And now a word from Mark Cullen

This is a big one because Spring is on the way! Check out these excerpts from Mark's April Newsletter, and sign up for your own copy at www.markcullen.com. Do it before April 15th and you will be entered into a draw to win a collection of Mark's Choice tools, accessories and autographed gardening books!


It is April – the month of renewal.

Easter falls early in the month, appropriately, and thoughts turn to cleaning up, what to plant and where to plant it and new garden projects. Let me help you get organized with all of this.

Your Lawn Needs Attention.

Rake your lawn lightly with a fan rake (check out the new ‘Mark’s Choice Worlds’ Best Fan Rake’ at Home Hardware. It is unbelievable! And I am really excited about it).

Fertilize your lawn with CIL Golfgreen. Why? Because it contains the most sophisticated form of slow release nitrogen on the market, it contains 28% nitrogen in the first place (the element that lawns crave most this time of year) and it is made in Canada. Pay a penny or two more and get the best results possible and apply fertilizer less often – Golfgreen lasts up to 10 weeks.

Aerate your lawn if you have a solid clay base under the root zone of the grass plants. If you are growing your lawn on 12 to 15 cm of topsoil or otherwise reasonable quality soil, no worries. Skip this step.

Cut your lawn at least 7 to 8 cm high (2 ½ or 3 inches) but you won’t likely have to do that until I am in touch with the May newsletter.

Mark's Choice Product of the Month

Mark's Choice Water Wicks are new for Spring 2010 and exclusively available at Home Hardware.

Imagine a tea bag that will reduce the watering of newly planted plants by up to 70%.

Pre-soak the new Mark’s Choice water wicks tea bag for 10 minutes in tap water and place at the bottom of the planting hole, making sure that the roots of the new plant make contact with the wet bag. Voila! The water in the pre-soaked bag will release to the root zone as the plant requires it.

Each ‘tea bag’ retains up to 400 times its’ original weight in water.

It is a remarkable thing that will revolutionize the way that you plant and water. It was developed right here in Canada by professional flower growers and has been tested over the past 3 years on over one million plants. It works! And it is a Mark’s Choice exclusive.

Home Hardware item# 5012-622

More info at www.waterwicks.ca.

Speaking of Mark’s Choice at Home Hardware: we have several new products to tell you about this spring, one of which is the very exciting ‘ Worlds’ best rake’. It is wonderful.

This rake will ‘throw’ leaves, grass clippings and winter debris up to 5 meters or 22 feet. I know, I torture tested this one for a season in my own garden (as I do all Mark’s Choice products before we introduce them) and I am so impressed.

It is super flexible – returning to its original position every time.

It is light weight – easy to use and easy on the shoulders.

It is fun. Fun raking? Yes – try it and you will see.

The new Mark’s Choice ‘Worlds’ Best Rake’ is available only at Home Hardware and is worth every penny. Yes – there are cheaper rakes out there. There is cheaper ‘everything’ out there – this one is worth a premium.

When you use it for a while, you will know.

To view the newsletter in it's entirety, visit this page and click on the link on the right.

And now a word from Mark Cullen

Anna Olson's Rhubarb Ricotta Muffins

Rhubarb Ricotta Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

• 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon
• 1 1/3 cups (330 mL) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) creamy ricotta
• 1/2 cup (25 mL) canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups (330 mL) chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen) turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl, blend together brown sugar, ricotta cheese, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add flour to brown sugar mixture and blend just until incorporated. Stir in rhubarb and spoon into a greased muffin tin. Sprinkle tops generously with turbinado sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until tops are golden brown and a tester inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from muffin pan.

Find more recipes in the Spring edition of Home at Home magazine.

Grab your FREE copy at Front Cash!

Booby Trapper

The Booby Trapper is a nursing canopy developed by a Regina Mom.
Its ingenious design keeps the material from covering baby’s face, allowing for continuous air flow, eye contact, and a better overall public nursing experience. Its generous size provides great coverage for Mom, but folds up compactly enough to fit in any purse or diaper bag.

Not only is it perfect for covering up while nursing in public, it’s also a great way to shade your baby from the sun, or create a soothing, distraction-free space for napping. See some news coverage here or check out a you tube video on usage here.

