tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6874650130178271112012-01-24T16:17:15.168-05:00Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.comBlogger1771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-50501786088034368482011-07-19T22:10:00.005-04:002011-07-19T22:54:44.046-04:00

Inspired by Unstuffed and her foraging finds, I have been keeping my eyes peeled in my neighbourhood.Today I found a patch of wild black raspberries! It was a prickly, mosquito filled harvesting experience. But worth it for about a cup and a half of berries.Initially I wasn't sure if they were black raspberries or blackberries so I asked my folks and learned that black raspberries are hollow in

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-10372878523755972492011-06-28T21:26:00.004-04:002011-06-28T21:52:52.608-04:00

I came across some milkweed in various stages of flowering this weekend and vaguely remembered that you could turn something from the milkweed plant into a caper-like product. So I picked some flowerbuds just in case.When I got home I did some research and learned that you can make 'capers' from either the flower buds (harvested when the buds are slightly loose and green) or from the seed pods (

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-52123937607677282922011-05-24T21:17:00.005-04:002011-05-24T22:05:36.740-04:00

It's official - I am addicted to Etsy. Thanks in large part to certain bloggers who keep posting about awesome locally made upcycled clothes and furniture they've found (I'm looking at you Heartfelt!).Today I found some beautiful wedding rings made from recycled gold and silver from the AnneHolman etsy shop. I mean come on! Are these gorgeous or what?This made me think that I should finally

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-18320406430969171732011-05-23T22:11:00.005-04:002011-05-23T22:45:17.025-04:00

I spent a good part of the weekend filling* my new raised beds with sand and soil and then planting one of them with:3 types of tomatoes4 types of lettuce3 types of bush beanspeascarrotsbeets and radishesThis is my first year using the square foot method so I also spent some time googling this and learning how much of each type of veg can go in each square. Fortuitously, one of the search

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-46626335424046951592011-04-18T19:53:00.009-04:002011-04-18T22:16:05.673-04:00

I slacked off a little on my water conservation efforts this winter. I tried to keep taking navy showers but some days it was just too chilly and I wanted to leave the water on. It was my little luxury in a house where the thermostat is set to "cold enough you need to wear a toque".But now that it has warmed up I'm trying to get back into the habit. I'm making a special effort to reduce my

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-88036011261983720962011-01-31T09:37:00.004-05:002011-01-31T13:14:59.946-05:00

First of all - wow, it had been so long since I last blogged that I forgot my username. Took about 10 mins trying various combinations to remember it!Basically, I blame the puppy - who knew they were so much work?! ;-) Speaking of Henry, thanks to all the folks who left comments on my last blog post. We are going to install an in-ground dog waste composter in the spring. Turns out they have

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-11520637305200169382010-10-30T18:03:00.001-04:002010-10-30T18:03:51.582-04:00

Well the big news around our house lately is that we got a puppy. His name is Henry and he's part cuteness and part monster. But we love him always even when we are wondering if there is such a thing as catnip for dogs and if so, why did they stuff our couch with it?? And why didn't the SPCA tell us he has this addiction?Getting a puppy has had many unexpected consequences.... One of these is

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-51200022520430229962010-10-11T10:21:00.009-04:002010-10-12T21:45:14.827-04:00

I was going through a box of my grandad's things at my parents' house on the weekend and found a copy of a Woman's Day magazine from 1952. We'd kept it all these years because in it are the plans for the wooden farm that my grandad built for my dad and my aunt when they were little. This farm is amazing and includes a barn, a water tower, animals and more. I'll be posting the full instructions

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-86201092670500471852010-10-04T21:42:00.008-04:002010-10-05T21:43:50.792-04:00

One of my favourite things to do with damson plums is make damson vodka or damson gin. It's easy to make, is delicious and makes a great gift!You'll need:damson plums. For one jar you only need a half litre of plums. approx. 250ml of sugarapprox. 750ml gin or vodkaone litre glass jarSteps:1. Fill a jar half full to 2/3 full with damson plums. Prick each plum with something sharp before adding

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-45016199809767921002010-09-30T16:51:00.002-04:002010-09-30T17:17:03.637-04:00

I received an email in my inbox today about the short amount of time left to save this wonderful forest. I've tweeted about Beaver Pond forest before but I don't think I've ever blogged about it. In short, it is something that we need to protect. It's unique. We are priviledged to have such biodiversity here in Ottawa. We shouldn't be bulldozing it.Below is the text from the email I

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-34500653229476770102010-09-16T20:59:00.006-04:002010-09-17T20:06:02.710-04:00

A really really free market is basically like a yard sale crossed with a farmers market. Except that everything is free.No really.Free.I'm so excited that this this weekend marks Ottawa's first really really free market!It's being organized by fullcircles ottawa. Here are the deets:Date: Saturday Sept. 18, 2010Time: 10:00-14:00 (drop off of items starts at 8:30)Location: 236 Levis Avenue, 1

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-73820778512509287202010-09-02T14:43:00.003-04:002010-09-02T14:58:18.411-04:00

You know the ones. They also brought us: The Meatrix, The Story of Stuff, The Bay vs. the Bag and the Mouth Revolution.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-60330084842860195782010-08-31T17:52:00.003-04:002010-08-31T18:07:41.674-04:00

