Sage and Sassy

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is a book about one family’s journey from southern Arizona to Virginia and their goal to reconnect with their local food chain.

The books starts off with Mrs. Kingsolver explaining why it is nearly impossible to eat locally and sustainably from farm to plate in an area like Arizona and why her family needed to moved where pastures are greener. So the Kingsolver family settles into a farm and they begin their adventure of eating only what has been grown or raised in their county with much of that being done by themselves. They plant a large vegetable garden, they raise chickens for eggs and meat, and they raise turkeys. They also develop relationships with farmers nearby so that they can purchase from them what they cannot get themselves. Immediately they see just how spoiled people become when they do not have to consider where their food came from and at what cost. Most people might never know what wild asparagus looks like, how to make cheese, or how to find a moral mushroom. But the Kingsolver family was determined to reconnect with their food in an intimate way and never again be so detached from the process.

Their adventures are delightful to read from the first picking of asparagus in spring, to making cheese, to organizing a birthday party for over a hundred people using only produce from local farms.

Barbara Kingsolver writes much of the book but her partner Steve also contributes essays and her daughter Camille details some delicious recipes the family ate while on their journey.

Buy Animal, Vegetable, Miracle!

Technorati Tags: book review, barbara kingsolver, animal, vegetable, miracle, local food

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Kiss my Face makes an all natural deodorant that is pg free, that is lavendar scented.

The all natural ingredients - no artificial colors or fragrance, no animal products, biodegradable, and pH balanced.  On its own it has a lovely lavendar scent that is clearly the real deal. It has no aluminum.

This is one of the worst natural deodorants that I have tried!!! It was quite expensive ($5 a stick) and was touted at the health food store as being “top of the line”  However, the most that this product does is put a mild lavendar mask over your own body odor- and that didn’t even suceed very well!!! It didn’t work worth beans as far as perspiration control, and after one to two hours, I could smell distinct body odor!!! I wrote to the company (whom I have usually been impressed with) about my concerns.  They didn’t even bother responding- which also unimpressed me.  Don’t waste your money on this product!!!

Technorati Tags: deodorant, natural, aluminum, kiss my face

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One of the simplest yet biggest impact steps to you can take toward greener living is to get rid of the paper and plastic shopping bags and shop with reusable bags instead. Anywhere from 500 billion to one trillion plastic shopping bags are used around the world each year and they end up in our landfills, along our roadways, and in our oceans. They have become a serious environmental problem. Environmental clean-up teams say that plastic bags are one of the most common items polluting our earth. They are also responsible for the deaths of countless marine animals each year such as sea turtles and whales that eat the plastic bags after mistaking them for something to eat.

Plastic bags are also made using a non renewable and highly polluting resource…petroleum. Using plastic bags diminishes the availability of our natural resources and damages the environment as petroleum is extracted from the planet. Plastic bags can usually only be reused one or two times and they are seldom recycled. They may be touted as the cheapest, most convenient solution for touting your goods and products but their environmental impact is quite costly….so it is really cheap? Green consumers everywhere are seeking to ban the plastic and start a BYOB campaign, “Bring Your Own Bag”. It is actually pretty easy. Just start taking your own bags whenever and wherever you go shopping.

Chances are you probably already have a good starter selection of reuseable bags in your home. Beach bags, backpacks, canvas bags, large purses, etc. can all be used to carry items home from a shopping expedition. If you don’t have very many bags you may have luck finding some at thrift stores and garage sales. You can also make your own with some sturdy fabric and thread. There are also dozens of online stores that carry reusable shopping bags in many of styles, colors, and material choices. You can buy bags made form sturdy canvas, stylish bamboo, or even recycled garbage. Some bags are made to be super compact so that they can be attached to a keychain, belt loop or backpack.

Major grocery stores and shopping chains are even encouraging customers to use resuable bags by offering them for purchase in their stores and by offering monetary discounts for each bag you use in their stores. Whole Foods and Ikea are two such stores that offer cash discounts and even Wal-Mart is selling them. They are so accessible and fashionable now that there are no excuses anymore NOT to use them.

One big reason why so many people still use plastic though is because they are free and they are given out by stores so you have no need to remember to bring your own bags. More and more cities and countries are beginning to impose bans or taxes on plastic bags to reduce their consumption so there is no time like the present to break your plastic bag habit. Reusable bags can easily be stored in your car trunk or glove compartment so that you always have some on hand. Attaching a compact bag to your purse will remind you to have your bags ready for shopping trips and soon it will be habit. Now you can visit a grocery store, department store, mall, or even a roadside market and be prepared to use your own bags.

Shop for Reusable Bags!

Technorati Tags: reusable bags, plastic bags, pollution, garbage, landfill waste

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Over the years I have opted to ditch conventional toiletries for more natural and safe ones. One of the first products I became concerned about using was deodorant. I had developed very sore underarms. I would get golf ball size lumps under them and they would just ache. This continual occurrence lead me to research what was actually in conventional deodorants which led me to research that has shown a link between deodorant ingredients such as parabans and aluminum to breast cancer. When I read about the possible link between cancer and deodorant I knew I to find a deodorant alternative that was more safe and natural.

