Thursday, February 21, 2013
Are you an eco-friendly dog owner with
a flair for interior décor? If so, this announcement should make you
very happy.
StylishOrganicFamilyLiving.com has
teamed up with Kari Whitman, celebrity green designer and founder of
the Ace of Hearts Foundation, to bring you the crème de la crème of
stylish, affordable and eco-friendly dog beds. Kari’s “design
with paws in mind” for her celebrity clients like Jessica Alba,
Kristen Bell and Virginia Madsen led to the creation of Greener Pup
LLC, an exclusive line of custom dog beds made from recycled and
reclaimed materials that both you and your pup will adore.
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| Kari Whitman with Kristen Bell & friends |
Greener Pup beds are designed with the
health of your dog and the health of the planet in mind. The
filling for these designer dog beds is made from 100% recycled
plastic, which is converted into a super soft, durable, breathable,
non-toxic, non-allergenic stuffing that won't attract insects. Just
one pound of stuffing requires 10 plastic water or soda bottles to
make, so depending on the size of the bed you could be saving
anywhere from 70-120 bottles from the dump simply by treating your doggie to a new bunk!
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| Round Greener Pup Bed in their signature 'Earth' fabric |
The best part is that you get to
indulge your inner designer by choosing the removable and machine
washable cover of your choice. All of their bed covers are made from
discontinued designer fabrics that would normally get tossed, but
now, thanks to Greener Pup, this beautiful fabric gets put to good
use.
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| Round Cuddle Bug Bed |
Last but certainly not least, all of
Greener Pup's profits go to Kari's Ace of Hearts Foundation, an
organization dedicated to rescuing dogs the day they are to be
euthanized and placing them in loving homes. This means that some
less fortunate pups will also benefit from your doggy's new digs.
Click here to get your very own Greener Pup bed, available in four different styles in a variety of
sizes and attractive designs. Your pup and the planet will thank you!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
This blog post is
the first in a three part series that I'm dedicating to the topic of
creating a healthier home environment. In this series I will be
covering (1) Household Hazardous Waste Disposal, (2) Green Cleaning
Techniques and (3) Improving Indoor Air Quality.
Every household has them, it seems. Hazardous
waste products that are both harmful to the environment and to the
people who use them. Windshield washer solution, insect killer,
rechargeable batteries, hair dye, paint thinner, nail polish remover,
bleach, drain cleaners, bathroom cleaners, laundry stain removers,
and so on. These items are all examples of household hazardous waste
(HHW) and must be disposed of correctly in order to protect people and pets and to avoid chemical
contamination of our soil, air and water.
My goal is to make
my own home a healthier place to live. In so doing, I would like to
share the information and resources that I come across in the hopes
that it might be of some use to you and your family. By the same
token, I'm sure that many of you reading this will have some
knowledge of your own in these areas. If you have any helpful hints, anecdotal
evidence or words of advice please share!
Here's to creating healthy homes and a healthy environment with healthy and happy people.
Here's to creating healthy homes and a healthy environment with healthy and happy people.
What is household hazardous waste?
Every household has them, it seems. Hazardous
waste products that are both harmful to the environment and to the
people who use them. Windshield washer solution, insect killer,
rechargeable batteries, hair dye, paint thinner, nail polish remover,
bleach, drain cleaners, bathroom cleaners, laundry stain removers,
and so on. These items are all examples of household hazardous waste
(HHW) and must be disposed of correctly in order to protect people and pets and to avoid chemical
contamination of our soil, air and water.
How to dispose of household
hazardous waste.
As a general rule, hazardous waste
should never be poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet.
Doing so will likely damage your plumbing and cause more pollution to
build up in our waterways and oceans. Most of these products come
with proper disposal instructions right on the packaging, but you
should also check with your local community for waste collection
programs.
Canadians can visit the David Suzuki
Foundation website for a full listing of HHW disposal locations in
each province. Americans can check out the EPA's website for more
information on HHW.
But before you go anywhere make sure to
abide by the following four rules:
- Keep all products in their original containers
- Keep all products tightly sealed
- Don't mix different products together
- Always follow any instructions for use as provided on the product labels
Reduce
your use.
Part
2 of this series will go into more detail on ways to reduce your HHW
by providing some chemical-free cleaning alternatives.
Many of our
common household needs can be taken care of without the use of
harmful ingredients and for a fraction of what it would cost to buy
brand name products. For example, white vinegar is an effective way
of getting rid of most mold, bacteria and germs. Check out
VinegarTips.com for 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar. You'll be
amazed at how simple it can be to immediately start cutting back on
your HHW!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Calling all love birds! This is your two day
Valentine's Day reminder.
