Green Living Blog

Passport America

2011-11-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends, here's a little update on our travels and move. We left Sarasota and we're currently staying at an RV park near Orlando. We will be heading for New Mexico December mid-month. So, we just found out about a great campground discount club and we joined and we just saved $150 by joining and it's paid for itself. They even have a great referral program where you can earn great money. I highly recommend that anyone who is going camping and wants to save money join this great program. Just click on the banner below for more information and to join.
Thank You


 


Passport America - Discount Camping Club

I Love Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics

2011-08-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

I just have to sing praises of a wonderful soap I started using from Melinda Olson's wonderful organic health company, Earth Mama Angel Baby® Family Products I'm very chemically sensitive and I can only use 100% non-toxic organic soaps that contain 100% organic plant essences. Now that I'm a Mommy-to-be, I'm even more sensitive and I'm extra careful about everything I use in my hair and on my skin. EMAB's Natural Non Scents Hand to Toe Wash is a wonderful soap that foams and with a little added water, the soap gently and efficiently cleans my skin and feels very light. Natural, safe, non-toxic plant essences like coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, and aloe make this soap very efficient and wonderful. I also enjoy EMAB's Happy Mama Soap, which has the lovely organic aromas of orange oil and ginger oil. I love these soaps and I love the fact that Melinda Olson, the Mama in charge of the company, is a caring, devoted Earth Mama Wise Woman who genuinely cares about other Mamas and their children. I highly recommend her wonderful organic products to everyone who cares about their family's health and the environment.

Appreciate The Indoor and Outdoor Air You Breathe

2011-07-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Do you appreciate the air you breathe? We’re in the year 2011 and while the principle of green living is becoming increasingly popular, it seems that there are still many people who take fresh clean air for granted. The evidence of this is the consistent use of those nasty toxic air poisoners fragrance products. I’ve read many posts online about the importance of recycling, composting, and solar energy and the importance of contributing to the solution. This is very true and I completely agree, but it’s hypocritical to do these things and continue to pollute the very air we breathe.

I applaud and support all the efforts to take toward conservation, but it’s very important to pay more attention to those products we use everyday on our persons, in the home and office, and in the air. When was the last time you stepped outside and paused and took a deep cleansing breath? The very fact that you can even do this is a blessing and a gift and should not be taken for granted. Indoor and outdoor air are precious gifts that should be treasured, honored, appreciated, and respected. The lungs are terrible things to waste. Let’s contribute to the solution and keep Mother Earth clean and healthy for future generations.

Photos Courtesy of jupiterimages.com

My Special Affinity With Mother Nature's Medicine Cabinet

2011-07-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've been a devout herbalist since childhood and I've always had a special affinity for herbs and Mother Nature. Many times, my parents tried to give me big pharma meds when I felt sick and they often urged me to take the pills, convinced they would help me feel better and recuperate. When I was suffering from a painful draining cold, my Mom really urged me to take medicine, especially those prescribed by my pediatrician, but once again, I refused and protested.

One time, I relented and tried to swallow a pill, but it was enormous, and I nearly gagged and choked on it. I felt sick to my stomach and promised myself that I would never take another synthetic big pharma pill again. To this day, I have not taken one synthetic big pharma pill in 25 years.

When I was upset and feeling weepy, my Mom wanted me to drink a mainstream caffeinated tea that she thought would help me feel calmer and more relaxed. I told her that it had caffeine in it and I only wanted a tea if it had an herbal blend in it. She didn't understand and argued with me, but finally let it go and gave me the space to make my own choices.

As upsetting as it was, I tried to understand that my parents didn't know better and were only suggesting something that they thought would help. Since I'm the only person in my family who prefers herbs to meds, I'm unique.

To this day, as an adult, I still have difficult communication with my family because I'm different, but I'm grateful and proud of who I am and the sage wisdom I've gleaned from such marvelous wise women as Susun Weed, Marisa Herrera, and Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D.

I take heart in knowing that I'm learning to be self-sufficient and I'm relying on Mother Nature's wonderful medicine cabinet, whose majestic beautiful herbal gardens grow in beautiful bounty all over the world. I feel very deeply grateful to know that I'm developing a healthy strong relationship with a natural healing modality that has no dangerous side effects and contains no harmful synthetic ingredients that will harm me.

Photos Courtesy of jupiterimages

Non-Toxic Organic Insect Repellent

2011-06-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

In order to enjoy the holiday and be comfortable, it's a good idea to use a non-toxic organic insect repellent so the pesky bugs don't bug you. You can buy a good effective spray at your local organic health food store or you can make your own. Here is a good blend my husband and I make that is very helpful:

Soak 4 thick slices of fresh cut lemon in 4 C boiling hot water overnight. The next day, once the lemon water has cooled, gently slowly pour into a spray bottle. Add 3 drops organic citronella essential oil, 3 drops organic peppermint essential oil, 3 drops organic tea tree oil, (melaleuca) and 1 drop organic clove essential oil to the mixture and close the spray bottle tightly and shake well so the blend is thoroughly mixed. Keep this mixture on hand to use when you need it. Use caution, as some of the essential oils may cause skin sensitivity. It's best to use the spray mixture to spray the bugs near you, instead of spraying directly to your skin.

Photos Courtesy of jupiterimages

Green Your Laundry and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

2011-06-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

One of the most important steps you can take toward greening your life and reducing your carbon footprint on Mother Earth is using 100% organic environmentally friendly laundry detergent. With the wide array of detergent products available on the market, it's very easy to feel confused. Unfortunately, the 21st Century has complicated a very simple necessary task. The best way to ensure that your laundry is green, safe, and non-toxic and that your carbon footprint is small, is to buy your products from an organic health food store.

To save money and your health, you can also make your own detergent. My husband and I have been using the following non-toxic method for more than 15 years and we are very happy with the positive efficient results. Please remember that the overpowering fumes from the toxic products you use seep into the groundwater and pollute the outdoor air and the wildlife. We tend to forget that we share this beautiful blue green living planet with beautiful graceful creatures that grace our skies everyday, including sea gulls, eagles, turtledoves, hummingbirds, butterflies, and little finches. These beautiful creatures deserve the right to breathe clean healthy air as much as we do. The following is a recipe I use every week to do my non-toxic green laundry.

For A Large Load of Laundry, Mix:
1 C baking soda
1 C white distilled vinegar
1/2 C Borax

Instructions:
Begin a hot water load of laundry. As hot water fills the washing machine, pour the baking soda. Make sure you empty the bowl of all the baking soda residue and then pour the vinegar. The reason for this is that when you pour the vinegar in the bowl while there's some baking soda residue, the 2 ingredients fizz when mixed together and you don't want the bowl to overflow before you pour the ingredients into the washing machine. This mixture is great because it's affordable, easy to use, non-toxic, earth-friendly and completely free of toxic petro-chemicals and irritants. My husband and I use this efficient method every time we do laundry and we always have very positive results!

When you add the number of people doing toxic laundry every week in every city across North America, the numbers are staggering and the air pollution that's being caused from this is a horrible environmental nightmare. It's the 21st Century and it's high time to vote green with our wallets and contribute to those companies that genuinely care about the environment, the humans, and the animals.

Photos Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Decluttering Is Important For Good Health and Peace of Mind

2011-05-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of the activities that make moving very stressful and difficult is packing and moving your belongings from one address to another. My dear husband and I have had to endure this several times and it's very stressful and draining. The more belongings you have to pack and move, the more stressful and exhausting your move will be. Unfortunately, many of us tend to accumulate a lot of things throughout our life and it becomes very difficult to let it go, especially the sentimental things. Although packing is an important part of moving, it's wise to consider de-cluttering your life and making a strong effort to minimize the amount of things you own. Here are a few tips to consider when de-cluttering:

1. Have you used the item in the last six months?

2. Is the item clean or can it be cleaned efficiently for use?

3. How many of the item do you have?

4. Is the item necessary or is it weighing you down as extra clutter?

5. Is the item going to contribute to your health and happiness?

Photo Courtesy of jupiterimages

If you haven't use the item in the last six months, chances are you won't use it, so, it's wise to sell it or donate it. If the item cannot be cleaned efficiently, it's wise to throw it out and forget about it. Unless you're collecting for a special event or occasion or it's part of your special collectibles, it's wise to donate the excess items. If the item is just weighing you down and does not serve a purpose, it's wise to donate, recycle, or discard it. Having excess clutter adds to the stress in our life and prevents us from moving forward and enjoying healthy happy lives.

Enjoy A Nature Walk On Earth Day April 22

2011-04-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

A wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day is to show appreciation for all of the beautiful living beings that inhabit this beautiful planet. Enjoying a nature walk and all the magnificent treasures hidden in various little natural nooks is a great way to connect with Nature and all of her creations.

You never know what beautiful creatures and plants you'll find along the way. The beautiful little frog and the vibrant little lizard scampering across your path are gentle reminders that we share this magnificent planet with countless animal species and we should walk the path with kindness and awareness. The beautiful vibrant flower blossoming out of a mossy rock or a moist shiny meadow is an important reminder that the Earth is covered with vast miles of rich, vibrant vegetation that depends on clean pure air, water, and soil to survive.

Please remember that we humans share this magnificent planet with countless plant and animal species. As sentient caretakers, it is our responsibility to show caring kindness for all living beings. Take a moment to think about how your actions and choices affect Nature and the wildlife. Before you litter the ground, imagine a wild animal curiously exploring the fallen litter and getting sick from eating it. Please remember that the petro-chemicals in your shampoo, hand soap, and laundry detergent go down the drain and pollute the air and groundwater.

All photos Courtesy of jupiterimages.com

Please be kind to all life on Earth and use only non-toxic, earth-friendly, biodegradable cleaning products that contain organic plant essences. "The earth does not belong to man. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." Chief Seattle

Intentional Cooperative Communal Living Is A Must For Survival

2011-04-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of jupiterimages.com

Now more than ever, owning land in common with like-minded Kindred Spirits and living cooperatively in a communal manner is very important. Gone are the days of men and women being an island. In other words, we can no longer survive with the mentality of “every man or woman to him or herself”. Challenging economic times and daily stressors make it so we must turn to our dear close friends, neighbors, and family loved ones for support, comfort, and survival. Yesterday, we asked our next-door neighbor for a cup of sugar.

Photo Courtesy of fotosearch.com

Today, we'll be asking our next-door neighbor for extra drinking water and seeds or soil to help grow a healthy organic vegetable garden. It is because of this that it is wise to have next-door neighbors with whom we feel safe and comfortable with whom we can trust, especially in the event of an emergency. When we own land in common with these next-door neighbors with whom we trust and feel safe, we can rest easy knowing that we will be there for each other, regardless of the situation. As we learn to trust and feel safe and comfortable with each other, we'll be able to make wise important decisions together and help each other enjoy healthy happy lives together. This is the best form of healthy living and survival.

Seeking Community

2011-03-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

My dear husband and I are looking for a non-smoking vegetarian non-religious intentional cooperative community with acres in the Continental USA 100 miles from the nearest nuclear reactor and New Madrid and San Andreas earthquake fault lines. We prefer to join a self-sufficient community that's already formed that has a clean spring as a clean source of water, a healthy thriving organic vegetable garden, herb garden, fruit groves, and is either currently using off-grid alternative green energy or is working toward that as an immediate goal. It's very important that we like-minded Kindred Spirits come together to live together in cooperative communities and work together toward common goals and intentions. We have 2 cats, our babies, and we prefer to live in a community where the other members have animals living with them and animals are a beloved part of the family.

Photos Courtesy of jupiterimages.com

In this day and age with all the unsettling uncertainty of Earth changes, corona mass ejectas solar flares (CME's) and the uncertain shaky geo-political climates, it is very important that we come together and live together in a cooperative communal manner and help each other survive the coming changes. Please visit http://www.coasttocoastam.com for more information on CME's. If you know of anything like this, please contact me and send me an e-mail so we can discuss it further. Thank you. Peace and Love. permadeva@yahoo.com

Important Message From The Hopis: A Hopi Elder Speaks

2011-03-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to the year 2012, Mother Earth's changes become more profound and intense everyday and life becomes more stressful and challenging as a result. The recent Japan earthquake and tsunami literally turned the lives upside down of the Tokyo residents and life will never be the same. Unfortunately, as much as no one wants to face the reality of these devastating events hitting closer to home in the USA, the potential for natural disasters increase tremendously, leaving all of us extremely vulnerable.

The following information I want to share with you is intended to empower you, not cause fear, and I write these words with love and kindness from my heart. I've seen all too often what happens when people choose not to prepare themselves for the eventuality of potential natural disasters and it's not good. Please read the following tips to understand and learn how you can empower yourself and take the necessary action steps to protect your family and be safe and healthy:

Garden Photo Courtesy of jupiterimages.com

Learn to be self-sufficient and own land acreage in common with like-minded Kindred Spirits in a healthy safe region that's higher ground.
Grown your own healthy organic vegetable garden, herb garden, and fruit groves.
Make sure you have your own clean source of water, preferably a well or spring.
Learn to live off-grid and install your own safe alternative green energy power sources: solar, wind, and hydro (water).

