WESTERLY | Rain, Rain Here to Stay

One thing you can count on if you spend time on the Pacific West Coast, is at some point you are bound to end up outside, soaking wet. It's inevitable. Considering we live in a rain forest beside the ocean, this shouldn't come as a surprise - water is built right in. We have rain falling from the skies, waves rolling in from the seas, and streams trickling down from our mountain tops. We are lucky to so often have an abundance of this life giving liquid. In our neck of the woods, it grows us some of the tallest trees in the world, and provides a home to some of the most diverse cold water marine life. What a gift it is.

Rivers from the sky may fuel our forests, but their humid gifts are not always beloved by everyone. Those who hide their curls from the mist or squish their toes in soggy socks. We can sympathize, but we are lovers of water, worshippers even. It gives us life, it gives us the oceans, where would be be without it? We can handle a few drips in our eyelashes. There are those times though, that call for a little shelter from the storm. 

Westerly befriended down pours long ago. They didn't want to beat the rain, just live alongside it. Creating functional umbrellas that don't compromise on style is one way they encourage us to still interact with our rainy surroundings. They design with adventure in mind; with the convenience needed to stick to your path no matter the weather. They have petite travel designs that fit easily into a shoulder bag, or the larger cane styles with more coverage and a reinforced frame. An option for every adventure, from city to sea.

"At Westerly we celebrate the rain - we don’t hide from it." 

 

Most of us can relate to the feeling of frustration that comes from dealing with an unreliable umbrella. A halted opening mechanism, a broken spindle, or the worst - having it turn inside out in the wind. 

We love that Westerly approaches their umbrellas with longevity in mind. They choose quality materials for the frame, the handle, and the panels, so that their products aren't contributing to the piles of discarded umbrellas that only last a few months. They want you to have their umbrellas for a long, long time. In the information about their Commander style, they describe it as "...the umbrella your grand-kids will appreciate inheriting one day." That is a pretty great statement to make, that holds so much more weight to it than it may seem. It evokes thoughts about the generations to come, and taking care of our planet so that they may enjoy it also. And it reminds us that owning something of quality that is passed down is something to be celebrated. We find it inspiring that they have turned an everyday object of convenience into a statement about connecting with your natural landscapes, and respecting them during, and beyond your own lifespan.



 "The rain won’t let up, why should you?"

Westerly is made for rain, and the rain ain't staying away. With their simple purpose, and creative execution, they are advocates for embracing whatever weather comes your way. Our forests and oceans are beautiful every day of the year, in some capacity. They always offer something new to discover and appreciate; something to fight to conserve. 

If getting a little wet (or a lot wet) is the cost of experiencing our surroundings, we say bring on the ocean sprays, the drenching rains, and the muggy mists. Water will dry - memories become stories you can pass on, just like a quality umbrella.

Shop select Westerly styles in stores or online!

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/westerly

CURATOR VS CONSUMER | Curate the life you want to live

"Think of yourself as a curator rather than a consumer.” - Christine Koh

This statement could be taken in so many directions. We're not even sure what the woman who uttered it meant for us to take from it. It did get us thinking though. 

In a world where populations and temperatures are rising, for those of us thinking about what we can do to keep this planet breathing, you could say that the word Consumer has taken on a "dirty" connotation. If you look into early definitions of the word, it was used to describe "one who squanders or wastes." This noun comes of course from the verb Consume, whose etymology defines it as "to destroy by use, wear out by applying to its natural or intended use." If you break them down, these definitions actually are very interesting when applied to current society. Why? We explain.

The description of a Consumer here is in some ways the negative connotation to which we were referring. When you hear the word "consumerism," how many positive images come to mind? If you're like us, probably not many. Whatever the origin of the word, by the 1960s, consumerism had become an economic policy that "encouraged consumption."Without getting too political, we may draw the conclusion that this policy, this idea, encourages the spending of money regardless of the collateral costs, like the environment, with the sole interest of money making. That's a pretty generalized statement; that is not how everyone approaches it, and we're hopeful that there were some original good intentions about building strong economies for prosperous countries and happy citizens. But in the instances where this is true, it does relate to the definition that a consumer is "one who squanders or wastes." We think about the gag gifts, the items that are purchased just to be purchased, and forgotten about, the one-time-use items that are discarded after very limited time. Wasteful, is it not?

