Strocel.com | Enviro-Mama

The Food We Eat and the Water We Drink

Amber on March 22, 2012 2 Comments

It’s Enviro-Mama Thursday, and it’s also World Water Day. Today, I’m talking all things wet, and how much we’re indirectly consuming through the food we eat.

I live in rainy Vancouver. This is a place that is overflowing with water. In fact, at this time of the year, it feels like too much. As a country Canada has 0.5% of the world’s population, and 7% of the world’s renewable freshwater supply. We’re a sopping wet country, and the Pacific Coastal region where I live is the most wettest of all. It’s no surprise that those of us who live here take our water for granted.

Whenever the subject of water comes up, I always feel at a bit of a loss. The closest I’ve ever come to feeling scarcity is dealing with watering restrictions in the summertime. I do what I can to conserve water, but I know that my actions aren’t going to change things for someone living in, say, Yemen. When I turn off my tap the water I save just stays in the reservoir up the mountain from my house, and keeps the level from dropping too low. But this year the World Water Day theme is Water and Food Security, and they managed to drive their point home to me in this video:

Here are some key points about how our eating habits affect the world’s access to freshwater, and how our personal food supply can be impacted:

All the food we eat requires water to grow.
70% of the water we withdraw from rivers, lakes and aquifers at global level goes to irrigation.
Animal products require far more water to grow, because we must first grow the feed crops for the animals, and then provide them with drinking water as well. 1 kilo of beef uses 15,000 liters of water; in contrast 1 kilo of wheat uses 1500 liters.
The population is growing rapidly, which means we need to grow more food.
30% of the food we grow goes to waste, which literally means water down the drain.

I may not live in a place that experiences water shortages, but some of my food may be grown in a much drier climate, which relies heavily on irrigation. And even when I’m eating local, I really can’t guarantee where the food for the cow who produced the milk to make my cheese came from. When I’m scraping food off into the compost bin after dinner, I’m throwing away water that our planet can’t afford to waste.

I’m all sunshine and roses today, aren’t I? But here’s where I change gears, because there are some simple things you can do to reduce how much water you’re consuming through your food:

Eat less meat, and consume fewer animal products.
Take steps to reduce your own food waste. You’ll be saving money, too.
Grow more of your own food, and practice water conservation in your garden.
Ask questions about where and how your food was grown, so that you can choose more sustainable options.

It turns out that we all need to think about our water use, wherever we live. Our food security – and our children’s food security – depends on it. We’re all in this together, so let’s make sure we’re doing our part to ensure everyone has access to the food and water they need.

My friend Abbie over at Farmer’s Daughter set up a blog hop for World Water Day. If you want to read what some other fabulous folks have to say, check these posts out:

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Food, Navel Gazing

Eight Tips for Avoiding Toxins

Amber on March 15, 2012 7 Comments

It’s Enviro-Mama Thursday, and today I’m talking toxins. As in, avoiding them, because they’re icky and many can actually have serious health effects.

Avoiding toxins isn’t easy. In fact, it’s pretty much impossible. One study by the Environmental Working Group found that cord blood samples from newborn babies contained, on average, 287 toxins. These chemicals include fire retardants, pesticides, mercury and Teflon. I doubt that the mothers of these babies spent their pregnancies huffing chemicals inside a paint factory. This is just what their bodies contained from day-to-day living. Toxic chemicals are also found in human breast milk. Toxins are all around us, and they are going to end up inside our bodies.

Knowing that I’m carrying toxic chemicals around in my body, and so are my kids, I’m determined not to add any more to the load than is absolutely necessary. But where to start? On my podcast, I’ve interviewed lots of other enviro mamas. I thought I’d share some tips I’ve gathered from chatting with some of my favourite green folks.

