Gillette, in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle, announce for the first-time in Canada, that all brands of disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and razor plastic packaging are recyclable on a national scale.   Through the innovative partnership consumers are invited to recycle their razors in two ways:   ·              Gillette Razor Recycling Program – Participants wishing to recycle their razors from home are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-CA/brigades/gillette-razor-recycling-program-ca-en. When ready to ship their waste, they can simply download a free TerraCycle shipping label, package the razors in a secure, puncture proof package and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.   ·              Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions – Businesses, gyms, colleges, cities and community organizations are invited to become public drop-off points for the Gillette Razor Recycling Program. Participants interested in becoming a drop-off point are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-CA/brigades/gillette-razor-retailer-recycling-program-ca-en. After acceptance to the program, they will be sent an exclusive razor recycling bin developed by TerraCycle and Gillette. Once full, they can simply seal and return the bin to TerraCycle via UPS and a new one will be sent back to them. The address listed in the account will be posted on the publicly available map of local recycling solutions on the Gillette Razor Recycling Program page.   “Through this innovative, first of its kind program, disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and their associated packaging are now nationally recyclable through the Gillette Recycling Program,” said TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky. “We are proud to partner with this forward-thinking company to offer consumers a way to divert razor waste from landfills.”   “We are very excited about our partnership with TerraCycle to offer recycling for Gillette, Venus or any razor brand across Canada. This is an important first step towards sustainable solutions for shaving products and the start of an exciting journey with Gillette and TerraCycle.” said Gillette Canada Leader, Jennifer Seiler.   For every shipment of waste sent to TerraCycle through the Gillette Razor Recycling Program or the Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solution, collectors earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. The collected packaging will be recycled into a variety of new consumer products such as park benches, bike racks, pet food bowls and recycling bins.   To learn more about the program, please visit www.terracycle.ca.   ABOUT GILLETTE For more than 115 years, Gillette has delivered precision technology and unrivalled product performance – improving the lives of over 800 million consumers around the world. From shaving and body grooming, to skin care and sweat protection, Gillette offers a wide variety of products including razors, shave gel (gels, foams and creams), skin care, after shaves, antiperspirants, deodorants and body wash. For more information and the latest news on Gillette, visit www.gillette.com. To see our full selection of products, visit www.gillette.com. Follow Gillette on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.   ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.   About TerraCycle TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste®.   Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers, cities, and facilities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding 15 years ago. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.ca.

Antonio Brown's accuser to meet with NFL

  The woman who has accused New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown of sexual assault and rape is scheduled to meet with the NFL on Monday as the league investigates the matter. Britney Taylor filed a civil lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday alleging the incidents occurred in 2017 and 2018. Brown, a 7-time Pro Bowler, denies the allegations. The NFL opted not to place Brown on the commissioner's exempt list, and Brown played in his first game for the Patriots on Sunday since signing with the team earlier this month.  

United Auto Workers go on strike 

  The United Automobile Workers started a nationwide strike against General Motors at midnight on Monday. It's the first national UAW strike since 2007, coming against the backdrop of a federal corruption investigation that has implicated union President Gary Jones and his predecessor, Dennis Williams. The union represents about 46,000 GM autoworkers at 55 facilities in the United States. No talks were known to be scheduled.  “We are standing up for our members and for the fundamental rights of working-class people of this nation,” said Terry Dittes, the union's GM department vice president.  

Walmart's first car seat recycling event starts today

  In an effort to make American roads safe for babies, Walmart will kick off its first car seat recycling event Monday at nearly 4,000 stores. The retail giant, which is following Target's similar trade-in program that would keep car seats out of landfills, will offer customers a $30 gift card to recycle their old car seats. Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, the company that will be recycling car seats collected at Walmart, said that through the event they "expect to divert the plastic equivalent of approximately 35 million water bottles from landfills."    

After soaring avocado prices, it's time to save on green!

  Looking to celebrate National Guacamole Day with your own special recipe without breaking the bank on Monday? Well, you might be in luck. The average national price of a Haas avocado was $1.16 last Friday down from $2.10 July 5, according to the most recent Department of Agriculture weekly retail price report. This comes after a summer of record-high avocado prices that was fueled by a growing demand, a smaller California crop and seasonal production in Mexico. There also will be restaurant guacamole deals Monday, including at Chipotle Mexican Grill, where some customers have noticed a recent change in the chain's guac.    

Saudi oil attack roils global energy markets

  Global energy prices rocketed higher Monday after a weekend attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia that disrupted more than 5% of the world's daily supply. The incident has reignited fears of a U.S. military confrontation in the Middle East.  The U.S. government released satellite images showing the extent of the destruction at the Abqaiq oil processing plant and a key oil field, where an estimated 5.7 million barrels of oil are produced each day – and suggested that the assault originated either in Iran or Iraq rather than Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Brent crude oil, an international gauge, surged nearly 20 percent when markets in Asia opened before settling down to about a 10 percent spike as trading continued.    

