Valentine’s Day is getting close and that means lots of chocolate. The annual world consumption of cocoa beans averages around 600,000 tons per year. But do you know how your chocolate was made? 70% of the world’s chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast where most of the chocolate is farmed using child labor. Don’t worry…
Category Archives: Blog
A Greener Olympics?
I live in suburban Vancouver, BC. This week the 2010 Winter Olympic Games will open in my region, and people are excited. The Torch is making its way through local communities, people are wearing their Team Canada gear, and dozens of cultural events are kicking off. The city is ready to celebrate and capitalize on…
Why My Kids Ride the Bus
Because I make them. It’s as simple as that. Just like I make them turn off lights when the leave a room and make them turn off the tap water while brushing their teeth and make them place empty cereal boxes in the recycling bin. They don’t like it much. They say the bus smells…
To Eat or Exfoliate?
I’m a food writer and a gardener. I never thought I’d say that — even to myself, let alone out loud — and yet, here I am. Late January is blowing in with wind and ice and seed catalogs galore are gracing my mailbox — and I am itching to dig in the dirt. I…
The Dinner Co-Op: an Easy Way to be Green?
A number of years ago, an acquaintance of mine belonged to a dinner co-op. The concept was simple: four friends (living on the same block) shared the burden of the evening meal. Each friend was assigned one day of the week (Monday through Friday) and on her assigned day, cooked dinner for all four families….
My own time… a “time in”
The air is crisp, and there are (almost) daily visits of “Jack” frost. The trees are just about completely barren and in town there’s the buzz of holiday excitement. This past weekend we had our first local indoor Winter Farmer’s Market. All the signs indicate the holidays are around the corner! The end of this week marks…
Make Christmas Meaningful
Just walk in to any big box store and you will see what Christmas has become. It’s all about shopping and rushing around. People are stressed and end up in debt. Christmas used to be about family and memories and now it’s just about stuff. Why not work to change that with your family this…
Great “Green” Toys
Last week, I shared some of my ideas for what makes a good kid toy. This week, I would like to share with you some sources and suggestions for toys that are durable, fun, useful and green! Next week is Thanksgiving and as we know the day after T-day the Christmas spending season begins. However, some folks (like me) observe a…
Greening Up Isn’t Just for You
This time of year, the urge to splurge on family is everywhere. While the sentiment is nice that we “greenies” are reminded of certain candles to avoid, of how to reuse packaging, and how to keep our holidays green in general, one thing seems to be forgotten: nature itself. While many of us enjoy using…
Greener Cleaning
It was just five months ago when my husband and I moved our family into an 1852 single-family farm home. There was so much we loved about our new home: the increase in living space, the playroom, two large bathrooms, the character that comes with an old home. We saw past the much-needed improvements, looking…
