Tag: sustainable

zero waste advent

Zero Waste Advent or Seasonal Calendar : Simple How To

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zero waste advent calendar holiday hippie in disguiseLast year, I shared a photo on my Instagram stories of Sen opening one of his holiday advent calendar gifts. This post generated a lot of questions and interest related to how we do our holiday advent for the children. So, here’s a quick post explaining how we do our zero waste advent calendar that we make ourselves and reuse each year.

When I was growing up, my parents got each of their three children the typical chocolate filled advent calendar — and we loved them so much! For one month each year we all couldn’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and start our day with a bite of chocolate. I do think we loved these 99 cent calendars every bit as much as our gifts under the tree.

With advent calendars holding such a sweet nostalgic place in my heart I knew that I wanted my children to enjoy the same experience — but I wanted it to involve no plastic and less waste. It took a few years to figure out what worked, but finally I landed on something that works really well for us, is reusable each year, has a nice homemade feel and is totally customizable to each child.

zero waste advent calendar holiday hippie in disguise

What We Do:

From a branch, we hang little cloth bags (they are actually reusable cloth tea bags) that we fill with treasures and treats, tied to the branch with pieces of yarn and string that we reuse each year. For the first few years we didn’t have the money to invest in 24 (then 48) cloth tea bags, so I would fill all that we had and every few days re-stock the branch with bags that I refilled from previous days. So, if you can’t afford to buy 24 bags, get creative and reuse them. We started off with 8-10 bags and slowly added to our collection over the years (we still don’t have 48).

In terms of what sorts of treats and treasures, I personalize this to the child. Some favourite treasures over the years have been: colourful beads for making jewellery, marbles, shiny stones and fancy rocks, a few eco playing cards (Sen loved the anticipation of getting 2-3 cards each day and building toward a full deck), eco crayons. Don’t underestimate the fun of splitting up a gift (pack of cards, pack of crayons, etc) over a few days, this really build excitement! In terms of treats, I try to get as much as I can in bulk so that it is package-free, such as tamari almonds, jelly beans, gummies, chocolate dipped pretzels (easy to make!). In Canada, Bulk Barn is now allowing people to bring their own containers and bags to fill with bulk goods, which is great news!

Something that my children also love getting are notes. We usually slip a personal note or an inspiring quote into a few of the bags. This year, Ro suggested she’d love to be surprised with experience coupons like “Tea date with mama” or “Face massage”, I’m sure Sen would love to get “Extra story at bedtime” or “Scooter date with papa”. For folks with budget limitations and/or an ability to invest time, these are great options.

Now, I know that some families have, what I perceive as extravagant, advent calendars with wrapped gifts each day — doing this is not a reality for us both in terms of cost and time investment. Let me tell you, though, our children LOVE the calendars we put together. They do not feel under-whelmed at all. Each year, they ask if we can do an advent calendar to count down to spring and summer and fall, so that they can continue with the fun.

A Few Final Tips:

  • To distinguish which bag is for which child, we designate particular colours of yarn for each child. But you could also look for different coloured bags (or plant dye them!) or personalize the bags with a fabric stamp or embroidery.
  • We do not compel an order for opening the bags, the children can choose which one they want to open, and this is part of the fun for them. They feel the bags, smell them, look at the shape and decide for themselves. I personally recommend this because it seems to add to the fun of it.
  • Over the years we have added some seasonal, natural decorations, like pinecones and dried orange slices to hang from the branch. For other seasons, you could add flowers and leaves or your favourite natural treasures.

For some other zero waste holiday ideas, please check out my post about How to Wrap Gift with Fabric (super easily!), and How To Do A Botanical Advent with Children.

You might also want to share my Zero Waste Gift Guide with friends and family.

Follow me on Instagram @hippieindisguise to keep up with our daily adventures and ask me questions. Thanks for visiting!

Slow Living and My Parenting Philosophy Based in Compassion

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Hippie in Disguise Shabana Buwalda

Photo by Ottawa photographer Shabana Buwalda

Faire Child has a lovely blog nurturing a culture shift toward more time, more play, more exploration of the natural world. I had the honour of being asked to share my thoughts on slow living and my parenting philosophy, and although they asked for short answers I might have gone a little long. I hope you’ll visit the blog and see all the great resources Faire Child has for parents, teachers and guardians to nurture and nourish a love for the natural world.

You can link to the blog here. And you can read my interview “A couple of moments with Danielle Chassin”.

Here are some of the things they asked me about:

  • What 3 words best describe your parenting philosophy?
  • How have you made changes in your life to ‘live slow’ and what benefits have you seen?
  • How do you try to be a more conscious and thoughtful consumer?
    • This is where I talk about a concept I call ‘extended consumer responsibility’

You can also read more about Faire Child and their amazing zero waste weather clothing for children here. I’m not big on promoting consumption, but I do wholeheartedly believe in Faire Child’s mission, ethos and products. And, I only do genuine, unpaid endorsements.