If you've already got a solid plan lined up
then you can go ahead and skip this post. But if you're still
searching for the perfect way to spoil your sweetheart then you may
want to keep reading.
Below are my top three picks for last minute
Valentine's Day ideas done eco-friendly style. If nothing else, I
hope these ideas will provide some inspiration for a romantic evening
that you and your Valentine will both enjoy.
1. DIY Aphrodisiac Massage Oil -
Massage oil is a gift that you can easily pull together in the time remaining and still come away looking like the Queen or King of romance. Aromatic Lifestyle provides a good resource on how to concoct your very own 'love potion' with ingredients that you can pick up at your local health food store. Personally, I think organic sweet almond oil and rose essential oil would make a lovely combination but there are plenty of options to choose from.
The really great part about this gift is that after you're done giving your Valentine a soothing and sensual massage they may just return the favour.
2. Organic Cuisine “Chez Toi” -
Treat your sweetheart to their favourite meal using organic and/or locally grown ingredients. A home cooked meal can be just as romantic as an evening out plus you get total control over the ambiance. If your Valentine is a star in the kitchen, invite him or her to be an active participant. Cooking is much more fun with two!
P.S. Don't forget to pick up some organic vino.
3. Potted Flowers & Fair Trade Chocolate -
Flowers and chocolate are a Valentine's Day staple but I think there's room for improvement here. This year opt for a potted plant instead of cut flowers. Flowering indoor plants are much more environmentally friendly than cut flowers and they last a lot longer too.
As for the chocolate, it's not nearly as difficult to find organic and fair trade options as it used to be. My local grocery store has at least a couple of different options but there are many more brands available at the health food store. If you want to get really creative, pick up some strawberries and dip them in some melted fair trade chocolate for a delicious dessert that is great for sharing with that special someone.
1. DIY Aphrodisiac Massage Oil -
Massage oil is a gift that you can easily pull together in the time remaining and still come away looking like the Queen or King of romance. Aromatic Lifestyle provides a good resource on how to concoct your very own 'love potion' with ingredients that you can pick up at your local health food store. Personally, I think organic sweet almond oil and rose essential oil would make a lovely combination but there are plenty of options to choose from.
The really great part about this gift is that after you're done giving your Valentine a soothing and sensual massage they may just return the favour.
2. Organic Cuisine “Chez Toi” -
Treat your sweetheart to their favourite meal using organic and/or locally grown ingredients. A home cooked meal can be just as romantic as an evening out plus you get total control over the ambiance. If your Valentine is a star in the kitchen, invite him or her to be an active participant. Cooking is much more fun with two!
P.S. Don't forget to pick up some organic vino.
3. Potted Flowers & Fair Trade Chocolate -
Flowers and chocolate are a Valentine's Day staple but I think there's room for improvement here. This year opt for a potted plant instead of cut flowers. Flowering indoor plants are much more environmentally friendly than cut flowers and they last a lot longer too.
As for the chocolate, it's not nearly as difficult to find organic and fair trade options as it used to be. My local grocery store has at least a couple of different options but there are many more brands available at the health food store. If you want to get really creative, pick up some strawberries and dip them in some melted fair trade chocolate for a delicious dessert that is great for sharing with that special someone.
And if all else fails (shameless plug coming
right up), you can always buy your eco-friendly Valentine a gift voucher from their favourite eco-friendly franchise. At
StylishOrganicFamilyLiving.com we will email your sweetheart your
thoughtful gift within 24 hours of purchase.
Regardless of how you choose to spend this
coming Valentine's Day, I hope it's a good one. Single or paired off,
remember to tell your loved ones you care.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Last
month I talked about how to use organic olive oil as a natural facial cleanser and moisturizer. This month I'm moving forward with my theme
on natural hygiene and beauty products by kicking things off with a
simple but effective recipe for homemade organic lip balm.
Before
I get into the details, let me start by saying that this stuff really
works. For those of you who've visited my blog before you know that I
live in the “Great White North” where we've been experiencing
some major winter storm action as of late. All this to say that I've
had the opportunity to put this recipe to the test in the most
extreme weather conditions and my lips have never felt so soft. It's
way better than anything I've ever bought at the store, and it's all
natural to boot!
So
without further ado, I give you the secret to super smoochable lips –
just in time for Valentine's Day!
Ingredients (double for a larger yield):
- 2 tablespoons of organic coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of pure organic beeswax (you may choose to use a bit less if you want the final product to be a bit softer)
- 4 drops of organic peppermint essential oil
Instructions:
- Heat your coconut oil and beeswax in a small sauce pot or crockpot until both are completely melted.
- Add your essential oil and stir.
