Looking forward to flat beans!

There's nothing quite lke a long weekend (followed by a four day work week!). I vividly remember blogging about last year's long weekend, I was away at a cottage and we enjoyed a variety of local, in-season produce. Fresh peaches, tasty blueberry, ripe tomatoes and Mill Street beer. OK, the last one isn't really produce, but extra tasty just the same.

I'll be heading to the same cottage again this weekend, and I look forward to the variety of produce on the way up there, with big family meals in mind, and that which I'll select on the way home so I can savour the taste in the city.

This year I'm looking most forward to flat beans (I find them hard to come by at the farmer's market). My mom used to prepare them with tomato sauce and they're to die for. I continue to do the same. They're always served with a crusty French baguette.

What's your favourite summer fruit or veggie? How to you prepare it?

Congratulations to (more...)

What are you reading this summer?

The one things I love about the summer is my chance and desire to get caught up on all my reading. I have piles of magazines that I'll lug up to a cottage, read them from cover to cover, and then pass them on to my friends. The same goes for novels. I'll get lost in a book and pass it on for others to love when I'm done. Relaxing with a good book is one of my greatest joys.

I'm currently reading The Believers, by Zoe Heller, and though it's a library book, I know I'll be spreading the word about the novel when I'm done. Also, the Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories is another, rather large, book I'm working my way through. It's perfect for cottage and camping season for read-out-loud sessions. Some of my friends love being read to, and I love reading out loud. It's a perfect match.

What are you going to sink your teeth into this summer? Are you looking for some great reads? Check out our slideshow 10 great reads to ride out the summer to pick out some great summer reads.

Have a great weekend!

Squeaky clean and green with ATTITUDE!

So we all recently bonded over our slight disdain for scrubbing toilets and floors, and though cleaning sucks, it's nice when we find a good product that both cleans well and goes easy on the environment.

Recently, I discovered ATTITUDE products. Their entire line is eco-certified and carbon neutral. In order to go carbon neutral, ATTITUDE analyzed and recorded the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the company's overall activities. The company has vowed to reduce the amount of emissions by 25 per cent by 2011. To neutralize the remainig emissions, they'll purchase forest credits used to fund reforestation efforts. Thus, ATTITUDE has a zero carbon footprint.

The other great thing about these products: they're super reasonable. Their dish soap is just over $3 - a bargain!

Just wanted to share another alternative with you.

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway, I'm announcing the winner on Monday!

Being at the office isn't an excuse to forget your green-thinking ways!

Oh, the office. I could swear that I spend more time here than I do at home. Well, if you factor in sleeping time, I guess I don't spend more time here (sure feels like it sometimes). But if you took one look at my desk, you'd think I've at least moved all my belongings here!

Most of us spend a great deal of time at our work places, and our commitment to living green doesn't have to end when we walk into our office.

Keep up your commitment to the environment, and hope that your co-workers catch on.

Here are some ways that I like to stay green at the office:

• Have a travel mug on hand at all times. That way when you go for an impromptu coffee break, you don't have to use a paper cup.

• Make your lunch. It produces less food waste, it's healthier and it's cheaper. Store Tupperware and cutlery in your desk so when you do have to buy your lunch, you can avoid environmental offenders like Styrofoam, cling wrap and plastic cutlery.

• Turn off your computer for the evening. There no sense in having your computer waste energy overnight and on the weekends.

• Pretty up your desk with a plant. Indoor plants are natural air filters, improving indoor air quality as they absorb pollutants and replenish oxygen levels. They also protect you from germs, so you don't have to worry as much when your cubicle mate has a coughing fit.

Do you practice any of these measures at work? Do you have any more helpful tips and tricks for fellow readers?

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway!

I'm one of those people who hates to clean. I avoid it at all costs, so when it's finally time to give the house a good scrub, I have to do it from top to bottom. I know I could divide up this daunting chore so I'd have less work on cleaning day, but whenever I have intention to clean, I compare it with the rest of the items on my to-do list and it quickly moves to the bottom. I mean, going to the beer store versus cleaning the toilet ... which sounds more compelling to you?

