Recently I read an article on "a day in the life of Dr. David Suzuki" and it got me thinking (as I'm sure it was meant to).  Then I went to a presentation by a Red Cross Volunteer about Emergency Preparedness and found out that we used to have 10 minutes to escape a burning home, if heaven forbid, our's should catch fire...now (because of all the plastics and synthetics we have in our homes) we only have about 2 minutes to get ourselves, children and pets out safely.

So, then I started to really think about the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."  I found it was really not that hard to work within a prevention framework.  For example:

1.  Use stainless steel bottles  (as available through What's In Store) to transport your beverages instead of little plastic bottles.  Not only is there safety from the whole BPA scare we have faced recently, but there is less waste.

2.  Choose to buy chemical free cleaners, makeup and personal care products.  Not only will you expose yourself to less health risks (not to mention the risks on the cans, etc - like explosive), you will save countless numbers of animals from all of the unnecessary and cruel tests run on them!

3.  Eat better.  That's kinda a no brainer, I know.  But, it is hard with all the prepared foods on the market and the additives, pesticides and junk out there.  Buying organic or local foods from farms that you know are not pesticide crazy or cruel to their animals gives you so much in return - better taste, less transportation (pollution), and a better sleep (conscience!).

4.  Choosing clothing made from organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo (that is grown and harvested specifically for fibres - not taken from those who eat it) is better for you (many fabrics like cotton use ridiculous amounts of pesticides and the like to grow them and offgas as you wear them) and it is better for the people who are forced to work in the fields and directly be exposed to the chemicals. 

5.  The choice to buy furniture made in a sustainable manner also means that we don't have the synthetic factor!  We could even get back our time to escape a fire if we work at improving things in our home!

It is my mission to bring everything you need into one place.  To provide you with the comfort that when you choose to shop in my store you will do so with confidence that I have researched it and found that it works without damage to you or your kids, pets or our planet!  Make choices that you can live with.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!  Simple choices can make a difference and the more we say we will not support those companies that put us in harms way the more we will see they change their ways.  It is happening all around us!   There are so many more companies today that are aware of the demand and soon they will have no choice but to provide the supply!  We can make them change their ways!

Check out your options today at www.whatsinstore.ca and if I don't have what you need, I will work hard to fix that!

Everywhere we turn it seems to be thrust in front of us that our planet is facing some dark days. Global warming, general climate change, emissions, and many other looming threats have certainly made us all more aware of the damage our actions have caused over the years. However, the wake-up calls seem to really be paying off! More and more people are making changes, big and small, to the basic things in their lives to reverse or at least hold off any further damage to our planet.

For those who are interested in doing more, but wondering what else they can do that won’t be too much of a burden on day-to-day living, check out these fantastic ideas!

1. Changing the lightbulbs in your home – Compact Florescent Lights or CFL’s I believe is the term;

2. Changing shower heads to more efficient types;

3. Looking for and buying more products that are packaged with less or in recyclable material;

4. Choosing a restaurant for your night out that packages their leftovers in compostable boxes;

5. Changing to LED lights for special occasions where you choose to decorate;

6. Taking your cloth bags to the grocery store; and not just there, but any store for that matter;

7. Buying locally; which not only supports your community, but it cuts down on transport;

8. Packing yours and your kid(s)’ lunches with safe and reusable containers instead of wrap;

9. Switching to/using cloth diapers if you have a baby;

10. Using washable hygiene products instead of disposable;

11. Making the effort to recycle clean so that more can actually be recycled;

12. Donate things you no longer have a need for, if not in your own community then globally;

13. Switch to non-chemical laden cleaning products;

14. Organize a group to clean up your neighbourhood; and let the newspapers know so that they will report about it and others may choose to do the same;

15. Choose organic when you can; and,

16. Talk about green with others; you will find out some of their ideas and be able to share some of your own!

This is a small list of the easier things that can make a huge difference; especially when undertaken by large numbers of people. Our children will appreciate our efforts to provide them with a better future and we will feel better for it! Not to mention that many of the items above also improve our health in the long run, therefore reducing our need for line ups at the Doctor’s office.

There is a wealth of information that is available to us through the Internet and other fantastic resources. Admittedly, not everyone has the time to research all the things that are out there to educate us, but if each of us chose one thing from the list above imagine the difference we could make! Imagine if we all did all that we could to improve our own contribution to helping our planet … the word… Incredible comes to mind!

www.whatsinstore.ca

When I was a teenager my father once told me that I couldn't "cry for the whole world".  He was right!  Now that I am an adult and have more control over the choices that I make I can make steps to heal the world.  Crying foul does nothing...or at best, little.  Someone said that you are "either part of the solution or you're part of the problem".  That is a very powerful statement because it really holds true that if we stand around and complain about the way things are; while doing nothing to change our own impact, what is the result? 

I have made steps to make it easy to become part of the solution.  I am making steps to teach my own children about how they can be powerful and support change even at an early age.  There are so many options out there, you don't have to single-handedly pick up all the litter in your entire community, but perhaps you could organize a party of people who would be willing to clean up your own neighbourhood, let the newspaper know so they can write about it and maybe others will do the same.  Or, you could organize a charity event or start supporting Fair Trade if you are a store owner, or maybe you could educate and encourage others through a blog.  Each one of us has the power to make changes, even small changes in the right direction shift the balance.  We may not be able to reverse everything that has already happened, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

I have recently added shopping carts to my site in an effort to be more far-reaching.  I am dedicated to be part of the solution....I don't want to just cry for the whole world ever again.  I want to celebrate positive change!  Will you join me?