Some of my favorite personal images of Mother Nature:
Great Smoky Mountains, 2007
Texas Highway 289, 2006
Arches National Park, 2006
Do something kind for the Earth today. Even if we can't all agree on the causes of climate change, surely we can all agree that treading lightly on the Earth can only result in good: plant some flowers, pick up some trash, recycle some plastic bags, try some local and/or organic food from farmers near you, make some homemade jelly.
It occurred to me in the shower yesterday that our toiletries are a perfect place to start making a difference for the Earth, for our health, and for our consciences. There are so many natural, organic, and cruelty-free products out there, it's not that hard to find one that you like, even at a price that won't necessarily break the bank. I thought I'd give you a rundown on the different products we use and why we like them.
First, let me explain what I'm looking for in products. I want the ingredients to be derived from natural and organic plants, not petroleum and chemicals. I want the products to smell yummy, not artificial and chemical-like. I want to know that the companies are making a difference with their actions outside of the market, not just manufacturing "green" to make more green money for their bottom line. Finally, I want to know that no bunny was harmed in the making of my product. (Read more about the horrors of Draize testing here.) Now, let's get clean!
We seem to like a lot of products by Alba Botanica. Our shower is filled with them, so you'll see their name a lot in this post. They meet all my criteria for a clean body and a clean conscience. Their products can be bought at Whole Foods or directly from their website, if you don't or won't shop Whole Foods. Many of these products can be bought online. One site I like is drugstore dot com.
The first thing I do is wash my face (well, after undressing, adjusting water temperature, and contemplating what that peach-colored slime on the tiles could possibly be). I do this with Kiss My Face Olive & Verbena soap. It smells divine, and I love that the brand new bars are perfectly rectangular; for some reason, that comforts me. It doesn't provide as big a sudsy punch as do other commercial soaps, but that's because it's missing the controversial ingredient sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate.
Next up, I shampoo and condition my hair. My current favorite is Alba's Gardenia Hydrating Hair Wash and Conditioner. I love the smell of gardenias, and shampooing my hair with it makes me envision being in the tropics (oh, how I'd like to be in the tropics!). It contains certified organic ingredients like aloe and kelp and kukui nut oil* and awapuhi. It lathers perfectly well, and it does not contain sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates, if you're cutting back on it for health reasons. It's also gentle enough to use every day, and there are other yummy fragrances to try if you don't dig gardenias. (Most dudes would object to smelling all flowery, I suspect.)
I also like Aveda's hair products, although no one else in the family will use them because they smell "gross" (read: natural). Eldest doesn't like minty smells, and a lot of Aveda's stuff has a minty undertone. I happen to love their Color Conserve, Rosemary Mint, and Shampure. Aveda also is one of the most socially and ecologically responsible companies around, from their use of organically farmed ingredients to their use of recycled packaging, from their support of indigenous communities all the way to their frequent buyer cards, which are made of cornstarch rather than plastic.
While my hair is conditioning, I wash my body. We have two different options to choose from, both from Alba. I love, love, LOVE the Honey Mango fragrance, but hubby prefers the Island Citrus. It's a little too citrus-y for my sniffer. It's plenty bubbly, thanks to sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (a safer sudsing agent than the more sinister SLS, mostly due to the size of their molecules), and there's no icky residue left behind. (As for method of delivery, I gave up my petroleum puff just over a year ago in exchange for a cellulose sponge.)
Then, if I'm wearing shorts or a skirt that day & my legs are looking especially, um, European, I shave them. I use Alba Shaving foam. It takes a bit of getting used to, as it's nothing like traditional shave cream. It's more the consistency of those hand soaps that magically comes out as a foam. I use the Mango Vanilla fragrance, though there are others I haven't tried. The razor I use is from Preserve, who makes fantastic toothbrushes and razors from recycled plastic. (When you're finished, stuff several into one of their mailers and mail the used products back to them for further recycling.)
Lest you menfolk think I'm neglecting you, fear not! I bring you tidings of great joy. Kenton Athletics makes sexy-smelling plant-based shower gels that can also be used as shampoo. One-stop scrubbing. Their formulas are pretty cool in that each one uses ingredients from the plants of a different region of the world, and they evoke the "correct" olfactory image, too. Surf contains extracts of plants found in "coastal regions of the world's legendary surfing destinations" and makes you want to go to the beach; Mountain contains extracts of plants "native to rocky, mountainous regions" and makes you want to go camping; and Trail is made from extracts of plants and trees "indigenous to rich North American woodland regions, " making you want to pick up a hiking stick and compass. (The rare times I can convince Youngest that it's in his best interests (as well as the best interests of those in close proximity to him) to shower, he uses Surf.)
