tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29653705424400024902024-03-25T16:24:55.288-03:00Eco YoginiAn Ecoholic's guide to living YogaEco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.comBlogger713125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-27182643636522679142015-12-06T17:31:00.000-04:002015-12-06T17:31:10.383-04:00Stepping Sideways- Moving!It is time. This little old spot in the interwebs has been so good to me over the past six years, but it's time for a new "look".<br />
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This past year I've realized that I've grown out of the EcoYogini blogspot space. Not into something entirely different, just something more. I'm still an environmentalist, still a yogini, but I want to blog about other things as well. Like my journey with IVF for example.<br />
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So: Introducing</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://ecoyoginilife.wordpress.com/">EcoYogini Life</a>!</span></b></div>
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Come on over, take a peak, have a read. I'm not gone, just stepped sideways.</div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-24162699367922916352015-11-17T19:48:00.000-04:002015-11-17T19:48:05.789-04:00Sustainable AND Fabulous: Inner FireOver the past several years I've slowly replaced my Lulu yoga wardrobe with more sustainable and locally made products. The only Lululemon apparel that has survived my decade of yoga practice are the first pieces I ever bought, back when Lulu was actually MADE in Canada. The rest have stretched and worn away to being unwearable. <div>
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In Halifax, the BEST place to get high quality and sustainably North American made yoga gear is <a href="http://www.bhavanayogaboutique.com/">Bhavana Yoga Boutique</a> (above Heartwood). That said- you don't HAVE to practice in fancy schmancy yoga apparel- all yogis know this. But in the spirit of encouraging those who may feel the fashion urge to Lulu, I offer some gorgeous alternatives that will allow you to look fabulous without feeling embarrassed (which I do when I wear Lulu). </div>
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<br />Recently I discovered a fabulous Canadian company and purchased a pair of gorgeous yoga leggings that passed the "I am extremely bloated and uncomfortable from having ovaries the size of oranges and a line of bruises from nightly triple injections marching across my belly" IVF yoga practice. </div>
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<a href="http://www.myinnerfire.com/"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Inner Fire.</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.myinnerfire.com/pages/about">They are a Vancouver based company </a>that makes the most vibrant yoga leggings (and tops) I have seen in a while. When I put on these leggings it was an instant KA-POW to my eyes. Which is, of course, the whole point. Loud colours with beautiful designs for me to gaze at during downward dog? Yes please!</div>
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These leggings are not only sweat-shop free and Canadian made, BUT they are made from recycled plastic bottles and are BPA free. Over 80% of my leggings are recycled material! #BAM</div>
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When I first tried them on at Bhavana, despite their visual smorsgabord, I was a little unsure due to their texture (a more nylon, galaxy leggings type feel- which makes sense from their recycled plastic origins), would be comfortable for a yoga practice. </div>
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That said, Krista (Bhavana Queen), assured me they were ridiculously comfy and I did very much enjoy their large belly band (I am not a fan of the thin leggings belly band- I mean who really is?? Right?). So, purchased they were. For sizing- I am a size six and fit well into a medium. :)</div>
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I wore them for two yoga practices and as kickass leggings with an outfit for an entire day. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Verdict: Love!</span></b></div>
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Although they are not the typical yoga fabric, these leggings move just as well during asana. Not bunching, pinching nor sliding. The wide belly band really is comfortable and as I got sweatier during my practice they only fit better. This is especially impressive since my belly at that time was so sensitive and enlarged from the IVF injections- even touching it hurt. </div>
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A final bonus: unlike the typical fabric yoga pants I'm accustomed to, these leggings won't ever pill and the wear factor is significantly decreased. In other words, they will last longer... EcoBonus.</div>
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So, in the spirit of the holiday season, if you are looking for gift ideas for a fellow yogi (or yourself ;) ) Inner Fire will make the planet AND the yogi happy :)</div>
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Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-14348885044212827922015-11-12T17:46:00.000-04:002015-11-12T17:46:07.351-04:00Keeping It Real: IVF<div>
Where have I been, dear readers? All these months I've been coping with the reality of infertility and focusing on getting through two cycles of IVF. </div>
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As I sit here, in bed, recovering from my oocyte retrieval this morning I feel like I'm finally ready to write about what IVF has been like for me. <div>
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Most people I've talked to typically have no idea (or a very vague idea) of what In Vitro Fertilization is and the cost it takes emotionally and financially on a couple. Like everything else to do with women's bodies and health, we just don't talk about it. That shit is private yo. </div>
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But you know what? How is that fair? So eff that. If you're dealing with infertility, or know someone who is, this post is for you. Because you are NOT alone.</div>
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As I've written before, the absolute shock that my body isn't doing something that a) I have fought long and hard to PREVENT for all those years and b) everyone else seems to be able to do simply by sneezing is a constant grieving process that I relive every time I hear a colleague or friend is pregnant, every time I see a happy little family with their child, every single step of the IVF process. For most people conceiving is a very intimate and magical process filled with fun times and orgasms. </div>
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Not us. </div>
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It took months to accept that our 1% chance of conceiving each month meant that our options were... IVF. </div>
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In Nova Scotia IVF is not covered by medicare. No matter that our infertility is a medical condition. Or that the Nova Scotia government bemoans the decreasing birth rate and losing it's young families. Or that other, more "cosmetic" surgeries are covered. Nope, in order for us to conceive we had to fork out 6550$ to BEGIN the IVF process. </div>
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Thankfully, MAGICALLY, my insurance provides coverage for most of the injectable medication... otherwise the final tally would have been closer to 14-16k. For ONE cycle. In a country where healthcare is "free", I find it deplorable that conceiving a baby is like purchasing a car. Only with more needles. </div>
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In all, this cycle we will have spent close to 8,000$ just to TRY to conceive. </div>
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So. What exactly happens in an IVF cycle? I mean, you know it's a "test tube" type sitch, but the deets!</div>
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Step by step breakdown:</div>
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<b>1. Have period</b>. Call the clinic to tell them the date of your "day one". Pay the clinic 6550$. Cut out caffeine (sob) and alcohol, ingest a ridiculous amount of supplements, like 25 pills a day. Do yoga 6x a week. </div>
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<b>2. Day 21: start Suprafact Nasal Spray</b> 5x a day. This will cause your body to go into a sort of "menopause". Yep- don't want your body doing anything it naturally does on it's own. Set 5 alarms on your phone. For two weeks you can be found awkwardly snorting up hormones since you HAVE to take the nasal spray at the exact times during the day. Awkwardly excuse yourself from your clinic sessions with clients stating you "have to take medication now". Take while driving and hope you don't cause an accident. Break the vial on the hospital floor outside of a conference and breakdown sobbing in front of colleagues. Repeat.</div>
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<b>3. Down Regulation Check: </b>Go in for blood work to check whether your body thinks it's in menopause. Since you have a phobia of needles, this is the beginning of a lovely relationship with the blood work nurse. They have foamy sperm shaped stress "balls" (hah) that you can squeeze. It's hilarious. </div>
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<b>4. You get a phone call</b> from the clinic that yes, you are good to start injections. Pick up said needles at the pharmacy. Now starts the GOOD STUFF.</div>
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<b>5. That night you start injections.</b> These hormones are meant to make your ovaries make a RIDICULOUS amount of eggs. Like your ovaries may swell up to the size of oranges. The first time around I only had 1 needle a night. Since I have a phobia of needles I thought this was the worse.thing.ever. The second time around I had 2 needles for four days followed by 3 needles for 8 days. In total that is 33 needles in twelve days (including the final "Trigger" shot). This is where the cost can skyrocket depending on how much medication you need. What we learned from the first failed cycle is that my ovaries just really don't like the hormones and are like "eff you guys". Which meant I ended up on the max meds (hence the 3 needles per night). One medication, saizen (human growth hormone, which is terrifying- I know) wasn't covered and cost us 1600$ for a week. I feel so thankful that the rest were, otherwise we likely would have been out 700-800$ a day for 12 days. </div>
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<i>(My nightly trophies. Two of the needles involved mixing the medication with a saline or bacteria-free water solution. The "pen" was pre-mixed. In all this took approximately 30min per night). </i></div>
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I am also so thankful that my husband is such a phenomenal person. He did such a great job. I had minimal bruising (which is a miracle), I got hugs and kisses after each injection and he was my steady calming force when I cried at the injustice of needles vs orgasms each night. </div>
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Every night you are reminded that THIS is what you have to go through just to conceive. </div>
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<b>6. Every other day during injections you go in for blood work and vaginal ultrasounds</b>. to check on how well you are responding to the meds. For me this was so stressful, since each step we were informed just how I wasn't responding. When the nurse informed me I would actually be moving forward to retrieval I actually sobbed on the ultrasound table.<br /></div>
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<i>(my ultra sound from Tuesday. This is the left side, only showing half of the follicles. The follicles are the large black holes. In reality they were between 17-20 millimetres (1.7-2.0 cm). Neato eh?)</i></div>
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The neat part of this is you get to see the follicles growing in your ovaries on the ultrasound. This time around I had one monstrous follicle on the right (we named him Arnold) and 10 on the left. </div>
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<b>7. Once the follicles have reached a good size</b> (and you are bloated and feel nauseous and uncomfortable) they deem you ready for "retrieval". You get a "trigger" shot that you are to take EXACTLY 36hrs pre-retrieval. Not five minutes more or less. EXACTLY 36hrs. </div>
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<b>8. You get one entire day of NO MEDICATIONS.</b> It was bliss. </div>
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<b>9. Retrieval.</b> This is what happened today. I went in to the clinic at 8:30am for acupressure (see- needle phobia). Then we went into surgery prep. I was terrified. All of it is overwhelming and scary- from the hair nets, hospital gowns, slippers. The nurses were lovely and super kind in the face of my holding back tears of fear and hiding the iv from my sight. The wheel you in an operating room where the Doctor (Dr Ripley.... hah!) uses a ultrasound probe with a long thin needle attached to go through the vaginal walls straight to the ovaries and suck out all the follicles and fluid. Thankfully drugs are involved. </div>
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<i>(this little gal is one of six oocytes sucked out of the follicles today. Andrew grabbed a pic with my phone. Andrew thinks she could kick some serious ass. I agree.)</i></div>
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While this is happening the embryologist shouts out the number of eggs she finds. Some follicles may not have any eggs (or oocytes). My count: six. As soon as that first egg was found I started to cry. I think it looks like either a weird mould spore or a gorgeous sun of life. </div>
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<b>10. Your partner does his "thing"</b> and they fertilize the eggs. (or they use a donor if your partner is a "she" :) ). </div>
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<b>11. You get daily calls on the status of how the eggs are doing</b>, which ones were successfully fertilized and how they look. They actually RATE THEM on a scale of 1-20. I hear this is stressful, since it is likely quite a few won't make the cut. Since every single step of this process has been a battle for us, I just hope 1 or 2 make it to the end. </div>
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<b>12. Since your body has no idea what the hell just happened, you have to take progesterone vaginal suppositories (3x a day) AND estrogen</b> (estrace) pills (2x day) to keep up that uterine lining. GO UTERUS. This would continue until 11th week of pregnancy if you manage to be successful. </div>
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<b>13. Transfer day:</b> This happens at day 3 or 5 post retrieval. They pick the best 1 or 2 embryos and put 'em back in the uterus. This will likely be a much less of a big deal compared to retrieval. Yin yoga will be my jam at this point. </div>
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<b>14. Wait 16 days</b> for a blood test to reveal whether or not it worked. </div>
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Start all over again if this fails. </div>
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There you have it. I know one day I will look on this whole horrible "adventure" and think (hopefully): it was worth every single gods damned needle. Andrew and I have only grown closer because of it. I couldn't have done it without him. </div>