Locally-grown, organic apricots, are my version of non-toxic eating

Eight Tips for Avoiding Toxins from Other Enviro-Mamas

Bridgitte Alomes – Bridgitte owns Natural Pod, a company that manufactures and sells natural, open-ended toys, and creates imaginative play spaces. Here’s what she had to say about choosing safer toys: “Not all wooden toys are created equal. You can have a wooden product, but if it’s heavily varnished with a laquer and very brightly-coloured paint it has the same effects as plastic. Parents are now asking very educated questions. Where did this come from? Who made it? Is it safe for my child from a health perspective?”
Suzanne Bertani – Suzanne is a super-cool mama who lives in my own neighbourhood. She also owns Green Planet Parties. Here’s her tip for making your celebrations less toxic: “Loot bag items are traditionally the most famous for being environmentally-unfriendly, and also quite toxic. If you look at traditional dollar store loot bags, the things that are in there could be toxic for the children to be playing with or touching. So we choose quality over quantity. With the loot bags, make it one or two carefully-chosen items instead of giving 10.”
Tamara Champion – Tamara owns ByNature.ca, an online retailer of natural products for families. She shared this tip for reducing the number of toxins you use: “Start reading. Start learning. There’s a number of Canadian authors who have written fabulous books. Start there, and see what changes you can make in your life.”
Deanna Duke – Deanna is the author of The Non-Toxic Avenger, a book that chronicles her effort to reduce her own toxic load. Here’s what she had to say about easy ways to eliminate toxins: “The easy, low-hanging fruit is really switching out your personal care products. All your cleaners, and all of the soaps and detergents that you use, as well as make-up and lotions and that kind of thing, you can really address those things pretty easily. With the big things, as they wear out and need to be replaced, you can look for non-toxic versions.”
Katy Farber – Katy is a mom, writer and blogger at Non-Toxic Kids. She shared her tips for non-toxic eating: “Take your knowledge of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 with you in your mind – or print it out, because that’s a lot to remember – and think about it. If it’s something that’s on the clean 15 we know that it’s less likely to carry a heavy pesticide load. If you’re buying peaches, we know that peaches carry such a high pesticide load, it’s important to buy organic.”
Anna Hackman – Anna blogs at Green Talk, and she’s also a green building expert. She had this tip to share about choosing furniture and home decor: “You have to look at the sofas you’re bringing in, the tables you’re bringing in, the draperies. Those things are laden with chemicals. That nice smell? Those are chemicals off-gassing. There’s a lot of things like formaldehyde, chemicals in the drapes, there’s a lot of things that people don’t realize they’re bringing in.”
Selina Robinson – Selina is a City Councillor in my hometown. She spear-headed the local effort to ban cosmetic pesticide use. Here’s what she had to say about her work: “I really wanted to have a cosmetic pesticide ban in our community. I came to this because my husband’s master’s degree was on the effects of pesticide exposure on tree-planters. I learned a whole lot about pesticide exposure and the impact it had. It’s just appalling. It became clear to us that pesticides are bad for you, and you don’t want to be exposed to them.”
Jen Williams – Jen owns Dress Me Up Organic, a line of organic and natural baby toys and gear. She also has a background in environmental science. She had this to say about avoiding toxins when you’re buying a toy: “Look at the tags. Usually there’s a big tag that says what the product is made of. All products have to say where they’re made. I would also say that I’m quite conscious of dyes, so you can do a bit of research on a product. A lot of people have it on their packaging, what kind of dyes they use.”

What about you – how do you reduce your own family’s exposure to toxins?

I was inspired to write this post by Lori at Groovy Green Livin. She’s hosting the Green Moms Carnival this month, about reducing the number of toxins in our homes. Check out her post, Green Moms Unite to Talk About Toxic Chemicals, to read a whole lot more great tips, ideas and suggestions.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama

One Green Thing: Gardening

Amber on March 8, 2012 2 Comments

It’s Enviro-Mama Thursday, and today I’m talking growing things. It’s my One Green Thing for March. But before I get into that, I want to update you on my One Green Thing for February, which was using my car less. So, how did I do? Did I manage to get below the one trip a day, on average, that I’d set as a goal? The answer: I did not. In fact, I actually increased my average daily car trips from 1.16 in January to 1.17 in February. In short, I failed miserably. I’m not giving up, though. There were several instances during February when I decided not to get in the car because I had my goal in mind. I brought greater awareness to my car usage, and I’m hoping that if I continue to do that, I’ll be able to make a more noticeable impact in the long term.

