Thanks for reading!
Rhi xoxo

Hey kind krafters!


Over the last few months I have been watching an extremely powerful young female create change globally. I have slowly been learning more and more about her and I’m sure that many of you have seen her online or in the news. She is so influential to younger advocates as well as older populations as we all have so much to take from the knowledge she shares with us. Her name is Greta Thunberg.

Greta was born in 2003 in Sweden and has lived there her whole life. She comes from a family of artists which I found particularly interesting! Her mother is an opera singer and her father is an actor. In 2018, when Greta was just about to start grade nine, she decided that she was going to stop attending school until the Swedish government promised to reduce carbon emissions as they had announced by signing the Paris Agreement. Under the Paris Agreement, each country must figure out how they will contribute in reducing their contribution to global warming and give regular reports on their progress. The long-term goal of the agreement is to keep the increase of the global average temperature below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Greta’s idea to strike for climate came to her after she heard of the teen activists at Parkland School who did the March For Our Lives – she saw other youths trying to create change and so she decided to also. During the first part of her strike she would sit outside Sweden’s national legislature with a sign until the general elections commenced. After the elctions, she chose to only strike on Fridays but her story has travelled far and wide. By December 2018, over twenty-thousand students held strikes in over 250 cities. These cities include both Wolfville and Halifax.


In November, Greta did a TEDxStockholm talk where she discussed her story and what she is trying to do through her strike and other climate activism. Here is the link to her talk – ​

At the very beginning of her video, she mentions that she first heard of global warming at the age of eight. Personally, I can’t even think of the first time I heard about greenhouse-gasses, my carbon footprint, and ways that I could reduce my impact on the planet. While I was a child, being taught how to recycle seemed like another thing that I had to learn similar to my times tables. It seems so crazy to me, that we teach all of these rules about how long to shower for, how long to brush your teeth for, how to compost, how walking is better than driving, etc. but it was never done with any urgency. But now that the time has pretty much run out, people are still treating these rules with the same lack of panic.


In December 2019, Greta addressed United Nations at their climate change summit about her school strike. She spoke honestly and has been described as being ‘the only adult in the room’. Many people were upset with how a youth had to speak up and stop fully attending school because of the lack of changes being made by the adults in authority and positions of power that would allow for these large changes to be made. A quote that hit me while watching her speech goes as follows, “You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes”. ​

There is so much to learn from Greta and there is so much change that we all need to make as global citizens. If you are interested in finding new ways to better the environment, please look at my previous blog posts
https://www.kindkrafts.com/blog/ocean-cleanup, https://www.kindkrafts.com/blog/go-green-this-holiday,
and
https://www.kindkrafts.com/blog/seasick.

Also, please feel free to share more tips/facts/comments/questions about how we can all take the necessary steps to protect our planet!


Lots of love,
Rhi xoxo

Hey kind krafters!​

Happy Almost Spring!! I am loving the change in the weather and seeing the ice melt off my driveway! March 20th can’t come soon enough.

This year has definitely been my busiest yet. I’ve taken lots of work-heavy courses and have participated in several extra-curricular activities. A lot of this year has seemed like a complete blur with just trying to get through one day at a time and keep up with all of my commitments. I’ve always been bad at saying no to opportunities and people, and this became very obvious this year. Acadia recently had its February reading week and I didn’t stop once. The next week was my recital and then the following week I had several large papers due. I have found this year to be a tough one for sure. ​

However, things are looking up! Classes are almost finished, my recital is over and went really well, I got to watch all of my friends do their third-year recitals, and now get to watch fourth-year friends do theirs too! Despite all the work due around recital season, nothing beats getting to watch my friends do what they love! I was so happy to be able to sing for my family and friends that don’t usually get to hear me sing. It was also an awesome accomplishment for Brent and I and it’s a shame that it’s finally over.

