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I had a chance to go to one of the coolest places in Winnipeg Manitoba  today! I went to Arts Junktion ! Arts Junktion is a community-run, not-for-profit centre, distributing reusable items to artists, educators and the general public, free of charge. Local businesses and the public donate reusable items. Today, for my very first visit, I gathered buttons, seedpods and shells, tile sample boards for drawing tables, a box of figurines, fabric and two and a half meter cardboard tubes. I can't wait to see what new life the kids at the day care centre where I work bring to these reclaimed items. It seems fitting that I visited Arts Junktion this Earth Month.

Earth Day has been celebrated since 1969 and went global in 1990. In 2009, the United Nations made April 22nd International Mother Earth Day. I am sad to say that in my oblivion of work, schoolwork and busy young children, Earth Day almost slipped my mind this year. Fortunately, with the help of Earthday.ca , I can engage my family in Earth Day activities that we will strive to keep going year round. Earthday.ca is a resource for parents, students, children and teachers to learn and promote caring for our planet. The page that interested me right from the start is the ‘Take It Up for Earth Day' . It is a challenge, to all, to change only four things to minimize our impact on the Earth: eat, drink, care and move.

Eat - Prepare and eat plant-based meals at home. Did you know that livestock produces 18% of all greenhouse gases globally? That is more than global transportation! So walk away from that steak and try some rice from Buy Canadian First member, Shoal Lake Wild Rice . Pair it up with a legume and you'll have a complete protein!

 

Drink - Canadians are one of the highest users of water on the planet. Become water-wise and drink tap water.

Care - Think of all the products you use in one day to care for your body: shampoo, conditioner, cosmetics, creams, deodorants, hair gel... and the list continues. Try Buy Canadian First member Druide  and their "green" shampoo then try to substitute the rest of your cosmetics for greener ones. 

 Move - unplug yourself from the TV or computer and enjoy the outdoors.

What are you and your family doing for Earth Day?

image credits: Andrea, Buy Canadian First members Shoal Lake and Druide

Summer is here and it's time to think about Canadian made products to take care of your skin and hair. We purchased one of those pop-up type of three foot high pools for the boys to enjoy for the summer and I can always feel my skin tightening and getting itchy every time I step out of the chlorinated water.

I'm sure that, like me, you've already slathered on some sunscreen this season, maybe taken a dip in a chlorinated pool or sprayed a liberal amount of bug spray on to keep the little monsters at bay. I had a look at what really helps and what might really be doing more damage.

Sunscreen is important, very important, for the safety of our skin and health. Sun damage can lead to early aging, painful sunburns and worse, as we know. There's a Canadian company that makes a 100% natural sunscreen solution with organically grown ingredients - Buy Canadian First member Heiko.

Please remember, there is no such thing as a "safe" tan; always apply and re-apply sunscreen throughout the day on yourself and your family, even in cloudy conditions.

Chlorine can have a very negative cosmetic effect, robbing our skin and hair of moisture and elasticity, resulting in brittle hair and a less vibrant appearance. The best defense after hopping out of the pool is to rinse off with clear water and then moisturize your skin with products such as this Canadian made body lotion – Original Formula - Caprina, from Buy Canadian First member Canus.

Bug sprays, especially those containing DEET, already come with a whole list of warnings. DEET can act as an irritant and, in rare cases, it may cause skin reactions along with even worse toxic effects. There are natural and safe alternatives to keeping bugs at bay. Check out Canadian made Bug Joose! Outdoor Spray from Buy Canadian First member All Things Jill. Bug Joose! is made with a combination of pure essential oils (that bugs don't like) in a witch hazel base.

What are some ways you protect your skin and hair from damage during the Summer months?

by Stacey Kazmir

Around my place, bikes are the #1 form of transportation and sparkly new handlebar streamers are one of the first signs of Spring! (This year's colours are dark blue and silver). My bike helps me to take off what I call my ‘Winter fat'. You know, the fat that layered sweaters, coats and scarves have been hiding from the world for the past few months! My bike also keeps a smile on my face and gets me where I want to go, pronto! I'm very dependent on my bike and would be lost without it.

