Easy being green? Not really. But there is help.

With apologies to Kermit ­— and headline writers around the world  — I’ve never actually thought it was that easy being green. Living a low eco-impact lifestyle is full of challenges, questions and sometimes compromises. So I’m delighted to see that there’s a new website called Practically Green that offers information and inspiration for living more lightly on the planet. You can go there to do a survey that will tell you how green you currently are, and get  tips for amping up your eco quotient. Good greenies are rewarded with fun “badges”. There’s also a blog section, where you’ll find world-famous writers (like me, for example) offering suggestions on how to be eco-sensible in every area of the home. Do check it out.

 

Reading, relaxing and rosé-ing

Here’s what’s NOT on my to-do list this weekend. Cut the lawn, trim the shrubs, clean out the garage, or alphabetize the spice rack. Other than that, plans vaguely include a chaise, a bottle of rosé and a pile of books. Who knows – a gossip mag may actually find its way in there — given that Marlene Arpe had the nerve to take some time off her blog, which is one of my secret guilty pleasures. The other one is Coronation Street — guess they’re not secrets anymore.

Some of the titles I plow through may actually be instructive, although I’m handing off one of those that I read this week to my daughter. It’s called Must Have Been Something I Ate, and it’s written by Peggy Kotsopoulos, the pretty, perky resident nutritionist on CBC's Steven and Chris show.

The just-launched book  draws the connection between the food you eat and how you look and feel. Kotsopoulos promises that whether you’re feeling blue or bloated, bitchy or blemished, her tips can boost your health, while keeping muffin tops and man boobs at bay.   

The tone is light and funny (as opposed to preachy) and there’s a ton of good information. Occasionally, it veers toward the simplistic; proclaiming that excess sugar consumption can lead to alcoholism, for example, could do with more explanation. On the other hand, there’s a clear explanation of the role of insulin, good information on why we need and how our bodies use vitamins and minerals, along with explanations on why certain foods either aggravate or alleviate certain conditions.

Kotsopoulos plays the role of healthy food cheerleader well, encouraging folk to start by making small changes. Apparently, it works. Since picking up the book, I’ve chosen tofu over beef for dinner one evening, made a healthy quinoa salad, cooked with coconut milk and stuck (more or less) to my pledge to run every day (call me crazy, but I’m not going to run in the rain). So if  Kotsopoulos’ aim to is to get people thinking about shifting to healthier lifestyles one step at a time, she’s already made at least one convert. For this weekend I am, however, sticking to the books, the chaise and the rosé. Don't try and stop me.

Cheers to Mother Dear

 
 
What does Mom really want? Chez moi, it would be a chance to put my feet up for just an hour or two with a killer cocktail and the Sunday New York Times. Or a copy of The Enquirer - preferably the Cellulite Edition. Okay - maybe I'd need two cocktails to get all the way through the NYT. Here’s a  delish suggestion from Cocktail Deeva  Dee Brun, who also happens to be a very yummy mummy.

Mother’s Little Helper

 1 ounce Vodka

1 ounce pomegranate liqueur

1 ounce pink grapefruit juice

1 ounce pineapple juice

1/4 of a fresh orange 

Coarse sugar for rim

Rim the edge of a glass with the coarse sugar and fill with ice. Squeeze orange into a shaker full of ice. Add all other ingredients and shake well. Strain into glass. Garnish with a piece of fresh fruit.

Cocktail shakers in pic are from Pottery Barn

Need help with your green living cred?

As Earth Day approaches, attention once again turns to living a little more lightly on the planet. If you need fresh ideas on how to do that, visit the Green Living Show, which will run April 15 to 17 at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place.

In addition to over 400 exhibitors showcasing all things green ­ — from jewelry to cookware to furniture — scheduled events include a green business forum, youth conference, fashion show and appearances by journalists such as Evan Solomon and Emily Hunter.