Yep, it's true.I went to Dairy Queen.I know I shouldn't. I mean first of all: the food. This is not the gorgeous, local, fresh, organic food that I love. Can you say: GMOs and artificial flavouring and modified milk ingredients?? Second of all, like all fast food chains, they make a hideous amount of plastic garbage.I know all this. And yet inevitably, a few times a summer I end up at my

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-57605244432893820932010-08-21T23:30:00.002-04:002010-08-21T23:43:09.237-04:00

Today may have been grey and rainy but it happened to also be one of my favourite days so far this summer.First I headed to the farmer's market where I bought among other things: some organic corn, elderberries, blackberries, and a yellow watermelon on special because it had been dropped and was split (only $2!).At the market I met a dear friend and we proceeded on to the arboretum for a walk

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-35966289444642846372010-08-18T21:16:00.005-04:002010-08-18T21:59:07.667-04:00

Ok, just a quick one because I'm supposed to be working on my part of the urban livestock policy as part of the Food for All initiative (more on that later).But I thought it was important to procrastinate on that briefly to say "go and see the screening of The Clean Bin Project!". I went to see the Ottawa screening last night and it was really great. The Clean Bin Project movie is a documentary

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-44372795003356634482010-08-16T21:52:00.006-04:002010-08-16T22:34:46.083-04:00

This year we planted four english cucumber plants in the garden. This is probably too many for just two people but I'd never been successful with growing cucumbers before so wanted a backup in case any of them didn't take. Well I needn't have worried. They are growing like crazy! They even loved growing vertically which is perfect for our small urban space. Next year I'm going to put them up

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-56288880789265820562010-08-10T19:49:00.004-04:002010-08-10T20:36:10.453-04:00

Midway Atoll is one of the most remote places on earth. It is home to the majority of the world's Laysan Albatross and also a vast number of other birds and marine animals. Yet it has the misfortune of being near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Tragically, as a result, many adult albatross have been mistaking the plastic floating in the ocean for food and have been feeding it to their chicks.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-67455003600497039732010-08-09T11:09:00.001-04:002010-08-09T11:09:14.113-04:00

I wrote the text below a year ago. At the time I decided not to post it because it seemed too personal. But I want to post it now. You see, my grandad died a few weeks ago. I read this post at his funeral. ...My grandad lives in England. It's where I lived as well until I was 10. My grandad has advanced parkinsons and while he lives in his own flat, he has carers that come in regularly

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-59891528021330119052009-12-07T20:33:00.005-05:002009-12-07T21:32:33.253-05:00

Thanks to a series of random but fortuitous events, I ended up at Cyclelogik's 2nd Annual Christmas Art Show on Sat. night. What a great night. The walls were covered with art from 20 local artists (all of which was for sale). Plus there was amazing food by Essence catering and some great beats courtesy of Mr//Greg.But let's get to the point of this post - because it's not just about what I

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-15739758775382324572009-12-06T10:34:00.005-05:002009-12-06T11:52:06.736-05:00

I got a lovely surprise in the mail the other day.For participating in Fake Plastic Fish's Show Your Plastic Challenge (the one where I collect and weigh all the plastic garbage I create), I was entered in a draw to win a set of Glass Dharma straws.Amazingly, I won! :)I'm so excited to use them although truth be told I might not use them for a few months. We're expecting snow tonight so I'm

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-82867064436815661832009-11-27T14:51:00.004-05:002009-11-27T14:57:19.030-05:00

Thanks to These Days in French Life for this.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-67451600007568017252009-11-25T20:24:00.007-05:002009-11-25T21:42:36.864-05:00

A few posts ago, I briefly mentioned our office renovation project. Our office badly needed a reno as we've never had a proper office. What we had instead was a small room with a bunch of random furniture including a desk I'd had since I was about 14.Here is a glimpse of the mess that was our old desk (for some reason hubby didn't want me posting a pic of our entire office - whhhhyyyyyy?)Bad

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-20156000321363483802009-11-24T21:57:00.004-05:002009-11-25T11:22:34.075-05:00

This week someone tweeted a totally awesome article about how the largest contributor to climate change was the manufacture of goods. The article had a wicked pie chart which showed that buying less stuff would reduce our global climate footprint more than any other measure (e.g. if we all bought energy efficient appliances).It was such a great article. But I forgot to favourite it and now it

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-91659570833390355702009-10-29T16:58:00.002-04:002009-10-29T17:02:03.675-04:00

I was one of the many who retweeted this video on Twitter today. Thought it was important enough to post here as well.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-58540230669409540692009-10-27T20:40:00.006-04:002009-10-27T20:57:54.402-04:00

Check this out!Isn't it awesome?!Best buddy @resultsjunkie gave this to me yesterday. It's hand sewn using materials she bought when we went to the annual fabric flea market to benefit the Cambridge Street Community School.I'm so excited to have somewhere to put all my needles and sewing bits and pieces. Thanks @resultsjunkie!!!She's miles ahead of me. All the material that I bought is still

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-25646907941167778922009-10-26T21:35:00.007-04:002009-10-26T22:18:15.785-04:00

