Sustainability Rules!

What better way to save the planet!

You want to be a part of a revolution? Do your part to save the planet! 

Sustainable fashion= 2nd hand clothing!

Now hear me out.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters of our planet. The amount of new clothing that is produced every day is sending out more and more synthetic fibres into our water, soil and environment.

Cotton is one of the most "dirtiest crops" due to 16% pesticide use allowing nitrates and phosphates into our soils and water supply.

- 1.5 trillion litres of water are used by the fashion industry each year! What a waste!

- The production of 1 kg of cotton garments uses up to 3 kgs of chemicals.

- Textile production (including cotton farming) uses almost 100 billion cubic metres of water annually, representing 4% of global freshwater withdrawal.

- 20% of industrial water pollution comes from textiles treatment and dying.

-  It takes 700 gallons of water to produce enough cotton for one tshirt. 

- More than 90% of cotton is genetically modified.

Facts about recycling garments:

-Nearly 100% of textiles and clothing are recyclable.

- Over 15 million tons of used textile waste is generated in the US each year.

- Synthetic clothing may take 100 years to decompose.

- Only 15% of consumer used clothing is recycled.

Reasons to buy 2nd hand:

Not only because of the listed reasons but....

- Comfort
- High End brands for a fraction of the cost
- Help support small businesses who are doing their part to recycle pre loved goods.
- Look good, be happy!

There's so much more information on this subject so I challenge you all to Google it. Find out what fibres are being put out into our oceans, which is also being ingested by sea creatures and causing a lot of damage to our coral reefs etc. Seems very wrong and unfair! It is our job to protect this beautiful planet we call home. So please do your part!

I've taken a stand and have decided to sell quality pre loved clothing for this reason. I am challenging you to do the same! There is nothing wrong with purchasing and wearing something that another person may have had sitting in their closets and were no longer using. Plus I find that with jeans etc, it is more comfortable after they have been broken in and are no longer stiff. Plus I know that I'm doing my part to help our planet!

Find me online and maybe make a purchase or 2 ;) Or at least like and share!
Poshmark- DharmaBoutique
Ebay- DharmaCollectibles
Instagram- both names

Shop more of my closet on Poshmark

What Happened???

Well I haven't been on lately...so much going on! I don't know how some people can blog every single day lol  My dad finally got results back from his doc....lowest levels of B12 they've ever seen. This is what's been causing his black outs, high blood pressure, swollen fingers, etc. All his other blood work came out great...hearts good, lungs good too. So glad they figured this out. And it makes sense because I've read about people with anxiety, depression etc needing more B12 so maybe it will even help with that...it should!
As for my mom, her pains haven't been figured out. But at least she's feeling better. I get the same thing from her....pains that no one can figure out lol  We are conundrums! I'm just so happy that they are both feeling way better than they were. I was getting pretty worried there.

Another thing I've been having to deal with is my youngests issues with "anxiety" and PSTD type of symptoms. Ive been trying to narrow things down with him and one of the biggest worrisome issues he's been dealing with have been with bathroom trips. He has suffered from bowel issues since he was 1. He walked up to me in his diaper then and cried and then passed out..lips blue. Freaked me out so badly!! We got in the car and drove to the hospital. I just remember being scared and saying "I can't do this!", was so afraid of something bad happening to him at that moment. After xrays, they found that his bowels were totally blocked up and he had fainted from that. 2 yrs ago he went to the washroom (8rs old) and luckily didn't flush the toilet. I came home and saw blood all in the toilet and found out it was from him. He had been complaining about tummy pain a few says in a row around that time and that day so after seeing that we took him up to the hospital. They sent us to Victoria, 2 ambulance rides on the way there, and then tests to figure it out. They thought his bowels were turning inside itself but after excruciatingly painful (even to watch) bowel exams and cat scan, they finally found the issue. He had a bowel blockage that was caused from a cyst on his bowel. So he went into surgery. Any parent knows how terrifying that is...your child being taken away from you into the operating room. I was scared and couldn't shut my brain off from worrying. After the surgery they wheeled him back into the room in the bed...he looked so purple and hot (high blood pressure), so of course I was worried again. It never stops! Being a parent can be so tough because you always worry about your children.
So recently he was having some issues again. He's been getting dizzy, hard to breath, not feeling great and his nerves have been going crazy. Like anxiety overload! They recently xrayed him again and said his bowels were blocked up again. It seems to be an ongoing thing for him. When he goes, he's not going enough. The doc gave us a jug of powder that they give for people preparing for colonoscopy. He said because of his background with bowel issues, it would be a good idea to give him a tsp of this in his juice or water all the time to keep him regular. So he has been feeling a bit better having that stuff. But....
Now I've really noticed that one of his big issues, that cause problems for him going to school...and I mean he doesn't want to go at all, he starts panicking about it, not only because the alarms for drills scare him (the school now gives him headphones while drills happen) but he also is worried something bad will happen at his school...the biggest issue though, he won't use the toilets at school. He worries that he'll have to go and he doesn't want to go there. I think the fact that before he had that surgery, he saw blood in the toilet...and he told me when he saw it he got scared and cried. (so heartbreaking) Anyway, I've summed it up to him having PTSD. It's caused a lot of fear for him so now I have to work on helping him out with that. One good thing is that the heath business I'm involved in has a natural product that has been helping others with this sort of issue and many more issues so I will be starting him on half or less plus the drink. I know it's been helping my middle son with anxiety etc so I need to get him going on it. It hurts too much to see him with this much fear and worry. :(
We really need to listen and pay attention to our children. Their needs, fears, worries, etc. And not make them feel less because they worry but help them to understand where their worries are coming from. And help them by talking. Just sit down and have a conversation with your child. It really does help.


