I have to admit it, I’m an appalling floor cleaner! It’s the one of the most tedious chores imaginable and because I typically use old rags, they end up getting caught up and twisted around the newfangled sweeper thing that I tie them around - all in all a nightmare - however, I think I may have found a great solution: it’s a little upright, steam mop that is completely chemical-free as you don’t have to use any product with it. Made by the trusty Vacuum company, Bissell, it is quite magical. You just fill it up with a little water and press a button when you want some hot steam. It comes with four microfiber mop pads that you stick in the washing-machine when you’re done. My kitchen and bathroom floors are sparkling, with very little backbreaking work involved - hurrah! It says I can use it on my wood floor, however, I’m a little nervous about that as I’m not entirely sure that they’re “sealed”. It uses very little energy and zero toxic chemicals - so I’ll give it the Gorgeously Green seal http://www.bissell.com/Products/c/bare+floor+solutions/p/1867-7/product.aspx

I have to admit - I’m getting a bit crafty: my daughter wanted a desk for her seventh birthday on saturday. I didn’t want to spend a fortune and I wanted to be Gorgeously Green, by not buying anything made in and shipped from China. I went to various “used/second-hand” websites and then a friend pointed me some guy who was selling one on ebay for twenty bucks - YEH! My husband picked it up and with a bit of sanding and touch-up paint, it looks almost as good as new. I going to try my hand at stenciling it today - wish me luck because I’m not big on Arts and Crafts, however, I found the stencils in an art store, bought some non-toxic paint and am going to attempt to stencil her name and some flowers. I’ll keep you posted and if it doesn’t look too awful, I’ll post a photograph of it.
I’m so glad that you are all getting on the message board and sharing tips, questions and advice - really cool!
Don’t forget to have a go at this month’s competition - I can’t wait to see your entries!

F.Y.I. We’ve had a bunch of questions about the dress I wore on Good Morning America yesterday - It was made by the wonderful designer Deborah Lindquist www.deborahlindquist.com
She also made the scull & crossbones cardigan that I wore on Oprah - she is super eco-friendly in everything she does, so I recommend saving up for one a her gorgeous pieces - you’ll keep it forever.

Hair dye can be horribly toxic - so what’s a girl to do?? Being Gorgeously Green means scrutinizing each and every product we use, making sure it is safe for us and the planet. Conventional hair dyes contain ammonia and other chemicals that can adversely affect your health, however, it can be tough to find a good alternative that looks really fabulous. Thank Goodness for Susan Henry, owner of Shades Salon in Los Angeles and even more thanks for the fact that her non-toxic, 100% ammonia-free dyes are now available online.
Susan has been a colorist for 30 years and wound up getting sick from the ammonia-based dyes she was using. When her daughter went to college up near the Redwoods in Northern California, she met some botanists who took her through the forests and showed her how to create and use natural dyes. So her health got better and now her salon has a huge following.
Go visit her website www.shadesnaturalcolor.com and give her non-toxic dyes a try - you won’t regret it.
I’m so excited about our new message board, which is already very active. Please keep asking away and somebody, somewhere will have just the answer you are looking for!

I just met oh such a Gorgeously Green girl here in Los Angeles, who I want to tell you about: Kim D’Amato is owner of the Priti organic nail salon in NYC and not only is she a great girl with a great philosophy, but she has a product that you are all going to want: her huge color selection of polishes are exquisite and they last a long time without chipping. I LOVE her non-toxic nail polish remover too, however, the best of the best are her Priti Princess polishes for little girls. They come in sparkly, candy colors and the Priti Princess kit that she does is the perfect gift for a young girl. My daughter’s birthday is coming up and I’m going to give the kits as favors, as I want to encourage all my friends to eschew the use of toxic polish, especially for their kids.
www.pritiorganicspa.com