Looking then, to the above definition of Consume, at first glance it may reinforce this negative connotation. Look again. It says "..to wear out by applying to its natural or intended use." Think about everything nature creates. It is a closed-loop system, never creating anything it can't deal with, even if it takes a really long time. Everything that occurs naturally, has a natural or intended use. We as humans, have ended up manipulating naturally occurring elements into new substances (like plastic, styrofoam, chemical toxins, etc.) that cannot be broken down by nature (or at least, not in the lifetime that the Earth has). Some of these materials are created with practical intended uses, some are just byproducts of other processes. But sometimes the intended uses are damaging to our planet, especially if that use creates a wasteful byproduct that isn't biodegradable. What if, now and going forward, the first filter we applied to the creation of a new item was whether or not is also had a natural use? And by that we mean, it was compatible with nature; it was able to come from the Earth and go back to the Earth, in a relatively short time-span. 

Going back to the definition of Consume: if everything had a natural use in this way, as well as an intended use, then we could potentially reduce the amount of unnatural waste and garbage we create as a species, since we would be actually consuming things in the real sense of the word.

We know this is stretching things a little from where we started, but isn't it perhaps a beautiful way to turn something that has become so controversial, into something that is positive again?

Or perhaps, have we taken ourselves so far from the original intention of this word, that our behaviour is no longer fit for it, and to move forward, we need a new one?

Taking inspiration from Christine Koh's quote, what if we turned ourselves around, and started to think about ourselves more as curators? When you hear that word, most people would think of a museum or gallery curator who is in charge of collecting and guarding priceless pieces of art. Art tells a story, a story of the medium and of the artist. Do the way we live our lives not tell a story about us, about who we are? And do we not wish to only keep with us the precious things that are useful, beautiful, and tell a story about a life lived in dedication to health, love, and keeping our home and planet beautiful?

As we study past cultures, we learn about their lives from the house hold things they leave behind through material culture studies. All these items create a narrative that describes a lifestyle, a life. The way they cooked, cleaned, played, dressed, all tell us something about what they respected and valued. Think about this: if some future anthropologist or archeologist were to find your home relatively intact several hundred years from now, what story would it tell? Would it be one of mindful, sustainable living, or one that says you didn't care about the future generations of your planet?

"Objects can be seen as the blank slates upon which we project our needs, desires, ideas and values." -Material Culture - Artifact(s) and the Meaning They Carry, thoughtco.com

What do we want the things we have to say about us? What story are we telling? With this in mind, we can become curators in our own lives, taking care with the items we bring home. 

Every human is a unique expression of existence. No two people will ever experience a lifetime the same. We are all collectors of physical things, memories, stories, skills, languages. We get to choose which we need and which we don't. 

We can choose to live in a life that is curated, not cluttered. We do not exist only to consume, we are here to experience. Surround yourself with carefully chosen items that bring you joy, and that bring joy to our planet. (Think of this in terms of keeping things in your mind or not as well. Letting go, moving on, forgiving, growing.)

The items we create, that we choose, we hope to be part of a narrative that speaks of mindful living, ocean conservation, and sustainable practices. We want our story to inspire low-impact, responsible lifestyles now, and in the future. 

What do you want your story to be? You get to chose. 

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/curator-vs-consumer

THYSELF | Loving You

When was the last time you made a date with yourself? Actually put it in your calendar and made time with yourself a priority? We often make plans with other people, but we can easily let slip spending time with ourselves, or at least time on ourselves. It might seem a little odd at first, but scheduling in time to take care of yourself can be necessary if we live the kind of lives that fill up quickly. Sound familiar?

Love is in the air - spread some of that sugar on yourself. Listen to yourself. If you need to turn off your phone for two hours and take a bubble bath, do it. If you need to pound out a 5 kilometre run after work, do it. If you need to go to the beach and just stare into the ocean for an hour, do it. Self-care looks different for everyone. Listen to your body and your mind, and do what is good for them. If you feel a whim, give it free reign until it has had it's fun, then stop and think for 90 seconds about whether it is a need or a want. Want isn't always the best option. What you need is really what serves you (and yes, we think that sometimes you can need chocolate).

