environmental impact of their election campaign. Here are their responses....some are very interesting.

Rob Strang - Dufferin-Caledon - Green Party

We car pool whenever possible and I’ve recently bought a very small car with excellent gas mileage. We reuse our signs, wires and posts. Rather than send out a mailing, much of which may be tossed out with junk mail, we are hand delivering our brochure to the urban parts of Dufferin-Caledon. We are relying on newspaper ads to a greater degree and less on printed material.

Steve Dyck - Guelph - Green Party

All of the platforms are printed on FSC paper and Steve rides his bike whenever he can. When picking lawn signs Steve went with the option that can be washed and then reused for the next election. They track where all the signs are located so they can easily pick them up after the election. Oh and check out Steve's website. Go to it and then don't do anything, go away from it for a bit (like go into Paint and draw a picture of a unicorn and 3 puppies). When you come back see what has happened to his website. Pretty cool eh?

Nik Spohr - Halton - NDP

When I asked Nik this question I got a very raw and real answer from him. Honestly it was not at all what I was expecting but I find it refreshing that he answered the question truthfully. Here are the best parts of his answer:

'I must admit that campaigns are really very terrible on the environmental side. There's a lot of driving around, constantly, sometimes just to deliver a handful of election signs in an expedient manner a half hour's drive away. We try to carpool, but it's incredibly difficult due to multiple schedules being balanced- and there's virtually no viable, reliable, efficient transit to take internally within the riding. Constant driving to events, to canvassing in different parts of the riding; thousands of leaflets which will probably be trashed instead of recycled by innumerable constituents; and, although we'll pick most of them up- those campaign signs are visual pollution for about a month. I consider myself an environmentalist, but really, again, it's very difficult to be competitive without a large footprint- in life and in campaigning. The current economic and social-success model our society is based upon still rewards bad behavior and punishes good behavior (both in environmental and social justice issues), and that's one of the reasons that I'm running in the first place. A catch-22 perhaps?

Or maybe that's just a terrible excuse. I'm not sure- but it reminds me of one of George Monbiot's running themes dealing with competing moralities in this new post-climate-change world. Apparently Jack Layton never owned a car, but he was pretty successful in the political world, don't ya think? I guess I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to catch up to him.'

Josh Rachlis - Eglinton-Lawrence - Green Party

I’ve been running a 21st century campaign that’s essentially paper-free. Focusing on the power of social media, I’ve been making videos and spreading my campaign messages via Twitter and Facebook. Just like I did with my Love Song For Elizabeth May which got extensive media coverage during the Federal Election, I aim to get important environmental and societal messages out to as many people as possible by being entertaining and interesting. Any flyer's I’ve brought to meetings were generic party flyer's that the main campaign office had left over. I’ve been distributing generic signs that were left over and which can be reused. I had a flyer-making event where we made flyer's out of discarded cereal boxes, and we’ll encourage people to recycle these recycled flyers when the campaign is over.

Karen Gventer - Dufferin-Caledon - NDP

I practice what I preach. As an example, I bring my own stainless steel water bottle (filled from the tap) rather than using plastic water bottles provided at all candidate meetings. I also support the ban of election signs on public property in Caledon...it is important to be able to have some election signs so people are aware of the candidates but there can be far too many signs. I print my speeches and notes on scrap paper or I print double-sided.

Ken Schmidt - Essex - Liberal

The Ken Schmidt campaign team is taking a concerted effort to ensure every aspect of the local campaign contributes to reducing the environmental impact. Where at all possible the campaign is utilizing social media advertising to reduce the printed material. All in office collateral, cans and plastics are recycled. We are utilizing car-pooling during canvassing to reduce the carbon foot print whenever possible.

Because I am a girl

2011-10-04T23:09:00.003-04:00

Tonight I was at BootCamp surrounded by other women working our asses off and basically sweating all over the place. On my way home I thought about what life would be like if we, as women, were not allowed to do such things because we are girls. What if I couldn't wear that pink top I wore today or if I couldn't pick who I wanted to spend my life with. What if I couldn't be writing this right now.... because I am a girl. I thought about situations I have experienced where perhaps I was meeting girls who in fact were not allowed to live to their full potential because they are a girl.

When we were in Guatemala we went for a hike in the rainforest and there was a group of children who followed us around. My first thought was 'why the heck aren't they in school?' so I asked our guide who told me that they can not afford to send the boys to school. There was no consideration that the girls would go to school if there was the money.

When we were in Nicaragua we were walking through a market looking at local crafts. There were teenage boys dressed in school uniforms all over the market. They were there to help tourists barter for goods and also it would help them with their English skills. We saw no girls...only boys and were told that in this particular area it was because most girls were not sent to high school due to cost.

With the Election happening this week in Ontario it has made me think about what my life would be like if I was not allowed to vote. What if I wasn't allowed to have a say in the future of our province and country? I spent tonight on Twitter with other moms talking about the election as part of #momthevote and I seriously can not imagine not having the freedom or means to be able to have these conversations, relationships and freedoms. But there are girls all over the world that don't have this and honestly it makes me sad.

What if because I am a girl was a positive thing everywhere. I can go to school because I am a girl. I can be whatever I want to be because I am a girl. I can decide my own life path because I am a girl. I will stand up for myself because I am a girl. I can wear pink and dance in the street because I am a girl. What can we do to make this a reality? We can raise awareness by educating others about the injustice girls experience around the world simply because they are a girl. Currently girls get less than 2 cents of every aid dollar so we can sponsor girls so they can have the funding they need to attend school and reach their goals. We can empower girls to put their health first and give them the tools to protect themselves against diseases.

You can read more Girl Effect Campaign blog posts here. If you feel inspired write your own and link it up!

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Liberal Party Platform

2011-10-02T22:39:00.001-04:00

Today I am reviewing the Liberal Party platform. You can view the PC Platform here, the NDP platform here and the Green Party platform here.

The Liberal Party platform focuses on education, job creation, health care, transportation and energy. It highlights what they have achieved in the last 8 years and the programs they will continue to work on in the next term if they are re-elected. You can find their Platform Costing Plan here, which outlines the costs over the next 4+ years.

I interviewed Ken Schmidt who is the Liberal Party candidate in the Essex riding. You can see his answers below.

Environment

* Continue with the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act

* Develop clean water technologies that will create jobs and protect the environment

* Work with municipalities to expand the Greenbelt and protect land from urban sprawl

* Create a Stewardship Program to help farmers protect natural resources

Energy

* Will create 50,000 jobs in the clean energy field

* Will replace coal plants with clean energy by 2014

* Clean Energy benefit is saving families 10% on every bill until 2015

* Work with Federal government to fund green energy projects

What is your plan to support clean energy in the province?

