Local and Sustainable Holiday Shopping Ideas

I am not really a fan of Christmas. I'm not a Christian and the holiday doesn't hold much meaning for me. I'd rather give someone a present on a random Tuesday and share greetings and good times throughout the year than try to pack it all in to one hymn-laden, over-scheduled month.

I'm not a total Grinch or anything. I still believe in getting presents for kids and letting them experience the magic of Santa Claus and all that. I like having a big meal with loved ones, singing a few carols and watching the 1951 version of Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) with the brilliant Alastair "I-don't-deserve-to-be-so-happy!" Sim.

But I'm perfectly happy not to get any presents.

However, I know not everyone chooses to opt out of the season to the extent I do. And if you are shopping around for holiday treats, I happen to have some great local, indie and/or sustainable gift ideas, in Nova Scotia, in Toronto, and, as things go these days, online, too.

Nova Scotia/online:

1. My new record Blackbirds, of course. It's available for sale at The Biscuit Eater Cafe and Bookstore in Mahone Bay, The Power House Gallery in Lunenburg and this Saturday only, from 1-6pm at the Holiday Artist's Market that is taking place at the Lunenburg Cultural Centre (I'll also be playing music there, swapping sets with brilliant finger-style guitarist Bob Ardern). It's also available online, shipping physical copies from Canada (i.e. my house) through Bandcamp, from the US through CDBaby, and digital copies through those two - and through iTunes (did you know you can gift music through iTunes? You just need to know the e-mail address the recipient uses for their iTunes account.)
2. My Mom, Janet Barkhouse's picture book version of my Nana's novel, Pit Pony. (Mom will be reading and signing books at The Biscuit Eater Cafe and Bookstore in Mahone Bay this Sunday, December 2).
   
3. My cousin Nancy's awesome handbags. Check 'em out here at NPK designs on Facebook:
   
4. Art from Power House Gallery in Lunenburg, especially art by Lynn Misner, the genius artist who painted, "The Caretaker", the piece that graces the cover of my new CD:
   
5. The Ark (655 King Street, Bridgewater): a great place to buy gifts and support a community of physically and mentally challenged adults at the same time. I love the things made by the folks at The Ark, especially their handcrafted rugs, cushions and woodworking. 

Toronto/online:

1. Firefly Creative writing's on-site and on-line writing workshops, especially The Blog Shop, a weekend on-line workshop for aspiring and stuck bloggers.
2. A Nia Dance Party with Jenn Hicks. Fun, uplifting, good times dancing with your friends.
3. Creativity coaching with Danette Relic at The Radical Creative Sanctuary.
4. Life coaching from Jamie Ridler. And, while you're there shopping, make sure to sign up for Jamie's motivating free newsletter yourself.

Online:

1. Reflections: an inspiration journal from Paper Bag Press: an art journal to inspire artistic creativity.
2. Feeling a little frisky? For those intimate friends, how about something from Kim at Ecosex.ca?

Oh, so many wonderful ideas—gifts you can feel good about giving and that your recipients will love!

Happy holidays!

Singing for my Supper (an organic, locavore supper!)

Tomorrow, between 4 and 7, I'm going to be playing and singing at the first ever Winter Market held in the Sorauren fieldhouse in Parkdale, in Toronto's west end. This will be a monthly event until the weekly market resumes in the spring. The Sorauren Market is run by the West End Food Co-op, an inspiring group of people who, in addition to running the market and a food mapping project, are developing their vision to raise capital and create a co-operative retail food store in Parkdale. Just two weeks ago, on November 2, I was delighted to perform a few songs at the West End Food Co-op's Bond Campaign Launch at the Gladstone Hotel.

I love good food and co-ops and farmers' markets. I believe markets are a perfect setting for the kinds of songs I like to write and perform: songs about people, cities, relationships, ecology and economy. Over the past couple of summers, I've been known to trek across to the east end of town to play for the good folks who frequent the Withrow Park Farmer's Market. Back here in the west end, I'm lucky to live near several of Toronto's best markets, including the year-round market in Dufferin Grove. The broad spectrum of fresh, organic food (including bread baked in a stone oven in the park) and the feeling of community appeal to my hopeful, upbeat side. Market shopping is a small thing that many of us can easily do to support local food producers and nurture ourselves and our communities with healthy, sustainable food.

Plus, markets are fun! Many feature musicians and artists, educational programs and craft projects for kids and grown-ups. Great conversations seem to spring up between all sorts of people and I often run into folks I haven't seen in a while (the most extreme case of this occured last winter when I ran into sustainable food educator, Garden Jane, and we realized that we recognized each other from a university course we had taken together many years before).

So, if you're in west end Toronto, I'd love to see you tomorrow afternoon/evening at the Sorauren fieldhouse. Come out for great food, community and music. Talk to the West End Food Co-oppers about their plans and their Bond program. And wherever you are, I encourage you to look into ways you can participate in neighbourhood gardens, local markets, community shared agriculture programs and food co-ops. If you can't find anything like that in your community, why not get some neighbours together and create something new? And then write a song about it.