See The Light

That's the actual name of this bright wonder. There's a mirror on the side of the tube and a light in the cap you click on when you're in a dark place so you can stay flawlessly luscious without having to run to the loo to reapply.

As if this wasn't genius enough... here are the other reasons this is my new can't-live-without and may-have-to-buy-it-in-three-more-colors product:
- Not sticky or goopy whatsoever- Just sparkly enough, and the sparkles are ever so fine that it's not gritty
- It's minty fresh and packed with marine collagen lip plumper
- Plant derived antioxidants from grape seed, green tea, avocado and aloe give it anti-aging power and soothing on dry lips (especially handy if you happen to have a sunburn) :/
- Available in San Fran & in Palm Beach... Joy!

Price Tag: $16-20
Where to get it: http://beautyforreal.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=8

Instant Temporary Tailoring

Favorite jeans too long to wear with flats and you're not into rocking cuffs? Packing for an extended trip and bulging suitcases are forcing you to choose between taking 2 pairs of jeans as opposed to 5? Enter the magic... HemGems!


30 second How-To...



They've available in several cool styles and come with a tiny little 'to go' drawstring bag, perfect for packing!

Check out their website for retailers www.hemgems.com

Super cute upcycled rope vases!

I just came across this great article I ripped out of the January 2009 Glamour Magazine. So simple, so sweet and so chic. You can cover bottles with any kind of string, rope or ribbon. For fall, think gem tones like plums and rich shades of blue and red. Grouping a couple of them together also looks nice. And guys.... you don't have to put flowers in it - you could put some cool leaves or berries in it to make for a more, ahem, masculine centerpiece when you make dinner, or serve breakfast in bed, to your lovah :) For my fellow crunchies.... think about just wrapping it partially with hemp or twine, and inserting end of summer wildflowers. Beach girls (you know who you are!) twine, sea glass and shells, ... need I say more?

Instructions:
Step 1:
Raid your recycling bin for interesting shaped bottles (Orangina's is awesome)
If you don't have a recycling bin (shame on you) head to your local Goodwill

Step 2:
Locate discarded shoelaces, twine, string, rope, ribbon or anything else you want to wrap with

Step 3:
Use superglue or a glue gun and start at the side bottom of your bottle. Wrap the cord so each row is touching and add a bit of glue here and there as you work your way to the top.

Tip:
If you're going with superglue as your adhesive of choice, have a bottle of acetone nail polish remover in reaching distance for those "oh sh*t! My fingers are superglued together!" moments of sheer panic.

Pucker up!

My obsession of the week... a sweet little orb, full of smoothing magic for your smackers! It's so cute, I leave it on display planted atop my PC next to my mini buddha. It caught my eye in Walgreen's and I'm a rather smitten by the Honeysuckle Honeydew. Then I found a multipack at Target containing even more lovely recipes! Packed with jojoba oil, shea butter & vitamin E, they're veritable moisture bombs. But don't toss that lipstick quite yet... there's no color involved here. Other things these little lovelies don't contain: parabens, petrolatum, gluten & phtlatates.

They're 95% organic, 100% natural and never tested on animals. At $4, they make a guiltless little perk-me-up, or cute extra item to pop in a gift bag.

Comes in:
Honeysuckle Honeydew
Sweet mint
Summer Fruit
Lemon Drop (with SPF 15) *not shown
Natural

Pricetag:
$3.99 each at Walgreen's
$10.99 for the 4 pack at Target

Sweet decoration for a simple room!

Upcyle fabric scraps into blooming flower garland!

What a fabulous way to upcycle fabric scraps! If you're not the crafty type who has scraps of all colors and textures lying around - peruse your local fabric and decorator shops, who will sell you remnant fabric on the cheap. Or be an even craftier recycler and cut up the clothes and scarves that you don't wear anymore to make your sweet little blooms!

