Photo credit: lumierefl from Flickr

Tonight I’ll be heading out to a launch party at Pipa for a fun venture put on by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission.

The Big Day Downtown program is meant to highlight downtown Halifax as a destination for shopping, dining, doing business, working and living. Participating bloggers, columnists, journalists and media personalities will be tasked with answering the question: “How would you spend $100 in downtown Halifax?”

Our little city is home to a compact, walkable downtown that’s pretty easy to fill a day with. Unfortunately, with lots of talk about the death of Barrington Street, a recent article in the Toronto Star remarked that “Halifax tends to look shabby and under-populated.”

I’ll be setting out into the streets of downtown Halifax to find out how far $100 goes and report back here with my findings. Before I do though, I’m going to look for some pre-game tips. What are some of your fave gems in downtown Halifax? Where do you think I should I go? I’m looking forward to showcasing what this fair city has to offer in our downtown core.

(Note, that according to the breakdown of business districts, the visit will not include Spring Garden Road which has its own association. Here’s a map of the district that is downtown Halifax.)

Photo credit (altered): number657 from Flickr

[Here's another great post by a blogger  who's moved East Coast By Choice. Give a warm welcome to Jaime who has some sound advice for enjoying the holidays without the added stress of rebounding from over-indulgence in the New Year.]

By Jaime (a.k.a. @balanceblog)

‘Tis the season for temptations galore. Health roadblocks at every turn. It can be daunting, but just take the time to think about your actions and everything will turn out fine. I am a firm believer in planning ahead so I thought I’d share with you my plan of attack for the holidays without busting my belt.

Plan your eats. Think ahead.

• Eat breakfast. Coffee does not a breakfast make. Take 15 minutes to eat a proper meal before you head out. Something that will stay with you…oatmeal, toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit and nuts. Get your protein in. Trust me.
• Pack a snack. Throw a banana or whole-food granola bar in your purse or pocket. This will save you from caving to that Tim Horton’s donut or Orange Julius hot dog when your blood sugar begins to take a dip after a few hours of scouring the shelves for the perfect gift for your cousin Bill.
• Stay hydrated. Go ahead and have that coffee before you leave home (who can tackle Christmas time at the mall without a jolt?!) but try to avoid more caffeine and sugar during your day. Carry water, or buy some at the food court. No one ever believes me when I say water perks you up better than coffee, but it does. Try it, you’ll like it.
• Avoid cheeseburgers. If you are going to be shopping all day, you’ll need to stop for lunch. Make good choices. I know, I know…it’s hard to just walk past the cheeseburgers and poutine, but I have faith in you. Choose sushi, or a salad, or a sandwich on whole wheat bread. Avoid anything that’s under a heat lamp and you’ve made a step in the right direction.
• Plan dinner in advance. A huge issue is being tired after shopping and succumbing to eating dinner at whatever restaurant has the shortest line. This generally leads to some sort of cheese toast and big bowl of artery clogging pasta. Ask your family to tackle dinner for the evening or put something in the crock pot before you head out for the day. This gives you something healthy to look forward to coming home to after your big day.

Activity. Get some.

• Morning routine. If you have time, workout (whatever a workout entails for you…hit the gym, go for a run, take Fido er, Tofu for a walk…) before you go out for the day. The extra energy you create will help keep you going.
• Make a date. If no time pre-shopping, then go after. Make a date with your significant other or a friend to meet for some activity. This will help you shake off the mall leg you have surely developed and also give you a reason to get out of the mall before 9pm.
• Don’t be lazy. No brainer. If your shopping location has stairs, use them. Cuz I said so.
• Take a breather. If your shopping does go all day, take a break. Go outside, put your parcels in your car, get some air. Just breathe. It will go a long way for your mental sanity as well as your physical exhaustion.

Shop smart. OK, now here it is. The biggest tip. If you walk away from here with nothing else…take this one.