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I also have a completely new perspective on just how lucky people are to have children. No sleep? Complete change in lifestyle? Responsibilities up the wazoo coupled with no more private time? BRING IT. </div>
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Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-17404889342727222662015-02-24T20:55:00.000-04:002015-02-24T20:55:00.137-04:00DIY Natural Antibacterial Yoga Mat SprayLast week the Twitter-verse provided me with a <strike>reminder</strike> article on just how many germs live on my yoga mat. You may have seen it. In case you haven't: "<a href="http://abc13.com/health/whats-living-on-your-yoga-mat/520032/">What's living on your yoga mat?</a>"<br />
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Now. I am a firm believer that we've been over sanitizing our lives and that a little germs are actually a good thing (there's actually <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm378393.htm">some pretty</a> <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/antibiotic-resistance-faqs.html">legit science</a> behind this belief). That said, I also recognize that perhaps I need to admit that my yoga mat, on my floor being run over by my cats and sweat on by my body, may collect some nasty stuff in it's spongy, read porous germ home, and maybe disinfecting is not such a bad idea.<br />
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The article suggests a few things that are a bit of an over-kill (and SUPER wasteful) in my opinion:<br />
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<li>Antibacterial washes/wipes: I don't think I need to even say why we're not going there. Right? You're reading this eco-blog because you already know that wipes are wasteful and antibacterial is filled with some sketchy chemicals.</li>
<li>Throw out your mat every year.... OMG I can't even. I mean... they may as well have suggested you build a bonfire and burn the mother effer while screaming "BURN BABY!!!". If I could get beyond the fact that we would be throwing out millions of yoga mats filling the landfills, which I can't, just the cost would be astronomical. A good yoga mat, particularly an environmentally friendly one, isn't cheap. An absolutely ridiculous suggestion. </li>
<li>Use some combo of essential oil combo to kill the bacteria.</li>
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Ok. So on that last one. Some essential oils have antibacterial properties, such as lavender, tea tree oil and thyme oil. But are they really enough to kill bacteria on a yoga mat? A quick google search (which isn't really enough, but ya know), shows that yes essential oils are showing some very real antibacterial properties... but a lot of the studies have them undiluted and sitting on the substance for long periods of time (like 60minutes).<br />
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Maybe essential oils are an ingredient to support the BIG GUN:<br />
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Hydrogen Peroxide.<br />
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Yep. This stuff has been shown to be a killer of germs extraordinaire.<br />
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Recently I heard an interview on the CBC with "<a href="https://germguy.wordpress.com/">The Germ Guy</a>": A microbiologist and specialist in microbes... aka germs. His reactions weren't 100% anti-green cleaning, which was refreshing. His perspective on vinegar and water was one I had heard before- good for light cleaning, lifting dirt but not so great for intense germ killing. He suggested hydrogen peroxide as THE natural heavy weight for germ killing.<br />
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Since my previous recipes have involved variations of vinegar and water, it was time I revisited my mat cleaner. That and the next time I practiced yoga I was completely grossed out with the reality that I hadn't cleaned my mat in MONTHS. (ick, I know, don't judge me).<br />
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Hydrogen Peroxide, although scary sounding in name, is actually very safe and easy on the planet. Woohoo!<br />
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Recipes that I could find generally suggested a 1 part HP (3% concentration) to 2 part water ratio. I decided to also add a few drops of tea tree oil (we will remember that last time I put too much and had an allergic reaction which resulted in swollen hands after my yoga practice.... Always know whether essential oils are for you!). Other EO options include lavender or thyme oil.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Natural AntiBacterial Yoga Mat Spray:</b></span></div>
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2 parts water</div>
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The key with hydrogen peroxide is to spray it on and leave it for a good 10 minutes to let the germ killing really take place. In my tub I sprayed the mat all over liberally and left the germs to die a horrible death while I did other house chore stuff (ie cleaning).<br />
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After about 45min (cuz I totally forgot about the mat), I took a cleaning rag (we use our old wash cloths as rags for cleaning the bathroom), ran some water and rinsed off the mat. Then I hung it up on the shower rod and let it dry for two whole days. Truly, the trick to cleaning a rubber mat is to allow enough time for all the water to dry from the porous, spongy holes. For my mats that has meant at least one, even better for two, days.<br />
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Three yoga practices later and no allergic reaction, my mat smells and feels great and we're good to go for another <strike>six months</strike> few weeks!Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-84362703212326780322015-02-23T16:00:00.001-04:002015-02-24T16:39:24.655-04:00Extra Soft Chocolate Orange Whipped Body Butter (Pro-Tip Version)If you aren't from the Canadian Maritimes then you *may* have seen the photos of the ridiculous amounts of snow and storm after storm (<a href="http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/how-stormchips-became-a-maritime-phenomenon/">#stormchips</a> !!!) we got in February. Perhaps, if you are the states, you may have seen a news shot of some snow in Prince Edward Island with the tagline "Prince Edward Island, ONTARIO"....<br />
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Just in case- PEI is not in Ontario, they are separate provinces (our equivalents to a "state") and one is an ISLAND. And Canada is not in fact referred to now as the country of "Ontario". Rant over.<br />
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Anyhoo, regardless it has been cold and snowy and dismal. Last night, the night before leaving for a three day work trip to even colder Cape Breton, that I ran out of body butter.<br />
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OMG I am OUT of body butter *screams internally while waving arms in a panic*.<br />
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So, despite the fact that I accidentally picked up and BOUGHT the tester for cocoa butter, I decided that desperate times called for throwing caution in the wind (and really, it looked like it was just opened so people could sniff the delicious chocolate-y goodness, and we live in Halifax where people aren't crazy so.... I felt pretty safe).<br />
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I realized as I was throwing the ingredients together frantically that I've adjusted or maybe "pro-tipped" my original recipe over time to make it faster and more efficient. And of course I thought I could share it with you! This recipe has less ingredients (cuz who can afford to buy cocoa butter AND shea butter these days??), takes about an hour start to finish and has some definite body butter tips. Enjoy!<br />
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<i>(My Chocolate Orange batch- actually made a whole other 500ml mason jar that isn't in the pic)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Pro-Tip Version of Whipped Body Butter (Extra softening version):</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
5 tablespoons of cocoa butter<br />
5 tablespoons of unrefined coconut oil<br />
5 tablespoons of almond oil<br />
1 tablespoon of castor oil (optional)<br />
20-25 drops of EO choice (optional)<br />
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*<i>EO Note:</i> For stronger scents like peppermint or anise, less is probably good. I used orange this time and found it needed at least 23 drops for it to smell like those Yulemas time chocolate oranges. I suggest trying 10-15 and cautiously taking a smell to decide whether you need more. There are health cautions with using EOs- please look into it if you have any health conditions (or are pregnant).<br />
<i>*Castor oil:</i> I added this oil since I had it already for making soap and it's "extra softening". So far, I love the tiny bit of extra silky smooth it's had for my skin!</blockquote>
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Place stand mixer bowl in the fridge to cool while you're melting the oils. (This will help speed up the cooling process that takes the biggest chunk of time).<br />
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In a double boiler (or pot with 2 inches of water and a stainless steel bowl on top) add all the oils. Keep the heat at medium so you don't over heat or boil over. Once melted, add essential oils.<br />
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Pour oil mixture into the chilled stand mixer bowl and place in the freezer. Let chill until the oils harden to roughly an inch ring around the edge and pudding-y type texture in the middle. This may actually take 20-30min, depending on your freezer temperature. That said, the already chilled bowl AND using the freezer instead of the fridge shave off about 15-20min of wait time.<br />
<br />
Scrape away the sides of the congealed oils using a spoon before starting to whip. Set standmixer to the highest setting (make sure you have the shield in place since the oils fly everywhere) and let'er rip for about 5-8min. If it was cold enough, the oils should quickly form white fluffy peaks but continue whipping (it's not like whipped cream, you won't "break" it). Continued whipping allows for more oxygen to enter the body butter and makes for a more creamy, melt in your hand while keeping the "whip" shape.<br />
<br />
Halfway through whipping, slow to a stop the mixing and scrape the sides to make sure no congealed oils are missing the attachment. Start'er up again.<br />
<br />
Once done, scoop out into 1 cup mason jars. This recipe makes about two to two and a half cups. Store one in the fridge. If you live in a hot/warm climate or home you might want to store them both. For myself, even in the summer, as long as it's out of the sun it doesn't melt.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Application tips:</span></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This recipe does need a bit more time to soak into the skin. It's definitely different than chemical filled lotions. All you need to do is melt a piece in your hand, apply and I dunno, brush your teeth while you wait for it to seep in. Honestly though, I've been using it for years and rarely wait longer than 2-3min and the oils have never damaged my clothing. (Though I don't wear silk... so...).</li>
<li>This stuff also works amazingly on your face. Especially as a heavy night cream.</li>
<li>It should last at least a month, if not longer.</li>
<li>If it starts to smell "nuttier" or look kinda wonky- throw it out! Oils can and do go rancid, so keeping it in a cool, dark, dry place is best (My bedroom is usually dark during the day since we keep the blinds shut to preserve heat...). </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WHERE TO PURCHASE INGREDIENTS</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In Halifax: </b></span>I buy the cocoa butter and castor oil at Petes Frootique. So far it's the cheapest place I've found, but if you know of somewhere cheaper, let me know!<br />
You can also purchase sweet almond oil and coconut oil at Petes, but some Superstores and Sobeys also carry it, and it's usually cheaper there.<br />
<br />
Outside of Halifax: Most natural food stores carry these ingredients. Or you could order them online... although I am unsure it would be worth the shipping at that point.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-82679572913375282742015-02-16T21:03:00.003-04:002015-02-16T21:03:39.362-04:00Two Challenges: Breakfast and CaffeineIn keeping with the "living as if you're pregnant" <strike>rule </strike>suggestion I've begrudgingly (if I am to be honest) been trying to make two, albeit healthy, changes in my life.<br />
<br />
One: eat some sort of breakfast most mornings of the week.<br />
Two: decrease caffeine consumption.<br />
<br />
Oh I know loads of you out there already do these things, and yes I recognize that they are good changes (which is why I'm doing them), but they are Kinda a Big Deal (sorry, just watched Anchorman and couldn't resist).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eat Some Sort of Breakfast Most Days of the Week</span></b></div>
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<i>(This was my breakfast one morning!)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yes I know. Historically, I've either been nauseous every morning (it took years to figure out it was likely reflux... lovely) and when that was taken care of my sensitive stomach really just doesn't handle anything before 10am very well. Add to that the fact that I generally see clients all morning and eating breakfast isn't the easiest feat.<br />
<br />
BUT... Last week I tried and sorta succeeded! By sort of, I ate a breakfast three out of the five mornings! YES! (On weekends we sleep in ridiculously late because we can...).<br />
<br />
I owe this sorta-success to <a href="http://chefmichaelsmith.com/">Chef Michael Smith</a>... and his overnight oatmeal in a jar recipe (In <a href="http://chefmichaelsmith.com/cookbooks/">Family Meals</a>). (Unbelievably Andrew and I have TWO of his cookbooks and they are actually amazing. Highly recommend). Now, I don't actually really like oatmeal, but this recipe is pretty tasty and preps the night before which is fantastic.<br />
<br />
<b>Chef Michael Smith's Overnight Oatmeal Jar</b> (w some EcoYogini mods)<br />
1/2 cup rolled oats (organic is best!)<br />
1/2 cup of milk<br />
drizzle of maple syrup (or other sugar)<br />
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves<br />
<br />
Add to a 500ml mason jar and shake vigorously (with the lid on...). Add copious amounts of frozen berries (raspberries and blueberries are delish!) but leave room for the yogourt in the morning! Chill in the fridge overnight. In the morning add a dollop of yummy yogourt (I splurge for the rich fat and highly berried stuff). You could add some crunch. DONE.<br />
<br />
I make two jars at a time since it will keep for one extra day!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Decreasing Caffeine</span></b></div>
Now, I am a "one cup a day" coffee drinker as it is. But... that one cup is actually my Klean Kanteen thermos, which is really closer to two cups if we were being honest. Going full on decaf just sounds ridonculous and crazytown. Who willingly DOES THAT?<br />
<br />
Sigh. But I *GUESS* I could try to decrease my coffee.<br />
<br />
Which is what a co-worker suggest I do- not cut out (which would cause massive caffeine withdrawal headaches) but cut down.<br />
<br />
