Here It Is... My New Blog!

For The Love of Green!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

New Blog Coming!

Hey everyone!

After a month-long hiatus, I've made the decision to scrap this site and start fresh. As my first blog, "A Little Bit of Boho" was not everything I wanted it to be and I'm craving big changes.

I've had a lot of fun experimenting and learning about the blogging world. My appreciation goes out to those who took the time to read my entries, especially my wonderful mother and friends. I cannot thank you enough for the support.

After countless days of brainstorming, I finally came up with a new name... but it's a secret! I'm really happy and excited to design a layout and get this show on the road.

So stick around to see all of the green goodness to come! I promise it will be soon :)

Much love,

Kristine

Ten Simple Guidelines to Living Green

I've been a bit of a slacker lately so I really apologize for the lack of new posts. But today is Earth Day and it's my personal mission to encourage eco friendliness in any way I can.

Our society acts as if our planet is replaceable, as if we'll get a new one once we've trashed it up enough. It's saddening to see how many people just don't care about their actions.

This planet is a gift and the laws protecting her are so weak (especially in the US). We really need to stand up and change things, take action. Why have children if you're going to leave them the horrible consequences of our choices? Everyone should want to leave this Earth better than you found it.

Here are some very easy actions that you can take. Right now. Show this planet that you care.

Go Vegetarian (at least once a week!): This is hands down the best way you can help our planet. Our appetite for meat consumes an abundant amount of resources (farming, refrigeration, transportation, etc.). It's just plain wasteful. I made the choice to go vegetarian this year and I feel great. It's the best choice I've ever made. You don't even have to convert completely (Meatless Mondays, anyone?). Every little bit helps!

Break Out Those Canvas Bags: Seriously, people. Stop using plastic bags! It's just ridiculous how people still use them! From simple 99 cent ones, to chic and super cute ones, re-useable bags are everywhere. Stock up on a few."But I always forget to bring them!" Wah, wah, wah. Store them in your car! Throw them in your purse! I use Flip&Tumble bags that fold up into a portable ball (see below). Or here's an idea: how about you carry the two or three items you get from convenience store?! Just a thought...

Shorten Your Showers: Water is an extremely valuable resource and we need to start treating it like one. Hoping you don't take baths (30-50 gallons of water?! No thanks), shorten your shower to five minutes, tops. I use a timer on my iPhone so I get an annoying ringtone when my time's up. Take it a step further and install a low flow shower head. Where else can you save water? Hang your laundry and skip the dryer. Turn that damn faucet off when you're brushing your teeth! Load the dishwasher to the max and don't you dare water your lawn.

Recycle!@#$% I'm not even going to explain this. It's a no brainer. If you don't do it, you're a lazy moron.

Re-vamp Your Beauty Routine: I can't stress this enough. What you put onto your skin goes into your bloodstream. Do you have any idea what's in your shampoo? Your face wash? Your foundation? It's straight garbage. Cancer-causing garbage. Worst of all, these chemicals run right down the drain in your shower and into your water system. Not so pretty, huh?

Afraid to fully commit? Take it one step at a time. Finish what you've got and vow to buy better from now on. Swap out the stuff you use the most and take it from there. Opt for samples to see what works for you. Spirt Beauty Lounge, an amazing natural beauty boutique, offers 12 deluxe samples of your choice for $25 (plus a 10% coupon for next purchase).

Click here for Spirt Beauty Lounge's customized sample kit.

Clean Green: This is similar to re-vamping your beauty routine. Conventional cleaning products are filled with awful chemicals that we breathe in and run down the drain on a daily basis. Switch to brands like Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyers. If you must use paper towels, choose recycled paper (same for toilet paper). And please, pretty please, stop using those air fresheners. They are not as safe as you think they are.

Bring Your Own Container: If you're a take-out kind of person, stop supporting styrofoam and plastic. Ask to get food in your own re-useable container. It may seem dorky, but you'll be surprised at how many people do it (I work at a restaurant). Plus, it'll cut back on your garbage tremendously. Who likes taking that out?

Step Away From The Vehicle: Gas prices are flat out robbing us blind. It should be obvious that we need to limit our car usage for financial and environmental reasons. Walk or bike whenever you can. Stop being lazy! If you can't, look into public transportation. Want to do more? Invest in a hybrid car or better yet, an electric one. There are other fuel options out there. Definitely look into them!

Cancel That Gym Membership: You don't need a treadmill to stay fit. Gyms are energy guzzlers. Hundreds of machines are always plugged in, sucking up electricity. People fail to realize how bad they really are for our environment. Look into yoga or Pilates. Walk, run, or bike outside (it's a much better view than a TV). There are tons of ways to exercise sustainably.

