Toronto Coffee Cup Ban...

Toronto's on the right track here guys, check it out! Come OOoooon Saskatchewan, jump on this train!

http://ecorenovator.org/toronta-may-ban-the-coffee-cup/

We're ready for change,
Heather and Chanel

Plastics Improvement... not that kind...

WOW! Thanks SO very much for the feedback everyone! There have been several new comments posted on a variety of entries, so we encourage you to read and provide your feedback as well! We are also in the process of trying to make the comments more easily viewed, and will hopefully have a better system for viewing by next week.... fingers crossed everybody!!!!

Nothing makes us happier than knowing you are interested and passionate!

Starting another conversation... how is the use for plastic bags search going? Are you finding you use many bags in your lives?

I am finding that in our household we have pulled out bags without thinking about it in the past, but since September, we have not gone through more than one box of "Ziploc" bags because we are using containers (Which also protect your food from morphing as well... :P) to store our food. As well, we have not accumulated our usual MASSIVE bag of grocery bags, because I have been making a conscious effort to keep reusable grocery bags in the car, so when I pick up some goods for supper, I am able to zip in and out without taking more plastic home! I must say, though, that this has been a hugs challenge for me, lol. I am aware that it sounds ridiculous and easy to follow; however for some reason it has taken me months to remember to bring my reusable bags into the grocery store even when they are in the car... pathetic, I know... but I'm trying, and I am making an effort to change things (like bringing the bags in my car so I have a constant reminder.... except when my husband insists that they go in the trunk... thus continuing my cycle of forgetfulness... oi!). Well that's my struggle with this plastic bag manifesto... they just hand them our and double-bag you everywhere you go! I do recognize that we have made huge strides in this department and for this I am grateful.

P.S. If you are wondering where on earth can I get a reusable bag? Almost every single grocer carries their own brand, general merchandise stores are beginning to carry their own (great advertising... we're thinking of putting out some ad bags as well... stay tuned...), and there are soooo many sites online that carry "designer", neat reusable organic bags (just google "reusable bags" and you will find a plethora of sites)

Lots of non-plastic wishes sent your way :P,

Chanel and Heather

No Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

So this is not part of our weekly theme of plastic bag's, however something caught our attention today and we thought we should share...

Soooo, today marked the beginning of Tim Horton's Roll up the Rim to win promo...

"People all across Canada and the United States are celebrating their favourite promotion at Tim Hortons stores. That's right, Roll Up The Rim To Win® is back - bigger and better than ever! Beginning February 23, 2009, customers can purchase a hot beverage in Canada** or in the United States** and roll up the rim on their cup to see if they have won a prize...." ~ Tim Horton's Website

Do you spot the problem?....

Uuuummmm what about those of us using re-usable coffee mugs? The way it works is if you have a re-usable mug OR are staying in with a Timmy's mug... you are given the paper cup to ROLL and then toss away... BRUTAL!

This is not fair, or good, on many levels...

1. For one, Our husbands said they'd kick us (just jokes) if we didn't "take the cup and roll"... haa ha... have you seeeen the prizes!? But... we DIDN'T... bc. that would mean we were buying into the whole thing... (does that last comment make us sound like we wear our Birkenstocks with sox, haa ha, bc. we don't... NOT that there is anything wrong with that, lol) anyways moving on...

2. Why must we as the responsible coffee drinkers that we are, be punished for doing the RIGHT thing? For that alone, they should be GIVING us the prizes.. right?!

3. Not only does it SUCK that we can't get in on this deal (or I am choosing not to), however they are promoting using cups (to roll) without actually USING them and then tossing them away...

4. As stated on the contest rules:
"A total of 281,686,000 contest cups have been produced for this contest. These will be available for distribution through May 1, 2009 or while supplies last, whichever occurs first. " OK, YIKES, first of all that number is crazzzy, second of all bc. there is a prize attached to that number many will not be fazed by it and third... how many cups do coffee houses like Timmy's and Starbucks go through in a year? WOW WOW WOW!!!

OK, so after this rant, we have a little more clarification of our own, but what do you think?...
We are takin' Earth GREEN instead of $$$MONEY$$$ GREEN approach. When we are on our death beds, (morbid as it sounds,) would you feel better about leaving a healthy earth behind for your children rather than a wad of cash!
But hey, we know it isn't easy in this world of ours... temptations, money and power are the driving forces in our society and it's hard to change our mindsets!

Heather & Chanel

The brain bone conects to the (pause) typing bone....

We knowwww you're out there!!!!

1. Here is how to comment on the site: click on the "comment" icon at the bottom of any of the posts.


2. Click on the icon "post comment."


3. A main window will pop up where you may write your comment.


4. You may post as anonymous, or write your own name in the name/url section.


5. Then click on "post comment" icon, and bada-bing bada-boom... you have posted!!!! Thank you!

So there you go, a quick, hassle-free way of letting us know you are out there and reading our blog, so we can make it better for you. If you enjoy reading and do not care to comment, please know that we still greatly appreciate that you are taking the time to read our blog!

