Woman in Real Life

When I travelled to Yuma, Arizona last month for the Natural Delights Medjool Dates Blogger Summit, I had the opportunity to sample some of Natural Delights' delicious date rolls. At that time, I told the group of bloggers and Natural Delights reps assembled that I really hoped my kids would enjoy the date rolls. They would make a wonderful, healthy after-school or on-the-run snack. I myself really love the taste of the date rolls, but you know how kids can be - the more you want them to love something, the less chance they actually will!

Cuts, scrapes, bruises, muscle aches, dry skin - unfortunately all of these are inevitable parts of living. Especially when you are living life to the fullest - which we tend to do in summertime, when the air is warm and the possibilities for outdoor activities broaden.

I try to use homeopathic and natural remedies whenever possible. My dedication to these less "conventional" products heightened when we started a family over 13 years ago. I became very conscious about the need to put less chemicals in our bodies. (And, let's not forget, we absorb chemicals through the creams and cosmetics we put on our skin.) My family "toolkit" has always included Boiron's homeopathic products. They have a number of products that are vegan-friendly, such as Arnicare creams and gels and Cicadermine.

As much as I hate to think about summer coming to an end, it's about time to start making those back-to-school purchases. While school starts for us on September 8th, in many other areas kids are already back to school. Like many people, we start each school year with fresh lunch bags and backpacks (unless the old ones are still clean and in good shape).

This year I did a lot of research to find eco-friendly and stylish options for lunch bags and backpacks that would suit our family. My daughter is 10 so she still likes the cute and fun options, but she also requires a certain level of "maturity" in her choices. My son is 13 so this in-denial mom has to be careful she doesn't go with styles that are too "little boy" for him.

I'm the kind of person who is always hungry. I don't understand people who can go hours without food. I once had to fast for a medical procedure for a full day - I became a weak, shaky and disheartened mess. In order to ensure that I'm prepared when hunger hits - maybe while I'm watching a dance competition or driving to visit my parents, I always have a snack item or two (or three or four) in my purse. Plus a couple more for my daughter (another always-hungry type).

Every week there's at least one Nature’s Path product on my grocery list. The kids rely on their favourite Nature's Path EnviroKidz cereals to get them going on busy mornings. My daughter and I also love the instant hot oatmeal packets. And don't even get me started on that Love Crunch cereal (freeze dried berries and chocolate, oh my)!

Nature's Path is a family-run, sustainably driven, organic food company. They believe that healthy foods don't need to be boring or tasteless. I can tell you from personal experience that none of their products could be described that way! Plus, Nature's Path voluntarily has their products third-party certified organic and Non-GMO Project verified. The Nature's Path family also lobbies to keep GMOs out of our food supply. The company sources 78 per cent of their ingredients in North America. When they have to get ingredients elsewhere, they choose suppliers who believe in organic agriculture and sustainability. All of their organic cocoa is fair trade. And many of their products are gluten-free (while still being delicious!).

Cleaning isn't all that fun. Are you with me? I take it there are people who enjoy cleaning, but I'm not one of them. But I do like a clean and shiny house. (And once in a while it even happens.) What helps to motivate me is having products at the ready that are pleasant to use, safe for my family and the environment and effective at doing the task at hand.

Recently, Better Life brought its range of natural cleaning products to all 130 Canadian Target stores. So, while I'm shopping for great non-leather, size 11 (yay!) boots and shoes at Target, I can also choose from among 12 beautifully packaged Better Life cleaning products for my home.

I tend to like a product or not like it. I'm not one of those super particular people who notices subtle nuances between one shade of black mascara and the next. So when I'm reviewing a product I have to dig deeper and think about why I like or don't like something.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been using MiEssence's skin essentials (soothing) skincare products. The adjectives that spring to mind when I think of my MiEssence facial cleansing routine are pleasant, natural, herbal, gentle, nourishing, smooth and soothing. MiEssence has a few options for skincare, including balancing, purifying and rejuvenating products. I went with the soothing line of products because I am prone to rosacea, particularly on my cheeks. MiEssence products are certified organic and made in Australia.

I spotted an enticing booth at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival last year. It housed the tempting wares of Pixie Mood, "The Cruelty-Free Handbags & Accessories Company." This Canadian company sells designer vegan handbags (purses), clutches, wallets and toiletry cases, all made with animal-friendly materials such as cork, cotton, canvas, faux suede and vegan leather. And Pixie Mood bags are all pretty darn cute too.

Whenever possible, I try to use personal care products that are friendly to our health and the earth. Recently, I was pleased to try out products from Boo Bamboo, a Canadian company that creates all-natural skin, hair, sun and baby care products. Boo Bamboo products are cruelty free, vegan, gluten free and enriched with organic bamboo extracts. They are free of sulphates, parabens and DEA too.

This is the second post in my "Products We Love" series. I reserve this feature for earth- and people-friendly products that my family uses and loves. And we love Sweets from the Earth! This Toronto-based bakery makes delicious desserts that just about anybody can eat.

The list of benefits to Sweets from the Earth's yummy baked goods is long - they are all natural, 100% vegan, trans fat free, non-hydrogenated, GMO free, made without artificial colours or flavours, preservative free AND free from refined sugars. But still amazingly delicious!

I have been a vegetarian for close to two decades. Although I started eating vegetarian out of respect for animals, over the years I naturally began to explore other issues as well. I collected books and clippings about healthy eating, green living and protecting the environment. And I began to search out organic foods and chemical-free cleaning products.