Hump Day Etsy Find: Girl Geek Boutique

Posted on July 20, 2011 by pmitchell

ribboncable Hump Day Etsy Find: Girl Geek BoutiqueI’ve been around the electronics industry for years as my Dad has run a successful small electronics company for the last 20 or so years.  When they first opened, we’d often spend long hours into the night building various circuit boards and products and I’d find my mind wandering to what exactly could be made of all the colourful diodes and resistors.  Well, wandering minds need to wonder no more — check out Girl Geek Boutique.  They’ve got every colour combination you can imagine made of upcycled, recycled and surplus diodes, LEDs, capacitors, resistors, circuit boards, wires, cables, gears and even duct tape.

I totally dig the ribbon cable earrings that could signify your love of colour, electronics, geekery or even symbolize your support for the gay and lesbian community.  At only $18 these are surely a conversation starter that not every other person will be wearing.  Want a choker or necklace to match?  No worries — they’ve got that too!

The artists are the Girl Geek Boutique are actually engineers so if you want to know exactly how the electronics in your piece would work, they encourage you to ask.  That way you can add more geek to your chic when people comment on your fantastic piece.

resistors Hump Day Etsy Find: Girl Geek BoutiqueAnother piece that I’m over the rainbow about are these cascading resistor dangly earrings.  At only $39, they’re a great option for gift giving as well.  I think these would make an awesome gift for women working in the electronics industry and am definitely going to have to recommend this store to all the guys at my Dad’s electronics company.  Not to worry though, they have pieces suitable for men as well including business card holders, rings and cufflinks that will scream geek and tree hugger all at the same time!  Two of my favourite things all rolled into one:)

 

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5 Easy Ways to Green Up Your Garden

Posted on July 19, 2011 by pmitchell

Gardeners already love being green but when it comes to eco-friendly gardening, sometimes even the greenest thumbs feel lost.  Eco-friendly gardening doesn’t need to be complicated or even on a large scale.  If you you a huge space, you can do something as simple as buying used excavators to dig up a kitchen garden plot.  If you’re more of an urban dweller, like myself, you might want to think of alternate containers for seedlings.  Either way, here are 5 tips that gardeners of any scale can use to help the earth remain as green as possible!

4086949619 680422da4f 5 Easy Ways to Green Up Your Garden

Image Courtesy Flickr User Kate Sheets

1.  COMPOST – This can be done on a large scale and be a huge pile in the corner of a field or on a small scale like a plastic bin with ventilation holes drilled in it sitting in the basement.  Either way, don’t forget that red wigglers are a great addition to compost as they help to decompose the materials more quickly.  Great additions to compost piles are egg shells, coffee grinds and filters, newspapers, grass clippings, veggie peels and fruit peels.

2.  RAIN BARRELS – If you have downspouts on your house, you have a quick and easy way to catch the rain and make use of it in your garden.  Rain water is best for your garden because you don’t have to worry about anything that’s been added to it such as fluoride and it’s always at the right temperature!  Don’t forget to elevate your rain barrel to make use of gravity when you’re filling your watering can.

3.  EDIBLE GARDEN – Plant what you can eat regardless of the space you have to garden.  A herb garden can easily grow in one or two pots on a window ledge and provide you with flavourful dishes for months!  I am extremely envious of those who have space to grow row after row of carrots, radishes and lettuce but make do with pots of tomatoes, peppers and lettuce growing on the deck in the suburbs.

4.  ORGANIC – Grow organic regardless of what you are growing.  This means using no pesticides or fertilizers to artificially get rid of weeds and bugs or to make your plants grow faster.  There are many more natural ways to make plants grow stronger without resorting to the use of chemicals.

5.  LOCAL – Grow local varieties of plants.  Species that occur naturally in your area are more likely to grow without the need of chemicals, use less water and are more likely to grow strong and healthy season after season.

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DIY Chemical Free Cleaners {Vinegar}

Posted on July 17, 2011 by pmitchell

vinegar 300x300 DIY Chemical Free Cleaners {Vinegar}Vinegar has to be one of the most useful items that you can keep in your pantry.  It’s great for what vinegar is well known for — making salad dressing, drizzling over french fries and dipping bread in.  It’s also great for making chemical free cleaners with!  It’s eco-friendly and extremely frugal.  You won’t have to worry what exactly is in that all-purpose cleaner you use around your kitchen when you make it yourself.  Mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle.  Try reusing a bottle that you already have instead of buying another one.  Shake the bottle up to mix it well.

labels 272x300 DIY Chemical Free Cleaners {Vinegar}It might not be a very attractive looking cleaner at this point but check out the blog Vinnie Pearce Right Now to download some very pretty labels for free to put on your bottles of homemade cleaners.  All you need is paper, scissors, modge podge and your DIY sensibilities.  These labels will have your chemical cupboard looking as pretty and organized as anything you’d see on a store shelf.  And, if you make it yourself, you’ll know exactly what’s in the cleaners and what’s not.

