Archive for November, 2009

If you read my blog frequently, then you know I'm totally crazy about reusable produce bags. Let's say you're buying an assortment of 10 fruits and vegetables at the grocery store - that's 10 plastic bags that will end up in the landfill.

In the November 2009 issue of Canadian Living, we featured handy reusable and washable produce bags from Credo Bags (www.credobags.com) - complete with a drawstring. These produce bags come in two different sizes, and in either organic or regular 100 per cent cotton. Credo Bags offer more than just these fab produce bags. Peruse their site and you'll find a fab gift for someone you know (there are a few nice-looking gift sets). If you place an order now, you'll get it in time for the holidays. My fave product is the 100 per cent cotton reusable baguette bag. It's genius!

I'm giving away a Credo Bags' Launch Giveaway Pack (pictured above). This 8 piece Eco-Shopping Gift Pack includes:

- 100 per cent Cotton Canvas shopper, "Peace-Love -Recycle"
- 3 Ecoshoppers with pouch
- 1 large produce bag, 100 per cent natural cotton
- 1 medium produce bag, 100 per cent natural cotton
- 1 Baguette Bag, 100 per cent cotton
- 1 Reusable Wine Bag

Everything in the set is made in Canada, except the Ecoshopper.

For a chance to win, subscribe to my blog and leave a reply here telling me who is the most difficult person to shop for on your list and why. I'll announce the winner here on Monday, December 14.

Have a great weekend!

I guess there's no doubt we're in holiday mode here at CanadianLiving.com. Today's post is written by Jen Murray, one of our web editorial assistants. Enjoy!

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The holiday season is typically a season of excess – gifts, travel and holiday cheer add up quickly when you're trying to watch your carbon footprint. Make this year different with help from I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas, a book dedicated to keeping the holidays as eco-friendly as possible.

This beautiful book (made of 100 per cent post-consumer waste recycled paper) features everything from recipes for organic appetizers to craft ideas, all focusing on reducing, reusing and recycling. What I love best is the shift in focus; the holiday season has become - as I have discovered since becoming part of a couple and suddenly facing two families' worth of people to buy for - all about "stuff." The eco-friendly theme of this book brings the holidays back to what they used to be about: meaningful time spent with your family and friends, decorating, cooking and giving gifts that mean something.

Whether this book inspires you to craft gifts for everyone out of recycled materials or simply try to be a bit greener this holiday season, any effort made is an eco-friendly step in the right direction.

Amen to that, Jen.

To see a sneak peek of what this book has to offer, check out these crafts:

• Make pretty cork place-card holders
• Vintage egg decoration
• Make a nature inspired garland

And, in honour of a green Christmas, I'm giving away one copy of I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas. Just subscribe to my blog and leave a reply here telling me about your favourite holiday ornament. I'll announce a winner on Friday, December 4!

Congrats to ... (more...)

This Consonant Help Somebody Soap would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone!  I was recently sent a sample and am impressed by the cute packaging, subtle scent and great cause. All $12 of the purchase price of this 100 per cent natural product is donated to the Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) charity, an organization that distributes bedkits to needy children in developing countries (you can find out more info on SCAW here).

According to their website, Consonant Body products are made with natural ingredients like fair trade and organic oils, and are free of artificial colours or dyes.

You can purchase Consonant products at Sears or online here.

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway, I'll be choosing a winner on Monday.

Racking your brain to find the best Christmas gifts for your loved ones? Find some great DIY holiday gift ideas in our Craft section, and sign up for our craft newsletter Get Crafty and get great crafting ideas directly to your e-mail inbox.

I hate neglecting my feet once sandal season comes to an end, so every so often I like to scrub my feet with a homemade, natural foot scrub and then give myself a little pedicure. As I was painting my toes last night, the smell made me think: Are there eco-friendly nail polish alternatives?

Adria Vasil, of Ecoholic fame, recommends No-Miss and Suncoat nail polish. Though they aren't 100 per cent natural, she says, they're better than a lot of products on the market. Both are commonly available at health stores. Vasil also says that Revlon and L'Oreal's Jet-Set Shine are free of formaldehyde and toluene (two big environmental offenders that are often found in nail polish).