Women's Equipe cycling jersey made in Canada by Louis Garneau

A recent Canadian Health Measures Statistics Canada Survey reported the lowest Canadian fitness levels in recorded history. There's no excuse for that! Bike riding is such a fun, easy and affordable way to get some exercise on your own or with your family. It's entertainment and exercise in one shiny package! Learning how to maintain your bike is also fun and easy and you can find local bike workshops to attend or pick up maintenance tips on the internet.

With gas prices as high as they are, and no signs of relief in site, riding your bike to work is starting to look better and better to more people! Many communities are getting involved in Bike to Work week and even stretching out related activities all month. On Monday May 30, 2011, various cities across Ontario are coordinating events to celebrate Bike to Work Day.  It also marks the beginning of Toronto's Bike Month events.  These events are community-driven and take place City-wide through June.

You can browse upcoming events, or register your event online.

 Flare Bike made in Canada by Rocky Mountain Bicycles

CAN-BIKE is a program which offers cycling courses to young cyclists and adults, from the basics for those who cannot ride a bike, to more advanced courses. Can-Bike also offers Kids Can-Bike Camps.

Do you ride a bike?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Louis Garneau and Rocky Mountain Bicycles.

I have been reading the most fantastic book. The Practical Naturalist, by Chris Packham, available from DK Canada, instructs the reader on how to create a naturalist's kit, where to really find nature (hint: it starts in your own backyard!), and how to record it.

Since I will be starting a nature journal with my two three year old boys, we won't be breaking the bank on any special equipment. We will be using what we have at home and purchasing a few items to get us going. I love this Jumbo Journal from Ecojot and I think it would be perfect for a nature journal.

To get a closer look at nature you need a few basic items:

• recording tools such as notepads, pen and pencil, tape measure, container for samples, magnifying glass and a net if you'll be catching any insects
• appropriate clothing such as a hat, solid shoes or boots and a knapsack for your tools and gloves
• safety gear such as maps, a watch, a GPS device and first aid kit if you're heading deeper into nature
• camera, if possible, to ensure you don't miss any details (don't forget the camera bag)

This is a picture of what we've gathered for our naturalist's kit so far.

As suggested by The Practical Naturalist, the first place that the boys and I will start at is our own local habitat - we tend to forget that our own homes, yards and local parks are teeming with wildlife in every form. Around our home, there's  been a surprise house guest or two. We have been visited by spiders, flies, bees outside the door, birds right outside our window and even that tricky raccoon in the garbage can. Even a flower pot on the deck, such as these by DCN Plastics, are teeming with life.

 DCN Plastics - Flower Pots

In the park, you'll likely catch a few glimpses of squirrels, groundhogs, birds and water fowl. At night, owls can be heard, and possibly a fox rushing by and moths in the moonlight.

The best way to attract more wildlife to your local habitat is to make inviting spots - a bird bath for our bird friends, leaf piles and nesting boxes for small mammals, a brush pile for insects and maybe a frog or two, and flowers to interest bees, ladybugs and butterflies.

Composting is a really interesting project that can be done with the kids and recorded in their nature journals. First, pick up a Kitchen Compost Pail, such as those found at Lee Valley Tools, to collect organic household waste such as egg shells, coffee grounds and vegetable peels, for storing outside in a clear container. If you then layer the compost with sand and soil and add earthworms, you'll be able to monitor the earthworms burrowing into your compost, creating a tunnel system that adds oxygen and nutrients to the soil.

The boys and I have already started studying the birds at our feeder and looked at the different shapes and sizes in the flowers and vegetables we've sprouted from seeds earlier this month. We are all looking forward to continuing our nature journals.

Have you started a nature journal to study your local habitat?

by Stacey Kazmir

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Ecojot, DCN Plastics and my own photo of our naturalist's kit.

Every April 22nd, Canadians join over 1 billion people in over 175 countries, to celebrate Earth Day. This year marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day - honouring the planet and all living things that inhabit it. It was in 1990 that Canada first joined in the Earth Day celebrations which have grown into Earth Week and even Earth Month celebrations!

As a Mom of twin, 3 year old boys, this year I'm wondering how I can start promoting the idea of Earth Day at home. With the boys not attending school until the Fall, we don't have the school projects or colouring sheets that will be coming home to discuss, so I'm looking into what's going on in my community and what we can do at home.

One thing we already do at home is recycle - the boys love throwing the cans and bottles into the bins outside. But what we don't talk about is why we recycle or where it goes.

