*****************

For my birthday Michael and I got up early and went to Mountsberg Conservation Area. In addition to having wooded trails and a lake they have a Raptor Centre which provides permanent residence for close to 30 non-releasable birds of prey like eagles, falcons, turkey vultures and owls. These are birds who have been injured and/or imprinted on humans, and therefore would not survive being in the wild.

We we first got there we were walking around and I heard a noise coming from a garbage can so I crept over and peeked inside. Hello baby raccoon!! He was just hanging out playing with some trash and looking incredibly adorable. It was all I could do not to reach down and pet him! (Don’t worry, we told a staff member who later dumped him free.) We then walked down to a pond where there was a tiny duckling all by itself. Not sure where its family was – SAD! It was busy trying to eat a frog. I didn’t know ducks ate frogs but Google tells me they sometimes do. However I don’t think this little guy was gonna be swallowing the frog despite his determination.

*****************

After checking out some of the birds that are kept in enclosures around the area (such as a couple adorable Snowy Owls and a non-shy Peregrine Falcon) we went to the Centre. For my birthday Michael had booked us a special tour where we would be shown the ‘behind the scenes’ of the Centre, meet a bunch of the birds and get to hold one of the birds. I was SO EXCITED!!!

Our guide was Lara who was super nice and did a great job telling us so much about the Centre and about the different species. It was interesting to see the inner workings of the Centre and I got to see a bunch of fine feathered friends up close including a sweet vocal Kestrel named Bean and an adorable Barred Owl named Teddy. However the icing on the cake was getting to hold a Screech Owl named Echo! She was so small and so crazy cute I almost couldn’t take it! Apparently Screech Owls are super common around here but I had never seen one in person before. Sure she looks cute in the photo but times that by a billion to know how cute they are in real life! As many of you might know I loooovvveee owls so getting so see a bunch of different ones and getting to HOLD ONE made for a pretty awesome time!

*****************

After our tour we got to see Lara do 2 public bird shows, the first one featured Echo and another Screech Owl as well as a Turkey Vulture; and the second one showed the flying feats of Bean the Kestrel and a BARN OWL!!!

*****************

The rest of the time at Mountsberg was spent walking around and checking out the nature life. It was a super beautiful day and there was hardly anyone around so it was like we had the place to ourselves! It was so nice there and look forward to visiting again!

*****************

After Mountsberg we headed to my parents’ for dinner with them, my sister, brother-in-law and my niece (oh and my brother, Jake the dog!). Had a yummy BBQ dinner of veggie burger, potatoes and the first corn on the cob of the season while I told them all about the awesome day. I made sure to graphically explain how I saw one of the workers prepping the mice, rats and chicks for the birds. Getting in trouble for inappropriate dinner conversation FTW! For dessert we had cake AND pie – because that’s how we roll! Michael made me a chocolate cake (his first cake ever – it was super delish and iced perfectly) and my mom had bought the biggest pie I’ve ever seen (check that beast out!).

*****************

It of course wouldn’t be a birthday without a custom card from Michael. Every year they get better and better and last year he also started the tradition of making one from the cats. Check them out – aren’t they amazing?! The one from Miso and Soya Sauce is hilarious – they are such rock stars! The one from Michael is so cute! We just watched the anime Ouran High School Host Club on Netflix so he used that as the inspiration for the card. In our case it is Pukesill Manor Host Club – he joking refers to our house as Pukesill Manor sometimes due to Miso’s knack of barfing on windowsills. Look how cute I look on the card (complete with the stuffed raccoon I’ve had since I was a baby) and look how studious Sauce looks with glasses!

*****************

So yes, while I don’t particularly like getting older (especially turning 37), I had such a fun birthday! Thank you Michael! Oh and thank you to all the great Sick On Sin customers and fans – I came home to so many birthday wishes on Twitter/Facebook and tons of orders from people taking advantage of the sale!

]]> http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/29/hooo-had-an-awesome-birthday/feed/ 4 http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/04/21/25-ways-to-celebrate-earth-day-every-day/ http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/04/21/25-ways-to-celebrate-earth-day-every-day/#comments Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:03:20 +0000 jen http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/?p=615 April is Earth Month and April 22 is Earth Day. While I personally feel that every day should be treated as such, I’m happy that a day is officially regarded for it!

Nowadays it’s difficult to go through a day without hearing depressing news concerning the environment, seeing a product described as eco-friendly, or having to make a choice between a green or the not-so-green option. Phrases like ‘alternative fuels, ‘renewable energy’, and ‘carbon footprint’ have become commonplace in our vocabulary. And whereas once upon a time being environmentally friendly got you labelled a hippie, in today’s world it’s revered.

