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F*@k Plastic!

May 4, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

I didn’t say it! THEY did.

This is the Cheeky Bag and it is the signature tote from Me + You.

Me + You use use low impact dyes, recycled textiles, organic cotton and vegan leather for their totes. They source materials locally.

Check out their gorgeous CUSTOM bags here. I always have major respect for businesses who choose their bags with both style and earth in mind.

Me + You have teamed up with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to promote the Pink Bag Campaign. When you buy this bag 50% of the proceeds will go to the CBCF to fund valuable research.

They are also big advocates for the fight against plastic bags.

Beware the mass produced “reusable” bags from China… these are NOT helping the plastic bag problem.

A great Mother’s Day gift… for me + you!

Filed Under: Green Home, Health, How To Go Green Tagged With: Ban plastic bags, cloth bags, reusable bags

How does your Tuna stack up?

April 28, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

Greenpeace’s 2nd Annual Tuna Ranking tells us that there has been change for the better in the Canadian Tuna market.

Gold Seal gets a gold star, as it has committed to source 100% of their skipjack tuna from sustainable resources.

Ocean’s brand was the first to implement a low impact fishing method and others have followed, committing to sourcing tuna more responsibly.

As well they should, tuna stocks are plummeting from overfishing and bad fishing practices that threaten sharks, turtles and other sea life as well.

BRAND TO AVOID: Clover Leaf

“Despite interest from Clover Leaf customers and the public in having Canada’s largest canned seafood brand stop sourcing from destructive fisheries, the company has yet to source from or admit to exploring alternatives. There is a real disconnect between the company’s sustainability commitments and what is found in Clover Leaf brand cans. There is also no timeline to indicate when this will change.”

It really makes a difference where you chose to spend your dollars. Even that can of tuna is an important decision!

Since finding out about this Greenpeace ranking, my tuna has stacked up nicely!!

{ images via here and here }

Filed Under: Health, How To Go Green Tagged With: sustainable fishing, tuna

Sock Monkey Love

April 17, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

Isn’t this the CUTEST face you’ve EVER seen??

Kat Thorsen is the Guru of Sock Monkey making. She makes adorable classic “Red Heeled” Sock Monkeys and she makes High Art Sock Monkeys.

This little guy is made with recycled yarn and hemp yarn and I’m smitten.

You can visit Kat’s ETSY site here. And you can read more about this Hemp Sock Monkey here.

Apologies for my absence of late, I was away visiting my lovely sister Erin and her sweet baby boy Alfie. (And the rest of my family was able to meet my little guy!!) It was a heartwarming adventure… and travelling with a 6 month old is VERY tiring!!

But worth it. xox

Filed Under: Eco Fashion, How To Go Green Tagged With: Hemp socks, Kat Thorsen, recycled yarn, Sock Monkey

Say no to GMO. You are not an experiment.

March 27, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

I am so happy to know about The Non-GMO Project.

Finally, a reliable verification system to ensure what we are buying is not genetically modified.

Their strategy is to empower consumers to make change through the marketplace. And it’s getting some traction, right now there are a growing number of consumers demanding government mandated labelling of GMO products.

The most common GMOs are soy, cotton, canola and corn, many of these appear as added ingredients in a large amount of the foods we eat.

Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries, including Australia, Japan, Germany, Hungary, Peru and all of the EU countries, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs.

Purchasing GMO-free foods isn’t only about health, it’s about not contributing to bully corporations like Monsanto.

And I hate bullies.

{Photo Credit: Lindsay Stradtner}

More info on GMO-free verified products HERE.

More info about GMO’s HERE.

Check out what Lundberg Family Farms has to say about GMO’s and why they are proud to be Non-GMO Project verified.

Check out 15 ways to Take a stand against Monsanto and avoid GMO foods.

Filed Under: Health, How To Go Green Tagged With: GMO-free, Non GMO Project

Baby’s firsts: Food… or should I say… Mush.

March 19, 2012 By Ecobravo 2 Comments

The babe is just starting on solid food. What a new transition! I need to wrap my head around this new phase and get organized.

I want to make his food myself. So I looked for a book to help me out. I spotted Tyler Florence’s “Fresh Start” at our local Whole Foods or this book that I found online.

I’ve decided to start him with Avocado. The very first food is a big decision! Then I will make my way through the veg’s although I’d prefer to give him the fun stuff now. Like banana, pear and applesauce. I want him to get the taste for veg first.

I might be naive… does it really matter what order it’s given?

In my search online I found this website that helped with my decision:

Avocado makes a great first food for baby due to its texture and creaminess; an extra bonus is that avocado is full of “good” fats and has a high nutrient content!

Avocados are often called one of nature’s perfect foods because they are said to contain everything a person needs to survive. A wonderful “good fat” food for baby’s brain and physical development, try an avocado as baby’s first food instead of refined cereals.

