Greener Beans

I am here today to let you all know that University has not allowed me to escape unscathed (Escape? Who am I kidding...definitely still stuck there lol). No, I have fallen into the world of coffee. But see, I have a dilemma, which is that I don't completely like coffee. Oh, I like its effects, don't get me wrong. That stuff is liquid gold for an early morning class or wrangling kindergarteners. But the coffee flavour? Not so much. I can handle it if it's mild, but not just straight up coffee.

Enter, the latte. And Starbucks. You see, a latte still has the effects of coffee, without tasting like I'm drinking tar. 

Problem is.....that's a $5 commitment. One would think that my reasonable (ahem) self would consider this ludicrous, but no...sometimes survival comes at a price (as anyone who has had to PAY for school knows). 

Now, don't go freaking out and think I have abandoned my beloved tea, because that could never happen. My tea count per day has not changed (a LOT), this is simply an addition. Plus, Starbucks has tea too ;) But the point is that sometimes girlfriend's gotta have some serious caffeine and Starbucks kindly assists with that.

So what do you do about such a situation when you want to be kind to the planet and your bank account? Well, allow me.

You buy one of these!! Starbucks has started making these reusable cups and they sell them for...wait for it...$1. That's ONE DOLLAR. Yep. Annnnnnnnnd... when you use a reusable cup at Starbucks, you save 10 cents, which means the cup pays for itself in 10 visits (or 10 classes, depending on how you prefer to count). Actually, if we are really getting precise, they take the discount before tax so you really save more like 15 cents when they round it to the 5 (because they finally got rid of the penny), which would be 6 or 7 visits. But we aren't going to get that precise, because school just ended and there are just some things you need to recover from in life. So really, the money savings alone is a bonus if you ask me. 

On top of saving some cash...can we just all take a minute to think about how many cups AREN'T going in the garbage when you reuse your cup? I don't know how many other people have a Starbucks on their campus, but we have one glorious Starbucks and about 8 Timmies, among other coffee shops, and that is a LOT of disposable cups. In fact, at this time of the year (exam time) I would bet that the garbage cans are 90% full of just coffee cups. So I think a serious argument could be made for the benefits of reusing a cup. I mean, Americans alone throw away 25 billion styrofoam cups each year (source).

In case you need some other reasons, here you go: 

1. This cup is way more sturdy than the regular paper/plastic cups.

2. It looks just the same so you can still feel classy with your Sbux like all the cool kids. 

3. It's super light so it's no trouble to throw it in my bag in the morning on the way to class. 

4. This one is my favourite discovery. The cup is only in one size, and when you order a tall, the baristas tend to fill it up anyways giving you more bang (code for caffeine) for your buck. It's pretty much the most awesome thing ever. 

Now, I am sure you might be wondering why I didn't have a reusable travel mug before now. I did. But I broke it. So I was in line one day and and saw this and thought, what the heck, why not? And I realized this is something anyone, and I mean anyone, could do. Talk about a simple switch. 

Kinder than Neccessary

"'Shall we make a new rule of life...always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?' What a marvelous line, isn't it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed...That line, that concept, reminds us that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness...If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God."

Go ahead, read it again. I'll wait for you. All of you...go read it again. 

The quotation above is from the book Wonder by R. J. Pallacio, which I had to read for my inclusive education class this year. I definitely recommend it if you are an educator or are interested in inclusion and children in any way. Actually, you should read it just for the adorable story! I cried more than once. Which, if you know me and books is highly unusual...right? Okay, maybe not. But still. 

This was one of those books that had me sitting there scribbling down quotations the entire time. The one above has to be one of my favourites. So much truth packed into those words. What if? What if we made that our motto in life, to be just a little kinder than is necessary? I think every person in the class adopted those words as their own teaching philosophy by the end of the term. But this quote struck me for more reasons than just being a teacher. 

I think the idea of being kinder than necessary is so applicable to our lives. Now, let me clarify that this does not mean having no boundaries. Boundaries are good and healthy components of our lives. But just take a minute to imagine some of your daily encounters lived by this principle. Lately this has meant that when one of my kindergarten students came up to me with a scab on his finger and horrified expression on his face and said "ummm Miss? This came off of my body and now there is bloooood!" (yes, exactly like that YouTube video), instead of responding in frustration because I had only reminded him to stop touching his face a bazillion times, maybe taking a deep breath and giving a gentle and logical reminder that this is why we don't pick scabs would be a perfectly fine accompaniment to a natural consequence.

Or when that person in line at grocery store is rude to you? Why not just give a nice smile instead of feeling annoyed at them and your plight in the ever-horrible grocery line lottery of life. I could go on and on (and most of my latest personal reminders have to do with kindergarten), but I hope that this little quotation gives you too, some food for thought today. The choice is yours - you have the capacity to be kind. We all make choices regarding our actions and we each possess the ability to choose kindness. And just maybe, someone will see the face of God in you. Because isn't that what everyone needs? 

