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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Receive 20% OFF on our BACK TO SCHOOL items.

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PACKiT - Insulated Lunch Bags that Revolutionize Lunch Boxes | Cold for 10 Hours

ltside_col_packitRevolutionary Cooling Technology
Bye-bye ice gel packs that only last for 2 hours. The bag is your icepack, and it stays cold for up to 10 hours. Conveniently sized at 8"x10"x5" (8"x5"x2" folded) the Packit is easy to fit in your freezer or take on-the-go.

Healthy, Fresh Food Anywhere
Packit's not just for lunches. Use it for baby bottles, sports events, travel...anywhere you need to keep items cold. It's non-toxic, sweat-proof and PVC and lead-free, so you don't have to worry.

*Available in aqua and red colour.

PACKiT Website

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The Anti-Bottle: A Foldable Water Bottle?
Vapur-orange-e1285853859963
Reusable
Vapur Anti-Bottles are completey BPA-Free and are constructed of three layers of ultra-durable plastic.  The innermost layer is made from FDA-approved polyethythene, which is then bonded to two layers of nylon for strength and durability. The inner layer is odor, taste and stain resistant, so it can safely be reused again and again! Vapur is also proudly made in the USA.

Foldable
The Anti-Bottle is designed to stand when full and can be rolled, folded or flattened when empty, making it easy to use and carry everywhere you go.
Washable
The Vapur Anti-Bottle is dishwasher safe and cleans easily on the top rack of most dishwashers. First, remove the cap and carabiner, blow a little air into the bottle to inflate, then simply turn upside down and insert the spout over the prongs on the top rack of your dishwasher. It's that easy!

Freezable
You can freeze your Anti-Bottle for nice cold water or use it as an icepack! Fill your Anti-Bottle half-way, place it in the freezer overnight and then fill it the rest of the way with water in the morning.

The Anti-Bottle Website

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Greenciles | Environmentally Friendly Pencils made from Recycled Newspaper


greenciles
FEATURES
• Made from 100% recycled paper
• Comes in pack of 10
• Standard 2HB pencils
• No wood products are used in
  making Greenciles®
• Great for all uses: writing, drawing,   sketching and drafting
• Synthetic erasers

Greenciles Website

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Eco Staple Free Stapler

31sxN3dGWAL._SL500_AA300_Each year billions and billions of metal staples are manufactured in pollution-spewing factories.  And each year most of these end up on landfills, causing further harm to the environment.

The Eco Staple Free Stapler cuts out a tiny strip of paper and uses it to "stitch" up to four pages together.
  • No metal staples.
  • No paper waste.
  • Shredder friendly
  • Child safe.
* Available in orange, pink, blue, green, red, clear, black and silver.

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Ecojot - eco savvy paper products
logo
Ecojot is an eco-friendly stationery brand that is based in Scarborough, Ontario created in 2007 by designer Carolyn Gavin, her brother Mark Gavin and family.

They we are committed to giving back one journal at a time. The "
GIVE" program started in 2010 and uses a simple premise: With the sale of each 5x7", Jumbo journal and all eco sketchbooks, ecojot will donate a school workbook or pencil to a child in need. Learn more about our BUY 1, GIVE 1 program.
florals
Ecojot Website

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Sanctus Mundo - Plastic-Free Products - Earth Friendly Food Containers

oval-sandwichSanctus Mundo is a brand of products that contain little, or no plastic at all.  Products are carefully selected for their high quality and durability, and are manufactured ethically with concern for workers, quality, safety and the environment.

Products bearing the
Sanctus Mundo brand have been tested for toxins, and all children's products are certified compliant with the United States Consumer Product Safety Information Act (CPSIA) requirements for lead and phthalate testing.

We have 5 different sizes of containers, oval sandwich container, hot meal container and children's bowl and dish sets.

Sanctus Mundo Website

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ClementineArt

Clementine is art you can feel good about.  Their high quality art supplies are all natural, certified non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.  Clementine Packaging is made out of 80% post consumer recycled and reusable materials.

We have modeling dough, natural crayons, non-toxic glue, rock crayons (top seller), markers and paint.
Clementine_Art 2

ClementineArt Website

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Abeego - Food Storage, Loved Naturally
abeego-1
Abeego is natural, reusable, eco-conscious food storage created with hemp/cotton fabric infused with a blend of beeswax and plant extracts. The fluid-resistant coating keeps food fresh and is easy to clean. Simply hand wash Abeego in COLD, soapy water and enjoy the long life of this breathable, plastic free innovation. Three styles to choose from: Abeego Wrap, Abeego Snack and Abeego Square.