On a brighter note, I did make further progress on my January goal to replace the PVC in my home with less-toxic options. I found some cardboard binders, and replaced the last remaining binders in our home with those. I also replaced my ancient faux-leather, likely-made-of-vinyl, falling apart wallet / purse with a real leather one, bought on deep discount at a fabulous little shop on my weekend escape to Victoria. I also combed through the kids toys, yet again, in a post-birthday purge, and got rid of some more PVC there.

But enough about the past. Let’s talk about the future, shall we?

One Green Thing for March: Get my Garden Ready

The view inside my plant tunnel

Every day it stays bright just a little bit longer. Spring is on its way, and it’s arriving this month. I’m preparing for it by getting my garden ready for the growing season. Here’s what I’ve done so far:

Cleaned up the vegetable gardens, and added some new topsoil to the raised bed and some compost to the rest.
Started the first of my seeds inside.
Set up my new plant tunnel, and started the first of my spinach outside.
Re-started my home composting (I’ve been relying heavily on our municipal food waste collection over the winter, a.k.a. the months when I don’t want to carry my food scraps outside).
Bought Hannah some planters for the flower seeds she chose, because I don’t want to take up space in my veggie garden.

The first of my seeds are coming up inside

Here’s what I still have left to do this month:

Retrieve and spread the compost from my own compost bin.
Start the second wave of seeds inside.
Get my potatoes planted.
Draft a proper garden plan of where I will grow what, rather than just haphazardly planting without regard for where each plant is happiest.

My kids get in on the gardening fun

I ordered all of my seeds from a seed catalogue this year, and I spent a fair bit of time choosing and reading about how best to cultivate them. I’m getting a little bit more serious about my gardening efforts. I’d like to see more reward for the time (and money) I’m investing. If I can do that, I should also be reducing my food miles, saving money and living more sustainably. I’ll also be teaching my kids about nature, and where our food comes from. I’ve decided to put in the effort now, at the beginning of the growing season, so that I can start off on the right foot.

Are you a gardener? Have you started preparing for the growing season yet? And what are you planting this year? I’d love to hear!

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Gardening

Podcast: Talking Natural Toys with Natural Pod

Amber on March 2, 2012 3 Comments

I have a serious love for wooden toys. Maybe it’s because I attended a Waldorf kindergarten as a child. Maybe it’s because they’re warm and tactile. Or maybe it’s because I’ve always had a thing for the way that wood smells. Whatever it is, when I first encountered Natural Pod back in 2006 I was immediately hooked. They were local, they carried all kinds of natural playthings, and Bridgitte the owner was fantastic to work with.

In the past few years, Natural Pod has transformed their business. They still sell high-quality, open-ended natural toys to parents, but they’ve expanded to work with schools, daycares and play centres to create inviting spaces for children. In my local community, for example, they’ve been contracted to outfit new kindergarten classrooms. They manufacture most of their own toys and furniture, using sustainably sourced natural materials. I was intrigued, and wanted to learn more, so I got in touch with Bridgitte to arrange an interview for the podcast. This is actually the best part of having a podcast – I have a ready-made excuse to talk to people who are doing cool and inspiring things.

Bridgitte and I had a great conversation. She talked about how Natural Pod has grown and changed. She shared her vision for her business, and also for the way that we create children’s play spaces in general. She’s a big advocate of imaginative play, uncluttered spaces and natural materials. She’s committed to sourcing safe, sustainable materials, and creating open-ended play areas that children can approach on many levels. She’s also a mom herself, with a vision for the kind of world she would like all children to grow up in.

