Great Green Gift Ideas

This Christmas take some stress out of the holiday season by shopping online.  Shopping online is fun, easy and it reduces your carbon footprint!  Here are some of my favourite websites and products.

Lavish and Lime is an online store based in Vancouver, British Columbia that focuses on contemporary eco-friendly products to help you live life a little greener.  They have fabulous non-toxic art supplies for kids.  My boys love their Natural Rock Crayons and Recycled Worm Crayons.  These items are priced at $9.50 and $13.50 and are great stocking stuffers.  Find them at www.lavishandlime.com.

Kippo Kids is an online store based in British Columbia.  They offer a mix of products that include eco-friendly, handmade, organic, and Made in Canada items.  Their products are in line with contemporary trends and are superior quality.  I love their great selection of puzzles.  If you are tired of your children's puzzle boxes falling apart, you will love these too!  My favourites are the Djeco puzzles which come in sturdy silhouette boxes that stand up.  They come in Cows on the Farm, Mummy Rabbit's Pie, Panda, Pirates, Knights and Ballerina.  Find them at www.kippokids.com.

Bugalug is based in Calgary, Alberta and offers a collection of accessories for baby, toddlers and girls.  Their products are non-toxic and lead-free, their hair accessories contain one of a kind non-slip grip and they are made in Canada.  I love the modern ribbon they use on their Non-Slip Clips and I especially LOVE their Cool Cuffs for Boys.  As a mother of two boys, I know how hard it is to find funky items for boys.  I was thrilled to find Bugalug!  The Skull Cuff and Flames Cuff will be in my boys' stockings this Christmas.  Shhhhhh!  Find them at www.bugalugbaby.com.

Oh, and remember, you can always find unique, modern and safe gift ideas for baby at www.tyandlumi.com.  Happy Internet shopping!

A Step in the Right Direction

I have to admit that originally I didn’t really know that much about organics or eco-friendly products. I also didn’t see the need to know about it either. It didn’t seem to affect me either way. That is until 2007 when I was leaving the hospital when my daughter after she was diagnosed with Asthma. I found myself sitting at home reading through the materials that the Asthma Clinic had sent home. In search for more information, I turned to the internet, the more I read about the effects that certain chemicals had on us the more I was confused as to why these products were even available to us as consumers.
I became obsessed about getting rid of anything we had. At first I thought it was an all or nothing kind of deal but soon learned that it could be quite expensive to throw out the majority of your products and start anew. I figured a better option was to start in stages. I started by purchasing organic food and replacing the products that my two youngest used, lotions, soap, shampoo etc….. Food was the easiest to replace since I seemed to be at the grocery store almost every day. As for the other products we made those changes by replacing items with organic, natural or eco friendly products each time we needed to purchase something for ourselves or for our home.
As for bigger items, I saved them for when I did my “spring cleaning”. That’s when I would try to replace household items such as bed linens, pots and pans etc… Asking for these items for Christmas and my birthday was another way we replaced things.
There are lots of options to making changes progressively without breaking your budget. I found an organic food wholesaler close by who host Saturday shopping to the general public their deals can be easy on the pocket! Shopping at a Farmer’s Market is also a great way to shop local organic foods. My daughter has been in a parent participation preschool for the last 2 years which requires us to do a lot of fundraising. We try to fundraise as many eco friendly options as possible such as stainless steel water bottles, stainless containers for food and fair trade organic coffee. So by helping out the school I am also able to make changes in the right direction for my family.
One thing that I found to be very frustrating was not knowing what to do with all the “stuff” after going through everything. I didn’t want to just pour them down the drain or throw them in the garbage that didn’t seem like a good option. But, where do we take these products when we no longer want them? Up until now I have had them in our basement waiting to be dealt with. It was suggested to me to either drop them off at a non profit facility that could use them or put them in a box marked FREE. I have since found that our city now has a depot that you can take all your unwanted products to be disposed of properly free of charge which I feel is a better option.
If you are ready to make some changes, give yourself a break and remember it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Even the smallest change is a change for the better.