The main difference with this nursing cover is an additional rim, positioned around where baby's face would be, which keeps the fabric from touching baby's face. The cover is also larger overall, providing additional coverage, especially as baby gets bigger and likes to swat at or kick the cover during nursing.

Fun new ways to color your days

Scwibbles Natural Soy Wax Crayons provide vibrant colours and beautiful textures. These 'crayons' are made from renewable soybeans and coloured with natural mineral powders.

They're designed to strengthen the tripod muscles,preparing fingers and hands for writing skills. And they're specially shaped to allow small fingers to colour in large, wide strokes, promoting confidence in creating children's art. What's more, the bag they come in is special. Made of environmentally friendly burlap, it has a weave which lets light through. So when small hands dive in beneath the wide flap, the pleasing array of colours is easily seen. And the more the crayons are used, the more - jewel-like - they shine. No wonder the young artists enjoy using them!


Also on the way, Crayoleez!

Kids can look outside the box with these large, colorful shaped crayons. Take one or two crayons in your bag for kids to color at the restaurant or out at coffee. The multi-colored crayon is, in my opinion, especially nice for drawing, or for your little scribbler. Why scribble in only one color?

New Patio Furniture!

Click here to view some of the new patio sets available from Home this Spring!

THe 3 Nasties

We wrote about the 3 Nasties--BPA, Phthalates, and Parabens, back in March of 2009 when we first started this blog. Check it out by clicking here.

Yesterday I was watching Dr Oz and he was discussing these chemicals, and what they are doing to us. Frankly, it was disturbing. Check out the article and video clip here.

An excerpt:Phthalates

These difficult-to-pronounce ingredients help fragrance linger on the body
after you have applied a lotion or body cream to your skin. They’re also found
in toys, floor coverings, detergent, soaps, nail polish, and shampoos.
Unfortunately, they mimic
the hormone estrogen and have been linked to reproductive problems in
rodents, such as lower
testosterone and fetal malformation. Often they are not listed on beauty
products, so the best rule of thumb is to avoid any products with fragrance.

Parabens

Found in moisturizing shampoos and body lotions, parabens are the most widely
used preservatives in the beauty product industry, and they also act similar to
estrogen in our bodies. One study found parabens in the breast
cancer tissue of 19 out of 20 women studied; experts worry there could be
a connection.

Use these chemicals as a litmus test for a healthy product. If you see them
listed on the label (often as methylparaben, butylparaben, or propylparaben), it
shows that the manufacturer is not concerned about limiting exposure to
potentially harmful chemicals.

What Can You Do?

• Drink water from stainless steel bottles
• Avoid plastics with the numbers 3, 6, and 7 on the bottom
• Never heat plastic in the microwave (even if it says it is microwave
  safe)
• Choose frozen and fresh produce over canned
• Use BPA-free baby bottles
• Avoid any products that contain fragrances; opt for those that get their
  scent from essential oils
• Stay away from parabens
• Choose products that are paraben- and phthalate-free

Dispose of leftover medication by throwing it in the trash with coffee grinds or cat litter (to keep harmful medications from being picked from the trash), return the unused portion to your pharmacy, or go online to find your local hazardous waste disposal facility.

We carry a large assortment of glass food containers, stainless steel water bottles and travel mugs, personal care products (such as Druide) and home products (like simplicity candles) that are naturally fragranced and free of the nasties.

2010 Catalog now in!

The 2010 Home Hardware Buying Guide Catalog is now in store. With 344 pages plus almost 100 pages of building supplies, this baby is chock full of new finds! And it's free!

Some highlights:
-Page 54 features some of the new Mark Cullen products exclusive to Home, such as the new Water Wicks, little tea-bag like pouches that absorb and release water as the plant needs it, reducing watering by up to 50%!

-Starting on page 1, check out our beautiful new patio furniture. These collections are really nice this year, with great colors and different set-ups and styles. Some of the tables are even extendable to accommodate extra guests.

-Page 73A features CrossTimbers decking, "the better building boards." These puppies resist sagging, splintering, warping, rotting, insects and span farther than most composites available. They contain no toxic chemicals and are covered by a 20-year limited warranty.

