Stainless Steel Giveaway

Here’s a quick post to let you in on a giveaway from Stephanie of Keeper of the Home (btw: she’s got a great blog). You’ve got only until tomorrow, Friday, before 6pm to win yourself a product from the Tickle Trunk. More about the Tickle Trunk later……

Goodies Made With Love

December is always a busy time of the year with parties, family gatherings and all the holiday festivities.  This time of year is made that much more special for my family as we get to celebrate birthdays for both my kids.  My mind is always thinking about their birthdays months leading into them because without planning ahead we would be lucky if I got my act together to bake a cake.  Aside from planning all the food and activities, I am constantly in search of goody bag items.  I want to give our guests something useful and practical but don’t want to spend a whole lot of money.  Typically, I end up at the dollar store to fill up the bags.  This year, with some planning ahead I decided to make the loot items myself.  It started with a simple search on the Internet and before I knew it, I had a project list of things that I wanted to make for my kid-lets.  I am so easily distracted!

There are many talented moms out there that have wonderful imaginations and amazing creativity that offer great help in making items.  I can only aspire to be like them so for the time being I use their resources for helping me out with my projects.  I decided to make felt crowns and super hero capes.   It was a pretty big undertaking because of the number of kids that are coming to our party but more so because I am definitely not a great seamstress.  I know how to use the straight stitch and the zigzag on my sewing machine and that’s about it.  I managed to make my way through it and they came out surprisingly great.  I can’t wait to give them to the kids.  There are also a lot of no-sew projects out there as well.  You just need to spend a little time looking for them.  I also have been using the library as a resource for ideas.  One book that I was given is the Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions that has great formulas from anything from scented water colors made with drink crystals to apple sauce and cinnamon dough.

Anyway, I am hoping to be able to find more time to do this for my kids and myself.  It gets me away from the TV and computer and lets me employ my creative side.

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Hard Working Moms

I have to brag that I got in some “me” time, time without the kids, this past weekend. And though it didn’t include lounging around in my PJs, a spa treatment, or lunch with girlfriends, it was still very mind-replenishing. My dear hubby graciously took care of all 3 kidlets while I went to the Baby Purity Mother’s Conference that I had blogged about previously.

At first I was a bit unsure of the conference only because my sister couldn’t come with me and I really don’t enjoy going to things like this alone. When I arrived, I browsed the several info and vendor booths, like Green Zebra, yoyomama, inBed organics, Better Baby Bums to name a few, and picked up business cards and info sheets. And though one of the guest speakers that I was looking forward to hearing, Christopher Gavigan, had to cancel last minute due to family circumstances, the line-up of speakers that were there was nonetheless interesting and informative. The focus was mainly about chemicals in our everyday things that affect our health and well-being more than we know and the intriguing connection between the gut and allergies in kids. There was a lot of information to take in. Though there was a Q&A period at the end and one of the speakers, Margaret Evans, a RN and life coach, advised us to not feel overwhelmed but rather take one thing out of the conference and work on that, I couldn’t help but still feel like there is so much still for me to do, for me to look into. But that is me: a bit of a worry-wart.

I felt a connection with the 100 or so moms, plus a few dads, there. It was a camaraderie with strangers; moms/parents with the same interest as mine: providing the best we can for our children. I lunched with people I didn’t know and we talked about weaning, formula and stainless steel containers. I met the incredible one-woman force behind Yoyomama, Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit. I chatted with Lisa Frack, Online Parent Organizer for EWG and a blogger for Enviroblog, who was sweet enough to seek me out and offer a follow-up email to a question I posed during the Q&A period. And I introduced myself to Sydney Carlaw, the dynamic person behind Baby Purity. Now, I barely know her. But from the tiniest bit of email correspondence I had with her, and the casual “Hi” and “Thank-you for the conference”, I must say that she is one incredible woman (with most likely an extremely supportive hubby). Most of us, including myself, would love to fulfill our dreams but few of us have the tenacity and patience to follow through. This was her dream and she really made it possible to share it with us.

The conference ended with a ton of giveaways, and though I didn’t end up with one of the fancy gift baskets or the G-diapers or the blender, I came away happy knowing that there are moms out there: like Annemarie, like Lisa and like Sydney, who are working hard to share their knowledge and experience; enabling us to raise our children the best way we can.