We've talked about my deodorant challenges before. Last time I brought it up I'd recently switched to using baking soda on my pits.Well it's confession time. After about 6 months of working like a freakin' miracle, the soda stopped doin' it for me. Just flat out quit.So since then I've been back to the addidas deo. Not because I love it but because it's the only product I can find without

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-2989842224261780582009-10-23T19:12:00.002-04:002009-10-23T20:04:43.776-04:00

This is big folks. Tck, Tck Tck says it is the world's most widespread political event in history.Actions have already started. Check out the 350.org website to get updates.If you are in Ottawa, join me and 000's of others for the Fill the Hill event. It starts at 12 and ends around 3pm. If you can't make it for the whole thing, the key time to be there will be from 2pm on.If you aren't in

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-15265255520088821092009-10-20T20:56:00.003-04:002009-10-20T21:19:26.216-04:00

Recyclable Items Plasticized milk carton (part of the curbside program but unsure how it's recycled)Non-recyclable Itemsplastic lined can (can is recyclable but the plastic lining isn't)plastic wrap from local cheesebag choc chips1 piece saran wrap(was used to cover pie brought home from M&D's)remains of a scrubber (used to wash dishes)two labels from local beauty products (came in glass jars)

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-61549955812069759342009-10-13T20:47:00.005-04:002009-10-13T21:10:14.414-04:00

Well it may have been Thanksgiving Monday here in Canada yesterday but it smelled like Christmas at chez green grrl.That's because I was busy whipping up a batch of watermelon rind pickle. I had thought my canning was finished for 2009 but when I cut into the local, organic watermelon I got at the farmers market and saw the thick white rind, I just couldn't let that rind go to waste.I know what

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-90824319184494125372009-10-12T19:58:00.009-04:002009-10-13T20:47:06.943-04:00

Here's the week 1 pic. As Beth (aka Fake Plastic Fish) suggested I didn't change any habits this week. This will be our baseline.As per the challenge rules, I need to answer some questions....Week #:1Name: Green grrlRecyclable Items 2 jugs (local apple cider) - recycling #2 - this is included in our curbside recyclingNon-recyclable Items1 potato chip bag1 package - organic sausages1 bag

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-30772648318686455102009-10-08T17:24:00.006-04:002009-10-08T17:56:13.753-04:00

And say I do not like auto flush toilets?Go in the stall with a coat and a bag and the dang thing flushes while you are hanging everything up.And if you don't stand perfectly still while doing the hover over the seat routine it will flush a few more times on you. Literally.AND if you don't get out of that stall lightning fast (e.g. don't dilly dally grabbing your coat and bag) it will flush

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-32324574950584904412009-10-04T18:28:00.002-04:002009-10-05T18:27:34.863-04:00

I've been a regular follower of Fake Plastic Fish for ages. If you haven't been to her blog, you should. On her blog, Beth itemizes and photographs the plastic garbage that she creates on a weekly basis. She has been doing this for over 2 years now, and for as long as I have been reading her blog I have been inspired by her dedication, and advocacy for plastic free living.Recently Beth tweeted

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-43196354814242822522009-09-26T08:48:00.003-04:002009-09-26T09:15:50.254-04:00

I love these days. The ones where the sun is shining, but you need a sweater to go outside. Maybe some fingerless gloves too. The air is fresh, and the colours are vivid.The garden is slowing down. Has been such a funny year. Up until yesterday we were still harvesting pole beans and zucchini. Good thing really because the zucchini didn't start producing until about a month ago. I don't

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-3371973054883116042009-09-24T21:43:00.004-04:002009-09-24T22:04:08.213-04:00

That even if I am just knitting or crocheting a swatch I MUST ball up a skein before using it.Because if I don't, I'll end up with this....I got the yarn from a small company in Stittsville that recycles yarn from old sweaters. They were called Fine Fibre Finds. Sadly I can't find them online anymore so I hope they are still around.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-14289075259230366942009-09-23T20:25:00.007-04:002009-09-23T20:55:09.587-04:00

I'm sorry you guys! I can't believe that it has been so long since I last posted anything. Especially because I have so much to tell! Like how we are renovating our office using all re-purposed and second hand materials, and how I found the perfect way to use up cherry tomatoes (roasted in the oven with garlic and turned into soup), and how I've had the dehydrator in over-drive (plums, pears,

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-63093538048117068232009-08-09T18:34:00.004-04:002009-08-09T18:46:22.942-04:00

Last year was the first year I attempted to can tomatoes. As I ordered approx. 60lbs of tomatoes, I was able to make all sorts of canned tomato goodies including: chopped tomatoes, tomato ketchup and the most amazing salsa.I used this recipe from Ferdzy over at Seasonal Ontario Food. If you are even thinking of canning salsa this year, please give this recipe I try. It's the closest to fresh

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-45716797893231111972009-07-26T19:01:00.008-04:002009-08-01T12:32:19.412-04:00

A number of years ago, having just graduated university, I decided to take a course in something 'I actually found interesting'. Of course with the distance of time, I recognize that I actually enjoyed a lot of the courses I took for my degree. But at the time, university had worn me out. And I wanted to learn something fun.So I took a course in Aromatology at Algonquin College (which sadly is

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-8233714350549323132009-07-11T12:22:00.004-04:002009-07-11T12:33:46.572-04:00

I put out a request to my work colleagues for old t-shirts and got bags and bags of them. I was going to use them all to make another t-shirt rug but after seeing this tutorial on Instructables for t-shirt necklaces I had to make one of them as well.It was so easy! Took all of 10 mins. I really like it. Think I need to make a few more in different colours.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-32502842236799543132009-07-02T11:26:00.005-04:002009-07-02T11:32:25.071-04:00

Not sure why but one of my 2 sets of raspberry canes (they are in different areas of the garden) is already fruiting. No complaints here though. :)Hello breakfast!

