Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

Has anyone ever seen the movie "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken"? It was my favourite movie when I was 8 years old. My sister loved it too. My mom would take us to Blockbuster (remember that place?) every weekend and we would just re-rent the same copy over and over again. At 8 years old, I had just discovered horses. I was obsessed. It's taken me a long time to understand the exact reason that I continue to love horses so much. I think I've finally found it. Horses make me feel like I am 8 years old again. It's pretty simple, huh? I think if we look hard enough, we can all find something in our lives that we enjoy simply because it has the power to take us back to a time of innocence and wonder, when we were carefree and truly lived in the moment. Before most of us understood the sinking feelings of guilt, shame and regret. Up until these pictures were taken I hadn't seen my horse, Lola in over 3 months. I know, I know, I am a bad horse mom. You don't need to guilt me, I'm hard enough on myself. What amazes me about Lola (and all animals, for that matter) is that she didn't care. She still rushed to the gate when she heard my voice. She still followed every step I took and warmed my face with her sweet muzzle. All Lola was thinking about in that moment was that I was there. And you know what? That's all I was thinking about as well. Just spending that short amount of time with Lola was enough to reconnect me to my 8 year old self. It was enough to remind me to let go of the useless feelings of self-judgment that I spend so much time hurling at myself. Lola reminds me to be in the moment, and that being me is enough.

Green Products I Can No Longer Live WIthout

For the longest time I was stuck in a cycle. I would use half of a container of a new fill-in-the-blank household cleaner, decide I didn't like the smell, or it didn't work, discard it and buy a new one. My choice was always based on attractive packaging and flashy claims. Now that we've narrowed the parameters in which we make consumer decisions, we've found products that we happily purchase over and over again. I'm so happy with both of these products that I just have to share! 

The first is Cinderella's Organic Housekeeping. This stuff is so great! The initial draw to this great all-purpose cleaner is the fantastic packaging. I love that the spray bottle and bottle of concentrate are glass. How many times have I purchased a certain name-brand glass cleaner only to have the spray nozzle break halfway through the life of the cleaner? TOO MANY TIMES!! This spray bottle has lasted over 2 years and continues to spray a strong, perfect mist on everything I clean. I also love the option to purchase a bottle of concentrate which will make 8 spray bottles. Our local natural food store offers a bottle exchange as well. There are only 8 ingredients, mainly natural oils, essential oils and water - and you can pronounce all of them! This stuff is safe enough to ingest, although I wouldn't suggest it. Most importantly, I feel comfortable using this spray on absolutely everything, including Everett's toys and play surfaces. It smells subtly delicious and cleans any surface. Cinderella's Organic Housekeeping is a small Canadian company from Nelson, BC. Read more about them here: http://www.cinderellasorganic.com/ 

My next rave is for Claudia's Choices laundry detergent. Claudia's Choices is a local, family owned company dedicated to providing families with safe alternatives in household and baby care. This detergent is phosphate free (y'know, that nasty stuff that's been causing major damage for our valuable natural water sources?), perfume free, hypoallergenic and free of dyes and fillers. Best of all, Claudia's Choices is safe for cloth diapers. This stuff seemingly lasts forever. We buy a new tub about every 3-4 months and return it to Green Calgary and receive $2 off of our next purchase. So cool. For more information check out Claudia's website: http://www.claudiaschoices.ca 

Eco-Guilt!

Ever since I can remember I've felt major twinges of guilt when engaging in the simple act of opening a garbage can and depositing something in it. I blame it on the week I spent at 'ranger camp' in Northern Virginia. Anyhow, it's the kind of twinge you can't ignore. A twinge that says 'acknowledge me!', 'do something!'. So, two years ago Ty and I made it our priority to become more 'green'. I like to say that we just started to become more aware of what we purchased. And then it became where we purchased. And how we purchased. And then it became why we purchased. Basically, our decision to become more conscious of the things we did and the impact associated created a domino effect in our lives. It's infectious. It's addicting. We now constantly find ourselves wondering what else can we cut out? Here's what we've done so far:

-eliminated any household and personal products tested on animals.
-eliminated the use of paper towels, paper napkins and dryer sheets
-cloth diapering and cloth wipes for Everett
-use vinegar and essential oil-based home cleaning products
-began using a greenhouse
-planted and harvested our own fruits and vegetables
-began using rain barrels and a pump
-began composting...everything
-reuse and recycle as much as possible-posted a 'no flyers or solicitations' sticker on our mailbox
-became members of a local urban produce delivery program
-attempt to purchase as locally and as ethically as possible
-dry laundry on our clothesline
-utilize a car-sharing program for short, one way trips
-walk everywhere, weather and distance permitting
-purchase products with limited packaging
-participate in bottle and receptacle exchange
-attempt to purchase second hand toys and clothing for Everett
-attempt to purchase necessary household items locally or second hand
-sell/trade/give away unwanted items locally or to families in need
-installed a Nest thermostat