Lots of green love sent your way,

Chanel and Heather

Contest Winner!

The winner of our contest has been selected and notified: Dirty Hairy, of Fernie B.C.

Dirty has been doing many environmentally responsible things in Fernie, and we have asked him to write an article describing the initiatives he has created at Island Lake Lodge in Fernie, B.C. He is also writing for a variety of magazines, such as the Fernie Fix (A local magazine in Fernie), and other online magazines.

Congratulations Dirty! We've contacted him and are waiting for his address to send him his environmental reward!

P.S. The above photo is our contest winner... "Livin' it up hey Dirty Hairy!?"

Chanel & Heather

PLASTIC PLASTIC, NOT SO FANTASTIC!

We all know that plastic bags are a huuuuge part of our lives... grocery shopping, lunch bags, garbage, dying your hair, wet bathing suits, pooper scoopers, point " A" to "B" stuff, traveling, ETC.

This week, let's examine the plastic in our lives, and begin thinking of alternatives.
Next week we will be setting out on a massive makeover of our plastic bag practices.

Question, question: What do YOU use plastic bags for???? Send us your comments and let us know, and we will add them to our list! (at the bottom of this post hit comments, and fire away).

The list has begun....

• garbage bags


• lunch bags


• hair dye bags


• grocery bags


• tote bags (to separate from other items in a tote bag)


• poop bags (for our animals and diapers...)


• food storage (food from bulk bins, other)

Now, the reason that we are trying to become more aware of the places that plastic exists in our lives is because this is a completely man-made, fabricated product that almost NEVER biodegrades in the earth (IMPORTANT DETRIMENTAL NOTE: because these bags are made from petroleum or natural gas, plastic bags breakdown in 100-infinity years whereas paper bags take 1 month!!!! They never biodegrade because of their ingredients, and unless they are incinerated (which raises other environmental concerns), they will highly outlive their consumers (as read in the Wall Street Journal, 2007). These products sit in landfills for extended periods of time, and do not allow the materials in them to biodegrade into the earth either. They also litter other areas on this earth, and if we continue to use these products so irresponsibly.... well we will let you think of the consequences.

This may seem to you as just a "trend' that grocery stores and governments are trying to promote; however we believe that it must become a lasting part of all of our lives to make a conscious effort to combat the ridiculously common use of plastic bags in our communities.

Here are some earth-shattering stats (literally earth-shattering):

- In Ireland, in 2002, a highly successful bag tax reduced the consumption of plastic bags by a whopping 90%!!!!!!!! That's INCREDIBLE!!!!! We are a money driven society, but hey if it's going to make a change.
- Only about 1% of plastic bags are recycled worldwide..... that's unbelievable!!
- Approximately 500 billion bags are used EVERY YEAR AROUND THE WORLD! That's 500 000 000 000 plastic bags, UUUG!!

Conscious decisions people, beeeee conscious!

Fernie's Fight

Well Hello again,

We are now sadly writing from our "real-life" living rooms, that lack the incredibly majestic scenery of Southern B.C. While we were there, we toured around the mountain and found some pretty great initiatives that Fernie is undertaking to fight their print. Although no massive changes were observed, we commend the hill for making small, realistic, and practical long term changes in their operations. After all that is what we are trying to do in our lives, practical, small changes for long term.

Things we weren't too impressed by, however the hill is not to blame. Both young and old bucks like to enjoy themselves in this blissfull place, but there is no excuse for this irresponsible waste!

Thanks for the good times Fernie, if we're lucky... Fernie will bring us back next year to see the improvements made on the hill since we last went!

Lots of Love,
Heather and Chanel

Go Fernie Gooo....

Since we have been here, on this Beautiful Mountain, we have been observing the "green" ways of being practised on the Hill & we thought we would share them you:

1. In the bathrooms on the hill, they have the 1/2 or full flush toilets: if it yellow 1/2 flush, if it brown definitely the full flush... why does this sound so familiar?

2. The hill ONLY uses 100% biodegradable garbage bags, yaaaa!

3. In order for the lifty's to put the covers on the t-bars, they have devised a bicycle ridding/pulley system to help them. Very smart, and green... many other hills would simply use a ski-do to do the job. Way to go Fernie-o!

4. They are also promoting healthy lifestyles with various contests and are giving away free passes as the prize!

Although it's not an earth shattering effort, we have seen little steps that show that the hill is aware of it's impact on the environment.

