GREENMENDY

Who Knew?!

2011-12-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

So when I got married last year my husband and I decided not to get cable so we can save money and for the fact that we both got caught mindlessly watching it and getting addicted when we had it growing up.
Now it's just a few days past our first anniversary and looking back on the year, I am so thankful we don't have cable.

With my husband going to school, the time he does have at home is mostly spent on homework or hanging out with me when I'm not working. Without cable we have gotten a little hooked to DVD's of television shows like Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother and That 70's Show but my husband is pretty good at limiting how many episodes we watch in a night. Thank goodness, because I have no self control when it comes to that!

We have also played a lot more games together which is something we wouldn't usually do unless we had company, even though our linen closet has exploded with the amount of games in there. I had to find a new home for some of the games because between birthdays, Christmas and whatever gift giving event we end up in, we have run out of room in a fairly big closet! Percy has been dubbed the Pokemon Monopoly King and I am the Classic Monopoly Queen recently, I think he is still kicking my butt in cribbage though.

Right now I'm out of town house sitting of sorts and have access to satellite television with a PVR no less. Oy. I didn't really watch much of it the first bit, but I think I've watched about 6 movies in the past 2 days, and it's not like I watch a movie here and there in the day, no. The movies come right after the other! I realized last night how little I watch anything on the television at home compared to what I did in the past with cable because last night I had the most terrible headache part way into the, I think it was as least, fourth movie and it was half an hour from being over. I couldn't just go to bed without knowing how it ended and I am really not that PVR savvy to tape it.. well whatever the term is, you know what I mean.. and watch it in the morning. My headache just got worse that I was scared to cough because my head would just scream! Somehow I got myself to sleep and all was good come morning but wow, not doing that again!

Who knew?!

Planted

2011-05-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

To follow up on what I wrote about last week, we have finally planted our garden! Woohoo!
Check it out:

Gardening

2011-05-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Since moving to an apartment with a balcony that doesn't get a ton of sun, the plan was to possibly plant vegetable at my mom's this year. One of the things I miss is the fact that I can't have all the parsley, chives, green onions, garlic and mint readily at my disposal in my new home. My awesome mother-in-law did give us a beautiful planter (I think that's what their called) of daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and other pretty and colourful flowers that we have in the sunniest spot on our balcony. There is good news though! We put some green onions in a corner which has been really handy lately as I just go out on the balcony and snip what I need. Beyond that, friends of ours from church have let us use 2 garden boxes in their backyard in exchange for helping them with the harvest, turning the beds and some other upkeep chores.

The husband and I plan to grow carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, peas, celery, chard, strawberries, raspberries and maybe a sunflower or two. Hopefully we can find seeds or potted versions of all of these and get planting soon. I'll try to remember the camera to take a picture when we plant.

Seeing as May long weekend is coming up and I really need to get those vegetables in the garden I thought I would post this video I found which is kinda like a DIY thing which I liked but it also talks about local organizations which I really enjoyed.

Produce Bags

2011-05-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

When I go grocery shopping I have my cloth bags in hand for the check out, ready to go. Most of the time I just head for the produce section because we are good to go with everything else at home. I grab the veggies I need and put them straight in the basket. If my husband is shopping with me I don't get to do this so much because he doesn't like the chance of having broccoli florets go all over the place and what not. I don't put it straight in the basket to bug him because I can, I just do this to avoid the flimsy plastic bags that I have no alternative use for and that no matter what happens, I will have to throw them in the waste at some point where it will never fully break down, get into something I eat somehow and TA DA! I'm eating something that has not nutrition to give my body but guck, yuck!

I've heard that I am to to expect gifts for my wedding even after the day of and that a gift is not considered late until the day after the first anniversary. Sweet! As my husband and I had both never really moved out until we got married this was good news as we opened our gifts after our honeymoon and realized there were still things that we needed such as knives, a toilet brush, plunger, etc.

As we were starting to get settled in when we got back we got a few more gifts, one of which this post is really all about. Credo Bags! Credo Bags are reusable cloth bags for all types of shopping, be it produce, bulk, bread, etc. We were thoughtfully given some bulk and produce bags that we have been very pleased with. I believe my last few trips to the grocery store have been completely plastic free which has gotten me to be extremely excited, a little ridiculous but hey, it's exciting and a big part of getting us closer to being zero waste!

This awesome company is the first to make reusable mesh produce bags made in North America specifically, they are made in Montreal (Go Canada!), are made of cotton, hemp and bamboo, and they come in different sizes. When your heading out to the store, they fit super easy in a purse (I usually put them in my shopping bag which in turn I put in my purse).

Do you use the plastic bags for your produce? If not, what do you do?

Prince Charles

2011-05-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

With the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton not too long ago I thought I would post a video of what Prince Charles had to say about "What Makes Farming Sustainable" to go with the royal feel of things lately.

Plastic Planet

2011-04-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

My mom sent me this video the other day so I thought I would share.

My Birthday!

2011-04-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

YAY! I had a birthday but not on any random day, it was April Fool's Day!!

This year was my first birthday as a married women and it worked out that my husband didn't need to go to work, or school.. on a Friday! Not only was it a spectacular day because it was my husband could spend my birthday with me, but the gifts my husband got were pretty amazing and he even wrapped them in towels so I wouldn't have to take forever unwrapping my gifts. Usually when I unwrap gifts, I am super careful not to rip the paper so I can reuse it and wrap someone else's gift in it in the future. This year, except for one particular gift that is just more of a tradition, my husband got me gifts that were either environmentally friendly and/or more of a socially conscious.

The day started with purple blueberry pancakes, awesome presents, bringing a few boxes to the thrift store, buying 2 things each at the thrift store (I'm surprised I didn't come out with more), eating at my favorite local Thai restaurant, running our weekly kids program and ending off with yummy cheesecake at a very delicious restaurant that is another favorite of mine (we were there for around 4-6 hours on Valentines Day one year, I think we were in line for about 2-2 1/2 of those hours).

At this point my husband got worried that he did something wrong, they still looked purple!

Gifts beautifully wrapped with towels and safety pins

Mancala, a 2 player game made of bamboo with stone pieces

My first pair of TOMS!

With every pair of TOMS purchased, another pair goes to a child in need. In this case, being a consumer is helping others which I think is pretty awesome. Click here to learn more about TOMS.

Cleaning up after all the kids have gone home

Yummy cheesecake to end off the night
Clearly this is not me, but it was the only decent shot of the
delicious cheesecake we took apparently

All in all it was a wonderful birthday, I'm already curious as to what next year will hold! Thanks for checking in and sharing this special day with me via blog!

Deodorant

2011-04-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there is more than likely aluminum or aluminum compounds in your deodorant and antiperspirant?

Did you know that the aluminum in it closes pores, stopping sweat and odor from escaping the body which sounds like it's doing the job you want but is harming you instead?

When you put on deodorant, your body also absorbs and in some ways ingests it and whatever toxic properties the aluminum has. Aluminum compounds have been linked to some serious things such as Alzheimer's, brain disorders, and breast cancer. Great news for us, there are aluminum free deodorants out there now.

I bought an aluminum free one a few years ago but wasn't fond of it. I don't know if the scent I got just didn't mix with me well or what but I did not enjoy it, and I also didn't enjoy having a plastic thing to deal with once I finished it off. I also looked into the crystal deodorants but they were kinda expensive and I didn't want to pay for something I may not use in the end. Recently I went on a hunt around the inter-webs and figured out how to make my own deodorant without all the harmful stuff and plastic container. I was also looking for something that would help out with smell since that last deodorant I bought just seemed to make me smell worse. Smell really is a big thing for me, more than having sweaty armpits. At one point when I was just sick of that weird smelling deodorant, I just sprayed some body spray on my armpits before going out which helped me 1. Slowly help me rid myself of body spray I've owned for awhile 2. Worked for the smell aspect of things which was great.

