DIY Natural Orange-Vanilla Scent for Your Home

Today marks the weekend before my two weeks of vacation are over... and I return to work. I will say that I greatly enjoyed having a little over two weeks off, after a particularly sick-filled and stressful autumn it was necessary.

Vacation means quiet afternoons for reading and making suet blocks out of saved bacon fat (and searching through pinterest on the best ways to attract cardinals... still alluding us sadly). After which the entire house smelled like bacon fat... which actually smells quite a bit less alluring than you might expect.

Earlier in the season I caved and bought smelly candles, but they really do smell something awful- just a tinge of chemical scent that reminded me of those silly smelly candle stores filled with ridiculous country knickknacks. Instead of filling my house with a yummy smell, I was constantly reminded of indoor air pollution and icky chemicals.

I remembered, suddenly, that earlier in the week I had purchased an orange on a whim (I usually don't, since they are definitely NOT local, but I was craving orange juice) and that we had some whole spices left over from the Yulemas Mulled Wine. A quick pinterest search revealed a "How to" for stove top simmering scents and storage. I thought I'd give it a try.

And wow, it smells absolutely scrumptious and I am only mildly concerned about the state of having a pot left on "low" heat. I've heated my concoction in a small pot, but we do happen to have a fondu thingy-ma-jigger that I'm going to look into rigging up as a possible contender for the next batch!

For the inspiration (and fabulous tips for different scents and methods) check out "The Yummy Life".

Orange-Vanilla Stove Top Room Scent:

Half an orange, sliced
3 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon cloves
3 star anise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add ingredients to a small pot. Add water until covered. Bring to a boil. Lower temperature to "low". Monitor to assure water doesn't evaporate. Afterwards, pour mixture into mason jar, top up with water if necessary and refrigerate. Good for a few more uses.

Storage:
In a mason jar put the other half of the orange and all other ingredients except the vanilla, fill with water. Store in fridge for 1-2 weeks.

I'm actually very excited to go gather some fir and pine needles to try a few of "The Yummy Life's" other scent suggestions! I also really like that for the most part this recipe uses only things that we'd have already in our pantry and that I can store ready-to-use pots in jars.

If you have other scent suggestions- please leave them below- I'd love to try them!

Is 30x30 Only for the True Belie-verts?

Last week on 30x30 Challenge...

Recap: this month I'm doing David Suzuki's 30x30 Challenge: spend 30minutes outside in nature each day for the month of May. (first post here)
Why? Decrease stress, reconnect with nature, sleep better, increase physical activity.
Also: Support environmental sociological research at Trent University (survey pre-post).

(Interestingly, the first post sparked a quick, as always, discussion on twitter re: feasibility of finding green space and time for this in the city. I was surprised that perhaps others might not have the same "high importance" rating for being in nature as I do. That said, I also feel that it is easier to find "green space" now that I'm not in the city. Which makes urban green space finds all the more important. It made me wonder: are the people doing the challenge the people who would truly benefit, or is the challenge filled with 30minute a day belie-verts? hah, see what I did there?)

Last week's 30x30 in a nutshell:

Tuesday May 6th: I spent over 4 hours in the car for work, driving to home sessions and then a three hour drive to my parents village for a weeklong French consultation for work. Once home, and after my homemade lobster chowder (yum!) I was exhausted. When I mentioned I needed to spend 30 minutes outside, my dad immediately piped up that he had loads of work to do in the yard for the boat (lobster fishing) and I could help.

(Dad choosing his buoys for the truck... life as a fisherman)

(Dad's buoys, coiled rope and kayak containers)

We spent about 45 minutes loading rope and buoys on the back of his truck followed by a drive out in the middle of nowhere to pick up special lobster bait (des gaspereaux as my mom would say). The kayak dipper's supply was at the end of a long dirt forested road opening onto a wide open field and old farmstead (still being used as a summer rental) with fields of daffodils, deer grazing and hawks lazily flying overhead.

(Old farmstead on the river that opens onto the Atlantic- perfect for brackish fish such as kayaks)

Kayaks freshly dipped and ready to be lobster bait

(SO many daffodils, the field goes on beyond the picture)

True to small village form, the exchange of money for kayaks involved my dad leaving the cash on the kayak dipper's steering wheel and dumping the fish from the back of the truck into containers dad had brought. A quick phone call on the way out just to let the dipper know and we were good. Once we returned home there were two deer just hanging out on the front lawn! Perfect. A fantastic rare father-daughter evening overall.

(Two deer! The closest is a yearling and the furthest is a pregnant doe!)

Wednesday May 7th: This was a fail. I was so exhausted from my day of consultation that I came home and napped for an hour, followed by three hours of extended family visiting. No significant outside time.

(Stoop sunset)

Thursday May 8th: I spent 30 minutes sitting on the stoop of my parents house, listening to all the different birds, the sounds of the wind through the trees as the sun set over the Atlantic. Nothing beats a Nova Scotia ocean sunset.

Friday May 9th: Another fail. This one was the result of another exhausting day of travelling back to Halifax and working. I did spend some time walking outside, but not 30 minutes.

Saturday May 10th: Andrew and I spent 1 hour taking out the dead plants and grass from our garden! Since we a) have no idea what we're doing and b) have no idea what plants are actually coming up, it was definitely an interesting experience. But fun!

