Wednesday, March 31, 2010

♥ Wednesday Favorites: Love Life ♥


This week's Wednesday Favorites picks arrrrre, some awesome songs to embrace Loving Life


So where has this week's inspiration come from?


Well, there are a couple reasons I chose these songs and why this week in particularly.

First, because I just feel awesome and in love with life. But also because I want to share this love with the people in my life that I'm fortunate to have and I feel that they need a little "pick-me-up" as well.

The second reason I'm choosing this week is because it seems fitting. My Papa dedicated a song to me on the radio this week and I very sadly missed it *tear*. But I do deeply appreciate that he did and I felt it appropriate to place out dedications to my loved ones (you know who you are) and of course the rest of the world because we are all one. :)

From my Papa, and I think his words were worth sharing: "Remember we all have each other to share energy with. Without each other we have nothing but emptiness."


"Life is Beautiful" Sixx AM -- this is the song my Papa dedicated to me. I love this song and it was actually he who had originally showed me this song. So dedicating this back to him and my amazing family


"Fully Alive" Flyleaf -- this is one of my all time favorite songs in the world. It was the song that gave me my first turning point against depression and in a sense began my dedicated recovery.


"Around the World" Red Hot Chili Peppers -- cuz this song is simply awesome :)


"You Decide" Fireflight -- I really like this song for its motivation to stand up and fight for your happiness. Read the lyrics even if you don't like the song :p



I know this is a short list, but I didn't have much time to put it together :p But I did anyways because I really wanted to share a couple heart-felt songs and dedicate them to my amazing loved ones.


Life isn't always easy, that's just the way it is, but we can never forget how beautiful it is. The happy moments are to cherish and the bad moments are to learn from. Embrace it all and remember what is important. Smile and share the love. I love you all xo.


And now your turn, dedicate a song to someone you care about, or share your favorite songs that remind you to love the life you live.


~Bianca








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Sunday, March 28, 2010

Earth Hour is Over, What's Next?


Hopefully you all participated in this year's Earth Hour. For those of you who didn't *waves finger* tisk tisk! It is important to participate in this global event because it raises awareness, gets you thinking, and shows your support against Climate Change.


Check out www.earthhour.org for more information on this awesome yearly event, and why you should take part (although this one is fairly obvious :p).

Also check out World Wildlife Fund (WWF) www.wwf.org , the organization behind Earth Hour. Their ultimate goal is "to build a future where people live in harmony with nature". Now who doesn't want to work towards that? They are a great organization that work to save our planet as well as the creatures on it. They have "adoptions" for endangered species, tons of information on local events, and other crisis that need your support to help our planet and wildlife. Show some love!


Now I would like to think that just because Earth Hour is over doesn't mean that the well-being of the planet is going to be completely disregarded until next year's hourly event. The point is to raise awareness and to keep this awareness growing all year long. With that being said, here are some more tips to keep your eco-consciousness active all year round and all the little things that you can do that add up and mean a lot.


1. Turn off Your Lights! When you leave a room there is no reason to keep the lights on (unless of course someone is still in that room) so flicking off that lightswitch can make all the difference. The same goes for your TV. I'm amazed by the number of people that have their televisions on all day when no one is watching, and when no one is even home! Turn the darn things off!


2. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. I know, I've mentioned this one before, and it's an obvious one. But I will say it again anyway: recycle, reduce, reuse!! Do it! And make the effort to buy recycled products such as paper, bathroom tissue, tin foil, books, absolutely anything you can think of! Need a little convincing of the environmental impact? If each household in Canada switched just one roll of their virgin bleached bathroom tissue to one roll of the recycled kind, we'd save almost 48,000 trees and prevent 4,500 kilograms of the air and water pollution that comes from making it!!!!


3. Buy Energy Efficient Appliances. If it's time to throw out that old appliance then look for new ones that have high energy efficiency. Lots are now marked with the "Energy Star" rating as well which makes this much easier when shopping. Plus you'll save lots on your bills which is always a bonus! Oh, and note to self; Refrigerators are one of the top energy-guzzling appliances in the home so you might want to trade up regardless if it's time for a new or not.


4. Unplug any Unused Appliances. All appliances use energy even when they are switched off. Note the little lights on lots of them that are still on when the electronic device is off, hmm? Unplug them when they're not in use, that little light isn't serving any good purpose and this easy step makes a world of difference!


5. Let Your Voice be Heard! Write a letter or email, or even a phone call if you can, to your local official letting them know about your concern for our environment and that you demand changes. We underestimate the power of the individual, so speak up and let your city and government know that you want to see changes before it's too late.


6. Be Smart with your Car. There's so much damage to be done by vehicles and so much we can change about it. You can start by driving less. We have legs for a reason--shocking I know ;p-- so use them and walk to do errands if you can. Your health and the planet will benefit from this. Ask yourself; do you Have to use your car? Maybe you can ride a bike or use the transit system? Maybe you can carpool to work? Second, you can stop idling! I seriously have to fight the urge to kick vehicles when I see them sitting there pouring out CO2 for no good reason. If every Canadian driver cut back on five minutes of idling a day, we'd save 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide and 1.8 million litres of fuel!! Third, get a car that doesn't suck on gas. Environment Canada says pre-1988 vehicles are responsible for 50% of road emissions--shocking when they only make up 10-15% of cars!


7. Eat Locally and Organic. In Canada, over 60% of our food is imported, and the average food product travels 2000 km to reach your dinner table. Eating food that is grown close to home will not only save harmful CO2 emissions, but it will also be fresher! Win-win! ^_^ Buying Organic means you're not eating possibly carcinogenic chemicals and pesticides, you're not poisoning wildlife, workers, and waterways, you're not eating gmo ingredients, and the soil's nutrients are reused, not to mention you get more nutrients from the food.


