Blog

Picking a Planner

by Siobhan
Design & Typography + Gift & Stationery / December 03, 2009

If you're like me, getting to the end of the year signals three things:

1. An onsalught of "Best of 2009" lists.
2. Writing down New Year's Resolutions.
3. Choosing a new planner.

What do these three things have in common? They're all about making lists.

Now, before I come off as totally obsessive, I know I'm not the only list-maker out there. (In fact, I work with quite a few of them!) Writing lists is oh-so-satisfying. You feel organized, efficient, clear-headed. Not to mention the cute colour coding! :)

The yearly planner is the mother of all list-making. Am I right? It's like a blank slate for the new year. What kind of lists will you write? What amazing things will happen this year?

But choosing the right planner is tough. It needs to suit your lifestyle (Can you fit it in your purse? Do you leave in on your desk?) as well as the way your mind works (Do you orgazine your time by day, week or month? Horizontally or vertically?) and your style (Are you looking for classic black? Or is red the new black?).

I love that Moleskine has started making videos of their planners. They really give you a good sense of how each planner is organized, and shows you each format's unique features.

Here are the videos for two new formats for Moleskine:

Video #01 Moleskine Colour-a-Month Daily Diary/Planner

Video #02 Moleskine "Days that Count" Desk Calendar

There are lots more planner videos (and other fun stuff) on Moleskine's YouTube channel:

Video #03 Moleskine Monthly Notebook Diary/Planner
Video #04 Moleskine Panoramic Diary/Planner
Video #05 Moleskine Project Diary/Planner
Video #06 Moleskine Weekly Horizontal Diary/Planner
Video #07 Moleskine Weekly Notebook Diary/Planner
Video #08 Moleskine Weekly Vertical Diary/Planner
Video #09 Moleskine Daily Diary/Planner

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Green Christmas

by Dan
Environment / December 03, 2009

Reduce your carbon footprint and save money this season (without sacrificing style or tradition!) with green living expert Anna Getty's new book I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas!

Anna advises how to best choose a tree (real or fake?), mitigate the negative effects of necessary travel, recycle post-holiday, and more.

She also shares her favorite holiday recipes and homemade craft ideas:

Organic appetizer anyone?

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Going West

by Dan
Art & Photography / November 26, 2009

OK, so I know this is for the New Zealand Book Council which is a long way from Canada, but it is (a) awesome and (b) called Going West, both of which are sufficient reasons to post this incredible stop-animation video:

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Looking for a party?

by Chelsey
Travel / November 18, 2009

Looking for the hippest places to party in style? I'm not surprised that Montreal came in at #2 of the world's top ten party cities in Lonely Planet's 1000 ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES.  Belgrade tops the list -- check out the Ottawa Citizen article for the full list. Salut and santé!

Easy-going Montreal is increasingly popular with foreign travellers, who enjoy the joie de vivre of a place with bilingual ambience, good local beer and even cross-country skiing at nearby Mount Royal. Montreal’s irrepressible student population and atmospheric old quarter give the city a light-hearted, Bohemian air. There are Old World cafes, cool jazz clubs, packed discos and late bars to choose from, plus a popular comedy festival each July.

1000 ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES brings together 1000 ideas, places and activities to inspire and entertain, for travelers and lovers of life-lists alike. Start the party!

Coming soon:

Montreal & Quebec City Encounter
1st Edition
by Lonely Planet
978-1-74179-055-9

 

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Living - and Eating - Off the Land

by Siobhan
Food & Drink / November 16, 2009

When we say that we made a meal 'from scratch', for most of us, that doesn't include actually catching the fish or forgaging for the mushrooms. It certainly does not mean free-diving into icy Puget Sound in hopes of spearing a snaggletooth lingcod.

But that level of committement to living - and eating - off the land  is what author Langdon Cook is all about. Cook was a senior book editor at Amazon.com until 2004, when he left the corporate world to live in a cabin off the grid with his wife and son. In his book, FAT OF THE LAND: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager, Cook shares his experiences living in a new way.

Monqiue at  SoMisguided.com has posted a review of the book. The subject's close to home for her: she and her partner James also enjoy going out  to catch crabs in the cold waters in and around Vancouver. Read the full review on SoMisguided.com - along with some cool (cold?) photos of crab catching.

