Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

I love Christmas stockings! For adults or kids, they're so much fun! And I love finding great inexpensize items made in Canada to fill them! Here's a few suggestions:

1) For the meat lover, a selection of high-quality meats snacks made in Alberta (show here $ 1.99):

2) For the proud Canadian, a Strong & Free pewter keychain  made in New Brunswick ($ 9.99):

3) For the handy-dandy, a super resistant mini multi-bit screwdriver  made in B.C. ($ 4.99):

4) Perfect for Christmas morning: the dairy-free and egg-free way to celebrate the holidays! Healthy replacement  for eggnog, made in B.C.: ($ 2.99)

5) Natural beeswax candles made in B.C. A warm and luxurious addition to any table ($ 11.99):

6) To keep those lips nice and kissable with this all natural apres-ski lip balm  made in Ontario ($ 4.69):

7)  For a sweet smelling bath and super smooth skin, nothing beats these orange vanilla cream scented handmade soaps  from Alberta ($ 5.25):

8) Make bath-time fun-time with this all-natural bubble bath made in Ontario ($ 8.99):

9) Professor Noggin's fun and educational card games made in B.C. Choose from a variety of subjects, including Outer Space  ($ 12.99):

10) A beautiful alphabet book  from the Maritimes, It will become a classic in your family! ($ 7.95):

So here you go! Lots of great ideas that are sure to put a smile on that special someone's face on Christmas morning!

Animals are great companions, guardians and friends. We want the best for them, and we want to spoil them a little over the Holidays. Here's a few gift ideas made in Canada for the furry friends in your life!

1) Holistic dog biscuits slow baked in Ontario with fresh, food-grade meats and vegetables sourced from Canadian growers. Comes in a variety of great flavours including Turkey-Cranberry! ($ 7.99):

2) Essentia Natural Memory Foam Luxury Dog Bed made in Quebec ($ 189.00):

3) How about some bling for that sophisticated feline in your life? Mouse and cheese sterling silver charm made in B.C.             ($ 99.90):

4) Most dogs LOVE water, but it's sometimes hard to keep them safe and within reach. Get peace of mind with this doggy safety vest made in Ontario ($ 79.95):

5) Making natural eco-friendly pet products has never been this easy! A great DIY project to do with the kids, made in Quebec    ($ 12.95):

So go ahead and spoil your pets this Christmas. After all, they're family!

Who says guys are hard to buy for? Nowadays, there are so many choices to spoil that special man in your life. And many of these items are made in Canada!

Here are just a few:

1) Keep his skin soft and kissable with this great shaving set made in Ontario ($ 35.00):

2) He will surely appreciate the workmanship that went into making this wine rack. Will last a lifetime. Made in B.C. ($ 145.00):

3) And since he enjoys wine, surprise him with this awesome wine refresher made in Quebec. Instantly cools your wine to the ideal temperature ($ 39.95):

4)  For the handy guy that likes to spend time in the workshop. This Lee Valley apron will look great on him! ($ 36.50:

5) Keep his footsies warm with these great soft and comfy alpaca socks made in Quebec ($ 42.00):

6) For the movie buff, nothing beats a home theatre to enjoy the magic of the cinema. Now your guy can enjoy his action flicks with these reclining theatre seats made in Manitoba:

7) Store all his CDs and DVDs in this great early-Canadian style cabinet made in Ontario:

Spoil the man in your life this Holiday Season. I'm sure he deserves it!

Whether it's for your Mom, your wife, your sister or any other special woman in your life, it's easy to pick great gifts made in Canada.

 Here's a few suggestions:

1) These designer handbags & wallets handmade in Cape Breton are so unbelievably special with their inlaid Swarovski crystal. Stunning! ($ 129.00):

2) This beautiful jewelry is made in Alberta and looks like a million bucks! ($ 48.98):

3) A great fragrance company working on making the world a better place. Inspirational & delightful! ($ 70.00):

4) This luxurious all-natural facial cream protects and promotes a youthfull complexion. Made with love in B.C. ($ 34.99):

 5) A stylish and eco-friendly version of the traditional briefcase. Made in Ontario from wool felt. ($ 129.00):

 6) Give the gift of a good night's sleep with these natural Kapok fiber pillows made in B.C. ($ 34.00):

7) For the gardener, nothing beats this flower press which allows the summer's flowers to get a second life! ($ 29.50):

8) The perfect gift for every woman who hates to scrape the ice off her car windshield: wiper covers that slip over your wiper blades to keep them from freezing to your windshield! A new product, made in Ontario. ($ 18.99):

I hope this will demonstrate the variety of great products still made in Canada today. Amazing isn't it? And they really are gifts that keep on giving...back to the local communities in which they are made!

Christmas is for kids of all ages! There's nothing quite as magical as seeing the excitement and anticipation in their eyes on Christmas morning! and you'll be even happier knowing some of the gifts under the tree are made in Canada!

If you're looking for that special something, may we suggest:

1) Give the gift of pain relief to a precious little one, with this maple wood and organic cotton teether handmade in Ontario ($ 15.99):

2) Keep their little tootsies warm on Christmas morning with these cute infant slippers made in Ontario ($ 17.99):

3) Hours of fun & creativity with this playhouse made in Quebec from recycled cardboard. Kids can draw or paint it inside and out!   ($ 48.00):

4) Great to develop dexterity and creativity in kids, these soft building kits come in a variety and models and are made in Quebec ($ 25.00):  

5) Board games are great for kids of all ages. This one is fun and encourages cooperation instead of competition. The Harvest Time game is made in Ontario ($ 15.99):

6) Keep your little princess safe (and looking great!) on the slopes this winter with this Princess helmet cover made in Ontario ($ 40.00):

7) This will become a family heirloom, without a doubt. Good old-fashioned Canadian wooden sleigh, made to last in Ontario. It even converts to a wheeled wagon in the summer! ($ 129.99):

8) For the teenager under your roof, what better way to keep them busy and moving than a handcrafted wooden longboard. Made in Alberta, it's a piece of art! ($ 185.00):

Quality gifts made in Canada for the kids in your life. And you can be sure they will not break before the day is over!

To me, there is little else that smells as wonderful as honey, so when my box of Made in Canada Honey Candles  arrived, I ripped open the package and breathed in that wonderful scent. It was bliss. Over the following week, I found myself stealing moments throughout the day to enjoy the scent of my beeswax candles. I had no idea that this wee bit of bliss was coming from a company with so much heart.

Honey Candles is owned by Roy and Leah Honkanen, a husband and wife team that have been married for over thirty years. The staff  at Honey Candles have been with them for nearly as long as they have owned the company. They share common values and have evolved together. Honey Candles manufactures beautiful candles, but they also do a whole lot more ! Their commitment to each other, the environment , sustainable business practices , the relationships they hold with each other, their suppliers, their customers and of course the bees  are unparalleled. I found it difficult to tear myself away from their website, and as I read through the About  section, I felt evermore fortunate to have had the opportunity to discover Honey Candles and host their products in my home.

It seems fitting that the first product I tried was the beeswax birthday candles, to celebrate my daughter's 6th birthday. I noticed the beautiful colours of the candles as my mom and I clumsily lit them, in no particular order, while attempting not be burned by each other's lit match or by the lit candles. This process always takes a little time and is accompanied by giggles and pools of wax on the cake, except this time all messy drips were absent. Awesome!

Since the day I started using their pillars, I adore the warm comforting glow that these candles produce, as well as their light sweet scent. I am certain they will be my first choice in my future candle purchases, and here are ten reasons why. Take a moment to scroll through their website, I am certain you will be as riveted as I was reading about this home-grown Canadian company. 

What are your favourite candles?

Image source; Honey Candles, Andrea Willowcat

Marvelous Miik!

Featured this week is fall fashion at its finest. Miik is a Toronto-based label and was founded by husband and wife duo of graphic artists. Their talent is immediately shown throughout the branding which naturally translates into their unique fashion design. Miik is dedicated to sustainability. Every season their product is designed, milled and crafted all within the Greater Toronto Area, minimizing their very important carbon footprint. Each design encourages sustainability as their beautiful styles are classics that will easily remain in your wardrobe f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

The signature Canadian-made fabric is soft and luxurious - you really need to visit a retailer to feel the product up close! This incredible material is used to create striking yet simple designs for active women. The Miik fall collection retails for $65 - $200 and is sold at almost 40 locations in Eastern Canada. There's nothing better than strutting around the office all day, running errands after work and then meeting up for a nice dinner - without having to change three times! This is all possible when wearing any Miik outfit.

The pieces are made to flatter women of all sizes and shapes. Whether you have a figure or not, these styles truly accentuate your best features in an effortless way. Each piece I found worked magic on lumps and bumps, as the sleek bamboo brings structure and comfort to your waist line.

I love the Miik color palette for Fall, especially the purples and navy! The popular Candice jacket  is a great way to bring colour into your wardrobe as the purple jewel tone is a better option than your basic black. The Fall collection  from Miik is truly a line of outfits that will be classics in your wardrobe, not to mention will stand the test of time due to their Canadian-made quality.

To see more on my review as well as watch my Miik Video please visit Samantha Stylish  and to dive deeper into the world of Miik please visit Miik .

Images courtesy of Samantha Stylish 

Jovial Jool!

Environmentally-friendly “eco fashion” is a huge trend when it comes to the wonderful world of shopping. Whether organic fabric or sustainable production there are many options in the fashion industry and it's hard not to take notice. This week I reviewed a clothing line called JOOL . The fun name is a play upon the designer’s first name, Julie. This free spirited and fashion focused individual has been running her clothing line while balancing a part time gig styling and wardrobe organizing. Designer Julie is a self-proclaimed “Eco-Fashionista” because she creates all of her designs by giving new life to old clothing. Originally from Brantford, Ontario Julie started her line in 2008 while graduating from the fashion design program at George Brown College . She was off to a great start when she won “Most Promising Designer” of her graduating class.

Every season her collections are built of up-cycled pieces carefully reclaimed and redesigned into modern and unique works of ART! She carefully sources clothing items and then the fun starts with reconstruction, bleaches, dyes, bedazzles, you name it! There isn't anything this talented artist won't do to bring forth her creations to her dedicated customers.

This week we saw five fun looks that showcase fall fashion at its finest. I found that the items Julie designs serve as gorgeous wardrobe accessories. The pieces splash the joy you need when you're heading out in your daily "uniform". All of these pieces can become wardrobe staples all year round. They are functional and provide a true wow factor with their understated details.

Every piece that JOOL designs is different, the designer wants this to be symbolic of the fact that - we are all different. Her love of fashion, the earth and her relentless creativity has led her down this path to reinvent fashion each season for her dedicated customer base! Her goal is for women to find their own unique personal style when wearing her clothing. I cannot agree with this more, fashion is fun and it is necessary but I think the best thing about fashion is being able to express yourself through clothing (especially Canadian-made clothing!). While wearing the JOOL fall collection  this week I felt that each piece is truly reborn from its past life. Designer Julie has a talent for taking an old "muumuu" and turning it into a stunning evening dress, breeding a new history eager to experience life again. She takes on a relationship with each item of clothing literally, taking it by the hand and welcoming it back into the fashion world. It's nice to think of our clothing not sitting in a landfill for the rest of its life, but being saved and nurtured by Julie working her magic for the next wearer!

To read and see more on my review please visit Samantha Stylish  and to dive deeper into the world of JOOL please visit Walk With Jool.

Do you buy "eco-fashion"?

Images courtesy of Samantha Stylish 

Hat Junkie!

Are you a hat junkie?  For years I have been afflicted by an impulse for fashionable hats.  It is something that I have learned to embrace while also trying to curb temptation for every stylish hat I see.  This week on Samantha Stylish  I reviewed five fall/winter hats from talented designer Anna Shoub, and her brilliant label called The Hat Junkie .  Her beautiful creations are designed and crafted in the adorable and breath-taking community called Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.   Designs are a combination of old fashioned millinery complimented by modern day practicality. 

Anna Shoub was always a huge fan of the versatile accessory, with theatrical hats being her fave, and has now been making hats for eighteen years!  Many Canadian designers have started their business by having a true passion for an element of style.  Even with years of success in the hat making business, Anna furthers her education in the art of millinery.   She is a hard worker always keeping up with the latest trends in fashion and structure.  This shows a dedication to her brand and customers. Her specialty is making hats that are practical, functional and have all the qualities of old fashioned Millinery.  The most important qualities being the attention to detail, this is where her impeccable Canadian-made quality comes into play.  I love that she reflects vintage styles but creates these hats in modern fabrics like polar fleece and jersey.   You can see these elements in the popular Madeline  headband and Emma Rose hat.

To create each style Anna uses high quality supplies and wherever possible supports other small businesses.  This is the great thing about Canadian companies, is their partnership with other parts of the industry, all helping each other out!  The polartec fleece that Anna uses is made from recycled plastic bottles and any jersey in her collections are made from organic cotton and hemp.  To ensure each product is unique and high quality Anna hand-dyes her fabric to fit her envisioned design perfectly.

