Heading To Nawlins

So, I am off tomorrow morning to New Orleans for a friend's wedding! I will be bringing my green down south for a few days. I am excited and nervous to see how New Orleans has changed since I saw it many years ago. To many Hurricane Katrina was a stark reminder of the effects global warming is having on the world already. All the more reason to stand up and make the changes NOW.

Urban Branches will be "on hold" until I return unless I find my way to a computer while down there. Enjoy the long weekend, and think about ways to make your memorial day weekend greener, from ditching the paper plates for real dishes or buying an organic brew for your BYOB BBQ, whatever you do this weekend, stop and think of how you can make your choice a bit healthier for the planet.

Here are some super easy ideas to get you inspired:

*Take reusable bags to the store for your holiday food items
*Say no to plastic cups, if you're hosting that is.
*If you're bringing something to a party, make it organic!
*Opt for large bottles of items like sodas and condiments instead of multi packs of small individual sizes
*Ride your bike instead of driving somewhere
*Finally take that bag of clothes to the Salvation Army, Good Will or local donation spot
*Take the opportunity with the long weekend and finally plant that garden or work in the yard
*Since you've got a few extra hours to spare, research green initiatives in your neighborhood and see what you can do to contribute
*Read the articles you've been to busy to read on Urban Branches :)

Voila! Eco-Holiday Weekend, that was easy wasn't it!

Eco-Fashionista: Green Queen

I remember my prom. Well, it’s more like I can’t escape the flashbacks, whenever I hear the word, and no matter how often I seem to try to hide the ghastly photos, they always seem to creep back into existence.
It wasn’t like I had a bad prom. The memories were fond, but I get a shiver down my spine just thinking about it, which changes into eruptions of laughter due to my choices in fashion. I mean, did I have to be an individual? My favorite year? Long purple skirt, purple tube top with silver shimmer tiger print, telephone chord spirally hair which made my blonde navel long locks as short as my chin, like Shirley Temple, large chunky and strappy heels, complete with a purple bindi in the middle of the forehead. Not my proudest moment, even though the hair still looked fantastic the next day after a long night and little sleep.

Prom is a time of year where girls pull out all the stops. Yet it occurs to me, as we are in the midst of prom season as school is coming to a close for summer, that everyone that goes to a prom wants to be an individual. Whether it’s best dress, best entrance, best at pretending you don’t care, best at not dressing up, best at spiking the punch…the list goes on…you want to stand out. So why not do it by being green?
Here are a few tips you can use so you can remember your prom, not only for having an impeccable sense of style, but for doing your part in going green.

1) Shop for a dress at vintage shop. I’m not necessarily talking about going to the salvation army. There are consignment shops and flea markets that sell well preserved dresses that will surely be one of a kind.

2) You could make your own dress, like Molly Ringwall in Pretty in Pink. Piece dresses together from vintage shops. Or Borrow from a friend that went to another school.

3) If you do want a dress (which girls on average across America pay $500 on a dress for one night only) Why not invest in a dress made from sustainable fabrics that didn’t use toxic chemicals or unfair labour?

4) Men always have rented tuxedos, why not rent a dress? Why spend a bundle on a dress for one night? At closet elite you can rent a used designer gown for half the price, and they deliver to your door with a returnable envelope. www.closetelite.com

5) If you do buy a dress, donate it afterwards so someone less fortunate than you can have a chance at looking great at their prom. www.princessproject.org

6) Instead of renting a hummer or limo to get to the prom, why not spend the money on a horse drawn carriage, or a bicycle built for two? Using a normal family car and carpooling is okay as well! And its not so embarrassing if everyone’s dad’s drove them to the prom!

7) Instead of going to a restaurant, try hiring a personal chef for the evening that can shop beforehand at an organic market and cook for everyone at one house.

8) Make sure your corsages and boutonnieres are flowers from an organic flower shop. Or be unique; use henna or vintage jewelry instead.

Daily Eco

I am the worst speller, many can back me up on this, make sure you edit and spell check before printing so you don't have to print twice! (plus you'll look more professional if you spell correctly!)

Method to the Maddness

Not sure if you New Yorks get Daily Candy sent to you, but I thought I had to share this one! (and if you're not in New York, never fear Method products are available nationwide!!)