- Page 83 contains our line-up of Natura natural cleaning products, including laundry and dish soap. The glass and surface cleaner is fragrance and VOC free, and does not contain phosphates, solvents or ammonia.

Get your copy at Front Cash.

PS--If you need something to make your day, check out the new update on our website. It's AWESOME.

Anna Olson's Grilled Shrimp Salad

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Serves 6

• 1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) buttermilk
• 2/3 cup (160 mL) chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil salt and pepper

Shrimp & salad:

• 1 lb (450 g) peeled and de-veined 21/25 raw shrimp
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil salt & pepper juice of 1 lemon
• 9 cups (2.25 L) mixed salad green
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced radishes

For dressing, purée mayonnaise, buttermilk, green onion, herbs and mustard in a food processor or blender until smooth. Slowly pour in oil while blending and season to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

For shrimp and salad, preheat gas grill on high. Toss shrimp with oil and season lightly. Grill shrimp in a grilling basket or skewered until pink. Toss shrimp in a bowl with lemon juice.

To serve, toss greens with half of the prepared dressing and arrange on plates. Toss the remaining dressing with shrimp and arrange over greens. Sprinkle salads with radishes and serve.

Find more recipes in the Spring edition of Home at Home magazine

Happy Birthday Shaheer!

Happy Birthday to our friend Shaheer!

Coming Soon...Sippy Straw Cleaner!

This, I have been waiting my whole parenting life for. As a parent of a sippy-cup drinking child, there is nothing harder to clean then the straws for said cup (aside from anything that manages somehow to harden onto the highchair tray). Rinse, soak, dishwasher, power washer (just kidding) nothing gets into that teeny, tiny tube. It is especially hard to clean out things like chocolate milk or fruit smoothie.

Enter The Sippy Straw Cleaner. This handy little guy can get in there and get the gunk out. And the inventor, a mom, naturally, has tested it on every make and model of cup and found it to work in all, including thermos and sports bottle straws. Find more FAQ's here.

The package comes with 2 brushes, as some people find the small brush is also perfect for their keyboard or jewelery. I can't wait to test it out on the inside of the spout of Hannah's cups as well AND the valves! Those are another pain to clean.

Keep your eye out for them.

03/14/10

Welcome to the World

Little Molly Marie Ross

You are going to have a beautiful life!

Weekend Update

Just got back from a buying show in Edmonton, found a few fun new things for spring. If all goes well we should be getting Sanuk yoga mat sandals in, super comfy. Also some new designs of Babylegs, Soother clips, Miracle Milk Bibs and Plush Pocket Blankets.

We're doing some painting around the store to freshen things up a bit. Check out the reception area by Mark's office--so slick! I will have to take pictures to show you--a really nice spring green with black trim. I'll have to get the paint names from Carol also! The Plumbing display units are next, we've got the colors all lined up.

All the new spring and garden merchandise is starting to roll in, including our new Spring glossy flyer, available in store. Same goes for the spring Home at Home magazine, get them while they're hot!

Random musings from Edmonton:

-Barista at Starbucks calling out orders, pronoucing latte as LATT-eh? and misto as MISSED-oh.
-Earls serving a man next to us a rum and coke, with the rum on the rocks in a glass, and the coke in a mini side carafe (like they serve wine in). Everyone was thoroughly confused... is that supposed to make it more classy or something?
-NO WINS on Roll up the rim yet!
-Took my Gido (grandpa) a Dark Cherry Mocha for a surprise and EVERYONE in his senior's complex said "Oh, you brought me my coffee!" I guess next time we should bring enough for everyone!
-Sarah and I are born grazers. We can barely finish one meal we split, but yet are starving an hour later. Enter Yogen Fruz. So good, so glad it's back and upped it's game.
-I'm excited for daylight savings time to begin because Hannah has been waking up too early, thus, I will once again be able to wake up at a semi-normal hour when we spring forward one hour tonight.

