Pickles from Your Bubby

I love this graphic. I am sure a happy marriage needs a few more ingredients than at least one good cook, but it is a good start!

Even if your marriage does not have at least one good cook, or if you are single, you can still enjoy the health benefits and great taste of delicious sauerkraut. Bubbies brand of sauerkraut and other various pickles are  fantastic.

The ingredients are wholesome and simple and the taste is crunchy, salty-sour and just plain good.

You can find them in the refrigerated section at your natural food store. It is important to either make your own pickles or to buy pickles from the refrigerated section of the store, as opposed to the canned variety or pickles in jars on the shelf.

Buying refrigerated pickles is great because the refrigeration ensures that the live bacteria that was created during the fermentation process is still alive and kickin'. This makes all the difference because it will help the flora in your intestinal tract flourish, which means your digestion will be stronger. When your digestion works well, you can absorb the nutrients from your food better and you feel energetic, not bloated and have regular bowel movements. Yup, I just said that - it's true!

Try eating a little bit of sauerkraut, pickle or fermented food each day and see how you feel! If it is too salty, rinse the pickle in cool water before eating.

Happy digestion!

http://www.bubbies.com/

Lift Your Mood and Feel Energized with Burnout Reviver

After a long week at work or a particularly stressful time, I find that it is very important to take time to do things that help replenish my energy, nurture my spirit and take care of my body. One thing that I recently discovered during a trip to Whole Foods in Massachusetts is this fantastic essential oil blend called Burnout Reviver.

As soon as I smelled it, I felt better. This stuff is amazing. I brought it to work with me to help improve the air quality near my desk and smell it when I need a lift during the day - and let me just tell you, it is working! I put it on my wrists and use it like perfume. Ahhh... yes.

Check out Leyden House, the company that sells various essential oil blends, carrier oils, shea butter and diffusers.

Next time you are feeling fatigued or need a mood lift, try out some essential oils!

Here are some benefits of diffusing essential oils:

• Improving air quality and health
• Can significantly reduce mold spores, dust mites, fungus, bacteria and viruses from the air we breathe
• Help with respiratory issues
• Elevate your mood
• Reverse negative emotions
• Can encourage concentration, reduce stress and improve sleep

Cooking with Bambu For Peaceful Energy

 

Not only does using good quality kitchen utensils and cookware make cooking easier and more enjoyable, it is great for promoting strong, radiant health. One staple cooking tool that I like to use in the the kitchen is the bamboo spoon. It is made out of completely sustainable bamboo and is 100% natural. Using bamboo lends a more peaceful and gentle energetic quality to the food you cook, as opposed to the slightly stronger energy and lightly metallic taste that sometimes occurs from using metal cookware. The bamboo spoons I use in my kitchen are Bambu brand. They have a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate various cooking methods. I like to use my bamboo spoons for making stir fries, dry roasting nuts and seeds and for serving salad.

Check out Bambu's products to help yourself build a more sustainable home and support your healthy cooking and lifestyle:

http://www.bambuhome.com/

Paper Out of Poo

Mr. Ellie Pooh - with a name like that for a paper company, you've gotta be intrigued. Well, the name is pretty self explanatory. This company makes cute and functional paper from elephant poo. I first heard about this company years ago at Green Festival. Their concept is brilliant. Elephants in Sri Lanka were being killed by people, so the people who started Mr. Ellie Pooh decided to help the people of Sri Lanka see elephants as an asset instead of a threat. They started taking elephant dung and turning it into beautiful paper, made of 50% fiber from elephant dung and 50% post consumer paper. 

Mr. Ellie Pooh paper is handmade, acid free and all natural. It comes in various colors, sized, as memo books and pads, as greeting cards or stationary. I have a bunch of the cute heart shaped papers- perfect for writing small notes or for crafts.

The best thing about this paper is that every time you use it, you can feel good knowing that you are helping to save the elephants in Sri Lanka.

http://www.mrelliepooh.com/

Hearty, Warming Meals With the Right Cookware

In the kitchen, cold weather means it's time for hearty, rich soups, stews and roasting. A great way to do this and help your body keep you warm is by using heavier cookware. It is definitely time to bust out the cast iron skillets, pressure cookers and ceramic coated cast iron pots.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to cook with Le Creuset ceramic coated cast iron pots. It was heavenly. My food came out evenly and well cooked, and just plain delicious. The reason why is because the pots are heavier in weight than regular stainless steel, making food hearty and more strengthening. The pots also conduct and retain heat very well and are durable and efficient. I bought my mom one of these pots last year and she LOVES it. I recommend using these pots for making stews or overnight oats with dried apricot compote. Basically, I think these pots are best for making warm comfort foods.

