Local Harvest

Buying local and organic has many perks - you get foods that are fresher, tastier, and free of pesticides. You're also supporting local farmers, which also means less carbon emissions when it comes to getting the food to you. This website is pretty snazzy! Local Harvest helps you locate Farmer's Markets, local farms, grocery/foo co-ops, restaurants, and more - all near you. Just type in your zip code or state, click the places you want to look up, and voila! You get a list of places you should check out. And it isn't limited to fruits and veggies. When I entered my zip code I got info on a local garden where I can purchase fresh, organic flowers.

So check it out. You'll be amazed at what you'll discover in your 'hood!

http://www.localharvest.org

Happy Bike-To-Work Week!

May is National Bike Month and this week (May 12th to 16th) is National Bike to Work Week so saddle up and start peddlin', folks! Thankfully I bought my bike on time and have been riding to work as much as I can and I am loving every minute of it! I'm becoming an addict...5-6 miles each way...and I'm starting to brave traffic more and more. My co-worker has even started biking to work now, too! We should really start a bike gang now...him dressing in sharp riding knickers and shoes that click into his pedals; me with my matching bike helmet, stylish cape, and basket lined with flowers.

Reasons why you should bike to work this week (and everyday for that matter):

• It’s Healthy! Great exercise without setting foot in a gym! Think of all the calories you'll burn...and how much happier your heart will be.

• It’s Economical! With gas prices rising towards the $5 mark, think about the money you'll be saving.

• It’s Environmentally Friendly! Mounting your bicycle to work reduces your carbon emissions. Did you know that if you drove a Toyota Camry and lived 9 miles from work, you would reduce emissions pollutants by 908 lbs year by biking one day a week?

one lump or two?

I try to avoid the stirrers at coffee shops or my work kitchen at all costs so how to i get my sugar mix on? Ok, what I like to do at work when I want to drink tea is put the sugar into my cup and adding the water afterwards serves as an automatic mixer! Same with coffee...just add my sugar into my cup first then pour the coffee in! Instant mixing! Do the same with your cream.

And when you're heading into a Starbucks or Coffee bean? Add the sugar into your reusable cup before you hand it over to the barista (and alert them so that they don't rinse out your cup or dump it out). Saves you a wooden mixer stick use.

ice, ice baby

Before you toss out those leftover ice cubes from your glass, conserve water and put those cubes to good use. Rather than toss them in the sink put them into your planters. No water waste and you'll be a good plant parent! Do the same with the leftover water from your glasses. Just pour it all out into your potted plants or your garden.

Junk in the Trunk?

Got junk in the trunk? If so, start clearing out the non-essentials stat! The more unnecessary cargo you're hauling, the more gas your car consumes. Not very fun on your wallet especially with the skyrocketing fuel prices lately. So what are you waiting for? Unload the junk and reduce fuel consumption (along with keeping your bank account happy). All the more reason to finally tackle the trunk clutter, right?

Basket Case

My friend and I want to start a new Sunday tradition -- Farmer's Market breakfasts! I was up early to take advantage of the carless streets in my neighbourhood (or minimal cars, rather) for a bike ride. Got a call from my friend so we decide to meet up for a little breakfast. Perfect timing because the Farmer's Market was all set up so we perused the tents to see what we wanted to eat. We eventually settled on organic strawberries. Rather than sleep in on Sundays like we usually do, we have now made a pact to wake up early and walk over to the Farmer's for Sunday morning eats! And on our next visit I will be returning my berry crates to the local farmer/vendors so that they can reuse them!


Shopping at your local Farmer's Market sometime soon? Make sure you bring back containers that you got from your last trip whether it be berry crates, egg cartons, or what have you. The vendors will appreciate it!

ACE + CFLs

Ace Hardware have struck up an agreement with the Department of Environment Services and has announced that they will be accepting our old CFL lightbulbs for recycling! They will even take in broken bulbs as long as you put them in a seal container or zip-lock bag. How convenient for us and for them! Their profits had slipped from last year so not only can a customer dropped off a burned out CFL but they can purchase their new bulb from ACE hardware, too, while they are there. Win-Win sitch?

Click here or the ACE logo to find an ACE hardware location near you