Off-Grid With Cabinscape

 It's an infamous theme around here, my suggestion to consider experiences over things. It's right up there next to my "buy better, buy less" preference, discussed many times over the years in this space.

We've been gifting the kids experiences for their birthdays for the past few years and try to implement the same mindset when it comes to other holidays, occasions and beyond.

We've done many staycations, little getaways and even some major travelling with our eldest but nothing has been quite like our latest experience and stay with family-founded company, Cabinscape.

Cabinscape is a Canadian owned and operated company, offering eco-conscious cabin stays for those looking to experience intimate, off-grid stays. Locations range from low remoteness (ability to drive-in and near to other cabins and/or amenities) to high remoteness (hike-in required, distant from other accommodations, towns and resources). Every micro cabin is custom designed and built with everything you need, while prioritizing a minimized footprint.

School Uniforms: Conscious, Small Business

 Another school year is right around the corner (or recently begun for some of our US friends) and that means back-to-school preparations. For many people, ourselves included that means uniform shopping. And whether you go straight to the uniform provider or big box stores making the same styles, they all share a similarity that's hard to avoid. Not the most comfortable materials, little to no conscious considerations, and most definitely not ethically made.

I would be lying if I said we were able to entirely avoid those options, but it's just not as easy as it sounds. Yet. As more parents look for alternative options to incorporate into the standard uniform, an increasing amount of businesses big and small are looking to cater to that need.

Here, I am sharing a few brands that offer uniform collections or uniform-friendly pieces all while checking the boxes of ethical and/or sustainable manufacturing practices and materials, as well as being small businesses.

Discussing Climate Change With Children

 Did you know that Maple Leaf is the world's first major carbon neutral food company? If not, well me neither. We aren't meat eaters but I'm very familiar with the Canadian company and am ecstatic that these major players aren't excluding themselves from the responsibility that is climate crisis action.

Minimal Workspace

Raising Plant-Based Babies, With Else Nutrition

Joowaa Baby + GIVEAWAY

First and totally foremost, I cannot thank Joowaa enough for not only the opportunity to work together but also the chance to introduce and gift one of their innovative and conscious pieces of work with you all.

Plastic Free July: The Big Four

Minimizing plastic use might just be the most common and widespread, environmental effort or message occurring right now. And it just so happens to be ‘Plastic Free Month’ (every July) so there’s an extra push underway right now, inspiring people to make a change.

Responsible Brand: Free Label

I’ve long been a fan of eco-friendly brand, Free Label, for their feminine-chic designs that have the ability to carry you from yoga to errands to coffee shop meet ups. Because really, that’s what life actually looks like and a girl shouldn’t have to break the bank or clutter the wardrobe to accommodate that. Not only are the designs ridiculously flattering and versatile, but every piece comes with the comfort and promise of being vegan friendly, responsibly manufactured, and made only of sustainable-organic materials. With all that being said, I’m super excited to be teaming up with them today to bring you this post, sharing a little more about their efforts and showcasing the functionality of their collections.

Conscious Fashion Terminology

With a movement underway of all kinds of conscious fashion and consumerism, there are a handful of new terms in discussion that might be misunderstood, or easily mixed up. As someone who often uses these terms across my platforms — I thought it necessary to take a minute and write a quick note one each one.

Responsible Brand: FRANC

In the last little while, I’ve become a fan of a few new brands that aligned better with my buying morale. One of these brands is Toronto label, FRANC. Being ethically-made, responsibly sourced, and providing the opportunity to support local (for my fellow Canadians) is a great and some what less common opportunity worth jumping on. But don’t just take my word for it – let’s talk about behind the scenes of this new favourite of mine.

Curate An Ethical Closet

I was a little behind on sharing anything for Earth Day, but in all honestly, a lot of my posts are on an everyday earth day vibe. However, today, just one day after is significant as well — marking the 5 year anniversary of the life taking collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. In choosing ethical, we can contribute less to these circumstances and cut back on the amount of ill run factories, over demand for supply, and workers (many of which are young women) in unfathomable work environments. See more about the disaster here.

Brands We Love: Children's Boutiques

In lieu of endless gift guides, I thought I would keep them to a minimal and go another route by highlighting some really loved businesses that are small or one-man shows, women owned and run, backed by moms or maybe even local to your community (country). During a time of excessive big box marketing, it’s easy to feel as if some of these smaller but no less significant businesses get “lost in the sauce” if you will. 

I’m hoping to avoid the blogger thing of telling you what you “need” to buy in effort to make a dollar, and instead sharing what I genuinely believe to better places to do the buying you’re inevitably going to do anyways.

Scrapping my original post about gift suggestions for children, I’m sharing my favourite boutique destinations for any and all times of the year. I also have a post coming soon with some of our favourite independent children’s brands that are worth checking out or maybe even carried at some of the following shops, so stay tuned.

Linen Pants, Sustainable & Sartorial

I shared recently my love for linen pants (but linen anything for that matter). While I'm a self proclaimed denim lover, there comes a time where you need something a little elevated in your closet. I've long loved the look and crispness of linen made clothing, something about it always so carefree yet still very much put together.

I was already sold on the aesthetics of almost any linen pant or blouse I had ever seen, but my appreciation was about to be upped. As my interest in sustainable living grew, I started seeking what other areas I could make changes in as well. You know where this is going, don't you? I found out that linen requires minimal production energy (8%) in comparison to the likes of many other fabrics, including the often poorly made polyester and to little surprise, denim.

JORD Watches & Cherishing Time

Time never seemed to escape us so fast until we welcome R into our lives. Sure, our days were busy, but they lacked a significance and demand we could never know without becoming parents. With our combination of less than normal careers, our schedules don't always align so perfectly. But with some effort, we've come to find a way to make sure there is time for the necessary, time for family, and time for each other.

Memo Bottle

On the path to living simpler, I've been seeking more natural ways to tackle both beauty and wellness. No matter what I seek, read, or learn one consistent remains. Water! Better skin? Drink more water. Eliminate headaches? Drink more water. Combat bloating? Drink more water. Simple. Except I hate water drinking and the look of clunky water bottles. That's why my new favourite accessory is one consisting of both prettiness and practicality. 

What Is 'Capsule' Wardrobe?

I recently shared to instagram my love and return to capsule wardrobe after having fallen off during my pregnancy with R. This spring I decided to work back towards that lifestyle again. I saw and knew the benefits, loved the simplicity, and really just wanted to spend less time at the mall or worrying about getting dressed and more time with my boys or adding instead of subtracting from the bank account. I knew there were probably other people who had similar feelings, and so I started sharing my insights, which soon turned into offering stylist services revolving around capsule.