Around our nest...

We've been working on alot of organization projects as of late. Some of them are finished, some are in the process, and some are being put on temporary hold or on a near future to-do list. I truly love organization and everything having a place...I really really do. So although these projects have been really time consuming, I've been enjoying the process and loving the end result! Most of the work has involved the closets, which were in dire need of much purging, storing, and organizing. They look and feel SO much better now, and I actually love walking in them! :) We have boxes and boxes of clothes to sell and give away, which I further look forward getting done SOON. We used the below boxes in quite a few places for storing different things. They are from here and are made from recycled fiberboard (the square ones are on sale big time right now), plus I just like their simple white design.


The closets were ready to get organized because we finally finished the below dressers we've been working on for quite some time now - YEA!!! We got the "dressers" (there are 2, but one is shown) at an Antique Weekend a few trips ago and knew they were going in our room to store clothes. They are metal kitchen cabinets from around the 50's, if not earlier, and they have porcelain doors which we thought was pretty cool. We cleaned them up quite a bit and had metal tops made for them. Then we rust proofed and primed them with this, painted them with this, and sealed them with this. Afterwards, we let them offgas for awhile which is a great thing to do even if you use green products like we did. Lastly, we added magnetic catches for the doors from our local home improvement store and added some coordinating legs from here. It was quite a process and we swear we took "before" pictures but cannot find them anywhere - darn it! They turned out much better than we had envisioned though and work perfectly. However, we were disappointed to find out that Lovebug has no problem opening them and likes to get all of mommy's "pretty" clothes out. :( Oh well...hopefully that gets old fast!


So that was a major accomplishment and we were thrilled beyond measure! In celebration, I made some brownies which we topped with mint chocolate chip Coconut Bliss of course! The original brownie recipe is right here but we tweaked it a bit by using coconut oil instead of vegetable. They turned out great although I would throw in more chocolate chips next time for some added texture, thus why I had to add some on top :).


It feels so great to get some of these big projects done that have been on our to-do list for quite awhile now. I look forward to alot more organization that will be going on in the next few months around our nest! Do you have any upcoming fall organization projects planned?

I am SO glad it's Friday...it's going to be a BUSY BUSY weekend for us but I'm really looking forward to all of it!! Have a great one!

Our own little "Australia"

This past weekend was a marathon of cooking, baking, and cleaning, but as usual, we were able to keep it fun despite all the busyness. We had a group of old friends from college over and it was so delightful seeing each and every one of them and catching up on what is going on in their lives. Lovebug absolutely adored meeting and playing with each of them, which was so fun to see. Hooray for lovely spring weather in Texas where you can actually eat outdoors BEFORE it's incredibly too hot and the mean mosquitos take over! Seriously. That cannot be overstated. It was incredibly enjoyable and I look forward to many more meals outside this spring under our trees and lanterns!

While cooking and baking, we were able to watch Australia which we just loved. Have you seen it? We haven't seen a movie at the theater in forever so I'm sure you all have seen it already, but if you haven't, go check it out. It's so epic and beautiful, and man oh man am I such a sensitive gal since becoming a mama. Anything that revolves little kids, I just tear up and that precious Nullah made me tear up quite a bit! Anyway, I highly recommend it even though it is quite long.

I found the dinner party and charity ball scenes in the film very inspiring. Each of them were full of beautifully hanging things - lanterns, light strings, and so forth. I tend to be a big fan of anything hanging really :), but these particular scenes were gorgeous. Last week before seeing the film, I had bought the above lanterns at Crate and Barrel for the party. I originally found them quite awhile ago here but was pleased when I could get the same ones at my local C&B (especially with the gift card I had:). They are solar powered with a white LED light inside and provide just the right amount of glow. We have left them up in the backyard and it's lovely that they just come on once it gets dark after absorbing the sun's rays during the day. Anyway, after seeing Australia I have big plans for a future event involving many more lanterns and other pretty hanging things. :) I can't wait! Of course, now it's raining cats and dogs here so we'll see how the lanterns actually hold up outside, but so far so good.

Well, spring is definitely in the air with leaves blooming and green popping up everywhere you look. Isn't it lovely? I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying all the first signs of spring as well and are soaking it all in outdoors as much as possible!

Valentine's Week

How was your weekend? Hope it was beautiful! Ours was. I love the weekends so much with the three of us all being together! For the second weekend in a row, I got some sewing in and whipped up this little felt pencil case for our sweet niece's birthday. I know, I'm one of the last ones getting in on these, but it was pretty simple and easy to make. I really want one now for myself! :) OH and the pencils are from Stubby Pencil and are made from 100% FSC certified wood. They are beautiful and very easy to grip.

SO Valentine's Day is this Saturday in case you didn't know! I am a lover of it and always have been. Yes, it is a marketing holiday and I'm not a fan of the consumerism aspect of it but I think it's a fun little day. I truly truly believe you should treat your loved ones like it's Valentine's Day every single day though!


We tend to give homemade or handmade gifts (or nothing) rather than the traditional gifts, but there are lots of ways you can green your typical Valentine's gifts. If you do flowers, then you really need to opt for organic, either bought at a health food store (Whole Foods, Central Market, etc.) or online at Organic Bouquet or California Organics.

If possible, find locally grown flowers too. The commercial flower industry is scary with ridiculously unfair labor practices and an incredibly scary amount of natural resources and chemicals are used to grow those beautiful things. So really go organic or as another option, go with a plant which will help to clean your loved one's air!


As far as Valentines, make your own from craft or everyday materials lying around or buy ones made from recycled or hemp paper. Or send an e-Card!

Another traditional gift is chocolate, right? Yummy. Well you can certainly green that by buying fair trade organic! Dagoba is my personal favorite but there are alot of great choices out there now. In terms of the amount of pesticides used on crops, non-organic cocoa is 2nd only to cotton so it's really important to buy organic chocolate! When you buy fair trade you are supporting fair labor conditions and pay, as well as good environmental practices.


There are tons of adorable things on Etsy of course too...or whip up something of your own! There isn't anything better than getting a present handmade by someone you love.

I'll share later in the week what I am making for my two Loves...I certainly need to get to work on them! Have a wonderful week full of extra love and sweetness everyone!

The Bible printed green

Last year I went searching online for "green" Bibles to see if any were out there, but never had any luck. Apparently, I was about a year too early because NOW there is one...wait for it...it's called The Green Bible. Some people seem to be offended by it, although I don't fully understand why. Is it the title? Putting "Green" between "The" and "Bible"...hmmmm...yeah, that doesn't sound right. I've been trying to think of another name that would have been more appropriate but cannot think of one. Any ideas? It's still the same Bible of course, just printed green. Also any text that mentions the environment is printed in green ink. Maybe they should have made it a red letter Bible of Jesus's words (which they didn't do) AS WELL as green ink the verses that mention the environment. But not every Bible is a red letter one anyway...mine isn't. Hmmmm....Regardless, I think it's a wonderful thing overall, despite the name and whatnot.

I think the other thing that is bothering people is they think that The Green Bible is going to take away from The Good Book's true intention...but I don't get that honestly at all. Sadly, most Christians don't see the connection between us and the environment, and most ignore that God asked us to be good stewards of the planet and not destroy it. So I think it's a great thing to highlight the MANY verses (over 1,000) in the Bible that focus on His creation as a constant reminder of what we are supposed to be doing (and more importantly, not doing).

Really it's about time that the best-selling book on the planet went "green" as far as I'm concerned! Further details include that it is printed on recycled paper (although I couldn't find a post-consumer percentage anywhere) with soy ink, has a cotton/linen cover, and includes a "green" topical index.

So if you're in need of a new Bible or know someone who is, check out this one that is available at Amazon.

The Future of Handmade Toys

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend...we sure did! The 10K went great and I was very pleased with my time...and Lovebug's birthday went perfectly! I'll share details, pics, and all of that later this week once I download and go through the ridiculous amount of photos that were taken :)...

I wanted to pop in today though and bring your attention to this in regard to handmade toys. Many of you probably already have heard about it, but it's called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). It does ALOT of good like banning lead and phthalates, and requires certification and thirty-party testing on all toys. Which sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Except for all of the WAHMs, WAHDs, and artisans that lovingly handmake beautiful toys within their homes and sell on sites like Etsy...Their toys would be "illegal" unless they send out their toys for third-party testing which apparently costs quite alot per toy! It also affects textiles and clothing for children as well!!!!

Nearly all of the clothes, shoes, slings, toys, etc. etc. we buy for Lovebug are from artisans off of Etsy using natural, organic, and recycled materials...are these wonderful sellers no longer going to provide us with all of these beautiful handmade products??!!! I'm VERY concerned...

