This post is brought to you from the past....circa 2008. At least it feels like 2008 because some wool dryer balls I ordered just arrived and well I am probably the last eco person to jump on this band wagon. For years I have been using nothing in the dryer and living a life of static cling. I don't dry my clothes in the dryer but I do fluff some of them up in there to get that crunchy line dry feel out of them. This of course is what is creating the static problem for me and I have gone so far as to spray hairspray on my legs so my pants won't stick (STOP LAUGHING).Now I have my hands on two of the most beautiful custom made wool dryer balls ever and I am so excited to use them. 

If you don't want to buy or make wool dryer balls you can also use a tennis ball or a scrunched up piece of tinfoil to get the same effect.  You have probably seen those rubber or plastic dryer balls on the market. Don't do it friends....they are made with chemicals and then you are heating them up next to you clothes.

There are a lot of great green blogs out there. My Reader and newsfeed are full of them and yet I am always finding new blogs to follow. I learn a lot from other green blogs so I thought I would share some of the posts that I learned from this week or that hit home with me.

My Plastic Free Life - Beth has written her first book about kicking her plastic habit and has posted her video promo. What I love about Beth is that she offers tips for reducing your dependence on plastic that are actually realistic. She shows how easy it can be to go plastic free and where it isn't easy she shows how she got over those humps to continue on her journey. I am really looking forward to reading her book so I was excited to see the video promo!

Kanelstand - Sonya changed my life this week when she posted about using banana peels to get rid of acne. I tried it on Wednesday and Thursday morning and I could not believe the result I got. The zit was completely gone in 2 days. Plus seriously my face smelled delicious! I love solutions like this because it involves using something that otherwise is just tossed in the compost bin, it is essentially free and because it involves no nasty chemicals.

The Hipster Homemaker - Kelli posted about the craptastic comments she gets in life and on her blog about nursing her almost 3 year old. This hit home with me because I got lots of comments about nursing B as early as his first birthday and they just got worse as he got older. 

You can check out other blogs participating in the Sunday Surf here.

Don't forget to vote for us today!

After living in University residence for a year and eating "meat" in the cafeteria I decided to become a vegetarian. I was a horrible vegetarian. I didn't miss meat I just did not like a lot of the substitutes like tofu and legumes. So after 3 years I slowly added meat back into my diet (starting with bacon because come on...it's bacon).  We all know that meat has a huge carbon footprint so if we are going to eat meat we all need to find ways to reduce this footprint. We also need to look for alternatives that ensure we are not putting toxic substances into our bodies. 

There is a lot of green washing with meat. In Ontario there is the big ad campaign to buy Ontario corn fed beef because they claim it is better than non corn fed beef. If you have watched Food Inc. you know this is total BS and that cows can not even digest corn.  You want to look for beef that is grass fed and allowed to graze rather than being confined all day. 

I know when I am buying meat I am often faced with the decision of picking organic OR antibiotic/hormone free meat. I find it very hard to find both together and apparently there is a reason for this. Sometimes when meat is labeled organic it means they are raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones. Sometimes it also means that they are fed an organic based diet (ie: the grass they graze on is not treated with pesticides or fertilizers). 

When meat (or any food) is labeled (and certified) as organic it does not mean it is 100% organic. Interesting eh? I learned this about milk last year when Joe's colleague talked to him about the BS in the organic milk industry but I didn't realize that it extended to all branches of the food industry. Both the USA and Canada use very similar certification systems which is really nice for the consumer.

There are several organic labels in Canada so look for them here and here are the Regulations

There are some words to watch for in meat labeling because while they seem to mean good things they can be misleading.

Natural - this just means that there are no artificial ingredients or colours added and that there is minimal processing involved.

Hormone Free - for poultry and pork this basically means very little because hormones are not allowed to be added. So if you see it on a label it should also include the wording about how federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones. For beef it means that no hormones have been used in raising the cattle.

Free Range - this means that the animals have access to the outdoors not that they spend all their time out there.

One of the best decisions you can make when it comes to meat is to ask questions. Find a farmer or butcher that you trust and ask the questions you need to to feel comfortable with what you are eating. We are lucky because we are in prime farming country and have access to a lot of reputable sustainable farmers. 

What do you look for in meat? Do you find the labels confusing?

Related Posts - Check them Out

Grocery Store Adventures

What's in your Popcorn?