- Pour the liquid mixture into a sterilized lip balm tube or the container of your choice, and wait for it to harden as it cools.
Benefits:
In
addition to being all natural and chemical-free, homemade lip balm
could also result in cost savings if you consider the price of most
store bought chap sticks (natural or otherwise). The block of beeswax
cost me around $13 (CAD) but I barely put a dent in it and I even
doubled the recipe. Plus, all three of the ingredients in this recipe
can be used for other DYI beauty products.
The
other thing I discovered about this concoction (somewhat by accident)
is that it makes a great cuticle cream. I suffer from dry skin
on my hands in the winter so I'm always in search of heavy duty hand creams. While it's a bit greasy to use all over, this recipe
absorbs quite nicely into the cuticles and offers great protection from the
harsh elements.
The
last benefit I can think of, and probably the best of all, is that it
smells amazing! No need for synthetic perfumes or fragrances. The
combination of the coconut, peppermint and beeswax is heavenly all on
its own.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Many of you already know that different
colours affect your mood in different ways. But did you know that
there are people out there who devote their entire careers to
studying and understanding the connection between colour and emotion?
I did a little digging and I came up
with an interesting study (click here to view) on this very topic which was presented at the Color Marketing Group Conference USA in
2005. In my view, one of the most interesting findings was related to
the emotional responses in connection with colours versus neutrals.
The authors, Harrington & Lechner (2005), explained that colours
are generally associated with positive emotions while neutrals (with
the exception of white) are generally associated with negative
emotions.
With that in mind, why not add a splash
of happy to your life with the help of a few colour accents around
your home? Our organic cotton throws by Pure Fiber are just the thing
to get you started. We have four great options to choose from,
including: soothing yellow, creativity stimulating orange, sweet and
innocent pink, and royally regal purple.
Or, if you prefer you hue in a silky
soft bamboo, check out the Lavender & Grey Bamboo Throw and the
Blue & Barley Bamboo Throw. I should also mention that these two
eco-friendly items are currently on sale for half off their original
price!
So go ahead and put those colours to
good use. In the words of John Ruskin, “the purest and most
thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most”.
Graphic art by MissEmmaNicholl
Friday, February 01, 2013
Thank you to everybody who participated in the Fabulous February Blog Contest! The winner is now up! I am thoroughly impressed by all the great stuff you've been up to and I'm looking forward to another great month in March!
I'm also happy to report that I've made
some significant headway with my own new year's resolutions. Despite
the cold, I've been bundling up and spending more time outside. I've
been getting creative with some fun and easy upcycling projects. I've
been sticking to a healthy diet which includes my new lemon water
regimen. I've started converting to all natural hygiene, cosmetic and
household cleaning products. And I've put the wheels in motion to get
certified as a fitness instructor (because I am just as passionate
about fitness as I am about green living).
Whew! It's been a busy month!
I don't know about you but I'm feeling
energized by such a great start to the new year and I want to keep
the momentum going. That's why I'm dedicating the entire month of
February to being fabulous!
Exactly what does that mean, you ask?
You see, I feel so good about the positive changes I've made in my
life over the past month that I want to extend the opportunity to you
to share some of your wonderful accomplishments, big or small.
As an added bonus I'll be treating one lucky reader to their choice of either a *Sustain Tank Top or a *Sustain Yoga Halter in the colour and size of their choice (*subject to availability). Both of these eco-friendly items are designed by 4-rth (pronounced: for earth) and are great for working out or for just plain lounging.
As an added bonus I'll be treating one lucky reader to their choice of either a *Sustain Tank Top or a *Sustain Yoga Halter in the colour and size of their choice (*subject to availability). Both of these eco-friendly items are designed by 4-rth (pronounced: for earth) and are great for working out or for just plain lounging.
 |
| Sustain Tank Top |
 |
| Sustain Yoga Halter |
In order to participate simply leave a
comment on this blog post about one thing you've started doing in the
new year that makes you feel fabulous. This is your chance to shine! Have you started volunteering?
Are you eating more green leafy vegetables? Did you join a fitness
class? Or maybe you and your friends started a book club? Whatever it
is, I want to hear about it!
The winner will be selected at random
and announced here at the end of the month. He or she will be
contacted via email within 48 hours of the contest closing and they
will have 48 hours to respond back with their mailing address to
collect their prize.
So make sure you get those comments in by
filling out the Rafflecopter widget below before February 28, 2013!
*Please note that prize winnings can only be mailed within Canada and
the U.S. mainland.
Good luck, everyone! I'm excited to
hear about all the wonderful things you've been up to in
the new year. February is already shaping up to be nothing short of fabulous!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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