Method has a pop up shop in the city starting this weekend through the 7th, go check it out! Details below, and as always Daily Candy knows what's going on!

Squeaky Clean Method Products

What: Walk into new pop-up shop of ecohappy cleaning products. Say “DailyCandy” and walk out with ginger yuzu hand wash and cleaning wipes (while supplies last).

Why: Tackle 5,989 feet of limestone, granite, and cables across the East River. (Or your 600 sq. ft. 1BR.)

When: Daily, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.Where: 550 Broadway, at Prince St. (212-994-5396); online at methodhome.com. To save 25 percent, enter “methodcandy” at checkout. Valid thru June 7.

(Image: www.sundancechannel.com/) I love this Method Ad by the way...

Shave off Some Bad Eco-Karma

Dry your razor blade after each use, this will extend the life of your razor and keep more of them out of landfills. Why you ask, well they will rust at a slower rate.

I found this fact online: americans toss roughly 2 billion disposable razors and cartridges each year.

You can also go greener with your razor choice by purchasing razors & razor blades made from recycled materials, Preserve makes a great one! Yes, the same company that makes preserve toothbrushes, tupperware and cutting boards.

Check out the site online for more information and where to buy:

http://www.recycline.com/

(Image:media.sacbee.com)

Eco-Bella: Homemade Treatments

While it's great to treat yourself to a nice new organic and natural skin care product, it's equally exciting to make it yourself. This allows you to really know what ingrediants are going into your products. So, look forward over the next few days for some at home do it yourself skin therapy.

Lindsay's Dry Skin Treatment

1 Cup Organic Plain Yogurt

1/2 mashed avocado (or banana)

1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp. Olive Oil

This mask is wonderful and performs double duty with the moisture rich avocado or banana and exfoliating yet soothing yogurt (lactic acid helps rid those dead skin cells). Store your mask in a jar in the fridge for about a week. Use again, don't waste those organic ingredients!

Voila, natural beauty made simple!

(Image: http://www.drhill.com.au/)

Daily Eco

Start collecting scrap paper and cut into squares to keep by your computer, phone and coffee table to jot down notes without wasting new paper.

Eco-Fashionista: 'Just Do It' Green

Okay, so you’ve finally switched your wardrobe to organic fabrics and vegetable shoes. You’re looking good and feeling great. But part of that is because you just got up and went to the gym before work this morning, and what did you wear? Rubber soled gym shoes. Unfortunately vegan shoe lines have yet to tackle athletic footwear, but there is hope. Nike, although once having the reputation for being an environmental and social enemy, seems to be making strides in more sustainable production practices.

Nike’s ACG line of sneakers is the best example in positive green evolution in active footwear. They use reground soles acquiring rubber from used shoes through its Reuse-A-Shoe program, and are PVC free. It is their longest active “Let me Play” campaign catering to environmental and community programs. You can drop off your old sneakers at:

NIKETOWN New York
6 E 57TH ST
NEW YORK, NY 10022
Phone:
212.891.6453

They will be reground and reused in new sneakers! And currently they are developing a material for the soles of sneakers that would safely and harmlessly biodegrade in soil. Don’t ask me how, but I’m quite excited about it.
So as the weather starts to turn to spring, and new shoes need to be bought, keep in mind some Vegan and PVC free options!

Daily Eco

Wash your clothing in cold water thus helping to reduce energy usage up to 90%!

Who Doesn't Love a Meyer!

Sunday is usually laundry day at my house. There's nothing quite like fresh washed sheets straight from the dryer smelling of lovely natural scents. Now you don't have to compromise your green nature at the laundry mat. Not only are there tons of great laundry room options for the eco-minded, but in my opinion they work better!

Kevin and have tried a bunch of different products and we switch up our routine too, it's fun! We've used Seventh Generation, Ecover, Mrs. Meyer's and Method for both detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets.

I love Mrs. Meyer's lavender dryer sheets!! They are made from biodegradable paper and contain vegetable (not chemical) based fabric softener. I use each sheet at least 2 times to stretch the dollar. You can also use these as closet refreshers or anywhere you need to soften the scent.

Check out all products at: www.mrsmeyers.com

Mrs. Meyer's makes tons of great products and I love them all but today I am highlighting her dryer sheets! If you can't afford them, please use something equally free of chemicals. And don't think "unscented" or "free and clear" means anything other than it has no scent but still has all the chemicals. Just read the ingredients.

