Omee's Boutique

It is with a warm flannelette hug we welcome Omee's Boutique to 100 Mile Finds.  "Omee's Boutique boutique is a line of cute and functional products for you and your and baby all handmade by me in my smoke free and pet free home".

Look at this adorable baby/toddler bib.  Looks more like an accessory than something to be spilled on.  When one of my guys was little, we had him in a perma-bib through a particularly drooly phase.  Never one quite like this.  Made from multicolor striped cotton fabric and a colorful fruits print cotton from Fruit Slice Collection by Khristian A. Howell (Anthology Fabrics). Three layers, so it wont soak through.

Inventory includes:
Trendy Blankets, Diaper Changing pads, Bibs, Burp Cloths, Bandana Bibs, Pacifier Clips, Cloth Wipes, Nursing Pads, Cloth Menstrual Pads and more.  Welcome to 100 Mile FInds!

Rhonda Maternity

We were so pleased when Rhonda Maternity joined the site.  This excellent maternity wear store is locally owned and even manufactures some of their line in the requisite 100 mile vicinity. 
At Rhonda Maternity, 
"we understand your body and the changes you’ll experience in the upcoming months. We’ve been fitting moms-to-be with a personal approach since 1971. There really is a Rhonda in the store (ed. note, can you say 'Help me Rhonda?' when you arrive), plus a great experienced staff. 
We can fit you. When you try on maternity clothes for the first time, it all makes sense. Let us show you how flattering and comfortable maternity clothes can be. We make it easy with our own unique Rhonda maternity designs plus handpicked designer maternity wear." 

I joked in a recent facebook post that the LBD (featured at right) was PDC if you were KU.  Since those are mostly my own acronyms, PDC is 'pretty darn cute' and KU is 'knocked up'.  I am not KU right now and I think I would like this LBD.  Not sure I should go to all that effort for a dress however...............
Welcome to 100 Mile Finds Rhonda!

A few words by Gabriele Wills

 Under the Seductive Moon of the Glittering Jazz Age

by Gabriele Wills, author of the Muskoka Trilogy

Those who were young in the 1960s tend to think that theirs was the first era of social and sexual revolution.  But the 1920s was a time of radical change when Western civilization truly entered the modern age. The burgeoning middle class embraced consumerism, and soon there was a Model-T Ford – available for as little as $290 - or other automobile in nearly every yard. People enjoyed new innovations such as radio, Kleenex, rayon, electric shavers, Popsicles, air conditioning, and sexy Jantzen swimsuits – “The Suit that Changed Bathing to Swimming”. 

Liberated from confining corsets and floor-sweeping gowns, women stepped out of parlours as well as domestic service to pursue careers, or at least jobs that afforded them independence. Unchaperoned, they smoked, drank illegal booze, wore daring makeup, bobbed their hair, danced the Charleston with wild abandon in nightclubs, necked with boyfriends in the back seat of automobiles, and sometimes believed in “free love”.

It was great fun to portray this sassy era - which is remembered as both “The Jazz Age” and “The Roaring 20s” - in my latest novel, Under the Moon, the third in the epic Muskoka Trilogy.For an overview, check out the book trailer on YouTube 

To experience a taste of this era, join me for a book celebration aboard the Wenonah II for a 3-hour luncheon cruise on beautiful Lake Muskoka. The Gravenhurst Saxophone Quartet will serenade us with 20s music, and you can come in period costume if you like! Afterwards, you can step into summers past at the impressive Muskoka Boat and Heritage Museum, where I will make a short pictorial presentation, “Fact in Fiction”. This takes place Sunday August 26, beginning at 11:30 from the steamship docks in Gravenhurst. All-inclusive cost is $55 +HST.

Call Carlson Wagonlit Stewart Travel to reserve your seat today!  1-800-561-4275 or705-743-8683. For more information, visit TheMuskokaNovels.com

Made in Canada #2 – PFDs or life jackets

It amazes me how hard it is to search for products manufactured in Canada. There are a bunch of sites that pop up when you search “Made in Canada” that have nothing to do with where a product is manufactured. It drives me nuts!