The best part about each hat is that they are all named and include a cute description of their dream setting.  Anna is involved in the nature of her business from start to finish.  If you haven't been to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia I suggest you go.  My husband and I travelled there last summer and besides the stunning landscape, there is a variety of support for - Made in Canada  - fashion .  And if you needed one more reason, Anna Shoub, The Hat Junkie herself will be opening her own store, coming soon! It will be curetted to look like an old fashion Victorian millinery shop.  I can't wait to visit and step into the theatrical world of The Hat Junkie!

To see more on my review and ENTER to win the Madeline headband please visit Samantha Stylish  and to dive deeper into the world of Anna Shoub The Hat Junkie please visit The Hat Junkie.

Images courtsey of Samantha Stylish 

Fall with Ferhn!

Ferhn clothing line is the brain child of talented and established Toronto designer Carrie Hayes. With over 10 years industry experience, Carrie has dedicated herself to starting this label as an affordable alternative to her luxury collection. Carrie is famous for her Carrie Hayes one-of-a-kind evening wear created for movie-stars with praise for her unique work by the industry faves: Flare, Elle Canada and FASHION! Her success with the formal line is what drives her to create a product that can be approached by all women in Canada as and fuel branching her into the US.

Carrie's slogan for Ferhn is "Clothing with good bones". The statement is iconic to several Canadian designers who produce in Canada. Designers understand that you are making an investment in their clothing and because of this; much effort goes into the development and production of a quality garment.

This fall for Ferhn, we see elegant silhouettes that will truly stand the test of time. A somewhat neutral palette that is perfect for the modern gal who loves to throw in splashes of colour (similar to what I have done all week!). We see these beautiful details in the cable-knit sweater dress. This is a staple to the modern women's wardrobe and designer Carrie has taken it to the next level by adding subtle pleating details. All of her pieces are perfect for the work day, but can easily be glammed up by adding your favourite - Made in Canada - jewellery. The goal of Ferhn, is to get women off the "fashion merry-go-round and on to something better". I cannot agree more with this statement! Out is the old basic blazer and in is the Scuba Jacket, an option that brings more style and fun to your work week fashion blues!

I am so impressed with this collection, each piece is well thought out making it a staple piece that will remain stylish classics in your wardrobe f-o-r-e-v-e-r! Designer Carrie also gives her time to Ryerson University, teaches classes, sits on the Art of Fashion Foundation board, runs an evening wear line, and more and still manages to produce and brilliant collection in Canada! I am so excited to see the Spring line from Ferhn!

To see more of my review on the Fall Ferhn collection please visit SamanthaStylish and to dive deeper into the world of Ferhn and Carrie Hayes, please visit Ferhn.

Images courtesy of Samantha Stylish

Amazing Anu!

Samantha here, back for week 3 of our Made-in-Canada fashion series! If you missed last week's post, check it out here.

I don't think I used the word "stunning" enough this week.  What makes this week's designer special is that the designer and founder of Anu Raina clothing line is a textile designer.  Each season she creates fabric based on inspiration, mood and memories.  For Fall 2012, we see fabric designed from recollections of her first Fall here in Toronto after emigrating to Canada in 2004.  The sights, smells and sounds of the city are recalled, with most of her fabric inspiration based on Toronto's rich fall hues.  We see inspiration from autumn leaves, city skylines, Lake Ontario, even her experience with the transit system.  It is brilliant the way her mind works and her customer's cannot agree more; as each season they scoop up these gorgeous pieces from stores all over Ontario and Quebec.

 

The Anu Raina clothing label is a relatively young company as the designer started her line right after her graduation from Sheridan College in 2010.  After two years Anu is truly excelling, and her career is taking off! She has won several awards and nominations as well as held an incredibly successful show with Toronto Fashion Week.
 

I first came across Anu's clothing in Toronto boutiques and I was immediately drawn across the store to look at the item every time.  The colour and print of the fabric would draw me in, as well as the story and silhouette.  Each item was true love!  Gradually, I learned from each store that the fabric was unique original artwork, with each print triggered by a memory of the designer.  In no time, I was spotting an "Anu Raina" original garment from across the room at several stores in Toronto.

To see more of my review on this collection visit Samantha Stylish and to dive deeper into the world of Anu Raina please visit her website.

Images courtesy of Samantha Stylish.

Paper People Perfect!

Samantha here, back for week 2 of our Made-in-Canada fashion series! If you missed last week's post, check it out here.

The art of creating a garment is a tricky task involving creative and intricate hands-on knowledge. The Canadian label Paper People Clothing takes this one step further each season, by creating clothing from clothing. When we don't want old clothes, we try to recycle, donate and pass it on in hopes of clearing our wardrobe and our conscience. We thoughtfully deliver unwanted items to second hand stores, charity events, clothing swaps and fabric recycling programs however much of will end up in a landfill. With waste reduction and the environment at the forefront, Paper People Clothing designs by only using reclaimed clothing and environmentally conscious textiles.

Paper People Clothing is based in Toronto, ON and was founded in 2001 by designer Jennifer Fukushima. The line launched by creating handmade handbags and accessories from reclaimed material; however the vision of Fukushima progressed to a full clothing brand. During her studies in fashion design at Ryerson University, Jenn enhanced her portfolio from handbags to designing clothing. After learning about sustainable design practices and textiles, Fukushima decided to fully incorporate them into her brilliant designs. It is amazing the way these responsible designs fit your body and make you look! They are truly "feel good" clothing!

Today Paper People Clothing is sold at over 30 locations across North America. With this wide audience, the number of dedicated followers of the brand continues to increase. This week they launched their online shop and now fans around the world can get their hands on these one-of-a-kind Canadian gems!

The Paper People Clothing Fall 2012 Collection is bright-coloured business wear with durability and style that is also perfect for any fall weekend event. All of the items designed by Jenn carry versatility in their structure complimented by understated details. Canadian designers know that you are making an investment in their designs, so the garments have been thought through for the highest wearability. Not only does the Maude Blazer  match your career wear, it can get you through the trails when it is paired with your favourite leggings, scarf and hiking boots! To read more on the Paper People Fall 2012 Collection visit Samantha Stylish and to dive deeper into the world of Paper People Clothing (and SHOP!!) visit PaperPeopleClothing

Exciting News! Enter to win these beautiful winter accessories from Paper People! Click here for information!

Images courtesy of Samantha Stylish

Hi Everyone,

Let me introduce myself: my name is Samantha and I run a fun website dedicated to Made in Canada fashion called Samantha Stylish. Visit daily to see a Canadian outfit of the day.  Every Friday I will be writing an original review of my featured week here on the Buy Canadian First Blog.  Enjoy!   

Whether you like it or not, Fall fashion is here! Mandala Design is a Toronto based apparel line founded in 1991 by clothing designer Mandy Armstrong. Initially Mandy worked on her line part time, while gaining crucial experience working in the Canadian fashion industry. After working long hours at her industry job Mandy would sew till the wee hours and spend her extra time selling her designs at the One of a Kind Show! It wasn't until 2005 when Mandy was able to take on her business full time and many of us customers, praise this day!

Today, Mandala Design is sold at eight retail locations from Toronto to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. She has a very dedicated following of Canadian women who scoop up her collection each season. The key to Mandy Armstrong's success is her experience in the Canadian fashion industry. 20 years of knowledge translates through her line in excellent fit, classic styling and impeccable quality.

Today we explore her gorgeous Fall 2012 Collection that is filled with lace, polka dots, fashionable fall prints and more! Lovely lace is everywhere in this collection, and we love it! It is truly remarkable the way Mandy is able to take something associated with formal or lingerie wear and create it into office attire for the modern woman. Available in a variety of colors the lace dress, top and skirt are all pieces that will easily fit into your existing wardrobe, sprucing up your fall style!

Mandala Design collections each season are made in Toronto with-in the studio as well as by family-run contractors ensuring Canadian made quality! Designer Mandy is able to bring brilliant comfort to her collections never compromising the design! Take these pants for example, they look like your average dress pants however, there is no zipper and they are made in a heavy jersey knit! The Jane pants are paired with the Opal Dotty tie top and they have you looking sleek while you feel like you're strutting around the office in sweats!

The Fall 2012 collection from Mandala Design retails from $78-$198 visit Samantha Stylish  for more information on this week's designer review!

As well as visit Mandala Design's website to dive deeper into the world of Mandala Design!

Images courtesy of Samantha Stylish

Of all you fellow Canadians, who can strum me a tune? Sadly, it is not in my abilities, in fact I have no musical bones in my body. My children may be the only ones that enjoy my singing, at least the youngest two; I am pretty certain the eldest lost the desire to listen to me years ago. But wait! We aren't here to talk about my paltry singing abilities; we are discussing Canadian-made guitars!

Let's go to Eastern Canada so that I can introduce you to Buy Canadian first member, Godin Guitars. Robert Godin founded Godin Guitars over twenty years ago in LaPatrie, Quebec, which is located two hundred kilometers East of Montreal. Robert still designs most of the guitars but the instruments are fabricated in several locations within a thousand kilometers of each other. Godin Guitars has several brands of Canadian-made electric and/or acoustic guitars. La Patrie, Seagull, Norman  as well as Simon & Patrick, are all brands of Godin Guitars that are made in LaPatrie, Quebec. Each of these brands, like the others, is focused on detail and quality. This can be seen in the details provided for the Simon and Patrick Elements collection or the Seagull story on how the guitars are crafted. Follow Godin Guitars on Facebook for updates and news. 

The Richmond brand of guitars  are made in Richmond, Quebec and are described as "sleek, sexy and full of sizzling tone and a whole lot of space age vibe, too"! You can see the specs here on the Richmond site. 

Art & Lutherie Guitars  are made with 95% Canadian wood that is found already fallen in the forests of Eastern Canada. Made with Wild Cherry, Silver Leaf Maple, as well as Spruce and Cedar and the utmost care and attention to details, this brand has several shapes and styles to suit any guitar enthusiast.

Now we will head West to Sparrow Guitars. While working in a furniture factory, founder Billy Bones made guitars. Once the factory closed, he spent a month learning how to make guitars one on one. Making guitars from scratch was possible but it made the guitars difficult to afford, so Billy Bones devised a way to keep the instruments affordable and the quality and craftsmanship above par. Sparrow Guitars have five models (Big Daddy, Primitive, Rat Rod , Twangmaster and Streetlight series ) and this is because quality trumps quantity. All Sparrow guitars are hand-painted, from pin stripes to flames, but of course they would be, because Sparrow Guitars are hand-painted rock n roll! Keep up with Billy and the happenings at Sparrow Guitars on Facebook.

Who knew that so many beautiful guitars are made right here in Canada?! Do you play the guitar? 

image credit: Buy Canadian First members Godin Guitars and Sparrow Guitars 

It's always nice when visiting to bring a treat for the little ones, as it makes them feel very important and special. An item we love is the DIY Kit from Buy Canadian First member, Kiss Naturals. With the kits from this Canadian company, the kids (or your hostess!) can make their own Lip Balm, Perfume and our favourite, Bath Fizzies.  True to their name, award winning Kiss Natural Kits are all natural and don't add fillers, additives, dyes or synthetics to any of their products. Did you see them in Canadian Living magazine?

Buy Canadian First member, Sammy G's, creates unique, personalized items that would make beautiful and memorable gifts for any occasion. I absolutely love these personalized throws, the perfect gift to celebrate a major milestone, or to give to a family member that you have not seen for many years. It's something to cherish for ever.

 

 

 

 

   

 

Soaperie Main de Nature came to light when Nicole Poitras of Quebec began formulating a detergent-free soap. After four years of trial and error, with her co-workers as her testers and evaluators, Nicole came up with an all-natural formula using fresh vegetables and fruit, gentle enough for everyone to use, including her dogs and horses. Join their facebook page for updates and the activities of the Soaperie.

Do you buy skin care products made locally?

Image credits: Buy Canadian First members Whistler Naturals, Organically Hatched, Natural Plantation, Pure Anada, Vidoma Naturals, Soaperie Main de Nature,  The Great Canadian Soap Co. 

I have really been enjoying the Olympics, have you? Between the excitement of the Swimming and Diving events, the Rowing and Canada's medals, and then Track this past weekend, it's been great! Another thing that I love about the Olympics is how colourful it all is, with each nation providing so many outfits for their athletes, including the clothing that they wear during the opening and their race attire. I really love the outfits that they wear when receiving a medal,too. It's all beautiful! It also has me wondering where all of if this clothing is made; what do you think?

Roots  - made in Canada! 

 Louis Garneau - made in Canada!

Check out Buy Canadian First members, Roots, Louis Garneau and Strong & Free, for a made-in-Canada way to show your Olympic pride! Louis Garneau makes cycling gear that would style the best professionals. Roots makes fantastic Canadian-branded items for the whole family, including the kiddos.

Strong & Free has a great Canadian-pride, replica hockey jersey, perfect for cheering on your team! For more great made-in-Canada gear, check out our Member's catalogue.

Are you surprised to know about the Olympic clothing controversy?  Would you still be interested in purchasing the official Canadian Olympic replica wear, knowing that it's imported?

