No matter how easy a job may seem, if you want to do it right you will need to put some effort into it. The same goes for painting. The secret lies in good preparation. Make sure that you work with quality tools, starting with paint, brushes and sealants. (Bad quality material will make your job far more difficult and the end result may not be up to your standards). Also, don’t forget to take your time, work at your own leisure and most importantly have patience and have fun!

TIP: If you are a novice, chose a smaller project, like a simple chair, desk or a stool. The simpler the lines, the greater chance at success.

Before

For your painting job you will need the following supplies:
• Painter’s tape
• Sand paper
• Tack cloth
• Primer
• Paint
• Paint tray
• Rollers and brushes
• Sealant
• (Patience)

Make sure that the surface is well prepped. Remove all the hardware and if you won’t be putting it back then fill all the holes with the wood filler. Remove any dirt, tape off the areas that you wish to protect, sand the piece, then sand it some more and prime if necessary.

Sandpaper comes in different grit designations – the lower the designation the coarser the paper. For most jobs using 120 grit paper will do, but for surfaces that were covered with several coats of paint I would resort to 100 or 80 grit. For more info on grit sizing click here.

Priming is optional, but if the surface is stained or if you want to achieve even finish throughout, I certainly recommend it. Before priming or painting, make sure that all the dust has been removed and that the surface is clean and smooth. The best way to ensure that the surface is clean is to use a tack cloth that you can find at your local hardware store.

Your surface is ready to receive the first coat of paint now. I usually put two coats of indoor latex paint, but if you think you need one more, go for it. You can use a small foam roller or a variety of brushes for your job. While rollers do a great job on larger surfaces, the brushes are excellent for cutting in all the corners and crevices. When purchasing brushes, talk to the sales people, describe your project and they will be able to give you a good advice.

TIP: In my experience, foam brushes tend to leave less brush marks and cause less drips then their “hairy” alternatives.

Between coats I sand the surface lightly with a 120 grit paper to make sure that the next coat of paint adheres better. Wait for the paint to dry completely before applying the sealant. If you are going for the distressed vintage look, use the sand paper to distress the surface in places where it would get most wear. I would not use a mechanical sander at this point as it does not allow for much control. After you have achieved the desired look, you can proceed with protecting the surface.

There is a variety of options out there of which I use the following two:
1. Clear water-based polyurethane finish – it dries quickly and provides good durability
2. Paste finishing wax – protects and adds lustre to any stained or finished wood surface (using wax finish will give your furniture a much softer look)

Once the top coat is dry, clean the surface once more with a lint free rag, remove all the tape and add hardware.

TIP: Wash your brushes, paint trays and rollers thoroughly after use. It will save you some $$ and a trip to the hardware store.

Et Voilà!, this concludes our furniture painting tutorial.

After

If you still believe that this is more than you are willing to cope with, give me a call or send me an email. I will be happy to help you with your next painting job.

I can be reached at: Jelena [!at] poppyseedliving.com or by phone at 416-704-5367.

I love books. Recently, I cleaned out my book shelf, spurred on by a move from one home to another home. How many books do I really need to keep? When I come across a book I want to read, I look for a copy at my local library. If they have it, I put it on hold and have them bring it to the nearest branch. I find it amazing what services our libraries offer these days. You should check out your local library if you haven’t gone in lately.

If it is a book that I will refer to time and time again, then I buy it. I can’t keep popping in to the library to look up facts or when I need a bit of inspiration. Some books just need to be purchased.

When I cleaned out my bookcase this summer, I gave away lots of the books. Some I just put outside on a sunny day and let people passing by browse and take what interested them. Some of them I donated to my local library.

Books for Exchange for textbooks that you need to buy or sell.

If a book is truly in such bad shape that it can’t be passed on or reused in some way, then take the cover off and recycle the paper. What you do with the cover will depend a lot on what it is made of.

Are you a magazine fan? If your magazine is available as an online subscription, then that is the best way to go. If not, when you are done with each issue, find a local doctor’s office, senior’s centre or other neighbourhood organization that would welcome magazine’s in their waiting room or library.

And finally, newspapers can also be read online and/or shared with others in the neighbourhood. Try to resist the each to pick up a free newspaper on your way to work, read an item or two on the way, and then dump it in the garbage when you arrive.