Check out the collection of Le Creuset:
http://www.lecreuset.com/

Nature Intended Underarm Freshness, All Day Long

I know it might seem silly to be excited about deodorant, but this one works so well and smells amazing- plus it's all natural and does not contain any aluminum!

Now that we know that much of what we put on our skin gets absorbed through our pores and goes directly into the bloodstream, it becomes more import to make healthy choices about body care products. Using chemical deodorant may not seem like a big deal, but people are exposed to small amounts of toxins on their skin 50 times a day or more - considering how often a person uses hand soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products, toothpaste, moisturizers, cosmetics, etc. Add that up with environmental toxins and a lifetime of exposure, and that's a lot of toxicity!

Taking small steps to lessen toxic chemical exposure can make you have a healthier, happier home, family and life. It can also be an opportunity to creatively find solutions, like making your own body care products and mindfully consuming less, which is good for you wallet and for the environment.

You can find Home Health Roll On Deodorant in Herbal Scent in natural food stores, or easily online. I ordered mine in bulk from LuckyVitamin.com This website is great because if you order in bulk, you get a better discount.

Home Health Deodorant

Freshen Air Naturally

Are you wanting to freshen up your bathroom but don't want to spray toxic chemicals into the air? Although there are some all natural air fresheners in your local natural food store, they are often expensive, some are around $7-8 a can!

1. For a longer lasting natural way to freshen your bathroom and even your whole home, there are a few simple things you can do. First, open all of the windows in your home. This will help to bring fresh air in and move old stale air out. 
2. Next, get your hands on a diffuser and some essential oils. This is my favorite way to refresh a room. It also helps to create an enjoyable mood and can help people to feel relaxed, invigorated or balanced. Fill the top of the diffuser with a few tablespoons of water and then drop one type or a combination of essential oils in the water. Put up to 20 drops or so of essential oil. Then, put a tea light candle in the bottom of the diffuser and light it. Place the diffuser on a stable surface, away from an edge or where children can reach it. As the candle heats up the essential oils, the wonderful scent of the oils will waft throughout your home. 

You can find the [affordable] diffuser pictured above here, Beautiful Diffuser

Not sure which essential oils to try in your home? Choose Your Mood

Here are more options for natural ways to freshen your home, Freshen Air Naturally

Recycled Makeup Bag

Tote your cosmetics in this cute, stylish and water resistant recycled purse from Engage Green. It is lined with cloth inside and is durably constructed to survive living in your purse. I bring mine everywhere with me, since it is spacious enough to hold a lot or a little. Check out this purse and a variety of other eco-accessories at http://www.engagegreen.com/ 

Truly Peaceful Candle Light

Many people light candles to help set a relaxing mood, to use in a diffuser, or to commemorate special holidays and events. If you are someone who uses candles in your home on a regular basis, it's a great idea to look into buying a non-toxic kind. Often times, the wax in candles can be made of paraffin, which when burned, can give off poisonous fumes which pollute the air and harm your lungs. Buying beeswax candles can be great because they are non-toxic, but can also prove to be expensive.

I was recently on a mission to find myself some affordable tea lights, since I use candles in my home on a weekly basis. Everywhere I looked I found cheap toxic candles, and not many alternatives. On a routine trip to Whole Foods, I stumbled upon a very affordable and totally toxin-free box of unscented tea lights at a great price. I was so happy after all that searching, I snatched up 3 boxes! Now I use my good-for-me-and-the-planet candles every week in peace- knowing that they are not harming me or my roommates or guests. I am so happy about my new find, I wanted to share it with everyone. So, if you are in the market for tea lights and want to create a healthy and happy home, try out these babies! If you really want to stock up on these because you use them often, you can get them for as low as $48.00 for a case of 400.

Feel good about the products you use in your home around your family. Have peace of mind that you are buying products that will only lead to bringing greater health and happiness to your loved ones. Even though a product like this is more expensive initially that what you might be used to using, you are investing in your family's well-being for the future.

Happy candle burning!

http://www.naturalcandles.com/

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/

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

Conscious Collection From H & M

I just HAVE to write about H & M's new Conscious Collection, I am so excited! Eco-fashion going mainstream and being easily accessible by so many people, while also being affordable is so beyond awesome. Not only are the designs for this collection super cute, they are white, which make them perfect for the new Spring and Summertime weather. This collection uses recycled fabrics, organic cotton, and tencel. Tencel is a natural and renewable resource.

Here is a cute perfect-for-spring top I got:

Many of their pieces from this collections are very versatile. You can layer tops like this one with other more relaxed slouchy pieces for a comfortable chic look, or pair it with a more structured cardigan or jacket and statement jewelry for a more polished-put-together look.