I am so thankful to have the friends that I have made while being at Acadia. They always help to de-stress me and get me through the day. Wolfville really has been the best place for me to be during my university years. Every week, I look forward to going on walks with friends around the town, going to choir on Thursdays, and working at the markets on Saturdays. Another favourite thing to do is drive around the valley and visit the farm. As cliché and cheesy as this sounds, it’s always fun to chase the sunset in the valley. ​

With the school year coming to a close, I am doing a little self-check. Over the past month or so, a lot of my selfcare habits have had to take the backseat. Now it’s time for me to take a quick look at what I need and what I have to bring back into my life to make sure that I’m feeling my best. I need to start meal prepping again and spend less money on buying wraps and tea from the SUB, I have to get back to going for walks every day to clear my mind and get some sun, and I also really need to start using my agenda again because without it my life is getting quite unorganized! My other thing that I’ve started to do in my room, is a good spring cleaning! I didn’t realize how much this was helping until I saw my closet looking fresher and my drawers starting to get more organized after a few months of clutter.

I hope this post makes you want to check in with yourself too as we enter exam season and make sure that you’re giving yourself appropriate time and love! ​

With love,
Rhi xoxo   

Becoming a beekeeper is a challenging yet rewarding experience. With an increase in demand for natural household goods, homeowners across the U.S continue to pursue beekeeping for natural alternatives. Whether your beekeeping is a profession or hobby, you can do it in your own backyard.

An ancestor of wasps and ants, the bee is a prehistoric insect that has evolved and divided into approximately 30,000 different species over the years. The first beehives kept by people were called skeps. The problem was that extracting the honey destroyed the skeps. Lorenzo Langstroth developed a new system that is similar to what is used now.
​
The Pilgrims brought honeybees to North America in order to have beeswax and honey. These bees live in a hive that can produce up to 100,000 bees that not only provide honey and beeswax but also pollinate flowers, vegetables, and fruits.

The Benefits of Beekeeping and Conservation
While many people associate the word “bee” with getting stung, these insects are essential to human life on this earth. They pollinate the crops and initiate the reproduction of many plants as they move pollen from stamens to pistils. Unfortunately, the pesticides used on crops can either kill bees or render them incapable of doing the job we depend on for our food.

Even though states like California are still able to produce 13,000 pounds of honey each year, there are several issues impacting the decreasing the bee population. Environmental concerns, such as pollution, can be a serious detriment to an entire colony of bees. Another danger to the bee population are parasites that can maim or kill both young and adult bees.

Improving the longevity of the bee population isn’t the only benefit of beekeeping.

Here are a few additional advantages:

• Pollination – improves the biodiversity of the environment for more bountiful gardens, prosperous orchards, and allergy remedies
• Honey – often referred to as “liquid gold”, honey offers many health and wellness benefits such as rich antioxidants, antibacterial properties, and natural sweetening capabilities
• Beeswax – not only is beeswax highly beeswax highly moisturizing, but it can also be used around the house for natural alternatives to deodorant, candles, baby products, and hinge lubrication.

​
Now that you know why you should pursue beekeeping, here are five steps to get started:

1. Check Local Beekeeping Laws and Regulations
Research what is required before you take another step toward becoming a beekeeper. Here are a few things to look into:

• Find out whether or not your location allows it and if you are required to get a permit.
• Check if your county or city requires registration for beehives.
• There may be some land requirements that you’ll have to meet before you can move forward with beekeeping.

2. Find the Ideal Beekeeping Location
You’ll need to consider your location and whether or not it is conducive to beekeeping. Bees need hives that get plenty of sun and shelter from high winds. During the winter, you’ll need to have easy access so you can clear the snow away from the hive entrances.
If there are other houses nearby, check with other folks in the neighborhood to make sure you don’t cause a problem. You don’t want to become a nuisance to families with small children who play outdoors or seniors who may have a bad reaction to a couple of bee stings. If you live in a neighborhood, you may want to offer some bee education to the people around you.
​
3. Gather Your Beekeeping Supplies
Some of the basic items you need include:

• Bee suit with a veil
• A smoker that calms bees and enables you to get into the hive
• Hive tool to pry off the frames
• Uncapping knife for cutting wax off the frame of honey
• Honey extractor to collect your “liquid gold”
• Bee gloves to protect your hands and the bees
• Brush to swipe the bees off the comb

You’ll also need to purchase at least one hive, but many bee experts recommend starting with two hives. And of course, you’ll need some bee swarms. Since you don’t want your hives on the ground, you should get a hive stand to keep the bees off the ground and protect them from other insects.
Purchase your beekeeping supplies from a reputable dealer. Some of the places you can look include Dadant, Mann Lake, Bailey Bee Supply, and Western Bee Supplies.