There is alot of info at the Handmade Toy Alliance, and then some posts here, here, here, and a page of links on the Etsy forum page...and then some good info at National Bankruptcy Day. This law goes in affect after February 9th and it's already passed and been signed...but people are calling their Congresspeople, calling and emailing CPSC officials found here, and signing petitions here, amongst other things to have the bill altered. This also is affecting brands like German-based Selecta (love them), whom says they are no longer going to be distributing toys to the U.S. because of the new high testing costs!

I love this paragraph from Z Recommends:

If the first major consumer legislation to pass Congress in decades pushes the safest toys out of the market, leaving only those companies that have cared the least about chemical safety and thus are in the most robust financial position to undertake new expenses, we will all be poorer for it.

and this one as far as what should be done:

We believe the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Congress should immediately issue more detailed and targeted guidelines and clarifications which protect reputable natural toy companies as well as offering intelligent ways for small, independent manufacturers to continue producing and selling their products.

Obviously, we want the toys and clothing we buy for Lovebug to be as safe as possible! However, we ALSO want to support small artisans/companies making natural/organic/recycled products before we support large ones! I am just so confused as far as what needs to be done. It really seems that small companies are going to suffer with all of this even though the biggest offenders are typically the large ones.

We just bought a set of these beautiful wooden keys for Lovebug's birthday and they are adorable!! The seller, Mamaroots, was so wonderful and customized them for Lovebug, used non-toxic watercolors, and then sealed them with beeswax. Have the keys been tested by a third party to ensure all of that?? No. There is a trust that is out there within the community of Etsy...which I know, isn't always justified, because I'm sure there are sellers NOT using safe materials and NOT being honest about the materials used in their products...BUT that is why you convo with the seller, you read their feedback, you research, and you make sure you're comfortable before ordering from someone.

I just don't know...I'm really at a loss here. I am going to sign a petition for sure...but as far as the answer to all of this, I just don't have one...

What are your thoughts?? Any new info anybody has or had you even heard of this before now? How much do you think this will actually affect you? I'd love to hear from everybody...

Green Light, Recycle Light

I remember growing up how much fun it was to decorate for Christmas...an enormous amount of jolly music, a great deal of laughter, so many yummy holiday treats, and just a ridiculous amount of fun. All of that is still true, but now I get to decorate my own nest with my Love and it's even more enjoyable!

In order to green up your holiday decorating, if you need new lights for your tree or outside, go get some LED strands!! They are WONDERFUL...we've had ours for 3 years and have never had a single bulb go out or break!!! Of course, proper storage is key once decorations come down, but our LEDs are "fade/chip/peel/break resistant" and so far so good. LEDs also use about 10% less power than traditional incandescents, are cool to the touch, and they will last much longer! PLUS, if one bulb does go out, it won't affect the whole strand! Now, THAT is a huge plus, isn't it?

I was first introduced to LEDs as an event designer when we switched from traditional lights to LEDs for event lighting and the difference was huge!! The quality of the light, the options we had with them, but mainly how much less power they use! They might be more expensive up front but they will end up saving you money as they will last you longer and lower your electricity bill. Three years ago we got ours (Philips Indoor/Outdoor Set) at Target but I know they're even more widely available now at home improvement stores and whatnot. Our LEDs burn brighter and have a cool look to them that we really enjoy, but I know they also have "warmer" toned strands now as well for those of you who would prefer that.


Holiday LEDs is a wonderful website that sells a TON of different options, so you should check them out as well...but what is REALLY amazing about them is they offer FREE Christmas light recycling!!! Well, the recycling is free but you have to pay for shipping obviously. Here is all of the info with details of how they go about recycling the lights. It's just so wonderful because with traditional incandescent strands, it seems people are constantly having to get new ones (I know we did growing up) and those strands which contain PVC, glass, copper, and lead are just ending up in the landfills which isn't so great for the environment. SO instead of just tossing your old strands, send them to Holiday LEDs and in return, they will send you a 15% off coupon! Pretty cool...

They prefer the light strands sent in a cardboard box (so it can be recycled) and they ask that you include your name and email address so they can send the coupon to you! For more details, check out their website...

HolidayLEDs.com
Attn: Recycling Program
2500 W. Argyle St.
Jackson, MI 49202


As another option, I had heard Home Depot was collecting any type of holiday lights for recycling as well but only for a limited time. I called my local one and they ARE still accepting them, so maybe check them out first as a local option.