My eldest daughter walked into a thrift shop, walked out with a couple of dresses and a pair of red shoes, and transformed them into an amazing Dorothy costume for Halloween.  Then then transformed left over material into more incredibly creative projects. She doesn’t’ get her talent from me. She has, however, taught me that I should be taking my old clothes to my local thrift shop without worrying whether someone can use them. Just because I have no imagination or talent, doesn’t mean that no one will want them.

If it is work clothing that you have (cough, cough) ‘outgrown’ or preferably shrunk past, then look to see if there is a local organization that will accept them and then pass them on to someone facing a job interview without appropriate  apparel. Here are two programs that I am aware of.

Dress for Success for women

Working Gear for men - only in Vancouver at this time. Would love to know if there are more initiatives elsewhere in  Canada.

If you really, truly can’t imagine anyone getting any use out of your old clothing item, then consider using it for a cleaning rag. This saves running out and buying cleaning clothes, saves money, and puts old clothing to good use.  Another good use would be craft projects for kids. Large items such as sheets and towels could be made into a pet bed or donated to your local animal shelter.

Finally, check out the Canadian Textile Recycling Directory to find out where you can take the last of the last clothing items for recycling in Canada.

Zenn has announced that it will now focus on marketing its highway-capable drive system to the big car manufacturers. It will not be developing and manufacturing a highway capable electric vehicle as previously announced. See ZENN MOTOR COMPANY UPDATES BUSINESS STRATEGY for the full press release.

Although this is a great loss for Canada, I do understand their shift. The large oil industry dependent car manufacturers have been losing money and have received billions from the Canadian government. Zenn has also been losing money and has received nothing, zip, zero, from their government as bailout money.

After receiving billions, the large car manufacturers then received another recent windfall from the Ontario government in the form of consumer rebates. Zenn, an Ontario-based company, nothing. If you buy Zenn, don’t expect a rebate.

Zenn knows where the money is…lining the pockets of the big three.

I have heard the arguments.

1. Zenn only goes 40km/hour. Truth be told: it is capable of going a lot faster but had it’s speed capped by the government.

2. Zenn is too expensive. First off, price one for yourself - and do a price comparison with another efficient car - before you speak up. Then imagine how much they would cost with a few billion from government and consumer rebates.

3.Zenn was too slow to get government approval. It was the goverment that was too slow on approval. They only bent after the CBC did a story and public outcry followed.

4. Nobody wants to drive an electric car. Tell that to the thousands of people on Telsa’s waiting list who have already put down a deposit.

It seems that Canadian small business and innovation is being held back by its own government.  We need the Canadian government to take a long-term view economically and environmentally.

For more information, Wikipedia has an entry on Zenn.

Something about the spring makes us want to clear all that old, stagnant stuff right the heck out of our lives… but wait! Just because something is out of sight doesn’t mean it’s out of mind, especially to people like Happy Stan’s Jamie Kaminski, who takes the subject of “junk” pretty seriously. EC got to ask him a few questions, and luckily, he answered. He’s a pretty busy guy.

EC: Have you noticed a change in the number of businesses coming to you for assistance recycling office stuff they no longer need? If any, what do you think has prompted a shift in awareness?

Yes, I have noticed an increase in awareness. I think that it is word of mouth, and media that are behind the shift.

EC: What would you say are the most important items to dispose of properly and why?

Anything that is toxic to the environment, or depletes our natural resources. For example, mercury lamps, batteries, liquid waste, plastics, metal and fibre. If not disposed of properly we are simply stripping our lands and replacing it with toxic substances that will most certainly come back and bite us in the end.

EC: Happy Stan does some minor processing of materials for its downstream processors – can you explain a little about this process? Where items, or parts of items, end up?

We test, sort, separate, and package the materials that come through our warehouse into 50+ categories for recycling. Most of what we deal with once processed by us ends up going directly to a materials broker of some sort. Be it metal, fibre or plastic. If it is hazardous, such as batteries, it will go to a licensed facility for processing.

EC: Why should businesses invest in a service like Happy Stan’s?

We will take care of their waste! We have over 20 years of experience in the recycling industry, extensive knowledge of all kinds of materials and processes, and we have a large network of brokers and processors. We also have our own resource recycling facility where we sort, separate, dismantle, cut, bale, and package the materials that come through our facility. We separate our customers’ junk into 50+ different commodities so it can be recycled. Furthermore, we try to get as close to the processor as possible to make tracking easy. Some commodities we send direct to a processor or have a strong relationship with the processor.