Monthly Expenses Rent: $0 (When my then boyfriend and now husband, C., and I moved in together, I moved into the apartment he'd purchased just before we met. Ever since we've lived together, he's paid the mortgage on our place and I've put money toward our monthly travel fund instead. We started this arrangement as a way to pay for our wedding on our own and have kept it up ever since.) Loans $0 (paid off the last of my student loan debt almost two years ago, thanks to a little help from C.) Gym: $65 Monthly MetroCard: $127 taken out of my paycheque pre-tax Cell Phone: $67.13 (C. and I share a family plan, but we split the costs by line each month) Monthly Donations: $135 (across several charities, including the National Abortion Fund, Children's Inc., EarthJustice, the DNC, and PBS) Savings: $500, plus I transfer 18% of my paycheque to a 401(k) account each month pre-tax Credit Card Payment: $450 (If my expenses are less than that, I add the balance to my savings.) Amazon Prime: $0 (C. pays) Netflix: $8.70 Hulu: $5.99 Internet: $0 (C. pays)     Day One 7:45 a.m. — My alarm goes off a little later than normal for me. I'm currently empaneled on a federal grand jury, and I have to report to court today so I won't be going into the office. Reporting time at court is 9:30. Before heading out the door, I make myself a smoothie using Greek yogurt, some plant-based protein powder, spinach, a banana, and some frozen berries. I also make myself an iced coffee using chilled coffee from our French press I made last night.   8:45 a.m. — Kiss C. goodbye and head downtown using my prepaid monthly MetroCard.   9:42 a.m. — Arrive in the jury room a little late due to an unusually long line at security. I'm informed by my fellow jurors that juror number 16 is currently a no-show. We need at least 16 jurors in attendance to hear a case, so we're in limbo waiting for her. Instead of getting dismissed, we're kept waiting for several hours while the office tries to track her down.   11:30 a.m. — After waiting around for almost two hours, we're notified our missing juror has been located and she's on her way in. We're expected to start hearing cases at 12:30, so we break for lunch. I take a short walk to a ’Wichcraft near the court. I'm usually not a huge fan of their sandwiches, but they do an amazing seasonal BLT sandwich in August and September. I get a BLT, a bag of chips, and a can of fancy seltzer. I almost die when the cashier rings up the total and it's $17. That's a hefty price for a sandwich, but it is an amazing BLT. $17   3 p.m. — After hearing several cases, we are dismissed for the day and I get ready to head home. On my way to the subway I get a notification from FedEx that they attempted to deliver a package to my address, but no one was available to sign for it. It's medication from a specialty pharmacy that I need for my next round of IUI treatment next week, so I'll need to go pick this package up from the FedEx shipping centre in the Bronx tonight. Annoying.   4 p.m. — I get back to my apartment to find out that the dryers have finally been turned back on in the laundry room! Our building is slowly updating all the gas lines, and the line connected to the dryers has been out for almost two months. We've been line-drying most of our laundry during this time, but I've let some items like sheets and towels build up. I instantly drop everything and throw four loads of laundry in before it gets too crowded. I have to top up the laundry card to get it all done. $35   5:49 p.m. — I get a notification from FedEx that my package has returned to the shipping facility, so I head out to pick it up. I text C. on my way, asking him to get supplies for dinner while I go pick up the package. He obliges.   7:10 p.m. — Successfully collected my package and headed home. On the subway back home I sit in a huge puddle of water I didn't see on the seat. This day, man.   8 p.m. — Glad to be home, but grossed out about the (hopefully) water I sat in on the subway. I immediately jump in the shower. When I get out C. is home and making dinner. He makes us pasta with chicken sausage, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Yum! We settle in for a relaxing night of Netflix. We begin the second season of Mindhunters, but I'm asleep before the credits roll on the second episode.   Daily Total: $52

