If you are living downtown Vancouver and happen to be in a building wired by Novus - a small internet/cable/phone provider - you might have received a call from Shaw offering you internet/cable/phone for $10.00 per month each with the first two months free. Regular price? Over $140.00 per month. A discount of $110 if you order all three!

If you happen to be a Shaw customer anywhere else in Canada, you are subsidizing these great rates. Shaw has stated that this is for any multi-dwelling unit in Vancouver (not just Novus customers) so if you are a Shaw customer, give them a call and get your $10.00/month Internet service. If you live anywhere else, call Shaw and let them know you do not want to subsidize customers who happen to live in multi-dwelling buildings in Vancouver.

What is Shaw doing? Novus claims that Shaw is underselling them to drive them out of business, an unethical business practice that forces the little guys out so that the big corporations have little or no competition.

Flashback to September 2003, when Shaw complained that Telus was offering high speed internet for the low price of $16.95 per month.  At the time, Jim Shaw, CEO of Shaw Communications was quoted as saying, “We’re in favour of fair and sustainable competition because we believe it is in the best interests of the consumer.”

He went on to say, “However, if these predatory pricing practices are permitted to continue it could significantly reduce competition in the Internet access market in Western Canada, that is not in the best interests of serving Internet customers.”

I agree. Offering a Internet for $10.00 is predatory pricing and could significantly reduce competition…which is not in the best interests of customers.

Go to 10buckstoo.com and find out what you can do to send a message to Shaw - and by extension other large corporations acting unethically - that this behaviour is unacceptable.

Links:

Website: http://www.10buckstoo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107302697894

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/10buckstoo

Now that we’re well into July, the seemingly eternal kids’ question ‘I’m bored, what can I do?’  seems to be gaining momentum.

Here are 5 surefire ways to keep them occupied - at least for a little while! They are traditional to-do’s, tried and true. Why not write them on little pieces of paper, place them in a jar and let the kids choose what the next activity will be?

1. Play Outside
The weather’s beautiful. You grab your hats, water bottles, insect repellent and head out for a walk in the great outdoors. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes into it - depending on their ages - up pops the ‘I’m tired/I’m bored of walking’ comments.

The Naturebag Eco-Activity Kit is a great little bag to take along on any outdoor adventure. It’s packed with loads of great activities to keep the kids engaged and includes a step-by-step guide for parents to lead them. It was created by two mompreneurs (one a former educator) with the aim of getting kids outside and exploring nature rather than watching tv/playing video games/sitting in front of the internet. It’s received a glowing endorsement from artist and naturalist, Robert Bateman.

2. Read
Find out if your local library has a summer reading club and join! Every library - definitely in BC and more than likely across the country - is offering a reading club for kids for the next two months, Summer Reading Club 2009 - Follow the Reader.

For preschoolers, there’s the Read-to-Me program where a record of books the preschooler shares is kept on a special card. You can drop in to the library for weekly stickers, stamps and reading suggestions.
For beginning readers to those in Grade 7, there’s the Summer Reading club where members are given a special registration package that includes a Reading Record. Kids are encouraged to report their readings, watch for special weekly programs and prizes. In September, certificates and medals are awarded.

3. Bake
It may take longer and it will definitely end up being messier, but baking with kids is a great way to engage them and you’ll have something yummy to show for it - usually.

Try banana bread, sugar cookies, in season blueberry/raspberry muffins, cupcakes (can’t get enough of those sprinkles) or granola bars. Sugar cookies are one of the most time consuming but - similar to playdough - kids love rolling the dough and cutting out the shapes, then either putting on sprinkles prior to baking or icing them once they’re baked. The more unusual the cutter shapes the better. This is a great set of natural cutter shapes - featuring a moon, butterfly, fish, toadstool and bird - or go for a gift set that includes a lovely wooden rolling pin too.

4. Create Art
Arts and crafts are always a hit and usually the messier, the more fun. Try modelling clay that simply requires a few days to air dry, then the kids can paint it or older ones can chisel/shape it as they wish.
Soy-based, pebble-shaped crayon rocks are great for developing the tripod grip that prepares children for writing, as are triangular coloured pencil crayons. Why not give them their own special sketchbook for Summer 2009 so they can create what essentially becomes a visual diary. Check out these super funky, recycled kids sketch books that are made in Canada.

