Fresh Start

On October the 18th I became the proud new aunt of a little baby boy. During one of my trips to the hospital, I visited the drug store within and noticed something that made me angry and sad. Many popular baby brands were present however there were no "green" or what I would consider to be "chemical free" or "healthy" options.  You would think that at a hospital, where health and wellness are of the upmost importance, new parents or caring aunts :) would have that option.

He's my new favourite reason I want the world to be a better place.

Ethical Water

Ethical Water-Learning to value what matters most

Authors : Robert William Sandford and Merrell-Ann S. Phare

A few months ago I overheard a discussion regarding the planet and the state of water. The discussion ended with someone dismissing the issue by saying something  along the lines of  “we live in Canada, we have tones of water, I’m not going to worry about it”.  I knew this was the wrong attitude, it bothered me and I wanted to learn more.  A few weeks later I came across the book “Ethical Water”. From the book I have learned many things but what sticks out the most in my mind is the answer to how I could have responded in the above-mentioned situation.  The next time I am involved in such a conversation, I will mention this book and that it taught  me that  Canada has 20% of the worlds fresh water, but only 6.5% of this fresh water is renewable. I will also mention this statement by Robert Sandford and Merrell-Anne Phare “We should also recognize that most of our water is in the north and flowing away from where we need it , away from where most Canadians live, namely within 300 kilometers of the US border” (pg 32-33). Now that’s something to think about!

  

Good little book to check out, especially if you live in Canada. 

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Tomorrow is my sisters 30th birthday. As a present I bough her some toxin free make up, that I gave to her in a gift bag. In my family gift bags are almost always re-gifted. This means that when someone gives you a gift bag, you can almost be sure that the bag will be re-gifted to another friend, family member or back to yourself at some point. When I give a gift bag I usually don't write on the tag so that the next person re-using the bag has that option. Why let something so pretty go to waste? The next time someone gives you a gift in a gift bag, re-gift it and suggest the same to others. Most people will please to see their gift bag being re-used instead of thrown in the trash.

Happy Birthday to my beautifully pregnant sister or as dad would say "greatest future parent in the cosmos"

Earth Day

Hope everyone had a great Earth Day, however you spend it. Let's try and live every day like it's earth day!

The Disappearing Male

The Disappearing Male is a  great documentary I just happened to see on CBC today.  I missed the first 15 minutes or so but will be going back and watching it. It's all about toxins in everyday products that are leading to adverse effects on our bodies. The documentary focuses on the male reproductive organs. I recommend this for everyone!!! but it is more crucial for those who have a young child in their lives or on the way.

A better way to pick up poop!

Right now Scoopies are our favorite bags to pick up poop.  The bags are biodegradable and said to degrade in 18 months.  The bags are large and mitt shaped making them easy to use if your hands are large or if you are wearing gloves or mittens. The bags open easy and go on easy making it a quick process to pick up the poo and get on with the walk. Unlike other bags I have tried, I have not yet had a scoopie rip on me. For more information check out the scoopies website. 

 

Early to Bed

 "Early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy wealthy and wise" is one of my mothers favourite expressions. I have a huge problem with the execution aspect of this.  Good night & Good Morning!



My favourite Little Green Gadget

About a year and a half ago I bought this pair of speakers from a Chapters in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.  I love, love , love them. They were flat and I had to fold them into the shape they are currently. Once they are together, those little speakers hole together well. They also bounce if you drop them on the floor (just in case that happens to be an issue for you).

They aren’t loud but I use them in my office and they are loud enough to enjoy the music but not so loud people down the hall can hear (they can still hear me though). They are made by Econation who has also teamed up with Terracycle to create more recycled and upcycled products.

Dark Chocolate

If your celebrating the Easter weekend or just want to be friendly to your co-workers consider giving out Dark Chocolate as opposed to milk! It's better for you and it taste great. For more information on  Dark Chocolate you can read Chocolate the bittersweet treat on the CBC website.

Sweet!

So you still want your coffee and sugar too. Well here’s my new favorite way to sweeten it up. It’s called xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener that is extracted from fruits and vegetables. It looks and tastes almost exactly like sugar. I can honestly say, I’m not sure I could tell the difference if the packaging weren’t in front of me. 

What’s great about it?

•  It’s two-thirds the calories of regular sugar.
•  It leaves no nasty aftertaste like some sweaters.
•  It’s Diabetic and Hypoglycemic safe
•  It’s good for your teeth

To learn more about Xylitol go to the Xylitol Canada's Website or search xylitol in Wikipedia

I’ve added some pictures of great tasting gum that contains xylitol. My favorite is cinnamon flavor but there are other flavors available.