The Earth is Part of Us

Other than babies I apparently suck at growing things. I kind of take the approach of closing my eyes and hoping it all turns out. Unfortunately this approach is not really working when it comes to starting our garden from seeds. Last week I noticed that my seedlings weren't doing so great. Some were saggy while others were drying up. I tried watering from below (pour water into the bottom of the container) instead of misting from the top. I tried leaving the lids off the containers. I tried watering more and watering less. Finally I decided to head to twitter for advice. The best advice I was given was to try moving them to another room that had a bit less sun as the window I had them in was direct sunlight. I split my seedlings up into those that had fully sprouted and those that had just started or were being lazy and hadn't done anything at all. Those that had fully sprouted I moved to an upstairs bedroom window that still got sun but not as much as the kitchen window. I left the tops off and watered from the bottom every other day.  It took about 3 days to notice the difference. I was able to save most of them...but sadly not the herbs. They continued to weakly slump over in their containers. 

 Tomato, brussel sprout and cucumbers growing!

My seeds aren't sprouting - Chances are the seeds were not placed in the container at the right depth.  Each seeds requires a different depth to be planted at. Another possible reason is that they have a longer germination period. My pepper plants were like this. They only just started to sprout!

I have mold on my containers - This is caused by excess moisture and lack of air movement. Just cut back a bit on the amount you are watering and leave the lids off the containers.

My seedlings are saggy - Once seeds have sprouted move them to indirect light and cut back on the watering. Obviously this is a bit part of where I went wrong but I caught it in time to fix it. 

I planted multiple seeds in one container and they all sprouted! - Lucky you! I am jealous of your obvious gardening genius. You have a few options. You can remove the weaker seedlings and let the strongest grow or you can attempt to split them up into separate containers.

I have no idea what is in each container anymore - I hear ya! I wrote on each toilet paper roll exactly what I was planting. But after weeks of watering I can barely read most of what I wrote. Luckily I am a really really anal good planner and I created little legends on top of each container. As I moved items around I updated the legend to keep me on track.

My seedlings are leaning in one direction - You need to turn your seedlings daily to ensure that they grow straight and each get equal amount of sunlight. If you don't do this they will lean in one direction and have poor stem growth.

Get your camera's ready!! I am putting together something fun for June as the next phase of Help Me Save Langley. In order to kick it off I am going to make a video and I need your help to do that. I'm asking everyone who loves Langley as much as I do to take a picture of themselves or their family or friends holding something that says Help Me Save Langley. Since this is a green blog it would be awesome if you found cool ways to do this without having to use paper but I understand that that is not always possible.  

* Send me your photos by May 30th (jenandjoey@gmail.com)

* Share with your friends (IRL and online) and family

An email from the Vancouver Humane Society made its way into my inbox last week with the title Terrifying Timmies. If you are Canadian you instantly know that any mention of Timmies means Tim Hortons (also acceptable Ti Ho, Hortons, Tims). They are such a huge part of our lives here in Canada that if you ask someone if they want a coffee it is implied that you are going to Tim Hortons.  I guess I have never really thought about their food and coffee and where it comes from but I haven't had Tim Hortons since I opened that email and honestly I do not know when I will again. 

What is Tim Hortons doing that is causing me to boycott?  They buy their eggs and pork from farms that use battery cages and gestation crates. These are practices that the majority of other fast food restaurants have already stopped using or have committed to stop using. Chickens kept in battery cages are confined so tightly that they can not even spread their wings. Cages are 18 inches by 18 inches and there are typically 6 chickens per cage. Pigs kept in gestation crates are also confined tightly within these small metal stalls that they can't even move or turn around. In both situations once the chickens stop producing eggs and the pigs can no longer give birth they are killed.

Source: Vegan Peace

I believe it is a start that Tim Hortons is looking into their practices and looking for alternatives but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth that they didn't think about doing this prior to public pressure. Affect change with your dollar!  We need to vote with our purchases for more farmers to stop using battery cages and gestation crates. If  we support companies and farms that use more humane practices then that 3% of the market will grow. Supply and demand baby!  Even if you only buy their coffee you should still think about where your money is going. No Tim Hortons isn't the only company buying from farms that use these practices so do your research before you pick which companies you will support with your dollars. Your best bet is to buy local straight from a farmer and ask local restaurants where they get their food from!

