Using Less

Hey guys, it's Julia! So sorry that we haven't posted in forever, we were both just really busy with science fair. Anyways, this week's challenge is to produce less waste. Canadians generate 4 pounds of trash per day. The challenge is simply to just buy less packaged stuff. For example, buy things in bulk using reusable containers. Stella and I actually went to one of these types of stores last weekend. These are some adresses for bulk stores if you live in Montreal: 

https://m.yelp.ca/biz/fleur-sauvage-aliments-naturel-montréal 

http://www.bulkbarn.ca/en/Home

http://bio-terre.com/en/

Clothes and Minimalism👕

Hi everyone, it's Julia and today's post will be about minimalism and how it is beneficial for the environment 🌏. So it's no surprise that we are a consumer society, which is one of the contributors to climate change. Becoming a minimalist means to own less and buy less, one of which would be clothing. The production of clothing is actually the world's second greatest polluter. According to http://www.senseandsustainability.net/2016/03/02/the-fashion-industry-and-its-impact-on-the-environment-and-society/ ,cotton uses 2.6% of global water and 53% of the world's textile produces and discharges about 40% of all dyeing chemicals worldwide (most untreated). By becoming a minimalist, you'd be buying less clothing, which wouldn't be contributing to some of these nasty effects that the fashion industry has on our planet (not to mention the way bigger compagnies treat their workers in third world countries). 

So for next time, try and ask yourself if you "really need this new cotton sweater", and just try and stick with what you have. It is also important to remember that there are other alternatives, like going thrift shopping ! 

Anyways, this so much for reading and make sure to read Friday's post, where Stella will be talking about the steps of owning less. ❤️❤️

Minimalism

     Hey. I'm very sorry about not posting last week. It's just that last week I had exams and a bunch of studying to do as well as for Julia. Anyway, so I have a challenge for this week so don't panick.🤗 
     The main theme/idea is minimalism. Basically what this means is having the least amount of unecessary things in your home. We live in a worl filled with the idea that we NEED to buy that or we NEED this, when in reality, all we need is food, water, a shelter and clothes👚👕. This week's challenge is to eliminate that consumerist idea from our brains. 

     Your goal is to go through as much stuff as possible and get rid of all the things that you don't need or that don't make you happy. Also help someone else by donating your unwanted things to charity. 

     How is this related to the environment? Well, firstly, when buying anything really, so much packaging is involved. Most of this packaging🎀 is harmful to our environment and also is bad when being produced. Another thing, think of all the factories 🌫there are out there producing so many green house gases. By buying only what you need, you are reducing your carbon footprint and are not supporting the destructive idea of consumerism🛍 I mean look at all the things around you. Every single object has it's own factory somewhere that is polluting the air with carbon🌀

     Throughout the week, Julia and I will be guiding you one step at a time, tackling different parts of your home, so you can try out the minimalist lifestyle. Anyway that's it for today😘
Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place❤️.

Love Stella❤️❤️

Food!

     Hey😊So I am so sorry for not posting yesterday. I will post today's planned post mixed with yesterday's post. I also have a little message that I will be giving in tomorrow's post. Anyway, this is what Julia and I ate today and yesterday.

Julia: 
Yesterday:

Breakfast: Avocado toast with salsa.

Lunch: Falafels with a spinach salad.

Dinner: Vegetarian spinach and feta pizza.🍕🍕

Today:

Breakfast: Vegan tofu scramble with sweet potato, spinach, caramelised onions and 🍞bread.
Recipe: http://apolloandluna.com/2016/01/04/vegan-tofu-scramble-paprika-potatoes/

Lunch: Falafel Buddha Bowl: quinoa base with cucumber, peeled carrot, edamame, some mint and a tahini balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner: Eggplant🍆 Parmesan🧀 and a spinach salad

Stella:
Yesterday:

Breakfast: Avocado Toast with some olive oil, salt and pepper and a fruit smoothie.🍌🍓 

Lunch: Vegan Curry with rice🍚 and two pieces of bruschetta🍞

Dinner: A vegan couscous salad: couscous, flax seeds, split peas, beans, chickpeas🍑, parsley, red pepper🌶, artichoke, lime, olive oil, salt and pepper. (You can really put anything you want...It tastes amazing with a variety of ingredients)

Today:

Breakfast: A boiled egg🍳, with some fruit on the side🍍, and a glass of soy milk.

Lunch: Some leftover salad and some veggies with hummus. 

Snack: Cherry🍒 yoghurt with a mix of hemp seeds and granola (Super yummy)

Dinner: Vegan Spaghetti🍝 with a delicious pesto that you could make (recipe below) and a bean salad on the side.
Recipe: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/20-minute-tomato-pesto-pasta/

That's it!! I also would like to apologise about Rant Friday...I'm just super busy and don't have much time especially lately. Don't worry about next weeks challenge, though!!

Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place!!🤗🤗

Love Stella💋

Almost There!

Hi, it's Julia once again to update you guys on what Stella and I are today! 

 

So for breakfast I had a spinach omelette sandwich with some salsa 

For lunch I knew I wouldn't have time to eat anything, so I didn't prepare myself a lunch 

And dinner I had more leftover vegan mac and cheese with a spinach sandwich (btw the recipe for the mac and cheese is in the post from 2 days ago) 

What Stella had: 

Breakfast: cereal with soy milk 

Lunch: leftover veggies from yesterday's post with some nuts 🥜 

Dinner: salad 🥗: lettuce, red pepper 🌶, chickpeas, beans, avocado 🥑, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper. 