• Don’t buy chocolate as gifts. If you step foot in that chocolate store to purchase a box of chocolate covered pecans for dear Aunt Lily, I guarantee you will walk out with a chocolate pretzel for yourself. Oh sure, you’ll tell yourself it’s for your Grandpa Phil but you know as well as I do it will be gone before you get to the car. Step away from the chocolate.

The idea here is to “keep it real”. Temptations are everywhere this time of year. No one is saying you can’t give in to a few of them (especially me!), but it’s all about balance. If you choose to buy the chocolate, then you’d better be taking the stairs. If you opt to skip breakfast, please drink your water and order salad for lunch. And for the love of Pete, if you must eat in the food court please make healthy choices. Embrace Balance. If it works for me, it will work for you. I promise.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!

Jaime has been blogging for 2.5 years. Starting out as a desk bound office worker looking to lose the weight gained sitting on her bum, and progressing to a healthy eating (and living!) enthusiast. Thanks to the power of the internet Embracing Balance continues to grow and thrive each and every day, and so does her knowledge of how to remain healthy and happy without giving up the real food and comfy lifestyle she knows and loves. A transplant from Victoria, BC only two years ago, she is grateful to blogging for introducing her to a fine group of East Coasters that have helped make Halifax more like a home.

Photo credit: Latente from Flickr

So, I’ve been piled under blankets and drinking plenty of fluids for days now. In the midst of the H1N1 scare season, formerly known as the flu season, I have to admit to wondering about if/when I should go see a doctor. The NS government has an Influenza Decision Chart that I found actually pretty helpful/comforting. And then there’s this H1N1 Home Management sheet to help you help a loved one. Or, if you’re a woman, help yourself because let’s face it: there’s a low percentage of male nurses out there for a reason.

Being sick and not being able to do much of anything, I’ve had a lot of time to think. With what’s supposed to be a pandemic AND the holiday season upon us, here’s a shopper’s guide for getting through your illness with comfort:

1. (a) A good blanket. When I Googled “warmest blanket in the world” I came up with slanket. I have no idea what the difference between that and a snuggie is but apparently the slanket is the “original blanket with sleeves.” Yeah, it’s kind of ugly and ridiculous. But, really, you’re not exactly looking your prime when you’re nose is a faucet of snot. Plus, when you’re done with it the brown one could possibly double as a Halloween costume. Either Jedi master or Friar Tuck.

1. (b) If you’ve got a standard blanket, the next best thing to a slanket is a warm sweater. Personally, I’ve been wearing a waterfall cardigan that I brought back from the summer trip to Ireland. It’s a wool sweater made by Ireland’s Eye called a tassle wrap but very much in the style of the waterfall cardigans that are en vogue this season. Easy to throw on and off between bouts of fevers and chills.

2. A big mug. Pre-made or go the extra mile and create one from Claytime Pottery Painting.

3. Warm beverages. Put together a basket from a local shop like The Tea Brewery. Or get together all the ingredients for a hot toddy.

4. IOUs. Maybe these seem lame to the giver of this gift, but not so to the sick person piled beneath blankets desperate for a cup of tea but not willing to leave the warmth. (Hmm…the portability of slankets seems more and more appealing.) Being able to redeem an IOU for a cup of tea, meal, hug, massage, etc. is a great gift for the sick loved one in your life. The catch is, these have to be redeemed without attitude.

So, there you have it. A few ideas for the holidays while thinking of the welfare of your loved ones during this germ-y time of year.

Photo credit: Wry&Ginger from Flickr

Wrapping up the “Shopping “Home for the Holidays”” series this week is local Etsy artist Wry & Ginger. As her site says, she makes “seriously funny handmade cards in original designs.” Shortly after dog-sitting Tofu one weekend a few months back, she came out with a new line of cards called “Doxie Love is Peculiar.”

Tofu was so thrilled that he wanted to personally interview Cheryl. So, head on over to the dog blog for the full interview and, while you’re there, enter to win a set of these cards. Contest closes November 27. Full details at Who’s Your Dachshund?