Once again we have an amazing local manufacturer of PFDs or life jackets. I wanted to introduce this company to you, but I also wanted to find some other options across Canada. Well that is easier said than done. I even searched by province, with no luck. Thank goodness our one offering is so amazing!

Let me introduce you to SALUS Marine Wear inc.    They are a small Canadian manufacturer that services paddlers, sailors, active families, and rescue professionals in Canada and around the world with its award-winning PFDs. Known as an industry innovator, Salus’ patented PFD designs have garnered industry accolades and international attention.

They carry everything from life jackets for babies to PFDs for your dog! They’ve got gear for sailors, kayaker and paddlers and full on foul weather gear. If you are looking for PFDs for your family whether it’s just for recreational use or you are a serious marine player, check out SALUS Marine Wear inc.

Their website has a great “find a retailer” tab. Click on that and you can easily find where they are available across Canada. It’s often a good idea to check with the retailer first though. Experience has proven that many companies are less than diligent in updating their websites. I’m not saying this is true of SALUS Marine Wear inc., it just an overall observation.

 If you’ve ever questioned whether or not you should be trying to support Canadian manufacturers have a peek at their website. They have eloquently laid out why they manufacture in Canada and why it’s so important that they do so. SALUS Marine Wear inc.

Enjoy this beautiful land of ours this summer and stay safe.

Eco Parent Mag

Eco Parent recently joined 100 Mile Finds and they are right up our alley.

"EcoParent is a national print magazine catering to eco-aspiring and eco-savvy parents. It is our mission to give you the knowledge and inspiration you need to make better, healthier choices for your family!"

Regular sections include parenting, food, books, travel, health & beauty, fashion, a kid’s zone, and lots more. Available in print and/or digital editions. Print edition is printed on 100% post-consumer waste paper, manufactured right here in Canada - we like that! 
We know that school is just barely out for the summer, but the pre-sale Education Special available on our site now will give you food for thought before September creeps up on us.  The pre-sale copy of The Education issue is available for a purchase price of $7+HST until July 17, 2012.

The Education Special: "will take a good look at various alternative – and as such perhaps less familiar – pedagogical options available to Canadian families, including Waldorf, Montessori, Homeschooling, and various alternative/independent schools, from the perspective of families that have actually chosen these educational models for their children". 
Welcome to 100 Mile Finds Eco Parent!

Front Door Organics

Is this not the perfect time of year to be talking about a new vendor to 100 Mile Finds that delivers fresh, local, organic produce (all 4 of those words are good for you) to your door?  Front Door Organics gets you all that.

The minimum requirement for a delivery is a Fresh Box. The Basic Fresh Box ($37), has 12 - 15 certified organic fruits and vegetables selected by Front Door Organics, and the contents changes weekly. They also offer a Custom Fresh Box ($42), which allows you to make unlimited changes to the Basic Box contents using our full list of 130+ certified organic fruits and vegetables.
"This month you'll find 75 Ontario grown certified organic fruit and vegetables in our delivery vans, including:
fennel, basil, bunches of gold beets, Japanese eggplant and patty pan squash;
napa cabbage, mizuna, Spitzkopf cabbage and cheddar cauliflower (gold);
new potatoes - red, white and yellow - in 2 lb bags; and pints of new blue potatoes.
Our Basic Fresh Box™ for the week beginning July 9^th has all Ontario grown veggies."
Front Door Organics offers every week, two, three or four week delivery schedules. No contract or commitment is required to use the service and it is easy to skip any delivery you don't need. Call or sign up online.
Local just gets easier and easier...........

made in Canada - #1 towels

There are a ton of great companies that still manufacture in Canada and this "made in Canada" series of blogs is all about introducing them to you and hopefully making it easier for Canadians to find locally or Canadian made items. Oddly enough in this age of information it can be really hard to find products actually made in Canada and sometimes even harder to find out where to buy them.
Since I'm in search of bath towels myself, that's where our journey begins. I've been aware of Cambridge Towels for awhile. They've been on www.100milefinds.com since the beginning, and we have Cambridge towels hanging in our bathroom right now. I'm a big fan. They are a high quality, well made product. I thought though that I would be able to find and share about other towels that are manufactured in Ontario and across Canada. Amazingly enough I couldn't find any other major manufacturers in Canada and only one other much smaller business. If you know of more, let us know and we will spread the word.