(Our locally made cedar bat house!)

Sunday May 11th: We spent a few hours in the yard! I planted some flowers in a planter to try to actively attract hummingbirds to our feeder (choosing flowers for what I know to be successful at my parent's cottage), we cleaned off two white plastic deck chairs we found thrown behind the shed and we set up the bat house! Cross our fingers we actually get a few bats nesting and bat babies! I have a funny feeling the little stream behind our house will be a haven for mosquitoes, and bats would go far in providing pest control. I also found a weird ceramic deep bird plate that I decided we could fill with water and use as a bird bath.

We finished our outdoor time just sitting on our deck and enjoying our new flowers, bat house and bird bath.

Monday May 12th: Despite Andrew having an aura migraine and my having pulled an intercostal muscle that morning and having trouble breathing- we went for a 30minute walk. There are so many birds and little streams in our neighbourhood that walks are filled with beautiful nature sounds!

***********************

Back to the original question: is the 30x30 challenge filled with the "green" converted (the belie-verts)? Despite my two day misses, this past week I have spent more time outside than I normally would have. Definitely the time at home was all outside time I wouldn't have normally spent and Andrew and I are walking more in the evenings together. I'm getting excited to actually plant a garden for food and practice yoga on our deck when it gets warm enough.

For this eco-yogini in any case, the 30x30 challenge has been a definite "nature boost" incentive and so far has resulted in:
a) more noticeable energy on days when I spend time outside
b) opportunities to connect with my father in a meaningful way
c) meaningful and active time spent with my husband
d) connecting with our new yard!

What about you? How is your challenge going?

We Are Homeowners!! SQUEE!

It is official, Andrew and I are now the owners of A HOUSE!!!!

(Andrew and I in front of the house after the inspection- squee yellow door!)

Holy poop.

No really. I think a text I got from my bestie was: OMG OMG OMG

It's so grown-up. We get to pick out (zero-low VOC) paint colours, find (energy star rated) appliances, look into (begging family for) Nests, saving for fancy schmancy made in Canada sustainably furniture....

This was not an easy process. Honestly, it has been one of the most stressful two weeks of this year. What I didn't realize in the house purchasing process, once you put in an offer and it is accepted, everything moves SO QUICKLY. And you have to be 100% available any second of every day.

The first problem was the well water testing. Thankfully, the results from the water came back in flying colours. The entire house already has a point of entry water treatment system which according to the water tests work like magic. Awesome. No arsenic in our water.

The septic testing was also a breeze. Apparently our poo management system ROCKS. The septic dude was suitably impressed with the quality of the septic system and field. Fantastic. We have come to calling the septic field behind the house (a raised field of grass) the sh%t heap. There will be parties on the sh%t heap for sure.

Then the inspection happened. Honestly, it was actually a very positive experience. The inspector was fantastic; in two hours we learned SO MUCH about the home and how to care for it. Everything was amazing except....

The plumbing. The plumbing was a company called "plomberie améliorée" which ironically means "better plumbing". Ironic since it is a sub company of Kitec, which is currently being sued. PA is also on our insurance providers "do not insure" list since they tend to spontaneously explode and rupture. Awesome.

Follow the plumbing discovery with our amendment to our purchase agreement that the sellers fix the plumbing at their cost. Follow that with four stressful days of back and forth negotiating ("Maybe THAT plumbing really IS ok..." us: "we don't care for a "maybe"- fix it!") to the point that we honestly thought we'd lose the house. Until finally TODAY the sellers agreed 100% with our demands.

SO...... it's FINISHED! We BOUGHT IT!

I am so incredibly relieved. Now the fun stuff can start!

Brick by Brick: An Eco-Home Dream

I love city living; it's accessible to everything within walking distance, there is always something to do and people to see... and if I were honest- urban living is most likely the most environmental route. We take up less space and have less need for cars.

I also grow tired of city living. Spending 18 years in a small village of 500 people, no sidewalks, no street names (rural route highways!) and the ocean just outside my window- I need that connection with nature. As corny as it sounds my soul starts to whither away after too long in the city, no matter the 'green space'- it's never enough, doesn't even come close to comparing true quiet.

So... for years Andrew and I have been talking about building our own home... away from a city. Unfortunately, building a home= having money and not being in school or in debt. Andrew is still in university so there is no way we can justify getting a mortgage and building a home when only one of us has a full time job.

But the countdown is finally ON. Andrew should be done his degree THIS coming September and we can finally look into houseplans. ECO house plans! I have dreams that include passive solar energy, geothermal heating, a cute whimsical house plan, a yoga+music room, LOTS of windows, sustainable insulation, zero VOC paint, sustainable wood, energy star rated appliances, a GARDEN... all of this right on the ocean (lol go big or go home eh?).

(Like this home- isn't it super duper cute????)

Except building 'green' is complicated. Especially in a province where many people build their homes rurally, but 'green building' practices are still quite new and granola. 'Eco' home plans all look either hand drawn or a bit sketchy, or expensive. And I have no idea where to even start looking for a contractor who would be on the same page, or what green materials would be realistically within our budget and timeframe. Or what a timeframe would actually BE for an eco-home.

