Year Of Making: The Hayward Sweater

           Remember like months ago I started knitting myself a sweater- and it seemed to be taking forever? Even though all the knitting experts surrounding me assured me this is totally normal I couldn't help but think it was slow going- and then I took a ceramics class and the knitting went even slower! Well good news! Seven months after I started on this journey to knit myself a function able sweater that fit me I have completed my task!

           This sweater is a sum of it's journeys- it has traveled with me back and forth to the Okanagan all summer- it has been to the Painted Hills- it has been to Portland. Part of this sweater comes from Victoria! Knit into the fibres of this sweater are my fears- left by the wayside- I have come out the other side warmer and much more confident. Knit into the fibres of this sweater are deep talks on the road with my partner in crime- three seasons of laughter- and a lot of wabi sabi character- I am learning to let go of perfection.

        I will admit I am super proud of my first attempt at a hand knit sweater- I feel I am a bit further down my slow fashion path- this is knit with intention and care- it was not purchased haphazardly off a clearance rack. This sweater was knit by my hands and no other- the fibres traveled a very short distance- this is a sustainable garment- a fact that like knowing where my food comes from is growing increasingly important to me.

      As the days grow dark and rainy- my thoughts turn inward towards nursing my family once again and I am so pleased to be starting yet anther knitting project- this one a bit smaller for Miss Lo. My list of skills keeps growing and something I was once scared of is now like an old friend. Ummm also the yarn- hello new obsession!

         Friends it's Friday again! I know I always act so shocked when Friday rolls around but the fact of the matter lies that these weeks and months fly by just far too fast! This weekend we are staying at the Coast- tucking in and taking it slow. Happiness and Sunshine always dear Friends!

From The Waste Up: Life Without Plastic

      A little over a week ago my friend Erin invited me to the premier of a documentary called From The Waste Up: Life Without Plastic- a locally made documentary about a handful of families attempting to live plastic free for a year. I was on board- these sounded like my people- anyone asking questions and pushing boundaries- anyone who cares enough to try and instill change in an apathetic world- anyone standing up for the environment- these are my people. And so my friend and I got slightly gussied up- as is our usual modis oporandi- we went and grabbed a glass of wine- bought our sustainable- locally made chocolates and we found our seats in the theatre.

  As mentioned From The waste Up: Life Without Plastic follows a handful of folks for a year as they attempt to live plastic free- couples and families alike raise to the challenge of kicking this invasive substance to the curb- searching out alternative solutions to our typical lifestyles. Film maker Taina Uitto has brought to light our addiction to plastic in a very real and down to earth way- as a participant in the project herself she manages to bring a level of humour to a very serious situation.

   Post movie I am staring into my fridge looking for something to snack on- I begin to notice just how reliant our family actually is on plastic- I notice the plastic wrap on the giant block of cheese I am hacking away at- I notice the plastic container our leftovers are stacked up in- our fridge is full of plastic.  Clearly even this eco friendly- low impact family has a plastic addiction. Clearly the families in the documentary were not in fact my people- clearly they are miles ahead.

   When my first baby was born BPA was a prevalent news story- how it was in our environment and affecting our endocrine systems- wrecking havoc on our hormones. I remember diligently sourcing out BPA free sippy cups and silicone eating vessels- but it was still plastic. Our household waste is minimal- or what I thought to be minimal as it is much less than what I have witnessed in other trash situations- we compost- we recycle- we refuse plastic bags when we forget our clothe ones. Still once a week out goes a small bag of plastic- mostly filled with single use food wrappers. Things could be better.

   I think the hallmark of a good documentary is to get people thinking and talking- to wake them up out of their apathy and get them moving in a new direction. Every viewer will take something different to heart- have a different standout moment- for me my take away is to simply use less. To refuse single use plastics more often than I all ready do- to consider how my single use convenience item is going to stick around for thousands of years after only a few moments of use- to take baby steps towards our own plastic free life.

