Lunapads

Vancouver Folk Fest has been running for 31 years, and to a large number of Vancouverites it’s the cornerstone of the summer. For three days every year Jericho beach is transformed into a Wonderland of delicious food, ethical crafts, and best of all: incredible folk artists from around the globe. Lunapads hasn’t had a table at Folk Fest for quite a number of years, so it was an honour to take part in the festivities.

The Lunagals, (team intern: Jennifer and Char ) and Lunapads owner Suzanne spent the weekend getting to know our customers, building a new clientele, and listening to great music. The highlight of the weekend was Ozomatli’s main stage performance on Friday evening.. although free samples of Lunatic bars all weekend came close second.

Over all it was a fantastic weekend, and we can’t wait to “man” our Under the Volcano table next weekend.

So if you’re in Vancouver (August 10th) come check out one North Vancouver’s ode to Art and Social Change.. and don’t forget to stop by and get some great deals and more chocolate!

Thank you to Dave Niddrie for the photo, and all the lovely customers who stopped by to chat and support Lunapads!!

This new campaign caught our eye for two reasons: first, the red dot/period reference, and more importantly, because it’s a great idea. Canadian readers, did you know that the junk mail that most of us receive is optional? Yes, that’s right - you can choose to make it go away (and by extension reduce how much of the stuff is printed in the first place, trees being cut down, etc). The Red Dot campaign is the brainchild of Vancouver entrepreneur Beth Ringdahl. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her, but will have an enthusiastic Thank You for her when we do. Oh - the Red Dot site also has a link to the Canadian Marketing Association’s “do not contact” list. Sign up for that, and you’ll have less junk phone calls along with a lighter mailbox

Craft fairs are abundant this time of year, so I need to be choosy. The two I want to attend are both this weekend, and are very special indeed and not to be missed.

The Vancouver Waldorf School Children’s Christmas Fair in North Vancouver (Sat Nov 24). This is a truly magical event for all ages that includes a huge craft fair and market with amazing hand made crafts (I made some felt figures, but I’ll buy them back at the fair so no one else does), healthy food market, acitivities for kids (puppet show, candle dipping, wreath making, gingerbread decorating, etc.) It is the main fundraiser for our school and attracts a big crowd. Come early and be prepared for line ups for the most popular activities!

The Maternal Creations craft fair put on by my midwives is from Friday night (Nov 23rd) to Sunday pm. Mothers in the community gather to sell and exhibit unique trinkets, practicals, and enjoyables that are sewn, thrown, painted, beaded, quilting, knitted, molded and stamped. Different vendors every day! I exhibited last year, but was overwhelmed by the activity, all the while caring for baby Garret at the same time. This year, I’ll browse at my leisure and have lots of time to shop, visit and chat.

So, if you live in the lower mainland of Vancouver, please come check out these 2 events.

How does one make sure girls are getting involded in the action sports that have typically been left to the ‘boyz’? You start your own community to get women involved! Enter Bettygohard, the action sports company focused on inspiring women. Created by Natasha Lockey aka Betty, a lover of action sports who was frustrated at never seeing Girls in Action and wanted to see more girls out there pushing their limits and inspiring others to do the same! She wanted to create a safe space where women could play hard and get the suport they needed to get involved.

She started out with a series of women’s weekly shuttle-assisted rides followed with appetizers (wine, cheese & chocolate…the way to a girls heart.) This mountain biking series was created after speaking with a number of women who wanted to get out on their bikes but lacked confidence and riding partners of a similar level. She has been overwhelmed with the positive response for the six week riding series, and is developing other programs to accommodate the demand.

While inspiring women to get outdoors, she also decided to make a point of educating women on how to respect their bodies. She contacted us here at Lunapads to make a donation so we sent along a Mini Pantyliner for each rider in the summer series - they were a hit! Wearing cloth pads while riding a bike is far more comfortable and healthier for you.

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Calling all Vancouverites. I invite you to visit me during an in-store demo of Lunapads at the Deep Cove Super Valu (415 North Dollarton Hwy, North Vancouver) on Saturday October 27th from about 3 - 5pm. Just minutes away from my house, I’m so pleased to see our products hitting the local shelves. In an effort to support our retailers and create some buzz, I’ll be at the store showing Lunapads to local shoppers. As an added incentive to stop by, visitors will be treated to a sampling of delicious chocolate from Zazubean (because periods and chocolate go so well together, don’t you think?) And, if you purchase the Pantyliners or Maxi Pad and Liner, you will receive a bonus wing liner (or more chocolate!) I look forward to seeing some of you. Bring your curious friends too.