Holiday, Birthday, Any Occasion Zero Waste Gift Guide

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bee eco wraps zero waste bees matt geraldine devine

Shown above, Bee Eco food wraps, my favourite alternative to plastic wrap

Zero waste seems to finally be (almost) hitting the main stream. More and more people have heard about it, some are curious, and some are even trying it out. Yay! Living a zero waste life is a journey that takes time, be kind to yourself and remember that every positive change helps.

Some people have asked me what sorts of gifts they could give a zero waster. First, zero wasters are probably happy to get nothing. Really. Really, really. Another idea is to give an experience, like a spa visit, a movie ticket, or to give the gift of time, like a dinner date or a hike.

However, some people really like the tradition of giving material things, so here are some ideas that I can pretty much guarantee a zero waster will be happy to get, even if they already have it, they are good items to have duplicates. I’ve included links for online purchasing, however you can probably find all these items locally at a zero waste shop or natural food store. Ottawa folks, Nu Grocery is an amazing zero waste shop that has all of these things and much more!

10 Gift Ideas for Zero Waste Enthusiasts or People Just Getting Started:

  1. Reusable straws: bamboo, stainless steel, or glass: My personal favourites are bamboo straws because they are the lightest to carry around in a bag, but stainless steel is great too. I have never tried glass, because I’m afraid they will break, but other people swear by them. Straws come in conventional width and large (better for smoothies and milk shakes). Don’t forget to get a straw cleaner, they are inexpensive and a life saver. This set is pretty great since it includes a bamboo straw case.
  2. Bombilla straw for filter free tea and coffee: Ok, this is another straw, but for a different purpose: warm drinks. I’ve never liked using tea balls and when drinking coffee I like to make a single cup, so a french press isn’t always practical. A bombilla (also called bomba) straw allows you to steep loose tea or loose coffee grinds in your mug with hot water, and then drink through the straw. It sounds a little unconventional, but zero wasters are kind of unconventional anyway, right?!
  3. Beeswax food wraps: These are indispensable, they are a replacement for plastic wrap. We use them every single day in my household to wrap sandwiches, to cover leftovers and much more. My favourite brand is from Australia’s Bee Eco Wraps, however if you’d like to order from a North American source Bees Wraps are also great.
  4. Silicone food bags: For people who rely a lot on “ziplock” bags, these are for you! They are durable, reusable food bags, that you can use for storing, freezing, marinating and more.
  5. String bags: Most of us have a tonne of reusable shopping bags, but often they are bulky and don’t fit easily into a purse. Ever since my sister-in-law made me a string bag as a gift I’ve been hooked, they travel well and stretch to fit a lot of stuff. We used them on vacation as beach bags, and at home for groceries.
  6. Bamboo toothbrush: Everyone needs a good toothbrush, and one that is not made of plastic! Get fancy and buy a bamboo travel case for the toothbrush.
  7. Travel utensils: Plastic single-use utensils are pretty evil, there are very few reasonable reasons these should exist. Carrying your own reusable cutlery in your bag or purse is one way to seriously minimize the amount of plastic you put into landfill. Bamboo and recycled plastic cutlery are nice because they are lightweight, however some people prefer metal cutlery. Either way, I recommend getting a set with a handy holder so they aren’t loose in your bag.
  8. Stainless steel travel food containers: Food containers for leftovers or lunches are indispensable, and stainless steel ones are much longer lasting and don’t stain like plastic containers. We have a bunch of small, medium and large size containers for a variety of uses (I’ve tried many and the ones I’ve linked to are the best and leak proof!), including layered containers for lunches.
  9. Water bottles: Travel bottles in various sizes are very useful, we use them to store cold drinks in the fridge at home, to take on excursions and for lunches.
  10. Warm drink tumbler: A coffee or tea travel mug is another essential. In our home we have distinct coffee and tea tumblers, because the silicone seals tend to absorb a little of the coffee smell over time, which my children don’t enjoy when drink hot chocolate or tea during a winter picnic. If you are a coffee drinker, you should have one of these at your office, so you never have to take a throwaway cup again!

If you haven’t already caught on, the above items are sort of zero waste basics, so if you are looking to get started with zero waste living, the above would be a good starter kit, since it addresses the “big 4”: coffee lids, straws, plastic bags and water bottles — the items that are the biggest contributors to plastic waste worldwide. If you can’t them out of your life, you are doing a lot of good.

