Gorgeously Green

TOM’S OF MAINE GIVEAWAY

Sophie — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:43:22 +0000

This week’s giveaway will have you smiling big. 10 winners will receive a full-size maximum strength SLS-free toothpaste and new “Wicked” mouthwash from Tom’s.

Leave us a comment here about what makes you smile?

BADGER LIP TINTS

Sophie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:02:22 +0000

I’ve always been a huge fan of Badger Bodycare and was thrilled to be able to try their newest product – a line of wonderful lip tints. What makes them unique is that on one end you get the tint and on the other end of the tube, you get an opal shimmer. Be warned, they come up paler than the shades shown. I personally love the Garnet, which gives my lips a natural plum tint. Made from Fair-trade cocoa butter and organic ingredients, these tints are unscented.

ARE OUR CHILDREN GUINEA PIGS?

Sophie — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:32:12 +0000

It’s come to the attention of a few highly respected doctors that phthalates found in perfumes, cosmetics, shampoos, nail polishes etc, really can cause injury to the developing brain and cause neuro-developmental disorders. This is why it’s really important that women, particularly of childbearing age, take steps to try to minimize their exposure. The problem is that you won’t find the word “phthalate” on a label. Phthalates are typcially found in highly perfumed products, as the compound that causes the scent to linger. These synthetic compounds have also been linked to a lower IQ and childhood obesity (ugh – can you believe it!). It’s quite horrendous that our children are basically “test subjects”. Only 200 of 82,000 chemicals have been tested for safety and the “safe” levels often don’t take a child’s size into account. Oh boy, I wish I’d known as much as I do now when I was pregnant. The inconvenient truth is that we’ve probably all got some degree of phthalates in our blood, but after minimizing their exposure, test subjects, had a dramatic reduction of levels in their blood. Here’s how to minimize your exposure – pass it on..

1. Avoid perfumes unless the company openly states that they do not use phthalates of any kind. I love Ajne Perfume, as they are strong, lasting, and yet made only of natural oils.

2. Avoid scented candles, unless you know that they have been mixed with organic essential oils.

3. Avoid all home/car air-fresheners.

2. Make sure that all your skin care products are either unscented or scented with organic essential oils.

BETTI POT

Sophie — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:41:37 +0000

Every girl needs a Netti Pot! I have had one for years, and cannot live without it. Despite the fact that I travel a lot, I rarely experience sinus congestion and love the invigorating, refreshing feeling I get from flushing out my sinus every morning. Based on an ancient yogic cleansing ritual, you simply insert the spout into one nostril, tilt your head to one side and the water runs out of the other nostril. You need to add a little Sea Salt, and essential oils or grapefruit seed extract (great for bacterial infections). My favorite find is the Betti Pot. The first and only Green pot, which is made from non-toxic and recyclable materials, and manufactured in the U.S., this is the pot for the Gorgeously Green girl. It’s also great for kids and has helped my daughter avoid sinus infections on many an occasion.

What I love most about this pot, is that it’s actually pretty. Available in 9 gorgeous colors, all of which are reminiscent of American vintage Bauer pottery, each pot is sold with a small bottle of finely milled 100% pure healing sea salt from Maine.

I also highly recommend buying a bottle of the Betti Breathe Oil, which is a blend of anti-bacterial essential oils.

MOMMY MONDAY: 3 MUST-HAVE MATERNITY PIECES

Sophie — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:13:36 +0000

When budgets are tight, and you want your pregnancy to be Gorgeously Green, it makes sense to splash out on 2 or 3 must-have pieces – all of which, should be able to carry you through that awkward phase between about-to-pop and almost-back-to-normal clothes. My #1 pick is The Wrap by AngelRox (pictured below left). Made out of silky eco-friendly fabric, The Wrap is the most versatile piece I’ve found. It comes in 5 different colors and if I was pregnant, I’d want them all. Also check out the wonderful “wings” t-shirt line by the same company, as they are long and stretchy enough to work for most of your pregnancy (just go a size up), and the little painted wings on your back are just adorable.

#2 Pick is The Blossom Dress by PureT I also love their Stripey Brocklyn t-shirt (pictured right).

#3 Pick is The Empire Maternity Tank by Jessica Scott. Created from soft, velvety organic fabric, this is an easy-to-sling-on piece, which will work for both daytime fun and evening glam.