Our family still has a LONG way to go. We both drive SUV's, our house is in NO WAY 'high efficiency' and we sometimes feel overwhelmed with the changes we'd still like to make. Some of our goals for the future are to:

-improve and add to our rain barrel water system
-utilize green energy for powering our home
-bring our own containers for take out meals
-begin work on our home to improve energy efficiency
-continue to find ways to reduce household waste and food waste

I get a lot of ideas and tips from others - I love gaining knowledge from other families with the same vision. I'm part of several online groups focused on natural family living specifically for my city. We live a block away from a non-profit organization called "Green Calgary" and have found that the staff offer invaluable knowledge in many different areas of eco-conscious living. I also follow a group called "Green Mom's Collective" which shares daily tips on improving your green lifestyle. I also frequently refer to the Environmental Working Group website to check out the safety rating of specific brand-name products. I will say, sometimes I feel like my head will explode with all of the information AND misinformation out there. It's important to start small. Think of one change you'd like to make and start there. I promise, it's way easier than it seems!

Stay tuned - my next post will be the first of many in which I share my favourite green products!

Neighbourhood Love

Have I mentioned that I LOVE our neighbourhood? Well I do. I love it. Everything about it. First of all, we can walk just about anywhere. This comes in handy on days when Everett and I feel cooped up and stir crazy. Days like that are often in Calgary as we frequently experience weeks on end of freezing temperatures and mounds and mounds of snow. We love walking to the park, the coffee shop, the grocery store, the library, the downtown core, the quaint shops of Kensington and the Bow River. Some days it feels that from our neighbourhood we could walk just about anywhere! Ty and I decided to brave the cold on Saturday and walk to eat at one of our favourite local restaurants, Dairy Lane. We bundled Everett in the Burley and walked 6 blocks in the winter twilight. It was beautiful. It was worth the numb faces and frozen fingers. 

We love Dairy Lane for many different reasons. We love how close it is to us. We love that they are local and independently owned. We also love that they support local companies, many of which offer organic and conscientiously raised produce and meat. We love that we can bring Everett, any time of the day. We love that we can enjoy beer and wine, local pop and lemonade and the most delicious milkshakes...any time of the day. We love the staff - everyone is friendly and welcoming. It's one of those restaurants that just feels good, know what I mean? We also love that Dairy Lane participates in the Mealshare program and that for every Mealshare item purchased off the menu, a family in need is provided with a meal. How cool is that? And how cool is it to have a gem of a restaurant like this just steps from my door? Pretty cool. 

A Library Card

I can't believe it took me this long to get a library card, especially since we live within walking distance to one! On Friday Everett and I made it happen. Walking into a library feels like stepping back in time. The smell of the books, the feel of their plastic jackets, ahhh - it's so nostalgic! If it weren't for the few computers scattered around and the self-checkout kiosk, we wouldn't have known what decade it was. Everett quietly scanned the multicoloured, neatly packed shelves, the reading tables and the diverse group of people all using the library for seemingly different purposes. I could tell that he knew we were some place special. The nerd in me took an embarrassingly long time picking out the design for our library cards. I chose one with a galloping horse on it, because...why wouldn't I? Everett 'chose' an animal themed card. We got to write our names on the back! I could hardly wait to use the self-scanner to check out our books. The librarian who helped us register took time to explain to me about all of the different resources the library offered. She even gave me insider information on getting registered for a spot in the highly coveted "Mother Goose" storytelling series. I barely held in my excitement when she told me that just for being a library cardholder I could access hundreds of free magazines (tabloids included, eek!) and thousands of free e-books. How had I not known about any of this?? I couldn't help but feel cheery and optimistic in the library. There was knowledge in here, there was acceptance in here, this was a place meant for a community. It was clear by the flyers and posters and sandwich boards peppering the space that there was something for everyone here. I can't wait to foster the same appreciation for libraries and books as my mom and dad did for me growing up. Everett and I left the library with 6 colourful board books. I may have jumped the gun, considering Everett still considers books a delicious snack, but considering the occasion I just had to.

2013 In Review

2013 was an incredible year. On February 28th at 5:29am, precious little Everett joined our world. Nothing has been the same since. We celebrated the marriages of friends and family and introduced Ev to loved ones near and far. We continued to work on our treasured little home and for the first time, planted a garden. We learned entirely new meanings of the words love, devotion, patience and trust. The most glaring truth we discovered this year was that time is precious and it moves by very, very quickly. Because of this newfound knowledge I am going into 2014 with a reverent respect for time. Not a moment of it will be wasted as we continue to watch Everett grow and to grow ourselves. <3

Hello, hello, hello!

Hello and welcome. I am Erin. I am a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter and a friend. I am also a curious consumer of information. And so much more. Obviously.
My days are filled with constant personal revelations, questions, exclamations and raves. Let me share them with you!