The Eco Dad

Jumping right into things, I've decided to use January as a prep month for February and March. I figure I was a week in when I finally came up with the idea of doing monthly challenges and there's nothing wrong with maintaining my momentum of 2017 for the first month of 2018. That said, I've gone and purchased a used heavy punching bag to help me out with my 2018 goals. See what I did there? It's like 2017 all over again. For February I've decided to tackle two (2) challenges. The first challenge is called "Dry February," and it's going booze-free for the month to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Want to contribute to fighting cancer? Feel free to click  here . That's February challenge #1. The second challenge will be an eight (8) week contest of sorts with supplement company 1st Phorm. Technically it starts January 22, 2018, but it'll run all through February and most of March. I said I was going to do it last year, and while I...

We're one week into 2018 and I'm mulling over the direction to go after 2017. I proudly managed to not buy new stuff for an entire year. I learned a lot, picked up some good habits and greatly improved my mindset. Did I accomplish all I wanted to? No, not really. I still have stuff/clutter, but that's okay. The weight I put on personal belongings has greatly diminished and to me, that's a great thing. I don't feel the need to buy new, but having learned about 'slow fashion,' I'm not opposed to buying some new clothes, so long as they are well made and not drawn from some fashion fad that will soon fade away. The same can be said for other items - no more 'disposables.' I'm only buying things that I will absolutely love and want to repair should things start to give way. Learned a lot in 2017, like how to consistently give thumbs up in photos. I'm still left with what to blog about in 2018 and beyond. I've greatly enjoyed inco...

I know I haven't been around in a while. I've been pretty busy dadding and whatnot. Things I've managed to do: blow out my left knee, acquire achilles tendonitis and, if all that wasn't bad enough, I just ran a 10k race today and picked myself up two new blisters. Given the lower body ailments, I haven't exactly been on top of my cardio, so of course I thought I was going to die. "Beautiful, scenic hills," is code for death trap. Need to induce a heart attack? Hills. Bit of a masochist, are ya? Hills. Why do this? Because the cause was one close to my heart - SickKids Hospital. My cousin has cerebral palsy and spent some time at that hospital and throughout his various stays there I saw, first hand, the amazing things the staff do there. My two boys had a 50/50 chance of being affected by hemophilia, but as fate would have it, they were born completely healthy and I'm thankful for that every day. Had either of them been affected, we'd have been o...

I'm still on the fence as to whether I even like this running thing. I'm going to be honest, I hit the 2k mark of this last 10k and I thought, WTF am I doing?! Where's my runner's high? Then I remember why I'm running - to do good. This 10k was done to raise funds for research on heart and stroke PLUS I got to run with these beauties below. Check those sweet finisher medals! Together, as a team, we raised over $1000 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Afterwards we got to hang out and have some brunch. Throw in the fact we all got some exercise and I suppose there really isn't any reason not to run. Tonight I just signed up for another 10k, and this one will benefit the SickKids Foundation in order to support SickKids Hospital in Toronto. So far I'm solo. One of the other guys in the photo has said he'll run it with me. I'll try and convince a few others because, hey, nothing like raising funds for a good cause with good people. My goal...

I've been slowly getting back into running, and I haven't decided whether I like it or not.  It's a weird sorta love/hate relationship. It impedes my ability to gain weight and ruins a weight lifting day, but I know it's good for my heart health, not to mention the runs I've been doing have been geared towards good causes. For instance, my upcoming 10k run is for Heart & Stroke. My grandmother suffered from a stroke that crippled her mobility, ended her independence and left her in a home. I'm glad to run and raise funds for research geared towards heart disease and stroke. That being said, you can donate to my run  here . SHAMELESS, I know! Besides spreading good in the world, all this running is taking a toll on my one pair of running shoes. Solution: buy shoes! Of course, I couldn't just walk into the nearest Nike/Reebok/Running Room/(insert good place to buy running shoes here) and pick something off the rack. Nope, this dad has been looking for ...

Ah, Mother's Day. A day to celebrate the mothers in our lives. I happen to have three - my mother, my aunt (Godmother) and my wife (mother of our two rug rats). What do you get the women in your life that have raised you and now raise your children? I'll tell you what I got them: nothing. Sounds a little harsh when I put it that way, but none of them need anything - certainly nothing within my budget. There are, however, mothers, and their families, who could use gifts within my budget. Instead of giving the women in my life stuff, I opted to give meaningful gifts to women I'll never meet and never know. My boys had a 50/50 chance of being affected by hemophilia, which would have likely resulted in many trips to SickKids Hospital. My own cousin has spent time at SickKids for his cerebral palsy, so I've seen first hand how amazing the staff at this hospital are. It might be something to consider for upcoming birthdays or other holidays that usually have gifts give...

