Starry-eyed

This is a gorgeous photo.

I must admit, night-time photos give me a special thrill. More than most. I think it's because there is something mysterious and beautiful and elusive about the night sky. Whether it is the northern lights, the moon, the milky way... or some of the International Space Station.  But as with all things worthwhile, these images require learning, patience and practice. Ah yes, patience and practice :)

MEC mail

These arrived this week!

I was SO excited to get this package in the mail from MEC - I was pretty pumped to try these items on too.

Since I'm pregnant for the third time in as many years, and the last few days have been HOT (plus 30C, and at many points, without a breeze) ... I was looking for some new options and some cooler options since I fear I'm sweating from every part of my body.... I was lucky my last two pregnancies have been in an air conditioned house, and I strangely don't remember feeling so hot ;) 

So here's what arrived:

MEC AMANITA SHORTS (WOMEN'S) - in dark slate

• These were my most expensive purchase - $29.99 for some SHORT SHORTS ... but, it was the reviews that sold them on them, and so far they are living up to them (I'm wearing them as I write this review). They are stretchy and comfy, and seem to breathe well.  I'll update this on another super hot day, but for now, I am very happy with my new shorts! I usually fit a size 6 for jeans, but ordered a size 8 for the shorts, and they fit me while I'm pregnant. They have a stretchy waist-band and a draw-string, so I think this helps. Based on the fabric, etc, I think they'll fit fine once I'm no longer sporting a baby bump.

MEC NIKKI TANK TOP (WOMEN'S) - in both starfish/sleet and black/starfish

• I'm updating my tank top collection as I wear one daily, often under other shirts to ensure appropriate length and cover, and sometimes simply because the fabric of other shirts feels too thin. They fulfill both purposes well. These are both racer-back style tanks, so I will have to wear the appropriate underwear with them, however for the same price as other tank tops I've purchased in the past (they were on clearance), I am very happy with the quality - the fabric seems nice and thick, yet still breathable. I ordered size SMALL, and they fit, but still have room.

MEC SHORT-SLEEVE TEE SHIRT (WOMEN'S) - in dark plum-arbutus stripe

• Probably not the colour I would usually go for, but it fits beautifully. I'm looking forward to wearing a new shirt for a change as my pregnancy wardrobe hasn't had a lot of updating....  This shirt is stretchy enough that it should double as a nursing-top too when the time comes. I ordered size MEDIUM, and it covers up nicely. 

I am thrilled with my purchases' - both their quality and sizing. 

While the labels list "made in India" and "made in China", based upon my research of MEC and their policies, I am feeling confident that they have taken efforts to ensure those who were involved in the manufacturing process were treated fairly and paid accordingly.  It also made my day to spy this little tag attached to my new t-shirt:

I paid a little more for this purchase than I would have in the past, but as I we are working towards a goal here, I think the end goal of a more ethical wardrobe is achievable. That being said, it will likely be a capsule wardrobe in order to afford the new pieces... but, I think that fits well with my goals this year.

**I paid for my clothing and have NOT received compensation from MEC in any form for this post. 

Buycott vs. Boycott

This year has been a journey.

Since reading Notes from a Blue Bike back in January, I can't help but shake the ideas that Tsh presents. It has shaped my year in so many ways - which will hopefully become more and more evident on my blog about intentionality.

Check out her website!

One of the many ideas I keep returning to is that "the beautiful thing about living a slower, richer life is that you can impact others in the most surprising ways" (212).  I've struggled with inferiority in this sense - thinking that there's no way I can "change the world".  In recent months, I'm realizing that I can, just not how I once thought...

Ann Voskamp takes some of these ideas in a very personal direction in the prologue, "to realize that the real hidden cost of everything you buy--is how much life it cost you to get it" (xx).  I've mulled these ideas over and over this year - realizing that it costs ME something. It costs my FAMILY something. But beyond ourselves, it costs OTHERS something - in the supply chain that gets goods to my house: from the fields to production to delivery (we live in a rural area), and many other points in between. No matter how much of a "good deal" I can score, somewhere, somehow, it has cost something and perhaps even scarier, it might just have cost someone. 

As a result of all of these new ideas, I have been looking for options for our family that are more ethical. I'm searching for ways to bring at least some of our purchasing closer to home to support our local farmers and producers. I've been researching ways to live life with more intentionality, instead of simply getting the biggest and best deal I can find. Some of those areas include:

• healthier food options, grown as close to home as possible (Thanks Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver!) - but we still eat bananas,
• "cleaner" skin care products, and 
• ethical clothing and other goods (toys, etc)

It was while searching for ethical clothing options in Canada that I happened upon MEC's site, and I learned the term "Buycott" -

We favour the "buycott" method of social reform over the traditional boycott method. The latter closes communication, builds fences, and in reality does little to advance human rights. Workers receive no support from the companies who boycott Chinese factories. Instead, the more effective "buycott" uses the supply chain and larger orders to reward suppliers who practice good human rights. By sourcing in China we're able to monitor factories, empower workers, and share our views with their management. -Why Do You Source from China?

I have long been a fan of MEC and their products (check out my "Travelling with Baby K" series) - but now I have some more reasons to love them, thanks to their stance on Ethical Sourcing.

And while yes, we are only one family, we "do life" with many other families. I have this blog. We do in fact have voices within this world - perhaps voices that carry a little further than I once realized. We can use our buying decisions to BUYCOTT instead of BOYCOTT, and hopefully encourage those around us to do the same. 

You've Got Mail

Does anyone else still get excited to receive ACTUAL mail these days?  With most "mail" these days being bills and flyers (yay for being a grown-up!) a letter, or postcard, or package most definitely cause me to break out into a happy dance best only seen by my family.

I'm anxiously awaiting packages in the mail ... and according to tracking one of them should be here TODAY! Cue awkward dance moves (think Elaine from Seinfeld)....