Do you avoid cleaning? What part of your house to you hate cleaning the most, and, as a result, is in dire need of a good scrub? Leave your answer here and you could win a:

What needs cleaning in your house?

President’s Choice Green Stow Away Shopping Bag overflowing with PC GREEN products. Your stylish new shopping bag (with wheels!) contains:

• 8 jumbo rolls of PC Green paper towels
• 1 kg box of PC Green Baking Soda
• PC Green All Purpose Cleaner
• PC Green Coldwater Laundry Detergent
• PC Green Phosphate-free Dishwasher Detergent
• PC Green Floor Cleaner
• PC Green Multi-Purpose Cleaning Putty

Don’t forget, you have to be a subscriber to my blog to be eligible to win. Subscribe today!

I'll announce the winner here on Monday, July 27.

Happy weekend everyone!

Save water - Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth!

Sometimes, making change seems like a big deal, as though it should require great effort and serious time commitment. While some changes do entail this, others are tiny changes that are easy to make in our day-to-day life – and yield great results.

Don't leave the tap running while you're brushing your teeth - I've read that by doing so, you can save close to 19 litres of water A DAY.

Shave a few minutes off your shower time (once you've mastered showing in less time, shave another minute off) - For EACH MINUTE you're standing in that shower, you're using up about 23 litres of water. Imagine how much water you can save by cutting your shower down by just a few minutes.

Tell cashiers (in advance) that you don't need a receipt - I read in The Green Book that if everyone in the United States refuses ATM receipts, enough paper would be saved to circle the equator fifteen times. Get us in on that action, and we'll all be saving a heck of a lot of trees.

Switch paper bills to e-bills - Save paper and precious trees by switching to e-bills. You'll also have a lot less clutter in your home office.

Buy booze from local breweries or wineries - Support your local companies and reduce how much you rely on goods that travel a loooooong way to get to your doorstep.

Be a vegetarian once a week - I am certainly not a vegetarian, so I won't push that on you. But Adria Vasil does say that going vegetarian is one of the top things you can do for the environment. If you're not into gonig totally vegetarian, opt for being a vegetarian once a week. By doing so you'll save 318 litres of water; 112b kilograms of grain; consumer 15 per cent less saturated fat; and save some money.

What are some of the small things you do to help the environment?

I always have such a tough time picking a winner for my contests, because everyone always has great advice and answers. Thanks to everyone who contributed, I've learned so much from you all!

Congratulations to ... (more...)

Is canoeing or camping one of your fave summer pass times?

A while ago, I blogged about eco-friendly warm-weather activities. I can't believe I didn't mention canoeing and camping! We all have our favourite summer pass times, and canoeing and camping is probably right up there at the top of many Canadian's lists. As soon as summer rolls around, we're all thinking about exploring the wilderness (or at least us city slickers are).

In hounor of a sunny summer, I've rounded up our best canoeing/camping articles for you to read. If you leaf through these, you'll be well-prepared for your summer:

• 7 great Canadian canoe trips

• A camping primer

• How to be a green camper

• Camping cuisine

And my fave article:

• 7 ways to keep the bugs away

What are your summer plans?

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway. I'm annoucing a winner tomorrow!

Last August, I blogged about the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Almost a year ago, concerned folks around Canada joined together to clean up our precious shorelines. Now's the time when everyone is gearing up to take part again. To date, over 1,000 shorelines across Canada are registered to receive a face lift from concerned Canadians in September. Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, estimates that 150,000 kilograms of garbage will be picked up this year. Plastic, one of the worst environmental offenders, is a great threat to marine life and tons of it are recovered from shoreline cleanups each year. If you think about the garbage strikes going on in these parts, and Windsor, you can imagine how much it has affected our beautiful bodies of water. The TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a great way to get involved and show your concern for the environment.

If you're interested in joining the 16th TD shoreline cleanup, or for more info visit www.tdgcsc.ca.

Do you plan to take part this year?

Don’t forget to enter my current contest. I’ll be announcing the winner this Friday!