I have just got back from NYC, where I had a total blast teaching groups of women how to make their own Gorgeously Green skin care products. The evenings were organized by Method Products and I have to say, a party was had by all! After sipping on organic cocktails and nibbling on delicious little snacks, we gathered round a large central island (in the “open-house” that Method created for the week). We measured and poured plant oils into tiny amber, glass bottles and then each girl customized her potion according to her skin type and scent preference. Jennifer is a citrus girl, so went heavy with the grapefruit essential oil, whereas, Lily was passionate about the flowery scent of the geranium oil. We made Gorgeously Green luxurious face oils and body scrubs and everyone designed their own fancy labels - this is when some people (Jamie!!), got rather competitive as we oohed and aaareh over Bonnie’s adorable designs.
I encourage you to get together with a group of women one evening and have a go at making some of these products (recipes are in my book). Maybe take your friends through step 2 of the book “Beauty”. You can all weed out your toxic products and then make your own natural ones- a book club with a difference.
Many of you have sent me questions and I have to apologize for getting behind in getting back to you. FYI, we are going to set up a message board, which will go live next week. That way, I will pick four or five questions to answer weekly and then you will all have the chance to answer each other’s questions. I’ll let you know when it’s up, so you can start posting your questions.
Don’t forget to check out this month’s contest - it’s a lot of fun.

We use car seats to keep our little ones safe, but ironically, many off them can off-gas toxic chemicals. Becoming green, involves weeding out as many of these toxic chemicals as we can out of our lives - no mean feat as they are in numerous products. Although they do not pose immediate health problems, prolonged exposures can result in higher levels of these chemicals accumulating in our bodies over time.
Of 62 brand seats tested, one third were found to contain high levels of toxins linked to cancer, reproductive and neurological problems. The culprit chemicals included: Bromine, chlorine, Lead and heavy metals including arsenic and antimony, which are both carcinogens. Ugh - yet another area we have to get savvy about!
Here’s a list of the least toxic car seats available:
The Graco Snuggle(Infant)
The Evenflo Discovery Churchill(Infant)
Cosco Scenera 5-point(Convertible)
Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 Convertible Montecito(Convertible)
Evenflo Big Kid No-Back Gold Dust (Booster)
Britax Parkway Express (Booster)

Don’t forget- it’s your last chance to get in your entries for May’s contest!

GMO means: GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM. It basically means that the the seed, as nature intended it to be, has been messed with! Whenever possible, I choose not to eat GMO foods. They have only been around since the 1990’s and there has been insufficient testing on their long term health effects. The annoying thing is that genetically altered foods are not labeled in the U.S. We do know that one quarter of all agricultural land in the U.S. now grows GMO crops, so it likely shows up in virtually every processed food you buy. If you want to avoid being a guinea pig in this mass human experiment, it’s best to only eat foods that have the USDA Organic Stamp on them: by definition this means that the food must not be genetically modified. So another its another great reason to buy organic food whenever you can.

We all have our favorite deodorant - I did for years until I discovered exactly what was in it - I was horrified! The first worrying ingredient is Aluminum Chlorohydrate. This is supposed to clog your pores, so the sweat can’t leak through. It can cause skin irritation and worse - mental decline! Aluminum is absorbed through the skin and a lifetime’s use may lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Other ingredients to watch out for are:
14 butyl ether, BHT-butylated hydroxytoluene and parfum.
To avoid the mental angst, play safe with the following great and effective deodorants:

Herbal Magic www.evitamins.com

Miessence Ancient Spice roll-on http://www.mionegroup.com

Wow! I am so thrilled with all the changes that you have been sending in. You are inspiring me and each new blog or email I read puts a huge smile on my face. For those who are new to this site, I am asking this week for everyone to send in just ONE CHANGE that they are going to make this month; it could be as simple as buying a reusable water bottle or as ambitious as growing your own veggies. Send your changes to this blog or to onechange@gorgeouslygreen.com and on April 30th Team Gorgeously Green will meet up to pick out the most powerful/useful changes - we have dozens of fabulous eco-friendly prizes to give away.
I feel really blessed to be able get this message out there to so many women - do help to keep this incredible green momentum going by buying a book for every girl you love, as Earth Day should be EVERY DAY!

Deborah Lindquist creates the most beautiful, unique sweaters and dresses out of recycled cashmere. Try to get your hands on one of her timeless pieces, as it’s a classic that will last you for years. She has also designed a line of gorgeous wedding gowns, again using recycled materials.

www.DeborahLindquist.com