EC: What do you think the government could do at a policy level to help Happy Stan’s cause?

Provide all recycling facilities with the opportunity to be part of each and every Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program available.

To green your own cleaning efforts at home or in your workplace, check out our brand spankin’ new Greencleaning Guide, just in time for spring! We might make some adjustments so please let us know if we missed anyone. Happy cleaning!

myfrog.ca, the newest, most innovative children’s gaming and learning site on the web needs your help.

myfrog is a creative new startup site where kids hang out around a virtual wetland, learn about frogs, play interactive environmental games, have fun, study nature and become good little stewards of the earth. Children and parents love it. Educators think it’s a brilliant new concept and an exciting way to entertain and educate children about the environment. Check it out at myfrog.ca and see how magical it is. It’s a Canadian site and worth saving.

We launched myfrog a few months ago to very good response but to be honest we started with too little money and now with the economic downturn, it’s catching up with us. We need more members right now to keep our exciting and innovative children’s environmental learning site going. So we’re having a wetland sale. We’re practically begging you to become a member so we can get the word out, save our virtual wetland and keep all those sweet little frogs croaking.

We don’t use advertising because we don’t want kids bombarded by ads while they play … we want kids to learn how to make small steps toward environmental change.

Wetland websites with all the features we offer don’t come cheap, but membership in our fascinating little wetland community does. To get more members and show kids and parents how much fun playing our wetland game is, we’re almost giving away memberships. For just $5.00 you get:

A     adopt and name your own frog
B     games to play and earn hollars
C     chat with other frogs
D     if you sign up a friend, we give you 100 hollars free!

That’s one family for a half year, playing, learning and helping to save the environment. You could hardly make a better investment for your kids. You could hardly find a better way to ensure a healthy environmental future.

So please adopt a frog right now for just $5.00 and find out how much fun it is. Become a member. It will save a virtual wetland, keep a good thing going and make a lot of kids and frogs happy. If you care about the environment, you have to care about efforts like ours to save it. A lot of things need saving now and we’re certainly one of them. For just $5.00 you can do it and a thousand frogs will thank you.

myfrog.ca is owned and operated by entrepreneur Lisa Doyle, a Canadian software designer and frog hugger.

After a bout with bronchitis and antibiotics that I could swear were meant for horses, we are back after a lengthy silence. Not one to take medication, I probably waited too long. Nevertheless, I am back on track and look forward to a nice glass of wine once the anitbiotics are done with. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ezra Cipes, Chief Operations Officer and son of the founder of Summerhill Pyramid Winery in B.C.  Ezra passed on an interesting video and while I wanted to share it, I also wanted to know more about Ezra and why he was inspired to pass it on. Grab a glass of organic wine, sit back and be inspired!

EC: Summerhill is Canada’s largest organic winery. Has Summerhill always been an organic winery or was there a shift in philosophy at some point?

Ezra: Our family moved onto the vineyard in 1987 when we emigrated to the Okanagan from New York. The whole point of the move was a return to a more holistic lifestyle with the land, so the organic conversion started pretty much right away. The real challenge in converting to organic methods is not feasibility or economics. It’s overcoming the mental limitations; the feeling that chemicals or whatever are needed to ‘control the situation’. Our wine cellar achieved certification in 2007 under our great winemaker Eric Von Krosigk. The winemaker that Eric replaced was convinced it was impossible to go organic because he relied on caustic soda to control rogue bacteria from spoiling the fermentation process. You want to know what the organic solution is? Steam and ozone and scrub brushes. We are now working towards Bio-dynamic status in our vineyards.

EC: You’ll have to tell us when you achieve bio-dynamic status. Summerhill Pyramid Winery is more than just a winery. Tell me about the Pyramid.

Ezra: Ah, the pyramid. The pyramid is the wine’s temple and sanctuary, and it’s a bit of a spiritual beacon for people as well. The rational explanation concerns sacred geometry and the harmony of space and time. There is no electricity in the pyramid, and there is no metal in the construction. It is aligned to true north, and the angles and dimensions are a precise scale replica of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. So what you have is a very beautiful, still, harmonious energy in the pyramid. You have to go in there to experience it, I can’t explain it. But all of the wine ages there before it is put on the market, and this is our final clarifying and resting stage of production while the wine recovers from bottle shock.

