a peek inside the fishbowl

I’m thrilled to be introducing a new patron to the Fishbowl family today: terra20! I’ve written about terra20 before, most recently as it pertained to a bar of my favourite soap. :)

Some of you have probably already heard about terra20. They are Canada’s first eco-friendly department store and they carry a finely edited selection of environmentally-friendly goods. And they’re right here in Ottawa!

As some of you know, we’ve been trying hard to shop a little more mindfully around here. And that means saving dollars in some areas, and spending out in others. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. If we all replaced just one of our regular purchases with something that’s a little greener (think soap, shampoo, window cleaner, lip gloss!) we would be making the world a tiny bit better. I like that. And that’s where terra20 comes in.

One of the things I really like about terra20 is their commitment to the consumer. And one of the ways they do this is by bringing their vendors in for a show n’ tell. Not only does this let us meet the people behind the brands, but it lets us try the product for ourselves. (Hint: you can see what’s coming up by subscribing to their newsletter or having a peek at their online calendar, which lets you know of in-store sales too.) The meet n’ greet is particularly helpful if you’re not sure about a particular product and want to give it a test drive. And there are a couple coming up that I’m really interested in (and I think you will be too):

  • If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll want to swing by on March 16 from 10:00-1:00 p.m to sample some certified organic coffee by Red Hill.
  • After you grab your coffee, stop by to chat with Laila, terra20’s eco-parenting blogger. Bring your green parenting questions! She’ll be in the store between noon and 4 pm, chatting about her experiences raising kids in an environmentally sustainable kind of way.
  • One of terra20’s strongest departments is cosmetics and personal care. On March 23 there will be mini-makeovers in store with Gabriel Cosmetics as well as mini manicures (!). There will also be a meet n’ greet with terra20 fashion buyer, Karla Field. Curious as to what’s hot for Spring? Do you have questions about eco-fashion and home decor? Karla is the person to ask. (Sidebar: there’s a big sale on apparel right now. Check it out.)
  • Also on March 23, an E-cloth rep will be in the store doing demos as well. I totally recommend the E-cloth. We love ours and use it every day! (And speaking of cleaning house, did you know terra20’s Eco-bar is North America’s largest cleaning refill station?)

April is Earth Month, and terra20 is doing it BIG. There’ll be many terra20 vendors visiting and lots of activities planned too, so that’s the time you REALLY want to keep in touch. A great way of doing that is by following terra20 on Facebook and Twitter. That way you’ll always be the first to know what’s coming up.

12 Mar, 2013

Winter camping? Yes we did.

By andrea tomkins in Misc. life

Doe a deer

This is a placeholder for a coming post about our recent camping experience at Silent Lake in which I will answer important questions like: DID THEY FREEZE, and HOW DID THEY WASH and WHAT DID THEY DO THERE and HOW BADLY DID THEY STINK WHEN THEY GOT BACK.

Stay tuned!

March Break is nigh, and I am feeling a wee bit scattered thinking about what I still need to do in preparation. (More about that later!) BUT I wanted to leave you with a couple of great-looking treats to fuel your weekend and upcoming break.

First, no weekend should be without waffles! This recipe from Merry With Children looks fabulous, not to mention super easy. I really like the addition of nuts to a waffle recipe!

Source: merrywithchildren.com via Merry120 on Pinterest

I think it goes without saying that my kids would gladly clean their closets in exchange for these Banana Split Bars by Echoes of Laughter. What do you think?

Source: applevalleygirl.blogspot.ca via andrea on Pinterest

I was looking through my own archives for March Break treats to make and I remembered this potted plant pudding (it was a total winner) and this recipe for chocolate toffee squares. I may even pull out this meal we normally serve on Halloween. Or maybe these? What do you think?

Source: Uploaded by user via andrea on Pinterest

Source: pincookie.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

What are you cooking up this weekend? Is it business as usual or are you making room for something different? :)

Archives


  • Jeanie Maennling: I spent many wonderful days visiting my cousins and Uncle Herb and aunt Eleanor at the Farm in the 1950's. Mycousin Skippy (Sharon) and I got into l
  • alex: For a classic Canadian treat for valentine day , try a BeaverTail (a fried dough pastry) there its yummy
  • Juliet Luiz: I was at this park today and saw the foundation and historical sign which got me curious and let me to your blog post! Great information:) too bad t
  • Rowyn Tape: Hello, I was sitting at Easter dinner with my grandmother and she was telling me this story. She is Herbert Lytles daughter who eventually bought the
  • Bernie: I freeze ball sizes of bread dough for beavertails each winter season.Easy to thaw, roll out and fry. Best winter treat!
  • Jen_nifer: I feel very much the same about my SUP. Floating with snacks is fantastic! When I go on water with some current, I make sure that I paddle into the cu
  • sam: Great article. This is very insightful. Thanks for sharing

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Sunny who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. During the day I work as a freelance writer. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

If you're so inclined, you can read more about me here.

I've deactivated the commenting function as well as my contact form so if you want to get in touch, please drop me a line at quietfish@gmail.com. Thank you!

 


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