Another co-worker, who was forced to go decaf when she was pregnant- sad I know, who was also a coffee snob so I could trust our tastes would be similar (I am not even pretending here), said that the BEST decaf beans were from <a href="http://www.smilinggoat.ca/">Smiling Goat</a>. Which are roasted at <a href="http://javablendcoffee.com/">Java Blend</a>.<br />
<br />
If I'm going to do this it is going to be no holds barred, Andrew has to as well, and only during the weekdays. I still want my fancy full caffeine coffees on the weekend.<br />
<br />
For the past two weeks I have been putting half decaf, half caffeine beans (1.5 scoops each) into the grinder and, gasp, mixing them together. Both locally roasted organic fair trade beans (Goddess I am such a hipster), both fancy and delicious.<br />
<br />
And it has WORKED. No headaches, no extra tiredness, no awful disgusting taste. *Pumps fist in air*<br />
<br />
One reason why I feel fairly confident both these new life changes will stick? My total lack of all-or-nothing approach. I often feel that as a society we often have unreasonable and, let's be honest here, crazy expectations when making changes in how we live. All these crash/30daychallenges with yoga/diets/cleanses (the last which is absolutely bonkers- our body never needs to be "cleansed") are never sustainable, sometimes dangerous and as a result never meant to be integrated into a feasible daily practice.<br />
<br />
Small, attainable and easy steps to help me feel success, accustom to change and eat my darn breakfast.Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-46227261617814771612015-01-29T21:48:00.001-04:002015-01-29T21:48:29.881-04:00Infertility and Me: I am coming out of the closet.Last week Andrew and I came out on Facebook as Infertile.<br />
<br />
It was terrifying yet completely exhilarating.<br />
<br />
Not that I think my uterus and our sex life is anybody's effing business, but the effort and feelings of shame in keeping it a secret while simultaneously fielding the awful (inappropriate) questions from virtually everyone about when we were going to have a baby (of if we "wanted" to have kids, or just how BIG our house was for just the two of us... yeah) was emotionally exhausting and like continuously getting punched in the heart every time.<br />
<br />
That and I realized that people at home in my rural nosy village already knew. And I'd rather they not talk about it as the shameful secret they weren't supposed to know. Because eff that noise.<br />
<br />
What I've realized in both living and sharing about our experience is that infertility is VERY common among couples. And usually the only time someone "comes out" is when they actually manage to get pregnant. Which is so unfair.<br />
<br />
Our journey reads like almost every other blog post out there.<br />
<br />
Up until about three years ago I had no idea, no concept that making a baby would be that difficult. I mean, I had just spent ALL of my adult life actively avoiding that very thing. It was never even a QUESTION whether or not I'd be able to make a baby. The ability to conceive was always a choice I had.<br />
<br />
At least. That's what I thought.<br />
<br />
If you're not experiencing a similar journey, you have absolutely no idea what it feels like to be so betrayed by your own body. And no matter what anyone says, in today's society infertility still implies shame and blame on the would-be mother.<br />
<br />
For us it started with testing prior to actively trying to conceive due to my years of disordered cycles. All those awful, invasive tests followed by loads of blood work just to determine that well- everything physically appeared just fine.<br />
<br />
Then, two years ago we decided to try to conceive. We figured it would take a couple months, at the max five or six.<br />
<br />
Hah.<br />
<br />
Months of daily temperature checks, cutting caffeine in half, eating almond butter from a spoon every morning and following a ridiculous meal regime recommended by the naturopath, tracking my cycle-symptoms and sex life with a ridiculous App on my phone... And every three weeks the crushing, heart wrenching realization that we had failed. Again.<br />
<br />
All this in secret.<br />
<br />
At the year mark it became obvious that we weren't going to just "make a baby". A referral to the fertility gynaecologist was made.<br />
<br />
Followed by more blood work and more invasive test after invasive test. All the while every three weeks we faced another cycle gone by. Another missed opportunity, another failure where we must have done something wrong. Each month I can't help telling myself- "NEXT month we'll do things right. We'll eat better, meditate more and catch it exactly at the right part of the cycle. Next month we will succeed."<br />
<br />
At around month 16 "living as if I were pregnant" was starting to wear on me. All it did was to remind me several times over the course of the day what we'd failed and what we struggle against. My first waking thought was shutting off the alarm and sleepily taking my morning temperature. Followed by a disgusting breakfast that hurt my stomach, lunch vitamins, a special fertility three part cycle specific smoothie at supper and the evening Folic Acid.<br />
<br />
I decided it was too much. We stopped going to the Naturopath- I couldn't take the daily reminders of our failure with the intense fertility regime AND go through all the painful and personal medical testing that had to be done.<br />
<br />
Last fall the gynaecologist sat us down and shared our options: either we keep trying (which for the past 18 months had not been working), I go through exploratory surgery to see whether I had endometriosis (for which I have ZERO symptoms other than infertility) or we go to the fertility clinic and begin the process for fertility treatments.<br />
<br />
January 9th we returned to the Naturopath and the fertility "boosts" have returned.<br />
<br />
On January 12th we met the fertility specialist at the fertility clinic and paid 175$ for 30 minutes of her time (NOT covered by Canadian Health Care system nor my work health insurance). As we sat there, I still had a tiny glimmer of hope that she would have some good news.<br />
<br />
Holding hands nervously, we listened as she outlined the truth: at this stage of trying to conceive Andrew and I have a 3% chance each month. The longer we aren't successful, the lower that percentage gets.<br />
<br />
It felt like being slapped in the face. It still feels surreal. My body FEELS fine. I am healthy, I am active, I eat well, I have taken care of my body. I did all the right things and I have all the right parts. I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.<br />
<br />
Our only real option with any hope for results over 20% success rate is IVF: In Vitro Fertilization. She kindly went through a diagram of the entire process. I could barely process a word she said. I remember acronyms, weeks of drug injections, more blood tests and then some scary procedures.<br />
<br />
There's an info session. We haven't gone to it yet.<br />
<br />
The week before this appointment, on January 5th, Andrew lost his job. IVF costs over 10,000$ per procedure. None of that is covered in our health care system nor in my insurance.<br />
<br />
So. Here we are. Last week I tried acupuncture. It was awful. The acupuncturist judged me and gave unhelpful and hurtful advice. She told me to "just act as if you're pregnant all the time". I wanted to slap her. Who can live that way for years on end?<br />
<br />
This is not like "choosing" to wait until later to have a baby, or "choosing" to not have a baby at all. This is not my choice.<br />
This has been the most difficult part of my adult life so far.<br />
<br />
So, EcoYogi peeps. I am sharing this here because it's such a huge part of my life now.<br />
<br />
Because...<br />
<br />
Because I think it's unfair that we keep something that happens to SO many couples a shameful secret. Because I want at least one person reading this to reconsider the next time they ask someone "when are you going to have a baby" or "do you even WANT kids?".<br />
<br />
And because I haven't given up.Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-75981507883480381472015-01-09T16:58:00.000-04:002015-01-09T16:58:06.141-04:00GPB: #KilltheKcup a Horror Film about the Single BrewI have some "eco" aspects that I can set aside judgement... but single serve coffee brews aren't one of them. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
K-cups and the like are one of my soap boxes, my line in the sand. They cost more long term, make crappier coffee and are wasteful as shit. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you'd like to read a bit of my rant (take two since I <a href="http://ecoyogini.blogspot.ca/2010/11/cost-of-single-brew-coffee.html">posted about this pre-full blown craze in 2010</a>) AND see a ridiculously amazeballs short "horror" film spoof about K-Cups, check out my post at the Green Phone Booth today:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2015/01/killthekcup-horror-film-about-single.html">#KilltheKcup A horror film about the single brew</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
May your weekend be filled with GREAT delicious organic fair trade coffee NOT from a pod.</div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-31973612315630069482015-01-02T16:28:00.002-04:002015-01-02T16:28:55.116-04:00DIY Natural Orange-Vanilla Scent for Your HomeToday 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.<br />
<br />
Vacation means quiet afternoons for reading and making <a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2014/05/diy-suet-bird-feed-block.html">suet blocks</a> 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
For the inspiration (and fabulous tips for different scents and methods) check out "<a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Room_Scents">The Yummy Life</a>".<br />
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<br />
<b>Orange-Vanilla Stove Top Room Scent:</b><br />
<br />
Half an orange, sliced<br />
3 cinnamon sticks<br />
1 teaspoon cloves<br />
3 star anise<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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<b>Storage:</b><br />
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.<br />
<br />
I'm actually very excited to go gather some fir and pine needles to try a few of "<a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Room_Scents">The Yummy Life'</a>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.<br />
<br />
If you have other scent suggestions- please leave them below- I'd love to try them!Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-85097728004644971022014-12-29T16:11:00.001-04:002014-12-29T16:11:29.633-04:00DIY Gentle Coffee/Oats Face ExfoliantWhy Hello There.<br />
<br />
I hope you all had such a fabulous Yule and holiday season! Here in the EcoYogini house the past month has been a flutter with decorating, organic tree putting up and trimming, holiday party hosting and culminating with my brother's surprise wedding, organized in 8 days.<br />
<br />
<i>(Incidentally, I was also interviewed via skype for <a href="http://ayogist.podomatic.com/entry/2014-12-17T23_37_45-08_00">Accidental Yogist's "Yoga Chat"</a> radio show on different winter holiday celebrations- my bit was on paganism and Yule :) I'm at the end, around the 1.5hr mark). </i><br />
<br />
This month has also been awful for my skin, particularly on my face. In recent years the skin on my face has become horrendously dry, I mean flaking off in embarrassingly large quantities with red spots of "not quite acne, but not quite rosacea" along my cheeks to finish it off. I mean really, is it even necessary?<br />
<br />
I was so desperate that I started using my whipped body butter (with cocoa butter, shea butter and coconut oil) on my face every morning... to no avail. It was like the oils just sat on TOP of the flaky dry skin. Even the oil cleansing method, for which I only have time in the evenings to do, wasn't enough.<br />
<br />
One morning I was so desperate that I used the body scrub made from coffee grinds, sugar and almond oil on my face (VERY gently). And whaddaya know? It worked!<br />
<br />
Now, my face, being extremely sensitive (refer to rosacea comment), straight up coffee grinds (that I grind myself, so not uniform) with their jagged edges isn't truly the best approach to a face exfoliant. However, there is a lot to be said for using coffee on aging skin, as it is known to have a <a href="http://www.byrdie.com/coffee-beauty-benefits/slide6">toning and antioxidant that can calm red skin</a> effect. Plus a fresh supply will always be on hand.<br />
<br />
I also have used with great success oats as part of my face routine. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/oatmeal-beauty-benefits_n_4214053.html">Oatmeal</a> is filled with nutrients and vitamins that help nourish your skin, soothe dry itchy skin and helps to lock in moisture. However, due to my extremely sensitive skin, even using whole, slightly crushed oats, can be tricky as they still have sharp, jagged edges.<br />
<br />
Finally, I wanted to choose my oils to add mindfully. Coconut oil has never been the be all and end all in moisturizers for my body. I always found lip balms, body butters and face moisturizers with coconut oils to be absorbed quickly and their benefits just as brief. It was like water on my skin. A quick search and I see I'm not alone in my (gasp!) sacrilegious views on coconut oil.<br />
<br />
So... after much thought and research here is what I ended up with! It works beautifully, smells like a coffee-vanilla heaven and leaves my skin soft, moisturized and happy. Feel free to modify the recipe to best suit your skin, choosing oils that make sense for your skin type and NOT just because some blogger said it was the best oil ever. Facial skin is personal, yo.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Coffee Vanilla Gentle Face Scrub</b><br />
<br />
<br />
1/4 cup of used coffee grinds<br />
1/4 cup of ground oats<br />
3 teaspoons of brown sugar<br />
3 teaspoons of sweet almond oil<br />
3 teaspoons of grapeseed oil<br />
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<i>(Local Haligonians: <a href="http://www.northmountaincoffee.com/">North Mountain Coffee </a>not only makes the BEST tasting, ethical, organic coffees but the resulting grinds are more like a lovely paste and make the BEST scrubs! You can purchase their coffee at Smiling Goat and Petes Frootique!)</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkv8S1X_t7aCyrGYyY4mvJ0ByZvST0lCvgY16pBGpaC2WJ27olQfvFh-ASdSEGDdWKmLub8hgcLGh5OkyaMTRUoYviM_rhB1oOeD-qe6VK7wq5KH9-eZNIQu1XlH3_9h5t_8bmj3biljE/s1600/B6DG4kvIQAEI_PK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkv8S1X_t7aCyrGYyY4mvJ0ByZvST0lCvgY16pBGpaC2WJ27olQfvFh-ASdSEGDdWKmLub8hgcLGh5OkyaMTRUoYviM_rhB1oOeD-qe6VK7wq5KH9-eZNIQu1XlH3_9h5t_8bmj3biljE/s1600/B6DG4kvIQAEI_PK.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>(Coffee grinds all soft and ready!)</i></div>
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For coffee grinds and ground oats use a mesh strainer and massage the grinds through, essentially leaving out any larger, more sharp grinds and oats. It may take a few minutes and you may have to do this in batches, but it's worth it!<br />
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Use a fork to mix the dry ingredients together and then add oil. You can always use less oil (2 tsp each was just a tad under oily for my liking, but would probably work just fine!). You can also leave off the vanilla- it just adds a bit of extra yummy smell.<br />