(Image: Amazon.com)

Nature Inspiration: Pure Innocence

New babies born near my parents house in Connecticut. So precious!

Daily Eco

Next time you're at the ATM, choose NOT to print receipt when asked. Do you really need it? I know I don't.

(2 billion feet of paper could be saved if everyone in America picked the no receipt option)

Green Your Diet Series V. 7: Don't Water It Down

The never ending bottled water topic, switching to a reusable water container is one of the easiest switches you can make in your life to make it a bit greener. This is one of those switches that is not only earth friendly but is easier on our wallet as well.

I was reading Eat Well magazine (love it!) and thought I'd share these facts I read:

*40% of bottled water is actually just filtered tap.

*In the US alone, nearly 10 BILLION barrels of oil are used to bottle water annually. (that's just production)

*It takes an average plastic water bottle 1,000 years to decompose.

*In the US we toss over 22 BILLION water bottles each year.

Yet another reason to say "screw you" to bottled water and stick with your reusable one. Kevin and I use a Pure water filter and love it. We used to tote home Smart Water in huge bottles wasting money and a lot of plastic. We are happy to have made the change.

Oh, and please stop buying those tiny baby bottles of water, that's just insane, do we really need to bottle our "sip size" water needs? I mean come on really. SIGG makes small, medium and large bottles, no excuses people!
(Image:drvino.com/.../uploads/2007/05/bottleh2o.jpg)

Daily Eco

When it rains put your plants outside to catch the lovely rain!  Or keep a rain catcher to catch the rainwater to use on houseplants. Voila!

Eco-Fashionista: Juice Beauty

Most women have rigid cleansing routines in the am and pm. At least I do, and I’m pretty sure it verges upon being OCD. Putting the daily shower/shave aside, there’s the face wash (two in the shower I rotate, one exfoliator twice a week, the other a clay wash), and then the under eye de-puffer/anti-wrinkle cream (you are never to young to start preventative wrinkle measures!!!). Then there’s the serum I put on to fight free-radicals, which is followed by my SPF 15 face moisturizer that claims to be a multi-protection fluid that help prevent first signs of aging as well as energies. At night it’s a different face wash, eye make up remover, different under eye cream to help put moisture in my skin to fight unsightly crows feet, on the spot acne treatment on those nasty little buggars that show up every once in a while, and a light moisturizer to finish.
AM I CRAZY? Probably….but it seems to be doing the trick. But with all that I use, there’s a difference in what I put on my face. There are those products that I use and that I love, and those that I simply love and can’t live without and refuse to use any other product.

This is the mantra behind Juice Beauty. They guarantee an all-natural, organic product that you will not be able to live without! Juice Beauty uses over 40 organic, raw ingredients including juice, aloe vera, honey, botanicals, plant oils, sugar, and essential fatty acids directly from USDA approved certified organic farms, and holds certificates of organic authenticity for all of their ingredients.

Started by Karen Behnke and Melissa Jochim, these two Californian women believed that living an organic lifestyle extended far beyond what you put in your body, but also to what you put on your body. What makes this organic brand so unique is the fact that they use JUICE, instead of water. Almost like going to Abdul my juice man on 7th ave, they send a menu of frozen five-gallon pails of apple, lemon, pomegranate and white grape juices (to name a few) to the lab. These juices have an expiration date of a few months, so you can imagine how “fresh” your products are!! Even their packaging is make of soy-based ink and recycled packaging!

If you’re thirsting for a new product, or simply wanting to go green in your choices, I highly recommend Juice Beauty. I have to tell you, I’m stuck on some of my products, but others I’ve been debating a change. I went to Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/) to check out the products in person. They really were yummy! They had subtle undertones of fragrance, nothing heavy. All the products were light and smooth. They blended well onto the skin and left it amazingly soft, not oily at all! And they have a product for everyone.

They have four core collections: Green Apple Body Brilliance Collection, an Anti-Aging Regimen, Oily/Combination/Blemish Regimen, and Sensitive Skin Regimen.
If you go to their website: http://www.juicebeauty.com/ you can even find out through an online test what products are right for you depending on the type of skin you have!

(Image:www.hippyshopper.com)

Nature Inspiration