From Bleach-Lover to Mint Believer: Why I Switched to Natural Cleaning Products — and Why I’ll Never Go Back

I’ll be honest: I used to be a die-hard bleach lover…and I still love the smell - it reminds me of staying a hotel with a pool.

That sharp, almost eye-watering scent? To me, it smelled like clean. The more intense the cleaner, the more I believed it was working. Natural cleaning products felt... cute, but ineffective. A luxury. Not something that could actually keep a home deeply clean — especially not a busy household like mine with six children, 4 dogs and 2 cats.

But here’s the thing: I was wrong.

Since opening Wren, I’ve had the chance to explore more earth-conscious, body-safe products from incredible Canadian brands — and Mint Cleaning completely changed the way I think about clean. And I mean that literally: my home doesn’t just look cleaner, it smells fresher, feels healthier, and is free from the chemical fog I didn’t even realize was affecting me and my family.

The Problem With Traditional Cleaners

Harsh chemical cleaners might kill bacteria, but they also introduce toxins into your home that linger — on your counters, on your skin, in your laundry, and even in the air you breathe. Many contain hormone-disrupting ingredients, synthetic fragrances, and compounds that can harm aquatic life once they wash down your drain.

And while they might make things look instantly clean, they often leave residues that damage fabrics, corrode surfaces, or dry out your skin.

Why I Love Mint Cleaning Products

When a friend recommended Mint, I was still skeptical. But after trying a few products — and seeing how beautifully they performed — I was hooked. Now we carry a range of Mint Cleaning solutions at Wren, as well as other brands, because I truly believe they’re a better way forward.

Here are some of my favourites:

✧ Refillable All-Purpose Sprays

This is the product that converted me. The Aromatic Creations Peppermint counter spray….wowie wow wow! The smell is fresh, uplifting and naturally clean. SOJA & Co. all-purpose sprays actually work (full transparancy, if you have quartz countertops like mine, I do find this one leave streaks BUT they work like a charm on all other surfaces including glass! Wren also carries Fresh Wife, Mint and Aromatic Creations all purposes sprays that I do not find have this in common) — on everything from countertops to sticky spills — and the scent? Think: citrus, mint, eucalyptus… like your home took a deep breath. Plus, the refillable bottles mean less waste, more beauty. We sell refill options or you can use a favourite you already have.

✧ Natural Dish Soap

Gentle on hands, tough on grease, and naturally scented. It’s proof that effective doesn’t have to mean harsh. Bonus: it looks beautiful on your kitchen counter, my favourite scent is SOJA & Co.’s marshmallow + clementine.

✧ Natural Laundry Powder

One of my absolute must-haves. This ultra-concentrated powder from Natura Soylights deep-cleans your laundry without the synthetic “laundry smell.” Your fabrics feel softer, cleaner, and last longer — no residue, no buildup, and it even helps clean your machine with every wash! Plus you only need a tbsp to get the job done which means you use less and save money!

Once you switch, you’ll notice how overwhelming and artificial conventional detergents really are.

✧ Dishwasher Tabs

Another game-changer. These tabs work beautifully and smell fresh without being overpowering. They leave dishes sparkling without leaving chemical traces behind.

✧ Mint Floor Cleaner

If I could bottle the smell of “calm, clean home,” it would be this. Mopping used to feel like a chore — now it’s my secret self-care ritual. It’s plant-based, biodegradable, and safe for all floors, including hardwood. I used to be cool, but the day these products landed on our shelves, I drove home a little faster and opted out of a dip in the pool on a 32 degree day because I was so excited to clean my floors - true story.

The Clean That Feels Good

Here’s what surprised me most: my home didn’t just look clean with natural cleaners — it smelled and felt cleaner than ever. No fake floral clouds, no chemical sharpness. Just soft, natural, uplifting scents that feel more like aromatherapy than housework.

The switch to natural products has made me feel better, too — physically and mentally. There’s something empowering about knowing you’re not coating your home in toxins, and instead, making choices that are better for your body, your family, and the environment.

Ready to Try Natural Cleaning?

If you’re a fellow bleach-lover, I get it. But come into Wren and give these products a sniff — and maybe even a try. You might be surprised how quickly you fall in love with the real smell of clean.

We stock the Mint Cleaning, SOJA & Co., Aromatic Creations, Natura Soylights products — from laundry essentials to dish tabs to refillable sprays — and we’re always happy to chat about what works for different spaces and needs.

Natural can be powerful. And clean can be gentle.

– Leslie
Founder, Wren

Wren After Hours: Your New Favourite Way to Shop

Looking for a night out that feels a little more… you?

Forget noisy restaurants or the same old bar scene — Wren’s Private Shopping Nights are the perfect way to gather your favourite people for an experience that’s beautiful, cozy, and completely your own.

Whether you're planning a bachelorette party, staff celebration, birthday treat, team wind-up, or a just-because night out, this is a chance to enjoy the shop all to yourselves — no rush, no crowds, just good music, good vibes, and your favourite people.

Here’s What’s Included:

• Two full hours of exclusive access to Wren’s dreamy boutique space with personalized help and recommendations.

• Your own playlist playing through our wireless bluetooth speakers — from mellow folk to metal, you set the tone

• Feel free to bring sips & snacks to nibble while you browse and connect

• A special discount on all your in-store finds (yes, even that candle you’ve been eyeing)

• A chance to simply be — to wander, to laugh, to try, to discover

Wren was built around the idea of slowing down and making space for meaningful moments — and that includes celebration. Our private shopping nights are as relaxed or as lively as you want them to be. Come in your comfiest clothes or dress to the nines. Bring your besties, your coworkers, your bridal party, or your book club.

Whatever the reason, make it a memory.

Want to Book One?

It’s easy. Just reach out to us via Instagram, email us at leslie@wreninspiredlife.com, or stop by the store to chat in person.

We'll help you pick the perfect date, get everything set up, and make sure your group has a night to remember.

Your night. Your music. Your crew.

Let’s make it magic.

Why Local Matters: Small Shops, Big Impact

Why Shopping Local Matters More Than Ever

In a world that often feels like it’s spinning too fast—with rising costs, shifting economies, and the quiet weight of emotional and mental strain pressing on our neighbours—shopping local isn’t just a feel-good slogan. It’s a powerful act of community care.

Here in Canada, we are incredibly lucky to have a rich landscape of talented makers, artists, and small business owners who pour their hearts into creating thoughtful, beautiful, and lasting products. These aren’t mass-produced, trend-chasing items. They’re carefully crafted, soul-infused goods—pieces of someone’s passion, their late nights, their “what if I tried this” moments.

One of those makers is Leanne, the incredibly talented creator behind Isla Rae Jewelry, handcrafted in Vibank, Saskatchewan. Her pieces are not only stunning—they carry weight in the best possible way. Leanne is a wife, a mother, and a survivor. Through her work, she shares beauty while also giving back: donating both her time and a portion of her sales to mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. Her jewelry tells stories of resilience and hope, and we are honoured to share her creations with our customers.

Supporting makers like Leanne means more than just admiring the craftsmanship—it means supporting the values behind the work. It means investing in someone’s dream, someone’s healing, someone’s purpose. This is the power of shopping local: every purchase becomes personal.

At Wren, we love sharing the stories behind the products we carry—because when you shop small, you're not just picking something off a shelf. You're connecting to the hands, the hearts, and the purpose behind each item.

Another Canadian brand that holds a special place in our shop (and our hearts) is Barefoot Venus, from beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia. If you follow Jillian Harris, chances are you've already been introduced to this magical brand. But if not—allow us the pleasure.

Barefoot Venus is one of the brands that helped inspire and shape what Wren would become. Their iconic mustard bath is a cold-season (and self-care) essential. Made with a powerful blend of wintergreen, eucalyptus, and spearmint, it acts as a natural decongestant, pulling toxins from the body and soothing sore muscles with magnesium. It’s a reset button in a jar—and a staple for so many of our customers.

This is the kind of quality and care we look for when curating our shop. These are the brands that form the soul of Wren—Canadian companies led by passionate women, men and families who truly believe in what they do.

By shopping local, you help ensure these stories continue. You give power to good people doing good work. You bring comfort, beauty, and wellness into your home while helping your neighbours build something sustainable, even in uncertain times.

We’re proud to stock a thoughtfully curated collection of Canadian brands that prioritize quality, sustainability, and wellness, some such brands include:

• Bath Poetry – Elegant, poetic bath and body rituals crafted in Lumsden Saskatchewan

• Soy Harvest Candles – Clean-burning soy candles that fill your space with warmth and calm.

• Bathorium – Canadian-made bath soaks and elixirs that turn your tub into a spa.

• SOJA & Co. – Plant-based, earth-friendly self-care made with intention in Montréal.

• Rug & Weave – Textiles and decor that bring grounded beauty and natural warmth to your home.

• SOCCO Designs – Ethically made home goods blending Canadian design with Moroccan craftsmanship.

• Blume – Superfood lattes and wellness blends that support your body and mind, caffeine-free or boosted.

• Bloom Boost – Nutrition made easy with this Saskatoon-made power blend source of fibre, iron and omega 3s.

• Lake & Oak – Wellness teas and adaptogenic blends that soothe, energize, and restore.

• Three Ships – Skincare that’s clean, affordable, and transparently Canadian.

• Roma & Lou – Jump on the Tallow trend and treat your skin to a locally-made luxury skincare product.

• Ruby Reid – Fine fragrance rooted in a minimalist prairie aesthetic.

• Epic Blends – Everyday bath and body staples, reimagined with nourishing natural ingredients.

• See You Sundae – Fun, effective sunless tanner that makes everyday indulgence easy and joyful.

• TANIT – Sustainable SPF face + body care with packaging that’s kind to the planet.

These brands represent everything Wren stands for: care, creativity, integrity, and a deep love for home and self.

When you choose to shop local, you’re not just supporting a store—you’re helping someone keep creating. You’re giving life to ideas and businesses built around wellness, design, and sustainability. You’re ensuring that your dollars go back into your own community, where they matter most.

Our shop—tucked just off Broadway in Saskatoon—is more than just a retail space. It’s a lovingly curated collection of Canadian magic. It’s your brick-and-mortar subscription box of favourites, discoveries, and meaningful little luxuries.

So whether you're shopping for a gift, replenishing your self-care essentials, or simply wandering in to find something beautiful, come discover Wren.
Gifting made effortless. Self-care made thoughtfully. Home elevated—one Canadian-made treasure at a time.

Bee-ware, Why Beeswax Could Be Making Your Lips Worse

The Truth About Beeswax in Lip Balm — And Better Alternatives You’ll Love

At Wren, we’re all about intentional beauty — that means choosing products that care for your body and align with your values. One ingredient we’re asked about often is beeswax. While it’s widely used in lip balms and other natural beauty products, beeswax isn’t always the safe, gentle choice it’s made out to be.

In fact, it might be doing your lips (and the planet) more harm than good.

What’s the Problem With Beeswax?

Beeswax is often included in lip balms as a thickening agent and protective barrier. But here’s what many people don’t realize:

1. It Can Be Drying

Beeswax creates a layer on the surface of your lips, but it doesn’t actually hydrate. Without humectants or deeply moisturizing ingredients, that waxy barrier can trap dryness underneath — leading to a frustrating cycle of reapplying balm, but never truly healing your lips. This is why sometimes you use a drugstore brand lip balm and 20 minutes later your lips feel worse than before you used it.

2. It’s Not Always Clean or Ethical

Unless certified organic and sustainably sourced, beeswax may carry traces of pesticides or pollutants. Commercial beekeeping practices can also disrupt natural hive behavior and endanger already-threatened pollinator populations. For those committed to clean beauty and ethical sourcing, this is a red flag.

3. It’s Not Vegan-Friendly

For many, using animal by-products (even from insects) doesn’t align with their values. Choosing plant-based lip care is a small but powerful way to support more sustainable beauty.

4. It Can Clog Pores and Irritate Skin

Because it’s comedogenic, beeswax can clog pores, especially around the lip area. For sensitive or acne-prone skin, this can trigger irritation or breakouts.

So, What’s Better? Rich Plant-Based Butters.

We’ve done the homework — and we only carry lip care we trust. At Wren, you’ll find balms that are free of beeswax and full of nourishing botanicals your lips will love.

Cue Barefoot Venus Lip Bliss!

A silky, ultra-moisturizing balm made with mango butter — a rich, emollient ingredient that melts into lips and helps soften, soothe, and deeply hydrate. Bonus? These balms smell divine and feel weightless, not waxy and they come in four scent options: Coconut Kiss, The Vanilla Effect, Maple Blondie or Spearmint.

Clean, Conscious, and Truly Nourishing

When it comes to your lips, you deserve more than a quick fix. You deserve nourishment that’s natural, ethical, and actually works. That’s why at Wren, we say no to beeswax — and yes to better.

Come by the shop or explore online to discover the difference a truly clean lip balm can make. We promise your lips will thank you!