St Patty's Day Treats

Yum. For St Patrick's Day, as a kid, another favorite treat was when my Mom made green Rice Krispie Squares. As an adult, it looks a little .. well.. green, but as a kid it was totally cool. This isn't my picture (it's a little TOO green, ours were more pale) but it is something you can try for fun. Even if you are all grown up, EVERYONE loves Rice Krispie Squares.

Worx Hand Cleaner

A simple way to stay healthy - A simple way to contribute to a clean environment.

Most cost-effective and powerful industrial hand cleaner, plus consumer- and environmentally-safer!

WORX^TM revolutionary All-Natural hand cleaner removes stubborn stains, dirt, grease, and grime from the dirtiest hands. Simply wet one hand, apply WORX^TM powder, wet the other hand, scrub, and rinse thoroughly. WORX^TM concentrated powder comes in a variety of easy-to-use containers. Use WORX^TM All-Natural hand cleaner and notice an immediate difference.

Conditions While It Cleans!

WORX^TM revolutionary hand cleaners condition the skin while biodegradable cleaning agents are at work. WORX^TM reduces or completely eliminates rashes and skin irritations associated with solvent based cleaners. As WORX^TM does not contain harmful or abrasive ingredients that damage the skin, the need for additional conditioning products is eliminated.

To Use: Simply wet hands completely without shaking off the excess water. Apply a small amount (our dispensers will give the correct amount) and rub hands to form a lather. After vigorous washing, rinse hands thoroughly to ensure that all excess product has been removed.

Cleans and Conditions Removes Odors Easy-to-use Will not Clog Drains

WORX^TM Effectively Removes:

Printer's Ink Agricultural Dirt Fresh Paint Carbon

Mechanic's Grease Oil Primers Soot

Industrial Grease & Grime Pine Tar Wood Stains Foul Odors

and Much More..

Shamrock Shakes

As a kid, I used to LOVE Shamrock Shakes at McDonald's. However, in my adulthood they have come and gone, sometimes here, sometimes not.

I love MINT. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is my favorite (it has to be green, with mini chocolate chips, not chocolate shavings and NOT white) and I love Tasty Mints--my Dad always used to make me feel bad by saying they taste like toothpaste.

Well, now my daughter, at the tender age of 20 months, loves mint too, go figure.

If you, too, are nostalgic for Shamrock Shakes, here is a homemade version. Maybe my Dad will make it for me ;)

McDonald's Shamrock Shakes

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon MINT extract (not peppermint)
8 drops green food coloring

Mix all ingredients on high speed until smooth. Stop blender, stir and blend
again, if necessary to combine ingredients. Makes 2 − 12 oz. shakes.

These knives are amazing

My Mom had a reputation for having the dullest knives around. I am not really sure why, they all were just really awful. We make most of our holiday meals at her place so all the slicing and dicing was slow and painful.

Finally she upgraded to these knives, and fell so in love she got a set for all of us. They are FANTASTIC. I have Henkels knives, and I now regularly reach over those for one of these, particularly the chef knife which is a dream. They are so sharp, and are weighted perfectly. Even my Aunt and Uncle, who have uber-expensive knives they brought back from Europe, love these knives. You simply must try them.

You don't even realize how dull and lifeless your knives are until you use a good knife. Have I convinced you yet? ;)

Knife Set With Block

• - Set contains the following knives:
  One 3.5" paring knife (2.0mm blade thickness)
  One 6" utility knife (2.5mm blade thickness)
  One 7" santoku knife (2.5mm blade thickness)
• - All the knives have NSF certificate
• - Blade material is German steel
• - Stone grinding finish
• - Half tang design
• - Black Santoprene ergonomic handles
• - Wooden block is 6.5" diameter x 2.5" wide x 7.5"
  high in size for a sleek elegant presentation
• - Black paint on wooden block provides water
  resistance

• $ 59.97

PVR

Can you believe TVs used to have knobs?! We will tell our children, they used to be black and white (yes, I had a black and white when we were kids!) and have round knobs and tall ears sticking up!

Ok, I think the PVR is the greatest invention ever. The ability to pause, rewind, skip commercials has changed my life.

I was looking at what we have recorded and it was quite a funny selection. I thought I would share. Granted, these are the shows I am not caught up on (or some that are permanently saved) not all the shows I watch. Some are watched and deleted already, but this isn't a game about what I watch, just what is currently sitting on there.