Thanks again to everyone who posted on the site this week. If you missed any, check them out:

Green Christmas by Charlene Boyce

The Bay Hammock Company by Anne Chisholm

Shopping locally: we’re all in the same boat by Heather Rankin

Love, Me Boutique by Chara Kingston

[Here's a treasured local gem known as Love, Me Boutique. If you haven't yet discovered this shop, mosey on down to where you'll find scads of unique gift items made right here in Canada.]

By Chara Kingston

One of my earliest Christmas shopping memories took place in my elementary school. I think I may have been about eight – old enough to feel the power and independence in making gift choices but young enough to believe that magic surrounded any holiday activity.

Photo from Love, Me Boutique's Facebook Fan Page

And magic did surround the event known as the Christmas Shopping Room.

The lead up to this shopping event began with the take-home notice for parents explaining that class by class, children would be led down to an assembly room where manufacturers and company representatives would have product for sale. I don’t remember my mother’s reaction to the notice, but think it very well could have involved some eyebrow lifting. And I don’t remember what I may have said to her in order to acquire shopping funds, but am equally certain it involved a very dramatic plea about being grown up and needing to complete this task myself. In the end shopping funds were allotted alongside a brief but serious discussion on “budgeting”. But of course, the minute I had the money in my hot little hands, my imagination went wild with visions of what could possibly be inside the Christmas Shopping Room.

And so the day came. I was giddy with anticipation. As I was guided toward this magical assembly room by carols being pumped through the loud speakers, I clutched my coin purse and went through my list: Mom, Dad, and my brothers RJ and Michael. Maybe there would be a little extra and I could justify a cute barrette?? With due diligence, I walked the whole room before making a purchase. “I can always go back”, I thought. I may have done the circuit twice. And then I panicked. The teacher had called out the 15 minute warning and I had purchased nothing. “Just pick something…anything” my little brain was yelling. My eyes surveyed the trinkets and knickknacks of mass produced proportions and my heart sank. It wasn’t right. I didn’t want to just pick up something. I wanted perfect things. I wanted special things.

In the end I only made one purchase that day. It was a handmade jewel-coloured dyed silk framed picture which read “MOM”. It was more than I had budgeted for my mother but I thought it was so pretty.

Looking back on that experience and recollecting that little girl’s dismayed heart at seeing rows upon rows of sad mass produced “stuff”, it is no wonder to me that I ended up winding and curving down a road which would lead me to opening a shop which sells only Canadian handmade goods. In planning for the opening of Love, Me Boutique, I knew my shop had to be the kind of store that I wanted then and still want today – a fun and memorable experience filled with unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade products full of colour and texture.

Love, Me Boutique opened in October of 2007. I have really only experienced two full Holiday seasons here at the shop. Last year I really felt a shift in consumer needs and wants. I had customers who declared that they were only buying from local stores and/or only buying handmade or Canadian produced. The things I wanted as a child – gifts that were perfect and special – seemed to be the wants of many of my customers. And the fact that my shop might have had a hand in meeting those expectations makes me, and my little eight year old self, smile.

Love Me Boutique is a wee shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia dedicated to Canadian handmade for wearing, living and giving. Follow on Twitter @LoveMeBoutique.

[Next up in the shopping "home for the holidays" guest posts is a woman who's returned home after several years abroad. She gives her unique perspective on opening up shop in Halifax and the importance of the local market in staying afloat.]

By Heather Rankin

Last week I caught a portion of a radio interview between David Suzuki and Mohamed Waheed, Vice President of the Maldives. Waheed was describing plans for making his country the first to be carbon-neutral in the next 10 years. Toward the end of the interview Suzuki remarked on the irony of poor countries (like Maldives) – the least to blame for the world’s ecological problems – contributing the most toward addressing these problems. Waheed’s response was (paraphrased): “we are all on the same planet. We are all in the same boat. It doesn’t matter who put the holes in the boat. What matters is that we work together to patch the holes so that we do not sink.”