Celebrity chefs will cook eco-delicious dishes, and visitors can taste local foods, wine and beer. Fresh, local and sustainable foods can also be purchased at a Farmers Marketplace. Hybrid, electric and fuel cell cars will be available for test drives, and there’s a programmed EcoKids Zone for the little people. A panel discussion on the prevalence of toxins in beauty products will also take place, led by Gill Deacon, author of There’s Lead in Your Lipstick. Musicians Sarah Harmer (whom I adore!) and Alyssa Reid will perform  in a live concert on Saturday at 6:45 p.m.    
  
On Sunday, April 17, feature speaker Tom Rand will offer a presentation called Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit, which is also the title of a book he wrote. Rand was a successful businessman who now focuses his energies (get it, energies?!) on carbon mitigation. The anti-carbon crusader is now active in raising venture capital for clean technologies and works with a number of clean energy companies and organizations.  (see pics above)

For décor-istas, there will be also lots of information about, and inspiration for, green renovation and design. Two exhibitors that I think are especially worth checking out are The Recycler, the nom de green of a former pig farmer who now makes whimsical furniture out of old bicycle parts and The Timeless Material Company   which offers wonderful salvaged and reclaimed building materials (see pics below).


 


 

Larger corporate exhibitors, such as American Standard , will also be there. Visit their booth and ask about their FloWise toilet, which saves about 25 per cent more water than conventional dual-flush toilets.  (I like the Tropic, a sleekly contemporary looking toilet that comes in white and biscuit.)

Admission to the Green Living Show is $12 for adults, $9 for seniors and students between 13 and 17. But Samsung Electronics Canada will provide free admission to anyone who brings e-waste to the event for recycling at their Canadian facility. For details visit the Green Living website. 

Sisters and brothers, sing Amen - Lady Spring has almost sprung.

 
 

 
One sure sign that spring is on its way? The arrival of the One of a Kind Show  which runs March 30 to April 3 at the Direct Energy Centre at  Exhibition Place. It’s where you’ll find beautiful, unique pieces for the home, such as the footstool by Foutu Tissu, fabrics by Frédérique Satre and lamps by Caroline Gamiette (all shown above). Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Adult tickets cost $12 at the door and $10 online, while seniors and youth between 12 and 17 $6.50. Kids 12 and under are free.

Colour me confident

 
 
 


This week’s Hot Home Products looks at the trend toward stronger colours in home décor. One of the easiest — and most affordable — ways to achieve this is, of course, with paint. As homeowners become more colour confident, many are also playing with it — using blocks of colours — to create an effect, or to define space.

If painting is on your to-do list this Spring, you might want to experiment with colour blocking. If you do, the folks from Sico (see top pic above) suggest that you first decide  what effect you want to achieve. In a small space, for example, a horizontal stripe, either on one wall or all four, creates the illusion of width. I also love the look of wide bands of colour, in a subtle palette, all the way up a wall (see pic above from Pittsburgh Paints).  A large block of colour can also provide focus for a favourite painting or piece of furniture.

Remember that curved lines create a more casual, fun look, whereas the sharp lines of squares and rectangles tend to suggest a more formal design. It’s a good idea to map out your design on a piece of paper before measuring and drawing it on the wall with a light pencil. Use painter’s tape (I like Scotch Painter’s Masking Tape ) for straight lines.  Use a paint brush rather than a roller - as you would for a stencil - and don’t overload your brush.

Pittsburgh Paints reminds us that the ceiling offers a great canvas for an extra touch of colour. So don’t always set the default to white. If your room seems too vault-like, add intimacy and warmth by “lowering” the ceiling with a hue that’s darker than the walls. If the ceiling’s too low, go lighter.

And if you have a room with sloped walls or dormers? I have to admit that in rooms like this, I’ve always painted them out in one colour, because I could never figure out where to switch out! A similar problem might apply if you live in an open concept space. Here, Pittsburgh suggests the technique of chiaroscuro, a palette made of a single color used in different hues. This will add visual interest and variety without chopping up your space.  

If words like chiaroscuro have you scatrching you head, or if you want to learn more about how colour affects the perception of space, check out this Color Theory primer.

Now, aren’t you dying to get painting? I know I am. In fact, I’m using three (!) new colours from Pittsburgh Paints for a hallway that desperately needs an update. Check back here soon for before and after pictures and tell me if I got it right!