A bit ago now I found the solution! There are only 3 ingredients that I use (some people add more to it), it helps me out smell wise and keeps me dry strangely! The first day I made and used this homemade deodorant I layered up and walked around on a cold windy day for a few hours, got home and was dry in the pits and smelled great! Usually when I do that walk I come home to toss my t-shirt and sometimes my sweater straight into the laundry hamper and hop into the shower.. it gets that bad! So with no further distractions, here is the amazing recipe:

Homemade Deodorant

8 Tbs. - Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup - Baking Soda

1/4 Cup - Arrowroot Powder

(You can use cornstarch but arrowroot is a more natural alternative)

Just mix it/press with the back of your spoon, all together until it looks like deodorant! This recipe makes about 8 oz.

What it looks like today after quite a few uses.
Sorry I have no picture of the process, I was home alone and it was a bit messy.

I've heard people put it in their old deodorant sticks, I just have mine in a jar and I use my fingers to apply it then use the leftovers as lotion of sorts for my hands.

Earth Hour March 26, 2011

2011-03-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Earth Hour in Victoria, I saw all these awesome things like flashlight tag in Beacon Hill Park and a candle-lit Delta Point Hotel serving earth themed cookies and milk while the staff read a Dr. Seuss book. I had a first-aid course that morning and not much sleep the night before so I thought I would miss all these exciting things to be a part of things symbolic event.

I did miss both listed, maybe next year or Earth Day.. but.. I did go on a great adventure!

I'm not proud of using 2 vehicles to get to our destination, but at least both vehicles were filled to capacity people-wise. My husband grew up where as a hobby he could just put on some grubby clothes, go into the backyard and make a fire pretty much whenever. Apparently you can't start fires whenever in the city.. especially when your "backyard" consists of a balcony that can fit maybe 6 people.. hmm.. now I want to test and see how many people we can fit out there..

Back to Earth Hour, some friends called us, and we called some family, there were lots of calls back and forth, I got lost part way through these calls, apparently my husband was to call foreign affairs then call our friend's secretary at the same number.. very confusing when you don't hear the other end of the conversation or even knowing if it was friend calling back or a stranger! After a confusing amount of time we hopped in the vehicles and out to Langford, on the way pulling over with our hazards and finding branches to roast marshmallows, picked up our smore supplies and headed to my uncle's where we made a small fire, some smores and the boys wrestled in the grass. As I was the only girl there, even though I had dressed in sweats and a flannel jacket for the adventure, I wasn't prepared to show off and take down all the guys so I headed inside for a bit.

Except for the use of vehicles and polluting the air with an unnecessary fire.. and eating some junk, I think it was a very successful Earth Hour.. more like hours for us but hey, it was nice to hang out out in nature. Lucky for us, it was a warm night.

What did you do for Earth Hour?

Pop Can Heating

2011-03-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

I realize my past few post have been videos and I really want to tell you about homemade deodorant I made recently, but I just keep coming across these awesome videos. Keep checking in for my results with the homemade deodorant!

This video was sorta funny to me since I came across something similar to this done by Reynolds Secondary a few weeks ago in the BC Green Games, just smaller. Another awesome thing about this is that a Newfoundlander invented it! Go Canada! Check it out and let me know what you think:

Changing Times and Consumerism

2011-03-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a sucker for more traditional things and times. Let's face it, I am trying to grow a collection of classic books by Shakespeare, Dickens, Bronte, Austin, etc. and really enjoy movies like Pride and Prejudice and the BBC version of Jane Eyre! I wish I lived in a time where the centerpiece of a living room wasn't a television but a piano or fireplace instead, where parties lasted days and many took turns on the piano instead of taking turns with game controllers or sitting on the couch instead of the floor to watch television.

I do own a television and my husband enjoys video games and when we do have "parties", there is usually a person on every controller playing Super Smash Bros. on the television, but once dinner is served (we really enjoy hosting potlucks) everyone eats, chats and then we end up playing Apples to Apples or another board game and spend the night enjoying everyone's company and learning more about our friends and those we are merely acquainted with. We personally don't drink or do drugs so nobody is under any influence and we can genuinely get to know each other and have great conversations which seems to be lacking a bit in our society with people hiding on social networks and keeping much of their social activity to that.

An interesting monologue of Craig Ferguson that I came across last week really caught my attention. I was going to write a little blurb about it but really suggest that you just watch it and tell me what you think.

Eat Local

2011-03-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

Plastic State of Mind

2011-02-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

While blog surfing and jumping around the internet this week looking for new recipes and things for my own home and blog I came across this parody that I thought was awesome!
Check it out and let me know what you think.

Green Cuisine

2011-02-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

I finally, after talking about it for a month or so now, went to eat at Green Cuisine! My sister, husband and friend Ozzy the Bookworm checked it out for an early dinner. I had passed by it one day while walking around downtown and was intrigued, and my sister had heard about a juice blend that she really wanted to try so off we went!

After seeing it downtown I proceeded to check out their website which seemed pretty snazzy. It's known as a vegetarian place but I believe they are now also 100% vegan. By the looks of their site I thought they were a restraunt with the option of a buffet. I was taken back a little when we got in and there was the buffet and the whole sit-down with a menu bit looked very unlikely. This was not going to ruin my chance to try this place out, so I grabbed a plate and led the way! I was feeling adventerous because I got to serve myself things I had never tried before, and a few things that I knew would be a safe bet that I could eat if the samples failed. There were signs above the food telling you what was in it, so I was cautiously adventerous and tried tempeh, a falafel, a cous cous salad and apple tamarind chutney for the first time! But of course, before putting the delicious things in my mouth, we had to pay. This is another thing that makes Green Cuisine a little different for I have only been to one other place that did this. When you get to the cashier, you put your plate of food, etc. onto a scale and you pay for it by weight! The one problem my husband had with this was that he was pretty sure they didn't recalibrate the scale and thinks we also paid the weight of the plate and bowls. I wasn't too concerned for our first time going there and he wanted a poutine from my sister's fairy fry mother anyways so we just paid for our food and sat down.

The food wasn't too shabby and I really appreciated that they had signs to tell you what was in everything. Many times that I've ordered something "new" at restraunts they don't always turn out as I had expected because I read the description and lets face it, that doesn't tell you all of what's in it.

I don't know quite yet if I would take family and friends who aren't all gung ho for yummy, healthy food and are huge meat eaters there at this point, but for those who are it would be another fun adventure. Though I think I'll pay a bit more attention to the cost next time.

One thing I forgot to mention is that they have awesome smoothies and a ton of them at that, so if anything, I'll be popping by on a walk downtown in the Summer just for one of those delicious treats.

Have you ever been to Green Cuisine before? What are your thoughts on the place and their food/drinks?

I Got Married!

2011-02-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I got to marry an awesome guy this past December and now I get to spend the rest of my life with him!

We were engaged for 6 months and got married 2 hours away from where we generally spend our weeks. I was determined from the beginning to get married in a way that would not cause such an impact on the environment and our guests and our hormones too much and this is a little bit of what we did:

The Wedding Dress: I must admit, I did go to a wedding shop and try on crazy expensive dress and they were beautiful, but that fact was that I would only wear it once, no matter what I told myself, and it would probably have to get shipped meaning pollution caused by a boat or an airplane, or even both! In the end I bought the 7th dress I tried which was found in at local consignment store for way less than a quarter of the price of another dress I had pondered! Awesome things:

             1) It was recycled

   2) It was $535

             3) It was before HST came in

             4) It fit like a glove and needed no
   alterations

   5) It was super pretty

             6) I don't feel bad taking this
   dress back to the consignment
                 store since it's from there

The Cake:   Originally we wanted cupcakes but due to the amount we needed and how we wanted them tiered we didn't think it would look as good as we though, also cupcakes have liners that would end up in the icky plastic garbage bag. We ended up doing a 3 tier round white cake with a buttercream frosting and bavarian cream filling as to avoid loads of sugar being ingested by us and our guests. It turned out super yummy, very moist, not too sweet and was decorated beautifully! We couldn't have asked for a better cake in the winter. Should we have had a summer wedding we totally would have loaded that thing with fruit though.