There are several informative websites that can help you and your family learn to prepare for the upcoming Earth changes and stressful challenges.

Please visit http://www.coasttocoastam.com and tune in to their live Internet radio show to listen to guests who are experts on the topics of survival, living off-grid, and healthy, safe, alternative, green lifestyle. Please read the following website to read A Hopi Elder Speaks: http://www.communityworks.info/hopi.htm for more information and please share with your dear friends and loved ones! Education is empowering!

Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day In A Healthy Organic Vegan Manner

2011-03-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite special Holidays because it honors Saint Patrick, the man who wrote the beautiful song, “Amazing Grace”. It's also special to me because it honors and celebrates Ireland, a beautiful country, whose magnificent majestic emerald isles and Magickal Spirit permeate its beautiful essence.

When I celebrate, I wear healthy non-toxic cotton green clothing and I use organic vegan food and cosmetics. Instead of using toxic green food coloring that contains F.D.&C.'s, which contain coal tar (petroleum), I enjoy eating green herbs and foods, like peppermint, parsley, broccoli, asparagus, and spinach. I also enjoy calming uplifting organic essential oils, like peppermint, patchouli, pine, spruce, lime, and lemon. Celebrating St. Patrick's day in an organic vegan manner is a great way to honor the beautiful island of Ireland in a healthy manner that honors Mother Earth.

Photos Courtesy of jupiterimages.com and treehugger.com

Laughter Is Truly The Best Medicine

2011-02-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

Laughter is truly the best medicine and it keeps me healthy and feeling good and alive. When I'm feeling under the weather, tired, or emotionally distressed, the first thing I do is watch my favorite comedy on TV or watch a great movie comedy. It's wonderful and amazing how quickly I feel distracted, good, and relaxed when I laugh and forget about how miserable I feel. Norman Cousins, the beloved author and peace activist, suffered from various debilitating ailments, and he did everything he could to watch as much comedy as possible to expedite his healing during his hospitalization. The laughter was great healing medicine for him and it helped to alleviate his pain in the last days of his life. Norman Cousins is one of my favorite historical heroes because he knew intuitively how to alleviate his painful anguish and create much needed levity.

Photo Courtesy of jupiterimages.com

When I laugh so hard that my face and belly hurt and I can't catch my breath, my cells are happy and the woes of the world cease to exist. Laughter is very alkalizing for the body's ph and enlivens the blood cells because it is very healing and gives the immune system a nice energizing healing boost. Laughter releases natural endorphins, which are natural hormones that are released to make the body feel relaxed and happy. Laughter is one of my favorite parts of my healthy lifestyle. I recommend it to everyone!

Make Green New Year's Resolutions and Keep Them!

2011-01-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

Greening your life and improving your health, keeping your carbon footprint small, is becoming easier and simpler. Here are a few tips you can do everyday to begin to make your life greener.

Planet Earth Photo,

Courtesy of

http://www.istockphoto.com

1. Ride a bicycle. Riding a bicycle is great exercise and uses zero gasoline - a very green activity.

2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce your consumption and do your best to buy groceries in bulk, reducing packaging. Reuse storage and packaging containers. Recycle as much as possible. We can work together to prevent more garbage from rotting in toxic landfills for years to come!

3. Green your bathroom, medicine cabinet, and kitchen. Many toxic petro-chemicals lurk in your everyday cosmetics, personal care products, and cleaning products. One of the most important things you can do to green your life is give your bathroom a green makeover.

It's the year 2011 in the 21st Century and it's very timely to make the conscious green choice to vote with your wallet and only purchase products from companies who genuinely care about the environment, the animals, and the humans. Become an avid label reader and simplify your life.

Did you know that all synthetic color dyes that are in foods and cosmetics are derived from coal tar, which is derived from crude oil petroleum? So, unless the shampoo, cleanser, or hand soap you're using contains henna, peppermint, and natural wild blue indigo for natural color tint, you're exposing your health and your family's health to poisonous toxins that are going to put your family's health at dangerous risk.

To learn more about how you can green your home and contribute to the healthy green solution for Mother Earth, please visit my website: http://www.notperfume.com

My Historical Hero For Peace and Equality: Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

January 15 is the Birthday of one of my favorite historical heroes, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked very hard to promote peace, equality, and justice and spoke to thousands of receptive listeners who promised to share his message. I've been in humble awe of this wonderful man since I was a young girl and the Holiday observing his Birthday has always been very special to me. I cry and smile when I hear his voice because he warms my heart and fills my heart with hope and courage. He inspires me to be a better stronger woman and it's largely because of him that I am a survivor and work hard to promote peace, equality, and justice.

Photo of

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Courtesy of

http://free-stock-photos.com

I'm deeply saddened by the hateful violence that took his life. It saddens me even more that this mad world continues to be full of toxic hate, ignorance, and intolerance. This is one of the reasons I'm vegan. Peace indeed begins on the dinner plate. As long as people continue to eat a being that was violently slaughtered and had fear and terror coursing through the animal's being right before the slaughter, hate and violence will continue. This is also the reason I have a pink twibbon on my Twitter avatar. It's the year 2011 in the 21st Century and the time for love, peace, and compassion are long overdue!

Photo of Vegan Burger, Courtesy of

http://www.fotosearch.com

Healing Organic Aromatherapy For The Winter Season

2010-12-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

A good healthy way to keep your home clean and comfortable with lovely pleasant aromas for the autumn and winter seasons is to use organic aromatherapy that contains organic essential oils. When the seasons change from warm to a chilled cold, it can have a variety of effects on the nervous system. One way to help keep the spirits up and the atmosphere feeling light, warm, and uplifting is to use organic aromatherapy that contains organic essential oils. Organic essential oils, like cinnamon, patchouli, sandalwood, orange, lemon, cedar, and pine create a lovely atmosphere that is enlivening, uplifting, warm, and grounding. There are a variety of ways to create a lovely atmosphere in your home with aromatherapy. You can use organic essential oils and organic earth-friendly candles that are made from soy or jojoba wax.

Aromatherapy Photo Courtesy of

http://www.fotosearch.com

Please make sure to purchase the organic candles from a organic health food store or an earth-friendly store that sells only organic earth-friendly products. This way, you can be sure that the candles you purchase are completely 100% organic and earth-friendly and contain 100% organic essential oils. You can also use a distiller to disperse natural essential oils into the air and fill the entire room with lovely aromas. You can use more than one distiller to fill your entire home with lovely aromatherapy. The combination of using aromatherapy this way and keeping your home naturally bright, uplifting, and warm is a wonderful way to help you feel good and healthy during the colder seasons.

Get Creative For The Holidays and Make A Gift

2010-12-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

Generosity of Spirit and gift giving is an activity that should not be limited to the Holiday Season, when gift giving is turned into a mad commercial race to the stress line. Whether it's someone's Birthday or it's a Holiday, gift giving should be a sacred act done so from a place of love, care, and loving thoughtfulness, to show your loved ones how much you love and care about them. It's also a good idea to give a gift that is heartfelt and is environmentally-friendly, especially if the person receiving the gift is asthmatic and chemically sensitive. One year for my Birthday, my dear husband made an adorable hand puppet made from a paper lunch bag and made the cutest cat face. After we woke up and started our day, he surprised me and said "Happy Birthday" and meowed! He drew an adorable sweet cat face on the paper bag with whiskers and ears and when he meowed, he had his hand inside the puppet, and made the cat come to life! I was delighted and I laughed and cried. I thought it was so cute and thoughtful.

Recycled Gift Bag Courtesy

of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

He's been making me laugh for years and this was just precious and darling! It was a very thoughtful gift and I still have the adorable cat puppet tucked away in a box of sentimental things. Another year, a dear friend called and left a message on our answering machine to wish me a Happy Birthday and played Sir Paul McCartney's "Today's Your Birthday" in the background. I laughed, applauded, and cried with delight. I was very deeply touched and she really made me happy. Give your vehicle a break, give the environment and road a break and do something different for your dear friends and loved ones. Be a creative non-conformist and make a gift that speaks from your loving caring heart.

My Special Affinity For Mother Nature and Her Beautiful Animals

2010-12-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

I've had a special affinity with Mother Nature and her beautiful animals since childhood and they are truly my best friends. When I'm outdoors exploring and enjoying Mother Nature's wonders, I smile in amazement and awe. When I take walks or sit on the grass with my dear husband, butterflies, squirrels, beautiful large birds and adorable small birds move past us with such swift grace and we're delighted by their presence. The delicate Magickal beauty of a colorful butterfly captivates our attention and makes us smile. When I take a close look at the delicate details of a butterfly, I'm humbly amazed by the profound delicate details of the colors and I'm in awe admiration of its freedom.

Butterfly Photo Courtesy of Kerri Farley

Kerri Farley's Wildlife Photography Blog

When I quietly watch a frog and gently lovingly hold it in my hand, I watch its subtle bodily motions and listen to its gentle songs. I talk to it very softly and feel tremendous humble gentle love for it and assure it that I will protect it and keep it safe. When I sit and stand next to a beautiful tall tree with its beautiful Magickal green leaves and brown branches growing in natural synchronicity, I smile and feel tremendous gratitude that my carbon footprint is very small and I make a genuine effort to keep my life as green, healthy, and wise as possible. Mother Nature is a wonderful Magickal artist and I'm grateful that the beautiful colorful flowers, green grass, and bees are free to live their natural wild synchronistic lives with freedom. I'm grateful that my personal choices in my life and the actions that I take do not hurt or infringe upon the delicate lives of these Magickal magnificent creatures.

I Have A Special Affinity For Animals

2010-11-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

I've been an animal lover since childhood and vegan for 15 years and my special love for animals has become stronger as an adult. I've always had a special love and connection bond with animals and as a Highly Sensitive Person, (HSP) I have tremendous respect and appreciation for animals. I love all animals - farm animals, cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, mice, dolphins, whales, squirrels, and birds. I've looked into the eyes of many animals and I always see the same thing - wisdom, intelligence, love, beauty, gentleness, and mystery. When they look back at me, I smile and laugh, wondering if we're having a conversation or if they're trying to figure out what kind of weird animal or human I am.

I once looked into the eyes of a cow and that was quite a memorable moment. On the way home from a road trip, my husband and I stopped along the side of the road and we smiled and greeted a cow that was on a ranch property on the other side of the fence. We happily said, "Hi there, we just wanted to say hello and let you know that we don't eat you because we're vegan and we don't eat your people, our friends. Have a nice day." We said good-bye and returned home.

Several years later, we attended a vegan Thanksgiving potluck at Los Angeles Rancho Park, California, and met a rescued chicken. It was the first time that either of us had seen a farm animal up close and personal in such a peaceful, free, relaxed manner. We cried tears of joy and for those special moments, it totally changed our perspective on farm animals. Very few people make the connection between the meat neatly packaged on the store shelf and on their plate. According to John Robbins' book, "Diet For A New America," most people are desensitized and taught to believe that farm animals are stupid, unintelligent, and have no feelings. I can tell you firsthand that is completely false. I was initially cautious because I had never seen a farm animal up close in this manner and I didn't want to frighten her, especially considering the horrifying conditions she was rescued from. But after a few moments, I gently touched her head and her back and she looked up at me and I could see that she was totally relaxed.

There is no question in my mind that animals have feelings and feel the joy and pain from other animals and humans. I feel the same way about my cats, Cali, a beautiful, sweet, loving, adorable Calico, and her brother, Marble, a sweet, adorable, beautiful, cuddly gray Tabby. When I feel bad, depressed, angry, stressed, or physically under the weather, my kids are very sensitive and comfort me and cuddle with me for hours at a time. They know I'm their Mommy and they love me and care about me and I love, care about, respect, and adore them. I'm very deeply grateful for the special connection I share with animals and the loving healing they give to me in my life.

Healthy Natural Stress Remedies

2010-11-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite quotes is, "Laughter is truly the best medicine," Norman Cousins. Everyday life in the 21st Century has become very complicated and stressful and at times, it can be a real strain. The Holidays can be especially stressful and this is the time when we need to help each other even more to get through the difficult times. Here are a few things my husband and I do to find comfort and help each other feel better.

1. Laugh, laugh, laugh! Watch your favorite comedies. Laughter is our favorite natural remedy for coping with stress and the blues.

2. Cuddle with a furry friend. Animals are amazing wonderful creatures and can help us heal our pain and soothe our woes. When we cuddle with our cat fur babies, we smile and laugh and feel much better. We love and care about them and we love their healing soothing purrs! Enjoying a cuddle with a furry friend does wonders and is sure to bring a smile to a distressed face.

3. Take a walk and get some exercise! Bodily movement is one of the most important things you can do to lift your Spirits, improve your energy, and feel better!

