I'm Back

I guess I took the summer off from writing. What a fast and busy summer it was too. I am feeling very excited about sharing here all the things I discovered and learnt about this summer. I got some traveling in, some fun days with my daughter in, and also some major crafting done. Major stuff for me.

Yes, I was busy making things for the up coming Glen Ridge Artisan Show. It is on the 19th of September at Glen Ridge School here in St. Catharines. This alone is keeping me very busy as I prepare to make enough product for the show but also to make new things I think will be interesting. Some of what I am bringing with me is my pop tab bracelets and handmade paper boxes made from 1940's magazines. I have been getting a lot of feed back - all good - about them so I decided to try and sell them. I will be selling my handmade cards, paper banners, and felt hair pins too. I am working on a few other reusable crafts but my time is running out. I will bring what I have made so far and see if anyone likes them. I hope you stop by my booth if you are there and say hi.

Here are a few things I have made so far:

Paper banner for my booth

Felt hair pins

Handmade cards

Pop tab bracelet and handmade box

I tried felting old sweaters recently. I thought I could make some cool things from them. I bought 3 sweaters from the Sally Ann and washed the heck out of them several times with hot sudsy water. So far I have made some reusable bands for coffee cups with them but my hand sewing needs improvement - unless you like things looking crude. I would like to make iPod and phone holders too. More on that when I get them done. Right now they are in my head only.

I will keep my postings coming. I thank everyone for asking me to begin again. I like hearing from you.

Stapler Free Stapler

It is the end of school and as tradition goes, my daughter and I drive into Niagara on the Lake to a store called From Japan Inc to buy her teacher a staple free stapler. Usually it is one made in Japan and it looks like a cat or dog. This year our staple free stapler is made by Eco Staple Free Stapler and looks like a button. It can staple 4 pages together without using any metal. This year I bought myself one too. Ever since I read about staples and how much metal it takes to make them plus the large amount that end up being thrown out (and do not biodegrade), I have a sense of guilt every time I use my stapler. I love how intricately my pages are held together now and I wonder, how does it do that? Small things amuse me.

The City Chase Race

This weekend was the Mitsubishi City Chase race in Toronto. It is kind of like the Amazing Race. You are tested physically and mentally while finding and completing challenges along the way. The City Chase has races in cities all over the world each year ending with the winners for each country competing at an International race.

I had been planning to go into the race since January when my friend asked me to be her partner. I admit, I had great plans to train and use this as the excuse I needed to get into shape. I felt I let myself down by managing to only walk and play occasional tennis. I was letting this fact get me down about the race and I was not looking forward to it. I decided to go into it to have fun. I get so tired of trying to be/please other people that I have finally given up on that. In the race I was me. I found out that it was not only a relief to be me but it was also way more fun!

Knowing now that yes, I did need to be in better shape, I am hoping the burning in my legs will go away soon and I can start some kind of routine to get into shape without the pressure of a race.

The Race: I had so much fun. I loved hanging around Toronto the day before the race with my friend/race partner and having dinner with my cousin (Thanks to her for all her help from home for the race telling us where things were - our "phone a friend"). 

I loved the excitement I felt the morning of the race. The rain made me feel anxious at times at the beginning but we were glad to have it for a refreshing cool down during the day. I had fun sizing up the other teams and watching the crowds grow. I loved how I felt in my jersey and number with my knee socks and garbage bag rain coat (my dad would be so proud). 

The opening speech was inspiring and after welling up and hugging the racer beside me (the whole crowd hugging at this point not just me!) we got started. I felt such energy and excitement. We started the race having to do a scavenger hunt with another team in order to get our clue sheet. I loved meeting "James" and asking him to moon for us, digging through the garbage for a 2 day old paper, and running with all our required items back to the start.

Some of the challenges we did were: pulling a rickshaw while looking for letters to de-scramble, dancing the merengue, rock climbing, (fake) kyaking, boxing, and pole dancing.

I had street meat for lunch with a coke. Some athlete! I wonder how that looked as I ran in a race. I love my Coke way too much! I swear it was kept me going.

I must say that we came across some of the nicest people during the race. The people of Toronto were so helpful and excited for us. From the TTC street car drivers, the other racers, the race volunteers, and people on the street. Thank you for that. You really helped 2 girls who have limited knowledge of the city.