Speaking with Bridgitte inspired me to take a closer look at my own play room, and the items it contains. Bridgitte has some really amazing things to say. If you’re interested in natural play, you’re on the hunt for sustainable toys, or you’d like some tips on creating a play space for your own children, you’ll want to take a listen:

Interview with Bridgitte of Natural Pod [ 31:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Next week on the podcast I’ll be sharing an interview with Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress. She writes the most widely-read blog on postpartum depression, and other reproductive mental illnesses. Many new mothers suffer from depression and other mental health issues during and after pregnancy. When my daughter Hannah was born, I was one of them. This is an important health issue, and it’s not talked about widely enough, so I was thrilled to connect with Katherine. Subscribe to the Strocel.com podcast in iTunes, and you won’t miss a minute!

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Interview, Kids, Parenting, Podcast

Enviro-Mama Thursdays

Amber on March 1, 2012 12 Comments

For the past two and a half-ish years I’ve been writing about my Crafting my Life journey every Thursday. It’s been very positive for me. What started as an exercise in self-examination grew into a new life for me, an online class for moms who want more meaning, a play book and really a whole community. If you want to know what blogging has brought me, it’s this: a space to write in, connections with amazing people, and a sense of direction.

Creating Space Through Separation

As Crafting my Life has grown in its own right, I’ve been thinking about what I’m doing here on Strocel.com. It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that the two sites have become independent entities. I want to create space for each to grow in its own direction. I’ve decided to split them up, and stop writing my weekly Crafting my Life posts on Strocel.com. Instead, I’ll move from writing two times a week to three times a week on the Crafting my Life blog. If you’re on a mission to live a life of purpose and meaning, I hope you’ll join me there. Subscribe the Crafting my Life RSS feed, and you won’t miss a word.

I like the focus of having a topic I visit weekly, all the same. After some thought, I decided to go green with Enviro-Mama Thursdays on Strocel.com. Each week I’ll write something about my efforts to live a more sustainable life. In many ways, this is just an extension of my mission to live with greater authenticity and purpose. Taking care of the environment is one of my core values. It’s an expression of the kind of life I want to live, and as I do it I’m bringing more intention into my own daily routine.

I’m stretching my wings

Enviro-Mama Topics

Here are some subjects I’ll be writing about each Thursday:

My One Green Thing for the month.
Gardening and local eating.
Reducing the number of toxins in my home.
Green issues and politics.
Simplifying.
Reducing your carbon footprint.
Becoming more self-sufficient.
Environmentalism and money.
Reducing, reusing and recycling.
Green parenting.

As always, I love to hear your comments and feedback, and I really enjoy it when you share what you’re doing with me. If you’d like to tell me how you’re living a more sustainable life, drop me a line. Tell me your story, and share your hard-won lessons. I would love to hear about it all.

Searching for Clarity

This year I’m on a mission to achieve greater clarity. Separating Strocel.com from Crafting my Life and giving each site its own focus is helping me to do that. It’s good to have a vision of what I’m doing in this space, and what I’m doing is writing about my life and the things that matter to me. One of the things that really matters to me is doing what I can to have a positive impact on our planet. I hope you’ll come along with me for the journey, as I write about my experiences.

To focus, clarity and change!

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Crafting my Life, Enviro-Mama, Navel Gazing

Too Many Reusable Bags

Amber on February 15, 2012 9 Comments

I’ve shared my first world problems on this blog in the past. It’s true – my life is a veritable vale of privileged, petty tears. Did you know, for example, that I’ve been meaning to do some laundry all day but I keep forgetting? Of course, I could do it right now, but I don’t want to get out of this chair. I sense the laundry may never get started. Oh, woe is me!

Okay, so nobody’s about to organize a telethon on my behalf, that much is clear. All the same I’ve recently encountered another first world problem to add to the list: I have way too many reusable bags. Some of them I purchased, but just as many were given to me (or someone else in my family) as part of some promotion or other. In an effort to appear green, many businesses and event organizers are giving away reusable bags like they’re candy. On one level, that’s great. On another level it’s even worse than giving out plastic bags. Many reusable bags – and certainly most free ones – are made out of materials that won’t biodegrade, like recycled plastic bottles. These bags are much heavier than disposable bags, and they generally can’t be recycled into something else. If you’re going to reuse a bag hundreds of times over a period of years, you’re clearly coming out ahead. But if you never actually use it at all, it’s not what I would call sustainable.

