Monday, March 26, 2012

2 Can't-Miss Organic Easter Basket Ideas

Spring is here!  And Easter is right around the corner.  Need some healthier alternatives for the Easter Bunny to bring?  How about Allison's Gourmet Organic Vegan Chocolate Bunny?  Allison's is offering Easter goodies this year that look ridiculously good.  Oh  how I'd love for the Easter Bunny to bring me...uh...my son some of these. 
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Fresh Organic Carrots with the stems.  Every year the Easter Bunny leaves a bunch of carrots for my son along with the chocolate and a couple of toys.  He seems to appreciate the carrots the most!  Get them from your local Farmers' Market.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Fridge Binz: Vegetarian's Best Friend

Do you have expensive organic produce rotting in your refrigerator because you can't find it?  Or you don't use it because you don't see it and then find a shriveled up mystery vegetable a few weeks later and remember that recipe you meant to try.  I do this all the time, I spend a fortune on organic produce only to let it go bad which is expensive and wasteful.   I hate throwing away organic food, don't you?

Well not anymore.  I discovered these amazing refrigerator organizers called Fridge Binz and they completely solved this problem.  My fridge used to contain big clumps of produce jammed in.  It was just a big green pile and I'd have to rummage through it searching for whatever it was while things were going bad at different rates.  Now I have my produce totally organized and NOTHING has gone bad for a good two weeks.  This is huge.

I warn you, these things become addictive for a while until you get all your stuff organized, you'll want several.  I found two locally, then I realized you can also get them online at stores like The Container Store and Amazon.  They come in all different shapes and sizes to fit your needs.

They are fantastic for juice enthusiasts.  I have one for all my juicing produce--this makes an enormous difference in my juicing routine, cutting down time.  I just pull out that bin, draw right from it while I'm juicing, then return it to the fridge when I'm done.  It's so much easier than rooting around for each thing.

My refrigerator is so beautiful and organized now, my obsession migrated to my pantry.  The bins are interchangeable from fridge to pantry, but I like the bins with the lip for the fridge and the bins with the handles for the pantry.  I have really deep shelves in my pantry that are not practical at all.  These bins help so much with keeping things under control and making food accessible when it wasn't before.

If you have children, you can designate bins for them, they would be great in a roommate situation or you can keep special dietary needs separate from other food--gluten free for instance.  There are so many ways to use these.  I wish I could organize everything so easily.

I think these pay for themselves very quickly in terms of conserving food that would have otherwise been thrown out.  You might also eat a lot healthier if your produce is right there in front of you and easy to get at.  They are BPA free and a fabulous invention, find them HERE on Amazon (click on INTERDESIGN under the product title to see more of their stuff).

Friday, March 16, 2012

Tape Sculptures


Tape is an interesting commodity around our house, my son is completely fascinated by it and can go through an entire roll of packing tape in one sitting.  So I hide it.  It doesn't work, he inevitably finds it and  creates his own brand of artwork with mixed media and a heavy emphasis on tape including his own version of sculpture.  It's always been that way, I'm not sure quite what it's all about, but even at the store, he asks for tape.  I do indulge him sometimes, I love to see his creativity in action, but at $3-4 a roll, it adds up and I don't care for the waste. When I saw these tape sculptures by Mark Jenkins, I thought, maybe I should give in to this more often.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

LivingHomes New C6 Eco Affordable Home

LivingHomes has just introduced their newest home, the C6.  It's a more affordable option, with all the modern appeal that is so fabulous in their other homes.  That, and it's eco friendly, certified LEED Platinum.  At 180K, you get three bedrooms, two baths and great design.  I would LOVE to live in one of their homes.  This particular project was part of a collaboration with Make It Right, a non profit founded by architect William McDonough and Brad Pitt to help out with the devastation following Hurricane Katrina.  A portion of C6 proceeds will go to Make It Right.  Find out more and see photos of the interior HERE.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

GIVEAWAY: Garden of Life Kid's Probiotics

Primal_Defense_Kids.jpg
In Their Words:

Probiotics are living microflora that play a critical role in maintaining good health by supporting normal bowel function and a healthy immune system.
Probiotics maximize the benefits of a healthy diet by supporting normal absorption and assimilation of nutrients in the gut.
Certain probiotic blends help support normal gastrointestinal balance of good and potentially harmful bacteria.

How is Primal Defense® Kids different from other probiotic formulas?

  • Primal Defense® Kids contains a 4 billion** live cell count of four species of beneficial probiotic cultures.
  • It contains a unique Bifidobacterium blend with the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii, that supports healthy intestinal epithelium lining integrity, the front line for the body's defense system.
  • Its three species of Bifidobacteria: Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium longum, are all found in a healthy child's digestive tract and have all been clinically studied in children, as has Saccharomyces boulardii.
  • Primal Defense Kids is made with organic banana so your child will enjoy taking it.
To Enter Giveaway, just go HERE and leave a comment.  Additional entries available too.  Good Luck!