Lotus Teen Batik Skirt

I am swooning over the patterns of this skirt! Very much my style. Lotus Jayne never disappoints! The Batik Skirt can be worn almost all year round with either leggings or tights! It’s great!  The skirt is Fair Trade made and sewn in a workshop run by women! Another plus that can’t be ignored is it is only $20!! You can be styling and conscious at the same time.  Supporting women’s businesses globally is so important.  We need to keep this type of Fair Trade practice thriving. Companies like Lotus Jayne are extremely important to our green economy. Every purchase we make isn’t only an economic decision but a social one as well which most people refuse to think about. I understand the importance of looking good but it is of greater importance to support businesses that support our global good like Lotus Jayne.

Product Description: The Batik Skirt is Jayne’s original design, sewn in medium-weight cotton, a fabric with lots of body that won’t go limp after one washing. The cloth was made in small Indonesian Batik workshops and is authentic.

This skirt is free-sized with an elastic waistband which can be worn on waist or hips and can accommodate many body types, so please check measurements before ordering.

All fair trade, sewn in a workshop run by women with HIV/AIDS
Elastic 1 3/4″ wide waistband fits 21 to 30 inch waist
Skirt is 17 3/4 inches long from top of waistband
Bottom of skirt measures 40″ around
100% cotton. Wash in cold water, dry on medium to light cycle
fair trade

Exposed

I really like reading books like Exposed:The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power. I feel like most people take everyday stuff for granted and they just assume their actions aren’t effecting what goes on in the world. This however is completely wrong! I try to explain this to many of my friends, family memebers and even co-workers in hopes that they will see the error of their ways but they usually end up thinking I am some hippie nut. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I think everyone should have to read books like Exposed so they can fully understand the impact their actions have golobally. Everyone should be educated about their purchases and products so they can fully understand the world they participate in.

Description: Thanks to the successful lobbying efforts of the U.S. chemical industry, Americans are being exposed to an array of environmental and health hazards—including rising rates of infertility, endocrine system disruptions, neurological disorders, and cancer—from which many others around the world are being protected.

In Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power, award-winning investigative journalist Mark Schapiro reveals how products on American shelves are increasingly being linked with serious health hazards—hazards, like Bisphenol A (BPA) and plastic softening phthalates, that the European Union is leading the rest of the world in legislating out of existence.

Schapiro takes the reader inside the global power shift that has gone almost wholly unreported in the United States, exposing not only the health and environmental consequences of this shift, but its implications for the American economy. He demonstrates how the environmental progress underway in Europe is prompting innovation and enabling their firms to beat American companies in the global competition for markets—markets that are becoming increasingly sensitive to environmental and health concerns.

As the Obama administration considers options for reform, Schapiro also demonstrates that what’s already happening in the world’s largest single market may suggest a route out of America’s long-lasting, and dangerous, status quo.

Organic Homemade Coleslaw

I love coleslaw in the summer! It is a crisp, refreshing and delish salad that goes well with a large variety of summer meals. Keeping coleslaw around is a good idea as long as you are not using an over abundance of mayo. I found this simple & quick recipe that I really want to try, it sounds mucho delish!

Ingredients:

5 cups shredded organic cabbage
1 1/2 cups dried organic cranberries
1/2 cup organic celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped organic green onions, white and green parts
1/2 cups chopped organic green bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded organic red cabbage

Dressing:
1/4 cup organic mayo
1 tablespoon sweet organic pickle relish
1 tablespoon organic honey mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine cabbages, cranberries, celery, green onions, and green pepper in a large plastic bowl with a snap-on lid.
Combine all dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pour dressing over slaw just before serving. Stir well.

Made By Me Box Set

Less assembly than model cars but way more fun!! A child can learn how to create, build and have fun. The Made By Me Box Set allows children the chance to make relatively simple vehicles and then decorate them anyway they like. Better than a preassembled toy in my book. The Made By Me Boxed Set is also one parents don’t really need to help with. I like toys that show children how learning and creating is fun and exciting. Who know’s this might be the spark your child needs to figure out what he or she will want to be when they grow up.

