Author Archives: Oliver Keith

Christmas, Boxing Day, and Sustainable Shopping 

2022-12-06 vLife blog Christmas Gifts and Sustainable Shopping featured image

Sustainable boxing day shopping can mean one big thing – more stuff. Look, I know Christmas at its core is about the spirit of it all, but come on. Gift getting, gift giving, who doesn’t love it? But as Christmas ever encroaches and boxing day sales loom, I’ve been giving more and more thought to […]

The World Cup, Canada and Buy Local – A Mixed Bag

vLife blog feature image Canada and World Cup 2026 Nov 2022

We’re done. The Canadians are mathematically out of the FIFA World Cup. But not without making a statement. After a historic run, Canada’s men’s soccer (or football, and vice versa) made The World Cup for the first time in 29 years and scored their first goal ever. And Canadians were watching. In fact, over 3.7 […]

Gifts for Men – Local Options for the Gift Giving Season

Woman holding laptop looking very confused. vLife blog featured image Gifts For Men Nova Scotia Local ideas Nov 2022

Gifts for men. Let’s be honest, like ‘gifts for women’, the whole concept is a bit simplistic. People are complex. Trying to pin down a stereotypical gift for these ‘guys’ – it’s nearly impossible. Not to vent, but I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent looking for good gifts for my father. I’ve […]

Five Unique and Local Nova Scotia Gift Basket Ideas 

2022 vLife blog featured image Holiday Gift Baskets Nov 2022

The holidays – they’re stressful. Cooking, cleaning, baking, gift giving, gift wrapping, planning, and planning noise. Noise noise. I’m starting to stress myself out already. I think all of us, at some point, loaded up Google and threw in “Christmas Gift Ideas For…” x, y, and z.” I’ve always found researching gifts helpful and all. […]

Nova Scotian Local Deals this Canadian Black Friday & Small Business Saturday

2022 vLife blog image. Nova Scotia Local Black Friday Deals two shoppers looking into shopping bags Nov 2022

Here we go again, Canadian Black Friday shopping. We’ve all seen those clips on YouTube – the ones of endless shoppers and pandemonium in a Walmart. Don’t get me wrong. Black Friday is tempting. I have had the same laptop for longer than Cyber Monday has even existed. And, unfortunately, even a sustainability nerd like […]

Guide to Selling Locally Online: Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Stores and More 

2022 vLife blog graphic Guide to Selling Online for Small Business Nov 2022

Selling online presents a seemingly endless world of options – from Amazon, Etsy, Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook shops, websites, Instagram shops, TikTok stores and more. And those are just the ones off the top of my head. Given all the options, it can get hard to figure out which ones are best for what. Where […]

How credit card fees affect local small businesses

2022 vLife blog featured image Credit Card Fees Oct 2022

Credit card fees and debt are a staple for the life of a consumer. After all, probably most of the adults you know have at least one credit card. Why? Well, because they are quite handy, if used responsibly. Buy now, pay later? That mindset is appealing to most of us. Interestingly, the origin of […]

Comparing Learning Music Online or In-Person

2022 vLife blog Main image Online or In-Person Music Lessons Oct 2022

Learning music online or in-person go hand-and-hand with your own development. One study in 2010 found that the structural and functional cerebral neuroplastic processes emerge as a result of long-term musical training. Or, in words for laymen like myself, learning music makes you smarter. But as we all know, music is more than just something […]

Sustainable Shopping that’s Affordable Too

Happy sustainable shop owner

Sustainable shopping that is also affordable is hard. But even harder is global warming – a real, looming, and ever-growing problem. Recent hurricanes Fiona and Ian are very real proof of that.  Global warming truly is a persistent and universal problem. And, for me, this knowledge gives this sense of powerlessness. I’m sure many of […]

Local Fall Products And Where to Get ‘Em

Montage of Fall Products, pumpkins decor pumpkin spice late, Fall drinks local fall products

Me, one fine Wednesday morning. Phone buzzes and I flip it over to find a text with those faithful words – “On my way to go get a pumpkin spice latte.” Fall products. They’re back. Yep. It’s that time of year again. Leaves are starting to change, mornings are getting colder, and the smell of […]