4. Enjoy a warm shower or soak in a warm bath. Showering always helps us feel better! We feel clean, invigorated, and renewed!

5. Enjoy your favorite organic essential oils. Organic essential oils of sandalwood, peppermint, lemon, and patchouli are our favorites for uplifting healing organic aromatherapy. They soothe our woes, reduce our stress, and lift our Spirits!

Photos Courtesy of

http://www.fotosearch.com

In these trying stressful times, let's help each other cope and feel better and show each other how much we love and care for one another.

Soothing Organic Aromatherapy

2010-11-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

When I'm feeling emotionally distressed, stressed, or physically under the weather, I enjoy organic aromatherapy to soothe my woes and lift my Spirits. My favorite soothing organic essential oils are sandalwood, lemon, peppermint, and patchouli. When I step out of the shower, a whiff of sandalwood oil helps me feel grounded, soothed, and invigorated, and I often put a drop on my wrist and my neck to enjoy the soothing essence for hours. I enjoy lemon oil when I want to freshen and enliven the indoor air and feel energized and invigorated.

Aromatherapy Photo Courtesy of

http://www.fotosearch.com

Peppermint oil is an essential oil I carry with me in my purse and I always make sure I have an extra bottle in my clothing drawer. I enjoy it as organic aromatherapy. A whiff of peppermint oil energizes and invigorates me. A whiff of patchouli oil helps me feel grounded and lifts my Spirits. Sandalwood oil and patchouli oil are two of my favorite organic essential oils because they have a lovely natural woodsy aroma and they help to lift my Spirits during the Holiday Season.

My Simple Organic Beauty Regimen

2010-10-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

When it comes to smelling and looking good, my motto is "wear organic or wear nothing!" I'm a very simple down-to-earth woman and I prefer to keep my beauty and cleanliness regimen simple and down-to-earth. When I begin my day, I splash my face with cool water, drink a cup of spring water, and do a little facial yoga to keep my facial muscles healthy and comfortable. When I shower, I use organic lavender castile soap and rinse my face under the shower. I comb and de-tangle my wet hair and allow my hair to dry naturally. I wear makeup only on special occasions, but when I do, I wear a little translucent foundation powder, a little blush, eye shadow, and lipstick. Sometimes, I just wear a little lipstick and absorb some Vitamin D from the sun, allowing the warmth to make my cheeks naturally rosy.

When my skin feels itchy, dry, or uncomfortable, I gently massage the uncomfortable areas with a teaspoon of organic unrefined untoasted sesame oil. When I want to smell lovely and feel good, I pour a drop of organic sandalwood oil on my wrists, ankles, and neck. I'm grateful for the lovely gifts Mother Nature gives me. If we could all learn to be grateful for the lovely gifts Mother Nature gives us and simplify our lives, perhaps we could learn to appreciate what we have and be happy without trying to make unnecessary dramatic painful changes to our appearance.

The Addiction To Synthetic Toxic Fragrance Is Out Of Control

2010-10-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

The addiction to synthetic toxic fragrance is out of control. You'll find fragrance in perfume, shampoo, deodorizer, (or what I refer to as air poisoner) lotion, detergent, even carpet shampoo. It's gotten to the point where when I step outside and I am forced to breathe those nasty toxic poisons, I can't distinguish between the smells. The smells give me a headache, make me feel very dizzy and ill, and I have to bolt back inside my home just to breathe safe clean air. Last night, I went into the kitchen to check on my laundry, and feed my cats and I felt overwhelmed by an overpowering smell of fragrance. I ran back to my bedroom to catch my breath and I had to cover my face with my pillow just to breathe! It was awful! I then took a shower and I even smelled it in the shower! It occurred to me that someone nearby was shampooing their carpet or something similar, but I realized that I'd have to wait it out and hope for the air to clear. I'm grateful that the indoor air in my home is clean and healthy.

This is the painful plight of all asthmatics and chemically sensitive canaries like me. This is the reason I have a portable washing machine that I hook up to the kitchen sink because I cannot share a washing machine with any mainstream person who uses toxic commercial detergents. I believe in "living simply so that others may simply live," Gandhi. I'm a very simple, plain, down-to-earth woman and I don't need my clothing, my home, and my person to smell like a proverbial perfume factory in order to smell and feel good. I keep my life as green and simple as possible because I care about the air I breathe and I care about the environment and the wildlife. For more information on how to live a fragrance-free life and protecting your health, please visit my website: http://www.notperfume.com

My Favorite Ways of Enjoying Organic Aromatherapy

2010-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

I made a wonderful discovery recently that greatly lifted my Spirits. When I pulled some clothing out of my drawer, it smelled lovely. I keep all my organic essential oil aromatherapy bottles in my clothing drawer and the essence permeates everything, making all my clothing smell lovely. My clothing smells like a lovely combination of organic sandalwood, lavender, peppermint, and lemon. I keep the bottles in close proximity to my clothing and the result is very lovely. The combination of enjoying a lovely cleansing warm shower with organic lavender castile soap and wearing clothing that has a lovely organic aroma is wonderful. The organic healing aromatherapy makes me feel very good, rejuvenated, and alive. I then pour a drop of organic sandalwood oil on my wrist and neck and create a lovely aromatic combination. This adds a wonderful dimension to enjoying lovely healing aromatherapy. These are great ways of enjoying aromatherapy and smelling of lovely organic fragrance.

Decluttering Is Great For The Soul

2010-10-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

With all the stress in my life, one important thing I've learned that helps me stay on an even keel is cleaning and de-cluttering. Being buried in a mountain of clutter is horrible for the psyche and is very draining, emotionally and physically. There is nothing to be gained by accumulating so much stuff that you become disorganized, stressed out, and unable to focus. For me, Spring cleaning is more than just cleaning the dirt and grime and making my home sparkling clean. Spring cleaning is about separating the wheat from the chaff and out with the old and in with the new. I'm a very simple down-to-earth woman and I don't need a mountain of stuff and I especially don't need three of everything. My husband and I were fortunate enough to find an interesting set of rules online that's served as a great guideline for de-cluttering.

Here are some of the rules we follow. If we haven't used the item in six months and we're not going to use it in six months, we freecycle, donate, or discard it. If an item would sell for less than $10, it's not worth selling; therefore, recycle, donate, or discard it. If the clothing or item is tattered and too grimy to clean, discard it. A surprising thing happened when we de-cluttered. We found many things that we can recycle and underneath the pile, we found several items that we've been looking for that we thought we'd either lost or accidentally discarded. The best part of de-cluttering is the tremendous feeling of relief knowing that we're lightening our load and creating positive space for more positive in-flow.

My Mom's Wonderful Homemade Organic Lemon Aromatherapy

2010-10-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl, my Mom did the most unusual amazing thing to clean the indoor air. She'd run the garbage disposal and gently throw in a few whole fresh lemons cut into wedges and let the water run. The natural lemon aroma filled the air of the entire house and smelled wonderful and beautiful! I remember this as if it were yesterday! She never sprayed any kind of synthetic deodorizer around the house to deal with odors or germs. She didn't believe in throwing away her money on such nonsense. She did the lemon aromatherapy in the kitchen at least three times a week and everyone who was in the house loved it! She did this with oranges and limes too! I used to think it was a bit odd and unusual, but thinking back to the indelible memory makes me smile at her creative ingenuity and down-to-earth simplicity! I'm very deeply grateful for the wisdom my Mom imparted to me as a young girl and it's largely because of her that I'm so down-to-earth.

Natural Wild Places Are To Be Respected, Not Polluted

2010-10-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is unwinding in and connecting with Mother Earth and all her beautiful glory! Natural wild places beckon me constantly and I cannot resist the call. The moment I'm at a beautiful park or beach, I feel a sense of Peace and calm and I begin to feel energized, rejuvenated, and alive. This afternoon, my husband and I were enjoying some quiet moments, enjoying the cool white sand, the beautiful rhythmic oceanic waves, and the precious sea gulls gracing the beautiful blue sky. He started to rest a little and I enjoyed a little sunbathing. However, there is one thing that painfully disrupts that sense of calm and that's when people smoke cigarettes and wear overpowering perfume that suffocates our lungs! Everything was going well until we both started choking and I had to bury my face deep into our blanket just to try to breathe!

A couple people were smoking and nearly every person stank of overpowering perfume! I went to the restroom to take care of a basic bodily need when I noticed that a woman was applying makeup, spraying her hair, and using a hair dryer! The worst part about this is that it ruins my enjoyment and takes away my desire to return to the beach or parks. The toxic synthetic scent doesn't just affect my health. I can't even imagine how it affects the wildlife. People rarely think about how the volatile vapors of the toxic synthetic scent affect the cetaceans, the sea gulls, and other beautiful wildlife, but then again, they don't have a voice, so they can't tell you how they feel. Maybe it's time we

The Sound of Silence

2010-10-07T13:19:00.001-07:00

When was the last time you took a few moments to pause and observe silence? When was the last time you appreciated and respected the subtle sounds of Mother Nature and made the effort to quiet your cell phone and other mobile gadgets to really appreciate Mother Nature's wondrous sounds? This blogpost is dedicated to all those special beautiful people out there who enjoy peace and quiet and prefer and appreciate the subtle natural sounds of life, including singing birds, crickets, and hummingbirds. In a world where escaping loud noise is becoming virtually impossible, it's very refreshing to know that there are natural wild places in the USA where you can enjoy many special moments of peace and quiet.

Photo Courtesy of istockphoto

One such beautiful place is Olympic National Park, USA. They dedicated Earth Day as a day of complete silence. The staff and visitors observe various forms of noise pollution that intrude upon their quiet enjoyment, such as aircraft, and make an effort to write notes to each other instead of talking out loud to each other. They've made this rule of silence a rule and they're striving to extend this to other days in the week. Let's work together and restore the beautiful wonderful sounds of silence.

Organic Lemon Essential Oil Is A Must Have For Your Everyday Needs and Survival

2010-10-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Organic lemon essential oil is another must have for your everyday needs and survival. It's been known for decades to have healing, energizing, and anti-microbial benefits. Here are some of the ways my husband and I use this wonderful Magickal healing wonder. I pour a drop of organic lemon essential oil into the palm of my hands and rub my palms together to create lovely healing aromatherapy inside our home. The aromatherapy is very uplifting and creates positive healing energy in the indoor environment. Organic lemon essential oil is very effective in cleaning the air. I pour one or two drops of the organic lemon oil into a glass of water to clean it and add a cool refreshing flavor, which is an added benefit on an oppressively hot day. Organic lemon essential oil is a must for your emergency preparedness kit and first aid kit.

Organic Lavender Essential Oil Is Very Healing

2010-10-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Organic lavender essential oil is another wonderful oil known for its phenomenal healing benefits. Lavender has many wonderful purposes and these are a couple of my favorites. I pour a drop of organic lavender essential oil into the palm of my hand and rub my palms together to create lovely healing aromatherapy in my home. But even more important is lavender's healing benefits in times of survival. When I started learning about organic essential oils, I learned how powerful and healing they are and that I should not leave home without them. I read about lavender's healing benefits for sunburns and minor kitchen burns, and I was relieved and grateful to discover that a few drops of lavender essential oil on burned skin brings immediate soothing relief and expedites the healing process.

After my husband and I had been swimming and sunbathing for several hours, we returned home to discover that we were as red as lobsters and very fatigued. We were afraid we wouldn't be able to sleep. We treated each other's skin with several drops of organic lavender essential oil and covered many areas of our bodies. We repeated this process the next day and we were amazed to discover that our sunburns had healed and our energy returned. We felt much better and more alive and refreshed. We've also experienced amazing results when we suffered minor burns while cooking. Organic lavender essential oil is a must have in your emergency preparedness kit and first aid kit.

Organic Peppermint Oil Is My Favorite Essential Oil

2010-09-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Organic peppermint oil is my favorite essential oil because it has many healing medicinal properties. Peppermint is great for survival, healing, and everyday purposes. I've been studying organic living and holistic medicine for more than 15 years and I've been fortunate to enjoy peppermint's invaluable Magickal healing benefits. Peppermint oil is great aromatherapy. I pour a drop into the palm of my hand and deeply inhale the aroma for energy, to help cool and clear my lungs, and to help me breathe something healing when I'm exposed to toxic air pollution.

I put a drop in a glass of water to make it taste refreshing and cool on an oppressive hot day. I put a drop on the soles of my feet for better energy and to cool down on an oppressive hot day. One of my favorite ways to use organic peppermint oil is to put a drop on my tongue and swallow. It's very cooling and refreshing and makes my breath smell lovely. Organic peppermint oil is my favorite essential oil.

