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A brand new year is just around the corner, and with a new year comes a new list of goals and resolutions that people make. It's a good time for starting over or trying something new.

But do people still follow resolutions? One of the most common that I see is to 'lose weight' or 'eat better'. Both are difficult to accomplish without some planning and support.

Personally, I decided to make a list of goals for myself this year (one of them includes learning how to cook rack of lamb!) and will try to accomplish those goals. 

One of my biggest goals is to be better at managing my time. Because really, my time is no longer my own - it primarily belongs to my children and their schedules. Finding a balance between them and the things I need to accomplish can be difficult, but I will work on it. I think I already am off to a good start - I now have a More Time Moms Family Organizer for the wall! It includes a monthly calendar with large spaces for writing and stickers to flag really important days (like show and tell which I really can't forget!)

There are a lot of great calendar options out there, including this one from Wyman publishing for your office:

I know that many people have a Blackberry to help them keep track of their time, I don't yet and I know some people are old fashioned and prefer to write notes done. For those of us who need to carry a small planner around in our purse or car, I like the prettiness of this small monthly planner:

Sometimes I not only need to remember dates but websites, thoughts, ideas or milestones with the kids. To do that, I have note pads lying all over the house, but mostly these notes are on scrap pieces of paper or sticky notes.  What I really need are pretty, neat looking notebooks like these ones from Ecojot:

Are you making any resolutions this year?  And better yet, do you think you can follow them?  How are you ensuring you keep yourself on track?

Image sources: BuyCanadianFirst.ca, Wyman Publishing

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.

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

Wellness and sleep are closely related. How have you been sleeping lately? Since you spend about one third of your life in bed, it's well worth considering what kind of mattress you (and your kids) sleep on every night. 

A good sleep is everyone's wish, but what about the stuff you breathe in all night? Did you know that most mattresses are made with toxic foams, glues and chemically treated fabrics that emit harmful VOCs? Not to mention that they are a breeding ground for dust mites and other allergens. That’s enough to keep you up at night, right?

We did a little digging and found a healthy, Canadian-made alternative: natural memory foam mattresses made in Montreal by Essentia. Using all-natural ingredients, Essentia has created the World's ONLY natural memory foam, which they use in their collection of mattresses and pillows.

Naturally dust mite and bed bug resistant, this hypoallergenic foam is made from the sap of the rubber tree, organic essential oils, natural plant extracts, and water. Unlike all other memory foams on the market (which are made with petrochemicals!), Essentia mattresses and pillows are breathable and will not leave you hot and sticky. And as far as comfort goes, experts agree that memory foam is best, as it contours the body and provides excellent custom-made support for a restful sleep.

Essentia has been featured on Dr. OZ, Anderson Live, Rachael Ray and the Dragon's Den.

You're probably wondering if you can afford an Essentia mattress. Well, we’ve got excellent news for you! The answer is YES!

We have partnered with Essentia to offer you their biggest sale this year, exclusive to Buy Canadian First readers like you: get 20% back in Essentia products with every mattress purchased.

This exclusive offer is available online, or in any of their retail locations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa. Just mention the promo code: Buy Canadian First

Choose among a wide selection of mattresses for the entire family, including your pooch! Add pillows, organic cotton sheets, mattress covers, etc. You will be well on your way to a healthy & restful sleep, made in Canada.

Good night...zzz

Last summer, I had a nice patio table and chair set out on the deck, however I was always longing for more of a lounge kind of sit.

Ramping it up a notch, a vision of something rustically unique came to mind. And so the pallet outdoor sofa was born.

The frame was built to accommodate a mattress found at the thrift store. From there, reclaimed cedar planks were used for the seat and random pallet boards for the back. To pretty things up, the mattress was covered in a painter’s drop cloth and random thrift store pillows offered all the comfort necessary.

Not only am I totally enjoying my new lounging area outdoors, this project also won a Canada-wide Upcycle 2011 challenge! How cool and unexpected was that?

Have you created any of your own outdoor furniture? What did you use or make?

Photos and design are courtesy of Funky Junk Interiors. Full tutorial HERE.

Nice to be back on the set of Canada AM!

And this time, our segment is a little different… well actually, I should say it’s different in a very BIG way! You see, this time we set-up an entire room to talk about Made-in-Canada: the All-Canadian Bedroom! We wanted to demonstrate how you could create an entire room with furnishings made in Canada.