By the way, one of topics for next year’s conference is the immunization debate. As for the fee, Sydney is working on reducing the cost by finding more sponsors. Looking forward to next year.

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The Gift of Giving

Our living room functions as our playroom and is riddled with toys that are often played with when they are brand new but then untouched once they have worn their welcome. Our pile seems to exponentially grow, especially during the holiday season as relatives and friends spoil the kids with gifts.

I know it’s hard to think that far ahead but there is only two more months before Christmas. If you are like me, every year I struggle to find gifts for those I love and end up being in crowded malls, walking aimlessly, trying to find a meaningful gift.

Perhaps this year you may want to consider giving a gift that literally “will keep on giving”. Consider a charitable organization to donate to on behalf of the recipient. CanadaHelps is a public charitable foundation that provides a portal to over 80,000 charities that you can donate to. The range is vast and includes charities involved in all facets of life. There are animal shelters, religious organizations, soup kitchens, and environment and health causes just to name a few. There are international charities as well as those that are close to home. There is a cause out there for everyone.

In the past, I have hosted and been invited to parties where the host has asked for no gifts. In lieu, they have asked that a donation be made to such organizations as World Vision, to help purchase a goat or chickens for a family trying to support themselves or make a contribution to organizations such as Friends for Kibooba, an organization where 100% of the donations are given to an African village to help them become sustainable and self sufficient. I have also been a recipient of a donation that was made on my behalf to provide someone the gift of sight.

So this year, before you go too crazy at the malls, consider getting your loved ones a gift that will help others. Besides, you don’t have to feel guilty about any carbon foot printed, non-environmentally friendly product that you may consider buying.  As well, since these donations can be made on-line you could even be a procrastinator and still get all your holiday shopping done. Finally, you get to feel good about making a positive contribution to our world.

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The Cleaning Crew

A while back on a trip to Costco, I elected to try out some “earth-friendly” laundry detergent. In all honesty, I was not entirely convinced of its naturalness but was more swayed because there was a coupon for it. Many months of laundry loads later I am completely satisfied by its ability to clean my families’ clothes and make them smell spring fresh, the clothes that is. ECOS brand laundry detergent is made of 100% biodegradable and natural materials, isn’t made overseas and is produced by a family business. Since then I have tried out their Dishmate dish detergent, which I also found at Costco, and their bleach alternative, OXO Brite. I have been really impressed by the products I have used so far. The best part is that for a penny-pincher such as myself the products are surprisingly affordable for being earth-friendly. Their pricing even rivals mainstream products. I have tried other pricier earth-friendly products only to be disappointed in either the product’s performance or the steep price — $5 for a bottle of dish detergent — yikes!

According to their website they have won awards and many accolades for their products. If you don’t have a Costco membership check out where else their products are sold using their store locator.

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Summer Jam’In

A recent trip to a nearby strawberry patch opened my eyes to a whole new way to savour local berries all year long. We went to a no-spray strawberry patch with some friends to pick some lush, in-season berries. The strawberries were not super sweet but they were deliciously juicy, deep crimsom red and percolated a sweet strawberry scent. Of course, we walked away with only one bucket full of strawberries but it was hard to resist looking for more and picking all the ripe strawberries in our row.

A suggestion from a friend got me looking into freezer jam recipes. I do have to admit I have always been apprehensive about the whole jamming process. I always imagined a big huge enamel soup pot, sitting on the stove, boiling away with jars of jam inside clanging against one another. Surprisingly, the recipe was relatively easy to follow, required no cooking and called for a few simple ingredients: berries, sugar, and gelling powder. I found a Club House gelling powder that required less than half the amount of sugar as other recipes that call for just plain pectin. Following the recipe on the package; I measured, my daughter smashed and mashed the strawberries, and half and hour later we had jam for our toast.

We are looking forward to raspberry, blackberry and blueberry picking so that we can make some more jam this season! Yummy!

By the way, all my jam supplies were picked up at the local supermarket, aside from the berries of course!

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Eco-Centric Magazine

If you are looking for some inspiration and ideas on greener and sustainable living, the Granville: Sustainable City Living magazine may be an interesting read for you. Granville is a fairly new magazine, its premier issue debuted last summer.