Ken explains that the Liberals have a Long Term Energy Plan to make Ontario a global leader in clean energy. Ontario has attracted over $20 billion of the private sector investment in clean energy that has created over 22,000 jobs. By 2018 we will have 10,700 MW of clean energy online. Coal use was down 90% in the first half of 2011 vs 2003. The Long Term Energy Plan sets the course for a clean energy revolution that will ensure our homes, schools, businesses and hospitals have clean power supply now and into the future by doubling investments to build new clean energy. By adding more clean renewable sources to the system, shutting down coal, creating jobs and promoting conservation the Liberal plan will create a brighter, healthier and more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.

Food

* Develop Local Food Act that will support and promote local food

* Increase amount of local food bought by schools and hospitals

* Help to secure new markets and create new manufacturing opportunities for ON food

* Create a Bio-Economy Fund that will allow farmers in biofuel markets

Do you have plans to help support local farmers so Ontario can continue to buy local?

Ken explains that the Liberals support local food because it is good for our farmers, local communities and the environment. They have invested $4 million to make it easier for people to buy direct from Ontario farmers. The results of this investment was a 69% increase in on-farm markets and farmers market membership growing from 136 to 150.

Transportation

* 5% of all new cars will be electric

* Invest $80 million in charging stations and infrastructure

* Expand GO service to full day 2 way service on all corridors

* Money back guarantee for GO customers whose train is 15+ minutes late

Can you explain the rebate program proposed for the purchase of electric cars?

Ken explains that the Liberals vision is that 1 in 20 cars will be electrically powered by 2020. Ontarians can received between $5000 and $8500 for purchasing an electric vehicle and can also get green license plates that will allow users to use the HOV lanes.

Health Care

* Implement the Family Caregiver Leave - 8 weeks paid protected leave

* Access to an online Personalized Cancer Risk Profile

* Double Child Activity Tax Credit to $100

What is your stance on supporting birth centers in Ontario and how to do you plan to support midwives?

Ken states that over half of all Canada's midwives practice in Ontario and that they are an integral part of our health care team. Since 2003 the Liberals have increased midwifery funding by 300% and have increased the number of spaces in degree programs. The Liberals support piloting the birth centers in Ontario and working with Midwives to expand opportunities for their profession.

Additional Commitments

* Full day kindergarten fully rolled out by 2014

* 30% tuition grant for middle class students

* Increase Child Benefit from $1100 to $1310 by 2013

What do you think of the Liberal platform? Have you read their 2 plans? What are your thoughts?

You can follow Ken on his Twitter account.

Green Party Platform

2011-10-01T16:28:00.003-04:00

Today I am reviewing the Green Party platform. You can view the PC Party platform here and the NDP platform here.

The Green Party platform is focused on 5 areas: Jobs, Energy, Food, Health and Good Government.

I interviewed 3 candidates from the Green Party. Steve Dyck from the Guelph riding, Rob Strang from the Dufferin-Caledon riding and Josh Rachlis from the Eglinton-Lawrence riding. Their answers are below and offer further explanation of the Green Party platform.

Environment

* Increase extraction taxes on water used for industrial purposes (ie: bottled water)

* Raise royalties on aggregate extraction to 50 cents/tonne (current 11.5)

*** Revenue from both will be used to fund conservation and stewardship programs

* Require full environmental assessment for all mega-quarries

What incentives do you propose for individuals choosing the more sustainable products or services?

Steve outlines that the Green Party platform focuses on having families and small business investing in energy efficiency/conservation upgrades that will reduce the amount of energy they consume and therefore their costs.

Energy

* Oppose all future nuclear plant construction and phase out coal power by 2014

* Provide grid access to local and community power projects

* Provide $1.6 billion over 4 years in refundable tax credits for energy efficient retrofits

* $10/tonne price on carbon placed on carbon based fossil fuels (will fund income tax cuts)

* Eliminate subsidies that reward wasteful use of energy

* Require green energy projects to have local ownership component

* Revise the Ontario Building Code with new energy efficiency standards

* Work with banks to develop 'Energy Saver' mortgages

Can you outline the proposed carbon tax that is outlined in the Green Jobs Plan?

Rob explains that the tax amounts to 2.4 cents/L of gas and is modeled after BC's carbon tax, which has resulted in the lowest income tax in the country. This also also led to a decline in gas consumption in BC.

Steve adds that the tax will tax income less and move the tax to 'waste'. The more resources you use, the more it will cost. Ontario needs to move away from a carbon based economy and the hope is that this will push for more energy efficient transit and an increase in carpooling.

Food

* $200 million over 4 years for a healthy school food program

* Expand the Good Food Box program to target priority populations and children

* Set a standard of 40% local food content for public institutions

* Work with farmers and municipalities to open more farmers markets

* Increase enforcement of the Foodland Ontario label

* Reward farmers for their stewardship activities (ALUS program)

* $435 million in tax credits over 4 years for farmers

Do you think that your plans to help support local farmers will make it easier for Ontario to buy local?

Josh explains that by preserving green space and protecting our environment it will be easier for Ontario consumers to have access to local food. An added benefit is the increase in healthy options available and the reduction in environmental impact from the transportation of foods from other countries.

Rob notes that the Green Party wants to end one-size fits all regulations and work to keep the small family run processors open. He adds that by improving income stabilization programs for farmers they can cover more crops and make them more accessible for family farms.

Steve explains that right now there is no economic incentive to preserve farmland and that the Green Party's Environment Asset of Farming program will do that. This program will recognize the clean water and air that farms provide to Ontario and work to preserve them.

Transportation

* Revise the Planning Act to support efficient communities with safe streets for bikes

* Establish more HOV lanes and maintain funding for public transportation systems

* Offer $238 million over 4 years for electric/hybrid vehicle tax credits

* Raise tailpipe emission standards steadily to encourage market for fuel efficient vehicles

What improvements in transportation systems can Ontario expect from the Green party?

Rob says that the Green Party plans for balanced communities so that people can work and live in the same place, minimizes the need for transportation and encourages healthy lifestyles. They will invest $400 million in tax credits over four years for affordable commuter benefits to support ride sharing and carpooling, flexible ways of getting to work, and a refundable provincial tax credit for transit users.

Josh notes that the Green Party strongly supports maintaining and extending public transit infrastructure in keeping with our goal of promoting efficient, healthy, liveable communities with local shopping, a revitalized street life, safety for pedestrians, and better air quality.

