Sustainaval - The Eco Future of Carnivals

I describe myself often as an “urban semi hippie”. What I mostly mean by this is that I live in the city and see myself as sort of modern but with “hippie” values. I try to take care of my body, I use a lot of holistic medicines and treatments and believe in trying to save the planet anyway I can. I’m not perfect by any means but I believe in “do what you can, when you can”.

So when I saw that Sustainaval was coming to Edmonton June 7-10 I was VERY excited. I LOVE carnivals and expos, and the fact that it’s a carnival trying to make a positive impact on the world? Well EVEN BETTER.

Sustainival is more than an amazing day at the carnival, it celebrates the power of renewable energy to fuel exhilarating rides, games, delicious carnival food and community fun! Sustainaval is powered entirely by solar, wind and biodiesel produced by vegetable oil. How cool is that?

Sustainival is a unique experiential public education platform that celebrates energy literacy, sustainability, and the latest innovations in clean-technologies, all while having a blast at the midway.

There are the usual rides like the Train, Toon Town, Swings, Ferris Wheel, kids rides and a ton more. You can check out all the rides HERE.

In addition there is an educational aspect to the carnival. There is something called the Green Beast Eco Challenge. A fun race style event finding Eco clues all over the midway.

Admission to the midway is FREE as well Come and check it out and play some games maybe? If you are a rider, you can get a Day pass to ride all the rides!buy your tickets in advance for $30 here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/edmonton-sustainival-2018-tickets-42653960143or at the door for $45.

Enter to win 2 tickets to attend Sustainaval on my Instagram and Facebook!

How To Do A Social Media Cleanse

CLEANSE /klenz/ - Verb - rid (a person, place or thing) of something seen as unpleasant, unwanted or defiling. 

I think we can all agree social media is both amazing and aggravating. It's amazing how we connect with old friends, make new ones, find spouses and hear about the latest news all in a couple of websites. No matter what your "poison" you can find it all on most social media channels. 

The problem is when we feel triggered, incompetent, addicted and/or just plain shitty by logging on. Actually the real problem I guess would be logging on and not being completely aware that we are having these feelings. So maybe let's start there. 

How you know you need a social media cleanse:

Take some time after logging out of social media maybe once a day or once a week to "check in" with how you feel afterwards. Ask yourself a couple of questions:

  1. How do I actually feel? Jealous? Inspired? Angry? Annoyed? Connected?
  2. Was there a specific topic/post that made you feel this way?
  3. Was there a specific person/group of people that made you feel this way?

After answering these questions you can make a decision from there. Is how you are feeling, a way you want to feel? If the answer is no, maybe it's time to "cleanse". 

Schedule Your Cleanse:

Just like you would schedule some sort of food cleanse, schedule your social media one. Especially if you work in an industry that requires you to be on social media. For those that are social media strategist, one day might be all you can plan for example. 

In the scheduling of your cleanse think about taking a decent amount of time if you can though. It's interesting to pick up on what fills your time after a couple of days without. I've done anywhere from 3/4 days to over a week. Which seem like online suicide a bit from a blogger/Instagramer's stand point, engagement and all that shit. However like anything else in life. When you take a break from it you become better at and more efficient at it usually. (I actually find myself most inspired right after a social media break.)

Tell bosses/coworkers you will be taking some time away. Schedule posts if you can/need to. Ask for help from others if possible. 

For those that are on social media for the fun of it: well I actually recommend NOT announcing the break. You don't need a bunch of comments and even possibly negativity about it right before you log off. Plus, it is so interesting to come back and notice that you probably haven't missed much at all!

During the Cleanse:

If you can, delete the apps from your phone and log off on your computers. This is important. The harder it is to access it, the easier it is to stay away from it. Have you seen the commercials for those snack vaults? Put your favourite snack in there and set a locked timer on it, so you have to wait the days/hours until you get it. I also remember hearing about people freezing their credit cards in blocks of ice so they had to spend so much time getting it out to buy things. These are hilarious and extreme but in reality, if it makes it harder to get at, you are less likely to use it right?

Enjoy your time. Note when you typically grab for your phone to fill your time with social media. Red lights, line ups, bored on the couch, at the park with your kids, at a socially awkward party (see the irony there? lol). Make mental note of when you grab for you phone and how else you spend your time.

After the Cleanse:

Like a bad diet or juice cleanse, after the discomfort, you may actually feel better, but once it's over you can easily go back to your old ways. So here are some tips for mindful social media consumption post cleanse.

  1. Turn off notifications on apps. This may give you some sort of anxiety, but honestly I haven't had notifications on any of my apps for months. Maybe even closer to a year. Seeing the notifications and messages and all that's going on every second it comes in can be overwhelming. 
  2. Log on with purpose. You purpose might be to kill some time, avoid that socially awkward party, check the latest news, promote something or so on. But log on trying to acknowledge and be mindful of what you are doing. 
  3. Check your emotional state before, during and after. Notice if you log on to kill time and end up feelin inadequate afterwards. Do you log on to you favourite youtube channel to be inspired but end up feeling shitty afterward? Do you log on to Facebook and into a private group of people who uplift you? Make you feel better? Checking in with all these feeling can help us guide us to the last step.

Delete/Unfollow anyone or anything that makes you feel shitty:

Pretty straightforward I think. Forcing ourselves to follow people or look at their shit even though it makes us feel shitty serves nobody. Even the person you are following. Maybe I'm a bit more cut throat but I regularly unfollow friends on Facebook. We are still friends but have so I don't see their updates. I do this when I'm noticing I'm feeling triggered by them. Whatever they are up to or posting about. Then turn back on maybe when you've sorted your own feelings. 

This one can be tough especially is it's family or a co-worker you see every day. Facebook easier then other platforms of course. If your business includes following people/business that make you feel this way, be conscious. Mindful of how you are reacting. This alone will help you work through the feelings so much faster. 

Personally I log on and feel angry let's say, I seek attention from my husband, connect with loving my children or workout if I'm especially irritated. I know I don't have to like everyone and they don't have to like me, so I connect with those I do. And that's okay.

How do you take care of yourself in regard to social media? What do you struggle with? Let's chat it out.

 

Love, Jen

 

Anti-Inflammatory Tumeric Mylk Recipe

Anti Inflammatory Tumeric Mylk Recipe

If you follow along on Instagram you'll know I'm totally into studying Ayurveda. It's basically a very old traditional Indian style of medicine, using herbs and food and oils and practices to heal. I've been studying holistic nutrition methods for years as well. One of the big things I noticed as a cross over between the two is that they are both big on anti-inflammatories AND they both love ginger and tumeric as a key anti-inflammatory. 

I've been playing around with making Chai and even this yummy Digestive Tea for a long time, and I stepped up the game with this yummy Tumeric Mylk Recipe. 

Why "Mylk"? Well because its just a way of identifying that is milk from a non animal source. I used coconut milk, but almond milk, soy milk or even regular milk would work here. 

Additionally, don't worry about the spices being fresh or already ground in your cupboard. I like to have the whole spice and grind them myself, it's like a little ritual for me. 

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup of chosen milk or mylk.
  • tsp nutmeg
  • tsp tumeric
  • tsp cardamom (this is what makes a good chai for me personally!)
  • 1 stick of cinnamon (or 1 tsp cinnamon)
  • 2-3 pieces of star anise (or 1 tsp)
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or powdered)
  1. Put everything into a pot and let simmer 5-8 minutes. 
  2. Strain in to a mug with a fine mesh strainer. 
  3. Enjoy!

Seriously it is THAT simple. 

 

Enough is Enough Lululemon - I'm Calling You Out

Enough is Enough Lululemon - I’m calling you out.

 

Yesterday was International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate us Women. All women. Powerful CEO’s, nurses, artists, truck drivers, welders, teachers, stay at home moms, 17 year old high school students, 100 year old great grandmothers. Women of different sizes, shapes, backgrounds, colors, personalities, incomes and sexualities.

 

And Lulu just had to do it. Just had to abuse their reach and use OUR day to do it.

 

Let me back up a bit here. I am a white, female, 32 year old yoga teacher, who is in “works out but likes pizza” shape. I spend about an hour to hour and a half each day exercising 5-6 times a week. I have two kids, loving husband and run some boss ass businesses if I may say so myself.

 

I wear Lululemon clothes to workout and teach, among other lines. I have friends who work for Lulu and some that are ambassadors. They are lovely humans who are totally inspiring and bad ass.

 

BUT.

 

You just had to go and do it didn’t you Lulu?

 

Lulu created a campaign that launched yesterday named “Enough is Enough”. A campaign where they sell you t shirts that send funds to empowering women through various charities. Seem noble? Sort of is. Sort of.

 

The charities picked are Yoga Outreach (trauma informed yoga), Red Clay Yoga (Focus on yoga for youth and marginalized communities), Exhale to Inhale (Yoga for violence and sexual assault  survivors) and Our Mala, (Yoga for survivors of Violence and Cruelty). These charities are amazing. Yoga is a beautiful way to help with these processes and I don’t want to take away at ALL from these organizations.

 

Back to Lulu. They launched the Enough is Enough campaign and gave their ambassadors shirts and mega phones. Mega phones so they can be heard. Heard speaking rights for women.

 

However the flaw here is the women given these microphones (who again I know many and they are amazing) lack diversity.

Most are:

  • White

  • Female

  • Beautiful (by society’s standards)

  • Thin

  • In the 30 “ish” range of age

  • And oddly enough also mostly Yoga teachers.

 

Basically they are “Ocean”. If you haven’t heard of Ocean, she is the ideal customer created by Lululemon. Chip Wilson the founder of Lululemon describes Ocean as “32 year old single professional that makes $100,00 a year, is fashionable and has an hour and a half to workout every day.” and goes on to say “if you’re 20 years old or you’re graduating from university, you can’t wait to be that woman. If you’re 42 years old a couple of children, you wish you had that time back.”

 

Sooooooo what you are saying there Chip is that you are “Empowering” women through your Enough is Enough campaign, however these women are not good enough.

 

You want them TO WANT to be more than they already are.

 

Empowering nothing.

 

YOU GAVE MEGA PHONES TO WOMEN WHO ARE LIKE OCEAN TO SPEAK FOR THE WOMEN WHO ARE NOT.

 

REALLY????? Using Empowering messages to sell your clothes to women who aren't good enough is just LOW

Browsing through your Instagram feed, you have Oceans and Dukes (their ideal man) and no other diversity.

 

So what really is your Enough is Enough campaign about? Selling more clothes.

 

We all know this isn’t the first time you’ve alienated people with an interview a long time ago, claiming you wouldn’t make sizes for women above a size 12. We won’t even go there.

 

BUT.

 

I AM calling you out on your fake campaign.

 

I AM telling readers, friends, yoga teachers, personal trainers, weekend warriors to make informed choices.

Stick to selling clothes and leave your nose out of the women's empowerment movement.

 

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN OCEAN.

 

YOU ARE ALREADY ENOUGH.

Update: This went a tad viral and we created an exclusivity photoshoot event in Edmonton to celebrate our beauty of uniqueness and amazingness.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1722798607787790/

 

Where is your own humility in this?

JORD - Minimalist Style Watches

Minimalist Style Ladies Watches

Recently I read an article in Time magazine that gave the suggestion for wearing a watch as a social media mindfulness technique. This way when you need to know the time, you look at your watch, instead of your phone that will get your distracted if you notice notifications.

Soooooo... I got a myself a cool wooden watch. A beautiful, unique, minimalist style sandalwood watch from JORD and I LOVE IT.

The sandalwood is so soft and beautiful on the skin, and I feel like it pairs well in relaxed style and when I’m actually dressed up! Since I’m not a huge fashion guru, (I wear A LOT of spandex since I workout/teach so often)I like that it works with different styles. I’ve worn it with some jeans going out for dinner and with yoga pants heading for a hike.

Which of course this versatility feeds my minimalist approach to life. I like simplicity that can transfer into many different options.

But let me tell you how impressed my husband (builds wood furniture for a living) was with the care of the watch and the box it comes in . The watch has it’s own humidity control box and finishing oil to keep it looking new and in good condition. The box itself is also very beautiful and has a drawer to tuck away all the extra items that come with it. Once again, ,adding to the minimalist in me that likes clean counter tops and beautiful functional things.

Additionally, I picked a Sandalwood watch since sandalwood is something I wear often. They are very commonly used in malas.  The scent of sandalwood actually comes from the wood itself not the leaves like some plants. Sandalwood scent is known to help the mind unwind according to this article from Mala Collective.

Giveaway

Win $100 credit toward your very own JORD watch through THIS CONTEST LINK.

Each person will receive a 10% discount code as well (nice consolation prize if you don’t win)

The contest will close 03/11/2018 at 11:59pm CST. Both the $100 and the 10% off codes will expire on 04/08/2018

Creating A Vision Board

Recently on my Facebook I asked my friends about having a bucket list and creating vision boards... polling my friends on Facebook never dissapoints.

For a long time I've been thinking about creating a vision board and this week finally did it. 

A vision board is a place to put up dreams and desires to visually be able to see. They can be used as reminders when working on goals, or simply places to share your dreams and desires. I realize this may be similar to Pinterest, except the fact that we regularly see the board.

There are many books and stories of "putting out to the universe" what you want and it comes to you. Meh. You can choose to believe that or not, but in reality.... worse case is that your husband now knows want you want for your birthday or where you'd love to travel right?

To make one is a process over time I believe. Create the board with a few of the things you love at first and as you come across more things you like add them, or remove things as they are no longer needed.

Here is how I created mine.

I think the first hurdle for me was where I was going to get the resources for putting things on my board. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on magazines or cut up books I currently have. Luckily here in Edmonton we have the ReUse Centre. It's a place to get rid of all the things in our homes we no longer need. For example, rather then just recycling old magazines of craft supplies you can donate them there and someone else (me) will come along and use them for something. 

You just weigh it as you leave, rather then by item. 

I headed down to the ReUse Centre and got my supplies. Plus a few extra things like Halloween decorations! Since it goes off weight, rather then amount of items, I literally found my board, magazines and extras for $5!!!! yes $5!

All for $5!

I found this lovely old pink board. At first I was going to keep the pink but noticed some staining, and in reality pink isn't my colour. I got my husband Iron Hide Woodworks to build me a frame for it and I recovered it. In the spirit of reusing old things and sentimental value, I actually used my kids old crib sheet to cover it!

The board as is from the reuse centre. 

The redone vision board. 

Then, my girlfriend came over with her kids. While the kids played we cut, talked and crafted. Good excuse for a playdate, a chat with a friend AND creating our vision boards! 

On my board I have some places I want to travel, some thing I want for my home and a fun little saying about finding the pleasures in life. You could however have the home you want, the car you love or whatever else really. This is about you and YOUR dreams!

Love, 

Jen The Bitchin' Housewife

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Oh Go Float Yourself - Float House Review

What is floating you ask? This recent trend is gaining popularity and for good reason. It is suuuuper relaxing and in my opinion, one of the ultimate self care "me" times. 

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go check out the Float House Edmonton. It was basically pure bliss. But before we get into my review of the Float House, first let's chat about what floating is.

What is a float tank?

Basically it's a tank you lie in with a high salt water content so that you actually float in the water without effort. The tank is enclosed to block out noise, light and basically most sensory stimulation. It's sometimes called a sensory deprivation tank.

The amount of salt that goes into every tank!

What's the point?

By removing the stimulus of noise, light, draft etc the body can go into a deeper state of relaxation and/or meditation. 

What if I'm claustrophobic?

This is a REAL question. I 100% have claustrophobia issues. about 5/6 years ago I had my first experience in a tank and it wasn't too bad (I had already done lots of work on my claustrophobia), but I was able to keep the door of the tank open to ease my anxiety. That said the tank I was in was on the smaller side so I found myself not completely relaxed. Personally at Float House Edmonton in particular their tanks are so big that I was completely comfortable and even closed the door all the way .

What do you in there the whole time?

Well, whatever you want to do I guess. Dominic did a great job of explaining some things about being in the tank. He suggested some things like playing in the space a bit, ways to find comfort, doing a body scan or meditation. I personally found it comforting to play around with my positioning a bit, make waves in the water and feel around the walls a bit before coming into a settled position. The great part is that whenever you feel ready you can leave. The tank is in it's pwn room and you can get out and shower whenever you feel you are ready too. 

What are the benefits of floating?

There are tons! I go for the relaxation and meditation. But check out the Float Houses #WhyWeFloat page for the best resource on this subject.

So about Float House. 

I love the vibe in there. Located just off Whyte Ave it's amazing to come off a busy street into the chill setting. The space is very clean, relaxed and inviting. Sitting down with Dominic, he helped put me at ease about the process, giving me a lot of good tips. 

Inviting front reception with the stunning at work.

The amazing intention setting wall.

The room itself is beautiful. A private shower in the room, just outside the tank. It makes it easier to have a cleansing shower before the float and a nice warm shower upon stepping out. There is a few lighting options. You can choose total darkness, which sets on a timer. You set it to total dark and it gives you time to get into the tank and settle before it goes all dark. Additionally you can choose more light or a little bit of light. There are a couple of small holes in the ceiling of the tank that let in the smallest amount of the room light. I chose this option to help keep me oriented. 

The tank itself is really large. I'm 5'2" and had lots of space to bounce back and forth from foot to head. Additionally height wise I'm pretty sure I could actually stand up in the tank. So It felt more like floating in a room then a tub. 

One of the best parts however is the post float. There is this beautiful room where they encourage you to sit and have some tea, or maybe read, write or reflect. I had a beautiful conversation with Dominic and another floater afterwards. It was like hanging out with long time friends. 

Calming and relaxing please to come back to real life stimulus in the post float lounge. 

Reading selection in the post float lounge. 

Overall, I really love this place. Personally every Sunday I have a morning bath and I think I will be replacing that time once a month with a float. 

Have you ever floated?

 

Love, Jen

Summer Squash Side Dish

Summer squash is so yummy. I can't believe as a kid I wouldn't eat squash, because as an adult I love all kinds.

As an The Organic Box Ambassador I love seeing the freshest and most in season fruits and veggies when I select my items to order in my box and recently I selected to receive an order of "summer squash" and got some paddypans. I had a few people on my Instagram ask me how they should be prepared so I thought I would share how I cooked them.

Pattypan squash is basically treated like you would treat zucchini. To me the taste is very similar. Spiralizing them might be difficult from the shape however. The whole thing can be consumed and you don't have to worry about peeling or removing the outer layer like you do most other squash. 

This recipe is super simple and easy to add any spices or herbs that you like best. Sometimes I swap out butter and use oil and cook up some cumin, tumeric and coriander to add some flavour,

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 summer squash 
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 1 teaspoon or garlic powder
  • salt and pepper

Preparation:

  1. Chop squash into pieces, keeping them roughly the same size.
  2. Water butter in a medium heat pan. 
  3. Sprinkle garlic powder and salt and pepper on the squash.
  4. Cook squash on one side until a bit brown and flip over and cook until the other size is a bit brown. 
  5. Top with a bit more salt and pepper, maybe some fresh herbs (I have cilantro here) and enjoy!

In Ayurvedic cooking, summer squash is a great summer food and has a cooling quality on the body. Likely because of it's 95% water content. This makes this a great side dish.

Summer squash provide a fair amount of potassium, carotenes and vitamin c.

Get $20 off your first order from The Organic Box using the code ORGANICBUNCH20 and try out the freshest fruit and vegetables they have to offer. 

 

Love, 

Jen The Bitchin' Housewife

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