H & M has put together a whole website all about their Conscious Collection, which includes information about corporate responsibility, a 2009 Sustainability Report, and information about them using greener goods. I love it.

You can check it out here:
http://www.hmconsciouscollection.com/welcome/

You can read more about H & M and shop there from their website:
H & M's Conscious Collection

The Story Behind the Barcode

One great speaker I heard at Green Festival's Fair Trade Pavillion in San Francisco was Kilian Moote, from the Not For Sale Campaign. They partnered with the International Labor Rights Forum to create this awesome new iPhone/iPod app (I just downloaded) called Free2Work.

This app empowers consumers with information they need to know so they can make educated decisions about what companies and business practices they want to support with their money.


Is buying your favorite candy bar contributing to child slave labor? 
Is the underwear you are wearing right now made by people who are paid a living wage to support their families? 

Well, now you can find out about these things and more by downloading the app or even just checking out the website.

One really cool thing that Killian spoke about is that through creating Free2Work, their goal is not to point out everything wrong with a company, but rather to help companies put into place a system for addressing problems so that they can make improvements for workers and the environment. Through increasing company transparency, accountability and empowering workers, we can create safe, healthy and fair working conditions for people.

Check these websites:

Free2Work Website

Not for Sale Campaign Website

From War to Peace

What a pleasure it is to take a quick trip somewhere new and interesting! There is nothing like travelling and exploring to bring a fresh perspective into your life. I recently took a quick trip to Palo Alto, California and had the pleasure of heading to San Francisco for a day to go to my all-time favorite eco-event, Green Festival!!!

There is so much green-ness in California, I have a lot to share with you about all the cool things and people I saw there. Not only was it inspiring to meet amazing people who change the world everyday by doing good, caring about the environment and about people, but I got to see my sister-in-law and my brother build their own eco-home, piece by piece, (more about that later).

The first thing that I am most excited about is From War to Peace. They create affordable, beautiful and artful jewelry by recycling copper from disarmed nuclear missile systems. They truly take something that is totally destructive and harmful and make something amazing, inspiring and usable. They are a green company and also donate 20% of their proceeds to peace and social justice organizations. How awesome is that?? When I met them at the San Francisco Green Festival I was so amazed at all of the incredible good that they do, I almost cried!

I bought myself this cute blue heart pendant. I love it!

On the website they only currently sell pendants with the chains as well, and that can be a bit pricey. I bought just the pendant, since I already had a chain. They should be adding the ability to buy just a pendant to their online store soon. If you want one right away, just email them and they will sell it to you!

They also make mezuzahs. Here are some they had at the Green Festival table. They are so cute!

Here is a short video of them explaining what they do:
From War to Peace Video

Check out their website:
From War to Peace Website

Toms Shoe Trend is Sweeping the Nation

The Toms shoe craze is sweeping the nation! I know this because they have made their way to mainstream Arizona. I can go out to any regular shopping establishment and find them on the feet of all kinds of people, but mostly on teens and 20-somethings that like fashion, comfort and doing global good. They are even selling these at my local natural food store! I like where this is going...

Toms shoes are known for their "One for One" mission. Buy a pair of shoes and Toms will give a pair to a child in need. They are all about the greater good, what an awesome concept, right?

These shoes come in many different colors and styles, such as flats, boots and wedges. They also have a vegan line. You can easily wear these with a cute skirt, jeans or to a fancy occasion- because they also have a glitter collection.

Check it out:

TOMS website

Shopping That's Good for People AND the Planet

Are you shopping for something and wanting to know that you're spending money in line with your values? Well, now you can, with Green America’s Green Business Network. The Green Business Network is an online resource and makes shopping for eco, organic and fair trade products and services convenient and easy. It is also a great network for responsible business owners who want practical tools to help their companies to emerge and thrive.

Businesses that are Green Business Network approved go through screenings and uphold high standards of being committed to caring about what's really important - workers, communities, customers and  the environment, all while turning a profit. Now THAT'S the type of business I want to support. Who say's you have to sacrifice quality for values? Not anymore...

Here are the National Green Pages for finding green companies.
Here is information about the Green Business Network

Co-opportunity in Santa Monica

If you are ever in need of a fun shopping experience and great quality food and health products in the Santa Monica area, check out the Santa Monica Co-op. They have a wonderful selection of organic and natural foods, eco-living products, as well as a well stocked and varied natural body care department.

Since they are a co-op, they are owned by their customer members, instead of a corporation. As it says on their website, "Every true co-op operates according to the Seven Cooperative Principles." These principles are: voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, members' economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, training and information and cooperation among cooperatives. Check out their website to learn more about co-ops in general or to find out about the Santa Monica Co-op.

Seven Cooperative Principles
Santa Monica Co-op