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-87642899422253471492009-06-30T22:52:00.002-04:002009-06-30T23:12:29.428-04:00

Unsure what to bring as a present to a one year old's b'day party, when not buying anything new, I decided on a bag of mini bean bags. I was able to make the bean bags from scraps of fabric so didn't have to buy anything except for the lentils to fill them with. Which is the other benefit aside from fun - if there is ever a food shortage (ahem, peak oil), the bean bags are full of food!Hubby

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-48139238240740656502009-06-21T11:36:00.003-04:002009-06-21T12:01:13.229-04:00

I can't believe how easy these scones are to make. They were perfect for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast. I wasn't sure if the stone ground kamut flour would work as I've only ever eaten scones made with white flour before. But it totally did. In fact I think I prefer them to the ones made with white flour.Here's the recipe:3 cups flour (I used local kamut flour from Little Stream bakery)1/3

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-68785209673783832512009-06-18T18:19:00.004-04:002009-06-18T18:27:35.305-04:00

I'm going to have to get some rain gear. Because biking for 45 mins in the rain in rolled up jeans is not practical!Although I have to admit there is something about riding in the rain and getting soaked that made me feel like big kid. I'm pretty sure I was smiling the whole way home. :-)And that's basically all I have to say about that so Mum and Mom in law, you can stop reading now.Ok, now

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-74872001246352153812009-06-14T17:18:00.006-04:002009-06-14T17:22:54.868-04:00

Home-made honey vanilla chocolate chunk gelato. Made with the hand crank ice cream maker I got at the Salvation Army 2 weeks ago. Also with local honey and egg, and relatively local organic milk and cream (non-local vanilla and fair trade choc).Enjoyed with best friends.Does it get any better?

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-72003832993447380392009-06-12T20:23:00.009-04:002009-06-12T20:53:22.559-04:00

Thought I'd make a quick list of what we have growing this year in our small 33'x 20' urban backyard (part of which is patio). It doesn't get any more local than this!Fruit:RaspberriesGooseberries (although they are in even worse shape than they were here)Blackberries (new this year so won't fruit until next year)Veg:Potatoes - yukon gold (using the tower method)Beans - hopi black, scarlet

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-75093908535826887542009-06-11T22:21:00.008-04:002009-06-12T08:05:33.351-04:00

Got a bunch of old t-shirts kicking around? Perhaps you bought them at concerts years ago, or perhaps you were given them for participating in a sporting event. Either way, we both know you aren't going to wear them. The most action they are going to get is being slept in. If they are lucky.Meanwhile they take up room in your drawers making it hard to find the shirts you DO want to

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-72102025969990804602009-06-01T19:55:00.008-04:002009-06-01T21:12:55.362-04:00

Is this not the most gorgeous piece of retro awesomeness you have ever seen?First of all... the colours? Perfect.Second of all, its an appliance whose sole purpose is to shave ice. Ah shaved ice. Third - it doesn't require any electricity to run.Fourth - I got it for $3.99 at the Salvation Army. (so I don't have to count it in my total spending for the month in the consumer goods category of

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-76431143097994145962009-05-31T20:06:00.004-04:002009-05-31T21:00:46.663-04:00

Some of you might be thinking that delicious and vegan are mutually exclusive. You'd be so wrong!I've been doing lots of vegan cooking lately thanks to inspiration from two totally amazing vegan sites. You have to check them out. If for no other reason than the pictures will make you drool. The sites are Vegan Yum Yum and Vegan Dad. Over the last 2 days I've made the following and all were

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-28218343599711539612009-05-30T08:20:00.004-04:002009-05-30T08:54:51.289-04:00

This is a really easy project done entirely by hand - no sewing machine required!Originally I had intended to make a camera bag and not a messenger bag. I was inspired to do this by this awesome post on the Wired - How To Wiki. But the bag I got wasn't quite right to make that work. Plus I didn't want to buy that dense foam stuff. So I made a messenger bag instead and hubby is using it as his

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-17502611992231391152009-05-28T13:17:00.003-04:002009-05-28T13:41:16.053-04:00

Well I've certainly learned a lot over the last 2 days. Including that I can attend a conference taking place in Denmark virtually (kudos to the OECD folks for such a fantastic video connection - superb quality).Today's afternoon sessions focused on summarizing key messages and recommendations. I'm including them below in their preliminary state (the comments from participants have not yet been

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-16452856122740726942009-05-28T10:00:00.005-04:002009-05-28T13:07:17.051-04:00