Self-care is an ongoing practice. It helps to set yourself up with a good base. If you haven't considered this before, it's not too late. Communicating clear boundaries helps define what you need and how others in your life can respect that. This is important in all your relationships, especially intimate personal connections and with work.

Families are a great source of support to allow each other to take this time. Parents - you are a team, you are a solid source of strength for one another. It is so important to let each other know when you need a little extra help. You are both responsible for raising the new little humans you created, and you are both entitled to need your own space. So help each other out. If schedules are your jam, make one and try to stick to it as best you can. We know that every week might look a little different, but if the expectation is set then you're both less likely to skip out or forget. If less structure suits you better, make sure you are both comfortable communicating to each other when you need an all-alone time-out, and commit to doing what you can to make that happen. If you are a single-parent, lean on your friends and family for the help you need. You never know until you ask! Bonus: Your kids seeing you making these healthy choices for yourselves will instil those kinds of habits in them, making them happier, healthier humans.

Few things are more stressful than feeling like you always have to be available for work, leaving little room in your schedule to freely enjoy personal time. Creating a Work/Life balance is integral to making space for your mental health. Being clear with those in your workplace about what their expectations are for you will set everyone up for healthy, happy work and home time. With all the technology we have available to us these days, it is tough to be unreachable. Setting boundaries like only communicating about work via e-mail, or phone calls, not on texts, helps avoid blurring the lines between personal and work time. There will be periods when needing to be fully involved in work at most hours of the day is unavoidable, that is reality. When those instances arise, having already had the conversation about expectations will make it easier to address the times you lose track of your boundaries as they come up. 

 

Chances are you know what you want your own self-care to look like. It could be one big item, or lots of smaller things. Sleep. Hug. Listen to music. Drink water. Move your body. Breathe fresh air. Wear clothes you love. Light a candle. Treat yourself to a little luxury, whatever that looks like to you. You don't have to splurge all the time. Set aside a few small favourite items, like the sustainably made bath soak or face masque you can't get enough of, or an outfit your feel especially comfortable or sexy in (could be the same one!), and make them part of your "self-care toolkit." Using products with natural ingredients that your skin can actually understand will leave you much more relaxed, and you'll feel good knowing you're not letting synthetic chemicals seep into your bloodstream. Having them on hand makes it much easier to carve out some spontaneous self-care for life's unexpected moments. As for the big splurges, save up for them and go for it on days you need a little extra, or make them part of celebrating achievements that you are proud of yourself for.

The hardest part of self-care for a lot of us, is believing we are worth it. We feel we could spend that time, that money, on someone else. We feel we could put it to better use. Maybe. However, being a cheerleader for yourself doesn't mean you have to compromise on being supportive of your loved ones. Your favourite self-care activities may even involve them, especially if quality time with your bests is high on your list of needs. Plus, taking care of yourself is one of the greatest things you can do for those who depend on you, so you can show up the best version of yourself that you know how to be.

Love yourself first.

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/thyself-loving-you

ZERO WASTE BATHROOMS | Natural, Minimal, Clean

Bathrooms. Usually not the biggest rooms in the house, but somewhere that takes up a lot of our time and attention. For a smaller room, it sure does seem to require a lot. Things to keep it clean, things to keep ourselves clean. When you think about it, most of our self-inflicted "maintenance" happens in the bathroom, which means we need more things to maintain it, meaning more possibility for waste. But, does it have to be this way? We bet that if you polled households, the bathroom would be where we all have the most unnecessary items. So what are we to do?

DIY

We have come a long way from the raw ingredients that are active in our cleaning, cleansing, and beauty products. But why? There are many naturally occurring ( or at least more naturally concocted) ingredients like baking soda, tea tree oil, coconut oil, raw honey, apple cider vinegar, cocoa butter, Castile soap, and more that have some truly awesome intrinsic properties. There are loads of great recipes out there for using these items to make your own bathroom cleaner, face wash, toothpaste, lip balm, lotion, and nearly everything else you need in the bathroom (make-up gets more challenging, but it's out there!).