This is a great way to decorate for a party, a wedding or for no reason but to make you smile when you wake up or walk into a room. You could also string the blooms on heavier duty quilting thread or embroidery floss and wrap it around a gift box several times in lieu of wrapping paper. And if you must use paper... think about recycling a brown paper grocery bag. There are so many other fun ways to dress up brown bag gift wrapping...hmmm... I smell another blog!

TIP:
For a quick tutorial on making the flowers, check out this blog http://bit.ly/ctcDVW but get creative... don't make all your flowers the same... vary the textures, colors, and edges. Think pinking shears (the ones that cut saw-shaped edges) as well as rough, edged fabrics like silk and chiffon.

Cool like ice cream spoons!

Finding new uses for old things is one of my favorite things to do, especially when it keeps throwaway items out of landfills. So, when I spotted adorable little taste testing spoons at Ice Berry in downtown West Palm Beach over the weekend, I had to rescue them and make a necklace!

Step 1 - Ask ice cream shop owner for his used tester spoons along with your fresh kiwi - chocolate sprinkled froyo while trying to appear as if this is a completely normal, rational request...

Step 2 - Use a thin drill bit to make holes in the top and bottom of the spoons


Step 4 - Bust out your beads, pliers, arts and craft supplies and get to work!

Step 5 - Show off your sweet new summer necklace!

Batt Those Lashes!

Move over DiorShow and FiberWig, there's a new wand in town, and it's won my wink! Tarte is one of my favorite makeup lines, first because they're cruelty free and second because I'm a devotee of their cheek stain sticks. And after an absolute marathon makeup session at Sephora over the weekend, I've flipped for this mascara!

'Lights, Camera, Splashes!' is the waterproof version of Tarte's original 'Lights, Camera, Lashes!' which promises to increase lash volume by 424%. I didn't whip out a measuring tape, but I must say, my lashes are looking sumptuous! As if that weren't enough to win over my peepers... they dressed this little wand in an adorable denim outfit complete with an anchor patch! Talk about an easy sale!

More great reasons (as if you need any) to pick this up,
are what this product DOESN'T contain:
Parabens
Sulphates
Phthalates
Synthetic dyes
Synthetic fragrances
Petro-chemicals

Price Tag: $19
Where to get it: Sephora
Tip: Sephora allows the return of any product you're not 100% satisfied with (whether you've tried it twice or 10 times) so hang on to those receipts.

Plastic bottle chandelier

I love this fabulous chandelier, created by Michelle Brand, especially because it's made from upcycled empty 2 liter bottles! I'm actually having to restrain myself from buying soda and dumping it just for the bottles. Being that I don't drink soda, and neither, it seems, do any of my friends... it's going to be a while before I can collect enough bottles to make one of these! Hmmm... maybe I can raid the recycling bin at work for the small water bottles we use and cut them into flower shapes. Or, I'll just have to don a makeshift Hazmat getup and go dumpster diving in my building's recycling containers.

What you'll need:

• Lots of 2 liter bottles
• Fishing line
• A metal hoop (maybe from an old lampshade)
• An LED (or other low heat) lightbulb on a cord like this one from IKEA - Januari $9.99 without bulb

Jam jar highballs and tumblers

I break a lot of glasses, and I eat a lot of Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves. As a result, I have many a half-set of water glasses, and a lot of adorable jam jars. So when I came across this idea, I was ecstatic and launched scavenger hunt around my house to reclaim all the repurposed jars I had, tossed them all in the dishwasher and voila! I have the sweetest new set of tumblers which are rather strong, so they may actually be long-termers! And if they're not... my love of PB&J and Tartines will quickly render me a replacement!

Help Gulf coast families save their pets!

As if losing your job due to the Gulf oil spill isn't bad enough, many families are finding they also have to give up their loving family companions as a result of the income loss as Randi Kaye reports in this AndersonCooper 360 story http://bit.ly/bnSNK5, many families are having to choose between putting food on the table and feeding/caring for pets.

