Let us introduce you to Danielle. She’s our wonderful manager at Merivale! Danielle moved to Ottawa six years ago and she absolutely loves it here! “There is so much beauty within this city and tons of outdoor activities.” She recently started studying Holistic Nutrition and is very excited to see her educational journey unfold. Her interest in health and wellness started at a very young age. “I actually went to school for baking and pastry arts and was working as a baker when I realized I wanted the work I do to be in line with my values.” That’s when...

Everyone wants great skin, but the world of skincare can be intimidating, to say the least. With so many products out there to choose from, where do you start? Caring for your skin doesn’t have to be frustrating. In fact, once you develop your own routine and find products that work for you, it can be a fantastic form of daily self care.  Ready to give it a go? Here’s our quick guide to starting your skincare routine from scratch. Clean First, clean your face with a high-quality cleanser that suits your skin type. Cleansers fall into a few different...

How good is your smoothie game? If your blender is collecting dust in a cupboard somewhere, take this as an opportunity to give it a spin with a few new recipes that you’re sure to love. After all, nothing provides a much-needed boost of energy like a well-crafted smoothie. Whether you’re an exercise enthusiast, a fruit lover, or simply someone who prefers a liquid breakfast, these ideas are for you. Tropical treat With beach vacations temporarily off limits for most of us, this smoothie is the next best thing. To put it together, start with your favourite tropical fruits—we love...

  Are you ready to up your pantry game? One of the easiest ways to elevate your everyday cooking is to stock up on a variety of oils and vinegars. Integral to everything from sauces to stews, maintaining a wide-ranging stock of vinegars and oils allows you to vary the flavors in your dishes and expand the scope of your cooking. Most of us have standards such as olive oil and white vinegar on hand. However, now might be the right time to branch out and add a few new pantry staples.  Coconut oil With its creamy, fatty quality, coconut...

 Nora Munro Registered Holistic Nutritionist Meet Nora, our Westgate manager! She was born and raised in Ottawa and has always been much of a natural! “I grew up eating healthy. I always ate seasonal foods, fresh foods and I love gardening!” Built on an internal interest, she took some courses on Alive academy which officially led her into the health food industry. After working in several health food retail stores, she planted her feet in management. She definitely is a people person! She loves working with her colleagues!  So being in a health food store and working with people is...

Without gym class and after school activities, it is always a challenge to help your children stay physically active during the summer months. And with the pandemic cancelling summer camps and sports teams, keeping kids moving is more difficult than ever this year. Still, there are plenty of ways to keep your children active during the break – they simply require a little more ingenuity than usual on the part of parents and caregivers. Here are a few ideas to keep your kids (and you) moving for the last few weeks of Summer. Arrange a neighborhood scavenger hunt Make a...