Eve Cork Blog

Happy New Year Eve Community!

We love to recommend great companies and products that we think are considerate of our planet, but also great for overall wellbeing. When we came across the 5-Minute Journal, we just had to share. With New Year’s Resolutions in full force, often we can find ourselves overwhelmed with TO-DO lists. For lots of us, New Years Resolutions can get us pumped up and ready to start, but we can sometimes burn out much quicker than we had intended.

That is where the Five Minute Journal comes in and helps you set the foundation for each day. First and foremost, who doesn’t want to lead a happy life? And secondly, who doesn’t have an extra five minutes in their day? (For all of you busy bees, we can bet that if we were to audit your time in a day, there is definitely at least 5 minutes you can put towards self development.. Ah em.. *mindless Instagram scrolling*)

The Five Minute Journal is the simplest, most effective thing you can do every day to be happier.. And it literally takes five minutes.

When was the last time you sat and thought about everything you were grateful for? When was the last time you spoke aloud, a daily affirmation about who you are and what you stand for?

The purpose of the 5 Minute Journal is to start, and end your day with positive thinking. It’s been proven over and over that shifting your focus to the positive can dramatically improve your overall happiness.

The Five Minute Journal is laid out like so:

You write twice per day.. Once in the morning, and once at night.

In the morning you share:

3 things you are grateful for. Examples of this could be.. Your warm bed. The fact that you woke up a little earlier than usual. Maybe its your pup snuggling in bed next to you.

3 things that would make today GREAT! These could be things you have planned to do like, head to bed before 10PM. Call your Mom. Go for a walk.

And the last section is your Daily Affirmation. This is where you tell the world out loud, what you are!

“I am confident, comfortable in my own skin, and I live with passion and purpose”.

At night, you share 3 Amazing things that happened to you. And two ways you could have made today even better.

There’s also inspiring quotes to guide your day, and weekly chanllenged sprinkled in each week (Like call someone who you’ve been out of touch with).

Simple as that! In about 5 Minutes per day you can establish a positive pattern of thinking and acting when it really mattes. Using these time frames allows for minimal effort and a wild reward otherwise known as think hard, work smart.

Above that, this short, easy to write journal will also provide you with a fantastic bite-size overview of your days, weeks, months and years. We totally recommend this incredible book! Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions? What do you think about practicing gratitude?

You can learn more about the Five Minute Journal here. 

Header img via

We always love to see different spins on our products. There are no rules when it comes to how your handbag fits into your life, everyone's life is different. Whether your handbag is home to textbooks and laptops, or diapers and pacifiers- our lightweight cork handbags are great at making life just a little bit easier ;).

For almost 4 years Kassandra lugged around a diaper bag with all of her Mom-essentials, but now that her babes are growing up she realized she was lugging around a HUGE diaper bag that wasn't really necessary without all the diaper creams and sippy cups she used to need on her at all times. With the kiddies growing up, she still needed a durable bag to carry some of the things her boys need now (you know, toy tractors and snacks).. but one that will fit seamlessly into her everyday life. When Kassandra found the Ara it was the best solution that meshed her needs as a Mom with her desire to still own a stylish bag that she can use for years to come. 

Read Kassandra's full story on her blog here.

Earlier this month we teamed up with Shawn and Zachary from Wild and Light to capture some lifestyle photos of our Fall and Winter lineup. Their team captured a quick behind the scenes video and took a few snaps to give you a first-hand look at what goes on at an Eve Cork photoshoot. Thank you to the whole Wild and Light team for the great shots, and thanks to our models Sabrina and Autumn! 

More after the jump. 

EVE - Behind The Scenes from Wild and Light on Vimeo.

Be sure to follow us for more behind the scenes snaps and stories!

Imagine you could make your own hours, run a business you love and are passionate about, meet new people, travel, and make a difference in the world all at the same time? Well, Jeff Duke from Lifestyle Over Luxury does just that, and he makes it look pretty easy. (And fun!) We have a lot of heart here at Eve for authentic people who live life on their own terms. We also really respect people who not only follow their dreams, but make a positive impact along the way.

Jeff Duke is the founder and creator of Lifestyle over Luxury, an eco-conscious apparel brand for the modern adventurer. Their brand name really says it all. L/L believes that life is about a lot more than fancy cars and fat bank accounts. It’s about creating lasting experiences, meeting new people and exploring this awesome place we call Earth. At lifestyle, they’d rather wake up somewhere new than somewhere nice. Lifestyle has built a community of believers, chasing passions and dreams that consist of experiences not expenses. Memories over materials. 

With big dreams and a lot of charisma, Jeff launched Lifestyle from his parent’s basement a year ago. After a year of saving, Duke had enough to buy his converted surf van - Lucy - and took it across North America this summer selling his hand pressed shirts & gear from the back of his trunk. Today, he’s here to share his story and chat about the positive impact he’s having on the beaches of British Columbia.. and a little bit about how his travel partner, the Preston Duffle stacked up to life on the road.

My name is Jeff Duke and I’m the founder of a company called Lifestyle Over Luxury Co. My life is a little less than what you’d consider ‘normal.’ I run L/L from the back of my converted surf camper-van, which is also where I live full time. The last three months I’ve drove 20,000kms across the US to Mexico and up the entirety of US highway #1 to Vancouver Island which is where I sit as I write this. The back doors are cracked overlooking the city and a slight mist covers the back screen. Lifestyle Over Luxury Co. sells Canadian made eco-conscious clothing mainly from bamboo and organic cotton. With every purchase made an entire bag of trash is cleaned up off BC beaches. We sell our incredibly comfy threads online which allows me to run the business off my laptop when I travel and surf.