In other news....

Well, today I've planted more seeds, made a great vegetarian turkey sandwich on olive bread and a blueberry, hemp powder smoothie with chai seeds, flax seeds and cinnamom...with a touch of maple syrup for lunch, enjoyed the sunshine out my kitchen window, did some cleaning, a bit of work, and blogging.

I tried to listen to some records but I think my record player has had it. Time for a new one!

 


Ok, I'm loving the color of that one on Amazon! :)  One thing I love is listening to records! For some reason, no matter what the music is..new or old...I just feel the music more...more soulful. Of course I tend to listen more to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong, etc etc etc. But you know what I mean! Even if I pop on some Elton John, I just love it!!

Well today is gorgeous out, blue sky, birds chirping, lawns being mowed...  I'll be leaving soon to walk down to my youngests school to pick him up. Nothing beats a nice walk on a beautiful day!

Happy Monday!!
Dawn The Irish Princess
xo

Happy Easter!!

Well, it's Easter Sunday....

    Happy Easter to everyone and their families! My kids woke up to their little baskets of goodies and were happy. Of course, that made me happy. :)
As a parent, we always worry that we don't have enough to give to our children but they are always happy with what they get and then we are left wondering why we were so worried in the first place. lol  I think a big part of it is seeing other parents go insane over every holiday and spoiling their children too much that we feel we need to "keep up with the Jones'" but it's so not necessarily and actually just does more bad than good.
People seem to forget that these holidays are meant for family, not for material objects. It's nice to be able to give our children things but it's not necessary to go crazy with it. And we don't need to do what everyone else is doing...just to look good. Our children will always love us and look up to us..and be happy as long as we make time for them.
I just want to take them to the park, maybe play some outdoor games, hiking, etc. Those are the things that stick with kids..not what you got them.

My boys went to have dinner tonight at their grandparents house. I decided to stay home because of this severe fatigue I keep suffering from. Being anemic I guess it goes with the territory but still...it's too much sometimes. Plus I wanted to stay near the phone in case my mom or dad need me today. Both have been unwell at the same time and I don't feel right not being here just in case they call needing someone to talk to. So, I've been here watching Netflix...a movie called Cake...Jennifer Anniston is in it...kind of a slow movie, and seems low budget...but it has it's moments I guess. And closer to the end it is a tear jerker.
 I also had a nice plate of chow mein with stir fry veggies...yummy!

The kids called to tell me their Aunt (their dad's sister) has a big surprise for everyone....  I already know what it is but I'm not too thrilled about it....   more on that another time. lol


One thing that I wish for...is to spend more time with my family for holiday dinners. We don't get to do them often...and it's been a while. It's hard sometimes because me and my sister live here in the same town with our kids, my dad lives here, my mom is about an hour away, my brother is just over an hour away...  and everyone has different schedules going...gets hard to get us all together.  But I want to make it happen more often! It's too important!


Anyway, the movie is almost over, my tea is getting a bit cold, the sun is going down and I need to get up off my butt and turn a light on lol

Have a great night! (or day depending on where you are in the world)

Love,
Dawn The Irish Princess
xo




This is just beautiful! <3

Parents...