It's a horrific decision to have to make, especially at a time when people could so desperately use the love, peace and companionship that their pets provide. The horror is compounded by the fact that many of these sweet furry guys are now in kill shelters which are busting at the seams and have to euthanize animals if not adopted in a very short 2-3 week time period.

The shelters are doing everything they can, including placing them in foster homes and even shipping animals to shelters in other states. The Louisianna SPCA (in the AC360 story) has also set up a program to help people keep their pets by providing them with the pet food and vet care that they need.

How to Help: http://la-spca.org/Page.aspx?pid=509

Please help support this wonderful program, and keep your eyes out for other ways to help pets who can't help themselves.

To Breed or not to Breed?

That's the seemingly simple question tackled by this fascinating dive into the reasons people decide to have or not have children.
"Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives" by Lori Leibovich is without a doubt the most interesting and personally relevant book I have read this year. I recommend this read to everyone - men women, those with kids, those without any, straight or gay, coupled or single, traditional or progressive, if you've ever asked the question of whether you want a child, or more children, this book will speak to you. In an interesting twist of fate, or as the Editor calls it, "a case of art imitating life", Lori found out she was pregnant three weeks after beginning work on this book.

Relieving, thought provoking, voyeuristic and introspective, it's simply captivating. A must read.

Excerpt from an interview with the author by Mamazine.com:
Mamazine.com: For those who haven't read the anthology and didn't follow Salon's "To Breed or Not to Breed" series, how did Maybe Baby get its start? And what, in particular, drove your interest in this subject?

Lori Leibovich: A few years ago a woman in her thirties wrote to Salon, begging us to publish more stories about people who had chosen not to have children. She was the primary breadwinner in her family, and was struggling with the question of whether or not to procreate. "What would be the return on the investment?" she wrote. "Are there any laws that would require my children to pay for my nursing home when I am old? Are they going to be a sufficient hedge against poverty and loneliness?" This letter sparked a heated office-wide email debate. Some of my colleagues thought that anyone who was looking at childbearing in such stark, financial terms shouldn't be a parent in the first place. Others felt the letter writer was being refreshingly honest about her fears.

Since the question of whether or not to procreate spurred such a contentious discussion in our office, we decided to explore it in a series. I asked five staff writers to answer the question, "To Breed or Not to Breed?" From the minute we posted the first essay—a piece by Michelle Goldberg, a happily married 28-year old who has no maternal instincts but worries she'll have regrets one day if she doesn't have children—we were flooded with hundreds of emotional emails from our readers, sharing their own personal stories. After sifting through the letters—some of which we are going to reprint in the paperback edition of the book—we decided that this topic was too big for a series, and deserved a book. So I began to recruit other writers.

Candlelit back yard dinner party

Finally! A beautiful way to reuse empty jars! Grab some old wire (hangers will work too), toss a candle inside, hang them from a tree in the backyard, and voila... a gorgeous candlelit setting for a romantic dinner for 2 or a summer night dinner party!


If you don't have a backyard or a tree, but you do have metal outdoor railings, here's another option... just hang between spindles.


Other lovely summertime touches...
Wildflowers from the yard in different size mason jars
Use napkins tied with twine and a piece of fern, herb sprig or a twig and flower at place settings
Use long ribbons or gauzy strips of fabric tied from a tree above to create a more dramatic look
Garland made of twine and Spanish moss

The cleans-everything product

If you don't have Mr. Clean Magic Erasers in your arsenal of cleaning products, you're missing out. It may well be the most aptly named cleaning product out there, "Magic" is the perfect description of this little miracle sponge!


The Mr. Clean website touts it's multipurpose effectiveness on:
Household Items
Erasing dust, grime, scuffs, crayon and fingerprints from walls, trim, baseboards, dirty plastic storage containers, drawer organizers, garbage cans, bathroom soap scum, kitchen counters, desks and metal sinks
Kids' stuff
Removing dirt and marks off plastic dolls, toys, booster seats, figurines, play sets
Pets' stuff
Cleaning dirt and stains on metal or plastic pet crates and carriers - no harsh chemicals makes it a safe cleaner to use around pets
Personal items
Removes pen, dirt and scuffs from leather shoes, purses and luggage.

