Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

The very best part of my job is discovering awesome products made all across this beautiful land of ours. This week, I was blown away by Krumpers Solar Blinds, based in Ottawa and run by dynamo Diana Livshits.

Diana is passionate about her products, with good reasons. Krumpers Solar Blinds are the only 2-sided reversible blinds on the market: one side for the summer and one side for the winter. They help regulate the temperature inside your home all through the year; saving you money on heating and cooling by up to 40%. See how they work in this demo:

That demo says it all, doesn't it?!

Krumpers Solar Blinds act like sunglasses for your windows:

1) They reduce glare by 70-80%;

2) They stop more than 92% of UV rays;

3) They protect your furnishings and décor from fade.

Krumpers Solar Blinds act like insulation for your windows:

1) In the summer: they keep the heat outside, reducing heat transfer by up to 76%;

2) In the winter: they keep the heat inside, reducing heat loss by up to 45%.

Krumpers Solar Blinds are completely transparent:

1) They do not obstruct the outside view;

2) They do not add colour or texture to a room, so you can decorate as you wish;

3) They offer full privacy during the day: you cannot see through them into the house.

Krumpers Solar Blinds are made-to-measure and come in 3 different styles:

1) Roller blinds;

2) Vertical blinds;

3) Fix panels.

They are strong, durable and easy to clean with a damp wet cloth. And best of all, they will pay for themselves within a few years and will continue to save you money for years to come. Now that’s a true investment!

Check out their handy price calculator and read some awesome consumer reviews.

We are so excited to bring you a great offer from Krumpers Solar Blinds, exclusive to Buy Canadian First readers, followers and fans:

Get 10% off any blinds, from now until December 31st 2012!

Just mention "Buy Canadian First" when placing your order. Then sit back and watch your heating bills melt away!

Images courtesy of Krumpers Solar Blinds.

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 can't believe summer is almost over ALREADY! Wasn't it just yesterday that we were putting out the patio furniture and planting the vegetables in the garden?  And now we're working on getting the kids back to school. Crazy...

Thankfully, the late-summer weather is beautiful today and perfect for a Montreal-Ottawa-Montreal drive. I had the pleasure of doing 2 segments on /A\ Morning in the capital this morning: all about back-to-school, made in Canada! As usual, we drove up the night before so we could enjoy an evening in Ottawa. This time around, we stayed at the Canadian-owned Delta Hotel on Queen Street. While my husband and son headed out for dinner, I ordered room service and went over my notes for the next day's segments. The grilled veggie sandwich they brought up to my room was out of this world! Just enough Cambozola cheese, and lots' of great veggies. YUMMY! Next time you're in town, do yourself a favour and stop-by for one of those. I promise you will not be disappointed!

First segment:

 Watch it here.

In the first segment, we featured a really nifty new (to me) product: liquid vitamin D supplements made in Ontario by Ddrops Company. In recent years, after being told to stay out of the sun by the entire medical establishment, it now seems that many Canadians are suffering from Vitamin D deficiency! You see, vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. So now, we either stay in the sun to get the vitamin D (bad) or stay out of the sun and take supplements (good). If your family is like mine, no one likes to take "pills", even if they are just vitamins. But now, no need for that. Ddrops has created liquid supplements for the whole family, and a single drop each day is all that is required. Add it to the morning juice or coffee, and you're done for the day! No one even needs to know it's in there: the drops are odorless and tasteless. They are also preservative-free, sugar-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free, milk-free and peanut-free. LOVE THAT!

Next up are those great ice packs to keep our kids lunches fresh, cool & safe to eat. I love the Cryopak ice packs: super-durable, they come in many different sizes and colours, making it easy for everyone to keep track of their own! Also, they are very affordable and are sold in many dollar stores across the country. Buying Canadian on a budget: AWESOME! Manufactured by Montreal-based Cryopak for over 40 years, they are must-haves in my house.