Also, a brief search on the Internet introduced me to Acquarella, described as water based and non toxic, and Peace Keeper (which also carries a vegan, biodegradable nail polish remover). Acquarella and Peace Keeper can be purchased online.

Prefer to get pampered by an esthetician? Bring your eco-friendly nail polish to the spa with you.

Here's to happy feet!

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Are you still using paper napkins at the dinner table? If you are, you should consider breaking this nasty habit ASAP. You can cut down substantially on the amount of waste you produce in your kitchen by using cloth napkins. They're perfect, as you don't throw them out after each use, and depending on how messy an eater you are, they can be good for plenty of uses before needing to be laundered. My favourite cloth napkins come from Ten Thousand Villages. They have such a wide selection of napkins (and other beautiful products) made by artists from many different countries, and should you visit the store, I guarantee you'll leave there with a unique collection to show off to guests. Besides their beautiful designs, I love that my napkins from Ten Thousand Villages are made by artisans in developing communities who are being paid a fair wage for their beautiful work.

Do you use cloth napkins at home?

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet? It seems as soon as Halloween is over, the upcoming festive season is on everyone's mind. I have no doubt pretty little lights will soon be hanging from neighbourhood trees and shortly after, Christmas trees will be popping up in people's front windows (not that I look in other people's windows, I swear!).

No matter how early the rest of the world jumps on the holiday bandwagon, I can never seem to get organized early enough. Sure, I make plans in my head, but I usually don't put them into action until December 23. However, one thing I do get excited about is planning how to greenify my Christmas.

This year I'm going to buy a small coniferous tree, plant it in a pot and keep it inside for a couple of weeks over the holidays. When Christmas is over, I'll move it back outside and care for it. I'm hoping this way I'll be able to use it as a Christmas tree for a few years to come.

If you're more into buying a fresh Christmas tree every year, try to find a locally grown one and, before purchase, inquire if it's been grown in a sustainable manner.

If you're stumped for ways to go green this holiday season, you should check out A Greener Christmas. It's a great book that will give you ideas on how you can make your Christmas more eco-friendly: From recycled decorations to making your own cards and hand-crafted gift ideas. Now for the good news? I have on copy of A Greener Christmas to give away to one luck reader. Just subscribe to my blog and leave a reply here sharing your tips and tricks for a greener holiday season! I'll announce the winner on Monday, November 23.

The weather has turned and with winter imminent, I'm sure most of Canada has turned the heat on at home. After all, trekking home at 5:30 p.m. in pitch black and freezing cold needs to be rewarded with a toasty house!

Here are few tips and tricks to heat your home efficiently during the cold months:

• Get a programmable thermostat. With one, you can set your heat without even being at home. Try setting it to a higher temperature for the chilly mornings, lowering it during the day when you're at work, and programming it to warm up your house just before you get there. You can get a programmable thermostat for about $50 (and up) at your local Canadian Tire. Think how much money you'll save on energy bills!

• Check your house for air leaks. Is your front room particularly drafty? Could be that you have a leak in your windows. Be sure to seal up any hidden leaks with caulking and weather stripping. Doing so will save you a ton on your power bills.

• Give your furnace a tune-up. It's important to call in a professional every fall to ensure your furnace is in working order and free of deficiencies. Giving it annual check-ups will also make your furnace last longer, saving you money down the road. Also, make sure you clean and/or replace filters regularly.

Find more tips for winterizing your home here!

Also, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to my blog and enter my latest Raincoast giveaway! I'll be announcing a winner on November 20.

Congrats to Irene! You've been randomly selected to win a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organic Living, written by Eliza Sarasohn and Sonia Weiss.

I loved reading about everyone's favourite fall dish ... it made me hungry (and gave me plenty of cooking ideas).

Irene said: "My favourite fall and winter dish is any meat stew with hearty vegetables like carrots and potatoes served with hearty home made bread. The smell of stew "stewing" on the stove in the kitchen brings back warm childhood memories of my grandmother's cooking. Now, with our busy lives, I make my stews in the crockpot in the morning, and I still get that warm feeling when I come in through the door and know that a delicious meal is waiting for me as if my grandmother was still here."

Don't forget to enter my Raincoast giveaway. It's a good one!

Have a great weekend.