Product Description: The Made By Me Set Details:
Get 4 original vehicle kits in one box. Includes the blank bodies for a train, tugboat, tractor, and truck plus wheels and axles for each. The Made By Me series allows children 3 and up to have a good creative and constructive time! The assembly instructions are enclosed. All you need is some glue, a hammer, and paints, crayons, stickers or anything you want use for designing your vehicles.

Made in the USA.

Glitterize Your Old Glass

Pinterest is at it again with awesome things for me to do! I found this awesome craft that can turn any boring old Glass it to something amazing!!!! It may just be me that thinks everything is better with glitter but I cannot help but be distracted by shiny things.  It really is a curse.  Anywho, I am pretty sure that everyone has some old glasses, mirrors or serving trays that they would like to spruce up.  This is a great way to make something old look new! Here is how:

Supplies:
Clean Glass or Glasses
Mod Podge Matte Finish
Glitter
Painter’s Tape (You might be able to use masking tape but I know sometimes it leaves a residue and you cannot put these glasses in the dishwasher after the glitter has been applied.)
Paint brushes (any sizes and tips are up to you as it will be your design)
Sheet or cover (to keep glitter from getting all over the place)
Large canister or plate (to place the glitter in while applying it to the glass)

Directions:

1. Put the painter’s tape around the areas you do not want to glitter. Make your own design! Get creative.

2. Use your paint brushes to add Mod Podge to the areas you do want to glitter. Nothing has to be perfect so do what you want with it.

3. Place your sheet or cover down before glittering so it can catch any spillage.

4. You can either sprinkle the glitter over the Mod Podged area and put a canister underneath it so you can save any unused glitter or fill a canister or plate with glitter to roll the Mod Podged area in. Either way is good. I personally like to roll mine in the glitter to make sure the entire surface is covered.

5. Let the glass set for a few hours to make sure everything has dried.

6. Remove painters tape and excess glitter.

You can use this concept on many old smooth surfaces. The glasses are not meant to be put in the dishwasher however so be careful what you decide to decorate.

Have no fear May is here! Great time for good holidays and even better sales and deals on great green stuff you can stock up on.  Find new stores you didn’t know about and most of all educate yourself on green shopping.

Save $5 off Solar Glass Votives

Great Deals on Burt’s Bees Products at Burt’s Outlet
Save 5% on any Keetsa Mattress and get Free Ship. Use code “KEETSA5POFFMAY12″ at checkout. Shop Now!

Natural and Organic Apparel & Accessories at Abe’s Natural Market.

Sign up now and receive ethical Deals from across North America!

New Carrot Cake Gnu Bar – 12g of Fiber & 20% OFF

Sweet treats from Ecoist and M&Ms.

Save $30 on the Mother’s Day Velour Robe Set including Free Gift Wrapping. Only $49.99 at Gildentree.com.

The Clever Bean – thoughtful green gifts for Mother’s Day.

Holistic doctor approved natural skin care. Try Ecco Bella today! Perfect for Mother’s Day.

Changers.com rethink energy.

Another candle, another wish. Make this year different and give up your birthday with charity: water.

Save 15% On Soji Solar Lanterns

Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Botanic Choice Buy 1 Bottle and Get 2 FREE (select items), plus Free Shipping on $25+

On Sale at Passchal!

Fight Those Fleas! at Happytails Spa!

On Sale at LUSH

Save 30% on all Gift sets at The Body Shop! Valid 5/6–5/13.