Finally, make sure you wrap your gift in a zero waste way: use reusable fabric, like a scarf, tea towel, or scrap fabric to wrap in the furoshiki method. I promise you it is very easy! Here’s my post about to wrap gifts with fabric.

Faire Child: Outdoor Play, No Matter the Weather

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Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sustainable Weather Rain Wear Canadian Ottawa CanadaWe love to be outside year round, snow, rain or shine, but to be honest enjoying rain has been hard. Rain is often cold in Canada and can feel harsher than a snow storm. That being said, playing outside, exploring and living in the elements is really important developmentally, and for engendering an ecological consciousness in children. That’s why I’ve always tried to suit my children in clothing that would make weather fun, so that exploring and learning would not be encumbered by distracting clothing. But good quality, comfortable rain gear has been an elusive thing. Fully waterproof clothing for children is generally plastic or coated, which makes the clothing heavy, rigid, and often noisy. The lighter gear is prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable in small sizes.

Sen is a sensitive child and has never been able to find a way to enjoy himself in typical heavy children’s rain gear, he is upset by the noise it makes when the fabric rubs against itself, he dislikes the weight of the fabric and the rigid nature of it, and how hot it makes him due to lack of breathability. Until recently, clothing discomfort was truly getting in the way of Sen enjoying playing in the rain and strong winds.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

Enter Faire Child: a small Canadian sustainable weather wear company. If I tell you everything I love about them you will think they pay me! (They don’t). I TRULY cannot praise this company enough. Their clothing is beautiful, highly durable, functional, sustainable beyond compare (for example, their clothing is recyclable and they innovated compostable packaging just to name two awesome things they do!). Beyond this: Sen can now enjoy himself for endless hours in rain or windy weather. Their clothing is unbelievable light and soft, which you can only fully understand by touching it yourself. Happily, Sen can now play to his heart’s content in the weather and focus on doing what he loves: to play, explore and imagine.

Please read on below for an interview I did with Faire Child designer and founder, Tabitha, where she talks about her passions, being a creative mother, and her dreams for children. Make sure you check out the end of this post where you’ll find a giveaway to enter for $100 shop credit with Faire Child. You’ll also find a beautiful colouring sheet to download for your children (or yourself!). Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself, the person behind Faire Child. What is your background?

My name is Tabitha Osler and I am the designer and director of Faire Child. I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia and have recently returned after my daughter was born. I studied fashion design at Antwerp Royal Fashion Academy and then worked in the fashion industry in both Canada and Europe. I have also taught sustainable fashion at the University of Edinburgh and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about making positive change in the fashion industry. The way we have been doing things isn’t working anymore, and hasn’t worked for quite a while now. I feel that designers and tastemakers have the power to dictate trends and encourage the industry to make responsible choices. I am empowered by that and it motivates me to be a change maker. I want to be part of the solution when it comes to the social and environmental impacts of fast fashion. I want to help educate consumers about how to be responsible stewards of the Earth. I want to see people change their buying habits. Buy less and buy things that will last. Even better if, like our outerwear, it doesn’t ever have to end up in a landfill.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I have one child, a 2 year old named Charli. She is an adventurous, playful, outgoing and curious creature!

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

We like to spend a lot of time outside. We have some really great walking trails and parks in Halifax so we take advantage of that. The ocean is really close as well so that’s really great. Tickle wars also get big laughs in our home!

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Oh, I definitely wanted to be an astronaut! The world felt too small, I wanted to see it all.

Did your career aspirations change once you had a child?

Yes, hugely. I didn’t want work to dictate my family’s lifestyle and I wanted to be in control of my schedule.

What is Faire Child and why did you decide to start this business?

Faire Child is pioneering a new future for children’s outerwear. After I had Charli I had this new found motivation – I wanted to actively make a better world for Charli to live in. I was concerned about what she would be left with. Questions like ‘would there be less access to clean water?’ were constantly floating around my head.

So I had a goal of developing a line of clothing that wasn’t just doing less bad but was doing more good.

As a new mother I was also recognizing the positive effects that being outdoors had on my child. Mother Nature is both a teacher and a healer. I wanted to connect children with their environment and give them an opportunity to fall in love with the natural world. So my design challenge was to create garments that would allow children to be outdoors – everyday, all day, whatever the weather, all while having a positive effect on the planet.

How would you describe Faire Child in 5 words?

Well, we are loving our new tag lines! Weather the World and For Young Pioneers

What inspired you to start designing?

My mom sews and growing up watching her make clothes from scratch was like magic. I needed to know how to do that!

Craftsmanship and sustainability are important to you. How do you translate these into your designs and their production?

