This is NOT one of those bloggy things where I take a photo of my bedside table and then dissect the books piled there (you lucky people!) (the list includes more Grade 2 books than mine, and more magazines than books). In keeping with Children’s Mental Health Week, I’m going to share a few of the books that have helped my kids in their development and offered them some neat insights and ways of looking at mental health.

Edward the “Crazy Man” by Marie Day. This is the story of 12-year-old Charlie, his friends and Edward, a man in the neighbourhood who makes fabulous costumes out of discarded things and lives in an alleyway. The illustrations are wonderful, and the story shows how mental illness can enter a person’s life, affect the lives of friends and family, and the person ends up not sick, but different. (Major bonus to anyone in (more…)

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Kathy Stevenson.

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I live in a fairly new subdivision that has a no-clothesline restriction. With the laundry of three children, and us, I asked my husband to install a clothesline. I could not imagine (more…)

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Michelle D’Ercole.

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I wanted to share a green challenge that my husband and I faced when we purchased our home. The home has a walk-out basement but the builder only included a tiny deck that was 10 feet above the ground plus a set of stairs down. Needless to say it was much too cramped for our family of four to enjoy and we needed to build something that would be safer and would accommodate our family. The big dilemma was (more…)

Bocuse D’or is the original iron chef competition. Started in 1987, every two years international chefs from around the 24 countries are chosen to compete in Lyon for the coveted title. The chefs are chosen three years before the competition, have mentor chef to work with and an apprentice that trains with and assist the chef. The current team is gearing up for competition in January 2009 in Lyon France. Our homegrown contender is David Wong of Vancouver. (more…)

Who decrees what week it is in Canada?
I’m guessing there are too many cooks in the kitchen on this one. Yesterday I said this week was Children’s Mental Health Week, May 3 to 10. So I’ll point this out to you before anyone points it out to me: it is Children’s Mental Health Week 2008 in Ontario, according to CMHO (Children’s Mental Health Ontario). Over at the cross-country Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), it’s CMHA Mental Health Week 2008 from May 5 to 11. Our friends to the south at the National Federation of Families For Children’s Mental Health (FFCMH) are celebrating Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week from May 4 to 10. What does this mean? That I can only point out specific events geared to kids’ mental health in Ontario, but that information and links have significance to all caregivers of kids.

Art and kids’ mental health
Why am I starting here? Because when we were at our family therapy session yesterday (yes, my kidlets and I walk the talk), we had a sneak peek at the kids’ art exhibition that opens today. (more…)

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Jennifer Wilson.

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Although I live in an apartment, I compost my kitchen scraps and put them in my small outdoor composter. Come springtime, I have enough good new earth to do all of my patio container plantings. I water my pesticide-free containers with “grey” water left over from my dishwashing water, coffee, tea, and liquid left from cooking vegetables. I do not consider myself someone with a green thumb, but the results have been amazing! I have provided (more…)

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Susan Spidle of Lunenberg, NS.

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My family does its best to keep our garbage to a minimum. Our pick-up is once every two weeks and we usually have only a blue bag and one regular garbage bag that is half full.

We have our own compost in the backyard and use most of our paper in our fireplace, which we use most of the time instead of the furnace to keep the house warm. We have our own woodlot and my husband keeps busy cutting trees and replanting when he clears out a few trees. We put brush around the house in the winter to help keep the heat in the basement.

When I go grocery shopping, (more…)

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Angela Smith of London, Ont.

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Living in another country helped me appreciate what Canadians do for the environment. But, it also helped me realize what more I could do.

Last year, we returned to Canada after living in England for three years. Our first year there, we lived without a car. Walking everywhere got us in better shape. I bought a pull trolley to carry groceries home when I walked the 2.5 kilometres to the store. With no curbside recycling, that trolley also carried plastics and papers to a recycling centre on the other side of town.

Now back in Ontario, we live in London, but my husband works in Toronto – a two-hour commute. Unfortunately, his job and the distance from our family required us to get a car. We couldn’t stay as green as we would have liked. But, my husband still mostly uses the train on the days he travels to Toronto.

I wasn’t finding it as easy to get all my errands done here as it had been in England. Southwestern Ontario isn’t as pedestrian friendly. Not wanting to make things worse by becoming a two-car family again, we found an environmentally friendly solution: an electric bike for me! Charging the battery costs about 6 cents and I get between 20 and 30 kilometres per charge. I get to most places in the city while getting fresh air and exercise (okay, I admit, the motor does help on hills).

I also use a pretty, tapestry-covered shopping trolley to pull groceries home from our nearest supermarkets. I’ve gotten over the hang-up of it being an “old lady” thing!

I am glad to be back in Canada where recycling is so established. But keen to be greener, I decided to try my hand at composting too. Feeds my garden…and a few mice, I’m sure!

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Thanks to Angela for sending in her story – and don’t forget, if you still haven’t entered, there’s still time to send your own story to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com.

Angela wins a copy of the book Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel, courtesy of HarperCollins, and a Clear2O Home Water Filtration System.

Today’s code word: trolley

Read more:
• Cut your gas usage by up to 30 per cent
• Tips on reducing your car use
• Why hybrids are the way to drive

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Irene Leung of Port Dover, Ont.

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I have been aware of the excess packaging I and others waste on a daily basis every time we eat lunches, whether it be takeout or brown-bagging it. So, I have come up with ideas on how I can reduce the waste of materials and packaging.

I try to avoid take-out food as the restaurants use some sort of container or paper and instead, I make my lunches. Making lunches has enabled me to be creative and thoughtful. I have swayed away from using plastic baggies and throwaway bottles, plastics and tetra-paks. The main key is to use an array of reusable containers which you do not throw away but reuse. Then pack them all in a cooler bag or cooler box packed with reusable ice packs. Here are some of my tips: (more…)

After reading this post, don’t forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today’s winner is Dot Mann.

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My six-year-old son, Jakob, didn’t like the loud noise of the lawn mower so he really wanted a push mower. We bought a push mower without even thinking about the environment. Now I use it all the time and rarely have to use the gas mower all summer long. It’s environmentally friendly and is very good exercise. Composting is also a great way to reduce the garbage taken to the landfill sites. It is great for gardens. Also use a rain barrel for watering your garden. This summer I would like to invest in some solar lights for the deck and garden.

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Thanks to Dot for sending in her story – and don’t forget, if you still haven’t entered, there’s still time to send your own story to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com.

Dot wins a woven rattan purse courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages.

Today’s code word: mower

Read more:
• How to plant a tree
• How saving water will save you money
• Guide to green gardening