from kidney stones to cute glass water bottles

A couple of months ago I ended up in the emergency room with extreme pain and 2 kidney stones. The most likely cause being dehydration. With 2 kids, breastfeeding and lack of sleep, I was not drinking enough water. It's no excuse, but it's what happened. As much as we are told how important it is to drink water, we forget, or at least I did. It's not just a fad, it's super important, not just to make our skin look better, but to maintain our health. So my recipe for today is very simple:

water

directions: pour it in a glass or cute bottle, sip often, bring it with you

optional: add lemon or cucumber slices

To help make water drinking more desirable, I searched for a cute, eco-friendly water bottle, and discovered an awesome company called bkr run by 2 women who hold the same ideals as me.

Tal Winter and Kate Cutler were two intelligent, fashionable, cultured women in love with everything glowing and glamorous—but realized they were drinking from trash: cheap, disposable, plastic water bottles. Not glamorous. Instead, they wanted to drink from something clean, clear, soft and beautiful that felt like a couture accessory and not camping equipment. A product to be loved, not tossed away—a product they believed they could design. So they quit their jobs, said yes to the adventure, and recreated their lives.

Four years later bkr has gained a dedicated following, earning its reputation as a coveted beauty essential and the solution to staying hydrated. Each season bkr releases limited edition collections inspired by runway trends in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Always BPA-free, phthalate-free, adorable and addictive. Welcome to your newest obsession.

I wanted to support this company, and make water drinking attractive for others, so I decided to sell them at our yoga studio. For every bottle sold, we will donate $2 to an awesome foundation that is located across the street from us, and who's hardworking employees practice at Luna; the Make a Wish Foundation "granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy".

Easy Tips to Go Green

Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day for me is a reminder to appreciate Mother Earth, not only today, but everyday, and to remember that every little thing we do has an impact on the earth. Here are a few tips to help make your daily life a little greener...

- put up a 'pas de circulaires' or 'no flyers please' note by your mailbox (it'll change your life!). You don't need to buy an official sticker, we made one ourselves and it does the trick.
- sign up for online billing; you can usually do this through your bank, or check on the back of your bill (sometimes it even saves you money)
- pick up a stainless steel water bottle and/or travel mug; millions of water bottles end up in landfills everyday.
- bike to work; if you don't have your own bike, check out bixi bikes in Montreal
- make your own lunch... or if you pick up food, ask them to wrap it in wax paper instead of using styrofoam, or better yet, bring your own tupperware.
- eat less meat; factory farms are responsible for more than 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
- compost your food scraps; if you live in Montreal you can get an outdoor composter at you local Eco Quartier or make your own worm composter
- recycle; I know this is an obvious one, but there are still some people who don't do it...
- buy a reusable canvas bag; carry one with you so that you're ready for the spontaneous grocery shop (they even make bags that fold up into teeny tiny squares, so that it won't take up too much room in your bag).

If you have any other suggestions or tips, please add them into the comments section, I'd love to hear them!