Vinegar can also be used as an air freshener  by boiling equal parts of water and vinegar on the stove top to deodorize the air.  You can also use it to clean your coffee pot or tea pot of hard water stains without worrying about what kinds of residues are being left inside.  It can be used to clean and sanitize make-up brushes by soaking them in one part vinegar to three parts of water.  Make sure that you keep vinegar in stock at home and comment here with any other great green uses for it!

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groOrganic – a garden planner to help you get the most out of your season.

Posted on April 11, 2011 by mbentley


GroOrganicLogoHome groOrganic a garden planner to help you get the most out of your season.

 

My wife recently invited me to try groOrganic’s Garden planner.  It is a handy tool that helps you get the most out of your yard and season.  It even takes your growing climate into consideration which is extremely useful considering that we’re located in Western Canada with a relatively short growing season.  This planner is meant for edible plants almost exclusively so don’t plan on using it for your flower beds.  However, it can really help you to get the most out of any garden space that you plan to grow fruits and vegetables in.  This is going to be an increasingly popular option with the rising costs associated with buying foods.  Growing your own really takes the “buying local” to a new height.  Forget about the 100 mile diet — this is more in the 100 meter diet range!  The environmental significance of growing your own food can really not be understated.  Absolutely no chemicals are used when you grow your own and that’s something you can be pretty sure of since you are doing it yourself.  No fossil fuels are needed to transport the produce.  You can also insure that nothing goes to waste by sharing your crops with your neighbours or preserving any extras that you may have during your harvest time.

The groOrganic planner itself has much more power than you would typically associate with this type of program.  To start with, it provides your standard garden designer features allowing you to quickly design a layout that works for you while helping you to use your space to get the most out of it.  It has a wide range of plants available and as you go, you can quickly get information about the plants that you have selected.  Once you have your design, the site also provides you with a list of just what you need to get.  It also has some really great extra features that you might not have expected.  The site does handy things like sending you emails of what and when to plant, providing a schedule of when to plant (indoors and out) and when to harvest, help with crop rotation from year to year, and even keep journal notes about how plants did.

Here is a great little YouTube video that really shows the power of the site.  This is definitely a planner that I would consider using every year to get the most out of our small garden space available.  We live in a very urban setting with the typically small backyard so we need to make the most efficient use of space that we possibly can.  This program can definitely help you to maximize your production year after year to ensure that your family has fresh organic produce to last you throughout the harvest season and beyond!


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

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Etsy Find: Upcycled Piano Sculptures

Posted on April 10, 2011 by pmitchell

piano owl 200x300 Etsy Find: Upcycled Piano SculpturesI love shopping Etsy.  You just never know what you’re going to find.  I ran into this awesomely unique shop called Melsville.  This shop owner takes unusable pianos and disables the small interior piece called the action to make unique sculptures, jewelery and hair ornaments.  What results is quirky, eccentric and quite frankly, fantastic!

The antique wood is lovingly cleaned and sanded to become something entirely different and altogether new.  The previous life of the piano’s musical past shines through the pieces as well as the mechanical and architectural feel of the pieces themselves.  Great gift for music lovers, music learners, piano teachers and even engineers.

piano pin 245x300 Etsy Find: Upcycled Piano SculpturesThe owl pictured on the left shows the artist’s general feeling of whimsy and the wisdom inherit in reuse while the heart shaped pins with figures pictured on the right show that the pieces truly could become a new part of your everyday existence by being worn day to day.

Remember to shop Etsy to support local artisans working on a small scale to produce uncommonly unique pieces that are built to stand the test of time.  Shopping with your heart can really make a difference when done on a global scale as producers will only make what consumers will buy.  If we stand up to big box stores and refuse to buy their goods which are made with unfair wages in unfair conditions overseas, they will eventually stop making it.  Companies will only do what is profitable.  Let’s make shopping small, fair trade and eco-friendly the only way that companies can produce.  Look for organic, recycled and natural products instead of just buying whatever is cheapest:)

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Free Lightbulbs Are a Bright Idea

Posted on April 5, 2011 by pmitchell
2358916230 c0296142e1 Free Lightbulbs Are a Bright Idea

Image of Moma CFL courtesy of Flickr User Paul Keller

People are finally starting to realize that CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) light bulbs are a better choice than traditional incandescent bulbs.  CFL’s are 75-80% more energy efficient than their ancestors and can last more than ten times longer!  Even changing one single light bulb in a home can make a big difference.  Think of the savings if everyone on your block changed one light bulb or even everyone in your community changed one light bulb.  Now extend that energy savings to your town or city.  This is the idea behind the great promotion being held by the Rodney Strong Vineyards.

