Inspired Living: Miki Organics

I came across a fantastic little online shop today called Miki Organics (gotta love Twitter!) in Britain. I loved the vintage feel of her product shots, and of course the products themselves speak volumes. On trend or not, I can't get enough of natural textures, beachy, neutral shades - every time I see it I just can't stop staring - think cream, charcoal grey, natural wood tones... The name Miki comes from the Japanese translation of 'beautiful tree' - perfect.

"Set up in 2008 by Claire Watson, Miki sources stylish ethical and eco friendly interior design, accessories and gifts. If you are like us then being surrounded by good design and gorgeous clothes makes you happy. We want to be the change we want to see in the world. This means making sure that the people who make our products are also happy, and that from crop to final product the best environmental practices are used."

I think these mini tagines are my favourite! A perfect little salt cellar!

 

Practically Eco: Stove Man

Episode 1: Woodwalk from The Paradigm Project on Vimeo.

Love the ethos of this project. It's easy to forget that the harvesting of wood and cooking over a fire is still a HUGE issue in many developing countries. Women have to walk miles per day for daily basics such as water and food, as well as wood to cook with. Cooking with wood has created two major issues: One, deforestation is epidemic. Lack of vegetation is creating desert conditions, stripping the soil of nutrients. The lack of root systems is also contributing to desertification due to erosion, washing valuable soil away. Second, cooking over an open fire indoors is leading to major respiratory problems for women and children. For more on the issue, check out Stove Man with Austin & Greg, a series put together by The Paradigm Project - a non-profit organization that is attempting to distribute 5 million high-efficiency stoves in countries such as Kenya, Guatemala, Tanzania and Ethiopia.  So far they've distributed 13,163 stoves, which has impacted 32,500 people. Amazing huh? Check out their progress here. Let me know what you think! I'm thinking this would be a good candidate for Pure Green Magazine's advertising donation program - if you haven't heard about that, PGM donates a percentage of our advertising revenue to non-profit organizations that support the environment around the world. For more information please contact us at advertise@puregreenmag.com

The Organic Kitchen - Classic Strawberry Jam

This long weekend I did something I've wanted to do for a long time - make strawberry jam! Every year I have lamented the passing of strawberry season without a pantry full of preserves, so when I found myself with a three day long weekend I made it a priority. 

My parents and I made the trek to a local, organic strawberry farm where the picking was ripe and the berries were plentiful!  

After a short hour in the summer sun, my fingers were stained pink and my baskets were full, as was my belly! The farm owners instructed us, with a good dose of humor, that over-ripe berries shouldn't be picked unless it was to eat right then and there, which I was all too happy to oblige!

Next, after washing and prepping, the berries were ready to prepare. I have to admit, having never undertaken this before, I greatly underestimated the time involved. My sister and I worked together and after getting a late start (7 pm) we were in the kitchen jarring until 1am! The results, however, were more than worth it! We worked from Ashley English's book Canning & Preserving, part of the Homemade Living Series we featured in the last issue of the magazine. I love her recipe as it uses the natural pectin in the strawberries and uses a lot less sugar than other recipes I'd found - the jam was still perfectly sweet when done! 

The finished product - you can see how deep and ruby red the jam turned out - a result of the perfect organic strawberries I'm sure. I'd forgotten how good local, seasonal strawberries truly are. I can't wait to do it again!  And I have to say, I'm officially hooked on preserving! We ended up with 10 jars each, the perfect year's supply.

Inspired Living | Summer Picnic with Acme Party Box

Loving these picnic accessories from Acme Party Box! A little inspiration just in time for Canada Day OR the 4th of July, depending where you are! I personally am heading out on the water tomorrow with some friends - we'll be grabbing some icecream and cuddling up with a blanket to watch the fireworks, floating in the bay! I also plan to tackle some serious DIY's around the house with my rare and treasured 3-day weekend!! I have a special event I'm planning, which will be very fun to decorate for, and I've got some painting to do. Our kitchen cabinets are begging to become a gorgeous shade of white, and I'm planning a bedroom makeover too! What are your plans for the holiday weekend?

