Deb Hiett spent several years in New York City, where she was an actress, dancer, musician, and playwright. In reviewing her first original one-woman show, The Village Voice called her "the bold new voice in solo . . . a sure-shot writer." Her work has won The Carl Cherry Center for the Arts “One on One” Writing Competition and The Western Stage's “Starving Artist” Playwriting prize, and her short stories have appeared in several literary journals.
Deb’s love of writing married her passion for healthful, organic, and environmentally-conscious living once she moved to Los Angeles a few years ago. She has spent the past year planning her wedding, writing screenplays, and applying a variety of broad-spectrum sunscreens.
…and Calls In Sore Tomorrow
Helmet? Check. Water bottle? Got it. Metro bus pass when we poop out halfway to work? You bet your aching glutes. Today’s the day many Californians bike the walk and not just talk the talk. It’s Bike to Work Week 2008, and boy, do we need it.
In its thirteenth year, California’s Bike to Work Week officially encourages bicycling as the best form of transportation to decrease […]
Bamboo-Fabric Tees That Make Everybody Happy
When Kathryn Haydn-Hays read a story six years ago about forced child labor in foreign sweatshops, she realized that she didn’t know where her clothes really came from. “I really understood, for the first time, that nearly everything we purchase has a direct effect on people around the world, whether it’s an environmental or socio-economic impact,” says Haydn-Hays.
So she made it her life’s work to raise awareness and create more conscientious consumers. She started Affirm-Aware.org, a website which sells bamboo and organic cotton fabric tee-shirts, soy candles, organic reusable totes, and lovely unique jewelry — all created by 100% sweatshop-free labor.
But Kathyrn wanted to go a step further. She wanted to print affirmations on the tee-shirts so that the wearer would benefit from reading it every time he or she looked in the mirror, so she printed reverse images of the affirmations and called them “AffirmaTees.” (The “Duet” line has the affirmation both forwards and backwards, for those that want to spread the happy thoughts in both directions.) The site also features an “Affirmation Cafe” which has tips for meditation and positive thinking.
Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home is the new book that helps every parent “de-tox” their home and make a safer, greener environment for their children. It’s filled with simple steps and easy solutions you can implement in your home now. This guide covers all areas including indoors and outdoors, cleaning products, toys, and clothes, as well as cleaner air and water. There is even a chapter about […]
There’s a great new book on the shelves by award-winning author Renée Loux: Easy Green Living. Loux, who penned Living Cuisine and the Gourmand Award-winning The Balanced Plate, is a celebrated raw foods chef and host of the TV show “Easy Being Green.”
In her new book, Loux applies her whole-foods philosophy to our homes, gardens, and beauty routines, including lots of “5 Step” lists which make it easy to implement changes easily. […]
The “green” cleaning products on the market are great, but they can be pricey. You know you should mix all your own house cleaning solutions, but it can be a hassle, and who knows if you’re using the right ingredients in the proper amounts? Finally, we found an easy way to make all the healthy “green” home cleaning products you need, all in one handy kit.
With the Eco-Me Home Kit, you provide the […]
Everyone agrees breast milk is best for your baby. If you do bottle feed, you probably know that glass bottles are regarded as the most ecologically sound and healthful choice. But they are heavy, unwieldy, and can be easily chipped or broken. That leaves plastic.
There is strong evidence to suggest that bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to make polycarbonate plastic, can leach into the baby’s drink and mimic estrogen, which in turn can disrupt a baby’s developing endocrine system. Just last week, the FDA decided to (finally) re-evaluate their position on whether or not BPA is safe (though they weakly stopped short of recommending people stop using plastic bottles made with BPA). Canada just recently proposed designating BPA a toxic substance, banning products made with BPA altogether.
Enter Adiri baby bottles, which have received several design awards lately, as well as high praise of mothers everywhere. “We are enjoying our popularity with moms as well as with the medical community,” said Sarah Eisner, Adiri’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “We started out with safe materials. From there we introduced a revolutionary new breast-like design that is wowing folks across the country.”
While her uncle’s Presidential record on the environment has been a scandalous disaster, fashion model Lauren Bush has created a 100% organic cotton and sustainable burlap bag — and an accompanying humanitarian initiative — exclusively for Whole Foods, launching today.
For $29.99, you can purchase Lauren’s “Feed 100″ bag: a lightweight, white, cotton tote that collapses easily into its rectangular burlap zippered pouch. The bag is created in facilities which ensure fair treatment of workers, […]
Scary news: Electronic waste is growing at three times the rate of other household waste, and at a higher toxicity. With the rapid and widespread use of computers and electronic technology in the past thirty years, the impact of all the heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, etc.), batteries, plastics, LCD and other screens, etc. going into our landfills and water tables has yet to be determined.
What we do know for sure is […]
This Spring, update your patio, porch, or deck in one easy step. Mad Mats are fantastically chic outdoor/indoor woven rugs made from 100% recycled plastic (disposable bottles, packing wrap, etc.). Created in Thailand under Fair Trade conditions, Mad Mats will not work with factories that employ children or produce environmentally harmful waste.
The mats are washable (just run them under a hose), reversible, and really comfy underfoot. The flat weave and soft […]
Since my wedding is coming up in two weeks, I’ve been doing some exploring into all the trendy “green wedding” options. It’s amazing how awareness has grown in the past few years! Unfortunately, having a completely green wedding can often double the already expensive costs. But if every couple made even two or three decisions based solely on environmental concerns, the planet would be as happy the newlyweds.
When planning your own wedding, consider integrating even one or two of these ideas:
Skip the disposable cameras, and ask friends to bring digital cameras. Before the wedding, set up an account on sites such as Photobucket.com or Snapfish.com, and email the login and password to your friends. After the wedding, everyone can upload the photos they took to the account, and you’ll have an instant album of candids that everyone can enjoy. And if you want to have prints, you’ll be able to print only those pictures you really want.
Besides wearing a pre-owned gown (remember, a good tailor can make an poofy 80’s gown into a stylin’ 21st century dazzler), think about using heirloom jewelry for the engagement ring and wedding bands. If you must have new, matching bands, be sure to ask the jeweler about reclaimed, recycled, ecologically responsible gold.