4. Get the Proper Beekeeping Protection
Protecting yourself is essential if you want to be a beekeeper. You may choose a beekeeper’s suit when you first get started and wear it until you become more comfortable as you get to know your bees. Bees can sense fear and tension, and they’re likelier to sting if they feel that they’re in danger. You still might get stung, so you may want to invest in an EpiPen if you’re concerned about a possible allergic reaction.
Even if you choose not to wear full protective gear, make sure you wear a veil. A bee sting to the eye can produce long-term swelling and may possibly cause permanent vision loss. Stings on the lips or other parts of the face can be excruciating. There are different styles of veils and hoods, so choose the one that is most comfortable for you.

5. Build Your Beehive
Many people prefer to purchase ready-made beehives when they first get started. However, you may want to save some money and build your own.
Start with any type of solid wood that doesn’t have cracks. You’ll need these items to get started:

• Hammer
• Nails
• Clamps
• Non-toxic wood glue
• Exterior paint
• Paintbrush

You can build one without the glue, but it provides a better seal, so it’s recommended.
The ideal beehive is a box built from finger-jointed wooden pieces. However, you can also use flat-edged wood, as long as you can create a square box that is secure and sealed. If you choose to use wood glue, apply that before nailing the box, making sure the handle is on the outside and easily accessible. You’ll want to paint the hive with exterior paint to prevent the wood from rotting.

Maintaining and Benefiting from Your Beehive
As a beekeeper, you have ready access to honey and beeswax for a variety of uses. Honey is not only a delicious way to sweeten foods it provides some protection from allergies. Many people use honey to suppress coughs, and it’s delicious on peanut butter sandwiches. Substitute honey for sugar in some of your recipes for a deeper, richer flavor.
You can use beeswax in a vast number of ways. Some of the personal uses include lip balm and skin moisturizers. Mix it with chickweed powder, comfrey powder, and olive oil for itch relief.
There are also quite a few things you can do with beeswax around the house. Rub a little of it on the rails of a stuck drawer, and you’ll be able to open and close it with no problem. Wax your wooden furniture and exposed beams with beeswax. You can also lubricate screws, nuts, and bolts with it. Before exposing leather shoes or handbags to the elements, rub a little beeswax on them for protection.

What If I have to Move My Beehive?
As a dedicated beekeeper, you may have to move the hive if you are relocating or the natural environment surrounding the hive is no longer ideal. The idea of moving a beehive can be intimidating for newer beekeepers but can be accomplished under the right conditions.
Typically, most experienced beekeepers believe that you should only move your hive “3 feet or 3 miles.” If you stay within the three-foot radius, the colony will be able to reorientate on their own. On the other hand, three miles is enough for the colony to recognize the new location of their home.
Don’t fret though – transferring a beehive can be done in a few simple steps.

1. Wait until dusk to ensure the colony is back from their daily worker bee routines. It’s important to get started before it’s too dark to have proper visibility.
2. Tape the front of the beehive with breathable material such as screen wire or tulle.
3. Carefully lift the beehive, trying to remain as level as possible, and walk to the new location or the vehicle for transport.
4. Place the hive in the new location.
5. Wait fifteen minutes before opening the block to give the colony time to reorientate.

Keeping Your Bees Healthy
If you want your bees to continue producing honey and beeswax, you need to take care of them. Here are a few final tips to keep your hive buzzing:

• The hives and beekeeping supplies need to be clean and well maintained.
• Only purchase the bees from reputable people who check for diseases and pests.
• Clean your equipment on a regular schedule to prevent fungus.
• Change out the queen every couple of years with a young, healthy queen bee.

