Check It Out! NYC (Sustainable) Fashion's Night Out

Finally- an upcoming fair trade fashion event in NYC to attend! This is going to be one awesome night full of shopping, education and celebration.

A bunch of unique designers and retailers will be showing off their sustainable styles. Anything you purchase at (Sustainable) Fashion's Night Out is something you can continuously feel good about every time you wear it.

Get ready to be inspired by noble causes, beautiful art, and incredible people. Then go home and do something with your inspiration. Inspiration is only worth something if you put it into action.

(Sustainable) Fashion's Night Out
Thursday, September 8, 2011

Textile Art's Center
26 West 8th Street

6:00 - 10:00 pm

Hope to see you there!
http://sustainablefashionsnightout.com/

Oh-So-Elegant and Eco, Cloth Napkins

I moved, yay! And with my move, I am inspired to begin to create a new home that embodies a greener, more mindful way of living. One thing I am excited about with this new surge of inspiration is switching to cloth napkins.

Switching to using cloth napkins has been in my mind for a while, but has not been something I have been able to do, since I have been traveling. But, now that I am (hopefully) staying in one place for a while, I will be able to enjoy my new napkins and feel good about not creating a lot of unnecessary waste from paper napkins.

I recently scored my colorful, hand printed fair trade napkins at the eco-boutique, Sustainable NYC, but if you don't live in New York, you can find cloth napkins at any home store. Also, if you want to take your eco-commitment up a notch, you can find organic and fair trade varieties online, in many colors and prints.

Check out this website for the classic striped variety above, which are 40% organic cotton:
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/porternapkins.html

Mopping Made Easy!

Want an easy, eco way to clean your floors quickly? Who doesn't?

Mop your floors in a few enjoyable minutes with the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop. A good friend of mine excitedly told me about this awesome mop. It is durable and lightweight and has a reusable microfiber pad that you can toss into your washing machine when it gets dirty. No more disposable pads- more over Swiffer!

It also picks up 50% more dirt and dust than regular mops. The mop has a refillable spray bottle so you can make your own all-natural cleaning solution or use plain hot water. This is especially important if you walk around your house barefoot or have small children crawling around on your floors, since using chemical cleaners can leave a residue of chemicals. I like to use a solution of hot water and white vinegar for cleaning floors, but if you want to really get it clean, you can dilute some Dr. Bronner's with water and spray away!

Check it out online:
Rubbermaid Reveal Mop

Great Vintage Finds at Odd Twin

For another way to be eco-fashion conscious- Go Vintage! For some reason, I forgot about this easy and often times affordable way to be stylin' and green. I used to be really into wearing a lot of thrift and vintage pieces when I was in high school and got into swing dancing. Part of the fun of going out was getting dressed up in fun finds from the vintage stores.

Walking around Park Slope in Brooklyn, I stumbled upon this very cute, crazy store, Odd Twin. The dramatic and interesting window display definitely caught my attention- if you walk by, you will know what I mean. The person behind these displays is very creative, has a great eye for color & style, and knows how to make you want to walk in the front door. Plus, every time I walk by- they have a new display! I love it.

Enough about the display, time to move onto the clothing. Ok, seriously everything I tried on in this store was seriously fabulous. It's not just another vintage shop, the owner (and buyer) really knows what she's doing! She selects very stylish, colorful and artfully designed vintage pieces in good condition. You won't have to hunt for the good stuff, because the entire store is filled with it! The sizing is also very good. Most of the stuff I tried on fit me very well and I ended up scoring 2 very adorable, unique dresses.

Besides being eco-friendly, vintage fashions are oftentimes more modestly cut than more contemporary clothing, so if you like cute blousey tops, 3/4 sleeves, little jackets and over-the-knee skirts and dresses, you are sure to find it here. Plus buying vintage also means you won't show up to a social gathering wearing the same dress as that girl...oops!

All in all, I am loving vintage again. The best part about it- it never goes out of style. Thanks for the reminder of how stylish and eco vintage can be Odd Twin!

Check them out online, or better yet, in person.
http://www.oddtwin.com/

Kukich-ahhhhh.....

What's better than a refreshing beverage on a hot summer's day that tastes good AND has tons of healing properties?

In summertime, I find an array of super sweet, sugary cold drinks, fruit juices, and caffeinated iced teas and coffees that are easy to access but leave me with a serious case of the blahs. To keep me feeling cool and energetic, I love creating my own concoctions of tasty beverages, one of which, is kukicha tea.

Kukicha tea is rich in minerals like zinc, selenium, copper and manganese. It also contains vitamins A, C, B1, B2, niacin, theanine, flavonoids and amino acids. It also contains catechins, which act as powerful antioxidants, that minimize the effect of free radicals before they have a chance to damage other cells. Kukicha tea also helps to alkalize the body, which helps to prevent disease. Pretty great, right?

An easy way to make this tea is to boil a pot of water, tear off the tea bag paper labels and toss the tea bags into the pot. Bring the water with tea bags to a boil and then simmer for 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength of tea you like. Eden Foods brand has an excellent organic and kosher kind of kukicha tea. I take the individual bags to work with me and make myself a cup every morning. This tea can be enjoyed hot or cool.

For variety, try mixing 1/2 cool tea and 1/2 organic apple juice with a squeeze of lemon. It's a nice pick-me-up. Experiment with different combos of kukicha and other beverages, and don't forget a fun garnish. Enjoy!

http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=110550

Hot Weather + Busy Lifestyle = Kleen Kanteen

Most of us bring water bottles of some sort with us daily as we run around the city. But did you know, reusing regular plastic water bottles can actually be seriously harmful to your health? Most plastic water bottles, even the hard plastic kind, contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which is a synthetic chemical that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal messaging system. Also, when we repeatedly use the same plastic water bottle, it increases the chance of that toxic chemical leaching into our water from small cracks that are created over time. BPA has been linked to serious illness including breast and uterine cancer, an increased risk of miscarriage, and decreased testosterone levels.

Even though this sounds serious and scary, it doesn't mean there isn't a great alternative to those pesky plastics! Queue: Kleen Kanteen. This water bottle is totally BPA-free, made from high quality, food-grade stainless steel, and is super sturdy. The have a variety of sizes, colors, different tops for convenience and they even have kids sizes. I bought my Kleen Kanteen at the San Francisco Green Festival years ago, and have been loving it ever since. I seriously recommend you get yourself one if you are still drinking from plastics.

Check out Kleen Kanteen online or at your local natural food store:
http://www.kleankanteen.com/index.php