Today, I feel glad I did the race and happy I accomplished something that was not only hard and challenging for me, but also scary at times. You never know what you will have to face. I loved knowing I was not going to let myself (or my partner) down by quitting or by being afraid. I felt stronger for it.

Note to self: Next time - do not to eat a hot dog and coke and try to do sit ups, T push ups, skip rope and do burpees. New meaning to burpees for me.

I guess I know now that I can do anything I put my mind to. Good to know.

The Value at the Village

Thrift Shop Review #2

Going to the thrift store can sometimes be an experiment in creativity or a hunt for something you never knew you needed. Sometimes it can be the end of a long search for something specific. Last night I went to Value Village here in St. Catharines and found something I had been searching for years for. 

Of course, I do not always find something when I go and sometimes I find Value Village to be expensive. We went for fun with nothing we needed. (This is usually the best way to go.) I have been looking for a certain cookbook for years. The search has always been fun and as of late I had all but given up. I don't even usually look at the books all that well since I have so many myself but this time I spent the time looking to add to my Martha Stewart book collection and happened upon the cookbook. It is the Canadian Living Cookbook. It is out of print and last I checked is going for $60 at Chapters used. There it was. The dust jacket a little damaged but underneath, mint. It was $1.99. I bought 2 other Canadian Living Cookbooks that night as well. My step mother swears by this one cookbook and regrets never getting me my own copy. You know who the first person I called was then don't you? We were so excited together. Not only finding it for $1.99 but finding it after all these years of searching and thinking I would never find it. I love that feeling. The downside is now I have to use it...

All in all I think garage "sailing" and thrift shop shopping can offer something stores cannot. The hunt, the deal, and the uniqueness of the item is what makes it so fun. It will take days for my high to wear off. No bargain at Winners ever makes me feel this lucky.

Green Clean

I have been busy getting the cleaning side of my business off the ground. I am very excited and can hardly wait to clean for people. I know, I was born with something wrong with me, right? I find it very satisfying to clean and knowing I am not using harmful products to get it that way adds to the feeling of a job well done. 

I am also excited because tonight I was invited to attend a friends Enjo party. Enjo is a innovative line of cleaning products. I have been using Enjo to clean my own house for over a year now and will never look back. The cloths clean so much better than what I was using previously (Vim, Comet, Windex, Method, even vinegar and baking soda!) and they take only water to use. I have been using my Enjo products to clean for my new  clients and tonight I plan on making a big investment for my company. 

How exciting. To think that I can now clean other people's homes and know I leave it chemical free and safe for anyone to live in. (I clean for a seniors organization right now and I have to use their products. I feel sick, my hands crack and burn, and my asthma is always triggered. I know what it does.) You really have to try Enjo to really believe it works. I was so skeptical in the beginning but when it took things off I had tried years to remove I was sold. My Enjo rep, Erin King, is very knowledgeable and always lets me try out a product to see if it is for me.

I will let you in on another little secret. I can not sleep the night before a new cleaning job. Not because I am nervous or because I don't want to go. It is the thrill of cleaning somewhere for the first time. I lay awake and think of where I will start, moving onto where I think will give me the most trouble. I see myself cleaning and I see it clean and I can hardly contain myself. OK. There IS something wrong with me.

The Great Mascara Search

I have been slowly buying more "green" products when things I have run out. I was quickly running out of mascara a while ago but kept using what little amount was left to stretch it longer than I have ever done before. Girls, you know what I mean. A mere smudge on my lashes. I was holding out knowing the Green Living Show was only a short time to wait. 

We went to the Green Living Show in Toronto for the second year in a row. One of the first booths I stopped at had mineral make up. The girl behind the table showed me the mascara she was selling. It came only in black and she had only one tube left. Sold! $28 later, I was happy not realizing how much $28 for mascara really is. Yikes. I have been searching on-line and knew it was not cheap but I also didn't really think when I said "I'll take it!".

I must report after a few weeks of wearing it I am very pleased with it. I have in the past had trouble getting mascara off. I stopped buying make-up remover last year (after I ran out) and I had resorted to basically pulling the mascara off my lashes. Not pretty and not completely effective either. Anyway, unless I am going swimming or bawling my eyes out (thankfully I do neither of these very regularly), the mascara comes off with just water. It goes on just like other mascara's but comes off like washing dirt from your hands. Easy and effortlessly. The brand is called Lavinia and it is from Australia. I was told it is not available in stores here yet. With that news I hope my new wonder mascara lasts a long time!

