Sunday, May 22, 2011

Compost Bins & Rain Savers for the City Yard

I emptied out my compost bin a couple of weeks ago and was happy to discover tons of fresh, nutrient rich compost! You can pick up a bin at your local Eco Quartier or hardware store (they come in lots of different shapes and sizes)
 my garden work-station with FULL compost bin
enough compost to fill all my pots & garden
we keep all our food scraps in this stainless steel pail before emptying it into the bin
super excited about our new rain barrel!

Tap Water is a Luxury!
We use tap water for many purposes that do not require treated
drinking water. Less than 1% of household tap water
is used for human consumption.

It is a mistake to believe that wasting water does not cost us anything.
Tap water has been purified and will be cleaned before
being released in the St. Lawrence River. These treatments are not
free. It costs $800 000 a day to treat and distribute water
on the Island of Montreal.

Saving tap water, even in small quantities, decreases the costs
of water treatment. Every drop counts!

In many municipalities, it is forbidden to water the lawn with city
water between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. or if it is raining.
Check your local by-laws.

Thanks for making smart use of our water !

Friday, May 20, 2011

Shop & Give with TOMS shoes

My Mom and I went shopping last weekend and each picked up a pair of TOMS shoes. They're an amazing company. For every pair of TOMS shoes sold, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. They're available online or around town in many of the shoe shops.
matching shoes with Mom
One for One
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Viva Vegan

Last weekend we discovered Boutique Viva Vegan on St Laurent. It's an adorable little shop with all kinds of vegan delights: dried goods, snacks, sandwiches, cosmetics, books, DVD's, jewelery, clothes, frozen goods, etc.
4148 St Laurent, Montreal, Qc
yummy vegan treats
they even have vegan chocolate chips (not so easy to find)
was inspired to try out a new vegan banana bread recipe... YUM!
(I substituted the walnuts for chocolate chips since I have a bit of a sweet tooth)

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mother Nature

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there, and to Mother Nature herself. Since my Mom and I are both nature lovers we spent the afternoon walking in the woods on Rigaud mountain. 
My Mom and I at Lac des Castors in Rigaud
First sighting of wildflowers
My Mom identifying wildflowers 
(she was almost as excited as our nephew on his easter egg hunt)
So pretty!
Nature + Loved-Ones = Perfection

Friday, May 6, 2011

Conscious Cycling

Got my bike fixed up last week, and am happy to say I biked to work all week long! Rain or no rain, all it takes is a little perseverance and a pretty heavy outfit.

An increase in levels of bicycle use in Canadian cities would entail a number of benefits:
  • Environmental benefits, through reduced emissions of toxic pollutant and greenhouse gases;
  • Health benefits related to higher levels of physical activity, including improved cardiovascular health and lower risk of obesity;
  • Health benefits related to the reduction of airborne pollutants, including lower incidence of respiratory diseases;
  • Economic benefits, such as reduced household expenditures on transportation, reduced work hours lost in traffic jams, and reduced healthcare costs thanks to the effects of regular exercise and reduced pollution.
Transport Canada
www.tc.gc.ca