Wedding Favours: Another thing we had to change our minds about was the favours for our guests. At first we had talked about making homemade soap in the shape of ducks (I like cute ducks and Percy has gotten me rubber ducks for different things like Christmas, my birthday, etc..) When it came time to make the adorable things, we couldn't find a ducky mold for soap. Instead, we tried using a candy mold but our soap making skills was really what put a halt to our plans. In the end we went for candles in our wedding colours because lets face it, a candle can be useful and whatever was leftover many friends and family grabbed as many as they could, I think someone saved a few for us too. I wish the candles could have been made of beeswax or soy but we were cutting it super close to the wedding and those wonderful alternatives cost alot. Luckily the candles didn't have loads of packaging which was an awesome bonus.

The Reception Hall: We had a sit down dinner, buffet style. Instead of putting out tons of disposable stuff we rented things such as table cloths, napkins, cutlery, glasses, jugs, plates, bowls, etc.. .

The Food:
There are so many
perservatives and
yucky un-nameable things in foods these days and we really wanted a wedding that reflected us and that meant a good old potluck. We enjoy hosting potlucks as often as we can (I think we ended up doing it once a month for a good bit) so that's what we did in a way. We wrote down foods we really enjoyed and our wedding party, friends and family helped prepare everything that we had bought most of the food/supplies for. There was even homemade hot apple cider!

Bags with Baggage

2011-02-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

Plastic bags are everywhere, it doesn't matter what your shopping for! I don't need all these plastic bags, especially when I have no use for them after I get home and unload them. I have a giant plastic bag with plastic grocery bags in them that stare at me whenever I open the coat closet and I know that depending on how I dispose of them, they could end up in a landfill and never fully biodegrade no matter how many hundreds of years it takes because it is simply that, a plastic bag. The next best thing which I do if I get the choice, is to recycle them at the grocery store where they have a collection bin. I wonder what the recycled bags end up as after the recycling process...

Many people now have cloth bags, especially for grocery shopping, and most of the ones I see are those sold by the till at the grocery store. Even though I'm a fan of cloth bags over plastic bags, most of the bags sold up by the cashier look somewhat disposable, they are just so thin!

Since moving out due to a wonderful guy and I getting married (more on this in a later post), I have invested in some cotton and hemp bags (I purchased these at Hemp & Co. but you can most likely find them elsewhere, that store is just the closest to me) which I put in my purse or carry in 1 of the bags, whenever I go out and figure I will be doing shopping of any sort. After weekly grocery shopping I usually launder the bags or at least those that held meat, fruits or vegetables so I don't forget and only remember when they finally end up gross looking and crawling with bacteria. I've also gone to the mall with these bags. I get so excited when I get to say "no bag please, I'll just put it in the one I've got." There have been a few times that I've been on my way home and needed to pick something up and had no bag, in this case I just look a little silly (according to some others) and just carried everything home in my arms, purse or pocket, I feel so accomplished!

During the first month of being married, my husband (hehehe, I'm married!) and I shopped around for deals and to get a feel for which grocery store we would call ours. Only 1 of the many stores gave us a "bag refund" for every cloth bag we needed to use of our own. They paid us to bring our own bags! Awesome!

Now that we finally have cloth bags I don't feel terrible everytime I need to go get a ton of groceries for the week because now I'm not contributing so much to the giant pile of plastic that isn't going to biodegrade and will eventually get eaten and mess with the chemicals, etc. in my body due to my food being grown in soil/ water that plastic has "biodegraded" in.

What do you do, bag wise, when you shop for either groceries, clothes or both?

Food for Thought

2010-11-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

Watching television today there was an interview with the guy who plays Dwight on the show The Office.

Apparently him and his friends have a book now, based on a website they created that gets your mind turning on life's tough question and also gives challenges such as paying for the coffee of the stranger behind you at the coffee shop. I've checked it out a bit and thought I would share before I got engulfed and would forget to blog it. It just really shows me community and a coming together as well as being very up lifting and the challenges really remind me of November being the month of Random Acts of Kindness which I've always found inspiring and participate in unless I get way too shy.

Check it out for yourself and tell me what you think!

soulpancake.com

Luna Pads

2010-11-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

So back around the end of May, if you can recall, I wrote that I had just bought my very first Luna Pad.
Luna Pads is a company that sells primarily cloth pads for that lovely time of the month that can be a nuisance.

I admit, I was a little sketch at first. I was afraid of stains on the cloth pad and the possibility of someone seeing them should I not grab my stuff from the washer right away or should they see me hang drying for some reason. I was also afraid of leaking and discomfort.

So I bought one to see if all this worry was valid or if I was just afraid of trying something new. It turned out to be a pink cupcake design funny enough. It was easy to figure out how to put the liner on the pad and such so that was nice. After looking in the mirror (after hopping into my jeans) to see if it was noticeable or not, I almost forgot that I was wearing a pad! It was so comfortable compared to the plastic reminders of diapers I used to wear. Just to be clear, I'm talking about disposable pads.. not padded underwear for those who have weaker bladders.. I don't know what to call it, sorry..

Except for 1 month that I had forgotten where I put my little bag of pads after returning home, I've been using cloth pads ever since that first time in May. I am not really into pink and did not mind spending a little more to get organic cotton pads, so I bought more of the maxi pads and a pack of pantyliner's from Hemp & Company. I had disposable pads in the house still after buying the cupcake one so I used the cloth pads and the disposable ones and slowly figured out what I needed to buy. I usually bought 1 at a time and slowly completely changed over. I have a few disposable ones left (I had a ton around for some reason.. maybe a sale that day?) so I keep them in the cupboard if a friend is in need which has come in handy a few times already.

So, when I take off the pad, because I'm scared of stains, you know how when your soap is pretty much done and is in tiny little pieces that are kind of annoying to use? I keep a little container of all those pieces that I then use to kind of "erase" the lovely possibly future stains away after giving the pad a good rinse and a few wrings. I then put the pad with whatever is left still on it in a container I keep in the bathroom with some water and a little bit of laundry detergent. I change the water everyday, sometimes every time I throw another pad in there, until I'm done with the lot and am ready to throw it in the wash. I had a tiny stain once, but after washing it again after it got used again, the stain was gone! YAY!

If I know I have people coming over the day I wash my pads, sometimes I just toss them in the dryer, other times I'm lucky enough to have a room no one will go in so I can throw my drying rack up and pin them on.

Some crazy facts I found on the Luna Pad website:

On an individual level, each of the approximately 73 million menstruating women in North America will throw away 125 to 150kg or approximately 16,800 disposable pads or tampons in her lifetime.
Lunapads will last well over 5 years with recommended use and care, as opposed to 3 or 4 hours in the case of disposable products. While individual use may vary, we estimate that a single Lunapad replaces 120 disposable pads or tampons.
Disposable pads and tampons are made primarily of bleached kraft pulp or viscose rayon, the origin of which is wood cellulose from trees. What makes these products perform so effectively is the use of high tech chemicals such as super-absorbent acrylic polymers (SAPs) surfactant-laced gels and leak-proof plastic backings. The long-term health and environmental impact of these ingredients is contentious and largely unknown.

Do use cloth pads? Do you have any questions?

Clothing Swap

2010-11-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

My friend Alison over at Hospitality Haven wrote a sweet piece called Hosting a Clothing Swap of which I was a part of, I thought I would link you over to it and tell you a little bit about clothing swaps.

