Greenhouse Juice Co.

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There are a lot of things I don’t seem to have time for now that I have a child. Things like matching socks, and making sure I eat enough fruits and vegetables seem to take a back seat for me lately.

I’m pretty sure getting a handle on having my socks match will never happen, but I’ve found another way to make sure I stay healthy with my intake of fruits and vegetables.

Greenhouse Juice Co. is located in Toronto, and is a raw, organic cold-pressed juice company. They have a collection if juices, nut milks, waters, boosters and smoothies made fresh daily. All of their ingredients are certified organic, and they locally source their produce whenever possible. According to them, one of their single 500 ml bottles contains up to twelve servings of organic fruits and vegetables.

I paid a visit to Greenhouse Juice Co. this week. The setup there is great – they have an open kitchen so you can see them actually making their juices with fresh products. There is a wall with all of the juices on the menu and their ingredients so you know what you are buying. There is also a fridge stocked with freshly made juices for you to grab and go.

My first question for them was, what the heck does cold pressing mean?

Cold pressing means using hydraulic pressure to extract juice from plants without denaturing enzymes or breaking down nutrients with high levels of heat or oxygen.

This means that each fruit and vegetable used keeps their health-giving properties intact, and whats produced is a live juice that stays great for 72 hours.

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Upon my arrival I was able to try 13 different juices and waters that are part of the Greenhouse Juice Co. menu.

As I mentioned before, I find myself very busy for the most part so I tend to eat quick and easy. My intake of fruits and vegetables are not really a part of my “To Do” list for the day. Not only could you taste the freshness from the juices I tried at Greenhouse Juice Co., but they are just such an easy way to stay healthy!

Some of my favourites included:

East of Eden – Romaine, Kale, Celery, Apple and Lemon
Gold Rush – Pineapple, Cucumber, Lemon and Ginger
Rabbit Run – Apple, Carrot, and Ginger

They even have some options for kids as well! Obviously all of the juices could be considered kid-friendly, but four stand out as kid favourites.

Their almond milk was absolutely to die for. It is made up of Almonds, Alkaline Water, Vanilla Bean, Dates, Coconut Oil, and Himalayan Salt. It’s pretty amazing! Green Milk is another great kid-friendly option, with Almond Milk, Spinach and Maple Syrup. It’s yummy enought to get your kid to drink their spinach without them knowing they are doing it. Pink Milk is made up of Almond Milk, Beet, and Maple Syrup, and it’s amazing colour will give your kid a pink moustache instead of a milk one. Finally, their Apple Juice is a pure as it gets. It’s just apples – nothing else. It was the best apple juice I’ve ever had!

I thought their waters were pretty amazing as well. I really loved their Chia Seed Hydrator. It has Alkaline Water, Chia Seeds, Maple Syrup and Lemon. I can get bored of my water sometimes, but I loved the taste of the Chia Seeds!

I decided to take a few bottles home with me to try over the weekend. One of them was Wake Up. It’s like a morning mimosa, but with a kick. It has Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, and Liquid Cayenne. Yep – Liquid Cayenne. It’s pretty amazing, and yes it will wake you up! I also brought home Green Milk, and their own Almond Milk as well. I think I’m actually addicted to their Almond Milk. It’s so fresh it’s unbelievable, and the Himalayan Salt is my favourite part. I used the Green Milk to supplement my lunch since I obviously didn’t have time to eat anything you would consider healthy. It was so easy to just open the fridge and be able to grab and go with any of the products I brought home!

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While I was there, this busy little shop had many of their customers dropping off empty bottles. Greenhouse Juice Co. keeps track of the number of bottles returned by their customers, and has an incentive program where you can earn free juice. There were also many customers picking up orders they made over the phone which seemed very convenient!

They also offer smoothies made on the spot (I tried Rococoa, and it had Almond Milk, Banana, Almknd Butter, Cacao, Dates, Maca, Coconut Oil, and Vanilla extract), and health boosters which may be added to any drink, or taken as is as a quick hit of health.

If you are interested in a cleanse, they provide all of the 8 juices you would need for your daily cleanse, along with a pre-cleanse consultation if you require one at the outset. The cost of one day of their cleanse is $65.

Prices for the Boosters, Juices, Waters and Smoothies range from $2 to $18, while the average cost is about $7 or $8 for most of what is on the menu.

