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Archive for December, 2009

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: 3 Last Minute Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Give the gift of healthier beauty with these three last minute stocking stuffer ideas.

No Miss Nail Polish Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl-Pthalate and Camphor, No Miss Nail Polishes use only colors that come from the earth, making them healthy for your nails and your body.  (available on-line and at natural foods retailers)

Pacifica Solid Perfumes are inspired perfume blends made with essential and natural oils.  The small tins come in 21 beautiful scents.  I’m wearing French Lilac these days.   (available on-line, in boutiques and Whole Foods stores)

Korres Lip Butters use shea butter’s anti-inflammatory and potent moisturizing benefits and rice wax to seal in smooth all day long.  The lip butters come in seven beautiful colors.  (available on-line, in cosmetic departments and at Sephora)

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Exciting News!!

Monday, December 21st, 2009

I’m taking a break from my GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS tips for a day to share some very exciting news.

Ryan, my husband, and I are so excited to announce that we are expecting our first baby! Our little ‘greenie’ will arrive in early June.

Like for so many women today, it has been a long road for us to get to this point.  But, true to my natural background, instead of going the conventional fertility doctor route, I sought the advice of naturopathic doctors and acupuncturists.  And through a series of their treatments, as well as diet and lifestyle alterations, I am now 4 months pregnant.

We’re both so excited, to say the least.  And I look forward to sharing with you my experiences with a greener pregnancy, natural childbirth and raising a baby in the most organic and natural way.  And I look forward to hearing your thoughts, experiences and suggestions as well!!

So, happy holidays!  I know these are certainly happy holidays for us!

Sara

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: a Recipe for Apricot Pecan Bread

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Nothing is better during the holidays than homemade baked goods.  I made a double batch of this Apricot Pecan Bread last night and baked 6 mini loafs to share with those I love.

Ring in the holidays this weekend and get your bake on!

photoApricot Pecan Bread

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup chopped apricots

Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the egg and melted butter until smooth.

Alternating with milk, gradually add the dry ingredients in until well blended.

Stir in the nuts and apricots.

Transfer to one large or 3-4 small greased loaf pans.  Press the batter into the corners of the pan to hollow the middle just a bit.  Allow the batter to sit in the pans for 20 minutes, then place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 55 minutes for a large loaf or 35-40 minutes for smaller loafs.

Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then remove.

Enjoy!

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Melissa Joy Manning for beautiful eco bling

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

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One of my absolutely favorite jewelry companies is Melissa Joy Manning.

Her work is stunningly gorgeous.  And just adding fuel to the fire is the fact that her work is all environmentally and socially minded.

Here’s what her site says about that:

Melissa Joy Manning is committed to operating in a manner that promotes socially responsible sourcing and manufacturing and minimizes environmental impact.

Melissa Joy Manning works exclusively with US-based vendors; because the US is a participant country in the Kimberley Certification Process, diamonds are not allowed to be imported into the country unless they are documented to be Kimberley Certified Conflict Free Diamonds. However, this does not mean that all diamonds sold in the US are guaranteed to be conflict-free. Just as we encourage our customers to challenge our practices, we actively challenge our suppliers to provide documentation verifying the sources of our stones. We have received Kimberley Process documentation from some of our key diamond suppliers, and continue to seek documentation from all gemstone vendors with whom we work.

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In addition to diamond sourcing, we want to ensure social responsibility throughout the entire jewelry making process, from mining and refining to jewelry manufacturing. We draw upon nature both for design inspiration and for the materials that we use to create our jewelry; therefore it is our responsibility and desire to be sensitive to our environmental impact. The jewelry industry relies heavily upon mining companies to generate raw materials for their products; unfortunately the mining process creates significant waste and contaminants, causing harm to the land and its inhabitants. Because of the negative impacts of metal mining, we purchase 100% recycled metal. The refining processes employed by our metal supplier also create up to 75% fewer waste products than standard refining techniques.

All of this, and the fact that I love wearing my Melissa Joy Manning pieces so much, make her jewelry my GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS gift idea of the day.

Shop her beautiful collections online or in stores.

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Get Creative with Gift Wrap

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Sadly, it isn’t hard to believe that an extra four million tons of wrapping paper and shopping bag waste is created during each holiday season.  In fact, half of the paper America consumes throughout the year is used to wrap and decorate consumer products.

Is all of that added waste necessary?

This holiday season, why not get creative with your gift wrapping?  Here are a few ideas on how to do that.

Use newspaper:  by selecting different sections of the paper you can personalize your gift giving – sports for dad or that sporty girlfriend, the comics for your little brother or nephew, or the home & garden section for the enthusiast on your list.

Use recycled paper: this can work two ways.  The best way is to reuse the paper that your birthday or some other gift came wrapped in.   The other way is to use wrapping paper that is made of recycled paper.  Thankfully, all kinds of goods made from post-consumer recycled waste are getting easier and easier to find.  Look for recycled content wrapping paper everywhere gift wrap is sold.

Recycle your wardrobe: an old t’shirt, sweater or scarf works beautifully as elegant and colorful gift wrap.  Add a decorative ribbon and you’re done.  For gifts of wine or bottles of bubble bath, try slipping them into the sleeve of a flannel or sweater and secure both ends with a ribbon.

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Keep Your Energy Up with Guayaki!

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Guayaki Lemon Elation to Kick Your Holidays Shopping into High Gear!

Energy low?  Are you finding it hard to drag yourself from store to store, or even drag your fingers across the keys, as you shop your way to completing your guest list?

200909151510012201_medGuayaki (many who know me know I’m a big fan of Guayaki’s Yerba Mate – see more on what that is below) has launched a new beverage in a can called Lemon Elation.  It’s a “flavorful tribute to the Aché Guayakí and their legendary beverage.”  It’s also delicious, highly effective at waking you up, and at only 54 calories per serving, it’s a low-cal way to drink yourself to elation!

And, if that doesn’t do it for you, try their organic energy shots.  I promise you won’t lack motivation after that.

More on Guayaki and Yerba Mate

Guayakí (gwy-uh-kee) Yerba Mate (yer-bah mah-tay) is made from the leaves of the celebrated South American rainforest holly tree (ilex paraguariensis).

For centuries, South America’s Aché Guayakí tribe have sipped yerba mate daily from a traditional gourd for its powerful rejuvenative effects.  These rainforest people find tremendous invigoration, focus and nourishment in yerba mate and revere it as the “drink of the gods”.

Guayakí’s Lemon Elation is a flavorful tribute to the Aché Guayakí and their legendary beverage.  Rise up with Guayakí and share in this powerful rainforest experience!

Guayakí’s mission is to steward and restore 200,000 acres of South American Atlantic Rainforest and create over 1000 living wage jobs by 2020.

Benefits:
Yerba mate is considered a powerful rejuvenator
High in antioxidants
Refreshing and energizing
Delicious lemon flavor
Organic, Fair Trade,  Kosher

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Perfect Organics is….well, perfect!

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

These days I can’t get enough of the Perfect Organics Grapefruit Lavender Body Glow.  My dry skin just eats it up, while the luscious scent brightens my mood and transports me out of the cold, grey doldrum that’s descended on the world around me.

So, I’m making Perfect Organics my GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS idea # 8.

glcgiftbagCheck out their holiday gift sets.

To delight anyone on your list is a Grapefruit Lavender set(mmmmm!), which includes the body glow that I’m so fond of, the bath therapy, and a loofa to scrub all your  winter dryness away.

The Orange Ginger set includes a body scrub, shea (body) butter, and a lip therapy.

Also check out the Lavender Lavish set and the Mandarin Coconut Rose set.  Each set includes their signature body butter (of which I am the biggest fan ever) and other goodies.

lcs_cairoFor delightful stocking stuffers or small gifts for girlfriends, check out their Vegan Lip & Cheek Shimmers ($18.99), which come in seven subtle shades or their lip balms ($3.99).  Get all three lip balm flavors (Citrus Orange, Fresh Mint and Vanilla Twist) for just $9.99.

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Beautiful, Sustainable Gift Wrap

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Goodbye paper. Hello holidays!

LivingEthos introduces eco-friendly holiday gift wrap in 15 stylish prints perfect for Christmas, Hanukkah, and other festive occasions

holidayLivingEthos has released 15 new holiday designs to add to its collection of stylish and sustainable gift wrap.  The new designs range from delicious Peppermint Stripe White to Winter Sky whose shades of blue were chosen with Hanukkah in mind.  Kids prints include Frosty’s Fun and Winter Wonderland. Targeted at teens and tweens, All Aglow, features unexpected dark pinks and aqua.

Company Founder Josie Gaillard says, “Every bag has to be attractive and tasteful.  We want to do whatever we can do to convince people to switch from paper to something reusable like cloth.”