This planet is such a beautiful, amazing place. Seriously, look around at all the trees, birds, flowers, and water as you take a huge breathe of air. Feel awe and wonder and honour! We have no right to inflict the damage and abuse to it that we do. However as selfish and destructive that we are, I try to keep faith that humans will learn from our mistakes and become better inhabitants. If we don’t I fully believe that the Earth will get fed up with us and boot our sorry asses out. And our eviction will be well-deserved.

Most people I know try to be somewhat eco friendly. However I occasionally I hear folks say things like ‘why bother doing anything’ or ‘changes I make won’t matter if other people are doing the opposite’. First of all, I view sentiments like that as lazy, negative and self-defeating. Second, you SHOULD bother and it DOES matter! Making environmentally friendly choices are not only your responsibility to the Earth but very importantly you set an example to others. As more examples get set, more people start changing. It’s human nature, yo! And a little bit of collective consciousness. Gandhi said it best, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

There are many things you can do to help protect and preserve our environment. They don’t all involve big changes such as getting a hybrid car, going off the grid or eating 100% raw diet (though those are sound wonderful!). In fact most are small and simple things! As an added bonus, many of them will save you money. Win-win! (Or at least one win if you are one of those who care more about their wallet than the environment – shame shame!)

Anyway, in celebration of Earth Day here are 25 of my favourite green tips. Try some out this weekend if you aren’t already doing them! You’ll be surprised that it’s in actually quite easy to be green!

• Turn off lights when you aren’t using them – ghosts can see fine in the dark. Switch your bulbs to energy efficient ones.

• Set your computer to go to sleep after 5 mins of inactivity. Shut it down when you are done using it for the day.

• Pick up litter around your home. Not only will your neighbourhood look nicer but it’s safer for the little animals that live around you.

• Hang your clothes to dry. Don’t have an outdoor clothes line? Get a drying rack or hang some twine in your basement (ghetto chic!).

• Go vegetarian or better yet, go vegan. The meat industry is incredibly destructive to the environment and uses a lot of water and fuel. At least start by avoiding animal products one day a week and go from there. You’ll still be making a difference environmentally plus reaping health benefits! Check out the Meatless Mondays movement to learn more!

• Speaking of eating, try to eat locally grown and organic products whenever possible. Pay a visit to a farmer’s market or sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership.

• Whenever possible, walk or bike instead of taking the car. Better for the earth, you’ll spend less money on gas and the fresh air and exercise will do you good!

• Take advantage of public transportation (just think of all the reading you can get done). If you need to drive to work, try to carpool with fellow employees.

• In the winter turn down the heat by a couple degrees and put on a cozy sweatshirt.

• In the summer, turn up your thermostat and wear tshirts. Or better yet, shut off the a/c, open those windows, close the blinds and use ceiling fans.

• Use less water whenever possible. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and take shorter showers. Also I’m a firm believer in ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’.

• Clean green! Switch from toxic cleaning products to natural ones. Did you know that you can clean just as well with items such as vinegar and baking soda? Healthier AND cheaper!

• Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load.

• Fix those leaky faucets! Not only will dripping slowly drive you insane, but that’s literally money down the drain.

• Plant a veggie garden. If you don’t have a yard, then do container gardening on your porch or balcony. Believe me, the best tasting produce is produce you grow yourself. Especially tomatoes. NOM.

• Take old electronics to an electronic recycling center. Don’t you dare throw items like old computers, dvd players, etc. in with your regular garbage!

• Don’t idle your car. If you need to wait somewhere for a few minutes, shut if off and relax.

• Spent a few bucks and invest in a reusable water bottle. Stop buying so much damn bottled water.

• Use reuseable bags whenever you go shopping. Cute tote bags are way cooler than plastic ones!

• Don’t use so much paper. Think before you print and make 2-sided copies. Switch to recycled paper and keep used paper as scrap paper.

• If you have a yard, get a rain barrel. Use it to water your garden.

• Use washable rags instead of paper towels when you clean. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones (not only better for environment but they add fanciness to your meal, even when it’s just a peanut butter sandwich!).

• Plant a tree. Or two. Trees are magical and you earn mega karma points when you plant them.

• Switch from paper bills to e-billing. It’s the computer age after all.

• Recycle. Period.

See easy! So pick 5 things on the list and start doing them today! You’ll unlock the “Gives A Damn” achievement in the game of life if you do!

Now while I consider myself an environmentally conscious person and do all those above tips, there is definitely lots of growing room for me to become more eco-friendly. Here are 5 green goals I’ve set for this year:

1. Get a high efficiency furnace. We had an eco-accessment done on our house a couple years ago and this was one of the top recommendations.

