another one of my most favorite gifts this year was a set of bags from amy butler’s new collection of fashion and travel bags. someone really knows me well (ahem, thanks mom!) and picked out the most perfect travel set for me. a large weekender and a hanging toiletries bag that are both so easy to zip up and toss in the car. i love them!

convenience aside, the bags themselves are remarkable. made from heavy organic cotton and dyed with eco friendly dyes, they feel simply luxurious. they are sturdy, extremely well made and absolutely beautiful.

head on over to amy butler’s website to view the collection, then visit kalencom to purchase.

wrap up: {amy butler} {bags} {cotton} {organic gardening} {travel} {weekender}

this week i had the absolute privilege of trying the new tea for creatives: possibiliteas. started by a creative professional and tea enthusiast, regina brooks found that her custom blends of fine tea, florals and herbs made her feel more centered and had a positive effect on creative output. and guess what- they did for me, too!

for now, they come in three mind-focusing blends: creativitea, productivitea and claritea.

creativitea is made of chamomile, which calms the body and centers the mind and a mixture of lavender and lemon grass which help bring about more focus and insight.

claritea is a honey-gold brew of china green tea which helps you focus, brahmi that helps mental acuity and rosemary, which stimulates memory, balance and mental alertness.

productivitea (my favorite) is a blend of stimulating formosa oolong and nilgiri black teas. rooibos from south africa and organic chocolate from central america which helps fortify and energize.

the sole purpose of possibiliteas? to help enhance creative’s ability to put their imagination to work. a cup of possibiliteas can help bring your dreaming, planning and making all together!

i’ve been having a cup nearly every day, and i have enjoyed so much sitting down with a cup while i sketch or write! in addition to tasting incredibly-amazingly delicious, it really does seem to help my imagination flow!

visit possibiliteas and check out their blog, twitter and facebook pages while you’re at it. i think you’ll fall in love with their mission (and their teas!).

p.s. my sweet glass tea vessel came from one vessel!

wrap up: {creatives} {creativtea} {focus} {herb} {imagination} {organic gardening} {possibilitea} {tea}

early we rose yesterday and to the ‘you pick organic farm’ we went. after an embarrassing amount of sugar, 4 trips to the grocery store and one lost wallet, we managed to can over 70 jars of raspberry jam. feet = exhausted. tummy = very happy.

wrap up: {canning} {farm} {jars} {organic gardening} {preserve} {raspberry jam} {you pick}

i love the organic feel to lumafina’s beautiful jewelry. with hand cut pieces of metal, patina colors and the use of naturally shed deer antlers i think her pieces look feminine, natural and easy to wear. i especially love these dotted hoops and sweet chevron necklace.

wrap up: {antlers} {deer} {earrings} {feminine} {lumafina} {natural} {necklaces} {organic gardening}

 
hello, lovelies! today we have an inbox inquiry from katie henderson about organic hair care products. see my advice below and share your own advice in the comments section!

answer:
hi katie! i have curly, frizzy hair as well. AH! i have a few recommendations for you (see below) but more than just guide you to a specific product, i wanted to share with you a list of ingredients that i avoid at all costs. that way, you can take the list with you into the store and find several different products that you can feel good about purchasing and using!

below you’ll find my pocket resource guide for which ingredients to avoid. you will be able to find products that are free from these ingredients, you’ll just have to look for them. you can try at your local store, but a better bet would be to head to a health food store. but remember, just because it’s in a health food store, doesn’t mean it’s good for you! always double check the ingredients. you can click on the picture below to download a pdf format, with three different sizes in it choose from. i just keep a copy in my wallet for easy access at the store!
 

click to download the “ingredients to avoid” pocket guide! (you’ll have three sizes to choose from.)

now, the discussion on ingredients in general, is a whole different topic in itself (of which we won’t go into today), but you can either take my word for it, or research the following links to learn more:

-skin deep- a great website where you can enter an ingredient to learn more about it. they also have a wonderful what not to buy, a must read!
-body care from mother love
-organic consumers association

some of the products that i’ve found to ‘fit the bill’ have come from the companies listed below. however, you still need to double check the ingredients, as not all of the products from these companies necessarily apply.

-earth science
-burt’s bees
-say yes to carrots

the best rule of thumb is to only purchase products that contain ingredients that:
a) you can pronounce
b) you would eat (you know like grapeseed oil, root extract, etc)

do you have any favorite organic (or otherwise responsible) hair products you like? do share in the comments section!

wrap up: {body} {hair care} {inbox inquiry} {ingredients} {organic gardening} {pocket guide} {simple living} {to avoid}

i had the absolute pleasure of meeting and making friends with kina of joretta natural knits, as we were booth neighbors last year at icp! i can tell you first hand that her beautiful natural knits are high quality, well constructed and oh-so-cozy to the touch. she designs each of them herself and uses natural, recycled fibers and organic materials from local producers and dyers. and as she has her own one-and-a-half year old, you can be rest assured that all of her designs are baby proofed!

interested in advertising on going home to roost? click here to find out more!

wrap up: {advertise} {baby} {hats} {joretta} {knits} {natural} {organic gardening} {sponsor} {welcome}

why would one choose to be vegan? one of my dear friends posed this exact question on facebook over the weekend, and it really got me thinking. most of you know that my husband and i have been a vegetarian for a long time, and often end up eating a vegan diet as well. their are many reasons why someone would go vegetarian, vegan or choose to eat only local & organic products, but today i want to specifically discuss the reasons why someone would choose to ‘go vegan’.