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Roots, Strong & Free and Louis Garneau.

Buy Canadian First members, Jeremy and Monique Rivett-Carnac, founders and proprietors of St. Francis Herb Farm, have some wonderful products that will help make our made-in-Canada Summer even more enjoyable, including a brand new product launch!  

 

   

 

Diane Balit, a Buy Canadian First member, paints miniatures on enamelled copper using delicate feathers and very fine brushes, which is then fired in high temperature ovens to create absolutely gorgeous watches.  What a perfect grad gift and something to cherish for years to come.  

Buy Canadian First member SIMS Jewelry Co. makes a gorgeous jewellery set - this 30mm ravishing ring incorporated with black glass ovals and semi-precious large ovals of spider agate. They've also created a matching bracelet and earrings.  What a beautiful set for a new grad, something to wear to a new job or college next fall and something to enjoy for years.

A Deerskin Journal from Buy Canadian First member Deliciously Canadian would make a treasured gift.  It won't break the bank and would be a gift your grad would be proud to take to their new job or use for a new year of school.

Do you have a graduate in your life this Spring?

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Chapters-Indigo, Diane Balit, SIMS Jewelry Co. and Deliciously Canadian.

May is truly the month of Spring.  I think of new flowers, fresh faces, kids on bikes, walks in the park and Mother's Day!  Those fresh faces need some Canadian-made products for some Spring skin care and I have a few favourites to share with you! (Any of these would be great for Mother's Day gifts, too!)

Canada is one of the top producers of ethical diamonds that are conflict-free. Rough diamonds, from countries like Sierra Leone and Angola, have been used to fund armed conflict and other illegal activities ; once these diamonds are cut it is impossible to trace their origins. Canadian diamonds come from the Northwest Territories  and are traced from mine to retailer; Canadian made and conflict free. This diamond solitaire ring, from Buy Canadian First member The Shopping Channel, is absolutely gorgeous! I would be satisfied to just dream of owning one.

I also adore this multi-bangle from Buy Canadian First member Prep n Pretty Boutique . It's chunky and yet looks light and easy to wear, plus, its affordability will even make me feel comfortable wearing it to work.  

Mmmm wood! I love wood pieces! My son bought me a handmade necklace when he went on vacation to Banff with his Nana and Pa Dan many moons ago and it has been one of my main pieces ever since! These beautiful, large hoop wood earrings from Canadian Etsy artisan, Jillian Driedger of In Bloom Designs , would be a perfect pairing with my necklace or perfect on their own.

My last pick is just as important as the rest and also happens to be the creation of one of my favourite people on the planet! We don't talk nearly as often as we should but she is always in my thoughts. Introducing my talented and lovely friend, Peg,g of Five Forty on Etsy. I have a couple of pieces from both her jewelry line and woven rug line and love them all! I find myself visiting these amazing orange enamel earrings  in her shop often. Perhaps I should splurge a little.  After all, it's Mother's Day!

This is the short version of my Mother's Day jewellery wish list and if all I end up with is some burnt toast and a whole truck load of hugs and smooches, I'll be a very happy mommy!

What are you wishing for on Mother's Day?

Image credits: The Shopping Channel,  Prep n Pretty Boutique, In Bloom Designs and Five Forty.

Buy Canadian First member Tail Wags makes awesome helmet covers that help make safety fun whether biking, roller blading, skiing or snowboarding. The covers fit on every type of helmet and kids love them.

There are also fun activities for the entire family at many of these events, including face painting for kids, snacks, prizes to be won and swag bags at the door.

Are you heading to any shows this Spring?

:: images courtesy of Tail Wags, Snuggle Bugs, A to Z Illusions and Burnish and Brush. 

Ohh boy! Great boot camp classes in Southern Manitoba ! Today, I don't dare sneeze so that my ribs don't ache after this last kickboxing class. No, I wasn't kicked. I am just feeling my oblique muscles. Of all the routines, the kickboxing class is one of my favourites! It's fun, the pace is great and I can always remember to keep my core strong, which makes the exercises easier and improves balance, even my paltry balance.

I have yet to treat myself to some new workout gear. I usually just wear old sweats and a t-shirt. The funniest thing is that I am wearing my son's runners from when he was thirteen...he's eighteen now. So, maybe it's time to treat myself to new workout wear! This is my wish list; the Noelle jacket (bamboo blend), the bamboo Yoga pant  and the Doleman shirt , all from Key Lime Canada. How lovely it would be to wear all this soft comfortable bamboo while I simultaneously thank and curse my boot camp instructor as she exclaims, "and let's pulse for 10, 9, 8..." (Pulses are smaller movements in quick succession; it's easier to pulse if you smile.)

I love the results that the boot camps have given me but there is the issue of sore muscles. The soreness that usually occurs a day or two after your workout is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS and is a result of microscopic tears in your muscles repairing themselves. Some people swear by hopping into a cold shower right after a workout to reduce the swelling and even bypass the effects of DOMS all together. I would rather cuddle up to Buy Canadian First member Cryopak Flexible Hot (or cold) Compress  a few days after the workout. I adore the heat and feel relaxed and comfortable.

All is going really well this year regarding my fitness resolutions and frankly, I am really proud of myself!

How are your fitness goals coming along?

 Images: Buy Canadian First members Key Lime Canada and Cryopak 

Ahh, it feels like Spring has sprung in Southern Manitoba  and jackets litter the playground at recess! I have three amazing kids, all of whom have their own personal style. I know fashion week has come and gone and I am not great at picking through the latest fashions. My own personal motto is "If I don't find anything at the store perhaps there may be something at the second-hand store!" I wear what I like and hope it looks okay.

 

My middle child marches to the beat of her own drum, a cross between diva princess and rocker chick. She likes to wear a little of everything, as long as she makes the rules on how it is put together. Pants are often last on her list of articles to wear and shirts can not surpass a certain length when worn with a skirt. Even if I attempt to convince her it looks lovely there will be h-e-double hockey sticks to pay, it is always best practice to suggest she change her shirt and save time and vocal chords. She is by far the hardest one to shop for so I think I may have scored the jackpot with this adorable black and white polka-a-dot dress by Winnipeg Etsy shop Evecouture. In fact, each of the girls should have one. I think she'll also adore the One Tree a Life long sleeved shirt from Buy Canadian First member Respecterre; she'll especially enjoy the flower details.

My youngest is the most versatile of the three: dresses, pants, shirts and skirts are all the same to her and she looks cute in all of it! My favourite that I have found so far for my wee one is this sweet Annikka dress by BaileighsBoutique  on Etsy.

Who knows, they may not wish to have any of these suggestions and that's okay. My focus is to neither follow the fashion trends nor to dress them up to my liking but to honour their individual styles and preferences and I am thrilled to have a hand in helping them gain a strong sence of self.

What style of clothing do your kids like to wear?

image credit: Bearhug.ca, Evacouture,  Buy Canadian First member Respecterre and BaileighsBoutique on Etsy.

I live in a small, French-Canadian town  in Southern Manitoba. I was a little apprehensive when I moved here, but six years have passed and I can't come up with enough reasons to move back to the city. Back then, as pretty as this place is, my first glimpse left me unimpressed. I was missing my coffee haunts, the zoo, the book and art supply store as well as the anonymity of city living. I now see that this small section of Manitoba has all one needs; a grocery store, hardware/liquor store with a post office, restaurant and bar, K-12 school, bank, insurance company, arena, curling rink, campground and social hall. Recently a health centre and daycare opened. Life in this friendly town is very comfortable.

When I lived in the city, I often saw the Co-op gasoline stations, but thought nothing of it until I moved to the country. In my area, there are about six Co-op locations. All are a part of a small, regional group offering petrol, food, farm supplies, hardware and more. Throughout the Western provinces, there are about two hundred and fourty retail Co-op locations , all of which form the Co-operative Retailing System. Co-ops are owned and operated by members of the community that they service. Each member has a vote to elect members, who also live and work in the community, to the board of directors . Co-ops bolster the local economy, employ locally and support community projects or charitable organisations.

I have to admit that I do shop at the Real Canadian Superstore, about every six weeks, as some things are unavailable at my Co-op food store, like cilantro and Buy Canadian First member So Good and their yummy chocolate beverage.  The best thing about my local Co-op is the Manitoba-produced products available on its shelves that include eggs, carrots, honey, cheese and pork. It doesn't stop there! My Co-op also has Canadian products that includes beef, salmon, milk, apples, tomato paste, soup, potatoes, locally baked items, prepared pizzas and fresh-made perogies. How awesome is that?  I wouldn't trade in for the world, being able to buy local Canadian-made products in rural Manitoba at a reasonable price, from people who greet me with a huge smile and by name. Now ,if only they would sell me the winning lotto 6-49 Quick Pick...

So Canada, I encourage you to support your local businesses, seek out homegrown enterprise and continue to shop for local and Canadian made product.

Do you have a favourite local business?

image credit: Andrea Willowcat and Buy Canadian First member So Good 

I am "pfffting" the scene outside my window right now. The night has left southeastern Manitoba  with some lovely dusting of Canadian snow. I really shouldn't complain. We have had a mild winter with little precipitation, but I will belly-ache none the less. If only there was enough of Buy Canadian First member Premier Tech Home and Garden's  Alaskan Premier Ice Melter to rid my back walkway and yard of ice and snow. Well, ok, just the slippery walkway. I am eager for warm weather and sunshine; I want to start my garden.

I am very interested in composting but am not keen on the fruit flies that come with collecting the organic material in buckets or canisters. Buy Canadian First member Mr.ECO and their Pro-compost trash can  seems to be what I have been looking for; a made-in-Canada product from recycled materials that is not fruit fly friendly. This will make composting easy. If I am going to grow a mountain of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes, I'll need a rich black soil. Sadly this bounty of veggies will include picking out weeds, too, so I am looking forward to trying member Lee Valley's Hard-Shell Knee Pads.

 

 

 Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Premier Tech Home and Garden, Mr.ECO and Picquic

Give a gift that will last forever with SIMS Jewelry. I love this Juliette Necklace, that comes in Silver Shade, Jet Black and Golden Shadow - something for everyone and a gift to be treasured.

Another lasting gift would be a beautiful piece of art to enjoy in the years to come. The Limited Edition silkscreen prints from Dozay's Native Art & Graphics are gorgeous, unique and the native artwork is a wonderful heritage piece.

Planning on celebrating the occasion at home? Check out this instant wine refresher by Ravi. It’s not the bottle that is cooled, but the wine itself - how awesome is that? It's based on a revolutionary concept that will cool your wine to the ideal temperature instantly and will keep working for more than an hour after you take it out of the freezer. Surprise your mate with this innovative tool and a bottle of wine or two.

Are you heading out to eat? Planning a night at home? Getting gifts for everyone? How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Ravi,  Dozay's Native Art & Graphics, SIMS Jewelry and Brookside Foods.

It has been just over one month since we brought home our latest addition. A few days before Christmas we added a third dog to our family. We live in the country, so having big dogs is not an issue. All of our dogs are large breed dogs. They are extremely friendly and I love them.  I am happy to share with you my dogs as I write about dog items made-in-Canada.  

When we first brought our black Lab puppy home, my husband instantly bonded with him. I thought for sure that Earl (our dog is named Earl) was his dog. Well, over the last month, I think that he has become mine. We all love him and our youngest thinks he is a toy. We often need to tell her to be gentle. But when Earl gets a chance, he will jump up on my lap or in my bed. These are two habits I want to break him of as he gets bigger.  Our older dogs have large, thick blankets that they lay on. I am thinking about finding Earl a dog bed similar to the Essentia Natural Memory Foam. Then he can be comfy, feel like he is on the bed, yet still not in my bed.  I do not mind spoiling my dogs, but my bed is MY BED. 

I would rather spoil them with treats like  Oven Baked Tradition Pet Food . We actually have a friend who makes dog treats. they look like Timbits and my dogs love them. The kids thought they were for them and tried to eat one.  Quality food is important to maintain good health in our pets. We also give them lots of exercise.  Having a good quality, strong leash is important. My oldest Lab likes to wiggle his way out of his collar often, but when he sees his leash he comes running back. I guess the excitement of going for a walk is better than running off on his own :) Have you seen the Roots leashes ? They are really nice looking. I think they would be the perfect size for my pup. 

 I am also a Macaw owner :) This is our bird, Blu. We rescued him a few months back. He is a very curious little guy.

Are you a pet owner? Are you a cat person or dog person?

Written by Gingermommy

:: images courtesy of Gingermommy

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 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.

Welcome to Day 16 of our Cross Canada Countdown! Have you entered to win your Ganong Chicken Bones yet? Many people are looking for their Canadian-made gifts online this year. BMO reports that 43% of women are shopping for gifts online this year, up from 34% last year. VISA Canada reports that people are spending 3.9 hours online and 8.1 hours in the stores this year.

To keep shoppers in the malls retail businesses are going to greater lengths this year.

