Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

A plan for health and fitness that is made in Canada...how wonderful would that be? Why not take a little initiative and do it yourself! School, work, homework for both, house work, three children and managing time zones to talk to my friend, can leave a girl spent, despite how wonderful it all is. So, towards the end of 2011, I dove head first into a healthier lifestyle. My main motivation was to lose weight, manage stress and have more energy so that I wouldn’t end up a bear at the end of the day. 

My friend joined the Tyson Method Boot Camp for Moms. The program is based out of L.A. but Tami Tyson , a mom of three from Steinbach, Manitoba, brought it back home. It is taking over southern Manitoba. I didn’t join her for the program but I watched my friend shrink in some places, get a boost in others and she raved about her strength. I joined the next session with a local trainer and after six weeks I lost a total of 8 inches!

 

 

I am now doing their nutrition program and, while I falter some days, I am enjoying my new view of foods. The one food that I am missing and seem to have the worst time finding are alfalfa sprouts, I don’t know why they are so hard to find, so I decided to grow my own.  So, I took a quick walk over to Roy Legumex  and bought some lentils and took them home. Lentils are easy to sprout. You need to soak them over night, fill a jar 1/3 full of lentils and cover the top with cheese cloth. They need to be rinsed twice a day for two to three days and then they are ready to eat. The wonderful thing about sprouts is that they improve cardiovascular health, prevent heart disease and stroke and can improve bone density. I liked, but did not love, the lentil sprouts so I am going back to Roy’s and buying five pounds of sunflower seeds to see if I enjoy the sprouted seeds more.

 

 

I have changed other aspects of my diet as well, and have fallen in love with Greek-style yoghurt and Buy Canadian First member Almond Fresh unsweetened almond milk, which is  the perfect start to any smoothie and provides eighty per cent of your calcium needs!

 

 

The very best part of my lifestyle change, besides being fit and healthy, is modelling a healthy lifestyle for my two young girls, as well as my son. I believe this to be one of the best gifts to give them; the tools to eating well and living a healthy life. 

Have you changed your lifestyle in any way this January?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Almond Fresh and Andrea Willowcat 

I am still talking about this month's book, "The Sisters Brothers", in our Buy Canadian First Book Club. I can't believe how much I enjoyed a western! Canadian-made author Patrick deWitt did an amazing job of bringing the readers into the book; I especially love his intermission sections. You can read my review of this book in last week's Good Shopper Blog. I also have a book winner to announce at the end of this post!

 

Patrick deWitt was born on Vancouver Island in 1975. In fact, his family on both sides is very Canadian, back to his great-great-grandparents. His mother was born on PEI and his father in Fort Erie, Ontario. Author of two novels, "Ablutions: Notes for a Novel", and this month's book, "The Sisters Brothers", Patrick deWitt is becoming a very famous Canadian. He hasn't always been a famous author though. In the past, Patrick has worked as a labourer, a clerk, a dishwasher and a bartender; just goes to show you that you need to stick with your dream!

Now that we are on month six of our Book Club and heading into month seven, a great resource for keeping track of your books is Goodreads. Not only can you keep track of your books, but you can also rate the books, see what the average rating is, read reviews, get updates on the authors, join groups and more! Click here to follow me on Goodreads.

 

Time to get ready for our next book, "The Way We Fall" by Canadian author, Megan Crewe. "Sixteen-year-old old Kaelyn challenges her fears, finds a second chance at love, and fights to keep her family and friends safe as a deadly new virus devastates her island community". Visit Megan's website to view the very exciting trailer for her new book!

For now, congratulations to "The Sisters Brothers" winner, George Millward! You will be receiving a copy of the novel "The Sisters Brothers" - I can not wait to discuss it with you!

To win a copy of "The Way We Fall", please answer the question at the end of our review, which will be published on Monday, February 20, 2012. The winner will be announced the following week. Good luck and thanks so much for participating!

 Are you a member of GoodReads yet?