Other places this sponge will work "Magic":
Grimy doors and light switches, greasy stove knobs, refrigerator handles and interiors, cupboards (inside and outside), the kitchen back splash, the inside of the microwave and toaster oven door, removing hard water deposits and stains, removing rust marks from stainless steel flatware, cleaning mini-blinds, the inside of window frames, marked up linoleum floors, candle wax drips, grimy printer or copier buttons, dirty flip flops, white sneakers, removing tarnish, cleaning dirty grout, set-in stains in tea and coffee makers, the plastic parts on PCs - keyboard/monitor/mouse, can opener nooks & crannies, removing buildup on your iron, on dry erase boards, boat seats, mildewy boat cushions (even fabric), marked/stained/mildewed outdoor furniture & dirty coolers

Where NOT to use the Magic Eraser:
Shiny or glossy surfaces, paneling or finished wood surfaces and formica counter tops

How it works:
The secret behind this type of sponge is melamine foam. With just a little water, melamine foam can dig in and destroy stains that other products can't touch. It's actually been around for about 20 years and has a variety of applications. Melamine is a resin used in construction and the automotive industry as a sound barrier and flame retardant. It also imparts strength and is used in products like dinnerware and laminate counter tops. Melamine foam erasers are formed differently than other cleaning products and only need water to effectively clean most stains, no chemical cleaners or soaps required. The only downfall is that melamine foam erasers wear out quickly, much like pencil erasers do.
Ready to get your geek on?
To understand the secret of how it miraculously removes so many things, even 'lifting' dirt stuck inside grooves, you need to get down to the microscopic level. When melamine resin cures into foam, its microstructure becomes very hard, allowing it to perform on stains a lot like superfine sandpaper. This particular type of foam has an open-cell structure full of air pockets between fine filaments, visualize a loofah sponge as an example. So, in addition to gently scraping at stains with extremely hard microscopic filaments, the dirt is pulled into the open spaces between the spindly skeletal strands in the sponge and bound there. Sheer genius!

TIP: To make it last longer, cut it into 4 pieces

The best beach umbrella ever!

Top 6 reasons why you need this umbrella:
1. Because chasing your beach umbrella as it's pin-balling it's way down the beach leaving a trail of rather angry and possibly impaled sunbathers behind does not a relaxing day make
2. Digging a hole in the sand with freshly manicured nails is a waste of $13-35
3. Carrying a shovel to the beach is not exactly practical
4. Buying a new $20 umbrella every time yours blows out, breaks, rips, loses the pointy end in the sand is fiscally and ecologically irresponsible
5. Relaxing at the beach shouldn't involve 30 minutes of set-up frustration
6. Independent girls don't need a cabana boy to 'rescue' them!

This umbrella is worth every cent of it's $49.99 price tag! Seriously. It's light, comes in a sturdy portable carrier with a shoulder strap, has vents to prevent blowouts, and takes seconds to set up! Just pop the handles down, twist the base pole into the sand, and voila... done. The thing even stays put at 50 degree angle on a windy day!
Don't go back to the beach without one!

Where to find it: Bed Bath & Beyond
Item: RIO Beach Umbrella with SPF 100+ and integrated sand anchor (blue)
Cost: $49.99 + tax

TIP:
If you use a 20% off coupon + a "$10 off a purchase of $30 or more", you'll snag this priceless invention for $32!

Let your message bloom!

Instead of wrapping gifts in something that will be thrown away, make it a gift (wrapping) that

keeps on giving and bringing smiles! Or better yet... send a card and know that the love, friendship or good wishes you're sending, will nurture a little patch of flowers or herbs and let your love grow! What better way to remind someone you're always thinking of them?

