Happy Mother’s Day to all the fabulous mothers who work tirelessly to raise children who will lead us all into a better tomorrow.

We want to say a special Happy Mother’s Day to Jonnie of Edmonton, Alberta who has won our Mother’s Day giveaway. Congratulations! There are some fabulous gifts coming your way courtesy of

Green Beaver

Undine

Everythingeco.ca

Thank you to everyone who entered. We do wish that you all receive lots of love and some great gifts too!

Summer is on it’s way!

With the recent warm weather seen across Canada, we can’t help but to think summer is on it’s way. Green Toys makes a wonderful assortment of toys that are made in the United States from recycled milk jugs. I love their toys because not only are they made of food grade plastic (BPA free, pthalate free, lead paint free) but also because they are made to last a long time. If you have seen any of their toys in person I am sure that you recognized that these toys are about as childproof as they come. Here are a few of their toys that make for great summer play.

Green Toys Tea Set
There is something magical about having an outdoor tea party. Set up a little picnic table or even toss a comfy blanket down on the grass, set out this solid tea set and let your little one’s imagination flow. This tea set includes 4 tea cups with plates, 4 spoons, teapot with lid and a sugar bowl with lid.

Green Toys Sand Play Set
While sand toys are a popular dollar store item they just don’t last and safety is a concern. If you have a sandbox or are a frequent visitor to a beach you’ll want to have a good sturdy sand set that will last year after year. The Green Toys Sand Play Sets are just that. They comes with a bucket, sandcastle mold, shovel and a rake.

Green Toys Recycling Truck
Another great pasttime is “driving” vehicles around the yard. Help your child learn the basics of recycling while having fun! This recycling truck has a moveable bed, and the rear door opens and shuts.

Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit
While your waiting for the weather to warm up a bit more, this indoor gardening kit is a great way to welcome a bit of summer indoors early. It comes with 3 planting pots, a trowel, and 3 packs of organic seeds (Teddybear Sunflower, Basil & Zinnia).

Victoria is founder of Friendly Fish, a small Canadian company that carries a variety of Green Toys and many other eco-friendly children’s products. This online store focuses on products made right here in North America.

Health Canada wants some changes in the way food manufacturers label their products. Obscure wording that does not tell the consumer what exactly a product contains has led to much confusion. The main focus right now is on food dyes. In some cases the manufacturers will still be able to use the generic term ‘colour’, but in most cases the colour has to be named.

Before the introduction of pre-packaged food, powdered mixes and sauces, there was no colour added to food. Our ancestors took the food right out of the garden and cooked it just the way nature intended. Why, then do we need all of these additives? Mostly it is for looks. If something doesn’t look good, it won’t sell. Meat is a good example of colour being added and not listed on the label. The natural colour of meat after aging is a greyish. Not red or pink.

This will turn the stomachs of many customers as they expect fresh meat to be reddish. Not too many city people have actually slaughtered or aged any animal meat.

Let your voice be heard. Health Canada is asking for all interested citizens to write or email their thoughts on the purposed changes to labels on food products. Find out more at Health Canada Proposal to Improve Food Colour Labelling Requirements

Health Canada has directly contacted various stakeholders by letter and invites comments from any interested citizen by May 3, 2010. Comments may be submitted by mail at the address shown below or by email at the following address: bcs-bipc@hc-sc.gc.ca. Please use the words “Food Colour Labelling” in the subject box.

Health Canada
Bureau of Chemical Safety
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
Tunney’s Pasture, PL: 2203B
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
bcs-bipc@hc-sc.gc.ca

This is just the first step. The next step is to tell people how this colour is created. Some labels simply state ’sunset yellow FCF’. What does that mean? You can find some answers at Health Canada; but it raises more questions than answers.

You may remember the explicit tapes of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Well, Pam has released a new video. Much more explicit. Much more disturbing. Pam is a proud member of PETA and in her fight against animal cruelty, she is taking on KFC. This under cover expose shows how the chickens are treated. It is a small clip, but it is sure to make your stomach turn.

Pigs and cows are treated just as badly. They are bigger, therefore can’t be tossed around as easily, but their short lives are just as miserable and their deaths, just as horrifying. The young are taken from their mothers at birth. No bonding, especially for cows because the milk designed for the calf, has to be sold to humans. The young are then quickly fed up to slaughter size. It is mostly roosters, steer and boars that get slaughtered, as the females need to be kept for reproductive purposes.

There is no natural reproduction. All the females are artificially inseminated. By the time the males are old enough, they are too deformed to reproduce naturally. This is especially true in chickens. The breast is the most expensive part of a chicken; as you saw in the video, the breasts are grown to unnatural sizes. The overly enlarged breast makes it physically impossible for a rooster to inseminate a hen.

Old hens, cows and sows cannot be sold as food for people, so they get sent to rendering farms. Here the animals are chopped up, some parts are used for dog and cat food, and other parts are used for cosmetics, deodorants, shampoos, soap, etc. This article, Animal Derivatives in Cosmetics, gives a small sample of how some of the animals parts are used. It is a well known fact that birth control pills are made from horse urine. The extra estrogen in the mare’s urine increases a woman’s estrogen levels enough to prevent the ovaries from dropping an egg.

You have to eat and you have to drink, that is true. However, you do not have to overuse or waste an abundant amount of water to do so.