ECOlunchbox Contest

I don’t know about you but I bring my lunch to work with me almost everyday. I don’t generally like to use plastic bags or disposable wrapping because it really is just a waste of time and packing. I prefer to use tupperware but after eating certain foods some of it stains or will always feel greasy no matter how many times I wash it, then I feel bad having to recycle it because it probably could be used more but I feel like it’s not clean.  Food containment is a constant struggle.  I was looking for some eco-friendly alternatives and I found ECO Lunchbox. I like the concept of stainless steal which does not retain odors, stains or residue. They are dishwasher safe (not microwave safe), non-toxic, non-leaching, unbreakable and easier to clean.  They are independently tested and found to be lead free.   I wanted to try ECO Lunchbox because stainless steal just seems like a cleaner way to go than plastic.
I have reused mine with many a different meal and after washing it is good as new. I bring it to work with me everyday. Nothing spills or drips (which happens to me often with my tupperwear).
ECO Lunchbox has tons of other styles including lunch bags, snack sacks, napkins, bags, utensils and my fave the lunch tray. I personally never liked the concept in school but now it seems so appealing. I am one who likes to segregate her food. Learn more about ECO Lunchbox here!

CONTEST!!!!

Since I loved my ECO Lunchbox  so much I decided to give away one as well. To enter click here. Once you have done that you must
Follow ECO Lunchbox on Twitter here
and The Green Beagle here.
Like Eco Lunchboxes. Once you have done that comment below that you have done all 3 and you are entered to win!
The contest ends on May 31st. The winner has 48 hours to send me your contact info and pay for shipping. If I do not hear from the winner in 48 hours the contest starts all over again!!
Good Luck and Thank you for participating!

May Day

Don’t laugh but I know I have heard of May Day but to be honest I had no idea what it was. Today I decided to Wiki it. This is what the almighty Wiki says:

Traditional May Day celebrations

May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations.
As Europe became Christianized, the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and All Saint’s Day. In the twentieth century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.
Origins
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1st.
The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary’s month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary’s head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of “May baskets,” small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours’ doorsteps.

Personally I see this as being quite interesting…celebrating nature…I know a scary concept but I like it.  I like the idea of celebrating nature and spring.  It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside so today I will say Happy May Day and spread the warmth!

Vandana Eco Shoes

Holy Cuteness Batman! These flats are perfect for the summer! I have an affinity for anything coconut shell so I may be biases but I love these. I know they are a bit pricey at $76.00 but you can wear these almost year round so personally I think it’s worth it. The Vandana shoes come in 3 colors: bark, rose, & slate. I really like the Vandana and think I need at least one pair for my unflip flop days! You can get a pair of your own here!

Product Description: Colourful Grass Shoe designs and create eco-friendly shoes that are accessible to all. It has done so by setting a standard for sustainable product development in regards to environmental and humanitarian leadership. The Colourful Grass standards are the highest in the industry and will always be improved for the betterment of the planet as a whole.
Our shoes are fashionable, durable and comfortable. Colourful Grass combine the best eco-friendly and recycled materials with cutting edge style to produce a highly sought after product line.
OUR MATERIALS – We use only eco-friendly and recyclable and/or recycled materials. We are currently utilizing the best materials available to us and will always strive to create the best in sustainable shoes with continuous improvements!
Here are our materials: Organic Hemp Canvas, Organic Cotton, Recycled Rubber, PU and Coconut Shell Buttons.

The great folks at Eartheasy.com sent me a Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit to try and I think it is just about the coolest thing ever. Here are some pictures I took from day 1 to 6. It supposed to take 10 days but I think my mushrooms are doing soo well I had to show you.

Mushrooms Day 2

Mushrooms Day 3

Mushrooms Day 4

Mushrooms Day 5

Mushrooms Day 6

In 6 days this is how much they have grown. All you have to do is keep them out of direct sunlight, spritz with water 2 times a day and watch them grow. Then when you are finished with 1 side. You can turn it around and the start on the other side!!

This is a great way to teach kids about plant care, gardening (albiet differently) and being responsible. This makes a cool gift even for an adult. I have been having so much fun. Every morning I wake up to see how different they look and before I go to bed. They grew so fast I almost couldn’t believe it.Eartheasy.com has some other really cool grow your own kits as well. Check them out here Eartheasy.com and on Twitter & Facebook to find more super cool items.