I’m not the only one with this first world problem. Many people talk about their reusable bag overload. So, what is one to do when faced with an overflowing pile of bags? Some people suggest giving them friends and family, but with the way my friends and family are constantly trying to pawn their own reusable bags off on me, I don’t think that would fly. Other people suggest donating them to your local thrift store, using them as gift wrap, or making crafts out of them. Some folks have even organized bag-sharing programs to find good homes for surplus bags.

The biggest solution to having too many reusable bags, though, is stemming the tide. Don’t bring more reusable bags into your home than you need. I have a few nylon bags that fold up really small, so I can carry them in my purse and use them wherever I happen to be. It keeps me from using plastic, or buying another reusable bag to add to my collection. If you’re at a conference or event, you can always decline a new reusable bag, especially if you have one on hand already. I’d also like to suggest to event organizers that if they need a single use bag – and something you’re stuffing with coupons to give away can really be considered single use – paper may be a better option than reusable.

I’ve donated my current bag surplus to a local thrift store. For now, my bag cubby is manageable. We’ll just have to see how long it stays that way.

Do you suffer from reusable bag overload? How do you handle it? I’d love to hear!

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Navel Gazing

Five Must-Read Green Books

Amber on February 10, 2012 16 Comments

Sometimes, when you read a book, it changes the way you look at the whole world. It inspires you to change and convinces you that you can make a difference. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, today I’m talking about some of the books that have changed my perspective and spurred me to live a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

Five Must-Read Green Books

The 100-Mile Diet, by Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon. This book chronicles the experiences of one Vancouver couple as they seek to only eat food produced within 100 miles of their home. I love it because it’s local to me, so I can use it not only as a source of inspiration, but also as a resource. But more than that, I love it because it opened my eyes to the way that we eat. Most of our food travels thousands of kilometers to reach our plates. It’s also highly-processed and completely out of season. This book introduced me to a new way of eating, and in many ways it got me started on my green journey in a serious way.
Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. This book is not actually about the environment, but it raises some very important points about lifestyle. Its premise is that the more stuff we buy, the more time that we need to spend working to service that stuff. By tracking your spending you can reduce it and free up some financial wiggle room, which will in turn allow you to make lifestyle changes. This falls under the “green” category for me because by reducing our spending – and specifically our spending on stuff – we’re reducing our carbon footprint. Going green will save you green.
The Non-Toxic Avenger, by Deanna Duke. This book tells the story of one woman’s quest to avoid all toxins for four months, to see what impact it would have on the number of chemicals in her body. I actually interviewed Deanna for a podcast not too long ago, which further cemented my love for her and her book. She writes in an engaging and authentic way about a serious issue. Her words spurred me to take steps to reduce my own family’s exposure to toxins, which can only be a good thing. And in spite of its serious subject matter, it didn’t leave me terrified – a definite plus!
Plastic Free, by Beth Terry. Okay, the truth is I haven’t actually read this one yet, since it still hasn’t been released, but I consider Beth to be a friend. I met up with her at BlogHer and we joined forces, carrying our disposable plastic plates around so that we wouldn’t be adding the landfill at every meal. Her blog, My Plastic-Free Life, is on my “must-read” list. She inspired me to reduce my own plastic use, and I’m thrilled that she’s published a book. I can’t wait to read it.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. It’s another food book, but I have a definite thing for this book, which tells the story of four meals the author ate and where the ingredients for those meals came from. While The 100-Mile Diet opened me eyes to the way we’ve disconnected ourselves from our food, this book opened my eyes to the system that disconnection has allowed to flourish. I didn’t expect to find food politics fascinating, but now I do, and I give the credit to this book.