8. Fly Less. Airplanes account as one of the biggest culprits to CO2 emissions high into the atmosphere, so they're obvious baddies. If you have to fly then buy carbon offsets to reduce the impact of your flight. Check out www.climatefriendly.com.


9. Have 5-8 Minute Showers. This may be asking too much of some people, so even reducing your shower to 15 minutes for you hour-long water-hogs would make a difference. Every minute you stand in your shower, you're spraying 15 to 30 litres of water down the drain! Here's another tip: if your shower can fill a 2-litre jug with water in under 10 seconds, its time for a new shower head. Get yourself a low-flow shower head to decrease the amount of water being used, ideally one that uses no more than 11 litres per minute. You'll save money on both your water and electricity bill (that water doesn't heat itself you know!). Turning off the water while you lather up is a great tip as well that will save more water! :)


10. Have an Earth Hour every week. Or even having an Earth Hour once a month can make a world of difference! Have fun with it and make it a social gathering with friends to get more involved. You might be surprised by how much fun saving the planet can be ~_^.


You know I could make a list of thousands of helpful tips, but I will keep it to 10 for now. If your mind is hungry for more eco goodness, I highly recommend buying the book "Ecoholic" by Adria Vasil. I like to think of it as a great encyclopedia to earth-friendliness that is packed full of useful information not only for our planet but for your own well-being as well. It is Canadian-based but, still, anyone can benefit from this amazing book.


Time for the fun part ~_^....What do You do to reduce your carbon footprint? Share your helpful tips you use throughout your day and how you make a difference. Also, share how you spent your Earth Hour so we all have more ideas on how to enjoy an hour with the lights out in the future, especially for those that plan on making this a monthly or weekly event.



Love & Bruises, xo


~Bianca



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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

♥ Wednesday Favorites!!! ♥

Spring has been in the air as of lately and it has certainly brought a certain fresh feeling and warm thoughts of new beginnings. I am sad to say, however, that Edmonton has had a last retaliation from winter in the form of snow, snow, and more snow. I am personally not giving up on the feeling that it is spring, so I am keeping a big smile on my face and plunging forward regardless--and yes, I refuse to wear a winter jacket again until next winter.


So where am I going with this you may ask? Well, I have been disappointed with myself for the lack of new Posts to my Blog, and so, with this upbeat sense of new beginnings, I am determined to get more posts up on a regular basis. I'm starting with a new theme; Wednesday Favorites!


What is "Wednesday Favorites" you ask? Well, let's start with why Wednesday. I chose this day because, as it just so happens, I felt inspired today (which is, yes, Wednesday). It is the day before my "weekend" and for most of you it is half way through your work week, so why not add a little fun to get you through the other half ~_^?

What are these "favorites"? It is a list of my top picks for the week, whether it be music, eco products, books, movies, or absolutely whatever I feel like sharing that particular week.

Now, I would also like your participation! Yayyy! Whatever the theme I choose for the week, I would love to hear your thoughts and your picks as well so leave comments and some love!



So, this Wednesday Favorites is Favorite Blogs!! Why? Because I asked what people would like me to blog about and my husband oh so wittily (in his usual sarcasm) suggested I blog about blogs. So that is what I am doing (take that Mr. Smart Mouth!).



1. CraftAnon: (http://craftanon.blogspot.com/) I could not possibly do a favorite Blog post without including this one! ~_^ This is the new revamped Diyscene team Blog! We recently have been doing a huge make-over, with a new name, new look. and new ideas! This blog is fun and gets all you lovely diy fans more involved with our awesome team! The blog features exclusive interviews with team members, TNT Sale information, our new "Ask me Anything" feature where we get to plague fellow members with questions they must answer ^_^, and a ton of other fun stuff to keep you updated on the team!


2. Rockerbyebaby: (http://www.PunkRockerByeBaby.blogspot.com/) Amber's blog is absolutely amazing, and she's a fellow diyscener ^_^! She updates her blog constantly, so I bow down to her awesomeness for finding time to run a kick-ass business, have two little boys, and still find the time to blog! She is one amazing woman with tattoos, tons of style, And with an eco-friendly mind! Her blog features tons of fun, interactive stuff, including giveaways every week!! Check her out! You won't regret it!


3. Barley & Birch: (http://barleyandbirch.blogspot.com/) Another amazing blog! Their web-store sells adorable 100% Organic cotton baby and children's clothing that is just to die for! Their blog is a direct reflection of the values that make their business so wonderful--changing the world for a brighter, earth-conscious future, as well as getting in touch with their customers. Doesn't get much better than that!


4. Sedilu Green: (http://sedilugreen.blogspot.com/) I am a new follower to this blog, however I can already tell I am going to love it! ^_^ This eco-friendly Blogger sells some awesome "eco-stuffers" to encourage people to not use plastic bags to store food in!! Her attitude is just awesome and her blog is full of all sorts of earth-conscious information and ideas to help you be a greener Earthling! ^_^


5. In Love with Handmade: (http://pili-inlovewithhandmade.blogspot.com/) Pili is another awesome diyscene member who has the best taste and is completely dedicated to everything handmade! Her blog shares this love and her findings, purchases, etc. She's an awesome gal and therefor her blog is equally awesome! ^_^


6. Little Village Naturals: (http://littlevillagenaturals.blogspot.com/) Another blog with the well-being of the planet in mind! She has some awesome themes for certain days of the week, most involving eco-consciousness! Plus, she blogged about me for her "Made in Canada Mondays". ~_^


Well, that's all for this week's picks. I am getting back into the world of blogging, and that includes being more interactive on other's blogs. Think there are some blogs that I should be checking out? Let me know and share your picks!! ♥♥


xo,


~Bianca




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