In the keynote speeches yesterday we heard about the aggressive greening targets that have been set by the Korean government in their recovery package. Perhaps key in this plan is the development of an ultra green, 1 Gbps wired (10 Mbps wireless), 2-way, broadband network. This network will allow Korea to reach the goal of having 20% of public institution employees teleworking by 2013, and will

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-15524550797124186252009-05-28T04:42:00.009-04:002009-05-28T06:45:10.079-04:00

So much in fact that I want to share a number of links:There has been a lot of discussion about the importance of improving data centre efficiency. The EU has developed a code of conduct on this subject that appears at first glance to be quite comprehensive.As expected the 2% figure that accounts for the contribution to global emissions from the ICT sector has been frequently mentioned. But

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-47297435077112847312009-05-27T19:32:00.004-04:002009-05-28T06:41:30.619-04:00

This morning, former Prime Minister Esko Aho outlined his 7 plus 1 rules that he used to address the serious economic situation Finland was facing in 1991.These rules really resonated with me. Especially as it was noted that they would be equally useful in addressing the climate crisis. They are:1. Work with the worst case scenario - take facts seriously2. A strategy is required to move

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-42525843404902707292009-05-27T12:22:00.009-04:002009-05-28T06:40:04.603-04:00

Photo care of: Photo MojoThe factors that contribute to behaviour change have long been an interest of mine. While I try to never preach when discussing my personal carbon footprint reduction efforts, that does not mean that I am uninterested in affecting change on a large scale. In the afternoon session of today's OECD ICT conference, the behaviour change that was discussed centred around green

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-44446109754972069282009-05-27T04:43:00.009-04:002009-05-28T06:40:26.080-04:00

As I sat in front of my computer this morning at 3am, all I could think of was how lucky I am to have the opportunity to attend this conference!How often does one get to hear a former prime minister, and prominent members of industry and government from around the world, speak about greening. Not only greening but greening of, and using, IT. A subject near and dear to my heart.The key messages

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-85480519216387646582009-05-26T20:29:00.005-04:002009-05-26T21:16:47.866-04:00

I don't talk a lot about the work that I do from 9-5. The short version is that I work in IT for the Canadian gov't.Lately I have been extremely lucky to be able to combine my passion for greening with the work that I do in IT. For the past 4 months I have been co-leading a task team responsible for planning and implementing a green IT vision for my department. Along these lines I'm planning a

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-48183049346079625192009-05-24T12:56:00.005-04:002009-05-24T13:30:22.951-04:00

and you buy too much stuff at the farmers' market, you have to improvise!This is a great way to keep greens fresh without refrigeration. Works for herbs too. On the left is arugula and on the right is swiss chard. Both bought yesterday from the Organic Farmers' Market. The swiss chard is starting to wilt so I'll be cooking that up tonight. But the arugula is going strong.Hopefully soon I'll

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-58704996063129606252009-05-21T22:29:00.004-04:002009-05-21T22:57:04.161-04:00

Thanks to everyone for the help on the raspberries! I went with a multi-pronged approach and have been pulling off leaves that are in bad shape AND making sure they are getting enough water. The leaf situation has not gotten worse. I still don't know what's doing it but it seems to be under control.Sadly, the gooseberries are another story. I wasn't so worried about them at first - I knew they

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-66934217804996817602009-05-20T22:22:00.006-04:002009-05-20T23:16:22.151-04:00

This is my bike. I love this bike. I love it because it has a basket in the back I can put my purse in. I love it because nothing is quick release so I don't have to worry about wheels, the seat etc being stolen. I love it because my best buddy (@resultsjunkie) bought it for me for my birthday from a second hand bike shop. And now I love it because for the last 2 weeks, this baby has been

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-65063212187076756802009-05-16T14:18:00.002-04:002009-05-16T14:21:12.959-04:00

He's not so little any more. Happy birthday old man. :)

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-76972404459256442352009-05-11T21:32:00.004-04:002009-05-11T21:40:53.056-04:00

I've been closely monitoring my raspberries this year because every year I get fairly major leaf damage. This year I am determined to beat whatever is eating them. I had assumed that the problem was spider mites. So I dutifully mulched and made sure they got lots of water (not hard since we've had a good amount of rain so far this spring).But that hasn't seemed to have helped. I went out to

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-48850321303786934262009-05-07T21:12:00.005-04:002009-05-07T21:17:31.718-04:00

Was digging over the main vegetable patch last night (was mixing in some compost to give the soil a boost), and almost dug up this little guy!Never had a pea volunteer before. I let him be and planted some broad beans next to him. First planting of the season. :-)Next on the list of things to tackle - thinning the raspberries that are starting to take over.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-32023261445596059212009-05-02T19:33:00.000-04:002009-05-03T22:10:53.587-04:00

If you haven't done so already, I strongly recommend wandering over to Unstuffed to read all about the wild foraging course she is attending.In her first class this week, she learned about fiddleheads (among other things). Apparently you can tell the edible ones (the Ostrich ferns) from the others by the deep groove they have in the stems.I have always wondered if the ferns I have in my backyard

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-20811567408161065652009-04-26T18:14:00.007-04:002009-04-27T15:08:06.106-04:00