Abeego Website

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WaterGeeks - Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Watergeeks_14392_image
- available in 2 sizes: 12oz and 24oz
- made with unlined, 18/0, food grade stainless steel
- wide mouth for ice cubes and easy cleaning
- ergonomic, curved design
- lightweight, easy to carry
- non-leaching
- BPA-FREE & Phthalate FREE
- fits most cup holders



WaterGeeks -Tap Water Filter
watergeeks-water-bottle-filter-in-lid
- each filter will last for up to 800-12oz servings
- includes 1 filter and 1 colored cap.
- non-leaching
- BPA-FREE & Phthalate FREE

Effectively filters: heavy metals, chlorine, taste, odor and other potential contaminants from tap water.


WaterGeeks Website

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

July's Featured Products


This month's featured products are Farm Fresh Remedies, made locally by  Caitlin Hill in Havelock, ON. Farm Fresh grows all of their own organic calendula and makes an amazing array of health and body products which include soap, salves, balm, and lotions.

Healing Salve will fight infection and help skin rejuvenate.  Good for excema, dry skin, cracks, cuts, rashes, bug bites, and poison ivy.
Herbal Rash Salve is ideal for skin in need of some TLC. 

Hand & Foot Cream will protect and heal dry sking.  A rich cream for hands, feet and rough spots.
Body Lotion a handcrafted lotion for face and body made from the mildest ingredients.  Organic calendula grown on Caitlin's farm, soothes and repairs the skin.
Body Bars Lavender & Clary Sage, Bergamot & Coridander, and Lavender & Rosemary.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

June's Featured Product

Our featured products of the month are Porcupine Creek Farm's Natural Sunscreen and Canadian Bush Spray.

Porcupine Creek Farm Natural Sunscreen is a great alternative to the chemical and toxic ridden sunscreen's that you find on the grocery or pharmacy shelves. 

How does Karen get an SPF rating in her natural sunscreen?  Karen says that " the SPF rating of the sunscreen is based on the weight of zinc oxide used with respect to the other ingredients."  Karen's sunscreen is a chemical-free, petroleum-free sunscreen containing only natural ingredients.  It is also safe for babies.

Porcupine Creek Farm's Natural Sunscreen is made locally.  The list of ingredients are: cocoa*, shea* & mango butter; zinc oxide; olive &jojoba oil; beeswax; calendula*, vitamin E & geranium essential oil (*organic)



Pocupine Creek Farm Canadian Bush Spray is also a great alternative to the chemical and toxic ridden bug sprays that you find on the shelves of most stores.

Karen's Canadian Bush Spray is made with all natural ingredients that include: witch hazel infused with catnip; essential oils of citronella, yarrow, rosemary, eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme, love leaf, catnip & geranium.

The spray is also safe for pets.


If you come into the store between June 13th - 25th you can receive 10% OFF on both items.

Other sale items include: culinary herb planters, mini friendship gardens, tote bags, organic cotton napkins and dish towels, mesh produce bags, herbal teas and herb blends, 6 pack of Swish Clean and Green cleaning pack (environmentally friendly), heirloom tomato seeds and more.

The emphasis of our sale items are that they are CANADIAN MADE.  Our June Summer Sale (13th-25th) is to celebrate Canada Day!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

New Energy Program for Homeowners or Renters

OUT with ecoENERGY - IN with a NEW Weatherization Program

It's official, the ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program has now expired.  What a shame.  And with the expiration of the program comes another election.

Do you remember the hype a couple of years ago about the recession in Canada?  The ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program was just one of the ways that the Harper government was trying to generate money back into our economy.  It was a great idea, because not only did it employ thousands of Certified Energy Advisors (CEA's) all across Canada, but it also employed local contractors, and businesses selling building materials.  Your money was going right back into your local economy.  Not to mention, it saved homeowners money in the long run by making efficient improvements to their homes and saving energy costs.  It was a win-win situation.

Do you remember the Kyoto agreement that Canada has pretty much given up on?  Well, the ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program also contributed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.  By making energy efficient retrofits to your home, you were rewarded with grants.  It was an incentive program.  The Harper government hardly had to do anything, except give a little money back to the homeowner, while we're saving them greenhouse gas emissions to meet their Kyoto targets.  What's $300 million dollars to them over the course of 4 years?  Peanuts!