After-shower moisturizing comes in the form of Kiss My Face Honey & Calendula lotion or J/A/S/O/N Wild Yam Hand & Body Therapy (made with wild Mexican yams!). Kiss My Face is thinner (a true lotion), comes in a pump, and smells like beeswax, whereas J/A/S/O/N (that is really freakin' annoying to type!) is more of a cream, dispensed from a squeeze tube.
Well, folks, there you have it. More information than you ever wanted to know about my showering routine. (Plus all the good information about great products that are good for your body and your karma!)
*If you want to see me get all dreamy-eyed and weak-kneed over any one substance (one that's non-alcoholic and non-dairy anyway), mention kukui nut oil. Srsly, I think it is Nectar of the Gods. I discovered it in Hawaii a few years ago when my stupid white self forgot sunscreen and crisped myself miserable. I was pointed in the direction of kukui nut oil rather than aloe for the burn, and, HOLYSHITBATMAN, that burn didn't peel and it didn't hurt anymore and I was IN LOVE. It's magic. I swear. It's great for sensitive skin, for eczema, for psoriasis, for general moisturizing, for breast enlargement. Well, okay, I made up the last one, but I'm willing to bet it might still be true!
Chris Jordan is my new photographic hero. You absolutely must visit the link and see his work. It is incredibly powerful. His images are scenes depicting the staggering cost of American consumerism. An excerpt, written by the artist, from his website:
"Exploring around our country’s shipping ports and industrial yards, where the accumulated detritus of our consumption is exposed to view like eroded layers in the Grand Canyon, I find evidence of a slow-motion apocalypse in progress. I am appalled by these scenes, and yet also drawn into them with awe and fascination. The immense scale of our consumption can appear desolate, macabre, oddly comical and ironic, and even darkly beautiful; for me its consistent feature is a staggering complexity."
This is an appearance with Stephen Colbert. (Added as a link, because I'm too stupid to figure out what's going wrong when I try to embed this fucker.)
(Thanks, Dad, for the heads up on Chris's site.)
...that I'm thinkin' 'bout on Thursday...
1. ...winners from my Blogiversary Giveaways! Congrats to Jeff at Biking Duluth (Greenies & Pet Promise dog food sample), Caroline in NH at Fiber Arts & Furry Critters (Bush's Last Day keychain), Hootin' Anni (CD of ten of my photographic images), Andree at Meeyau (Feline Greenies & Pet Promise cat food sample), Molly at RedMolly Picayune-Democrat (a copy of Diane MacEachern's book Big Green Purse), and Anonymous Mom at Tenuous at Best (handcrafted journal)! If I don't hear from each of you within 24 hours, I will contact you. I'm asking until next Saturday (hopefully won't need that long) to get everything ready to ship.
2. ...my complete and utter domination at the art of oatmeal. I have mastered my "perfect oats." No extra liquid, but not too dry either. MMMMM.
3. ...philosophical subjects like evil and faith. I've determined that the basis for one's faith in an idea or entity is a positive and memorable event that the person attributes, whether correctly or incorrectly, to that idea or entity. For example, my husband sees, on a regular basis, the healing and saving of lives. He attributes that to the science of medicine; his faith, therefore, lies in the scientific.
4. ...suicide. Not mine, no. The book I'm reading, Jodi Picoult's The Pact, is about a failed teen suicide pact, where the surviving teen is charged with murder.
5. ...how terrible I am at poker. Some friends of ours have bought a table at a local "Casino Night" fundraiser and have graciously asked Hubby & I to go. I know not a damn thing about poker, but I will throw down with the best of them when intoxicated, I'm sure.
6. ...Texas's crazy caucusing. We voted early to avoid voting day crowds, but then had to go out anyway for the caucusing portion of the night.
7. ...how terrifyingly easy it is to imagine Youngest as a drug addict. He has a very addictive personality anyway, and a bipolar individual's risk of addiction to drugs or alcohol is much higher than that of a normally functioning person. At thirteen, his drug of choice is Runescape or the Playstation 3; he will do anything, self-destructive or otherwise, to get his fix. Seeing his desperation while in Austin last weekend with limited Internet availability was truly amazing.
8. ...our freakish weather. It's snowing again. Hard. Remember, I was talking about the weather yesterday?
