Love Where You Live

Live Green. Green Living. Both common phrases used to describe how we live, what products we use, when we use these products and even why we choose to live a sustainable and responsible lifestyle.

Now, we can take these phrases a little more literal and apply them to where we live. 

As someone who has lived in rental apartments for the past 10 plus years, and someone who is conscious of my environmental impact, one of the biggest frustrations with the properties I have called home is the lack of a sustainability plan. Or, if there is a plan in place, the lack of accountability and communication with tenants regarding the important topic of sustainability. 

Like many, I work hard to separate my waste, and conserve water and energy. But, when I see that our recycling stream is contaminated with non-recyclables and the building's lawn sprinklers come on in the middle of a hot summer's day, I'll admit, it's quite frustrating. And quite discouraging. And in a building of hundreds of tenants, I'm sure I'm not the only way that feels that way.

Recycle? Check. Walk to school? Check. Turn off the light? Check. So inspired by the resident's at a recent CRB building event I attended!

Thanks to the Certified Rental Building (CRB) Program, it's now possible to rent with confidence. When you see the “Rent with Confidence” Certified Rental Building Program symbol you can be assured that the building and the property manager responsible for the building have met the over 55 requirements of the only multi-residential apartment building quality assurance “certification” program in North America. 

What is most impressive about this program is that 10 new environmental standards of practice are now a part of the CRB Program quality assurance commitment. The "Living Green Together " standards focus on four main practices - reducing energy consumption, reducing water consumption, reducing waste and promoting recycling and promoting conservation.

Ultimately, the goal of these standards is to reduce the environmental footprint of rental apartment buildings, while promoting healthy and more sustainable apartment communities. 

Our future generation sure knows where its as when it comes to how you can green your community!

When you think of it, these standards really are no brainers. Reducing our energy consumption, recycling and promoting conservation are all actions that we be striving to achieve each day already. If not for the environment, for our wallets and for what we will be leaving behind for our future generations.

Thanks to CRB, residents can now be assured that when they choose to live in a Certified Rental Building they are selecting a Property Manager and staff that not only care about the quality of their building and the service provided, but also the impact that daily operations have upon the environment.

And to me, that is extremely important. 

Find a "greener" CRB apartment home and live the CRB quality difference! Join the over 225,000 Ontario residents living in over 950 CRBP-approved apartment communities across the province. Learn more about the program here. 

See more from the recent CRB event I attended here. 

Do you live in a CRB building? Be sure to watch for a CRB event coming to you this summer! And don't forget to enter the #LoveCRB contest on Instagram to win some great prizes! 

How do you "live green"? Any tips for "greening" where you live? I'd love to hear!

*This post was brought to you by CRB, however all opinions are 100% my own.

5 Ways to Live a More Sustainable Life

Living a sustainable lifestyle is extremely important to me, both at work and in the home. In celebration of International Happiness Day on March 20, I encourage everyone to make simple renewable lifestyle changes to live happier, while protecting our planet. 

Here are 5 ways to live a more sustainable life…

1. When grocery shopping, choose renewable packaging. Help preserve our precious natural resources by looking for products with renewable packaging, such as cartons.  Tetra Pak's Tetra Recart (the packaging featured below) is the first carton package designed for shelf-stable products traditionally filled in cans, glass jars or pouches. This innovative carton package is mainly made from paper, a renewable resource that can be naturally replenished, and takes up 30-40% less space in your pantry.

Don't just stop at what the items are packaged in, take it one step further with how you bring these products home. At checkout, skip the plastic bags, which are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. As an animal lover, banning the bag in our house is a no brainer. When the the lightweight plastic bags end up in the environment, they pose a serious danger to birds and marine mammals that often mistake them for food. Keep a stash of reusable shopping bags in the car so that you’re always prepared for the next grocery trip. 

2. Take shorter showers. Taking a nice long, hot shower can wake you up and make you ready to tackle the world. The problem is, they can also do a real number on the planet’s freshwater supply. I’ll be the first to admit, taking a shorter shower is a real challenge. A few things to help reduce your shower time are to set an alarm on your phone for the desired shower length, creating a playlist that's as long as your desired shower time and keeping tasks such as brushing your teeth, etc. for outside of the shower. Remember, the only water we will ever have is what we have now.