It is completely overwhelming and I know it's going to take quite a bit of reading, searching and study. The best resource for Nova Scotia that I've found so far is the Ecology Action Centre's Building page. There's also an 'eco-village' in the southern part of the province: Eliopoli. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet, but there are some interesting links...

That's ok... hopefully we have some time to get things set up and ready to go, now that the timeline isn't in years but more likely months.

So... I'm putting out a little call out to my peeps- any suggestions, tips or ressources (whether they are reading materials, links, or contacts- especially in NS) for building a green home? We'd love to have them!

Get Your Sew On; Old School Style!

The boring 'R' in the being environmental has always been 'Reduce'. I love shopping, but interestingly enough, since I've gone 'Eco' I have a difficult time buying crappy, made in China clothing (byebye Lululemon) and have become extremely fussy about what I will pay big bucks. Also, most of my clothing needs to do double duty as work clothes.

This means that I generally use my clothing right up until they are unusable and that I typically buy clothing that is higher quality, more professional looking and costs more. Which is why it baffles me that there are so many people out there who can donate almost unused, designer labels to local designer consignment boutiques. All my consignable clothing is still being worn by moi!

In our disposable world, taking care and fixing our clothing is a complete paradigm shift. We're so used to throwing it out, or even donating to Value Village or a women's shelter, at the smallest hole or stain that the thought of taking the time to sew just seems... well like wearing subpar clothing. I *like* shiny new clothes, so having something that's 'damaged' and being happy with it is an adjustment.

That and I suck at sewing.

(my tiny little sewing kit that folds up into a box for easy storage!)

A couple of years ago, thought, I got this really tiny travel sewing kit as a Yulemas gift (my mom may have made the suggestion to my Tante that I needed one... lol). Since I am so not crafty and have zero compunction to actually SEW stuff, I have never considered getting an actual sewing machine. Too much hassle and we really have no place to store it. And they intimidate the heck outta me.

But a needle and a thread? Sure... I guess I can handle that.

(A funky sweater jacket I had bought in 2007 in Edmonton. The bottom was completely stretched out and wavy so I hardly ever wore it. Tonight I decided to hand take in the sides and see what happened)

(Not perfect, but soooo much better!)

(You can barely see where I took it in on both sides!!)

(This was a brandnew sweater I had bought from Club Monaco... that randomly had a fingerpad sized hole on the arm, not even on a seam. Yes you can see the stitching- which was crappy, way way up close, but from a regular distance you can't see a thing! Success!)

Wouldn't you know, there have been at least a dozen items of clothing that have randomly been ripped, hems come undone, random holes appearing, that I've been able to sew up to barely noticeable levels.

The stitches may look a little drunken sailor, but honestly for the most part they are hardly noticeable. Unlike a ginormous hole showing skin, or a pant hem that has completely unstitched. Who looks closely at the cuff of my pantleg to check out the stitching anyway?

Here are a few things I've learned in this sewing journey:

• Those little tomato pin cushions that look ridiculous? Yeah, they're kinda essential. I mean, where are you gonna stick the needle while you get stuff situated? Those little reminders of your grand-mère are so darn handy to keep needles away from being accidentally stuck into a body part or eaten by cats. 
• I can see why my grand-mère wore thimbles to protect her thumbs and fingers. I have stuck my fingers a zillion times. Since I suck at sewing, and have zero patience, I kinda just guess where the needle should go instead of constantly double checking each side. A thimble would have been helpful.
• Cutting the thread on an angle is genius. This allows you to squeeze the thread through the stupidly small needle hole so much easier. 
• As does wetting the thread in your mouth. I think that has more to do with keeping the thread bits together. I'm not sure, but it totally works and is kinda icky.
• Saving the threat and buttons that comes with pants and shirts is a fantastic idea. I am now a thread and button hoarder....

So, the next time you notice a hole in your (yoga) clothing, consider picking up a needle and thread and fixing it yourself instead of buying a new pair. Who knows, you might be able to extend the life of your clothes, save yourself some money and prevent more waste and pollution.

And feel like you're pretty darn Crafty.

Do you have any sewing tips for me? I'd really love to hear them!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Moving to New Zealand!!

One of my bestest friends Margaret is embarking on a ridiculously exciting Adventure with a capital A.

(Step 1: complete side head shaving for a the "ADVENTURE HAIR")

Tomorrow morning at 5am, I drive her to the Halifax airport so she can start her 33 hour journey to New Zealand... where she will live and backpack, by herself, for an entire year.

(Amazing neon pink zebra Duck Tape)

Seriously. She quit her job, sold her car, gave away her clothing (even her handmade Halloween costumes!) and packed her entire life into a 35lb backpack. She had to pare down all her belongings to five outfits that better have multi-purposes and practical perks (such as easily washable underwear in a sink, but they look kinda cute too).

(Margaret and her life for the next year- all laid out on her 'nest' that she sleeps on when she visits)

Experiencing this process with her; how people are reacting to her Adventure (surprisingly, a lot of negative nancies out there), how life becomes a constant set of emotional 'goodbyes', and how we re-evaluate what is absolutely necessary in our lives. I was thinking about how I'd prioritize a travel yoga mat... lol.