I bought some clothes last weekend. This was very exciting because:I hadn't intended to (don't you always find the best clothes when you aren't really looking?) and Because I actually can't remember the last time I bought clothes. I bought those shoes last November but clothes? Dang, I think it's been at least a year and a half. To be fair, I have recieved some second hand clothes as gifts

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-9023562543625933782009-04-23T08:33:00.005-04:002009-04-23T08:38:56.196-04:00

Thomas Homer-Dixon and William Marsden will be talking about climate change, peak oil and how these two are defining our future. It's one of the great talks happening at the Ottawa Writers Fest. Someone please go and tell me about it - I'm sick and hubby is making me stay in bed (had to sneak out to write this!!). :-)THE BIG IDEA: CARBON SHIFTwith Thomas Homer-Dixon and William MarsdenTickets:

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-72570977078309035192009-04-20T21:50:00.001-04:002009-04-20T21:53:31.654-04:00

We got our taxes done over the weekend (big thanks to my fab sister-in-law who gave us a hand). Since we rent out the apartment on the main floor, we get to include half of the shared expenses on our taxes. This includes among other things, water and heat.Photo by ArtemFinland Because I'm soooooo organized (ha!), I have a spreadsheet that I update once a year with the monthly and yearly

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-68940769871720105932009-04-16T07:52:00.001-04:002009-04-16T07:54:11.807-04:00

On Saturday the folks at The Great Refrigerator Roundup, took away our (estimated) 20 year old fridge to be recycled.As it had been a year and a half since we last had that old clunker plugged in we thought it was pretty safe to send it off to be with the great refrigerator in the sky.Now we are wondering what to do with this space. Especially since as you'll notice, part of the floor under the

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-82033238198595448222009-04-13T17:26:00.008-04:002009-04-14T18:55:28.814-04:00

Well it's no surprise but I've been a bit lazy about keeping track of our garbage. It's not that we are producing a lot, its that it's such a pain in the ass to weigh everything each week.But I decided to do it this week because it's been 9 weeks (!) since we last took out our blue box (plastic and aluminum recycling). And while it is quite full, it isn't even that heavy - only 9lbs.In order to

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-54440212016753064282009-04-13T15:58:00.006-04:002009-04-13T16:55:34.720-04:00

A friend gave me a recipe for cinnamon cake which I wanted to make today. So I strolled over to the grocery store all set to buy some cinnamon. I normally get my spices from Herb and Spice because they sell spices in bulk but I didn't have time to walk all the way over there so I decided to get some at the store around the corner instead. But when I got there and saw all the spices in their

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-77972339596628666622009-04-12T10:30:00.006-04:002009-04-12T21:13:56.450-04:00

I got a comment from Stephen the other day asking about the Canadian stats in the right nav. Stephen mentioned that he'd been looking around and found some stats but was not able to find one definitive source for all these stats (in one place).I encountered the same thing when I was doing my research. I was not able to find one source for all the Riot for Austerity stats. But I did find some

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-4911411631634840452009-04-06T17:03:00.002-04:002009-04-06T17:06:08.288-04:00

After making a utensil carrying case for my friend Unstuffed in trade for some yoga instruction, I decided to make one for myself. I designed it to fit these funny forkknifespoon combo thingys I was given a few years ago. They're a little awkward but they are lightweight which is a bonus because my purse is heavy enough! I also wanted to make sure there was enough room for my cloth napkin and

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-82084997550168097112009-04-05T21:15:00.005-04:002009-04-05T21:44:20.025-04:00

We had a great time today at the annual family day at our local sugar shack.First we ate a delicious breakfast smothered in syrup. The guy handing out the styrofoam plates said "thanks!" when he saw I had my own plate. :)After eating, we wandered around looking at the sled dogs. I SO wanted to take the one home that cried every time someone stopped petting him. Then we checked out the

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-74234884436671133592009-03-28T12:21:00.003-04:002009-03-28T12:51:14.860-04:00

We won't be wandering downtown this year to see the lights go off like we did last year.Instead we are going to eat a veggie meal via beeswax candlelight*, then we are going to go around the house unplugging everything (it doesn't just have to be about the lights!), then at 8:30 we're going to walk around our neighbourhood for the hour. Luckily we are at 14 degrees here in Ottawa today so it

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-55937574818369169222009-03-26T20:42:00.005-04:002009-03-26T21:12:27.088-04:00

I took the day off today and decided to try making my own crackers.It's been on my mind for a while because I'd like to have crackers made from local flour. And also because I'm trying to cut down on the amount of garbage/recycling we are creating. I used this recipe. I still can't believe how easy it was! Mix all the ingredients, roll out, bake and that's it! I used local spelt flour from

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-26570581030037018282009-03-18T20:19:00.003-04:002009-03-18T20:45:41.870-04:00

Saw this on David Suzuki's twitter today. It's a free book available for download on the tar sands. I've read the first little bit and so far it's good. Easy to read. Written by Andrew Nikiforuk. In fact there was a lot of green news on twitter today including:1. Shell's decision to stop all investment in renewable energy to focus instead on biofuels (from the Guardian). Like anyone needs

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-21738238430396560522009-03-15T11:56:00.007-04:002009-03-15T14:20:09.560-04:00

