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Necklush Giveaway

necklush

I’ve recently become obsessed with knitted, knotted and voluptuous necklaces like this organic cotton piece by Necklush. Sustainable designer, Lara Miller, recently turned me on to the line and I love what they’re doing joining scarf and necklace into the happy marriage that is…the snecklace.

Necklush is a really fun wardrobe staple that can be manipulated in so many ways: you can twist it, knot it, pull strands out and wrap it or wear it like a scarf or belt.

Go to the site to see the different lengths, thicknesses and …

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Best Organic Deodorants (That Actually Work)

deodorant review

Life is good. We’re eating healthier, exercising more and we remember to bring our reusable bags to the grocery store. But do you feel as if something is missing? Do you ever wake in the middle of the night, wondering what final piece of the green puzzle will make your life complete? Well, I do. And the puzzle piece I’m looking for is an organic deodorant…that actually stinkin’ works.

I’m sure many of you are aware of the dangers of regular deodorant – that it contains …

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Styling on a Yulestring? 10 Frugal and Festive Fall and Winter Displays

entry

Sure, you’re forced to take down the ghosts and fuzzy spiders (news flash: your neighbors are pissed if you haven’t done so), but some of the seasonal elements we put up to get in the mood  should endure until the end of the year, if not beyond.

Here is my list of favorite affordable decorative displays for the festive and frugal in all of us.

1. Lanterns

Rice paper lanterns bobbing outside (with solar lights) or in your rooms make a huge, happy statement. I love the cylinder shapes with Asian motifs like the …

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Autumn Cabbage: Pretty and Edible Outdoor Decor

bigcab

Organic, textural and highly ornamental, cabbage is an ideal crop to plant in your garden during those fall and winter months when falling leaves can be the only color abundant in the garden.

Planting rows of the cabbage was a great solution for my own raised veggie bed (below), which is very challenging to maintain this time of year. I long for pumpkins but we never seem to get them going in time.

A garden designer friend suggested the purple, low-water use option of the Cruciferea family (from the same family as cauliflower, broccoli, …

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Halloween Hangover? 5 Tips to Avoid the Scary Stuff and Stay Healthy

candy

Mmmm. CANDY! Just smell the bowl full of those darling, little bars of CANDY. Just look at those chewy bites of CANDY!

Now, walk away. That’s right. Walk away and no one will get hurt.

Halloween is really one of the hardest nights to stay disciplined, to focus on staying healthy and stick to your local, organic fare and not endorse one night a year when it’s okay for kids to rot their teeth and poison their bodies with sugar and trans fats.

We get hundreds of visitors to our suburban-esque San …

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Totally Tubular Wine!

four wine

It’s not your grandmother’s wine box!

This 3-liter tube contains a premium, rich and structured California Cab – the first release by winemaker Barry Gnekow, who went looking for a way to drink outside the box and to entertain without the waste.

“My goal was to produce the equivalent of a $25 bottle of wine that could be delivered to the consumer at under $10 per bottle,” he says.

At $40 a tube, The FOUR Cabernet scores many eco points. It eliminates expensive traditional glass-and-cork packaging, cutting wine bottle landfill waste by …

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Snuggie: Wrap Yourself in the Toasty Toxic Warmth!

snuggie

“When you watch the commercials you can tell they’re made of cheap stuff,” says my astute oldest daughter about the fleece blanket sensation known as the Snuggie™. “The people wearing them are just so cheesy, like the man in the leopard one who says he’s so glad he found a fun designer print that suits his personality.”

Snuggie consumers proudly wear the Made-in-China label on their sleeves, not considering the synthetic polyester fabric they’re breathing in all the while they’re adjusting their thermostats in the thin, robe-like throws. I find they …

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Pucker Up for the Best Organic Lip Balms

cat and woman

What’s not to love about lip balm? In fact, a girl’s love affair with lip balm often starts very young. You were probably given a clear Chap Stick to soothe your dry lips, and naturally you pretended it was bright red lipstick.

Regardless, you got used to the feeling of soft, moisturized lips.

Cut to a couple decades later, and you’re frantically flipping through your organic cotton clutch for the lip balm you know is in there…somewhere. No one likes dry lips. Of course, we can technically live …

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Nu? Eco Ketubas, Kippots, Bagels and Wine for Repairing the World

eco ketubah

Jewish is going greenish.

It’s a phenomenon I like to call Oy-Soy, the marriage of ethical Jewish values with eco alternatives – everything from the artifacts that help color our heritage to a back-to-nature approach to living more sustainably.

I guess it’s all in line with the goals of tikkun olam, the repairing of the world, which we Jews perform in a variety of ways, from donating to our communities with charity and acts of kindness to taking stock in our resources.

Is being green a blessing? Try these out and see:

Recycled Ketubah

The wedding contract, called …

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