As if I’m not busy enough working full-time, trying to maintain a social life, and balancing other weekly commitments, I’ve recently started volunteering every Sunday afternoon. I’m working for Battered Women’s Support Services, this amazing feminist organization which “provides counselling and advocacy for women survivors of violence in relationships, childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault” as well as for survivors of foster care and the residential school system. They also provide education and training on violence against women to high school students and other groups, and offer various services for women survivors of violence including legal advocacy, support groups, a crisis line, referrals, as well as support and outreach specific to First Nations women.

And it doesn`t stop there. They also have a really fabulous thrift store called My Sister’s Closet – where I volunteer – that provides redeemable store vouchers and hampers of household goods to women who are leaving violent situations. The store gives all its revenue to BWSS, providing some much-needed funding for the organization (especially since the BC Liberal government recently cut all funding from women’s organizations…). What is especially amazing though, I think, is that My Sister`s Closet makes a point of only selling high quality, stylish, and seriously hip clothes at affordable prices. The women who run the organization believe that women who are in dire financial situations or those who face economic barriers (as a result of a various factors such as chronic poverty, abuse, violence, ethnicity, etc.) should still have the option of buying stylish and high quality clothes. I couldn`t agree more!

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Now for those of you who don’t know me - I’m a big music fan and tend to go to a lot of concerts…and this long weekend was no exception! It also happened to be my boyfriend’s birthday on Friday, so there was much to celebrate!

We started the weekend off with a lovely hike to Dog Mountain, get some fresh air before cramming ourselves in to the sweaty crowds. It’s become a birthday ritual of Dave’s and this is our view from the top, right at the edge of Suicide Bluffs - yikes!

More photos on Dave’s Flickr page.

Saturday night was a date with Devendra Banhart – a young musician with an old soul. He was raised in the woods by hippies and you can tell – long hair, long beard, and a folk-y mellowness to his tunes. We’ve been waiting for years to see him perform anywhere near Vancouver and so this concert was highly anticipated. Being in Vancouver means we are often the start of a band’s tour, or the end. In Devendra’s case it was the very start and I think he wasn’t yet in to the groove. He seemed somehow distracted and it took a long time for him to get in to his set. Once in, he mostly played new songs from his album that has yet to be released…so we couldn’t even hum along, let alone sing along. I wanted more of his familiar classics and so walked out feeling somewhat disappointed that one of my favourite musicians didn’t wow my socks off as I’d expected him to…but all the same I’m glad I got to experience him live.

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we wish all our friends and readers a very merry christmas, felice navidad, happy hanukkah, happy winter solstice and other festive greetings of the season. a tradition we started last year was to have an annual year end lunch at a fabulous hangout called rahda, not far from our office. not only is the food great, but the entire menu is vegan, which makes sandra happy. baby garret joined us, since he comes with me where ever i go. while it is hard to see, i’m wearing a fabulous new headband that madeleine sewed for each of us. (it’s kinda falling off my head, so madeleine is making adjustmens so it will fit me perfectly.)

here at lunapads, most of us are celebrating the holidays with family. i’m staying in town and my in-laws are visiting us, madeleine is island hopping around the vancouver area, marie genevieve is going to see her folks in kelowna and gonie is staying home too (having spent some time in the phillipines with her family last month.) sandra however is on a big adventure touring south america with her boyfriend. you can keep up to date on her blog here. we also want to welcome lisa, who has joined lunapads in december to help with the staffing gaps over the holidays.

where are you this holiday season and how will you be celebrating? we look forward to connecting with you more in 2007.

I guess you haven’t heard from me in awhile, summer’s been busy and I’m living it up! Speaking of summer, one of my very favorite events each year is the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Now, in case you haven’t been to a folk festival in awhile, the term “folk” sure has changed, especially here in Vancouver. The new slogan is “you are the folk, this is your music” since this genre has become so all-encompassing.

Now, I not only attend the festival, I am a volunteer of 5 years, 4 of which have been spent on the Lantern Committee. Now what, may you ask, is the Lantern Committee? Well, we get together weeks before the festival and get our creative juices flowing. We build lanterns out of bamboo, tissue paper, and lots of glue to be carried on bamboo poles. Each year we have a theme and this year it was ‘Things in the Garden’. There was a wasp, a grasshopper, a queen bee, a snail, a gnome, a leaf, a dragon (like I said, we get creative!) and so much more. We parade through the night crowd gathered around the main stage and then light the path for them to exit the park. It’s a magical experience and if you ever make it here, you should really check it out!
Photos: taken by my partner Dave Niddrie, this one is me carrying the leaf lantern, I’m wearing a headset cause we are pro-processioners, I’m the “head” and lead the group through the crowd and then I can have contact with the “tail” so I know what’s going on with everyone behind me. For more photos of the festival check out Dave’s Flickr profile.

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I am always amazed and awed by the power and strength of women gathering together for a common goal. For the last 6 years, I have been coaching an all women’s dragon boat team based in North Vancouver. Each year, something special happens on this team that makes all the effort and time put into this sport worthwhile, and this year is no exception.

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