The Rodney Strong Vineyards is a family owned winery in California that is working hard to make a difference.  They have taken a hard look at their company to find ways both big and small to make a difference on a global scale.  They were the first Carbon Neutral winery in Sonoma county in 2009 and installed a huge solar electric system in 2003.  Now they are encouraging others to change their ways and are providing the tools for people to do so.  They are offering one free CFL bulb for people who take the pledge to make a difference by using it.  The only way they could make it easier is to come over and screw the bulb in!!  Take the pledge to make a difference by switching to at least one CFL in your home or office.  So far over 73,000 people (including me) have signed up.  Imagine what the energy savings just those bulbs will make.  Let’s see how many people will take the pledge, get a bulb and make a difference.  Of course, this is a limited quantity of free bulbs that they’ll be giving out.  However, the bulb is merely symbolic of realizing that the change starts with you.

Remember how important it is to stand behind companies that are globally minded like Rodney Strong Vineyards.  Watch for an upcoming post for more info about this great company and keep your eyes open when you’re shopping for wines for their label.  I know that the next time I buy wine, I’ll definitely be looking for them!

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Skin MD Natural Lotion Review

Posted on April 1, 2011 by pmitchell

071 300x199 Skin MD Natural Lotion ReviewLiving in Calgary in the winter is sure to make anyone’s skin begin to look like reptile’s scales.  There is absolutely no way around getting the dry flaky skin caused by the dry and (snow) flaky weather — especially on your hands and feet.  Or at least that’s what I thought until I was sent some Skin MD Natural shielding lotion to check out for myself.  I was sent a 4 oz bottle of the Face, Hand and Body Shielding Lotion and a couple of sample packs of their Shielding Lotion with Sunscreen SPF 15 to test and review.  What’s really cool is that you too can order some samples to try out before committing to buying a whole bottle.  Go here to get some sample packs for only $2 shipping and handling.  Many store locations that carry Skin MD also have free samples for you to try before you buy so you can skip the shipping and handling charges as well.  This means that you won’t cause any unnecessary waste by purchasing something that you don’t want or need.

069 200x300 Skin MD Natural Lotion ReviewThis lotion is super silky when you put it on.  It doesn’t even really feel like lotion actually — more like you have an aloe vera plant growing in your window sill and have rubbed it directly on your hand — except not sticky at all!  It’s fresh, light and slightly cooling formula leaves you feeling as though you have literally put on a shield between you and the elements.  I’ve been using it for nearly a week now and have definitely noticed a difference in the reptilian skin on my hands — less and less like a crocodile every day:)  It does not leave a greasy feel at all but absorbs extremely quickly leaving you feeling softer and smoother regardless of the weather.  This multipurpose lotion can also be used in place of your daily moisturizer and fits the bill entirely.  With sensitive skin, I was worried about it clogging my pores or causing a reaction but have found that to absolutely not be the case at all.

“Natural” or “eco-friendly” are buzz words that have gotten a lot of attention in recent days.  They are words that companies often toss around with little regard for the facts.  However, that is happily not the case with Skin MD Natural.  Here’s a few key points about why I love the way this lotion is made instead of just how it works:

  • 93% of the ingredients used in this product are all natural or plant based natural ingredients
  • The company is completely transparent in what the ingredients of the product really are — check out their comprehensive explanations of each item here
  • Manufactured in a 100% solar powered facility!
  • Cruelty free — absolutely no animal testing
  • Paraben free — this is a preservative that mimics estrogen and has some links to breast cancer and reproductive disorders
  • Vegan friendly — no animal products are contained in the formulation
  • Shielding formulation maintains your body’s own moisture instead of artificially moisturizing it in the short term
  • Prevents irritants your skin comes in contact with from being absorbed — literally keeps the good stuff in and the bad stuff out
  • Made in the United States so the carbon footprint of overseas shipping is decreased
  • Fragrance and colorant free

This lotion is also supposed to work great for people with problem skin such as eczema and psoriasis.  I plan on using this lotion on some of my daughter’s eczema and posting a review as to it’s effectiveness with her skin as well.  I am completely comfortable using such an actually natural product (as opposed to a green-washed wanna-be natural product) on her skin even though it is very sensitive and prone to rashes.  All I have to do now is wait for her next big flare up and then I’ll post again.  Hopefully it will be a little while before that happens again though…

Additionally, I really like the packaging options available — you can purchase the lotion in a small daily use bottle or by the gallon to cut down on plastic usage.  In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about this lotion is that the bottles are not recyclable as far as I can tell.  It’s pretty easy to overlook that one small downer when you’ve got so much good going on!!  Thanks so much to Skin MD Natural for providing me with samples to review.  All in all, this is definitely a product that I would (and will) buy in the future.