(Ms Margaret is READY for her Adventure)

She's decided to blog about her journey (ok, really I told her she better friggin' blog and post pictures while she's there...) and I've given her a crash course in blogging over the course of the past two days. It's the cutest blog ever: "The Ginger Travels" (she's a redhead :) ).

She is so Courageous and I admire her Moxy and sense of Adventure.

A huge part of me is going to miss her while she's gone, despite this world of uber connectedness.

Bon Voyage ma Margaret, tu me manques déjà. 

article and copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

GPB Day in the Life: With Kittens!

Ever wonder what I do all day when I am not furiously writing this blog, being eco-licious or yoga-licious? No? Well.... ok then.

In case the answer was actually yes- go check out my post at the GPB today! It's filled with kittens, chore charts and speech therapy!! Woo!

(also, speaking on kittens... update on Atreyu- he has been officially diagnosed with a psycho-somatic disorder and the vet recommended anti-psychotics.... le sigh. Currently, he is sick from a mild bladder infection, again, and has developed a sensitivity to the anti-biotics... so he threw up everywhere and refuses to eat. It's great. Thank goodness he has a squishy face and we still love him to bits).

Happy Weekend!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Best Fruit Fly Eco-Trap Ever!

I am not a fan of bugs. I've also never been one to simply "let them free". Nope, I am a squasher while crowing triumphantly over my amazing bug-killing skills. TAKE THAT!

Yep. It didn't really go over well during circle time at my first job, let me tell you that.

One thing we have perfected, is the BEST FRUIT FLY TRAP EVER doodad. I figured most people know about this, until I heard of friends buying traps, creating elaborate traps using plastic wrap and poking holes etc etc.

Considering Andrew got this recipe while working in the produce section at Safeway (where they got a LOT of fruit flies), and since we've tried the plastic wrap contraption as well as red wine trick with MUCH less success, I figure the claim of BEST FRUIT FLY TRAP EVER is pretty darn legit.

It's just a bit stinky at first, but trust me, it's worth it.

(the not so sad sight of dozens of dead fruit flies- this happened in under 45 minutes of placing the trap in the bathroom. For some reason fruit flies are growing there- I think we need to baking soda the sink drain...)

In a glass cup (preferably one you don't love) that has a wide mouth and is kinda shallow (so an old brandy or scotch type glass... what you don't drink brandy or scotch?):

• Drop about a dime's worth size of honey
• add apple cider vinegar (about an inch in the glass)
• one (or two) drops of liquid dish soap

That is it. No plastic, no special ingredients. White vinegar will work, just not as well. The combination of honey and apple cider vinegar mimics the scent of rotting, which the little buggers love. Add the dish soap (and our eco-friendly soap works fine) and the surface tension of the vinegar is broken allowing the flies to slip right to their doom.

Sinister? Maybe. But when you have an infestation of fruit flies it's magical.

Article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Fresh Peppers Stored in Glass

Recently, a work colleague sent around a "meme" type email warning of the dangers of plastic containers. It was written by a regular "housewife" type persona, writing about watching Dr.Oz inform her of "GASP" the dangers of plastic. It finishes with a story of a "friend of a friend" who had breast cancer and how potentially plastic food containers played a part, urging us to tell all our friends.

(storing my schoolhouse granola in a glass container is great for freshness AND to keep those pesky icky wheat bugs away...)

Now, typically I'm not a fan of these 'manufacturing fear' rumour emails, but what's interesting is that they can work. Not longer afterwards, a colleague asked me where she could get glass food containers and non-plastic water bottles. 

(Glass storage also LOOKS really classy. ps- that bit of plastic wrap sticking out? We tried the clay circle dealy but the only thing that really worked to keep our brown sugar soft was a bit of plastic wrap on the top. A small bit that has never been replaced...)

The switch to glass storage is a gradual one, and although heavier and a bit more cumbersome for storage, they are much more convenient for cleaning and smell (especially since we're lazy and sometimes there are unpleasant surprises... ick!). 

(Our cat food is stored in two large glass containers that we'll also be picking up a few more for our flour and sugar storage!)

The biggest change in how I store food without plastic, though, has been storing vegetables in the glass containers. I grew up storing vegetables in plastic ziplock bags. I had always thought that it was the best way to store vegetables....

I was so wrong.

(pepper all ready to be eaten!)

Peppers in glass containers result in:

• Longer lasting peppers. They don't get weird and slimy or dry out. It's perfect!
• One pepper generally fits in one glass anchor container.
• Having to cut out of the middle also results in a longer lasting pepper.
• If you have a few peppers you can mix them together in one larger glass container!
• After the pepper is all eaten up, the container is easily washed and quickly ready for another.
• Instead of eventually having to buy more plastic ziplock bags (as they don't wash well), the containers will eventually pay for themselves by their longevity! 

An easy, classy, change to decrease your addiction to plastic :)

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Balancing DIY Without Becoming a Packrat

Being a tree hugging, environmentally awesome co-unit (Andrew and I) has it's pluses. Such as saving money, increasing our air quality and health and saving the planet.

(Ok, I know we're not this bad; but HGTV's 'Consumed' was making me nervous)

Something I've begun to struggle with, however, is the clutter. Andrew and I live in 700 square feet, which is actually a nice improvement from our previous Halifax apartment of 500. We have virtually zero storage, though, as we live in a 150yr+ heritage building.

