There Is No Excuse Not To Vote

On Wednesday this week I voted in the advanced polls of the 2015 Canadian federal election.  Less than 3 hours later I overheard a conversation between three 20-somethings discussing why they won't be voting in this election, and I just about exploded.  Let me say this clearly and right up front:

There is no excuse not to vote.  None.

You may think you have an excuse, but you don't.  Let me show you why. And then get your butt over to your local Elections Canada polling station and do your civic duty, goddamnit! 

(For all of the Americans out there, don't think this doesn't apply to you.  You have 13 months to go before you're up!)

Excuse #1 I haven't followed the election/I'm not educated on the parties' policies.

While I respect your desire to make an informed decision, if your lack of knowledge is paralyzing you to the point that it prevents you from making any choice at all, you're taking it too far.  You can NEVER have all of the facts.  All you can do is your best to learn about the leaders, their parties, and the candidates in your riding and then make the best choice for you.

Want to learn about each party's platforms?  Read here.

Want to find out which riding you're in to find your candidates and learn about them?  Enter your postal code here.

Want to hear the leaders speak about their policies and beliefs?  Watch debates here, and here, and here, and interviews here.

Excuse #2 My vote doesn't matter.

Every vote matters.  Every.  Single.  One.  One vote can win or lose a riding, and one riding can win or lose an election.  Your vote matters.  Every vote is weighed equally, and we need the honest votes of every eligible Canadian citizen to end up with a government that is representative of our population and wants and needs as a country.  Don't just throw away your wonderful privilege to have your say in how your country is governed. 

Want a better voting system than the current "past the post" model?  Vote for one of the parties that promise to change it (all parties with the exception of Stephen Harper's Conservatives).

Early voting is open until October 13th at 6pm.  Go make your voice heard!

Excuse #3 There is no good option.

If you don't vote, you can't complain about the outcome of the election.  YOU have the chance to influence who will lead our country for the next four years. and while you may not agree wholeheartedly with each party's politics, you do have a responsibility to make the choice you believe is best.  Even if you feel it is a choice of the lesser of three (five) evils.  That's just another way to say the best choice.  And don't you want the best possible party and person to lead our country?

Excuse #4 I don't have time/Voting is a hassle.

Do you know what else is a hassle?  Living in a country that is going down the drain due to poor leadership.  Do you know what else eats into your busy schedule?  Going to jail because you demand to have the right to vote (*cough cough* women in the 1910s).

Voting is an incredibly fast process.  You confirm your identity and address, you fill in your ballot, you go home.  You maybe have to wait in line for a couple of minutes.  This is not an epic adventure we're talking about here, this isn't the hobbit, ok?  This is an in and out procedure.  Pen on paper.  Just get it done.  (If you have time to stop at Starbucks before class you have time to vote on the way home, just sayin'.)

Excuse #5 I can't decide.

Fair.  It can be hard to make up your mind about such an important choice.  But do you know what?  All of the best decisions are hard to make.  This is one of those decisions.  This is the time to put all of your weight into it and come through.  Not to sound too dramatic, but your country needs you.  Literally.  

Excuse #6 It's too hard to balance party politics with leaders and local candidates.

It's also too hard to resist eating all of the grapes in my fridge.  Tell someone who cares.  Do your research and make your choice.

Really need help?  That's completely fine.  Check out these quizzes to figure out how you align with each party: ISideWith.com or Vote Compass.  Or, if you're feeling really crazy, both!

Excuse #7 I'm boycotting because...

No.  This flawed logic drives me mental.  If you have a strong belief about a topic it is SO IMPORTANT that you vote for the candidate who can lead the country in the direction.  Not voting does nothing.  No one gets a notification on their phone letting them know that you didn't vote because you want a, b, and c.  No one gets any message at all.  When you vote you are saying without a doubt that THIS is the person you want to represent you in your riding, and further, that THIS is the party you want to represent you on the world's stage.  Why not take the opportunity to chose someone who aligns with your beliefs or is at least most likely to see your point of view?  The way to influence change is to be part of the political process.

Doing nothing gets you nothing.  This is no excuse.

Excuse #8 I don't care.

You should care.  You really should.  Our democratic system may be flawed, but at least we have one.  You should be thanking your lucky stars you weren't born in Cuba, or Syria, or North Korea, or the countless other places in countless other times in which you couldn't have had your say regardless of if you cared.  In Canada, our government WANTS to know what you think.  And you're just going to throw it away?  Talk about disrespecting the millions of people who never had the chance to influence their government, have their say, or vote.  

Voting in this election may be the most important thing you do all year.  Don't let October 19th pass you by. 

Until next time,

Are you going to vote on October 19th?

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10 Vegan Halloween Candy Options

Halloween is in the air, and we all know what that means:  candy!  But which types of candy are free of animal products?  Check out my list of 10 awesome options below!

*This is based on the ingredients in the Canadian version of these candies.  Ingredients often vary by country, and can change without notice, so always double check!

10. Fun Dip

9. Swedish Fish

8. Pez

7. Sour Patch Kids

6. Skittles

5. Dots

4. Rockets

3. Airheads

2. Jolly Rancher Hard Candy

1. Dried Fruit

Yum!  Now go out and do your shopping in preparation for trick or treaters galore!

Until next time,

What's your favourite candy from the list?  I love jolly ranchers!

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Fall Capsule Wardrobe

It's finally here!  This is literally the most excited I have been for October in my entire life.  Like I mentioned in my How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe post (which you should read, by the way), I have been looking forward to creating a capsule wardrobe for about 6 months.  The process of dreaming, curating, and photographing my new, minimal, fall wardrobe has been so much fun.  I can't wait to show you which pieces I decided on!

By the way, if you want to see the outfits I put together using my capsule items be sure to follow me on Instagram (@elizabethturn).  I will be posting my outfits everyday so that you can see a real life example of how a capsule wardrobe actually works in day to day life.

Ok.  Enough rambling.  Without further ado, my Fall Capsule Wardrobe! 

As you can see, I'm a big fan of the black and white look.  (You'd know this already if you followed me on instagram!)  I'm not big on colour or pattern, and that's why my wardrobe has very little of both.  I am partial to plaid, however, and decided to include a plaid shirt for a bit of traditional fall flavour (and for those casual days at the pumpkin patch!)  The great thing about a wardrobe mostly made up of black and white is that everything goes with everything else so easily, giving me endless combination possibilities over the next 3 months!

I'm sure you're wondering about a couple of the pieces and where I bought them, so I'll share all of that information for you.  But first, a little disclaimer.  As I am an ethical vegan, I do not endorse purchasing any items made from or by animals.  A couple of these pieces I purchased before my transition to veganism, and are therefore not in line with my current beliefs.  If you are interested in my take on wearing products made from or by animals as a vegan, and why I continue to wear some of my old pieces, check out the post HERE.  For full transparency I will list the store where I purchased each item, but I will not link to items containing animal products.  Rather, I will link to a similar item made with vegan materials.  I hope you understand why I am choosing to do this and appreciate the time I've put into this post for you!  Some of the items were given to me or I purchased long enough ago that they are no longer available.  In those cases I will link to something similar, or the same item in a different colour!

TOPS (18)

1. white cami - aritzia
2. white tank - similar
3. white deep v blouse - similar
4. white button down - anthropologie
5. white collarless blouse - similar
6. grey cropped tank - brandy melville
7. grey hooded cardigan - similar
8. grey & black baseball tee - aritzia
9. black & grey reversible cami - similar
10. black sleeveless swing blouse - zara
11. black sleeveless v neck blouse - aritzia
12. black t-shirt - aritzia
13. black deep v blouse - similar
14. black long sleeve top - aritzia
15. black cardigan - similar
16. black pullover sweater - similar
17. chambray shirt - similar
18. red plaid shirt - gap

BOTTOMS (9)