Day Two

5:45 a.m. — A few times a month I volunteer at a women's health clinic as a clinic escort. We meet at 7:30 and help escort patients to their appointments through the group of protestors who come out every weekend. It's an early call time for a weekend, but I'm happy to do it. On my way to the subway I realise I left the Clomid pills I am taking this week in anticipation of my next IUI treatment at home. I try to take the pill the same time every day, but it's too late to turn back. Oh, well, it will be fine. I stop at a local bodega for an iced coffee and a blueberry muffin. $5.25   10:30 a.m. — Pretty uneventful day at the clinic, but we did have an Academy Award–winning actress join us on the street today! It was almost comical how her being there tripped up some of the regular protestors.   12 p.m.— On my way back to my apartment, I stop for a grilled cheese and tomato, a bag of Fritos, and a can of Diet Dr. Pepper from a different local bodega. $7   1:45 p.m. — I decide to watch BlacKkKlansman on HBO via our Amazon Prime add-on subscription (which C. pays for) and chill. C. is training for a nine-day bike ride across the U.K., so he's out of the house for the day and I have the apartment to myself. I try to resist the urge to nap, but I know I'll probably cave.   4:30 p.m. — I knew I would fall asleep! No matter what time I go to bed the night before, that 5:45 wake-up call kills me. C. has texted me while I was sleeping to say his ride is going a little longer than he thought. I like having the apartment to myself, so this is fine with me. I lie on the couch for a little bit longer, scrolling through social media before I get up. I'm feeling a little hungry again, but I want to wait for C. to come home so we can have dinner together. I eat Greek yogurt with peanut butter, honey, and frozen fruit on top as a snack before putzing around the apartment.   5 p.m. — While I wait for C. to come home, I decide to catch up on the episodes of Mindhunter that I slept through last night, so C. and I will be in the same place for later. While I'm doing this, I make plans with my dad to come to New Jersey tomorrow to visit my grandmother, who has recently transitioned from living with my parents to a nursing home nearby. I also text my friend K., who still lives in our hometown, to see if she wants to have lunch when I come to town tomorrow. While I relax, I order us a new Zero Waste box for our kitchen through TerraCycle. C. and I are passionate about lowering our impact on the earth, and TerraCycle is one way we do this. They work hard to recycle products that would otherwise end up in landfills. One small box lasts us about three months. $109   6:45 p.m. — C. texts to say his cycle group is going REALLY slow and they are getting the 8:40 p.m. train from Poughkeepsie, so he won't be home before 10. So much for having dinner together. I decide to heat up leftover pasta, sausage, tomatoes, peppers, and onions from last night and settle in for a quiet night with Netflix. I travel a lot for work and for pleasure, so when I'm home over a weekend, I tend to stay in and enjoy it.   10:30 p.m. — I finally give up on waiting for C. and head to bed. I'm feeling lazy tonight from all my relaxing, so I just brush my teeth and call it a night. I fall asleep listening to a Headspace sleepcast and don't hear C. when he gets in an hour later. Daily Total: $121.25     Day Three 8:45 a.m. — Up 30 minutes before my alarm, but C. is up too so we snuggle in bed and he fills me in on his ride. We make plans for the day, and he decides he'll come to New Jersey a bit later on to visit my grandmother with me, but will pass on lunch with K. I ask him if he'll grab us breakfast while I shower. I've been trying out different shampoo bars to see which one works best for my hair. Today I try one that I bought at an arts fair in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when I was there back in June. The vendor said it was specifically good for dry hair, but I'm not really feeling the difference. I've found a bunch of shampoo bars that I like, but I have yet to find a good conditioner. I make a mental note to read up on conditioning products on the train ride to New Jersey.   9:50 a.m. — C. and I finish up a breakfast of bagels and coffee. He got the bagel at our local bodega, and we made the coffee at home in the French press. I get ready to head out to catch the 11:11 train to New Jersey. We have a good-natured debate about the best way to get to Penn Station from our apartment, each of us having a preferred route.   11:11 a.m. — Off to New Jersey! I took C.'s route to Penn Station, mostly so I could stop by our neighbourhood coffee shop for another iced coffee. I use my monthly MetroCard to get to Penn and remember I have train tickets that were never collected from the last time we went to visit my family, so the trip to New Jersey costs me nothing. $3   12:25 p.m. — I am a little early to meet K. for lunch, so I stop in Bluemercury to check out their hair products. I end up leaving with a small bottle of Moroccan Oil. I want to try it out and see if it will work well for me before committing to a larger bottle. $15.99   2 p.m. — K. saves me the walk to my parents' and drops me off on her way home. She's had some health issues over the years that have made it hard to make plans, but I am glad we had a chance to catch up. She is starting a grad program next week, and I'm excited for her. We shared fried pickles, and I got a Diet Coke plus a mixed-greens salad with chorizo, black beans, and avocado. K. had a Chicago-style pork roll with sweet-potato waffle fries. We split the bill down the middle. $21.32   3:15 p.m. — C. texts to say he is a few stops away, so I leave my parents' and drive to pick him up. We head directly to my grandma's nursing home. She's sleeping when we get there and a little groggy for the rest of the visit, but we stay for about an hour before letting her rest. I stop at a CVS on the way back to my parents' to get some styling mousse. $4.68   5:25 p.m. — My Dad drives us to the train, and C. and I head back to NYC. We discuss what to do for dinner and decide that I'll stop at the grocery store on my way back to the apartment, and C. will head straight home with some of the stuff I brought back to the city from my parents' place. I still have a ticket from our last trip to NJ, so the train trip back costs nothing.   7 p.m. — I part ways with C. at Penn Station so I can head to the west side to go to Trader Joe's and he can head home to the east side. I wish the UES had a Trader Joe's, but it's not the worst getting to the west side location. Except, of course, the 1 train isn't running this weekend, so I have to take a detour. I make it to Trader Joe's and leave with breaded chicken, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, plant-based protein powder, mustard, potatoes, peaches, bananas, and an impulsive purchase of some gummy candy. $39.72   7 p.m. — On my way to the crosstown bus, I make a second stop at Fairway to get some more veggies. I hate that Trader Joe's packages so much of their vegetables in plastic, and I don't mind making the second stop to avoid this. Especially since there is already so much plastic packaging involved in the items I did buy (most of which can go in our TerraCycle box, but still). I pick up some green beans in my reusable produce bag and two carrots. $2.02   7 p.m. — One last stop on the way to the bus! I stop at Lush to pick up a few items from their Naked range. I get a body-lotion bar and a hot-oil hair treatment, plus one of their shampoo bars that I love because I am still thinking about my disappointing shampoo bar from this morning. Besides the hot-oil stick, which is single-use, these items will last me a while. $39.03   8:30 p.m. — Arrive home and pass the groceries over to C. I don't like cooking, nor am I very good at it, so C. does most of the cooking for our joint meals. I get comfy on the couch while he does his thing. He uses the food I just bought to make us breaded chicken with veggies. He also makes himself mashed potatoes, but I stick to the green beans.   9:30 p.m. — We settle in to watch Mindhunter. We discover I watched one too many episodes when I was trying to catch up. While C. catches up to me, I make my lunch and coffee for the morning. I basically eat the same thing for lunch during the week. Each night I make a spinach salad with capers, feta cheese, and frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's that I defrost overnight. I top it off with Trader Joe's Greek feta dressing. I also pack a peach and a green pepper I slice up for a snack and make coffee that I will chill overnight for an iced coffee in the morning. We watch one more episode of Mindhunter before calling it a night around 11.   Daily Total: $125.76   Day Four 6:05 a.m. — Alarm goes off, but I snooze. I use the iPhone bedtime feature as my alarm so the sound builds gradually, which makes me feel like snoozing is not so bad. C. would probably disagree.   6:45 a.m. — I finally get out of bed and start getting ready for the day. I jump in the shower and bring my new Moroccan Oil with me. When I get out, I make my standard breakfast smoothie using Greek yogurt, plant-based protein powder, frozen berries, and a banana. I realise I used all the spinach I had to make my lunch last night, so I grab a reusable produce bag and make a note to get some on my way home from work. I gather the lunch and coffee I prepped the night before and give a sleeping C. a kiss before heading out the door.   8:15 a.m. — Arrive at work. I am usually one of the first people in the office in the morning. I like to get a jump on the day before all the meetings start up. Today I have to report to jury duty at 10:30, so I am extra grateful for the time to get stuff done. I reply to emails and keep a few projects moving before heading to court at 10.   12:45 p.m. — We break for lunch, and I eat my salad in the juror break room. I also help myself to a small pack of Welch's fruit snacks that are in the break room for jurors and other court officials to snack on. We have some downtime until our next case at 2, so I take the rest of the time to read my book.   3:45 p.m. — After hearing two more cases, we're done for the day and I head back uptown. I take it as a huge personal triumph that I remember to stop for spinach, and as a result treat myself to a black-and-white cookie. $9.18   5 p.m. — I arrive home and throw a load of laundry in before digging into work emails that came in while I was in court. I still have money on the laundry card from the weekend, so no need to top up.   7:30 p.m. — C. gets home just as I am putting away the last of the laundry. Per usual he is on cooking duty, and we have the same meal as last night —chicken with veggies, plus potatoes for C. I do my Lush hot-oil treatment while he cooks.   9:30 p.m. — Dinner is done, and C. and I settle in for some more Mindhunter. While we are watching, I prep my standard lunch salad and coffee for the morning. We call it a night around 11.   Daily Total: $9.18     Day Five 5:50 a.m. — Ugh. Another early morning, but it can't be helped. I need to go to the NYU Fertility Centre this morning to have blood drawn and an ultrasound to see if I am ready for my trigger shot for the next stage of my IUI treatment. I make my standard breakfast smoothie (today with spinach, since I remembered to buy some yesterday!), pack up my standard lunch salad, and prep my iced coffee that I made last night. I'm out the door in about 40 minutes. Since this is a walk-in facility, I try to always go first thing in the morning, so I don't have to wait too long.   7:10 a.m. — I use my monthly MetroCard to take the bus downtown. I am the second patient in the waiting room. After several attempts to find a vein, I get my blood drawn and get to see my actual doctor for the ultrasound. I'm not ready for the trigger shot, and she tells me I'll probably have to come back on Thursday, but the office will call to confirm once they've processed the blood work. Thankfully, my insurance has been great so far, so this visit will cost me nothing.   8:15 a.m. — I have jury duty again today. This makes three days in a row, which is a first. Since I was selected on August 1, I've only had to report a handful of times, but I guess things are picking up. I don't need to arrive at court until 9:30, so I take the subway to the office to answer emails and get some work done.   9:30 a.m. — We have three cases to hear this morning, so I settle in for a few hours of civic duty.   1:15 p.m. — We're dismissed for the day, and I take the subway the two stops to my office. I'm really getting the full use of my monthly MetroCard today! When I arrive in the office, I catch up with my friend N., who has been on vacation for the last two weeks, and then eat my salad at my desk.   3:20 p.m. — I snack on the peach I brought with me this morning before heading into a meeting. I have two easy meetings this afternoon, and then we have a company mixer. We recently moved to a new building, so this is an attempt to get us to socialise with our new floormates. I usually hate the idea of forced fun, but hopefully this will be a good afternoon distraction.   6 p.m. — The mixer is very crowded and very loud, so I grab a cupcake, say hi to a few people, and then head back to my desk. I call in and find out I have jury duty again tomorrow, so I am glad I bailed on the party early, since I will be out again. I check a few things off my to-do list and text C. to see when he was thinking of leaving work. If our schedules line up, we try to take the train home together in the evening, but he is taking a spin class at the gym tonight in preparation for his upcoming nine-day bike trip, so I head home alone.   7 p.m. — I am beat from my early morning, and as previously mentioned, I hate cooking, so I keep it simple and have some Greek yogurt with peanut butter, honey, and berries for dinner. I don't have much motivation for anything else, so I lie on the couch and read for a little until C. gets home. He makes himself cereal for dinner, and we settle in for the last episode of Mindhunter. I fall asleep about 20 minutes into the episode.   Daily Total: $0   Day Six 6:45 a.m. — I was honest with myself about what time I thought I would ACTUALLY get out of bed this morning so I don't disturb C. with my snoozing. I take a quick shower and then make my breakfast and lunch. It's the same as previous days: smoothie for breakfast, spinach salad with shrimp, etc. for lunch. But I fell asleep last night before making my lunch salad, so it takes me a little longer this morning. I'm still out the door by 7:30.   8:15 a.m. — I arrive at work, determined to be productive until I have to leave for jury duty at 10, but I get sucked into chatting with my other friend N. about work and lose at least 30 minutes. Oh, well!   10 a.m. — Take the subway the two stops to jury duty and put in an hour at the courthouse. Two of the cases we were meant to hear today got canceled, so I'm headed back to the office way earlier than expected!   12 p.m.— I'm starving, so I eat my salad and the peach I brought for lunch promptly at noon, while getting my to-do list in order and prepping for my afternoon meetings.   3 p.m. — I'm still hungry, so I head upstairs to the vending machine and grab a Twix AND a packet of Smartfood popcorn. $1.50   5:30 p.m. — I call the jury office and find out I need to report to jury duty AGAIN tomorrow. Being on a grand jury is no joke. I set my out-of-office and call it a day. I text C. on my way out to coordinate evening plans. We're both headed to the gym, but make plans to eat dinner together.   7 p.m. — I do 30 minutes on the elliptical before heading home. C.'s taking a class downtown, so I eat a spoonful of peanut butter to hold me over until he gets home.   8 p.m. — C. arrives with groceries in hand. He makes us open-face toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato and onion. Afterward, we share a fancy yogurt I bought a week or so ago but forgot in the fridge and settle in to watch some Netflix. We've finished Mindhunter, so we're looking for a new show to watch. We settle on Orange Is the New Black and watch the first few episodes before calling it a night at 11.   Daily Total: $1.50   Day Seven 5:50 a.m. — Ugh. Alarm rings waaaaay too early, but I'm headed to the NYU Fertility Centre again this morning. I take a quick shower and then make my regular smoothie and an iced coffee before heading out the door at 6:30 a.m. I skip making my lunch, so I'll have to pick something up later.   7:15 a.m. — Arrive at the clinic, and it's more crowded this morning. Luckily, I don't have to wait too long, as I have to report to jury duty again today and am hoping to swing by the office first. The nurses get me through quickly and notify me I'm ready for my trigger shot. C. and I will have to come back tomorrow for the final step in the IUI process. Then we'll cross our fingers and wait.   8:15 a.m. — I'm able to swing by the office to take care of emails and pass off some meetings, since it looks like I have a full day of court ahead of me. I leave the office at 9 and take the subway the two stops to court, where it is confirmed that we do indeed have a full day of cases.   11 a.m. — We have an hour between cases, so I take the opportunity to retrieve my cell phone from the clerk to see if NYU has called with a schedule for tomorrow. I'm also starving, so I stop at a deli by the courthouse and grab a sausage roll. $4   1 p.m. — We break for lunch, and all I want to do is go to my favourite dim sum place in Chinatown for dumplings, but just as I am about to reach the restaurant, I see our foreman coming around the opposite corner, about to enter the restaurant. Something about this guy has been rubbing me the wrong way, and I can't stand the idea of spending my lunch break with him, so I retreat and grab a sandwich and a ginger beer at Pret. It's not the same. $9.98   4:30 p.m. — We're dismissed for the day (and, I'm hoping, the week). I'm meeting a friend for dinner at 6:45 downtown, but I decide I have enough time to head home to the UES and lie down for a little before.   6 p.m. — After lying down for a little and freshening up, I head out to meet my friend D. at Murray's Cheese Bar. We met at work a few years ago, and even though we work at different companies now, she's remained one of my very best friends. We decide to share a lobster mac 'n' cheese, buffalo cheese curds, and a cherry tomato and ricotta salad. D. has two glasses of wine, but since I'm being inseminated tomorrow, I stick to an artisan ginger ale. When it comes time to pay, we split the bill down the middle. $69.79   9:30 p.m. — Back at home, and C. is home making dinner. We watch an episode of Orange Is the New Black before calling it a night.   Daily Total: $83.77

Gillette is getting serious about recycling in Canada. The Procter & Gamble-owned personal care brand has joined forces with the waste management company TerraCycle on an initiative that will see all of its brands of disposable razors and replaceable-blade cartridge units made recyclable across Canada. The concept also extends to plastic packaging used for its razor products.   Consumers will be able to recycle their razors via the Gillette Razor Recycling Program, which allows them to download a shipping label and send their goods off to TerraCycle. Gillette is also offering businesses, gyms, colleges, cities and community organizations across the country the chance to become drop-off points: participating groups will be sent a special recycling bin that is returned to TerraCycle via UPS once full, and replaced with a new one.       “We are very excited about our partnership with TerraCycle to offer recycling for Gillette, Venus or any razor brand across Canada,” said Gillette Canada Leader Jennifer Seiler in a statement. “This is an important first step towards sustainable solutions for shaving products and the start of an exciting journey with Gillette and TerraCycle.”   TerraCycle has been working with multiple major beauty companies over the past few years to provide waste solutions for plastic packaging. Earlier this year, it partnered with Procter & Gamble-owned brand Herbal Essences to launch a series of bottles comprising 25% beach plastic, in addition to teaming up with Unilever’s British label REN Clean Skincare on a new bottle containing 20% plastic recovered from oceans, beaches, rivers and lakes. It has also been working alongside the L’Oréal USA-owned brand Garnier since 2011 to raise awareness of the importance of responsible recycling.  

As self care continues to rise in popularity and importance, it is increasingly easy to get your hands on high-quality skincare. But the kicker is finding products that work without breaking the bank or relying on nasty chemicals and fillers. Bliss, a long-standing skincare and spa company, has been making natural, cruelty-free offerings for years, so we decided to test out some of its top sellers to find just how well these budget-friendly, natural skincare products work.     We received six items: That’s Incredi-peel (glycolic resurfacing pads); Eye Got This (foil eye masks); Eye Do All Things (hydrating eye gel); Drench & Quench (cream-to-water hydrator); Ex-Glow-Sion (super-rich moisturizer); and Lemon & Sage Body Butter. Inhabitat editors Gaby, who has combination skin that can get oily throughout the day, and Paige, whose skin is drier than the Sahara Desert, tested and evaluated each item for packaging, ingredients, effectiveness and cost.    

That’s Incredi-Peel

  First, we tested the resurfacing pads, which promise to “smooth and brighten” skin after swiping the pad across your face. This treatment works best before bed, as it does leave a sort of filmy feel on the face as the product works to improve the texture of skin. Overall, the product didn’t burn or cause any redness, even on sensitive, dry skin. The box, which retails for $22, contains 15 single-use pads that are meant to be used nightly; for a month’s worth of this product, you’d be spending about $44. We enjoyed how That’s Incredi-peel initially felt on our skin and how soft it left our faces in the morning, but we aren’t in love with the disposable nature of the pads. Each single-use wipe is wrapped in foil, also single-use, which comes in a recyclable box.      

Eye Do All Things

  Eye Do All Things was quite the eye-opener (pun intended). This eye gel is applied with a metal roller ball that you swipe along the soft, delicate under eye area. This creates a cooling sensation that softened our dark circles and truthfully just helped wake us up each morning. Although Bliss recommends this for day or night use, we preferred it as a morning wake-up call. Again, we are coming across a plastic tube that isn’t reusable, although it could be recycled through a program like TerraCycle. The tube costs $22, and we imagine it lasts well over a month with daily use, because just the smallest amount is needed for each eye.      

Eye Got This

  Perhaps because we are all just running on fumes and walking around exhausted, we tested yet another under eye treatment: eye masks. Eye Got This is a box of five iridescent, star-patterned eye masks that is priced at $15, or $3 per mask. These eye masks were the ultimate definition of a guilty pleasure — we loved how refreshing and relaxing they felt, but we were saddened by the disposability after 15 minutes of pure joy. The single-use items include two small masks, one for each eye, in a packet — all of which goes straight to the trash can after use. The cardboard exterior packaging is recyclable.    

Drench & Quench

  This cream-to-water hydrator is a shocking blue gel that you massage into your face day or night for a boost of moisture. The product moisturizes without leaving skin oily and seeps into the skin quickly, but the added fragrance in the product did cause some redness and tingling on extra-dry and sensitive skin. Some of the more impressive ingredients include vitamin C, chamomile, purified micro algae and passion fruit seed oil. A 1.7 ounce jar, which will last several weeks with twice-a-day use, is sold for $20. The plastic jar can be recycled, or you could repurpose it to hold DIY skincare concoctions, earrings or other random trinkets.      