Don’t forget face painting - a true source of hours of fun. We’ve found some great non-toxic, wooden face paint pencils from Germany that don’t require any water and they wash off easily, but not so easily that they disappear within minutes of being drawn on. And you can always focus on ‘tatooing’ hands and arms too!

5. Write Letters
Who doesn’t like receiving a real, honest-to-goodness letter in the post? Kids in particular absolutely love receiving something with their name on it. Encourage developing penpals, writing to cousins who live out of town and why not start a chain letter? A bit of work, but it has its rewards. We couldn’t believe how excited our daughter got when she received one for a sticker club last week. She wanted to write the letters and post them right then and there! She can’t wait to receive her 36 packets of stickers. Neither can we…

Here’s the text for the sticker club chain letter, it’s a good one to catch their interest because pretty much all kids love stickers.
_______________
Dear X

Welcome to the sticker club! Please send one packet of stickers to the person listed as Number 1. Move my name to the first spot and place your name in the second spot. Then send this letter to 6 of your friends.

If you cannot do this within 6 days, please let my mom know because it is not fair to those who participated. Within 2 weeks, you should receive 36 packets of stickers! It is lots of fun to see where all the stickers came from…and also nice to get some mail.

Good luck and thank you for joining the sticker club!

1. Name
Address

2. Name
Address
________________

Whatever activities you do with your kids this summer, remember it’s all about fun because a happy child = a happy parent!

Louise Campbell is co-founder of Vancouver-based online lifestyle boutique Lavish & Lime specializing in eco-friendly products for green living and giving. Find lots more ideas to kids busy in the Baby & Kids category at Lavish & Lime and join their email list for the chance to win a $100 eco shopping spree.

Choosing sunscreen isn’t easy. The number of brands – old and new - packing the shelves seems endless and researchers are constantly churning out new findings on what ingredients are deemed ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for our health.

Here are 8 tips to keep in mind for choosing a safe, effective sunscreen to protect your family this summer.

1. To get the most from your sunscreen, look for ‘broad spectrum protection’ meaning it protects against both UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and UVA rays, the leading cause of premature aging of the skin. All sunscreens protect against UVB rays, but only some protect against UVA.

2. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are minerals and sunscreens containing minerals are best, according to the National Geographic Green Guide. These two minerals reflect ultraviolet (UV) rays before they reach your skin, while other sunscreens use chemicals that absorb UV rays. Minerals also block both UVB and UVA rays. However, it’s worth noting that recent medical research has identified some concern around titanium dioxide.

3. You really want a sunscreen as chemical-free as possible. Avoid brands containing parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and benzyl-) as they can interfere with your hormonal systems and more. Other chemical ingredients to avoid include: benzophenone, oxybenzone and octinoxate. Chemical sunscreens don’t always protect against UVA rays. In fact, evidence shows that some - including those containing the chemical Avobenzone, or Parsol 1789 - can break down in sunlight in as little as half an hour. See the Green Guide for more ingredients to avoid.

4. Choose a sunscreen that is water resistant because let’s face it, even if you’re not near water, you’re more than likely going to sweat at least a little with the heat or while working out. Keep in mind that water resistant and waterproof are not the same. Waterproof is actually considered an incorrect term when applied to sunscreen products, says the Environmental Working Group, as no sunscreen product is completely waterproof.

5. If you’re swimming in the ocean, choose a biodegradable sunscreen with plant-based ingredients to avoid damaging coral and other marine life. Any doubts, check out this great article about sunscreen and coral from National Geographic that explains why.

6. Doctors recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of a minimum 15. Higher SPFs will give you more protection, but once you reach SPF 30, there isn’t a huge difference between products with higher SPF values. An SPF 50 product, for example, only blocks about 1.3% more UVB radiation than a SPF 30 product. When you start seeing 50, 70, 100 it seems the numbers are more about marketing than effectiveness. Keep in mind SPF is a measurement of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from UVB rays. It does not cover UVA rays.

7. Steer clear of products that combine bug spray and sunscreen. Bugs may not be a problem during the hours that UV exposure peaks plus sunscreen may need to be reapplied more frequently than bug spray, or vice versa. An even bigger concern is that sunscreens often contain penetration enhancers. According to the EWG, studies indicate that concurrent use of sunscreens and pesticides leads to increased skin adsorption of the pesticide.

8. Look for a sunscreen that is safe for adults, children, babies – the whole family. This saves you buying more than one bottle, which is in many cases non-recyclable.

Be sure to check out your current brand or any you’re considering on the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. It offers some good information and rates 400+ sunscreen products. The #1 brand is Soleo and it’s available online here. Interestingly, the traditional brands we all used growing up like Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic rate low on the database because of their ingredients.

Louise Campbell is co-founder of Vancouver-based online lifestyle boutique Lavish & Lime, specializing in eco-friendly products for green living and giving. Join their email list for a chance to win a $100 eco shopping spree.

I have been reading some articles at cbc online lately that has me thinking about how divisive the issues are around climate change, environmental stewardship, ethical consumerism or whatever you might like to call it.  First I read an article such as We’re not as green as we think, study finds or Canadian Consumers 2nd-worst in environmental impact survey and then I start to read the comments.  Soon enough, the conversation seems to turn into a region vs. region argument or a rural vs. urban war. I know that there are the anti-planet people out there who say there is no global warming so we should continue to rape the Earth of all resources and continue to spew toxins into the environment.

They lump everything together and then shove their heads in the sand. I expect this. What surprises me are the people who do want to make a difference who believe we all wear the same pair of shoes. If I live in the city and ride a bike to work then everyone in the world should do the same. Or if I live in the country and don’t have access to public transporation the province shouldn’t spend money on it even in centres of high population. Every one should live like me.

It seems to me that there are many shades of green and depending on where we live and what we do with our lives, we will have different options available to us and different challenges to overcome. The best comments are those that just tell our own stories individually or collectively: what challenges we face and our own two cents worth of solutions.  Here are some of my favourite comments that follow the above mentioned articles.

• I have a 50m garden hose on my roof which preheats the water going to an electric hot water heater.
• Use the natural wind or sunlight to dry up clothes in your backyard or balcony instead of an electric dryer. Ethical Consumer note: Unless you live in Kingston, Ontario where you would be breaking the law. Wouldn’t want to get you into trouble.
• I do not have a car, I recycle my brains out…and I ride my bike everywhere.
• Just took my parent’s house about 90% off the power grid with solar panels and storage batteries.
• We’re turning the water off while we brush or teeth…but flushing 14 litres a time. We’re switching off the lights of uninsulated rooms. We are drinking fair trade coffee and then eating more beef than any human in any other era in history.
• We use a push mower (easy, since it’s my son who does the lawn.)
• I walked to and from work in -30 or colder weather last winter just to see if it could be done. Well it can. I did it last year and will do it this year and many years to come. I like saving $8000.00 a year by not driving…. Winter clothes don’t come cheap though. It will cost you about $600.00 to get the right stuff but you will be warm and toasty in -40 weather.

These were a few of the interesting comments I read.  Even if I am not about to string a garden hose on my roof, it’s a great idea. So if you are like me and are interested in preserving our planet, ignore the naysayers and toss out your two cents and why it makes sense for someone walking in your green shoes.

There seems to be so much paper involved in a vacation. Brochures about the place I am going, tickets and passes, pamphlets in each tourist site and the list goes on. It seems each time I travel, but the end I feel responsible for at least one tree. I feel the same way at the end of trade shows and conferences as well.

Use electronic tickets whenever possible. Book and confirm reservations online. Jot down the confirmation number rather than printing out the entire confirmation email. Only print what you absolutely have to print. Look up information online rather than walking away from your travel agent with a binder of brochures for each possible destination. Ask your travel agent, how to access the same type of information online. Can s/he send you an email with links you can click on?

When you are seeing the sites, it is tempting to collect every brochure and pamphlet along the way with good intentions to read them all as you lounge about that evening. If we all left the pamphlets behind, there would be many more trees standing. Instead, grab a book from the library before you take off or when you get back. Reading about the places you visited once you return might even help prolong vacation relaxation.

Finally, when you are looking for post cards, ask the local tourist office if there are e-cards you can send with photos of the sites. Alternately, take you digital camera and upload the pictures (well, not all of the pictures you take.) to your favourite sharing site adding in comments and stories about them. Invite friends and family to logon and see how your day went.  Personally, I still love to tease my brother and what better way then daily pics and stories along with weather reports, while he sits in his office slugging it out behind the desk.

We’d love to hear your travel tips. Leave us a comment.

Enjoy your summer!