I had the pleasure of living for six months in French-speaking Montreal, which is a fantastic city of artists, musicians, cosmopolitans and creatives. I learned to speak French pretty well in that time and picked up some local slang that has made its way into my permanent vocabulary.

My favorite is the word touski. It’s an abbreviation of “tout ce qui reste,” which literally means, “all that remains.” Touski is the surprisingly fantastic meal you make from the leftovers. Or it's laundry day and you put together an outfit from elements you’d never have imagined together, and magically, it works. That’s the spirit of touski.

As we work towards a greener world, we can benefit from this idea of touski. Rather than always buying brand new products, there’s a great creative playfulness that comes from taking the things we already have and mixing them up to discover surprising innovations. Half-empty fridge, half-empty closet, don’t fret! Just open up your imagination and make touski!

Image: Paula Bermudez