2010 sucked donkey balls. I almost wasn't going to write this post but then I looked back and realized how many great things I accomplished this year. So regardless of how much I want to throat punch 2010 I think it is important to reflect on why I have this little corner of the interwebz and why you all stick around to read my ramblings. 2011 is so going to kick 2010's ass.

Accomplishments

I started reviewing green cleaners in the hopes of finding some that actually work and don't cost you your first born.

We changed our eating habits after watching Food Inc. We already had plans to make the changes but watching it really lit a fire under us. We planted our first ever veggie garden even though we did some things ass backwards in the end we yielded a great crop!

I was nominated for a BlogLuxe Award and a Bump Award. I didn't make it to the finals but was seriously stoked to be nominated. I also joined Twitter!

I have been breastfeeding for almost 17 months. I struggled with supply when I returned to work but got great advice from my friends twitter followers. I hate pumping at work but there are times where it makes me laugh my ass off and I am so glad that I am still able to nurse.

We did pretty good at keeping our celebrations this year eco-friendly. Including B's 1st birthday party, my birthday and Christmas. I was even featured on Party Like a Kid!

I completed the 60km Weekend to End Women's Cancers walk.

I went a seriously long time without printing anything.

Area's for Improvement

Bath and cosmetic products are going to be the death of me. I tried to work on it this year and while I had some success it is just so overwhelming and some products did not work at all. I need to refocus on this in 2011 for sure.

I attempted to get rid of some of our cleaners by using a steam mop for our floors. But I hate it. Hate hate hate hate hate it. So I need to figure out what to do because I like the concept just not the one we have.

We have had a home composter for awhile now and we are now part of the city compost program. I looked at our waste that can't be composted or recycled and need to figure out if it can be or if we can otherwise eliminate garbage all together.

Fun Posts

I did a little science experiment to see if the new Sun Chips bags would really biodegrade as promised. I was not disappointed. Although I have not done the final verdict on the one I buried in the garden....mental note to do that when the ground thaws.

I was invited to a local veal farm to learn about their process and their environmental initiatives. I went in thinking they wouldn't sway me from my typical environmentalist stance. I was wrong.

Some insane products made their way onto the market and I have no clue how. Like the EZ Cracker and Steri-Bottle.

Now that Christmas is done I can stand back and survey how we did at reducing our impact on the environment. I think we did really good this year and I had so much fun finding gifts for everyone. Christmas day was a blast and I seriously can't believe how fast it went by. So here is how we did.....

Food

I have talked about our turkey. All of the vegetables I cooked were organic or local.  Next year I wouldn't mind trying to make my own rolls and then instead of buying a dessert just serving homemade cookies and squares.

Presents

I would say that about 75% of the gifts we gave our were environmentally friendly. Examples include adopting a polar bear for a year from the zoo, the Green Toys Tea Set, crayon rolls where I tried to find Clementine soy crayons but alas there were none left in the city. An art smock made from recycled plastic bottles. a puzzle made from FSC certified paper and soy ink, a puzzle made from sustainable wood, and a pull along dinosaur made from FSC certified wood.

One of the best gifts I got was a tea infuser that I can take to work and use to brew my own organic and fair trade loose leaf tea!

Wrapping Paper

I have FSC certified wrapping paper that I am still using up so I wrapped all the gifts in that. I couldn't figure out how to wrap my dad's gift so it went into a recycled gift bag. No bows or ribbons this year. My nieces made their own wrapping paper this year so B's gift was wrapped in something special this year!

At the end of the present opening we had less than a small grocery bag of paper to throw out. Not too bad at all!

Most of us will only ever see a lion or a zebra or an elephant in a zoo. Today I saw them on the TV. I watched a news story about the Serengeti and how the government wants to build a highway through it to make money off of the battery industry. You see there are minerals in Lake Victoria that China wants to purchase for battery (hybrids and cellphones) production.

So what is the big deal? It is just a road right? Actually it will be a high speed highway (in red in picture) that will cut through migratory paths of the wildebeest and will also allow easy access for poachers. The trucks could also introduce non native species to the area.

The government plans to go ahead with building the highway and has already started to put markers down. There is another option though. They could build a road that runs to the south (in green in picture) and does not cut through the Serengeti. But this option will take the trucks longer to get the minerals from Lake Victoria and the government fells that this could cost them profits.