2. Seed our front yard with clover. Our backyard has already been switched from grass lawn to amazing indigenous plant and tree jungle and this year I want to do something more environmentally friendly with the front yard. I think the bunnies in our neighbourhood will approve.

3. Redo our bathroom to be more eco-friendly. Install a low-flow showerhead, new toilet (e.g. dual flush one), and non-leaky facets.

4. Do a HUGE decluttering and donate all the clothing, books, houseware items, dvds, etc. we no longer need.

5. Continue to look at ways to make Sick On Sin as environmentally friendly as possible. As well, continue to support and donate to organizations making an difference. Sitenote: I would also love to offer eco-products like water bottles and reusable lunch bags featuring our cute characters.

How about you? What is one thing you will do to be greener this year? Leave a comment below telling me what change you plan on making. On April 26 I will choose 2 respondents via random draw and those people will each get a $10 Sick On Sin Gift Certificate!

Oh and btw, in celebration of Earth Day, I am giving 15% off of orders this weekend. Just type in this code during checkout: GREENHARE (expires Monday April 25). Why not treat yourself to some cute pro-environment items like a Give A Hoot magnet, Treehugger tee, or Vegetarian button pack!

So yep, I am going to try to do the regular blog post thing again. Figured I start with a post about a few things going on in my little world. Keeping it nice and easy. Don’t want to rush into any craziness, yo.

1. I recently did my first ever photo shoot for SOS and it was awesome and so much fun! This means that soon I’ll have real shirt photos back on the site – and even better, hotties wearing the shirts! Yay! The very cool Sean Ryan was the photographer (who shot a full day – over 1000 photos – without a break = SUPERSTAR), the ever enthusiast and sweet Tasha was the stylist and the incredibly lovely Lisa did hair/makeup. Once the photos get edited and I get them up on the site, I’ll be sure to make a post and credit the models who did a great job wearing my wares. Here’s a sneak peek though…SIZZLE!

2. For anyone who is in the Toronto area and is into tattoos – you should definitely check out the Nix Tattoo Convention happening June 19-21. I’ll be there, sharing a booth with the awesome Monster Muffin. I’ve never been to this show before but am super excited for it. There aren’t a ton of other vendors and I know most of the ones that will be there so it should be loads of funtimes. Plus people walking around covered in body mods – what’s not to love! I just need to figure out how to cram all my stuff into half of a 10 x 10 booth! Anyway, if you’re interested, please check out the SOS Facebook Event for it!

3. Lastly, just a shout out to my sweet kitty Soya Sauce who we adopted 6 years ago today! Oh Sauce, what a crazy cat you are – with all your obsessive and neurotic tendencies. You are so silly and opinionated and bitchy and sneaky. Not a day goes by without you making me giggle from something you did or one of your crazy expressions. I am so glad you stole our hearts the first time we saw you at the shelter and then stayed in our minds for the next few months until we made the decision to adopt you. xo

Haha yes! Post complete. See, that wasn’t so hard was it. Till next time my sweet little devils!

————

1. I try to consume the following every day: dark leafy greens, walnuts, green tea, blueberries and dates.

2. I have a huge fascination with and love of sea creatures (both known and those of the imagination) however I have huge fear of oceans or any form of dark, deep water.

3. I’ve never broken any bones. However when I was 3 I was thrown from a horse and it stepped on my back narrowly missing my spine.

4. I can say the alphabet backwards quicker than I can say it forward.

5. Today I talked to a good friend on the phone about a work (freelance) issue. We have been friends for years and it was the first time we’ve ever talked on the phone. I rarely talk on it…just to my parents. MSN has killed my ability and desire to communicate that way.

6. I don’t own a cellphone.

7. I’ve been vegan for 6 years (vegetarian a few years prior to that). I don’t miss meat or cheese or eggs. Though in my perfect fantasy world Dairy Queen serves vegan peanut buster parfaits.

8. I love all vegetables but I’m pretty picky when it comes to fruit.

9. One of my fave words is ‘whilst’. It makes my knees weak.

10. I would love to hang out at a pub with Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and Elijah Wood as I think I’d spend the night peeing my pants laughing. Viggo could join us as well so I can stare at his pretty grin. And Dominic could bring Evangeline so I could follow her to the girl’s washroom and make out with her. And Evangeline could bring Matthew Fox so he would see that clearly him and I should be married. (Are Dominic and Evangeline even still together…I don’t stay on top of celeb gossip.)

11. I never take baths. I don’t enjoy them and find them incredibly boring.

12. People confide in me a lot. Even people I don’t know very well. I guess something about me makes them feel comfortable. I take this as a huge compliment. I also love it because it helps to feed my raging curiousity about others’ inner workings.