For cleaning, you can easily replace those bottles of toxic chemicals by purchasing a glass spray bottle and making your own all purpose bathroom cleaner, like this one. When it comes to beauty products, ranging from cleansers to moisturizers, the industry has been trending towards more natural options for years now anyhow (a lot of which comes from the ability the internet gives us to share homemade recipes). It makes sense - our skin is a natural, living organism, it is going to respond better when we put natural things on it. Plus, anything we put on our skin ends up in our bloodstream, and our bodies are much happier without chemicals in it as well. Opting for simple oil-based moisturizers, cleansers, and deodorants will take the chemicals out of your beauty routine, and reduce the number of one-time use containers coming out of the bathroom.

Once you've started your DIY journey, you will discover a list of ingredients that are helpful in a multitude of homemade items. Then you can purchase them in larger quantities with re-useable glass containers, reducing the waste from buying everything individually. If you are looking to educate yourself on what types of basic ingredients are useful to have on hand to create these kinds of items, take a read of this list on Live Simply, a blog dedicated to natural wellness on many levels. 

GO NATURAL

You've got to admire those who take on the task of creating their own products - it takes time and research. Not everyone is up for it though - and that's ok. We can still make good choices when it comes to getting the things we need. Look for locally made, natural brands to start when it comes to the necessary products, and from there, stay as natural as possible when it comes to ingredients, materials, and packaging. Read all the labels!

Aside from the actual ingredients in things, the tools and accessories you need to keep your bathroom and your body tip top are fraught with choices, many of which are plastic. You have to think not just about the ingredients in your items, but the materials of the storage options they require. A good rule of thumb is if it includes plastic, don't even look at it. Having re-useable glass containers on hand and shopping at bulk stores like West Coast Refill in Victoria is a much better option than grabbing products at the grocery store in one-time use plastic containers.

One-life soap pumps can be replaced with a mason jar that you re-fill and top with a metal pump. If you are a bar soap person, soap dishes look much better when they are wood, stone, or ceramic anyways. Brushes (for those of us who don make-up everyday, there could be many!) may feel like one that is tricky to go natural with, but it's not. Companies like Iris Hantverk offer wood options with natural fibre bristles for almost any use - toothbrush, toilet brush, body brush, hair brush, and scrub brushes for all applications. Dental products are actually some of the hardest to recycle because they often use a combination of materials. We love David's All Natural Toothpaste with their easily recyclable metal tube combined with a wood toothbrush.

Razors are another big culprit - so much plastic every time you toss away a disposable razor! And so hard to recycle! Switching to a safety razor, with a metal handle and replaceable blade is much more environmentally friendly. Worried about switching to a new way of shaving? Watch these videos for your face and other areas for first timer tips. It might take some getting used to, but it will be worth it!

Check the tags on any towels or cloths before you bring them home too. 100% cotton is always best, for function and for the planet, and you might assume all towels will be, but it is good to make sure. Staying informed about the items you are using is half the battle to begin with. Reducing plastic is an obvious one, but there are other things to avoid as well!

MINIMIZE 

Just have less. Everyone is buzzing about Marie Kondo's Netflix show Tidying Up inspired by the book she wrote about the magic of decluttering your home. Get on the bandwagon and start pairing down your bathroom items. Most of us at some point in life have had one of those drawers that is full of items we rarely use. How did they get there? Why do we have so many? You've heard of the 80/20 rule for clothing - that we usually wear only 20% of our clothes, 80% of the time? See if you can apply that to your bathroom as well. You don't have to toss the other 80%, but make a note not to re-purchase them once they've run out. 

Everyone has a different routine, a different body. We are all going to need different ingredients in our products to suit our skin types. But when it comes to the bathroom, we will all have relatively the same list of needs, and if we are really honest with ourselves (and our households), we could easily pair things down to the essentials (and say goodbye to cluttered drawers!).

The last step in all of this is to be responsible with the items that are still "left over." Make sure things like razor blades and containers are getting recycled properly.

We know that getting to completely zero-waste might be tricky, but with these changes, you can get pretty close. It will be a journey. Take stock of what you have in your bathroom now, and once each item comes to the end of it's life, vow to re-assess what a more sustainable option going forward will be. Your body, your home, and your planet will thank you.

Shop our plastic-free home goods in-store, and online anytime. Check out these other inspiring sites for tips, tricks, recipes, sustainable shopping, and information.

Going Zero Waste & Live Simply & Life Without Plastic

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/zero-waste-bathrooms