Finally I'm Fresh

If you're a vegan and you're into naturalish products, you're constantly tempted to slip up and try something more, how shall we say it, mainstream?

It could be a soap, a shaving cream, a tampon with a plastic applicator instead of a paper one. There is a diffent temptation for each of us.

For me it's deodorant.

I've been searching a long time for a deodorant that A) works. And b) won't give me leukemia. With those two parameters, it's hard to find the perfect choice.

After almost giving up on the natural deodorant search and settling with some strongly scented commercial stuff like Axe, I sniffed around the co-op (literally) - pulling off cap after cap in hopes of finding something non-feminine and effective.

And then I did.

It was love at first sniff. I found Zion Health's Adama Minerals citrus blossom ClayDry deodorant.

My new particular flavor showcases what a sucker I am for citrus - orange blossom. It is an all gender acceptable, light orange aroma grounded in the earthy smells of clay. A touch of hippy, a touch of high class. Just like I it.

Stop by the Clintonville Community Market and try some out. Well, not right in the store. But buy some and try it out.

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Busy and Presents

I was so busy today getting Andrew's birthday cake and birthday dinner ready for tomorrow that I really didn't cook today. We did go to the vegan meetup with Rad Dog today, though, and had a blast! I hope I'll have some pictures of that for you all this week. And if you're in Columbus, consider coming next month for the Thanksgiving potluck.

I wanted to give you all an environmental tip. I'm sure you've seen it before, but if you get presents for someone, consider wrapping them in old newspaper or comics. Not only does it reuse your old waste but it also prevents you from making new waste! Plus, I think it looks kinda cool.

Zoe & Zac: An Eco Shoe Line

I have a lot of issues with my feet. I'm a little more than 5'6'' and they're a whopping size 10. Most of the time when I go to the size 10 section, the options are slim. All of a sudden the cute stuff I saw on the size 7 rack has been relinquished to bright pink rhinestone heels and strange assortments of wedding shoes. Now that I'm vegan, I'll often see a pair of shoes that I love and then quickly realize they're made out of leather. And since the size 10 rack is bad enough, I'm pretty much out of options at that point. Even when I find pleather shoes, if they're closed toe, it's a no-go. I'm slightly ashamed to share with you all that pleather makes my feet sweat. And when they sweat, my shoes become horrendously smelly and completely unwearable. I think it's safe to say I have major shoe issues.

Recently, I wrote a post about Olsen Haus and how awesome her shoes are but how I couldn't bring myself to buy them. And as much as I love what she's doing, I'm glad I didn't. Payless has an eco, vegan line called Zoe & Zac that's really adorable, cheap, and doesn't make my feet sweat.

You should definitely check out this line. Their shoes are made of organic cottons [[which thankfully, breath well, heh]], 20% recycled rubber, and nickle-free metal and hemp. I'm a huge fan of the ballet flat [[at my height wearing heels makes me feel like a giant]] -- which is usually made of leather or pleather, all bad things for me. This weekend I picked up their cotton black flats, the Snapdragon Ballet, for 10 dollars. They also have some cool wedges and interesting sandals, along with a line of accessories.

A lot of people are concerned about the hidden ecological costs of these shoes. Importing these shoes from China isn't great for the environment, true. And the fact that they can charge 10 dollars for these doesn't speak well for the manufacturing conditions. To this I say, I do what I can. I'll buy American when financially able, but until then I have to settle for the lesser of the evils.

Vegan Shoe Shopping: Olsen Haus

I'm the cheapest girl I know when it comes to clothing. I cringe at a 20$ t-shirt. Anything over 40$ for a pair of jeans is just out of the question. My favorite jeans are the 2 for 50$ at PacSun. The cardigan I'm wearing now was 10$. I'm wearing bagged underwear from Wal-mart. I won't lie -- I rock the target clothing. And I'm sad to say, even their prices are too much for me sometimes.

When I met Andrew, he got me into American Apparel. It took me a minute to get used to buying 40$ cotton t-shirts. The thing that gets me is that I'm paying for a cruelty free shirt-- no humans were demoralized in the making of that shirt. I always find myself crawling back to my old favorites, though.

And since becoming vegan, I notice it's harder to shop at those cheap places I once loved. I find an amazing pair of shoes and pray as I search for the label, hoping to read "man-made materials". The good ones are always leather, though.

So, when I found Olsen Haus, a pure vegan online shoe store, I was sooo excited. Finally shoes that look cool without skinning a cow [[and no, they're not the same cows you eat, for you delusional meat eaters out there]]. AND THEN, I found these super edgy, paint splattered pair of green wedges.

I don't even want to talk about them, I'm so upset. Who would pay 175$ for a pair of shoes? It's outrageous. I could buy them, but it just feels wrong. Where is this haven of cheap, vegan shoes that don't look like something my grandma would wear?

HOWEVER, Haus is pretty cool and very into spreading vegan awareness. Their website includes a bit entitled "the 'truth' about animals" [[You should TOTALLY look at that link. It's the coolest thing I've seen. A clever way to show the truth about your clothing.]] . I'd almost consider buying their shoes a donation to a cause. For now, I'm just longing for them from afar until I mustar up the courage to buy them... maybe.

