These Taklon brushes are completely soft and makeup glides on oh-so-smoothly with them.  I had to buy these myself to see what all the fuss was about since they’ve received rave reviews from natural to conventional beauties alike.   I’m absolutely loving the long (sustainable) bamboo handles and the totally affordable price tag!  Plus 1% of annual EcoTools sales is donated to 1% For The Planet. I’m currently using the blush brush and eyeshadow brush to apply my latest favorite mineral makeup (free of talc and bismuth oxychloride).  Pick both of them up for less than $20 and see for yourself.  Gentle on your skin and your wallet! 

Imagine for a moment that laundry detergents were required to start listing all of their ingredients on the container they came in. I’m not talking about the classic “enzymes” or “stain penetrants” either, I’m talking about each and every ingredient name used to concoct the product. I’m sure if they did, it would require a background in chemistry to decipher each ingredient, but at least we, the consumers, would be informed. I have personally become much more aware of what’s in (or not in) my laundry detergent since I cut out most chemicals in my personal products and cleaning products. A funny thing happens to the body when it is not inundated by synthetic fragrances all day - it starts to react unfavorably to things it built up an immunity to before. So, as soon as I wasn’t living every day surrounded by chemicals, the less I could tolerate even a walk through the detergent aisle at the grocery store. I used to love it because it smelled like “clean” to me, now it smells like “instant headache.”

Luckily, I have found some alternatives to my beloved, chemical-laden, blue liquid detergent that get the job of cleaning and softening done (without the unfavorable side effects.)  I have had a chance to try Maggies Soap Nuts on my laundry, and I must say, I am impressed. I love the fact that this laundry soap is grown on trees, you can’t get more natural than that! Soap Nuts are actually dried berries from the Chinese Soapberry tree and they have been used to clean clothes for thousands of years. They naturally soften clothes, so no fabric softener is necessary - which means even less exposure to synthetic fragrance. They are 100% biodegradable and great for HE washers since they are low-sudsing naturally - which means less water wasted and no negative impact on our water ways and animals. It also naturally brightens clothes, is great for silk and wool, and completely safe for use on baby clothes - so you don’t need to switch back and forth with different detergents depending on what’s in a specific load. You can wash about 50 loads of laundry with one box of Maggies Soap Nuts and then you simply throw the nuts away or put them into the compost pile. Now you don’t have to wonder what’s cleaning your clothes and where it’s going once it’s done. It’s guilt and headache free laundry, and who wouldn’t love that?

What is cuter than a little baby all dressed up? Answer: Nothing.

I am so in love with this little ensemble by Kate Quinn Organics right now. It’s the perfect little outfit for that Fall wedding you’re attending with your little man, or when you feel like getting a ton of compliments on your taste. The velour jacket and pants are perfectly styled with an adult flair, with coconut buttons and corduroy elbow patches to make this one of the most stylish little outfits around. This entire little set is made of 100% certified organic cotton and is also fair trade, so your purchase can not only reflect your taste, but also your desire for a healthier world for your kids.

Kate Quinn, the founder of Earth Organic Baby Basics (renamed ‘Kate Quinn Organics’ in 2006), is a former Hollywood stylist who set off on her own to create one of the most charming certified organic baby clothing lines available today. Creating designs that use clean lines and bold, “nature-inspired” colors, she has brought organic baby clothing to a whole other level. This suit is a perfect example of the simple yet original look of Kate Quinn baby clothes.

“I wanted to create a line that encompassed all the wishes and dreams of new parents: the softest, most natural materials to surround your baby, the highest quality design and construction, and most importantly, the hope of a cleaner, kinder earth.”  - Kate Quinn

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

I have been in love with Simple Toepaz Slip-Ons for a while, but I am especially loving the Forget Me Not blue color scheme right now. With a dainty blue and brown scalloped pattern and a brown “rubbahyde rand”, this sturdy yet feminine slip-on is a great shoe for early Fall. Imagine pairing this with some jeans and a lightweight sweater for those nights when you finally start feeling a little chill in the air - perfect! The great thing about these shoes is that there’s more to love than just their looks - they’ve got soul too.

Simple has been known for their commitment to sustainable practices for some time now. They describe themselves as “your stereotypical, anti-stereotype brand offering good shoes and a big dose of reality.” The Green Toe line of Simple Shoes is light years ahead of most other shoe companies in the area of sustainability - making sure every material in their shoes is earth-friendly. The Toepaz Forget Me Not is made of hemp uppers, bamboo lining inside, a recycled car tire for the outsole and a comfy latex footbed. All of these sustainable, animal product-free materials are held together by water-based cements to ensure that no one is harmed by the making of these shoes.

So if you’re looking for ways to reduce your environmental impact, why not start by looking at your feet? We all need to wear shoes, and if we can start making smart choices when it comes to our footwear, we can not only look cute but we can feel proud of ourselves too. As long as Simple can keep making sustainable look adorable, I will be coveting their shoes.

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!

Most parents who are concerned about living a green lifestyle are motivated by leaving a better earth behind for their children. They want to protect their kids from the growing list of environmental toxins in their world so that they can live a healthier life. Jessica Iclisoy, the creator and founder of California Baby, was a parent who shared this same concern. She found herself tired and frustrated after searching health food stores for baby products that were truly chemical free and non-toxic. As any entrepreneur/mother would do, she took matters into her own hands and created a shampoo and body wash in her very own kitchen that was worthy of her children (and everyone else’s.)  California Baby Calming Shampoo and Bodywash boasts a short ingredient list which only includes naturally derived substances and essential oils of lavender and chamomile designed to calm and cleanse. Iclisoy thought of everything and made this product tear-free naturally (no anesthetizing agents to make it that way) so you don’t have to worry about getting it in little eyes.

Although it is offered in a smaller 8.5 oz. size, the Calming Shampoo and Bodywash is also offered in a more earth-friendly 17.5 oz. size to reduce waste and make bathtime that much easier. Also, right now there is a $5.00 Bonus offer available to you through pricegrabber.com - this means that you can get $5.00 back if you buy the larger size of Calming Shampoo and Bodywash and be one of the first to write a review (follow the directions on the link above.) What better time to check out an incredible product for your most precious cargo!

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.)