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Store in a small glass container. Use a spoon to extract about a teaspoon's worth in the palm of your hand (be careful not to get any water in the jar- it will go bad much more quickly with water), massage in gentle circles on your face. Gently rinse/wipe away either under the shower (close eyes, hold breath!) or using a wash cloth. Only downside? Your tub has little brown coffee grind bits that you'll need to wipe away. Pat dry!<br />
<br />Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-75767891409832387932014-11-24T21:22:00.003-04:002014-11-24T21:22:55.524-04:00DIY Rustic Yulemas Tree Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpgBC0GACNOpudQ-TFbN1S4ezd7lICOQs5Zu8pJA7fNfIXbCoPX44A0Pw5CnLL-dyaW6T_h7igco5L39z8pIU_lZorMDzpZIABEleFapIonyu5GtvcWqTiRukuU5otUFnDyEW-7wqtR0/s1600/10428052_10152396382196761_4007142684263950664_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpgBC0GACNOpudQ-TFbN1S4ezd7lICOQs5Zu8pJA7fNfIXbCoPX44A0Pw5CnLL-dyaW6T_h7igco5L39z8pIU_lZorMDzpZIABEleFapIonyu5GtvcWqTiRukuU5otUFnDyEW-7wqtR0/s1600/10428052_10152396382196761_4007142684263950664_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>My first ever DIY ornaments!</i></div>
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The day after Halloween, Andrew and I went Yulemas shopping.<br />
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I know. I am now that person.<br />
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I just couldn't resist, there were these gorgeous, rustic, woodland type ornaments... and I fell in love... so we bought four. Sigh. I will admit that I am a sucker for fancy, coordinated Yulemas trees. I love the organized pretty, the match-y colours or themes. It's awful, I know.<br />
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I've also grown up watching my mom slowly amass a few ornaments a year for her tree- since the really nice ones are so darn expensive. So... I could just do that.<br />
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OR- as my bestie Heather pointed out, I could just make my own!!!<br />
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I then spent HOURS on pinterest, came up with some ideas, fabricated a reason to go to Michael's and OH: how convenient, all the Christmas stuff is 50% including clear glass ornaments?? PERFECT.<br />
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Tonight I finished my first six and I will say that a) it wasn't as easy as I had hoped and b) they don't look AS classy as the ones I bought at Thornbloom. Still... I like them!<br />
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So I thought I'd share here what I did and what I learned:<br />
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<b>Lessons:</b><br />
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<ol>
<li>Reusing styrofoam that came in moving stuff as "snow" might *seem* like a good idea... but the end result is just an ornament with styrofoam balls inside. You aren't fooling anyone.</li>
<li>Glitter literally gets everywhere. You have been warned.</li>
<li>A funnel is your best friend.</li>
<li>You can't shred paper in tiny, perfect, "snow" pieces using a nutmeg grater. That just results in paper dust that you will need to sweep. Actually, it is basically impossible to do anyway, so let that dream go.</li>
<li>Shaking the ornament to distribute the epsom "snow" salts is a BAD idea.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoDzge3GU4oLRhVW5wFlaEzWzYlssrD4eSYroOKC84JH43EpxcLLL-zL6KAdmWMtY77CTAYkB76qzyHvedUGo8-WEbvkLzkZb0VKYgVXvc2_OUDnfLoy69O0X55yGT4RW6BzoYDz5ClA/s1600/1601174_10152396382256761_7888573564547928894_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoDzge3GU4oLRhVW5wFlaEzWzYlssrD4eSYroOKC84JH43EpxcLLL-zL6KAdmWMtY77CTAYkB76qzyHvedUGo8-WEbvkLzkZb0VKYgVXvc2_OUDnfLoy69O0X55yGT4RW6BzoYDz5ClA/s1600/1601174_10152396382256761_7888573564547928894_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>First step- branches!</i></div>
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For these ornaments I used weeping birch branches I had cut for my Halloween branch drink tag tree. It's important that you choose a type of tree that is bendy and won't easily snap. I pre-bent them carefully to make sure that any "break-y" pieces would snap pre-ornament insertion and so I could get a cool spiral look. I also tried to choose pieces that had some interesting aspects like a few extra branches or buds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKjOePhWDVqNuF3DQiSww-DQMyKfoQEQ6pflmMpymyZPUs0EmXq37hArIXjhAJWGS_S0YfVwtZmvl2DiXU_C06r2-wb3XD1hFr5s46lF8emDKOXdn1tea3-YuAGLXD6CDKhyphenhyphenAzE0uA3k/s1600/1959666_10152396382576761_4418430646259039870_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKjOePhWDVqNuF3DQiSww-DQMyKfoQEQ6pflmMpymyZPUs0EmXq37hArIXjhAJWGS_S0YfVwtZmvl2DiXU_C06r2-wb3XD1hFr5s46lF8emDKOXdn1tea3-YuAGLXD6CDKhyphenhyphenAzE0uA3k/s1600/1959666_10152396382576761_4418430646259039870_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Styrofoam as "snow" looks exactly like styrofoam as snow... #snowfail</i></div>
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I decided on epsom salts for my fake snow- but seriously, don't shake them! I'm now super paranoid that they will get shaken and look all cloudy.... If anyone has a way to shred paper into tiny bits, please let me know! #Ineedpapersnow</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyyWD5PgP5Wn-0vEMWIYTMLlMo2WcMehPfNxJnv-JKV_Q-KxNPN1R9ZT27cxZKDiGNAdEwacCyN1kAsqWrmIV8esiujpODvgoI3Tegts7REteV89V_3NxIlwF7Y5LhDdiRgBLoAerLaQ/s1600/10420424_10152396382496761_3935492113228131191_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyyWD5PgP5Wn-0vEMWIYTMLlMo2WcMehPfNxJnv-JKV_Q-KxNPN1R9ZT27cxZKDiGNAdEwacCyN1kAsqWrmIV8esiujpODvgoI3Tegts7REteV89V_3NxIlwF7Y5LhDdiRgBLoAerLaQ/s1600/10420424_10152396382496761_3935492113228131191_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>(don't shake the ornament! this one is my winner, I will hide the cloudy one on the side of the tree... in it's cloudy shame)</i></div>
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I also had some little fake berries that had fallen off another decoration that I used to drop into the snow+branch themed ones which I thought looked super cute!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd1OkeZp3Km_vP9drWfA2C3LPlRcyfYYFOdbn-8YdHmRldgvecympUEj6RjF1oZl4tEX6fSIbWvbEuxsfTHnzLynvc3uZRrEosvARUdE2gAjAGtQZp2BldQfIfwn3DkRf5M81tXhkvpc/s1600/1512802_10152396382421761_3852038976066228849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd1OkeZp3Km_vP9drWfA2C3LPlRcyfYYFOdbn-8YdHmRldgvecympUEj6RjF1oZl4tEX6fSIbWvbEuxsfTHnzLynvc3uZRrEosvARUdE2gAjAGtQZp2BldQfIfwn3DkRf5M81tXhkvpc/s1600/1512802_10152396382421761_3852038976066228849_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>ouuuu glitter!</i></div>
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Originally I had glitter remorse when I realized that the glitter I had purchased was the larger flakes... except for these ornaments they are perfect! The glitter tends to stick very well with a little shake and remind me of a more modern type style. </div>
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There you have it! I also have more of larger styles that I plan on trying terrariums in at least a few... we'll see how that goes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCapc3YyL0UTCo2R8135-sGwpUSTuchH6ClxD1A9r2CbobzLtFzzELQaOfBuKOgDWFo6CigwbMC1eyDYrbvyO04KEVMDSJJPYRN9mGbsBCVSREo2MasJzjr3cpj6NMC4DVKwLQEeFxoJE/s1600/10420202_10152396382756761_931635290809580893_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCapc3YyL0UTCo2R8135-sGwpUSTuchH6ClxD1A9r2CbobzLtFzzELQaOfBuKOgDWFo6CigwbMC1eyDYrbvyO04KEVMDSJJPYRN9mGbsBCVSREo2MasJzjr3cpj6NMC4DVKwLQEeFxoJE/s1600/10420202_10152396382756761_931635290809580893_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>All six in their disgusting plastic tray! Although- a handy place for storage after the holiday season...</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2014/11/how-to-hang-clothes-to-dry-over.html">"How to hang clothes to dry over the Canadian Winter months"</a></div>
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(Like a boss)</div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-80492568689671323012014-10-30T22:18:00.002-03:002014-10-30T22:18:37.078-03:00Halloween DIY: Harry Potter Great Hall Floating CandlesTomorrow is Halloween... and I am pumped!<br />
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Definitely my favourite holiday of the year, especially the magical, fun and joyful feeling in the air!<br />
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This year, finally, we will have at least some trick or treaters and I began to get excited for Halloween in early September. Crazy? Well, thank goodness I got an early start because my favourite decoration this year actually took that long to create.<br />
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While looking on Pinterest I decided that I would create something magical, something fantastical for our house and carefully save it in a special "Halloween Box" now that we have a basement. I saw a pin for Harry Potter's Great Hall with floating candles and drooled a little. The link was to a blog post where the author posted pictures of her friend's Great Hall with the description of: "painted sky, painted toilet paper rolls and LED lights". I can totally do that!<br />
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Ahem. Right. So... it turns out that the author's friend was holding out- cuz logistically that was some complicated crafting right there.<br />
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But guess what? I TOTALLY did it. And... today won the "Nightmare on Mainstreet" CBC spooktacular decoration award! Yay!<br />
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I thought perhaps I'd share a tutorial for how the eff I managed to make a Harry Potter floating candle Great Hall- for all you peeps planning for next year!<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Harry Potter Great Hall Tutorial:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtTh6H_nv3ogFN_OURfevr0_X1WaENP4ak2zgIix6zK7YpLP19pMj4xexfWNWa6z_l4-IfWH4RxcSLY5t_AE9DLytUhshZkuGx1KcQ5aYjSEkLStlYxX13NQoZXNdbtQI4h3xtT9jylQ/s1600/10646873_10152256904741761_6397719335475562041_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtTh6H_nv3ogFN_OURfevr0_X1WaENP4ak2zgIix6zK7YpLP19pMj4xexfWNWa6z_l4-IfWH4RxcSLY5t_AE9DLytUhshZkuGx1KcQ5aYjSEkLStlYxX13NQoZXNdbtQI4h3xtT9jylQ/s1600/10646873_10152256904741761_6397719335475562041_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>(sky in the final stages, pre-stars)</i></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Making the sky</span></b><br />
I really wanted my sky to be gorgeously ethereal and dark with swirls of galaxies and such. Taking an old hemp shower curtain, lining the floor with flattened cardboard boxes underneath, I used water based paints and have at 'er. It took 4-5 one to two hour sessions before I was able to complete it. One afternoon in September I painted outside on the deck as it was so gorgeous out. I painted during the entire three weeks of my death cold. I used the back of the paintbrush to dot out the stars.<br />
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In the end, I was pretty pleased with the result. It wasn't AS magical as I would have liked, but it would do (the lack of blue paint really restricted me...).<br />
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<i>(Sky with the beginnings of the stars, almost done!)</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Making the candles</span></b><br />
I knew I needed different sized candles, and since we're a no-papertowel family, I had to beg friends to save their paper towel rolls for me. Which yielded 4 paper towels (I was thankful they didn't waste papertowel just for my Great Hall). I also had to paint the candles in stages as I used up toilet paper. Each candle was painted an off white and had to dry.<br />
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In the end, 4 paper towel rolls wasn't enough so I taped together three duos of toilet paper rolls and instead of painting glue gunned paper to cover up the seams. I also then had to cut down the paper towel rolls as they just looked weirdly long in comparison to the toilet paper.<br />
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All along, as candles dried I was glue gunning LED tea lights to the inside of the toilet paper rolls. This happened over the course of weeks (we needed a lot of toilet paper rolls). I soon realized that the toilet paper was not the same size circumference as the tea lights, which meant there was a gap along one side. Which meant the candles were lopsided in weight. This was important when it came to the logistics of hanging the candles.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Attaching the candles to the sky</span></b><br />
Closer to Halloween my friends were asking how I was going to hang the candles. Good question. I had this vague idea that I would attach them individually to the sky using white thread. But... this would have been a nightmare of accurately measuring the string and there was no way I was tacking on a zillion thumbtacks into our ceiling.<br />
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My friend Heather suggested I "sew" the candles in a loop through the sky, attaching both ends to the candle. Brilliant.<br />
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Except... when it came time to actually sew the candles I quickly realized it was going to take HOURS. And it did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-_G9EvzY2-3fCXQVcEcWf0tjlOTyFTA10AP5-Rh_eeH6mu4cRFhyphenhyphenuHNCsHYNGdSsSa3lY8zAA6FcJwKpaHNcbCOLFmm7xIxVYvkYsZbBGsvFHbiUBCOZwWC0Y7TENWRLIJhiouBSN3U/s1600/B1PN2ANIQAAlYrY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-_G9EvzY2-3fCXQVcEcWf0tjlOTyFTA10AP5-Rh_eeH6mu4cRFhyphenhyphenuHNCsHYNGdSsSa3lY8zAA6FcJwKpaHNcbCOLFmm7xIxVYvkYsZbBGsvFHbiUBCOZwWC0Y7TENWRLIJhiouBSN3U/s1600/B1PN2ANIQAAlYrY.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>(Candles, sewn and placed!)</i></div>
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First I placed all the candles approximately where I wanted them on the sky (which was on the floor) in a sort of "dry run". Then I took a piece of cardboard and held it up to the ceiling to decide where i wanted the candle bottoms to be. I then put both the toilet paper rolls and the paper towel rolls against the bottom of the cardboard to give me guidelines for measuring the string (shorter string for the paper towel and longer for the toilet paper so the bottoms of all the candles were about at the same height).<br />
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Then, using a needle, I thread white string through one side, tied it together with the end, thread it through the sky at about two finger lengths "stitch" (the width of the toilet paper) and back down. This is where it got really tricky since I couldn't just attach it directly across from the first knot since the weight wasn't evenly distributed. That meant I had to guestimate how much I should off shoot the second tie, test run it by holding both strings up, and re-poke another hole if it was lopsided and try again. I then double checked the length against my cardboard measurement before tying it off.<br />
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I did this for 21 candles. Thank goodness my friend Heather was there- she did all 7 larger candles. Three hours later we were ready to hang the sucker.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Attaching the sky to the ceiling</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGee6o5SpBMwpIx2wJnID5DzBqc3WmK7UXkPAGklwCFKqpJHFqaUY2HpCOGir8z1k-C3K5Lg5j8UUZtQiKEL02nQtkkm8GK5thNwbXfdeZHQSky6m_MOCXT0BPcFw1pOyvpXCU9jda5w/s1600/B1PNyPcIgAMhU_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGee6o5SpBMwpIx2wJnID5DzBqc3WmK7UXkPAGklwCFKqpJHFqaUY2HpCOGir8z1k-C3K5Lg5j8UUZtQiKEL02nQtkkm8GK5thNwbXfdeZHQSky6m_MOCXT0BPcFw1pOyvpXCU9jda5w/s1600/B1PNyPcIgAMhU_a.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>(in the light of day... a miracle they are still up two days later)</i></div>