I first learnt about clothing swaps on Buy Nothing Day back in grade 9 or 10 and a few years ago I started hosting my own. The number of people only begins to grow and we usually have one every 6 months or so. I find that it's a great way to get rid of clothes that, I realized after buying them just don't work for me, don't fit me anymore or that I just don't wear (avoiding them unless all my other clothes need to get washed and there ain't no time for that). Sometimes I come away with more than I put in, other times I only grab maybe 1 outfit.

All in all it's a great way to reduce consumerism, plastic tags, the risk of getting a plastic bag should it be a spur of the moment buy and you actually need a bag for some reason and the emissions from having new clothes travel from place to place during production; reuse your friends clothes instead of having them sit in a closet forever and that bag you brought to the clothing swap by tossing more stuff in it; recycle at the end of the swap by donating it to you local thrift store by giving strangers a chance to reuse your clothing and accessories, helping them support a good cause (depending on your thrift store), pay those who work at the thrift store's wages so they can support themselves and their families, etc.

Clothing swaps are also a great reason to get together, share some stories and laughter and maybe even some food besides the clothes and accessories.

Have you ever hosted a clothing swap, been apart of one or going to host one now?

Time to Change Your Oil

2010-06-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have dry skin and until last Summer, my face had been crazy dry and red with eczema off and on for about a year or so. Most of the time I just used a wet face cloth to wipe off the daily dirt and put on a little moisturizer. Other times I have used whatever face wash gel, exfoliant or foam found in the family bathroom, and moisturized after. After reading about all the crazy chemicals that I cannot pronounce in most of the face washes and the nasty parabens in many moisturizers that seep into your bloodstream because it touched your skin, I had been trying to avoid using "stuff" to deal with my face. Blackheads started showing up and I was beginning to think I would lose the battle until I heard about the oil cleansing method.

I started with a mixture of 1 part castor oil and 1 part extra virgin olive oil. The fun part is that castor oil, when ingested, is considered a laxative and found with other laxatives at the pharmacy. What does the castor oil do on your face then?! It is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant so it draws out all the gross, nasty toxins, bacteria and whatever else made it into your pores. Essentially, this is going dry your face out, hence the olive oil! Olive oil has vitamin E and has been known to be an antioxidant and moisturizer for many years. Castor oil takes gross stuff out, olive oil puts good stuff in.

So here is how the method works:

- First I would start by mixing 1 part of castor oil and 1 part of extra virgin olive oil in a little jar, adjusting the oils according to your needs later (i.e. if it dries your face out, add more olive oil)

This is what my end product looked like:

- I shake the jar, put on my head band and begin my dipping 2 fingers from each hand in the jar and massaging it all over my face including eyelids, focusing on the nasty spots like my nose, chin and forehead. If there's friction, I usually grab some more oil. I tend to take my time in massage the oil in for about 3-5 minutes.

- Next I grab a thick face cloth and get the whole thing wet with the hottest water I can stand, ring it out and drape it over my face to steam until the cloth gets cold. Personally I do this twice, but feel free to do it more.

- After the last steaming I use the cloth to wipe off the excess oil from my face and voila! A clean face!
If you have any random little dry spots, just dab on a touch of that lovely olive oil until you get the mixture right for your unique skin.

What happened when I did it:

The first time I used the method seemed to go alright. I got a bit of oil under my jaw line and it felt a little itchy at first, so now I just make sure it doesn't go under that jaw line. Another thing was when I looked in the mirror after, it was a little red on the mask of my face, closest to my nose but it disappeared pretty quickly and it didn't feel irritated.

The second time and almost every other time since, I've showered then done the OCM as my hair dried in that turban like thing it seems all females can do with their towels. After rubbing the oil in for awhile I could feel stuff other than oil on my fingers. When I looked, it was like a grain of salt or sugar. Wiping that little thing off and continuing, there seemed to be more! The result? I believe it was the gunk in my face! Looking in the mirror after, my face looked clearer of those nasty black heads and what not surrounding my nose and mask.

Today I've used the OCM once every 2 or 3 days and have done it about half a dozen or more times. I haven't needed to use any moisturizers on my face, or any other face washing products. I also haven't noticed my face feeling or looking oily at all. I plan to continue washing my face with this method for years to come.

The only reason you may see me blog about it again is if something bad happens, but the chances of that are extremely slim so try it for yourself and tell me what you think! What combination of oils worked best for you? Was it the 50 -50? Did you replace the olive oil with something else?

Green Thumb

2010-06-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

I've lived in this house for over 10 years and went in and out of phases with the beast of a garden we had. I enjoyed weeding and taking care of the flowers so what's with the phases? Spiders. I don't like spiders. I'm alright with seeing the creature but I won't let it get close to the point that it might all of a sudden run and climb up on me somehow. I am not a fan.

At one point, pretty much the whole garden was turned over and the only green you saw was the grass the garden and cement surrounded. I planted marigolds, daffodils, tulips, pansies, snap dragons and whatever other seeds were lying around the house. The blackberry bush always found its way back to attack our garden but here and there you could find a few daffodils or tulips come up and the rose bush that we somehow haven't killed due to neglect. We also have apple mint that we thought were weeds way back when, but kept them because they smelt good, good thing they smelt good!

This past September my wonderful boyfriend moved to Victoria for school and has been helping with the garden as I was not in the phase again yet. The blackberry bush was destroyed, the bushes trimmed back and the weeds were shaking at the roots when he stepped near. Isn't he amazing? Sometime in March one of us, I'm not sure who, decided to make a bit of a vegetable garden. At first we were thinking just herbs but well.. I got excited and we had seeds in the basement, so why not grow more? So we prepared the area of the garden that got most of the sunlight, which is this little spot here:

Cute eh? The lighter patch of dirt on the left is where we had already planted cloves of garlic from the kitchen to see if they would actually grow. The only plant in the picture is a rose bush that was found hiding in the blackberry bush! I had no idea it was there! Here's a picture on the same day, after we planted our carrot and parsley seeds:

See where those 3 rocks are in front of the rose bush? That there is 3 rows of curled parsley, and to the right of that smaller stick divider are rows of carrots! My boyfriend found 2 acorns so the 2 little pots on the left are his attempts at acorn trees. So far nothing has changed in the pots that we know of.

I felt like a little kid whenever I walked past and saw something green in our little veggie area! It's been a little over 2 months and I still get giddy! Here's a peak at what it looks like today:

Today we have chives, garlic, green onions, sunflowers, lemon balm, parsley, chammomile, 4 rows of carrots and in another part of the garden we have apple mint!

What do you have in your garden? Do you have any tips or questions? It would be awesome to hear from you!

Hemp & Co.

2010-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Back in March I wrote my first post on Farmer's Markets and in the beginning of it I wrote about my stroll and finding that poster. Now I'm going to reveal something else I found that day. Hemp & Company.

It has been in my neighborhood for awhile, but I had never actually gone in before that day. It was so exciting!!! They have clothes, accessories, yummy things to eat, stuff you would need/find in your bathroom, cleaning products and jute net bags for produce all in a cute little store. Mind you, I haven't been to the one downtown just yet, but that day will come. What makes Hemp & Co. so awesome is how involved they are in the community, how friendly and wonderful their staff are everytime I've gone in, the hemp and organic cotton blended clothes they manfacture come from Vancouver, BC and they have sustainability in mind.

This company specializes in selling environmentally sustainable products that are well known for their effective use of land and water resource and are part of the Green Collective in Victoria which is a collaboration of eco-friendly, organic and socially responsible products and services in the area.

Today I bought (boys look away for the rest of this paragraph!) cloth pads for those times of the month. They had two types there: Luna Pads and Moon Pads. If I remember correctly, the Moon Pads there are made locally and are the envelope kind and the Luna Pads of which I bought, you can switch out the liner without taking off the whole thing. They also have Diva Cups which is the more eco-friendly alternative to a tampon but I was a little scared to try it. Maybe in a few years...? To say the least, I will go into further detail with my experience with the Luna Pads, etc. in another post in the near future. Keep an eye out for it!

If your not needing to buy anything, I find it eye-opening to see the alternative options we actually have these days. There are some things I had used in the past that I never really even thought about looking up if there was a more sustainable way or not until I saw the alternative somewhere and realized, wow.. there is a better way! Check it out, and if your a student, make sure you ask for the student discount that they offer and save some money for the next time.

Have you been to Hemp & Co. before? What did you get? Would you buy it again?

Farmers Markets -- Update

2010-05-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have previously written about Farmer's Markets and their location and I was finally home for a weekend to check out the closest ones with some awesome folk. We were so disappointed! The ones we checked out weren't there! It was a Saturday so we went to the one at the Dockside Green and just found a lot of people at the bakery/coffee shop there (Fol Epi) hanging out (which we want to check out another day, it looked so good!). We also checked out the one on Hillside Ave. at the Food Roots Warehouse and it was just terribly awkward. There was a couple there whom I believe was making a purchase, but when we got there we felt like ghosts! There was no acknowledgement that we were there, there was no "hello" and what was put out were spices that I didn't need. I have no idea if were supposed to check out the refrigerators or what was to happen, and because of the epic fail from our first market search, we just left the tension filled warehouse.

I came across another website in my distress that seems more recent (the list is smaller), and family of mine go to one of the markets often meaning it's actually there and thriving. You may need to check out my last post on famers markets for some specific times but never the less, here is an updated list:

Sunday:

Metchosin Farmer's Market (Metchosin)

Open May 9, 2010 - October 31, 2010
4450 Happy Valley Road (Behind firehall)
11:00am - 2:00pm

Wednesday:

Esquimalt Community Market (Esquimalt)
Open from mid-May to the end of September
Town Square (behind the Municipal Hall and Library)
5:00pm - 8:00pm

Mayfair Market (Victoria)

Colwood Farmer's Market (Colwood)

Thursday:

Sidney Summer Market (Sidney)

Open from June 3rd to August 26th
Beacon Ave. in Downtown Sidney (Between First and Fifth streets)
5:00pm - 8:30pm

Bastion Square Farm Market (Island Chef Collaborative)

Open from June through late September
Bastion Square in Downtown Victoria (Between Wharf and Government)
10:00am - 5:00pm

Friday:

Bastion Square Farm Market (Island Chef Collaborative)

Open from June through late September
Bastion Square in Downtown Victoria (Between Wharf and Government)
10:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday:

Peninsula Country Market (Central Saanich)

Open from June 5th - October 9th
The Saanich Fairgrounds - 1528 Stelly's Cross Road
9:00am - 1:00pm

North Saanich Farm Market (North Saanich)

Open from June 6th - October 10th
St. John's United Church - 10990 West Saanich Road (Opposite Deep Cove School)
9:30am - 12:30pm

Moss Street Farmer's Market (Victoria)

Open from the first Saturday in May to the last Saturday in October
Sir James Douglas Elementary School - 401 Moss Street
10:00am - 2:00pm

Goldstream Station Market (Langford)

Open from May 30th - October 17th
On Bryn Maur Road in downtown Langford (off Goldstream Ave. across from Western Foods)
10:00am - 2:00pm

If you end up checking one of these out and they aren't there, let me know.. or if they are there, check back here and tell me what they had and your experience as I will for you!

Recycling Paid Wedding

2010-04-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

I found this today and thought I would share. A couple in Calgary, Alberta is funding their wedding by recycled bottles and cans alone! Sweet! The only thing I don't understand is the whole destination wedding part because of air travel polluting the air, etc. but they may have reasons that didn't need to be shared so I hope they have an awesome wedding.

Check out the story for more about how they hope to make their wedding more about giving than taking, and their enviromental plans for the future as a married couple here then come back and share your thoughts on what they are doing, what you would do different, or ideas in general.

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day!

Today we are celebrating our 40th Earth Day in Canada! So what does this mean? This means that today we will focus on things we can do to be environmentally friendly and who's doing what distinguishing them from not so sustainable and eco-friendly stores, etc., and maybe thinking and doing more "green" things for the day that we don't normally do, kinda like Valentines day focuses on loved ones and all that jazz.

Not realizing it was the day before Earth Day, a wonderful friend and I celebrated yesterday. We walked from my place to downtown and walked up a street checking out only the cute shops that happened to be eco-friendly, sustainable, etc. There were more stores than I had originally thought! Many of them were home-made soap/body stuff shops and the rest seemed to be clothing. We also checked out a Hip Baby even though neither or us are pregnant or going to be pregnant anytime too soon and also one of my favorite places of the day: Wild Coffee & Bistro.

I'm not a coffee person, but the friend I went with is and she recommended it so off we went! Outside there was a sign for smoothies so we both ordered a different one. While we were still outside, I remember asking her if they had glasses or mugs they could put our drinks in so I wouldn't have to use a plastic cup and when we got in I had a huge grin on my face! Their to-go cups were compostable!!!! What's more, pretty much everything is homemade, they buy local as much as possible, the staff is wonderful, they have a compost and recycling bin, and probably more great things that I'm just out of the loop on.

Another favorite of the day was Salt Spring Island Soapworks in which I have so much to say that I'll have to leave that to another post for another day. For now I will say that the wonderful gal working in there that day was pure awesome and so full of joy that I want to go back just because of her, if not for the other great things in the shop.

To finish off the great day we had, we made dinner at my place and did some gardening at the church in the dark, which didn't last long due to the fact that well, it was dark, but we did get some work done.

Even though I am spending my actual Earth Day walking to and from the grocery store today and baking a cake, there are so many sweet things happening for Earth Day all around our country, and the world! What are you doing or what did you do for Earth Day 2010? Was it a one-time thing, or will it be something entering your daily routine?

Eco-Dairy

2010-04-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

So I was checking out the Green Living blog the other day and found this really sweet post about something happening just over the water. Check it out!

Being green used to mean just purchasing organic or local as much as possible. However as our green knowledge evolves, we find ourselves looking deeper into the practices of our organic farmers. Terms such as “biodynamic farming” and “LEED certified” greenhouses are becoming part of our vernacular and we look to our local farmers to go beyond our “organic” expectations.

I was excited to learn about the Bakerview Dairy in Abbotsford, BC. Why? It is the first Canadian Eco-Dairy. The farm is still being constructed and will open to the public around June of this year. It will include such eco initiatives as milking machines that use less water and energy than traditional machines. The cows will also have free range, coming in and out of their barn as they chose and even choosing when they wish to be milked.

The farm also boasts a few other "green" innovations, including Canada's first on-farm anaerobic digester. I was not sure what this was either, don’t worry. It is a machine that takes the cow's manure, heats it, converts it to gas and uses the energy to power lights and heat. The machine, funded in part through government grants, will be installed by July.

Rainwater is also collected from one of the barn's roofs for use on the farm, plus a natural ventilation system keeps the air fresh.

Once all systems are up and running in June, the farm looks to open up a farmers’ market where their milk and cheese will be sold alongside other traditional market fare. There is opportunity for tours of the facility, and you will even be able to watch the cows being milked. The goal of the property is to showcase green innovations, says their marketing manager Tanya Curtis.

Awesome right?! I thoroughly enjoy the fact that they will be using things that they'll already have such as manure for gas to make energy to power things that they need and collecting the rainwater that naturally comes and using that as well.

What do you think about our first Eco-Dairy? Do you think you'll go check it out?

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-04-13T03:04:00.000-07:00

The 5th episode airs this week and I've watched it pretty much from the beginning! Pretty much, a chef (Jamie Oliver) from the UK goes to Huntington, West Virginia in the USA to start a Food Revolution. I realize it's a little different in Canada but there is always something to be aware of, learn about and support.

On the 2009 report done by the Conference Board of Canada, this was found:

"Lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and poor eating habits are responsible for the high prevalence of chronic diseases in developed countries, particularly the U.S. and Canada. Over 67 per cent of Americans and 47 per cent of Canadians are overweight or obese (with a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or over). Both countries have high mortality rates due to diabetes, and most diabetes cases are type 2—an adult-onset disease that is affected by diet and physical activity."

Canada rated 10th where the United States placed last at 16 on the health report, showing we still have a lot to work on.

We have gotten busier, stressed out, money gets tight, and a list of more reasons and excuses that fast food joints and junk food, etc. companies are prospering to our own demise! Why is it that when you want a snack you head straight for the potatoe chips, or when you have a party you buy pop, chips and pizza? I did it because it was cheaper, easier and generic so nobody should be complaining. As much as I enjoy these preserved, sugar filled goodies, there was a point where I had workshops for choir, a party at school, a few birthday parties to go to and my mom didn't want to cook that I got bored, felt like junk and didn't have as much of an appetite for the stuff anymore. As one of my high school math teachers explained some equation in his philosophical way "Input equals output, so if you eat healthy, you'll poo and feel healthy; if you eat junk, you'll be plugged up, or runny and feel like junk."

My solutions: On Your Own

Cut up some veggies as soon as you get home from the store and toss them in the fridge for when you've got the need to munch.

Don't buy the junk! If your out and about and want a snack, find the nearest grocery store and buy and apple for way under half the cost. If your not close to a grocery store your probably in a mall of sorts so get a salad or bran muffin.

Carry a stainless steel water bottle with you or find a tap to drink out of. (It's handy being a gal with a purse at times like this)

With Others

For a big party, make it a potluck! Theme it, organize who brings what sort of dish or just see who shows up with what and laugh about it if it fails. I hosted a potluck at my house every month for 4 consecutive months in the past and one particular friend always brought either macaroni & cheese, or he would switch it up for mashed potatoes while everyone else brought something a little more adventurous. It feels like more of a community thing and the food seems more important and valued.

Smaller get-together? Bake some cookies, cut up some fruit and buy some yogurt for dip, cut up some veggies and put out your favorite dip.. or the one your willing to share, put out a jar of pickles, make simple sandwhiches or make it an appetizer/dessert potluck.

You may think I'm missing drinks but I'm not, well, not completely. Have jugs of tap water! It's amazingly cheap in this wonderful country and so much better for you than liquid sugar. If your not fond of this idea or want to change it up, make some punch and throw in some berries.

I don't think I can really completely explain this awesome Food Revolution to you so I invite you to listen/watch Jamie Oliver's TED Award speech below and check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Trailer.

It really is an amazing thing that he's doing and I encourage you to watch the series. The show airs Friday nights at 9pm on A channel and Komo (channels 12 and 16 in Greater Victoria). If you can't watch it the night it airs like me, watch it online. One way or another, check it out. It's our future that it talks about.

What are your thoughts on the show? What are your thoughts on Jamie's speech? Do you have any healthy eating habit suggestions, etc.?

Klean Water

2010-04-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

I recently celebrated my 20th birthday on April Fool's Day. I wonder what was going through my mom's head when she realized what day she gave birth on. I had an amazing day filled with TONS of cake, more than 3 if I can recall, but most importantly, it was filled with friends from the start of the day, well into the next morning. Now, your probably thinking "what a party animal!" but I will tell you now, I do not drink alcohol. When I have in the past, it's only been one glass at a time and each were maybe even months apart. That is a tangent I may write about another day. I seem to get side-tracked a lot when telling stories, etc. bear with me.

For this glorious birthday I recieved my first ever stainless steel water bottle which I had been starting to check out prices on prior to! This particular water bottle is made by Klean Kanteen of whom is the original maker of stainless steel water bottles. They are based out of California and their bottles are manufactured in China. You may be wondering about the whole China thing right now as I was and let me ease your shoulders down a bit. Here is an excerpt from their Responsibly Made page:

"...after much time and research into manufacturing options, we found that by making Klean Kanteens® in China we could provide a handcrafted product of exceptional quality at a reasonable price while ensuring the environmental and fair labor standards we require."

So why was I so excited to get a stainless steel water bottle?

24% of the bottled water on the market is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi (Fast Company, December, 2007)

In 1976, the average American drank 1.6 gallons of bottled water a year. In 2007, that number had increased to an average of 28.3 gallons per person. (Fast Company, December, 2007)

Americans throw out 38 billion empty water bottles a year, more than $1 billion worth of plastic. (Fast Company, December, 2007)

In the U.S. alone, more than 24 billion pounds of plastic packaging is produced every year. Most of that packaging is designed for single usage, meaning it’s designed to be thrown out as soon as that package is opened. (Surfrider Foundation)

The production of plastic amounts for 20,000 tonnes of plastic polymer derived from non-renewable resources.

1,000 of chemicals are used to manufacture virtually all the products used by our children, including BPA, an endocrine system disrupter.

Epoxy resins containing BPA are used to coat the inside of food and beverage cans, as well as aluminum water bottles not made from stainless steel. (Klean Kanteen)

In April 2008, Canada announced its intent to ban the import, sale and advertisement of baby bottles containing BPA.

Bottled water is less regulated than tap and costs about 2000 times more than tap water. (The Story of Bottled Water)

Crazy right?! I don't want gross chemicals in the stuff I drink. I don't want to pay for something I get basically for free from pretty much any tap. When I end up having kids, I don't want them to already have BPA in their system while their still in the womb! Why should I be lazy and greedy, especially when other parts of the world don't even have clean water?! We are so blessed to live in a place where clean water is at our finger tips!

I haven't been able to find too much information about other brands, but Klean Kanteen water bottles are made from high quality, 18/8, food-grade stainless steel for the bottles and the choice between BPA-free polypropylene (pp#5) or stainless steel for the caps. Quality stainless steel doesn't need a liner like aluminum bottles, so it doesn't retain flavors or make drinks taste funky. Pretty sweet. They also have insulated ones now that can be used for hot drinks/hot food!

You can buy a Klean Kanteen water bottle at London Drugs, House of Knives, Valhalla Pure Outfitters and other places of course. Use the site's store locator to find a store close to you.

This company has a lot to say about sustainablity, BPA and a bunch of other things and links, I would recommend you check out their site.

Also, if you would like to learn more about bottled water, check out The Story of Bottled Water

Recycline Razors

2010-04-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

I've been looking into razors for a bit now. What are you supposed to do with them when your done? Why is it disposable razors have only a few life of shaves to them? I find non-disposable razors to be expensive and disposable ones rust quickly.. though, I guess I could have put them in a cupboard or something and dried them off after using them, but then I forget and well, it's kinda inconvenient. Annoying eh? Convenience has made us greedy and a very consuming, angry society. Some things have been awesome, and others we took too far.

Back to my exciting discovery! I think the company is called Preserve now, but when I first looked them up they were called Recycline. They have a few sweet things but let us focus on razors today. I bought mine at Lifestyles Market where I was browsing though and came upon a few things I've been looking up recently. Their Double Razors only came in packs of 4, but it was cheaper than buying 1 Triple Razor so I bought the pack of 4 and a pack of 4 Triple Razor Replacement Blades which I'm 99% sure works on the handle of the double. Due to the fact that you can change the blades I sold the 3 extra razors and blades to friends of mine who wanted to try them out too.

So what exactly is so great about these razors you ask?

"We at [Preserve Products] make our products out of recycled #5 plastic that can then in turn be recycled. We keep our packaging simple, and we limit carbon emissions by streamlining transportation and manufacturing."

Preserve also has a "Gimme 5 Program" where you can give your #5 plastics to them so they can make razors, toothbrushes, etc. This includes the razors and toothbrushes you bought from them! Sadly, this is in the U.S.A. and not Canada, meaning we don't have cool bins to drop our #5's in for them, but we can mail it to them after saving up a few, or our recycling program actually takes #5's which is highly possible. Will look into it.