Organic Lavender Castile Soap Is Very Healing and Rejuvenating

2010-09-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

There is something very Magickal and rejuvenating about bathing with liquid organic lavender Castile soap. Knowing that I'm bathing with a liquid soap that is gentle and nourishing to my skin and is safe and healthy puts my mind at ease. When I read a liquid soap label and see that the only ingredients are organic hemp seed oil, Jojoba oil, olive oil, and lavender oil, I feel safe and at ease. I know that I'm protecting my health and my highly sensitive skin. My skin is my largest organ and it absorbs everything like a sponge. An added bonus is the fact that the lavender is very healing and uplifting aromatherapy. It's very comforting to me knowing that I'm caring for my personal hygiene and lifting my Spirits at the same time. This healing aromatherapy blend I use is wonderful for creating healing positive energy and is very rejuvenating. I look forward to using it every time I shower. It's a real Magickal Green Blessing.

Dolphins and Whales Are Magickal Beautiful Animals

2010-09-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm very grateful that the book, "Dolphins and Their Power to Heal," by Amanda Cochrane and Karena Kallen, touched my life. I was fortunate to find this wonderful book on the free bookshelf of a metaphysical bookstore in Los Angeles, CA. This book came into my life when I needed it most. I was enduring some very challenging difficulties in my life and I had recently begun learning about dolphins and whales and their tremendous wisdom and power to heal. One of the wonderful things I learned in this book is that therapists and health practitioners have worked with wild dolphins for years in helping to heal autism sufferers and many other people with various other mental, emotional, and physical ailments. Apparently, dolphins have very large brains and have evolved way beyond we humans.

I read a story about a young autistic boy who was very sad and a near mute, very unsociable and withdrawn. The story is very heartwarming and brought tears to my eyes because the moment the boy's mother held him gently in the water, a dolphin swam right up to him and showed him tremendous love, gentleness, and tender kindness; very similar to the kind of love you experience when cuddling with a cat or dog. Initially, the mother was a bit apprehensive and not sure it was a good idea, but the moment the beautiful dolphin made physical contact with her son, the dolphin squealed and squeaked and smiled and her son immediately started laughing, splashing, and playing with the dolphin. For that one special moment, there were no negative feelings, only pure beautiful unconditional love, and the boy and dolphin continued to play like dear friends and nothing else mattered.

There are many wonderful stories like this in the book and each story is equally heartwarming. Dolphins have tremendous capacity to love, play, feel and share emotions, and help we humans. But this will only happen if we show them, the whales, and their natural habitat, the vast beautiful mysterious ocean, respect, honor, kindness, and love. Please remember that the ocean is a vast world unto itself that is home to countless beings that swim and fly. Please conserve, protect, and respect this vast mysterious beautiful world and keep your carbon footprint as small as possible.

I'm A Healthy Happy Vegan

2010-09-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons I went vegan. I've been a happy healthy vegan for more than 11 years and I'm vegan for life! Like most kids, my family was convinced that I needed dairy products to be healthy, strong, and grow. Bless their Hearts, I certainly don't fault them for their ignorance, but nevertheless, it's upsetting that their ignorance nearly cost me my health. As a child, I suffered from horrible sinus problems and stomachaches. My parents didn't understand what was wrong and they kept taking me to the doctor to check me. Silently, I knew deep inside that the dairy products were making me sick, but I kept it to myself because I didn't want to disrespect my elders and sound crazy.

Fortunately, many years later, my dear husband and I went vegetarian together and made some wise healthy decisions. One painful New Year's Eve was a painful eye-opener and forced me to make a vital health decision. We celebrated New Year's Eve by baking chocolate chip cookies and drinking Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. I lay curled up on the bathroom floor in agony and tears from a horrible stomachache and that was it! I was done consuming dairy! We attended a wonderful vegan potluck on Thanksgiving and met some wonderful health experts, including Howard Lyman, the Mad Cowboy, and we were sold on the idea of going vegan. Despite all the debates with family members insisting that we were crazy, we still have tremendous conviction and continue to be healthy happy vegans!

Organic Cotton Menstruation Pads Saved My Life

2010-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

After using commercial disposable pads and tampons for menstruation for many years and suffering from horrible painful adverse health reactions, I did some research for natural alternatives. I was relieved and grateful to discover that there is indeed a healthy natural safe alternative. At the time, I was using cotton pads that I bought from an organic health food store and I wanted to buy a second pair, but I discovered that they had been discontinued, so, I was delighted when I discovered Glad Rags. I'm highly chemically sensitive and my skin is hiqhly sensitive so I have to be very careful about what I use on and in my body. I'm very organic-minded and aware and I do everything in my power to buy only those products that are conducive to my personal health and contribute to a very small footprint on Mother Earth. I'm happy and grateful to say that I've been using these wonderful organic cotton pads for many years and they continue to keep me safe, protected, and healthy.

Herbs Are Safer Than Big Pharma Meds

2010-08-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Considering the dangerous side effects that result from taking synthetic big pharma medications, making the decision to put your complete trust in herbs is a very wise decision. The numerous lawsuits that have occurred in the recent 10 years prove that there is a high risk factor involved with taking big pharma medications for any reason. The Vioxx case involving Merck & Co. Inc. and now Gardasil are two of the many lawsuits that occurred because the patients suffered horrifying adverse health problems, some deadly, because the medications contain toxic ingredients that destroyed the lives of these victims. All you have to do to know that the medication is dangerous and should not be used is to attempt to read the long list of ingredients on the package. You'll require reading a medical journal or encyclopedia just to decipher one ingredient.

The solution is simple. Mother Nature's medicine cabinet contains herbs that have grown wild for decades and pose no risk of destroying a person's life. Herbs like valerian and chamomile may be a little sedating, but they won't send you to the emergency room because you feel like you're dying. You can trust Mother Nature's bountiful medicine cabinet for all that ails you. All you need to do is familiarize yourself with various plants, their use, and medicinal properties, and you'll be safe and healthy.

When You Lovingly Care For Your Body, Your Skin Glows

2010-08-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

There is no magical secret to maintaining good health and healthy skin. When you treat your health and your skin with tender loving care, you will experience positive wonderful results. What we put in and on our bodies has a direct result in how we look and feel. For the best results in looking and feeling your best, the wise approach is to keep it simple and use the most natural organic vegan ingredients possible. Use natural essential oils that are gentle and soothing to your skin and make you feel good and alive.

Natural essential oils like lavender, sandalwood, chamomile, sesame, and jojoba are wonderful and soothing and will help to give your skin a healthy natural glow. They also have a lovely healthy uplifting aroma. If your skin tends to suffer from dryness in the colder months, moisturize it with warm gentle soothing almond oil or sesame oil. These oils are wonderful and soothing and will give your skin a nice healthy glow. The most important thing to know to keep your skin and your body healthy and happy is to use all 100% organic natural essential oils. Mother Nature provides all the natural ingredients you need to look and feel healthy, well, and happy.

Organic Cruelty-Free is a Win/Win in Green Karma

2010-08-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I support wearing 100% natural organic personal care and cosmetics products is because they contain 100% organic natural plant essences and they are beneficial for your personal health, the environment, and the animals. The reason for this is because companies like Aubrey, Aveda, and Dr. Bronner's do not do any animal testing of any kind. When you use soap, shampoo, cleansers, and makeup that contain 100% organic plant essences and are completely free of toxic petro-chemicals, you can rest assured that you're contributing to a 100% win/win in green Karma. Organic plant essences, like peppermint, patchouli, sandalwood, chamomile, and lavender are safe and gentle to your skin, your cells, the environment, and the wildlife. No being - human, animal, or plant-life - need suffer from the use of these products. This is one of the most important steps you can take toward reducing your carbon footprint on Mother Earth.

Introduction to organic essential oils

2010-08-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Introduction to organic essential oils, including background and explanation of their use, recommendations for use and application.

Cotton Shower Curtains Are Healthier and Safer Than Vinyl

2010-08-13T14:18:00.001-07:00

After years of being exposed to toxic vinyl shower curtains and suffering painful respiratory health problems, I researched healthy alternatives and made some wonderful discoveries. Vinyl is becoming less popular everyday and cotton, especially organic cotton, has gained in popularity. According to Greenpeace, vinyl contains toxins, such as PVC and phthalates, that do not biodegrade, and transform into extreme toxic pollution for the groundwater, wildlife, and the very air we breathe. As a severe asthmatic and chemically sensitive sufferer, I am very grateful to have the choice to use a cotton curtain and be able to breathe much easier. Recently, my husband and I were very fortunate and delighted to pick up a cotton shower curtain from a local freecycler. After letting it air out in the fresh air outside and outgas the toxic synthetic fragrance it was exposed to, he was happy to hang it on our shower.

Healthy Vegetarians and Vegans Don't Need Fast Food

2010-08-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Although I love animals dearly, I made the decision to go vegetarian primarily for health and environmental reasons. The ample information health experts and advocates shared with me was enough to help me make a very healthy wise decision. My newfound friends and the health experts I listened to encouraged me to eat healthy plant-based foods that were organic and whole and non-denatured. The next step was vegan and I'm happy to say that to this day, I'm a healthy happy organic vegan and I'm very grateful for the choices and decisions I made.

One of the vital decisions I made was to vote with my wallet and only contribute to those businesses that genuinely care about the planet, the animals, and the humans. I am adamantly opposed to supporting corporate America, especially those destructive monster chains that have their talons in every country in the world! One of them is McDeath and to my chagrin, there are activists who, oddly enough. support them and are encouraging others to support them.

I recently read a couple tweets celebrating their so-called "kindness toward chickens" and some "green work they're doing". I feel like I'm in the twilight zone here! Why on Earth would anyone with common sense support a monster that's contributing to the destruction of every species on Earth; plant, animal, and human? The green rumors are "greenwashing" and this rumor being spread about their supposed "kindness" toward chickens is ghastly and absurd! Considering their menu of fast toxic death mixed in with tasteless cardboard and flavored with laboratory created substances that when mixed together, could create a bomb, there is nothing benevolent about their menu.

Instead of encouraging newbie vegetarians and vegans to eat fast death, why not support the animals, Mother Earth, and personal health? Respecting the animals and being a voice advocate for them is wonderful, but adapting a vegan diet is also very much a health and environmental choice. It's very hypocritical to advocate a plant-based diet, respecting the animals, and at the same time voting with your wallet for fat cat monsters. There is no self-respect, honor, dignity, or empowerment in such decisions.

In the year, 2010, there are a bounty of wonderful healthy organic vegetarian, vegan, and raw restaurants in every city throughout North America and abroad. There are also a bounty of wonderful organic health food stores and certified farmer's markets where people can empower themselves and make conscious honorable purchases with their wallet. Please support conscious aware companies that support Mother Earth, the animals, and the humans. Vote with your wallet and let your voice be heard and make a positive contribution!

Organic Hypocrisy

2010-08-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

The organics greenie movement has become very popular in 2010 and many people are striving to reduce their carbon footprint. The problem is that some of the efforts being made are minimal and don't make sense. A good example of this is the agenda to conserve water and stop drinking water from plastic bottles. These are both very important steps to take toward reducing our carbon footprint on Mother Earth and I certainly do commend them. The problem is that there are those who believe that providing they're conserving water and drinking water from a non-plastic bottle, it's okay and safe to pour toxic petro-chemicals down the drain.

I wholeheartedly disagree with this way of thinking. Being mindful of water usage is important, but it does not make any sense to take a 3-minute shower while washing your hair with toxic petro-chemicals that will damage the indoor and outdoor air, the groundwater, and the wildlife. And please remember, you may be drinking water from a clean source, but if you're using hair and skin care products that are laden with toxic petro-chemicals, your cells will absorb everything like a sponge because the skin is the largest organ.

A true environmentalist cares for his or her personal health and the health of the planet equally. Please stop polluting Mother Earth and learn how products that contain 100% organic herbal plant essences can help you improve your health. Please improve your relationship with Mother nature and show her honor, respect, compassion, and gentleness.

Moon Glory (c) Copyright D.A. Colvin 2011 All Rights Reserved

2010-08-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Trees of light brush thru the Clouds
Their Hearts strumming
The Kiss of night
Children playing in the Darkness
Streams of Light Kiss the Moonlit Sky.

Black Skies and Beaches (c) Copyright 2011 D.A. Colvin All Rights Reserved

2010-08-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Black Skies and Beaches
Walking on sandy beaches
Sand reflections from the crescent Sky
Stars beaming forward the Horizon
Birds singing, their wings holding fire
I feel my lungs quench the Moon-filtered air
As the Indigenous Species turn in for the night.

Organic Skin Care News

2010-07-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

The ability to have important news and information right at your fingertips via the Internet makes learning about current news events easy and efficient. This is especially true when learning about vital natural health and skin care news. The countless informative environmental news and organic information websites provide vital information that helps people make wise healthy decisions that affect their personal health and the health of their loved ones. Since 2001, the Internet has attracted a wide audience and the readership has exploded into millions. As long as non-profit environmental organizations, like Environmental Working Group and The Earth Day Network, provide ongoing current information about the potential dangers of toxic petro-chemicals in personal care and cosmetics products, the number of concerned consumers continues to grow.