Heroes

I wasn't planning to post today...I have one that I am struggling to come up with words for on the go, and it's taking some time.

But then I was listening to the new Casting Crowns album, after one of my wonderful friends told me I needed to check it out. I thought it would make a nice studying soundtrack, so I drifted over to YouTube to give it a listen. Studying? Nope. Not happening. I had to share this song, because it so touched my heart.

I am overwhelmed with the heroes in my life...in every situation, everywhere I turn, when I am struggling and when I am celebrating, there are heroes. I am so grateful today for the incredible blessing of the people in my life...I could never articulate it fully.

These are the heroes, just ordinary people

Laying down their lives like angels in disguise

They're weak but always willing

They dare to do the hard things

And in the dark and desperate places no one else goes

You'll find the heroes

You'll find the heroes

I was listening to this song, and person after person came to my mind. I would hope that all the heroes in my life would know how they have impacted me, but I doubt it. Life can really stink sometimes, but where would any of us be without heroes? So for those ordinary people, willing to do the hard things, thank you. I wish I had more words, but thank you. 

Be someone's hero today.

Make the Switch: Food Storage

Today I want to mention a really simple way to make your lifestyle one step healthier, by removing some plastic from your home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to switch your food storage to something less harmful.

Why do I want to avoid plastic? 
1. Plastic often contains toxic chemicals. We know to avoid BPA, but many manufacturers just substitute with BPS, another toxin (or various other toxic materials). Furthermore, plastic is made from oil and chemically rearranged to make a basically indestructible compound. This doesn't sound good for our bodies to me. I could go on and on, but essentially plastic contains toxins and that's why I don't want it in leeching into my food.

2. Toxins make you sick. All of these toxins can cause a variety of problems, from infertility, to cancer, to asthma and more. One study even claims that plastic is contributing to obesity because it causes stem cells to change to fat cells.

3. Plastics are horrible for the planet. They don't react with pretty much anything, making them very difficult to break down. So nearly every piece of plastic ever made is still around. And when some plastic does begin to break down through photodegradation with sunlight, it can be ingested by marine life and wildlife. Not only does this negatively impact the environment, but also our food supply as well.

Kick it out. 
Knowing this information, we can see why it is important to limit the amount of plastic we let into our homes as much as possible. And yet, plastic is EVERYWHERE! We drink water out of it, store our food in it, carry our laundry in it, make our kids' toys from it, etc. I think the easiest and most logical place to start, is with how we eat and store our food since that is actually going inside of us. So I am going to share tips from my own experience switching to non-toxic food storage with all of you!

1. Glass. Glass is a great alternative to plastic - it lasts a long time, is doesn't get stained, it doesn't affect the taste of your food, and most types can be reheated in the oven. I switched out my plastic containers for glass one at a time and looked for massive sales or found them at thrift stores. Pyrex is definitely my favourite though and is great quality. I got a 10 piece set for 60% off after Christmas this year! If you are in Canada, Canadian Tire has sales on this stuff almost weekly.

2. Jars. Another great alternative is to use glass jars for storing food. I save pasta sauce jars, or other food containers, along with using Mason jars. Jars are especially useful for storing soup, homemade tomato sauce, or broth/stock. I have used them for all sorts of things though - chopped veggies/fruit, extra cooked meat, homemade bread crumbs, nuts, etc. I also use glass jars for most of my pantry storage and it works wonderfully - I can see what's inside and easily label them, and I like how it looks too :)

The humble mason jar...

3. Stainless Steel. There are also stainless steel food containers - like this one! I don't have any yet, but I'm sure they would be great for packing lunches because they would be lighter than glass, and don't have the risk of being broken as easily (although I haven't even chipped any of mine and I'm not overly cautious with them).

4. Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags. I have a set of reusable sandwich bags that I made myself with an online tutorial that I found a few years ago (before I even knew what Pinterest was lol) and they are just simple fold-lock style bags with scraps of fabric I had on hand. Super simple and great for dry foods like crackers, bread, nuts, etc. I also purchased an Itzy Ritzy bag off of Amazon with my last textbook order, since I figured I was getting free shipping anyways. I have this one and I LOVE IT! I love that I can just throw these in the wash with my regular clothes and I'm good to go! Less waste, I'm not bringing plastic into my house, and it's one less thing I have to buy. That's one of my favourite side effects of a more simple and natural lifestyle - there are so many things I don't even have to buy at the store anymore (deodorant, face wash, food storage products, bread, etc.).

5. Packaging. Last but not least, consider the packaging of food you are buying. Try to avoid packaging that contains toxins (BPA lined cans, plastic wrapped snacks, etc.). Buy in bulk or buy whole foods with minimal packaging (think: fruits and veggies that don't have to be packaged at all, etc...I use reusable produce bags). My local farmers market is my favourite grocery store!

Start slow and switch things in your home one at a time - you will be shocked at the changes you have made in no time! What is your next simple switch?