​Hello kind krafters! It’s so good to be back and I have missed writing and having this blog be a part of my weekly routine. I hope that you’re all doing well and looking forward to spring’s arrival just around the corner!!
 
With the slow departure from the winter months, more people are getting out and participating in weekly events. I know I am definitely busier now and that the cosy snowy nights will soon be disappearing.  One of my workplaces is also getting busier! The Wolfville Farmers’ Market is by far one of my favourite places to shop – and definitely an awesome location to volunteer and work! As well as being a great destination to find fresh and local produce, it’s also the best place to meet new people and reconnect with members of your community. I have made some awesome friendships through working there with people I would probably never have full and in-depth conversations with in my day-to-day life.
 
At the market, I talk to several people who are a similar age to my grandparents, and I have realized how special it is for me to have the opportunity to learn through them. Every Saturday I listen to their stories ranging from fighting in wars and playing hockey with the army, to their first dates and how they asked their significant others to marry them. I feel so honoured that they share their lives with me and I love sitting down with them and chatting over a cup of tea from Just us!. 

​I grew up in England until I was ten years old, and so my relationship with my grandparents has been weekly skype calls and the occasional visit over the pond. I feel like a lot of the time our chats consist of catching up and asking what the other person has been up to over the last little while. They do tell me some random and interesting stories, but I feel like if I saw them more often, I would hear a lot more! Maybe it is because of this, that I get so excited when people share their tales with me at the market. 

From being in these situations at the market, I have come to realize that life can be short and that we should be more communicative with one another. Several things have happened within the last little while to help me understand this, so I thought that I would share a couple!

1. I was recently listening to the musical “Come From Away”, which tells the tragic story of 9/11 and what it was like in a small town in Newfoundland when planes were being diverted to their airport. One of the songs has the line, “so many stories gone – just like that”. This line made me think about how fortunate we are to know people (young and old) and that we should be grateful and open our hearts and ears to them when they come to us for a talk.
2. The other was seeing so many young kids and teenagers walking around with their older relatives when they arrived back from our February break! So many seemed embarrassed to be seen with their parents and were so excited to get back to their university life that they were almost brushing them off completely. Don’t get me wrong, I have DEFINITELY been this person. But now I am able to look back and think of how lucky I am to have my family care for me in that way, and that I should be showing them WAY more gratitude than I do.

 
Basically, what I am trying to say in this long post (oops!) is that we all need to listen more to each other and put ourselves in situations where you’re given a chance to learn from people that you wouldn’t usually get the chance to! It is SO much fun!!
 
Much love kind krafters!!
Rhi xoxo

​Happy New Year, kind krafters! 2018 was a great year for me and I’m having fun reflecting on my adventures, achievements, and challenges. I rang in the first few days of 2018 in Cape Breton with my amazing friend and her family, I then traveled back to visit family in England in family and met my newest baby cousin, my class and I raised money through music for a great cause, I competed in the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association competition and placed first in my class, I traveled to Newfoundland for the first time for my third year in the National Youth Choir of Canada where I added more friends to my ever-growing choral family, toured Ontario for the second time with Xara Choral Theatre, and then completed my first semester of third year! I definitely experienced some challenges last year, but I think that 2018 was a very important year of growth for me. I have learnt a lot about time management and organization, how to conquer insecurities, and what I need to maintain a healthy and balanced life. 

In 2019, I plan to continue to grow as a person, an environmentalist and activist, musician, and friend. Some of my general goals are:

• Do some type of outdoor activity everyday
• Drink more water
• Meditate for at least twenty minutes daily
• Put money into my savings account every week
• Read more often (outside of textbook readings)
• Learn how to knit
• Have less screen time
• Journal and/or scrapbook throughout the year
• Completely give up single use plastics
• Do more yoga

​I also want to continue to work hard in my courses and have a successful recital this coming semester. I hope that I can have new solo experiences in the summer and have lessons with instructors for possible graduate programs. I plan on performing in a few recitals outside of school and am excited to plan my own concert and learn about that aspect of my music making too.
 