From store to stovetop, here as some tips to help you feed yourself using as little water as possible.

o At the grocery store, opt for whole foods like vegetables and rice while avoiding processed foods like chips, pre-made meals and soft drinks. Besides being bad for you, they take a lot more water to producethan products that come straight from the farm.

o Also consider limiting your meat and dairy servings; the amount of water used to produce these is much greater than the amount used to grow vegetables or grains.

o Try to plan your meals ahead – That way, any food in need of defrosting can be thawed in the fridge instead of the sink, under bucket-loads of running water.

o Wash fruits and vegetables in the sink or large bowl of water. Here’s a homemade, eco-friendly cleaning recipe: add ¼ cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt to your water, let soak for a bit, then scrub with a vegetable brush.

o Boil your food in as little water as possible; you only need enough water to cover the pasta or potatoes, not to drown them. As an added bonus, less water means more flavour and nutrients.

o Another boiling option if you are steaming vegetables to accompany your starches: put your vegetable steamer on top of your rice or potatoes. You’ll also get twice as much done with half as many pots to clean!

o When all the boiling is done, use left over, cooled-down water to water your plants.

o A drink with dinner: keep a pitcher of ready-to-drink water in the fridge, eliminating the running of the tap each time you want a fresh glass. A great option (and eco-friendly alternative to those lousy water bottles) is a Brita pitcher, which retails for around $25.00. Terrific news: their filters are now recyclable!

They say, “Eat, drink, and be merry”. Now, with a few simple and painless changes to cooking and grocery shopping, you can say, eat, drink, be merry and environmentally friendly!

Spring is officially here! The days are longer and the sunshine will (let us hope) visit more often. However, if you need more reasons to ditch the couch and step outside for some fresh air, here are some fabulous toys that are, all at once, fun, eco-friendly, and food for the imagination.

Head to Toronto’s Inquisitive Kid where, for less than 20 dollars, you can buy one of their “bird call” boxes. Handcrafted from natural birch, the whistle makes an authentic bird sound that will delight beginners and experts alike. Choose from cuckoo, duck, bluebird, nightingale, little owl and owl hoot. Packaging is made from recycled materials.

At Cobble Hill, B.C.’s Natural Pod, you will find THE essential outdoor toy: the Cardboard Playhouse. Made of recycled cardboard, the playhouse arrives as a blank canvas ready to be decorated. It folds flat for storage and is suitable (with respect to height) for 18 months to 7 years.

Also available in the same collection are the Lemonade Stand and, for the more adventurous, the Cardboard Rocket.

Whether for the beach or their very own sandbox, kids will love the metal sand bucket and shovel set available at Hamilton, Ontario’s Baby Naturopathics. For a change of pace from the usual sand castles, pick up one of the accompanying metal sand moulds. Models include dolphin, elephant, clown, butterfly and teddy bear.

There are many wonderful choices at Abby Sprouts. Among the great finds on this Victoria, B.C.’s company site are some Sprig trucks made from recycled food grade plastic and reclaimed wood. Sturdy and tough, they would make another great addition to the sandbox but are as much fun for just “riding” around the yard. Available: Dump Truck, Front End Loader and Excavator. Not by Sprig but a terrific add-on to the fleet is Green Toys’ Recycling Truck. Made entirely of

recycled milk jugs, it has a movable recycling bed and open/shut rear door.

Another item by Green Toys sold at Abby Sprouts is the Gardening Kit. For ages 5 and up, it includes everything a budding environmentally friendly gardener needs to plant and grow a teddy bear sunflower, basil and zinnia.

Finally, what better way to celebrate lovely weather than with a picnic? Throw a blanket on the lawn and unleash your imagination with some adorable wool felt fixings. The stuffable Wool Felt Veggie Pita Play Set comes with pita pocket, lettuce leaf, tomatoes, slice of cheese and cucumbers. Also available for the picnic: the Fruit Play Set and the Perfect Sandwich Making Play Food Set. Delicious and hand washable.

You have all the tools and toys you need for a whole spring’s worth of outdoor fun. Only one question remains: what are you still doing indoors? Go… And have fun!

Second-hand stores – For some, they are the place to go for old designer duds and other great vintage finds and for others, an inexpensive way to pick-up “new” clothes. But as 20 billion pounds of used clothing and textile are ending up in landfills each year, they are increasingly becoming the poster children of ethical consumerism, battling overproduction and industrial waste one recycled t-shirt at a time.

Founded as Savers in 1954, Value Village (www.valuevillage.com) is one of Canada’s biggest chains, second-hand and non-second-hand combined. Big, bright and crammed wall-to-wall with everything needed to fill your home or closet, a trip to your local outlet can easily turn into a daylong outing. But hidden amongst the racks of clothing and shelves of books is the little-known fact that Value Village has contributed over $115 million dollars to non-profits and has prevented 280 million pounds of unsold merchandise from being dumped in landfills.

While most are aware of the charitable-nature and social consciousness behind Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, Value Village’s goodwill, if you will, remains undiscovered by many. They have more than 120 “non-profit alliances” in Canada, the U.S. and Australia, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Canadian Diabetes Association here at home. Items donated to these organizations (via pick-ups or designated drop-off boxes) are then sold to Value Village.

What follows is what Value Village calls its “Saver’s Cycle”:

- Customers get great value
- Natural resources are conserved, thanks to decreased energy and raw material consumption
- Excess waste is eliminated

In addition, unsold clothes are shipped to individuals in developing countries so that they may open their own markets, creating jobs, giving their customers great value, conserving natural resources, and so the cycle goes on…

No matter whether you are looking for that rare find, shopping on a budget, saving the planet, or simply marching to the beat of your own drummer… There is no wrong reason for buying second-hand, but there are a million right ones.

If you would like to donate, drop anything except TVs and monitors at any store.

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.