Ex-Glow-Tion

  We loved Ex-Glow-Tion, a deeply hydrating and thick moisturizer free of nasty chemicals. There’s no added fragrance here, plus the added shea butter and cucumber and pear extracts keep skin from drying out or flaking. Just a small amount is needed for a huge boost of moisture. For dry skin, this cream works well day and night. For normal to combination skin, we would recommend this as a night cream as it is a heavier lotion. Like the Drench & Quench, a 1.7 ounce jar sells for $20, and the plastic jar can be reused or recycled.        

Lemon & Sage Body Butter

  For full-body moisture in a refreshing, summery scent, the Lemon & Sage Body Butter is a good option for a lightweight lotion. The smell is delightful without being overpowering, and the lotion itself is very effective in moisturizing hands, elbows, legs — you name it. We didn’t experience any burning or irritation after use, but do recommend reapplying the lotion if you have drier skin. The 6.7 ounce tube, only $12, will last for months. If you really love the stuff, Bliss also sells a massive 32 ounce container for $60. The tube and the larger container can be recycled, although they may require a specialized recycling program.      

Our thoughts on the ingredients

  There are so many ingredients in Bliss products to love, such as added vitamins, plant-based oils and extracts, minerals and more. In fact, Bliss even offers an entire ingredients glossary on its website to list the ingredients it uses in all of its products. Every product is free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates and more, and of course, we love that all of Bliss’ skincare items are cruelty-free. Our only ingredient complaint is added fragrance, which can irritate sensitive skin, but this isn’t an issue for everyone.    

So, should you buy Bliss natural skincare?

  With plant-based ingredients and cruelty-free products, Bliss natural skincare is impressive, especially when you consider its affordability and accessibility at many major retailers. If you have sensitive skin, we recommend checking ingredients of specific products to avoid fragrance, but most of the items really rejuvenated our skin and worked even on completely opposite skin types. We also prefer the items that came in recyclable and reusable packaging, like the jars of moisturizer, over the single-use products. All-in-all, Bliss is a natural, vegan and cruelty-free skincare you and your skin can feel good about.      

     

While sipping on real rose wine, natural fruit flavors with that perfect touch of sugar cane, consumers will also be helping to save the environment as Martini & Rossi, the leading Italian sparkling wine and vermouth brand in the world, partners with international Trenton-based recycling company TerraCycle to make its Frosé pouches nationally recyclable through the MARTINI & ROSSI Frosé Pouch Recycling Program.   As an added incentive, for every shipment of Frosé packaging waste sent to TerraCycle, collectors earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice.   “As a family-owned business for more than 157 years, doing the right thing for our people, our partners, and our communities goes back to our roots,” said Jaime Keller, Director, Innovation Brands. “Through the Frosé Pouch Recycling Program with TerraCycle, MARTINI & ROSSI Frosé aims to cool off the summer while reducing the amount of waste that is landfilled or incinerated to be reused in alternative ways.”   As part of the Recycling Program, consumers are invited to send in the empty packaging from the frozen rosé cocktail to be recycled for free. Participation is easy: sign up on the TerraCycle program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/martini-rossi-frose and mail in the packaging using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products.   “By creating the Frosé Pouch Recycling Program, Martini & Rossi is giving their customers the unique opportunity to responsibly recycle their packaging and divert waste from landfills,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “Frosé connoisseurs participating in this program, can have fun and enjoy the moment, but not that the expense of the planet.”   The MARTINI & ROSSI Frosé Pouch Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.

If two’s a company and three’s a crowd, what does five make? When it comes to legal cannabis stores in Toronto’s downtown, that can only mean one thing: being spoilt for choice.   From the iPad-wielding budtenders to the mandatory “you shall not pass” ID checks, these five stores are located centrally downtown and within walking distance or accessible by transit.   Disguised as a potential first-time customer, a TGO team member went on a tour and was accompanied by Sandra Castillo, an account executive for Toronto-based PR and marketing company DECK Agency, which has no affiliation with any of the stores.  

Canna Cabana

435 B Yonge St.   The store is located near Ryerson University, right beside fast-food restaurant Popeyes (munchies? What munchies) and is hop-skip-jump from the subway and streetcars travelling east and west.   The entrance of the store leads up to a room with glass display tables at the centre showcasing cannabis products like flower, oils, sprays and accessories on sale.   For someone who knows what he or she wants, the set-up is straightforward. There’s also a recycling bin in the corner where customers can drop off the overkill packaging that “will be sent to a qualified recycling services provider to be recycled into a variety of affordable, sustainable consumer products and industrial applications,” The GrowthOp notes in an article published earlier this year.   Despite the assistance, if still unsure, don’t feel compelled to make a purchase. But don’t be rude to the staff, either — the store has a sign clearly stating, “Physical or verbal abuse towards staff won’t be tolerated.” And it’s unlikely anyone would even consider messing with the intimidating security guard outside.   Sandra’s take: “Budtenders and security are always friendly. I signed up for text marketing, and they barely send me messages, which I appreciate as I don’t want to be bombarded.”

Tokyo Smoke

333 Yonge St.     From Canna Cabana, the store is just a five-minute walk away. The difference between the two lies in the aesthetics. While Canna Cabana may be a plain (but highly efficient) Jane, Tokyo Smoke is Jane’s fancy (equally smart) cousin.   The store is divided into four product sections: Go (said to ignite energy), Pause (said to promote relaxation); Ease (said to provide comfort); Rise (said to spark creativity) and Equalize (said to restore balance).   Cannabis buds are stored in round globes that act as smell jars. The budtenders can answer any question whether it’s looking up “the highest THC strain” or, the frequently overheard, “Which is the cheapest one to buy?”   There’s a Tweed recycling box that reads “doesn’t matter if you got it from us or another brand, we happily recycle it all.” The program developed in partnership with TerraCycle “takes it (packaging), cleans it and melts it down into plastic pellets that can be transformed into new products… which can be recycled again and turned into newer products,” notes the Tweed website. Sandra’s take: “The store has beautiful displays. It would be better if they had a bigger space since it can get busy, but it’s the place to find everything and anything.”  