:: images courtesy of Chapters -Indigo

My little sign and graphics business resides in a very small town in British Columbia, Canada. But, apparently, size has no merit when it comes to making good decisions for a business that continues to thrive after 20 years.  And I believe that has a lot to do with purchasing made-in-Canada products.

 

Canadian purchases treat my business very well! And here’s why:

Speed:
Whenever something is required, a quick phone call to a Canadian supplier will have that item in my driveway the next day. YES! The next day! How quickly stock is received is a huge factor in the success of my business. Staying within my border simplifies the steps and helps keep details on track.

 

Lower fees:

Even if an item shows a bit more expensive in Canada than elsewhere, I generally still end up saving money. Things like brokerage issues, higher shipping fees and the exchange rate all come into play.

This is not to say that I don’t enjoy shopping elsewhere, on occasion. Sometimes Canada doesn’t carry what another region does. However, I gauge the time frame and extra costs associated with each purchase and always come up with the realization that staying within the Canadian border is the best choice for my business.

Local shipping:

A good relationship with a local shipper also makes a difference. Because ‘they know your needs’, they can help override the little technical things that can go wrong.

 

Having local suppliers AND shippers provides everything possible to keep my business happy and prosperous. And I know I have Canada to thank for that!

How has using local services helped you?

 : :Photos are courtesy of Donna's local Canadian businesses: Graphic Impact and Funky Junk Interiors.

Creativity is something that kids are born with. They want to sing, dance, colour and create. Their little brains are growing so rapidly that being able to express themselves through art and music helps them grow and learn. Creative kids are happy and adjusted kids. My oldest son is left-handed. I often say that this is one reason he is so creative. He loves to draw and build anything. You give him a task and he will spend hours on it.  I think that Canada is naturally a creative country. We are home to so many amazing artists, great musicians and talented actors.  I am proud to see so much talent made in Canada.

 

My oldest son is going off to high school in the Fall. Registration, as well as the tour of the school, is this month. The first stop on my son's list to visit on the tour is the Music room and the drama department. I am so excited about this.  It has been years since he has expressed an interest in studying the arts. His primary focus has been sports up until now. I often refer to him as "my son who will one day be famous" lol. I wish that, when he was younger, I had access to the original art work of Burnish Brush Art Studio. Their collages would have truly inspired him over the years. 

  

Our youngest is at an age where she is showing interest in dance. I try to encourage the kids' interests without occupying all of their time. It is great to keep activities fun. When they become stressful it is time for us to move on and find something new.  My daughter is also showing an interest in music. Being three, she is still hard to understand all the time. When she tries to tell us about a favourite show, book or character, she will sing their theme song. She has also expressed interest in songs that are about her, which is very similar to the CDs from Just For Me Music. Having four kids, I never know what will happen from one day to the next. I do know that my kids will be happy and I will be busy with all of their fun and activities.  

 What do your children show an interest in?  

 

Written by Gingermommy

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Just For Me Music and Burnish Brush Art Studio.

Welcome to month six of the Buy Canadian First Book Club! I've been researching so many Canadian authors and we have a great line-up for you! Don't forget to "Like" the Buy Canadian First Book Club on Facebook, where we discuss the books and authors and choose what we will read next. You can also find out who won today's giveaway, next Monday, when we learn more about author Patrick deWitt!

Patrick deWitt was born in Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

His second book, and our book for this month, "The Sisters Brothers", was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize, the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the 2011 Governor General's Award for English language fiction. He was one of two Canadian writers, alongside Esi Edugyan, to make all four award lists in 2011! He was the winner of both the Rogers Prize and Governor General's Award for English language fiction.

As usual, our book once again took me out of my comfort zone and introduced me to a whole new world. A book about cowboys, a western, would normally make me roll my eyes - but the amount of nominations this book got and the fact that I've seen it front and centre in absolutely every book store had to mean something. I was shocked, I absolutely loved it and was addicted to it, in fact.

