Follow Us on Social
Tick TIPS
As we enjoy more time outdoors, it’s important that we take personal precautions against…TICKS. Here’s a few things we should be doing when entering a wooded area:
- Wear long clothing, tucking shirts into pants and pants into socks.
- Wear light coloured clothing so the ticks will be easier seen and removed.
- Use an insect repellent. Most natural bug sprays without deet are not allowed to promise that they will deter insects. You may wish to choose from our selection of outdoor sprays, or go the diy route. You can make your own tick-repellent spray using essential oils you have at home. Essential oils like cedarwood, geranium, lavendar & tea tree along with citronella have been known to repell ticks along with other insects. Use water and witch hazel or apple cider vinegar as your base.
- Try to minimize your contact with tall grasses and bushes.
- Check your clothing and entire body (and we mean, everything) for ticks when returning home.
- *It’s also important to check your pets for ticks regularly.
How do you remove a tick? Here are instructions directly from the Peterborough Public Health website:
If you are bitten by a tick, be sure to stay calm, but remove the tick immediately. Follow the steps below to safely remove a tick from your body:
- Remove the tick using a pair of clean, fine-tipped tweezers. Never use fire, chemicals or alcohol to remove a tick.
- Holding the tweezers parallel to the skin, firmly grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible, around the mouthparts of the tick, and gently pull the tick straight out.
- Do not twist or squeeze the tick because this may cause the mouth parts to break off and stay in the skin. Squeezing may also cause the Lyme disease-causing bacterium to enter the body.
- Wash the area where the tick was removed with soap and water and/or disinfect with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
- If the mouthparts break off and remain in the skin, remove them with tweezers, or if you are unable to remove them easily, leave them alone and let the skin heal.
- If you are not comfortable removing a tick, see a health care provider as soon as possible. If the tick is removed soon after attachment, it will help to prevent infection, as an infected tick has to be feeding for at least 24 hours before it can effectively transmit the bacteria to a human host.
- Once the tick has been removed, place the tick in an empty pill bottle or plastic zipper-closed bag and bring it to Peterborough Public Health. Make sure to record the date of attachment and the likely location where the tick came from. The tick will then be sent away to the Ontario Public Health Laboratory for species identification and bacterial testing.
- If you develop symptoms of Lyme disease in the weeks (3-30 days) after being bitten, contact your health care provider right away.
Venturing into tick habitat? Don’t forget to pack a safe tick removal kit this summer.
Tick kits should include:
- band-aid
- fine needle tweezers
- aseptic wipes
- rubber gloves
- container / ziplock bag to put the tick into
Stay safe as you enjoy the outdoors this summer!
“Mother is a verb. It’s something you do. Not just who you are.”
Spring is prime detox time!
Our New Essential Oils Are HERE!
We've all been there. You set a goal for yourself to work out more but you can't seem to get into the routine. The workouts might be too hard or you might not have the energy for it. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that at least 1 in 4 adults do not get enough physical activity. If you're inactive, you carry a 20% to 30% greater risk of premature death compared to more active lifestyles. If you have trouble finding the time or energy to work out, VILPA may be a solution for you.
We're On The Move!
Make Your Own Chocolate-- Simple and Easy
Celebrate the luck of the Irish with these festive, healthier St. Patrick's Day recipes!
Who run the world? Girls! March is Women's History Month, and March 8th is International Women’s Day. What better time than this to lift up the women around us! Because of the entrepreneurial courage of our founder Jo Anne & the continued efforts of our now owners & team (which is over 80% women), we have been serving Peterborough & The Kawarthas for over 45 years! We are thankful not only for the amazing women in our team, but for the meaningful connections we have made with so many inspiring women in our community. It is important to us to continue fostering an environment where women feel safe, supported & inspired. We are excited to look to the future and continue to evolve to meet the needs of our community.
Folks who are gluten-free should not have to miss out on the joy of Easter baking! These sugar cookies can be easily made with what you already have on hand and delicious enough to please gluten-free and non gluten-free eaters alike! INGREDIENTS COOKIES: 3/4 cup of salted butter, softened to room temperature but not melted (vegan substitute can be used) 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 2-3/4 cups gluten-free flour blend with binder (such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour) 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder A heaping 1/4 teaspoon of salt FROSTING: 1/2 cup softened vegan butter OR 1 can of coconut cream or milk 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract 1-2 cups of powdered sugar 1 splash of preferred milk 1 packet of natural food colouring OR BERRY GLAZE: 1 cup berries fresh or frozen (you can use one kind or a medley) 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract 1-4 tablespoons of water, cream, milk, or citrus juice Water or citrus juice will produce a deeper colour, while cream will produce a lighter pastel glaze!