Think wedding invitations, holiday greeting cards, Valentines, dinner party place cards, confetti, gift tags, new home or baby congrats, the possibilities and thoughtfulness are endless!

Christmas greetings today...spruce tree tomorrow! These are made of 100% post consumer waste. Find them at www.botanicalpaperworks.com

What a great way to grow your business! Green Field Paper Company even brings a little green to promotional items like this genius plantable coaster and business cards! http://www.greenfieldpaper.com



More fabulous ideas... from gift wrap, to promotional items and wedding invites...
Check out www. plantableseedpaper.com

Recycle your old flip flops!

Your busted, old, yucky, worn out, or otherwise seemingly un-useful pair of flips could become part of something bigger! Who knew that an old pair of flips could help fuel an economy in an undeveloped country, feed a family, and help save our oceans? Not too shabby for a little piece of used rubber.

Check out what your old pair of flips could become ...
http://uniqueco-designs.com

Then spread the word and start a collection at work, at your apartment building, in your neighborhood and from your friends. Since mailing your old flips across that big ocean requires fossil fuels, sending more than one pair at a time is more eco-sponsible.

Mail your worn out flips to:
Unique Eco Designs
PO Box 15565-00503
Nairobi, Kenya

Flip Flop Rehab

One of my besties picked out an adorable pair of flips for me, and I wore them to death, until inevitably... the day came when they're just too yuck to wear any more. In my case, I just couldn't stand the little dirty footprint inside which, try as I might, I can't scrub off. But I couldn't toss them in the trash either. So, I decided to remove the embellishments that makes them so cute, and sew them onto a fresh new pair.

I found a sweet pair of mint flips at Walmart for $2, with the same thin straps as my favorite Havaianas. They have a huge collection of fun colors at Walmart (except gold). So I brought them home, snipped, sewed and voila! 15 minutes later... they're adorably fabulous once again!

Thanks Susan... I'll be sporting them in green for the foreseeable future!
Now... I wonder if I can recycle my old pink ones. Stay tuned...

TIPS:
Use embroidery floss to sew (cute color and strong), a medium sized needle so it doesn't snap while sewing, and use a pair of small pliers, which will make the job of sewing through the rubber super easy.

Itch B gone!

It's inevitable that mosquitoes will attempt to eat me alive this
weekend. It's kind of a tradition that I have with nature. Those little bloodsuckers love me. Study after study has tried to explain why some people get bitten head to toe, while others calmly ask "what mosquitoes?". I fall into the first group, despite my best efforts to repel the little stinkers before stepping foot outdoors from June to September.

While I can't say what will keep them away - since it seems to vary widely person to person and advice runs the gamut from highly toxic to totally natural, and from bathing in Deet or Avon's Skin So Soft to eating lots of garlic and rolling around in crushed basil leaves before heading out to watch fireworks... what I can weigh in with are some post-bite itch-relief strategies.

Since I'm usually brought to wits' end by mosquito bites, and have made a semi-career of researching and trying, well, just about everything, to stop the itch, I feel like somewhat of an expert on this particular topic.

Here are some remedies that have worked for me: (and my theory is if one things doesn't work, keep trying, something eventually will)

If you're near a drugstore:
Benadryll Itch Relief Spray
(HCI 2%, .1% zinc acetate)


Campho-Phenique
(11% camphor, 4.7% phenol)



Sting-Eze
(5% benzocaine, 1.4% phenol)





If you're at a restaurant:
Soap - rub it on the bite until it turns white and let it dry

If you're at a friend's house
Ammonia - just dab it on
Soap (see above) a bar of soap seems to work best
Aspirin tablet - place a couple drops of water on the bite, and set the aspirin on top or rub a bit of dissolved aspirin on the bite

OMG! Nothing's working and you're going BANANAS!!!!!!!!
(last resort efforts that some have reported to work)
Scotch tape
Bleach
Baking Soda & Water paste
Meat Tenderizer
Orajel or Anbesol
Vinegar
Toothpaste
Nail Polish

Interesting Tidbit:
The female mosquito is the one that bites (males only feed on flower nectar). But "Why?", you ask? ... She requires blood to produce eggs.