"The Sisters Brothers" are biological brothers Eli and Charlie Sister, who are murderers for hire. The story is told by Eli as the brothers head off on their travels, working for "the Commodore". Charlie is the older brother and quite dark. He drinks too much and is quick to lose his temper. Eli does his job but has a much more caring side, softer, so to speak, and is a great story teller, we find out.

Their "job" takes them to San Francisco to murder Hermann Warm, a gold prospector. I won't tell you the rest but it's dark, funny, sad, has these crazy intermission sections and it's just something you have to read for yourself.

I love the setting of the book, too, much to my surprise: bars, horses, cowboy hats, 'drink', the surprise of learning how to brush one's teeth. It's an interesting read, to say the least, and one I highly recommend.

Contest Giveaway:

Here's a chance to win your own copy of Patrick deWitt's book, "The Sisters Brothers", and read along with us! The winner will be announced here when we will also learn more about Patrick deWitt, next Monday. Just answer the following question in the comment section below to qualify. Comments are moderated, so don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away! Good luck!

Have you ever ridden a horse?

 

:: images courtesy of Chapters-Indigo.

When you think "Ford", do you think  "Made in Canada" ? Well, you should. You can find the Ford Canadian Headquarters & Eastern Operations Centre and an assembly plant, located in Oakville, Ontario. For as long as I can remember, my family has owned a Ford. My husband thinks that they are reliable and dependable. He knows he can use them for work and still trust the safety of our family in them. I guess you can say he is a Ford guy.

 

Last week, Ford Canada  sent one hundred and fifty Canadian and other bloggers to Detroit.  While there, I learned more about Ford as a company and as a product, than I had ever known before. As a mom to a teen who will be on the road and driving soon, I really appreciated the safety features that we were introduced to, especially the My Key system.  Imagine sending your teen out in your car and not worrying about their safety or the safety of your car. This is a possibility with Ford My Key. My Key is a parental control device that allows parents to virtually be in the passenger seat. Some of the great features of this are:

-seat belt reminder until clicked. Also the radio is not able to work till the seat belt is on

-the low fuel warning is set at a higher amount. This will give the teen enough time to fuel up and not wait till it is too late

-special features like Park aid (for parallel parking) and BLIS cannot be deactivated.

-top speed is limited 

-limited audio volume

See Ford Canada  for complete details.

The My Key feature makes me feel very comfortable and allows my teen to venture out on her own in my car.

In Detroit we also saw the New 2013 Ford Fusion which made its debut at the North American International Auto Show. What a nice looking car it is.  Ford is very proud of this car and they have every right to be. It is available in  gasoline power or hybrid, has electric, power-assisted steering, My Ford Touch,  and, my favourite, Park Assist (no worrying about finding a spot to pull into). There are many more great features on this one-of-a-kind car. I look forward to testing one out for myself soon.

Have you driven a Ford lately?

Post written by Gingermommy 

 :: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Ford Media and Tales of a Ranting Ginger 

If you follow me on Twitter or through my personal blog, you may know that I suffered from strep throat for the past two weeks. I used to get strep throat all the time as a child, as I'm sure many Canadians did, but getting it as an adult is a whole different ball game. This past weekend, after finally feeling a bit better, I decided to pamper myself with a few products. There is a fantastic range of Canadian-made products to make you feel your best. enVy the anti-aging/wellness pillow is designed to keep the side and back sleeper in perfect spine and airway alignment and off their face. Perfect for TMD sufferers, those always waking up with neck pain and those with stuffed noses that need a clear path. I admit I always buy cheap pillows and it's just a waste because they make me feel terrible, give me a bad sleep and can ruin my whole day. A quality pillow is a must! Something that I just recently learned about, that is fantastic for your skin, is a sugar scrub. Buy Canadian First member Barefoot Venus makes Lilly Pilly Sugar Scrub. It smooths skin by gently buffing rough patches away and it also moisturizes, heals and smells fantastic. Another great way to pamper your skin is with Buy Canadian First member Golden Naturals skin care. Their Luminus moisturizer actually stabilize collagen in the skin and repairs tissue damage, giving a new lift to ageing skin. Using oils like avocado oil, which is rich in Vitamin A and pomegranate oil, this rich cream will revitalize you like no other and make your skin feel luxurious.