They definitely are important and it goes back to those ideas about fast fashion and this place we seem to find ourselves in where we throw away clothes as easily as paper towels. Through my research I found beautifully constructed garments that were made to last. I was particularly drawn to vintage workwear from the early 20th century. The designs were so thoughtful and they were meant to be worn outside all day long. So, basically I made mini versions for kids most important job – making and playing. As far as production goes, I was adamant that these pieces be made in Canada.

Where and how (by who?) are Faire Child products made?

Thank you for asking! I am all about transparency and I think it’s important that companies, clothing companies in particular, start opening up about the people making their products. Our products are made here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, about 15 minutes away from our studio, at Climate Technical Gear. They also make gear for the fishing and marine industry so they are experts in functional clothing. We have a small team of people there, cutters, sewers and tapers, that work with us to produce the Faire Child outerwear.

What’s special about the materials you use?

There is so, so much to say about our fabric. I will try to not geek out too hard. Our fabric is manufactured by Sympatex, a German company working on the edge of textile innovation. The top reason I chose this material is because it never has to end up in a landfill. The fabric is made from recycled PET water bottles and PET is a pretty amazing material. Many other materials become weaker through the recycling process but PET has the ability to be recycled over and over again without compromising quality. On top of that it’s also functional – 100% waterproof, windproof and breathable – and it’s actually quite soft – especially the inner layer.

The fabric we use is also Oeko-tex and Bluesign certified. This ensures that the fabric is safe next to skin and that no harmful chemicals were used to make it. On a related noted, many of the popular outerwear brands rely on PFC and PTFE to make their fabrics waterproof and windproof. These are hazardous substances that take a very long time to break down and can now be found in even the most untouched places on earth. It seems silly that a lot of the bigger brands promoting an active outdoor lifestyle are not being more serious about the effect they are having on our world. You can learn more about this through Green Peace’s Detox campaign.

What’s your favourite piece you’ve designed?

My favourite piece from the current Faire Child collection is the raincoat because of the complexity and ingenuity of the pattern from which it was inspired. It’s the thoughtfulness of things like underarm gussets for ease of movement that make it a really special piece.

This is getting pretty nerdy, but please tell me about your amazing packaging?

You are our kind of girl! We spent months getting nerdy over packaging. I would first say that we try our hardest to be thoughtful about all the materials we use and the impact they have on the environment. With that mindset, we couldn’t overlook the packaging. We were able to source a compostable material from Swiss Pack in Ontario and with them we designed Canada’s first compostable poly bag. To take things a step further we are also using direct thermal compostable labels to print our mailing addresses on. All that being said, our packaging can go into your green bin!

[ editor’s note: For people outside Canada, a green bin is the household recycling and/or compost bin that is collected usually weekly by the city as part of waste management ]

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sarah Silks Ottawa Canada Petits Vilains

Can you tell me about your Take Back Program?

Of course! I created the Take Back Program so I would be taking responsibility for the end of life of the garments. After many, many years of use in your own family and then another and hopefully another, our Faire Child pieces can be sent back to us for recycling. When they are back in our hands we disassemble the garment and make sure that those materials are recycled in such a way that they have the most value.

[ editor’s note: for interested readers, Take Back is a version of extended producer responsibility (EPR), a concept that has been implemented in many European countries, where producers of goods are responsible for the entire life cycle of the product, one of the outcomes of this policy is that manufacturers have an incentive to create long lasting products and for their recycling once they are not longer useful ]

What has made you the most proud of what you’re doing?

Well, we are definitely doing things the hard way. We aren’t taking the easy road and we aren’t cutting any corners. So, although everything seems to take so much longer it feels really good when you find the right solution. Even when a small detail falls into place it’s an occasion to celebrate!

What are your dreams for Faire Child?

Oh man, big questions! Well, we have had a lot of requests to make pieces in adult sizes and I am really excited to explore that opportunity! I am also really inspired by Forest Schools and that educational model. I would love to be partnering more strongly with Forest Schools. The thought of a group of kids learning outdoors outfitted in Faire Child coveralls is pretty dreamy!

What are your dreams for children?

There are a couple of things. The first would be that we want kids to be outdoors more, playing and interacting with the natural world. By encouraging this we are hoping that they build a strong and life long love for the outdoors and for our earth.

The other piece of this future vision for the next generation would be to inspire them to be stewards of their environment. I hope that they will see waste as a resource in the same way as I have with how I’m using fabric made from discarded plastic bottles to make the jacket they are wearing. I want their imaginations to be sparked, I want them to be empowered to explore creative solutions.