All in all, I want to take control of 2019 instead of letting the year fly by. I want to make every moment count and every action that I make be purposeful. I want to listen to my body and know when to push harder or to allow myself rest. I want to continue to put others before me but know when it’s okay to put myself and my own needs first. I want to explore our beautiful planet while I am still able to, and I need to do everything I can to help preserve the earth and treat it with the respect it deserves. I want to continue to love my friends and family and help them whenever they need it and support them in all of their triumphs. 

I am so excited for what 2019 holds and I hope that you are as well! I wish you a year full of adventure, fun, and love. All the best, kind krafters!
 
Rhi xoxo

​During exam season it’s pretty easy to feel claustrophobic in a one-road town. I love Wolfville and the valley, but sometimes I can go a little bit stir-crazy if I don’t have a quick trip elsewhere every once in a while. Right now, it’s exam season at Acadia and so the majority of students are crammed in the library or other study spaces. I like to take myself to a coffee shop and switch up my surroundings instead of sitting in a cubicle on the 4th floor of the lib. As well as constantly changing my study area, I like to allow myself breaks every day to do something fun. Here are some of my favourite things to do during an intense study period:

Most of all, allow yourself to take long and well-deserved breaks during exams. Sitting at a desk all day with a mountain of books in front of you won’t help in the long run! Get up and walk around regularly, have scheduled snack breaks, and times to chat with your friends!


Good luck on any exams or end of year projects, kind krafters!!
Lots of love,
Rhi xoxo

Happy Holiday season everyone! I am counting down the days until my final exam and work commitments before I can head home and take time to love and be with my family for a couple of weeks! Gift giving is definitely one of my favourite things to do, and so I thought this blog could be about eco-friendly ways to do so. No matter what you celebrate this season, there are ways to do so while treating our environment in the best way possible. Here are some things to think about while you take in the holiday:
 
CHOOSING A GOOD GIFT

• TONE IT DOWN – How many people do you really need to buy for? If you have a large group of friends, why not try a group gift exchange instead of buying for every single person? If you need to buy for your parents, why not buy them a joint gift instead of separate gifts for each of them?
• BUY LOCAL – Your local farmers markets or independent shops deserve your love at this time of the year!! Think of friends and family members who would love a gift basket full of locally made preserves, jewellery, baked goods, mittens, etc. You could buy for your aunts, uncles, and cousins all in one go with a nice basket to suit the whole gang! You can also support local businesses by giving gift cards to your friend’s favourite café, or restaurants!
• GET BETTER QUALITY GIFTS – Instead of buying an inexpensive item, maybe choose to buy something a little costlier that you know will last longer. This way, you know that the person you’re buying for won’t have to rebuy the gift in a little while too! Buying more sustainable gifts helps everyone in the long run!
• KNOW WHAT THEY WANT – It’s never rude to ask what someone wants for a gift! This way, you won’t be buying them something they don’t need or care for and you know your gift will be used and loved. The best gift I ever gave someone was to my LOVELY friend Kristian as a thank you for being the best tour manager ever. I knew how much she loved tea and how many teacups and pots she had, and I also knew how crafty the lady is, so I bought her a DIY tea cosy! It was from a super cute store in Newfoundland and was made completely from sustainable materials 

• BUY ECO-FRIENDLY GIFTS – The most obvious way to remain green over the holidays, is to buy eco-friendly gifts. For example, my phone case recently broke so I am asking for a new one from the Tare Shop (https://thetareshop.com/product/pela-phone-case/) which is made from plant-based materials! The Tare Shop is a great place to buy your holiday items and remain environmentally conscious!
• DON’T BUY NEW – If you are able to, try and buy the same item either second-hand, vintage, handmade, or homemade! Another fave gift I gave was to my sister last year. She is a big book lover and I found some well-loved poetry books at The Odd Book in Wolfville. What made these books even better than if they were new, was that you could see small scribbles and newspaper clippings that previous owners had left in them. In one of them, there was a dried maple leaf which I think is so cool! It makes you wonder why they left it there, on that particular page and if it had any meaning behind it or if it was just a natural bookmark? Wicked!

