A Vegan Palette {Review}

It was my birthday last week, and the day started off with the delivery of the latest offering from Urban Decay on my doorstep to review for Urban Branches. Lovely!

Urban Decay: Vegan Palette (Limited Edition)

When you care about things like the planet, your health and those around you I find you often have a growing list of complaints, or as I like to refer to them, "issues" that you must sift through when making daily choices. One of those issues is the use of animal products in my makeup. It's just a little icky to me. You?

They say that ignorance is bliss, well I say ignorance is not an excuse. We all know nowadays that our products both for inside and outside of our body are made sometimes from some not so nice ingredients. It's our jobs as consumers of these products to do our research, know what we are buying and vote with our hard earned dollars.

It's easy to choose the organic milk carton at the market, but when it comes to things like makeup it's not always as easy. Unless the product is directly marketed as eco, organic and animal friendly we're just not so sure. Until the day when all products are forced to state their ingredient origins we need to throw our dollars towards the companies that do state. Case in point, Urban Decay. I remember begging my parents for their uber cute nail polish when I was younger, it came with a rubber ring that I just had to have! Nowadays my desires are a little different, but by no means do I want to compromise cute and chic when making beauty choices. I don't wear too much makeup, I'm a mom now and the last thing I want is my daughter ending up with chemical laden, animal tested/products on her precious pure skin. I stick to a few brands, a few products and that's that. But it's been very exciting for this new mom to have a new product in her repertoire. The Limited Edition Vegan Palette by Urban Decay is chock full of fantastic. They've included 6 stunning eye shadow shades, ranging from teal to silvery green and of course lovely neutrals, a 24/7 eye pencil and a adorable travel sized Eyeshadow Primer Potion. To top it all off the packaging is recycled and they've used soy-based inks in the animal friendly designs. The Palette retails for $34 dollars and is available at Sephora.com, pick one up this instant!

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USDA Finally Admits Link Between Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals and Human Health

I would like to file this one under 'Duh' to be honest. We stuff our farmed animals with tons upon tons of antibiotics so that they can live in the horrific conditions we force upon them and we expect there to be no link in our growing resistance to antibiotics? It's amazing to me that this article is recent news, but here's the article anyway...

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J'adore Flickr!

1. carrots_5278.jpg, 2. 1006_3403 Mule Deer, 3. baby room, 4. Cool Balloons Underwater, 5. still life #25, 6. still life #15, 7. Untitled, 8. Closer! {Explored!}, 9. just dust, 10. Homemade Oreos, 11. The G1/ Nokton combo goes RAW!, 12. Strawberries cake, 13. Untitled, 14. Sun Kisses... view large!, 15. ~ Umbrellas ~, 16. EVENING LAVENDER

Garden Envy

My beautiful Mama (proof by the picture to the left!)sent me a bunch of photos showing off their sprouting flower, herb and vegetable garden. *drool

I wish I had a small plot of land to grow delicious fresh and purely organic foods that I could whip up for miss Juliette! If I could I'd grow asparagus, carrots, parsnips, strawberries, lemons, avocados (nevermind that I have no knowledge as to what can and can't grow in what climate). For now I'll enjoy the photos and the visits to their house where I can live that dream for a little while.

*All images courtesy of my Mama!

Team Meyer-Harley Loves Farm Sanctuary: DONATE!!!

Farm Sanctuary is an organization near and dear to my heart. I've read and loved Gene Baur's book, visited the upstate NY Farm Sanctuary with my husband and supported the organization for years. I couldn't be happier to join in the Walk For Farm Sanctuary this Fall in Central Park. Juliette and Kevin will be joining us for this event (her first work for charity!) and I can't wait! We're working to raise $400 for them so I am reaching out to my lovely and loyal readers to pitch in anything you can, even a dollar makes a difference. Check out some of my posts about Farm Sanctuary for more information.

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Here's the link to donate: http://www.firstgiving.com/lindsaymeyerharley

(Image:Juliette!)

The Little Seed Launches at Target! Yay!

The Little Seed launches at Target! If you don't already know about Soleil Moon Frye's The Little Seed website & store you just must get your butt over to it. Full of eco-friendly and purely lovely items for all the eco-chic babies out there.

This recent collaboration with Target is proof to me that organics are here to stay, this isn't a fad people! Parents are speaking up and shouting, we want to keep our babies safe and we want their planet to be safe as well. It's time to pull our your wallets and support the cause, buy organic, for your kiddos, your friends, your neighbors or yours to be someday! Go to the Target website and check it out for yourself, or get to your local store today and stock up. Full of uber-soft onsies, blankets and more you can't go wrong with this bright and colorful basics, all SUPER affordable too. On sale from now until October 16th.

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Daily Eco

Have a rummage night (or week in our case). Kevin and I have been having rummage night for years now, where we eat "whatever" in an effort to reduce food waste and save money. This week we are extending that to rummage week! So far we've roasted up a ton of veggies we had in the fridge, yummy frozen veggie presses from Trader Joe's, nachos and black bean quesadillas (which Juliette loved too I might add) and tonight we're serving up some tortellini, yum! I know it's going to get less exciting by week's end but we were on a mission to lesson our weekly grocery spending and do a real clean out. If that means we'll be having scrambled eggs and popsicles by Friday, so be it.

So get to it! Come up with lots of random, rummaged meals, you're walled and the earth will thank you. Plus then you can restock full of fresh and delicious goodies when you're finished cleaning house!

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Have a Sweet Weekend

Could this picture be any sweeter! Love using books (and baby!) as decor. Tres Chic!

Photo Credit

Just Picked Up: Eco-Tools Pouf

I'm starting a new posting theme called "Just Picked Up" where I let you all know my latest eco-purchase. I'll give a mini review too! Obviously being eco-friendly is consuming less, blah blah blah. Sorry, while I totally believe in that concept, I do know that my husband, my daughter and I need things, lots of things! In our house we've really scaled back our purchases and done a great job of ridding ourselves of most of the excess (donating, selling and giving away), but we still have shopping lists and grocery lists and want lists. So yes, stay away from the mega buying desires to lead an eco-friendly life, but enjoy your purchase power. You have the power to really show the world what you want and how you want to spend your money. I love showing a store's buyer with my purchase that I want organic, natural, local and recyclable items! Makes me feel empowered.

Out for a walk with Juliette in the already 95+ degree heat (global warming anyone?!) this morning had us ducking into shop after shop to soak up the free air conditioner. I did pick up a new shower sponge from EcoTools who make great eco-friendly beauty products such as makeup brushes (I've got 2 myself and love them). What makes this bath sponge earth friendly? They are made with 100% recycled plastic, love this! Less than $2 bucks I couldn't be happier! Pick up one for yourself at your local drug store.

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