The magazine is full of resources and information for those wanting to live a shade greener. Some hot topics have included: sustainable seafood, chemicals in cleaning products, and local green clothing designers. Along with feature stories on everything from eco-travel to green renos; there are columns written by various authors and journalists; inside scoop on events, fashion, food with a green twist; and practical tips for a greener lifestyle.

But what I enjoy best is that Granville is local, making it very relevant and practical for us Vancouverites. The added bonus? The subscription, which comes out quarterly, is free so far for those living in Canada. If you rather not have more paper products to clutter your home, you can opt to subscribe to their monthly eNewsletter. Though the content is not exactly the same as what is found in the magazine, it will still make for an interesting and informative read.

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Milk Run

For the last few months, our family has added a new routine to our weekends. With our green milk crate and empty glass bottles in tow, we do a milk run to Avalon Dairy. Up until then, I didn’t even know that Avalon still sold milk out of their original farm location. The little retail store is located in the most unexpected place: 5805 Wales Street, Vancouver East-side, amongst residential homes.

I had occasionally bought Avalon milk from the local grocery store but then was always swayed to purchase the more economical 4L plastic jug alternative. So why the change?

Well, drinking milk from antibiotic-injected, hormone-pumped cows finally got to me. I decided paying extra for organic is definitely worth it. Avalon milk is fresh tasting. I’m not sure if it’s the milk itself or just the fact that it’s stored in glass bottles. It also helps that buying local fits right in with being green. Besides, it feels great supporting the oldest family-run dairy in BC.

Some things to keep in mind when you go to their little store:

• cash only
• glass milk bottles (1L size only available) require a $1 deposit — refundable there or any other store that sells their products
• $6 refundable deposit for a sturdy plastic crate to carry your bottles
• quantity discounts are available on their milk — the more you buy the better the price
• also available: non-organic milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, butter, organic eggs and ice cream (yummy!)

By the way, their newest offering is Vitala, an Omega-3 milk that comes from fish fed cows.

So if you are ever in the vicinity, pop in and check out this century old dairy located right in our community.

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Mommy, What’s that Smell?

My two and a half year old’s sense of smell is amazingly keen. In her young age, she has grouped scents into two categories: “yucky” and “yummy” smells. Those “yucky” smells (garbage, burnt toast, fish sauce, manure) cause her to scrunch up her face and pinch her nose; and those “yummy” smells entice her to take several deep breathes of whatever it is (chocolate, mangoes, cinnamon, lavender shampoo).

Since her nose is so savvy I want to treat it to more natural fragrances…

When we attended EPIC Vancouver back in April we met a wonderful company, headed by a mom & daughter team, called Smell This! Aromatherapy. They gave us samples of eco-friendly air fresheners, called Re-scentables. It’s sachets of Kosher rock salts that are scented with drops of essential oils. What a great idea! The wonderful thing about it is that they are reusable (adding whatever essential oil your nose desires when the scent diminishes) and it is a simple MIY project even for those who aren’t crafty.

• buy, sew or find a small fabric sachet (I had some lying around that held some soap)
• fill it up with about 2-3 tablespoons of rock salts (Kosher is apparently best because it doesn’t contain iodine)
• add about 20 drops of essential oil (but you can experiment with how strong of a scent you want by adding less or more)
• close up your little sachet tightly (with a string/elastic/clip so none of the salt spills out) and it’s ready to go
• Just remember to keep it out of reach of curious little fingers

I’ve already placed a few around the house; even at the bottom of the diaper pail. Hopefully, it’ll help lessen that “yucky” smell.

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Massive Recall: Avent, Nalgene,…..

Because of Health Canada’s recent bulletin on BPA , many manufacturers are recalling their BPA products. So if you have some Nalgene, Avent and/or Gerber bottles, places like London Drugs, Zellers, Toys-R-Us, MEC and Canadian Tires are giving you store credit for bringing them back. Each store varies in what they’ll take back and in what condition. We just took ours to London Drugs and got over $100 worth in a gift card. They didn’t require a receipt or original packaging (I think Toys-R-Us is stricter and requires that), but the items brought back had to be on their computer system (meaning they had carried it in their store). Just call the stores to double check what their stipulations are. Oh, BTW, it didn’t seem to matter how old or used they were (cuz some of our stuff was over 3 years old and well-used).

So pull out all those stored Avent and Nalgene bottles and get some $$ back!

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