Please do keep in mind though that whether incandescents or LEDs, all light strands contain some amount of lead as a stabilizer for the PVC. So wash your hands thoroughly after handling lights and keep little kids away from them!

WELL, this weekend is going to be busy...got my 10K I've been training for tomorrow and then Lovebug's birthday party on Sunday - YEA! I'll let you all know how they go...Have a wonderful weekend!

Catalog Season...

Have you all seen the new Nova Natural catalog (or is catalogue, which is how I've always spelled it)?? WOW, it is filled with such beautiful toys, crafts, and living products and I love nearly every single thing! If you haven't checked them out, I highly recommend doing so! We have their organic terry ball and some of their wooden books, all of which Lovebug adores!


Here are some of my new favorites:

*Bubble Buggy...these come in such fun colors!
*Baby Boo Silks...Lovebug would adore these!
*Wee wooden mug...she's not quite ready for this but how precious!
*Rainbow stacker...don't tell her but Lovebug is getting this for Christmas!
*Rainbow bowls...this would be so much fun for her!
*Four Elements set...LOVE this of course, but I know Mama and Dada would have more fun playing with this right now than Lovebug though :).

And really, that's just the beginning of all of my Nova loves and I could go on and on. However, much of it isn't age appropriate for Lovebug just YET. Anyway, check them out if you haven't already.

Speaking of catalogs, this time of year our mailboxes can easily get pretty full of them, right? I have tried to get off nearly all of the lists either by calling the company, emailing them, AND going to Catalog Choice, which is a free service that lets you pick and choose which catalogs you want to receive. That way you're no longer getting the ones you don't want (and just end up recycling), but still getting the ones you do actually enjoy going through (and then saving or recycling:)!

I love getting Nova Natural because all of the beauties in it, but I also love getting it because this is the first one all year we've received. I really appreciate that since some companies waste a ridiculous amount of paper sending new catalogs out every couple of months (I'm talking to you Hanna Andersson!). We bought an organic sweater from Hanna after Lovebug was first born and on came the crazy amount of catalogs...thankfully, I was able to end that (finally). But then last month we bought her some special organic pajamas for Christmas Eve and the catalogs have started again, so I have to get on that asap...


However, HERE is something wonderful about the Hanna Andersson catalog - Lovebug loves it! She loves going through it and seeing all the babies and children and tearing it up (as seen above:)...It entertains her for quite awhile! So when Mama or Dada need to get something done - we give her the Hanna Andersson catalog! :)

It goes by so quickly...

Promise I'm not going to start reviewing a movie every Monday, but we watched another documentary this last weekend that I wanted to pass along - Wordplay. It's a pretty fascinating look into the competitive world of crossword puzzles and all the incredible devotees to the NYT ultimate one. It kept us smiling and even laughing aloud at some parts - the real-life characters are almost straight out of an SNL skit. It was really inspiring to see how passionate they all are about the game. Anyway, if you want a light-hearted enjoyable movie, rent it and you'll for sure find yourself wanting to do a crossword puzzle afterwards:)! AND we enjoyed some yummy Coconut Bliss "ice cream" while watching it - it's a new find and is delicious! It's vegan, certified organic, made with healthy coconut milk and sweetened with agave nectar - YEA, finally a vegan "ice cream" that's not soy! It really is delicious - we found it at our local C-M. It says they ship overnight to your door though - just saying, it's THAT good!


Some big news on the Lovebug front - she's walking! WELL, she's taking steps. She took 4 on Friday and it's been many here and there all weekend - the most has been 5 consecutive, but it's just crazy because I swear that girl was just inside of me! She's growing up so fast. She ALSO started to talk alot more this last weekend...lots of gibberish and LOTS of "mama" as always, but we've got lots of "dada" and "baba" and "gaga" now as well which is so exciting. Such a sweet little voice too! Aaah, love it. We got some good silly pics of our Lovebug this last weekend that I adore, so I thought I'd share some!


Some errands were ran on Saturday, one of which was to Barnes and Noble - has anyone seen the new Boho magazine? Their first issue is out and I love it - it definitely is focused on fashion and beauty, but all green-minded. It's printed on 100% post-consumer paper and processed chlorine-free, which is so wonderful, and the whole design/look of it is beautiful. I found the articles to be well-written and overall very enjoyable, and it was nice flipping through a magazine without all the ridiculous amounts of wasteful advertising. I'm very interested to see their subsequent issues!