Every Small Step Makes a Difference

When I first began my journey towards a healthier environment for my family, I was overwhelmed.  Approximately two years ago I read the book Georgously Green by Sophie Uliano.  After learning about the thousands of toxic chemicals in almost every item in a household I not only felt overwhelmed but angry.  How are companies allowed to sell products containing ingredients that are harmful to humans and to the environment?  Why are many of these known harmful ingredients not banned in Canada when they are in Europe?

The anger then lead to obsession.  I scoured through the items in my house reading all the labels for toxic chemicals.  When I had all my items boxed up and ready for disposal, I realized I had an even bigger problem.  What do I do with all the items?  I did not want to put them in the garbage or drain them down the sink as that would be wasteful and harmful to the earth.  I also did not want to give them away.  If they were not good enough for me to use, how would they be okay for some one else?

Daniel Goleman, most recent author of Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything, in his article for the New York Times (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/the-age-of-eco-angst/) perfectly defined my feelings as "eco-angst".  It is "... the moment a new bit of unpleasant ecological information about some product or other plunges us into a moment (or more) of despair at the planet’s condition and the fragility of our place on it".

After much deliberation, I finally came to the conclusion that it did not have to be all or nothing - every small step makes a difference.  I did not dispose of all my harmful products.  I used up products that I currently had and when I needed to buy something I no longer did so blindly.  I now thoroughly read ingredient labels (I carry with me a list of toxic ingredients), I ask questions, I do research and I try to support companies with sustainable work practices.

So, please do not cause yourself "eco-angst" but rather pat yourself on the back for each small change you make.  If every person in the world started with a small step like I did, image what we could accomplish!

Wendy's Baby Steps towards Organics

When my daughter was almost one year old I returned to work. I worked for the school board at the time. Up until then she was a healthy little girl. She had caught a few colds but nothing that severe.

I placed her in a home daycare with a wonderful lady close to my work. Within a short time she would keep coming down with colds and then it would turn into what we were told at the time was bronchitis. The first couple of episodes we weren’t too concerned as we had expected her to get sick once she started daycare after being exposed to her new surroundings and other kids. Not to mention it was February. After the first couple of months it seemed like she was sick for two or three weeks and then well for one week only to get sick again the next week. We were feeling frustrated as parents not knowing how to help our daughter. Summer came and she was home with me but then she returned in September. She was sick through Christmas and seemed to be better for about a week and then sick for two. By the end of January she was so sick one morning she was lying on the floor so lethargic she could hardly even cough for air. She was struggling to breathe.

I called my husband and we rushed her to Children’s hospital. When we arrived I went to the front desk the nurse asked me if she had asthma, at the time our family doctor was treating her for asthma was unable to diagnose it as such. The nurse wrote on the form “cough” and asked me to take a seat. Then she spotted my husband holding her in his arms and asked to check her breathing and her heart beat. The next thing I knew she was asking him to follow her and me to sign her in. When I went to the room they had taken her too, I walked in to witness her lying on a bed with a nebulizer mask on and about 4 Dr’s and nurses standing over her. I looked at my husband and saw panicked look as he stood near her bed.
After several treatments and a very long day we were finally sent home in the wee hours of the morning. She slept in our bed that night although we didn’t get much sleep.

We were told that her airways had so much inflammation that the amount of air allowed through her airways was that of a piece of thread.

We were contacted later to attend the asthma clinic at Children’s hospital to help us learn how to help control her asthma. We were told that asthma affects about three million people. Six out of ten people with asthma do not have control of their disease. Their poorly controlled asthma may lead a severe, life-threatening asthma attack and permanent lung damage. Asthma symptoms do not have to be tolerated. Total asthma control is attainable for the majority of Canadians.