My next beauty product to run out will be the foundation. I know of a few places in the area that sell it so I am not as panicky. Please, if anyone knows of a brand they use and like, let me know. 

Life Wheel

What is a life wheel you ask? 

When I was at the doctors yesterday, she gave me an article from an old Canadian Living Magazine called "Give Your Life a Makeover". It is about how to take stock, set priorities, and find balance.

Basically, the article is about creating a new you and the experts are all life coaches, something that I find fascinating. Who wouldn't want someone coaching and cheering them along in life? The article says in order to know where to start your makeover, you need to "take stock". 

To do this, draw a circle and divide it into 8 equal parts. Label each pie piece like the one shown above. What you do is rate each category by how satisfied you are in it. The centre of the pie piece is a one and the largest part is a 10. What you end up with when you connect the dots is a wonky circle which gives you a clear idea of what you need to work on first to get your circle more in balance. If balance is what you want more of, this will show you where to start. 

I made a list of the categories in order of the lowest scoring. I started only with my 3 lowest and wrote out changes or goals for each of these areas. It was easy to see where I needed to focus myself. 

It is hard to take on all the changes at once so start with one thing at a time and work from that base of change and move forward. It will be making one small change at a time. If we take on too much we are not usually successful. 

Here are some suggestions from the article:

Be creative.

Start small.

Be realistic.

Celebrate your successes.

Spend time each day working on your goals and write about your progress.

Many areas of your life can be improved by reaching one goal.

In time, re-draw your circle to see if balance is being restored.

I know from organizing that it takes a while, 21 days, to form a new habit. We need to be supportive of one another and start small. I will see if my wheel becomes less wonky with time.

Presenting at School

On Thursday, I gave my presentation to my daughter's grade 3 class. Why was I nervous? Once I got in there and realized I had no control over what went on, things went well. Why did I think I could control the situation? I had a great time.

I started with the 3 R's thinking that was a good place to start. They could teach anyone about recycling. They knew all about reducing. I made the mistake of asking if anyone knew what a Navy shower was and when one innocent boy started telling the class about a lot of men showering on a boat I quickly diverted the conversation to reusing. Whew!

My assistant (my daughter) and I showed all the wonderful new uses for old things we had been busy making. The bracelet was a hit as were the wrist bands we made from old socks and the purse we made form an old pair of jeans. I showed them the many sorting uses an egg carton can be and they were more than enthusiastic in adding anything they thought I had forgotten. 

Sock wrist bands and jean purse

The cereal box magazine holder covered in old jeans received Ooo's and Ahh's as did the reusable shopping bag I made from one of her shirts right in front of them! I had to add "with your parents permission" and "have an adult help with scissors" since I don't know what they will do once they get home! We made a few new "guys" out of old gloves and mittens and we made a big stuffed pillow out of an old fuzzy sweater my daughter had out grown. They all yelled they remembered the sweater as soon as I pulled it out of the box.

Jean magazine holder

"Guy" made from an old glove

During question period, one boy asked when he could come over and make things with us and they all yelled "Yeah!". It felt good.

After being disappointed by the school's lack of Earth Day (it got worse, no litter picked up at the schoolthis year because some parents complained that they didn't want their kids picking up other people's garbage... Ahh. I was mad. I invited the class to help clean up the park down the street from my house on Saturday and several showed up) I am glad I went in and shared with the kids. I was really pleased by how many of them knew so much. All hands went up when I asked who shut the water off when they brush their teeth and all hands were up for reusable grocery bags. That is a start. I suppose Navy showers are next for some. haha

It was the colouring page they were given by the teacher that got them all excited. It was of a woman space/super hero recycling. They all thought it was me! Yes. I am finally a super hero.

I love my Coke.

I was afraid this day would come. I have feared it for years. I have been told by a medical doctor to stop drinking Coke. Yes, It is true. 

Anyone who knows me (even a little) knows that I love my Coke. That I wake up every morning and think about it and I go to bed looking forward to seeing my can in the morning. A few people remember in previous years my "quiting" Coke. It was short lived and proved harder to quit than cigarettes. (Some said just drink it and save us from this misery. I guess I get moody or something...) It is my only vice. I make excuses for it, I yearn for it, and I love it. I guess you could say I am addicted. 

