This wind-stopping jacket can be worn by itself or underneath a shell in the most frigid of temps.   Patagonia’s R3 jacket is their warmest non-laminated jacket (thus more breathable) with two zippered hand-warmer pockets, one zippered chest pocket and a high zip collar to keep neck and chin warm.  The Polartec fabric used in construction is made from 56% recycled polyester and the entire jacket is 100% recyclable through their Commons Threads Recycle Program. 

You can be sure Patagonia is an environmentally-friendly company.  Since 1985 they’ve committed to donating 1% of all sales to preserve and restore the environment and now Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder has launched a non-profit corporation whose sole purpose is to prompt other businesses to give back to the environment as well .  Sunshine is abundant at company headquarters in Ventura, California and they’ve gone completely off-grid; that is they don’t rely on the power company for their electricity, they rely on the sun via solar panels. 

Patagonia’s Mission Statement sums up their purpose & passion perfectly:

“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

This Vanilla Bean Buttercream Body Scrub is in my shower right now and I can’t believe how much it smells like cake frosting!  If you’re not familiar with body scrubs, trust me, you’re missing out!  It’s a must-have product for Fall and Winter when the air gets dry and sucks moisture from our skin.  Around this time of year I begin to think about boosting up my personal care regiment with more hydrating products and this is one such item in my arsenal.  It’s an all-in-one product and I use it to exfoliate dead skin and moisturize at the same time.  I have even abandon shave gels as I prefer to shave (under arms & legs) with organic body scrubs as I get a much closer shave & it’s completely non-toxic (plus I need no lotion afterwards).  Note: Gently rub scrub all over legs, quickly rinse, then shave & rinse again.  Careful: It will make the bottom of your shower/tub somewhat slick, but just swish around some shampoo or soap with your feet and you’ll be good to go.  (Plus, an added bonus it that it makes the tub so much easier to clean as I think the oils lift residue & dirt from the tub!)100% Pure offers a great selection of scrubs containing wonderful oils in mouth-watering “flavors” like Sugared Lime Peel, Apple, Blueberry, Pineapple, Blood Orange, Tangerine, Nectarine and Strawberry (suddenly I have a craving for some juicy fruit).   And you can be sure you won’t find anything suspect lurking in these products as they come with a long list of “No’s”:

• no synthetic chemicals
• no parabens or other toxic preservatives
• no sulfates or other harsh detergents
• no artificial fragrances or colors
• no alcohol
• no phthalates
• no petro-chemicals
• no propylene glycol or PEGs
• no animal by-products
• no toxins
• no fillers - never watered down with water, thickeners, emulsifiers or other fillers
• no GMO  (genetically-modified organisms) ingredients

Check it out for yourself, you’ll find nothing but amazing, hydrating, pure organic goodness in every jar: Ingredients (Vanilla Bean Buttercream Scrub): Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 1, Organic Cocoa Butter2, Organic Macadamia Nut Oil1, Organic Shea Butter 3, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice3, Organic Green Coffee 4, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Organic Vanilla Extract5, Organic Hazelnut 5, Extracts of Organic Grapefruit Seed2, Organic Rosemary 3, Organic Oregano3, Organic Thyme 3, Organic Cinnamon3 and Organic Goldenseal3, Kukui Nut Oil1 certified organic by Baystate Organic Certifier2 certified organic by Soil Association Certification Limited3 certified organic by QAI4 certified organic by Hawaii Organic Farmers Association5 certified organic by Organic CertifiersTotally pure, completely organic, smells fantastic & really works!  Check it out here. 

SKN organic cotton totes are just plain cool and what’s better yet is that they are not made of polyester as many of the reusable shopping bags on the market today are.  It’s great to not be using plastic bags each and every time we frequent the store, but the implications of supporting the production of polyester textiles, is anything but earth-friendly.  These totes are available in five fun & fresh designs including Carrot, Blueberry, Tomato, Lemon and Asparagus. They’ll comfortably hold up to 40 pounds and stand open for easy packing. Shoppers can fold bags flat like a traditional paper sack, and they’re machine-washable for easy upkeep.  These organic bags are made from 100%, U.S.-certified organic cotton grown without harmful chemicals, causing minimal disruption to the environment.

SKN Design was co-founded by Christopher DeGregorio and Jennifer Stevenson as a personal and home accessory design company that integrates sustainability into its fresh creations as a standard part of the design process. SKN reusable shopping totes are currently available in designer boutiques and online.  After their appearance in NY’s Fall 2008 Fashion Week, SKN totes were named the “Most Useful” reusable totes by Style.com. They’ve also been featured in national publications, including Health and Town & Country.  SKN works with the organization American Forests to plant a tree on their customers’ behalf for every order placed through getskn.com, and they invite retailers to also participate in this program.  Each SKN reusable bag saves the environment from the waste of about 330 plastic bags each year, and shoppers carrying the bags look fabulous doing it!