Experts estimate that Americans alone generate 4 million tons of extra waste at the holidays, most of which is shopping bags and wrapping paper.

birthday

The LivingEthos brand was launched this summer by Josie Gaillard to help people make eco-friendly choices in their everyday lives.  The bags come in four sizes – mini, small, medium and large – to fit everything from small items like jewelry and books, to larger items like wine, clothing or toys.

LivingEthos gift wrap is available at www.livingethos.com for $28/set of four bags (one of each size).

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Additional features of LivingEthos gift bags:

  • The bags are 100% cotton, and can be re-gifted and reused countless times; plus, they make great storage bags
  • Each gift bag comes with a grosgrain ribbon of 100% recycled polyester made from plastic soda bottles
  • The bags are sewn locally in San Francisco, California near company headquarters, which cuts down on energy used to transport the product
  • Even the shipping envelope in which the product is sent is reusable!  The company has introduced a Tyvek shipping envelopes with a Velcro closure that customers can easily return, free of charge.

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS; Reusable Bags by BlueAvocado

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Just in time for the holidays, BlueAvocado has created new kits from a new kind of material to help satisfy all of the greenies on your list.  (see the coupon code at the bottom of this post!)

BlueAvocado is a mission-driven lifestyle products company that makes it easy to do good while getting it done.

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The BlueAvocado gro-pak system is designed to replace environmentally

harmful plastic and paper grocery bags, features five separate component bags made of recycled materials.  The system replaces 15 plastic bags per shopping trip.  Durable, compact and stylish, the gro-pak system meets all your shopping needs – ventilation (for fruits and veggies), insulation (for hot/cold), and collapsibility (for easy sto-n-go).

The BlueAvocado gro-pak system features two “Veg” bags – lightweight, ventilated produce bags; a “Pod” – a collapsible, ultra-light, all-purpose grocery bag; a “Gro” – a sturdy bag with an adjustable strap for shoulder or hand carrying; a “Chil” – an insulated bag that keeps groceries hot or cold for up to three hours; and a “Pak” – a cute carry-all tote that holds and folds the entire system neatly together. All together, the gro-pak system holds up to 100 pounds of groceries. Each BlueAvocado gro-pak component bag also features the world’s first audited “Carbon Impact Label” detailing the carbon emission reduction associated with each trip to the grocery store and plastic bags avoided which can total up to 1000 plastic bags annually.

And as of just recently, these gro-pak kits are now made from a certifiable recycled REPREVE fabric. Meaning, the gro-pak – collapsible, reusable shopping system – just got greener!

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Out for the holidays, BlueAvocado has created 8 kits perfect for gift giving.

They have the holiday cruiser kit, which includes a Pak, an insulated Chil bag and two Veg produce bags ($49.99); the stocking stuffer kit, made up of two Pod stuff ‘n go bags (these are THE PERFECT bag!) and a Veg produce bag ($19.99);  and six others.

The Pod stuff ‘n go is the bag I never leave home without.  And I’m not the only one.  Hollywood A-listers like Jenna Elfman, Kate Winslet and Tina Fey are joining the ranks of BlueAvocado fans.

And I’m excited to announce that BlueAvocado is offering a special 20% discount to my family of friends and readers. Simply enter the promotion code goodgift20 at checkout to enjoy 20% off your entire order! You can now be the ultimate gift-giver this holiday season. Whether you are looking for gifts under $19.99, teachers gifts, or even to treat yourself – check out BlueAvocado: http://www.blueavocado.com and don’t forget your promotion code at checkout: goodgift20!

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GREENER WAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS; “I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas”

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Anna Getty – environmental advocate, writer, TV personality, chef, mother, and organic living expert – has written and released a new book just in time for the holiday season.  She says her goal is to help people who want to make a smaller footprint during a really traditional Christmas.  The book is called I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas.

anna-getty-1I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas lays out advice on how to choose the best tree, how to save money reuse things around the house (like egg cartons to store fragile ornaments), and many of Anna’s favorite holiday recipes for organic appetizers and homemade craft ideas like pinecone wreaths and recycled sweater pillows (I LOVE this idea!!!).

The book is filled with beautiful and inspiring photographs by acclaimed photographer/director, Ron Hamad, that are both instructional and inspirational.

It’s not too late to start making changes to green your holiday this year.  I hope Anna’s book serves as inspiration for you.

This beautiful book retails for $24.95 and is also available on Amazon.com

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