Many Canadian stores offered Black Friday deals this year in an effort to keep Canadians shopping more locally. Shops like Future Shop, Toys R Us and Walmart had folks waiting in line outside at 5am to grab the deals. Stores like Old Navy kept busy both online and in store with their Black Friday deals. I, myself, spent over an hour placing an Old Navy order as the site kep going down and timing out, but the sales prices were worth it!

The Chinook Centre in Calgary has attracted more consumers by bringing in different stores like Tiffany's and Victoria's Secret.

Some stores, like Zellers, are holding midnight madness sales to entice shoppers into the store. The Bay is keeping shoppers on their toes by holding exciting one day sales; we recently hit on one where they were selling 600 thread count sheets at an amazing price. They also had a 50% shoe sale a few weeks back. It was a mad house!!

Many retailers are hoping that the weather this year will help get everyone out of the house and off the computer. Many locations in Canada are starting to look towards a green Christmas. If you can remember, this time last year, some of Canada was struggling with "Snowmageddon" when over 140cm of snow fell in just a few days.

It's not easy to keep up with the great offers online retailers are coming up with this year. Cyber Monday was a big hit. Canadian shoppers bought 37% more items on eBay, for example, on the Monday following the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend this year compared with last year. 161 merchants participated in our first annual Free Shipping Day in Canada this year.

 Have you been spending more time shopping online or in the stores this year??

Images courtesy of The Bay, Future Shop and Free Shipping Day

A Red Canoe Ontario Tartan Scarf available from Buy Canadian First member Chapters Indigo is a thoughful, useful gift that is woven and manufactured in Canada. Keeping him warm, comfortable and looking good through the winter season.

A hot item this year is Twittens! These are gloves with a hooded thumb and finger so that you can open them and still use your touch-screen electronics, such as your smart phone, iPod and tablet. Created by Lincoln McCardle, of London, Ontario just last year, they are developed by Impacto Protective Products, a Canadian manufacturer.

A favourite tool in my husband's tool box and something that would make a great gift or stocking stuffer, is a screw driver from Buy Canadian First member, Picquic. With their system, you're storing a bit and ejecting the newly selected bit simultaneously and with the same motion; there is no easier way and it's perfect for keeping everything together.

What do you have under the tree for the men in your life?

Images courtesy of BKH Jerky, Twittens, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Buy Canadian First members Chapters Indigo and Picquic.

My aunt Shirley died of breast cancer and my mother survived it. It is still the leading cause of death for women between the ages of thirty five and fifty. Everyone I know has been touched by this disease in one way or another. The Good Shopper blog has pulled together some wonderful, Canadian-made  Pink products for you to peruse, because good shopping is even better when it helps others!

1.  With Winter fast approaching, it's perfect timing for Cherry Lypsyl in the pink ribbon tube! Since last October, the company has donated $50,000 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. This is a must-have product for your Canadian Winter Survival Kit! How cool that a percentage of every purchase goes to the cause! 

Lypsyl 

2. Chapped lips usually has a friend ... frizzy hair! Winter air, indoor heating, hats, you know what I'm talking about! Apparently, a high percentage of women who go through chemotherapy treatments lose their hair and then have it grow back curly, even if it wasn't before. So Jonathan Torch, founder of Curly Hair Solutions, created a non-silicone, chemical free hair care line which includes Curl Keeper,  a great treatment for the frizzies! During the month of October, for every bottle of Curl Keeper purchased at frizzoff.com,  a loonie will be donated.

Limited Edition Pink Cashmere

3. Buy Canadian First member Cashmere  encourages us to be "breast aware" and to remember that early detection and treatment are saving lives. I love the limited edition Pink roll! Twenty five cents from each purchase of Cashmere Pink goes to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation! And it's Pink!

Pink Scotties

4. Another Buy Canadian First member has gone Pink - Scotties! I am specifically searching these out! I carry tissues with me all year round, as you know, and I even use them in my art work. How cool are pink ones! I'll stock up! The 2011 Scotties "Buttons of Love" tribute box is one of several Pink designs available through November! You can find them in a mixed six pack! Collect them all and trade them with your friends!

You can find lots and lots of great Pink products and companies behind them at the site of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation . Many of these products are things that we need and use all the time which makes it really easy to support a cause that has affected each one of us. You will find kitchenware, clothing, jewellery and accessories, sportswear and fitness products, cosmetics and tools, you name it, there is something Pink for everyone!

What Pink Product are you going to make a point of buying to show your support of Breast Cancer Awareness?

Sidebar: Have a look at this thought provoking article  that Isabelle found. Do you agree or disagree? 

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. 

Our dog, Noke, (Princess Mononoke Armstrong Gibson) will eat anything she comes across outside, if it is yucky enough. She is a twelve year old, made in Canada  Shepherd-cross with an indiscriminating palette, to say the least! Inside, though, she is the last to start eating when meals are served. She is forever concerned that Bobby, our eight year old, blind Aussie Shepherd, has better food, different food, more food,  and likes to wait until he is finished so that she can go up and lick out his bowl before starting on her own meal.

She also gets very itchy if she eats certain types of dog food, and she is prone to weight gain. I really have to keep an eye on her, to make sure that she is eating what she should and not just what she wants. Her adorable idiosyncrasies make her a delightful part of our family! 

Bobby doesn't like dry food and prefers his wet food to be 'cuts' and 'chunks' rather than 'pate', and he, like Noke, gets a shot of glucosamine in his supper bowl every evening, to keep his stiffening joints limber. 

Then there is the cat. My dear cat, Aries, friend and companion for fifteen and a half years, has developed a kidney condition, as do many older cats. This is something that silently creeps up on a cat until, before you know it, he is weak, dehydrated and near death! Cats and dogs tend to hide their illnesses for as long as possible. As a matter of fact, two weeks before we took Aries in under somewhat emergency circumstances, he had received a clean bill of health at the vet! None of us suspected that his kidneys were diminishing in any way at that time. The only clue was a slight weight loss that the vet thought might have been a result of worms. So be aware!

I am thrilled to say that Aries is out of the woods and gaining weight every day. His new food is for cats like him who have diminished kidney ability. I feed him small bits often, and stand there while he eats, to make sure that he is getting enough. I also add water to the wet food, as this really helps his kidneys to work. 

Good food really is the preventative key when it comes to healthy pet family members. You know that I would prefer to buy pet food made in Canada because I think that, aside from helping our economy, the food is fresher and takes less toll on the environment to get here, so I took a look at the dog and cat food in the house. We shop at No Frills and, for the most part, I swear by President's Choice and No Name products. I was so happy to see that the No Name and PC canned dog food our pooches get are made in Canada! But the Meow Mix Market Select that Aries was getting is made in Thailand by Del Monte Pet Products. He now eats vet recommended Medi-Cal Reduced Protein. Apparently, this is made for Royal Canin Canada Company by Mars Petcare USA. Not quite what I had in mind, so I checked out the Buy Canadian First catalogue of members and found ACANA , an Alberta company, that makes pet food and Oven-Baked Tradition , another pet food company, based in Quebec. Both are sold in pet stores near us so I'll be sure to check them out!

Remember to watch your pets for changes in their behaviour, keep them supplied with fresh water and feed them the best food that you can. This will save you money down the road, believe me and keep you surrounded by love for as long as possible!

Where does your pet food come from?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members and Wendy Gibson. 

There are still a few weeks of glorious Summer left to enjoy, but, I know that I will once again have to face another Canadian  Winter down the road. I like to line up new classes and activities for myself at this time of the year. I think that is because the day after Labour Day always seems like New Year's Day. It's a back-to-school feeling that I'll never lose! It also takes my mind off the sad fact that another beautiful Canadian  Summer is almost over. Here are some of the "New Year's"resolutions that I am making for this September. 

 CG Hart Gym Bag

Just for fun, this Fall I am going to attempt a 5K run! Now, I'm not a runner, by any means, but I found a smartphone app called "Couch to 5K" that promises to get me running, using baby steps! I can do baby steps, no problem! You can find several apps to help you get off the couch. Just search in your smartphone store and choose the one that you think is best for you. If you don't have a smart phone, or would just rather use your computer, the Cool Running  site has some cool running tips, tricks and articles to get you started. You can print out a 5K running plan, keep a log and meet lots of other former couch potatoes, too!

 Barbo Ballerina Slipper 

 After watching So You Think You Can Dance Canada,  all Summer, I think that I want to dance! Don't tell my husband, but I've been browsing the brochures that come out at this time of year, offering every sort of dance class imaginable! Dance classes are a great way to sneak exercise into your life! But what to choose? Tap, Ballet, Latin, Ballroom, Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, Break or Whacking all look good! Maybe it will be just a matter of taking what is available on my chosen night. Will my husband dance to my tune? I'll let you know!

 Chapters-!ndigo 

 Another activity that I am planning this Fall is to learn how to use a stylus and tablet to create digital art. I am going to do this with a book, called "Digital Expressions" by Susan Tuttle, that I got from Chapters. It was on sale and it comes with a CD! There are all sorts of books that come with CDs now, on every sort of topic. I think that the CD will take the book to another dimension and make it seem more like a workshop! Can't wait to start!

Speaking of books, don't forget to read Stacey Kazmir's  blog post this coming Monday, where she reviews "Bitten" and gives you a chance to win it! 

 Are you making any "New Year's" resolutions this Fall? 

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members. 

 I do a lot of painting, collaging and art journalling. For the most part, I just buy the supplies that I can afford with my 40% off craft coupon, without thinking too much about whether they are made in Canada. Then, the other day, I was at the dollar store and found some tempera paint made by Mathco, a company based in Pickering, Ontario! This really motivated me to source out more Canadian made art supplies. I was pleasantly surprised at the options! Here are a few to get you started.

Original watercolours by Canadian artist, Andrea Willowcat 

Stevenson  is Canada's leading manufacturer of artists' oil paints, acrylics and water colours. David L. Stevenson (1910 - 1988), an artist and Fellow of the Ontario College of Art, found that imported paints were too expensive. Now we can get artist quality paints at affordable prices, made right here at home!

What about this durable and waterproof artist's brush case by ecohandbags.ca? 

Tri-Art Acrylics  is a Canadian company that specialises in unique products that are not widely accessible in Canada. Started in the mid 1990's in the back room of a family owned art store, school and gallery in Kingston, Ontario, and known as Art Noise, the business was begun by Steve Ginsberg and his partner, April Tracey. With the addition of Chris Bogstad,in 1994, the company is now known as Tri-Art.

Gotrick  has become a major player in the Canadian art supplies market by manufacturing stretched canvas. Since their start in 1994, Gotrick now has facilities of more than 30,000 square feet and 30 dedicated employees. They are located in Vercheres, Quebec. 

Great Canadian sketchbook 

Ecojot is an eco-friendly stationary brand that is based in Scarborough, Ontario. The company was created in 2007 by designer Carolyn Gavin and her brother Mark Gavin. They have wonderful artist sketchbooks in various sizes, made in Canada, of course!

With the help of the internet, it's never been easier or more convenient to shop for Canadian made art supplies! Can you suggest a Canadian source for art supplies?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Andrea Willowcat, Ecojot and EcoHandbags. 

Buy Canadian First member, Arlene Christmas, is Dozay, a native artist based in Western New Brunswick. Leaving the Tobique Reserve where she grew up, Dozay became a graduate of the Fine Arts program of NSCAD. Now, her distinct Canadian made artwork is displayed in galleries and exhibits across Canada and the United States and is available for sale on her website.

Arlene Christmas - Dozay

Dozay's paintings are full of colour and meaning. One of the features of her website that I really appreciate is that Dozay has included full interpretations of each of her works. She explains the native stories that have inspired her, which, in my opinion, adds to each painting's worth immensely. A visit to her site is like taking a gorgeously illustrated workshop on First Nation mythology!

Dozay has developed a distinct air brushing style that incorporates traditional First Nation symbolism, culture and heritage. Her understanding of and love for the spiritual elements that inform each of her creations is evident in all that she does.

You can find out more about what makes Dozay so unique at the Lieutenant-Governor's House Gallery in Fredericton, N.B.  this August 25, for the "Kluskap in Wolostoq" exhibit. Can't wait? Take a moment to enjoy this CTV video about Dozay Christmas, right now !

Do you appreciate Canadian art?Who is your favourite Canadian artist?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member, Dozay's Native Art Gallery.

It's hard to believe that the Canadian made  ROYALE  kittens are over forty years old! They look as cute and soft as ever! As a matter of fact, when I mentioned to my husband how old the kittens are, he, too, commented on how soft they still look! Royale has done a good job of branding there! And get this: somehow they have made their tissue softer than ever! I think that the new commercial for Royale is adorable. It's called Kitten Tale.

ROYALE is the only Canadian consumer household paper brand that markets a full line of products including bathroom tissue, facial tissue, paper towels, and napkins under one familiar, trusted name. All Royale products are proudly made in Canada by Irving Tissue, which is part of the Irving Group, a company which employs thousands of Canadians and is committed to producing quality tissue products through responsible forest management. Royale's products carry the Sustainable Forestry Initiative logo which is a highly sought after certification only given to companies practicing sustainable forestry. Way to go! 

