Ice Ice Baby

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out a stainless steel ice cube tray from The Tickle Trunk. With the move away from plastics, I was excited about an ice cube tray made out of metal.

Now this is not your ordinary plain-o looking tray. It is the fanciest ice cube tray I’ve ever seen: with it’s ultra-chic design and sleek metallic look. Even my hubby, who’s not interested in any type of gadgetry especially kitchen stuff, was amazed and remarked that it was impressively made. Built to last and yet recyclable, it is made of 18/8 stainless steel (18% chromium and 8% nickel). It comes in 2 parts: the actual tray and the divider.

Making ice cubes is as easy as putting the divider into the tray, filling it, and then freezing it. Within a few hours I’ve got myself 18 little cubes. Initially when I tried to remove the cubes, I had taken it out of the freezer and immediately tried to pull the handle up. I ended up with shattered pieces of ice. I learned from my little mistake and found that if I left it on the counter for a few minutes to melt a bit, I would end up with cute little cubes. Alternately, you could run the bottom of the tray under some warm water too.

I did a quick little search for stainless steel ice cube trays on the internet. They’re not that easy to come by. So I’m thankful that it’s available locally from Carolyn at The Tickle Trunk (though she ships internationally too). Besides this funky ice cube tray, she’s got a vast array of stainless steel products (like stainless steel straws!). And yes, $30 seems a bit steep for an ice cube tray, as compared to a plastic one from a dollar store. But if looking beyond that, this tray will outlast all the plastic ones, is better for our health and for the environment and therefore makes it money well spent.

My only disappointment is that I really wish I had this tray when I was making baby food for my kids when they were babies. Besides the non-leaching benefits of stainless steel, I wouldn’t have ended up with plastic ice cube trays stained with mashed blueberries or carrots and the sorts.

Oh well, there are other uses now: pesto cubes, chicken stock cubes, popsicle cubes, spice cubes, gravy cubes, lemon/lime juice cubes, leftover sauce cubes,…..oh the list could be endless……

Let us know what clever things you’ve frozen in your ice cube trays.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

…..who’s the dirtiest of them all?

We have this huge mirror in our bathroom that covers 3/4 of  one side of the wall.  It was a great idea when we first installed it because it opened and brightened up our modest-sized bathroom.  However, that was all before we had kids.

Now we’ve got 6 little hands that seem to have a high affinity for shiny, clean surfaces and keeping that mirror finger-print, hand-print and toothpaste-splatter free seems like a never ending task.  I had given up on the “blue” stuff long ago.  Ammonia just didn’t sound pleasant at all since I probably could go through an entire bottle fairly quickly.

I discovered plain, old water plus this great little blue cloth I bought at Loonie Town (a local dollar store) was all I needed.  I can’t remember the exact brand of the cloth but I think it is a microfibre material similar to the kind of cloth used for cleaning your eyeglasses, but a tad thicker.

I just wet the cloth with a small amount of water and rub/wipe away (depending on how dirty it is)  until you have a streak free mirror again.  The trick is the right amount of water.  If you don’t use enough, you won’t be able to get off those prints or splatters.  If you use too much, you’ll be rubbing/wiping away until it all dries up before you get your clear reflection back.  It also works well on chrome bathroom fixtures to remove those darn water spots.  I’ve tried using any lint-free cloth that I have lying around and it seems to do the trick too, though it takes a bit more work.  Of course, you need to keep on top of it so the task is not too daunting.  I keep my cloth under the bathroom sink and anytime I see a mark on the mirror, I take it out and give the mirror a quick wipe.

Who knew that plain H-2-O could solve my “mirror on the wall” dilemma?

I’ve also have heard about using vinegar and crumbled up newspaper on mirrors and windows.  What are your thoughts?

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Light it Up

Our house is riddled with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) as they use approximately 75% less energy, are better for the environment and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Last week, I heard on the radio that the energy-saving CFL’s  were known to cause rashes and burns, equivalent to a sunburn, on some people. Of course, I needed to look into it to find out what that actually meant to me and my family since we have changed over all our bulbs to CFLs.  Upon searching, I found that they actually have a little bit of mercury in them and emit ultraviolet radiation.   Each bulb manufacturer varies, but  according to EarthEasy, each of them “generally contains an average of 5 mg of mercury, about one-fifth of that found in the average watch battery, and less than 1/100th of the mercury found in an amalgam dental filling.” According to the news program 16:9, Health Canada states,  “CFLs are not provided with a prismatic diffuser that filters ultraviolet radiation out. Therefore, there may be skin sensitivity issues, especially in people with certain skin diseases”.   I also heard that the rashes and burns occur when you are about 30cm or closer to the CFLs.   As well, by 2012, Canada will be banning the sale of incandescent lights.

Some things to note about CFLs:

• CFLs come in various different shapes and sizes, and lumens (amount of light be generated). Some even come domed for a little extra protection.
• There are limitations to CFLs in such things as dimmers and some timers.
• Dispose of used CFLs carefully, some retailers such as Home Depot and IKEA, provide recycling programs for burnt out bulbs.
• Don’t get too close to the bulb itself, especially for extended periods of time.
• If you break a CFL use caution to clean up safely. Here are some good instructions for cleaning up!
  

Happy Lighting!

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All I Want for Christmas……

With a little over a week left before Christmas the clock is ticking for me to finish all my Christmas shopping. I still have a few important gifts that I need to get and those would be ones for my kids and my nieces and nephew. Typically, these ones are the first on my list to get completed because it’s always easy enough for me to go to the mall and pick up the latest toy or gadget. This year is a little different as I am trying to avoid all the mainstream toys that can potentially contain toxins. On top of that, I want to make sure that I pick up toys that I know my kids will genuinely be interested in and don’t want to get the first “eco-friendly” toy I can find.