You can find out a bit more about FAT OF THE LAND here, and keep with the author on the Fat of the Land blog, where he writes about his adventures in the culinary wilderness  and also posts some recipes - such as fishing for pink salmon, then making Blackberry Must & Citrus Cured Salmon. Mmm.

“In Fat of the Land, Langdon Cook invites us to share in his enthusiastic, salubrious, wild food foraging quests. Get out of town, breathe in the fresh air, hear the quiet, exercise, feel good, connect with nature and the season—then return to the kitchen to delicious preparations of dandelion greens, squid, fiddleheads, or whatever the quarry. Lively, informative, soul-satisfying narrative.”  —Jon Rowley, Contributing Editor, Gourmet

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Whale Done Parenting

by Dan
Parenting / November 16, 2009

Q: What do raising children and training killer whales have in common?

A: Chuck Tompkins, Sea World whale trainer and author of WHALE DONE PARENTING!

Chuck and his son Cody were on Fox & Friends this morning chatting about the subject:

 

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May the Best Zombies Win!

by Siobhan
Humour / November 13, 2009

It's Friday the 13th... so it seems appropriate to be writing about blood, gore and zombies.

But wait, who am I kidding? I've been writing about zombies consistently for the last few weeks here on the Raincoast blog. I couldn't help it though, as photos (and even a video!) have been pouring in from booksellers across the country to share their Quirk Classics Monster Mash-Up displays.

We sent all the entries down to our friends at Quirk Books to deliberate which deathly display should be crowned the best in Canada. After much deliberation -- and, in true zombie fashion, with much blood, sweat and tears -- the judges finally came back with the results....

1st prize: University of Alberta Bookstore (Edmonton, Alberta)
Judges' comments: Particularly impressed by the zombie lady and the Col. Brandon.

See photos of their display

2nd prize: Millennia Books (Hanover, Ontario)
Judges' comments: Enjoyed the sea monster balloon (very creative).

See photos of their display

3rd prize: Kwantlen Polytechnic University Bookstore (Surrey, BC)
Judges' comments: Liked the zombie lady and the smaller touches.

See photos of their display

Honorable Mention: Misty River Books (Terrace, BC)
Judges' comments: These ladies dressed up as regency era zombies -- pretty cool.
See photos of their display

In case you are wondering, the judging committee at Quirk Books consisted of...

• Jason Rekulak, Quirk Classics mastermind and a sucker for regency era zombie costumes.
• Doogie Horner, Creator of the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters covers and judging his 5th window display contest of the year.
• Brett Cohen, enjoys his trips to Canada.

Congratulations to all the booksellers who participated:

• Chat Noir Books (New Liskeard, Ontario)
• University of Alberta Bookstore (Edmonton, Alberta)
• Millennia Books (Hanover, Ontario)
• Westminster Books (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
• Book Express Ltd. (Cambridge, Ontario)
• Books on Beechwood (Ottawa, Ontario)
• Misty River Books (Terrace, BC)
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University Bookstore (Surrey, BC)

Quirk Classics:
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES: DELUXE HEIRLOOM EDITION

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How many eyeballs can you count?

by Siobhan
Humour / November 12, 2009

Book Express in Cambridge, Ontario, just sent in a video of their Quirk Classics window display. Watch it to get a close-up view of all the gorey details… I think the rat is my favourite. He’s wearing a monocle and a top hat! Oh, and he’s munching on an eyeball. Awww. And ewww…

Quirk Classics:
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES: DELUXE HEIRLOOM EDITION

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I’m Dreaming Of A Green Christmas

by Danielle
Environment + Home & Garden / November 06, 2009

Since there’s over a month and a half before Christmas, try your hands at making these beautiful crafts from I’M DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS by Anna Getty. It’ll make any guest you have green with envy…get it ‘green’? This book is totally environmentally conscious! It also has great recipes too. I’ll post some soon!!

Pinecone and Nut Wreath

To Anna, a pinecone and nut wreath is a gift direct from nature. It looks just as beautiful on an outside door as it does hanging in the house or in the garden. In the dining room, place these wreaths on the table with candelabras in the center for a striking visual effect.