I hope that the challenge has been working for you! Thx so much for reading ❤❤

Day #3

Hey guys, it Julia 😊 so it's day 3 of Stella and I telling you what we ate for the Eco friendly diet challenge! 

So for breakfast I had over night oats (I'll but a recipe down below) with an apple 🍎 

Lunch: 

I had leftovers of the vegan mac and cheese (the recipe is in yesterday's post). I also made myself a quick edamame salad 🥗: 

1 cup of cooked edamame 

1/2 tbs of olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

A little salt and pepper 

Dinner:

This vegan breaded fish (from Gardene). Some roasted potatoes, carrots 🥕, and a kale salad mix. 

What Stella had today : 

Breakfast: 

Yogurt with chia seeds and a glass of orange juice 

Lunch: 

Leftover stir fry 

Dinner:

Oven roasted veggies and a salad 🥗 

Recipe for over night oats: 

http://www.littlebroken.com/2015/03/10/three-types-of-overnight-oats/

Thx so much for reading and we hope that you have joined in this week's challenge ❤❤

Hemp Seeds

     I am aware that this doesn't necessarily need a whole post to itself, but I forgot to add it in so yeah. A snack that Ii have often (even for breakfast sometimes) is yoghurt with hemp seeds. Honestly, at first, the idea of eating seeds that come from cannabis worried me a little. It turns out they are super healthy and do not contain THC (the chemical that may cause someone to be high). They taste pretty ok I guess.I mean they don't have a particular taste, but when you add then to smoothies or yoghurt they are really good. I also would recommend chia seeds...they're really good. 

                                          

Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place! 

Love Stella<3

Some More Food Ideas

     Hey. It's Stella! So I will be continuing with the eco-friendly diet thing we've been doing. I have plenty of recipes for you guys today. Also, I just want to thank everyone who comes and reads this blog. It makes me and Julia very happy. Yesterday we got the most page views than ever before! I'm so happy and grateful. This makes me feel that there are more people out there who care to make a change. 

What Julia Ate Today: 

Breakfast: Avocado toast with organic salsa as dressing. (Btw I love avocados. They are so worth adding to your diet.)

Lunch: Quinoa salad with spinach
Recipe: http://www.fooduzzi.com/2016/02/roasted-broccoli-quinoa-salad-with-honey-mustard-dressing/ 

Dinner: Vegan mac and cheese
Recipe: http://www.maplealps.com/blog/creamy-dreamy-vegan-mac-n-cheese

Vegan Matcha Late:

Recipe:

-1 tsp of matcha 

-maple syrup 

-almond milk

-frothed almond milk 

What I ate today: (Stella)

Breakfast: Organic Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich (my fav) and some almond milk.

Lunch: Rice with fried veggies (this is my go to food, super easy and yummy!)

Dinner: Vegetarian Stir-fry

Recipe:

-mushroom

-green and red pepper

-cauliflower 

-broccoli 

-peas

-rice noodles

-Soy sauce

-Sesame oil 

-optional: Siracha sauce, egg 

Anyway, that's everything for today. Hope this will inspire you all to make eco-friendly diet decisions. Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place<3 bye lovelies<3

Love Stella <3

Catching Up Part 2

     Hey. I know this is like from a couple of weeks ago, but might as well post them up now. Here are the last three fun facts of the week we were raising awareness:

Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place!!

Love Stella <3

Our New Friends!!

     Hey there. It's Stella!! So you guys remember last weeks challenge? Well, Julia and I, of course,
participated as well! We went out today to Reno Depot and bought ourselves some plants! I will be showing pictures and will write a little about each of the plants hopefully encouraging you to be interested in purchasing your own.

      Firstly, let me just say that plants are amazing. They give life to any environment and are really great house buddies. I am personally obsessed with plants because I love them so much and can't stop wanting more. I know you may be thinking that you aren't a plant person and that your plants always die on you, but trust me the following plants are great for anyone and easy to care for.

Julia's Plants:

1) Haworthia:

Light: Haworthia's will take various light conditions except for direct sunlight or deep shade.

Watering: A Haworthia is able to survive by being watered only once a month, but for a thriving plant watering when the soil is dry is necessary. Haworthia's are very tolerant of underwatering,  but overwatering will cause rotting. 

Humidity: No significant value.

Temperature: Average warmth between Spring and Autumn/Fall, but a bit cooler in the winter...not too cold, though. 

2) Jade:

Light: Direct sunlight is necessary for good growth. 

Watering: When soil seems to be dry water...do not soak, though.

Humidity: Not necessary.

Temperature: On the higher side in the morning and a bit cooler at night...considering the direct sunlight, the temperature should be fine. 

My Plant:

3) Spoon Jade:

Light: Full sunlight or partial shade. The spoon jade adapts in either situation.

Watering: The spoon jade is very good at surviving in dry environments, therefore it is easy to care. Water when dry.

Humidity: Could use a misting every now and then for moisturization. 

Temperature: Room temperature is recommended.

That's it, guys! Hope you've liked this post and found it useful!! Also feel free to comment.

Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place <3

Love Stella<3