9. ...how hitting an already-dead, but still fresh, skunk on the highway is very, very bad. Very bad, indeed. I also discovered why so many of them seem to be hit on the road. Nearly impossible to see until the last minute. Poor buggers.
10. ...organ donation. My mom is down in Florida at a post-transplant checkup. She's doing amazingly well!
11. ...photography. I mentioned it's snowing again, right?
12. ...the Project Runway season finale last night. As I fully expected, Christian kicked ass. His clothes, while not designed for the everyday woman, were exquisite concoctions, full of ruffles and feathers. His runway music killed, too (created and arranged by Anonymous Mom's not-so-anonymous talented son). Way to go, Christian! I just want to eat him up like a cookie, he's so freakin' cute.
13. ...how I SO don't want to do the laundry and mop the floors.
Edited to add: I drove for six hours to accomplish what would usually take three.
Today's Blogiversary Giveaway is Diane MacEachern's new book, Big Green Purse. Running a website by the same name, MacEachern takes a common sense approach to teaching women the power of their purchasing decisions as the main spenders in a household. I will be reviewing the book later, but I haven't gotten to read as far into it as I'd like yet. So far, I like it, though. As per the rest of the week, you have to comment to win!
Reading the news today that five multi-million-dollar homes in Seattle were torched, presumably by the Earth Liberation Front, with a note left behind signed, "ELF", made me sad and furious at once. Burning buildings (complete with greenhouse gas emissions, particulate matter pollution, and wasted water) under the pretense of saving the environment is akin to killing an abortion doctor to save lives. Actually, it's more ridiculous, since a large part of the environmental damage attributed to the building has already happened.
I want to tell these people to get a grip on themselves and on reality. They are not making a point (at least not the point they want to make).
(On the other hand, the Justice Department calls them "domestic terrorists?" You mean like Timothy McVeigh, who killed 168 and injured 800+ people in Oklahoma City in 1995? Or Ted Kaczynski, who killed three and injured twenty-three? ELF goes to great pains to make certain that no life is taken or physically harmed during their arson attacks. Come on. I hardly think they compare to the aforementioned domestic terrorists.)
This week's Photo Hunt theme is: Heavy. This photo was taken at the Rainforest Cafe in San Antonio in November of last year (2007). Saving the rainforest is a heavy burden that we all should feel responsible (and willing) to carry.
Just a post to let you inside the convoluted maelstrom that is my mind this week. It's an abbreviated list of things I'm lovin' or hatin'.
LOVE IT: Whole Foods is getting rid of plastic bags! Their paper bags are both recyclable and recycled, but their focus is education and trying to convince people to bring their own. They were giving away a free bag with your purchase a couple of days ago. They are the cutest reusable bags ever, and they are roomy, strong, and made from 80% post-consumer waste (recycled water bottles and such).
HATE IT: My shampoo, which is natural & plant-based, smells like pink SweeTarts. Two of the last four or five bottles of it, though, have developed a funky, soured smell. I don't know if it's the sunlight from the window in the shower or variations in crops or just what it is, but I'm ready to switch. Sad. I like pink SweeTarts.
LOVE IT: My morning radio show, Lex & Terry, has moved to a new home radio station here in Dallas. I like the new station. They play a widely varying collection of rock and metal from many years and eras. The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne, 80's hair bands, Kid Rock. I like variey; it keeps me from getting bored.
HATE IT: These seriously psychotic hatemongers. One simply cannot wrap a logically-thinking brain around such poignant tidbits of batshittery. For those who don't follow links, don't read the newspapers, or have somehow missed these lovely citizens, they are the "church" that believes that America is being punished by God for our wicked acceptance of "fags," picketing dead soldiers' funerals with signs that say, "Thank God for dead soldiers" (because the military are "fag-enablers," dontcha know?). (It's a scary situation when radical evangelical Christians say you're crazy.)
LOVE IT: This season's Project Runway. Go Christian! (Oh, the irony, Fred Phelps! I think my Christian may be a homosexual... he'd better hope he wins the whole damn thing before the apocolypse, because my other faves are also gay, and my first non-condemned choice, Gillian, would be a poor substitute for my fierce little Christian.)
HATE IT: Being such a Master Procrastinator. There is such an overwhelming list of home repairs/improvements we need to make, and had we fixed them when they actually happened, I would not feel so damned suffocated right now. But, because we suffer from Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome, we figured we'd put it off. Now a dozen little things have become a dozen more problematic things that all seem to be developing a domino-effect relationship and all seem to have their own separate contractor, to boot.
Have a great weekend, all!