I keep seeing these amazing DIY upcycled objects finding uses for old, non-used or broken items and I think: 'Wow, I could do that!'. For example, using spare fabric to make a yoga mat bag, or keeping gift bags to re-use for birthdays or Yule.

So, about a year ago I started saving these little random bits of things in case I might use them some day. Such as little bits of ribbons, old jewelry or beads, gift bags and envelopes, pretty boxes and binders. And clothing- I save clothing. Unfortunately my job requires that I look very professional. Currently I'm running a preschool teacher training 12 week intensive program (Apprendre à parler avec plaisir-LLLI), presenting at community events twice this month and traveling across the province to consult. This means my regular 'dress pants+nice ish shirt' doesn't cut it anymore. So I need to renew my wardrobe more often.

Keeping these little bits of things and clothing is great, in theory. It means these things don't go in the landfill. I'm being frugal and potential will save money with my craftiness.

However, we've reached the point of clutter. I have no room to store all this extra potential 'stuff' anymore. Everywhere I look there are little random bits waiting to be eco-fied. Ribbons, papers, envelopes. Spread out in whatever drawer, basket or shelf that has some available space. We're not crazy packrat status (yet), but it was starting to get obviously cluttered.

We barely have enough room for our clothing in our one (of two) closets we have in the apartment, let alone trying to organize an enviro-stash of DIY wannabes.

Therefore, two weeks ago I took a deep breath and LET GO of this expectation. In my current living space I cannot realistically keep all reusable items in the hope of one day upcycling and being uber Eco Yogini. Andrew and I went through our clothing and made three piles: toss (only a few stained and ripped items), donate to Value Village and donate to the women's transition house. We filled two recycling bags (we don't own large black trash bags).

That part was relatively easy, minimal landfill. It's the extra random bits of 'stuff' that I have trouble letting go- as 'letting go' equals for the most part= trash.

Anyone else feeling the clutter-upcycle DIY precarious balance? If you live in a no storage space, how do you deal? Prioritizing or accepting the limitations of small space?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

8 Reasons Why Eco-Yogis Shed Their Shoes

After living in four different provinces over the past 10 years (and spending my entire life of 30 years in Canada- yep turned the big 3-0 Monday!! EEK), I have to say that I've been to my fair share of homes and met quite a bit of people country wide.

Out of them all, only *one* family kept their shoes on in the house. One family in 30 years of visiting. I know I've said this before, but until recently I honestly thought that Americans who kept their shoes on indoors on TV were just representative of some weird tv-land trend. What seems to be the case, for the most part though, is that keeping your shoes on in the States is the rule, not the exception (whereas in Canada it's the exception...).

Here are some reasons why shedding your shoes in the house is the Eco-Yogi(ni) thing to do:

1. Less dirt tracked into your house= less to vacuum-sweep-mop= less energy and cleaners needed. I don't know why people ignore this, but when you walk outside your shoes step on dirt (etc), which depending on the weather can vary in quantity. This dirt is then dropped off at various points all over your house. That commercial for the fancy steam-vacuum that shoes the family walking all over the (gradually browned) rug? Wouldn't be a problem if they took off their shoes, where else do they think that dirt comes from?

2. Less cleaners and energy also means less house work for you... which also translates into more time for Yoga. :)

3. It's polite. Yeppers, taking your shoes off in someone else's house shows that you respect their home, their cleanliness and you trust that they keep a clean and welcome home. If you visit someone in Canada, it's a good bet to take off your shoes.

4. You can feel more comfortable curling up on the couch, chair or bed without shoes on.

5. You'll feel more connected to their earth, more grounded and centered in the present. I swear,  shoes= working and being busy doing stuff. No shoes= relaxing and opening up.

6. You're ready for yoga at ANY TIME.

7. You get to enjoy wearing fun socks! (or slippers!)

8. Canadians are cool and we have fabulous ideas!

Are you an American that takes off your shoes in the house? Why or why not?

Happy Halloween Weekend!!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Redecorating à la Cheap

It has been a long time coming, but we're finally feeling the economic crunch in the EcoYogini home. Let me tell ya, it's stressful and annoying. All superfluous spending is out. That includes yoga classes. Thank goodness Yoga in the Park has survived another close call (another story... and not a very nice one. I'm honestly not sure I feel like sharing- let's just be happy Halifax still has a free yoga in the park).

With the money crunch comes the reality that we can't afford to purchase non-essential things. After a year of living in our new apartment, I was just coming up to feeling like we should make it into a 'home'. Years of apartment living, moving every two years, has resulted in never being able to justify investing the money into making the space a home. I never bought art, furniture or painted. It just seemed like a colossal waste since we'd be moving in a few years anyways.

But now we'll most likely be living the apartment life (cuz who would ever give us a mortgage?) for quite a few more years. Ah, it could be worse, I could be unemployed...

So what to do? Our apartment needed a sprucer-upper.

What's an environmentally friendly option? A top to floor scrub. Yeppers, we spent hours scrubbing the floors, walls, dishes, furniture, appliances. We tidied up, straightened the clutter away and finally I lit some cleansing black candles (pagan). Wouldn't you know it helped.