In order:

Parenthood (new, just debuted tonight. Has Nate from Six Feet Under in it, so I hope it will be good)
16 and Pregnant (I love this series, and the "sequel," Teen Mom.)
American Idol
Access Hollywood
Dr. Oz
Jimmy Kimmel Live (because they were announcing something on it I wanted to hear, don't normally catch that show)
Project Runway (kind of getting boring now, I just skip to the end to see the fashion show)
How I Met Your Mother (love it, one of the few shows Jeff will watch with me)
Marriage Ref (also new)
The Good Wife (new this year, really intriguing)
Undercover Boss (haven't watched it yet, heard about it on Oprah)
Helicopter Wars
Deadliest Catch
Sesame Street
Family Guy
30 Rock
House
Shark Tank
Lidia's Italy (Italian cooking show)
Oprah (the one with Micheal Pollan)
Nature of Things (about honey bees, which I love)
The Wiggles (in case Hannah likes the music. So far, not so much)
My Friends Tigger and Pooh
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Two and a Half Men (haven't watched it in a long time, but have them saved in case I am sick one day and need something to entertain me)
Fight Quest (? Something of Jeff's, I have no idea)
Padma Yoga
Breathing Space Yoga (I taped a bunch of episodes of each, so I don't have to get up at 6am and also it is like having 30 dvds!)
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (PBS Special, haven't watched it yet)
The Bachelor (1 minute, because my sister's commercial is on it)
The Doctors (same thing)

What is on your PVR? Do you have one? If not you MUST! It is a life saver!

Now Hiring!

We are currently accepting applications for several positions. Please fill out an application form at front cash (attach a resume if you have one, but please complete the application form in full. You can print out an application form here.)

*All jobs require that you work Saturdays.*

We offer a positive, exciting, family working environment with excellent co-workers and great customers. You receive on-going training, comprehensive benefits (full-time staff) and a generous 20% staff discount. No early mornings, late nights, Sundays or holidays.

We are looking for candidates with a positive, professional attitude to assist our customers with their purchases. Join a great team and work in one of these exciting departments, with room to move up within the company.

Gingersnaps Coffee Shop
When this little shop is busy, it's busy! Job includes preparing and serving specialty coffees, snacks and light lunch items, and occasionally helping on the sales floor. Must be comfortable with computer use. Please ask to speak with Heather or Sarah

Cashiers
If you love people, than this is the job for you! Work with an excellent team of cashiers doing one of the most important jobs in the store. We are looking for positive, enthusiastic people to join this team. As a cashier, you are the first and last impression for our great customers. One of the bonuses of being a cashier at HH is that you aren't chained to the cash desk--oftentimes our cashiers venture out onto the floor to help with various projects, or even do them at their stations. We guarantee you won't be bored!


Contract Salesperson
We are currently looking for a salesman that will focus and work with our contractors to help them with design take offs, estimates, and general sales inquires. Applicants must have a strong knowledge in the lumber industry and have experience with computers. If you’re looking for a exciting job with our Lumber and Building Materials Team come and apply today and speak with David.

Positions also available in lumber, yard and Garden!

If the position you are interested in is not listed, apply anyway! We are always looking for great new people to join our award-winning team!

Happy Birthday Lori & David!

Happy Birthday to twins Lori & David Rurka who turn 24 today! Have a great birthday you two!

March Tea of the Month

Vanilla Cream

An Exotic Dessert Tea for Special Occasions, indeed a decadent as well as a synergistic tea! Must be the top quality Ceylon Tea that is used! This tea is designed for special occasions as well as being a dessert tea – but most drink it all the time because its taste is so delectable. We know that vanilla is reported to have the ability to calm the nerves and lift the spirit as well as allegedly improving the romantic aspect of one's life.


Not only is vanilla a flavor that is full of mystery and elusiveness, but it is also highly prized. Combine the exotic character of vanilla with a velvet cream taste and you end up with the 'Cadillac' of flavored teas!

Enjoy a cup of loose leaf tea brewed just for you! Special Tea of the Month Price 1.68