***

Thank you Tabitha! Readers and interested folks, we got 4 items from Faire Child and I absolutely cannot endorse their products enough — they are sustainable, ethical, top quality, comfortable and beautiful! We got the Knapsack, the Rain Jacket, the Cap, and the Rain Pants.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sarah Silks Ottawa Canada Petits Vilains

*** GIVEAWAY***

Do you want to win $100 gift card from Faire Child? Of course you do! To enter for a chance to win here’s what to do:

  • Follow @fairechild on Instagram
  • Like and comment on my Faire Child post on Instagram @hippieindisguise
  • For an additional 3 entries tag 3 friends in the comments on my Instagram post, please comment each name in a separate comment to make the ballot cutting easier!
  • For an additional 5 entries download the *Amazing* Faire Child colouring sheet shown below and post about it on your Instagram account and use the hashtag #fairechildXhippieindisguise
  • Open worldwide! Contest closes on July 1, 2018 at midnight Vancouver time. Winner will be announced on my Instagram page on July 2.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

 

Happy Earth Day: Free Zero Waste Magazine for Children

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Family Travel Victoria BC Canada Petits Villains Red Wood

Sen in a giant redwood in Victoria BC { Organic clothing by Petits Vilains }

Happy Earth Day!

In our household, we try our best to make it Earth Day every day. We aren’t perfect. But we keep trying to do better!

This year to help celebrate Earth Day, I’ve partnered with the Global Guardian Project, a non-profit NGO, to give FREE access to their digital magazine all about Zero Waste Living. This is a super fun, educational, interactive magazine that children LOVE! There are colouring sheets to download, compost infographics, basics about recycling, and lots more. My children have used more than a few of the Global Guardian Project educational digital learning packets (see their library of resources here) to do school projects about endangered species, climate change, and lots more.

Global Guardian Project Litterless Zero Waste

To help promote lighter, more sustainable living on this planet that *literally* sustains us by giving us air, food and water, the Global Guardian Project developed an issue called “Litterless” and it’s all about things we can do as individuals and families to make less garbage and to live closer to a “zero waste lifestyle”. Normally the issue costs $9.99 USD but you can’t get it for free here.

Here are some of the articles and activities you’ll find inside:

-What does litterless mean?

-Why is recycling important?

-How to start going litterless

-Compost infographic activity (this has been super popular with homeschoolers and children!)

-How to make litterless lunches

-Recipe: Zero Waste Cookies

-Art projects with recycled materials

-Digital download art work / wall poster about

If you’d like to get your free digital copy of the magazine just click here. And please tell all your friends, family and educators in your life about this! The more people make sustainable changes and live closer to a litterless life the better it is for everyone and the greater an impact we can have.

By the way, this Litterless issue was developed by the fabulous zero waste blogger, Celia, who I interviewed here for my blog. Read all about her zero waste lifestyle and get inspired!

For more plastic free and zero waste resources read my blog post here. Or search “plastic free” and “zero waste” in my blog search bar, there are lots of articles for you there — more than I can list here.

You can read more about the Global Guardian Project on their website or in a few posts on my blog. Full disclosure: Global Guardian Project in a non-profit NGO in the sector of environmental education, I am a writer and researcher for the GGP.

You can read about the amazing founder of the Global Guardian Project, Rebecca Lane, here.

Raising Global Guardians: Ecologically Conscious, Positive and Kind Children

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Shaadee Mae Hippie in Disguise Plant dyed organic clothing

UPDATE: The Global Guardian Project in now a completely FREE online resource available to everyone.

***

I have avoided writing this post, because I had hoped the Global Guardian Project would get the funding it needed without having to ask my loyal blog readers for help. But I need it, I need your help. We are now in the last 16 hours of our crowdfunding campaign and are not at our fundraising goal. We need your help to get there. Every dollar donated is invested into the project to create global sustainable education capsules and curricula for families and educators.

You can donate as little as $1 dollar. Starting at $5 you get a reward gift sent to you. Gifts include things like beautiful original art prints, world maps and digital magazines (you pick what gift you want). Please help sustain the work of the Global Guardian Project so we can keep our research and outreach going, in our collective effort to raise a generation of children who will be ecologically conscious, sustainable minded, kind leaders and positive changemakers.

I have written a lot about the Global Guardian Project on this blog, in the interest of keeping this post short I won’t go into more detail. I recommend you visit the Indiegogo page for our crowdfunding and watch the video we put together.

If you want to know more about the Global Guardian Project, please read my posts here, or ask me a question in the comments:

You can also learn more at the Global Guardian Project website.

Please help fund this project. If you don’t have $1 to spare, please share the link to the Crowdfunding campaign with friends.

Thank you very much.