Today is our last day together and we are going to live it to the fullest! We are really hoping that Fernie, used as a catalyst, will continue to motivate us when we return to Saskatoon. We will be having a few of our friends and acquaintances who are trying to live greener, more environmentally responsible lifestyles, writing articles on their successes, challenges, and priorities. We are SUPER excited to have you reading our blog, and hope you will continue to learn with us.

Happy Trails Folks, Step Lightly!

Lots of Love, Chanel and Heather

Fernie Fun!

Here are some pics from our couple days in Fernie....from snowshoeing adventures to railway riding with our "green" t-shirts... sooo enjoy!

Snow snow snow...

Hurray, it is snowing, the snow dance worked! And we are prayin' for it to continue.  

We ended up heading out on the hill near the end of the day and it was just what we needed.  There is nothing like cruising down the slopes on a beautifully sunny and inspiration-filled day (added bonus:  working off some of the food we have been downing continuously (seriously 24/7).  Today the plan is to go on the trek we promised yesterday.  We had a chance to meet up with Dirty Hairy and he is in the process of getting us some info.  

Our top 10 vacation tips for trying to be a bit more "eco":  

1.  Take big trips into town to get food, and then use the deck outside to refrigerate beer, wine, beverages, food, left-overs, etc.  That's a great bonus of going on a chilly  vacation.

2.  Using reused materials (ie. pizza pans from 2007 to cook and store pizza... great job Pat) to transport, cook, and store food.

3.  Because there are so many of us in the cabin using valuable non-renewable resources, we have an unwritten standard for the bathroom:  when it's yellow let it mellow, and when it's brown... well... you know what to do.

4.  Showers are brief because of a lack of hot water and we're trying really hard to leave more water for the dolphins :P :P :P :P

5.  Even though there is A LOT of us together, we have not used one disposable plate, piece of cutlery, or beverage container.  

6.  Going a step further... we have put masking tape on our own glasses (with our names on it) in order to wash less and drink more... :P  To say the least... our cup is ALWAYS half full!

7.  We have been reusing our towels so as to reduce our number laundry loads.

8.  Stink is the new black...  the smell of teen spirit tells us that we have been working hard!  We haven't been washing our gear everyday, and so far we're all in the same boat, so we haven't noticed a change!

9.  Instead of driving to places that can easily be walked to, we have been taking our sweet time (we are on vacation after all) and leisurely gabbing as we use more renewable and less non-renewable resources.

10.  And last but not least...  we haven't been relying on technology to entertain us.  We have been playing pictionary, charades, and other games with one another!  

We have taken some pics of this oasis and they will be posted later tonight.  We also want to thank you for coming to our site and reading our entries... we LOVE to see our counter movin' up, footprint movin' down!

Stay clean, go green (note: showers optional)!

Chanel and Heather

For the love of Fernie...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! We are here together with coffee in hand and using the mountains as a source of abundant inspiration!! It seems as though when we are here, all of the trials and tribulations that everyday life brings are dissipated into thin air and we are able to breathe again! We are truly Blessed to have such an incredible outlet to look forward to from year to year.

The relaxed mountain air and the efforts made to preserve this beautiful space is important to the culture here in Fernie. People hitch hike to and from the mountain, there is an abundant source of organic foods and clothing stores in the town, and people choose to walk and bask in the glory of the mountains (we know it's a little more difficult to do that in Saskatchewan where the centres are larger and the air is MUCH colder).

We packed food in our vehicles when making the trek out here, used stainless steel water bottles, and filled our reusable mugs with coffee (more than a few times :P). Now that we are here, we will be making minimal trips into town using the great concept of carpooling. It seems as though the atmosphere makes us want to live better lives for ourselves and for the environment, and although many (including us) do not feel that degree of motivation when we return home, we will be trying to observe the little details that creates this incredible atmosphere in Fernie, B.C. and apply them to our lives in Saskatoon, SK.

Fernie has a variety of accomodations and entertainment venues from hostels to 5-star resorts. We have an "in" with one of the managers at Island Lake Lodge (a cat-skiing resort) who has also been involved in the community for over 15 years. We have asked him to give us some insight into the initiatives that Island Lake Lodge has been doing to fight the footprint.

Today... we are packing our lunches and heading out on our snowshoes into the woods... the deep dark woods (shout out to you guys...). We will be making BIG footprints, but not permanent ones :P Stay tuned for stories and adventures... for we are sure there will be many!

