Archive for April, 2009

For those of you who made it to the Green Living Show over the weekend, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. What a great event it was! It sure was easy to kill a couple of hours mulling around the show. My most favourite part was the Farm Fresh Fare area and the Grapes and Hops Tasting Pavilion. Both areas sold tasting tickets which allowed you to scour around for yummy samples right up your alley. I enjoyed some delicious Cameron's Dark 266 beer. I'm a big fan of Cameron's, but had never tried the Dark. The verdict: DELICIOUS. Then off to the Farm Fresh Fare to sample Jamie Kennedy's Sour Cherry Smoothie (for those who don't know, he is big on pickles and preserves - and it was quite a treat to taste such great sour cherries). I also enjoyed not one, but two cinnamon buns from Brick Street Bakery who had a stand set up. I feasted on way more delicious food, but am embarrassed to put it all down on paper!!

I've been enjoying the week off work and have been able to catch up on (or start!) some gardening. I finally got some seeds started indoors (and am very late in getting that going), as well as on the back porch. As I have a tiny yard with almost no space to garden in, I'm experimenting with containers. I have many a helpful books I've been consulting along the way (which you'll be able to see in the photograph). I've started tomatoes, basil, thyme, impatiens and marigolds indoors, and planted some lettuce, carrots and green onions outdoors. I bought my tomato, lettuce and basil seeds at the Green Living Show from a very nice woman who gave me tons of helpful advice. She sold me Brookport tomato seeds for my containers, telling me that they're good in smaller spaces as they grow more like a bush. I've never heard of them, but I'm certain they'll be scrumptious. I'm very excited about my little garden, so you'll be hearing lots about it over the season. Do you have any tips/advice/stories for or about container gardening?

Also, I have many great goods left over from my Earth Day giveaways, so be sure to check back regularly for more contests and random giveaways.

Waiting patiently for my goods to grow!

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Hiking around Lion's Head on The Bruce Trail

How many times have you uttered that today? Many, I hope. Today, there's nothing more I want to do then reflect upon all the wonderful things my city, province, country and world has to offer. I have so many resources in my own backyard that I enjoy on a regular basis: a run in a beautiful park, a hike or snowshoe on an incredible trail, a short trip to swim in a lake or rock climbing in the great outdoors. I will certainly spend many moments today - and every day - thanking Mother Nature for such wonders!

I hope you'll share with me, and your fellow readers, what you plan to do to celebrate Earth Day. If you do, you might just have a chance to win two tickets to Toronto's Green Living Show.

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With Earth Day approaching quickly I have lots going on here at the Green Living Blog. For starters, I want to announce the winners of the Origins Organics prize pack and the Mom, Will This Chicken Give Me Man Boobs? books. Congratulations to (more...)

Shopping with a conscience

It's important to question your shopping habits to ensure your purchases do everything to help the environment. Just because shopping for clothing is fun, it doesn't mean you should check your morals at the door. It's easy to be eco-friendly when shopping, you just always have to remember to read the labels. Look for clothing made from: organic cotton, bamboo, hemp or organic wool. It's not as hard to find stores and brands that carry clothing made from these materials, which require less (or no) pesticides to grow, as it used to be.

It doesn't stop there, though. It's also very important to consider buying clothes that are fairly traded to ensure they aren't manufactured in a sweatshop.

The best eco-friendly shopping is also the most fun. Head out to your local vintage and second-hand stores to rummage through funky clothes. You'll almost always find a hidden gem.

I also love shopping online (I'm not one for hitting up downtown on a busy Saturday afternoon). One of my favourite sites is www.etsy.com, which is an online community where people buy and sell handmade goods (accessories, clothing, furniture, jewellery, you name it!). Visit the site, I guarantee you'll be occupied for hours.

Lastly, when you do go out shopping, always remember to bring your re-usable shopping bags!

Speaking of eco-friendly fashion, Fashion Takes Action (whose mission is to have a socially and environmentally positive impact on the fashion industry) is hosting an Earth Day party on Friday, April 24. This fundraising event looks like it's going to be a great time, with live entertainment, an open bar (featuring eco-friendly beverages) and a eco-designer challenge where 10 Ryerson University fashion students will design a garment from packaging and waste (you can buy tickets to the event here). I'm offering up two tickets to the event. so if you live in Toronto or can get yourself here (the event takes place at the Burroughes Building at 639 Queen St West). All you have to do is be a subscriber to my blog and leave a message here telling us about your favourite eco-friendly clothing line. I'll announce the winner of the two tickets on Wednesday, April 22! How exciting.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my friends who live outside of Toronto. I have another FilterForGood prize pack to give away.

Subscribe to this blog and YOU COULD WIN a FilterForGood Prize Pack including:

Say yes to tap water!

• Brita Pitcher Water Filtration System (Grand model – 10 glass capacity)
• 3-pack of Brita Pitcher Replacement Filters
• FilterForGood reusable, BPA-free water bottle

All you have to do is be a subscriber to this blog. I'll pick a winner at random and announce it here on Earth Day (April 22).

Great green beauty products!

Looking great comes at a price these days, and we know this the more we hear about how many harmful chemicals it takes to look good - harmful to us, and the environment. When searching the shelves, look for products with natural ingredients (I always consider whether I wouldn't mind putting the product in my mouth - don't actually try that). Also, it might be worth considering making your own beauty products. Have any of you ever tried doing that? I remember that my sister once made me beautiful grapefruit lip balm. Also, Adria Vasil of Ecoholic fame recommends visiting Make Your Cosmetics for recipes.

Way back in August I wrote about Origins Organics, a great line of green products I had come across. I had fallen in love with their lovely Body Pampering Massage Oil. All of Origins Organics products are free of many of the leading environmental and health offenders, such as parabens (an estrogenic chemical found in most cosmetics), phthalates (a hormone disrupter now slowly being phased out of certain products), petroleum (derived from crude oil), mineral oil (which is a petroleum byproduct) and DEA (which is suspected to increase the risk of cancer and is commonly found in beauty products).

I have great news for those of you who love looking great with a conscience. I have a Origins Organics beauty basket to give away to one lucky Green Living Blog Subscriber. One lucky winner will get:

• Origins Organics Foaming Face Wash

• Origins Organics Nourishing Face Lotion

• Origins Organics Cleansing Body Bar

Just leave a comment here telling me your best recipe for a homemade beauty product. Don't forget, you also have to be a subscriber to win! I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, April 21.

Also, two lucky winners will be walking away with a copy of the book Mom, Will This Chicken Give Me Man Boobs?, by Robyn Harding (I blogged about it here!). It's a great, funny read that most of you can relate to. I'll pick the two winners at random and will announce it here next Tuesday as well.

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I thought it was spring! I was a bit shocked to wake up this morning to snow. My dog and I had a nice, early-morning walk in the park and we were both slipping and sliding around, totally unprepared for the weather. I guess Mother Nature is giving us one more taste of winter so we appreciate the spring that much more. I promise I will!

I have two great books to giveaway to a lucky Green Living blog subscriber. One of you will receive True Green @ Work: 100 ways you can make the environment your business AND Sara Snow's Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home.

All you have to do is subscribe to me blog and you'll be eligible to win. I'll pick a subscriber at random on Tuesday April 14, so look out for your name!

First off, I'd like to congratulate sunnydaysrule and jensar2, who are the winners of Jill Lambert's A Good Catch. Please come back and tell us what you think of the book and what recipes you try out. Check in (more...)