You can check out Skin MD Natural for yourself on their facebook page, twitter account or sign up for their monthly healthy skin newsletter.

 

 

 

 

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Massive Sale at Agoo

Posted on March 29, 2011 by pmitchell

70 tell your friends final 01 243x300 Massive Sale at AgooMy favorite Canadian retailer of active kids wear, Agoo, is having a crazy sale right now — 70% off everything.  I’ve got a number of their pieces including the Tushi Huggers outfits (in 3 designs), capri pants, long pants, a couple of tops, a coat and even some leggings.  Like I said — one of my absolute favorite stores.  I’ve got to admit that I hit up their sale as well for a couple more pairs of pants, a top and a skirt.

Their quality is absolutely impeccable with the garments looking brand new even after dozens of washes.  These are not items that you’ll be needing to replace anytime soon.  These are the ones that will be handed down through family and friends to last through several kids.  The fabric wicks away any moisturize from active kids that have been playing.  I’ve found these perfect for yoga, dance and gymnastics as well as good old fashioned romps in the park.

Their leggings are even made of bamboo — one of the best sustainable fabrics for kids in my opinion.  Bamboo grows without needing much water, quickly replenishes itself by growing 4 to 5 feet a day and needs absolutely no pesticides!  Beyond that, it’s soft, easy to wash, naturally wicks and resists odors even.  Another cool fabric they use is called Repreve which is made of 30% recycled polyester.  Absolutely loving the local companies that use green fabrics for my treehugging kiddos.

Keep your eyes peeled — there may be an upcoming review and/or giveaway in the foreseeable future with Agoo.  Would anyone love to hear about their bamboo leggings?  They’ve got a huge assortment of styles and at 70% off, you absolutely can’t go wrong!

Posted in Babies, eco-fashion, Eco-Friendly, Giveaways, Kids, Organic, recycled, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Turn Out the Lights, Turn Out the Lights…

Posted on March 26, 2011 by pmitchell

From a small grass roots movement to open people’s eyes to energy consumption to a global event in 3 short years…How will you be celebrating in Earth Hour this year?

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All Natural Lip Balm

Posted on March 12, 2011 by pmitchell

emmamakeup 300x225 All Natural Lip BalmWith two little girls in our household, all natural make-up becomes a huge issue.  This picture shows what can happen in the space of the ten minutes it took me to have a shower — mascara, blusher, eyeshadow and lipstick galore!!  It truly is a good thing that she’s cute!  Normally when she’s supervised, she’s only allowed to wear a few simple items of make-up.  I let her use moisturizer for foundation, lip balm for lipstick and all natural nail polish on fingers and toes.

Recently, I heard about an all natural lip balm that I’d love to try out from Keeki Pure and Simple.  I read about it on Natural Baby Good’s post: Keeki Pure and Simple Review and Giveaway.  She describes the lip balm as being completely organic and adding a bit of shimmer to the lips which is definitely something my little diva could get behind.  All that and it keeps your lips moist!  Okay, so she doesn’t care so much about that but our winter season is killer on lips.  They always end up cracked and dry at this time of the year.  I’m definitely entering the giveaway for the 3 organic lipbalms on the Natural Baby Good blog.  I really like reading this blog to find out about a huge range of natural baby products and some for moms too:)

Another product that Keeki Pure and Simple carries that I’d like to try is their all natural fingernail polish.  My oldest daughter is almost five so loves to have manicures and pedicures on a fairly regular basis.  However, you have to wonder what exactly is in regular nail polish with the harsh chemical smell.  I absolutely shudder when I see her put her tiny painted nails in her mouth!  She knows she’s absolutely forbidden to do so but does occasionally forget.  They also have an all natural nail polish remover so you don’t have to worry about inhaled acetone!  They have a special called “Club Keeki” that sends you a different color of nail polish every month.  That would be a great treat for a little girl’s birthday.  Hmmmm, I seem to have one of those coming up — off to shop!  All natural of course:)

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