This post is breaking away from my usual minimalist (I'm hitting a plateau in that department), anti-consumerist (still not buying new stuff) and/or reducing my environmental impact (I'm trying) posts. Today's blog focuses on personal health. It's probably just disguised bragging/boasting, but I'm proud of what I've accomplished. What have I done, you ask? Well, I ran my first ever 10k race! The previous 5k races and CN Tower stair climb were for good causes, but I can't even tell you what my 10k was in support of, other than a smorgasbord of local NGO's that work within the geo-political boundaries of Mississauga and, maybe, the Region of Peel. I did this one for me. Sometimes we lose sight of ourselves. We try to do so much for others and the world around us, but what's the point if we're not looking after the person in the mirror? How can we sustain a lifestyle if we don't enjoy it or it runs us ragged? For this 10k, I did it, in all hones...

I did it! I completed all 1776 steps of the CN Tower climb for the World Wildlife Foundation. Total funds raised by me? $370! It's not a huge amount, but it's $370 they wouldn't have otherwise had. To add to that awesomeness, I also got to spend time with friends. The only part that sucked was the 0500 hours alarm set on my phone on a Saturday morning. That was dumpy. Just gonna go ahead and use a B&W filter in honour of all the baby pandas we saved. This is the kind of activity I think more people should do - something for your body, for a good cause, with good friends. Look at all the win in that picture. If the picture wasn't in black and white you'd see even more win as the girl in the middle got a fluorescent yellow shirt for raising over $1000 ... yes, over one thousand dollars! She's a rockstar, or, as the WWF considers her, a platinum panda member. I think I might try to find more good causes to support. I just wish most of them weren'...

Temptation lurks all around us. We're inundated with the latest and greatest something or other. I got a phone for Christmas, liked the company's Instagram page and started following them. Problem with that is, aside from the cool pictures showcased by OnePlus owners, I've just recently been shown a really cool version of the phone I already have. The difference? It's limited edition black. Mine is charcoal. Now, I'm pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things, so I've never lined up for an iPhone when the latest one came out, but others do. I can almost guarantee that someone has gotten rid of their perfectly good charcoal OnePlus 3T in order to get the OnePlus 3T in Midnight Black. Just this week I've seen the same thing with the latest iPhone 7. Now there's a 'RED' version allegedly supporting a cause. Not satisfied with your black or silver Google Pixel? How about a 'Really Blue' Pixel? Companies don't even have to innovate anymore...

With my last entry I gave a little spiel about giving back. I chose to support a friend of mine in her efforts to raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation. Good friend. Good cause. Money well spent. I've donated a good amount of my clothes, my wife's clothes and, tomorrow, I'm donating my kids' old sleep sacks to a friend with a baby. These are actions I can feel good about. But rather than wait for the Karma express to come rolling my way, I'm being proactive and doing good by me as well. If I don't invest in me, who will?  I think I already made mention that I joined a gym that carries a minimal cost of $4.99/bi-weekly.  Not bad. I made the decision to join that gym rather than source out used gym equipment for a home gym, because a home gym is generally never used. I'd end up with an oversized, overpriced set of clothes racks. How do I know? I had a treadmill, but sold it for roughly $100 before I started this journey. I had adjustable barbells, a...

With all the cost cutting and selling stuff around the house, I've mentioned before about supporting a friend who has undertaken a charitable endeavour. The cause I've chosen to support is the World Wildlife Foundation, and the friend I'm supporting is Lindsay. She climbs the CN Tower every year to support this worthwhile initiative. And really, why wouldn't I support her? I like animals. I like Lindsay. It seems a no brainer. That said, I'm going to post the link to her fundraising efforts right here ,  Who knows, maybe I can push a couple extra bucks in her (WWF's) direction. I feel this shark would totally high five me for donating to Lindsay and the WWF! I once read that no one has ever gone poor by giving to charity. I believe it. Now, I'm not saying to throw all your money at a charitable cause, but try giving a bit if you haven't already. You'll feel better for it. If you do give, you know it's true. Know who else feels good? The fr...