Asthma is not contagious. While its causes are still unknown, researchers have determined that asthma can be caused by both hereditary (inherited) and environmental factors. With smog, pollen and severe weather changes, you might think that you're more likely to encounter more triggers outdoors than indoors. In fact, the opposite is true. Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors. This, along with changes in how our homes are built, is has lead to poor indoor air quality and more triggers, in our homes.

Fortunately, a great deal has been learned about asthma triggers that exist inside. By educating yourself about indoor hazards, you'll discover simple ways to reduce their levels.

Allergens such as dust mites, indoor and outdoor moulds, animals, pollens
And Irritants such as smoke, fumes, chemical cleaners, perfumes, paints, weather changes can all contribute and trigger an asthma attack.

These are some changes that I have made in my home:

• I use a de-humidifier and air purifier in our bedrooms
• I steam clean my carpets on a regular basis.
• I launder bed linens in very hot water (55 degrees Celsius) once a week. (Unfortunately, this is not very eco-friendly; however, it is the only way to eliminate allergens and bed bugs!)
• I encased my children’s pillows, mattresses and box springs in mite-allergen impermeable casings.
• I use organic cotton and wool bedding products.
• My family's diet consists of whole-foods and organic vegetables, meat and fish.

I can’t change the fact that my children have asthma but I can change the environment around them in order to reduce their triggers.
I am still learning about the benefits of natural and organic products every day. I hope you will join me on my journey to an asthma-friendly environment. I would love to hear your thoughts! If your child has asthma, what changes have you made?

~Wendy

Jillian’s Baby Steps Towards Organics

It's been almost a decade now that I have been concerned with what I put in my body. I have been making a conscious effort to purchase organic food and eat healthy. However, most of that time I was oblivious to what I put on my body. The skin is the body's largest organ so how did I not realize that what goes on is as important as what goes in?

I finally made the connection three years ago when my then three month old son developed eczema. I was aware that cortisone cream thins the skin and I knew I did not want to slather his beautifully pure skin with it so I began to look for options. I searched and found natural creams, which work wonderfully!   I was so thrilled with these natural products that I decided to "purify" my family's environment.  I started with educating  myself on toxic chemicals used in common beauty and household items (Gorgeously Green and Ecoholic are great books for this).  I was shocked to find out that there are a plethora of harmful ingredients in our everyday products and household items that are known carcinogens, neurotoxins, hormone disruptors, cancer causers and birth defect contributors.  I now carry a cheat sheet in my purse listing all of the extremely dangerous and potentially dangerous ingredients and I thoroughly read the ingredient labels.  Yes, it's a little time consuming doing this but the health of my family is worth it.

My search to purify my family's environment eventually lead me to organic cotton. I was horrified to learn about all of the toxins used in the production of conventional cotton and the damage it inflicts on cotton workers, our planet and our bodies.   I know that I do not want my kids dressed or sleeping in fabric that has been drenched in pesticides, toxic chemicals (used in the production process) or PVC plastic decorations.  Also, being a mother has created a desire for me to take care of the planet so that I set a good example for my children and provide them with a safe place to grow up in.  Yet, I find it difficult to find organic cotton clothing and bedding.  It's even more difficult to find organic cotton clothing or bedding that is trendy (I don't like drab beige!).  Major companies such as Gap and Nike are introducing organic cotton items into their lines, however, it only represents 1% to 3% of their products.  It's a great start but it still does not leave me with a lot of choices.

In Gorgeously Green, Adria Vasil writes that "childhood cancers are up 21%, asthma rates are four times higher than they were in the '80's, and birth defects are on the rise".  Are you ready to take your own baby steps towards organic?  This Mothers Day start with your baby.  Pick one item you use on him or her.  It can be a small item such as their body wash or diaper cream or it can be larger such as their crib bedding.  A baby's skin is five times thinner than an adult's and their skin is more porous and vulnerable to harsh chemicals so making a change on your baby has a greater impact than it would on you.

I would like to hear your feedback.  Please post comments on your product tips or your own stories.  Happy Mothers Day!

~Jillian