LIVING LIFE WITH OPEN HANDS

Sophie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:10:30 +0000

My daughter and her best friend had the day off school and wanted to go to a bead shop so they could make necklaces. Envisioning them being busy stringing tiny beads all afternoon, while mommy could get in a few minutes of much-needed work, I agreed. Bead stores, however, as opposed to craft stores, can get rather pricey. The girls were given plastic bowls and I told them they were on a tight budget of 4 dollars each. Every fancy bead that caught their eye, was of course way out of their little budget. I asked the manager (with my best pleading eyes), to pleeaaaase help the girls to find something, ANYTHING that would fit their budget, but she gave me a withering look and pointed to a tawdry looking bin of chipped wooden beads. My daughter suggested that we ditch the plastic bowls and head over to my favorite fabric store. Accepting that I’d get no work done, as I’d be needing to dust off my sewing machine, I gave-in and agreed. This is when the day completely changed gear.

My favorite fabric store, ISW in West Hollywood (mercifully no website!) has been in operation since the 1940’s and the walls are plastered with framed photos of long-gone movie stars. The lovely old gentleman, who greeted us, seemed delighted that two little girls actually wanted to sew. They explained their tight budget situation and asked if he had a remnant bin, which he did. They each choose a small piece of fabric and went to see if they could also afford a zip (they wanted to make pencil cases). We found a bargain bin of old zips, 10 for a dollar and went to pay. Our elderly friend slowly and carefully packaged up their fabric remnants and when I opened up my wallet, he told me that he wouldn’t dream of letting me pay. With a sparkle in his eye, he said he’d like to give the girls something else. He led us into the back and up a rickety old ladder where he fished around and until he found a huge over-stuffed trash bag. “Have fun” he said, handing it to the girls.

Back in the car, they ripped open the bag to find treasures galore – remnants of every kind of sparkly, silky and embroidered fabric imaginable. They had the most fantastic afternoon and the sewing machine wasn’t needed, as they were way too busy draping, pinning and snipping. We didn’t spend a penny that day and it made me realize how a simple, open-handed gesture can give so much pleasure. A wonderful mentor of mine, Genevive, advised me years ago to always try to live my life with “open hands”, to allow things to come and go. The bead store had an unpleasant tight-fisted energy and I won’t return there, even if I’m dying to buy crystals beads. The fabric store however, is a different deal – I plan to bake a batch of the most delicious cookies I can muster up and take them to that kind gentleman with open hands, and all the elderly women that he employs (one lady was 93). I want to thank them for showing the children that kindness rather than money can create heart-fluttering joy.

Living life with open hands and an open heart underpins a greener way of livng too: When we understand that everything is interconnected, that every action we take has an effect, we step up more readily to the very urgent task of taking care of our planet.

ZOSIMOS GIVEAWAY

Sophie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:30:06 +0000

This week’s fabulous giveaway is a bronzer and a shimmer powder by Zosimos Botanicals. I love this small company because they handcraft all of their mineral makeup and are a proud signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALIE (COMMENT #11) for winning the Zosimos giveaway. Don’t forget to check in to see if there’s another great giveaway this week..

H&M

Sophie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:12:47 +0000

Mega chain store H&M is about to unveil it’s new sustainable collection. “The Garden Collection” is in response to demand from their customers for organic clothes. The bright designs are made from organic cotton and linen, recycled polyester and Tencel and will feature floral prints. I love these designs and they are at a price point that we can all afford.

As the demand for organic cotton is much higher than the global supply, and because many retailers want to introduce organic lines, H&M are tying to broaden the range of sustainable materials that they’ll use. They plan to use recycled wool, polyester and textile waste.

The Garden Collection has a sort of 70’s flower girl look to it – very pretty and also wearable. The collection will hit their stores around March 25th – I can’t wait!

PELCOR CORK

Sophie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:10:32 +0000

Cork really is the new black. It’s the perfect solution to those of us who want to avoid leather, but who also tussle with the issue of the plastic/vinyl that is typically used in “vegan” shoes and purses. Cork is fantastic as the trees are not cut down. The cork (the bark) is harvested every nine to ten years and leaves the tree completely intact. Pelcor harvests and manufactures their cork products using completely eco-friendly methods and their company is Fair-trade. I’ve met the guys who own this company and was taken through every stage of production.

I love the Carta Necessaire purse (pictured). All the purses are gorgeous and the really cool thing about cork, is that it’s waterproof and washable. So this Spring – cork is the new must-have!

OVETTO

Sophie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:12:15 +0000

I just love the Ovetto recycling “egg”. What a cool way to help you sort your recyclables. It comes in a variety of color combos and being such an “eye-catching” object, will invite all your family members and frineds to fully participate. It’s made out of recycled plastic too!