<br />
I had no idea why I thought it would be a piece of cake to hang this monstrosity up. With 28 candles, it was no longer simply some fabric, but a heavier Great Hall. Since thumb tacks and nails were out of the question, my friend Diana suggested the heavy duty picture hanging velcro. A trip to Home Depot and we were set (I thought).<br />
<br />
Except, that stuff doesn't stick to fabric. As we stood there, four of us, each holding a corner while the candles dangled precariously within our cats' reach, I honestly thought we we'd have to sew each velcro on individually. After three hours of sewing I was ready to give up.<br />
<br />
"Do you have a stapler?" BEST SUGGESTION EVER<br />
<br />
We stapled the suckers to the fabric.<br />
<br />
We then set up the ladder and stuck the velcro up one corner at a time along with some velcro in the middle to decrease sagging. We conceded in the end TWO thumbtacks.<br />
<br />
Amazingly, the whole thing has stayed up since Tuesday night.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Turning on each light</span></b><br />
While gluing the LED lights I realized... how the heck was I going to reach under to turn them on? My fly by the seat of my pants plan? Using some sort of utensil to lever them from underneath. Thankfully Andrew has long fingers so he is able to turn on all the toilet paper sized candles and with some finagling a butter knife works for the longer candles. AND because they are looped through the sky, if they are easily adjustable to be made straight!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViqFHj9fXmNvIYCx41cWn9LSScfCQwbZjawgghoeaSsRmS9DMvAheDvq9fauh-4hBXJwCLrabAvuxygMh5KGfpce6W9_TDhLLeY6XQkfVT3LaOjHEjPNBtHrHLEj6-vz8o-GJ5nNDhCk/s1600/1459856_10152351216216761_447250940973746801_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViqFHj9fXmNvIYCx41cWn9LSScfCQwbZjawgghoeaSsRmS9DMvAheDvq9fauh-4hBXJwCLrabAvuxygMh5KGfpce6W9_TDhLLeY6XQkfVT3LaOjHEjPNBtHrHLEj6-vz8o-GJ5nNDhCk/s1600/1459856_10152351216216761_447250940973746801_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. The end result: RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYWfdQKz3Fd56J6Ripa22LWB9S5T-36lAbbOu05NVR44duEK7zRQ2wVsPr0d6iBW7QMgwdX2B60Pfw9eiYv4cU-4jSSMIjBF6B_-GDa7WZZyVu9EC2AIH8kfWXP83CY5BUXSB2LgWQ5g/s1600/10387686_10152351216181761_3546714559047976026_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYWfdQKz3Fd56J6Ripa22LWB9S5T-36lAbbOu05NVR44duEK7zRQ2wVsPr0d6iBW7QMgwdX2B60Pfw9eiYv4cU-4jSSMIjBF6B_-GDa7WZZyVu9EC2AIH8kfWXP83CY5BUXSB2LgWQ5g/s1600/10387686_10152351216181761_3546714559047976026_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Ok, so yes it was a phenomenal amount of work. I'd say close to 20hrs worth. But. It just looks so darn cool when it's all lit up. Honestly, these pictures do not even come close to how magical it looks. Was it worth it? Oh yes.<br />
<br />
Carefully into the Halloween Box it will go so next year the work:awesome ration will be significantly less...<br />
<br />
Happy Halloween!!Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-9643343651245427072014-09-24T16:34:00.001-03:002014-09-24T16:34:57.391-03:00How Yoga, Video Games, Environmentalism, Feminism and Online Harassment Matter<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Sarkeesian">Anita Sarkeesian</a> has been living with constant threats of rape, assault, bombing and violence on her person, forcing her in August of this year, after a threat on Twitter shared her home address, to leave her home. Anita Sarkeesian is not a yoga blogger (who knows if she practices yoga), nor an environmental blogger. Anita Sarkeesian is a media critic and creator of <a href="http://www.feministfrequency.com/">Feminist Frequency</a>: a video webseries that explores the representation of women in pop culture narratives- with a focus on sci-fi and the gaming industry. In the past five years she's been speaking out against sexism and tropes in the video gaming industry.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/X6p5AZp7r_Q" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
(Damsels in Distress Part 1)<br />
<br />
So why should threats against her person matter to you: the yogi, the environmentalist, my reader whatever your sex, gender, interests or background may be?<br />
<br />
The majority of these threats have been from the online community.<br />
<br />
(I could add, because she is a human, because it's wrong, because it's a symptom of a larger, more insidious and still relevant social issue... but more personally because you are reading this as a person of the online community at large and as such that places implicit participation whether ignorant or not in this conversation).<br />
<br />
As more of our lives are spent living, communicating and interacting online, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify separating our online circles and spaces, staying quiet in the face of harassement or choosing to turn the other way when the very real and serious threats are not pointed directly our way or in our own online neighbourhood.<br />
<br />
Threats of violence against women (and yes this includes the very real crime of non consented sharing of nude photos of women) in the online platform affects all of us.<br />
<br />
And how we (women) are portrayed in popular culture, I would argue particularly in the gaming and sci-fi industry, an industry that has grown considerably in it's ubiquitousness and general popularity, affects how we (women) are perceived in our every day lives and social structures.<br />
<br />
We talk about this often in the online yoga community. Discussions abound in various online spaces how yoga is portrayed by the young, lithe, beautiful and white female body perpetuating body myths and objectification in a philosophy that should, by all rights, be above such sexist and hurtful imagery. (<a href="http://www.itsallyogababy.com/category/body-love/">It's all yoga, baby</a> , <a href="http://carolhortonphd.com/yoga-and-feminism/">Carol Horton</a>, to name a few). Speaking out for a respectful, non objectified representation of women in the popular media (or video games) isn't unreasonable in a society where supposedly women hold equal rights under the law.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GZAxwsg9J9Q?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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Nor does speaking out against misogyny warrant a very real barrage and onslaught of violent (and often sexist) threats without any real consequence. As Ms Sarkeesian points out in her TedxWomen talk(above):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It's not a game. It's an overt display of angry misogyny on a massive scale. It's not just boys being boys, it's not just how the internet works and it's not just going to go away if we ignore it... and whether it's a cyber mob or a handful or hateful comments, the end result is maintaining and reinforcing and normalizing a culture of sexism".</blockquote>
Just the act of being an online voice (via my blog, Twitter and other social media accounts) means that how we use the internet and digital world to communicate affects me, personally and directly. The fact that I am a female voice means that all attacks on those speaking out simply because of their sex and gender is an attack against myself.<br />
<br />
So. This is me not staying silent and explicitly supporting the work of all the courageous people who speak out against misogyny and sexism in our digital world. Including Anita Sarkeesian and Zoe Quinn. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_controversy">GamerGate</a>).Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-20390085670373974652014-09-17T20:43:00.001-03:002014-09-17T20:43:27.285-03:00Two Weeks of Illness and What it Has Taught MeI am a snivelling, coughing, achy mess and have been for the past 13 days straight. Today I sat on my office floor and coughed until I thought I was going to be sick with tears running down my face as I heaved fruitlessly trying to stop the coughing.<br />
<br />
If that sounds dramatic it's because after nearly two weeks and TWO walk-in doctor appointments with almost no change in my symptoms... I feel dramatic.<br />
<br />
I have always been a firm believer in not going to the doctor for every little cold. These things have to run their course so I will rest, drink lots of water and tea and eat lots of soup. Oh, and at night I will take Advil cold and sinus- I am not above getting as much sleep as possible.<br />
<br />
After my fever climbed to a whopping 102.5 the second day of my cold, I didn't hesitate to go to the walk-in the very next day. Only to be told... to come back if I don't "feel better" in three days. This translated to me not going back until I couldn't hear out of one ear. Which resulted in an ear infection and drops that aren't actually treating the rest of my awful symptoms. Which has resulted in my going BACK to the doctor for a THIRD time (but this time to my family physician who is amazing) tomorrow morning.<br />
<br />
All this to say that I have a renewed appreciation of individuals with:<br />
a) Hearing loss. After effectively blocking most sound from my right ear and some in my left, my already damaged hearing was completely shot. Trying to focus at work was painful- I barely heard what others were saying and was constantly saying "pardon me?". I tried to order a coffee that day and misheard the barista twice before I was able to confirm what I had ordered and what I wanted. I had no idea how loudly or softly I was speaking and felt very much adrift. Hearing loss is an invisible difficulty and we forget just how much we take hearing for granted.<br />
<br />
b) Living with chronic illness: Now this is definitely only a peak into such a life. But even my (very) brief two weeks of constant aches, pains and illness where I continued to go to work, be social, go to a birthday party, do chores and spend time with my husband- gave me a whole sense of renewed humility to how those with chronic illness or pain must live. Every little thing exhausts me, but I never get enough sleep due to coughing or congestion. I am thankful that, except for this, I am a healthy person and I thank the Goddess for it more so each day.<br />
<br />
So. That has been my life recently. Yoga on the backburner, accepting that simply drinking tea and resting isn't always the solution to sickness.Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-61785650456467308402014-09-12T20:13:00.000-03:002014-09-12T20:13:05.554-03:00GPB: Halloween DIY Lovin'It's that time of year.... HALLOWEEN IS COMING!<br />
<br />
This year I am SO extra excited... go read about all my DIY nerdiness at the Green Phone Booth- and share your DIY Halloween tips and ideas :)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2014/09/mediyhalloweenlove.html">Me+DIY+Halloween=LOVE</a></div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-36389123957665985292014-07-28T20:49:00.000-03:002014-09-17T18:40:22.190-03:00Update on "Eco" TPE Yoga Mats- Has Anything Changed?<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>**Caveat: my goal with this post is two pronged: 1- to share information and shed light on greenwashing and misinformation so yogis can make an INFORMED choice and 2- call out businesses that greenwash. I'm a realist: I recognize that there are levels of "eco" in our choices but I take a firm issue with businesses manipulating and purposefully misinforming consumers by greenwashing their products. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An essential tool for an environmentally conscious yoga would obviously be an environmentally "conscious" yoga mat. Over the past 5 years I've written a bunch of posts on the topic (How "<a href="http://ecoyogini.blogspot.ca/2009/06/my-mat-is-made-from-copolymers-and.html">Eco" is your TPE Yoga Mat?</a>" 2009, "<a href="http://ecoyogini.blogspot.ca/2011/02/ecoyoga-review-kulae-tpe-ecomat.html">TPE Eco Yoga Mat Review</a>" 2011, reviewing a variety of yoga mats and mat materials. My final verdict? Rubber mats sustainably harvested are your best bet (<a href="http://www.ecoholic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NMFSC_036_0227yoga.jpg">and 99% are latex free</a>), OR even better- mats made with rubber and recycled materials (like this <a href="http://www.huggermugger.com/recycled-rubber-mat.html">Hugger Mugger</a> mat).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<u><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rubber mats:</span></b></u><br />
<a href="http://www.manduka.com/us/shop/categories/products/mats/eko-mat-79-2-0/"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Manduka eKo mat</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.jadeyoga.com/store/product.php?productid=16169&cat=249&page=1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jade Mat</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prana.com/revolution-natural-sticky-mat.html?color=sahara">prAna Revolution Mat</a> and <a href="http://www.prana.com/indigena-natural-yoga-mat.html?color=sapphire">Indigena Mat</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huggermugger.com/recycled-rubber-mat.html">Hugger Mugger</a> (recycled!) Mat</span><br />
<a href="http://www.shophalfmoon.com/Radical_Rubber_Yoga_Mat_p/13720.htm"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halfmoon Rubber Mat</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, rubber mats are pricier and often require more care than other mats... and many companies have caught on (or not) that "TPE" or "thermoplastic elastomer" really isn't a true "eco" solution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What does "Biodegradable" really mean?</b></span></u></div>
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we get into what is TPE we need to remember that terms like "biodegradable", "compostable", "degradable" and even "recyclable" aren't standard terms and don't have a lot of meaning. Biodegradable and compostable are often used to mean "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/biodegradable">capable of decaying through the action of living organisms</a>" (bacteria etc)". That said- this definition could also be used to stretch the meaning of "natural" (ie arsenic is "natural") and sometimes the individual compounds are worse apart then together. Further, there is no time limit to this statement and most municipal composting facilities on this planet won't accept your yoga mat. (similar things could be said for the rubber mat...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Is Recycling really the solution?</b></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recyclable is relative. Not all plastics or products can be recycled at all recycling plants. Recycling plastics are a complex process, each recycling cycle results in a lower quality, degraded plastic that has limited recycling lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cue <a href="http://www.ecoholic.ca/getting-to-the-bottom-of-your-yoga-mat-lessons-from-wisdom-2-0/">greenwashing PR spin on the term "TPE"</a>.</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>What is a Thermoplastic Elastomer?</u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From "<a href="http://www.glstpes.com/resources_faqs.php">PolyOne" FAQ</a> on TPE:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #464646; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until as recently as 1996, the six primary TPE types could be categorized into two generic classes, block copolymers (styrenics, copolyesters, polyurethanes and polyamides) or thermoplastic/elastomer blends & alloys (thermoplastic polyolefins and thermoplastic vulcanizates).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to these TPEs, two new technologies have emerged. They are the metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin plastomers & elastomers, and reactor-made thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers</span></blockquote>