EC: I’ll have to try it myself. Sounds like THE PLACE for wine tasting. Here’s a picture for the curious.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

EC: Tell me, why should consumers choose organic wines?

Ezra:  You have to look at organics on a holistic level. It’s as much about the health of your body as it is about the health of our soils and our water. Concerning the larger environment, obviously the larger the organic market share grows, the less land will be maintained with petro-chemicals, and that is good for our drinking water, our oceans,  and maintaining the soils for the generations to come. Concerning the immediate environment of our bodies, there is new research that foods and grapes grown organically contain far more cancer fighting anti-oxidents. The hypothesis is that these compounds develop as the plant’s immune system works to live and resist disease and so on, and if you are constantly protecting the plants with herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides, as well as feeding it junk food with chemical fertilizers, these compounds will not develop in the eventual crop. (Never mind the systemic uptake of certain chemical products on the crop.)

EC: I recently discovered that I can drink organic wine after years of not drinking any wine. Instant hangover! Any ideas why I can only drink organic wines and other wine makes me feel quite ill even if I only drink 1/2 glass?

Ezra: A lot of people will tell you it’s sulphites, but sulphites only affect about 1% of the population, and they are in a lot of packaged foods, so it’s probably not that. (Some of our wines contain no sulphites, though.) A lot of people are affected by histamines, and those are mostly in red wines (ours too). So why does organic wine not give you the instant hangover that other wines do give? I don’t know, but a good percentage of our most loyal customers tell the same story.

EC: Thanks for passing the movie on to me. What struck you most when you first saw this movie?

Ezra: Well what struck me is that this is a document attempting to summon the political will for policy change regarding chemical food production, and I think that’s brilliant. As I said, economically it is feasible and I believe would be beneficial, and there is no shortage of scientific evidence making the case for organics. Of course there is always contrasting evidence funded by corporate interests and what have you, but come on! Scientific evidence can only get you so far. At some point people have to look inside themselves and ask themselves whether they believe the hype put forth by Monsanto and all the rest. Michael Pollan is a brilliant author on the subject, and he published an open letter to Barack Obama, but I don’t think the president took heed. A large scale change would take vision and chutzpah unmatched, and in the meantime we are going to have to content ourselves with the grassroots growing the organic market share every year in our own quiet way, and in turning on one consumer at a time, and touching their hearts. People balk at the extra cost of organics but I challenge the cynical perspective that sees the price of everything and the value of nothing.

http://nosenfantsnousaccuseront-lefilm.com/bande-annonce.html

EC: One final question. Since I have recently discovered that I can drink organic wine, could you suggest a couple of different wines that I should try. I am so new that you’ll have to help with what to pair them with as well.

Ezra: My favorite bottle that we make is called ‘Cipes Gabriel’. I can’t call it champagne, because champagne’s a place. but its the same thing only made in Canada. I would put the quality of this bottle up against French champagnes at twice the price and expect to come off favorably, and in fact we’ve won medals in France with this one. Drink it chilled at the beginning of an evening to get the vibe going, or pair with bread or starch to play off the earthy, yeasty notes, or salads to play off the acidity.
For a white, try our organic Gewurztraminer with sushi or curry. Gewurzt grows great in the Okanagan valley, with beautiful acidity that highlights the fruity notes and spice of the grape.
For a red try our Bio-dynamically grown Foch with the venison that your uncle brought home from the hunt, or pass it around the campfire and drink it straight from the bottle. Foch is hearty and rustic and should give you a wondrous rush of endorphins on your first sip. We don’t make much of it, and I drink most of it myself, so get it while you can.

EC: Thanks, Ezra.

I hope the movie touches you and inspires you to make change, including motivating your political representatives at all levels of government to lead the way for change. Next time you are sitting around the fire with friends drinking organic wine, toast to the health of our children.

Summerhill is B.C’s largest organic winery and vineyard. Ezra is the son of the owner/founder and the chief operations officer at the winery. He maintains a half acre organic veggie and herb garden that supplies their on site restaurant.

Gil Yaron, the “ecopreneur” behind earth-friendly online office supply shop Frogfile, shares some information about how businesses can make greener choices when it comes to paper, the ubiquitous office resource.