ACME Party Box’s philosophy of throwing chic, sustainable parties extends beyond birthdays and showers. Their picnic basket includes everything you need for an eco-friendly picnic – Weck carafes and storage jars, bamboo cutlery and tableware, a mango wood cheese board, picnic knife, cloth napkins, and your choice of wine glasses or Mason drinking jars with straws, all reusable or compostable and all packaged in a large tote. The only thing missing are some sandwiches and a sunny spot to enjoy them!

Inspired Living - Atelier 688

I have a mild vintage map obsession, which is why these beauties from Atelier 688 in Toronto caught my eye. A surefire coversation starter, these are created using vintage maps printed on balloon silk and carried by military air crews to navigate enemy territory, and were inspired by owner Alex Jowett's late uncle, a pilot in WW II. {Atelier 688, $185}

Montreal Editorial Meeting

Last week I got a chance to travel to Montreal to visit with the other half of our FABULOUS editorial team! Such a dynamic group, we all bring something so special to the table! Our Montreal trip was fruitful and energizing, and we have so much to share with you in the upcoming issues, including some great Montreal features in Issue 6! I couldn't resist sharing this shot, which is a by-product over much oooohing and aaahhhing about our new business cards! Hooray PGM!!!!

Canadian Design Bloggers Event

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Design Blogger's Meet-up. I have to say, reading about blogger events that are always so far away have had me craving an opportunity here in Toronto, and I have to give a big thanks to Vie (of Verdigris Vie) and Daniella (of Dress, Design & Decor) for delivering.  They did an amazing job organizing and it was a pleasure to attend and meet many of Toronto fabulous bloggers! For more pics from the event, check out the official blog.

Vie & Daniella

Myself (right) and Carolyn of My Designer Muse

Guest Speaker Tommy Smythe

Of course no event would be complete without delicious food!

All photos are courtesy of Leah Kirin

Woodlot Bakery

I'm really intrigued to try this Toronto restaurant, a bakery | sit down resto hybrid named Woodlot which my husband will be very grateful for (we always eat at the same place, the famed and adored Teroni's on Queen W). The wood fired oven lends a rustic feel and a too tempting to resist comfort feel to the food. Watch the video, featuring Woodlot baker Jeff Connell - you'll see what I mean. Almost unbelievably, the restaurant has no website, at least that I can find! The video was shot by the Toronto Standard, one of my favourite sites to keep a pulse on Toronto culture. Find Woodlot at 293 Palmerston Avenue (just off of College St) Toronto, ON M6J 2J3, (647) 342-6307.


For more about Woodlot read this great review by another Toronto institution, NOW Magazine

Marie Veronique Organic's Promo & Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Joanna of A Clear Cut sign who won our draw! The winner was chosen via random.org.

As the weather heats up and the day's get longer, you won't want to get caught without sunscreen on. Eco chic gals know that they best way to stay looking good is to protect their skin! We wanted to let you know that the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Guide was released last week and our good friends Marie Veronique Organics’ Moisturizing Face Screen and Anti-Aging Day Serum were again listed in the top 25 picks! Check out the list here.

They were all so thrilled over at MVO that they would like to celebrate by offering a Moisturizing Face Screen as a giveaway for one of our readers, as well as a promo code for EVERYONE!! Purchase a Moisturizing Face Screen or Anti-Aging Day Serum, and receive a ¼ oz Anti-Aging Oil ($20 value) for free (ENTER CODE PGMagEWG)! Offer stands until June 30. The giveaway is open for one week - enter by leaving a comment here on the blog. Winner will be chosen at random. Visit the MVO shop here: mvorganics.com/

Practically Eco: Cubit's Seeds

Wish I'd known about these guys before the last issue went out!! Although we're getting closer to the deadline for planting seeds, if you're still in need you should check Cubit's Organic Seeds out! A Toronto based, family run business, they have great selection of heirloom veggies. I'm hoping to plant some carrots, beets and beans in the next week or so. Visit their etsy shop to see the whole selection - they're running a great 5 for $25 promotion. (Love their seed packet design too!)