3. Bike or walk whenever possible. Living in a big city, walking, biking and even carpooling and taking public transit are heavily relied on to get to and fro. For me, I take the subway to and from work every day. Trains are relatively energy efficient modes of transportation, using far less fuel per passenger mile than cars. Not only do I avoid traffic and the pain of having to find a parking spot downtown, my subway time is a chance to relax, catch up on the news and people watch.

4. Swap your paper coffee cup. For me, this is one of the easiest challenges because making coffee at home and taking it to-go in a reusable travel not only saves resources, but also money and time when you’re in a rush to get to work. Don’t just stop with your coffee, keep hydrating throughout the day with water in a reusable bottle or Tetra Pak carton. Need a mid day caffeine boost? Make sure to have your own ceramic coffee mug at work. 

5. Take the Tetra Pak Happiness Quiz. Protecting the planet means protecting natural resources—and that’s sure to make you happier. Do your habits make you happy? Take Tetra Pak’s short quiz to find out how your daily choices impact your mood and the planet.

Challenge yourself! By adopting simple lifestyle habits, like those above, you can make a big impact on your life and the world around you. It takes approximately 28 days to form a habit, so what are you waiting for?!

Learn more about how Tetra Pak is working with suppliers, manufacturers, brand owners, NGOs and others to expand attention from the mid and end of the packaging life cycle to the beginning, here. 

How do you live a more sustainable life?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

5 Tips to Green Your Bathroom

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NaturalGoodness #CollectiveBias

The bathroom is where we begin and end each day, with a variety of routines designed to help keep us healthy. It is also a hotspot for overindulgent water use, excessive paper waste, chemically-loaded cleaning products and lots and lots of plastic.

Have you ever thought that the decisions you make in the bathroom can not only affect you and your family, but also affect the health of the planet we call home? Use these 5 tips to green your bathroom and reduce your impact on the planet.

1.  Clean the air. The bathroom is usually the most humid room in the house. Excess humidity causes mould which can spur allergies, asthma and other respiratory issues. Make sure your bathroom is ventilated properly by opening windows, installing an exhaust vent, turning on a fan after showering or even adding an oxygen-producing plants. By moving air through the bathroom, you’ll remove the moisture the mould needs to grow. And no toxic mould means no need for harsh chemicals.  

2.  Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Reduce the amount of water consumed by installing low-flow toilets and shower heads, taking shorter showers and turning off the taps while washing your face and brushing your teeth. Reuse products whenever possible, such as towels and rags instead of paper towels to wipe down the bathroom. A number of items used in the bathroom can be recycled, including shampoo and body wash bottles, empty aerosol cans, empty toilet paper rolls and plastic bags and wrappers. 

3.  Upgrade your lighting. If you haven’t already made the switch from incandescent or CFL bulbs to LEDs, now is the time. LEDs generate less heat, consume 80% less energy and last 25 times longer. Switching to LEDs is one of the simplest ways to cut down on your energy bill and save money. Remember to only use lights in the bathroom when absolutely necessary and get in the habit of turning off bathroom lights when you’re done.

4.  Nix the chemicals. Standard household cleaning products are loaded with harsh chemicals, which can be detrimental to your health as well as the planet’s. That skull and crossbones symbol does stand for ‘hazardous’, which should be the number one clue. Luckily, you have everything in your kitchen cupboards to get you started on creating all natural cleaning products. A bit of baking soda and vinegar goes a long way and will leave your bathroom sparkling.

5. Go all natural. Similar to bathroom cleaning products, your bath soap, shampoo and even your toothpaste contain chemicals that can damage your body. A good rule to live by - if you can’t pronounce the name of the ingredients in your personal care products, you shouldn’t use them. 

As a user of all natural face wash, lotion, shampoo and conditioner, we recently made the switch to the natural Tom's of Maine® Simply White® Clean Mint Cavity Protection Toothpaste (4.7 oz).

Found in the toothpaste aisle at your local Walmart, Tom's of Maine® products are made in Maine and do not contain artificial colours, flavours, fragrances, preservatives, animal ingredients. All toothpaste packaging is recyclable, and products are not tested on animals. Aside from toothpaste, Tom's of Maine® also offers other natural products like deodorant, bar soap, and mouthwash. You can learn more about the products' ingredients, including their purpose and source, by visiting the Tom's of Maine® website.

Interested in trying Tom's of Maine® Toothpaste? Check out the roaming demos happening in select Neighbourhood Walmart locations on September 19. Demos feature select Tom's of Maine® products, including samples and coupons. Check to see if they’re coming to a store near you here. 

Don’t stop in the bathroom, challenge yourself to go green in other areas of your home!

What natural choices do you make for your family? Have you ever tried Tom's of Maine®  products? I'd love to hear!

Celebrating Mother Nature

April 22 is Earth Day.

Like Earth Days in the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities. As this number increases, and the bleak reality of climate change becomes more apparent, the need to create sustainability communities becomes more and more important.

Here are some activities that you can do at home to help celebrate Mother Nature:

Plant a Tree

Not only do trees refresh the air by taking in the bad and breathing out the good, they have additional benefits as well - they provide wildlife habitat, improve property value and aesthetic, reduce utility bills, prevent soil erosion and provide sound buffers! 

Conserve Energy

Turn off the water when you brush your teeth, take a shorter shower, wash your laundry in cold water, carpool to work, turn off the lights when you leave the room, unplug electronics not in use.  Not only will conserving energy reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it will also save you $$$!

The 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce waste - bring your own grocery bags next time you go to the store and buy a reusable water bottles. Reuse an item - refurnish an old piece of furniture.  Reduce waste - buy products with less packaging or compost organic waste. Do your part by recycling glass, paper, plastic and other reusable materials. Clean out your closet and donate your unused items to charity!

Buy Locally, Cook Seasonally

Visit a local farmer's market or start your own vegetable garden!  Gardening is a wonderful way to gain an appreciate on how much we depend on Mother Nature for survival. Choose local and organic foods that are in season, and support local farmers.Buying local or growing your own is environmentally friendly and will save on fuel and keep money within the community. Growing your own fruits and vegetables is also a great family activity! 

Get Outside! Get inspired!

There is no other way to get back in touch with nature than to get outside and actually experience its many wonders. Go for a walk, ride your bike, grab your favorite book and a lawn chair.  Get outside, breathe in the air, feel the sun on your face and appreciate this beautiful planet we call home. 

Although Earth Day is a great reminder for all of us to be environmentally conscious, don't let your environmental actions stop once April 23 hits. Make every day Earth Day.

How do you celebrate Mother Nature?

Introducing Batty's Bath

Growing up I definitely had my awkward moments, especially 1999-2000... the year of the glasses, braces and thick caterpillars creeping across my forehead. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.

Even though perfect teeth and vision weren't in my favour growing up, one thing I was blessed with was good skin. Throughout elementary school, high school and even into university, I could put whatever crap I wanted on my face, go to sleep without washing it off and not suffer any consequences. I really didn't know how good I had it.

As I get older, my skin has definitely begun to change and is no longer as forgiving. Hormones, stress, the humid summers and harsh winters have all taken a toll on my skin. 

Jamie, aka 'Batty', has her own story about her skin struggles. Growing up with acne, she decided to do her own research to find a solution becoming a 'self-created skin care expert'.  She took her thousands of hours of research and started Batty's Bath, a botanical skin care and soap company based near my stomping grounds, London, ON. Batty crafts every. single. product by hand in her two-room home laboratory, and uses fresh herbs grown with love in her very own garden and other organic and ethically sourced ingredients. All products are vegetarian friendly and certified "cruelty free" by the Leaping Bunny Program & by PETA. This girl is committed to planet-friendy, people-friendly and animal-friendly ingredients.