Greenhouse Juice< Greenhouse Juice Co. Is located at 5 Macpherson Avenue, Toronto Hours are Monday to Friday: 7:30 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday: 9 am to 5 pm You can visit them on Facebook here, or Instagram here.

fashiontruck Canada

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It’s hard to imagine something this amazing! I get excited when I see a food truck. To hear about something called fashiontruck Canada? Amazing!

fashiontruck Canada is a cashless fashion mobile retail experience – basically they bring the retailer to you. How much more convenient can it get?

fashiontruck canada is a new retail concept from two Torontonians – Emily Dobbie, owner of Vocado fashion boutiques, and stylist Ashley Barber. The truck only accepts electronic payments to ensure fast transactions with their customers.

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This summer you will see fashiontruck at festivals, concerts and events in Toronto now and across Canada this summer.

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On the truck you will find a mix of women’s clothing and accessories, all priced under $100.

fashiontruck Canada had just teamed up with MasterCard Canada, and MasterCard cardholders will also receive a 20% discount when they make a purchase with their MasterCard at fashiontruck canada.

Today you can find the truck parked at 171 East Liberty Street in Liberty Village, Toronto. Check their Facebook page for more updates!

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For more details visit www.fashiontruckcanada.com or here on Facebook

Images courtesy of fashiontruck Canada/FB

What to Do – Million Meals Movement

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If you are looking for something to do on Friday, May 23rd then I’ve got some good news for you – I’ve found something not only fun for you to do, but it’s for a great cause as well!

At the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts the Inaugural Million Meals Movement is happening, featuring performances by Simple Plan, MAGIC!, Alyssa Reid & Kardinal Offishall.

The proceeds will benefit the ONEXONE and Simple Plan Foundations, and the movement will kick start the community-based initiative and journey of eventually packing one million meals for children in need across North America.

After packaging meals at INK Entertainment venue Kool Haus, the day will cap off with a star-studded concert produced by Live Nation.

The Million Meals Movement hopes to not only alleviate hunger across North America, but also spread lesser-known facts: just $1 can provide a child with a healthy breakfast, which positively impacts learning, creativity, test grades, and even attendance.

For more information on the Million Meals Movement, visit: www.millionmeals.ca

Tickets start at $49.50 and are available now at www.ticketmaster.ca. To donate to Million Meals Movement go to: www.icangowithout.com

Where to Shop – Grand Opening of Sweet Violet and Pineapple Street

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I’ve previously blogged about Penny & Company, Whitby’s home decor and design destination owned and operated by Michael Penny.

Michael is now opening two new stores in historic Downtown Whitby this spring – Sweet Violet and Pineapple Street.

Sweet Violet (named after Michael’s daughter Violet) will carry bed, bath and baby products. Cushions, throws, quilts, luxury soaps, towels and bedding will be offered, along with mobiles, dressers, change tables stuffed animals, gliders and cribs will make up the baby product offering.

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Pineapple Street will offer fresh market style flowers, vases, gifts and decor.

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Both stores will have their Grand Opening on Saturday, April 5th, 2014 at 11:00 am.

You can find Pineapple Street located at 125 Brock Street South, Whitby and Sweet Violet is located at 124 Brock Street South, Whitby.

Where to Shop – Easter With Pottery Barn Kids

I’m not sure if you know this about me, but I’m actually the reigning Easter Egg Hunt Champion in my family. It’s kind of a big deal. There was this one time I lost on a technicality, but otherwise my record is impeccable. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I take Easter rather seriously.

Now that I have a toddler I’m looking forward to not only training him on my stellar egg hunting techniques, but celebrating the holiday in a fun way for him.

Pottery Barn Kids is pretty awesome for coming up with fun ways to celebrate holidays like this. I’ve added a few of my favourite items below, along with some recipes from Pottery Barn Kids for Easter as well! Click on the title of each image to see the product on their site, or to get the yummy recipe seen in the photo.

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Furry Bunny Chair Backer

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Blue Canvas Easter Bucket

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Pretty Pink Flower Basket

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Metal Buckets

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Egg Chalk

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Easter “Egg in a Nest” Cupcakes

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Bunny Tail Lemon Cupcakes

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Hummus Dip with Fresh Veggies

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Easter Basket Sugar Cookies

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Plant Parfaits

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Mini Chicken Tostadas

All images courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids.