Have you ever thrown away a perfectly good container after you’ve used up what was in it?  Then maybe you have thrown it in a recycling bin thinking you are doing your part.  But did you know a vast majority of plastic can’t be recycled? This is exactly the place Koby found herself in one day as she questioned why it was necessary to have all these containers that only get used once.  So she set out to do something about it.  From this, she developed the Refillery Market, a place where goods can be refilled in reusable containers and eliminate an immense amount of everyday waste.

Now Koby presents beautifully reusable bottles that can be refilled and she offers the contents to go inside. From soaps to toothpaste, laundry detergent, and more, Koby offers sustainable solutions to everyday products that typically wind up in the trash.  In addition, she juggles not just this job, but two small children under the age of four who she cares for.  She tells us how running the Refillery Market has brought up the conversation with her own children about the importance of caring for the environment and thinking from a sustainable viewpoint.

Topics Discussed:

• Plastics that can’t be recycled.
• Finding new uses for old containers.
• Teaching children the importance of sustainability.
• From consumer to businesses and how we can reduce waste from businesses.

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Connect with Koby :

Website: https://refillerymarket.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RefilleryMrkt/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refillerymrkt/

Email: [email protected]

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Morgan Macdonald decided to start a clothing company that didn’t put shame on body types. Morgan herself who has struggled with eating disorders knows the difficulty in going to a clothing store and feeling pressure due to the sizes of current clothing standards. So with her mother’s background in the clothing industry and her desire to shift the thinking with clothing while bringing a sustainability factor to it, Morgan set out to bring a change.

She and her mother now own a woman-run factory that produces clothing for women of all body types and ranging vastly in sizes and shapes that is made from sustainable materials and operates in a way to lessen waste. Her company Mettamade seeks to empower humans to both feel good and look good.  They strive to keep all bodies in mind while approaching the wardrobe from a minimalist approach, by offering versatile items that can be worn in various ways.

Topics Discussed:

• Body positivity with clothing sizes.
• Blending clothing fashion with sustainable efforts.
• Good and bad types of material you should be looking for.
• Supporting your community.

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Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tb3lhYXNoZWFidXR0ZXIubGlic3luLmNvbS9wbGF5ZXJmbQ

Connect with Morgan MacDonald:

Website: https://mettamadeinhamilton.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mettamade.clothing

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/mettamadeclothing/_shop/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mettamade.ca/

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Cassandra was backpacking through Southeast Asia, taking a trip to Bali, and exploring the country when she stumbled upon a man forming beautiful artisan pieces from tire rubber.  She ended up spending some time with him in his shop seeing how he crafted his work, his energy, and how he personally interacted with each customer that came into his shop.  It was this experience that got Cassandra thinking about where the fashion items she bought came from.

With her entrepreneurial spirit, she set out to find how she could connect consumers with such beautiful products that supported local artisans.  From that Chic Made Consciously was born.  Cassandra now connects artisans from all over with the online space.  From showcasing these works of art at trade shows to her online store, she is determined to bring light to where products come from and support hand-made sustainable products from around the world. 

Topics Discussed:

• What is fast fashion?
• How fashion and sustainable products can be blended together.
• Happiness is not tied up in things.
• How do you as a consumer know what businesses you should support?
• Why it’s cheaper to buy more expensive quality items.

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Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/start-small

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Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tb3lhYXNoZWFidXR0ZXIubGlic3luLmNvbS9wbGF5ZXJmbQ

Connect with Cassandra:

Website: https://www.chicmadeconsciously.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicmadeconsciously

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shopify/_created/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicmadeconsciously/

YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6FxYB_KqoQ68TIPdpB3a3g?view_as=subscriber

Resources Mentioned:

Good On You: https://goodonyou.eco/

Olivia Firth’s 10 Step Solution to Being More Sustainable in Fashion Article: https://en.vogue.me/fashion/livia-firth-how-to-sustainability-in-fashion/

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How do you feel after you make a purchase?  Do you feel good about your decision? Do you have guilt over it?  Diana shares her first time buying home decor that was fairtrade, something she didn’t realize even existed.  Her purchasing experience was very unlike previous purchases which prompted her to start Saltbox Sash.

Saltbox Sash is everything home decor that is also fair trade.  Often when we think of fair trade items we think of coffee, tea, and chocolate, but Diana is bringing light to a whole new array of fair trade products that we can use to make our houses a home.  Her products are from all over the world and connect her customers with ethically sourced and high-quality goods.  