I was told today, after painful chest pains, that the Coke had to go. I have been coming to terms with it all day knowing somewhere in my head that my drinking Coke days were too good to be true and that I would have to give it up someday. I am almost in a panic about it but know it will be alright because I have decided (don't tell my doctor) to still treat myself to the odd one every now and then. A special occasion thing. A treat. I will have that to look forward to. I need to have something to look forward to. Don't we all like to have something bad for us once in a while?

It is funny, every good moment in my life has been with a Coke in my hand. Coke is involved in so many of my stories. If I am reminiscing, I don't have to say I had a Coke in my hand, it is understood that I had one open or there was an empty one near by or I had one chilling. When I think back to my childhood or special event, the can is there right beside me. Did I get married with one or was it waiting in the car? Did I have one while in labor? No, I bet I made my husband get me one soon after. I seem to remember Coke in a paper cup with ice... How will I get through this? Are there support groups out there for Coke drinkers?

Sure, I put a funny spin on it but I am serious in my panic over it. If anyone has any advice, please tell me. And please don't let it have the words "Green Tea" in it like my doctor's suggestion of a "replacement" or I will not be responsible for my actions!

Pop Tab Art

What do I use everyday that might be used for a different use? What can children make and want to use that is recycled? These questions I asked myself and came up with this: pop can tabs.

I have been collecting pop can tabs for about a week now. I have enlisted the help of my daughter, my father-in-law, and the kids in the lunchroom. I thank you all. All your efforts have paid off and as of right now, I have made something from them. 

I started small (I wanted to make a belt first but decided to start small) and made a bracelet. Here are the pictures I took of my before and after shot. I did not make this craft up myself but followed the directions I found on another blog. I am so ashamed. 

 

                      Craft Items

                     Finished bracelet

I wanted to make something for the kids in my daughters class for my Earth Day presentation. I am doing well with lots of ideas borrowed from other sources and made into my own. Is there an original idea out there anymore, anyway? I hope so but until I find mine, I am borrowing someone else's.

I am off to try and make cardboard furniture for dolls...

Green Paint

In an earlier post I mentioned that the Sally Ann now sells recycled paint.  

Recycled paint, like the one at the Salvation Army called Boomerang, is paint that is reclaimed paint. Meaning they make their paint using the unused portions of "recovered domestic paint and stain remains" (to quote their site), to make their paints.

After reading about "eco paints", I realized there are more options out there.

There are paints that have low or no-VOCs - toxic chemicals and fumes that float into the air and you breath them in during and after you paint. Most brands now offer paints with no-VOC's.

There is also Milk Paint that apparently smells like cake batter and is apparently so non-toxic that you can eat it. (Could I be trusted to not lick my walls?) I am so sensitive to smells, I am sick when we paint so this option sounds like a dream to me! Check out this Milk Paint website.

I would avoid all oil based paints due to the high toxicity in them. If you have to paint with either laytex or recycled paint, open a window. I find adding vanilla to the paint also helps with the smell (even though you are still breathing in the fumes).

I am sure there are more options, I wanted to add some information that was helpful so I thank Rachel for asking the question she did as a comment on the Sally Ann blog entry. I sent her to a blog I found on-line on eco friendly paint. They then directed me to another great site called Eartheasy. Eartheasy lists companies that make low VOC paints. It is American but some can be found here in Canada too. 

I am thinking I need to paint something and try one out. Maybe my kitchen... Perfect for cake batter smelling paint, right?

I hope this helps. I am no expert on paint by any stretch. I am learning as I go. I find there is more and more information and products out there that are "Eco", you just have to ask, look, or read.

Earth Day

Okay. Tell me I am not overreacting here. April 22nd is Earth Day. I was interested in seeing what the school newsletter said about Earth Day and what they have planned. I was expecting a cute bubble with Earth Day marked on the calendar at the very least. What I saw was Happy Secretary's Day instead. No mention of Earth Day. I was shocked and then mad. Surely they will have something going on, right? 

My daughter who is strangely influenced by her mothers outbursts went to school and volunteered herself and I to make a presentation to her class on Earth Day. Good for her. I am proud of her. Not good for me. I do not enjoy speaking in front of people and can only hope 20 grade 3 students will be easier than a room full of adults. Gulp. What do I talk about? I was hoping to show them ways to reuse some things in their garbage and maybe play the ever popular prop game. How can I make it fun and inspiring? I started researching fun crafts and ideas that they might find interesting. 