Gather

* Pinecones of varying sizes and shapes (you will use anywhere from 25 to 100 pinecones, depending on the size of the wreath)
* Old towel
* Baking sheets
* Used aluminum foil
* 1 roll of light-gauge florist wire
* Wire cutters
* Wire wreath frame (For best results, use a size 2 or 3 wire base.You also can use a wire hanger, but the wreath will not look as full.)
* 20 to 30 nuts in their shell, such aswalnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts
* Nontoxic-glue gun
* Gloves (garden or rubber) (optional; if the pinecones are prickly, gloves make handling easier)
* 24-inch/61-cm piece of used ribbon or raffia (optional)

Create

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F/90°C.
2. Wash the pinecones. Fill the kitchen sink or bathtub with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of lukewarm water. Place the pinecones in the water and swoosh them around to remove any dirt or bugs. Drain the water, rinse the pinecones, and dry them with an old towel.
3. Line the baking sheets with the used aluminum foil, arrange the pinecones on the sheets, and bake for 30 minutes. (Baking the pinecones dries them out, removes the resin—and makes your home smell extra Christmasy!) Note: wash and bake the pinecones only if you’re using pinecones you collected outside. Skip this step for pinecones purchased at a florist shop. Be sure to ask the florist if they have been cleaned.
4. Cut as many 7- to 8-inch (17- to 20-cm) pieces of light-gauge florist wire as you have pinecones. Fold the wire pieces in half.
5. Wrap a folded wire piece around the first pinecone and twist the loose ends tight around the pinecone to make sure the wire is secure. Repeat with the remaining wire pieces and pinecones.
6. Starting with the larger pinecones, and working from the inside of the wreath frame out and the bottom to the top, attach each pinecone’s wire securely to the bottom wire of the wreath frame. Wire the second pinecone snugly next to the first, and repeat with each successive cone, keeping the pinecones snug against one another.
7. Once the wreath is as full as you want it, take the nuts and glue them to the pinecones. Make sure you find secure grooves in the wreath where you can easily attach the nuts.

Note: Wreath frames are available in any craft store around the holidays (see Resources). Prewashed pine cones are avai;able at your local florist.

Optional
Take the ribbon or raffia and make a bow. Cut one 6-inch (15-cm) piece of florist wire and loop it through the back of the bow. Twist the loop of florist wire around a pinecone near the top of the wreath. Cut the ends of the bow to the desired length.

Newspaper Stocking

These stockings are sturdy enough to hold a few holiday items, but don’t fill them with too much stuff! Remember, the whole point is not to buy too much stuff anyway.

Gather

* Four sheets of Christmas-themed newspaper (ads, articles, or any festive images) or used wrapping paper
* Scissors
* Needle and thread
* Glue
* Beads, small bells, faux fur, cashmere or fabric scraps, vintage buttons, recycled glass pieces, seashells, decorative images cut from holiday
cards or magazines

Create

1. Fold the four sheets of newspaper into 8 layers (8 layers will make a sturdy stocking) that are still at least 12 by 10 inches (30.5 by 25 cm) in size. With the scissors, cut a stocking shape out of the paper in your desired size. (You can always place a cloth stocking on the newspaper and trace around it to create the shape.)
2. Using the needle and thread, hand stitch the outer edges of the stocking together,  leaving the top open.
3. Glue on any extra holiday images to decorate the stocking
4. Layer the remaining four pieces of scrap newspaper and cut them into strips 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide by 4 inches (10 cm) long. Stack them and create a loop.
5. Sew or staple the loop to the inner top edge of the stocking, to hang it.
6. Glue whatever trimmings you’ve gathered to the top of the stocking (be sure to cover the stitches or staples from the loop). Add bells and other embellishments.

I’M DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS: GIFTS, DECORATIONS, AND RECIPES THAT USE LESS AND MEAN MORE

By Anna Getty
Foreword by Zem Joaquin
Photographs by Ron Hamad

Anna Getty is a leading green living expert. She works with the Organic Center, Global Green, NRDC, and Seventh Generation, among others, and is the author of the upcoming Easy Green Organic. Anna lives in Los Angeles.