Offices are notorious for heavy paper consumption; the average office worker goes through a whopping 10,000 sheets of it in a single year. It is important for companies to make it known to their employees, and vice versa, that paper is not just an ever-present fixture, it’s a commodity that happens to be highly resource-intensive. Using paper more wisely, however, is only half the battle.

When asked about the easiest ways businesses can cut down on their paper consumption, Gil advises not printing reports, emails or other documents unless necessary and to incentivize staff or departments based on reduced consumption through contests or benefits.

Where socially responsible paper products available to Canadians are concerned, Gil tells EC, “There is no issue about ethical sourcing when it comes to papers manufactured in Canada and the US as far as I am aware, other than possibly unionization. Key criteria for consideration is source of fibre, percentage of post-consumer recycled content, processed chlorine-free or totally chlorine-free bleaching, location of mill in proximity to customer, certifications and third party verification of claims made regarding the paper, method of shipping the paper to market.”

Shipping remains a major contributor to the carbon footprint of various industries and is still an area that requires some serious innovation. Gil suggests that companies delivering paper can use biodiesel to reduce GHG emissions while businesses can consolidate their ordering to reduce the amount of deliveries being made. Frogfile has a number of programs in place to encourage customers to do this.

Where will Frogfile be in five years? Gil says, “I really have no idea. I imagine that when the market rebounds we will continue on an upward trajectory with great public interest in eco products generally. Many think we will remain a niche player, but I can only hope that our offerings will become mainstream.”

So do we!

Check out EC’s brand-spankin’-new EC Buying Guide: Paper to learn more about earth-conscious choices.

Looking for a yoga studio that honours the environment? This is part one of a two part article on how to create a green yoga practice, that was inspired by and written with Mojgan from Newport Yoga in Port Moody, B.C.

Energy Source/Lighting

Natural light is the best source, of course. If that is not possible, use low-watt energy saving light bulbs. When it comes to yoga though, candles not only add warmth and light the room, but they can also facilitate meditation; try using bees-wax soy rather than petroleum candles. Even though energy sources may not be under your control, if you can, weigh all the options before you make a decision.

Turn down, not off, the heat when the studio is not being used. No point in heating up an empty space. This will also save you money.

Flooring

When it comes to flooring there are many alternative options to hardwood, which are durable, and require less time and energy to clean and maintain. One option is cork – it is soft to the touch providing extra cushioning when you are on your knees allowing you to go deeper into your poses. It also doesn’t reach the low tempratures of other flooring options, so it is comfortable to walk on barefoot. Cork flooring is one of the most eco-friendly floorings available, as “the harvesting of cork is performed in 9 year cycles and all of the harvesting is done completely by hand, ensuring that the cork oak tree will be treated with the utmost care and for this reason the bark of the cork oak tree will grow back” according to Floor Build Direct as cited in brighthub.com.

Alternately, why not use renewable resources such as bamboo. Not only does it have hardwood qualities, but it also will add that zen feeling to your studio.

At the end of the day whether you go with the options above, linoleum, or hardwood, you can still contribute to an eco-friendly flooring by how you maintain and clean your studio space. Use non-toxic cleaners, and sweep instead of vacuuming.

Wall Coverings

Why not allow local artists to display their art on your wall? Not only will you be supporting your local artist community, but you’ll also provide interesting and maybe thought provoking ideas and images for your yogis to look at as they are working hard to keep that chair pose. Mojgan, from Newport Yoga finds it also helps during savasana because she have something to focus my mind on.

Newport Yoga Studio

Marketing/Advertising

There are still people who need a paper copy of your schedule and that’s fine. Just print a few at a time and replace them as necessary. Put your schedule on your website and put a note beside the paper schedule to let people know of the option before they take the paper copy. When a new schedule is being posted, email it to all the yogis who have attended in the past year (with an opt out, of course) and encourage them to use it or the one on your site rather than printing it out. If you can control the content of your home page, each morning put that day’s schedule up front and centre so people can quickly see what is happening today. This is also a great place to announce changes and may free up some phone time.

Advertise in non-paper based locations such as online communities and directories. Also implement a referral program. Even if you think you can’t afford it: re-evaluate. If the average clients spends $100.00 per month on yoga or $1200 over one year, and each clients stays an average of five years then each referral is worth $1200 * 5 or $6000.00. That should be worth a free month when one of your loyal yogis brings a friend who signs up for a year and will probably stay as a client for 5 years.