<div style="margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So basically, I'm not sure- a shady synthetic rubber. What I can gather from my non-chemist self: </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thermoplastic elastomers are cheaper to make: basically a synthetic rubber replacement with all the rubber tensile properties without the cost and yes, a lower energy footprint in production (the only bonus). According to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoplastic_elastomer" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wikipedia </a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(which you can take or leave) they have the "potential" to be recyclable but their rubber flexibility makes them a rare recyclable candidate.</span></div>
<div style="color: #464646; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">What are <i>"block copolymers- styrenics, copolyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides, metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin plastomers and elastomers and reactor-made thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers" ? </i></span></div>
<div style="color: #464646; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">Essentially different molecular forms of synthetic materials derived from plastics or petrochemicals. </span></div>
<div style="color: #464646; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 10px;">
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrene" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Styrenics</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">: Styrene is produced in large quantities from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylbenzene" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">ethylbenzene</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">; an organic compound made from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">benzene</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> (a natural aspect of crude oil and one of the elementary petrochemicals) and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">ethylene </a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">that is highly flammable occurring naturally in coal and petroleum, used in the production of petrochemicals and use of ethylbenzenes have contributed to air exposure which in a short time sunlight biodegradation results in chemicals found in smog.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copolyester" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Copolyesters</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">: a modification made to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyester" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">polyesters</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">particularly PET</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">- a type of plastic).</span></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Polyurethane</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">: a polymer with organic units with urethane (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbamate" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">carbamate</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">) links. Clicking on the chemical rabbit hole you get chemicals involved in production such as </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isocyanate" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">isocyanates</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> that can be a health hazard. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="color: #464646; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">.... and my head is spinning, I give up. </span></div>
<div style="color: #464646; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">Which leads us to:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_synthetic_polymers">Synthetic Polymers</a>:</b> which is essentially what we are talking about here. This category includes beauties such as PVC, nylon, Teflon and as mentioned above PET plastics. Most are created from petrochemicals and most are non-biodegradable in the "eco" sense of the word: biodegrades into organic, safe compounds (and not "biodegrades into smaller plastic parts of itself" which is often the case). </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">OK. Is your head spinning? Yeah me too.</span><br />
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<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><b><u>Summary:</u></b></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">So. "TPE" or "thermoplastic elastomer" is NOT in fact made from natural, safe biodegradable materials. It has "plastic" as part of it's name for goodness sake! It is a less off-gassing, more energy efficient production version of the traditional PVC mats. Kinda like choosing a plastic to-go cup cuz at least it's recyclable instead of the plastic coated paper coffee cups when really you should be bringing your own mug.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><b>Companies are spinning TPE for all they're worth though. For example only ONE of the four major companies are still using "TPE" in their product description:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. </b><a href="http://www.prana.com/e-c-o-yoga-mat.html"><b>prAna "E.C.O. Yoga Mat</b>"</a>: "toxic-free manufacturing process", "biodegradable", PVC Free, Latex Free (why not say Gluten-free? None of which are relevant here), 100% TPE (see above for TPE definition). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. <a href="http://www.shophalfmoon.com/Breathable_Eco_Mat_p/13863.htm">Halfmoon Breathable Eco Yoga Mat:</a></b> Made of SEBS... wait what??? What is this?</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraton_(polymer)">SEBS</a>: Brand name: <a href="http://www.kraton.com/products/kraton_g_sebs_seps.php">Kraton</a> (like Teflon and Nylon are brand names). Styrenic block copolymers consisting of polysterene and rubber blocks. See definitions of styrenes above, re: plastic. </span></i></div>
<div style="margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to Halfmoon eco-spin: "decompostable" (seriously, did they SEE what styrene is made of?? would you want that breaking down anywhere?).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. <a href="http://www.kulae.com/page_9/yoga_mat.htm">Kulae tpECO Yoga Mat</a>:</b> These guys are tricksy, like Halfmoon, indicating it's made from "closed cell technology" which is actually a fancy way to say "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foam">foam</a>" or "<a href="http://www.foam-tech.com/products/urethane_foam/open_closed_cell.htm">closed-cell polyurethane foam</a>" which is a category of TPE (see above list) AND I gather why they have the "tp" in "tpECO"... Sneaky sneaky. Again, may not truly be recyclable nor biodegradable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. <a href="http://www.manduka.com/us/shop/categories/products/mats/liveon-mats/live-mat-5mm/">Manduka LiveON Yoga Mat</a>:</b> Again with the cleverness: made from "<a href="http://plusfoam.co/">PLUSfoam</a>". Which the website looks fancy, but I have no idea what it's made of... only that the company claims it's 100% recyclable. Which is cool... but I'd rather practice on something that is natural from the start. Keep in mind that although better than not, <a href="http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jul-aug/06-when-recycling-is-bad-for-the-environment">recycling isn't the solution</a> (as every recycle cycle degrades the plastic- <a href="http://homeguides.sfgate.com/many-times-can-something-recycled-79191.html">plastics cannot be recycled forever</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On top of this, TPE mats do not last as long as rubber mats, often flaking off into bits within a few months or a few years of use (depending on the frequency you practice). This means replacing your mat (either via recycling: issues stated above, or landfill) every few years at least. <u>Reducing</u> consumption is WAY sexier than recycling. Just sayin'.</span><br />
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<div style="margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>If you already have a TPE yoga mat- consider making a different choice</b> when (because they don't last forever) you purchase your next yoga mat. The most important part? Greenwashing exists in yoga too- be critical and ask questions!</span></div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-85180692092029001062014-07-25T15:43:00.001-03:002014-07-25T15:43:31.923-03:00GPB: Glowing: Soulful Skincare Review<div style="text-align: center;">
Who here has issues with their skin? Yes?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Peeps, I have just finished reading a fabulous book by one of my fav bloggers/natural beauty product lovely: <a href="http://www.yancylael.com/">Yancy Lael</a>. It has forever changed my views on my skin and my health.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On top of that- it was the perfect "eco+Yoga" fit for my skincare journey.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So. Curious? Click over to the Green Phone Booth for my review:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2014/07/glowing-soulful-skincare-paradigm.html">Glowing: Soulful Skincare- A Paradigm Shifting Book</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy New Moon :)</div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-38240949699954566722014-07-24T07:00:00.001-03:002014-07-24T07:00:17.258-03:00Pop-Up Yoga Halifax: Community Yoga at it's BestThis summer's Halifax Yoga in the Park
has been phenomenal; with great regular turnout of 30+ yogis and
lovely yoga teachers giving their time so that we can practice under
the sun and near the ocean each week.<br />
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One such fabulous yoga teacher is
Brigitte LeBlanc (a fellow francophone!). A Facebook friendship
revealed that Brigitte not only gives back to her yoga community at
HYITP, she helps organize something called “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/popupyogahali?fref=ts">Pop-up Yoga Halifax</a>”.
It immediately made me think of Much Music's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yio9eGtm0gs">Pop-Up Video</a> (all you
under thirties, non Canadians are missing out, seriously), and as
such I had to find out more.
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The yoga world is weirdly sliding into
the exhibitionist category (<a href="http://www.itsallyogababy.com/yoga-selfies-tara-stiles-ny-post-spark-big-ol-convo/">Tara Stiles practicing in a glass,vehicular cube around NYC</a>, <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/05/28/look-at-me-celebs-take-over-yoga-world-with-public-poses/">yoga selfies in dangerous shoes</a> and
clothing, yoga selfies in GENERAL). I find this sad because I like
the idea of subverting “the man” (whatever that really means) or
fine, just bringing something like yoga to the public sphere, but
these recent “yoga selfies” trend aren't my cup of tea.</div>
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Which is why <a href="https://www.facebook.com/popupyogahali?fref=ts">Pop-Up Yoga</a> is perfect.
The very premise of a spontaneous (yet planned enough in advance to
attend!), outdoor (and public, but organized for an actual practice
in beautiful spaces) and affordable yoga class in Halifax rocks. I
was a bit curious on how it works, and the why so Brigitte was kind
enough to answer a few questions for me (Merci!!).
</div>
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If you live in Halifax, be sure to
check out her Facebook Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/popupyogahali?fref=ts">Pop-Up Yoga Halifax </a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>1.
What is Pop-Up Yoga Halifax? </b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Pop-Up
Yoga Halifax is an opportunity to do yoga in a non studio setting, at
different locations throughout the city with an affordable cost of
$5. We believe that yoga should be fun and affordable, and with the
summer season upon us, it's a good way to get outdoors, breath in
deeply and feel the sun be pushed away by a gentle breeze on your
skin.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>2.
What brought you to organize Pop-Up Yoga Halifax? </b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">One
day, Rebecca Blanchard (my partner in this project) and I attended a
drop in class which cost us $20 for a 45 minute class. We felt like
yoga had become an activity for the rich, and those who need it the
most (well...everyone!) should have access to it without breaking the
bank. We also thought it would be a great opportunity for both her
and I to get experience teaching without being hired at a studio. I
work as a massage therapist, she works as a nurse and we both love
yoga and wanted to teach in our spare time. We didn't want it to feel
like a job, but an offering to our community of yogis.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>3.
What have been the challenges in organizing Pop-Up Yoga Halifax?
</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Just
like any project, you start with a concept and you roll with it.
Every step leads you to another and sometimes you need to take a step
back. The vision has shifted since we began, and is progressing in
ways that we are excited about. We asked two other teachers to join
us, which is incredible. It’s nice to work on this as a project and
have 4 teachers with different visions mix ‘em up together to get a
blissed out brainchild.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>4.
So far, what has been your favourite moment during a Pop-Up Yoga
Halifax practice?</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">My
favourite moment so far has been our first class. It was a beautiful
day, we had a good group of people show up and I just really felt
like a proud mother of a beautiful newborn. Although child birth is
more painful then the process we went through to make this happen,
but you get the symbolism, right? Perceive and conceive</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>5.
What would you like to see Pop-Up Yoga Halifax become?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We
would love to offer Yoga classes within local businesses. I see us
offering classes in coffee shops, on rooftops, in art galleries, and
in conference rooms. We're hoping that once the weather gets cold,
that we may continue offering yoga throughout the city in fun
locations. We hope to partner up with festivals, and events. Maybe
even local dj's who would like to perform a set during a class, or
maybe a local whole food company would offer free samples to our
yogis. It's a great way to bring like minded folk together, and build
a healthy and happy community, while bringing something new to the
HRM.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>5.
We love having you lead during YITP, you have such an open and
connected style. What has led you becoming a Yoga Teacher and what do
you feel is important in sharing the practice of yoga? I</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">'ve
never been good at sports and I wasn't the athletic type growing up.