Due to this growing concern, there has been an increased strong interest in alternative organic personal care and cosmetics products. Organic vegan natural skin care products have become particularly popular. Aware conscious consumers believe in prevention, wisdom, and common sense and are choosing products that contain organic natural essential oils. They believe in taking good care of their skin by using organic natural essential oils that nurture and protect their skin. Environmental awareness education is the key to common sense and healthy beautiful skin.

Mother Nature Is A Safe Trustworthy Friend

2010-07-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

When I began learning about natural remedies 20 years ago, I was introduced to a world of herbs and healing that was wonderful for my heart and soul. The most important thing I learned about healing and herbs is that Mother Nature will always be there for support. Once you learn about wildcrafting and how to heal, be well, and survive, herbal natural remedies will always be able to take good care of you. Wonderful healing herbs like mustard, tomatoes, chamomile, ginger, dandelion, eucalyptus, cinnamon, and garlic are ancient healing herbs that have been growing wild for centuries and will continue to grow wild for many more centuries. As challenging as it may be for some people to believe, the modern conventional medical system will not exist forever. Big pharma medications, medical doctors, and medical surgeons are not reliable.

Please remember that all mainstream toxic commercial products have only been around since the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Mother Nature did not create them. As the desire for wise healing natural medicine increases, as well as the wise understanding of the potential danger of using "slash and burn" practices, people will begin to understand the strength and potency of healing herbs and grassroots holistic medicine and they will use ancient sage wisdom. It is for this reason alone that developing a strong healthy relationship with Mother Nature and your body and understanding your body is so crucial. It is much easier to understand and recognize an ingredient like chamomile or peppermint than propylene glycol or PEG (polyethylene glycol). A very favorite expression among the health and wellness community is "if in doubt, do without". Please keep it simple and do your health a caring loving favor. Trust Mother Nature and let her take good loving caring nurturing care of you.

Fab 4 Empowering Health EBooks For The Price Of 1

2010-06-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

It's the 21st Century and life on Planet Earth is extremely out of whack for humans, the animals, and the environment. Degenerative diseases continue to be on the rise and conventional "slash and burn" doctors are not making any strides to improve things. People have to work twice as hard to meet their needs and health cost bills are getting worse not better. A significant reason for this is that the choices people make for what they put on and in their body contribute to their poor health, and instead of keeping them healthy, their health continues on a downward spiral, costing them time, energy, and money.

Did you know that "a man needs additional cholesterol as much as a drowning needs a glass of water"? - Howard Lyman, the Mad Cowboy. Did you know that with the amount of water used to produce one hamburger, you could float an entire battleship?

The 1st book, You Can Have Your Cheesecake and Eat It Too! Fitness Made Simple, is a very timely book that teaches you how to enjoy heart-healthy low-fat nutrition while saving time, energy, and most importantly, your wallet! In the 21st Century, it has never been easier and more sensible to eat a healthy plant-based diet. And with the bounty of affordable delicious foods available for making healthy, delicious, low-fat meals, it's a great time to adapt a healthy plant-based diet. Cheesecake will help guide you in the direction of improving your health, feeling good, and increased longevity.

In the year, 2010, it's very timely to be more green-minded and eliminate the toxic poisons lurking in your bathroom! Did you know that the ingredient, "fragrance," alone contains an upwards of 5,000 petro-chemicals, none of which are regulated by the U.S. FDA, and worse yet, the fragrance and cosmetics companies are not required by the FDA to disclose ANY of their ingredients. Instead, they hide behind the term "trade secret" and keep the crucial information hidden from the average consumer! You could be poisoning your health and the health of those you love and care about dearly!

The 2nd book, Keep Your Vanity Without Losing Your Sanity, is a very timely book that teaches you how to enjoy organic beauty and cleanliness, completely FREE of toxic petro-chemicals, using 100% organic non-toxic natural plant-based ingredients. This book provides priceless information that will help you improve your health, green your life, reduce your carbon footprint and significantly reduce your dependence on oil on Planet Earth, and most importantly, will help you save money!

The recent tragic oil spill is by far the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history! The horrifying pain that this tragedy has caused is touching and affecting lives across the USA and abroad and the anger and disgust with big oil corporations is mounting stronger and stronger everyday! With no relief in sight, people feel angry and betrayed and they're losing faith in the hope of a healthy green future on Planet Earth. It's sad and heart-breaking! The good news is that there is hope!

Just when you thought you'd seen everything, I've also written two wonderful unique green adventure novels that are page turners and sure to keep you captivated and riveted.

Hawaiian Eyes, The Quest For True Health is a very timely green adventure novel that shows the reader that there is no reason to feel hopeless and disempowered. Amanda Kaidei and her brothers and sisters were born and raised in Hawaii in the '70's, during a time when personal health and environmental awareness didn't matter in Hawaii as much as day to day survival. Their parents were raised to believe that making unhealthy toxic choices in their dietary habits and hygiene and overall daily lifestyle was acceptable and there was no need to be concerned about a healthy green future. Through life experience, including formal education, and the school of "hard knox," the Kaidei siblings learn that when you take a stand and stand firm with your convictions and empower yourself with knowledge, nothing can stop you from creating a bright healthy future for yourself and your loved ones!

Northern Woods, The Ancient Forests Are Alive is a very timely green adventure novel that empowers the reader to stand firm and strong in your convictions. Natasha Enders is about to graduate from the local university in the town of Northbrook, CA, and is preparing for a career as an environmental studies professor. After enjoying an overnight camping trip in the middle of the forest, Natasha is devastated to learn that the forest she's grown to love and enjoy is about to be deforested by the local lumber company. To make matters worse, she attends a peaceful protest against the lumber company in the forest and witnesses the tragic murder of a dear friend and is arrested for trespassing. Feeling futile, helpless, and scared, Natasha is afraid of going to jail and destroying any hope of a lucrative career as an environmental studies professor at her alma mater. With the love and help of her dear devoted friends, Harvey Moore and Annie Tera, and a wise powerful attorney who defends her in the trial, Natasha discovers that there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm offering this special compilation for the irresistible introductory price of $10.95 for a limited time! You can order it now by sending me $10.95 via check or money order to my P.O. Box at:

D.A. Colvin

P.O. Box 5343

Sarasota, FL 34277

- or -

If you prefer, please click the PayPal button below for quick easy ordering.

I hope these e-books empower you with knowledge to allow you to live a happy and healthy eco-friendly lifestyle. I'm very deeply grateful for all the dear wonderful friends I've met and connected with online and I appreciate all the help I can get. Please let me know if you have any questions. Many Green Blessings, Warm Love, Hugs, and Wishes to you!

A Magickal Dolphin and Whale Encounter

2010-06-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, my husband and I had a profound experience that's an indellible memory. We were with some marine mammal lover advocates, enjoying a little boating outing to see if we could spot some beautiful wild dolphins and whales. It had been a long day and I was exhausted and started to drift to sleep, but it was difficult because the water was choppy and the boat was rocking back and forth. Instead of resting, I held onto the boat for dear life and waited with anticipation for a sweet surprise.

For a few moments, it was very quiet, the ocean was calm, and no one uttered a sound. They turned off the boat engine and we all sat very still and quiet, waiting with quiet patient anticipation. Then, in an instant, a huge Orca slowly emerged from the water, poking its head out, and looked directly at us! We were fairly close to it and it looked larger than life. At first, I was scared and startled and not sure how to react. Then, I relaxed and smiled and felt like the smallest humblest human being on Planet Earth.

It was the most beautiful majestic thing I'd ever seen and it brought tears to my eyes. The beautiful Orca moved around a little for a few moments and gently waded in the water. It jumped and leaped, and played and swam, and at one point, jumped so high into the air, we were all in awe as it took our breath away! I reached out my arm with the hopes of it moving close to us and touching me, but it stayed in the same spot.

Another encounter was equally awe humbling and breath-taking. We were relaxing at the beach around the same time. We sensed something magical around us and we sat upright and smiled, feeling very excited and overjoyed to see a beautiful bottlenose dolphin and her baby gracefully swimming along the shoreline. Together, they swam, played, and did several flips out of the water. We sat quietly, motionless, enjoying the beautiful sight.

When I think about their wondrous majestic beauty and wisdom, I am in complete humble awe in their presence and I strive to do my best to show them the utmost compassion, love, honor, and respect. After all, these beings are the record keepers of Mother Earth and the ocean is their home. Shouldn't we show them how much we Love, respect, honor, and care about them?

2010-06-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

In the cool crisp air
Rain falls gently on the sidewalk
The Wind swishes thru the Trees
It's a beautiful orchestra in the Heavens
As the Trees smile and sing with glee
The Birds chatter and whistle a happy tune
The Flowers dance with Bliss in their Hearts
And the Sky is filled with infinite excitement
As the Animals find their way home
Out from the Sky shines Mother Nature Herself
Her spectacle painted with incredible revere
This is what makes Her glad to be alive
So, finding herself in the infinite Horizon
Her Love spread to everyone in tune
We close our Eyes and share a sounding breath
This is our Celebration we shall hold forever.

Recipe Organic Vegan Rice, Potatoes, and Veggies

2010-06-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this delicious organic vegan recipe.

Organic Vegan Rice, Potatoes, and Veggies

1 Idaho Russet potato, ends removed, rinsed, chopped
1 C leftover prepared and cooked pkg. Casbah Rice Pilaf (follow cooking instructions on pkg.)
2 C broccoli, stalks removed, rinsed, chopped
1 C organic carrots, ends removed, rinsed, chopped
1/2 C garlic, ends and peel removed, rinsed, chopped
1 C Italian squash or yellow crooked neck squash, ends removed, rinsed, chopped
3 C organic cooked sweet peas, rinsed
2 T Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 T Bragg Liquid Aminos

Instructions:

Bring 2 quart size stainless steel pots of water to a rapid boil - 1 to cook the potatoes and another to cook the veggies. Once the water reaches a rapid boil, reduce heat to medium. Add the potatoes to 1 pot and the broccoli, garlic, and carrots to the another pot and stir gently. Let the veggies cook for a few minutes until they soften a little and then add the yellow squash and stir gently. Check the potatoes in the other pot and stir gently, checking the consistency often.

When the potatoes are soft enough, turn off the heat and remove from the stove and drain. When the veggies reach a desired soft consistency. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove and drain. Once thoroughly drained. Mix the potatoes and the veggies together in a pot or a bowl, mix in the Earth Balance Buttery Spread and Bragg Liquid Aminos thoroughly and chill in the freezer for a few minutes. When it's cool enough, serve and enjoy!

Organic Recycled Papers Are Gentler and Safer for Your Health and the Earth

2010-05-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Petro-chemicals have found their way into every aspect of our modern daily life. Manufacturers include chemicals in the processing of every modern product known to mankind. No product is exempt from the use of toxic chemicals. One of those items is an everyday product that people spend a significant amount of money on; paper products. People use toilet paper and paper towels everyday and never stop to think about the process involved with making these products. It may seem mundane and less important than eating organic foods and using organic cosmetics, but the truth is that there is a significant amount of toxic petro-chemicals used in the manufacturing of these paper products. In addition to cutting down trees and processing these papers through a pulp and paper mill, petro-chemicals and chlorine are also used in the processing. Chlorine is used in the bleaching process to make the papers white. Fragrance is used to make the papers smell clean and pretty.

The result is a toxic witch's brew that pollutes the air, the groundwater, and the soil, and creates a serious problem for people who suffer from asthma, chemical sensitivity, and allergies. Cheap equals very low quality and highly toxic. The best thing you can do for your family's health is invest a little money and purchase paper products that contain 100% recycled post-consumer waste and contain zero chlorine, fragrance, or harmful synthetic dyes. The paper may be brown or dull in appearance, but you're getting a paper that is soft and gentle, is completely free of chemicals, leaves a gentle footprint on the earth, and is safer for your lungs and your health.

These Are Some of My Favorite Healing Medicinal Herbs

2010-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

When it comes to beauty, wellness, and survival, there are a few wonderful herbs that I swear by and highly recommend. My favorite herbs are peppermint, spearmint, lavender, dandelion, parsley, sandalwood, and cinnamon. There are many others that I love and help me with many aspects of life and health, but these are my favorites. The day I discovered natural medicine and organic beauty was a real blessing. I've always had a special affinity for Mother Nature's plant kingdom, but learning what vital profound healing benefits I could enjoy with herbs was very special to me and uplifted my Spirits. Peppermint and spearmint are wonderful healing energizing aromatic herbs. They're very healing for indigestion, an irritated sore throat, and cooling the soles of my feet on an oppressively hot day.