Giveaway: Global Guardian Project Subscription and Wall Art

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Hippie in Disguise Global Guardian Project Wild and Free Children

One year ago, my friend Rebecca launched the Global Guardian Project, a not-for-profit organization committed to helping parents and educators raise ecologically conscious, environmentally educated children. GGP is involved in a number of education and outreach activities, but a main component of their work is producing a monthly interactive e-magazine (‘capsule’) for parents and children that teaches how to respect and protect the planet.  The e-magazine is interactive, because in addition to articles, lessons, interviews, recipes and other written content, there are also videos, podcasts, art project downloads and worksheets for homeschoolers; in total every capsule has over 50-pages of activities and educational content. Although the e-magazine is aimed at educating children, many adults have said they love to read the capsules and have learned way more than they expected from them. With each capsule focusing on a different country, worldschoolers have found the capsules really helpful for digging into local learning while travelling.

Here are a few sample pages from the Israel capsule (click to see an enlarged image):

In addition to the monthly capsules, GGP also publishes special topic capsules that can be bought individually, for example: global recipes, zero waste living, honey bees, American National Parks and more.

This week, to help Rebecca celebrate the Global Guardian Project’s first birthday, I’ve teamed up with her to *giveaway* a 6-month subscription to the Global Guardian Learning Capsules and your choice of a beautiful 24×18 world map wall art print from the Global Guardian shop. All Global Guardian maps are original art work by Rebecca and are amazing to use in combination with the learning capsules, as children learn about countries, plants and animals from all around the world, and see and learn how to locate them on the map.

global guardian project world map homeschool curriculum

You can read more about Global Guardian Project *learning capsules* in my post here. In a nutshell, the Global Guardian Project creates educational materials focused on global stewardship for families and children, home educators and anyone who loves to learn about the world and help make it a better place. Each month subscribers receive a learning capsule by email focused on a country and its wild life. To date, 12 capsules have been published covering: Brazil, Rwanda, India, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Colombia, Argentina, Israel, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Thailand. Future capsules will feature other countries including Egypt, Japan, Australia, England and many more. Each capsule includes beautiful photography, facts and information about the country, it’s wildlife, global change makers, young activists and inspiring people, recipes, vocabulary and much more. There are also art projects and free digital downloads, podcasts, videos and guided meditation recordings.

Join the Global Guardian movement and raise more ecologically conscious, compassionate children. If you don’t win the subscription, please consider buying a subscription and support global education and outreach related to sustainable, peaceful living.

UPDATE: The Global Guardian Project in now a completely FREE online resource available to everyone

To enter the giveaway:

  • Subscribe to the Global Guardian Project email list here, you’ll get no more than one email a week, often less
  • Leave me a comment on this blog post, on my Facebook post or my Instagram post about the giveaway, to let me know you added your name to the email list
  • For a bonus entry: “Like” and comment on the Instagram giveaway photo
  • For a bonus entry: Share this blog post
  • For a bonus entry: Share my Facebook post about this
  • For a bonus entry: Repost my Instagram post about this with hashtag #ggpXhippieindisguise

Contest closes Sunday August 13, 2017 at midnight (Pacific Standard Timezone) and is open worldwide. Good luck friends!

UPDATE: The winning name was drawn and the winner contacted for their prize. Congratulations Rhiannon!

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Let’s be friends! Please come find me in other places:

Waiting for the Right One: Our Essentia Organic Mattress

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essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise

We recently got a new bed mattress and to honour this special item (simple things are special to us) we bought some flowers, a rare indulgence. I had planned on letting the children cover the bed in petals and bounce around, since we’ve never owned a mattress that has bounce I figured they would enjoy that. But, my little boy, Sen, had other plans. The photos that follow depict the making of his “flower sculpture”, which turned out to be the most perfect, organic way to appreciate our new mattress (which happens to be made from plants and infused with essential oils). The dried flower sculpture now sits on the shelf above our bed.

Please enjoy the photos and I hope you’ll read my post about how and why this mattress came into our life and why I feel so strongly about it as a product. But first, let’s start with the back story.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

About 8 years ago an Essentia mattress store opened in Ottawa, the city we live in here in Canada. At the time we were sleeping on a 5-year old terribly uncomfortable futon mattress (I cannot overstate this enough). Being environmentally-minded consumers, we sourced and had custom made a futon made entirely from recycled cotton t-shirts and wool, we were assured it would be comfortable and last 10 years. But from day one it was uncomfortable. It was lumpy and slanted — I always felt like I was going to roll off the bed — a bit of an unnerving feeling when you’re trying to fall asleep. We figured it would take some time to settle and, besides, we weren’t about to waste all the materials, effort and money that went into the mattress. Months went by and the mattress never improved…it really only got worse, much worse. Being students and young parents we had no money to replace the mattress so we made do, which we are pretty good at doing. (Did you read my post about how we’ve been eating our meals at a desk for over 15 years, because we can’t afford to upgrade to a bigger, sustainable option? Ya, we make do.)

