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. 

A cause that's close to my heart

 
Autism affects about one out of every110 kids. In my own family, it turns up in the form of Asperger’s Disorder, so I’m pleased to share news of how you can help —  just in time for World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd.  As with  all mental illness, there's not enough research done into it, and families suffer silently, because there's still such a  taboo about talking about disorders of the mind. That's a shame, because these family need support. Scentsy, makers of decorative warmers that use a 25-watt bulb to melt scented wax to produce a candle-like light without an open flame, are donating 100 per cent of net proceeds from the sale of each “Piece by Piece” warmer to Autism Speaks Canada. You can buy a “Piece by Piece” warmer for $42 from now through August 31. Click here for more information.

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.

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.

Forced to choose testosterone over tempra this weekend

 

 

This week’s Hot Home Products column features an online site that sells hand-painted reproductions of works by old masters. I find that interesting for a number of reasons, which I won’t go into now (would it kill you to buy a paper on Saturday?)

If original art is more your thing, get yourself down to the Artist Project event  running from March 3 to 6 at the Queen Elizabeth Building at Exhibition Place. You’ll see works by over 200 independent artists, such as Montreal-based Janice Taylor, who did the mixed media piece above and Russell Brohier, whose photograph of an under-loved classroom is also shown above.

There will also be a slew of other features, including UNTAPPED, an exhibition of 25 emerging or self-taught  artists, works by photographers using 3D technology and a competition of works based on the theme of lemons (yes, the fruit).  As part of an Art Chats series, art writer and educator Betty Ann Jordan will tell you everything you always wanted to know about abstract art but were afraid to ask, and Melony Ward, publisher of Canadian Art magazine will host a panel that looks at the state of art in Canada. (No word yet as to whether Rob Stop the GravyTrain ^TM Ford will attend this one, but my guess is not.) Installation Alley will showcase large-scale sculpture and conceptual art, while a Video Art Wall will introduce work by digital media artists.

If my son didn’t have hockey play-offs this weekend, this is where I’d be. Instead, I’ll be the mom screaming “play nicely!” while testosterone-fuelled 15-year-olds smash into each other. Which is, in its own way I suppose, a kind of performance art. But at least Art Project attendees won’t have to watch psychotic parents of artists projecting their own long-lost hopes on their kids, and nobody will be carted off with a concussion. We hope.

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.

Winter time wasters

 
Starting to feel dragged down by the hard cold fact of winter? Tempted to  just go to bed with a case of wine and wake up in May? Resist the urge. Focus on the fact that Spring will arrive sooner or later. To brighten your day, Bouclair (love em!) offers a sneak peak at summer stuff. There's also lovely new warm weather stuff from Chilewich. You could also run over to BonaVista on Eglinton East to look at beautiful outdoor furniture from Kettall. (See pic above.)

Or try one of these other ways to make winter days melt away.

Keep your path clear of ice and snow. Not only is this a good winter time-waster, it burns loads of calories.

Give yourself an "afternoon recess" every day between now and March to drink tea and look at art books. This is another pursuit that can masquerade as worthwhile. Just call it research.

Cook something new. For me, this will be the frozen lamb feet I got at a local Iranian store one day when I was trying to distract myself from imminent freezing rain. I chose them over the whole sheep heads, which still had eyes and teeth. The feet are supposed to make a very fine broth. On this same trip, I found another little store (also Iranian)  that sells beautiful boxes decorated with very fine woods (in different colours) wound together to make designs. Also found very pretty copper plates, of all sizes, painted in highly detailed geometric patterns, mostly in blue and white. So attractive. All in all, a nice break on a wintery afternoon.

Commit fully to a skin care regime that will help you beat winter dryness (now there's a time waster!) For me, this can take up a great deal of time. At right is a picture of the many unctions and lotions I use throughout the day. The phone is nearby in case of a skin emergency, in which I have to call my girlfriends. My fave is probably the Hemp Hand Cream from the Body Shop, which is rich and creamy and smells like a weekend party in the 70s when the parents were away. I used to also have a tube of Vitamin E and Bio Oil but I think my teenager daughter swiped them.  

Force yourself to shake your booty. I have been getting my freak on in a city-run Zoomba class. There may be the possibility for wasting more time later on,  trying to convince Mayor Ford  not to increase user fees for such programs.

Cocoon on the weekends. Avoid high-priced dinners out. Instead, work your way through the "Smart Buys" issue of LCBO's Vintages magazine.

Keep ypur head up. Whenever it gets to be too much, remember the words of Albert Camus who said, "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." And I don't believe he was even known as a particularly jolly guy!

Classic Cobi

 
Here’s news. Cobi Ladner, former editor of Canadian House and Home, is getting set to roll out a new line of home and lifestyle products that includes accessories, upholstered furniture, ready-to-hang draperies, and fabric, with partners Canfloyd, Décor-Rest,  inVu Drapery and Joanne Fabrics .  More than 100 pieces will be available at home décor stores after the line launches in Toronto at the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association Show  later this month.  Judging from the press materials, the emphasis will be on casually classic style, bold colour and confident patterns. Retail locations are still in the works. Keep an eye on her website, Cobistyle, more information.  

Bikes, bags and bad ideas

 
Okay, so I’m no Alfred Stiegltiz, but I think my “Still Life With Bags”, featuring just a few of my collection of shopping bags,  speaks volumes about how I feel about Mayor Ford’s suggestion that the five-cent levy on plastic bags should be repealed. Why on earth would anyone want to encourage the use of plastic bags, which are made from petroleum, which — unless you’re a climate change denier — should convince you that it makes sense to use fewer of them?

Charging for them  does make a difference; recent news suggests that chains who charge have seen plastic bag consumption drop by as much as 50 per cent. We could still do better. Canadians still carry home about 55 million of the things each year, according to Environment Canada.  And for some sad, but telling, anecdotal evidence, consider this: on the few times I’ve forgotten to take the proverbial poo bag when walking with my dog in the park, I never panic. I simply mosey over to the nearest fence or garden edge, where I’ll be sure to find plastic bags of all sorts and sizes nestled among the barnacles of detritus that collects there. 

Not only are my reusable bags better for the environment, but I find that many of the plastic bags now given out are made of flimsy material. So the last time I got caught short and tried to carry some oranges in one, the bag ripped, spilling the contents across the sidewalk. This was unfortunate for many reasons,  not the least of which being that small children passing by at the time were unwittingly treated to some good old Anglo-Saxon cursing . 

My totes also work better when I occasionally have to  hang them on the handles of my bike, a device which — being a left-wing kook — I do use in clement weather.  And finally, darling, there’s the question of style. Think you not that my totes are beaucoup plus chic than a plain-Jane shopping bag?

So, Mayor Ford, no more suggestions that we repeal the levy. Because it’s just plain silly.

Holiday House Tour

 
Getting in the mood for Christmas, and hungry for classy décor ideas? You can get inspired and do some good by joining the Kingsway Christmas House Tour, hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society, which will showcase stunning homes in Toronto's toney Kingsway neighbourhood. All will be decked out in festive frills, courtesy of professional florists and decorators, such as Ambrose Price of HGTV fame, (whom I happened recently to meet at the launch of the It Gets Better Canada video.  Tres charmant!)  Now in its 11th year, this beloved community tradition includes a tea room stop. It all happens this Saturday, November 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $45 each (group rates are available). Best of all, proceeds raised will support the Canadian Cancer Society. Click here for more information  or call (416) 323-7145.