Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

 

 

 

 

   

 

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. 

May is always a nice month in Canada. Trees and bulbs are blooming, while we shed extra layers of clothing and dream of the summer ahead. And of course, May is the time to celebrate Mom in a special way with Mother’s Day!

We all know Moms are special. Personally, I never realized just how special my Mom was until I became a Mom myself. Being a Mom is an all-encompassing experience, one filled with both joy & pain, pride & disappointment, happiness & frustration. And of course, many sleepless nights. On this subject, I never forgot something funny my friend Tina’s Mom told me when I was pregnant: “I have not had a good night’s sleep since my children were born!”... and they were all adults! I laughed at the time, but I can sort of understand what she meant. The worry and concern are constant. Sorry, Mom...;-)

So if anyone deserves to be spoiled at least once a year, it is surely Mom! With the help of some awesome Canadian companies, we have put together a prize-pack filled with very special Canadian-made gifts fit for a Mother. What’s in it, you ask? A whole lot of awesomeness!

1) Gorgeous SIMS jewelry set made in Alberta. Includes Crystal Cluster Attachable Pendant, Plus Matching Earrings and 18" Sterling Silver Filled Necklace. (value: over $65)

(Warning: Attachable Pendants SIMS Style are addicting as they clip to any necklace, and come in every colour to modernize any necklace in a flick)

2) Treat Mom to a well-deserved youth-restoring lift with AgeOff Face & Body Nutrition and Ageoff Wrinkle-Reduction Serum, made in Ontario by Nuvocare. Mom will look radiant AND feel great! (value: $100)

3)  Whispy Raspberry classic handbag, made in Nova Scotia by the lovely ladies of Michique. Mom will no longer be able to go anywhere without someone commenting on how gorgeous your handbag is! Trust me, I know from experience! (value: $ 284)

4) A really sweet treat from New Brunswick' famous Ganong chocolate confectioners. An assortment of chocolates and candy, not necessarily what you see below, but guaranteed to please Mom! (value: $ 50)

5) "Give your Mom something she hasn't had since you came along... A good night's sleep!" These words are from the ladies at Ontario's enVy Pillow, the anti-aging/wellness pillow. A patented ergonomic pillow designed to keep the side and back sleeper in perfect spine and airway alignment off their face.(value: $200)

Check out this hilarious "Sorry Mom" video to find out why every Mom deserves a Good Night's Sleep!

6) Pamper Mom with all-natural skincare products made with love (and fresh goat's milk!) in PEI by The Great Canadian Soap Company. An assortment of sweet-smelling luxurious scrubs, balms, creams and soaps. Yummy! (value: over $ 60)

 7) Nothing beats a new fragrance for Spring! A Canadian classic made by Fragrance Dutal in Quebec: Kimono by Simon Chang. A beautiful gift set containg an Eau de Toilette, body lotion and shower/bath gel. Pampering at it's very best! (value: $ 104)

 8) An last but definitely not least: natural health products made in B.C. by Enzed Nutricorp. How awesome does this sound: Relax-Eze (soothing & calming formula), NITE-Eze (sleep inducing formula) and Anthocin, an immune-boosting formula to keep Mom healthy. (value: $ 100)

Total value: over $ 950.00 !!!

To enter the giveaway, do as many of the 3 following things as possible, as they each count for one entry. The more the merrier (and luckier)!

• Leave us a comment below telling us what you love the most about your Mom (Comments are moderated, so don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away!);

• Follow us on Twitter and mention the following: @BuyCndianFirst loves Moms #madeincanada;

• Like us on Facebook.

The giveaway ends on Saturday, May 12th at 5:00 PM ET. We will pick one name at random from all entries and the winner will be announced on Mother's Day, Sunday May 13th.

Good luck!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER: BRAD, FROM GUELPH, ON.

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members, as listed.

We're off to Toronto for another visit with Canada AM! Although I visit with them every morning through the magic of television (and now Twitter!), it’s always so awesome to be right there on-set!

In honour of Mother Earth, we are featuring some great Canadian-made products which are good for the environment. That’s a double-bonus in my books!

You can watch the segment here, and here’s a recap of what we were showing today:

Canned tuna & salmon from Raincoast Trading in B.C. A fourth-generation family-owned fishing business dedicated to sustainability in all they do: from fishing to processing and packaging. Truly outstanding products and company.

Environmentally-responsible gardening products from Green Earth (Premier Tech) in Ontario. Safe to use, they are formulated with ingredients derived from botanical, mineral and animal source. So now you can have a beautiful and healthy garden!

Natural laundry care & house hold cleaners from NatureClean in Ontario. A third-generation family business dedicated to healthier living every day. Sporting a new look this Spring, their products are good for people and for the planet!

Natural body care is what The Great Canadian Soap Company from PEI is all about. This unique company is farm-based and raises its own goats to supply the pure and natural goats milk which goes in many of their products. They welcome visitors, and that's a place I can't wait to go! Watch this video and you"ll understand why!  

And last but definitely not least: children’s playhouse and car made of recycled material from Cascades Boutique in Quebec. These adorable items are part of a larger line of fun cardboard playthings for kids but also for pets! And of course, they are fully recyclable!

Oh, and in case you’re curious, I’m wearing Lundstrom made in Toronto!

Thanks again to the entire Canada AM team, as well as to fellow-Montreal Todd Van Der Heyden! 

P.S. If you have not yet entered our Earth Day giveaway, hurry! Entries are accepted until Friday April 20th at 5:00 PM ET. Up for grabs is a gift pack full of Canadian-made eco-friendly products with a total value of over $550! The contest is here.

Good luck!

Images courtesy of CTV and Buy Canadian First members

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

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.

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.