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April is Earth Month, a time for us to reflect on how we are treating our home planet and taking care of ourselves.

Water and energy conservation, recycling, reduction of toxins - there are many different ways of becoming 'green'.  Making the switch doesn't have to happen overnight, every little bit counts.

If you want to be green, reduce toxins and have a little fun while shopping, consider switching your beauty regimen.  From face cream to lipstick, read the ingredients to ensure you are truly getting an all-natural product.  Look for natural ingredients or those that have a limited number of ingredients.  Remember that even if it says 'organic' it doesn't necessarily mean there aren't harsh chemicals in it.

Manitoba-based Pure Anada has a wonderful line of foundation powder, blushes, lip colourings and eye shadows - many of which I've tried. I ordered the sample pack to start because I wasn't sure what colour of foundation would match my fair skin.  It was an easy, affordable way to try different products.

 

There is no limit on eyeshadow colours - you name it and you'll likely find it - including one of my personal favourites; purple (timely for spring!)

 

Other companies have organic or 'all natural' moisturizing lotions and lip care.  While I really love adding some colour to my lips, for everyday instant use, I prefer to carry a lip gloss like the All Things Jill brand from Alberta.  It is really velvetty and smells amazing.

 

Do something natural and healthy for your skin and reduce chemicals and toxins that enter our bodies and water ways. 

What will you do to celebrate Earth Month and beautify yourself in the process?

Image sources: Pure Anada, All Things Jill

The last time I was in Winnipeg was 16 years ago. I was backpacking alone across this great country of ours by train, stopping in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Sault Ste Marie, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper, Kamloops and Vancouver, staying in youth hostels along the way. At the time (I was about to turn 19) this was something I felt I had to do before I started travelling to foreign countries. I only spent 3 days in Winnipeg but have great memories of this fun and historically rich city.

So obviously you could understand why I was excited to get a call from the producer at BT Winnipeg inviting Buy Canadian First to be on their show... and I'm thrilled to say that my second time out to Winnipeg was equally fun. I stayed at the Inn at the Forks. Primarily because of location as the CityTV studio is litterally around the corner from the hotel, but boy what a gorgeous boutique hotel!

Once there (at 7:00AM Wednesday morning), I was welcomed by the security guard and then the set director who gave me the 411 on how things were going to happen. He was really helpful and also very curious about what Buy Canadian First was about. As I crossed the set, while the BT crew was on a commercial break, Pay Chen, producer and co-host, recognized me. "Hi Melissa!" she yelled and waved. So nice... I set everything up for our first segment that I would be doing with Pay. Jon Ljungberg, her co-host, came by to chat with me and to talk about the wine we were going to feature (huge fan of Canadian wines)... The crew was also very inquisitive about the products and even gave me a few leads on Manitoban-made products they knew of (thanks guys!). I had a bit of time left to run through the layout with Pay and then we went live!   

Segment 1: Spring Cleaning for the Mind, Body & Soul. These are the companies we featured:

The Garlic Box, Ontario (official website)

 

Did you know that it has been 40 years since the first Earth Day was initiated in the United States in 1970!? It is celebrated worldwide every April 22 and brings attention to crucial environmental causes and issues. In 1990, Canada became part of the first International Earth Day.

I don't have to tell you that Earth Day and its principles should be, and need to be, celebrated every day! You can participate and make your contributions very personal by practicing simple, common sense ways to conserve, reuse and recycle around your home and your community, on a daily basis. Even something seemingly as small as buying Canadian first as often as possible, can make a huge impact, for the better, on the environment!

 

If your New Year's resolution to clear your personal environment of clutter has run out of steam, maybe Earth Day can help you get your Spring-cleaning mojo back! Instead of taking things to the dump, try Kijiji.ca, a fantastic place to post free ads. You can give your stuff away or sell it, locally or world-wide. Craigslist.ca can also help you get rid of items that you don't want in an environmentally friendly way.

Call your town hall or City Services for larger items that you can 't sell or give away. They will either pick it up on a certain day or tell you the best way to dispose of your item. The same goes for your hazardous waste.  Your city will be able to give you all the information that you need to dispose of unsafe items safely.

Your local newspaper will usually have a yardsale kit that you can purchase for a low price and that delivers signs to post, a handy yard sale checklist and a listing in their weekly yard sale column.

Try organizing a gently used clothing swap with your friends or neighbours. It can be for children's clothing or grown-up clothing for yourselves. You can also do this with craft supplies, fabrics, books or toys! Ride your bike to the swap!

Consider contacting the Canadian Diabetes Society . They will come to you, pick up your good used clothing and resell it at Value Village stores.