Some of Batty's current top sellers:

Patchouli & Grapefruit Olive Oil Facial Soap for Acne Prone Skin 

If you often have break outs and are looking for a soap to help you get your problem skin under control - this is the soap for you! If you're looking for a soap to keep your skin clean, controlled, smooth, and soft - This is still the soap for you! ($7.00 CDN)

Patchouli Facial Moisturizer 

Infused with Patchouli Essential Oil, this formula is specifically made for sensitive and problem skin. Patchouli Essential Oil is known for it’s unique ability to combat skin irritations, acne and inflammation. ($12.00 CDN)

Soothing Eye Gel 

Batty’s Soothing Eye Gel is a natural wake me up for the delicate skin around your eyes! It is loaded with skin supporting benefits thanks to carefully hand picked ingredients including antioxidant packed extracts of carrot, coffee, green tea, cucumber, and apple, plus soothing rose hydrosol (floral water) and skin protecting vitamin E. ($11.00 CDN)


Make sure to go check out Batty's Bath for more great products. And while you're shopping, stop by her blog, where she gives a behind the scenes look at the love that goes into her products. Sign up for her skin care videos and inspiring how-to's and you'll receive a coupon for free shipping off your first order!

Find Batty and her fabulous products here:

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Earth Hour 2014

As global citizens, we are witnessing the devastating effects of climate change, and we understand that these impacts are a result of human behaviour that will, without action, only get worse. 

Since 2007, millions of people across the world have rallied together in a symbolic demonstration for action on climate change. It all starts with a simple flick of the lights at 8:30pm on March 29. This hour of darkness is a time to come together to display our commitment to the one thing that unites us all, the planet.

This global phenomenon and the largest grassroots action in history is called Earth Hour.

This year when you turn off your lights, take a moment of darkness, a moment of reflection and introspection, be inspired to choose a future where climate change is no longer a threat. Earth Hour is a chance to step away from our every day activities and think about what is happening to our planet, what we'd like to see in the future, and most importantly, how we can help. For one hour, focus on your commitment to our planet for the rest of the year, and into the future. Why do you care about the planet? Why is making a difference and making a change important to you? 

So, join millions of people across the world who will switch their lights OFF q for an hour on March 29 at 8:30pm, all to raise awareness for the planet. Instead have a candle lit dinner, take  a nap, read a book by flashlight, talk with friends, stargaze, play board games, join a community event, or reflect on the changes you will make this year. The possibilities are endless. 

Whatever you chose to do for the hour, know that hundreds of millions of others across the global will be doing the same. Uniting behind a common goal provides a powerful message that WE CAN make a difference. 

We only have one planet, you can help protect it.

Will you join me?

The feeling of home.

I had first heard about Evergreen Brick Works this past summer from my brother, who raved about their summer farmer's market. But, being located across the city from us, it is a little difficult to spontaneously visit. So, when I had the opportunity to visit last week, I jumped on it. And I'm glad I did.

When I walked in the front door, I was smacked in the face by the smell of Whole Foods. You know, that feel good, organic-y, granola-y smell? I was instantly in love. From the smells and sights, to the history and mission of EBW, this place is totally... me.

From the late 1880s up until the 1980s, the Don Valley Brick Works was one of Canada's busiest brickyards, supplying bricks used in the construction of homes and buildings across Canada, including iconic landmarks in the city of Toronto. But, when the clay ran out, the factory had to close its doors, leaving all of the old infrastructure behind. The City of Toronto and Toronto Region Conservation Authority took advantage of the opportunity to turn the buildings of the abandoned industrial site into a lively and engaging community environmental centre to help create a greener future for the city.

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EBW opened with the notion that 80% of Canadians live in cities and that as a whole, we are losing touch with nature. It consists of 16 remaining heritage buildings and an adjacent 16 hectare public park that includes wetlands, hiking trails and wildflower meadows, and is a safe haven for urban wildlife. It is the perfect year-round living demonstration of how past and present can work together to create greener models for urban living. Because of this, it has been recognized by National Geographic as one of the top 10 geo-tourism destinations in the world. 

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Evergreen Brick Works is an escape from urban life, and it is exactly what I needed to feel at home.

Do you have a special place in your town that makes you feel at home?