Afterwards, we headed to our fave Mexican spot for a little lunch. We even ate OUTSIDE because it felt so lovely while Lovebug amazingly slept - and Mommy/Daddy got to have some alone talk time :). It was nice. OH and we had our first video conference call with my dear sister in South Korea - it was wonderful (but crazy) seeing her beautiful face and hearing all about their new life there! The weekend was amazing, but went by way too quickly as always and now it's Monday...but I woke up early and got a good workout in, so I'm ready to face the week with all of its challenges and items on Lovebug and I's "To-Do-List"...and I know the weekend with my Love/Dada will be here before we know it.

Happy Monday all!

Make the switch

I got this video clip sent to me earlier this week...was aware of what he spewed (parts that are true at least)...poor guy comes across (to me) as an ignorant Texan man (HAS to mention Monday night football, Dimebox, and OH how wonderful coal plants are of course:)...and as a Texan myself, I was a bit embarrassed and annoyed by the guy. He does bring up one or two interesting points and some issues that are highly misunderstood regarding CFLs though...Been meaning to post on them for awhile now so I thought there was no better time than the present.

Early on this last year we decided to give CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) as Christmas gifts to promote their use. I think most people thought it was a funny present but in reality it's a very practical gift (and money-saving!). We also made sure to include info on CFLs, and where/how to properly recycle them (which is very important - more on that later) per each person/family('s) location. When we bought our house one of the first things we did was put CFLs in - a more expensive investment up front but well worth it! We researched them greatly before doing so and decided it was the best option currently out there. The way we see it, replacing your incandescents with CFLs is something that can easily be done by everyone to reduce your home's energy use and, thus, it's greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some interesting info/facts on CFLs:

-CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescents
-CFLs last 10 times longer
-CFLs are 4 times more efficient
-When you replace an incandescent with a CFL you keep a half a ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb
-If everyone in the U.S. used CFLs we could retire 90 avg size power plants
-CFLs can be used nearly everywhere incandescents can and are readily available at local home improvement stores

New CFLs give off warm inviting light (they're no longer harsh)...there are dimmable, 3-way, flood, and candelabra CFLs, as well as ones with globe and dome covers that look like standard incandescents in case you're not a fan of the spiral. There should be a CFL out there for all of your needs! REALLY!

NOW, CFLs as the guy mentions DO contain mercury...they are not perfect YET and do contain a small amount of the toxic metal...BUT here's some info on that...The average CFL contains 5 milligrams (mg) of mercury...compare that to the wrist watch that many of you wear - the battery inside contains 25 mg of mercury...the old wall thermostat that many of you still have in your houses or buildings may contain up to 3,000 mg, and glass thermometers contain about 500 mg...So that gives you an idea of how small the amount is...SO it would take quite ALOT of CFLs to equal any of those amounts, but ANY mercury is not good for sure! The levels have already gotten much less since CFLs came out (there are ultra-low mercury bulbs available too -check below) and the industry is saying in 8-10 years, they will all be mercury FREE so that's great news.

NO mercury is released when they are in use - only when they are broken and the concern is when they are broken HOT not cold...and any breaks are most likely to occur when they are being installed/uninstalled at which time they would be off and thus cold. AND the glass of CFLs is much thicker than incandescent glass so they are harder to break...BUT, if you happen to break one, DON'T panic - most of the mercury adheres to the glass anyway, but here's what to do:

1.) Open a window and leave the room for a bit and close the door - the longer the better as the mercury will circulate out the window(s) ...
2.) Use gloves and carefully scoop up the pieces and the powder w/cardboard and place in a glass jar with a lid
3.) Wipe down the area with damp paper towels and place those in the jar as well.

* If the breakage occurs on a rug or carpet, follow the first and second steps above, but then use sticky tape to pick up the powder and any remaining tiny pieces...

NOW that jar needs to be disposed of (as well as CFLs once they reach their end-use)...they SHOULD NOT just be thrown away because then that mercury in the bulbs can end up in our lakes and oceans, which will build up in our fish, and will then be transferred to fish-eaters...This seems to annoy some people -that they have to make an extra effort - come on - it's not that hard! Just check your city website (normally with Household Hazardous Waste info) to see how/where you're supposed to dispose of them...Most cities have somewhere for you to take them, along with your household chemicals and whatnot. Some cities even pick up your hazardous waste curbside, so check...A couple stores also take them and properly dispose of them (like the wonderful Ikea)...Hopefully more retailers that sell CFLs will do this soon too - like Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart...

