2008 Green Living show haul

At the Green Living show last year I stopped in to see and hear Roberta Bondar---astronaut, neurologist, photographer---but I didn't try to see a speaker this year. There were more exhibits and many more give-aways, and I just indulged myself totally---spent about $100, including my GO train fare.

I bought: 1 sandwich, 1 loaf of bread, 2 cups of coffee, 750 ml steel water bottle (with wrist strap and carabiner clip), a bottle of "green works" natural dilutable cleaner (by Clorox), and 2 headrests filled with recycled plastic shavings (and Canadian-made) for Muskoka chairs for my front porch, two flowering tea ball (http://www.tea2gather.com/; you drop the ball in a glass teapot and watch it bloom!), and a 10,000 Villages funky shopping bag that turns into a round basket when you flip the handles down.

I hauled (meaning for free, for talking to a booth person, or wandering by a booth person): about 7-8 (more!) reusable shopping bags, 10 wood clothespins from Toronto Hydro (to go with their free retractable clothesline from Saturday, now holding unmentionables [bra, sockettes, panties]), sample of low-suds cold-water laundry soap from Toronto water (2 loads), full sizes of President's Choice dishwasher detergent, All-Purpose Cleaner, and Multipurpose Cleaning Putty, a 114 ml (about 1/2 cup) sample of Nature Clean All Natural dishwashing liquid ("Made by Really Nice Canadians (R)") and two samples of their Fruit & Veggie Wash (except I like my fruit & veggies dirty and still have their samples from last year), a sample of Liberte yogurt (in a reusable container and with a compostable spoon), tiny samples of "live clean" shampoo and conditioner plus a wild-flower plantable bookmark, Winning Colours stain remover (gentle on human skin; made in Canada or US, and took the in-out show stamp off the back of my hand pretty well), "method" hand sanitizer, a willow tree (really a stick, but plant and grow), a tiny bamboo spork, two pounds of green coffee beans (I used my draw-down from Merchants of Green Coffee), aaaaand that's about it. Oh, and a few discount coupons.

And a sample of worm castings from thegreenside.ca.

My choices: porch lumber made of recycled plastics; Boomerang paint. I would have really liked a lovely bamboo bowl (different sizes and primary colours, very cool), but the prices were NUTS! $18 before tax for a 1-cup bowl.

My complaint: car dealers. Dealing big hybrids.