Think About Your Purchases: It sounds easy enough, but it's an important action to take. Think about what goes into making something. Where does it come from? What is it made out of? Where will it go? Most importantly: Do I really need it? If every person truly understood the impact of their purchases, we'd have a much cleaner Earth.

Element's Conscious By Nature Collection

I absolutely love seeing major clothing stores and brands making an effort to go green. Whether it's a small change or a total makeover, every little bit makes me happy (and makes a difference). Eco friendly clothing should be accessible to everyone. It shouldn't be limited to online stores or crazy expensive boutiques.

I'm really excited for H&M's Conscious Collection that's in stores today (check it out here). Definitely taking a trip to see it tomorrow! In the meantime, I wanted to spotlight another eco clothing collection that I stumbled upon.

Conscious By Nature is a spring collection by Element Eden. Hand crafted in the USA, the clothing is made with sustainable blends of bamboo and organic cotton. There's a little something for every girl and guy. Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the women's. Sale prices make them even sweeter.

Reverie - $38.00 (on sale for $19.99 at Swell)

Kayleigh - $38.00 (on sale for $24.95 at Tactics)

Maren - $38.00

Serene - $59.50 (on sale for $39.99 at Swell)

I took a peek at the men's collection and I'm jealous that they have a bigger selection. Here's some stuff I would totally love my boyfriend in.

Eugene - $58.00

Marsh - $24.00

Hartford - $42.00

Want to see the rest? Here's the girls and the guys. What are your favorites? Any major stores or brands that you're happy to see going green?

Eco Friendly Earrings by ShopRuche

In search for eco friendly jewelry, I came across these adorable earrings at ShopRuche. Their made out of wood and dyed naturally. They're light as a feather, making them the most comfortable earrings I've ever worn. I'm a sucker for indie style so I had to order these right away.

This is me, wearing the "key to the past" ones. 

I also bought the "topsy turvy tulips" ones. Love them!


Check out the other styles here. All of them are priced at $12.99. But be warned: these have sold out before! I was happy to see them restocked, but who knows if it'll happen again.

Happy shopping everyone :)

Green Your Routine: Mother Approved

Hello there! It's been a little while, but I'm back in action, ready to blog :)

Green living has been my passion for over a year now. It all started with an environmental class and I was hooked. My beauty routine was the first thing to go green and I've become obsessed with eco-friendly cosmetics (oh, and fashion, can't forget about fashion).

Now that I've cleaned up my body lotions and such, I'm ready to move onto greener pastures (pun intended). Lucky for my mom, I've been dragging her along the way. Phrases like, "No, Mom! You can't buy that!" have turned me into the eco police of our household.

My mother is a coupon-clipping, sale-searching kind of woman and I love that about her. She's all for making better choices, but not so crazy about the price of eco-friendliness. Slowly but surely, I'm helping her green up the household.

Seventh Generation products are a good start. Chances are, you've heard of their wide array of products (from cleaners to baby products). Prices are reasonable and most stores carry them, making it a simple switch. We use their dishwashing detergent and it works just as well as any other one.

Oh and coupon clippers, rejoice: sign up for an account on their website and you'll be printing savings in no time. It seriously takes one minute to sign up.

Garbage bags are another necessary household switch. Plastic bags make me cringe so I was elated to have found Green Genius bags. Instead of sitting in a landfill forever, these bags will be there for just two years.

I found them right in ShopRite and guess what? There's a coupon for it! Click here for $2.00 off.


I am so sick of hearing the "green is too expensive" excuse. People are just lazy, that's the real excuse. The internet has so many coupons for green products, you just have to look for them! To be green and save tons of money? Nothing makes me happier :)

Coming Soon!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of recent posts. I've been working a lot lately and just haven't had the time. But no need to worry! I've got some days off soon and tons of ideas on the drawing board. Here's what you can look forward to:

Eco-Friendly Foundations (the good, the bad, and the ugly)
Shower Goodies (ones that are earth friendly and smell delicious!)
Green Reads: Magazine Edition
Affordable Finds: Jewelry
Safe Pedicures

Great Green Reads!

If you're looking to learn more about green living, there's nothing that can compare to a good, old book. Here are some of my favorites that have found a home on my bookshelf.

The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel

This was my first eco-friendly book I purchased and it really sparked my passion for natural cosmetics. It starts off with chapters explaining everything you need to know about your skin and cosmetics. It does a wonderful job at exposing the truth about the cosmetic industry. In addition to tons of useful info, this guide has beauty recipes that you can make right at home. This is a wonderful reference for anyone who wants to make a change in their beauty routine.