Get the set of 5 here or buy them individually. 

I just returned from a two week trip and it’s hard to say whether it was the change in seasons or the flu-infused recycled air on the plane that put me into a watery eye, running nose haze for about 4 days. Going through two boxes of Kleenex left my nose red & raw…quite the lovely look. Luckily Whole Foods was only minutes from my hotel, so amongst other things I picked up some Perfect Organics Lip Balm. I bought it for my lips initially, but decided to slather it on the outside of my nostrils before bed one night hoping to heal thy self of the painful little cracks. When I woke up my nose wasn’t sore nor chapped (nor was there a blemish in sight from the balm)! I’ve also been using this on my lips and I really like it. Leaves my lips soft long, long after applying it. Very thick and creamy…something I’m definitely keeping close by as Fall and Winter approaches, because for those of you who live where there are seasons…you know that you need a more powerful arsonal of products during the seasons to stay hydrated and protected. And this little pot is a mere $3.99!!! Hello…time to stock up!

The Vanilla Twist version impressed the Beauty Editors at Lucky Mag so much that they ranked it #14 in their Green Makeup Guide this month: “The soft feel of a petroleum-based balm is hard to replicate; this does it one better. The vanilla scent is just the best–sweet and creamy.”

I appreciate a company who has always been green, but has not touted that fact because its just who they are, who they’ve been and who they will continue to be.  With the recent “green” craze, Pikolinos realizes its now in their best interest to let consumers know about their environmental commitments.  They’re not jumping on the “green bandwagon” to make a buck, they already sell 1.6 million pairs of shoes each year to 50 countries around the world in all five continents.  They were the first footwear company to be awarded the ISO 14001 certification in 2003, in 2005 they received the EU eco-label ‘Flower’ award for their Ecological City range and they work with LIFE, a commission for the progressive elimination of solvents in footwear.  They use natural tanning processes, vegetable dyed leather, water-based glues and never used plastics to coat their leather (as many companies do).

They are in the process of obtaining an eco-certification for 95% of their shoes, which will soon thereafter bear a single line of green stitching on each pair of their certified “green shoes”.

Check out these cool men’s bowling shoes and cute woman’s Mary Janes!  They’re unbelievably soft and comfortable and the intricate stitching and attention to detail is evident and only found in fine, handmade shoes.

A Note About Leather Being Green:

Leather is a by-product of the meat industry and it’s resourceful to use what is otherwise disgarded.  Leather itself is biodegradable but its important to buy naturally-tanned leather as conventionally tanned leather has its own set of pollution issues (not to mention toxic leather treatments that may be leaching into your skin as you wear them all day).  Most  leather in the U.S. is chrome-tanned and toxins like formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives and various cyanide-based oils, dyes and finishes are rampantly used.  Animals who are hunted specifically for their fur is an entirely different matter altogether and one that I am vehemently opposed to.

Dr. Schulze’s line of wellness products are those that I truly believe in & use.  They have not only helped me but have assisted my own family & friends alike.  From eliminating issues that have plagued a family member for 30 years, to causing grey hair to turn brown again and helping save a marriage…when taken consistently and properly Dr. Schulze’s formulas are truly powerful and effective.  The ingredients are organically grown and/or wild-harvested and one of the biggest differences between them and other supplements is that they are very, very concentrated. 

I just returned from a two-week long business trip out of state and a couple days after my arrival I felt a sore throat coming on.  Good thing I packed my Echinacea Plus because I immediately began a regiment of 60 drops (2 full droppers), three times a daily in 2 ounces of water.  Although I did have watery eyes & nose for about 4 days, that is what my body needed to do to purge itself and most people I know who have come down with it recently, have had it for a good 1-2+ weeks.  The usual accompanying suspects like an achy body, total exhausion, headache and sore throat were no where to be found. 

Over the years, Dr. Schulze treated thousands of patients in his clinics all over the world.  Today, he focuses on and prides himself on offering the best wellness products on the market. He’s a no-nosense man and doesn’t beat around the bush.  He would argue that his Echinacea Plus is the most potent echinacea formula on the market.  In his words “it will stop the flu or cold dead in it’s tracks.  It works in two ways.  First it builds up your immune system by stimulating your body to produce more immune cells and chemicals.  Secondly, it also builds these cells into heightened action and activity levels.  These actions will help you combat any disease or illness more effectively and also protect you from future envasion and illness.”

Take control of your health!  Start by warding off flu bugs & colds as the season changes and back-to-school is in full swing.  