Being in the health care industry, being active is something that is
important to me and I feel that Yoga is suitable for anyone! It is
also very complimentary to Massage Therapy since it creates body
awareness. I always found myself offering stretches and strengthening
postures to aid in my clients dysfunction in their body. I wanted to
learn more, not only to deepen my practice, but to also empower my
clients to heal. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
like creating a mind/body connection during my classes. Where is it
in your life that you can be more flexible, where is it that you
require strength? Challenging yourself in these postures go way
deeper then your superficial body. They translate into your
relationships, your reactions, and more importantly, they encourage
you to breath and be calm when faced with challenges. Yoga is a
moving meditation, and in my opinion a great yoga practice should
leave you feeling grounded, connected and inspired.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Body
glorification has been linked to yoga, and even though this comes
along with the package, and is a wonderful result of a consistent
practice, there is so much more to value when it comes to yoga.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>6.
Besides yoga, what is/are your life passion(s)? </b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
love gardening and plants. I feel like I need a bigger home to
accommodate for the current jungle of plants that I live amongst. I
love creating vegan and vegetarian meals. I love DIY projects. I am
passionate about leading a life through a perspective of love. I am
passionate about people. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">More
then anything, I am passionate about health care and about healing,
and the whole concept surrounding it. I believe in the bodies wisdom
to heal. I'm passionate about helping people and assisting them in
their process. I love learning about natural remedies, and
encouraging optimal health through nutrition. I am constantly reading
and learning about all things health care related. In September, I
will be opening up a clinic called "Anatomy: A Massage and
Wellness Centre" and feel like this will be a true creative
expression of that which I am passionate about.</span></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Brigitte LeBlanc</b></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Brigitte
has a lusty love affair with yoga. She began this beautiful
relationship back in 2004 when she took her first yoga class in
Canmore, Alberta. Even though it has been an on again and off again
relationship, she is now committed to her practice and has found a
soul mate for life. She has practiced in numerous locations around
the world, exploring what it means to truly know herself. She took
her month long, 200hr training in Guatemala. It was an unforgettable
journey which led her to her bliss. Brigitte is a Registered Massage
Therapist, a co-coordinator with Pop-Up Yoga Halifax and she is
currently enjoying the creative process of soon opening her own
clinic in the heart of Halifax. You can find out more from her
website </i></span></span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a class="western" href="http://www.brigitteleblancrmt.com/" target="_blank">www.brigitteleblancrmt.com</a></span></u></span></span></div>
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Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-24793114046842071082014-07-15T20:51:00.001-03:002014-07-15T20:51:36.634-03:00YITP Tips and Tricks for the Teacher and the ReceiverYoga in the Park is now mid-season and we have had a wildly successful summer so far! (*does happy dance*). It truly is something lovely to look out each Sunday and see 30-40 odd people that don't look like carbon copies of a young white woman all present and ready to practice together under the sun.<br />
<br />
There are a few things/tips to consider for both Yoga Teachers and Yoga Receivers for YITP though, so I thought I'd share a few extra insider tips here :)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tips for Yoga Teachers:</span></b></div>
Leading a YITP outside is an amazing and fulfilling experience. It also poses some interesting challenges.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Projecting your Voice:</span> It is *much* more difficult to hear your voice, instructions and suggestions with the wind, the sounds of the ocean and a wide open space for your voice to travel. Demonstrating while you talk becomes almost impossible; no one will hear you while your facing away in downward dog. YITP also attracts a more varied yogi, several who most certainly have some level of hearing loss (like yours truly, it's not just the wisest appearing among us with evidence of experienced life that may have hearing loss!). The best strategy? Project your voice (<a href="http://ecoyogini.blogspot.ca/2011/01/voice-therapy-for-yoga-instructors.html">while protecting it!</a>), face your yogis and:</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a demonstrating buddy next to you.</span> I've done this twice, and although kinda weird (since I am far from a model asana practitioner) it does allow other yogis to see what the heck you're describing while permitting you to continue said describing. Just make sure you introduce why the demo buddy is there- otherwise it's a bit awkward <strike>(who's the keener at the front???)</strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reference Nature:</span> We're outside- think about changing your spatial references from "the floor" or even "the mat" to "the earth, the ocean, the sun, the sky". It's one of the beautiful parts of practicing outside, remind people of that.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consider Nature: </span>Think about the wind making balancing postures more difficult, the squishy grass making for non-solid bases in standing postures and the possibility for dog poo when arms out for supine twists. Balancing postures are often extremely challenging outside and it's nice to be reminded of the extra trickiness so as not to be too discouraged. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consider alternatives for Savasana:</span> Laying out, face up to the sun for long minutes at the end of the practice may not be the most relaxing or comfortable (or safe!) end to a yoga practice. Maybe shorten your savasana, offer alternatives (seated meditation) and suggest that yogis cover their face. The end goal isn't laying on our backs, but integrating and absorbing our practice- however that may be.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leave out all "extras" that might detract from Nature:</span> Music and technology is a big one. I've found that blocks and straps are nice, but practicing outside is really about connecting with Nature through yoga. The more "extras" we have, the less we're truly experiencing the natural moment. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please no pictures! </span>True consent during a yoga practice isn't given. I know it looks really cool and we just want to share, but getting consent without pressuring the yogis to give it (no matter if you ask first- are they simply going to walk away after setting up their yoga mat?) is unlikely. Instead of experiencing the practice through a lens, take a breath and practice fully observing what you're having an urge to photograph and keep that in your memory to cherish. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Tips for the YITP Yogi Receivers:</b></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bring LOTS of sunscreen: </span>and apply liberally. No really. You should leave YITP with a sense of peace and renewal, not a sunburn. Skin cancer is serious business- don't mess around!</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bring Water: </span>Staying hydrated is so important. Reusable water bottles are better than plastic disposables, and stainless steel tend to be the best. I've found that the BEST for keeping water cold is the insulated stainless steel coffee mugs topped with ice cubes. My Klean Kanteen coffee container, although smelling slightly like coffee, really kept my water cold during an hour out in the sun. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Use a YITP specific mat:</span> (or no mat!). This is only if you happen to have two, relegate one to "YITP" for several reasons: a) it will get dirty. Which is kinda gross. If it's your YITP only mat that means you only have to wash it every so often instead of directly afterwards. Bonus! b) nicer, more ecologically friendly mats made of rubber biodegrade in the sun. You should actually keep your nice rubber Jade mat FAR AWAY from any sun exposure if you want it to last. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Talk to the Teacher Before YITP Begins</span>: even though we're not in a traditional class setting, it's important to share injuries or discomforts with the teacher. If you don't feel ok with that, the nice thing about YITP is that honestly, you can spend the entire time in child's pose and that is just fine. YITP really is about what you need- so be sure to take it!</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look out for dog poo:</span> Seriously. It is everywhere. </li>
</ul>
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And above all else: enjoy sharing your practice outside, surrounded by the ocean, the sun and other lovely yogis!</div>
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Any thoughts/suggestions from your YITP experiences that I missed? Please share!</div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-68752912689638283032014-07-03T20:37:00.000-03:002014-07-03T20:37:33.427-03:00Taking Back Saying No to Technology while Remaining CoolIf you asked my friends whether I'm easily reachable through technology, they would definitely answer with a resounding "Not even close!".<br />
<br />
I know it's weird, especially for someone who blogs, is an active twitterer and Facebook user. But I've noticed this natural trend in the past two years to disconnect.<br />
<br />
The realization that perhaps this was more than just a passing trend occurred to me tonight: when the thought "I should check my gmail" caused twinges of anxiety and annoyance.<br />
<br />
Although I've embraced technology (I am JUST at the cusp of the generation that has grown up with computers, video games and such), I've always been a stickler for "non tech time". Immediately when we got our iphones my pet peeve was being accessible, with the EXPECTATION that I would be RIGHT THERE to text back every minute of the day. I quickly informed all my friends that during work hours, I was at work- so my personal cell was on vibrate.<br />
<br />
Often though I would forget to turn my phone back on sound when I got home. To be fair, if it's an emergency they should call and leave a message. Or text Andrew. (How many times do I get the "tell your wife to check her phone" text...:S). It drives me crazy to here text after text after text- even if the other person might not necessarily expect an immediate answer- the pressure is there to check "just in case". Which annoys the hell outta me.<br />
<br />
I have a very important (to me) no cell phone in the bed rule. I leave my phone downstairs to be charged over night. If someone texts me while I'm getting ready for bed or sleeping, ah well. They should know better than texting someone past 10pm. Seriously. Our bedroom is moving towards a "no technology zone". I never want a tv in our bedroom and the laptop and ipad stay downstairs. I just have to wean Andrew off bringing his iphone upstairs (he hides it from me when he checks his twitter feed before getting out of bed in the morning...).<br />
<br />
The bedroom is for sleeping and connecting couple time. There is enough research out there that strongly indicates that having technology (tv, ipad, iphone, laptop) in the bedroom is sleep disrupting and stress inducing. My sleep is precious, no messing with that!<br />
<br />
Finally, email. I dread dread dread checking my gmail accounts. I'm attached to my email for work all day- I definitely do not feel like responding or considering issues via email while at home. So I just don't check them. For weeks. Which makes the process of checking my email even more stressful.<br />
<br />
With smart phones we are increasingly tied to our technology- and it's harder and harder to disconnect. However, I firmly believe that this disconnect from in real life interaction is an important aspect to our disconnect with our natural world, the decrease in motivation for environmental personal action and our increasing everyday stress levels.<br />
<br />
I am taking back my right to turn off my iphone, to saying "no" to being available every minute of every day and that this still makes me fantastically fun and not a luddite.<br />
<br />
Leave your iphone charging on the counter and experience life 100%, instead of through moments between checking your twitter account or through the lens of your iphoto.Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-39597648103369410542014-07-02T22:08:00.001-03:002014-07-02T22:08:26.302-03:00GPB: BirdNerding: Caving to the Squirrel BaffleHappy Day after Canada Day!<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if I truly shared here how much my life currently is spent thinking about bird watching and planning how we can attract different birds....<br />
<br />
Over at the Green Phone Booth, my post this week is an update on the birds we've managed to attract and our latest, ridiculous, birdnerd purchase.<br />
<br />
Go on over and take a peak!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2014/07/birdnerding-caving-to-squirrel-baffle.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BirdNerding: Caving to the Squirrel Baffle</span></a></div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-11614298086555998402014-06-23T21:30:00.001-03:002014-06-23T21:32:13.943-03:00Bugs are Gross: The Yoga of Gardening<i>(Warning, this blog post does have some photos of bugs... but I've tried to intersperse some pretty garden photos to make up for it)</i><br />
<br />
I am not a fan of bugs. I'm the person that will squish a bug without hesitation. Release it outside so it can crawl back in? No thank you. Once, during my speech therapy visit at a daycare, while sitting as part of their circle time, I saw a spider crawling amidst our preschool singing fun and in front of all the children, squished it with gusto. The teachers were not impressed.<br />
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<i>LADY SLIPPER! This flower is endangered in NS. It's illegal to pick them- I was yelled at by a park ranger as a child for picking one- they only flower every SEVEN years! A true treat.</i></div>
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<i>I thought these gorgeous purple flowers were weeds, until they bloomed! Good thing I resisted pulling them up!</i></div>
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Unfortunately, our new house appears to be built on multiple giant anthills. Trillions of ants surround us. I swear. For the past few months we have fought the fight of the Ant. Tiny sugar ants that roam the kitchen floors (and sometimes counters- ew!) by the dozens. When they found their way upstairs in our bedroom I drew the line. No more Ms Nice Nature Loving Yogini. I was going to kill them all. Or at least find a way to keep them out. After a month we're at somewhat of a stalemate with periodic Ant Attacks (today dozens of sugar ants found their way into the kitchen under the cupboards, like jerks).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBkQu9e_6trfrsgVPqXBPwFyLNNNfHL51AuHSHvz6AnJnT0qQjcLuFxe6ZS3Qs3Yk7ZjD8XGxNwOoWrSyeZKSkxizemT5u6SDHSe_gvu7KRaFcrmnkgBd0fdCDhyphenhyphen_wdxkVKwkW7SL99k/s1600/10390957_10152085024056761_2873185395276634697_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBkQu9e_6trfrsgVPqXBPwFyLNNNfHL51AuHSHvz6AnJnT0qQjcLuFxe6ZS3Qs3Yk7ZjD8XGxNwOoWrSyeZKSkxizemT5u6SDHSe_gvu7KRaFcrmnkgBd0fdCDhyphenhyphen_wdxkVKwkW7SL99k/s1600/10390957_10152085024056761_2873185395276634697_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Pretty magenta lilac bush- who knew they could be this colour?</i></div>