 Source: Farm Sanctuary

Chances of this avocado seed actually sprouting and growing - 0.003%

I had the distinct privileged of being in the audience of the George Stroumboulopoulos show this week where David Suzuki was a guest. He has always been an idol of mine. Someone who has spoken his mind from an educated stance and whose passion oozes from every fibre of his being. Some people grow up wanting to be like Wayne Gretzky but not me...I wanted to be like David Suzuki. Imagine my surprise when only a few minutes into his interview David said 'Environmentalism has Failed'. That we haven't really gotten anywhere since the movement was born 50 years ago and that in some cases we have taken massive steps back. As he explained I found myself nodding in agreement. David talked about how environmentalism has been two extremes with us on one side and corporations and governments on the other. There has been very little middle ground and very little coming together to find a solution.

Source - Strombo

I'm not like other environmentalists and I have known this for a long time. I started out my career working in the environmental department of the worlds largest chemical company. Some people believed (and told me) I sold my soul when I accepted that job.  I preferred to look at it as I was affecting change from within. I have never been an US vs THEM environmentalist (except with Monsanto...because they are beyond reason). I have never believed that the best way to improve the environment or reduce our impact is by ganging up on companies or people. We live in a world where some environmentalists are considered eco-terrorists taking extreme measures to make a point. We live in a world where environmentalists see things as black and white. There is no common ground because that would mean working with a company that perhaps isn't the greenest. Now I see it this as the golden opportunity. I don't want to get rid of all the big companies who currently don't have the greenest practices. I want environmentalists to help them to be better. I want environmentalist to share their expertise, their knowledge, their passion with these companies to make this world a better place. 

I believe environmentalists should protest and stand up for ourselves and this planet. But I don't think this should be the only thing we do or even where we spend the bulk of our energy.  I think we need to be smart about where we take the environmental movement over the next 50 years. We need to make it so the future David Suzuki's of the world don't utter to words 'Environmentalism has Failed'.

I hated my Shark steam mop. I suppose I was doomed from the start since I brought something named Shark into this house when Joey HATES sharks. I gave it a good run....more than 2 years of trying to make that steam mop work and more than 2 years of being frustrated that it wasn't living up to all that I thought steam mops could do. I have spent the last several months looking for a replacement and having to wash our floors the old fashioned way with a mop and bucket (holy PITA once you have used a steam mop!). 

I almost bought an H2O steam mop when it was on sale right after Christmas but I asked around and found that people said they loved theirs but had to replace it at least once a year. I'm wasn't looking for a disposable steam mop, I was looking for a dependable steam mop.

I looked on Amazon for reviews and found lots of mixed results about nearly every unit out there. I guess that is to be expected isn't it! What I found the most interesting is that there were far less negative reviews with the more expensive units than those that you can find for $150 or less. On a recommendation from a friend I looked at the Vapmore MR-100 Primo and it was love at first site. It is cute, it is functional and hey look it actually produces steam!!! 

A few weeks ago I bit the bullet and bought one. I looked for a Canadian retailer to cut down on duty costs and to reduce the environmental impact of shipping the unit to us. I found only one (The Allergy Guy) and to my surprise it arrived in 2 days! 

Vapmore MR-100 sounds like a type of robot so we decided to nickname ours Bumble Bee. Mostly because he is yellow, may or may not be a transformer and it is words B can say. 

 I borrowed this pic from Allergy Guy because night time + CFL's + yellow unit = crappy photos

We have used Bumble Bee a few times now and I am in love with the results. I have only used the floor attachment so far and so my experience thus far is based on that. It is cleaning in a way that I have only been able to do with a tooth brush and vinegar. It says it takes 11 minutes to heat but I have found it to be substantially less than that. The unit is extremely light so it is easy to transport around. The cord is long but I still need to unplug it and plug it in elsewhere as I move around the house. 

The instructions say to use distilled water only so we got a huge reusable container of it. Joe researched a bit and found a local store that will allow us to refill out own containers too! I knew that large gatorade container we have that is like the kind they have in sports was totally going to be worth it one day!

The only thing that takes getting used to is the fact that since the floor tool is a brush and not a microfibre pad you may not get that smooth finish look that you can get with microfibre. A pad does come with the unit and does attach to the floor tool so you could use it if you wanted to. I just haven't tried it yet but if I did I would use it on the wood and keep using just the brush for the tile. 

If you are looking for a steam mop (which is so much more than a mop) or are looking to change from what you have no give the Vapmore a look. I promise you won't be disappointed!

I will update you on our thoughts on the different tools as we use them. Joey is really excited to try out the tool that will clean our cooktop so maybe he will even blog about that (or maybe not since I have been asking him to blog about his SodaStream for like 3 months now).