Ron Hamad is an acclaimed photographer and director who lives in Los Angeles.

Zem Joaquin is ecofabulous.com’s founder and editor-in-chief. She lives in San Francisco.

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Pregnancy A-Z

by Crystal
Excerpts + Gift & Stationery + Parenting / November 05, 2009

Are you pregnant or do you know someone who is pregnant? THE PREGNANCY JOURNAL: A DAY-TO-DAY GUIDE TO A HEALTHY AND HAPPY PREGNANCY—is back! Fully revised with the latest medical information on both mom’s health and baby’s development, this best-selling journal is packed with daily entries that feature tips, advice, and plenty of room for personal reflection… and it makes the perfect gift for yourself and your unborn baby or for the pregnant loved one on your gift list.

Want a sneak peak of what it’s all about? This A to Z guide was pulled together from information in the journal to give expectant parents a glimpse into what happens during this amazing time of life.

Appetite
Day 57: You may find your appetite increasing now that some of the nausea and discomfort has stabilized. If food isn’t your friend yet, look for some relief by week 17.

Backache
Day 116: Most pregnancy backaches consist of low back pain, because the narrowest part of your back has to balance your growing uterus and because the normally stable joints in your pelvis have loosened somewhat.

Cheeks
Day 22: Between Week 4 and Week 8, the development of your baby’s facial features takes place.

Digestive System
Day 69: Your baby’s intestines are now in the abdomen. Over the next two days, the muscles in the walls of your baby’s digestive tract will become functional.

Eyes
Day 165: Over the next four days, brain wave activity will begin for your baby’s visual and auditory systems.

Fatigue
Day 234: You’ll notice more fluctuations in your energy level this month. Use your energy bursts wisely doing things you absolutely need to do and preparing for the birth.

Glucose
Day 40: The metabolism of glucose may play a role in morning sickness. To make sure their glucose level doesn’t fall too low by morning, pregnant women are advised to eat a light snack before going to bed (milk, toast, etc.).

Hair
Day 86: Over the next three days, the baby’s scalp hair pattern will be determined.

Iron
Day 69: Pregnant women need at least 30 mg of iron each day to support the extra volume of blood and increases in red blood cell production.

Jaws
Day 35: The upper and lower jaws are present in your baby.

Kidneys
Day 103: Sometime this week, your baby’s kidneys will reach their final mature position. This ascent took nearly 10 weeks to complete.

Lunar Months
Baby development is measured in lunar months, not calendar months. Each lunar month consists of 28 days organized into four weeks of seven days each.

Movement
Day 176: Your baby’s muscle tone is gradually improving. Its hands can grip with some strength now.

Nausea
Day 13: If you need to settle your stomach, snack on dry crackers or dry cereal. Ginger, lemon, peppermint and licorice are flavors that can help with nausea.

Orienting Response
Day 242: Your baby will now automatically turn toward a source of light. This permits your baby to practice being more aware of its environment.

Protein
Day 139: Protein must be provided for the growth of the baby, placenta, uterus, breasts, and to permit necessary increases in blood volume.

Quickening
Day 143: The first movements you feel your baby make will be caused by arm and leg activity. These first motions are called quickening.

Reflexes
Day 67: Now when your baby’s face is touched, it will open its mouth. This is called the rooting reflex and helps babies find the food source.

Skin
Day 188: By today, the surface of your baby’s skin is smoother and whiter as body fat accumulates under its surface.

Teeth
Day 82: Baby’s tooth buds are present under the gums.

Ultra Sound
Diagnostic test that uses high-intensity, inaudible sound waves to project a visual image, or sonogram.

Vocal Cords
Day 74: Over the next few days, the vocal cords will form in your baby’s larynx.

Weight Gain
Day 265: Your weight gain has probably slowed or even reversed itself in the past two weeks or so.

X-Rays
Day 53: X-ray exposure should be avoided since the radiation can penetrate your uterus.

Yogurt
Day 172: Yogurt is a good source of protein. Some women who are lactose intolerant can tolerate yogurt.

Zinc
Day 83: Zinc is a trace element that forms part of the structure of bone and helps protect the development of the brain and nervous system. The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 15 mg.

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