Lavender is a very potent healing herb. It can be used for beauty, a lovely herb and flower garden, and it can be used for healing burns and other ailments. Lavender is very soothing to the skin and can help to heal and rebuild skin cells. Dandelion adds a very healing medicinal touch to green salads and acts as a healing diuretic. Parsley is beautiful, can add a lovely touch to a meal, and helps with overall healing to various internal organs in the body. Sandalwood oil is very soothing, calming, and cooling. It creates wonderful healing aromatherapy. Cinnamon is wonderful for soothing and calming and helps to stimulate the appetite when I'm not feeling well. When you develop a healthy relationship with Mother Nature, she will be a caring loving supportive dear friend. Which are your favorite herbs?

Natural Herbal Insect and Critter Repellent

2010-05-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Summer would not be complete without the nasty annoying bugs to ruin your day. It never fails. As soon as the days get hotter and longer, every insect known to man flies in your face and becomes very uncomfortable. The natural inclination is to grab a bottle of bug spray and destroy the insect before it gets in your face. The problem is that all those bug sprays contain DEET and a plethora of other toxic carcinogenic petro-chemicals that can make you sick and destroy your health. They're also terrible for the environment. The spray may keep the bugs away, but at the cost of destroying your health, it's better to use natural earth-friendly herbal products.

Citronella, peppermint, cedar, sandalwood, spearmint, tea tree, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, Jojoba, and olive oil are a wonderful combination of essential oils that will help keep the bugs away and protect your health and the environment at the same time. Whatever critters annoy your day – ants, mosquitoes, noseeums, gnats, and others – you can use these pure organic essential oils to protect your skin and keep the nasty buggers away and keep them at bay. Borax is another effective natural non-toxic repellent that is very effective in protecting your environment from red ants, roaches, and another annoying destructive critters. Put a few drops of pure peppermint essential oil and some fresh natural rosemary twigs and leaves in various parts of your home and the ants will leave you alone. If you use common sense, nature can be your healthy best friend!

Don't Chlorinate Your Swimming Pool - Ozonate It

2010-04-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone's favorite summer activity is swimming in a pool. Nothing can compare to swimming in a cool refreshing pool on an oppressively hot summer day. It was my favorite pastime on long hot summer days and there were days my mom had to coax me to get me to take a swimming break. The one downside to this was the uncomfortable unhealthy aftermath my lungs suffered after being exposed to heavy amounts of chlorine. After swimming for several hours, I'd feel tired, but even worse, my eyes would be red and sting for hours and I'd have to a cool wet cloth on my eyes. I'd then have to rinse my eyes several times for relief. My skin, hair, and swimsuit would stink of chlorine and I always had trouble breathing. Chlorine is the worst thing you can use to disinfect your swimming pool. Studies have shown that chlorinated water has been linked to cancer and breathing problems, such as asthma. There is nothing natural, sensible, or safe about using chlorine to disinfect and clean your water. It takes quite a bit of time to air out your swimsuit after it's been exposed to chlorine.

There are natural healthy alternatives to chlorine and they're more effective at disinfecting the water. One of these alternatives is known as an Ozonator. It's a cool technological device you install in your swimming pool to ozonate the water, naturally disinfecting and purifying the water with no risk of allergies, side effects, or health problems. It's safe, odorless, and effective in protecting everyone's health. Now, you can enjoy a nice swim without compromising your health. There's plenty of information about this online. Do you think it's time for public swimming pools to be more earth-friendly and non-toxic, especially for people who suffer from breathing problems?

The History of Wildcrafting For Healing and Survival

2010-04-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

According to history, many centuries ago, before the Industrial Revolution, men, women, and children were self-reliant and developed a healthy relationship with nature and an understanding of the various healing properties of herbs and plants. There were no factories, office buildings, big pharma meds, or medical doctors to consult with for advice. They learned quickly how to identify wild plants and healthy ways to create natural healing mixtures and remedies for beauty, natural medicine, and various needs. Wild trees and plants like sandalwood, peppermint, mint, lemongrass, tomatoes, parsley, patchouli, mustard, lavender, and Tea Tree (Melaleuca) grew in abundance and provided a beautiful vast natural outdoor laboratory for learning, work, and exploration.

Today, many people continue this popular lovely practice. Many men, women, and children live in self-sustaining intentional cooperative communities that function completely off the power grid and they learn how to survive and enjoy everyday life in a completely organic earth-friendly manner, relying completely on Mother Nature's bounty. These bright self-reliant people learn how to create healing infusions, tinctures, organic cosmetics, natural healing medicinal potions, ointments, and salves and they are very healthy, happy, and peaceful. The ability to enjoy a life that is completely self-reliant and self-sufficient will help you to feel very empowered, strong, and wise. Which wild herbs and plants do you enjoy wildcrafting?

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues indoor air quality policy for all CDC offices nationwide. Who's next?

2010-04-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

"This is arguably the strongest and most important chemical-free and fragrance-free policy in existence for the workplace."

"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, recently issued a policy on indoor air quality that will affect all CDC offices (owned, leased and rented) and more than 15,000 employees nationwide. Among a host of indoor air quality standards, the policy includes specific guidelines restricting the use of fragrance in cleaning and personal care products." What took them so long?

"Workers, those person who work in CDC facilities regardless of their employer, including employees, contract workers, guest workers, and others."
This is Huge!!!

Read more
http://www.thecanaryreport.org/2010/04/07/centers-for-disease-control

Green Your Laundry For Earth Day

2010-04-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

With Earth Day approaching, it's wise to be mindful of the products we use to do our laundry. Laundry is an integral part of our daily life and it's very important to keep it organic and non-toxic. The average consumer uses commercial mainstream detergent, fabric softener, and bleach, and the toxic combination takes a serious toll on the precious eco-systems and wildlife. Commercial detergents contain phthalates, which are carcinogenic plastic compounds, lung irritants, and fragrance, which contains at least 5,000 petro-chemicals, none of which are regulated by the U.S. FDA. When you consider the fact that the average consumer does laundry once or twice a week using these toxic products, and there are at least a million people in every major U.S. urban city, the statistics are staggering. In addition to the toxic residue polluting and harming your health and your family's health, imagine the harmful damage the toxic petro-chemicals have on the environment. The toxic residue goes through the pipes, seeps into the groundwater, and pollutes the air. When you consider the staggering number of people doing laundry using these toxic products, that's a horrifying amount of pollution.

These products are especially harmful to people who suffer from severe chemical sensitivities and asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The lungs are terrible things to waste. The best way to prevent health problems is to use 100% organic non-toxic laundry products. Baking soda, white distilled vinegar, and Borax are very effective in cleaning clothes. You can also add organic essential oils to your laundry for improved smell and efficient cleaning. Lemon, orange, lavender, eucalyptus, and mint essential oils are very effective in providing safe organic aromatherapy and are anti-microbial. These products are very efficient and completely biodegradable.

For a large load, you can use this mixture that my husband and I've used for many years: One Cup of baking soda, one Cup of white distilled vinegar, and half a Cup of Borax. It's best to use a measuring cup for accuracy. Many environmentally conscious people throughout North America and abroad have been washing their clothing this way for many years and they continue to do so on a regular basis. It’s wise and sensible to use organic non-toxic laundry products in order to reduce our carbon footprint on Planet Earth for us and future generations. What's your favorite way of doing organic non-toxic laundry?

10 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint On Mother Earth

2010-04-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

10 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint On Mother Earth:

1. Go vegan. Did you know that with the amount of water used to produce 1 hamburger, you could float an entire battleship?

2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We all need to simplify our lives, reduce our consumption, and recycle. Consider buying some of your clothes, books, and knick knacks at a secondhand thrift store. You'll contribute to less manufacturing and a reduction of energy usage. You'll also be reducing or eliminating the need for toxic polluting landfills.

3. Go organic and non-GMO. Eating foods that are organic are healthier, safer, taste better, and are much gentler to Mother Earth.

4. Ride a bicycle. Riding a bicycle requires no fuel and requires very little maintenance and it's very good healthy exercise.

5. Carpool. Each vehicle that has more than 2 passengers is 1 less vehicle contributing to traffic gridlock and polluting the road and the environment.

6. Green your hygiene, cleaning, and cosmetics products. Beauty and cleaning products that contain 100% natural organic plant essences are safe, healthy, and require the use of zero toxic polluting petro-chemicals.

7. Buy your fruits, herbs, and vegetables from a local certified farmer's market or grow your own garden. When you buy locally and grow your own, you're contributing to far less dependence on oil in shipping and production.

8. Use natural organic herbs instead of big pharma meds. Herbs are safe and gentle and they have no dangerous side effects.

9. Compost. Composting is a great non-toxic effective way to fertilize the crops and enrich the soil. You may find a few wonderful surprise volunteers sprouting up.

10. Organic aromatherapy. The safest healthiest non-toxic way to keep the air clean and healthy is to use non-toxic organic plant essences. Lemon, tea tree, (Melaleuca) lime, and orange are great and anti-microbial.

What's your favorite way to keep your carbon footprint small?

Water Is A Precious Resource

2010-03-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Water is a precious resource that should be respected and appreciated like oxygen. Water is used for many things, including bathing, drinking, nourishment, and crop irrigation. The human body is 70% water and it's important that we all drink adequate water. The Earth consists of 70% water as well and it's vital that we do all that we can in order to conserve this precious resource.

Unfortunately, there are many countries where people are unable to get adequate water to care for their basic needs. If they are able to gain access to water, it's most often contaminated and too toxic for consumption. The water isn't even suitable for hygienic needs. With the bountiful amount of water that covers the Earth, there should be plenty of water for everyone. Unfortunately, this precious resource is squandered and wasted in agribusiness. March 20 is International Water Day, a day to observe the importance of water sanitation. Let's take this a step further and appreciate the fact that water is a precious resource. Being mindful of your water usage with showers and washing dishes is important. Adapting a vegetarian diet is also important. A meat diet uses 4,000 gallons of water. This is enough to float a battleship. In comparison, an ovo-lacto vegetarian requires only 1,200 gallons of water, and a vegan needs a mere 300 gallons.

We also need to be mindful of the everyday products we use for hygiene, cleanliness, beauty, and laundry. These commercial mainstream products contain toxic petro-chemicals that when rinsed down the drain, seep into the groundwater and go out into the air, causing tremendous pollution and damaging the wildlife. It is for this reason alone that we need to vote with our wallet and purchase green, organic, earth-friendly products that contain 100% biodegradable plant essences. When you stop to think about how precious water is, it's a humble reminder that we all need to appreciate it, respect it, protect it, and conserve it.

Happy Great American Meatout Day

2010-03-13T18:29:00.001-08:00

It's the 21st Century and you're still eating meat? March 20 is the Great American Meatout and people across the globe will be celebrating this important special day by taking the vegpledge, a pledge to go vegetarian. There are many great reasons to adapt a complete vegetarian or vegan diet; compassion for animals, social and environmental responsibility, health, and economics. To clarify, I'm specifically talking about factory farm feedlot meat. Whichever reason motivates you to take the vegpledge, congratulations on making an important decision that affects all walks of life on Mother Earth! In the 21st Century, there is no need to consume animal protein. Howard Lyman, the Mad Cowboy, says, "all humans need additional cholesterol as much as a drowning man needs a glass of water". Cholesterol, excessive protein, high fat, and a clogged colon are good enough reasons alone to kick the meat habit.

Adapting a complete healthy balanced vegan plant-based diet is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint on Mother Earth and reduce human and animal suffering. Sir Paul McCartney sums it all up: "If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you could do." There is a bounty of wonderful websites that have helpful resources and wonderful delicious recipes to guide you and help you become a wise healthy vegetarian or vegan. Please be good to yourself and your health and let the mammals roam, the birds fly, and the fish swim. Happy Great American Meatout Day!

Cedar Is The Organic Earth-Friendly Moth Repellent

2010-03-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

Think twice the next time you're inclined to buy mothballs to protect your clothing. Mothballs are very popular to fulfill the need for protecting clothing, but this popularity can be potentially harmful to everyone's health, especially children. Mothballs may look as harmless as regular cotton balls, but looks can be very deceiving. Mothballs contain naphthalene or 1,4-dichlorobenzene, very toxic chemicals that can produce harmful effects when inhaled. They are also poisonous if eaten. Dressing infants in clothing that was stored in naphthalene can cause poisoning. Protect your family's health with an organic herbal earth-friendly alternative.

Cedar blocks and pure cedar organic essential oil are very effective for protecting your clothing from destructive moths. You can buy a bunch of small cedar blocks and place them in good strategic places that would normally be a nesting ground for moths. Place a few in your closet, your clothing drawers, and any other place that normally attracts destructive moths. The strong aroma from the cedar block and the essential oil will deter any moths and keep them far away from your clothing. The best part is that your family's health is safe and protected and there are no harmful toxic fumes in the air to make anyone sick. It's good to use as much cedar as you can. Feel comfortable and safe creating cedar aromatherapy throughout your home. The fresh woodsy cedar aroma will make your home smell alive and clean and will keep all those annoying bugs far away from the things that are important to you.