What about you – what’s on your must-read green book list?

I was inspired to write this post by Karen Hanrahan, a fellow member of the Green Moms Carnival. Check out her blog, Best of Mother Earth, for more green book suggestions!

Tagged With: Books, Enviro-Mama

Using my Car Less: One Green Thing

Amber on February 6, 2012 3 Comments

Last month, I told you that I’ve decided to take one small step each month to become more green during 2012. It feels manageable, and tangible, and hopeful. I started by looking at PVC.

I had some reasonable success with reducing the amount of PVC in my home. I bought a new yoga mat, cleaned out the old (and frankly kind of yucky) bath toys, got new PVC-free lunchboxes for my kids, and started going through my kids’ toys. Did I clear out all the PVC? No. I didn’t throw out every single toy that may contain PVC, and I am not about to take steps to replace my PVC piping with something else. But I did make some tangible changes, and I plan to make more as I work my way through the PVC items in my house. Up next? I need to buy some PVC-free binders.

This month, I’m tackling something with a more clear-cut impact on my personal carbon footprint. Donating my old yoga mat and buying a new one might reduce the number of toxins I’m exposed to, but it does require the use of new materials to manufacture something. When I clear out the PVC, I’m not exactly taking steps to fight climate change. For February I’m changing that by putting my driving habits under the magnifying glass. I want to reduce the number of trips I take in my car this month.

I have my own car, which I purchased new in 2000 after graduating from university. It’s a Honda Civic, and at 11.5 years old it’s clocked less than 95,000 kilometers, or 60,000 miles. In recent years, as a work-at-home mom, I drive it even less. My car currently clocks about 5000 kilometers, or 3100 miles, each year. Most of my trips are short – driving Jacob to or from daycare, running errands, going grocery shopping or heading to the farmers’ market. Sometimes I’m not even entirely sure I need my own car, given how little I drive. But since my husband takes his car to work every day, having a car of my own really is a huge convenience thing for me. I’m not going grocery shopping via public transit with two kids in tow when I have an easy alternative, you know?

Given how little I drive, trying to reduce the number of kilometers I travel in a month feels like a tall order. Instead, I decided to target the number of trips I take. To give myself a baseline, I kept track of every trip I took in my car in January, and the grand total was 36, or 1.16 per day. I’d like to get that number down to less than one trip a day, on average. A 20% reduction would take me to 0.93 trips per day, or 27 trips during the month of February.

Steps to Reduce my Car Trips

I plan to reduce the number of car trips I take in three ways:

Combine trips whenever possible. Instead of heading to the bank on one trip, and to the store on another trip, I’d like to plan it so that a single outing takes me to two, three or even four places. This should mean less driving, as I won’t be heading home and back out between each errand.
Run less errands. Do I really need to check my mailbox twice a week? Probably not – I bet once would suffice. Can I make do without rice for 48 hours, until my next planned grocery shopping day? I bet I can. If I can cut back on the number of stops I’m making, I’ll spend less time driving.
Get out and walk. I already walk Hannah to school and home each day, but I bet there are more outings that I could complete on foot. For instance, that mailbox I don’t need to visit so much? It’s within walking distance. I have three days a week when both kids are in school, and heading out for a walk would probably be good for me, and I’d reduce my carbon footprint in the process.

Really, the best way to reduce my carbon footprint would be to get rid of my car altogether. Maybe using it less will be a step on the path to becoming a one-car family, as I become less dependent on motorized transportation. Or maybe it will just reduce my overall carbon footprint. Either way, it feels like a worthwhile goal.

Do you take any steps to limit the amount of driving you do? I’d love to hear your tips, if you have any!