Photo by SnapWe've been thinking for a while about getting a water filtration system. And when I say thinking I mean, doing a bit of research, feeling overwhelmed with the number of options, and then not thinking about it for a month or so. This process has been going on for, oh, about a year. Ever since we learned we had lead pipes.We've had the water tested and it's within allowable levels.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-74303610757472374522009-03-09T21:37:00.004-04:002009-03-09T21:51:23.576-04:00

Well it's been 3 weeks since my last garbage confession.Here are the most recent stats:Garbage: 17lbsRecycling: 0lbs (this is mostly due to laziness - there is some out there, I've just haven't felt like taking it to the curb)Compost: 6lbs 14ozThat means for the last 3 weeks we are at 18% of average. Not bad. :)And for the last 8 weeks we are at 30% of average.(28%+62%+12%+30%+28%+18)/6

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-79045185408999447592009-03-07T13:13:00.001-05:002009-03-07T13:14:59.738-05:00

Just put mine out. It's a gorgeous sunny +6 degree C day here in Ottawa.Spring is in the air. :)

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-61328792000820595262009-03-03T21:17:00.005-05:002009-03-07T10:00:49.855-05:00

You'll never want to buy plastic bottles or use plastic bags again. Captain Charles Moore on Ted: Ideas Worth Spreading(thanks to Fake Plastic Fish for pointing it out)

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-66629405492057741622009-03-03T20:49:00.003-05:002009-03-03T20:52:05.290-05:00

There was a pretty kick ass article in the Citizen today. It's worth a read.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-63105712714648982132009-03-03T20:36:00.004-05:002009-03-03T20:48:45.093-05:00

I emailed the folks at Klean Kanteen last week because I needed a new silicone seal for my awesome stainless steel Klean Kanteen. I didn't want a whole new lid though, because my lid was fine. It was just the seal that wasn't. See there's a chance that I left some juice in there, and that *might* have caused mould to grow on the seal. Gross? Yes.Reason #1 I love Klean Kanteen: they offered

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-64294960547119859082009-02-28T22:07:00.003-05:002009-02-28T22:13:29.942-05:00

Found these babies under a box in our sunroom. I'd completely forgotten about them! They are our favourite variety - sweet orange cherries. Hadn't held out much hope that they would ripen. These were the hard green ones that were left after the plump green ones had ripened and were eaten. Was going to compost them but thought I'd leave them out just in case. Glad I did. They will make a

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-41564731151132387772009-02-22T12:56:00.013-05:002009-02-22T15:12:57.901-05:00

Lately I've been asked a lot about my influences - what was it that made me embark on this reduced footprint lifestyle?My quick answer is my most recent influence. The amazing bloggers I discovered in the last year and a half who are doing it and showing everyone that it is possible. First I found No Impact Man. Then I learned about the Riot for Austerity and found Sharon, Crunchy and Greenpa.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-21100779255993292812009-02-21T10:22:00.011-05:002009-02-21T16:22:22.700-05:00

Got a few bills recently so thought it would be good to do a proper tally of how we are doing in all the Riot for Austerity categories:Electricity: Not doing as well as last year. A number of factors have contributed to this 1. my health has not been great for the last 3 months. Getting better now but because of this we've had our electric heat in our bedroom turned up, and have been watching

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-28547617725463534082009-02-13T10:19:00.004-05:002009-02-13T11:13:38.100-05:00

Hope you liked the interview!If you are interested in hearing me blab more about my experiment with the fridge, you can check me out here, here, and here. If you want to read about the other things hubby and I are doing to reduce our carbon footprint, check out any categories that catch your interest in the navigation bar on the right.If you aren't up for unplugging your fridge but want to use

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-14562808734633880452009-02-09T13:02:00.004-05:002009-02-09T14:56:38.962-05:00

Garbage: 4.5lbsRecycling: 5lbs (this week was paper recycling)Compost: 3lbs 12ozTotal garbage and recycling = 9.5lbs (not counting compost as it is composted in our backyard)The average for 2 people is 32.2lbs. At 9.5lbs we are at 30% of average. So for the last 4 weeks: (28%+62%+12%+30%)/4=33% of averagePhoto by Editor B

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-43968119079610078012009-02-08T18:10:00.008-05:002009-02-08T18:41:21.320-05:00

Ok girls, if you are like me you have some low waisted jeans (because let's face it, the high waisted jean was a bad scene). If you do, you are definitely familiar with the 'cold back' phenomenon. You know what I'm talking about. You're wearing a great top that comes to just below the top of your jeans. No belly is showing. Things are good.And then you sit down.And bam! Suddenly your back

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-8467227145681896402009-02-06T21:57:00.003-05:002009-02-06T22:34:57.410-05:00

Well I did not expect quite this amount of interest. The no fridge story has since been picked up by various papers from The Globe and Mail to the Times of India.It's also been picked up by various bloggers who have said, among other things, that I am a:flakeidiot andextremistWell hi how are ya!? Thanks very much for formulating those opinions with very little information.Since the Times didn't

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-14555986528766782852009-02-05T11:46:00.002-05:002009-02-05T13:18:46.364-05:00

Will post more later but woo hoo!!New York Times baby!(think you have to log in to read it - but it's free)

