Local Love: Mortise & Tenon

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly.  We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” – Anne Marie Bonneau

This quote resonates with local lifestyle boutique owners and is what inspires them as they source eco friendly brands for their store.  I have been shopping at Mortise & Tenon for quite some time now and every time I go I am more inspired than the last, which to be honest, is hard to do.  More often than not, I am overcome with guilt when I think of all the things I am not doing to reduce our carbon footprint.  Walking into Mortise & Tenon feels different.  Their gentle encouragement and amazing products have made it easy for me, and many others, to incorporate small, everyday changes that I believe really will make a difference.  They are located at 2415 11th Avenue here in Regina.  They have an online store which is beautifully laid out, but if you’re in the city I encourage you to grab a coffee (in a keep cup, of course) and peruse the store.  They have SO many great gift ideas and unique items- it truly is one of my favourite places to shop!

I have recycled and understood the importance of it for a long time, let’s be honest, we all have.  But, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I fully understood the importance of REDUCING.  Once I did some research and began to understand the whole eco friendly world a little more, I began to shift my focus from recycling to reducing.  Yes, both are VERY important.  I am not here to tell you not to recycle… oh lord, please continue to recycle all things that can be.   I AM here however, to hopefully inspire you to make a few small changes that will help you to reduce your waste.

On Earth Day, I posted an Instagram photo where I shared 6 simple lifestyle changes I have made.   You can check it out by clicking here.  I was overwhelmed with the positive reaction to it and it had me feeling even more inspired.  I know there are so many of you who are making changes and want to do even more!

With that in mind,  I thought I would share a few items that I got from Mortise & Tenon that I USE, and love with the hopes it will inspire you to try a few of the items as well! I know it can be overwhelming at first so I’ve given you a little break down of why I personally love them:

(re) Zip Leakproof Reusable Storage Bags– I have used many reusable zip lock bag and these are by far my favourite! They are dish washer safe, never leak, and they dry quickly.  I love the Colibra ones as well, but I like the fact that you can dry these instantly and reuse them right away.

Metal Straws– Obviously, they are good for the environment and I swear things just taste better when you drink them out of a metal straw… weird? I know.

Dryer Balls– This is a newer item to my house but I swear I will never go back.  They dry my clothes in half the time and also keep my sheets from forming a gigantic ball when I dry them… again, its a win win.

Bees Wax Wrap– The only problem is have with this is that I never seem to have enough.  I am still growing my collection but I hope to be able to eliminate plastic wrap completely.