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Navel Gazing

Podcast: Suzanne Bertani of Green Planet Parties

Amber on February 3, 2012 1 Comment

Earlier this week I told you about my turn as a hockey mom. The woman who inspired me to lace up and get out on the ice was my friend Suzanne Bertani. Suzanne is a mom of four, a green blogger, my sometime running buddy, and the dynamic force behind the sustainable online party business Green Planet Parties. Here we are together post-hockey:

A few weeks ago I managed to talk Suzanne into sitting down for an interview with me. Her business is really unique, partly because it’s one of very few shops devoted specifically to green party supplies, but also because she creates many of the products she carries herself. She comes up with the idea, and then contracts local vendors to make them for her. Her banners, for instance, are her design, and they’re hand sewn by a mom. Here’s the one we got for Hannah’s birthday last year:

During our interview, Suzanne and I talked about what makes her business special. We also talked about what drives her as a small business owner, what inspires her, how she involves her kids in what she does, and what her favourite products are. She’s really devoted to making sure that the products she carries are sustainable, safe and supportive of her local community. So often, at the end of a celebration you’re packing garbage bags full of plastic cups and disposable decorations. Suzanne is dedicated to changing that, so that parties don’t have to take a big toll on the planet.

I had a great time talking to Suzanne. It was especially great for me, because my own daughter’s birthday is coming up just a couple of weeks from now. I’m spending lots of time thinking decorations and party favours at the moment. If there’s a party in your future, or if you want some greener alternatives for seasonal celebrations like Valentine’s Day, you’ll want to hear what Suzanne has to say. Listen to our conversation here:

Interview with Suzanne Bertani, Green Business Owner and Eco Party Planner [ 33:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m working on a podcast for next week – you’ll have to stay tuned to see what happens, and what parenting topic I end up covering. In the meantime, subscribe to the Strocel.com podcast in iTunes, and you won’t miss a minute!

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Interview, Podcast

What I Learned in January 2012

Amber on February 1, 2012 6 Comments

Monthly reviews are my favourite tradition. Here’s how it works – every month I come up with some things I learned, and not always the easy way. Then, I ask you all to join in with some recent revelations of your own. And we all learn and grow and what-not. Or at least share a laugh at our own expense, because some of these lessons are both hard-fought and funny. Sound good?

So, without further ado, here are some things that I learned in January.

January Monthly Review

1. I found out just what it takes to spur me to join a political party after listening to Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver on CBC Radio. I was so incensed with his comments and his characterization of environmental groups that I came home and purchased a three year membership in the Green Party. He lost me when he said that it’s okay for foreign oil companies to exert influence in Canada, but it’s not okay for foreign environmental groups to participate in the review process. I disagree. Go ahead, Mr. Oliver, call me a radical.

2. I learned that while I have a lot of tea, I can’t hold a candle to many hardcore collectors.

My 3-year-old photgraphs me beside some tea

3. I placed – and received – my very first order from a seed catalogue, and I felt a huge gardening thrill. In addition to the old standbys, this year I’ll be trying to grow quinoa and amaranth.

4. I played hockey for the first time, and learned that stick-handling is not my forte, but I can hold my own on skates.

5. I did my first-ever multi-interviewee podcast, and had a blast. Everyone was fabulous, but I got a special thrill calling up Allison on the phone.

6. I learned that after two-and-a-bit weeks of Christmas break, a bored six-year-old will be begging to go back to school.

7. I found my mission in life … at least for right now. It’s to help other moms live happier, more fulfilled lives.

8. I had my first-ever facial courtesy of a free coupon, and it was heavenly. I highly recommend it.

9. I spent a whole bunch of money on a fully-packed yoga bag at a fundraiser the Lunapads ladies threw to raise money for Shanti Uganda, mostly because the mat was PVC-free and I was on a mission to rid my home of PVC this month. In retrospect, I could have gotten a PVC-free mat much more cheaply, but I wouldn’t have had the satisfaction of supporting a good cause, so there’s that.

10. I watched my three-year-old son Jacob blossom as a performer. I’ve been serenaded during dinner almost every evening for the past few weeks, which is lovely. But word to the wise: don’t interrupt him unless you enjoy extreme sadness.

What did you learn in January? Please share! And read some of these fabulous monthly review posts to see what other people learned in January, or add your own: