Just Hanging Around

Just thought I would show off my wonderful little girl Chloe. I know snakes aren't every one's cup of tea but they are mine. I think they are adorable. Chloe is such a curious docile snake. She loves to be handled and I can just throw her over my shoulder and let her check stuff out while carrying on with my chores around the house. I find having her close to me very meditative. The way she moves just lulls me into a calm state.

Happy Holidays!

I took a walk into the woods yesterday with my doggies and came across this little piece of holiday magic. Hope everyone has a safe and festive holiday!

Cruelty Free Face

Here is an awesome tutorial web site for cruelty free make-up. It features info on what cosmetic companies are animal and cruelty free as well as video how to's on things like how to create a smokey eye or some mod gold and green tutorials are done by the author of The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life; Melissar Elliot.

http://www.crueltyfreeface.com/

Sexy Vegan Men

Just thought I would add a shout out to some sexy famous vegan men out there. Add some eye candy to this little blog of mine..Also interesting to note that none of these men look sickly or skinny. In fact they all have some pretty hot bods..
Casey Affleck

Bob Harper

Anthony Kiedis

Jared Leto

Tobey Maguire

Jason Mraz

Joaquin Pheonix

Davey Havok

Russel Brand

Ok I'll stop there for now..Pant pant..

Yummy Vegan Men.

To me a man was always the concept of a protector. I found this video about a group of men who are vegan and out to dispel the myth about what a vegan body looks like. All of these men work out -outdoors without the use of a gym and only consume plant protein. Their athleticism is amazing and ohhhh the muscles. definitely worth the 6 minutes to watch the video.  http://youtu.be/hZv0milS6hE

Animal Testing.

I hate animal testing. There is no reason for it. We have grown well beyond any need for such testing on beauty products and therefor there is no valid reason for why a company would still choose to resort to this.
But here it is Loreal- one of the biggest beauty companies out there- still testing on animals. And by that I do not mean they give them a lovely little bath with some nice smelling shampoo. Perhaps they need to resort to this to pay all of their celebs like Jay Lo their frigging millions in endorsements.

Hair affair.

Did I mention I have been a hair stylist for oh about 11 years? So when it comes to hair products I am the biggest hair junkie. Though I never realized just how many chemicals we wash into our waterways with each shampooing. The public is starting to become more away and are asking for chemical and cruelty free solutions to their beauty and the products are starting to reply.
Some of my favorite salon brands right now are...


Derm Organic. free of animal ingredients, sulfates, parabens ( which are carcinogenic preservatives), and dyes. Comes in shampoo, mask, and leave in treatment shine. It also contains the awesome argan oil which is otherwise known as Moroccan oil. Argan is a nut harvested in Morocco hence the name. Winners sells litres of this stuff for $19.99 which is about $10 cheaper than even supply outlets charge as well as salons.

ABBA: This line is a vegan version of Aveda. Aveda is all natural but not vegan; they use lanolin which is a sheep oil by-product and beeswax. Abba is sulfate, dye and animal free and smells amazing. They use natural essential oils in their products and you can get a litre of each shampoo or conditioner for about $25 at a Trade Secrets or if you know someone who is in the biz you can always go to Cosmopro where it is about $9 a bottle.

Here is an awesome web site that lists vegan and vegetarian eating places, travel places, forums, and has a comprehensive listing on animal ingredients that can be downloaded into a pocket version to carry with you.
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html

New Move.

I need to dust this old blog off. It's been sitting in the dust for quite a while now.
My world has changed quite a bit in the last little while. I recently made the move from Ontario to Alberta. The area around here is lovely. I can see the mountains from the main street of my new little town. I am in what is known as the foothills county. It is all rolling hills, glacier streams and farms nestled in front of the mountains. I'm really enjoying getting to know the area, and my dogs are loving the freedom of miles and miles of leash free trails. So far I have seen 7 deer crossing the roads, 2 moose, an emur ( a small all white version of a ferret), and a bald golden eagle. I never thought I would see one of those up close or alive in my lifetime. That was a rare blessing.
Here is a picture of my sweet dogs.

"Isn't man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife - birds, kangaroos, deer, all kinds of cats, coyotes, beavers, groundhogs, mice, foxes and dingoes - by the million in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by the billion and eats them. This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative - and fatal - health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently, and once a year, sends out cards praying for Peace on Earth.”
- David Coats, Old MacDonald's Factory Farm

Snow Day.

The outside of my window looks like a snow globe- all swirling fat flakes and snow covered trees. It makes for a very lazy day. My dogs and husband are all napping, the cat has burrowed under the comforter in the spare room. I'm making coffee and basically just puttering around. Tonight's dinner is a crock pot of lentils, and mixed beans with mushrooms, cilantro, green onions, garlic and celery baking in a tequila bbq sauce with fresh lime juice. Yum.
I love moods like this. Where the weather doesn't make you want to go out but you don't feel oppressed by staying in. I tend to always need to be doing something so for me this is a rare mood. I can sit and catch up on other people's blogs and peruse various web sites and not feel like I am neglecting something be it housework ( which is done btw), the dogs, my husband, school work etc. I think tonight will be all about cuddling under a warm blanket watching movies to the glow of the fireplace- electric that is.

Innocence Mineral Cosmetics

Make-up I am loving right now. Totally bright and every colour you can think of in this mineral make-up line. They have no fillers, dyes or synthetics. But some of them do contain carmine which is an animal product ( ones that are red) so not all of them are vegan. These shadows can go on soft and glimmery or bright and rockin. They are based out of Calgary Ontario. http://www.innocencecosmetics.com/

Dark Sexy Vegan t's and Prints.

Finally! Something dark and sexy and with a message that isn't some beer slogan. I love this designer's artwork for these Vegan t-shirts! The artist creating the designs is named Rolland Straller. He sells prints on Deviant art and also on t-shirts at the link below.

Check the link!!http://www.roland-straller.com/en/projekte/31/shirt-designs-a-lesson-in-compassion---enjoy-the-vegan-revolution.html

Some of these would make awesome tattoos if you ask me.

It's time for a revival.

I am in a crafty mood today.  I have been perusing some health stores and on-line sites looking for a new vegan lotion. The one I am using works just fine, but I find it doesn't do much in terms of skin brightening or tightening. So I began a search and it is so hard to find something that is vegan and all natural. Even such web sites as Etsy that offer "handmade" beauty items fall short. There are some that claim to be all natural and vegan yet the list of chemicals in their ingredients says that they purchase a plain base off a supplier and simply add their own label and scent. Which means anyone can craft a handmade skin care line but it isn't any better for you then basis drug store crap.

I think this means that I need to revive my cosmetic making skills. I had a company for years making soaps and lotions made from scratch. And I do mean scratch - not an SLS on the list or alcohol or paraben anything. My bases were made from water combined with solid vegetable oils that were heated to a liquid and then blended with perfection to the water until the right consistency was acquired. Anyone who makes food from scratch- say soups can attest to the benefits of doing something right all the way. Being able to control every ingredient that goes into your product instead of just slapping a label on it and saying it's "handmade".

I guess that is  my frustration and my rant today. I feel crafty and the drive to create is stirring in my brain.

Wanderlust

Today I stare out my window at the snow covered rooftops around me, the white snow glistening off the trees and covering the lawns and I am struck with a severe case of wanderlust. I don't want to be here right now. I want to be out there in the great wide yonder, wherever that happens to be. My bones are antsy for some movement yet there is nowhere to go. Except to work. On such a day as this- the thought of that is incredibly depressing. I want to be visiting an outdoor market in Prague, or learning to snowboard or hiking a snowy pathway.

Maybe I have watched Eat Pray Love one too many times, but like the antagonist I too have a box full of places I have been and places I wish/ long to see. I have no children, no mortgage nothing heavy to keep me rooted here, unless you count two dogs and a cat which I suppose being a responsible pet owner who actually makes a commitment to caring for these companions counts as something rooting me in one spot. But aside from that I wonder why am I still here? I guess money would be the initial answer to that one. Unlike Elizabeth Gilbert, I am not a writer so therefore will not get a large infusion of cash to fund a year abroad. God life sucks the second you start paying your own way.

I feel as though I need something to shake me awake. A real dose of culture shock. When I was younger I took an international TESOL course, but at the time the idea of going to Asia seemed overly culture shocking to me. I didn't think I could handle the humidity, the constant traffic of people, the poverty. Yet now that I am older I relish the idea of being submerged into something of that nature.

Instead I wait out the hours until I have to go to work.

Just Thought I would Share.

I admit it; I love winter! I find the snow so pristine and cozy looking. I also like that the winter cold drives people to stay inside so the best parks and trails are often empty ( especially at night), making it perfect for me and my dogs to go let loose and play. On my days off I often end up on this trail amongst the trees under the cover of moonlight and the company of two large dogs- frolicking in the snow.

Awesome T.

I grabbed this at Stitches for $10. I couldn't pass it up.

Vegan Nails

Here are some companies that carry vegan nail polishes.

Zoya: A salon line that can be found at any Trade Secrets or ordered off their web site. http://www.zoya.com/
Hard Candy: Just nails line - the one with the ring. Sold mostly at Walmart.
SunCoat: A Canadian line of beauty that makes water based nail polish! Not all are vegan but they have a comprehensive list on their web site that tells you which ones specifically are.
http://www.suncoatproducts.com/index-polish.htm
PeaceKeepers: Not all of their products are vegan as they do use some insect ingredients ( beeswax and pigment) but they do have a large listing of products and polishes that are 100% vegan. Follow the link to see which are.
http://www.iamapeacekeeper.com/faqs.htm

Peace Keepers

I just found out about this company. I keep seeing the same reviews of the same companies being touted for being vegan- which is great, but I want a variety of places to shop and options! So I like to keep digging for new things to get excited about and I am soooo excited about this company:

Peace Keepers
 They have a wide variety of vegan products and not only that but their company principles are based off of the yoga Sutras of  truthfulness and non-stealing. They believe in fair wages, and promoting slavery free work and are 100% cruelty free. Also if that isn't a sell they donate all of their after- tax profits to issues concerning women!  Their products all come with an full ingredient list that can been looked up on their web site and a specific toxicity report on each ingredient. They also have a specific listing as to which products are vegan and which are not.

This is a quote of their mission statement:

"Peacekeeper Cause-Metics is the first cosmetics line to give all of its after-tax, distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues. PeaceKeeper builds a bridge between extraordinary women in the land of plenty and extraordinary women who, by chance of birth, don’t have our resources or opportunities.
Here are the ideals that we pledge to uphold in our business practices: 



1) Slavery-free labor
2) Fair wages

PeaceKeeper is building a slave-labor free company, so if we believe there to be any  exploitation in hours, safety, or health-care and retirement benefits, we are out.

We are consulting with www.newstandards.com to monitor this.

PeaceKeeper makes sure that the companies we are working with, here and overseas, pay a fair wage to their employees.

3) Cruelty-free products 

PeaceKeeper does not use any products that have been tested on animals. We also provide 100% vegan products for animal lovers who do not use ingredients such as carmine.

PeaceKeeper strives every day to practice the ideals of truthfulness, non-stealing, and non-violence, as found in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, a text which outlines the ways in which a yogi can find ethical balance throughout their life.

When a yogi practices truthfulness, ultimately anything they say will come true.  If they practice not hoarding or stealing, people will feel so safe around them that they will reveal unimaginable treasures. When we truly practice non-violence, then no negative energy can harm us. Like the Buddhist monks who can safely walk through a battlefield, we can face each day unaffected by the negativity in the world. Now that's powerful!

As a company, PeaceKeeper strives to promote promote greater peace throughout the world by the practice of these traditional concepts. We hope that you can help us achieve success by practicing truthfulness, non-stealing, and non-violence in your own everyday lives! "http://www.iamapeacekeeper.com/products.htm?PriceCat=2&Lang=EN-US&SID=07b9ab82-ca6d-45e7-9449-3727b0c9c036

Tattoo!

Food for thought

Yesterday afternoon my husband and I visited a new cafe in downtown Kitchener called Pyrus. The place rocked! It was decorated with thrift store cast offs such as the typical plaid couch with wooden arms that is seen in so many cottages or grandparents basements. All the tables were mismatched, and there were bookshelves with books and board games. The food was all vegan, organic, and locally sourced and cheap! I got  a plate of coconut curry on basmati rice for $6- and it was a big plate. The place was rocking full of people I might add, which lead my husband and I to have a rather interesting debate.

The majority of the customer base were hippies or very "granola" looking. There were girls with long dreads, girls with their hair in bandanna's and basically what you would stereotype as being a "vegan". So it made my husband pose this question as to why it is that if you are a vegan you seem to end up looking or dressing this way. We thought that perhaps it had something to do with keeping it at a grass roots level or maybe had something to do with the anarchists and environmental activists that live mostly around the Seattle area. Then we also thought maybe there is also a cross over with the straight edge punk scene that could influence clothing and style since many of the customers also had manic panic hair, piercings and tattoos.

After all of this I pointed out that there are lots of vegans out there that don't want to look this way at all and feel that there is nothing out there for them, fashion wise. I think this gap is why there are now so many designers coming out with "haute couture" for vegans. But I said to me this new marketing spin is a ploy to market to rich bored housewives. I have seen non-wool winter coats selling for upwards of $600 and shoes for $300. And as much as I would love to support the entire vegan movement who has that sort of disposable income to be able to buy a $600 coat in this time of financial uncertainty?

I guess that is the entire reason I started this blog. It was because of this growing gap between what the stereotype is and  this new culture sprouting up. You have on one hand a person who would look at the hippies and say " I don't want to look like that" or you have a normal gal like me who looks at the couture and the pricey food stuffs and thinks " I can't afford that." So what's one to do especially if you are new to the movement and have no clue as to where to start? So again I reiterate; this was my purpose in beginning this blog. There are so many in-betweens in all areas be it clothing, beauty or food that is vegan and affordable in whatever expression you choose.

Having said that the debate with my husband ended with him agreeing on his own terms that too would become vegetarian. Up until this point I left it up to him and whatever meat he bought was purchased from a family member who owns a hobby farm with two cows that live well and are ethically killed to feed several families for a year. I am quite happy that he is coming to this decision and doing it on his own terms without doing it just to please me.

Mainstream Vegan Beauty Products.

I was doing some research trying to find other companies that are out there and readily available for the gal that likes to get her stuff exclusively from a drug store or maybe a discount department store. So here I have found a list of cruelty and animal free beauty companies that are affordable and readily stocked at most drug stores,Walmarts, Zellers, Zehrs, Giant Tigers and surplus stores. Now that you have a list of alternatives perhaps it will make the trip down the beauty isle not so confusing.

~E.L.F ( eyes, lips, face): I always see gift sets of this make-up line being sold for around the $6 range for a package of 3-6 items, and I never knew it was vegan!
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

~Freeman Beauty. They are known for their individual travel face mask pouches- you know the ones with the avocado or strawberries on the picture. Their products come in large tubes and are sold in Shopper's Drug Marts and I have even found their shampoos at Dollarama. Now it doesn't get more budget friendly then that for the veganista.

~Hard Candy. Not all of their products are vegan, but if you go to their web site they have a listing of which items are specifically vegan. These products I have mostly found at Walmart.
http://www.hardcandy.com/updates.php?id=4

~Physicians  Formula;  They have a wide range of cosmetics to choose from including eyeshadow pallets consisting of 17 colours specifically designed to highlight the colour of your eyes. They also have refillable compacts made from bamboo. The organic wear line is free of cosmetic chemicals, and nasty parabens and preservatives.
http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-ca/staticpage/organic-wear.html

~Mitchum Deodorant

And for the salon brands opt for these companies:

~Abba- 100% vegan, free of sulfates and synthetic dyes.

~Derm Organic: 100% vegan, free of preservatives ( parabens) and dyes and sulfates

I hope that helps some of you out there make informed decisions without the guess work.

I want this...

I found this company featured in Boho magazine this month. They are called Old Village Hall and they restore antique furniture with a twist. They make lots of their cushions out of old coffee burlap bags. The result is a stunning old world charm that is slightly dark and very mysterious. Definitely a conversation piece.

I love love love this couch.

New Magazine I'm Loving

I just discovered this awesome eco-aware magazine yesterday during a much needed de-stressing trip to my fave book store: chapters.
The Magazine is called Boho and it features reviews on all things eco-conscious and sustainable from upcycling artists to haute couture and reclaimed items being made into furniture, and lots of beauty and food reviews. It's of course printed on recycled paper- no glossy pages here. It's totally cute and worth the $5.99 Canadian.

http://www.bohomag.com/

New Year Beginings.

Happy New Year my lovelies!  In with the new and out with the old as the saying goes. This year I plan on making a vow to be more conscientious to what I put into and onto my body, how I may inadvertently pollute my mind and soul and how I can reduce my polluting the earth I call home.

I have been reading a lot about sustainability and  reducing our toxic footprint both on the earth and inside our homes and bodies. For example did you know that 89% of the ingredients used in the majority of cosmetics have never been tested for safety! There is no governing body that forces cosmetic companies to adhere to a basic standard of health and safety.  Pretty scary when you think about it especially when you know that our skin is one big sponge that absorbs 50% of everything it comes in contact with.

I'm not going to get into a big diatribe of what to avoid and all that jazz, but I will point out companies that I use that are both vegan and truly natural and free of harmful chemicals. Trust me it takes a bit of patience and finesse to find both but the long term effect will be so worth it in the end!

For now here is an awesome book on sustainable fashion and beauty; I picked this book up at chapters for $6.99 and it is loaded with colour photos of all sorts of companies. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Style-Naturally-Savvy-Shopping-Guide-OAKES-SUMMER-RAYNE/9780811865241-item.html?ikwid=oakes+summer+rayne&ikwsec=Books

Easy Peasey Hummus

I found this recipe in Chatelaine magazine. It requires nothing fancier then a potato masher and a fork to prepare. It also doesn't require any fancy measurements ( or any of the sort for that matter), I go by texture. it is meant to be a rougher texture of hummus instead of a smooth spread.

Take  1 can of chick peas drained and rinsed, add olive oil and mash roughly with a potato masher until desired texture is achieved. It is meant to be thick and chunky. I mash it with my masher then to make it smoother I use a fork to break it up further, I then add minced garlic, a splash of lemon juice and a small splash of sesame oil for a nutty undertone flavor. I serve it on oven baked bread - the thicker the better or scooped onto celery.

This recipe is not only easy but it is cheap as well. For slightly more then the price you pay for a store bought pre- made brand you can purchase the majority of the ingredients ( minus the bread) and have enough lemon juice, olive oil, sesame oil and garlic to use in a plethora of other recipes and you skip all of the un-natural preservatives used in processed foods. The only ingredient that is a stretch to the wallet is pure olive oil but it is worth the money. I pay around $7.99 for aprox. 600ml. Olive oil is a good source of Omega oils and it also raises your good cholesterol and lowers the bad.