Photo credit: Hadassah28 from Flickr

While Waheed was referring specifically to environmental issues, his statement had many applications for me. Sometimes a problem requires a combined effort to solve, regardless of who’s at fault.

When I moved to Halifax just under a year ago to start my own business I noticed a change in the city. Though it still felt small, it seemed to have lost some of it’s neighbourhood charm. Businesses seemed bigger, more generic, and less personal. There were markedly less neighbourhood “spots”; fewer small, locally-owned businesses, and an increased number of chains and high-end bars and restaurants. Streets like Barrington Street, once a thriving strip of independently-owned restaurants, bars and shops, was now largely barren. Where were the cheap and cheerful cafés, affordable boutique shops, neighbourhood pubs?

Other noticeable changes, thankfully, were more encouraging. A vibrant local food and wine community was buzzing. A few miles away people were producing wine that rivalled some of the best in the world, others were making wonderful cheeses, or smoking and brining meats. There was a whole legion of local bakers, sustainable farmers and artisans making incredible products. People were getting excited about the ‘local movement’. Consumers were interested in the personal experience, they wanted to know who they were buying from, where the product was coming from and were prepared to pay for experience.

As I began to flesh out the details of my business, I quickly discarded the idea of having to “import” the best of everything. Having lived abroad for about a decade I had initially felt that Halifax needed a little bit of Europe: the best wines from France, the finest cheeses from Spain, charcuterie from Italy, etc. But now I knew that many of these products were available right here, or pretty close by. I started speaking to local producers and merchants, and saw their passion and energy for what they do. I got to know the faces and first names of people I’d be getting my product from. To my delight they knew their craft inside and out and completely stood behind their products – it would be a refreshing and sensible way to do business.

It was obvious to me how we could equally benefit from supporting one another: what was good for them, was also good for me. And good for Halifax, too, since anytime a customer visited us (i.e local business owners) the money would, in turn, go back into the community. A win for everyone.

To me, it is simple. Small, locally-owned, neighbourhood businesses are the lifeblood of a city. Local business people, and their supporters, take a particular interest and pride in their community in a way that big, faceless businesses can’t. Halifax needs an even stronger network of local, inter-dependent producers, suppliers and merchants (and a healthy customer base to support them). These are not new revelations, and I’m no authority on the subject. But this is just what I see. I hope that in becoming a small business owner in Halifax I will be doing a small part in contributing toward a vibrant, sustainable future for the city, and at the same time, patching a hole or two in our boat.

Heather Rankin is a luddite girl trapped in a technocratic world. Loves wine, food and music. Recently returned to her homeland after 10 years abroad. Follow her on Twitter @curlyluddite.

[This next guest runs a lovely business with her husband in the beautiful Peggy's Cove Area. If you've ever experienced the luxury of a hammock and wondered how you can get your hands on one, you'll be pleased to know you can find a local shop that carries them. A unique gift idea for those who are outdoorsy in a loungey sort of way.]

By Anne Chisholm

So here we were, my husband Arch and I, retired and living near our families in Nova Scotia after 45 years of living and working in Ontario. We played golf and bridge, but not all the time. We enjoyed our time with our families, but they had to work for a living. We needed something to do. We were a bit at sixes and sevens when we stumbled upon the assets of a defunct hammock maker that once operated in the Head of St. Margaret’s Bay. We contacted the owners and after several discussions purchased 6 antique rope making machines, some hand-made hammock weaving looms, & shuttles and a hammock tying table along with the bits and pieces that were required to make hammocks and hammock swings. Most importantly, we were able to hire their Master Hammock Maker, Lynn Sallans, a skilled and creative artisan who can create whatever we (or you) can dream.

Photo credit: Virginia Zuluaga from Flickr

That first summer we set up our hammock making facility in a building at the old military base in Mill Cove NS and sold the hammocks we made from a roadside stand in Hubbards NS. Then we started looking for a permanent home for our business, which we found on the Peggy’s Cove Road, in Seabright NS.

As we started to renovate the building and open our hammock making business in Seabright we were sure of only one thing – we wanted to establish a business that would be fun to operate and a fun spot for customers to visit and shop. As we are making and selling hammocks this wasn’t too hard to do. The first summer in Seabright we felt our way along. We hung hammocks out among the trees on the lawn, added a couple of picnic tables for customers to use and, on nice days, Lynn worked outside, weaving hammocks and hammock swings. People loved dropping in, enjoying a picnic; swinging in the hammocks and watching Lynn weave the hammocks. But, their favourite thing was watching our antique rope-making machines at work.

The challenge was to set our shop up so visitors could see and follow the complete hammock making process from making the rope to finishing and hanging the hammock. Then we learned of The Atlantic ÉconoMusée Network. This is a network of shops that make their products using traditional handcrafting methods. These shops, which are self supporting businesses, are set up as working museums where visitors can learn the history of the craft and watch the products being made. We applied to join, were accepted, and officially opened as a rope and hammock making ÉconoMusée in June 2008.

So, five years later, here we are, busy and having fun. When you drop, in Lynn or Arch act as you tour guide, showing you around the shop and demonstrating how the rope and hammocks are made. Hammocks and hammock swings are set up for you to test drive. The picnic area remains so bring along a snack lunch to enjoy outside when you come

We are open 7 days a week 9am to 6 pm in June, July , August, and September, 11 am to 4 pm Wednesday to Sunday in October, November, December, March, April and May and by appointment or by chance in January and February.

@BayHammocks is located in the Peggy’s Cove area of Nova Scotia.  They handcraft hammocks and shade sails for customers around the world.

[Welcome to another edition of East Coast Guest Posts. Now that Hallowe'en has come and gone, we all know what's on most consumer minds: Christmas. This week, we'll be hearing from guests about shopping "home for the holidays." First up: a word from the Ecology Action Centre.]

By Charlene Boyce

Working at an environmental non-profit organization has several implications for the holiday season. One is that every year I’m challenged to be creatively ‘non-consumer’ with my gift-giving…crafting, re-gifting, baking and researching what folks actually need has become SOP.

But nothing is ever easy. It’s not like I live in a commune of like-minded individuals. I have family who do not speak ‘green’, and don’t understand a used, marked-up book as a sign of love. I also have a nine-year-old daughter, who is perfectly balanced between ‘planet-lover’ and ‘marketer’s-brain-washed-sidekick’. The child devours the Sears Wish Book just as I did at her age, and yet accepts most of the Santa-legend amendments I offer, such as “Santa’s elves are only using recycled materials this year”, and “Santa won’t bring you new toys that he knows you won’t love…so if you don’t get them, it’s because Santa knows you don’t really need them.” Santa’s omniscience is unchallenged as yet…thanks be to the gods of fiscal prudence.

Gold bow

This year my newest green tip (because I am a notorious impulse buyer) is to make a list of stores I want to support and shop at for Christmas and to avoid the others. Despite Wal-Mart’s tremendous green initiatives recently, they aren’t on my short list, because Wal-Mart causes me to suffer ‘shopper’s ADHD’: “I just need thi—oh, there’s that shirt Nancy wan—oh, I need more laundry so…is that a SlapChop?!…oooh, shiny! ”

You get the idea.

I’m looking at boutiques like Woozles and P’lovers, small stores that support local products like Rum Runners, co-op stores like MEC and the Farmer’s Market. If I can make it to Christmas without going in a mall, so much the better for my wallet and spirit. I’m also being a dragon about sticking to my list this year. No buying stuff just because so-and-so, who I had no intention of buying for, might like it.

First run-through the list, though, is to figure out who would love or use something homemade. I’ve started knitting, but the baking won’t happen till there’s snow down to inspire me. Every year I make Christmas bread for several people. My daughter helps me prepare it, from an old family recipe I got from her dad’s mom. This year it will feature red fife wheat, our local Nova Scotia variety. I may add some blueberry preserves (my roommate is the preserves queen, I’m counting on her for guidance.)

Other things working at an ENGO means at Christmas? One, I buy an organic Christmas tree (I work for the Ecology Action Centre, and, full disclosure, we sell them annually); I don’t use regular gift wrap (except sometimes for the child’s gifts, due to the infernal culture machine dictating that for Santa); I do give those who will appreciate it gift memberships or charity donations in their name; and (something most will relate to) I never have enough money to buy everything I want to at Christmas. Non-profit salary means that all my planet-saving measures must also be cost-saving measures…so believe me when I say, if I can afford a green, sustainable Christmas, anyone can!

Charlene Boyce is the Development and Outreach Coordinator for Ecology Action Centre. She’d love to help you find great sustainable gifts for the eco-peeps on your list… like gift memberships or eco-undies!

Today marks the first day back to school for many students. While I’m no longer getting a formal education or sending a mini-me off to do the same, this time of year usually gets me in the mood for one thing (well, besides wanting to lecture people on carpooling)…that’s shopping.

Photo credit: ashley rose from Flickr

I think it’s something ingrained from an early age when I looked forward to a new collection of binders, loose leaf paper, other school supplies and, of course, new clothes. In the past few weeks on my regular walk from bus stop to work, I’ve been passing by window displays with some really pretty things. One of which is a sweater dress.

A very short, close fitting sweater dress.

So what, right?

Well, since I hit the mid-30 mark in life, I’ve been a little hung-up on the whole question of what’s age appropriate. OK, maybe it’s still early to start thinking about that but I’m convinced there must be some kind of slippery slope to go from fashion savvy one day to prowling cougar the next. (Did I mention that Cokebaby is a couple years younger than me?)

Having worked in retail while in university, I’ve seen my fair share of fashion train wrecks. And I always seem to find myself in a work environment where there’s the one 50-something woman who seems to buy her clothes from Garage.

It’s not for me to judge. If you want to wear wool socks with your Birkenstocks, go for it. I’m sure I’m guilty of having committed a number of fashion crimes over the years (mostly on my way to bed). Maybe I’m just having a fashion crisis moment and just need to get a grip. It’s just clothing, right?

Well, here’s what some of the ladies on Twitter had to say about the subject:

How do you decide what's "age-appropriate" when you're shopping?

What do you think, ladies? Is there such a thing as dressing “age-appropriate” or should we wear whatever the heck we want?

Men, do you have the same hang-ups? For instance, is there an age where you start tucking your shirts in or is that just crazy talk?

P.S. I splurged and bought the dress.

Now, I haven’t been on a date in over 10 years but I do know that the old adage “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” stands true. But fellas, this saying applies to women, too. I’m a foodie: always have been and always hope to be. Cokebaby and I share dinner duty for the most part. On weekends I typically spend an afternoon cooking up a storm of frozen meals for the week.

Original peri-peri sauces

Sometimes though, I just want to cook something really easy without giving up flavour. Recently, I stumbled upon these cooking sauces that aren’t just about dumping the contents of the bottle in a saucepan for heating. If you’re single and trying to impress a date, having a friend over for an impromptu meal, or simply can’t cook, check out Nando’s peri-peri sauces. They have a number of elegant recipes on their site that involve minimal prep work.

Their measurements are a bit wonky so you’ll have to do some mental math or just use a measurement converter. And don’t be afraid to change things around and experiment. If you’re a vegetarian, simply substitute meat ingredients with other protein alternatives. I recently made the curry coconut lamb pasta recipe but substituted the meat with chicken and added cashews for texture.

The result? Pure flavour heaven.

I was not paid to endorse this product but should you be a representative of Nando’s and wish to pay me retroactively in free products, I will not complain.