I’ve been a HUGE fan of my Green Wash Ball for the past couple of years but I think I’ve found something new to try when my GWB retires in April after 3 years of use. The GWB is fabulous and is just a very small amount of plastic in comparison to the many, many plastic bottles of detergent I’ve avoided purchasing over the years but Earth’s Berries are plant matter that when finished with can be composted! These little berries do the washing for a year – 350 loads. They are grown naturally organic in the Himalayas and are harvested in a small Indian village giving employment to 130 people. They’re not quite as simple as tossing the GWB in the washer and walking away. For hot washes yes, you toss them in but for cold washes (which is normally what I do) you have to soak them in hot water for a few minutes and then put them in, along with the water from soaking. A few more steps involved but well worth it. Read more about them – they really do sound fantastic!
Another great find in this month’s Whole Living Magazine was the Dole Organic farm finder application. You select from the drop down menu the three digits you have on your Dole sticker and then it brings up the name of the farm your produce was grown on, the map of where its located, number of years they’ve been certified organic, which organizations they’re certified under, what crops they grow and even photos! I highly encourage everyone to purchase locally but there are some things such as bananas where this isn’t really possible for the majority of us. That being said, it’s fun to be able to learn a bit more about where you food came from, both to appreciate and respect the farmers who did all the work and to give yourself a reality check on the environmental impact of transporting your food such a long distance.
Category : Food & Beverages
Eric and I are in the midst of a major peanut butter bite addiction! I finally made a big order from Sjaak’s and got a few of the things I previously mentioned were on my wish list. We now have a small tub of these and can not stop eating them! They’re amazing – far better than that non-vegan big brand I grew up loving
Category : Food & Beverages
I’m in LOVE with the English Toffee from Sjaak’s! English toffee is one of my favorite treats but until now I hadn’t found a vegan one. I will always yearn for Thornton’s toffee in England to make a vegan version, but Sjaak’s is delicious enough to fill that void for now! They’re the perfect bite sized pieces, organic and fair trade.
I know there are so many different opinions about H&M and other similar stores. I’m well aware that they may be exploiting workers in third world countries to make inexpensive, low quality clothing only to end up in our ever growing landfills. That being said, I do appreciated their efforts in creating organic and sustainable lines. I also understand that they may be doing these small lines every now and them to make themselves look like a company who cares when maybe they don’t. That all aside, I was just checking out their new Conscious Collection and they have some adorable pieces! Not everyone can afford higher-end eco-conscious clothing. Offering it at a reasonable price, which makes it attainable by the general public, not only is an avenue for more people to wear sustainable clothing but its a way to continue to influence the consumer to make smarter purchases. H&M may be paving the way for high school and college aged girls to have a love for other eco-conscious fashion once they graduate and have money to spend on lines like Stewart & Brown, Vaute Couture, Popomomo, Eco-Skin, Bodkin and Stella McCartney.
I love how light and airy this collection is for summer. This dress is adorable, it could so easily be dressed up with fun jewelry and heels for a wedding or wear it on a summer afternoon with flat sandals and just one very simple accessory.
Recycled Fabric Dress $49.95
According to H&M, the materials they’re using in this line are…
Organic cotton Is cotton that has been grown without the use of hazardous chemicals. Organic linen Is linen that has been grown without the use of hazardous chemicals. Recycled polyester Is polyester made from PET bottles or textile waste. Tencel Silky, renewable material produced with minimal environmental impact.
This is my other favorite piece – $44.95…
Check out the entire collection…H&M Conscious Collection
If you’re interested in learning more about H&M’s corporate responsibility – working conditions, wages, environment, etc., you can find it all here.
I’ve been hunting for a good vegan hot chocolate for quite some time. Until now I’ve been using raw cacao and a bit of sweetener in my coconut milk – which is delicious but now I’ve found something far more magical! The Allegro Coffee Company Drinking Chocolate – Organic Peruvian 68 is creamy with the perfect amount of sweetness. I love that this vegan, organic and fair trade! They say the cacao comes from a co-op on the edge of the Amazon where it’s grown amidst bananas and orchids – doesn’t that just sound fabulous?! I know its marketing but I’d like to think its close to the truth!
I’m looking forward to trying the other flavors – not sure if they’re all vegan (I’ll look into that)
Colombian 53 Organic Costa Rican 30 Organic Dominican Republic 73 Organic Indian Spice 30 Organic Mayan Spice 73p.s. – all hot chocolate is best served with Dandies Vegan Marshmallows from Chicago Soy Dairy! I’ve found that if I cut them in half they melt into the hot chocolate better than dropping them in whole