I found some fantastic Canadian made products on BuyCanadianFirst.ca that are made from recycled material, like this:

                                  Pencil Case

A pencil case made from recycled rubber.

               Recycled Plastic Bottles Lunch Bag

Both are perfect for school for the boys this coming fall. Something that they would really love to get their hands on is:

It would be great to explain to the boys that by separating and recycling our cans, bottles, glass and paper, we can reuse these items to create fantastic new products.

Another thing we started getting into last year and will focus more on this year is gardening - planting our own seeds and growing our own fruit and vegetables in our own backyard. Last year the boys LOVED digging in the garden, watering everything (until we practically had a pool out there..haha) and running outside everyday to check the growing strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and pumpkins we had.

I know there are clean-ups happening at the park and a festival happening in nearby London, Ontario, with tree planting, bird box building and more. I'll also be looking into events happening in our area. Check out the Earth Day Canada website to find events happening in your area.

How do you plan on bringing the celebration of Earth Day home?

by Stacey Kazmir

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Eco-Handbags, Recycled.ca, Sprig Toys

Canada Blooms is the largest flower and garden festival in the country. It is held for five days every Spring at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, in Toronto, Ontario. With six acres of gardens featured in full bloom, the venue offers more than 100,000 sq. feet of shopping, 200 plus hours of seminars, workshops and demonstrations by various experts, as well as a children's area.

We started a garden in our backyard last year and I didn't have much garden experience. This led me to just picking out what I thought was pretty at the garden centre or from cute pictures on the envelopes of seeds. What I ended up with was a mish-mash of a garden that didn't grow well, was growing at different times, with too tall plants in the front and too short ones in the back. I found out that what you need to make a beautiful garden is a theme that brings a flow to your garden in colour, growing pattern and blooming period.

This year's theme at Canada Blooms was "Rhythms". One of Canada Blooms' special features was the "JUNO Rocks!" gardens, created to honour the 40th anniversary of the JUNO Awards. Five selected JUNO Award nominees and winners collaborated with garden builders from Canada Blooms to make gardens that reflected each artist’s particular style and genre and their interpretation of the Rhythms theme.

  "Earth Tones" was another theme that everyone was talking about and was created by Parklane Ltd., last year's feature garden winner. Described as a tribute to Earth’s rhythmic beat, “Earth Tones” responds to the ambience of the native landscape. The Earth Tones theme consisted of a pine needle path on the floor, concrete and wood fibre cinderblocks and prefab wooden deck panels.

So, pick a theme and then check out the gardening tools and supplies available from Canadian Manufacturers. They have everything you need to get started in the backyard to create a beautiful garden space. This year I will plan a theme first and stick with it to blend colours, choose plant sizes and keep in mind the blooming period for the perfect garden.

What theme are you planning to use in your garden this year?

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members, Plawicki Seeds, Trail Blazer & Lee Valley Compost

by Stacey Kazmir

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image sources: Pure Anada, All Things Jill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 10 actions to reduce your impact on the environment:

1) Smart Shopping

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

2) Simple Savers

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

3) Transportation Alternatives

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

4) Food Choices

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

5) Washing and Drying

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

6) Heating and cooling

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

7) Close to Home

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

8) Bathroom Basics

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

9) Careful Cleaning

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

10) Don’t Discard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canadian Gardening Magazine , an all-Canadian publication! 

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

 Are you starting a garden this Spring?

Image sources: SpacingMontreal.ca, BuyCanadianFirst.ca

Buy Canadian First member LUSH Cosmetics is at it again: helping the planet and giving things away (check the end of the post)!

For years LUSH has been a leader in ethics and quality. They use the freshest of ingredients, they never test on animals or use products from vendors who test on animals. All handmade, 70% of all their products are 'naked', their catalogues are eco-friendly, they promote green living, support local communities and now LUSH will cut their palm oil use by at least half and eventually eliminate the ingredient all together from their product lines.

Palm plantations cover vast areas  Indonesia and Malaysia, places that was once covered in lush ancient rain forests. The burning of these forests add the the already serious global climate problems. Ingenious peoples have been forced from their lands and those who are working on the plantations are at the lowest level with little pay. This is also the last refuge of the orangutans and nearly 90% of their habitat is gone, bringing them to possible extinction in as little as 10 years! Read the details here.