1. black skinny jeans - american eagle
2. black trousers - zara
3. black zippered leggings - zara 
4. black vegan leather pants - similar
5. black track pants - gap 
6. black maxi skirt - brandy melville
7. dark green jeans - similar
8. blue ripped jeans - similar
9. blue jeans - anthropologie

DRESSES (2)

1. grey sweater dress - aritzia
2. grey skater dress - similar

OUTERWEAR (4)

1. black blazer - similar
2. black vegan leather moto jacket - similar
3. black coat - aritzia - similar - similar - similar
4. olive military jacket - aritzia

SHOES (7)

1. black riding boots - similar
2. vegan doc martens - doc martens
3. short black cowboy boots - town shoes - similar
4. brown lace-up boots - similar
5. black oxfords - aldo
6. black converse - similar
7. black flats - lulu's

And there you have it, my first ever capsule wardrobe!  I am so excited to work within this framework to build all of my outfits until the end of 2015.  As you can see, the capsule doesn't include accessories, special occasion wear, or workout wear.  I will be committing to no new purchases until the end of December, when I will be planning my winter capsule.  Check out my Style and Capsule Pinterest boards to see what I'm loving for winter!

I hope you've enjoyed getting a look into my closet and that you'll consider giving a capsule wardrobe a try!  If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments.  I love hearing from you and want to foster a fun and interactive community here on Plant Based Bride :)

Until next time, 

Don't forget to follow me on instagram to see my outfits and sign up for the Plant Based Bride newsletter for weekly updates about the blog (form at the bottom of this page)!

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Non Vegan Ingredients to Avoid

Whether you're a new vegan or a vegan veteran, keeping track of no-no ingredients can be incredibly difficult.  Friends and family, from longer term vegans all the way to new vegetarians, have been lamenting hidden animal ingredients popping up all over the place in the foods they used to enjoy with a clean conscience.  That's why I'm creating this handy guide!  Pin or bookmark it so that you can come back and use it as a reference while shopping, making your life that much easier.  These ingredients may be found in food, personal care products, clothing, household products, and more.  Remember:  no one is perfect and it's impossible to successfully avoid all of these ingredients 100% of the time.  Don't beat yourself up or get too caught up in the purity of it all and just do your best!

A

• Adrenaline - derived from the adrenal glands of pigs, cows, or sheep.
• Albumen/Albumin - derived from eggs.
• Allantoin (also Alcloxa and Aldioxa) - derived from cow urine.
• Alligator Skin 
• Alpha-Hydroxy Acids - may be lactic acid, which can be animal derived.
• Ambergris - derived from whale intestines.
• Amino Acids (alanine,  - may be animal derived.
• Angora - hair from rabbits or goats.
• Animals Fats and Oils
• Animal Hair
• Arachidonic Acid - derived from the liver, brain, glands, and fat of animals.
• Arachidyl Proprionate - may be derived from animal fat.

B

• Bee Pollen
• Bee Products
• Beeswax
• Beta Carotene - may be derived from animal sources.
• Biotin, Vitamin H, and Vitamin B Factor - found in every living cell, often derived from milk or yeast.
• Blood
• Boar Bristles - boar hair.
• Bone Char - animal bone ash.
• Bone Meal - crushed or ground animal bones.
• Butter, Artificial Butter, Artificial Butter Flavour, Butter Extract, Butter Fat, Butter Flavoured Oil, Butter Solids, Dairy Butter, Natural Butter, Natural Butter Flavour, Whipped Butter
• Buttermilk, Buttermilk Blend, Buttermilk Solids

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Related Post: 25 Surprising Non-Vegan Foods