Well this morning I went with my dad to the hospital again so he could have more tests done to figure out why his blood pressure is so high. He asked me to go with him after his thursday appt so we went today. Well last night I get a message that my sister is going to my mom's because my mom was in severe pain and put on morophine. What the heck? Both my parents at the same time? Now for those who don't know me, my parents separated when I was 7yrs old so they don't live together. Seriously, why both at once? And during Easter weekend. Both going in to have tests done today too.
Last night I laid here sending out reiki energy to both of them, for healing and health. For those who don't know about reiki energy....it's not unlike praying really. All with good intention and all with positive energy and thoughts.

Anyway, I need my parents...my children need my parents..and I really want to be able to spend more time with them both. It doesn't happen as much as it really should. We only get our parents for so long so we really need to change things. It gets so hard sometimes because we all get busy...but family should come first! No excuses! Even just taking the time to have coffee, tea, go for walks, to the beach, etc etc. etc. I really want my kids to get to know them both and do more with them.

Today my oldest (he's almost 17) said that he looks up to my dad. He said because he's cool, kind, artistic and funny. And that's true...he has taught me a lot over the years and even though he has always felt like people walked all over him all of his life, he's still the one who is quick to give me some positive advice when I'm having any problems. Even when my anxiety was bad he'd talk to me on the phone and calm me down....even though he suffers from it worse. I've been taking something natural for mine and so far I haven't had any anxiety..thankfully! Now he's taking it so I hope it helps him out too.

I love visiting my mom for some girl time. I help her with her cleaning jobs and we relax at her place with a glass of wine and usually watch a movie or play bowling on the wii. lol  She's also good at listening when I get all excited to talk to an adult lol  (I'm usually with kids or alone) Last time I was there we got to go out for nice lunch/dinner and just chat. It was a great place called SimonHolt...and I recommend the dragon bowl...only this time I asked for thai noodles instead of rice. So delicious!! I really enjoy those times with her.

I'm so blessed and grateful that I have them not only as my parents but as my best friends. Even though they have both dealt with a lot of crap over the years they are always there for our family.
I can talk to them about anything in the world without judgement and not too much advice that I don't want to hear lol

We should all spend more time and do more for our parents while we have the chance. I hear too many people complain about their parents, saying they disown them etc.  But even when you think you don't have much of relationship with a parent, you never truly know what they have gone through, but should always show them love. You're here now....so they must have done something right.  ;)

Love starts with us, with our families...take care of each other.....keep a positive heart full of love when it comes to your family and you will see that comes back to you. I love my family! <3

Love,

Dawn The Irish Princess
xo


Want to know why we call our parents Mom and Dad?  Check this out... http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/11/curious-origins-words-mom-dad/



haha on DVD and BluRay

Seeds & Bees

Ch Ch Ch Chia....Seeds...

Well this morning was tough! I had fully planned on coming on here to write about my chia pudding. I whipped up yesterday to have this morning for breakfast and more things happened to write about lol I guess that's always good too though. So I have a few things to write about today.

The chia pudding I decided to quickly put together yesterday afternoon. I used 2 cups of coconut/almond milk and about a half cup or less of chia seeds, then added cinnamon, cacao with coconut flakes and seeds and only had about a tsp of honey. Well it turned out good but I could have used more honey for sure but I ran out.  I added some more cinnamon and fruit on top and it turned out pretty yummy!
Chia seeds are so good for you and so easy to add to many things like smoothies, salad, baking etc.

Here's some of the nutritional facts:

Amount Per 1 oz (28.4 g)100 grams100 grams

Calories 486

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31 g	47%
Saturated fat 3.3 g	16%
Polyunsaturated fat 24 g
Monounsaturated fat 2.3 g
Trans fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 16 mg	0%
Potassium 407 mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 42 g	14%
Dietary fiber 34 g	136%
Protein 17 g	34%

Vitamin A	1%	Vitamin C	2%
Calcium	63%	Iron	42%
Vitamin B-12	0%	Magnesium	83%

I like to use about a tbsp of chia seeds per individual container when I'm making smoothies in the morning for me and the kids. Also because I have anemia and I'm hoping it will increase my iron intake, which today I really need it! I've had a hard time today with being severely tired, like a heaviness over my head and eyes so besides the chia seed pudding bowl I had also taken an iron supplement as well as some B Complex. I find it hard since I'm not a meat eater and red meat just grosses me out. My body just doesn't want it. And usually it's good to
listen to our bodies, mine just doesn't want meat. lol  I just need to always make sure I have other sources of iron in my diet.

Say Hello To My Little Friend....