 View from the kitchen (please note Asteya in her favourite place- the box, and yes that is Andrew playing WoW)

 View from the door (diagonal to the previous picture. That black thing under the couch is the retired full sized keyboard... wish we had space to haul out that sucker).

More Environmentally Friendly Re-Decor Ideas:

• Now's the yard sale-ing season! Like a huge creep-o, drive (or bicycle!) the streets of your neighbourhood scoping out the loot. Take a deep, full bellied breath, and be prepared to haggle and look through other people's stuff. You never know what you may find for uber cheap! Make sure it's quality though and something you'll love for a while. Don't buy it just cuz it's cheap.
• Replace your comforter with a funky quilt- instant bed change.
• Re-arrange your furniture- zero dollars and may just quell the 'change' itch you got going.
• Choose some of your favourite photos and have them printed. Find some funky frames at a yard sale or a Value Village (used store) and make a fun framed montage.
• Have a little cash but can't buy art? Purchase a canvas, some paint and some paintbrushes. Make your own art!
• Buy fresh flowers at the farmer's market every so often. An instant mood lifter and room brightener.

What about it fellow EcoYogi(ni)s? Got any other ideas? Has the economic crunch resulted in a more minimalistic, non spending lifestyle for you? If so- regardless of how you feel about our planet going in the crapper, you're now officially being environmentally friendly :) (and if you do a massive cleaning, make sure to take pictures like we did so we can remember just how clean the place can get lol).


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Quilting: Pieces of my Grand-mère traveling across Canada

Our wedding quilt on our queen size bed.

I grew up with quilts on each bed. With extras for snuggling up with when we were cold. I remember as a child walking into my grand-mère's upstairs large room overlooking the shed, field and finally the harbour, and seeing her four quilting posts set up. A few times she would have an unfinished quilt attached to the four corners and we would crawl around underneath like it was a fort.

That was when we were really little.

Grand-mère hasn't been quilting for decades.

check out the stitching- hand done all perfectly straight and even.

My mom tells me the ladies in the community would all gather around the quilting posts, gossip and quilt for entire afternoons. Once the ladies left, often grand-mère would go behind them, undo their stitches and re-quilt... she was ridiculously particular about needing the most perfect, tiny and even stitch. Because of her perfectionism and constant re-stitching, mom says she just gave up learning how to quilt. Who has time for hours of sewing these days?

It really wasn't until I met Andrew that I truly understood that I took my beloved 'grand-mère quilts' for granted. He grew up with synthetic, fuzzy blankets and never had quilts on the bed.

Fisherman's quilt and another grand-mère quilt we have stored in our vintage blue trunk

Growing up I inherited the most wonderful quilt of all: grand-mère's 'Fisherman's quilt'. I received this ugly mishmash of colours with the most soft flannel backing in high school. Out of all the quilts, the fisherman's quilts are the ugliest. Made from any old scrap fabric the ladies had lying around, they were stitched together in practical squares with extra stuffing and a flannel backing. They weren't supposed to be pretty, but were meant to keep the men warm while out fishing; in doreys or sword fishing like my grand-père used to do.

the soft back flannel part! fraying now at the edges... :(

Fisherman's quilt... my favourite

I adore that quilt. It has followed me through my undergrad, crossing the Bay of Fundy for four years on the stinky Digby Ferry; comforting while I was homesick and having my heart broken for the very first time. I dragged it to Montreal for two years where it witnessed the roller-coaster ride of my life there and was volunteered as my first 'yoga mat' (umm not really ideal). I even rolled up my grand-mère's quilt, tied with some nylon twine (dad's lobster fishing neon orange!) on top of my luggage and lived for two years with us in the Okanagan valley.

It has been a part of my life for over fourteen years now. Even though grand-mère and grand-père never had a driver's license or traveled much after their wedding anniversary, a little piece of them made it across the country and back with me.

Before she stopped quilting, grand-mère had quilted each of the grandchildren a wedding quilt. They were all tucked away in trunks, waiting for us to each get married.

Unfortunately, we all waited a bit too long. Grand-mère was recently diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I know exactly what that means, and have been seeing the signs of her crumbling memory for years now. By the time my cousin and I got married, she no longer remembered that she had lovingly stitched those quilts for us to have at our wedding. She wasn't able to attend Andrew and my wedding last fall as she was too fragile to travel the three hours to Oceanstone. I'm still sad to this day that she missed such a special part in my life.

Now when I look at the quilts, especially the fisherman's quilt, they are so precious. That pink square is fabric from grand-mère's old pajamas I remember her wearing as a child, the orange squares are from her old blouse, some of the blue squares are from grand-père's old shirts and trousers. Grand-père passed into the afterlife two years ago.

These quilts have truly come to represent the fading craft that we used to take in creating gifts and objects with meaning. Of frugality and care. Of community and love.

We've become so busy in our lives trying to make money, fit in 'date night' or 'family time' that we've forgotten what it's like to just BE.

I wish my grand-mère's quilts could last forever, keeping her memory with me through all the steps life and the Goddess will offer me.

Blessings and Happy Full Moon!


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Se découvrir, des miettes à la fois.