I needed a little help this year and received this handy little tool from my sister. I love the Skin Deep Database for cosmetics and beauty products. The GoodGuide is its equivalent for household products including toys, household and personal care. Toys are rated out of 10 and contain information about chemical contamination levels as well as the products’ environmental and social impacts. They rate not only companies that are “green” but also mainstream toy companies as well, such as Fisher Price, Hasbro and others. I wish I could go to the store with a little handheld “eco-detector” to ensure that the things I pick and purchase for my home are safe but until there actually is such a thing, this online guide will do.

Happy Shopping, Everyone!

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Squeaky, Clean Locks

I’ve been slowly changing the products that my family uses on their body, face, and hair; trying to replace them with ones that are safer for us and for the environment. It hasn’t been easy since it’s hard to decipher what is really “good” out there versus what appears good but is still full of chemicals and junk.

In the process, I stumbled upon a brochure about Curelle at my local organic grocer. It was about the toxic stuff found in our regular shampoos and conditioners. Then it went on to claim that the ingredients used in their hair products are “plant derived, solvent-free, and contains no toxins”. I was skeptical and took the brochure home to look more into it. I punched the ingredients into EWG’s Skin Deep Database and it came up with ratings of 2 and less. Then I did a bit of online searching and found that it was one of the better shampoos in Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia’s Guide to Less Toxic Products. In addition, Curelle is a local company based in Vancouver. These were all good enough reasons for me to give it a try.

I picked up the Hydra Shampoo, Riche Conditioner and Build-Up Remover Treatment and it was all reasonably priced. $13.99 for 500ml bottles and $8.99 for 250ml bottles, and the 70ml bottle of the Build-Up Remover set me back $3.99. There is also the Energe Shampoo (for volume) and the Treslite Conditioner (for lighter conditioning). They also have some styling products and a moisturizing body lotion in their product line.

I’ve been using it for awhile now and I am satisfied with the results. It seems to give the umph that my thick, curly hair needs and tame the frizz. In addition, the conditioner can be used as a leave-in, so sometimes I smooth a dime-size amount into my hair to calm the fly-aways. The downsides, I’m a bit addicted to scented shampoos and conditioners so I am still getting use to the fact that the products are scent-free and also it lathers differently (less bubbles) so I probably end up using more than I need.

If you want more information about the Curelle products you can check out this link, because unfortunately, their website is still under construction.

What products do you use? Any suggestions for ones to try or advices for ones to stay away from?

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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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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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Girl (Buying) Power

I heard on the radio several weeks back that while men think about you-know-what every 52 seconds, the average woman thinks about shopping every 60 seconds. Now, I don’t know if buying things cross my mind that frequently during my day but I am the one in my household that makes the majority of our consumer choices. If the above stat holds true, women and their spending habits can affect our world.

Now, I know that part of being green is consuming and buying less;  however we still need and want things, so why not make more green-savvy choices when it comes to shopping.

I came across a book called, “Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World” (author: Diane MacEachern) and its premise is exactly that:

women + green purse = better earth

The book is filled with a wealth of information and resources.  For myself, instead of reading the book entirely through, I have thumbed through it and focused on sections that interest me. The first chapter focuses on general environmental concerns, the second chapter goes into detail about the Big Green Purse shopping principles (like shop local, buy less, etc), and the remaining chapters 3 to 12 delve into different consumer areas (for example, cosmetics, food, clothing, gardening, children products) that we can make the most meaningful difference on the environment if we changed our buying habits. Here, you will find lots of practical information: simple ways to becoming a bit greener; companies that we should support, companies that we shouldn’t; tips on how to save money while being green; and the author’s personal experiences, what works or doesn’t work for her. At the very back of the book is all the author’s notes of websites, reports, books, and organizations that were used to gather the information for her book.

The book’s content is laid out mostly in list form with some paragraphs scattered throughout, making it an easy and practical guide that you don’t need to read from cover to cover. The only drawback with this book is that it is US-based, so it’s a bit biased there.

There is no need to head out and buy the book immediately. For a more reduce-paper-usage option, you can borrow it from the local library (that’s where mine is from) and/or go to biggreenpurse.com for updates. You can also sign up for Green Purse Alerts and join the “Be One In a Million” pledge.

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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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It’s In The Bag

If you go shopping anywhere (especially for groceries), the “in” thing now is using reusable shopping bags. I’ve got a handful myself, and have them stowed conveniently in the car so that I remember to bring them along with me to carry my purchases. However despite that, I still end up adding to my plastic bag collection every so often, especially after clothes shopping. Having a reusable bag tucked in my purse would probably solve that problem though.

I can proudly say that my collection of plastic bags is not growing at an exponential rate as it did before, but I still have my fair share. I do give my bags several lives before getting rid of them: garbage pail liners, dirty clothes carrier, lunch bags. But a stop at Save-On Foods a few months ago, opened my eyes to the fact that they can be recycled. So now for those plastic bags that are deemed not reusable, I will gather them up and every few months I plan to drop them off at the local Save-On for recycling. Apparently, there are other stores that also offer this service: London Drugs, Safeway, Walmart to name a few.

I ran across a website called myplasticbags.ca. Though it’s a site sponsored by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, (yes, it seems like a conflict of interest) I found very useful information about recycling plastic bags:

• how to prepare your bags for recycling (bags need to be empty and clean): empty your plastic bags by turning them inside out and then stuff the empty bags all into one bag
• municipalities that collect plastic bags curbside for recyling, for example: Delta, Langley, Coquitlam
• store locator in your area that will take back your plastic bags for recycling

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