I will be referencing this website a lot in my baby food adventures. I like the whole food approach. Organic whenever possible.

Weelicious is a popular website for baby, toddler and kid foodstuffs. I like her ingenuity with recipes, like Mango, Apple, Carrot Puree.

I will definitely be trying that one out!

I heard that it takes 27-30 introductions to food until the baby really gets into it…

here we go!!

Filed Under: Baby, Health Tagged With: baby food, Baby's first food, biodegradable, whole food

PVC-free and why should I care?

March 15, 2012 By Ecobravo 1 Comment

On the search for a PVC-free rain cover for the stroller. It’s tough. I haven’t succeeded yet. Living in the Pacific Northwest, it rains. A lot. I’ve been draping a lovely Aden and Anaïs blanket over our stroller but it’s just not cutting it.

Considering I bought a PVC-free shower curtain liner, why would I want my baby to breathe in the off-gas of a PVC stroller cover? I can find PVC-free shower liners (or better yet, fabric liners) easily but it’s not the same for baby accessories.

Do you know about vinyl? You know that ‘new car smell’… well it’s the same with your shower curtain, the PVC contains high concentrations of phthalates. Phthalates are b-a-d. One study found that new shower curtains release over 100 VOCs into the air the first month alone. We’ve got a trinity of bad plastic toxins to avoid: PVC, BPA and VOC’s. Some laws have been passed limiting these toxins but not nearly enough.

Do I have to give in and purchase a toxic rain cover??

Or just keep getting wet?

Read more from the EWG on phthalates here and on BPA here.

If I do purchase a PVC stroller cover, I’ll look on Craigslist first, at least it will be off-gassed and reused!

Update: Orbit Baby online is the only place that I have found to sell PVC and BPA free plastics for stroller and car seat. They have their own collection… I have read that the PVC free stroller cover fits some other stroller models, such as McLaren, Peg Perego and Bugaboo. Unfortunately not the Mountain buggy (that I inherited from a sweet friend). So I’m still on the lookout!

Filed Under: Baby, Health Tagged With: Aden and Anaïs, BPA-free, PVC-free, stroller, toxins

Do you have a hanky handy?

March 2, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

Ok maybe hankies aren’t something you’d want to ‘borrow’…

Now even more reason to get your own.

The designs couldn’t be cuter… or could they?

I’ve heard a rumour Hank & Cheef will be designing a line of handkerchiefs specifically for the little ones in our life.

These 100% organic cotton hankies are designed, printed and sewn in Vancouver, BC.

Considering that we spend $30,000 in a lifetime on tissues, these modern, eco-friendly hankies are more than welcome.

What?? I know… right?

Economical, handy and cute. Hankies have made a comeback.

Makes a great gift!

Eco Cred: Organic cotton ethically sourced from Turkey. Printed with water-based dyes.

Also… if you wash your sweater with your forgotten sniffle surprise… you won’t get bits of tissue everywhere!!

Now that’s handy.

Visit Hank & Cheef here.

Filed Under: Baby, How To Go Green Tagged With: handkerchief, Hank and Cheef, Organic Cotton

Reduce, Reuse, Re-Fashion!

February 22, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

Mark your calendars ladies!

April 21, 2012. You can go shopping. In someone else’s closet!

Vancouver’s only re-sale fashion event.

Brands that will be available at the sale include:

Aritizia, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Coach, Holt Renfrew, Club Monaco, BCBG, Nine West and more.

If you have a closet full of impulse buys you’d like to sell, go here.

(Only accepting vendor applications until March 1. Hurry!)

If you have a closet in need of some new(ish) duds, go here.

Whatever you do… Go to the Roundhouse on April 21.

A fabulous idea.

See you there!

images via here and here.

Filed Under: Eco Fashion Tagged With: paris fashion week, Re-Fashion

I can’t get enough: Post-it Notes

February 16, 2012 By Ecobravo Leave a Comment

Have you ever really thought about Post-it notes?

In our house we use these handy little sticky notes for everything.

From grocery lists to…

wish lists to…

to-do lists to…

meal planning to…

“have a good day honey” notes…

As you can see, Post-it notes are kind of a thing around here.

I buy the recycled notes. It’s an option. A good one.

Even if you can’t convince your office to change… at least 3M, the company that manufactures Post-it’s, is admirably doing the right thing:

All Post-it® paper is sourced from paper mills that are certified for sustainable forest management.

All Post-it® Notes are recyclable. Please recycle.

All Post-it® Notes sold in the U.S.A. are made in the U.S.A.

Post-it® Recycled Notes include a minimum of 30 percent post- consumer content.

Eco Cred: Recycled Notes are made from a minimum of 30% post-consumer content. The harder to find but better: Greener Notes are made with 100% recycled materials and a plant-based adhesive. We are hoping that 3M will become a leader in sustainably as per their initiatives.

More info on 3M sustainability here.

Buy a better sticky note.