You can't forget to pamper those lips either, especially with our winters. A product that I absolutely love and use daily is FitLips. With no petroleum or parabens, this goop-free lip balm softens and smooths lips.  As I've mentioned in the past, the vanilla is still my favourite. The scent is very nice and light and perfect for my lips!

I'm ready to get back in the game this week after taking care of myself this weekend. How do you pamper yourself when you need a little pick-me-up?

 

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members enVy, FitLips, Golden Naturals and Barefoot Venus.

Saturday night we measured the boys on their growth chart in their bedroom. We do this every Jaunary and June. I could not believe my eyes when I saw how much my boys have grown in the last six months. No wonder winter clothes from last year won't fit, jeans are more snug every day and we had to buy all new, outdoor clothes.

If your little ones are anything like mine, you must be shopping for new sizes, outfits and styles all the time. Luckily there are some fantastic Canadian-made options available. Here are just a few:

I've been a fan of Buy Canadian First member Funky Fleece for a long time. This "mompreneur" creates vibrant fleece clothing and accessories for all ages. Their handmade, original designs are a hit across the nation. The above Crochet Flower Hats are so popular right now, and have you seen their dragon tails? I am absolutely in love with them and my boys would love to be swinging those around the house.

 

I love that Buy Canadian First member Pink 'n Yellow Butterfly says they don't just design crocheted hats, they create wearable art. What a statement and so true. That Owl Hat just gets me every time; if I ever have another baby, we are getting THAT hat!! You can't get more Canadian than with the Curling Rock Beanie, I know some huge fans that would love to have that one.

I don't know about you, but I always had a pair of Duckies while growing up and absolutely would love a pair for my boys, as well. Made by Rallye Footwear, this Buy Canadian First member and proud Canadian company can be found at most major Canadian retailers and discounters.

 

Perfect for next summer or now, Canadian company, No Zone, creates go-anywhere, do-anything, long-sleeved shirts for kids that are fully UV protected. With a great assortment of vibrant colours these are perfect for on the playground, at the beach, everywhere.

What are some Canadian companies you shop with when searching for the next size for your growing kids?

 

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members, Funky Fleece, Pink n' Yellow Butterfly, No Zone and RallyeFootwear.

Hello Canada! What a great year 2011 was with you here on the Good Shopper blog, sharing awesome, made-in-Canada  products and meeting the people behind the brands! We know that you are going to love what we have in store for 2012!

 

Isabelle  was busy as a beaver in 2011, diligently spreading the word about the many benefits of buying Canadian first. Isabelle travelled across Canada to appear on national TV and radio to promote products made-in-Canada! She even found herself at TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, handing out all-Canadian swag bags to lucky celebs! So exciting!

 

We started the Buy Canadian First Book Club  in 2011 and our Stacey has been doing a great job of  interviewing Canadian authors, reviewing Canadian books  and then, giving them away! Nothing can stop her, so just join her! She has a great line-up for 2012! 

 

This year, we are so excited to be adding two more amazing Canadian bloggers to our already talented team! From beautiful B.C. comes Donna of Funky Junk Interiors . If you love decorating and DIY, you will love Donna's great decorating how-to's and amazing tips as well as her posts about small businesses in Canada.

 

From Ontario comes Kim, whom you have already met in guest posts here. Known as the Ranting Ginger , Kim has tons of Mom and blogging experience, reviewing and giving away Canadian products. We look forward to her posts about social media in Canada, among other things.

 

Tweet! 

We have all kinds of Canadian goodies up our sleeves here at the Good Shopper blog for 2012 and we are sharing the love, as always. Stay tuned for exciting details of the Twitter Parties that we will be throwing, where you will have the chance to win all sorts of fantastic Canadian products! As always, there will be lots of giveaways too, here on the blog, along with our always informative, great Canadian content!

Have you ever been to a Twitter Party? 

:: images courtesy of the Good Shopper blog.