   Check out Taina's blog Plastic Manners for more plastic free inspiration as well as tips for a plastic free lifestyle. Pop on over to the From The Waste Up: Life Without Plastic Indigogo page- make a donation if you feel so inclined!

   

 

Simple Family Friday

Creating a Uniform

        I think for me and many other busy Mommas across this fine country one of the biggest challenges is getting out the door in the morning attired in an outfit that does not warrant a call from Stacey and Clinton.* Personally I love clothes- I love fashion- I just don't love the conditions under which most conventional clothing is made or the hefty price tag that accompanies most "quality" goods. The quandary then becomes what to wear as opposed to What Not To Wear!

     So to make getting dressed for myself easy I have curated a simple personal uniform- my closet is stocked with basics that I can blindly reach in and grab and on any given day be happy with what I have come out with! The secret to my super simple Momma wardrobe? Everything goes together- the only thing I like to avoid is double denim- you know the Texas Tuxedo! Aside from that fashion faux pas everything else is fair game.

    I started with a few basic bottoms- I have a great pair of dark jeans, the perfect pair of boyfriend jeans, skinny cargo jeans and a fun trendy colour (turquoise)pair of jeans that works year round- that's right I have four pairs of pants. From there I have a number of tops that can be paired with all of these- throw in a few (count em 3) great dresses and leggings and call it a day. I do also have yoga and jogging clothes but those don't really count as part of my daily gear- my rule- no sweat pants outside of the gym or house- straight up Momma- leggings and a dress are just as easy and comfortable as jogging pants!

    When shopping for clothes I like to look for companies who's values are aligned with my own- Maiwa on Granville Island is one of my go to places for great sustainable fashion. Another fantastic local company is Mandala Sky- love their yoga clothes- these are the exception to the rule- they are street worthy yoga clothes- such good dresses- I'm wearing a pair of their pants right now in fact! If you start to look and pay for good quality, sustainable items for your closet that will last- you will find them.

    These days fashion for me is so much more simple- I don't even need to think about what I am going to wear- but in a good way because I love each piece that's in my closet. Shopping is fun and easy because I only shop a few places- besides thrifting and clothing swaps. For me half the battle is won if I can get up and dressed and feel confident in what I have on- if I can do this before everyone else is up and starting their busy day then all the better. Living with quality over quantity- fewer items that last longer- thats what makes my life super simple!

     Friends it is Friday again- yippee! It also happens to be a Pro- D day here which means no school- my Littles are already up and bouncing off the walls- they are super excited to have all their friends over this afternoon! I hope your weekend is snug and dry- warmed with lots of love, grace and a box of fine wine- Happy Friday Friends!


* Ok so if you have no TV or have been living under a rock for the past 10 years Stacey and Clinton are the stars of What Not To Wear my Hatewatch- I love it because it's about clothes- I hate it because it encourages people to conform- but they do have a lot of good "rules"!

   

Donuts- the new Cupcakes?

        There is a new kid on the block- with treats at eye level for some in a vintage display case these donuts are hard to pass up. More a decedent treat than say your average donut - with flavours such as  Mexican Mole, Citrus Dust to  Maker's Bourbon Bacon- thats right a BACON donut- it just happened!

      Located at the base of the Hotel Pennsylvania every thing about this petite treat factory is tasteful- even the Kraft paper boxes and matching business cards. Allegedly this is just a pop- up shop location until Cartems finds a permanent home- since it is right up the street from our house I hope the pop- up becomes permanent!

    According to the Cartems web site most of the ingredients that go into these little tasty gems are as local as possible- giving the donut connoisseur a higher quality donut plus the warm fuzzies knowing they are about to eat a sustainable treat! If a bacon donut isn't your thing there is a vegan donut for you! If you are my dear cousin- there is a gluten free donut for you! These guys have got it covered!

     Lately I have seen the popularity of the donut rising with all sorts of recipes on the interwebs and Pinterest, big name donut shops like Voodoo in Portland are gaining international reputations so it really make sense for this trend to catch on in Vancouver. Move over Cupcake Girls here comes the Donuts!