Anyway, another thing I wanted to write about was that bee I had mentioned the other day. The one I swear is here every year living in my carport ceiling ...the huge orange and black fuzzy bee that tries to come up into my kitchen window. Well somehow he got into my place today. I was here doing some research online and I hear buzzing next to my bearded dragon cage by the sliding door. I go check it out and there he is! Some people might be thinking, "well how does she know it's the same bee?"....this one is huge! lol  I never see any around his size and color. (maybe it's just me lol)  Anyway, somehow he got in and got stuck behind the plastic on the sliding door (it's been cold all winter and even into the spring), well there was a bit of a hole in the plastic and he got on our side of the plastic, I was trying to slowly rip the plastic all off the window after I took a couple pics of him of course and as I was going to open the door, my dog Presley (he's a little yorkie) lunged at the bee and grabbed him in his mouth. I yelled at him and he dropped the bee. I got a little worried because a dog we had when I was a kid did that to a bee but he was allergic and got stung in the mouth and started throwing up and swelling. It was pretty scary! I kept an eye on Presley and the bee, looking back and forth to make sure both were okay. Presley was fine and the bee wasn't. He was still alive and slowly crawling but not really well. He crawled under the lizard cage and I left him for a bit while leaving the door open in case he flew out. After a while I checked on him again...he was still there on the carpet...still moving very slowly. He crawled on a paper I had and I let him out on the patio..hours later he's still there. :(  I'm hoping when Presley grabbed him it just stunned him but it's not looking too good. Fingers crossed that he'll be ok. I really enjoy watching him outside flying around my windows.  (The pic doesn't do him any justice. He's bigger than he looks and super fuzzy with a lot of black)

By the way....I hope everyone is doing their part to help save our bees. Grow the right flowers that attract them, start a small bee house in your back yard (which I want to do), and please please please don't kill them!! They won't bother you if you don't bother them! Take time to smell the flowers, and just watch these amazing little creatures. I for one am a bee lover! <3

Oh...and in case you don't know what flowers to grow to attract bees....David Suzuki has a great page about it...

David Suzuki- Creating a bee friendly garden


And I also found pretty awesome bee houses on Amazon!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Dawn The Irish Princess
x0

It's That Time Again!!

Yesterdays sunshine was needed! Today, we have rain again! But, this is BC and we do get a lot of rain. Looking around I noticed all the little flowers and plants springing up, the grass is green, spring is here...even though some days you wouldn't know it.
Anyway, I started thinking about my garden plans for this year and I'm starting a bit later than I hoped. I wanted to share what I'll be planting this year, all organic of course.

April is usually the time people start their seeds inside...I need to head downtown to get my dirt and dirt pods to get more going. Last year I had some great little plants springing up in my kitchen. This year I have a lot of choices and still have to work on building a nice garden bed outside when it's time to plant outdoors. I really love all the pallet ideas for garden beds and furniture that you can find online so hopefully I can put something together fairly soon. (When it's not raining)

Today I'm going through my seeds from last year and all my new packages too. Last year I put them in a jewelery/beading container that worked perfectly.  I have zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers, basil, watermelon, bush beans, snow peas, carrots, radishes, etc. to grow this year. I'm super excited growing my own food and I hope this year is a better year for it. I seem to get a lot of direct sunlight that burned out some of my garden last year. So I'll have to work on that.

I'm always confused when it comes to knowing when to plant what. So here's a bit of a guideline that I try to follow. These should be started in April indoors.


Agastache (before April 15th)
Asparagus
Basil
Cauliflower
Celery
Chrysanthemum
Eggplant
Lobelia (before April 15th)
Marjoram
Melons (in the last two weeks of April)
Oregano
Peppers (before April 10th)
Rosemary
Sage
Stevia
Thyme
Tomatoes (before April 15th)

Begin direct sowing in April:

Arugula
Bergamot
Borage
Broad Beans
Beets (after the 15th, or later)
Broccoli
Cabbage
Calendula
California Poppies
Carrots
Catnip
Celosia
Chamomile
Chives (after the 15th)
Cilantro
Clarkia
Cleome
Coreopsis
Corn Salad
Cornflowers
Cosmidium
Cosmos
Delphinium
Digitalis
Endive & Radicchio
Fennel
Gaillardia (after the 15th)
Gaura
Gypsophila
Iberis (after the 15th)
Kale & Collards
Kohlrabi
Lavatera
Lavender
Leeks
Lemon Balm
Lettuce
Lovage (mid-April)
Lupins (before the 15th)
Marigolds
Morning Glory
Mustard Greens
Nasturtiums (after the 7th)
Nemophila
Nigella
Onions (storage onions & scallions)
Pac Choi & Choi Sum
Parsley (after the 15th)
Parsnips
Peas
Phacelia
Poppies
Radishes
Rudbeckia
Scabiosa
Spinach
Sunflowers (after the 15th)
Sweet Peas
Swiss Chard (after the 15th)
Turnips
Wildflowers
Zinnias

Here's a great site I found explaining more with gardening and for each month: http://www.paddocks-allotments.org.uk/month-by-month/april/sow.htm

This was short but sweet! Happy gardening! 