Check locally first to purchase your CFLs, but a wide variety can also be purchased at websites like Earth Easy...they have the LOW-mercury ones that contain about 3 mg of mercury, like the Philips Alto...the Sylvania micro mini, and I believe GE has a low-mercury level one as well. This is a great site to help you find where to dispose/recycle your CFLs - but check your city website first. Here's another helpful website w/ CFL info...AND HERE is a awesome kit that you buy for $17.50 from this company - once you fill it with any broken or end-use CFLs, you simply send the pre-paid box off to be recycled - easy as pie!!

There's some interesting opinions out there that argue that CFLs actually keep a great deal of mercury out of the air as a CFL uses a very small amount of power compared to an incandescent...and most power in our country comes from the beautiful coal plants which constantly release ridiculous amounts of mercury (actually they account for about 40% of our country's emissions). Thus, CFLs can help to reduce mercury emissions from the coal plants because the electricity needed for the use of an incandescent bulb emits 13.6 mg of mercury into the air, compared to 3.3 mg of mercury from a CFL. However, all of that mercury from the coal plants that is emitted from the use of both CFLs and incandescents is unrecoverable unfortunately, but it's less mercury with CFLs...Further, the mercury inside a CFL - IF it's taken to a place where it's recycled - will be contained and recycled/reused to make new CFLs...and it will never be released into the air!

One argument against CFLs the Rep. in the clip had is that ALL CFLs are made in China...well, not ALL but yes, most of them unfortunately...some of the Philip Altos I've found are made in Mexico...Lights of America did have a U.S. CFL plant but I've read it no longer exists since 2007.

Like I said, in 8-10 years (or sooner hopefully) CFLs will be mercury free, even more efficient, and (hopefully much sooner) easier recycling of them will be available...but until then we still think they're the way to go in order to lessen our negative impact. Probably by then though, LEDs will have taken over the market as they are a MUCH MUCH more efficient light than CFLs overall...time will tell but for now go out and get you some CFLs (preferably the low-mercury ones listed above) - the pros really do outweigh the cons and they're worth making the switch, both financially and environmentally! Gosh, this ended up being REALLY long - geez! Sorry - just trying to get the info out...:) Hope I made some sense!

Green Your V-Day

The time is almost near and Cupid will soon be here!! I love Valentine's Day and always have - my Mother made it a very special day. Granted, she's the best Mom there is so she made every day special but V-day was especially so, and with every meal there was something red! She would make something wonderful for breakfast and lunch, but dinner was the most special - with lots of red yummy food and she would have little presents for each of us kids at our setting and the eating area would be decorated in reds and pinks. You're the best Mommy - I only hope I can be half the Mom you are!

I know it's a "marketing" holiday and I truly believe that you should treat your loved ones like it's Valentine's EVERY day and do random special things, but I still think it's a fun day! Here are some ways to make your V-Day GREEN:

-In lieu of flowers, buy potted plants so there is no waste after a week AND you're giving something that will help clean your loved one's air!!
**Best air cleaners include: Janet Craig dracaena, Peace Lily, & Rubber Plant, amongst others.

-If purchased flowers are what will make your love the happiest, then buy organic flowers from Organic Bouquet, California Organics, or Manic Organics Flowers...Whole Foods now carries some organic flowers as well - so check your local natural food stores...Look for in-season, locally-grown flowers!
**The commerical flower industry is very scary with unfair labor practices, excessive consumption of natural resources such as water, and a ridiculous amount of toxic chemical use (that are illegal w/i U.S.) that pollutes our environment and harms the workers that work on the flower farms, who often suffer from skin and respiratory problems, fatigue, blurred vision, and premature birth. The flowers are fumigated, sprayed with pesticides, and soaked in preservatives...Do you really want that brought into your home for you and your loved ones to breathe in?

-Buy organic fair-trade chocolates - yummy!! I love Dagoba and Green & Black...
**Non-organic cocoa is 2nd only to cotton in terms of the most pesticides used on the crop, which is scary as exposure to pesticides is being increasingly linked to various kinds of cancer. Buying "fair-trade" ensures that the employees and farmers that harvested the cocoa beans were treated and paid fairly and sustainable environmental practices were in place.

-Look for Valentine's cards that are made from recycled paper content....or make your own for a much more personalized touch from materials you already have...or send an Evite card or e-Card!

See, even a holiday like Valentine's that evokes the color red can be made green...Happy Valentine's everyone!