At one point do we as a global community have the right to step in and question what the Tanzanian government about the decisions they are making? We have made similar decisions in our own countries. Canada allowed the Diavik diamond mine to be built in the migratory path of the caribou. But at least there was an environmental impact assessment completed and steps were taken to minimize the impact of the mines operations on the caribou. The Tanzanian government does not seem interested in looking into alternatives. What will it cost them? Tourism dollars and the beauty that defines the natural environment of their country. Problem is you can't really put a price on the latter.

What's all the Buzzzz about?

The Girl Effect

Rapanui Clothing Company

I ordered our turkey (10lbs) a week ago from a local butcher (Brady's Meats) and when I went to pick it up on Friday they only had 16-18lb turkeys left. Hello more delicious leftovers! We bought our turkey there because they are local, free range and antibiotic/drug free.  Yesterday Joe and I manhandled that bird to get it into the oven and 4 hours later we dug into the best tasting turkey we have ever had. Obviously part of it has to do with the chef ::shines badge:: but I think a big part of it was the type of turkey we bought.  It was only $3.99/lb, much less than what I thought it would cost. And we have decided it is well worth the next dollar or so over grocery store prices.

For the first time ever I have saved the carcass to make stock. It is on the stove as we speak and it smells delicious up in here. I am having to do it in batches because I don't have a pot big enough to fit it all in! I don't know why I have never done this before. I think I never thought I would use the stock or something. But since we started to buy only organic stock I have been noticing how much we go through. We shall see how much it actually makes and how much room I have in the freezer for it!

Related Posts - Check them Out

B's Birthday Bash

Bigger isn't always better

Buying Organic

I think Christmas Eve is my favourite day during the holidays. It's the anticipating of the 25th being so close, the fact that it usually snows...those big fluffy flakes, and that we always do the same thing. We make a big dinner (always Italian food - a tradition my Dad started years ago), play video games and drink baileys.

I wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season. I tried very hard this year to be more eco-minded when it came to Christmas. I hope in some way that I have made a difference.

And on a funny note....this is how B has been decorating our tree.

Related Posts - Check them Out

Triggers

Happy Canada Day

Ho Ho Hold the Holiday Cards

It was my birthday this week and I got a fantastic present from my parents. A herb garden! Obviously I don't physically have it right now because it is a million degrees below zero and I haven't seen our lawn in 2 weeks. But this spring I will have a shiny new herb garden somewhere in the backyard!

Now to just figure out what herbs to grow.....

And as I read this I am totally laughing at how Joe and I always go back and forth saying H-erb and E-rb. I say H-erb, he says E-rb. And of course we both think we are right. Usually this conversation goes on for several minutes where we both try to use the word as many times as possible to in some way prove that we are more right than the other.

Related Posts - Check them Out
Garden Update
101 in 1001
What's the Deal with Veal?

Has anyone else thought about this? What do you think?

Hmmm perhaps I have stumbled upon a Masters thesis topic??

Related Posts - Check them out

What is your Eco-Footprint?

Preparing for the Winter

Tip of the Day - Bubble Wrap your Windows

There are some things that just really piss me off. And more and more it is products that are marketed to make our lives easier and oh look they are "green". How on earth is a one use product, a DISPOSABLE product even remotely considered green? So what that it can be recycled. So much wasted energy going into a product that is used for only a few short minutes. And why, why is it needed? Because using a regular bottle is just too damn hard? Who are the people who buy these products? Have people gotten so lazy in life that products like this really appeal to them? The longest it has ever taken me to make a bottle is 5 minutes and that is because I had to defrost breastmilk.

I seriously do not get it. And this 'Even our packaging is recyclable so Steri-bottle is not just great for your baby, its also kind on the environment.' is just plain ridiculous.

2 huge side eyes to Steri-Bottle.

Related Posts - Check them out

Stupid stupid game

I feel like I have been duped

My current 101 in 1001 is coming to its end. I have only a few months left to finish everything up. WHY AM I SUCH A PROCRASTINATOR????  I have started to think about what I will do for my next 101 in 1001 (see that is how I procrastinate). I took a balanced approach to my first kick at the can and had only 7 green items. I think this time around I will have many more. I still want to have a mix of other items but I am excited to have more challenging green items on my list this time.

What am I thinking about? I want to look at energy reduction, sustainable building materials (for the basement), green landscaping and volunteer opportunities.

I like the 101 in 1001 because it allows me to tackle more things over a longer period of time vs new years resolutions which lets face it are usually broken by February. Do you have a 101 in 1001? If so leave a comment with a link to it. I would love to see your list!  If you don't have one have you thought about doing one?

