The Winnipeg Green Lifestyle & Organic Living Show will take place this Saturday and Sunday at the Convention Centre.

Evan and I got to enjoy a great Green dinner this week at Kimch’i Cafe with local food prepared from the Cafe, Fairmonth Winnipeg, Dandelion Eatery and Diversity Foods at the University of Winnipeg. The most amazing meal paired with organic wines and beers by the MLCC. Check out the show this weekend for great new food products, demos, fashions and fitness!

Here’s a look at all the glasses on the table for our samples.

I have finally experience the BDI and made my own GOOG. Evan took me to the Bridge Drive-In “home of the creamiest shakes in town” and we had a rare opportunity to head behind the counter and find out what makes a good GOOG.

First of all, I’ve never seen such a long list of ice cream choices and options! It’s an ice-cream lovers dream!

You can meet them tomorrow at the Zellers at Polo Park from 12-2pm. The first 100 people will also get a free copy of their book. They are a hilarious duo. Go and meet them if you can. Have a great weekend!

While on vacation I ate and shopped. My favourite things.  As some of you may know, I do love my sweets and my chocolate. There is a cool chocolate place in Toronto where some girlfriends and I indulged in some rich drinking chocolate and of course…dark chocolate fondue with fruit and cookies.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when buying a lifejacket or PFD (Personal Floatation Device).

How to avoid water-related injuries:

    * Regardless of the location, ensure children are supervised; whether at home or on vacation. Adult supervision is the best protection for children – even for those who can swim.
    * Ensure that your backyard pool is fully fenced with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
    * When not using your home pool, clear all toys out of the water and away from the edge.  These can often tempt children to the water’s edge.
    * Ensure you have emergency equipment including a first aid kit and a phone in the immediate pool area.
    * When boating, ensure everyone in the boat has their lifejacket on and fastened.
    * Don’t consume alcohol before or during swimming or boating activities.
    * Be cautious about swimming in currents, and know what to do if you get into trouble.
    * Get trained through swimming and water safety lessons; get your Pleasure Craft Operator Card if you operate a boat; know how to respond in an emergency by taking first aid lessons.

Lifejacket safety checklist:

    * Is it Canadian-approved?
    * Will it support the person it was made for?
    * Are all the snaps, belts, ties, tapes and/or zippers on your lifejacket or PFD in good condition?
    * Is it easy to put on and take off?
    * Can you move your arms freely when wearing it?
    * Does it let you bend at the waist?
    * Can you see the ground at your feet and walk over obstacles easily?
    * Does it keep your head above water?
    * Relax in the water face down.  Does your lifejacket roll you to a face-up position?
    * Can you swim and manoeuvre easily in the water?
    * Have you attached a whistle to your flotation device?

Have a safe weekend!

Jim also showed us a small personal alarm device that he picked up at the Bay.  Instead of sounding like an alarm, it sounds like a woman screaming which he says people will pay more attention to than the sound of random alarms. A great thing to pick up for yourself or someone you know.

Here are Jim’s tips:

1. Be alert and aware when walking alone.  Remove your iPod ear buds and anything that might obstruct your view, like hoods or hats.
2. Never carry a weapon, like mace or small knives, because it is easy for someone to take over the weapon and use it against you. Mace can easily backfire if the wind is blowing the wrong way or the nozzle is pointed the wrong direction.
3. Carry  something that makes noise like a whistle or personal security device. When women are in a high stress situations they can tend to loose their voice- which is why something that makes noise for you is a good idea- you want to draw as much attention to yourself as possible. They have come a long way in security devices in the last ten years there are a few on the market that are discreet that you can wear on a keychain or purse strap.
4.  Avoid wearing a purse strap across your chest, instead carry it over your shoulder when walking alone This gives someone an easy way to grab you and pull you around. Women routinely use a cross-body shoulder bag to avoid theft, however few think about the dangerous implications to their personal safety.
5. Exercise caution in parking lots. Parking lots at night are a prime spot for attackers because women are forced to walk to their cars alone, often with insufficient lighting. If it’s late and most of the other cars have gone, ask mall security to accompany you to your car. Once there, check the passenger side floor and the back seat before you get in.
6. Always call to order a cab. This way the driver can be traced, and you can be certain that your driver is an employee of the company.
7. Don’t isolate yourself on public transit On a bus, try to sit close to the driver. Many cities also have a special stop request program that allows women traveling alone after dark to request to be dropped off between bus stops, closer to their destinations.
8. Avoid wearing excessive or flashy jewellery If what you’re wearing looks valuable, you put yourself at greater risk of being mugged or attacked by thieves.
9. Use the elevator. Many women take the stairs in lieu of the elevator, but it’s in a woman’s best interest to avoid isolated stair wells.
10. Change your routes and routines on a regular basis This helps to derail any would-be predators from being able to track your movements or actions.

This year I decided I would try and get some tomato plants. I was told it’s really easy to grow tomatoes. I bought a few different varieties at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market and most of them looked limp and dead within a week. I was told to chop off the dead leaves (which I did) and one plant has given me a few little grape tomatoes. The others…well, they’re slightly delayed.

I will blame my near-dead plants on anything other than my sheer lack of gardening skills. For example, we’ve had some crazy weather lately. Including reports of tornadoes, hail etc. This is a photo I took of the intense storm cloud moving in last week….and of the rainbow that followed.

To keep us from moving and getting knocked in the face or back of the head by the bowling pins they were tossing back and forth they thought it would be a good idea to wrap us together with plastic wrap. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to Jon.  I’m not sure why we both look so sad either.

Once the juggling act was over and we done, I was ready to bolt. Jon wanted to keep chatting. This is what happens when you’re stuck together.

We did not stay this way for the rest of the show.

While in Toronto, I stayed with my friend who has 2 cats. I am not really a cat person as I grew up always having dogs as pets. With cats, you can’t leave your glass on the counter or their paw will be in it. And you can’t leave a plate of food unsupervised either. Also, if you get up in the middle of the night to use the washroom, you won’t see this if you have a dog.