You can watch the segment here. 

The centerpiece of every bedroom, of course, is the mattress. And the one we are featuring today is an amazing one, made in Quebec by Essentia. It’s the world’s ONLY natural memory foam mattress. All other memory foam mattresse out there are petroleum-based, which means they gives off loads of VOCs that you end up breathing all night long. Not this one. Made from the sap of the rubber tree, to which essential oils, plant extracts and water is added, Essentia mattresses are the ultimate in comfort & health. And yes, there’s even one for your pooch!

On such a healthy base, we just had to seek out the best organic cotton sheets we could find. And we found them at Dream Designs in Vancouver. They come is 16 beautiful colours and I’m so glad we had the turquoise ones to show today. How gorgeous are those!? Made in Canada for over 30 years, these sheets will make you forget all others. An investment worth making, for a good (and healthy) night’s sleep!

And to complete the natural & healthy theme, what better than an alpaca “duvet” handmade by Salem Alpacas in Ontario. Of course, it’s not a “duvet” in the traditional sense of the word, as no feathery friends were sacrificed for the use of their feathers. This one is made with alpaca fiber, a light, natural, renewable fiber sheared from the alpaca (similar to a lama) each Spring. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer, it is also naturally dust-mite resistant and hypo-allergenic. What's not to love about that!

The stylish & contemporary bedside tables and bureau are part of the Fynn collection, made in Quebec by South Shore Furniture. A third-generation family business, South Shore specializes in bedroom sets (master, kids, nursery) and home entertainment units made of particle board and MDF and using recycled fibres. All their collections meet and even exceed the ultra-low North-American formaldehyde emission levels required by the California Air Resource Board (CARB). Their furniture can be purchased pre-assembled in stores, or ready-to-assemble and delivered to your door. It has it all: style, function and affordability! Check out their brand new website to see their entire collection and lot's of great design tips!

 

And what about that gorgeous Othello upholstered chair made in Winnipeg by Palliser! Confortable, stylish and timeless. A beautiful houndstooth pattern in taupe, with solid dark wood legs. I love the fact that you can mix and match designs and coverings to create exactly the look you want. That's something you can never do with imports! 

And finally, last but definitely not least, how cool is that adult onesie from Strong & Free!? The ultimate sleepwear or loungewear, it’s made with care in Nova Scotia. And yes, it has a “bum-flap”! This is a Canadian premiere and marks the national launch of this awesome must-have. You can place an order here to reserve yours today!

So that’s the All-Canadian Bedroom! Pretty impressive, eh? Again, thanks so much to the entire Canada AM team and especially to Jenny who helped us set-up behind the scenes. You rock! See you again soon!

Happy Canada Day everyone!

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members above.

School is nearly done and Summer vacation is around the corner for Manitoba residents. I have to admit that I have it pretty easy, as my children attend the daycare centre year round, where I am employed, and I am also in charge of the Summer programming. So, we should have a lovely Summer with lots of activities, art and science projects, too. Some single parents are left shuffling their kids from day camps to time spent with relatives. While the camps and weeks at Nana's house are awesome, the costs and juggling of time can feel overwhelming. In the end, it is still Summer ... yes, we may have the same grind as we do the rest of the year, but the weather is beautiful, your kids have free time and life is fleeting. Here are some tips to make some great Summer memories.

Make a Summer calendar. I know you have to work a nine to five, pick up the kids, make dinner and prepare for the next day but make a Summer calendar anyway. Add a couple of extra outings throughout the week; like a family evening walk, a trip to the library, time at the park,  a night at the movies (either at a cinema, projected on the side of the house, or snuggled in your living room). Check out your community newspapers for upcoming events that may be free of charge or of little cost. You are more likely to keep and prepare for these events if you mark them down.

Keep your meals simple. Summer-time seems to be a time where light meals seem to be more appealing than heavy ones and frankly, who wants to spend all that time in a hot kitchen? Take a walk to your local market for some fresh veggies and baked bread then home again to get Buy Canadian First member True North Salmon  products on the barbeque. Here are some great twenty minute meal ideas that are on the lighter side from Canadian Living Magazine online.

Create a do-it-by-yourself list. Sometimes we need a little time to take care of things around the house. This type of list gives children the choice of available activities they can do by themselves, reducing conflict and boredom. Some possible activities are painting and drawing, watching a movie, reading a book, drawing on the sidewalk or blowing bubbles on the front lawn.

I know it's not easy juggling time and there never seems to be enough of it, ever. This Summer, after a whole term of school and homework, I know there is the time after a long day at work. If that means I have to catch up on a little house work later, so be it!  

As a single parent, what are some of your tips and tricks for Summer break?

Image credits: True North Salmon, Andrea Willowcat 

Do you dread rehanging up your clothes in a closet as much as I do? If so, do I ever have a treat for you today! One of my all time passions is working with Canadian-found pallet wood for two reasons. It’s price efficient (aka free!) AND... it’s oh so rustically beautiful. :)



  

Being that I’m not ‘fond’ of hanging up my clothes (that IS what the bed and floor are for, no?), I desired a wardrobe wall made out of pallet wood. Not only is it a cool feature wall, it’s been truly the answer to my... clothing covered floor. Here’s how I did it!

1. Find your reclaimed lumber of choice.

Old fence boards or  pallets or even new ones, if you so desire! Random boards will do for this design.

2. Sand the wood well, then screw it onto your wall.

Screwing into studs didn't prove to be necessary; it held well. I went for an old style slat and plaster look, so I prepainted the wall white, then purposely left gaps between the slats. Not many boards required cutting when staggered vertically.

3. Screw in a mish mash of things that hook.

For a playful take, don’t overlook random finds such as an upside down hanger. Can you tell I’m not a very serious decorator? :)

 Have fun with it!

4. Go to town and fill up that wall!

This has proven to be a most useful feature in my own bedroom, however it would also totally rock in a kid’s room or even bathroom. How about a front entry? Once you have your own wardrobe wall, you’ll WANT to hang up your clothes just for the fun of it. :)



So... what do you think? Crazy, cool or both? What changes do you think would happen with a wardrobe wall in your own home?

Please use reclaimed lumber at your own risk. Tips on using it safely can be found in my own article HERE.

Photos are courtesy of Funky Junk Interiors and the full tutorial can be found HERE.

I got my driver's licence on October 5, 2011. It took a few tries of being tested on the streets of Winnipeg, Manitoba  but I finally got it done. My son, on the other hand, passed his driver's test the year before me and took a few opportunities to point out this fact. I scoffed, but was actually so very proud of him.

We share the car, my son and I, but he drives it about 100% more than I do. He fills the tank, gets the oil changed and even had the brakes checked and repaired before I even knew there was a problem. But despite all this, I still have one complaint; the monstrous sub-woofer that fills my whole trunk! If I wanted to have a winter survival kit packed in a tote or crate from Buy Canadian First member Storex , I would have to place it between his sisters' car seats! The great thing about Storex storage containers is that they are PVC free, made from 25%-100% post consumer waste and are recyclable!

Our Oldsmobile is always in top shape. As I mentioned, my son keeps up the maintenance on it and he also keeps it very clean. Every time I use the car or we are out together, I can't help but notice how good it looks and how nice it smells. Which is why I am going to buy him a bottle of Buy Canadian First member Go Clean Waterless car wash . Each bottle holds 10 applications, saving 500 litres of water per application and 5000 per bottle. If that's not amazing enough, proceeds of each bottle go to the African Well Fund.  

One thing that does fit in the trunk are shopping and produce bags and we take them along everywhere, just in case we need bags for anything from sundries to pebble collections from walking across a gravel parking lot. While we have collected several cloth shopping bags along the way, our favourites are from Buy Canadian first member Credo bags . They have everything one would need from produce and bulk bags to market bags and canvas totes. They store perfectly in the iddy biddy spaces left in my trunk. 

I know that I may grumble and poke fun about my missing trunk but I also know that I am quite a lucky mom to have a brilliant son who takes care of our shared possession so diligently. In June, he will go away to school and I will reclaim my trunk and all the car privileges and duties. Sadly, it also means no more shopping trips to the superstore together, cranking the tunes along the way or the thumping of his sub woofer that I can hear two minutes before he arrives. So, until June, the subwoofer will remain in the trunk and I will pencil in my car time around his busy schedule and the whole while, I will be enjoying every moment.

Who takes care of the car in your family?

 image credits: Buy Canadian First members: Storex, Go Clean and Credo Bags