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C

• Calfskin
• Caprylamine Oxide, Capryl Betaine, Caprylic Triglyceride and Caprylic Acid - derived from cow's or goat's milk.
• Carmine, Carminic Acid, and Cochineal - derived from crushed female cochineal insects.
• Carotene and Provitamin A - may be derived from animal sources.
• Casein, Caseinate, and Sodium Caseinate - milk protein.
• Cashmere - wool of the Kashmir goat.
• Castor and Castoreum - may be derived from muskrat and beaver genitals. (Synthetics widely used.)
• Catgut - derived from the intestines of sheep, horses, and other animals.
• Cera Flava - derived from bees.
• Cerebrosides - may be derived from the brains of animals.
• Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate - may be derived from sperm whales and dolphins. (Synthetics widely used.)
• Cheese, Cheese Flavour (artificial and natural), Imitation Cheese
• Chitosan - derived from the shells of crustaceans.
• Cholesterol - derived from animal fat, nerve tissue, animal nerve tissue, egg yolks, and blood.
• Civet - derived from a gland near the genitals of civet cats.
• Collagen - usually derived from animal tissue.
• Colours and Dyes - may be of animal origin.
• Confectioner's Glaze - contains approximately 35% shellac (see below).
• Cortisone, Hydrocortisone, and Corticosteroid - may be derived from the adrenal glands of animals. (Synthetics widely used.)
• Cream, Whipped Cream
• Curds
• Custard
• Cysteine, L-Form - may be derived from animal hair.
• Cystine - an amino acid found in urine and horsehair.

D

• Dairy, Dairy Product, Dairy Product Solids
• Down - goose or duck insulating feathers.
• Duodenum Substances - derived from the digestive tracts of cows and pigs.

E

• Eggs
• Egg Protein
• Elastin - derived from the neck ligaments and aortas of cows.
• Emu Oil - derived from factory-farmed emu.
• Estrogen and Estradiol - derived from the urine of a pregnant mare.

F

• Fats and Fatty Acids - derived from animals.
• Feathers - plucked from birds.
• Fish Oil, Fish Liver Oil, and Cod Liver Oil - derived from marine animals.
• Fish Scales
• Fur

G

• Gelatin, Gel, and Hide Glue - protein derived from the skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones of cows and pigs.
• Ghee - a form of butter used in Indian cooking
• Glycerin, Glycerol, Glyceryls, Glycreth-26, Polyglycerol, and Glycerides - normally derived from animal fat.
• Guanine - derived from the scales of fish.

H

• Half & Half
• Honey and Honeycomb
• Horsehair
• Hyaluronic Acid - can be derived from umbilical cords and the fluids around the joints of animals.
• Hydrolyzed Animal Protein - derived from animals.

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Related Post: 10 Reasons To Go Vegan!

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I

• Insulin - derived from hog pancreas.
• Isinglass - a form of gelatine derived from fish bladders.

K

• Kefir - made using milk.
• Keratin - protein derived from ground-up horns, hooves, feather, quills, and hair or animals.

L

• Lactic Acid - can be derived from blood and muscle tissue.
• Lactose, Galactose, Lactate Solids, Lactic Yeast, Lactic Monohydrate, Lactoferrin, Lactoglobulin, Lactulose, Lactalbumin, Lactalbumin Phosphate - derived from the milk of mammals.
• Lanolin, Laneth, Lanogene, Lonolin Acids, Wool Fat, Wool Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Lanosterols, Isopropyl Lanolate, Cholesterin, Aliphatic Alcohol, and Amerchol L101 - extracted from sheep's wool.
• Lard - fat derived from hog abdomens.
• Leather
• Lecithin and Choline Bitartrate- often obtained from eggs and soybeans.
• Linoleic Acid - an essential fatty acid derived from fatty acids.
• Lipase - derived from the stomachs and tongue glands of calves, kids, and lambs.
• Lipids, Lipoids - derived from animals and plants.

M

• Marine Oil - derived from fish and marine mammals.
• Methionine - usually derived from eggs and milk.
• Milk, Acidophilus Milk, Cultured Milk, Condensed Milk, Dried Milk, Dry Milk Solids (DMS), Evaporated Milk, Lactose-Free Milk, Malted Milk, Milk Derivative, Milk Powder, Milk Protein, Milk Solids, Pasteurized Milk, Powdered Milk, Sour Milk
• Mink Oil - derived from minks.
• Monoglycerides and Diglycerides - derived from animal fat.
• Musk Oil - secretion derived from musk deer, beaver, muskrat, civet cat, and otter genitals.
• Myristic Acid, Myristyls, and Myristal Ether Sulfate - occassionally derived from animals.