The following semi-natural approaches have (kinda) worked:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Diatomaceous Earth:</b></span> Much of our house has this white powdery substance lining the baseboards. It looks like crap, but ants can't walk over it. It's seriously cruel actually, the Diatomaceous earth cuts at the ants and dehydrates them until they die. I know. But...it's natural and won't harm our cats if they try to eat it (which they haven't). They do tend to alternate course and try to find another point of entry. So a two-pronged attack is necessary:</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Borax and sugar water:</b></span> This came from my dad's suggestion to get liquid Ant Raid, specifying that we needed a 7% borax ratio. Which made us think- why purchase liquid ant poison, if it's just the borax that kills them? We have borax, we can make our own liquid solution and we'll know for sure that it just has borax, sugar and water. </li>
</ul>
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<i>Our cat proof ant trap</i></div>
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<i><u>Borax Sugar Water Ant Poison:</u></i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>1 part sugar</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>4 parts water</i></div>
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<i>Borax</i></div>
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<i>Boil the water and sugar together, allow to cool. Add slightly less than 10% of the volume in borax. Mix and keep in a glass jar out of reach of children and pets. </i></div>
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<i>Using jam jar lids (or pop bottle lids) add liquid. Leave it outside or inside where you see the ants and keep away from pets and children. Allow the ants to leave with the solution (they bring it to the nest and it kills more of them that way). We used an old yogurt container with small holes cut in the bottom, put the jam jar lid with the borax solution inside and sealed it away from the cats. </i></div>
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<i>My new hummingbird feeder spot. We shall see...</i></div>
These awful little bugs have even invaded our hummingbird feeder. For the third time tonight, I had to clean out the feeder since it had become cloudy with ant remains. WTF ants? Don't MESS with my bird feeders! I have been forced to place the hummingbird feeder on the clothesline next to the finch feeder. It's a bit ghetto... but this is serious business. Plus at least I resisted putting legit ant poison all over the hummingbird feeder.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMM_zbMln74X5S697b4dXobQTe30uKa7wqgb0IDof9gy1CySCNIuGXmYKXoRlu5D51nojAjnYr9eC3FJb98W0FBJ6fgrtXthisE4gR_T3fkMcGNhkRIM_A5c8ZyffTR9MrtXfYhhZ4BQ/s1600/10389669_10152071234366761_1505144477289198757_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMM_zbMln74X5S697b4dXobQTe30uKa7wqgb0IDof9gy1CySCNIuGXmYKXoRlu5D51nojAjnYr9eC3FJb98W0FBJ6fgrtXthisE4gR_T3fkMcGNhkRIM_A5c8ZyffTR9MrtXfYhhZ4BQ/s1600/10389669_10152071234366761_1505144477289198757_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>These little white flowers are so cute. I thought they were wild flowers, since I found them nestled in the middle of a little wild plant section- but have since discovered they were planted their on purpose some time long ago!</i></div>
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The epitome of bug grossness, though, was this weekend:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fP1_Gx6zIkUWx7oCoesHlc2s0QjBKN83i2efMX6QFhNI8e-8hlvJuVTlir6RNIusCtNukC_rrUxybLzWWT1VURv4V3tUcATeMkbYFe5dJlTM-Makh72sX0wwMfxebBemnL5xDPcYXXc/s1600/10489963_10152107165806761_1426311815944806342_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fP1_Gx6zIkUWx7oCoesHlc2s0QjBKN83i2efMX6QFhNI8e-8hlvJuVTlir6RNIusCtNukC_rrUxybLzWWT1VURv4V3tUcATeMkbYFe5dJlTM-Makh72sX0wwMfxebBemnL5xDPcYXXc/s1600/10489963_10152107165806761_1426311815944806342_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>ew ew ew ew ew ew ew</i></div>
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<i>OMG the entire stem is covered. took these photos tonight. We should really spray the lupines with water tomorrow...</i></div>
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Saturday I decided that I would cut some of the beautiful lupines and lilies growing in our yard and make a bouquet for our kitchen. I was super proud of my Secret Garden Flowers (each bloom is a surprise!) and posted a photo on Facebook to prove it. The lupines and lilies smelled amazing and I did a happy dance each time I walked by the evidence that to no credit to us, we had an awesome flower garden.<br />
<br />
And then Sunday I noticed dozens and dozens of seafoam green little crawly things ALL OVER OUR FLOOR. I nearly lost my mind. Yelling for Andrew to come over, we spent frantic moments searching and squashing this little buggers and flushing them down the toilet. They looked eerily like wood ticks, only green and I had a (shameful) moment of panic: "WHAT IF THEY'RE BABY TICKS????" (If you don't know what <a href="http://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/documents/06037_LymeDisease_Pamphlet_En.pdf">ticks</a> are- good for you. They are awful and currently are a problem and <a href="http://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/documents/06037_LymeDisease_Pamphlet_En.pdf">lyme disease carrier</a> in Nova Scotia. Each evening after our garden inspection we do full body tick checks). In order to kill ticks you need to burn them or cut them in half with something sharp. They don't squash.<br />
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<i>Gross creepy crawly talk break- these are my favourite flowers in the whole garden. Originally they were among the half dozen I thought were weeds- specifically I thought they were grass gone to seed until they flowered! They're still pink and puffy weeks later!</i></div>
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<br /></div>
Anyhoo... Andrew in his calm manner looked our creepy seafoam green bugs of death and informed me that in fact they are aphids. Not ticks. Also, they have a fairly short life span. And they love lupines. A quick look... and to our horror the lupines in my beautiful bouquet were COVERED in them. Cue second panic attack. ("what if they fly????" "they don't fly, Lisa").<br />
<br />
Since neither Andrew nor I wanted to touch the flowers, we put the entire bouquet, vase and all, out on the deck and left it there overnight.<br />
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Andrew threw the flowers out in the compost this morning.<br />
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<i>(pretty plant photo to balance gross aphid photo. Also- I have no idea what this plant will become- any thoughts? A weed or a flower?)</i></div>
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Lessons learned:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Dunk flowers in a bucket of water prior to bringing them in the house (thank you Teresa for that tip!)</li>
<li>Rip up all the front lupines in the fall. </li>
<li>Learn to love lady bugs.</li>
</ol>
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<i>These are herbs our of control in the front garden- the herb on the left has actually grown into the lawn- so every time you walk over it, a delicious smell wafts up!</i></div>
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Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-69606051974368690762014-06-10T20:44:00.001-03:002014-06-10T20:44:58.501-03:00The Death of the Karma Class: Don't Belittle Yoga in the ParkLast week I had the opportunity to share my practice under the sun to the sound of the ocean waves with 38 other yogis. This year's yoga in the park has started with a bang, with triple the usual number of yogis sharing a practice together.<br />
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I believe this is in part due to the slow but steady word of mouth needed for the group, being in our fifth year and in part the increase in connection with passionate yoga teachers who share the group with other yogis. That and practicing near the ocean is amazing.<br />
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However, I also have a sneaking suspicion that Haligonians are hungry for yoga... and are struggling to find a practice that is affordable.<br />
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Halifax is an interesting city for it's yoga scene. The size of the city is quite small comparatively, with a population of almost 300,000, with a huge student population (5 universities). We also have anywhere between 15-20 yoga studios (some are in flux, and I can't ever keep up the count) in the HRM. Many of these studios have yoga teacher training programs.<br />
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At first glance this would appear as if Haligonians have a lot of choice when it comes to where they can practice their yoga. Upon further reflection, unfortunately, it would seem that "choice" is a relative term for a specific demographic: those individuals who can afford the practice have choice. The rest, well options for a studio practice continue to dwindle.<br />
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This became all the more obvious when I went to update my "Affordable Yoga" page on my blog recently. A few years ago the majority of studios (80%ish) were offering at least one "Karma" or community class weekly or monthly. The first time I organized the information from a blog post to an actual page I was disappointed with the studios I had to delete from my list. With each revision and update, instead of finding more to add, instead I was deleting more studios from my list.<br />
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I'm now left with a sad, measly little list of places where a yogi can access yoga on a budget in HRM.<br />
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I get it. It's expensive to run a yoga studio, pay rent, your teachers and yourself. Neither am I implying that the yoga is worth less than the prices charged. I'm just stating that at 16-18$ a class, a regular studio practice is unreachable for the majority of yogis.<br />
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Oh sure you can volunteer for unlimited yoga at Moksha... because a full time working mom has time to volunteer another 4 hours AND still attend a yoga class. Let's be honest, a full time working non-mother, me, doesn't have an extra 4 hours for her yoga practice let alone volunteering to GET a practice. And that isn't choice.<br />
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I have always had trouble with karma and community (and Moksha volunteer) systems for yoga: it's always made me feel like it was a hierarchy of quality: you can't afford our studio prices? Well you can have cheaper classes, but taught at inconvenient not-popular times (Friday nights at 8pm anyone?), by less experienced teachers and yoga teacher students, surrounded by yoga merchandise at Lulu or *only* if hot yoga is a good fit for you. It sets up a system that those who can afford classes get the best quality yoga and choice while those who can't get a lower quality of yoga. It's demeaning.<br />
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But at least this system was fairly universal across studios. At this point in time we barely have that. Studios have cut their community and karma classes with a ruthlessness that is honestly shocking. It's been a weirdly quiet event- without a dying peep. Maybe attendance was poor (should we blame the market, or should we blame inconvenient times and less quality class choices?), or maybe the cost to run a studio is just astronomical and something had to give. But then, maybe there just aren't enough people in our city that meet the socio-economic status requirements to stock-up full priced yoga classes.<br />
<br />Which came first? The Chicken: lower yoga class attendance or the Egg: jacking up the prices and subsequently less people can afford to attend a studio class? <a href="http://www.itsallyogababy.com/vancouver-reaches-peak-yoga-what-does-this-mean-for-the-rest-of-us/">Perhaps that's why people are turning away from attending yoga studios</a>- in Halifax we've had a few closures... and the rumour was the revenue wasn't such to support the cost of running a studio.<br />
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Yoga in the Park is free. It's not donation based, it's not "community" or "karma". It's free. Because it's not about getting a studio experience. It's about a group of yogis coming together to share yoga under the open sky with the ocean waves crashing into our practice.<br />
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It also shouldn't be a lower quality of yoga. It's not only for new teachers looking for experience or practice teaching (although we welcome those who are new and would like to share). It's not about "doing your community time" to check off some weird yogic sense of what it means to be a yoga teacher (doing prerequisite karma class, check).<br />
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I would hope that those teachers who choose to share their practice and lead YITP do so because they love to practice outside. Please don't brush off our beautiful, gorgeous practice under the sun as something only a "new" yoga teacher would ever consider leading.<br />
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Our YITP teachers are there to share yoga. New and well seasoned, from all disciplines, we practice together, wobble in the wind together, feel the grass under our feet, the ants creeping on our mats and the sun on our faces together.<br />
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From the bottom of my little yogi heart, I thank every single one of you.Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965370542440002490.post-88662192261213716672014-06-02T20:04:00.001-03:002014-06-02T20:04:09.653-03:00What the 30x30 Challenge Gave MeMay is over and the <a href="http://30x30.davidsuzuki.org/">30x30 Challenge</a>: 30 minutes of outdoor time every day for the month of May, is DONE.<div>
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How did I do?</div>
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Well... to be honest there were at least one or two days a week that I didn't make it outside for a total of 30min. Some days I had meetings until after the sun had set (meetings which could not be taken outside for example). A few days I was just so exhausted there was no way I was sitting out in the cold (we had some pretty chilly days in May). I hope Mr Suzuki isn't too disappointed in me.</div>
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That said, though, I feel like my approach of balance and self-forgiveness was much more conducive to making a longer lasting change in our outdoor habits than an all over nothing, ballstothewall approach. </div>
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What the 30x30 challenge did for me:</div>
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<li>Andrew and I take longer walks. We quickly realized that walking to our mail box unit thingy wasn't long enough of a walk (suburbia has this weird mail tower thing that holds dozens of little locked boxes intsead of a at the end of your driveway mailbox. It's strange). So, in order to get the amount of Nature time for my challenge, we've started picking a new street to explore and finish our walk picking up our mail. We don't walk every night, but multiple times a week. </li>
<li>We started a habit of a "daily yard exploration" where we would slowly make a tour of our yard and experience the subtle, and not so subtle, changes that were happening in our yard daily. It's a fun way to connect with our new space, chat about new plants, wonder over tiny new flowers and buds unfurling and chatting about our future garden plans.</li>
<li>Andrew knowing that I was doing this challenge meant he was ON BOARD with initiating new ways to get Nature time into our day. Since he's a video gaming couch potato for the most part, this was a fun change and felt great to be so supported. Like I wasn't just dragging him outside 'because'. </li>
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I *think* being outside more this month had a calming and positive effect... but to be fair I was in a pretty stressful spot and May naturally was a bit calmer at work than April. Regardless, I'm hopeful that these three changes above will carry over into the summer and fall months.</div>
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I do have more ideas on how to spend my evenings outside instead of holed up in the house. One really important idea was to start practicing yoga on the deck after work. Now that the sun is out later and it's getting warmer in the evenings (we're not quite there yet, but soon!) I feel like my yoga practice will just blossom. It's been waiting patiently for me and for that I am thankful.</div>
Eco Yoginihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693080137196812405noreply@blogger.com0