Back to the Hunt. This week's theme is: Important. I took this photo on my way home from Oregon, where I went to visit friends and purchase my car. My car is very important to me and to the planet, since I drive 200 miles per day for Youngest to go to his specialized school. Can you imagine how much it would cost in dollars and carbon for me to drive our 2000 Lexus LX470? ACK!
What I have to say today is going to sound controversial to some, like an excuse to others, and still more are going to 'fess up and say, "Hey, she's right."
Living green is easier to do in a life that is not filled with chaos. Lives that stick pretty much to a day-to-day scripted routine. I can say this with every confidence, because I know from firsthand experience. When Youngest was relatively stable (for those just tuning in, he suffers from Childhood Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Overanxious Disorder), it was much easier to cook at home, shop for local and/or organic foods, avoid restaurants, think about how every object you come in contact with has already and will further impact the environment.
When my days are filled with doctors, therapists, appointments for the other kids, SATs, marching competitions, and on and on, things get trickier. The smaller eco-friendly habits are easier to keep up at home: canvas shopping bags, natural and plant-based cleaners and shampoos, letting the yellow mellow at home, etc. But the sad truth is that when I'm giving every ounce of my time and energy trying to just make sure our little world at home isn't going to fall apart at its unreinforced seams, I really find it impossible to think about every aspect of keeping the larger world in tip-top condition.
Yesterday, for example, we had a day in which we were going from 8a-8p. Youngest had to have blood drawn to check his medication levels, then a drive into The Big D to his psychiatrist for a double session. Middle had an after-school basketball game nearby, so it didn't make any sense to drive all the way home and back again, so we hung out for a couple of hours. Then Youngest had a session alone with the family therapist, then we headed home, where I had to proofread a paper for Eldest. In the middle of all that running and worrying, we ate two meals out. Had we been hungry for dinner, we would have had three. Even driving a Prius, that's a lot of driving (I average 200 miles per day).
Yesterday we made one of the most emotional decisions of our lives regarding Youngest's care. When my life is crumbling around me one block at a time, sometimes I really find it hard to think about and care about whether child slave labor picked the beans that made my Godiva truffle or my vanilla latte. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe.
But until my life begins to even remotely resemble normal, that's the way it is. Yeah, the truth hurts.
What? You mean you're not ready for Christmas? There's (an)other American holiday(s) to celebrate after Independence besides Christmas? Oh, yeah... little, (consumer) insignificant ones... Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving. But let's get to the real moneymaker: Christmas!
Every year since my husband & I were married, we've participated in the most ridiculous ritual with his brothers and their wives, and once or twice with my family as well. We draw names for gift-giving purposes, then proceed to ask the spouse of the person's name we drew what to buy for them for Christmas. (I told you it was a little ridiculous.)
This year, at the risk of being: (a) ridiculed, (b) persecuted, and/or (c) excommunicated for being an environmental, left-wing wacko, I'm going to make a radical, environmental, left-wing wacko suggestion. I'm going to suggest that, instead of gifts that we told our spouses to tell our name recipients to buy for us, we donate money to a charity that we tell our spouses to tell our name recipients that we support. Crazy, huh?
The two I will suggest for my name recipient are:
Kiva. This is a fantastic organization who lend money to specific entrepreneurs in the developing world to help them overcome poverty and in turn contribute to the economy. On the website, you can see see photos of the entrepreneur, often at their business they started, and it provides detailed descriptions of who they are, where they live, why they want to start this business, how much money they need, how much they’ve raised so far, and you can even see who else has donated. You donate in increments of $25.00, and as the debt is paid off, eventually you get your money returned to you, hopefully to re-invest in another entrepreneur.
Heifer International. The first two years we received their catalog in the mail, my husband and I scoffed. This could not be legit. You mean you can buy a goat or three rabbits or a llama for a family to help them produce milk to sell, weave yarn, fertilize small crops, increase their family's protein intake, or carry water? Since then, though, I've discovered that not only are they legit, they are supported by many notable figures, including Jimmy Carter, Ed Harris, and Susan Sarandon, among many others. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can also choose to purchase a honeybee hive for families or to plant trees.
If anyone insists on purchasing an actual gift, I will be asking for sustainable gifts, like a bag from Alchemy Goods (hubby, are you reading?), a pair of Simple Shoes or a pair from MooShoes, more reusable tote bags, or gift certificates to Blue Canoe. These are all gifts that I can really get excited about receiving!
Whether you're giving or receiving this holiday season, I highly encourage you to steal all my gift ideas. I stole a couple of them myself.
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