Royale Bathroom Tissue is dye and fragrance free, biodegradable, safe for your septic system and plumbing-friendly! So, don't hesitate to bring it to the cottage! And if your skin is sensitive, you'll be happy to know that Royale is certified hypoallergenic. And what about those gorgeous box designs!? Have a look at the winners of the tissue box design competition for 2011. 

  The Kittens on Facebook!

The kittens are setting a fine example by lending their paws to the cause of fighting women's cancers. Be sure to LIKE their page and $1.00 will be donated! Tell your friends, too and they can raise money as well, with a simple click. 

Have you clicked yet? 

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian first member, Royale .

As I'm sure you know, June is the month to celebrate Dads and to celebrate all the Graduates in our lives. What better way to celebrate then with a Made in Canada product? Buying Canadian first is an especially good point to make for those Grads looking for job opportunities close to home!

Here are a few ideas that I have that would be perfect for both Dads and Grads this June!

Kobo has recently announced a new version of their famous Kobo eReader: the Kobo Touch Edition. With new infrared technology you can swipe to turn pages, highlight phrases, look up words, zoom images, increase font sizes and more. I received a Kobo eReader Wireless for Mother's Day and I love it! I am a huge book fan and with the eInk technology it is easy on the eyes, just like reading a paperback with all the pluses of having 100s of books at your finger tips. I also found that the Kobo is easy to use and comfortable to hold in one hand - which I love.  I always get books in a series right when they come out and with the Kobo there's no holding bulky, hardcover books. You can purchase new books through your wireless eReader the day they come out! The perfect gift for Dad and for new Graduates at any point in their education.

This Father's Day, my boys and I are getting their Daddy BBQ supplies like this BBQ sauce from Everything Maple:

The BBQ is such a Summer time staple and a great time to try out some new sauces and flavours. Everything Maple has a whole line of fantastic sauces, dips and mixes - you are sure to find something perfect for Dad to use on the BBQ or to stock up a new Grad's pantry.

Another fantastic gift idea is a watch. Graduation is a perfect time to give a watch as it will hold great memories every time your Graduate puts the watch on in the morning and looks at it during the day. Watches are also something every Dad needs - we bought one for my husband last year and he loved getting a watch from his boys. This watch by Diane Balit is absolutely gorgeous with the enamel dial hand painted with a picture of a sailboat.

We are really looking forward to Father's Day to celebrate all the Dads in our lives and surprise my husband with some fun BBQ items (better not let him read this!).

For more gift ideas for Dad, watch BuyCanadianFirst.ca Founder Isabelle Remy on /A\ Morning in Ottawa this Wednesday June 15th. We will link to it when it has aired.

What are you getting the Dads and Grads in your life? 

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members, Chapters-Indigo, Everything Maple and Diane Balit.

If the name Irving Tissue Corporation doesn't ring a bell, perhaps "Majesta" will. I thought so! You probably have a box of Made-in-Canada Majesta tissue or paper towels or a roll in your bathroom with their name on it. I'm a tissue box fanatic/collector myself...I use them in my art! And I blow my nose alot, so it's a win-win kind of situation, all around! We buy our Majesta tissue at No Frills in bulk.

Like most people in Canada, we use a ton of toilet paper, and thinking about what happens to it all can be somewhat concerning. It's reassuring to know that, for every tree that is used to make Majesta products, 3 more are planted by the Irving Tissue Corp., to replace them! As a matter of fact, you can help them achieve their goal of planting 2.5 million trees in 2011 just by buying Majesta TREEsponsible (TM) products.

I like how there are no dyes, chlorine or fragrances used in these products and all tissues are septic tank safe, so good at the cottage, too. They call it "the soft, green tissue"!

Right now, one lucky Canadian school can win an outdoor classroom worth $20,000.00 with the help of Majesta, Tree Canada and Focus on Forests!

The Irving Tissue Corporation has been based in Dieppe, New Brunswick since 1988 and is part of the Irving group of companies, which are all family-owned Canadian companies. It has grown to become one of North America's leading manufacturers of household paper products.

Committed to managing its operations in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner makes the Irving Tissue Corporation another fine Canadian company to boast about! Here at Buy Canadian First, we are proud to have them as a member!

How would you like to help plant some trees?

Visit Majesta's site.

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member, Majesta.

Here in Peterborough, once Spring arrives, we are lucky enough to have a Farmer’s Market twice a week on Saturday and Wednesday mornings. It's a great place to pick-up Canadian products of all kinds. No doubt there are Farmer’s Markets where you live, too. They are a wonderful way to get local fresh produce and to meet some of the people who grow our food!

  

In Manitoba, Peak of the Market is a grower-owned, “not for profit” vegetable supplier. This Buy Canadian First member has been growing and supplying over 120 different varieties of vegetables for the last 68 years. (Now I want to sit down and see if I can come up with the names of 120 vegetables!). Peak of the Market is so well-known for its quality produce, that even traditional vegetable growing locales such as California, Florida, Texas and Washington buy from Peak of the Market. So do produce buyers from  Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Apparently, Peak of the Market vegetables taste really, really great!

Peak of the Market combines technology with Mother Nature to preserve produce in one of the most technologically advanced storage programs anywhere in North America! Because of this, they can actually provide Canadian vegetables year round. Their controlled environment storage facilities make it possible for them to keep vegetables like beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, parsnips, potatoes and shallots in a state of peak deliciousness!

Forty Manitoba family farms grow for Peak of the Market, and the folks there are proud of the fact that they have earned a reputation for excellent quality and really outstanding customer service. As a matter of fact, their quality standards exceed the national standards and they were one of the first produce suppliers to have a toll-free consumer response line! Over 1,000 people are employed by Peak of the Market and their growers, and over 70 million dollars a year goes into the Canadian economy because of them. You can listen to their weekly radio show every Sunday if you live in Manitoba or you can check out their Recipe of the Day, no matter where you live!

Do you know any of the people who grow your vegetables?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Peak of the Market

I love hearing about inventive moms who turn problems into opportunities and Carmen Gerrard, of CGHart Design and Marketing, in British Columbia, is just such a person. Despite being a single mom at the time, with a permanent disability as the result of a car accident and a full-time job, Carmen started and grew her own Made-in-Canada company. At the same time, she also raised two successful and ambitious young women!

       Soap Friction 

How did it all start? When Carmen's first daughter was a toddler, her little hands had a hard time holding a wet bar of soap in the bath. Eureka! The Soap Buddy (now the Soap Friction) was born and the problem of slippery soap was solved!

 
                                 Gym Bag II 

As they grew, Carmen's daughters provided the inspiration for another product and the Gym Bag, with exterior mesh pocket for stinky runners, was developed. The Gym Bag was the first of an entire line of original poly-mesh products for CG Hart Design and Marketing, all made in Canada! The Gym Bag II is the latest version to hit stores and, like all of Carmen's bags, you can buy them online.

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member CG Hart Design and Marketing

Is the yard and garden constantly on your mind at this time of the year? It is on mine, so I was grateful to find free advice from some of my green-thumbed heroes, on the Canadian Premier Tech website.

                                      CIL Grass Seed 

Mark Cullen, Frankie Flowers and Albert Mondor, gurus of the Canadian gardening world, share seasonal tips and tricks on this great site, to help jump-start your growing season. There is also an entire section called "Be a Better Gardener"  with articles and videos about every thing from what your lawn needs in each season to how to deal with pesky, uninvited pests.  

Premier Tech Home & Garden (formerly known as Sure-Gro), is a leading supplier in the Canadian Home and Garden industry. Their Canadian-made products  include fertilizer, grass seed, pest control, landscape fabric and ice melter. You can find them anywhere that sells garden supplies and hardware.

 

 

Premier Tech really strives to take the guesswork out of gardening, leaving room for more time to enjoy the fruit of your labour. Products are OMRI certified. The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing. We are careful about what we use in the garden, so the OMRI certification is very reassuring!

Do you have a garden care schedule in place?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member, Premier Tech.

Today we're spotlighting Buy Canadian First member, Heiko, who understands Canadian skin and believes that the beauty and freshness of nature are the result of a perfect balance of elements.

Heiko, which means balance in Japanese, makes use of this knowledge from nature to create their line of Canadian-made products, offering an effective and 100% natural solution to finding and keeping your skin's perfect balance. Heiko is nature's wisdom right at our fingertips and just what my skin needs after a long, hard Canadian Winter!

Did you know that Heiko is the first beauty care company in North America to offer a complete range of skin care products that are inspired entirely by homeopathy? Homeopathy is an alternative medicine, favoured by the British royal family, among others. Homeopathic biochemist Shirley Duplessis started Heiko in her Quebec clinic, where she made creams for her patients.

It was the homeopathy that really caught registered nutritionist, Linda Miner's, eye. She is excited about Heiko's sunscreen and skincare. As someone who suffers from allergies, the purity of Heiko's natural ingredients made a difference to Linda's wellbeing. I found out from her that Heiko's sunscreen actually scored a rating of 1 on the Environmental Working Group's list of best sunscreens! (That's awesome!).
 

Whatever the season, it's safe to say that Heiko has a product that will replenish and protect your skin!

Do you use sunscreen in the Summer, all year round or never?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member, Heiko

Last week I wrote about receiving some of the lush products made by Earth to Body, containing either emu oil or argan oil . I did some research and discovered that one of the alleged benefits of using emu oil is the potential for relief from arthritic pain. This past year, arthritis finally caught up with Mom, mainly in her left hand and in her legs. She is also experiencing a dry and itchy scalp, exacerbated by Winter conditions. So, I have given Mom the emu oil products to try on her joints and skin and then report back to you about. Mom, 94 years young this July,  will be our "field reporter"!

                     Earth to Body Argan Moisturizer

I have started using the argan oil products on my own Winter-distressed skin and on my wrist tattoo! (It sucks to have people ask what my tattoo is a picture of because of dry skin!). Both argan and emu oils are also supposed to be really good at reducing and fading the appearance of stretch marks and scar tissue, like tattoos or C-sections! The lip balms are great for fast touch-ups of trouble spots, believe it or not! They are in a really convenient format and they feel amazing! Read my review here.

                    Earth to Body Baby Package

If you're a new mom, you will love the Earth to Baby Organics Package, which includes the basic  necessities for both your baby and you! You get a gentle cleansing soap, a calming spray, absorbable and loving massage oil and a soothing, protecting diaper area salve. Each item is 100% natural, with no artificial preservatives (parabens), alcohol, toxins, fragrances or dyes. Healthy nutrients for baby's skin is Earth to Body's utmost priority and also multi-purpose usage is also a big factor!

                              Rose Lavender Spray

I have a sample of the spray, which is a gentle, cleansing organic hydrosol using lavendar and rose. It is a perfect diaper area spray to replace chemical baby wipes, leaving baby feeling clean, calm and comfortable and it is also ideal as a linen spray and room freshener! I use it on my face when I need perking up and I also spray it in our car and on the dogs' beds and coats, which makes me a good pet mom! Talk about an "all-purpose" product! Read my review here.

What's in the products that you use on your babies?

:: images courtesy Buy Canadian First member, Earth To Body.

It's raining, it's pouring and I want to go shopping.

The Winter meant that I was draped in warm sweaters and layers for many months, but now that the weather is finally showing signs of Spring, I'm ready to search for soft colours, lighter fabrics and a new, fresh style.

But first, we have to survive the many days of rain that come in April.  While it's making our grass greener and preparing our gardens for beautiful May flowers, the rain also poses a challenge for pretty shoes and outwear.

I have a real love for the trench coat.  Of all the rain gear that is out there, the simple, belted trench is a personal favourite.  It can be dressed up, or worn with a pair of jeans just as easily.  I currently have a blue trench and a green one; the bright colours are fun. Although, it's hard to beat a traditional black or camel/beige trench coat. 

My feet are begging for an open toe shoe or light foot wear.  Gone are the days of heavy Winter boots.  But I can't wear my beautiful high heels, or even low and comfortable shoes, in the rain and puddles.  Yet, after all of these years, I still don't own a pair of rain boots. 

The days of unfashionably bright, yellow rain boots are gone.  There are now some really lovely options that are fun to wear, look great and will keep your feet dry.

I like these from Rallye:

But these have great personality:

Beyond these, it's hard to beat an umbrella as an accessory.  Mine is black and plain but something more bright and fun would be wonderful! 

What do you wear out on a rain day?  What's your favourite rain gear?

::images courtesy Buy Canadian First members.

Last week, our publisher, Isabelle, sent me some Canadian-made natural, hand crafted skin products from Earth to Body to use and review. You can find my reviews under the specific products on the Earth to Body member pages. In honour of Earth Day on the 22nd, I will be posting the reviews all through April as I try everything from hair rinse, lip balm and face cream to hand and nail lotions and foot cream!

                                     Argan Moisturizer

Earth to Body is a family oriented business located on the shores of Lac St. Louis, on Montreal's West Island, in Quebec. I like the look of these products, I can tell you that! The packaging is streamlined and convenient and, best of all, doesn't scream "Old Lady Cream". It does say "Skin Nutrition" loud and clear, though, and looks very modern and clean. 
 