Cambridge Towels are almost exclusively manufactured in Cambridge, ON. I've attached a link to their blog which explains how and why they manufacture locally. They are a high quality, well-priced product that is actually quite easy to find.
Their UltraDry towels are 100% cotton, well-priced with an amazing array of colors and exclusively available are at Walmart, yes Walmart! There is also the MainStays brand that is available at Walmart. It is towels, ceramic accessories and rugs. The towels are made in Canada while the other items are sourced internationally.
Whole Home Egyptian is available at Sears Canada. They are luxury 100% Giza86 Egyptian cotton towels, This product is crafted in Canada with the ultimate standards of quality and luxury.
Head over to Costco.ca for the Grand Egyptian towel made of certified 100% Egyptian cotton.

Hankettes is the only other bath towel manufacturer I could find. Here's the blurb on their homepage, I'm pretty sure I can't say it any better than this."We love our planet!  Since 1996 we've been a home-based family business devoted to creating reusable organic cotton alternatives to disposable paper products.  In 2008 we began making our all natural body, baby, home, and pet care line.  Hankettes products are handmade at our co-op acreage on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada (soaps are made in Salmon Arm, BC). Everything we offer is eco-friendly, quality Canadian made, fair wage paid, AND good for you & Mother Earth!"

This company offers a lot more than just towels. If you are searching for Canadian made and eco-friendly products it looks like their website would be a good place to land. 

Not sure what I'm going to post about next week, any suggestions? Give us a shout at info@100milefinds.com.

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit

July 6, 7 + 8 are the dates for the 51st Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit (Saturday 10:30-7:30, Sunday 10:30-6:30) 

Here's a bit about it:
As the largest juried outdoor art exhibition in Canada, TOAE offers a fresh-air alternative to conventional art shows and galleries. Hundreds of artists participate and an estimated 100,000 visitors attend the exhibition every year. Side by side, established artists, undiscovered talents and innovative students sell their work directly to the public and make lasting connections with art dealers and collectors.  

In 2011, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition's award program presented over $30,000 in cash awards and prizes to participating artists.  

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is a charitable, non-profit organization supported by a group of volunteers active in the art and corporate communities. The exhibition is financed through registration fees, and by government, corporate and individual sponsors, enabling the TOAE to charge one of the lowest registration fees in North America. No percentage of the artists' sales is taken by the organizers.  

We discovered an amazing local artist last year, Laura Culic whose work is featured here, and commissioned this piece from her after the show (read about it on her blog).  
Even if you are not in the market, think about taking a few minutes to go and admire the incredible local work - it will be an inspiration to get your own creative juices flowing.  And if your creative juices are tapped, enjoy the eye candy and have a snack from one of the local vendors.

Toronto Beaches

Not everyone can get to their summer cottage on Lake Couchi-something-or-another.  Cottaging is grand for those with wheels and a credit rating above that of Greece.  So for the rest of us, we thought we would take a minute here to post a couple of alternatives that are accessible by TTC.  Blog TO mentions Woodbine, Hanlan's Point (clothing optional, bring the SPF 60), Sunnyside, Cherry Beach and Bluffers Park.

We went on a little outing to Bluffers Park with the kids recently.  I had forgotten that they had not been there in years.  The cliffs are really a geographic wonder and someone had a bonfire going which could be a lot of fun.

All of these beaches were blue flagged for swimming at the time of writing, so don't forget your towel.
And if you have the aforementioned wheels and want to plan a road trip, try this link to find some of the best beaches in Southern Ontario.  Happy Canada Day and Happy Summer!