Health Care

* Provide $200 million over 4 years in tax credit for child and adult recreation programs

* Invest $1.6 billion over 4 years on local clinics

* Immediate evaluation of the LHIN's to determine their future

What programs can we expect to support new mom's?

Steve thinks that providing birthing centers as an option to pregnant women is an important move. They are a community based solution that will allow a wide range of practitioners to work to the full extent of their license. The birthing centers could be extended to also allow for lactation consultation for new mom's.

Josh feels it is important for Ontario to invest in more community care clinics that will have improved access to health care and allows mothers more options to make the best decision for them and their children.

Additional Commitments

* Economic plan balances the budget in 2015 without raising taxes or cutting services

* Lower personal income tax by increasing personal tax exemption by $2000

*** Both of these tax cuts will be offset by revenue from waste, pollution and emissions

* Freeze tuition for the 2012-13 school year

What do you think of the Green Party Platform? Have you read their 5 plans? What are your thoughts?

You can follow Steve, Rob and Josh on their Twitter accounts.

New Democratic Party Platform

2011-09-29T22:45:00.001-04:00

Today I am reviewing the NDP platform. You can view the PC party platform from yesterday here.

The NDP platform is called the Plan for Affordable Change and it outlines making life affordable, jobs and health care. They also have an Affordable Green Choices Plan, and a Change that Works for Rural Ontario Plan.

I interviewed 2 candidates from the NDP Party. Nik Spohr from the Halton riding and Karen Gventer from the Dufferin-Caledon riding. Their answers are below and offer additional explanation of the NDP party platform.

Environment

* Ensure the burden of the cost of recycling/disposal is on the manufacturer

* Develop a cap and trade plan with revenues going to reducing carbon emissions

* Strengthen regulations to reduce over packaging

What programs/incentives/penalties will be available to corporations to ensure that Ontario resources are kept in Ontario?

According to Nik the NDP party will ensure that the government is purchasing local products to build Ontario transportation, construction, local food processing, and other services. They want the government to always try to “Buy Ontario” first, and only go out of province if they can’t find that resource or product in the province.

Energy

* Merge the 3 Agencies to reduce duplication and cost in the power sector

* Fund large scale, publicly owned green energy projects (10,700 MW by 2018, 5000 by 2030)

* Target 5000 MW of combined heat and power by 2021

* Phase out coal powered electricity by 2014

* Will not proceed with plans to build any nuclear plants

What incentives do you propose for individuals choosing the more sustainable products or services?

Karen explains that the NDP party will help people who want to make their homes more energy efficient. We will offer rebates of up to $5,000 for people who want to retrofit their homes. As well, by making life more affordable for everyone, it will be easier for individuals to make more sustainable choices.

Food

* Require Ontario government to spend more money on local produce

* Assist farmers to market/promote their local food.

* Increase Ontario grape content in 'cellared in Canada' wines

* Expand risk management program for meat and honey

Your platforms says you will ban junk food advertising that is aimed at children. Does this include fast food restaurants like McDonalds?

Nik explains that the NDP want to amend the Consumer Protection Act to prohibit commercial advertising of “unhealthy food and drink” targeting children under the age of 13. The key word here is “targeting”- so we wouldn’t be banning advertising for unhealthy food and drink outright- only the advertising aimed at children, who are in an early-developmental state and highly susceptible to the addictive nature of these products. Both Nik and Karen agree that this would indeed include advertising by companies like McDonalds.

Transportation

* Freeze transit fares at current levels for 4 years

* Invest in new transit projects

* Create cycling infrastructure (bike lanes, storage and bike tourism)

What improvements in transportation systems can Ontarians expect from the NDP party?

Nik outlines the NDP platform for transportation as a transit fare freeze over four years in exchange for a 50-50 budget funding model between municipalities and the province; making sure that transit models work for the community, and not profits, first; and support a comprehensive strategy that makes roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Karen explains that they would support an active transport strategy to make roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. An important principle of the NDP is to provide municipalities with more input into decisions; the NDP would work with municipalities to build public transit that makes sense for the community.

Health Care

* Cut ER wait times in half

* Scrap the LHIN's and replace with local decision making

* Forgive student debt of new doctors who practice in under serviced communities

* Fund 50 new 24 hour health care clinics by 2015

What programs can we expect to support new moms?

Nik explains that the NDP party will cancel the recent cuts to the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program. They will invest in the development of a provincial breast feeding strategy and pilot 4 birthing centers that will be run by Midwives. Their plan will cost $5 million but if they cap executive salaries at $300,000 then $80 million could be diverted to programs like these to help new mothers.

Do you plan to support other health professionals? (doulas, midwives, naturopaths etc)

Karen explains that in addition to what Nik outlined above for creating birthing centers for Midwives the NDP's plan to support prescribing authority to Naturopaths as it is necessary for them to maintain access to natural or botanical substances.

Additional Commitments include:

* Removing the HST from daily essentials (hydro, gas for heating, gas for cars)

* Will set gas price ceilings at the pump each week

* Develop an Ontario Retirement Plan

* Create a 10% tax credit for companies who invest in equipment and buildings in Ontario

* Amend Mining Act so that minerals mined in Ontario are processed in Ontario

What do you think about the NDP platform? Have their 3 plans? What are your thoughts?

You can follow Nik and Karen on their Twitter accounts.

Progressive Conservative Platform

2011-09-28T21:56:00.004-04:00

During the federal election Annie at PhD in Parenting had great coverage of the party platforms. I decided to review the PC, NDP, Liberal and Green party platforms for the provincial election. I will mostly focus on their commitments to the environment, green energy, transportation, food and healthcare but I will also give the top highlights of other parts of their platforms. I also interviewed candidates from across the Province and will post their perspectives on their parties platforms.

The Progressive Conservative platform is called the Change Book and it outlines their commitment to health care, education, taxes, business, transparency in government and the environment.

The Environment

* 100% of hunting and fishing license revenue will be dedicated to conservation

* Investment of $10 million in Ontario Parks to make them even more enjoyable and accessible

* Increase funding to expand land acquisition for the Bruce Trail

* Cancellation of the eco taxes on items like batteries and light bulbs

Energy

* Complete the closure of coal powered plants by 2014. Use sites for natural gas or biomass

* Focus on natural gas, hydroelectric, and nuclear for power generation

* Remove the provincial portion of the HST on hydro and the cost of home heating

* Unplug mandatory smart meters and allow families to decide if they want time-of-use pricing

Food

* Implement a Buy Ontario food policy

Transportation

* Invest more than $35 billion to pay for new infrastructure (transit and transportation)

Health Care

* Eliminate the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs)

* Make ER wait times available in real time through Telehealth and online

* Increase annual investments in health care by more than $6 billion by the end of the first term

Addition Commitments include

* Continue to roll out full day daycare

* Reduce business tax to 10%

* Lowering income taxes by 5% on the first $75,000 of taxable income

* Change the tax system to allow all couples to share up to $50,000 of their income

* End the foreign scholarship program and reinvest those funds in Ontario students instead

* Create up to 60,000 post-secondary spaces in Ontario

I reached out to several PC candidates for interviews and did not hear back from any of them so I am unable to provide their perspective on the Change Book.

What do you think about the PC platform? Have you read the Change Book? What are your thoughts?

He Said - Joe's Reply to Fruit Flies

2011-09-27T21:21:00.003-04:00

First off, let me start with this…..I have never done this before. I have never blogged, written a response to any editorial or story I have read in the on-line version of our local daily newspaper (although I’ve been tempted many a time), post a comment, HELL ….. as many family and friends can attest to, I haven’t even used the wall on Facebook, EVER! But alas, no better a time than now, to give the readers of my lovely wife’s Blog some insight of the “his” viewpoint.

Now let it be known, I will admit that Jen and I don’t always agree on certain ways of handling various pests or intruders. Jen will always resort to the more environmentally friendly solution first, followed by another if that doesn’t work, and then another. I will entertain the first attempt, but inside my manly instinct is already taking over and the little guy sitting on my shoulder wearing the skull and crossbones is chomping at the bit.

As you are all well aware by now, she has developed many enemies; bees, ants from hell, vines large enough to consume small children, and most recently the dreaded flesh-eating fruit flies. What prompted the decision to go out of my comfort zone was not the great “alternative” remedies she has offered to everyone, but to highlight the one flaw I as her husband have identified. Something that is a constant reminder each and every time I step out into the yard.

I admit that her remedy with the fruit-in-a-glass covered with plastic wrap worked…..it truly did. BUT, here is the flaw. You see, Jen makes the point of reminding everyone you can release them outside IF YOU WANT TO. People, in order for this to truly be an effective option you must, I repeat, you MUST remove the plastic from the glass!! As you can see from the picture, the constant reminder I have is the fossilized fruit flies that are still on the back step in the glass coffin for all to see, circa 2010!

Jen my love, the idea is to release them……but only IF YOU WANT TO I guess??

Related Posts - Check them Out

Being Present in Nature

Jen and the Giant Peach

Okay, now you are taking this too far

Standing Up by Sitting In

2011-09-25T21:37:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow environmental activists will gather in Ottawa to protest the Tar Sands Pipeline from Canada to the US. When I initially found out about the event I was excited and wanted to go. The reason why I will be at work tomorrow instead of Parliament Hill is because the risk of arrest was too high for me and adding to it is the fact that I would be 6 hours from home. In the end it was just too far outside my comfort zone. Now if there is another one that is closer to home I will seriously consider going.

The main issues are as follows:

*Alberta's land use planning process is currently not protecting biodiversity, managing tailing waste and placing limits on water withdrawals especially during low flow periods.

* 95% of the Woodland Caribou (a threatened species) habitat will be lost in order to promote tar sands development.

* Recent reports indicate that cancer rates are up 30% in the Aboriginal population and as such further studies are needed on the health impacts from the water pollution.

* There have been no successful reclamation of tailings to date and therefore no comprehensive plan to deal with the 223 billion gallons of toxic waste that will be generated by the tar sands.

* Models (no actual rates are available) indicate that roughly 3 million gallons of tailings leak into the environment every day from the tailing lakes.

* Alberta plans on an emission growth over the long term (16% over 1990 levels) due to CO2 emissions from the tar sands. This will put Canada beyond the targets that we have committed to.

* $820 million has been set aside by the Companies for reclamation but studies indicate that the actual costs could be $10-15 billion. The difference may have to paid by Albertans ($4300-$6300 per person).

This isn't just a Canada issue either. The US is heavily involved and citizens are standing up and saying No (99% of exports from the tar sands go to the US).

What can you do?

* Vote with your pocket book - Take public transit or if you have to have a vehicle buy hybrid or electric cars

* Talk to your local government about their stance on the tar sands. Use this information when elections come up

* Attend a protest or if you can not consider donating so someone else can

* Look for local events that can attend

* Educate as many people as you can about the tar sands

Have you taken action on the Tar Sands?

The Pembina Institute has a lot of research and papers available on this issue. I encourage you to check it out.

Related Posts - Check them Out
The Power of 1
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Mortal Enemy #76782371 - Fruit Flies

2011-09-21T11:35:00.033-04:00

It's that time of year again....the time when peaches are in season, apples are delicious and fruit flies stalk us like we are their prey. All it takes is one night where you forget to take out the compost or you leave an apple core on a plate on the counter. You wake up and it is pure mayhem in your kitchen. Obviously everyone knows how to prevent getting fruit flies in the first place but let's be realistic...we are all going to get them every year so here are some green ways you can get rid of them. I have tried most of these over the years so I have put them in the order of what I find to be the most effective.

Soap and Vinegar - I put some vinegar into a shot glass and then add a few drops of dish soap on top. They say that apple cider vinegar works best but I have seen great results with balsamic and red wine vinegar. Perhaps I just have fancy fruit flies? You are probably wondering how this works? Magic! Or maybe science....so the fruit flies are all 'OMG look at that vinegar, I love me some vinegar' and they fly into the shot glass to enjoy its bounty. They think they can land on the vinegar but when they try the dish soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar and BAM the fruit flies fall in and drown.

Fruit in a Jar - I take a piece of fruit that is a bit too ripe (like a peach or apple) and put it into a glass (I prefer clear so I can see the action). I then cover the glass with plastic wrap and secure the sides with an elastic. The top has to be very tight so it doesn't look like there is anything there...you want the plastic to act like a ninja barrier. Then poke some tiny holes into it using a pin or toothpick. Now sit back and watch as the fruit flies fly in but can not get out. You can then release them outside if you want to. Tip - re-use plastic wrap from packaging

Cone in a Jar - I haven't used this technique but basically you follow the same instructions as Fruit in a Jar but instead of doing the plastic on top you make a cone out of paper (scrap paper people) secure it so it is a tiny hole at the bottom. Place this into the opening of the jar.

Okay I just did a quick google search to see if there were any other methods that I hadn't used that I thought would work and I came across this. Check your flour. That's where they hatch larvae. You are looking for shed larvae skins. They are light brown and translucent. W.T.F? Okay now I am officially grossed out.

How do you get rid of fruit flies? You totally want to go and check your flour don't you?

Wordless Wednesday - New Growth

2011-09-21T10:15:00.001-04:00

This is the tree that we bought for Earth Day.

Beyond Junk Mail

2011-09-20T09:18:00.001-04:00

This week we got 2 pieces of mail that went beyond junk mail. The first was stuck to our front door with magnets. When our friend found it she asked why the hell we have a picture of our house on our house. You see a local real estate agent put a laminated picture of our house with a calendar under it on our front door. I'm not sure why someone would want a picture of their own house. I'm also not sure what I am supposed to do with a calendar that I can't write on. And you should see the grass in the picture...it is like they photoshopped it greener to stick it to us that our lawn sucks.

I hope that next year I get a picture of my car under my wiper.

The 2nd pieces of junk mail on steroids that we got was related to our upcoming provincial election. We got not 1 but 3 political ads from our local PC candidate. These ads were printed on cardstock that is thicker than a cereal box. And forget about recycled content....these bad boys looked like genuine virgin trees.

How can you prevent receiving items like this in the mail? You could try searching for services that allow you to "block" junk mail but I don't think that would have prevented us from getting either of these items. I plan on reaching out to the real estate agent and the politician and explaining the situation to them so hopefully they will change their practices in the future.

What is the weirdest and most un-eco friendly that you have gotten in the mail?

Related Posts - Check them Out
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Green Cleaner Review - Method All Purpose Cleaner

2011-09-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

When I first started to use Method's All Purpose Cleaner I was positive I would not like it because the smell over powered my senses. It was like a pink grapefruit on crack. I have since tried the Lilac as well and it is the exact same over powering fragrance at first. It is weird because the 2nd or 3rd time I use it I don't have the same sensory overload. I'm certain that it isn't because I have burned all my nostril hairs or something but I do think that it is worth mentioning for those that are more sensitive to fragrances. Maybe try shaking the bottle before you first use it.

I instantly did like the results that I got with the cleaner. It is great for heavy spills and also every day use. I used it in our kitchen, family room and dining room and found similar results using it on wood, laminate and stainless steel. Another thing about this product that I like is that you don't need a lot to get results. 1 bottle lasted me longer than 6 months and I used it every day.

On the Method website you can see exactly what is in this product. It is non toxic, biodegradable, and the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic.

What would have given this product a 5 leaf rating? Well if there was a way to buy a refill instead of having to buy the entire bottle all over again. They have this for some of their other products so hopefully they will have it for their all purpose cleaners sometime soon. The fragrance issue mentioned above also is a reason I did not give it a 5. Their website indicates that they have a Free and Clear option but I have yet to see this in store here.

Have you used this product? What did you think of it?

** I bought this product myself and was not asked to review it. I am an affiliate of well.ca which does offer Method products for sale.

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I'm the Green Reaper

2011-09-14T10:34:00.044-04:00

I have been trying to get rid of this vine on the side of our house all summer and before me Joe was trying for 2 years. I have tried ripping it up, digging up root balls, swearing at it and pouring hot water on it. I took this picture almost a month ago of what the vine looked like on one side of the fence.

That afternoon I poured an entire jug of pickling vinegar on the root balls on the other side of that fence. Today I went out to check on its progress. I expected to see the vine growing stronger than normal, angry at what I had done. I found this instead.

Basically what you see in the first picture was on this side of the fence as well. So this is massive progressive. I am going to have to check and see if there is a root ball on the other side of the fence because there is still some growth there.

What I learned in all of this is that there are natural ways to get rid of nuisance plants (this one was climbing into our eaves troughs, the vent for our dryer and the vent for our fireplace. It also made the gate completely in accessible). Yes it took longer than if I had used a chemical but now that I know vinegar works things will go much quicker if I ever have to do this again.

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The Earth is Part of Us

2011-09-13T08:03:00.133-04:00

I remember taking a course in University that focused on systems where we learned how everything in the ecosystem is connected in one way or the other. At the time I remember being bored to death and thinking that I will never need to know this information. But now I find myself looking closely at the food we eat. Where does it come from, how is it grown, is it sprayed with chemicals, what is it fed, how is it transported, how is it prepared. But how does the food I eat make me feel? This is a question I started to ask myself after reading Brendan Brazier's book Whole Foods to Thrive (it is titled Thrive Foods in the US). I found myself nodding in agreement as I read the book. Cravings for starches and sweets - Check. Fatigue at 2PM - Check. Difficulty sleeping - Check. But is this a daily occurrence for me or is it only certain days? Truthfully it isn't all the time (which is good it is only when I get into a horrible pattern with food. Where I am too tired from the day to cook or if I do cook it is something quick and easy and probably not all that great for me. And that right there is the problem I am sure many are faced with. We feel this way because of the food we are eating and in order to break the cycle we need to start eating healthier. Not just fruits and vegetables but the right fruits and vegetables.

The 2nd big eye opener for me what when I read 'Each time we take a bite of food, part of the environment literally becomes part of our biological fabric, our bodies....the Earth is part of us'. To me this just stresses the point that how our food is 'treated' impacts how our body reacts to it. Whole Foods to Thrive explains the environmental impact of the food we eat and how eating healthier whole foods can not only make our bodies feel better but can reduce our foods impact on the environment.

The Standard American Diet is heavy on red meat, processed based foods and dairy. For 1 day this diet on average would produce 9604g of CO2e (Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions).

The Healthy American Diet is made up of less processed foods and for 1 day this diet on average would produce 5374g of CO2e.

The Whole Foods to Thrive Suggestion is composed of plant based whole foods and for 1 day on average would produce 1199g of CO2e.

That is a massive difference in emissions isn't it? So if eating the foods that are outlined in this book are better for the environment and for your healthy why aren't more people eating this way? I believe it is because we think it is complicated and complicated means more time which most people do not have. I made some of the recipes in the book and you know what....they were easy and fast. I made a variation of the Grilled Spinach with Salsa Rustica. Basically instead of putting the salsa on spinach I put it on whole grain bread and heated it in the oven to make bruschetta bread. It took me less than 15 minutes. I also made the Garlic Thyme Sweet Potato Oven Fries which including cooking time took 40 minutes. The book also outlines the properties that are important in the key nutrient dense foods which for me helped to identify why it is important to throw those pumpkin seeds on a salad rather than just leave them off because it is easier to not have to try and find them in the grocery store.

You can buy Whole Foods to Thrive on Amazon.ca and you can buy Thrive Foods on Amazon.com.

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I received Whole Foods to Thrive to read and review but all the views expressed above are completely my own.

Step by Step

2011-09-12T10:10:00.054-04:00

This past Saturday I spent my day doing this.

For the 2nd year in a row I walked in the Weekend to End Women's Cancer walk. Last year I did the full 2 day 60 km journey. This year we did the 1 day 35km walk (because seriously my feet still have not healed from last year).

Last year I blogged about the environmental impacts of the walk. I am happy to say that there were a few improvements this year!

Last Year - No recycling or composting at the pit stops, lunch, start or finish.

This Year - They had signs on the waste bins indicating that the waste company will separate out the recycling and compost from the trash.

Last Year - Walkers dropped garbage all over the streets.

This Year - Walkers walked out of their way between pit stops to drop off waste and recyclables in the appropriate bins outside of peoples homes/businesses.

Last Year - Powerade was available in plastic bottles.

This Year - There was some Powerade available in bottles but they now had big jugs of Gaterade that you could fill up your reusable bottle with . Or they had cups that you could use if you didn't want to fill up your bottle.

I'm happy to see some improvements and hope that each year they continue to reduce their impact by choosing sponsors and vendors that have environmental programs and by looking at ways to reduce the overall footprint of the event.

Total number of kilometers walked - 95

Total number of hours spent walking - 20

Total number of blisters - 9

Total dollars raised - $3425

Total impact on my life - Unforgettable

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Super Stalker Sunday

2011-09-11T08:07:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the weekly Super Stalker Sunday hop!

What is Super Stalker Sunday?

Glad you asked! Super Stalker Sunday is a weekly blog hop hosted by

Marni of Marni's Organized Mess

April of Mama on a Green Mission

Mariah of Formula Mom

Kortney of Kortney's Krazy Life

and Emily of Nap Time is My Time

Blogs hops are a great way to meet other bloggers, socialize and gain more followers. Do you like to socialize? Well, we all like followers, right?!

If you've been around the blogosphere you know there are Blog Hop's for everything you can think of and every day of the week: RSS Feed, Google Friend Connect, Email Readers, Facebook Fans, and Twitter Followers.

Well, why not get all of your followers in one place once a week? This is the place to do just that!

How to Super Stalk

Follow each host at least one way. Don't forget to let them know you did so by commenting on their blog. We will return all follows, but please be patient as we are busy mama's it may take us a few days to return the visit and follow.

You will only have to link up on one of the host sites and your link will appear on all as we use the same linky.

After you follow the hosts, follow as many bloggers in as many ways as you are willing!
Already follow somebody? Consider visiting and following them in another way as well!

Remember: You will only get as much as you give. The more blogs you can visit, the more visits you will gain in return. We are all here to socialize and greet, not visit only your blog.

While we encourage sharing our button and hop with as many as possible, it is not required. The more you spread the word though, the more we socialize and all gain followers!

This week's featured blogger is

We took this opportunity to ask Jen a few questions and here are her answers:

What’s your favorite way to stalk a blog? - From the bushes :) And I guess also GFC. I love my Reader and being able to label and group blogs together. I used to have a hard time staying on top of it but I recently created a 'Read First' folder and it has helped me to read, interact and not have my Reader jump to over 1000 unread.

You have an extra hour added to your day,what would you do with it? - Before Saturday (the 10th) my answer would be that I would walk. I am training for the Weekend to End Women's Cancers walk and feel like I am in crunch time right now. After the 10th my answer would be that I would grab a glass of wine and talk/laugh with Joe.

Is there a TV show that you have watched every episode? - Lost. I am still in mourning that it is no longer on.

What book is currently on your nightstand? - Whole Food to Thrive

Pick a post,any post. - No Paper Project

If you would like to be a featured blogger, being shared with more than 4,000 combined followers between the hosts of this hop, please link up! At the end of each week we will select a blog via Random.Org to be the featured blog for the following week.

This linky will go live Saturday at 7:00 PM PST and end Monday at 12:00 PM PST.

If you would like to also place this linky on your blog, please feel free to write up your own post and grab the code here.

Thank you for participating, now let's go "stalk" up a storm!

Eco Pets

2011-09-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

This is our cat and he is an eco-pet. He eats locally made food and his litter is made from old crushed up corn husks which we can then put into our compost system. We don't buy him a lot of crazy cat toys because at the end of the day he just really wants to play with a beer cap or a piece of pasta (yah I know...he is weird).

There are a loads of eco-friendly options out there for pets (okay mostly cats because we don't have a dog) including:

Pet beds - L sleeps in window sills, on the floor, on furniture or sometimes if I am really really lucky on my head. This means we have no need for a pet bed. I have tried before and he shows no interest in laying in one. If your pet does like pet beds look for one made from recycled materials (ie: recycled plastic bottles) or make one from your old pillows.

Toilets - There are loads of eco friendly litter products on the market now including those made from corn, newspaper or wood chips. I find that sometimes these products are harder to find and may require going to a specific pet store. We have been using litter made from corn for a few years now and are very happy with the results. For dogs think about the bags you are using to scoop the poop. Look for options that are biodegradable or even made from paper if your compost accepts pet waste.

Cleaners - Cats puke...it is just the way the world works. When L pukes he always seems to move away from the tile and hardwood onto the carpet...which is totally awesome right? To clean it up I use reusable cloth wipes and oxiclean. There are loads of pet friendly cleaners on the market that you can use and that are effective. Also try baking soda and use it to make a paste over any pet stains.

Toys - Like I said we don't need to have that many since L shows no interest in playing with regular cat toys. When buying pet toys look for those made with organic materials (like cotton), natural fillers and dyes.

Food - There are so many options for food and treats on the market now or you can make your own. We opt for a locally made organic food and then organic treats. Look for food with natural ingredients with less fillers like ash.

What do you do to reduce your pets impact on the environment?

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The Power of 1

2011-09-06T21:05:00.001-04:00

I often find myself wondering if 1 person can make a difference when it comes to the environment. Yes this means I question if everything thing I have done and will do matters at all. If there are people who say 'fuck it' when it comes to the environment don't they just erase any good that I and others like me have done? Surely given the state of our world we are outnumbered. So why press on? Why continue to try?

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale

1 person can make a difference, they just need to have a voice....an outlet to share their passion.Sure the fact that I compost is not going to save the world or solve our ever growing garbage problem. But if one person raises their hand and asks 'why don't we start a local composting program' or 'why don't we give away compost bins for home use' they can affect change in their local community. And as more communities catch on the momentum spreads and it becomes a movement....and all because someone asked 'what if'.

Bob Hunter was a true eco warrior who started out just like you and I. He found others who were like minded and together they started a small little movement called Greenpeace. Together they took The Power of 1 and affected change in a very big way. He started by spreading the truth about business practices, whaling, nuclear testing and seal hunts. He educated others in order to arm them with the knowledge and resources they would need to turn their Power of 1 into the Power of 100....the Power of 1000....the Power of 100,000.

Now I am no Bob Hunter but I still have a voice and my passion is clear. I am an educated consumer who shops locally as often as possible. I am aware of the impact our family has and am actively working to reduce that impact. I vote for a better Canada by always considering environmental policies, I strive to live by example and foster the same mentality within my son.

What can you do?

* Find your voice (if you haven't already).

* Look for what ignites that passion inside of you and run with it.

* Examine your life and the impact you have and look for opportunities for improvement.

* Volunteer locally and connect with like minded individuals.

* Talk about your crunchiness! Don't hide it, don't shy away from it...embrace it.

* Know that you CAN make a difference....as 1, 1000 or 100,000

Related Posts - Check them Out
Greenpeace
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Zero Waste Week - Focusing on waste outside of the home

2011-09-05T14:55:00.000-04:00

It is easy to have control over what waste you produce when you are within your own home. We have weighed our waste streams, conducted the No Impact Experiment and over the years focused our efforts on waste reduction in our home and away from the home. It is certainly more difficult to keep your impact minimized when you are at work, on the road, on vacation etc. It isn't that you can't stay green in these situations but it can take more work to be at the same level as when you are at home. Sure it usually means we are carrying garbage home with us but some planning in advance can make this much easier. I think it is also an opportunity to lead by example, walk the walk, spread the crunchy.

Reusable containers - I have a coffee mug and water bottle at work that I use each day, I take my lunch and snacks in reusable containers and I bring my own cutlery. If we travel we take these things with us too. B has reusable snack bags that are great for in the car or when out and about. An opportunity for improvement for us is to take reusable containers when we are getting take out. That can be a focus for us in the future since we are currently not eating any takeout food. I don't get coffee in the morning but for those of you who do try taking your own mug.

Compost and recycle on the go - We have recycling at work so I do not have to bring any of that home but if we are not at home and there is no recycling available I will bring it home. Same goes for composting. I bring a container to work each day for collecting compostables which I then bring home to compost. You don't have to get fancy with how to store and transport your compost. I simply use an old ice cream or cottage cheese container.

Bring your own snacks - It is easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly to bring your own snacks when you are away from home. For quick trips we just bring food for B but for those longer trips I bring a big container full of a variety of snacks for all of us.

Dining out - Food waste is a large contributor to the piles in our landfills so when you are eating at a restaurant if you don't eat everything you order take it home with you. Bonus points if you bring your own takeout containers!

This week is Zero Waste Week and is an opportunity to reflect on your current practices and find opportunities for improvement. What can you do to reduce the impact your waste has when you are not at home? We will be continue to focus on what we are currently doing and ensure we do it 100% of the time. You can see what others are doing by heading over to Reduce Footprints and the Change the World Wednesday Post.

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Being Present in Nature

2011-09-04T23:18:00.000-04:00

Nature plays a big role in my life. It started at a young age too...I was not even a year old when I went on my first camping trip. My parents had us out hiking, camping and bike riding pretty much the entire summer. As a kid I would explore every inch of the forest, taking it all in. The sound of wood breaking underfoot of a chipmunk running across the path, the smell of pine and wet moss. I find as we grow up we stop being present in the moment. We are too busy talking or texting or taking pictures to really enjoy why we decided to be in nature in the first place.

On one of our walks last week I came across this old tractor. It looked like it has been there for decades but I have never seen it in the hundreds of times we have walked down this path.

I had missed this old rusty tractor frame hundreds of times because I wasn't present in the nature surrounding us. I was too busy focusing on what was in front of me rather than what was around me. One day I went on a walk with B and left the stroller at home. We took our time, stopped to look at crickets and frogs, to pick up sticks and throw stones. I was in that moment with him and it rocked.

Perhaps every walk after work or on a warm Saturday morning shouldn't be about 'something to do' or 'wasting time until bedtime'. It should be about slowing down, relaxing and reconnecting with each other and the environment around us. By teaching our kids to do this we are teaching them to appreciate nature and perhaps that will instill the drive within them to want to protect it.

What do you do to get out and enjoy nature?

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Reducing Food Waste

2011-09-02T07:32:00.000-04:00

I was cleaning out our fridge the other day and was happy that we can compost everything. Some things can only be composted in the city program which means resources are used for this process. So while it is great that they are not going into the landfill there is still an environmental impact to composting. The solution is to be less wasteful with food.

We try to menu plan to not only take advantage of sales but also to ensure that we have less food waste in the end. Make sure you only buy what you need. Sometimes the deals just seem so good that people end up buying more than they really need and then it doesn't get used and becomes waste. If a recipe calls for something that we don't use on a regular basis then we look for another recipe that also calls for it so we can use it all up. If we have bought meat we make sure to separate it into smaller portions so we can easily grab what we need out of the freezer and not be cooking 6 chicken breasts just because they were packaged together in the store.

Cook only what you need. We make enough for dinner and then lunch the next day. But sometimes we don't take it for lunch (for some reason this always happens with pasta) and then we find it in the back of the fridge and we have to compost it. Now we try to watch portion sizes to make sure we are not making too much.

Keep an eye on expiry dates. I check them in the store before I even buy them so make sure it won't expire before I can use it. If fruit or vegetables are getting to the point of being over ripe then use them up! I freeze bananas for banana bread and smoothies. Strawberries also get frozen for smoothies, bread gets cut up for croutons, peaches and apples become delicious peach/apple crisp, veggies become the base for veggie stock.

The biggest thing to avoid food waste is proper storage. It can be a real PITA to keep fruit and veggies fresh. I find that our fridge keeps them for a really long time which does help. Not every type of fruit and veggie can be stored in the same manner so find out what works best for what you have. I don't use any plastic bags or wrap to store produce and have found that they last longer this way.

You know what you want to avoid......clean out the fridge nights. I HATED those as a kid. Seriously, they were the worst nights ever because it was never the good leftovers that were left.

What do you do to reduce the amount of food waste that you generate?

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Weekly Eco-Challenge: No More Fast Food

2011-09-01T08:51:00.002-04:00

I never really used to eat that much fast food until I started to date Joey. He is somewhat of a fast food junkie (burgers mostly) and it seriously has an impact on my eating habits...because it is easier. But it is so very very bad for both of us. Plusalso fast food is horrible for the environment.

This weeks eco-challenge will be a month long. We will be going the entire month with no fast food (this includes take out pizza). I wonder who will crack first? My money is on Joey losing it first. I think I will find him curled up in a ball in the closet eating an extra large pizza. Cheese and sauce and a look of satisfaction all over his face.

How much fast food do you eat? Want to join in on the "fun"? Let me know if you are up for it and how you are progressing!

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Green Body Care Product Reviews - Kiss My Face Facial Products

2011-08-30T09:29:00.076-04:00

I decided to combine two reviews into one because these products go hand in hand in my opinion. I have been using Aveeno products for close to 6 years. Before that I struggled to find something that would keep my skin balanced. Wearing a hard hat all day long really didn't bode well for a clean t-zone! Aveeno worked for me and because it was branded as 'natural' I felt like I was using a good product. There are even leaves on the product so that has to mean it is made from nature RIGHT? WRONG!!

A few months ago I thought I would branch out and change what I was using on my face. I replaced my Aveeno Foaming Cleanser with Kiss My Face Start Up Exfoliating Face Wash and gradually introduced it to my morning and evening routine. At first I was hella disappointed because it made me break out like a 16 year old. But I kept at it and after about 6 weeks it evened out and now my skin is better than ever. It feels clean and looks great.

A month ago I finished up the last of my Aveeno exfoliating pads and switched to Kiss My Face So Refined Jojoba & Mint Facial Scrub. I use it once a week and it helps to keep my face fresh and renewed.

Both of the Kiss My Face products are 100% biodegradable and contain no parabens, phthalates, SLS, artificial colours, artificial fragrances or animal ingredients. The boxes they come in are made from acid and elemental chlorine free board with 50% post consumer recycled materials. They are also made using wind power.

Cosmetic Safety Database Rating
Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser - 7
Kiss My Face Start Up Exfoliating Face Wash - 1
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads - 5

Kiss My Face So Refined Jojoba & Mint Facial Scrub - 2

Going from a 7 to a 1 is blowing my mind yo. No wonder my skin feels and looks better. And seriously that explains why I was breaking out like crazy during the switch. My skin was probably like 'Come on Jen...give me the good stuff....give me those chemicals. I NEED them!!!'

I was not provided these products for review. I bought and paid for them myself and all opinions expressed are my own. I am an affiliate of well.ca where these products can be purchased.

We are Canadian Blog Hop

2011-08-29T10:44:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the weekly "We are Canadian Blog Hop!!" Your co-hosts for this fun weekly Monday Hop are:

Each week we pull on blog from the previous week's hop, to be the Featured Blogger of the Week. We use random.org, and will email the winner that they won as soon as we can.

This Week's Featured Blogger is:

http://www.jenandjoeygogreen.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to grab the button, and spread the word to all your fellow Canadians!

Rules:
1. Canadians Only! (Sorry Americans, we wanted to give the Canadians some love for this one.)2. Follow the Co-hosts, and leave a comment so we will follow you back!
3. Follow the Featured Blogger, and leave a comment so they can follow you back!

get the InLinkz code

No Paper Project

2011-08-28T08:26:00.013-04:00

I have not printed anything since February 18th. I also have substantially reduced the amount of paper I use. I am doing this because I really do not see a need to use all that much paper. It wasn't that big of an adjustment either which I think make it a lot easier and has made me more successful.

So how am I doing it?

I take my computer to almost all my meetings where I need to share something with my colleagues. Whether it is a spreadsheet, word document or presentation I just bring it up on my computer and show it to them. If we aren't in a meeting room I just show them on my laptop screen or I will email it to them and then we review it at their desk.

I take notes on my BlackBerry. Oh how I love the Note feature. I can access it from my BlackBerry or from my laptop. I keep them organized by person or project and add in notes from meetings. I also use it for my to-do list and for things I want to talk to people about. Basically Notes has become my virtual Post It. I keep my grocery list, blog topic ideas, directions, my weekly 2011 in 2011 list in there. I used to have a notebook that I kept notes in and even though I originally focused on no printing I found it easy to drop using notebooks too.

I don't take handouts at meetings and I ask for it to be sent electronically instead. Yes this means that there is probably extra copies floating around but over time people have learned to not print a copy for me.

Whenever possible I ask for a receipt to not be printed prior to them asking me if I want my receipt. Because if you say no when they ask you this it doesn't really change your impact. They have already printed it and are just going to throw it away. If I don't have the option for it not to print then I take it home with me and shredded it and put it out with our recycling. EDIT - BPA can be found in some receipts so reduce your exposure as much as possible. Check out this post by Steph from Good Girl Gone Green for more information.

When traveling instead of printing documents I have them easily accessible on my BlackBerry and bring them up for the hotel as required. Sometimes you just have to ask if they will accept this instead of printing tickets, verification etc. You will be surprised how many people say yes!

I bank electronically and always ask if e-transfers are accepted instead of having to write a cheque. I also have signed up for epost and get my pay cheque, T4 and all but 2 bills electronically. When given the option I sign up for electronic newsletters vs a paper newsletter being sent to the house.

I don't do invites. I know this makes me seems like I'm not a cool/fun/whatever Mom but I am okay with that. I don't send paper invites for B's birthday. Instead I make and send an electronic invite. Oh you should see what I have in store for next year (yes I have thought about it already and no I won't forget about it by then - I have a Note about it!).

I don't use paper towels (at home). I made my own reusable towels for cleaning and then use newspaper for windows. I said (at home) because I find that 50% of the time I use paper towel in the washroom at work. I am not sure why when there is a hand dryer right there. I think I feel better about it because it is made from recycled content but I really need to start using the hand dryer more.

I'm really good at Paint. If someone asks me to drawn something to explain it I can simply just use my awesome Paint skillz and draw it electronically. No seriously.

Has any of this had an impact? Yes I believe it has. Not only am I reducing my impact but I have noticed others following suit. People come to meetings with me with electronic documents far more often than printed paper. Joe also uses the Notes feature on his BlackBerry so we can share lists (groceries, to do).

How much paper do you use? Have you thought about cutting back, if so what can you or do you do?

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