Gorgeously Green and Do It Gorgeously by Sophie Uliano

     

Sophie Uliano is the eco-friendly goddess of style and fashion. Her books show any woman how to be green without sacrificing glamour or tons of time. Gorgeously Green was the first one I purchased and it covers everything from beauty and travel, to shopping and cleaning. It's a great all around guide for anyone who wants to green their life, whether it be a little or a lot. Do It Gorgeously is Sophie's DIY guide to everything possible. It includes sewing tips and recipes for beauty products, cleaners, and yummy food.

Practically Green by Micaela Preston

This is the newest addition to my book collection. It's another all around green living book, but without a strong beauty or fashion focus, which makes it great for both men and women. Practically Green breaks down sustainable living in simple steps. The buying guides are my favorite. It lists stores, brands, and websites for everything from food and craft supplies, to toys and clothing. It makes eco-friendly living a no brainer.


Have you read any of these? What's your favorite eco-friendly book? I'm always looking for more to read! :)

Eco Tools by Alicia Silverstone

I've been a big fan of Eco Tools for awhile now. Their brushes are so incredibly soft. They're just as good, if not better, than professional make-up tools. And the best part? You can find them at Walgreens, Target, and Wal-Mart. Alicia Silverstone has even designed some beautiful cases for the line. I just scooped this one up from Target today:

For $14.99, this is a fantastic buy. The case is made out of hemp and recycled plastic while the flower design is printed with non-toxic ink. It fits a good amount of stuff inside, along with a compartment for your tools. It includes a finishing brush, blush brush, angled eyeshadow brush, and a brow groomer, all made with bamboo handles, recycled aluminum, and 100% cruelty-free bristles.

What I didn't know until now is that there's a new Spring 2011 line coming out in just a few weeks. Check out the revamped style:

Expect to see the new lavender patterns in stores April 2011!

H&M's Conscious Collection

I really admire H&M for proving that well-priced, eco-friendly fashion is out there. Last year's Garden Collection was absolutely adorable and I'm super psyched about their Conscious Collection, launching April 14th. The color palette is very simple: lots of whites, creams, and blushes. The materials include not only organic cotton, but organic linen, recycled polyester, and Tencel.

Natalie Portman caused a frenzy after wearing a dress from the collection at a Vanity Fair event. With all of the publicity, these clothes are going to fly of the shelves.

Here are some of my favorites that I definitely need to check out.

Check out the entire collection here!

Shame On You, Urban Outfitters

I received some feedback from a friend about my last post featuring an Urban Outfitters t-shirt. In lieu of recent accusations aimed at the store, I regret featuring an item of theirs and have taken it down. Let me explain:

Urban Outfitters pledged to be a fur-free store after protests from PETA many years ago. However, it has been brought to light that they have not been true to their pledge. Urban Outfitters has allegedly sold real fur labeled as "faux fur." Instead of admitting to their mishap, they have continued to deny it. Here's a great video, explaining the whole situation:

"It's T-Shirt Time!" - Organic Tees Under $30

It's not easy to find eco-friendly clothing that is both affordable and fashionable. Luckily, it's not impossible. I searched the web for organic tees and found some super cute picks. Here are my favorites, under $30, of course. Enjoy!

Zara - $25.90 - click here to buy!

(too bad the skirt isn't organic, it's so adorable)

Element (at Tilly's) - $23.99 - click here to buy!

Stevester (at Etsy) - $16.00 - click here to buy!

(this shop is one of my favorites: check out the other organic tees)

Sephora's So Called "Natural Standards"

Apparently, Sephora's Natural Seal has been a highly well-known scam for a few years now. I feel like I've been living under a rock because I only recently have discovered this scam.

I've been a rather big Sephora junkie for some time now. Always asking for their giftcards on holidays, constantly surfing their site for new products, and routinely making it a high priority stop at the mall. I even applied for a job there, hopeful to become apart of this fabulous world of make-up.

Since my passion for natural cosmetics began (only for the past year or so), I've always scanned labels for ingredients, always. However, I never did that with Sephora's natural seal products. Despite my knowledge about greenwashing, I trusted my favorite store. What a mistake that was.

An article on MSNBC writes:

"Turns out dozens of products Sephora considers "naturally beautiful" contain high levels of harmful chemicals and cancer-causing agents, according to the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Database."

So I checked out some product's ingredients for myself. I was heartbroken. All of those beautiful eyeshadows by Tarte and Josie Maran? Filled with Dimethicone and Phenoxyethanol. The famous lip butter by Korres? Polybutene is the first ingredient. The list goes on. Although the vast majority of these natural seal products are phonies, there might be a few that are the real thing. To my knowledge, Pangea Organics is one of these.

As disappointing as this was for me, it certainly taught me a very valuable lesson: do your research. Never trust a company's word without sifting through the fine print.