Hitting the tiles in Vegas

 

 
LAS VEGAS - Just a quick report for you, dear reader, from my perch at Coverings, the huge (46,500 sq.-ft.) stone and tile trade show here in Sin City. Three things I've noted here so far. One is the huge effect the evolution of digital print and ink-jet technology is having on the world of flooring. I'm seeing durable, affordable porcelain made to look like everything from marble to scraped wood. (There's a green story there that I'll get to.)  Texture is another big trend; there are tiles with wonderfully undulating surfaces and with finishes that look like basketweaves and herringbone. There's also an astonishing (to me, anyway) number of regional artisans making amazing small-batch and custom-made tiles. Mirrored and glazed finishes appear to be making gains with the cool kid designers. OK - that's four things - I'd better run. I'll return soon with more news (I've met manufacturers from both the US and Canada, and today we're checking out new products from Italy and Spain) and lots of pretty pictures. But here's one beautiful shot from a company called Stonepeak -- just to whet your appetite. Oh, and by the way, it's sunny and  26 degrees in L.V. Sorry about that.

We didn't even HAVE March Break when I was in school, which I could only get to by hiking 12 miles through bear-infested brush

 
When your kids starts whining that EVERYBODY is going to Florida/Cuba/Bermuda for March Break, you can cooly shoot back with this little info-bite. Just 13 per cent of Canadian families will take off for March Break, according to a survey Angus Reid did for Samsung Home Appliances. The kids may still whine, but it will probably work better than that old chestnut, “and if all your friends were jumping of a bridge, would you want to do that too?”

The survey also shows that cooking or baking is one of the top three at-home activities for kids and parents, along with renting movies and visiting family or friends (although I think we used to call that playing) Naturally enough, Samsung thinks that  induction technology has lots of benefits when cooking with kids. I would have to agree, as induction ranges keep the kitchen cooler, only transfer heat to the pan that’s touching its surface and are easy to clean. For a fuller explanation, visit the Samsung site.

Here are some other tips for keeping your budding chefs safe:

Wash hands:  Make it a rule. Use soap and warm water and wash for 15 seconds (or as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday to You through twice – see post below).  Remind the little rascals to clean between their dirty ittle fingers!

Teach kids early about cross-contamination: Keep raw foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat items and fresh produce. Always use a clean cutting board or plate when chopping up different foods and never sample meat before it’s cooked through. I'd add that you get - and teach kids to use - a meat thermometer.

Be careful with sharp utensils:  Okay – no duh!

I’d also suggest that cooking is also a great way to teach kids about creativity, and a good place to learn that perfection ain't always what it's cracked up to be. The cake that droops in the middle could still taste great. So celebrate it, and the fact that your child made something with his/her hands.

Mark Bittman saves my culinary reputation - once again

Made the most scrumptious dinner the other night, and could not resist sharing. I stopped at the little Persian market on my hurried way home and grabbed a whole white fish (made them remove the head - yuck) and two bunches of fresh cilantro. Thanks to Mark Bittman , I knew that if I put the cilantro, a pinch of salt, some garlic and three tablespoons of peanut oil in the blender, turned it on till it was all mashed up and then added a tablesppon of lime juice, I would have a yummy sauce for the fish.  Made a few slits in the fish, shoved in some slices of fresh ginger, rubbed it with oil and stuck it under a broiler for about six minutes per side. After I grilled the fish, I stuck some very thin middle eastern bread which I had rubbed with olive oil and herbes de Provence under the grill till it got crisp and cracker-like. Did I look like a star, or what? Thank you, Mark.

Make mine cashmere

The World Wildlife Federation has come up with a wonderful winter idea. On February 17, they want everybody to turn down the thermostat by 3°C, and put on a fun sweater for National Sweater Day!

The gesture is meant to raise awareness that small steps toward energy conservation can make a big difference in helping the planet. About half of Canada's ecological footprint is the result of carbon emissions from transportation, heating and electricity. The kick off to this event brought some fun snaps from a fashion show featuring sweaters created by leading Canadian designers.

Interested? Then get “sweatered” on facebook.