Fresh local strawberries!!

OMG! Is this what strawberries are supposed to taste like?!?!?!?! Local strawberries are here, enjoy!

If you really want to treat yourself, go to Delight and try some of their Ontario Strawberry Ice Cream! Check out their new summer hours and don't forget that they have a new location on Queen St. W. AND a little bird told me that they are planning to open a cheese shop next door to their Dundas St. location! Can't wait for that!!

Through Delights newsletter ( and you know how I love my newsletters!!) I've been re- introduced to LFP Local Food Plus. A really cool organization.  Go to their website at www.localfoodplus.ca and check it out. I've taken the Pledge! I have pledged shift $10 a week to buying Certified Local Sustainable food. I will vote with my dollars! It's an amazing resource for buying local! There are a whole whack of 100 mile finds vendors on the list and a bunch more that we will try and get on the site!

If you're heading outside, it's probably best not to stand under a lone tree!
Have a great day!

100 mile finds welcomes Suzie Saxx!

Rant alert!

I've got a bit of an issue with the whole semi-disposable bag phenomenon! Is it really helping the environment to have these crazy "semi" disposable bags? At least the plastic bags can be used to line your garbage cans, that's reusing, isn't it?
Don't get me wrong I am all about reducing the size of landfills. But if these "new" bags only have a short life, are we really doing something about the problem? or we just making it worse? We need to start or rather go back, and create products that last, that can be reused. It not only saves us money but it saves our planet. Who's kidding who, I want to do both!
I just don't get this whole semi disposable thing? For starters I never have the damn bags when I need them! So out of guilt I buy more and now we must have 30 of them, in various strategically thought out locations throughout the house and in our cars! Now that I don't use plastic grocery bags very often I need something to line my garbage cans, am I supposed to now buy bags, that seems counter productive, doesn't it?

Now every time you go to a function, buy something substantial, you get one of these bags with a company logo. Great, right? Wrong! My daughter had misplaced her final lunch bag of the 2010 school year, (I absolutely refuse to buy another lunch bag, freezer pack or juice container in June!)that's a whole other rant!! So I used one of these "bags" it didn't even make it through one lunch! That is just nutty! Nutty, I say!

Why can't we just create a decent quality bag, at a decent price and use that?

We Can! Well, we all can't, but Suzie Saxx can! Instead of producing the 1-2 oz bags that you get in local stores, Suzy's bags are 10-12 oz, that's allot more ounces! The bags are 100% cotton, so they don't stretch or tear and they wash really well! And they are made in Ontario! Yeah! They aren't cheap, ranging from $25-$40 I think they are worth every penny!

You can even have your own design on a bag! I've been looking, and looking, and looking for a new "book bag" for by nine year old, the Micheal Bag with her own design might just be the ticket!




You can find Suzie Saxx on 100 mile finds and then link directly to her site for more options! I think I'm going to get one for my mother in law. The perfect birthday gift, filled with some other goodies she loves!

Have a great day, it is absolutely perfect out there!!

Newsletter and Facebook facts from 100 mile finds

Here's a few things going on with some of our Vendors at 100 mile finds.


Monforte Dairy is at the Sorauren  from 3 to 7pm today! Check out their website, they are everywhere!!

MagZ BagZ has a teen and kids line coming this fall, can't wait!

Beading Hearts can't wait for June 30th! It's when Eclipse will be in movie theatres. Check out their website and go to the Necklaces & Pendants sections. There are new Twilight inspired goodies available!

Read for the Cure tickets are on sale! If you buy your tickets before July 22nd you can have your books shipped to you in advance. It's an amazing event supporting an amazing cause. There two events in Toronto. It makes a great Girls Night Out! and we can't have enough of those, now can we?!

Ilona BDS Illustrations at 100 mile finds

We met Ilona at the Children's Trunk Show. Her work is absolutely beautiful! The prints are all reproductions of her original artwork. They are a mix of acrylic paint, pencil crayon with a dash of glitter to bring any child's imagination alive in an instant. The whimsical themes include a giraffe on a bicycle outing, a frog prince and a hippo enjoying his bath! These prints would make a great keepsake gift for a little one in your life. They are 8"x8" (the print is 5"x5" with a white border) for $35 and 15 1/2"x15 1/2" for $60 She has a fantastic collection of number prints too.

 


You can buy through her website, just click on her 100 mile finds site and then over to her own site to see all she has to offer. Ilona BDS Illustrations

Cake beauty

A few weeks ago I had breakfast with my friend Sonia, we try and get together every few months to trade war stories. Sonia should have her own blog called "Ask Sonia". She is an outstanding cook, she sews, she knits, and boy does she shop!!! It's a sport with her, at the very least a hobby! If I ever have a cooking question she's my 'go to' girl. Between her and my husband, they can pretty much answer any question. Well Miss Sonia pulls out the satin sugar all purpose treatment balm from Cake Beauty and says I have to try it! 

We've known about Cake Beauty for awhile. Well, their balm is amazing! I've got to get some for myself, when I get home there is a newsletter from Cake Beauty and they were having a Friends and Family sale!!!! 40% off, how great is that!?
I ended up ordering  the milk made body frothing bath & shower cream, it's new and it is fantastic! You smell so sweet when you get out of the shower. All the girls here LOVE IT! I also bought the milk made body smoothing white sugar scrub, you use it after the bath and shower cream, it feels so indulgent. A girl friend of mine has a birthday coming up and I bought her the scrub. I can't wait to give it to her.
Then the girls and I were in Chapters and guess who is carrying Cake Beauty?!!? Yeah! We got chatting with one of the sales woman about it and when I told her it was manufactured locally she was thrilled. People want to buy local, they just don't know how easy it is!
Get out there and buy local. Put on a sweater  though, it's still a little cool out there!

Cargo Lash Activator!

I'm not somebody who expects miracles from my mascara. There are a few things I insist on, I don't want it to clump, I  like a clean black color and I want it to be waterproof, yet wash off easily. That's all I ask.
Last week, I ended up at the Eaton Centre with time to kill!! I headed over to  the Cargo cosmetics counter at the Sears store. As you can imagine I'm always looking for local product that I can test and blog about. I can't figure out where Cargo cosmetics are manufactured but I know the company has it's headquarters in Toronto and that they pride themselves on their ecological efforts. Their Planet Love lipstick packaging actually turns into wildflowers when water is applied to it! How cool is that!! This is the kind of innovation I want to support!

I'd heard about the Cargo Lash Activator and I needed a new mascara, sometimes the stars just align!

Well, I've been using the mascara for the last week, I swear to God I think my lashes are longer!!! It's a great mascara, it meets all my a fore mentioned criteria and honestly I never, ever thought that anyone could make eyelashes grow, I thought that was just hype. There are companies that say they can get rid of cellulite, we all know that's not true!
Cargo Lash Activator gets a huge thumbs up from me! They also have an activator for the night. It's clear... if you've got stubby eye lashes I suggest giving it a shot!
Cargo cosmetics are available at the Sears at the Eaton's Centre, at Sephora and you can buy them on-line from www.cargocosmetics.com
Shirl