P.S. giving a little love to my husband who proposed to me on this very hill 2 years ago today... love love love, all you need is love!! :P

Lots of love on this cupidous hallmark holiday.... Heather and Chanel

February Breakdancer

Ok, so let’s move on with the wallowing and have some serious fun!! Every year, we go to Fernie to bask in the beautiful, calming, and relaxing atmosphere that we think of as a little piece of heaven….. a little cabin in Fernie… .wait a minute…. It’s more like a dream mansion….. made of wood, which sounds horrible, but less “fake”, man-made materials went into making it, and I am sure every tree that was chopped was re-planted… right Mrs. H?? :P This is where I met my husband, and where he proposed to me (Chanel). Ooh lala, the air in Fernie is full of love, care-free skiing, hot tubs, and good times…. And a quality of green not to be found anywhere but here flows through our lungs….. the clean air. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Hamilton family (Uncle Dr. Keith and Mrs. H) this will be our 9th year basking in this bliss. Now, with a little different take on life and the repercussions that our actions have on this beautiful place we call home, we will be reflecting on what we will be doing differently on this trip than others, and what others can do to make simple changes to their Feb break trips (and other). First of all…. The challenge of getting there…. This is quite interesting, as we all come and go at different times, and require vehicles to get there and back. A total of 7 vehicles, 1 plane, and 17 people will be transported to and from the cabin throughout the week. Sounds like a waste of energy and mileage, however, we are not sure how we could have gotten around this with all of our schedules… any ideas? To be continued as we embark on this espionage…

Discouraged but Encouraged!

Ok, honestly? We are feeling a bit discouraged at the moment... we have not received as much feedback as we had hoped (perhaps it's our lack of computer knowledge or... people aren't ready to take the baby steps that we're taking). You guys could be thinking the same thing as us... "I'm only one person, what kind of visible effect will my tiny actions have on the "environment""? As we reflect upon the past few weeks when we entered on this "blogging journey", we realize that we have already helped FIGHT THE PRINT that we will leave on the planet through our existence! Chanel... I have totally changed my perceptions around the concept of "going green." It was so foreign to me a few months ago and now I am realizing what little tiny changes in my life can do for helping decrease the huge destructive path we are on in North America and beyond... This is such a MASSIVE idea that seemed way too overwhelming to even try before Heather and I started this blog, but now I have come to realize that it just takes a little knowledge and a pinch of motivation to help this cause. I have already recycled 634 plastic containers, cans, etc. That's an AWESOME amount of stuff that would have gone to the dump forever. foreva-eva. And I didn't even put much effort into doing this. Now that's encouraging to me. Heather... Hey Hey.... all I have to say is hey... ok... I have more lol... so I just did my calculation and I have realised that if I keep up with the re-usable mugs I will be saving approx 832 paper mugs from the landfills this year.... yaaaa and also uggg because that means I have contributed oooooh so many in the past... but I guess we can't change the past right, but we can change what we do in the future!!! A few other things I have really been trying to pay attention to is the plastic containers that I use to wash and re-use I have now recycled and brought glass alternatives in to our home. We have even taken it one step further and we got rid of our microwave... I know, I know we live in a MICROWAVE era but reallllly we don't need the added microwaves in our bodies oooor the stuff that seeps from the containers into the food when heating, P.S. food tastes wayyyyy better from the toaster oven and doesn't take that much longer! Think about it! ;P So even though we STILLLL want your feedback, we will keep going... the two of us trying to do our part and hoping the followers will come... "come out of your holes and join the green parade!" we know your in there... Love Chanel & Heather

"R" to the first power....

So we have all been around long enough to know the three R's... even if you live under a rock... it's in our schools, on the sides of buses, on most packaging etc... the list goes on...
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE... but upon further look, the reeaaaally big one is REDUCE!

To REDUCE, meaning:
purchasing only what you "need" and using it up
or consciously thinking about the packaging before you buy
(perhaps buy bulk?)
or for some things... perhaps going without them
(do I realllly need another appliance I will rarely use?)

Remain aware of our choices!!! Because there is still a lot of wasteful packaging and STUFF going into your home.

Yes, over the years packaging has been redesigned to make it more reusable and recyclable, however, if we can first limit what we are buying, so that we will NOT have to reuse plastics (which we know can be harmful) or NOT have to recycle the container (bc. we bought it bulk, and we all know that recycling takes energy and money to do as well) we will be doing ourselves and a world huge favour.

Some other benefits or REDUCING:

• keeps materials out of the waste stream
• preserves natural resources
• reduces water and air pollution caused by the production of materials
• saves you money
• saves you time because you don't shop as much
• enhances your creativity when you learn to make-do with what you have
• you feel good about using less
• you have less clutter in your life

So as we go about our daily lives let's think REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE...
Do I neeeeed that? Can I get that in bulk? Can I go without? Can I use this more that once?
WE CAN DO IT! Using less and consuming more efficiently!

Heather & Chanel

Mind the Waste....

Priorities???

Hey everyone, we are postponing determining a weekly goal this week because we would like to get your feedback. What are some of the concerns, struggles, or successes that you feel we are experiencing in Saskatchewan? We have brainstormed a variety of topics that seem to be a "trend" for research recently; however before we set goals and do further research, we would like to get your feedback as we launch this blog, in order to make it useful and successful!

Chanel and Heather