                         Martha and John Shannon

Now, imagine my surprise and delight to unexpectedly discover Earth to Body at our local home and garden show this past weekend! I was actually applying their argan lip balm as their large booth came into view. Meeting Martha and John Shannon, the dynamic couple who started Earth to Body, was such a treat! Having met them makes using their products even more meaningful. They are both passionate about what they make and sell and contagious in their enthusiasm for natural skin care.

John told me all about how Earth to Body is the latest thing in Chicago right now and how all the blogs are buzzing about them there. Martha, (whose skin, by the way, absolutely glows!) excitedly described a new oil that she has introduced to their line, called Tamanu. She also told me about their latest customer service innovation, which is a referral system that will earn you points towards more of their products.

 
                             Revitalizing eye oil

You can check out where Martha and John will be this year and perhaps be fortunate to have the opportunity to meet them and experience their skin nourishing wares. They pull their home behind them as they travel across Canada, setting up their booth at craft fairs and shows, nation wide!
In the meantime, explore their website .  It is very easy to navigate and has lots of valuable information. You can even shop there!

Do you have a skin regime or do you just hope for the best?

:: images courtesy Buy Canadian First member, Earth to Body.

 

 

Elsie founded Natural Plantation Inc., in order to produce a line of Canadian-made products containing this concentrated Purslane. All of the products at Natural Plantation Inc. are created with concentrated Purslane and they are all natural and contain no synthetic chemicals or preservatives.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manga launched his first game, All Canadian Trivia, while still at university! After playing another well-known trivia game and realizing he knew more about the United States than he did about his own country, he wanted to play a trivia game with a Canadian focus. When he couldn’t find one, he created All Canadian Trivia. That game went on to become a Canadian best-seller (more than 100,000 copies sold) and spawned Junior, French and Millennium editions, a Supplemental Question set, and the 10th Anniversary Edition.

 

In 2002, Manga created the first games in the Professor Noggin’s Made-in-Canada card game series. This popular series now numbers 34 games, which have won many major awards, receiving honors from the likes of the Parent’s Choice Foundation, the National Association for Gifted Children and Scholastic Instructor Magazine.

 

 

  

:: images courtesy of Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

  

 

 

 

                                  

 

They are also proud supporters of Fashion With a Passion and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

:: Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Kruger Products Ltd.

We visited the library the other day, with with the kids from the daycare. Trying to amuse them indoors after another day of 35 below weather, we decided to treat them to a film. I didn't really want to watch the cartoon so I grabbed a book from the shelves. It wasn't by accident I picked the one that I did as I was curious about what the author had to say. I had no commitment to reading the book in its entirety. I just wanted a little escape from Franklin the Turtle and to just flip through the pages. The book I chose was Mars and Venus Together Forever. I was curious to see what the hype was all about. It sucked me in and I couldn`t put it down even though some parts were a little cheesy.

"Hmmm", I thought. Could it be  as simple as appreciation and communication? I don't know, but it sounds like a great start! So, on Valentine's Day, to show our appreciation for the men in our lives, here is my top 5 great Canadian made gifts for your man.

1. The Chevrolet Camaro - Oh yeahh! Find out all the details on the Buy Canadian First member page of the Chevy Camaro. Gorgeous, safe and efficient! Think of all the fun you'll have cruising around!

2. Lucky Strike -  The things that we have in common glue us together and the things we don`t, keep us interesting. As much as a couple are stitched together and, somedays they are all that the other needs, we still need to do the things we enjoy as individuals. So whether it be golf, woodworking or fishing, get him a small token like these great lures from our member Lucky Strike to encourage him to take some down time doing the things he enjoys.

3. Go hide in your cave - So your Mister comes home at the end of the day and you are filled with information; important dates, tales from the day, a rant or two and of course, we can`t forget to tell him to take out the trash. You can`t help but notice that he`s not quite there. Instead he is occupied with the news,  the sports updates or the newspaper rather than giving you his undivided attention. In the book, it is described as `being in the cave` and eventually he`ll emerge and be all ears, but while he`s there, consider some books from his favourite authors at Chapters-Indigo or a subscription from Canadian Magazines to help take his mind off the day.

4. The summer position - Just as an armchair in the living room is a welcomed treat so, too, would be comfy seating for the balmy summer days. Imagine a sultry, summer evening of giggling children, a thirsty garden, a thirsty couple enjoying some beer (my pick would be from Half Pints Brewing Company),  watering the garden, hand in hand, while lounging in this great love seat lodge chair by Jardinique. Those are the days you'll remember 40 years from now.

5. Sleep on it - We spend one third of our lives in bed sleeping and what not, and as I age little, I find little comforts such as a good bed really make the difference. Treat your guy to the promise of a restful night (or *wink) with the fabulous line of mattresses from our member Essentia.

Really though, isn't that the truth for us all?  This Valentine's day, and, frankly every single day, don`t forget to smother him with tight squishy hugs and long slow kisses.

How are you telling your man you adore him? Share your Valentine day ideas with us.

Photo credits: Buy Candadian First members Chevrolet, Lucky Strike, Chapters Indigo, Jardinique, Essentia

Quote credits Gray, J. (1996). Mars and Venus Together Forever  

I really enjoy reading the back stories of our Canadian entrepreneurs! They are very inspiring! I also appreciate wearing accessories like these, that have so much thought and integrity put into them. And flair!

  

  

:: all images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Truth

                                     

 

 
                               

                              

                              

Image sources: Buy Canadian First member Brookside Foods

 

 

 

 

Official website: Springwater Woodcraft

"For everything there is a season". I always knew that it was cheaper to buy fruit and vegetable in season, but never really considered that this concept might carry over into other categories.

Did you know that every type of shopping has seasons? It's true! Finding this out has changed how I shop, forever! Knowing when the sales are coming, on the items that I use all the time and will need to replace, has actually made me a better shopper! (Knowledge is power!) Realizing that the same sales happen at the same time every year has made me a more savvy shopper and helped me saved alot of money!

                          Organically Hatched

I found a fascinating article , by Sheyna Steiner for Bankrate.com, explaining why certain times of the year are better than others, to buy certain items. For the most part, best prices are found when retailers are trying to clear out last year's style for this year's new styles. So, if you aren't married to the idea of having THE VERY LATEST THING, you can save a heck of a lot of money!

 

Air conditioners: Winter

Big appliances: September and October

Bicycles and outdoor gear: January

Boats: January, February and March

Cars: September

Cell phones: any time

Computers: July and August

Cookware: April and May; October and November

Furniture: January and July

Gas grills: Winter

Jewellery: Avoid the holidays, especially Valentine's Day and Mother's Day!

Linens and bedding: January

Mattresses: Always

Real estate: Spring

Recreational vehicles: Fall and Winter

Toys: October and November

TVs and home theaters: Winter holiday sales and January

Vacuum cleaners: April and May

Weddings: Winter

                                      Guru

Armed with this list, and the local flyers, you will be the most informed shopper in town! Do you already shop by the Sale Seasons or is your shopping more hit and miss?

Image sources: Buy Canadian First members

Official website: Essentia

When was the last time that you bought a new mattress?

It's the perfect time of the year to spotlight this Buy Canadian First Member ! There's nothing like a Canadian Winter to dry the skin and nothing like goat's milk to nourish and soften it.  You won't have any trouble finding Caprina products as customers insist on them!

In conjunction with the 10 year anniversary of Canus Goat’s Milk Products, the brand has revamped its name to Caprina.  The meaning of the name Caprina pertains to goats, (think Capricorn) who are a symbol of practical wisdom and diligence.

                              The Caprina Show

Caprina is not only the new name of their brand, but is in fact, the fresh, new face of Canus and the sassiest “Goat-ess” around! This charming spokes-goat has debuted her very own talk show on the Caprina website! I watched an episode and laughed my head off! Caprina assures us  that their  faithful customers need not worry: only the name has been revamped. The products remain the same high quality that customers  have come to expect! 

                              Fresh Goat's Milk Lip Balm 

While some brands choose to use processed and/or powdered goat’s milk, Caprina prides itself on its unique use of fresh goat’s milk. Using fresh goat’s milk ensures that more of its therapeutic properties are effectively maintained. Goat’s milk is composed of smaller molecules, which are more easily absorbed by the skin. Who knew?

                         Fresh Goat's Milk Soap 

In addition to balancing the PH level of the skin, this buttery milk also contains high concentrations of caprylic acid, which promotes the absorption of emollients—a substance that helps to enhance the suppleness of your skin. The goats that generously provide their milk to Caprina products are raised in humane, hormone-free, and eco-friendly conditions. Happy goats, happy milk, happy skin!

 

The head office of Canus Goat’s Milk Products is located in Montreal, Quebec and they have offices based in Vermont, USA and Luxembourg. Their products range from a soap bar, liquid hand soap, body wash and foaming milk bath, to body butter, body lotion, and lip balm. Caprina by Canus and Lil Goat’s Milk Products are available across Canada at all major drug, pharmacy, mass merchandiser, and grocery stores. You can find them on Facebook, too!

Couldn't your skin use a drink of fresh goat's milk right about now?

Hi. My name is Greta Walsh and I am part of the the Buy Canadian First behind-the-scene team. This week however, I found myself in front of the camera for a very exciting experience: presenting Made-in-Canada gift ideas for the whole family on CityTV's Breakfast Televison show in Winnipeg! 

My Air Canada flight was smooth and enjoyable. Once I landed, I was off to The Inn at the Forks for a good night’s sleep before my busy morning at CityTV studio for the BT Winnipeg show.

The Front Desk at The Inn at the Forks treated me as if I’d stayed there hundreds of times before and were well prepared for all the boxes that were shipped there before my arrival. They greeted me with smiles and made my stay very relaxing.

First thing in the morning I travelled to the CityTV studio for the segments which are always done live (no pressure...)!  Everyone at the studio was pleasant and welcoming. A special thanks goes out to Evan for being my rock and letting me stand on his toes in order for me not to miss a step!

The first segment was about Canadian-made Christmas gifts for your kids, stocking stuffers and the perfect gift for your pets!

You can watch the first segment here.

Here are the companies we featured on the 1st segment:

Bloco Toys, from Quebec

Picquic Tools, from Ontario & B.C.

Oven-Baked Tradition, from Quebec

While I was setting up the second segment, which was "Canadian-made Christmas gifts for him and her", everyone on set was in awe of the Ravi Solution, as they had never seen anything like it. An instant wine chiller: Christmas was suddenly all around us!

You can watch the second segment here. 

Here are the companies we featured on the second segment:

Closson Chase wines, from Ontario

Ravi Solution, From Quebec

Earth to Body, from Quebec

Opalescence Jewelry, from Alberta

I loved the experience and look forward to doing it again!

Greta

Images courtesy of Inn at The Forks and  BuyCanadianFirst.ca

Yesterday the family went to Zellers to pick up one thing. My husband dropped us off at an entrance and then circled the parking lot for 20 minutes, hunting for a spot somewhere, anywhere. He ended up creating one of his own and made his way back to the store on foot, unimpressed, to say the least!

Inside, it was how I imagine it must be to run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain! Hundreds of people were pressing forward as one! My tiny mother and I were seperated by a sunami of shoppers, all targeting a huge box of blankets! Regularly $89.99, on sale for one hour only at $19.99! My gosh, the humanity!

Apparently spun from gold, everyone had to have one of these blankets, including my mom! I made my way, rather bravely, I thought,  into the melee, after planting Mom in a side aisle. Gaining access to the Big Box of Blankets was like trying to get toothpaste back into the tube! But, tossing aside personal boundaries, I managed to snag a precious, precious blanket! (After that experience, getting searched at the airport would be a breeze!)

The crowds, the lack of parking, the line-ups, the inappropriate fondling, the squishing ... it all makes for a somewhat unpleasant holiday shopping experience, one that must be repeated over and over until all the shopping is done. That is why, this year, I did all my personal Christmas shopping online!

If you have not done this yet, be prepared for a life changing experience! It is so easy and safe to shop online. There is even still time to do it and get your purchases for Christmas giving! Just be sure to check that it says they ship same or next day. You can have gifts wrapped and shipped directly to your recipient or have it sent to you to deliver in person.

Even if you don't have a credit card, you can shop using Paypal Canada. Paypal is making it easy to escape the mall this season! They are even offering personalised gift tags on their site,  for you to print out and use!

If your store of choice doesn't have the option of buying online, you can still save serious amounts of time by doing some informed browsing and comparative shopping on their site. Plus, many stores will provide coupons for you to print off and bring in as an incentive.

The best part for me when it comes to shopping on line is the ability to shop anywhere in Canada for the perfect gift! Venues like Etsy and Artfire enable you to shop totally by location, making it even easier to buy Canadian first! Buy It Canada is another great site for online shoppers, with links for online Canadian shops in every province! They claim that Santa shops online here and I am tempted to believe them!

Canadian Living magazine has put together some great tips that will keep you safe and smiling while shopping online. Be sure to check out their cautions and tips for a great shopping experience.

Armed with all this information, and your bedroom slippers, you are now ready to stay at home and go shopping! It's a Christmas miracle!