So You Hate Wal-Mart?

Today seems to be an all Wal-Mart kind of day. Andrew had a gig with some Wal-Mart managers this morning, and I found an interesting article about Wal-Mart.

Now, I know a lot of people have beef with them. I'm not sure why still, but I like them. They employ a lot of people, offer stuff cheaply, and they let people have babies there [[well, they did in a movie once]].

Now on top of that, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce [[WMC]] gave Wal-Mart a first place "Business Friend of the Environment" Award. According to the article,

"WMC’s judges recognized Wal-Mart for new energy-saving store designs for the giant retailer’s Wisconsin-based Supercenter stores, according to a WMC spokesperson. The Supercenter stores include patented waste-recycling systems, LED and computer-controlled lighting systems and water-saving technologies.

Nelson said Wal-Mart’s corporate sustainability goals are to use 100 percent renewable energy, produce zero net waste and sell products that sustain the nation’s resources and environment."

It's exciting to see businesses become more aware and environmentally conscious, even if it is for financial benefit-- especially when you see big businesses try to make a difference. So... go Wal-Mart!

Is Bill Maher Vegan?

Watching Real Time with Bill Maher last night made me hope Bill Maher is a vegan. He really ridicules conservatives and nay-sayers to global warming for potentially destroying us and our planet. And rightfully so. However, if he's talking big, I hope he's the picture of green living. He better not be rolling up in a hummer and he better not eat meat. If you haven't seen the show, you should really watch it. It's one of the only places you'll see true conservatives and liberals duke it out. And it's hilariously clever to boot. [[UPDATE6/4/09 - Bill Maher is not a vegetarian.]]

Veganism posted a video on my twitter. My mother-in-law LOVES the TV show Bones and frequently tries to get me and Andrew to watch it. Although the show looks stupid as frick, I'm glad to see Emily Deschanel post a little truth. I hope Bill Maher thinks the same.

Green Bicycle Cards

Sorry I haven't posted in a while-- I'm working on that Sushi post. BUT...Andrew and I went to Wal-mart last night because they have the cheapest bicycle playing cards-- and for a magician that's important. AND, in our quest, we found out that they make a line of eco-friendly, green playing cards! Andrew bought a few decks, just to practice with since they're not the standard color. Here's a little description from their website:

Go green! Bicycle® Eco Edition is a fully recyclable case and deck. These cards are made from sustainable forest papers, starch-based laminating and vegetable-based inks. Made by us. Enjoyed by you. Benefit for all.

So, if you feel like a game go fish, or maybe some poker-- or if you're the coolest magician in the world-- go green! [[check them out here]].

Ways to Stay Green

An article from pressdemocrat.com goes into detail about energy efficient light bulbs for your Christmas trees and recycling presents as a way to reduce your carbon footprint.

It also raves about Jeff Stanford, an Inn and all-vegan Restaurant owner in Santa Maria, Ca. He praises veganism [[and such products as Earth Balance]] as being extremely good for the environment.

Read on to learn more.

I'm continually amazing by the rise in all-vegan restaurants, eateries, and bakeries-- Columbus has 3 of it's own [[Dragonfly, Pattycake, and Rad Dog]], not to mention all the places with extensive vegan options [[Northstar Cafe, Mad Mex, Betty's, etc.]].


<3

Green Buildings

Finally, someone is getting right. Unlike our failing car market, there are people out there attempting to up their game and create new, green technology before other countries do. Read more at the NY Times here.

Yellow Springs, OH

This weekend Andrew and I are going to Yellow Springs, OH. We're staying at this bed and breakfast, the Aurthur Morgan House. It's pretty exciting for us, because, well, firstly, they know what vegan means and, secondly, they are graciously accommodating-- of course they can provide vegan food options. So, we're staying in the Owl's Nest room, which has a chemical free organic mattress with oxygen pillows [[I thought it was something nifty and green, but it turns out it's just like memory foam pillows]]. The town is home of Antioch, a grade-free [[ie: pass/no pass]] college specializing in community education. It's pretty small over all-- it's just a nice community of progressive thought and great vegan eating options. More to come on it after this weekend.

Also, I have my photos of my sugar cookies [[yes, the pink one says 'i love andy']]-- I'll post further with the recipe and some advice later.




And Andy's 'cheesy steak' with my jalapeno poppers of death!

Top ten green brands

A study of people ages 21-29 found that these are the top ten green brands on the market.

Now that doesn't mean that they're actually green... Just that we think they are.

My favorite on the list is Seventh Generation, an eco-friendly cleaning products company. Mainstream favorites like Apple and Ikea made the list for, well, no reason at all really.

My favorite quote from the story:

More external consumer categories, such as technology and clothing, are much lower on their green priority list. “To be honest, in terms of clothing, my sense of ecology kinda goes out the window. If I see something cute, I’ll buy it.”

Ahh women. I love them in so many ways.