We also dive into how to teach our children the importance of fairtrade products and how we can get them involved in fun ways as well as engage in constructive dialogue around the topic.  I share a story of taking my children with me overseas to visit some of the areas we were getting our fair trade products from and the impact that has had on their lives and how they are implementing a sustainable lifestyle today in their own lives.

Topics Discussed:

• Expanding our view of fairtrade products.
• Why it’s important to start small with a more fairtrade lifestyle.
•  How do we teach our kids about fairtrade?
• Simple steps to start living more sustainably.

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Connect with Diana:

Website: https://www.saltboxsash.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsaltboxsash/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/saltboxsash/_shop/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltboxsash/

Resources Mentioned:

Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies: https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Toddler-Parents-Raising-Responsible/dp/152350689X/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=montessori+toddler&qid=1614373704&sr=8-5

Simone Davie’s Podcast: https://www.themontessorinotebook.com/the-montessori-notebook-podcast/

Connect with us!

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/moyaashea/_created/

Have you ever struggled with finding toys that keep your child entertained?  Have you felt that you no sooner buy them a toy than they are bored with it and are wanting something new? 

In the episode, I sit down with Ashley from Farmhouse 598 as she explains to us how less is often more with our children’s toys.  She explains to us simple ways we can implement the Montessori learning approach in order to enrich our children’s lives.  She also gives us some easy hacks we can all implement to bring back excitement over old toys that our children already have.

We follow her journey from becoming an educated teacher to coming back into woodworking and how she now uses that skill to create children’s toys from wood which is far more sustainable and long-lasting, and better for the child’s development.

Ashley is also a homesteader and uses the Montessori approach in homeschooling. We dive into the benefits of this type of learning as well as how it makes the child’s play areas more aesthetically pleasing and avoids the over-stimulation and lack of creativity that many toys today bring. 

We will also learn about creative ways to keep your child entertained and how so often less is more with creativity.  Ashley talks about how to watch your child discover their playing habits in order to get new ideas for how to stimulate their playtime.  

Topics Discussed:

• Being a woman in a male-dominated space.
• The Montessori approach to learning.
• The benefits of wooden toys and toy rotation.
• Dealing with relatives who want to buy too many gifts for your child.

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Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tb3lhYXNoZWFidXR0ZXIubGlic3luLmNvbS9wbGF5ZXJmbQ

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://www.farmhouse598.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmhouse598/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmhouse598

Email: [email protected]    

Resources Mentioned:

Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies: https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Toddler-Parents-Raising-Responsible/dp/152350689X/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=montessori+toddler&qid=1614373704&sr=8-5

Simone Davie’s Podcast: https://www.themontessorinotebook.com/the-montessori-notebook-podcast/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moyaasheabutter/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjQKGox5xnowa3nD1J5vGQ

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/moyaashea/_created/

In the episode, I sit down with Rafik Riad founder of Buy Good Feel Good, a marketplace where fair trade and responsibly sourced and made items can be sold.  He did this through live and in-person trade shows. Then Covid-19 happened.  And like most of us, he was unsure how to proceed.  But through adapting and finding creative ways to do so, he switched his in-person trade shows to an online marketplace that could ultimately reach a much larger audience.

Rafik shares with us the difficulty in the back end work of a project like this, and the difficulty in shifting something you are so used to doing in-person to a completely online space.  He talks about not just the wins but the losses and how no matter who you are some days you want to give up.

We also discuss how over the last seven years things have changed when it comes to finding sustainably sourced and made products and how there are a growing demand and creation of these products, but that often finding them can be the challenging part.  But Rafik is working to get rid of this problem and have a one-stop-shop online where you can find products of all your needs that come from excellent sources.

Topics Discussed:

• How to pivot in your business. 
• Common challenges with getting a business online.
• Small steps to buy sustainably.
• The importance of sustainable and ethical businesses.

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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/start-small/id1537390467

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Connect with Rafik Riad:

Website: https://www.buygoodfeelgood.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buygoodfeelgood/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buygoodfeelgood/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChYzXS1OpW_JugnGrWGxWHg

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjQKGox5xnowa3nD1J5vGQ

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In this episode, I sit down with Bianca Metz who is a simple living consultant and is the founder of the Giving Tree Family. Bianca lives with her husband and their toddler in a tiny home consisting of 240 square feet.  She shares how she and her husband decided to completely and radically change their city condo life and move onto six acres in a tiny home.  

