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Tom’s of Maine’s Recyclable toothpaste tube!

This post is in partnership with Tom’s of Maine. All opinions are my own.

I went to visit Kennebunk, Maine last month to meet the wonderful people behind the Tom’s of Maine natural toothpaste brand. I had the privilege of seeing their factory and just by chance ended up being there while they were doing the very first run of filling the new recyclable tubes. These tubes took a lot of work to create because it must still function like a regular tube yet be recyclable (in your curb side bin). Until now, toothpaste tubes have been made of mixed materials which means they must be landfilled, but this new tube is made fully of #2 HDPE, which allows it to have a second life. 

I’m quite passionate about creating less waste and so this genuinely excites me and makes me proud to be an ambassador for a company that is working to be a leader in products that are both good for your you and the planet.  

Tom’s of Maine Antiplaque & Whitening toothpaste is the first variety you will see released in the new tube but by the end of 2020 all Tom’s of Maine toothpaste will be in the new recyclable tubes!  

Now to actually make this as awesome as it is, you have to do your part too! To recycle at home, first check to be sure that your tube has the blue recycling flag. If it doesn’t, it can’t be recycled just yet. If it does, then just put the cap on and put it in your curbside bin but remember that recycling practices vary by municipality and if a town doesn’t accept #2 plastic, the Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Recycling Program, a partnership with TerraCycle, is a recommended option for recycling all personal and oral care packaging regardless of the brand. 

Just buying items that are recyclable isn’t enough – we are responsible for making sure they are going to get that second life. I’m not always perfect with my recycling efforts but that was actually one of the 2019 goals I set for myself because I think it’s important to play your part and not just rely on the companies to do the work. 

Menzies are moving out

I was 19 when we moved into our current house. We moved it right when we got married, decorated it the way any 19 year old would in the year that Pinterest was created and opened all DIY possibilities haha. Over the past 8.5 years this house has been constantly evolving with our projects and slowly filled with more people.

In our first year we brought home our puppy, Sid, 2 years later, Poppy, a year after that Goldie was grown, laboured and grieved in here, and after that came Skipper! We’ve been through a lot of seasons of life and growth in this house. In a way this feels like the house I grew up in.

It hosted countless parties, dinners, and campfires. Basically we have a lot of memories here that I wont keep rambling on about. It is also next door to my parents on one side AND my sister + her family on the other. Even though we kind of have the ultimate set up going on over here David and I are creatures of change.

We started feeling the itch for something new a year ago and played with the idea of moving somewhere new. We looked into Southern California, LA, Hawaii, Arizona, Australia (Any where that will turn you into a tan leathery old woman). Basically, I became obsessed with looking at house rentals in tons of areas. That we finally decided we had to stop dreaming up our own dreams worried of not making the right choice and just take the summer to be really present and pray about that next step.

We asked very specifically that God would show us come September where he wanted us (knowing that that place might still be right here). Much to our surprise on September first there were no lighting bolts or a loud booming voice… ;p

A week or so into the month one morning David and I both (separately) had a moment of clarity that we should be living in the city Vancouver (where we currently are apart of a church – an hour drive away). When David told me I gave a wide eyed “me too!” and naturally started looking on Craigslist for a rental. I’ll skip the boring details but 4 days later we had a rental signed for a little 3 bedroom right in the heart of the city.

It’s going to be a major life shift for us. If you’ve seen our backyard we basically live in a park, it’s big and full of trees, ultimate privacy. The closest thing you can walk to is 15 minutes. We’re trading deer for pigeons and I will have to learn to wear a robe when walking around the house. But will also be walking distance to our church and steps away from some of our favourite spots which is exciting. We’ve never lived in a city, but we’ve always liked the idea of it so it will be a fun new adventure for all of us.

David and I have always operated more off promptings and gut feelings than by doing things the way one is “meant” to. So when people give us the “What?! Why!” response to bringing kids into the city I feel totally fine in our decision. And I really appreciate all the encouragement we’ve gotten from people that have had a great experience as a family in a city!

and that is the story of why were moving!

lululemon gift guide

I’m part of the lululemon collective and will receive a commission if you make a purchase through the links below.

I purchased my first pair of lululemon leggings a few years ago and I don’t think I ever changed out of them. Kidding 😉 but they were one of the best clothing investments I ever made. They just feel so much better than the other yoga pants I had tried and that’s what made me fall in love with lululemon pieces in general. I’ve found lululemon to consistently be great quality and they think of all the little details to make everything as functional as possible. 

I’ve pulled together some of my favourite things that I own and some extra items that I think would make great gifts for her + him, Especially for you last minute shoppers because you can have items priority shipped to arrive Dec.24 all the way up until the 22nd. (Check your lululemon.com for more details because some exceptions apply). lululemon has free returns which makes it safe to shop for clothing as gifts. 

Check out their “We Made To Much Section” to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday Happening Nov.28 – Dec. 2!

Just a few notes about some items I included below: 

-The Mock Neck Long Sleeve I’ve been wearing since the weather has gotten colder and I love it as an alternative to a hoodie. It adds structure & style but it’s still warm and comfier than a knit for doing stuff around the house and going to the park. 

-The Belt Bag I added to the list because all the employees in the lululemon store were wearing these crossbody style and it was so cute!! I didn’t leave with one, but I think I’m going to go back for one (or hope that David sees my gift guide…). 

-The Men’s At Ease Hoodie has such a nice waffle texture when you see it in person and fits nice and relaxed which works great under David’s jackets. 

-David doesn’t have this basic white tee but it looks like the perfect white tee, so Santa might be bringing him one of those.

Happy Shopping!   

Favourite glasses this season

As you know if you’ve been following me for any amount of time I am an ambassador for IRIS, and my favourite thing about working with them over the years has been getting to wear so many different styles of frames. I’ve rounded up all my favourite current styles because I usually show you the frames that I like to wear but there are so many more I love that don’t always suit my face. 

I stuck with 3 shapes; Cat Eye, Round & Aviators. I pulled styles from Ray-Ban, Michael Kors, Derek Cardigan, and Oliver Peoples, all of which are carried by IRIS, but go in and try frames on because they have so many more brands & styles and I’m always surprised by what I think I like and what actually suits my face. If you want to find a Canadian location to head into click here. 

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