What can we do?
LUSH is contacting 300 companies that use palm oil asking them to reformulate their recipes to eliminate the use of palm oil, in fact, if any of these companies decide to wash their hands of palm oil, LUSH will supply their headquarters with a year's supply of soap. We as consumers can do the same. Encourage your favourite manufacturers and retailers to cut their use of palm oil, contact your MP and tell them how you feel. WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) and LUSH have partnered together to create a Charity Pot to help the Orangutans, 100% of the retail price of the charity pot, less taxes, go to the organization. As a consumer you have the power just with your buying habits and opinions.

The giving away part
LUSH would like you to see how awesome their palm free soap is! Just leave us a comment about how fantabulistic Lush is and be put into a draw to win 2 of the bestselling LUSH palm free soaps!

We will accept comments as entries until December 22nd. Good luck and thank you LUSH Canada!

Image source: LUSH Cosmetics

Every Christmas it never ceases to amaze me the trash that accumulates in my home during the Christmas season. Large garbage bags filled to the gills with foil wrap, plastic do-dads and other non-recyclable materials. To think that this is occurring in every other home in my neighbourhood and province, is simply outrageous! In the United States from Thanksgiving through to New Years trash increases by 25%, I imagine it is much the same here in Canada. So before you run to the store to buy your wrapping paper, maybe it's time to spruce your gifts up with some of these green ideas.

Fabric Bags 
With a little time,  some left over fabric or some old Christmas inspired clothing and some needle and tread (or a sewing machine) you can make great fabric bags to wrap your gift in. Wrap up the top with a gorgeous fabric ribbon to complete a wonderful presentation. These can be saved and used year after year. If there is not one single crafty bone in your body then zip on over to Buy Canadian First Member Green Planet Parties and find several different kinds of festive reusable fabric gift bags. The great thing is all these festive bags are handmade by BC moms!

Newspaper
Yes newspaper inexpensive but not cheap! I prefer the comics for the fun colours and pictures and the stock pages for the continuous columns of tiny writing but any section will do.  Do not forget to add a bow on top, just follow these easy instructions from adele.com.

 

Children's Art
Do you have a growing stack of the most beautiful artwork and no more wall space to display them? Use these creation as gift wrap. Children's art is great for creating greeting cards and gift tags for the holiday season. Everyone will love it and the kids will feel great when the "oohs" and "aahs' start over the unique and special gift wrap.

Old Posters, Maps and More
If you are a browser of estate and rummage sales, thrift stores and yard sales you may come across old maps, blueprints, posters and patterns that can all be used as alternatives to traditional gift wrap. These papers can also be tailored to fit the giftee; maps for the travel buff, blueprints for the architect.

Furoshiki
Is a Japanese technique of wrapping items using only a piece of cloth, possibly dating as far back as the Nara Period of Japanese history. Furoshiki means 'bath spread' and was used to bundle ones clothes while at the public baths but eventually was used in everyday life from carrying items to wrapping up gifts. Your Furoshiki could begin as some fabric, a scarf or a beautiful decorative cloth that wraps yet another gift. Check out this great Video!

Wrap Gifts in Gifts
 This is a lot of fun and the ideas are endless. When you wrap a gift in a gift it is easier if you think up a theme; kitchen items wrapped up in place mats, tea towels or a table cloth, bedroom accessories all wrapped in a pillowcase, etc. Always be on the look out for creative ideas. 

Purposeful Bagging
We can all go to the dollar store and pick up some heavy paper reusable gifts bags but we can go a step father still and buy cloth market bags. Buy Canadian First member Betty Bags has several selection of market bags available like the Patsy Pocket and the Sally Shoppe. Member Everything Eco has some reusable produce bags that would make a beautiful wrap before it starts bringing the apples home, and a Tote Bag from Member Monster Factory.

Toppers
Complete your gift with equally sustainable alternatives. Use raffia with a cluster of gingerbread men, sprigs of pine branches, mistletoe and holly (be aware of plant toxicity for your pets) make a beautiful recyclable topper, a small handmade ornament, cinnamon sticks and bells.

Truly you are only limited to the scope of your imagination when it comes to wrapping a gift. So take a deep breath and let the ideas for a (nearly) garbage free holiday shine through.

Image sources: Green Planet Parties, Adele.com, Monster Factory