(You asked for a French post, ok Emma and Yancy asked... here ya go!  :) )

C'est la fin de l'année, et pis le solstice d'hiver s'approche rapidement. Avec une éclipse de lune sur la même journée que le solstice ça fait pour une introspection plus intense que d'habitude.

J'ai beaucoup appris de moi même c't'année. C'est évident que shu acadienne, que ma langue parlée la plus comfortable c'est l'Acadien... mais être acceptée par les autres francophones, les autres parleurs du français demeure dans mon esprit, mes pensées et mes actions. Pour la plupart du temps ces inquiétudes, en forme de tissu collant qui s'attache à tout, habitaient dans l'inconscient.

L'ironie, c'est une belle partie de mes journées sont consacrées à expliquer et éduquer mes collègues et les parents de mes clients les particularités de la culture acadienne. J'ai passé des heures à parler de la différence en attitude envers notre français et pourquoi les acadiens choisissent de parler en anglais au lieu d'expliquer mille fois que 'non, je ne suis pas anglophone, ma première langue c'est bien le français'. J'explique que les mots ne sont pas juste des 'pas-vrai-mots', ni la grammaire n'est pas juste 'mauvais'- mais ce sont souvent des archéismes et font partie d'une linguistique riche en culture. Qu'on a des centaines de raisons d'être fier(e) de notre langage et héritage.

Et qu'est-ce que je fait? Je passe beaucoup de ma journée à m'excuser de mon 'accent', de ma grammaire... à m'expliquer et me sentir moins 'francophone' à cause de ça.

Mais shu fiere d'être acadienne. J'aime mes mots, mon accent de twang de par-en-bas, la grammaire du temps de Molière. Ouaiye, je serre les jouets y-ou-cequ'ys alléouwn, j'amarre mes souliers et j'arrumions ce que a besouin.

(Si vous vouliez entendre les mots, grammaire et l'accent- voici une chanson youtube qu'est vraiment proche.... Par Eric Surette, Acadien des carineaux, appeler: 'Ma dernière pêche' :) ).

Des 'fun facts' du français Acadien:
- les aspects grammaticales 'ions' attaché au 'je' au lieu de 'nous' est noté en histoire depuis les 16ième siécle du 'vieux français'. Au temps de Molière, c'était correcte de conjuger 'ions' avec 'je'- par exemple: 'j'allions'. Les Acadiens utilisent encore ce façon de conjuger.

- Les Acadiens sont aussi les seules francophones qui utilisent encore dans leur parler le passé simple. J'connais beaucoup de monde qui diriont 'je décolire du quai(tchat)'.

- Nos mots ne sont pas juste créer- ils sont aussi des vieux mots avec des provenances de centaines d'années (parfois les 1500's). Par example: 'bailler' pour dire 'donner'- utiliser en Clare, c'est un vieux mot de la France dans les 1500's. Ou ben, 'pende-oreille'(boucle d'oreille), 'gobelet' (verre), vître (fenêtre), hardes (vêtements), drapeau (couches) et arrumer (arranger)...

J'essaye avec ma pratique de yoga d'accepter ma propre 'histoire' comme acadienne et reconnaître en soi comment une histoire et héritage de centaines d'années puisse avoir un impact si tranchante sur ma vie.

Je me vois, et je pratique d'me dire- 'J'te donne permission de parler avec ton accent et d'avoir la patience d'expliquer quand c'est necessaire et d'accoutûmer aux réactions et l'ignorance.  Et de ne pas m'excuser pour ma grammaire dans ce poste-ci....'

Moving Week: Trying to Keep it Low Impact

Moving in a sustainable way is tough! I will admit that we didn't do all we could have to make it sans carbon. It has definitely been a long week and Yoga in the Park yesterday was exactly what I needed. 

 Our cluttered but moved living room with a decorative and no longer working fireplace (ahhh, smores would have been tasty!)

How were some ways we kept it low impact? 

We got our friends to source some boxes, from their University department that had recently moved, to work paper staples boxes. We had at least forty boxes, 10 or which only held all our books. 

One box of books will be donated to a local library or bookstore (I kept forgetting to do that before we moved... so it got moved with us).

 Our new 'curio' cabinet for which I can place yoga things and books on display!

 

Andrew baked cupcakes which I took four and marched over to our former neighbours place. I had noticed that they got newspaper every morning. I offered an exchange- four cupcakes for previously read newspaper. We had enough to pack up all of our breakables.

 very cool molding and circle dealy in the ceiling- too bad it's no longer hooked up for a ridiculously huge chandelier. I like sparkly things...

 

No extra plastic packing stuffs went into wrapping our furniture or packing our things- old pillows, mats and blankets were used along with some packing foamies that I had saved from receiving packages last year.

We recycled all the boxes, paper and minimal plastic that went into the move.

We donated as much as we could to Value Village and the local transition house, I think we had one garbage bag from our purge.

Our cluttered but now CLEAN kitchen- so much bigger than our last one!

 

Cleaning both apartments (sigh, you'd think other people would actually clean before they left) we used low-impact products. 


Andrew and I are very fortunate as we had a lot of help during our move. My parents and brother and his girlfriend came up with both their pick up trucks which meant no rented truck and money saved (but a pretty significant carbon footprint for the three hour drive up and back... but what can ya do?). I have read over at An Adventure Called Bicycling how she moved her apartment via bicycle- which I think is ridiculously awesome. 