Do you shop online?

:: images courtesy Paypal Canada and Buy It Canada.

We're in the home stretch, folks! In just a few more days it will be Christmas. To some, it is the most wonderful time of the year. To others, it is, without a doubt, the most stressful time of the year!

Crowded stores, overspending, winter driving, choosing the right gift, making sure the turkey and stuffing are perfect, well, it all adds up. All the extra food and booze doesn't help, either. Many a late night can turn into an endlessly frustrating round of tossing and turning.

Our member, Simmons Canada Inc., has been helping people sleep better for over 120 years, because they know that nothing affects your quality of life more than the way you sleep! I found out on their website that there are three things a bedroom should be in order to promote good sleep - quiet, dark and cool.

Quiet
Fans or other noise generators near the bed can help mute sleep distractions. A cheaper alternative is to set the tuner of your FM radio between any two stations. The pseudo white noise you’ll hear will do wonders to mask unwanted sounds.

Light Level
Use room darkening shades or dark fabrics to reduce the amount of light leaking into the room. Eyeshades may also do the trick.

Temperature
65ºF is the ideal temperature for sleeping. A warm room or too many blankets can interrupt your sleep. (Source: Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind For Peak Performance).

As someone who shares a bed with two large dogs, a large husband and a tiny cat, I can testify to the truth that being too warm at night is not very restful! You can find out more about better sleep conditions and how to choose a mattress on their very well designed website, available in both French and English.

The two PDFs   available on choosing mattresses,  one for men and one for women, make a very helpful addition to the shopping process! 

Since 1891, Simmons Canada Inc. has been manufacturing and selling top-quality bedding products that utilize innovative technology to help Canadians get a good night’s sleep. Simmons takes pride in being a leading bedding manufacturer in Canada - a position they intend to keep.

Simmons brand-name products are major contributors to their sales increases, starting with the nationally-known brand names of Simmons mattresses - Beautyrest®, Beautyrest® NxG™, Beautyrest® Black™, DeepSleep® and ComforPedic™. Their mattress collections are complemented by the very famous Simmons Adjustable Bed Collection.

Simmons Canada has its corporate office in Mississauga, Ontario, with manufacturing facilities in Kirkland, Quebec, Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, B.C.

Do visions of sugar plums make it hard for you to get a good night's sleep at this time of the year?

Images courtesy of Simmons Canada

 

  

 

 

Official website:  Oven-Baked Tradition

:: images courtesy Oven-Baked Tradition

Once again, I've found another great Canadian company that just may solve some of your gift giving dilemmas this year! Award-winning Bloco Toys is a family owned and operated company, located in Montreal,  that invents, designs and manufactures high quality original construction toys under the Bloco™ trademark. I had no idea how many home grown toy making companies there are in Canada! Bloco Toys is committed to providing highly original, high quality and really entertaining toys, that demonstrate their Canadian craftmanship and innovation.

These toys combine all the pleasure of building blocks with the solving satisfaction of a puzzle. Constructed of brightly coloured foam and plastic, the toys are functional, educational and fun!

My husband was a building block maniac when he was a child! He would spend hours building fantasy houses and spaceports, putting blocks together in various ways, trying different designs, totally focussed on what he was doing. He remembers his little grey blocks with much fond nostalgia! Some of them are still around! As a parent, having toys like this for your children to play with, seems like a perfectly win-win situation! My husband turned out really well!

Bloco's  excellent, fully bilingual website is full of information about the products and the company, including explanations of their many awards. These Bloco™ construction toys are manufactured from a one of a kind patented concept, useing high density, uniquely shaped foam, with specialized plastic connectors. Pieces link together and rotate at any angle. You can create flat models like snakes or stack the pieces to create fantastic 3D creatures like dragons and lions. Your child can follow the design or make a creature from his imagination! Like any good building toy, sets can be combined!

You can find these great, Canadian made toys online and in Canada and the States, at Chapters-Indigo stores and Barnes and Noble, among others. 

Is this the type of toy you would give as a gift?

:: images courtesy of Bloco Toys.

Toys made in Canada

 

  

 

 

You can find these great puzzles and games in department and toy stores, and near you, by entering your postal code into their handy location search engine. With the holiday gift giving season rapidly approaching, why not think about giving games this year .... or having them available to play when relatives and friends stop by?

Please visit their website:  Editions Gladius International Inc.

:: images courtesy of    Editions Gladius International Inc.

Writing these Member Spotlights is really opening my eyes to the many unique companies we have here in Canada, and in the Buy Canadian First catalogue! Chariot Carriers Inc. is one of them, and I was pleased to see that they are sold at a local sporting goods store, here in Peterborough, as well as all across Canada.

I see Chariot Carriers all the time, because many Peterborough parents are keen on making the most of the outdoors in our fabulous city in the beautiful Kawarthas! Bike trails crisscross the city, with some found right beside the Otonabee River, making for spectacular bike rides. Lots of people here are students and walk or ride to Trent Universty or Fleming College. The Ministry of Natural Resources, in the heart of downtown, has many employees who like to travel green with their kids. We have many joggers, bicyclists, hikers and walkers in this town!

Chariot Carriers are especially good for all four seasons here in Canada and won't be beat by snow, slush or rain! As a privately-held, family-run business, whose members love outdoor, family activities and being fit and healthy, they bring this awareness to the design and manufacturing of all their products!

You can tell just by looking at the carriers that they are well-made and durable and really, really cool! What a great way to get around with your kids, keep fit and not have to hire a baby sitter!

 

 

L’automne est définitivement parmi nous.  Plusieurs d’entre vous êtes plus ou moins heureux de voir cette saison se montrer le bout du nez, et certains d’entre vous êtes plutôt comme moi et êtes presque jouissifs de vivre pleinement cette superbe saison et de profiter de ce que ces courtes semaines ont à nous offrir!

Le mois d’octobre est un mois rempli d’événements et d’activités à faire pour accueillir l’automne en beauté.  Un des plus importants événements selon moi est le fait qu’octobre soit le mois de la sensibilisation au cancer du sein.  Cette cause me tient fort à coeur car ma mère ainsi que ma grand-mère ont été atteintes.  Ma grand-mère a malheureusement dû se faire enlever un sein à cause de cette fâcheuse maladie, par contre ma mère heureusement s’en est bien sortie avec une chirurgie mineure et de la radiation. 

Aujourd’hui, 10 ans plus tard, je suis heureuse de savoir que ma mère a survécu et est maintenant complètement libre de cancer.  On peut tous aider à soutenir cette cause, et chaque geste, aussi petit soit-il, compte pour beaucoup.  Plusieurs marchands offrent des items que l’on peut acheter pour bénéficier la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein, comme par exemple Cashmere® qui fait la promotion du papier hygiénique rose. En plus, ce produit est fabriqué au Canada, donc une raison de plus de s’en procurer, car non seulement nous soutenons une bonne cause mais aussi l’économie Canadienne!

25¢ provenant de la vente d’articles de l’édition limitée de papier hygiénique Cashmere® rose seront remis à la Fondation canadienne du cancer du sein.

Cashmere® a également lancé un concours nommé Top création, Top cause Votez, qui est un concours où les internautes doivent voter pour leur design favori de la collection Blanc Cashmere 2010, qui est une collection de vêtements fabriqué entièrement à partir de papier hygiénique.  Non seulement Cashmere® contribuera $1.00 en votre nom à la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein, mais de plus, Cashmere contribuera 5 000$ à la Fondation au nom du designer qui aura reçu le plus grand nombre de vote.

Plusieurs autres marchands offrent des produits ‘roses’ faits au Canada tel que Bureau en Gros, et Foxy Originals.  Cette dernière est une compagnie qui fabrique des bijoux 100% canadiens, en plus d’offrir une collection de colliers fabriqués spécialement pour amasser des fonds pour aider à la sensibilisation au Cancer du sein.  Pour chaque collier de leur collection Pink Eco & Eden vendu, Foxy Originals fera un don de 5$ pour la sensibilisation à la cause. On peut dire que les canadiens sont non seulement fiers d’être canadien, mais aussi soucieux  de la société et des bonnes causes.

  
 
 
Donc, comme vous pouvez le constater, il est vraiment facile de contribuer à cette cause et de sensibiliser les gens.  Et ça ne s’arrête pas là, il n’y a pas que des marchands qui contribuent, mais nous pouvons tous le faire par plusieurs différents moyens.  Un de ces moyens est d’utiliser les médias sociaux, tel que Facebook. CIBC à pleinement exploiter ce dernier en lançant la page Facebook ‘Engagement communautaire CIBC’.  Cette page à pour but de sensibiliser les gens ainsi que de les encourager à soutenir différentes causes, dont celle de la Course à la vie CIBC au profit de la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein.  De plus, pour démontrer notre appui à la course à la vie, la page Facebook offre l’occasion de produire un cadre photo et y inscrire le nom de la personne pour qui vous courrez, télécharger sa photo puis la publier comme photo de profil.  Ce petit geste ne coûte rien, mais peut faire toute une différence dans la vie des personnes atteintes directement ou indirectement par le cancer du sein.

Pour ceux qui préfèrent contribuer directement à la cause, il est toujours possible de le faire en faisant un don à la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein.  Je vous encourage tous à donner à cette cause et d’offrir votre soutient car chaque don et chaque geste nous rapproche peu à peu à créer un avenir sans cancer du sein.

Et vous, que ferez-vous pour la cause?

Auteure: Annie Curran, Montreal

Fall has officially arrived and in Manitoba it brings cool, drab, rainy days. I found myself preparing for the onslaught of the upcoming cold by changing the colour of my computer room. It started as a cold forest green but after the fourth coat it will be a warm, firey orange. I hope all it needs is a fourth coat! I guess that I should have used primer, but I digress. I also plan to buy wood for the fireplace and lay out stacks of cozy comforters for use while crafting or watching the boob tube. These little luxuries during the long cold winter months seem more like necessities that keep your home looking and feeling warm and cosy! Of course these five fabulous members can keep your house looking great all year round!

The Contrast team has been manufacturing and suppling top quality lighting products to North America since 1989, and it's all made in Canada! They create  halogen recessed lighting fixtures, flush mounts, pendants, decorative glass lamp shades, wall sconces and other decorative articles, and Dinah, they are functional and gorgeous! The suspension and mounted lamps with their mouth blown-glass shades are simply to die for. For more information and to ogle, stop by their Buy Canadian First member page and website.

Nova Scotian Crystal was started over a decade ago by several Irish crystal makers. Saddened by the onslaught of machine-made crystal, they picked up their boot straps and headed to the Canadian east coast to preserve the integrity of their ancient craft and to become Canada's only mouth-blown and hand-cut crystal manufacturers. Should you ever be in the area, you are welcome to watch these crafters create and if you are not, well there is always You Tube. Finally I would love nothing more than to drink my Canadian lager in these beautiful tankards during hockey season. Please visit Nova Scotian Crystal at their member page and their website. 

In 1944, Russian born Abram Albert DeFehr started to make wooden furniture in the basement of his Winnipeg home. Several years later the first Palliser factory was moved to a refurbished chicken barn. Over 60 years later Palliser employs over 4000 people, funds a philanthropic organisation and builds value on values. All this and they make some great looking furniture, too, like the Venus sectional, which looks dreamy. Be sure to check out their member page and their website to locate a dealer near you.

With the short, cold days and the blustery, frigid nights, winter is truly made for one thing; sleeping and cuddling. Perhaps Simmons figured this out when they began back in 1891 making top quality bedding products. Today they still do the same and you can choose your softness, so I'll take one Beautyrest® Classic Comfort Top Wool with a pillow top in a king size, as we need room for the kids too. For more information check out the Simmons member page and website. Sweet dreams, Canada! 

Almost 20 years ago, Grant and Tricia Lloyd began a small shop in their home and now it is one of Ontario's most prominent solid wood furnishings & accents manufacturers. They are also an environmentally friendly company using only water-based finishes, green waste disposal techniques and wood from sustainably-managed forests in Canada and the US. Even though Springwater Woodcraft has a staff of over 20 employees and many retailers across Canada, they still hold the spirit of a family run business. I can't imagine anything better for my home as this gorgeous Cubby Bench at my front entrance. I imagine my little sprouts putting their mittens and scarves away in the cubbies. Please check their member page and website to view more beautiful pieces.

From hand crafted pieces to old time, factory giants, Canada certainly has it all! Who are your favourite Canadian manufacturers of products for the home?

CBC Radio just announced that we are in for record breaking temperatures this Autumn. It will be unusually warm, they tell me, as I hunt for the heavy sweater that I put somewhere last May. "Warm" is such a relative term, isn't it? On this wet, chilly and rainy day, all I can think about is how nice it would be to have a cheery fireplace to cosy up to! Our little, old brick Victorian is cold and damp much of the time, and my husband and I have been considering the logistics of installing a fireplace or stove in the small space that is available.

It's so convenient that I can browse the Buy Canadian First Catalogue  for members who sell what I'm looking for ... products that are made in Canada. That's how I discovered Napoleon® Fireplaces and their beautiful range of built-in and free-standing fireplaces.

