10 Healthy Living Tips

1. Look up your beauty products on www.CosmeticsDatabase.com. Always read the ingredients in the products you use and be sure to avoid triclosan, fragrance, and oxybenzone.

2. Choose organic & fresh local foods.

3. Limit how much canned food you eat, as many can linings contain bisphenol A (BPA)-which is linked to cancer.

4. Avoid using plastics whenever possible and choose the ones you use carefully to avoid BPA. Never microwave plastic containers.

5. Wash your hands frequently to reduce illness. Avoid using anti-bacterial soaps which are bad for the environment and contain pesticides.

6. Cook with cast iron or stainless steel cookware to avoid the toxic fumes that can be released from non-stick cookware when it is overheated.

7. Establish a "no shoes in the house" policy to reduce pollutants from outside being tracked throughout your house.

8. Use green cleaners made from items from your pantry - baking soda, vinegar, and lemons can be combined into some amazing cleaners.

9. Use reusable stainless steel water bottles instead of buying bottled water.

10. To help with seasonal allergies and stuffy noses caused by winter colds, try using a neti pot instead of over the counter decongestants.

Sea Shepherd

My husband and I have supported Sea Shepherd and their missions to protect animals for years. Sea Shepherd has experienced some recent fame due to the "Whale Wars" series on Animal Planet, however they are by no means new to the animal conservation world. The Sea Shepherds lead by their fearless captain Paul Watson confront Japanese whaling ships as they illegally hunt for whales in the frigid waters of Antarctica.

According to the Sea Shepherd website, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization established in 1977 whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. "Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas."

The Japanese whaling ships continue their annual hunts by claiming to be conducting research with the Institute of Cetacean Research. The ICR claims to be conducting scientific research on whales however they sell the meat of the whales they hunt. Whether you agree with the Sea Shepherds methods - stink bombs, prop-fouling ropes, and interfering with the whale hunts - they have brought major media attention to the devastating and illegal whale hunts.

This week the confrontations between the whalers and the Sea Shepherds escalated when a whaling ship collided with the Shepherd's boat the Ady Gil shearing of the bow. The Ady Gil was valued at 2 million dollars and is a complete loss.

Join others such as the Dalai Lama, Bob Barker, author Farley Mowat, Brigitte Bardot, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Grateful Dead, and Third Eye Blind in supporting Sea Shepherd at www.seashepherd.org

Yes to Carrots

I have found a yummy new lip butter I just love - Yes To Carrots' C Me Smile. It is all natural with extracts from certified organic fruits and vegetables, it contains no petroleum or phthalates, is paraben-free and is not tested on animals!

C Me Smile contains organic carrot, orange, pumpkin and melon extracts which provide
antioxidant protection; coconut oil, olive fruit oil, jojoba seed and sunflower oils to nourish & protect your lips; vitamin E and shea butter.

Why is organic lip butter a smart choice? According to Glamour Magazine's June 2002"Beauty Quickie Tip," "women inadvertently eat 4 lbs of lipstick" in a lifetime. Every time you lick your lips, eat or drink while wearing lip product you ingest a small amount of the product so be sure to choose organic products.

C Me Smile is available in five yummy flavors - Berry, Carrot, Citrus, Melon and Mint. Check out www.yestocarrots.com for more delicious info.

Happy Green Year 2010!

Happy 2010! Here's my family's green goals for this year:

1. Plant an organic garden this spring.

2. Prepare more items from scratch to eat healthier and reduce packaging waste.

3. Switch our plastic reusable food storage containers to glass.

4. Go on an eco-tourism vacation.

5. Learn to make my own soap and beauty products.

6. Support local merchants, crafters, and artists with my purchases.

7. Move to a home that allows use to reduce our driving.

8. Limit purchases to quality, earth-friendly items that will last.

9. Get creative with using recycled items in my crafting.

10. Continue to educate others about the importance of going green and the simple changes they can make to live a little greener.