When we were at EcoFest last week, I stopped at the DSBN booth and was happy to see all the schools that are involved with environmental clubs and who have "green" fund raisers at their schools. I am beginning to wonder if that is the next step for me. Did I mention a fund raiser in our school is selling wrapping paper, something I try hard to avoid? 

I guess my venting is over for now. I am hoping to receive a full newsletter dedicated to the events taking place on Earth Day where I will laugh at my overreacting and pitch in with my own ideas... 

Eco Fest Niagara

Last weekend I went to Eco Fest Niagara with my family. I was excited to pick up any information for what is offered here in Niagara.

I went to each booth with an open mind and managed to talk to many of the people there. It is great to be in a room where everyone is interested in the same thing.

First was the booth of a very passionate man from Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls. I was unaware of it being around here. I was delighted to meet someone who was so excited to share his ideas and passion. He told us of his dream of starting this project, how he funded it himself and bought up all kinds of land by Niagara Square so that kids could come and enjoy nature. He fought with the city who wanted the land for industrial land and won. He has a tree house, a frog pond, and a butterfly garden among other things. There are 2 trails through the 93 acres of forest containing 20 species of trees and 50 species of birds. He has won awards from the government and the area for excellence. It is fully wheelchair accessible, and he invites families, schools, and anyone interested in seeing nature up close to come and see him. I will be going to FrogFest on May 2nd for sure.

Next, I picked up a great booklet called Household Guide to Water Efficiency from the booth ran by the city. I am hoping to find out ways to save on water in my house. It has some great information in it.

At the region booth, I asked about rain barrels and how to get one. There will be a sale sometime in June at the 4 pad arena. They will be about $40. (I can't find anymore information on it and will let you know when I do. Why it is so hard to find is disturbing...)

I picked up a brochure at the booth for the Niagara Local Food Co-Op. Twice a month, the farmer will post what he has available on the co-op's website, then members will have a week to place their order on line and go and pick up their produce at a designated pick up place in the city. I love the idea of getting my produce right from the farmer and saving on packaging, transportation, plus supporting our local farmers. The fee is $50 a year. Check out their website for more information.

A man at the next booth spoke to my daughter only. He talked to her about trees in Niagara. He showed her on a map where his organization is planting trees. He gave us a website to go to where Land Care Niagara is given $2 each time someone goes to the site and clicks on the Plant a Tree button. The sponsors donate money and he plants trees. Each $2 is enough to purchase and grow a tree for 2 years. My daughter was thrilled she can help by just planning to visit a website each day and vowed to tell all her friends about it.

Of course my daughters favorite booth was Lip Balm Labz. It was fun and smelled great. The fellow working behind was kind enough to let me take he picture after he made a yummy concoction of chocolate and orange lip balm for my daughter who cannot have any colouring. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find colourless lip balm? It is better than the Bonnie Bell kind I had as a kid. You know the kind.. you lick it off more than you wear it. Mmmm.

Last on my booth tour was to Enjo where my good friend Erin was busy teaching a group all about the wonders of cleaning using Enjo. I agreed to host another Enjo party with friends because I love the product and want more people to stop using chemicals when they clean. Enjo is great because it uses only water. Yes, water. Let me know and I will give you Erin's info if you are interested in seeing it work. You will never go back to chemicals and chapped hands again.

All in all a great show with lots to see and lots to learn about. Too many to mention in this brief blog post. I might write more later about some of the other places I visited.

The countdown is on for The Green Living Show in Toronto. We went last year and had a great time sampling organic foods and picking up information on anything from clothing to beauty products to cars. See you at the show.

The Sally Ann

Thrift Shop Review #1

Salvation Army Thrift Shop, Scott Street Location

I have to say, this was a fun and sometimes exciting visit to the thrift shop.

Not only did I find a great Jacob shirt dress for $6.00, but we also found the entire trilogy for Lord of the Rings for $6 as well. (OK, maybe not a great deal if you do not like these movies but my husband was thrilled.)

I also noticed they are carrying a line of "green" paints called Boomerang. The colours are surprisingly really soft and nice. I talked with the guy at the check out and he said they are selling well and they have had lots of positive feedback so far. I was happy to see it in the stores and happier to see it at the Sally Ann.

Although I did go in for other items, I find that you have to be persistent and come often to find what you need but also the unexpected (the real reason I go). 

This thrift shop was clean and bright and the staff made it very pleasant to shop there. I even filled out a card to have them email me when deals are coming up. It was "Sweaters for a buck" when I was there.