And finally, eco-friendly school supplies made in Quebec by a truly green company: Storex. Since 1998, Storex has been manufacturing an ever-expanding line of PVC-free office and school supplies. PVC is often found in imported plastic items and has been linked to learning disabilities, cancers, etc. But none of that at Storex.  Want to hear something even better: all their products are recyclable! That's right, when you're done with them, simply pop them into your recycling bin and they will have a brand new life as something completely different...or as a new version of themselves! Because, guess what, their products are actually made from recycled material! The percentage of recycled material in each item varies from 25% to 100%, depending on the product. Bright, cheerful and colourful products that can even be personalized with your company, school or team logo. VERY COOL!

Second segment:

Watch it here. 

After a quick commercial break (during which my hair got all messed up and I had no idea the camera was rolling while I was trying to fix it...lol) , we were back with a truly sensational product line: I.C.E. tags (In Case of Emergency). They say the best products are always the simplest, and I agree with that. There is nothing simpler that these tags, and at the same time, they can truly be life-savers. Think about it, if something were to happen to you or a loved one, how would emergency personnel know who to contact? Um... good question. Ottawa-based  Gwen Staltari has the answer: personalized tags listing 2 names and phone numbers of people to contact In Case of Emergency. She has a complete (and still expanding) line of products to fit all needs: wallet cards, key rings, dog-tags (for humans, not dogs!) and my favourites: ones you attached to your helmet or loop your shoelaces through. Affordable, simple and invaluable: something every family member should have. Thanks for thinking about it Gwen, I'll be ordering a family-pack!

As usual, thanks to all the Buy Canadian First members who participated and a great big thank you to the amazing crew at /A\ Morning. See you soon!

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Ddrops Company, Cryopak, Storex and I.C.E. In Case of Emergency.

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

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.

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

Spring is my favourite time of the year,and after being cooped up all Winter, I am impatiently ready to give Spring a boost! It's still chilly and unpredictable here  in Southern Ontario, so I'm bringing Spring inside! Here are 5 foolproof ways to do just that!  

                Attitude Window and Mirror cleaner

1. Open a window! Then wash it!

Dang! The Spring Sun streaming in the windows is awesome but man, is that glass dirty! Nothing says "hello Spring" like the squeak of a newspaper on wet glass.  ATTITUDE® products are pushing the envelope for eco-responsibility by becoming the world’s first and only line of household products that are both eco-certified and carbon neutral. And made in Canada, of course!

                         Ottawa Tulip Festival

2. Buy tulips and daffodils at the supermarket!

There are a few mystery tulips and daffs in our little front yard, planted by squirrels. They aren't up yet, but our No Frills store sells a gorgeous little bunch of them for $4.00! Bulb plants like tulips and daffodils are so Springy and I am really happy that I can 'pick them' every week, either in the front yard or at the grocery store! Since April is Daffodil Month you shouldn't have any trouble finding some to purchase.

                         You Grow Girl! Chapters.Indigo.ca

3. Start some seeds!

You Grow Girl™ was launched by Canadian  Gayla Trail in February 2000 and has grown into a thriving online community that "speaks to a new kind of gardener, seeking to redefine the modern world relationship to plants. This contemporary, laid-back approach to organic gardening places equal importance on environmentalism, style, affordability, art, and humour." I have owned the book for years and love that it is about urban gardening, the kind that I do! Gayla's advice on seed starting and her list of helpful links is excellent.

                              Forced  Pussywillow

4. Force some flowers!

Did you know that you can force flowers to bloom? It sounds mean, but they don't seem to mind it! If you are too softhearted to force things, you can buy branches that are already blooming at your local greenhouses, garden shows and Chinese food grocery stores. Forsythia, pussy willows, lilac, serviceberry, indeed, any flowering branch will do the trick! Here is a simple how-to . Let me know if you try it! I have an eye on my lilac tree!

5. Make a Spring wreath!

Wreaths aren't just for Christmas, you know! I make one for each season. This super easy tutorial will show you how to make a gorgeous Spring wreath, using the pussywillow branches that you forced!

How do you bring Spring in at your house?

:: Pussywillow image courtesy of Steven Depolo, Wikimedia; Tulips,  Paul Shannon, Wikimedia, Pussywillow Wreath, PejNolen, Flickr. All other images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Chapters.Indigo, Attitude and Lee Valley.

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.

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