Homemade Tomato Soup in Under 5 Minutes

Looking for a basic tomato soup recipe? Well, here it is! Tomatoes, broth and... that's pretty much it. Plus, it takes less than 5 minutes to make!

When I was a kid, I loved me a bowl of canned tomato soup. I don’t even think my family bought the “good” stuff – it was strictly no name brands for us back then. But it didn’t matter. Throw a can on the stove, fry up a grilled cheese sandwich (with the no name processed cheese) and I was in little kid heaven.

My tastes may have matured a bit, but I still love tomato soup and a grilled (vegan) cheese sandwich. The problem is, it’s not easy to find canned tomato soup that doesn’t have some kind of milk ingredient in it.

How to Make a DIY Paper Pumpkin from Old Book Pages

Fall is a time of colourful leaves, crisp air, harvests and... DIY pumpkin crafts! Here's how to make a pumpkin from old book pages. Happy Autumn!

With Halloween fast approaching, and American Thanksgiving on its way, I keep seeing cute DIY pumpkin crafts everywhere. And I’m not talking about construction paper Jack-o-Lanterns. I’m talking about DIY pumpkin crafts for adults. Because adults like crafting too, you know? You can also add this project to the easy pumpkin crafts column. Adults may like to craft, but adults don’t usually got a lot of spare time.

Now, with the exception of Christmas, I’m not usually a seasonal decor kind of person. I tend to keep things the same year-round, because it’s much more eco-friendly than buying a bunch of new stuff every time the weather changes. Plus, it takes a lot of extra time and effort to be constantly updating your decor.

For those of you who do it – and do it in an eco-conscious manner, ie: repurposing old items and materials, buying secondhand items – I salute you! But I’m just going stick to my nature-inspired holiday decor and my latest project – a DIY pumpkin made from old book pages. If this project sounds familiar it’s because I made DIY paper orbs from old book pages a few months ago. Now, I’m simply pilfering my own idea and using the same method to make a pumpkin!

4 Second Hand Halloween Costumes from Thrifted Items You Can Wear Again!

I may cause those of you who love Halloween to scratch your wig-covered heads – because you’re already wearing your costume, obviously – when I tell you that I’m not a fan. Then you ask through your plastic glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth, “What’s not to love?”

Don’t you like costumes? I’m a dancer – of course I like costumes! What about candy? I’ve been known to down an entire bag of sour Skittles in one sitting. A big bag too. And scary stories? I’m not a fan of the super gory stuff, but a tastefully told ghost story? Yeah, you got my attention.

So, why don’t I like Halloween? Well… because it’s wasteful!

5 Reasons Why You Should Buy Secondhand Instead of New

Saving money isn't the only reason you should buy used items! Most importantly, shopping secondhand saves the environment from resource overuse and waste.

Guys, I am obsessed with secondhand shopping. I’ve always loved a good thrift find and grew up on garage sales and antiquing, but only recently have I switched to buying only clothing and household items that are pre-loved. I actually have not bought an item of clothing for myself or my kids since the spring and the last time I bought anything home-related was last year for my nature-inspired holiday decor.

Sure, I still buy new things sometimes. Ballet shoes, craft supplies, gifts. But man do I have really good luck thrifting.

How to Decorate an Eco-Friendly Kid’s Bedroom

A kid's bedroom with a white wooden bench, a white shelf and a handmade superhero cape hanging on a hook.

Rooms for kids are the perfect place to go all out with eco-friendly decor. Why? Because so many parents already want their child’s room to be non-toxic and tend to gravitate toward natural materials anyway. (With the exception of all that unnecessary plastic. There are other options – I promise!) Kids’ rooms are also the perfect place to throw in some secondhand furniture and decor – because it means saving money! And, more importantly, it means there’s no need to buy brand new – and no need for all the packaging that comes with new items. Plus, by involving your kids in the decorating process, you can explain to them why you’re choosing green items and start them on the road to living an eco-conscious life. Because teaching the next generation to consider how they impact the environment in everything they do is the key to a sustainable future!

Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids (and Adults!)

Embrace lunches full of fruit, veggies and other whole foods. These five healthy, vegan lunch ideas are certainly tastier than a PB&J sandwich!

Even if you’re not a student, or don’t have kids in school (or kids at all), back-to-school season is still a great time to re-evaluate your life in terms of healthy eating. I actually find September to be a better time to start “resolutions” as it actually feels like a new beginning. (Unlike January, which here in central Alberta just feels really, really, really cold.)

Summers are so free-spirited – at least for me and my family. Perhaps, a little too free-spirited? Don’t get me wrong. I L-O-V-E summer. I’m totally a walking-around-barefoot-not-knowing-what-day-or-time-it-is kind of person for the entire month of July and about half of August. But then I get the itch. The itch for routine. For wearing shoes. For going to bed on time and eating home-cooked meals more often than takeout.

Green Your School Year with These 12 Eco Friendly School Supplies

Various school supplies on a green background, including a brown binder, yellow pencils and scissors with a green handle.

Back-to-school may be a stressful time, but with my eldest daughter entering Kindergarten – I’m actually pretty excited. I know she’s going to love it what with all the learning and the crafting and the playing. And – although having her away from home for two (sometimes three!) full days a week will be hard – I think it will be good for us as a family. Plus, sending her to school means I get to shop for school supplies – something I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with. And not just any school supplies, but eco-friendly ones!

I won’t lie, finding earth-friendly versions of everything on the list provided by her school was not easy. It isn’t that eco-friendly school supplies don’t exist, or even that they’re too expensive. But they weren’t easy to find in our local stores or on websites that would ship to us for a reasonable price. But don’t let that discourage you! The more of us that demand these types of products by refusing to buy anything else, the more readily available they’ll be.

10-Minute Vegan Tofu Scramble Recipe

Every vegan has to have a tofu scramble recipe. Why? Because eggs. Spices like cumin and turmeric make this savoury dish perfect for any time of day.

Every vegetarian and vegan has to have a tofu scramble recipe. Why? Because eggs. If you used to eat them regularly, they’re definitely missed when you go animal-product free. You’re probably also missing eggs if you can’t eat them due to allergies, which is one of the reasons that I don’t eat them – aside from the whole baby chicken thing.

Thank goodness for the versatility of tofu! This basic tofu scramble might not taste precisely like eggs, but damn it’s good in its own right. Especially on a wrap with some salsa. My four year old and two year old love it like that, even though the younger one can’t figure out how to hold a wrap and instead just sits in my lap and repeatedly says “bite” until she’s eaten all of mine. To be fair, she does this with pretty much everything I eat. Even when she has the exact same thing on her own plate. Sometimes food just tastes better when it belongs to someone else.

10 Simple Eco-Friendly DIY Projects for Your Home

Want to green your home decor and help out the planet? Instead of buying new, try these ten eco-friendly DIY projects. Simple, sustainable... and super fun!

Some people DIY because they love the process. Some people DIY to save money. Some people DIY because it’s eco-friendly. And some people, like me, DIY because of a three reasons! Here are ten simple eco-friendly DIY projects I’ve tackled over the last five years. I hope they inspire you to do all kinds of cool things yourself. To create, to save money and to save the planet.

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