Related Posts - Check them out

Compost Heaven

A streak is about to come to an end

I have been unsure of the PC Green cleaning line. I am not sure if they really are green products or if there is some good greenwashing going on here. I decided to try out the toilet bowl cleaner. I squirted some in the toilet in our powder room and was immediately overcome by the fumes. I turned on the fan and shut the door but to my dismay the smell filled the main floor of our house. It was strong, it smelled like chemicals.

The product itself does an okay job at cleaning but it is so thin that it ends up coming out really fast and you end up using a lot of it. Plus it doesn't get create coverage so you have to use more to ensure it stays in place to clean. The product contains glycolic acid but I have no information on the percentage (anything over 10% is considered hazardous) that is in the cleaner.

And I have to admit I am not entirely sure what is green about this product. I read that label over a million times and from what I can tell it does not have any chlorine in it. Is that it? I just don't know.

OMG I can smell it and the bottle isn't even open and it is just sitting beside me. ::vomits::

*** I have not been paid to review this product nor was I given any of this product to review. I bought the product myself and am reviewing it on my own.

There is always one in the crowd. The person just waiting for the opportunity to take the opposite stance of pretty much every sane person. The conversation always begins normal with random chit chat about say the weather.

Crazy person: How was your drive in?

Jen: It took forever to just get out of our neighbourhood. You?

Crazy person: blah blah blah ~long answer about their drive

Jen: It is balls cold out there today.

Crazy person: Yah. Hope can anyone believe in global warming on a day like today. 

Jen: ::scaredballs look::

Crazy person: I mean if global warming was real then it would be warm right now. Not cold.

Jen: ::blank stare::

If it was acceptable to slowly back away from situations like this I would. 

The thing is there are people who actually believe this. Who believe that global warming means that everything should be warm all the time. Have they not seen The Day After Tomorrow???  Le sigh. Do you ever wonder if things would be different if someone had come up with a different name than Global Warming?  

I am really trying to keep the environment in mind when Christmas shopping this year. I feel like I am doing a good job so far. I have purchased everything online from within Ontario so far and 75% of them have been eco-friendly. I have come across some really cool gift ideas lately and I thought I would share them with you.

Eco clothing is hard to come by....especially adult clothing. I have talked about Rapanui before and how much I love what their company stands for. Their bamboo socks will keep you warm in the winter and their organic cotton shirts will keep you looking cool in the summer. Rapanui has a special offer for my readers! Enter the discount code 'jen and joey' and you will receive 10% off your purchase. Shark top here I come!!

One of my favourite places to shop is Etsy. If you haven't already check out the 'shop local' area. This is a great way to purchase something handmade and local!  While looking at the local shops in my area I came across All Deck'd Out. It is full of jewelery made from recycled skateboards! There are some seriously cool items in this shop and I plan on getting myself a necklace in the new year!

I am always looking for a twist on an every day product. This year it was crayons. Clementine Art Products has natural soy crayons that contain no chemical dyes or additives. I thought I was going to have to order them from the US but I found a local shop that carries them! They have a lot of other great natural art products as well so check them out if you are looking for stocking stuffers for the little one's in your life.

I have a lot of nieces and nephews to buy for and I do struggle with what to get them when they are really young and don't yet know what the holidays are all about. I think this is an opportunity to buy them something that helps give back. Consider adopting an animal at your local zoo, buying a goat for a family or sending a young girl to school for a year.

Another great idea is to create a basket of goodies. You can really customize it based on the recipient. Throw in a bottle of local wine, jars of homemade hot chocolate, brownie mix, fair trade organic tea, Otterbottle thermos, beeswax candles, homemade laundry detergent and wool dryer balls.

Looking for other ideas? Check out the Ethical Ocean Holiday Gift Guide.

Week 2 felt better than Week 1 for some reason. The new items this week included the following:

* sticker that goes around organic banana's

* seal from margarine container

* plastic bag from organic avocado's

It seems like the majority of organic fruit at our supermarket comes in some sort of packaging to identify it as organic. Like non organic avocado's can be purchased in singles but if you want them organic then they are in a green plastic bag in 3's. Is this what you see in your grocery store too or is this a this area kind of thing?

Okay now what to do with all this information?  Well I am going to figure out what if anything can be recycled and then make sure that I do recycle it. If it can't be then maybe it is time to look at replacement products.