I came across EVE through a mutual friend and was immediately stoked on their commitment to sustainability. Of course L/L is committed to the environment and we truly believe that is something every business should fiercely dedicated to. When I learned about how EVE makes their bags from cork instead of leather meaning they are 100% Vegan, I had to reach out to them. The owner is an absolute legend and we found common ground on a mutual respect for the environment and our commitment to making a difference through our businesses.

I was lucky enough to pick up the Preston Bag and honestly it hasn’t left my side since. I figured I’d use it now and then but it has become a staple in my everyday life. It’s waterproof which is awesome for packing a bag for the beach or a hike into a surf spot; even if it rains when I’m in the water my clothes are dry when I get out. I take it to the gym everyday, which is where I typically shower. It’s perfect carry on size for visits back home since I try to avoid checking anything unless I have to. Space in the van is limited so (sorry Eve crew) but it’s home is stuffed under the bed beside the boards. I was worried this may take its toll on the bag after a while but it literally looks like the day I got it.

As you can tell I can’t say enough about both the bag and EVE company. From someone who can be frugal with his money for obvious reasons, sometimes things are worth the investment especially when quality is paired with a positive effect on the environment. As an added bonus it looks pretty damn fine which works for me since I generally try not to look like I live in a van.

Happy World Vegan Day!

Here at Eve, we really like the word vegan. To us, vegan means that no animals are harmed in any way to create the cork products we sell and love. 

Today on the blog we’ve invited Toronto-based wellness and lifestyle bloggers Karlee and Courtney from the melon lifestyle co. to share some of their best tips and resources for anyone interested in taking their first steps towards a vegan, or even a more plant based diet. Melon is all about enjoying life while being conscious of your health. It’s about going out dancing Saturday night and drinking green juice Sunday morning. It’s about being fulfilled. And that is something we can get behind. 

These ladies share a wealth of content surrounding wellness, healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle over on their blog the melon. Today, they are sharing their favourite reads that have helped form their eating and lifestyle habits today.

Hey! Our names are Courtney and Karlee and we’re the co-creators of melon lifestyle co., a healthy lifestyle blog that has changed our lives for the better. Recently, we hosted #melonveganweek on our blog in an attempt to spread the word about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. Not only did we share some great recipes, we also focused on vegan and cruelty free products. Cork is a great alternative to leather and the Eve Cork line is so stylish we couldn’t resist teaming up with them for #NationalVeganDay.

It wouldn’t be right to celebrate National Vegan Day without some seriously delicious vegan meal inspo, so we’ve put together a full day’s worth of meals from a few our favourite cook books to share with you.

For breakfast, we served up a sweet potato hash from the book “Yum Universe” by Heather Crosby. This recipe is super filling and is packed with tons of flavour. What’s great about making a hash is that you can make it your own by changing the recipe to your liking. Adding tons of veggies and fresh herbs allows for a different bite each time. With a breakfast like this, we’re fuelling for the day with tons of nutrients, good carbs, and fibre to keep us feeling full and energized. With the day off to a nutritious start, there's nothing left to do but look forward to lunch! (And the dishes, of course.)

This dish is sure to make your coworkers jealous. We strongly suggest you try these Collard Leaf, hummus and veggie wraps for lunch. We found this recipe in the book “Eat Better, Live Better, Feel Better” by Julie Cove of alkalinesister.com. Her book is all about living an alkaline balanced lifestyle and in order to be successfully alkaline, a mostly vegan diet is necessary.

These wraps taste so fresh and if you love hummus as much as we do you’ll want to pack 2 of them for your midday meal. Plus, the benefits of dark, leafy greens are no secret and this is a delicious way to increase your intake.

Speaking of the health benefits of a vegan diet, did you know that it significantly reduces your chances of cancer, diabetes and stroke? Those are health benefits we can get on board with. Not only that, but plant-based whole foods are much easier on the body to digest, meaning improved digestion is something to look forward to. And, if you're an acne sufferer, the removal of dairy from your diet can work wonders!

Last but certainly not least is dinner. We don't know about you, but when we come home from a long day sometimes we just want some serious comfort food. We often look to the book “Oh She Glows” written by blogger Angela Liddon for inspiration to cure our cravings. (She's also got a fab mobile app and a brand new cookbook, Oh She Glows Everyday, that we’re loving!) Tonight we’re making her Zucchini noodle pasta served with an immunity boosting tomato and mushroom sauce. The mushrooms help to make this dish nice and hearty and the homemade tomato sauce is easy and oh-so delicious! If you don't think you can hop on board with zucchini noodles, try doing half whole wheat or quinoa pasta and half zucchini noodles to ease into the change in taste and texture.

Living a vegan lifestyle may seem daunting but with a little effort, the benefits are endless. Not only are there tons of health benefits (we’ve only touched on a few), but the environment and economy is heavily affected as well. Eating a vegan diet helps the environment more than you can imagine and there is power in numbers. Buying vegan products and eating a vegan diet helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and helps to eliminate animal cruelty. Next time you’re shopping, try to make a conscious effort to buy products that are vegan, organic and cruelty free and you will be making a huge difference. There is truly power in numbers and the way you spend your hard earned cash can have a big impact. Choosing conscious products signals to the market place that there is demand, increasing the availability and awareness for such products.

We hope that by introducing you to this lifestyle, you’ll want to make more conscious decisions in the future. Thanks for having us Eve!