{the cooks}

1. you’ll live longer. studies show that on average vegans live 6 years longer than meat eaters.

2. avoid toxins. (non-organic) meat contains antibiotics, hormones & toxins produced by stress & pesticide residues that become concentrated from all the crops they have eaten.
3. less land consumption. an astounding 20 vegans can live off the same amount of land required by one meat eater.
4. less water consumption. it only takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1lb of wheat whereas it takes 2500 gallons to produce 1lb of meat.

5. reduce potential for food poison. 80% of food poisoning is due to infected meat.
6. reduced risk of heart disease. vegans have a 57% reduced risk of getting heart disease (the #1 killer in america today!).
7. proper protein. the average american eats twice as much protein as necessary for a healthy diet and much of that is from red meat. getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier and reduces the risk for osteoporosis.
8. healthy hormones. eating animals that have been given hormones to speed growth (a widely accepted practice in the meat industry) means those hormones go into your body. not only can this disrupt the natural balance of your hormones, but some of the hormones given to animals have shown to cause tumor growth in humans.
9. avoid antibiotics. antibiotics are almost always given to (non-organic) feed animals, which can lead to bacterial resistance in humans. many of the antibiotics used to treat human infections are also used in feed animals. this means by consuming this, we are causing ourselves to be less resistant to antibiotics.
10. increased weight loss. a healthy weight loss is a typical result of a smart vegan diet. eating vegan eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues. 33% percent of americans are obese, while only 2% of vegans are.
11. prevent osteoporosis. bone health depends on a balance of neither too much or too little protein, adequate calcium intake, high potassium, and low sodium. with a healthy vegan diet, all four of these points set a perfect scenario for preventing osteoporosis.
12. appropriate puberty. since 1950, girls are hitting puberty on average 4-7 years earlier and boy’s sperm counts have decreased by 25-50% due to the hormones present in non-organic meat and dairy products.
13. reduced risk of alzheimers. meat eaters have double the rate of alzheimers disease as vegans.
14. support heathy ecosystems. nitrates & pesticides used on crops grown to feed livestock end up in our rivers and vastly effect the health of micro environments and ecosystems.
15. reduce global warming. the 1,300,000,000 cattle in the world emit 60,000,000 tons of methane per year (methane is a greenhouse gas which leads to global warming).
16. reduce animal cruelty. the animals involved in mass industry farming are exposed to the most cruel, unsanitary and horrific conditions. if you can handle watching it, the ‘meet your meat‘ movie will give you a glance into the common practices of present day industry farming.
17. reduce your risk for cancer. vegans have a 40% reduced level of cancer than the general population thought to be because they have a higher intake of vitamins A,C & E.
18. eliminate bad cholesterol. eliminating any food that comes from an animal and you will eliminate all of the ‘bad’ dietary cholesterol from your diet (heart disease is the leading cause of death in america today).
19. save rain forests. if they continue to clear american forests to raise cattle at the present rate, in 50 years there will be none left.
20. increase your energy. when following a healthy vegan diet, you will find your energy is much higher.

so many people get hung up on the idea that eating vegan or vegetarian is just too difficult. or they may find themselves emotionally attached to just how tasty meat can be. what they often don’t know, is that it is ever increasingly easy to eat a vegan/vegetarian diet, and enjoy much of the same things you do now. with meat substitutes, you can enjoy healthy vegan bacon, burgers and even barbecue! it’s a great way to ease into the lifestyle. today, even eating out is no problem. with most american restaurants offering vegan friendly dishes, you can also head to a mexican, thai, chinese, or indian restaurant for a sure bet of vegan/vegetarian options.

what do you think? is it worth the health of your body and your planet to skip the meat? i think i could have stopped after reason #1 and been convinced, but i would love to know what you think. i’ll meet you in the comments section!

resources & further recommended reading: veggie revolution, 101 reasons to go vegetarian, 57 health benefits of going vegan, dr. oz

wrap up: {diet} {earth} {eco} {food} {green} {health} {meat industry} {organic gardening} {vegan} {vegetarian}

 
though i try to reign in on my use of this word, odette new york simple makes me swoon. there’s just no other word to describe it.

 
handmade in brooklyn, artist jennifer sarkilahti begins each design with a sketch, then carefully translates them by hand into a wax like tiny sculpture.  they are then cast into metal and turned into one of the most unique lines of jewelry i’ve seen.

 

 
with pieces that encompass an organic, natural, bohemian feel- i can’t decide which one is my favorite.  i believe that’s why i would like each of these little charms strung along a necklace. :)

visit odette new york here.

wrap up: {acorn} {birds} {bohemian} {fox} {handmade} {handmade jewelry} {jewelry} {leaf} {natural} {odette new york} {organic gardening}