 “Tomorrow is what you believe and do today!”  ~ Dr. Schulze

Living a green life on a budget can sometimes seem like an oxymoron. Often times one must choose quantity over quality in order to make the dollar stretch a little further. Especially in these times of rising costs at the pump and the grocery store (and countless other places too), it’s becoming difficult to balance what’s on your organic wish list with what’s in your wallet. Not to fear, my friends, for I have good news! There are still a few great non-toxic and completely pure products out there that won’t break the bank. One of these products is the time-tested Dr. Bronner’s soap. I have recently been using the Fair Trade Lemongrass & Lime Shikakai Liquid Soap and Shaving Gel and I’m loving it. The smell is refreshingly sweet (kind of like Lemonhead candy) and invigorating, so it’s the perfect start to a new day.

As you would expect from Dr. Bronner’s - there’s nothing on the ingredient list that would make you look twice. You’ll only find organic and fair trade ingredients that are straight from nature and meant to nurture your skin, not strip it. The brown color of both of these products will remind you that you are using a pure product and the luxurious sudzing nature of the soap won’t leave you missing your conventional products for a second. Right now you can get these products for around $5 each through pricegrabber.com, so now there’s two less quality vs. quanity choices you have to make in your life!

Ever since I was introduced to Pangea Organics one year ago, I haven’t stopped raving about their luxuriously pure products. One product in their facial care line especially caught my attention and I’m not the only one. Pangea’s Japanese Matcha Tea & Goji Berry Facial Mask has won several awards and it’s no wonder with an ingredient list that’s good enough to eat and results that are consistent and extraordinary.

Pangea has created a whole line of products that benefit both earth and body and this mask is just the icing on the cake. It’s recommended for use once a week to improve the look, vitality and feel of your skin. This is truly an “all-in-one” product as it deeply cleanses, exfoliates and moisturizes in just 10 minutes. What’s even better is that it is perfect for every skin type, so no matter what you’ve got going on with your skin, you will benefit from this high-performance mask. Even the founder and CEO, Joshua Onysko, has revealed that this is one of his personal favorite products. Pretty impressive!

The folks at Pangea believe that our planet is worth protecting, so they use ingredients that will start to biodegrade in just 48 hours after you use them. “Always beneficial, never artificial” - they use only whole organic herbal extracts and essential oils so they leave all the nasty chemicals where they belong (in a lab) and not on your face. Pangea also believes that great things come in cool packages, that’s why they’ve brilliantly placed all of their products in 100% post-consumer recycled paper that actually has seeds inside of it - all you have to do is add water! They really have thought of everything (and everyone.)

It’s no secret that I’m a bit (okay, a lot) obsessive about what I put on my skin, because I know that what goes on goes in and if I wouldn’t put it in my mouth, I’m not about to slather it on my face or body.  You may have heard by now that up to 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed.  If you are skeptical about that statement, think for a moment about where the products go that you apply to your skin.  Let’s take lotion for instance.  It doesn’t evaporate into thin air…your skin as the largest organ in your body absorbs it.  If you’re still not sure, then contemplate the nicotine or birth control patch and how powerful they can be when applied to skin.   

With that said it’s not everyday I run across a skincare product that I love, that nourishes, that makes skin feel hydrated, soft and cleansed yet is without all the toxic nasties that are lurking in the majority of skincare on the market today (natural or not). 

The Stem Organics Gentle Cleansing Milk is less like milk and more like gel.  No foaming action here, but it smells like juicy oranges, is fabulously refreshing and removes makeup (big bonus).  It’s completely gentle and didn’t throw my finicky skin out of balance, cause breakouts or irritate whatsoever.  My skin isnt’ tight or dry after washing, it feels soothed & properly cleansed. 

The Fresh Start Serum is awesome!  It’s a very lightweight creamy moisturizer that makes my skin feel like silk!  I only need a small amount to massage into my entire face, neck and chest.  It absolutely did not sit on top of my skin, but soaked right in and my skin feels amazing all day!  This is mildly scented (absolutely no synthetic perfumes/fragrance) with it’s fresh botanical and essential oil content. 

If you’re looking for a new skin regiment, one that contains pure, organic ingredients to feed your skin health food rather than junk food…give it a try and let me know how you like it!  

What started out two decades ago as an experiment, became the inspiration and vision behind what MATT & NAT’S fashion-forward, design-centric and animal-free handbag line is today.  The experiment was to embrace a vegan diet for just 30 days, but little did Creative Director, Inder Bedi know that it would set off a series of events that would lead to the birth of a super chic handbag line influenced by modern design and architecture. 

Serious, structured, edgy & incredibly modish describes the brand new Fall ‘08 handbag collection from this widely popular Montreal-based company.  Taking its cues from menswear this season, its heavy on hardware and boasts a deep color palette.  The Feutre series is made of recycled plastic bottles that have been transformed into felt.  Absolutely perfect for that Fall getaway!