Posts Tagged ‘books’

Sure, sometimes we all find bees to be pesky little insects that buzz around our sweet peach pie, but truth be told, we'd be nowhere with the curious, little bee. Apparently Albert Einstein said that if bees disappeared, "man would only have four years of life left". After all, these little pollinators are pretty much the reason our food grows.

In recent years, I've been watching the media closely, following stories about Colony Collapse Disorder and learning all I can about bees. I must say, I'm surprised and enthralled by these tiny workhorses.

Did you know that the lifespan of a bee is barely five weeks?

When I came across Candace Savage's book: Bees: Nature's Little Wonders, I was pleasantly surprised. Her book offers wonderful insight into the world of these industrious creatures. The book itself is beautiful, with pretty images and odds and ends of poetry and myths.

For a chance to win one of two copies of Bees, leave a comment here telling me how you feel about bees. Do you love them? Hate them? Has all the press on Colony Collapse Disorder made you think twice about them?

I'll pick a winner randomly on Friday, September 25. Don't forget, you must be a subscriber to win.

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!

The sun has been shining steadily for a few days now, and the forcast calls for sunhine for at least the next week. I think it's safe to say that the warm weather is here to stay.  All this sun has got me thinking about certain things that I really get to enjoy in the warm weather - activities that are undeniably synonymous with summer. One of my favourites is star gazing ... nothing serious, just literally gazing up at the stars. I love when night falls when I'm out of the city. I always make sure to take some time to myself, find a spot and lie down on my back, where I'll have nothing else to look at except a sky full of stars. I could stay there for hours!

I also love swimming. I'm not talking about doing the breast stroke in a pool full of chlorine and floating Band-Aids. I'm talking about floating slowly through rivers, lakes and streams - or oceans, whenever I'm lucky enough to get the chance.

You know what the ultimate summer activity is for me? Swimming under a sky full of stars. What better way is there to enjoy two of our world's best things? I hope we can undo some of the harm we've caused Mother Nature, so that we can enjoy these fabulous things indefinitely.

What's your favourite summer activity? Leave a message here telling us about it and you could win a copy of The Sea: A Literary Companion and Night: A Literary Companion.

Two great summer reads for two lucky winners!

Two lucky winners will win a copy of each book to put on your summer reading list.

In The Sea, twenty-five writers share a love, a fear and a deep respect for the powers of the oceans. Each of these passages takes the reader on an unforgettable voyage, fraught with peril and charged with the awesome power of the sea. Stories by Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Ann Saunders and Yann Martel are included in this collection.

Night: A Literary Companion explores the many faces of the night: its myths, its flora and fauna — and its human side, too.  It's the perfect late-night read!

Remember, you have to be a subscriber to win.

I'll annouce a winner here on Thursday, May 28.

I would like to congratulate (more...)

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...)

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.

Congrats to (more...)

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!

Yay. Spring is here!

Happy spring to you all! I couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief this morning when I remembered that today is the first day of spring. That thought alone got me out of bed and out the door in an unusually chipper manner. I hope the change of season has freshened your outlook too.

Now, the moment I know you all have been waiting for. The winner of the FilterForGood Prize Pack is (more...)

This is going to be a big post - complete with a contest!!! Read on for details.

With the holidays around the corner, I've decided that on a weekly basis I'll give you some green gift ideas. So, starting today I will pass on some ideas, and continue to do so every Friday until Christmas. Can you believe we're just a month away? Today's theme is (more...)