Juicy Green Mom

I am sooo excited! There are 6 classes at my kiddo’s school who get to participate in planting in the school raised bed this year! Due to the pandemic, each class will have a designated length of the garden box, with geraniums separating the sections, and each class will have their own set of garden gloves to use. Since seed packets typically have sooooo many seeds, I’m making our money stretch a bit more by dividing up the seed packets. I photocopied the back of the seed packets and put them on the envelopes so each class will still have the planting info. I can’t wait to see how they grow! Have you gotten seeds for your garden yet?

I’m pretty stoked about my new plant propagation station! I used an old magnet board (originally from @ikeacanada) that my daughter used to put her magnetic letters on, some earth magnets that I gorilla glued to small glass jars a friend passed along to me, and a small glass bottle from an @evoolution104 sample. I used washi tape I had on hand to trim them. Isn’t it great when you can use stuff you have to create useful things?? Now to propagate all the things!!! I think my husband will be happy that there aren’t little jars of plant bits all over the house now!

Just wanted to share some gorgeous @soapsoco pics with you! These are some delicious scents I hadn’t tried before - raspberry swirls, cheeky peach, and plumeria (I adore plumeria flowers!!!). I love that they come in a reusable fabric drawstring bag too! And of course I had to pose them with one of the Philodendron Brasil cuttings I got from the last time I stopped in at @soapsoco that one of the owners Keiron gave me. I can’t say enough good things about this #yeglocal brand that cares about people and the environment - and really walk the talk when it comes to making every effort to be #zerowaste and #sustainable. Have you tried @soapsoco yet?

No, you don’t need to adjust your screen... this is why I did not do any spring cleanup up in my yard yet... although we’ve had some pretty balmy days in #YEG recently, we haven’t had above 10 degrees Celsius during the days AND nights consistently. And there’s always the possibility of THIS. Those pollinators are still hiding in the safety of their leaf cover and such so they’re protected from this snowstorm! I am very much looking forward to spring but I know better than to hope for spring this early in Edmonton! I hope you are staying warm!

#BernieonaJourney travels on the ground or by boat - he doesn’t fly. Why? The total carbon impact of a single flight is so high that avoiding just one trip can be equivalent to going (gasoline) car-free for a year. (David Suzuki Foundation) It’s unpopular to point out, especially when so many of us have put vacation plans on hold during this pandemic. I know I’m not the only one dreaming of a beach getaway, or visiting relatives in faraway places. ... But the reality is that flying is one action with a HUGE carbon footprint. We really need to think more consciously about when we take plane trips. Is it necessary? Is it possible to take a longer flight instead of multiple smaller flights? Is it possible to drive, take a bus, or a train? Some people, like Greta Thunberg, have committed to not traveling by plane. I’m sure many of us would say it’s impossible. Many of us consider travel to be an important part of the human experience. I have a sister and nephew who live in Australia, which is very far by plane - much less any other mode of transportation. How can we see each other if not by plane? I wrestle with this a lot because - of course it’s important to me to see my family, yet it also seems a bit selfish in the grand scheme of things. Would my daughter and nephew ask why we made so many plane trips 30 years from now, when we knew of the tremendous carbon impact? I certainly don’t expect everyone to stop flying. But I hope that we can, at the very least, be more conscious of its impact. Maybe we don’t need to fly to Mexico for a beach vacation, maybe we can drive to the coast instead. Some Climate Aviation Facts (from David Suzuki Foundation - link in bio for full post): One return flight from Montreal to London emits as much carbon emissions as heating a European home for an entire year. The global tourism industry is responsible for eight per cent of global emissions more than the construction industry! Airline flying is going up five per cent a year but efficiency improvements have only increased by one to two per cent. Did you learn something new about air travel and climate change from this post?

#YEG friends! Check this out!

I already love Jack59 so much, and now here’s another reason to love them even more!!!

I’m loving this countertop compost bin made from recycled plastic waste from @therogerie (purchased from @replenish.yeg) - it is a much nicer solution than the overflowing random bowls I was using previously, or the slotted basket I had that required purchasing compostable bags to use with it. It even has a carbon filter in the lid that you can switch out when needed so there’s no odours. And it’s so easy to clean! Even though my backyard composters are filling up with frozen food scraps right now, once spring comes, I’ll be steps ahead for getting my own compost ready for the garden! Do you compost?

