Posted on June 12th, 2008
Lavender essential oil! Perfect for an all natural quick and refreshing perfume, a great natural remedy to help you relax and sleep on the plane, a great tincture to get rid of pimples, a fantastic bug repellent (and yes you smell gorgeous!), a flea remedy for your furry travel companion, a natural remedy for ear infections (or even yeast infections, ladies), a great anti-septic for cuts and scrapes – lavender is one of the most important items for your suitcase. This one little bottle will save you lugging a plethora of other products, making your suitcase lighter (less work for your airplane = less CO2 emissions), and also making more room for sustainable souvenirs!
And for a fantastic ...
Posted on May 19th, 2008
For a heavy duty spring clean, collect all your household hazardous waste and make a trip to your local haz-mat depot to ensure corrosive, flammable, explosive, or poisonous waste is disposed of properly. When poured down the drain or thrown in the trash, toxic waste can wind up circling back into our food, water and land. Find a safe and cool out-of-the-way spot in your home or garage to stockpile these items until you can get to the depot. It’s better to store them yourself for a time where you can keep an eye on those nasty bits and bobs and then make one big trip - maybe plan a neighbourhood collection to cut down on ...
Posted on May 3rd, 2008
Oh those lovely locks. You spent forever growing them out, tediously conditioning and caring for every follicle….but perhaps you're ready for a change in hairstyle? If you’re stoked on going short, consider donating your hair.
Locks of Love is a great program organized to make your donated hair into quality prosthetics for children (under 18) who suffered from a medical condition that has left them lock-less so your hair will continue to live on instead of ending up in a trash bin at the salon. Now that's one sexy way to style your hair!
Posted on April 24th, 2008
Do you wish your favorite market labeled its local produce, that compost was accepted at your curb that your local pub offered organic beer? All you have to do is ask...and maybe ask again. It sounds a bit simplistic but a good company will give the customer what they want. It worked on Enterprise Rent-A-Car. A recent ride with one of Enterprise's managers led to an interesting conversation. Mr. Rent-A-Car admitted the company had been holding out on adding the hybrid to its fleet of available vehicles in hopes that the car was nothing more than a trend, a fad, a passing fancy. No such luck - he was plagued with requests to ...
Posted on April 14th, 2008
We know some girls who feel comfortable facing the day with nothing more on their face than a smile and some SPF protection, but we are not those girls. We like how makeup makes us look and feel, and we think it’s fun! What we don’t think is fun is trying to decipher all those mysterious ingredients on the labels of our products or weeding through the companies who are doing ok by animals and the planet. Not all makeup contains harmful ingredients, and most that do contain them only contain small amounts. But... the cosmetic industry is self-regulating and since the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety, ...
Posted on April 4th, 2008
Prom and other formal dresses are typically worn once before spending an eternity hanging in your closet. Reduce your impact by shopping for a pre-worn dress. You’ll save money, energy and materials too. Ask around! Your neighbors’ Fall Formal gown might fit you perfectly, while an old dress worn by your mom, aunt or grandma will show off your cool style while guaranteeing no one shows up in the same look.
Photo by Angie Bakke.
Posted on February 28th, 2008
For many of us, it’s been a while since we walked the world in the hair color we were born with. You might be legally blonde, brunette, burgundy or black, but at what cost to your health and the environment? Chemical hair dye ingredients contribute to both environmental pollution and a variety of health problems. Studies have linked the use of hair dyes to an increase in bladder cancer, dermatitis, depigmentation, rheumatoid arthritis and respiratory ailments. Here’s why: All permanent hair dyes are made up of two components -- color and developer. The developer contains hydrogen peroxide and ammonia to modify the molecular structure of the hair shaft and allow the large color ...
Posted on February 26th, 2008
Trying to quit smoking? Good for you! That’s one tough New Year’s resolution… We all know that smoking is bad for your health, but did you know it’s bad for the environment too? Yep. Those sneaky cigarette companies aren’t just throwing in additives that are harmful to you, but are harmful to nature as well. Each time you light up, you’re sending up to 4,000 chemicals into the atmosphere – things like formaldehyde, benzene and hydrogen cyanide, which are all air-polluting, smog- inducing VOC’s. In addition to the toxic smoke, tobacco farming is pretty shady too. Almost 500 different types of pesticides are used to protect U.S. crops from bugs, and ...
Posted on February 20th, 2008
If you're um, passionate about pregnancy and disease prevention, you'll be interested to learn that February is National Condom Month in the United States. Taking a cue from The American Social Health Association (ASHA), which has designated February as the official month to educate folks about condoms, we'd like to remind you sexy green readers that condoms should never be flushed down the toilet where they'll end up in the water system. According to the Ocean Conservancy, condoms, along with certain other types of trash, cover the coral reefs and smother sea grass and other bottom dwellers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also has expressed concerns that many animals might mistake them for food! The ...
Posted on November 25th, 2007
So your best jeans finally bit the dust and the moths made a meal out of the sweater Granny knit you. Rather than giving your memories the heave hoe, recycle them into a fashionably unique quilt. Pair worn out duds (your prom dress, wedding gown, the leisure suit you grew out of, your baby blanket) with scrap fabric, old scarves, patterned textiles and vintage prints and decorate with bits of ribbon or lone buttons. Learn a beautiful new craft, make a lasting heirloom and spend cold nights (because you’re in the habit of turning the thermostat down a notch or two, wink, wink) snuggled under a blanket of your favorite things.
