Between running a minimum of three times a week and then other workouts thrown into my routine as well (from Spinning to dance class), I go through a lot of activewear in a week. Add in wearing some of that gear for going out (hello, athleisure!), well, my fit gear gets a lot of use, and it gets real sweaty in the process. And so I do laundry at least once a week of just my activewear.
But as I’ve come to realize (in an embarrassing way — more on that later) is that clean doesn’t exactly mean fresh smelling. The performance fabrics that activewear is made with consists of synthetic fibres, which can trap odour if you’re not diligent with how you care for them, resulting in a not-so-pretty scent referred to as “rebloom.” That shameful incident I referred to above? Well, I’ve become familiar with this rebloom when I’ve thrown on a sports bra — a clean one — to head out for brunch and as I stepped out the door, I noticed a peculiar scent, which to my horror was from this fresh from the laundry sports bra.
Well, as I definitely don’t want any malodorous rebloom emanating from me, I’ve changed up my laundry routine and have partnered with Tide with their new product. Now my gear is getting into fresh smelling shape with the Tide + Downy Odor Defense Collection. It’s specifically designed to fight against rebloom; you can use it for all of your laundry but it’s especially great with activewear, given the synthetic fabric content of these pieces. Its rebloom-eliminating power comes from Febreze Odor Defense technology, which goes to task at breaking down organic compounds and body soils (ew!) deep down to the level of the fibres.
It’s a trifecta of products that work as a team to eliminate this rebloom: there’s Tide Pods plus Febreze Odor Defense (cleans and removes stains); Tide Rescue with Febreze Odor Defense (greasy body soils and odours deep in the fibres begone!); and Downy Fresh Protect with Febreze Odor Defense is the third product, which is what gives your clothing 24 hours of freshness.
Since you can use it on all of your clothes, it doesn’t call for a whole separate set of products just for your activewear (and you don’t want rebloom in any of your clothes, after all), so it’s what I’ve switched to. And now I can leave the house and not have to worry about my clean clothes giving off anything but the freshest of scents. I may return with them soaked and grubby from a sweaty workout, but I know that my new Tide routine will take care of that.
Disclosure: I created this blog post as an ambassador for Tide. All opinions and advice are my own and I only work with companies I genuinely love and have used prior to being contracted.
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June 28, 2016
With sunny weather here, I’m looking forward to eating lots of fresh veggies grown locally and was excited when Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers reached out to me about a food styling session — featuring their delicious veggies, of course, to help me and you #SpringIntoFlavour!
Now, if you like me have never heard of OGVG, it’s a not-for-profit organization all tomato, pepper and cucumber growers in Ontario. So this includes the seedless cucumbers, tomatoes on the vine and red, yellow and orange peppers that I buy regularly and also mini and cocktail cucumbers, specialty peppers, beefsteak and specialty tomatoes. I especially loved to hear that the OGVG farmers are less than a day’s drive from the majority of markets they serve plus that it’s real farm families here in this province who own greenhouses that have been around for several generations.
I know I will have a whole new appreciation going forward for the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers I buy that are from OGVG. If you need a brief refresher on the health benefits and why you should include more OGVG veggies in your diet:
Tomatoes:Hello, lycopene! This antioxidant can reduce risk of some cancers and the effects of the sun’s UV rays. You’ll also get vitamins A, B6, magnesium and more.
Peppers: You probably think of citrus fruit when it comes to getting your vitamin C but peppers actually have 250 percent more C by weight. They, too, boast some of the same vitamins and minerals as tomatoes and also potassium.
Cucumbers: Hydrate your body with seedless cucumbers — they’re 90 percent water and also an excellent source of vitamin C, magnesium and silica.
Now as for how to style and take better photos of food? You have to start with great looking, unblemished veggies, of course. And a handful of the other tips from the session:
When featuring a recipe, style your photo with ingredients that have been used in the dish. Add in lifestyle elements to help create a mood or tell a story, too.
Blanch or undercook veggies to tender crisp; this little old best in photos.
Using a spray bottle filled with water and glycerin, spritz veggies so they look dewy and super fresh.
In a professional food shoot, they’ll use a stand-in plate as he shot is set up and only swap in the actual plate once they are ready to shoot (so that the best plate isn’t exposed to the lights, etc., until it is go time).
Ultimately, you’re trying to control how the food will look. So pie is amongst the hardest foods to style since it is hard to control how the crust will crumble, or how the fruit will ooze out, for example.
Use tools including inexpensive mirror card (or you can even use foil), black card, white card and even a cheap white shower to help you manipulate and create the lighting you want for your food photo.
If you’ve got a Toronto library card, you’ve got complimentary access the lots of free online photography courses on lynda.com. Yes. Free.
(I hope my friends are ready to hold up some foil the next time we go for dinner so I can get the best lighting for my shot! Just kidding…)
I hope these tips have been helpful to the foodies among you. The pics in this post are of the two dishes I styled while at this session, and I’ll be putting these tips and tricks to use going forward…but not to the point that I’m sacrificing taste or having a good time. I’m not shooting it for a client, after all, and ultimately it comes down to eating the delicious and nutritious tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers and enjoying a great meal with friends and family. I’m already thinking of and craving all of the simple dishes I can make using OGVG veggies such as Greek salad, bruschetta, fajitas, Pimm’s cup, stuffed peppers and more. Bon appetit!
For more about OGVG and to #springintoflavour, visit www.ogvg.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONgreenhouseveg.com.
(This blog post was sponsored by Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers but the opinions are all my own.)
May 31, 2016
Planning a vacation? Perhaps you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean (in which case, I’m very jealous) or Africa or Asia (even more jealous!). My travel essentials usually include sunscreen, mosquito repellent and some antihistamines (I’ve had some allergic reactions when on the road in the past, or they’re helpful when the repellent hasn’t done its job well!).
What many of us aren’t so diligent about is making sure we don’t get sick from traveller’s diarrhea. Yes, I’m talking traveler’s diarrhea and while it’s not a pretty subject, it needs to be addressed. How terrible to be on a trip and taken down by T.D. As careful as you try to be with the food you eat and what you drink, it’s very easy to consume something contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites. T.D., in fact, is the most common medical condition of people traveling to developing countries.
It would break my heart to be on a trip and not be able to enjoy it because I was running to the washroom all the time. And it’s happened, years ago, and I’m sure many of you can relate given how common this is. But I’ve learned there’s an over-the-counter product that you can take to help prevent traveler’s diarrhea: Travelan. You start taking a tablet or two 48 hours before your trip and then throughout your travels with every meal, three times a day. If you’re wondering how effective it is, clinical studies show it works against the most common cause of T.D. (Enterotoxigenic E. Coli) in 90 percent of cases.
Now, would you rather risk falling ill from T.D. on your trip or take something that can help keep you enjoying your trip?
You can find out more about Travelan ($39.99 at your local pharmacy) including travel tips at www.travelancanada.ca.
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February 11, 2015