I'd love to hear some feedback from others who enjoy gardening. What tips and tricks do you have for growing a beautiful garden? Please leave me some comments on how your garden grows. :)

And for some great gardening and home decor items, check out Amazon! I love ordering from the comfort of my home! Makes my busy days easier and I look forward to getting parcels in the mail lol

You Are What You Eat!

That old saying...."you are what you eat"...man is it true!

I like to watch what I eat, read ingredients all the time (since my 14 yr old was a baby due to his many allergies and sensitivities). We've avoided dairy (except cheese...I love my cheese lol), avoid sugars in food when we can, avoid ingredients that I've never heard of, etc etc. I try to buy as much organic as I can but that can be tough because of extra costs and I always plan on having a great garden of veggies, fruit and herbs but because my patio is always in direct sunlight it seems to fail. This year I need to make some sort of cover so they don't get scorched because I have a lot of organic seeds this year. Not only do you know what you use to feed your plants that you will be ingesting but it saves a lot of money as well.

The time I really noticed that the old saying was true was when my middle son was little and a homeopathic doctor had put him on a restricted diet, avoiding many things he was allergic or sensitive to. Before this diet he was a very temperamental little boy, got upset so easily. Not only did he have these allergies but he was also battling with asthma. The homeopathic doctor said it's no wonder he's temperamental, his body is going against itself all the time and in constant turmoil because of these issues. So she had put him on a 2 week diet...took everything out like potatoes, rice, grapes, no rice milk, no soy, no yams, etc etc etc. I was like, "well whats left for him to eat?"
Anyway, after the 2 weeks...well, during the 2 weeks....he was like a different child. Was calmer, more agreeable, more pleasant to be with with no freaking out. I was shocked and amazed! Even my dad asked what I did with him lol  Taking these foods away from him really worked and settled his body down to normal. Even though it was hard finding foods that he could eat during that time, we managed and it made a world of difference!
After that he could go back to these foods, but we still kept his usuals out like dairy, and would never feed him soy milk anyway but used rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk instead and we still do. Our usual is the coconut/almond blend...just watch that it doesn't have carageenan in it.

There's so much crap in foods these days that you really do have to watch what you eat...and especially for our children. You'd be surprised at what's in stuff that most parents send with their kids to school everyday..even when you think it's healthy.  Granola bars for example...read the ingredients. Yet there are easy ways to make your own with healthier options:
http://ohsheglows.com/2014/08/26/back-to-school-21-portable-allergy-friendly-snack-recipes-vegan-gluten-free-with-nut-free-options/


I have recently thought about putting together weekly 'clean' meals in the fridge. Make our meal preperation quicker and easier. I've been checking out the internet to find some good ideas for vegetarian meal prepping. And there are a lot of great ideas and easy things to make that will save time and be healthy. Here's a quick example that had meal prep ideas as well as smoothies, and easy healthy snacks etc. : https://hurrythefoodup.com/vegetarian-meal-prep-ideas/


We try to avoid meat, since we rarely every bought it anyway...I'm too picky with it and it usually grosses me out lol  And the boys are all good with not eating it..they don't care either way. They have gotten used to bean burgers, tofu, etc instead.
Here's an example of a today's foods in our house:

Breakfast:
-frozen peaches, strawberries, mango, and pineapple with coconut/almond milk, water, chia seeds, flax seeds, cacao with pumpkin seeds and cinnamon smoothies.
-homemade oatmeal with coconut/almond milk, bananas and cinnamon.

Snacks:
-Were either a banana, or organic apple/strawberry sauce today.

Lunch:
-Veggie mushroom burger (vegan) in garlic Naan bread.

Snacks:
-Celery sticks with peanut butter...or snacks from earlier. (I didn't have either lol but kids did)

Dinner:
-Homemade vegetable soup with rice, beans, lentils, green onions, green beans, mushrooms,carrots, garlic, chili flakes, organic vegetable broth...sea salt and black pepper. Smells so good in here right now! And I put some of the soup to the side for the dog (without broth).

Tonight I'll be getting some ingredients to try a granola bar recipe out without peanut butter since the schools have a no peanut zone in class. I'll post the results soon! :)

Almost time for dinner!