 Our very cool door and where our bikes now live!

We also had lots of friend help, from baking muffins (Jen knew I wouldn't eat breakfast otherwise!) to helping to furiously sweep and mop and move boxes... and still come out for Yoga in the Park. We're very lucky people :)

The actual move is done and we're trying to unpack and clean as much as possible while waiting for the walls to get painted (ick- toxic paints. wish we had a choice in the type of paint used). I heart our new neighbourhood very much: coffee shops, grocery stores and the farmer's market are all within walking distance. Along with a ten minute bike ride to the park- WOOT! :)

Happy Independence Day to all my American bloggy-friends!


Blessings!


article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

A Natural Oven Cleaner that Actually Works

I have found a random 'natural' cheap cleaner that actually works!! GASP- I know, it is ridiculously amazing. I mean this- Andrew and I have been ouu-ing and ahhing over the entire concept.

It's an oven cleaner. Yep- our oven needed cleaning. Like I mentioned before, we're clean people... but I never lived somewhere long enough to worry about things like cleaning an oven. Until now. Our apartment is getting a 'pre-moving inspection' tomorrow. Sound scary? I agree. So we are furiously cleaning around the boxes in the hope they will deem the *tiny* finishing nail holes insignificant.

Our oven hasn't been cleaned in TWO years and was pretty darn gross. Andrew and I discussed the best way to clean the oven. We really didn't want to use chemical cleaner.

There is nothing more disgusting than cleaning what you cook or eat your food off of with toxic chemicals. Why would we clean what we bake our food in with nasty chemicals? Um. Yeah.

So, we turned the oven on to 500 and baked the sh*t out of 'er (excuse the language... trucker-yogini is slipping out). Hmm... not exactly the final answer.

I had read in Ecoholic Home that a supposedly effective cleaning method was to put on a paste of baking soda (bicarbonate) and water, let sit for a while and scrub off. We've read about coating baking soda on and leaving it overnight, but honestly who has the time for that?? 30min, 60 TOPS. Honestly, we both didn't really think it was going to work. We had the whole 'resigned to using chemical cleaner' in the back of our minds.

30 minutes later Andrew takes an exploratory scrub... and holy crap it works. Not only does it work, but it actually required minimal scrubbing and seemed to just fall away!! This is TWO YEARS of food, baked on (at 500 degrees hah) easily scrubbing away. Our disgusting Oven. See that white paste? That's the GUNK coated with baking soda. Where the green sponge is? That's where the gunk (piled high) used to be...

Lesson learned. Baking soda as oven cleaner= awesomeness.

Blessings!

article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

How our living space can make a difference- Size matters!

Home. Since I have left my parents home for university, 10 years ago (ack!), 'home' has been a pretty flexible term. From a dorm room to apartments, to a city or back to my little Nova Scotian village, I haven't had a real place to call my 'own' for more than two years.

 Our tiny abode, note how Veronica lives in our living room, along with packed boxes, our computer 'desk' also doubles as a stool- crafty I know.

 

Now Andrew and I are in the midst of packing up our stuff and getting ready to move into a larger space. Another rental. Some day we'll actually be putting our money into an investment instead of the rental black hole. We've talked a lot about what we'd want in a house, dreams of environmentally friendly power sources, geothermal heating, solar panels, grey water systems... you know. Everything we can't afford. And small. We want our space to *fit*.


That's key really, before we start talking about high tech gadgets, simply having a space to fit a regular family is the best place to start. As we know, house sizes have quadrupled in the past 50 years while actual family sizes have shrunk. Do we really need so much space?


In the past two years Andrew and I had the opportunity to watch while my brother and his (then) partner built their 'dream' home. A huge monstrosity of a house with a nine foot roof that would never be able to be converted into living space. Beautiful though it may have been, we were baffled by their need for this amount of space. 


I never really understood why people had random rooms that they barely used. Like the dining room-kitchen, living room-family room concept. What is the point of having a pristine room where no one was allowed to sit? A huge waste of space, energy and resources. Although I can see the 'fancy' in having a special room for (rich?) guests or relatives to have holiday meals or sit and drink... um... tea twice  a year, but is it really worth it? Our family did just fine with our kitchen table and living room (ahem SORRY family room). 


Of course, living in a tiny tiny space also isn't that much fun. Currently our 540 square foot living space has kinda gotten a bit cramped. So we're moving on up to a roomy 817sqft apartment where I could even spin around in the bathroom with my arms wide! Yay!

 Current miniscule bathroom- NB: must shut door prior to sitting on toilet.

 

I know that living in a huge space I would feel a bit lonely, spread apart from my family. I know, I know- 'wait till you have kids'... (sigh, if I don't hear that one every single day)- even though my mom said it would have been nice to have a den for us when we were teenagers, we still managed just fine with our one living room. It's called doing something other than watching tv all evening. If that's your priority as a family, then a few evenings of sharing the tv during the evening shouldn't be that stressful.

View from our 'dining' area... Andrew typing away!

Some day Andrew and I will have our little home, just for us. It won't be perfect (nor will it be perfectly 'green') but it will be ours and made to fit.


Blessings!


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com