The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co.

202 Queen St. West A first impression is often the last impression. But don’t let Hunny Pot’s bumpy launch be the only memory; the store is worthy of a second shot.   Located a 15 to 20 min. walk from Tokyo Smoke, the store is the closest pot location to the entertainment district, the annual home of the Toronto International Film Festival. Apart from cannabis, other products on sale include vaporizers, bongs, pipes, grinders, papers and other storage and cleaning supplies.   On this day, the store had a line-up that took less than five minutes to get through. Inside, there was another line-up, this time where people were divided into first-time customers and returning customers. The line for first-time customers was twice as long as the other one.   It took another five to seven minutes to get through. Climbing a flight of stairs, a budtender gave a basic lowdown on cannabis strains.   The store has three levels, making it convenient to move around, as well as a recycling box at the entrance. There are TV screens with product information (a common feature for all the stores), and a category called “Edibles.” Upon questioning, this refers to “soft gels” and “oils”, as they, too, can be ingested.   Whether something is purchased or not, no one walks out empty-handed. Store personnel hand out a black and gold sticker of a honeycomb (the store’s logo) near the exit.   Sandra’s take: “As a customer, I want fresh weed so I always take into consideration when the weed was packaged. On one occasion, after waiting in a queue on a very busy night, I asked the cashier to change my selected joint to another product with a similar cannabinoid profile, but with less time in the package. The lady was incredible, she found another product and made a note of my concern regarding the amount of time the product was on shelves.”  

Nova Cannabis

499 Queen St. West Ever been to McDonald’s? Then this store might offer a bit of déjà vu.   Nova Cannabis is an ideal pit (pot)-stop if you care about who grows the cannabis as the display provides grower details. The store has flower, pre-rolls, oils and accessories on sale.   There is an order screen in the centre of the store, similar to the ones found in a fast-food restaurant, where users can browse options and order products. A coupon provided after ordering the product can be paid for at the cash counter.   Next to the cash counter, other products are on display in a deli-like manner. There’s even an in-store ATM machine. Every Thursday, the store offers cannabis education sessions, where attendees “receive a special thank you gift.”   Sandra’s take: “The information on display is wholesome, letting a customer know who is growing the weed that they are buying.”  

Ameri

20 Cumberland St.   It’s a store without any frills.   Located near the Bloor-Yonge subway station, Ameri is sandwiched between a tobacco shop and a restaurant. Named after owner Arash Ameri, the store has dried flower, pre-rolls, capsules and accessories on sale.   “The retail space is long and narrow. The bright white walls are decorated with cannabis leaf murals and an artificial cannabis plant. On the left, as you enter, there are four tablet consoles providing information on the available products,” reports The GrowthOp in an August feature.   Sandra’s take: “Even though Ameri is located in a prime location, the store evokes clandestine vibes of pre-legalization retail.”

Beauty is getting more eco-friendly each day and we love to see it our favorite brands take the initiative to make their products greener. Paula’s Choice Skincare, a global personal care brand with a cult following, is the latest to join the sustainable movement with their new partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle. The two are joining forces to launch a specialized recycling program. Fans of the brand can now send in their Paula’s Choice product packaging to be recycled for free, so they can feel good about their environmental footprint while feeling great about their skin, too.   By signing up at the TerraCycle-Paula’s Choice program page, skincare lovers can quickly register for the green initiative and get access to a prepaid shipping label to send back the containers, tubes, and bottles that once housed a beloved skincare essential. When collected, TerraCycle cleanses the packaging and it becomes melted down into hard plastic where it begins its lifecycle once again. But the good beauty karma doesn’t end there. For every shipment of Paula’s Choice Skincare that makes its way to TerraCycle, you’ll earn points that can be used for charity gifts or donated to a non-profit or organization of your choice. “Sustainability at Paula’s Choice is an ongoing commitment to take care of our staff, our community, and our planet. As part of that promise we’re excited to partner with TerraCycle to ensure we’re doing our part to reduce plastic waste,” said Tara Poseley, CEO of Paula’s Choice, in a statement about the eco-friendly initiative.   Going green has never looked so good. You can head to TerraCycle to get more details on the Paula’s Choice Skincare Recycling Program and of course, shop some of our favorite Paula’s Choice products to get started on the initiative.