And I mean beautiful! If you are a lover of design, you will be amazed at what Napoleon has to offer! We aren't talking potbelly, wood burning stoves, either, although I am quite sure you can get something along that line. My preferences, in spite of our Victorian, are modern, clean lines and cool, geeky technology, and Napoleon has those in spades...in their fireplaces! They even have an iPhone application if you want to design your own fireplace on the go! You can download it from iTunes! Very hip!

 

You can tell that Napoleon  works with customers to design features that include innovative, patented technology. It really shows! They've developed eco-friendly wood burning products, realistic, natural gas burning fireplaces and some of North America's most advanced state-of-the-art technology! And they made it all really cool!  I was expecting traditional, somewhat dull fireplaces, but Napoleon's fireplaces deserve the limelight for their style alone! Some of them are really spectacular, with gorgeous accents such as CRYSTALITES™ lights that accent from underneath the ember bed or CHRYSTALINE, which is glass, stones or coloured glass ember beds in black, blue, red or amber! These fireplaces look like works of art!

Napoleon® is an ISO9001 - 2000 registered company and operates with 500,000+ square feet of manufacturing space and over 400 employees. They are North America's largest privately owned manufacturer of quality wood and gas fireplaces, gourmet gas and charcoal grills, outdoor living products and waterfalls. Waterfalls? Awesome!

Did I mention that the CBC also predicts that this Winter will be much colder than last Winter?  What are you going to do to stay warm ... that you can share with us!?

Like a programmed robot, (the good kind, not the scary kind), my mind always turns to back-to-school supplies in September. New pens and pencils, pencil cases, markers, notebooks, binders.....the hairs on my arms raise in anticipation at the thought!

Although its disturbing to see Hallowe'en decorations out in August, the site of fresh office supplies, book bags and cool new gizmos always lifts my spirits! And hey, I still use "back-to-school" supplies, everyday, in one way or another. I bet you do, too! Several of our Buy Canadian First members make it easy and environmentally friendly to get great back-to-school stuff!

A Hilroy notebook sits on the arm of the couch next to me, acting as a rough journal for an online art class that I am taking. A Hilroy binder keeps my class print-outs neat and orderly. Hilroy, by the way, has a cool programme going on, geared at school children and teachers, called "Spread the Word" . It focuses on introducing important environmental issues and sustainable living. Parents and other interested people can participate as well, of course, and there are lots of things to print out and do with your family and friends.

Ecojot® is another company that has wonderful back-to-school supplies and is concerned with the environment. Their  beautiful range of Canadian made, 100% post-consumer recycled paper products are earth friendly and people friendly too!

• They use acid-free, processed chlorine-free paper & board.
• All inks & glues are vegetable-based, and bio-degradable.
• No new trees are used to make paper & the paper mill is powered by bio-gas harnessed from a nearby landfill.
• All protective packaging is corn-based.
• As much as possible, locally made, raw material is used.

Ecojot supports Evergreen and contributes a monthly portion of sales to this great cause.

 Here's a great pouch to keep your pencils in and get motivation from!  This pouch is produced in Canada by Cha Cha! It's made of vegetable tanned leather, then screen-printed by hand. Zippy and inspiring! I want to put my new markers in it!

Are back-to-school items just for the kids or do you get excited about them too?

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members.

Lee Valley & Veritas is a family-owned, Canadian business that has been serving users of woodworking and gardening tools since 1978. Their remarkable reputation is built on customer satisfaction, integrity and the fact that they treat customers like friends! Plus, their catalogues are truly inspiring and delightful!

The approach of Autumn is a great time to turn to Lee V alley. My husband and I think of them for the garden, the backyard, the kitchen and for general and specialized tools, books and innovations, especially things we can't locate anywhere else! For birthdays and gift-giving holidays, now is the time to turn to Lee Valley to find the perfect something for either the person who has everything, or for the person who will appreciate something completely out of the ordinary!

 Although we love receiving their catalogues in the mail, it is incredibly convenient that they now offer online versions of their woodworking, gardening, hardware and gift catalogs! The gifts can be explored by Category, Recipients or Price. I love the list of Recipients: Gardener, Woodworker, Chef, Children, Bookworm, Adventurous and Homeowner. On just the first page of Adventurous, I was tempted by the beautifully designed Plumb Bob with Case, the clever yet aesthetically pleasing Ant Moat and the rather ingenious Pop Bottle Tarp Clip. The Arts and Crafts section had me longing for the Michelangelo Paint Can Holder (seriously) and the Microwaveable Flower Presses!

Take a moment to browse their fascinating lines. Their Gift Catalogue alone will have you daydreaming of the amazed smiles and tears of joy on the faces of your unsuspecting loved ones.  

Approximately a third of Lee Valley's total sales volume are in products that they themselves have designed. Most of these are Veritas® brand products, made by Veritas Tools Inc., the manufacturing arm of Lee Valley. 

I've discovered that a number of customers are earning royalties on products that they have designed and that Lee Valley now manufactures! Obviously, they are very open to feedback and suggestions from their customers!

What are you most tempted by at Lee Valley? 

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First and Lee Valley.

Good health is very important, but something people often take for granted, until the unspeakable happens. Maintaining  your health is not only a benefit to yourself but also to your family. Simple things like regular check-ups, a balanced diet, excersise and eliminating stress can all help achieve wellness. Here are five fabulous Buy Canadian First members who can help us in our quest for better health.

St. Francis Herb Farm Quality - Conscientiously Achieved. It all  began as a cottage industry, founded by Jeremy and Monique Rivett-Carnac over twenty years ago. Jeremy and Monique learned the art of wildcrafting herbs in British Columbia and today they operate a modern state-of-the-art facility in the Upper Ottawa Valley of Eastern Ontario, having built a ground-breaking and thriving herbal business. St. Francis Herb Farm has always set a high premium on the excellence and quality of their products and were the first Canadian herbal company with products that are truly organic. Over the years they have developed over 200 products from tinctures to oils, salves, lotions, and creams. Be sure to check out their Buy Canadian First member page as well as their website, where you'll find more information about the company, health, their products and how to become involved.

Natunola Health Inc . Flax is nature's healthy wonder seed, known to help lower bad cholesterol, lower blood pressure, fight diabetes and more. Flax is a little powerhouse of goodness. In its natural state, this little seed is not digestible. When ground, the Omega rich oils are unstable and the ground flax will need to be refrigerated or it becomes rancid quickly. Natunola Health Inc., together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has developed a revolutionary, patented technology, to shell flax. It removes the brown flax shell from the inner yellow kernel allowing for maximum nutrition absorption as well as a much longer shelf life. Not only are Natulola's shelled flax products higher in Omega-3, protein, fibre and lignans, they are also completely natural, with no preservatives. These products are Kosher certified and free of gluten, GMO and trans fats. Please view Natunola's Buy Canadian First member page as well as their website where you can read more about the wonderful things they are doing.

Herbal One International Inc . - Weight Management Nutrition Centre - A proud Canadian company with your weight management in mind. A fabulous philosophy to get you out of the dreaded yo-yo dieting syndrome and into a sustainable lifestyle aimed at keeping you at your target weight. Herbal One products, in conjunction with healthy food portions as suggested by Canada's Food Guide, are designed to help curb appetite, speed up metabolism, aid digestion, increase energy levels, and alleviate anxiety normally associated with weight loss. Once your target weight is reached, you move to a nine week 'Stabilization Program' to ensure your weight remains the same and then on to the 'Maintenance Program', where you are weaned off the Herbal One products and taught lifestyle changes to ensure lifelong success. Please see their Buy Canadian First member page as well as their website for more information and testimonials.

Daryl's Hi-N-R-G Bars - It all started when the company founder, Daryl M. Hudec, created his recipe for a low glycemic snack or meal replacement. Low glycemic foods help avoid sugar spikes, which is something that usually occurs with refined  foods and sweeteners. These all-natural bars contain quality ingredients like blackberries, blueberries and granola and are sweetened with molasses or honey. Used as both a snack or a meal replacement, these bars will surely keep you on the go.  Daryl's Hi-N-R-G Bars Buy Canadian First member page has other great products and you can view testimonials from their website . 

El Peto Products Ltd - "The Gluten-Free Experts". El Peto has been dedicated to producing and providing gluten free food and baking materials since 1988.  They strive to provide those with Celiac Disease, Candida and various food allergies, not only superior products, but assistance with gluten-free baking and information on the gluten-free diet as a whole. Everything is created in their Canadian facility and they have recently set up a lab to test raw ingredients. To see more products and information, please visit their member page as well as El Peto's website. 

Our health is so precious and is worth caring for. What are your best ways of taking care of your health? Leave us a comment and let us know!

xo

All photos taken from our Buy Canadian First member pages.

My fellow Canucks, it's August and summer is still in high gear. Our skin and hair take quite a beating in our varied climates. The sun, swimming in fresh, salt or chlorinated waters, wind, dust, bugs, poison ivy and everything else, all contribute to us ending up burnt, itchy, breaking out and drying up. It's not pretty but we can fix that. Whether you are seeking lotions, oils, clay, tinctures and any other creams and potions, Canadian makers will not let us down. So keeping healthy summer skin and hair in mind, I have chosen a great summer collection of must haves from our fabulous Buy Canadian First members.

Water - It is so very important for the human body. Water regulates your temperature, carries nutrients throughout the body, removes toxins and does wonders for your skin. Your body uses up 250ml of water daily just by breathing, your blood is 83% water and you can only last up to a week without it, so drink water (beer doesn't count)! Hydrate your skin on the outside too with Moisture Hydration Fix Serum from Dermaglow that is for all skin types and will give your skin a more supple, radiant and youthful look when well hydrated. Dermaglow also has a fabulous promo for our readers!

The sun is essential for our existence, providing us with vitamin D, photosynthesis and a fabulous summer day. Too much sun gives us a sun burn, wrinkles and even cancer. It's easy to be sun safe and a good start are hats, like this Roots baseball cap , and some sunglasses that offer 100% UV block.  Your next line of defence is sunscreen: Heiko and Dermaglow offer products for both the face and body starting with spf 15 and up as well as a kids' formula . Wearing a minimum SPF 15 daily year round will not only protect your health but also your good looks. Remember infants under 6 months of age should neither wear sunscreen or be in direct sunlight. For more summer sun safety tips check out this Health Canada link.

Insects. Regardless of the latitudes we live in, we are still covered in mosquitoes, flies, ticks and other troublesome pests. In Canada, we have a vast selection of repellents to choose from including products from Muskol, a proud Canadian company since 1951, which contain Deet to Natural Insect Repellent and Bug Joose! Outdoor spray by Glengarry Farms, boasting catnip as the muscle behind them.  Bug Joose! by All Things Jill , from member Organically Hatched, also uses natural ingredients in their bug repellants.

Once the damage is done, though, it is time to soothe and restore. DermaMed Natural Healing Cream for baby and child will help with diaper rash, eczema, rashes and hives. Restoraction® Cream from member St. Francis Herb Farm is used to  sooth sore muscles and inflammation due to strains, sprains, bruises, contusions and wounds and also aids with the symptomatic relief of inflammatory processes including arthritis, fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, bursitis and tendonitis. Pure Aloe Vera Gel from Jamieson is a little wonder plant for both inside and outside the body. Keep on hand for use as a topical cream for sunburns and scrapes and as an internal remedy for stomach aches. Clay-neem by Earth to Body  is a tantalizing blend of french green clay, oatmeal and Neem powder that is rich is minerals and will soothe and cleanse your skin and hair.

This marvelous list is a fraction of the many wonderful skin care products, made in Canada. There is no agruing that the choices are seemingly endless in our pursuit to keep our selves healthy and beautiful.

What are you favourite summer skin care products? Do you have any homemade tips and tricks? Be sure to share your thoughts and comments. We love hearing from you!

xo

all photos taken from Buy Canadian First member pages.

Last year my husband and I re-did our small backyard in suburbia.  We only had a small space to work with, but we managed to get in a nice patio space and beautiful gardens.  We were able to keep the existing deck to house the BBQ.  We also put a small space in the back corner for a future vegetable garden. 

Most of the perennials were planted late last year, so we only had so long to enjoy their splendour.  When the early warmth showed up this spring, we waiting anxiously to see how our garden survived the winter.

The plants sprouted with gusto and colour soon arrived.  We bought some annuals and planters to hang around and some ready-to-plant vegetables for our little corner.  We've already reaped the reward of the first green onion.

I was a garden newbie until this year.  Typically, I can't even keep house plants.  But ours is now green and beautiful and has become the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast and coffee or to play with the kids.

It's still a work in progress though. We have intentions for more planters, maybe some trellis for morning glories to rise.  We already have a cute, little bird bath and a heron statue that is subtle but adds a really great feel to the space.  Since there is a lot of fencing, some fence 'art' would be really beautiful.  I love this piece from Terrassa:

And in our efforts to be green, eventually a logical step would be a rain barrel.  This one by Algreen not only has a planter on top but is available at Sears! 

 Of course, for more ideas next year I should subscribe to Canadian Gardening magazine.