 

Top 10 actions to reduce your impact on the environment:

1) Smart Shopping

• “Buy what you need, not what you want”
• Consider renting and borrowing things that are seldom needed
• Buy used items from garage sales and second-hand stores

2) Simple Savers

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact  fluorescent bulbs
• Use aerators on faucets and shower heads
• Weatherstrip windows and doors

3) Transportation Alternatives

• Walk, cycle, car pool and use public transportation
• When driving, reduce idling and maintain correct tire pressure
• Consider car sharing programs or renting

4) Food Choices

• Choose local and organic foods that are in season,  and support local food producers
• Eat less meat

5) Washing and Drying

• Wash full loads of clothes in cold water and hang to air dry

6) Heating and cooling

• For summer air conditioning, set your thermostat to 24°C or 25°C
• For winter heating, set your thermostat to 19°C or 20°C
• Install ceiling fans and programmable thermostats

7) Close to Home

• Vacation, travel and work as close to home as possible

8) Bathroom Basics

• Take short showers instead of baths
• Close water taps while brushing your teeth

 

9) Careful Cleaning

• Choose natural, non-toxic cleaning products
• Make natural cleaners with ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and water

10) Don’t Discard

• Donate, reuse and recycle items before throwing them into the trash
• Harmful materials like chemicals, batteries, electronics, etc.  should be taken to local hazardous waste depots or recyclers

Are you doing anything special to celebrate Earth Day's 40th anniversary this year?

Image sources: Earth Day Canada, Kijiji, BuyCanadianFirst.ca

Community Gardening is a wonderful solution for those who love gardening or want to learn more about it, have nowhere to garden and who would like to meet kindred spirits!

Most Canadian communities have programs in place that will connect interested people with local gardens in their cities. In Peterborough, we have Peterborough Green-Up and the Community Gardening Network. Google your home town and "community gardening" to find resources where you live.You may find though, that the interest in gardening outweighs the actual spaces available, so be prepared to come up with alternatives. All the community spaces are full where I live, but a friend has offered her back yard and a group of us are going to use it to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers; together!

 

There are so many reasons to get involved in community gardening, if your own space is limited or non-existant. Obviously, the first benefit is the fresh food that you will grow! It is very easy to get disconnected from where and how food comes to us...planting it and tending it can actually be quite spiritual and meaningful! You will also be getting exercise....digging, planting and weeding will help keep you fit and trim. You will find that it can be a very stress relieving activity to work with plants. You'll also enjoy the companionship of new and old friends and ultimately, build a stronger community! All this from a few seeds and some great Canadian-made fertilizer such as:

 

Perfectly Natural Garden & Flower Fertilizer, made in Ontario by Sure-Gro and available at most hardware, garden and department stores.

While the city will provide the space for you and your friends to garden, you are responsible for bringing your own tools, seeds or seedlings, compost and other items. A great resource is:

Canadian Gardening Magazine , an all-Canadian publication! 

You can learn more about Community Gardening, and gardening in general, at these sites: You Grow Girl, based in Toronto, Ontari0, Richters Herbs, in Goodwood, Ontario, Master Gardeners of Ontario, Canadian Gardening Magazine and  the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. I strongly recommend Square Foot Gardening as a fantastic way to grow food in small places and don't forget container gardening as an alternative to growing vegetables in the ground!

 Are you starting a garden this Spring?

 

Image sources: SpacingMontreal.ca, BuyCanadianFirst.ca

As you know from reading my previous posts, we have a German Shepherd mix, named Noke, a purebred, blind, Aussie Shepherd named Bobby and a lilac-point Siamese, named Aries. Now that Spring is here, there are lots of things to be done to get the pets ready for the season!

As always, the most important thing to remember is that it is getting warmer and warmer. That means no more leaving the dog in the car, even for a few moments, even with the windows down!  And don't play frisbee, or even go for a walk, at the hottest time of the day either! Save playtime for when it is cooler.  Make sure that your dog has lots of fresh water and plenty of shade to relax in, at all times, especially if he likes to be outdoors all day, like our Bobby.

 

We are very fortunate to have a back yard to let the dogs out into. If you have one too, be sure to use only pet safe plant and lawn care products. Make sure that sharp gardening tools are put away when the dogs come out to play! Keep them inside when you mow the grass!

The mosquitos are coming, the mosquitos are coming! Prevention of heartworm is the best treatment, so get your dogs' their vet appointments early! It's the perfect time for their yearly check-up and updates of their shots. Ticks and fleas affect all our pets, so we take our indoors cat in now, too. Because he doesn't spend much time outside, there is less to do to get him ready but if you have an outdoors cat, now is the time to get them their check-ups and, perhaps, new bells for them to wear on their collars! 

With the heat and burrs to come, get your long-haired dog their Spring trim, to keep them cooler and make getting the burrs and foxtails out of their coats. We love to take our dogs through the bird sanctuary near us and we are always careful to check them after. Foxtails can be very, very hazardous to your dog so really look carefully. Our dog Noke loves to push through the grass and we make a point of looking in her ears, because she often gets foxtails caught there.

Like to barbeque in the back yard? Make sure that your doggies can't get burned or scalded by keeping them at a safe distance. Those yummy smells can make even the best trained dog to forget their good manners!

 

 

We live near the water and love to boat. If you and your dog do too, remember to make sure that Fido has his life jacket on at all times! 

 

                 Dog Collars from Roots Canada

Spring is also a great time to make sure that your dog's leashes and collars are still in good shape. Sometimes a strong, well-made leash is all that is keeping your dog out of trouble!

What do you do to get your dogs and cats ready for Spring?

Image sources: Wendy Gibson, BuyCanadianFirst.ca