I really hope that when the election arrives on May 2nd, the party/parties that wins will re-instate another energy effiency program.  It's just makes a lot of cents.. get it?



In the meantime, there is an Enbridge Home Weatherization Program for Enbridge gas customers.  You and your home could be eligible to have Enbridge pay for the cost of the weatherization improvements.  This would include insulating, weatherstripping, and air sealing.

We are looking for houses that:
  • are more than 20-25 years old
  • are cold and drafty in the winter, and hot in the summer
  • have high gas bills
  • are owned or rented
If your house fits into that group or you know of someone else's house that would fit into that group, then please pass the information along to them.

How do you qualify?
1) Do you live in the City and County of Peterborough or the City of Kawartha Lakes?
2) Is your home heated by natural gas?
3) Are you a customer of Enbridge Gas Distribution?
4) Do you pay your own natural gas bill?

On top of that, you qualify if you receive government assistance, or if your household income is no more that the amounts on the chart on the Home Weatherization Retrofit Program website.  Don't be discouraged, the maximum gross annual income is rather large.  If you think you wouldn't qualify, please take a moment to view the chart.  You may be surprised.

For more information, please call Peterborough Green-Up at 705-745-3238 ext 202.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Variety

Are you as sick as I am of eating root vegetables?!  I'm not sure I can have another parsnip or carrot!  I gave up on carrots a few weeks ago.  The organic ones I was buying from the grocery store are surprisingly bland and not very sweet.

Do you know what else I'm sick of?  Boxed organic salad mix.  I am a very picky eater so when I get little bits of rotting lettuce in my salad mix, I'm turned off immediately.  I just want a fresh head of lettuce!  Is that too much to ask for?

I'm pretty excited about this new season we just arrived in.  This is when our lovely and very respected farmers (who are farming sustainably) are working away planting seeds for the upcoming growing season.

I just want some F.R.E.S.H produce.  I think I am going to build a cold frame for my fiance and I to start growing hearty greens.  We just received some really great books in the Green-Up Store and Resource Centre on traditional skills.  There's a little booklet on building cold frames.  I just need to purchase the materials, or see if I can find anything that would work by scouting around.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/imported/nav-homegarden/2010-01/cold-frame.jpg
 
 If you're not growing your own food this year, then I think it's probably time to source out where you are going to get your local produce from.  Perhaps a CSA (community supported agriculture) in your area.  Here is an Ontario CSA Farm Directory.  Another option for you is By the Bushel Community Food Co-op here in Peterborough.  Check out there website too.

If you can't get to the farmers market on Saturday, those are a couple of great options for you.

There truly is nothing like fresh produce.  And local fresh produce?  Even better!
 
  

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting can be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids.  Not interested in getting a dog or cat as a pet?  Then consider worms!  They really are incredible creatures.

Earthworms are natures expert recyclers.  They eat all kinds of dead plants and animals underground and turn it into a rich soil.  An Earthworm can eat organic matter that weighs as much as it does.


One type of Earthworm that we are familiar with here at Peterborough Green-Up is called a Red Wiggler.  Red Wigglers are red/brown and some can be striped, they are thin like a string, are about 2-5 inches long, and they live near the Earth's surface like under leaves or in manure piles.  They are also incredibly talented composters.  We use Red Wigglers in our vermicomposter in the office.  They make up the best darn compost in these parts of town!

To create a vermicomposting system you will need a vermicomposting bin, bedding that the worms can live in and eat; this could include newspaper cut into small strips and a mixture of grass clippings or dry leaves with no chemicals on them.  And you will need about 1/2 lb of Red Wigglers.  A great source of food to feed them would be fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bread, oatmeal, dried leaves and composted manure.  Bad food to feed them are dairy products, meat and bones and pet poop.

One of the main reasons for having a vermicomposter in your home is to use the compost that the worms create for your gardens or starting seeds.  You can harvest the compost in the bin by dumping all of the contents onto a big plastic sheet and remove the worms by hand.  Be sure to watch for worm cocoons or tiny hatchlings.  Put them all back in the bin with fresh bedding and food.



If you are interested in starting a vermicomposter of your own we are hosting a series of workshops this month.  Unfortunately, they are completely full. If you would like to get started please contact us and we can see what we can do to accommodate your schedule to get you started this winter.