The point of the story is that after 5 years with the lumpy futon we were more than ready for a new mattress, but wanted to make sure we bought one that was ethically and sustainably made, and much more comfortable. After years of bad sleeps (I’m talking waking up every hour of every night from discomfort), we were ready for a good night’s sleep (and to reap all the health benefits that come from good rest).

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

Essentia mattresses are certified organic, plant-based (vegan-friendly!), biodegradable (!!), and ridiculously comfortable. After we walked into the store, laid on a few mattresses, we were sold on them. We decided that when we had the money these would be the mattresses we would invest in.

Years passed and our finances never really improved, so we kept sleeping on the lumpy futon. The slant in the mattress got worse. The lumps became more accentuated. It got to the point where we would take turns sleeping on our love seat because it was more comfortable (despite the obvious fact that we couldn’t stretch out on it).

My sweet sister (who is generous beyond words) caught wind of our sleeping woes and gave us a synthetic memory foam mattress topper for our futon. Many people I know use these memory foam mattress toppers for extra comfort, as they add a nice layer of supportive cushion to a mattress. But, being the health nut that I am I didn’t want to get one as I’ve read terrible things about the off-gassing, since the foam is synthetically made with chemicals and treated with fire retardants. Basically a toxic cocktail you sleep on 8 hours a night — not something I was itching to do (no pun intended).

I didn’t want to say no to my sister’s generosity (and she had let the mattress topper “breathe” for a while at her home) so we accepted the kind offer and looked forward to a good sleep. The topper was quite comfortable, but when we woke up in the morning my daughter was covered head to toe in hives, she was visibly swollen and in a lot of discomfort. She is not the allergic sort of child, she has no known allergies and is generally in good health and has a strong immune system, though she does have very sensitive skin. I quickly googled “foam mattress allergy” and found a tonne of photos of people covered in the same rash. I researched further and found that many people have terrible reactions to memory foam. So, we took the mattress out of the bedroom, disposed of it, and that was the end of foam mattresses for us.

Then, a few weeks later I happened to get an email from Essentia asking if I would be interested in reviewing one of their products. I couldn’t believe our luck! As a rule, I always so ‘no’ to any product sponsorships unless I already use the product (or want to use it but can’t afford it), so this was perfect: I received something I had wanted for 8 years in exchange for an honest review.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

We got ourselves a Stratami Queen mattress and our sleeps have been truly blissful ever since! I can’t say enough good things about the mattresses and pillows that Essentia makes. There is nothing green-washed about their products, they are fully  organic, plant-based, sustainably made and (amazingly) biodegradable — so even after the mattress is out of use it can fully decompose, rather than hanging out in landfill indefinitely!The mattress comes in fully recyclable packaging too. I have not come across anything near as environmentally-friendly and comfortable in my research. Click here to read their certifications and eco-standards, it’s a long, impressive list.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

Essentially the mattress is made from rubber plants (hevea milk) and is the world’s only all natural memory “foam” mattress. It has that crazy comfort of synthetic mattresses, without the off-gassing that makes you sick over night or over the long-term. As well, the mattresses are guaranteed for 20 years, which is hard to come by with mattresses these days. The mattress is covered in an ultra-soft organic cotton cover (I didn’t believe it was cotton, it was so soft!), which you can remove and wash, if required.

When we laid down to sleep that first night on our new mattress, our little boy, Senny, got into bed first and smiled, but a curious smile. He said: “Mama, I can’t believe I’m saying this but, I don’t think I’ll need a snuggle to fall asleep tonight. The bed is snuggling me!” Senny is such a snuggly child, he needs snuggles more than anyone I know, but he felt on this mattress like he was being snuggled just right. He drifted off to sleep and woke up in the morning super happy and ready to bounce on the bed!

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

If you happen to live in a city with an Essentia store I recommend you make a visit, the staff are very helpful and not at all pushy (Big thank you to Alana at the Ottawa store who let me ask every question under the sun and happily answered them all). Normally, I dislike shopping with my children because I can tell they are bored being stuck inside a store, but when we visited the Ottawa store, I had to force them to leave after over an hour in the store! They had such a good time lying on the beds and relaxing, they said “Mama, seriously, you can stay at the store as long as you want! We want to lie on these beds forever.” I don’t know if there’s any science behind it, but the mattresses seem to calm my children down. (Essentia also sells direct online if you aren’t in a position to visit a store).