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-28869158557265191552009-02-03T18:12:00.002-05:002009-02-03T18:19:31.058-05:00

Garbage: 4lbsRecycling (plastic and glass): 0lbs *Compost: 4.5lbs*there were a few cans in the box but nothing worth weighing - I'll include these items 2 weeks from now at the next plastic and glass recycling weigh inAs far as the Riot goes, for this week we are at 12% of average.4lbs (us) /32.2lbs(average)= 12%Or28%+62%+12%/3=34% of average over 3 weeks.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-78171353596794619432009-01-30T19:10:00.004-05:002009-02-07T09:17:03.355-05:00

My Nanna's watch has been sitting unloved at the bottom of my jewelry box for about 10 years.It was scratched, and a bit ugly - didn't have a strap and was instead on a piece of black elastic (on account of my Nanna's arthritis). It also didn't work.But last weekend I decided to dig it up. After going watch free for almost 8 years and cellphone free for the last year, I decided it was time for

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-55592098528507981682009-01-28T21:10:00.003-05:002009-01-28T21:30:15.065-05:00

Ended up at the Wild Oat tonight. Love that place. I think it's what hubby and I miss the most now that we no longer live in the Glebe. Turns out it was fortuitous for us to stumble in there tonight as it meant we learned about an event series that we might not have otherwise.It's called Science Cafe and it happens every second Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 at the Wild Oat. It's hosted by the

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-64815898540750115622009-01-27T17:45:00.007-05:002009-01-27T18:36:52.470-05:00

The cool thing about trying to keep my consumption of consumer goods to a minimum is that I get to avoid spending hours in shops looking for the perfect thing, likely not finding it and having to make do with a lesser option. Instead, I get to make exactly what I want to my own specifications.This crochet hook case is a good example. I made it over the last two nights with second hand cotton,

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-22175293010850904132009-01-25T21:56:00.003-05:002009-01-25T22:03:49.626-05:00

6lbs garbage3lbs compost14lbs recycling (paper)So that's 20lbs total (not counting compost). Yikes. We didn't do so great this week. In my defense we did decide to clean out the filing cabinet. Still I've always known we have too much paper recycling. Now I'm really motivated to do something about it.As far as the Riot goes, this week we are at 62% of average16.1x2=32.2 (for 2 people)20/32.2

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-58085558207662846332009-01-22T20:36:00.006-05:002009-01-22T20:50:36.001-05:00

Isn't if funny how sometimes the obvious things are the hardest to see?I've always used rubber gloves to do the dishes. Always.Never even questioned it.Even though I regularly punctured the right glove within a few weeks. Even when the pile of still intact but useless left gloves piled up. Even when I threw the torn/punctured gloves in the garbage. I continued to buy more gloves.But no more.

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-21244077588040011782009-01-20T12:43:00.002-05:002009-01-20T12:46:38.356-05:00

"And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. "-US President Obama's inaugural address

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-21447333441596173862009-01-19T21:46:00.004-05:002009-01-19T23:11:20.588-05:00

My armchair activism tonight consisted of signing Ecology Ottawa's petition to end the 40 day old Ottawa public transit strike.For those not from Ottawa, yep, that's right, the cosmopolitan centre that is Ottawa has been without public transit for 40 days.This article estimates that nearly 200,000 transit commuters are now driving to work. They then go on to estimate what the bus strike has cost

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-39585449998532806152009-01-18T16:37:00.011-05:002009-01-18T17:49:52.866-05:00

According to my fab remodeled bathroom scale, between the two of us, we made the following waste this week:Garbage: 5lbsCompost: 4lbsRecycling: 4lbs (this week is plastic and glass)That means we made a total of 9 lbs garbage which puts us at 28% of average.Photo by Editor BWhile we aren't counting our compost waste, we are going to try to reduce that as well and have signed up for Crunchy

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-21956855188024979392009-01-17T19:53:00.016-05:002009-01-30T19:38:25.805-05:00

Like unstuffed, I have sinned and purchased something new. But in my case it is somethings (heavy on the s) new, and they are much more frivolous than unstuffed's transgression.Here's the tally of all the things I've bought so far this year (that I think fall into the consumer goods category of the Riot):Used (from the Salvation Army):Lamp base (love this lamp - its in the pic above. You can't

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-37275809576923349702009-01-15T18:35:00.015-05:002009-01-15T21:29:44.745-05:00

So I'm well into my second week of sick leave. And I'm bored.I can't sleep anymore. I just can't. And I've watched more tv in the last few weeks than I think I did all last year. The only upside from that is that I got to watch the entire series of Freaks and Geeks. Do yourself a favour and watch this show. But I digress....In order to deal with the absolute boredom that is sick leave I

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687465013017827111.post-59395288458906919022008-12-07T16:41:00.010-05:002008-12-07T23:14:28.419-05:00

So I haven't blogged much over the last few weeks. It is no coincidence that in the last few weeks the temperature outside has dropped and we have officially entered winter.It's cold.And not just outside.This year in order to do a little better for the Riot (last year we did 50% of average for Natural gas) we decided to keep the heat in house a little lower than last year. By 2 degrees C.Now

Green Grrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01456879031634848302noreply@blogger.com7