N

• Natural Sources - can come from plant or animal sources.
• Nisin, Nisin Preparation - derived from milk.
• Nougat - often contains egg and honey.
• Nucleic Acids - derived from the cells of plants or animals.

O

• Octyl Dodecanol - derived from animal sources.
• Oleic Acid - obtained from animal or vegetable fats.
• Oleyl Alcohol, Ocenol, Oleths, Oleyls - derived from fish.

P

• Palmitic Acid, Palmitamide, Palmitamine, Palmitate - commonly derived from palm oil, but also from animal sources.
• Panthenol, Dexpanthenol, Vitamin B-Complex Factor, Provitamin B-5, Panthenyl - can come from animal, plant, or synthetic sources.
• Pepsin - derived from hog stomachs.
• Placenta - derived from the uterus of dead animals.
• Polypeptides - derived from animal protein.
• Polysorbates - derived from animal fatty acids.
• Pristane - derived from the liver oil of sharks and whales.
• Progesterone - a hormone derived from animals.
• Propolis - derived from beehives.
• Pudding

Q

• Quark - a soft cheese.

R

• Recaldent - derived from milk.
• Rennet, Rennet Casein, Rennin - enzyme derived from calves' stomachs.
• Retinol - vitamin A derived from animals.
• RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) - can be derived from animal or plant cells.
• Royal Jelly - a secretion from the throat glands of bees.

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Related Post: 15 Weird Things I Do Now That I'm Vegan

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S

• Sable Brushes - made from the fur of sables (similar to weasels).
• Shark Liver Oil and Squalane - derived from sharks.
• Sheepskin
• Shellac and Resinous Glaze - derived from insect excretions.
• Silk and Silk Powder - obtained from silk worms.
• Snails
• Sour Cream, Sour Cream Solids, Imitation Sour Cream
• Sperm Oil and Spermaceti - mostly derived from petroleum, but also derived from the heads of sperm whales and dolphins.
• Sponge - a plant-like marine animal.
• Stearic Acid, Stearamide, Stearamine, Stearamine Oxide, Stearates, Stearic Hydrazide, Stearone, Stearoxytrimethylsilane, Stearoyl Lactylic Acid, Stearyl Acetate, Dimethyl Stearamine and Isopropyl Palmitate - can be derived from cows, pigs, sheep, and cats and dogs euthanized in animal shelters.
• Stearyl Alcohol, Sterols, Stearyl Caprylate, etc. - may be prepared from sperm whale oil.
• Steroids and Sterols - can be derived from animal glands or plant sources.
• Suede
• Sugar - often refined using bone char

T

• Tallow, Tallow Fatty Alcohol, Sodium Tallowate, Tallow Acid, etc. - rendered beef fat.
• Turtle Oil and Sea Turtle Oil - derived from the muscles and genitals of giant sea turtles.
• Tyrosine - can be derived from milk.

U

• Urea, Uric Acid  - typically synthetic, can be derived from the urine of animals and other bodily fluids.

V

• Vitamin A - can come from fish liver oil, egg yolk, butter, and plant and synthetic sources.
• Vitamin B12 - can come from animal products or bacteria cultures.
• Vitamin D, Provitamin D-2, Ergocalciferol, Ergosterol, Vitamin D2, Calciferol, Vitamin D3 - can be derived from animal or plant sources.

W

• Wax - derived from both animal and plant sources.
• Whey, Acid Whey, Cured Whey, Delactosed Whey, Demineralized Whey, Hydrolyzed Whey, Powdered Whey, Reduced Mineral Whey, Sweet Dairy Whey, Whey Protein, Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Powder, Whey Solids - a serum from milk.
• Wool - derived from sheep.

Y

• Yogurt

Notice something I missed?  Let me know in the comments and I'll add it!  I will continue to update this post as I find new ingredients that are animal-derived so that we can all work on making our lives as animal-product free as possible, together!

Until next time,

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