Overpopulation Is A Serious Problem On Planet Earth

2010-03-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

There is too much noise, too much pollution, too much war, too much conflict, too much of everything. The reason for such fierce job competition, too many toxic fragrance users, too many cars, and too much meat consumption is because of overpopulation. There is no mystery as to why the human race is wrought with problems and often seems like a power keg ready to explode. If you compare today's cities to the cities in 1920, you'd see a dramatic difference. Urban sprawl has spread like wildfire throughout North America and is getting worse on a daily basis. This is because of an explosion in the population. For every new child who is brought into the world, there is a need for food, clothing, personal care hygiene products, and a better running vehicle that gets good gas mpg.

When you think about the current number of people in the world, that is a significant huge number, and with the new births everyday, that number is steadfastly on the rise. The one thing that can help to mitigate the overpopulation is to make healthy wise choices that reduce your carbon footprint on Mother Earth. If each new child brought into the world ate an organic natural vegan diet, bathed in products that contained 100% organic natural plant essences, and used and wore clothing and miscellaneous items that were made from non-toxic, earth-friendly, recycled materials, his/her carbon footprint would be significantly reduced. Something to think about. Don't you think?

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a Healthy, Organic, Earth-Friendly Manner

2010-03-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day, March 17, is a day to honor St. Patrick, who wrote the spiritual song, "Amazing Grace." It's also a special day to honor the lovely majestic beauty of Ireland. Ireland has a magical beauty that has captured the hearts of people throughout the world. To honor this magical beauty, people traditionally wear green. It's lovely to celebrate the Spirit of the Holiday and wear special lovely green clothing that helps you commemorate this Holiday. It's fun to enjoy various festivities that capture the essence and Spirit of Ireland, but it's best to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in a healthy organic manner.

The healthiest choices for green clothing are those that are made from 100% cotton fibers and contain color dyes that are 100% non-toxic and earth-friendly. When decorating your homes and workplaces, it's best to use green accessories that contain only non-toxic earth-friendly recycled materials. The quality of the foods and drinks you consume are just as important as the appearance of your home or workplace. It's wise to consume whole, organic, natural vegan foods and drinks that are free of harmful synthetic additives. Fresh mint and green bell peppers are two tasty plant foods to enjoy that are healthy and fun green foods for St. Patrick's Day. Are you looking forward to enjoying a fun green organic St. Patrick's Day?

We Are Healthy, Wise, Aware, Empowered Women

2010-03-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

As a wise healthy woman, I take full responsibility for empowering myself by staying healthy, well, wise, and aware. Part of that responsibility is using the knowledge I have to take the best possible care of my health and wellness. This includes using only those products that contain organic plant essences for my beauty, cleanliness, and home cleaning needs. Because I love and respect myself and I care about my health and wellness, it's very important to me to stay true to myself. My skin is my largest organ and it absorbs everything I use like a sponge. This is why I take extra care in using only organic plant essences like lavender, peppermint, and sandalwood for healing aromatherapy, natural beauty, and cleanliness. This is also why I eat healthy, natural, organic vegan plant-based foods. I feel a very special deep connection to Mother Earth and I am aware of the beautiful Goddess energy that is within every one of we women. All grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and sisters need to remember their true natural essence and the innate inner beauty that is inside of them. When we truly love and respect ourselves, we once again become the beautiful powerful teachers that we are. This is our true natural organic empowerment. Women, are you a respected, loved, empowered teacher in your community? Men, do you love, respect, and appreciate the women in your life?

The Best Way To Show Your Respect and Appreciation For Mother Earth

2010-02-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

The best way to show your respect and appreciation for Mother Earth, the wildlife, and the animals is to feel gratitude and love for them everyday. Step outside and breathe deep, enjoying the lovely, clean, fresh air. Smile, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and clear blue sky. Fill your heart with joy as you watch the beautiful birds gracing the sky with their graceful dance and the adorable squirrels playing and scurrying around ancient beautiful forest trees that are so tall, they kiss the sky. Enjoy the sweet connection as you and the beautiful creatures share a sweet innocent curious gaze; forgetting that the external, polluting, noisy mad world exists. Enjoy watching the beautiful butterflies dance through the air and uplift the atmosphere with their magical artistic dance. Providing humans make a genuine effort to live a wiser, healthier, more environmentally friendly lifestyle, these wonderful magical natural wonders will be able to continue to thrive and express their symbiotic magical joy. Do you take time to pause and appreciate and enjoy the natural wildlife wonders around you?

Please Help Each Other Green Mother Earth!

2010-02-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

Do you remember a time when the air was so safe, healthy, and clean that you could breathe easily without strain or worry? Before toxic petro-chemicals were mass produced across North America, breathing healthy clean air was easier to do and it wasn't a novelty. While I am not old enough to remember this, many people in their '70's and older do. Because the petro-chemical multi-nationals have done a great job of making their poisons available in homes across North America, the genie is out of the bottle. The end result is people from all walks of life smelling like perfume factories from the poisonous fragrance they wear to the air poisoners and toxic cleansers they use in their homes.

The good news is that this madness does not have to continue. The environmental green movement is becoming very popular. With the abounding information available in print and on the Internet, we can all do our part to just say "NO!" to the greedy multi-nationals pillaging Mother Earth! With the "hundredth monkey" approach, we can empower ourselves to make Mother Earth a healthier greener home for us and future generations. Are your indoor and outdoor air safe and healthy to breathe?

Kindness Goes A Long Way!

2010-02-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

We all need to show more kindness toward one another. It's a very stressful world today and we're all enduring various life difficulties and tribulations. A gentle warm smile can do wonders to brighten someone's day and lift their Spirits. A gentle caring loving warm hug can do the same and will help someone to feel more loved and cared for. Kindness needs to include all walks of life; humans, animals, and Mother Earth. It's important to share love and kindness in order to mitigate stress, anguish, and angst. When you sense that someone is having a difficult day, reach out to them and be their friend; be a good listener. Animal rescue is a wonderful form of kindness and is not only wonderful for the animal, but for the rescuer as well. The animal and the rescuer have an opportunity to share a beautiful kind of warmth, care, and love that is Magickal and precious. Show someone some kindness today and enjoy the caring warm love.

Please Help Me Help Best Friends Animal Society!

2010-02-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

I'm an animal lover advocate and a devoted cat Mommy and I'm doing what I can to prevent more homeless pets. I'm currently following Best Friends Animal Society's Twitter. As part of my contribution to help our furry friends, I will donate $1 from each sale of my alternative green living e-books to the Best Friends Animal Society, (BFAS), the largest no-kill sanctuary in the USA. If you scroll down on the blog or type the title in the search box on the top right of the blog of the particular e-book you're interested in, you'll see a few alternative green living e-books I've posted. I currently have 2 alternative green living e-books mentioned on the blog. One e-book is a non-fiction alternative green living health e-book and another is an alternative green living novel e-book. I am offering a special 2-for-1 for 1 of the e-books. As soon as I can, I will publish a new post about another alternative green living novel e-book as soon as I can. Please stay tuned and thank you for caring! I welcome your comments on this and all of the posts.

"Northern Woods, The Ancient Forests Are Alive"

2010-02-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

Inspired by all the heroic courageous environmental activism throughout California, I wrote a novel with the hope of inspiring and motivating people to take action and contribute to the solution. Northern Woods, The Ancient Forests Are Alive, is about a tight knit group of close friends who live in the small city of Northbrook and attend the local university. Natasha Enders, an environmental studies major, makes the horrifying discovery that the local ancient forests are at risk of being destroyed. With the help of her best friends, Harvey Moore and Annie Tera, together, they create a powerful alliance with all the local activists and students to stand up against the greedy corporation that's threatening to destroy the forests and wildlife. After enduring tragedy, trials, and tribulations, Natasha discovers that true love and friendship are the strong anchors that will help her survive. To order this novel e-book, please send me $8.95 via paypal to: bodyearthself@yahoo.com

Thank you and Many Blessings!

This Earth Day, Remember That Planet Earth Is A Living, Breathing Planet

2010-02-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

This Earth Day, remember to honor and show gratitude for Mother Nature. Living in peaceful harmony with the Earth is all encompassing. Your eating habits, hygienic and cleaning habits, and purchasing decisions directly affect the environment. Let’s remember that Planet Earth is a living, breathing planet that is alive. The Planet is 70% water – oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, and creeks - is covered with forests that provide oxygen, land that provides rich soil for growth and harvesting vegetation, and countless animal species that rely on these natural eco-systems for their daily life and survival.

When you stop and think about the vibrant beautiful life that permeates Planet Earth, it leaves you with a moment of pause and humility. When bathing and cleaning, please be sure that your products were purchased from an organic health food store and contain only pure, organic, earth-friendly plant essences. This will ensure that when rinsed down the drain, the soap will biodegrade quickly without creating pollution. Go vegetarian. Let the water and land be conserved for the creatures that depend on these for survival, as well as the crops that can feed the hungry. We as a collective species need to seriously examine how our daily life contributes to either the destruction of these precious delicate eco-systems, or even better, the harmony, vitality, and survival of these eco-systems. Take the pledge and make this Earth Day, 2010 the day to honor and respect all life on Earth.

"Air Fresheners vs. Non-Toxic Earth-Friendly Aromatherapy"

2010-01-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Check out my recently published eye opening article about air fresheners vs. non-toxic earth-friendly aromatherapy. This article is a real eye opener and tells the truth about air fresheners. Please protect your health and your family's health and read this eye opening article.

Please click on the following link to read the article:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2579929/air_fresheners_vs_nontoxic_earthfriendly.html

"Scents: Sexy or Not So Sexy"

2009-12-15T15:37:00.001-08:00

I'd like to share an article I wrote about the subject of organic beauty. This is the article that inspired my e-book, Keep Your Vanity Without Losing Your Sanity. Originally, I wrote this article to raise awareness about this vital issue and I made a strong effort to get it published in magazines. In October, 2003, Scents: Sexy or Not So Sexy was published in Natural Awakenings Magazine, Miami/Fort Lauderdale Edition. I've edited the e-book since the article was published, but for the most, the theme and content are the same. Please read the article to get a good taste of what the e-book is about. Please click on the following link to read the article:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/75766/earthwriter.html

Enjoy reading and thank you for your interest.

"Keep Your Vanity Without Losing Your Sanity"

2009-12-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

(Please see some positive book reviews below.)

Clean, green, and organic are sexy, healthy, wonderful, and hot!

Toxic unhealthy potentially harmful petro-chemicals are not!

I wrote this e-book to teach people how to enjoy organic non-toxic earth-friendly beauty and cleanliness, completely free of toxic potentially harmful petro-chemicals and irritants. Many years of thorough research via print and information on the Internet have provided me with much vital information that helped me write this important e-book. I also used my own personal experience as guidance and inspiration. The only reason why this information may be perceived as a mysterious secret is because alternative information like this is primarily available through alternative media sources . This vital e-book is great and helpful if you want to be able to enjoy healthy beauty without compromising your health or your wallet. If you use Clickbank, please order the e-book here: More Info.

I am offering a special deal. If you order this e-book NOW, I will include a FREE copy of another non-fiction health e-book I wrote, entitled, You Can Have Your Cheesecake Too! Fitness Made Simple, which normally sells for $8.95. This e-book is full of great simple easy healthy ideas for enjoying healthy plant-based vegetarian nutrition and easy to learn simple fitness exercises that will help you feel and look great and more youthful! Please send me an e-mail NOW for more information: bodyearthself@yahoo.com If you use paypal, please send me $8.95 and order this e-book at: bodyearthself@yahoo.com Many Blessings! Thank you.

Please read what readers are saying about Keep Your Vanity without Losing Your Sanity:

This literate, well-researched, and unique little book is just what the (integrative) doctor ordered for a woman already suffering from Environmental Illness (EI) or seeking to avoid it: A little Bible of how to look and smell good using non-toxic products and methods, while adapting your attitudes about appearance so that vanity doesn’t destroy you.

When a woman is already EI, she’s often deemed plain crazy for seeking safe cosmetics to substitute for the missing Maybelline while cleaning out the nest, incessantly washing clothes, and organizing organic meals. Few understand that a world minus Maybelline can be devastating. D.A. Colvin “gets it,” consistently putting vanity in perspective while offering numerous tips on how to make up without making yourself sick(er), along with product names. In easy, conversational prose, she laces the text with charming anecdotes from her own personal journey and includes absorbing chapters on the flawed values that underlie plastic surgery, the booby trap the beauty salon can be, and navigating Halloween and Christmas the toxin-free way.

In easy, conversational prose, she laces the text with charming anecdotes from her own personal journey and includes absorbing chapters on the flawed values that underlie plastic surgery, the booby trap the beauty salon can be, and navigating Halloween and Christmas the toxin-free way.

Two healthy thumbnails up, D.A.!