I have tried several different brands and types of deodorant…gels, solids, roll-ons, crystals, etc. Some of them worked okay and some of them were just plain ineffective. The one I like best is Ancient Spice Deodorant by Miessence Organics. It is a roll-on deodorant and it is 100% safe, natural, and organic. It smells faintly of ancient oils and spices, it doesn’t feel sticky, and it actually keeps odors at bay. The ingredient listing doesn’t have a laundry list of chemical names that you can’t pronounce. Instead you find recognizable things like clove, frankincense, aloe vera, lime, and cinnamon.

Buy Ancient Spice Deodorant!

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Introducing the Natursutten!  The Only All Natural Organic Pacifier in the World!

Natursutten pacifiers are made from pure natural rubber from the tree Hevea brasiliensi. The Danish word Natursut means “Natural Pacifier.” These pacifiers are softer than silicone and extremly hygienic –  molded in one piece, there are no joints or cracks where dirt and bacteria can accumulate. 

Natursutten Pacifiers are made in Europe and are CE certified and have met strict standards for safety, health and environment.

Technorati Tags: Natursutten, natural pacifier, BPA, safe pacifier, PVC, phthalates, baby

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Beauty Secrets of The Bible - The Ancient Arts of Beauty and Fragrance by Ginger Garrett. This book promotes homemade “green” beauty ideas and products gets a thumbs up from us.

In this book, author Ginger Garrett introduces women to the beauty and health secrets of our ancient sisters. While few people would think of the Bible as a book of diet or health, much less beauty, Garrett shows us otherwise. She claims that ancient women had a similar desire as modern women do to be as attractive as they can. She exposes facts about the health and beauty industry that we’ve become increasingly concerned about: that the products we slather on our skin on a daily basis are not only unregulated, but are often toxic and unsafe. This is why it is so important to use natural products.

As an alternative, she offers recommendations and tips for beauty treatments that are straight out of the pages of the Bible. They’re so simple that they’ll seem almost too good to be true. For example, using one drop of honey on damp skin instead of expensive moisturizers. Interestingly, this one tip is recommended by a hot Hollywood makeup artist!

The book does a good job of using modern scientific evidence to prove the efficacy of these simple treatments. As an example, vinegar was a staple of ancient times. We now know that vinegar helps the body keep a stable blood sugar and slows the absorption of carbs. Another example is flax, which featured heavily in the diets of ancient women. Flax acts as an anti-inflammatory, which has the effect of slowing aging.

The first chapter of the book helps the reader to reevaluate her current ideas around beauty by using scripture and meditation. This part of the book may not interest you if you’re not religious, but it might just get you thinking about our modern cultural ideals around beauty.
 Chapter Two gets to the heart of why so many women have weight issues, and what to do about it. Chapter Three points to the dangers of modern cosmetic ingredients and Chapters Four thru Seven offers you safer, natural alternatives and recipes for totally safe yet spa worthy beauty regimens. To top if off, she offers instructions on how to host a “Bible Secrets of the Bible party”. If you love to make your own beauty treatments, you’ll love this book.

Beauty Secrets of the Bible is available at Amazon.com

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Valentine’s Day is a huge commercial holiday. Millions of dollars will be made on sales of flowers, candy, cards, and gift designed to show your love and appreciation for that special someone in your life. But green living fans can make the most out this holiday by making more conscious purchases. Need some ideas? Here is a list of some blogs covering Green Valentine’s suggestions. Enjoy!

Green Daily has gift ideas for both men and women.

Naturemom has tips on giving the gift of time to your loved one.

Green Living Tips has lots of great valentines ideas.

Have a very happy GREEN Valentine’s Day!

Technorati Tags: green living, valentines, gift, candy, flowers

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I just stumbled across this great deal at JC Penny. They are offering their bamboo/cotton fiber throws for 50% making them only $19.99 per 50×6o throw. They are exceptionally soft and they come in several beautiful colors like Jadestone, Mocha, and Moss. Grab some while you can!

What is so great about bamboo? Bamboo is a grass that grows to maturity in only 3-4 years and can be grown with no pesticides. It is a very luxurious and sustainable material.

More about Bamboo

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Organic is the latest green fasion craze but is the style up to par? Tees for Change offers gorgeous eco fashionable T-Shirts that offer a bit of inspiration to boot. Their mission is to inspire you to live life with passion, purpose and positivity. They want you to feel good, look good and do good in their organic cotton and bamboo inspirational tees. Each T-shirt has an empowering slogan on it such as: “Choose Happiness,” “Chase Dreams,” and “Laugh Often,”.

They are made of sustainable materials, dyed using low-impact dye and screen printed with non-toxic water-based inks, and these Ts are as much about taking care of the planet as they are about reminding women that positive thinking is essential for happiness.

And since Tees For Change has partnered with Global ReLeaf, a tree is planted for every shirt that is bought.

Purchase!

Technorati Tags: organic T-shirt, Tees for Change, bamboo shirt, eco fashion

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