13. My fave forms of ‘junk food’ are plain, rippled chips, Green & Black’s dark chocolate bar with ginger, chocolate cake and of course, cupcakes.

14. I am currently planning Sick On Sin’s first ever official photo shoot done with a real photographer and super cute models. Crazy I’ve been doing the store over 3 years and never done one.

15. As much as I love doing SOS, not a day goes by that I don’t think about going back and getting my masters or phd and becoming a therapist.

16. I love giving advice and helping people with problems. However I suck at following my own advice.

17. I have enough pairs of underwear that I could go 2 months without having to do laundry.

18. I really wish I could draw.

19. Traits that make me adore a person include wit, humour, silliness, and compassion. Extra points if they are also super smart.

20. I often surf the mls site for our dream house in the country.

21. I would love sleeve tattoos but I can’t decide on what I want.

22. I find humour in poo and talk about it more than most people care to hear.

23. One of my bad habits is to leave dirty clothes in a pile beside the bed instead of putting them in the hamper. Michael refers to it as ‘clothes mountain’.

24. I don’t have cable and watch very little TV. The only shows I watch are Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, Gossip Girl, Californication and Lost.

25. I feel most at peace when surrounded by trees.

Looking back, 2008 was a pretty good year filled with lots of fun and interesting experiences. Some things from a S.O.S perspective that happened were:

- Opening my Etsy shop in January. I *love* Etsy and being a part of that community/site is awesome. Obviously the official Sick On Sin store is my focus, however Etsy is really great at reaching people who may not ever come to my site. If you’ve never checked it out before I am demanding you do. There is a wealth of handmade/indie awesomeness to be had. And not only are you getting cool stuff, but you are supporting small businesses.

- Did the Fan Expo show for the first time (I was in the Horror section) and it turned out to not only be super fun but also my best show ever up until then (the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair I did a couple weeks later ended up being even better from a sales perspective). The Fan Expo was great because it helped me reach a new (yet target) audience. Everyone that came to the booth was so nice and down to earth which always makes for an enjoyable show. Throw in stormtroopers and Aaron Douglas and it is a shower of win!

- In the Fall I launched an updated version of the store. While the design remained the same, I changed to a different store software which meant rebuilding it all (and re-entering every product). I had the extreme pleasure of having Aeolidia do the switch (and totally recommend them). There are still a few things on the To Do list – such as product shots (they’re coming, I swear!) and I’m still getting use to how the software works, but I’m happy to have the new version up and running!

While S.O.S (and freelance work) did take up the bulk of my time, I did manage to squish in some personal fun in 2008:

- In May I went to New York city for the first time and had a great time. I’ve never gone some where that had some many veg restaurants so that was a treat (mmm I had some amazing food – including the best brownie I’ve ever had in my life!). And I’ve never done so much walking in 5 days – especially during a heat wave. Before going I had no desire to visit there and actually thought I would hate it…but now I can’t wait to go back!

- In November I went to New York state again – but this time to Ithaca for 5 days. While there we went to the Celebration of Turkeys at the Farm Sanctuary. I have wanted to visit there for a long time and it was a lovely experience (yay piggies!). The rest of the time was spent relaxing (not a whole lot to do there – hence the reason for going) and eating…for a tiny, quiet town, Ithaca had tons of vegan options (including the best nachos and seitan deli sandwich ever!).

- 2008 was also the year I discovered comic books. Haha. I have never had any interest in them before…and found the format unappealing. I think it was seeing the trailer for Watchmen the first time that intrigued me. And that ended up being the first one I read. I then discovered the Fables series which I am in love with. I am still not a huge comic book nerd by any means…but my bookshelf is quickly becoming full of them.

Trying to think if anything crappy happened last year. The only thing that comes to mind is the Great Hard Drive Crash. Ug. If you’ve ever had your hard drive crash, I’m sure you can sympathize. Mine died in November and the last back up I had done was in July. So yep, everything between then – gone. Photos…emails…files… Horrible. So yes – go back up if you haven’t recently.

Thinking of 2009 and what adventures this year will bring, I am really positive and excited. Despite the issues with the economy, I feel a renewed energy in terms of the store and have lots of ideas for products, designs, etc. I’m also looking forward to lots of things like decluttering my house (lol), traveling (I’m hoping to go to San Fran at least), and getting a better balance between work and play (work less but more efficiently / time more time to do things that make me giggle).

So happy new year to you all! I hope 2008 left you with fond memories and 2009 brings you lots of love, laughter, learnings, and cupcakes.