Blue Angel
--------------------------------------------
Colvin writes from her heart and personal experience as someone who has made the realisation that the beauty products she formerly used were toxic to her and her environment. From society's vanity and conventions, through the author's own reactions, and finally to the solutions she has discovered, the author describes the shift she has made and encourages the reader to reconsider their world. Proposed alternatives include an introduction to plant essence cosmetics, along with recommendations of specific brands and an emphasis on the importance of quality. Are you an unquestioning user of conventional beauty products? -- this book may prompt you to make more conscious choices, and gives you a place to start. - Anonymous

The Hypocrisy of Pseudo Green Organic

2009-12-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

We've made a horrifying discovery! We shop at two well known organic health food stores in the Continental USA. Their products are healthy and they provide helpful services to alternative people like my husband and myself who eat and use only organic chemical-free products. But their indoor air quality is atrocious! Many of their employees use toxic adulterated mainstream fragrance products and they stink of cologne and perfume. On top of that, they have posted note messages on the walls of their public restrooms encouraging customers to be as green as possible and be conservative. That's great and important, but the hypocrisy is that the restroom stinks of toxic adulterated "air poisoners", more commonly known as "air fresheners". Imagine that! One of the reasons we specifically shop at these organic markets is so that we can protect our health and be conscious consumers.

These organic markets do not sell the toxic poisonous fragrance products that the employees and restrooms stink of, so they should make every effort to protect their indoor air quality. Unfortunately, both of these markets are corporate so the only way to convey an important message about indoor air quality is to talk with the CEO. All of us who take indoor air quality very seriously, especially those of us who are severely asthmatic and chemically sensitive, should find a way to send a loud strong message to these companies and create change! Please join us to create positive change NOW! Enough is enough!

Imagine A World With Only Natural Herbs and No Big Pharma Meds

2009-11-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

What would you do if you woke up one day and discovered that all the mainstream conventional m.d. docs and big pharma synthetic medications disappeared? What if you found out that the only type of medicine that still existed on Earth was natural holistic medicine, herbs, and natural remedies? In other words, how would you feel and react if you weren't feeling well or you were suffering from a very uncomfortable physical health challenge and the only people you could turn to were naturopaths and herbalists? Considering the fact that healthy safe natural alternative remedies are quickly growing in popularity over archaic mainstream "slash and burn" conventional medicine, this is worthy of serious thought. When you think about the fact that wild herbs like mustard, garlic, lavender, sandalwood, lemon, orange, cinnamon, and mint have been growing naturally wild for millions of years and will continue to grow for millions more, it's simple wise common sense to believe that it's much easier to trust Mother Nature than man's archaic synthetic ways.

Big pharma pills don't grow on trees. During the days of Jethro Kloss, author of "Back To Eden," and Harvey Kellogg, who inspired the movie, "The Road To Wellville," a true story, pills were not as readily available as they are today. Natural herbs are safe and gentle and do not have any risk of dangerous side effects. Just because an m.d. doc may not understand, respect, or trust herbs, or is uneducated about their healing power, doesn't mean that you should have the same lack of trust. The worst thing that valerian root and chamomile flower will do is make you feel a bit sleepy and then perhaps you'll need to rest. FEAR is false evidence appearing real and succumbing to fear is not a valid reason to opt for synthetic pills over natural herbs. And good luck trying to understand or figure out what the pills contain. The potential harmful side effects alone should dissuade anyone from popping pills. It's just too dangerous and risky. It's something to seriously think about.

Celebrate Halloween with Healthy Organic Earth-Friendly Makeup

2009-10-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's time to prepare for a well celebrated honored Holiday of the year, Halloween. 2,000 years ago, Halloween was a very sacred holiday celebrated by the Celtic people in the ancient British Isles and Pagans throughout Europe. Today, Halloween is still a Holiday that's celebrated, but things have drastically changed. People still enjoy wearing costumes, pretending to be their alter ego.

Halloween is a very expensive holiday. One of the biggest Halloween expenses is personal care cosmetics and makeup. Everyone loves to get dressed up in an outlandish creative outfit with wild colorful makeup that stands out in the crowd. Wearing funky creative zany costumes can be a fun way to celebrate Halloween, as long as the makeup is organic, earth-friendly, and non-toxic. Throughout the store, you'll see the regular merchandise combined with racks of new Halloween paraphernalia. All that makeup may look appealing, fun, and eye-catching, but it contains potentially harmful petro-chemicals that can make anyone sick, especially those with asthma and chemical sensitivities.

Pay close attention to the product, especially the ingredient label. Vibrant wild colours contain F.D.&C. (Food, Drugs, & Cosmetics). These are derived from coal tar, petroleum, the same toxic smelly goo used to repair roads and rooftops. Essentially, you are putting gasoline on your face and in your hair. The cosmetics also contain adulterated fragrance, which contains 5,000 petro-chemicals that are not regulated by the U.S. FDA. The fragrance contains phthalates, which are known to be lung irritants. The safe healthy alternative to enjoy a fun festive costume is to use products that contain 100% pure earth-friendly plant essences. Aubrey Organics and Aveda make makeup and colourful hair decorations that contain 100% organic plant essences. You can have fun and celebrate and smell like organic roses, sandalwood, and mint and everyone will feel healthy and happy.

How To Detoxify Your Washing Machine

2009-09-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

One of the worst nightmare horrors that canaries have to contend with is a washing machine that stinks very badly of perfume, toxic fragrance laden detergent, and fabric softener. Detoxifying a washing machine that is this toxic is very stressful and is very involved, but it's worth it to have safe clean fresh air and clean clothes that have no smell or scent. The best way to clean and detoxify the machine is to use a well tested non-toxic earth-friendly mixture that we've been using for many years. Act as if you're going to run a full load of laundry. Pour in one full small or medium box of baking soda, one full small cereal sized bowl of white distilled vinegar, and one cereal sized bowl of Borax and run a regular or large size load with hot water. This method is very effective and depending on how toxic your washing machine is, hopefully the detox will only require a couple loads. It's important to repeat this method five or six times to start. After you've run several loads, open the lid and smell the machine. All the toxic chemical residue has been just sitting inside the washing machine, stinking and polluting it, creating a serious health hazard. The best part about doing this is, providing that either you're the only person using this machine or you are fortunate enough to share the machine with people who are as organic and earth-friendly conscious as you are and use only 100% organic, non-toxic, earth-friendly products, you won't have to repeat this process any more. Good luck, good health, and warm wishes!

The Toxic Caffeine Addiction

2009-09-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs their morning cup of java to kick-start their day. It's become as common a daily ritual as showering and brushing your teeth. People cannot seem to survive the daily stresses without having that vital cup of coffee in their hand. It seems that whether surviving a stressful day on the job or at home, a cup of coffee is the main elixir that keeps the human motor running. If you even suggest that a person try a coffee alternative or try one day without drinking it, the dramatic reactions would have you thinking they're taking drugs. It's not the delicious flavour and aroma that have everyone running for a refill. It's the caffeine that permeates every bean.

I've personally consumed a cup of caffeinated coffee and a cup of alternative coffee from a health food store that had zero caffeine in it and the difference is astounding. A nervous person like me cannot consume any amount of caffeine because it's terrible for the heart and nerves. Caffeine is found in coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, and various bottled energy-boost drinks. Studies have shown that even the coffee products that are advertised as containing zero caffeine do in fact contain small trace amounts of caffeine. This is significant for people whose nervous systems cannot tolerate any amount of caffeine. There are ways to get a quick energy boost without dosing your body with caffeine. A navel orange is a great quick boost with instant Vitamin C. Check your local health food store for various alternative non-caffeinated coffee products. You won't get the caffeine jolt, but you'll enjoy the same flavour and your heart will appreciate it.

Organic Beauty

2009-09-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Organic natural beauty is a precious gift and yet it is completely unappreciated and misunderstood. In a world where people are constantly bombarded with commercials telling them which cool new makeup to wear or which new vibrant glowing shampoo to buy, it's no wonder that men and women often feel inadequate and insecure about their appearance. True natural beauty isn't found in a bottle of shampoo that's loaded with 5,000 petro-chemicals and irritants. True natural beauty is found in a mint leaf or a lemongrass plant. Chemically laden perfume and cosmetics are not the solution to having youthful wonderful beauty. There's nothing beautiful or sexy about a product that contains a toxic soup of chemicals. True beauty is a mixture of sandalwood oil, rose hips oil, lemongrass oil, and sap moss extract oil that when mixed form a wonderful blend that creates a silky beautiful shampoo and cheek blush color that enliven the skin cells, not suffocate them. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs everything you put on it. It's wise then to only put earth-friendly healthy plant pigments on your skin so your internal organs are safe and healthy.

Turn off your television and put away the stinky perfume magazines. Either take some time to go on the Internet and learn how to live in a non-toxic earth-friendly manner or drive to the nearest health food store and learn about earth-friendly products that are safe enough to drink and won't destroy your organs and skin cells.

Green Living Blog

Passport America

I Love Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics

Appreciate The Indoor and Outdoor Air You Breathe

My Special Affinity With Mother Nature's Medicine Cabinet

Non-Toxic Organic Insect Repellent

Green Your Laundry and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Decluttering Is Important For Good Health and Peace of Mind

Enjoy A Nature Walk On Earth Day April 22

Intentional Cooperative Communal Living Is A Must For Survival

Seeking Community

Important Message From The Hopis: A Hopi Elder Speaks

Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day In A Healthy Organic Vegan Manner

Laughter Is Truly The Best Medicine

Make Green New Year's Resolutions and Keep Them!

My Historical Hero For Peace and Equality: Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Healing Organic Aromatherapy For The Winter Season

Get Creative For The Holidays and Make A Gift

My Special Affinity For Mother Nature and Her Beautiful Animals

I Have A Special Affinity For Animals

Healthy Natural Stress Remedies

Soothing Organic Aromatherapy

My Simple Organic Beauty Regimen

The Addiction To Synthetic Toxic Fragrance Is Out Of Control

My Favorite Ways of Enjoying Organic Aromatherapy

Decluttering Is Great For The Soul

My Mom's Wonderful Homemade Organic Lemon Aromatherapy

Natural Wild Places Are To Be Respected, Not Polluted

The Sound of Silence

Organic Lemon Essential Oil Is A Must Have For Your Everyday Needs and Survival

Organic Lavender Essential Oil Is Very Healing

Organic Peppermint Oil Is My Favorite Essential Oil

Organic Lavender Castile Soap Is Very Healing and Rejuvenating

Dolphins and Whales Are Magickal Beautiful Animals

I'm A Healthy Happy Vegan

Organic Cotton Menstruation Pads Saved My Life

Herbs Are Safer Than Big Pharma Meds

When You Lovingly Care For Your Body, Your Skin Glows

Organic Cruelty-Free is a Win/Win in Green Karma

Introduction to organic essential oils

Cotton Shower Curtains Are Healthier and Safer Than Vinyl

Healthy Vegetarians and Vegans Don't Need Fast Food

Organic Hypocrisy

Moon Glory (c) Copyright D.A. Colvin 2011 All Rights Reserved

Black Skies and Beaches (c) Copyright 2011 D.A. Colvin All Rights Reserved

Organic Skin Care News

Mother Nature Is A Safe Trustworthy Friend

Fab 4 Empowering Health EBooks For The Price Of 1

A Magickal Dolphin and Whale Encounter

Rainy Day (c) Copyright June, 2011, All Rights Reserved

Recipe Organic Vegan Rice, Potatoes, and Veggies

Organic Recycled Papers Are Gentler and Safer for Your Health and the Earth

These Are Some of My Favorite Healing Medicinal Herbs

Natural Herbal Insect and Critter Repellent

Don't Chlorinate Your Swimming Pool - Ozonate It

The History of Wildcrafting For Healing and Survival

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues indoor air quality policy for all CDC offices nationwide. Who's next?

Green Your Laundry For Earth Day

10 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint On Mother Earth

Water Is A Precious Resource

Happy Great American Meatout Day

Cedar Is The Organic Earth-Friendly Moth Repellent

Overpopulation Is A Serious Problem On Planet Earth

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a Healthy, Organic, Earth-Friendly Manner

We Are Healthy, Wise, Aware, Empowered Women

The Best Way To Show Your Respect and Appreciation For Mother Earth

Please Help Each Other Green Mother Earth!

Kindness Goes A Long Way!

Please Help Me Help Best Friends Animal Society!

"Northern Woods, The Ancient Forests Are Alive"

This Earth Day, Remember That Planet Earth Is A Living, Breathing Planet

"Air Fresheners vs. Non-Toxic Earth-Friendly Aromatherapy"

"Scents: Sexy or Not So Sexy"

"Keep Your Vanity Without Losing Your Sanity"

The Hypocrisy of Pseudo Green Organic

Imagine A World With Only Natural Herbs and No Big Pharma Meds

Celebrate Halloween with Healthy Organic Earth-Friendly Makeup

How To Detoxify Your Washing Machine

The Toxic Caffeine Addiction

Organic Beauty