Although I would have liked to have a comfortable mattress sooner, I’m glad we waited to get an Essentia mattress because it is ethically and sustainably made and I know I won’t have to replace it for a very long time, if ever. When Matt and I first got together we made a pact that we would always buy things that last, even if it meant waiting longer to be able to buy something of quality. Long-lasting things are more sustainable for the planet and ultimately cheaper in the long run. Waiting to buy things also teaches you a lot about what you can live without, and while we lived a long time without good sleep, it’s not something I would advise. A good sleep is something that gives back in terms of health and quality of life, and is worth investing in.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise

Matt has a whole list of reasons why he loves the Essentia mattress that are different from mine. He’s high-performing athlete competing in elite and pro cycling races almost year-round, so for him the mattress is about good recovery from training, getting deep sleep so he can perform again the next day. In addition, as someone who has long suffered from insomnia, his mind was blown by the fact that the mattresses have a signature smell (from the essential oils and plant ingredients), so that people can develop a strong olfactory association with their sleep space and fall into a sleep that much more quickly. He thinks its pure genius, and I have to agree with him.

All in all, we are thoroughly impressed with the mattress and will surely be investing our money in another one for our kids — so we can get them out of our bed! But for the time being, it hardly seems fair to not let them sleep on an Essentia.

You can follow Essentia on Instagram @essentiagram

You can visit their website and online shop www.myessentia.com

Global Guardian Learning Capsules Giveaway

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Hippie in Disguise Rideau River Ottawa Canada

I’ve teamed up with my friend Rebecca to *giveaway* a 6-month subscription to the new Global Guardian Learning Capsules. You can read all about them in my post here.

In a nutshell, the Global Guardian Project is a monthly online subscription focused on global stewardship for families and children, home educators and anyone who loves to learn about the world and help make it a better place. Each month subscribers receive a learning capsule by email focused on a country and its wild life. The first capsule was Brazil (released August 2016), in two weeks the Rwanda capsule will be released. Future capsules will feature other countries including India, Australia, England and many more. Each capsule includes beautiful photography, facts and information about the country, it’s wildlife, global change makers and inspiring people, recipes, vocabulary and much more. There are also art projects and free digital downloads, podcasts, videos and guided meditation recordings.
Global Guardian Project Rwanda Capsule Homeschool

The capsules are both informative and inspiring, helping us understand how simple, small actions can make a big difference. Most importantly, the capsules highlight some of the things children are doing around the world to make a difference, showing us that there is no need to wait to for adulthood to make a positive impact.

To enter the giveaway, visit my Instagram account (rules are explained there too) and look for the giveaway photo, and make sure to:

  • Sign up by email for the FREE sample capsule by visiting this link 
  • Like and comment on the giveaway photo to let me know you signed up for the free capsule
  • Tag a friend in the comments who is a fellow global guardian, and if they sign up for the free capsule and follow @globalguardianproject too, then you’ll both win a subscription if your name is drawn the winner. Pay it forward!
  • For an extra entry: Share my Facebook post about this
  • For an extra entry: Repost my Instagram post about this with hashtag #ggpgiveaway

Contest closes Thursday September 8, 2016 at midnight (Pacific Standard Timezone) and is open worldwide. Good luck friends!

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Plastic Free Living: 9 Ways to Get Inspired and Informed

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Plastic Free July Zero Waste Plum and Sparrow Market Basket

This past July our family participated in Plastic Free July, you can read about it here. To update you, we are continuing on with our project to eliminate plastic from our lives, still making poor choices some days, but all in all doing much better at keeping plastic to a minimum in our home.

There are a lot of great resources on the web to get people motivated to eliminate plastic from their lives, both practical and funny. Here are a few places you might want to check out for more plastic free inspiration, resources and entertainment:

  • This video by Tim Minchin “Canvas Bag“ – watch it to the end, it’s worth 3 minutes of your life.
  • Litterless Blog, a great resource for making less waste, practical and achievable. And read my interview with Litterless blogger Celia here.
  • A great post for beginners is over on Less Makes Happy where you will 5 tips for getting started.
  • The Beauty in Simple, another great blog with practical tips for how to live a busy life with kids and make zero (or close to) waste. You can also read my interview with Julie here.
  • Resource: The book ZERO WASTE HOME by Bea Johnson is a resource I refer to every week to solve simple zero waste problems, so far I haven’t come across a problem the book couldn’t offer a solution to.
  • Real talk: I have been really enjoying the Petalplum blog lately, Ellie has been sharing her month of plastic free in a funny, practical, humble and achievable way. Read this post and this one too.

On my site:

  • How To: A simple tutorial for wrapping gifts with fabric instead of paper and plastic tape.
  • Inspiration: The original source of my inspiration to live zero waste was the amazing Devine Family from Australia. Read about them here.
  • DIY: How to make your own milk, the recipe is for cashew but you can use oats, almonds, sesame seeds, rice, and it works just great.
What websites, blog posts and other resources have you found funny, helpful and inspiring? Please share in the comments below!

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