We’ve grown up believing that there is only one formula. That formula consists of going to college, having a nice house in a certain neighborhood, and driving the right kind of car.  But that formula for success has failed us now more than ever as evidenced by the number of people leaving college and still lacking experience that most jobs require, or people finding that despite having all the shiny things they are still unhappy. 

Bianca shares with us just how her husband and her were tired of that formula and believe there is a much better way to live or lives.  Bianca shares with us the first steps to take when deciding to move into a tiny home, from legal priorities to make sure the land you are moving on to is taken care of. We also discuss the importance of your home regardless of how big or small being a refuge for you and what steps you can take today to help make that a reality.

Resources Mentioned: 

• https://instagram.com/thegivingtree.tinyhome?igshid=rha0phqc6zvy
• https://www.ontario.ca/document/build-or-buy-tiny-home

Topics Discussed:

• How to transition from city living to country tiny home life.
• Dealing with resistance from people when you change your lifestyle.
•  What is the best formula for living situations?

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Connect with Bianca:

Website: www.thegivingtreefamily.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegivingtree.tinyhome

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegivingtree.tinyhome/about/

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As we enter into a brand new year, you may be like me and ready to recommit to living a more sustainable life. For me personally, I know several of the small steps I need to take, and it helps to take a moment to review the simple things we can do every day and just decide to recommit.

In today’s episode, I share with you a few things that I am going to work on in 2021, give you some valuable tips on small things we may easily overlook (that make a big difference!), and even share with you vulnerability about a few mistakes I’ve recently made and how I plan to correct them in the future.

We dig into gardening ideas, how to have less food waste, the importance of pausing before you buy, and even how to make your home feel more peaceful by living and purchasing more intentionally. 

I hope this encourages you that I am not perfect and I do not expect you to be, but together we can make SMALL steps and make meaningful change in 2021. 

Resource Mentioned: 

• https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/green-tip/6-strategies-create-more-sustainable-meals
• https://ivaluefood.com/resources/meal-plan-shop/meal-planning-guide/
• https://ivaluefood.com/resources/meal-plan-shop/meal-planning-guide/
• My favorite “veggie balls”: https://luminateco.ca/product/zesty-italian-meatballs-300g/

Topics Discussed:

• A few small mistakes I have personally made (no one is perfect!)
• Ideas of tiny things to do in the new year that will make a difference
• Managing food waste, the power of gardening, and decluttering tips

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Did you know that every year over nine-hundred million empty toothpaste tubes go into land mines and take over five-hundred years to break down?  That thought can be overwhelming right? Is there anything we can do? 

Luckily our guests today, the founders of Change Toothpaste, have a SMALL STEP that we can immediately implement that will help solve this problem.

I stumbled across this incredible company when researching more sustainable options for toothpaste. Mike Medicoff & Damien Vince were first inspired by Mike’s daughter who lives a sustainable lifestyle, and they are now on a mission to raise awareness about the issues around toothpaste tubes and offer a practical, simple solution to replace them.

Today, we learn about their mission to create global change through their company, how they developed their products (including tasting way too many toothpaste flavors!), and how the small act of changing our consumption of toothpaste tubes can make a BIG impact in the world.

Connect with Change Toothpaste: https://changetoothpaste.com/

Topics Discussed:

• The process of going from idea to an actual product 
• How their company mandate informs product development
• What is a tooth tablet? How is it different from paste?

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Our guest this week, Jane Nigh, was instrumental in making her town fair trade (the third town in Canada!). She says that her passion for fair trade started in her youth by developing a deep love for beauty and learning that “Small IS beautiful.”

Since then, she has taken countless trips around the world and has seen first hand the importance of considering the integrity of the supply chain and how our consumption has a massive global impact. Today she joins us to talk about her passion for fair trade business and how “supporting small” can make a big difference in your town.  

Jane also shares with us about the small steps she takes in her personal life to make an impact in this world and live a more sustainable lifestyle (including great tips for supporting small businesses!). We hope through this process you will never feel so overwhelmed that you don’t take action- because even the SMALLEST of steps truly makes a difference.

Connect with Jane:

Website: https://www.villagesportcolborne.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VillagesPortColborne/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villages.pc/

Topics Discussed:

• How she was able to help her town be fair trade
• Teaching children early about fair trade 
• How she has used volunteers to help her business be sustainable. 

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