I've used my Double Razor twice now and so far so good. I haven't cut myself, and if I did, I did not notice.
I've e-mailed the company about the razor heads and whether or not they take those aswell as the handles and will post again or comment when I hear back. As for the handle, I don't think I'll ever need to get rid of it but if I do, I can recycle it.

Farmers Markets Victoria BC

2010-03-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today I took a stroll with a friend and checked out some sweet local shops. Some I've been in and out of over the years, and some that I've never set foot in. I had so many wonderful findings I would like to share with you! Sadly, I will have to wait until after the weekend to fill you in on all the great things I'm jumping for joy about, but I figured I had time to type up a little something for you before I left.

I was opening the door to a shop when I looked over to see a poster in the window telling me when and where a local farmer's market was! I didn't even know these existed in my area of the city, so I remembered to look up the location, etc. when I got home and I got loaded with some sweet info. What an awesome way to contribute to your community, get to know some neighbors, get some awesome food and know that your food didn't travel overseas in a ship or a plane!

Here are days, times, and places of local farmer's markets:
Tuesday

-Fernwood Community Market
4:30 - 8:30pm
Fernwood Square

-Centennial Square
Noon - 5pm
Pandora Ave

Wednesdays

-Colwood Farmers' Market
June 3rd - Sep 30th
4:00 - 7:00pm
1767 Island Hwy (between Juan de Fuca Library and The Recreation Centre)

-View Royal Market
3:00 - 7:00pm
View Royal Community Hall
279 Old Island Hwy.

-Esquimalt Community Market
5:00 - 8:00pm
Town Square (behind the municipal hall by the library)

-Mayfair Market
4:00 - 8:00pm
3417 Douglas St. (middle parking lot)

-Humboldt Valley
Noon - 3:00pm
784 Humboldt (on the plaza by Cafe Mela)

Thursdays

-Sidney Summer Market
5:30 - 8:30pm
Beacon Ave (Closed to traffic)

-Island Chef's Collaborative Market
10:00 - 5:00pm
   Bastion Square

-Centennial Square
Noon - 5:00pm
Pandora Ave.

-Gordon Head
3:00 - 6:00pm
1806 San Juan (at St. Dunstan Anglican Church)

-Estevan Village
3:00 - 6:00pm
(corner of Estevan and Musgrave)

Fridays

-Chefs only Market
(Starting June 12th)
8:00 - Noon
625 Hillside Ave. (FoodRoots warehouse)

-Island Chef's Collaborative Market
10:00 - 5:00pm
Bastion Square

Saturdays

-Vic West Market
10:00 - 2:00pm
Craigflower Rd and Raynor Ave (Rayne or Shine Community Garden)

-Quadra Qillage Farmer's Market
10:30am - 3:00pm
Kings Rd and Quadra St.

-Gorge/Tillicum Market
9:30am - 2:00pm
Pearkes Arena (outside)

-Moss Street Market
10:00am - 2:00pm
Sir James Douglas Elementary School grounds
401 Moss St.

-Reynolds High School Market
4th Saturday of each month
9:30 - 1:00pm
Reynolds High School
3963 Borden St.

- Strawberry Vale Market
   9:30am - 2:00pm
Outside Strawberry Vale Community Hall
11 High St.

-Goldstream Station Market
May 30th - Oct. 17th
10:00am - 2:00pm
Bryn Maur Road, Langford
Phone: 250-507-5767

-Sooke Country Market
   10:00am - 2:00pm
   2047 Otter Point Rd.

-Peninsula Country Market
9:00am - 1:00pm
Saanich Fairgrounds
1528 Stelly's Cross Rd.

-James Bay Community Market
9:00am - 3:00pm
Corner of Menzies St. and Superior St.

-Dockside Green
9:00am - 1:00pm
398 Harbour Rd. (beside Fol Epi Bakery

-Warehouse Market
10:00am - 2:00pm
625 Hillside Ave. (FootRoots warehouse)

Sundays

Metchosin Farmers' Market
Open from May to October
11:00am - 2:00pm
Metchosin Municipal Grounds (behind the Fire Hall)
4450 Happy Valley Rd.

Contact: Michelle Simmonds
Phone: 250-478-4503
E-mail: metchosinfarmersmarket@hotmail.com


Highlands Market at the Caleb Pike Homestead
Last Sunday of the month
10:00am - 2:00pm
1589 Millstream Rd

Have you ever been to one of these farmer's markets? Do you know of more that what I have written? Let me know of your experiences or of more locations! I can't do this alone ;)

Earth Hour 2010 March 27 8:30pm

2010-03-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

"Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.
Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet."

After reading this, some of you are all in and excited, some not excited at all, and the rest, excited but don't know what your going to do in the dark for an hour. So I came up with ideas for those whose participation in this amazing event depends on if they can find something to do for an hour in the dark, and those who are just curious or that will be reading this post from top to bottom.

By yourself:

-Take a bubble bath with those rubber ducks and some candles
-Read by candle light
-Randomly grab clothes and whatever else you can find in your home, put them on and see what you look like after an hour
-Take a nap
-Check out the stars with some tea and a blanket
-Play an intrument
-Give up after a minute or so and find some friends to hang out with

With others:

-Play sardines
-Board/card games by candle light
-Have a jam session with acoustics
-Shadow puppets by candle light
-Someone hide a glowstick in a large room and everyone else searches for it.
-Story time, can't see? Make it up!
-Eat dinner by candle light

What will you be doing for Earth Hour 2010? Any suggestions for others?

Whatever you do, be careful with those candles!! This is a wonderous occassion, let's not spoil it with having to call 911.

Cleaning Out The Closet

2010-03-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know, Canadians generally spend more time shopping than participating in church related activities or sports and recreation? Also, an average of 7 kilograms of textile waste per person sits in landfills each year!

I don't like shopping. I'm the kind of shopper who does a quick peek while walking by, and if there's any potential of me buying anything from that store, I do a speed-walk in and out unless something catches my eye (be it price or style). I usually know what I'm looking for, be it a simple pair of jeans, or a modest, girl-fitting t-shirt that doesn't hug me like spandex but isn't as loose as the average t-shirt. Another thing I look at is the price. I am so cheap, not because I have to be I would think, but because I want to live life covered up and I don't want to worry so much about a bench I want to sit on getting my jeans dirty. What's the point of buying clothes if your scared to wear them?

While in high school, a friend informed me of a clothing swap happening outside the school theatre. I was intrigued, free clothes?! The idea was to bring clothes to the swap that didn't fit you anymore, you weren't into anymore, or clothes that over the years you realized you just don't wear. At the clothing swap, you dump your stuff into a pile then start looking through other piles for to stuff to try on and take home. No money involved, how much cheaper can you get?!

I began bringing this idea home a few years after. It started with a friend and our mom's and my sister throwing clothes in, and we all left with something, so I believe it to be a success. The next time we had more friends stop by with clothes to give and take, having a potluck and games to go with the night of shopping and socializing. After everything has been cleaned up from the wonderful night before, I bag up the clothes and donate them to the thrift store.

My favorite part about these clothing swaps, besides the socializing, gaining of clothes and cleaning out my wardrobe, is the fact that nothing new has to be manufactured. Why support big corporations and their machines, etc. to buy new clothes when there are thrift stores and friends closets full of gently worn, or still price tagged clothes that people thought they liked, but realized otherwise when they got home and never bothered returning.

Have you ever thought about what the item you bought went through before reaching the store? It was driven there, so whatever chemicals and such go into maintaining and running a big semi-truck, it may have been shipped after being produced from elsewhere, so whatever goes in and out of running a big ship, and depending on the product, lets say it's clothing, the material had to be grown, meaning pesticides, machines and more yucky stuff in our air.

I'm not saying that I've stopped buying new clothes. Now I try having a clothing swap when needed, checking out a thrift store or two, or checking out a locally owned shop. I still buy new underwear whenever I do, but for the most part, my clothes are all second hand save for the ones I bought with a gift card I got for Christmas. I've also started looking at labels much more to see where things are made and what they are made of. Is the material I'm buying sustainable and renewable? How far did it travel to get here?

Do you have any tips to share? Have you ever had a clothing swap? How did it go?

Happiness

2010-03-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

"People are working harder and harder to amass more money and material wealth, yet the evidence is clear that this is a fool's quest, providing little or no additional happiness while undermining the very qualities that make life worthwhile. American happiness has declined since 1957, despite people earning more than twice as much money (in real terms). It's no coincidence that since 1957 the divorce rate has doubled, the suicide rate has more than doubled, and the mental illness has skyrocketed. Social scientists confirm what many people already intuitively understand: happiness comes not from money but from relationships, community, trust, and having a sense of purpose in life."

Exerpt from Page 141 of David Suzuki's Green Guide

That's Not Soap, That's My Shampoo!

2010-03-24T01:53:00.000-07:00

I worked at a Summer camp this past Summer where I needed to travel and move between cabins often. In the past, I did jobs at the camp where I stayed in the same room and used the same bathroom for the two months, leaving my toiletries in the same place without a second thought. With traveling, I realized I need to pack as light as possible, and my big shampoo and conditioner bottles weren't going to make the cut.

I ended up heading over to Lush and bought a solid bar of shampoo, and a solid bar of Jungle conditioner. If I didn't know any better, I would have mistaken them for bars of soap! I tried them out before I left for camp and I must say, it was slightly awkward figuring out how to use them at first but I enjoy Lush and what they stand for so I gave it a go.

With the shampoo, I have been using two methods.

1) Lather in my hand as I would soap, then run it through my hair
2) Use the bar and slide it against my hair from root to tip, somewhat like how people would sharpen straight edged razors back in the day.

I utterly and completely enjoy the shampoo! I also have a tin for it so it doesn't get showered on all the time by others which may be an extra bonus.

With the conditioner, I used step 2 of what I did with the shampoo, which seemed to work before I forgot my conditioner in the car with the hot sun. After the lovely melt and being saved, it came back to solid form.... just in pieces.. so what I've been doing as of late is putting a little water in my hand, squishing a peice or two so it becomes kinda like a paste of sorts, then running that through my hair. I've found the conditioner somewhat successful, which was sweet because it smells so wonderful! My only issue really is that I got mats in my hair on the hidden layer a few inches from the nape of my neck. This could be my fault due to the car incident, or just the fact that I have really thick and very long hair.

PROS of using solid bars:   Very little, if any, packaging
                                         No preservatives
                                         No gross chemicals
                                         No build up/residue
   No plastic
                                         Smells great
                                         Gets my hair clean

CONS of using solid bars: It can get mushy like soap if sitting in water
                                        Takes a touch more time
                                        Conditioner did not fix problem tangle spots (did I use enough conditioner?)

I think I will be trying out Lush's non-solid conditioners when I finish up with the bar I have now. For the shampoo? I hope to only ever have the bar form from here on out! It smells great, its so compact and I'm not needing to buy any plastic or chemicals along with it. Pretty much, my hair gets clean in an environmentally and sustainable, friendly way.

Have you tried out bar shampoo or conditioner before? Would you be willing to try it? What have your experiences been?

Buffalo Recycled Laundry Soap

2010-03-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

A family member of mine works at a organic whole foods, something or other, distubution company, and brings home things to try often. I have eczema, so I can't use many of the commercial laundry deteregents. Recently, I have been on the hunt for a powdered laundry deteregent (so no plastic is even needed in the first place) that isn't harmful to the environment, my skin, that doesn't build up on my clothes over time, doesn't have any gross chemicals and that actually cleans my clothes.

Low and behold, this family member brought me Buffalo Recycled Laundry Soap!! I was so excited! The only things I've found wrong with it is that
1) It's in a plastic package and
2) I can't just toss it with a cold water load.

My solution? Sadly, haven't thought of one for the packaging issue, but I did find one for the cold water issue. Dissolve the powder for the load in a bit of hot water, then just throw it in :) This way I can have a cup of tea, not waste a ton of un-needed hot water/electricity, and get my clothes clean. The only reason for not using cold water with powder is because it doesn't dissolve in cold. Easy fix. So, after this wonderful discovery, I searched (as always it seems) the company online. Their site seems to have been down for awhile but I found this description to put in place of a link from a random site:

"Ever wonder what happens to the bars of hotel soap that you only use a few times? In Victoria B.C. Canada, and the Lower Mainland around Vancouver B.C., they are being collected, dried, powered, and turned in to laundry detergent (Buffalo Laundry Soap) by mixing it with borax and washing soda (two environmentally friendly disinfecting and water conditioning agents)!

According to the manufacturer of Buffalo Laundry Soap, there is little difference in the consistency of soaps. Most hand soaps are made of saponified palm or canola oil. They usually only differ in scent, colour, how they are milled, and air content. Therefore, mixing different soaps together is not a problem.

Users of the recycled soap have said that there is less soap suds produced and that it works as effectively as regular laundry detergent. "

This detergent is available at Thrifty’s and possibly other grocery stores aswell.

Seasons of Produce

2010-03-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

For awhile now, I've been searching everywhere online for a list of when what vegetables and fruit were in season, so I can save money, meal plan better to the season, and hopefully help out local farmers more because of meal planning to the season and not just what I'm craving or my go-to meals. My family would agree though, that limited choices makes meal planning easier, less stressful in figuring out what to eat, and more time being happy with food in the belly. I was so happy to come across this while scrolling through Hospitality Haven a few months ago, and I'm so glad I can share it with you!

January: Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons, papayas, cabbages (red, white, green), leeks, broccoli, cauliflower.

February: Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower.

March: Pineapples, mangoes, broccoli, lettuce.

April: Pineapples, mangoes, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce.

May: Cherries, pineapples, apricots, okra, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce.

June: Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, corn, lettuce.

July: Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, green beans, lettuce.

August: Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, lettuce.

September: Grapes, pomegranates, eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce.

October: Cranberries, apples, pomegranates, grapes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, broccoli,
spinach, lettuce.

November: Cranberries, oranges, tangerines, pears, pomegranates, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach

December: Pears, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, papayas, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower.

Year-Round: Bananas, celery, potatoes.

Welcome

2010-03-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

What happened to parties not lasting only one night, but weeks? You didn't watch movies at these parties but you conversed, shared music, talents, food, knowledge, laughed, went for walks and picnics! You never used to pay so much for the name of a brand, but the type of fabric you choose to wear! You drank water from a tap and didn't have to pay the price of gas for a bottle you will probably never use again that is made out of chemicals that HARM your body.

As a blogger, I go by YELLOWMENDY. I started this blog because of my somewhat old fashion nature, and passion for helping others and keeping this wonderful place we live in just that, a wonderful place to live in. I've found that our society has just become to greedy over the years and in turn getting lazy, sick, stressed, angry and less social. Do you know your neighbors names? Do you speak to them often? Are you prone to running late? How much time are you spending in a vehicle in a day? Have you ever been faced with anxiety or seasonal depression?

I admit that I am not perfect, I do not have all the answers, and that being green and environmentally friendly is pretty much the fad right now. I am not writing this due to a fad, nor is that the reason I am interested in all this. I have always been interested and curious in being healthy, where my food, etc. comes from, the process in which things are made, the reasons why we have certain things and luxury's and why, in an age of knowledge are we so blind and drowning.

This blog is not so much me writing all of the time, but where I can compile my findings to share with those close to me and others who are curious and as intrigued as I am. I live in British Columbia, Canada so whenever possible my findings will concern what is available to me or ideas in which I hope to find in my area upon discovery of someone's brilliance. Please, feel free to ask questions or share your wisedom! I research all this out of hobby and not for assignments, or whatever other reason there may be out in the world. May my findings provoke thought and movement in your life.

Y3LLOWM3NDY