Swanky Salut!

In homage to my absolutely fabulous mom, I'd like to introduce you to her most favorite of summer cocktails... Lillet with orange peel. It's sweet, cold and refreshing. Perfect for a hot day or night. And you're sure to impress your friends with your knowledge of this little known, super simple, but absolutely delicious French cocktail!

What it is & when to serve it:
Lillet is an aperitif wine traditionally enjoyed before a meal. It's a blend of wine and citrus liqueurs made from a variety of oranges.

How to serve it:
1. Pour a liberal amount of chilled Lillet into a glass of your choice over ice (My mom uses large white wine glasses)
2. Flame an orange rind over the glass, squeeze and ignite the citrus oil that sprays out (this flavors the cocktail)
3. Drop rind into glass et Voila!

Where to find Lillet Blanc: Total Wine and other large or specialty liquor stores
Price: $15-26 depending on retailer

Watch this to see exactly how to 'flame' the orange peel:
http://www.chow.com/stories/10931

Background to authenticize your savvy knowledge of the finer things:
Lillet originated in 1887 near Bordeaux by brothers Paul & Raymond Lillet. One of the ingredients in their tonic drink is quinine (a drug used to treat malaria) which gives Lillet it's ever so slight bitterness. Lillet was originally marketed as "Kina-Lillet", named after the Kina tree native to Peru, from the bark of which kina (aka: quinine) is derived. There is notably less quinine in Lillet these days, but as it's still an ingredient, toasting "A Votre Sante" ("To Your Health") in this case, actually rings true.

Just Say NO to plastic!

I received this link from a friend today, which was a serious reminder about just how important it is that we go cold turkey on plastic bags. http://current.com/green/89141407_plastic-is-murder.htm.

Did you know that the plastic floating around in our oceans and fresh water actually soaks in toxins? When it finally breaks up into tiny bits after 20-1,000 years, it's mistaken for plankton or other food and eaten by wildlife. So if you eat fish or other water dwellers, those toxins end up on your plate. The circle of life can be a bitch.

It's frightening to think about how much plastic is being distributed every second around the world, which has the potential to strangle or suffocate our animals, contaminate out water and food, and crowd our world as mounds of garbage heaps.

Perhaps toting reusable bags with a bit more pizazz will make you more inclined to use them... I'm not afraid to admit I fall into this category. It's ok, we won't judge! Hey, whatever it takes!!
Here are some fun options available at ReusableBags.com:


Gecko Trader Recycled Market bags - $23 each
Yes, I know it's a bit pricey for an empty bag, but they're made to last a lifetime and they do good too! They're 100% recycled from rice & feed bags originally used for transporting goods in Asia, handcrafted in Cambodia by small groups of disadvantaged workers, fully certified by the Fair Trade Federation, and completely unique - no 2 are exactly alike!

How cute is this little guy?! Made from 100% recycled polyester, he was an umbrella in his past life! Cat, bunny, elephant and hippo are Available in several colors. Price: $15


And my personal favorites...
BlueQ Large Stand-Up shopping totes


These bags come in an array of great designs, and hold 40+ lbs so they're perfect for groceries. They're made from 95% post-consumer recycled content, and 1% of sales benefit the Nature Conservancy. Price: $12



If you already have reusable shopping bags aplenty... how about produce bags? Those add up too. These Flip & Tumble Drawstring Bags from Reusablebags.com ($11 for 5) are durable and washable. If these don't strike your fancy... there's a wide variety of other reusable produce bags online.


Make the effort to bring your own bags. With a little bit of effort, we can make a HUGE difference! And for those of us who justify walking out of a store with plastic bags because we reuse them to pick up after the dog... A for effort, but unfortunately, F for effectiveness, because reusing plastic bags once is really just as bad. (see my blog on biodegradable poop bags)