Let’s do this, Canadians!!

We've had a relatively mild winter in Edmonton except for those few weeks of polar vortex! I know many people are ITCHING for Spring - and for good reason! Winter is a great time to plan what you are going to plant so that you can grow your own food! And because we have such a short growing season, many people start seeds at around this time of year. I interviewed 2 expert gardeners to get some tips and tricks on how to be successful with starting seeds - and get off to a gre...at start for spring! Do you start seeds before the spring? What do you start? https://juicygreenmom.ca/how-to-start-seeds-advice-from-ex/

#YEG folks - consider writing to your City councillor about the coal mining issue! Here’s what I sent mine - feel free to use it as well! City Council is meeting on Monday, so do it quick! Dear Councillor Cartmell, I understand that on February 22, the City of Edmonton will be discussing and voting on their position on open-pit coal mining in some of their best tourism and recreation areas. ... I am asking that the City Council tell the Alberta government to stop all coal exploration and development in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes (source waters for Edmonton and area) until such a time that robust public and Indigenous consultation has been completed and a replacement for the Coal Policy is in place. I am also asking that City Council: - engages with the province as a stakeholder in the replacement of the Coal Policy, - forms an official stance on coal development in source water areas, - advocates for the protection of the headwaters, and - directs EPCOR to update their headwaters protection plan Edmonton constituents are concerned about how coal mining will affect our water sources AND the greater environmental implications. Edmonton has been a leader in making changes to move towards helping with the climate crisis - these coal mining projects are a huge step backwards! Please put a stop to this! Sincerely, Judith Lam Tang

Thankful for friends who share their plant babies! I was struggling with finding plants that would survive in my daughter’s room... because of blackout window coverings, it doesn’t get much light if I don’t remember to open them up everyday. Everything I put in there eventually died! I was reading that snake plants can do well in darker spaces, but the one small snake plant I gave didn’t have any babies. I asked my fellow eco conscious pal @angelefournierslp if she happened to have any babies from her bigger plant, and she graciously gave me one! It seems to be thriving, hooray!!! I love sharing plants and cuttings with friends!

I am in love with this pink poinsettia I got from @archgreenhouses - I’ve never seen one like it! Came with instructions so I’m hoping I can keep this beauty looking lovely. Really stoked that I could order online and do curbside pickup too! Also, the SLP in me is wondering why it’s pronounced poin-seh-tah and not poin-seh-tee-ah??

Ooh! I love zero waste giveaways!

Hellloooooo new followers! Thanks for joining me here, I wanted to do a quick intro! I’m an Eco-mom blogger (linktree in bio) and I’m passionate about making earth friendly and toxin free lifestyle changes, doing what I can to combat climate change, and generally trying to make the world a better place for future generations. I love plants, and though I live in Edmonton which is nowhere near the ocean, I love the ocean! This badge is from contributing to the Turn the Tide @pr...ojectzero Kickstarter campaign, a collaboration with @oceanbottle (their bottles are made from stainless steel and recycled ocean bound plastic, and each bottle purchased funds the removal of 1000 plastic bottles that would have ended up in the ocean). The coordinates represent the 10km area of ocean I have protected - as they reestablish ocean sanctuaries to help combat climate change. So - I want to know about you! What are you passionate about? What do you want to see more of on my feed?

Although I can’t spend time growing my garden in the winter, I appreciate that it forces me to stop for a season. To rest. To re-evaluate. Plan for the next growing season. Winter can bring on some blues, but it also encourages introspection, which I think is important for everyone. Take some time to reflect on yourself in the muted snow. I promise it’s good for your soul.

I’ve had @lamosego water bottles for several years now, ever since I first discovered them as the only #plasticfree water bottle makers! My collection has continued to grow, and so many of my friends and family have them now too! They keep drinks cold or hot, and because they are so easy to clean, you don’t have to worry about residual tastes from your previous drinks if you use it for coffee or tea. Of course, the most fun part is customizing your own bottle! @lamosego also ...now offers insulated mugs, tumblers and even a thermos! Awesome, right? For my favourite things GIVEAWAY, @lamosego is offering a $50 gift card!! Sweeeeeet! Go to my original Favourite Green Things post to enter! And check out the full review in my blog post (linktree in my bio).