I can hardly wait to go again! What will I find?

Natural Beauty List

I have been reading this book called The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to be Fabulously Green. At first I was not sure how to take it but once I started reading, I could not put it down. I love the way Starre Vartan (yes, that is her name) writes. It is real and it is funny. What caught my attention early is how to love our natural selves for what we are. Now, I have many insecurities just like the next gal but I am trying to stop fighting nature and accept and (eventually) love what I have. Let's face it, we are the ones who we have to love so why fight it? I admit I am sometimes kinder to the checkout lady at the grocery store than I am to myself.

Vartan says that "finding what is fabulous about yourself and really concentrating on those qualities will take you further in life than subjecting yourself to constant self-criticism". How true is that? If we treat ourselves right, we treat others around us better. That makes sense. She goes on to say that if you put all your energies into what is good about yourself, it will affect other areas of your life. 

I can see it affecting my self esteem, the way I carry myself, the way I treat those I love, those I don't know and even how I treat the environment. We put out what we put in. The positive attracting positive thing. 

What is on my list? 

I have long legs. I have a friendly smile that makes people smile back. I can remember strange pieces of information. I have naturally wirey hair. (Wait I can word that one better...) I love people. I am kind. I try hard at whatever I do. I love to listen to stories about anything. I have a pretty good sense of humor. I can draw with my feet.

What is on your list?

Black Balloon Ad

I was reading about a mother and son who decided to write a book about "going green with your children". 

A few years ago now, they watched part of the Live Earth concert and found that one sponsoring commercials really had an impact on them. I was curious to see the commercial so I looked it up on YouTube (who does not love YouTube?) and thought I would post it here on my blog. (I am a visual learner so I found it to be great. I know it is Australian but I think the facts are still true.)

Click below and let me know what you thought.

Black Balloons

Pillow Talk

In my search for a good frying pan (Which by the way has worked out wonderfully. We had pancakes one day and fried eggs the next.) I found a new pillow for my daughter. This is what happens when you leave the house and go into stores! 

She was due for a new pillow and since pillows are under the "buy new" umbrella, I bought it for her. It was on sale for $10. It is called "The little footprint pillow" by Hollander. 85% of the filling is from recycled bottles, the cover is made from 100% unbleached cotton and dye free. I love the bag it came it too.

My daughter said she felt good when she carried it out of the store without a plastic bag. She also felt good knowing that she will be sleeping on water bottles saved from the landfill. 

Thrift Shop Shopping

This weekend I visited a couple of area thrift shops. My husband was in need of a new coffee pot for work after his broke. After a few tries, we found the right one and for only $2.99.

I find Value Village on Ontario Street to be bright and shopper friendly where the Good Will's are darker and organized a bit messier. I do have a great time at both and end up finding things I like. If you are going for price, Value Village is pricier. I found a great fake leather jacket for spring from RW&Co. at VV. It was $14.99 so I am still debating. I don't really need it. I found a wonderful purple skirt at Good Will that could be used as a cape for my super hero costume I dream about each year. (If you need anything for a costume, these are the places to go.) I didn't buy it but the find was fun.

If you are dropping things off at a thrift store, I find VV is easier since you drop and go and no one is there watching per say but did you know they are corporately owned? That means that charities do not get anything when you bring it to VV directly. VV gives money to charities when the charities drop things off themselves. I prefer to have the Diabetes Association (a charity I support, there are others) come and pick it up at my house. The Diabetes Ass. then sells it to VV and that way the Diabetes Ass. makes money. I see VV is giving stamps for buying items in the store and when you fill your card, you get money off your next purchase. I found out yesterday you get a stamp for each bag or box you donate too. I think all the other Thrift Shops better get on board that idea. 

I want to try some of the other smaller Thrift Shops and consignment shops. I have some repurpose ideas I want to try and what better place to go than a thrift shop? I find craft supplies, fabric swatches, and interesting do-dads that can be used for many fun projects.

On Sunday, while on a walk, I ventured into a used book store downtown. I can't explain the excitement I feel when I go in a place like that. What is waiting for me? What will I find? Will there be a book I have been looking for? Sadly, I ran out of time and had to go. I need hours to really get into every nook of the place. I will be back. 

While I am taking some time and really getting to know the area Thrift Shops, I will review them here and show some examples of what I find. I am getting excited about garage sales this summer and plan to attend a few auctions. Again, not that I need anything, I want to see how much of what I want is already out there. 