Read the rest of MSNBC's article: The four biggest 'green' marketing scams. 

Eco-Chic iPhones

If you're an iPhone lover like myself, there are tons of ways to personalize your device and make it eco-chic. My favorite thing to do is download applications. Here's my list of some great apps for the green lovers out there.

1. The Good Guide (free) - This app is a great resource for finding sustainable and safe products. It allows you to scan barcodes of items (personal care products, groceries, toys, and much more) to see how they rate on environmental, health, and society levels. Their database is constantly being updated so don't be discouraged if an item doesn't show up.

2.  The Gorgeously Green Survival Guide ($0.99) - Another wonderful reference tool, the GG survival guide is based off of the book by Sophie Uliano (awesome read!). It has a portable checklist of ingredients to avoid in beauty products, eco and money saving tips, as well as nutritional guidelines.

3. VegOut ($2.99) - For the vegetarian that loves eating out: this is the app for you! Powered by HappyCow.net, this guide shows all of the vegan, vegetarian, and vegetarian-friendly restaurants and health food stores in your area.

4. Ecoki (free) - Ecoki is one of my favorite blogs and I love being able to read it on the go. It features great news articles on sustainable living, recipes, tips and much more.

5. iGreen ($0.99) - iGreen is the ultimate app for green news. It keeps you up to date with several different sites such as About My Planet and Hybrid Car Blog. There's always tons to read!

I recently cracked my 3GS and shelled out almost 500 bucks for the newer iPhone 4 (I know, I'm not proud). Needless to say, I'm on the hunt for a new case and came across these adorable ones made out of plant materials.

I usually find eco-friendly cases to be rather boring or just flat out ugly so these are absolutely delightful. I plan on ordering one soon. You can buy yours at Bioserie for $34.95.

Online Store Spotlight: Skin Botanica

Hello there! Just did some late night online shopping at Skin Botanica and I just had to do a post about this site.

I'm in love with Suki and Dr. Hauschka skincare products. They have done wonders for my acne-prone skin. However, they are a bit pricey for my standards. Even though they are absolutely worth the money, the bargain-hunter in me needs to get them for the lowest price possible. That's where Skin Botanica comes in.

Not only do they always have coupon codes listed on retailmenot.com and other coupon sites, but they also have a reward points system. Every time you make a purchase from SkinBotanica.com, Apothica.com, or SkinCareRx.com, you receive points for future purchases (1 reward point = 10 cents, 10 reward points = $1.00, and 100 reward points = $10.00). They really do add up! You can save tons on amazing organic and natural products.

So how much did I save tonight?

Well, my original total came out to $92.70. I used the coupon code SKIN20 for 20% off my entire order. With my qualified free shipping and reward points, my final total came to $59.66.

That's $33.04 that I saved tonight. The bargain-hunter in me is very pleased.

Affordable Eco Beauty Buys

Finding good, eco-friendly make-up always seems to be a bit of struggle for me. Although I love a good splurge here or there, I have trouble shelling out twenty bucks for a single eyeshadow, no matter how wonderful it may be. Without skimping on quality, here's a few of my favorites that didn't break the bank.

Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Jumbo Lash Mascara - $9.95 (drugstores)

Many have raved about the original Organic Wear mascara and it's ability to lengthen and define lashes without chemicals or synthetics. Now meet it's bolder cousin. Jumbo Lash has a bigger brush, very similar to the original. It's great for layering and creating lots of drama. My lashes stayed soft and flexible, yet very defined. For those who are fans of the original, give this one a try!

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm - $6.99 (drugstores)

I am a self-declared Burt's Bees fanatic, especially after the release of these tinted balms. They're a perfect fresh slick of color and a nice switch up from plain old chapstick. Rose has become a staple in my make-up bag. The simple packaging and light scent are wonderful. The only downside is their lasting power, but they are most definitely worth reapplying.


Cargo PlantLove Green Glamour Kit - $29.00 (dermstore.com)


I was seriously craving a good eyeshadow palette when I came across this item. Filled with 18 shadows, this palette is a wonderful collection of brights and neutrals with mainly shimmering finishes and a few mattes. Considering a single eyeshadow from PlantLove is $18.00, this is an incredible bargain (granted, they are smaller, but not at all tiny).

I couldn't find many solid reviews on this product so I was reluctant to buy it, but I'm glad I did. The shades are really beautiful. They look much better in person than they do on the computer. With the exception of 'Loon', all of the shadows are silky and blendable. 'Loon' was a bit gritty for some reason. However, when used wet, the texture was much easier to work with. I definitely recommend this for those who like to play up their eyes.

A Little Bit Of Boho!

So excited to get this blog up and running! Lots of work to do :)