July 21st was a magic date. It was the target in front of us 3 years ago and we were aiming to get as close as possible to it. When we passed the 38 week hurdle we collectively let out a sigh of relief. We had passed into the window of opportunity for having a home birth and we were excited! We hadn't always wanted to have B at home, in fact it didn't even enter into our minds until we heard friends talking about it and we attended an information session at our midwife clinic. From that point on we were sold and knew that the home birth option was the right one for us and that our midwives would make it a wonderful and safe experience. 

We began preparations for a home birth including briefing our family and friends and fielding the 'WTF? Are you crazy?' and 'Who is going to clean up the mess?' and 'DO NOT tell me why you need a little fish net for' questions and comments. But as we passed from 38 weeks to 40 weeks we both grew anxious. We were in the middle of the 4 week sweet spot for a home birth and knew that if we hit 42 weeks we would not be able to proceed as planned.  It is a huge range of emotions when you go over 40 weeks. Every kick and fart is an instant 'THIS IS IT' moment. Hours are spent walking, eating spicy food and rocking on the yoga ball. Our visits with our midwives became very frequent and frankly very clinical. We had ultrasounds every week, consults with an OB to ensure we could continue and I had more hands/arms up me than I can count.

On August 4th I woke up to a voicemail from our midwife. She asked me to come to the hospital for a checkup. Like a defiant teenager I went but I brought nothing with me. I had no bags packed and no plans to pack them. When I arrived at the hospital I realized I was being checked in. I pleaded for this not to happen. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was just before noon when I was hooked up to the induction drugs. Joe had gone to get my things so it was just me and my midwife. She knew looking into my eyes that a little part of me was dying. I had fully planned for a home birth but on my midwives guidance I had also mentally planned for a hospital birth. What I was not prepared for was an induction that would leave me unable to use the vast majority of tools we had mastered to help cope with labour. Our hospital was not equipped to allow me to use the labour tub that sat beside my bed. It taunted me with every contraction. Our hospital wasn't even equipped to allow me to walk the halls as I laboured. An induction meant I laboured in my bed. 

As I spent the next 10 hours labouring in the kind of intense pain induction drugs bring I thought about what could have been....what I thought should have been. My midwife was so amazing during this whole time. When she saw me slipping into points of dismay should would bring me out of it with advice, a joke or by rubbing my legs. Her tender touch was more needed than she probably realized as I begged for something to help me. I felt like such a failure asking a midwife for drugs. But she understood and I later learned she didn't offer alternatives because she (and Joe) were already aware of what path I was on. I had been slipping in and out of reality and was completely unaware. 

My midwife stayed by my side as my care was transitioned to an OB. My once peaceful room became grand central station with doctors and nurses and the dreadful man with the biggest needle in the entire world. At 10:30 I laid alone in my room with a nurse. My body was numb, the induction drugs were turned off and I was no longer in labour. My baby's heartbeat could only be found if I was on oxygen and mine was only stable when I was off the oxygen. I remember being too out of it to really realize what was happening as people softly spoke to me. I remember being wheeled into the hallway and my midwife running up to us. She was coming with me and would assume responsibility for our baby when it was born. I cried as our experience turned into the opposite of what we had wished. I cried as I realized that the pain of the last 11 hours was almost over and the rest of our lives was about to start.

Bright lights, blue sheets, trays of tools. This moment that was not what we had hoped for turned into something so much more in a few short sentences between Joey and I. A moment in time that made the hospital, the induction, the epidural and the c-section worth it. If we had had a home birth I can not say for certain that that moment would have happened and for that reason I have no regrets about how things turned out. Joe stood to see his baby being born. He was the one who got to tell me that it was a boy.  

  My midwife came back every day to visit us in the hospital even though neither B nor I were under her care. She was there to drop the hammer when a nurse tried to force formula onto us. We saw her for 6 more weeks after B was born, first in our home and then in her office and that last visit was a sad one for us. How do you say goodbye and thank you to someone who has been part of such a profound event in your life? I still do not have an answer to this and anything I come up with seems insignificant. Yesterday was International Day of the Midwife and I am so very thankful for our midwife team and all they did for us during our 42 weeks of pregnancy and 6 weeks of aftercare.  Home birth dreams turned c-section, natural turned medical, tears into smiles, fear into love.

 Getting weighed like a fish!

O.M.G