The fruit-and-vegetable packets are O.K. in moderation, experts say, but don’t rely on them for every meal. On a recent Saturday morning, I answered my antsy 3-year-old’s request for a snack by digging into my bag and finding – to my relief – a pouch of applesauce. I snapped off the cap and handed it over, and he was content for the last few minutes of his sister’s violin class. Perhaps apple slices would have been more ideal, but I was glad to have the pouch on hand.   Since the introduction of baby food pouches about 10 years ago, they’ve claimed more of the market each year. Technavio, a market research firm, estimated in 2018 that global revenue from baby food pouches grew tenfold between 2010 and 2017 — from $16 million to $160.8 million. In 2017, the market research firm Mintel surveyed 1,000 households in the United States with young children and found that about half of kids 3 and under eat purees from pouches, and of these, 58 percent have one or more pouches per day.   As a parent and college nutrition instructor, my guess is that pouches are popular because they’re convenient, shelf-stable and usually more nutritious than other packaged snacks. While they’re mostly fruit and vegetable purees, they can include more interesting ingredients like chia seeds, chickpeas, millet, avocado and yogurt.   “They were great when my daughter was about 2 and so hungry at 5:30 when I picked her up from day care. It prevented many dinner-prep meltdowns,” said Melissa Marks, a biology professor in Salem, Ore. “I didn’t love the eco-unfriendly nature of them,” said Marks, “but they got this scientist mom through the final pre-tenure year.” While the pouches are not recyclable through municipal services, they can be mailed to TerraCycle at a cost of at least $65 per shipment, except for a few brands that have set up free mail-in programs with the recycling company. Pouch caps are collected in some locations by Preserve, which manufactures goods like toothbrushes and razors from recycled plastic.   The pediatric feeding experts I spoke with said that there’s nothing wrong with giving your kids pouches from time to time, but they’re worried that some families might be becoming too reliant on them. The pouches’ entry into the baby food market is so recent that there isn’t yet published research on their impact, but they are enough of a departure from traditional baby foods that they raise several theoretical concerns, including delaying motor development, diluting nutritional quality, and increasing picky eating and cavities in young kids.   One potential problem is that pouches may oversimplify the eating process, leaving fewer opportunities for babies to practice the oral and fine motor skills they need to use utensils and to eat more textured foods. For example, babies can suck from a pouch using similar mouth and tongue movements as when they breastfeed or drink from a bottle, said Jenny McGlothlin, M.S., a speech-language pathologist at the University of Texas at Dallas and coauthor of “Helping Your Child With Extreme Picky Eating.” It’s better for babies to eat purees with a spoon, she said, so they can practice closing their lips over the utensil and moving food back in their mouths to swallow, and then advance to food with more texture as soon as they’re ready.   Pouched baby foods are marketed for babies as young as 4 months, and since they’re easy for babies to suck down, this might encourage parents to add too much pureed food to their babies’ diets too early. “As semi-liquids that could fill up the baby, they are not good nutritional substitutes for breastmilk or formula in early life,” said Dr. Steven Abrams, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition. The A.A.P. advises parents to start offering solids to babies when they’re interested and developmentally ready to sit up and eat from a spoon, usually around 6 months.   Anecdotally, some professionals say they’re observing delays in motor development among kids overly dependent on the pouches. Ruth McGivern, M.A., a pediatric speech-language pathologist in Philadelphia, said that she and her colleagues had noticed that some of their toddler clients were learning to self-feed with a spoon later than usual, and that she was “pretty sure reliance on the pouches is part of the reason.” On its own, taking longer to learn to use a spoon wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, she said, but she worries that these toddlers are missing out on an important stage of food exploration.   “Without the opportunity to smear food all over their faces, and lick it off with their tongues, and wave the spoon around while they play with the food in their other hand, young toddlers tend to lose their curiosity about food and become more and more dependent on either the pouches or their parent spoon-feeding them,” said McGivern.   Research suggests that kids use all their senses to learn about food. Having the opportunity to see, smell and play with food can increase a toddler’s acceptance of new foods, according to studies published in the journal Appetite, and pouches don’t allow for that full sensory experience. Maryann Jacobsen, M.S, R.D., a coauthor of “Fearless Feeding,” recommended advancing from purees – like those in pouches – to more textured foods between 6 and 10 months so that babies can learn to chew and feed themselves finger foods.   Babies are most open to new tastes during a “golden window of opportunity” between 6 and 18 months, said McGlothlin. It’s a perfect time to get used to the bitterness of green vegetables, which can require repeated exposures. “If we don’t offer a variety of foods and experiences, then we’re setting ourselves up for pickiness later,” she said.   If vegetables are introduced to kids only in pouch form, their taste is probably masked. “When you’re mixing it with other flavors, there’s no guarantee that they’re able to taste it in the way that they need to in order to learn to like that flavor over time,” said Kameron Moding, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric nutrition at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, whose research has shown that most packaged baby and toddler vegetable products, including pouches, are blended with fruits or sweet vegetables.   Those sweet ingredients also mean the pouches are high in sugar. A study published this July in the journal Nutrients analyzed 703 pureed baby and toddler food products and found that pouched purees were often higher in sugar than baby food in other packages, like jars or plastic tubs. For example, among fruit and vegetable blend products, pouches had a median of 11 grams of sugar per serving, compared with 5 grams of sugar per serving in products with other packaging because the pouches both came in larger serving sizes and were more concentrated in sugar. Among the pouched blends, 58 percent had added sugar beyond that naturally present in fruits and vegetables, compared with 33 percent of the purees in other packaging.   “The higher the sugar content, the higher the risk of tooth decay,” said Dr. Joe Castellanos, D.D.S., immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He recommends using pouches only in moderation, along with a good tooth brushing routine.   Despite these concerns, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional pouch, Jacobsen said. “It’s fine to use these,” she said. “It’s just when we overuse them and we rely on them too much, I think that’s when it becomes problematic.”   The experts I spoke with said that it’s impossible to give hard and fast rules on how many pouches is too many. Some kids who eat several pouches per day are still comfortable eating many other foods. However, if your kid is fussy when they can’t have a pouch; or if they refuse to eat more textured foods, or if they don’t want to use utensils or touch food with their hands, it’s a problem, McGlothlin said. A pediatric feeding specialist can do an evaluation to identify sensory or oral motor issues that may be contributing and help make a plan to broaden the child’s diet.   Although she’s concerned about overuse of pouches, McGlothlin, who’s also a mother of three, said that it’s not helpful to judge parents about how they feed their kids. “We’re all kind of just trying to do the best we can on a daily basis,” she said.   Pouches may be especially helpful for parents with disabilities, or for those who have little time for food prep and who might find that pouches are the most realistic way of getting fruits and veggies into their kids’ lunchboxes.   The same can be true for children with special needs. Katie Herzog, a mother in Novi, Mich., has a 4-year-old daughter who has significant feeding problems that require therapy. “Even as we add solid foods to her diet, the pouches are important to give her jaw a break,” Herzog said. Her daughter also has celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the body mounts an attack response against the small intestine after eating gluten, she said, so pouches can be given to her on the go without having to worry about wheat contamination.   For my part, I see parenting as both a short game and a long game. My long game that Saturday morning was to make a fragrant lentil and veggie curry that would simmer in the slow cooker all afternoon. I wasn’t sure if my son would eat much of it, but at least he would smell it, taste a bit of it, and watch his sister and parents enjoy it. But my short game? It might involve a pouch every now and then.