If you are using paper, make good paper choices such as 100% post consumer where possible. So long as you print as little as possible and use the best paper choice available, I say… Job well done!

Stay tuned for part II.

I’ll be totally honest. I used to really love Christmas when I was younger; the decorations, the food, certain toys that only came out of storage during the holidays…these things sealed the deal for me. And the hot pink sled I got one year - that was badass. Thanks Mom and Dad! Then came that one year in high-school when I somehow decided taking two retail jobs at the mall over the holidays was a good idea. It really wasn’t. Any remaining Christmas spirit got zapped out of me and by Boxing Day I was ready to denounce the whole Christmas thing forever. That’s why I was kind of shocked when out of nowhere this year I felt a little shimmer of that old excitement that used to come in anticipation of the approaching season. I just might rekindle some of that festive spirit this year, as miraculous as that sounds. As you’ve probably figured out by now I’m not one to join in the consumerist frenzy and start the shopping-til-I-drop in mid-August, or at all for that matter, but there is something special about picking out a few thoughtful gifts for the people who put up with your bologna year-round.

Melody and I have kept our eyes open for the cool present possibilities that align with Ethical Consumer’s beliefs and won’t trash the planet. By supporting conscious companies through your purchasing choices you’re contributing to a fundamental shift away from big companies selling generic stuff that will most likely end up in a landfill within a few years. Think quality over quantity! If you’re really into the whole artisan thing you can visit Buy Handmade and pledge you will only buy handmade this holiday season. Now that is something to make you merry! Keep an eye out for my next blog where I’ll be covering some fantastic Canadian designers who just might have what you need to fulfill your wishlist requirements.

We asked some of Ethical Consumer’s own business listings what they thought made the grade this holiday season so we want to share some of their suggestions.

ReTeez Inc., based out of Beaconsfield, Quebec, gives new hope to pre-loved T’s that are headed to meet a much less glamorous fortune. According to owner Hope Milner, by up-cycling the T’s people get rid of they are saved from getting shipped overseas or sent to landfills where bleaches and dyes can leech into the ground. As a gift, Milner suggests the ReTeez Tote Bag ($28), an affordable and eco-friendly choice for those who have places to go and people to see.

If you’re a bodycare junkie like me you’ll find Ria Holmgren from Seaflora’s pick to be quite appealing. And here you thought seaweed was only good for sushi! Seaflora’s signature Companion Wrap for Body contains six of the company’s most popular wild seaweed body products for all skin types packaged in a handcrafted Canadian maple wood tube. Seaflora has its own ocean garden off the coast of Vancouver Island and Diane Bernard, “The Seaweed Lady”, hand harvests her wild seaweeds to formulate products that contain 97% Canadian ingredients. Now that’s green! Pun intended.

Claudia of Calgary-based Claudia’s Choices, an online retailer of “envirosponsible” items, suggests The Original Magnetball as a versatile gift that at $19.99 won’t break the budget. The Magnetball is a magnetic water softening device that can be used in your washing machine or dishwasher and will cut the amount of detergent needed by half. According to Claudia, many people have hard water and compensate by using more detergent or even install an expensive water softening system, only adding more salts and/or chemicals to our freshwater systems. Hint: Notice how easily it would fit in a stocking! 

One of the best things about the holidays is being able to take afternoon naps, wouldn’t you agree? Let your loved ones cozy up this season with one of Greenbean Studio’s Eco Pillows. This Toronto-based company is nearing Mother Teresa-like levels of awesomeness with their exemplary business practices and contagious green gusto. Plastic from residential and commercial sectors are collected by Greenbean Studio and is then processed and blended to become fill for the Eco Pillows, making them hypo-allergenic for us sensitive types. Rock on! Ok, now it’s time to catch some zzz’s…. 

Karen of Thunder Bay’s Bare Organics Inc. has a great gift idea for heating up those long winter nights: The Bare Love Basket. This bundle of fun contains organic bath and body oil, an organic massage bar, an organic cleanser and a beeswax votive. Oooh la la! For the winter sport lovers in your life, The Green Beaver Company carries Après-Ski winter skin care products that will soothe your ski-bunny’s wind-battered skin.

The best gifts are those that come from the heart – oh my gosh, am I getting too cheesy!? More than a price tag or the latest trend, putting some thought and originality into a gift idea can be just as valuable as the gift itself. And remember: hugs and smiles are recession-proof.