Let us know your finds too. Everyone loves a good find!

Green Fry

Last year when I started learning about going green I read a great book called Echolic. I read this book specifically because it is a Canadian book with mostly Canadian resources in it. In it I learned a lot about things I was using that were not the best choices. There were many. Instead of taking on the whole book at once, I eliminated things in baby steps. One of the items was birth control pills (which I stopped taking right then and there) and the other was using my non-stick frying pan. I have gone all year using my regular frying pan. I hate that thing. It sticks, it smokes, it burns. I know I am probably not using it right and have been spoiled by non stick. I even avoid cooking something that requires a frying pan. I am getting good. 

I started using my cast iron frying pan. It sticks and smokes and burns. Long story short, I wanted a non stick frying pan again. For 2 nights now I have searched the city for a "green" version of a non stick frying pan. I finally decided on one from The Bay. I know what you might be thinking, I was not supposed to buy anything new. I have rules in place for just this situation. Somethings you have to buy new, for me one is underwear. The other is frying pans. I am pretty sure there are not "green" frying pans at Good Will yet. This is my reasoning anyway.

Here is what I bought: Eathchef

An 11" Skillet to be exact.

I had some reservations since it was made in China and I try not to buy things made in China as a rule. (I am a Capricorn and breaking rules never sit well with me even if they are my own rules.)

The plus was the price, if it sucks it was only $24.00 (it was on sale). You plant a tree in Canada through Tree Canada. It is guaranteed for life. It has no toxic chemicals, PFOA and PFTE free.

I will let you know how it works. I plan on finally making pancakes this weekend. My husband will argue and say french toast but we shall see.

Recycled Resolution

I decided to recycle my 2008 resolution for 2009. The resolution was to not buy anything that I did not need. There was an article in the St. Catharines Standard about it in January, maybe you saw it? (No "jonsing" jokes, please.)

This all started back in 2007 when I read an article abut a woman who decided to challenge herself by not buying clothing for 6 months. I was fascinated by this. Why would someone decide to do this, why? Around the same time, I was hosting a seminar through my business about going "green". I remembered the article and thought that if I was going to get up and talk about "going green" then I better have some experience with it. My talk was mainly about consumerism and reusing old things for new uses (more on that in other blogs). I decided that for the 3 months leading up to the seminar in March, that I would try and do the same but with everything not just clothes. After researching environmental issues I knew there was more to cutting back than just clothing.

It eventually became my resolution because after the seminar I stayed at it all year long (I fell off the wagon on several occasions, I am not a saint) and thought I could do better this year. I decided to blog about it since everyone comments how what a drastic thing it is. I think it is more about being aware and making conscious decisions with my money, what I put in my body, on my body, and into the environment. Maybe that is drastic to some (I never got the drastic 80's haircut in high school so I am due for drastic. Wait, there was that horrible Annie perm in grade 9 but that was more a big mistake than drastic...) but I saw it as something that was important for me to do. 

Join me on my year of searching for a good used clothing store, garage sailing (as my daughter calls it), and all my good finds along the way. I want to also share my latest finds in organic products I like and use along with how much money I save when I don't buy something I see that I want. That should add up quickly!

 I talk to so many people who want to know how to make changes in their lives too. I am a woman/mother who wants to find the good stuff and what works. If you have anything to add or share please leave a comment, I want to hear your opinions and feelings on this. 

Welcome to the blog of change

Today is the start of my blog. I wanted to write a blog to share some ideas on how to make changes in our lives. In my profession of organizing, I meet a lot of people who want to make changes or try to make changes and are either afraid or don't know where to start. We all feel that way from time to time, right?

I want to share my experiences of change. Maybe you will see something here you can relate to or maybe you have suggestions that you use that we can all use. Sometimes we need all the help and support we can get and why not from people who are experiencing the same things? 

This year I plan on changing several things I currently do and introduce new things into my life. I am excited for the most part and nervous as well. Change can do that.

Some of my plans include getting more exercise, being greener, spending my time the way I want, and discovering balance in it all.

Change can be defined as the act or instance of making or becoming different. Don't get me wrong, I love things about myself that I will not be changing but I want to balance new things with the old. Balance is hard to achieve. Balance is to remain in a steady position without falling (which is sometimes how it feels) or even better, to establish equal or appropriate proportions of elements in such as balancing work and family.

I am hoping this will be a wild ride. I look forward to meeting you along the way.