A great gift I got from my sister was a notebook she gave me before I left for university. Inside she had written tips and tricks for university life and being away from home for the first time. This is a perfect example of an awesome homemade gift that meant way more to me than a flashy expensive gift!

​Some other things to think about:
 
In the same Stanford University study, they found that in the US alone, waste production increased by 25% between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Just because it’s a season of giving we can’t forget about the planet and how all of our actions have an impact. If you get invited to a holiday party this year, bring your own mugs and plates so that the host doesn’t have to buy single-use plastics to feed everyone. If you go to an outdoor ceremony where they might have refreshments, bring your own reusable mug (you might even get more hot chocolate or apple cider that way!). Only cook as much food for what you need and if you have leftovers, do something with them! Vegetable and meat scraps can turn into a yummy broth or soup, sandwiches for the next few days, and so much more! Don’t just throw them out!
 
Be conscious this holiday season and enjoy the festivities all around!!
Lots of love, kind krafters!
 
xoxo Rhi

Hello kind krafters!! I hope that you’re all doing well and are preparing to brave/enjoy the winter months. Similar to my last blog, I will be sharing a self-reflection with you this week and I hope that some of it might resonate with you!
 
Recently, I have found myself doing a lot of learning about myself as a person. I have been struggling with old ways of digesting information and have been working out a new set of tools to aid my learning process. It’s been a lot of fun but extremely frustrating at the same time because I have had to take a large step back because of the amount of time it took me to absorb the information. Because of this sudden change in my learning, I have been struggling with a lot of self-doubt. I doubt myself in many ways and that is constantly something I deal with, but I am really trying to rework that personality trait.
 
Luckily, I have MANY supportive friends, family, teachers, and mentors that are always willing to give advice and help me to work on my confidence. A friend of mine showed me a quote from Weston Sprott that explains the difference between confidence vs. ego. In the quote he states that ego is “an inflated sense of self-importance or superiority” and that confidence is actually “full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing”. This really struck me as I often find myself beating any confidence out of myself because I don’t want to be labeled as cocky. I think that the line between ego and confidence is very blurred in my head and so it is definitely something for me to work on. I’m not sure why I associate confidence as a negative feeling for myself and not for other people. When I see other people with confidence I feel nothing but pride, but for me, I often feel the exact opposite.
 
Yesterday, someone with a bit more life experience than myself told me a quote from the book Tales from Barra: Told By the Coddie. In the introduction, he tells a story of when he finally realized that he could sell fish just as well as anyone else despite their differences. I don’t sell fish but obviously this lesson can be applied to any scenario. It is going to take a while to realize that I can do things just as well as anyone else and have that belief in myself but I know that I am now on the right track.
 
One of my resolutions for this year was to become more at peace with myself and learn to accept that I (and everything that I do) is a work in progress. In my musical and everyday worlds, I am an extreme perfectionist and I am constantly adjusting my expectations. As someone else mentioned to me the other day, when we start off learning an instrument we are never upset that we aren’t able to play a full piece after one hour of working with the instrument. Once we get to a certain level, we don’t allow ourselves to have these realistic readjustments and understand that we can always be improving and that we can’t always be perfect. I find this really hard to swallow sometimes and I think a large part of that is because in music there is little room for error as a performer. We can’t rewrite a test or hand in a better paper next time because a lot of what we are judged on is a five minute performance where if we make a wrong move we could ruin our chances for a high grade, a paying role, or a reputation in front of many people that we respect.
 
Rewriting this for myself will take a while and will definitely be full of ups and downs but I am so along for the ride and feel refreshed with this new mindset. Thank you for reading my thoughts kind krafters and maybe some of you might be able to take away a little part of what I have written about!
 
Lots of love,
Rhian