Jewelry Fashion Trends

If you haven't noticed yet, I absolutely adore fashion. But something I love even more is cleanliness so when I saw this product I became overly excited with joy. Even the name is cool, Sweeper Slippers, is what they're called and they do exactly what you're thinking; clean the floor as you walk. These are a must-have if you live in an apartment or home that has hard wood floors. Also if you're what I like to call a 'clean freak' then you'll be ordering these shoes as soon as you finish reading this post. The individual pieces of mop-like material cover the bottom of the slipper allowing you to collect dust and other tiny particles that will stick to your slipper and no longer cover the floor. They're availble in bright colors like pink and neon green but that doesn't mean a man can't wear them and help clean. What a great gift this makes to the teenager that hates cleaning. No more whining...at least not as much if they can wear these.

Okay, don't chop my head off but when I first saw this I immediately said, "that's hot." The Martyr designed by The Play Coalition is a dramatic and expressive piece which just so happens to act as a lightbulb holder, and a cool one if I may add. If you look at the sculpture from the side then you will notice that it resembles the human body while the light acts as the head. The Play Coalition designed this to tell us that we need to start watching our usage of light and have a greener lifestyle. Even if I don't buy this, I've been taught a lesson.

Have you fell into the organic craze? Well if you're not into spending the extra dollars for organic fruit or meat maybe you'll think twice when it comes to protecting your laptop with this Montreal-based Want Organic laptop case for J Crew. It's 100% organic Turkish cotton and Norway leather.

Not only will you be keeping your computer safely kept but you'll also be eco-friendly. This case will protect you from scratching or dropping your laptop. And you'll also enjoy the provided extra spacing for your documents, pens and USB drives.

Have you ever owned something special that you were able to re-use once it retired from its original purpose? Turning your treasures into forever trinkets (like the designs on a few worn-out t-shirts used for patches on new, homemade clothes) is an easy way to memorialize your stuff through recycling. But what if you took someone else's old junk and saved it for your own as well?

One fashionable lady in California is doing just that, with a special emphasis on cleaning up her local neighborhood. Judith Selby Lang is making jewelry, in fact, from trash collected from Kehoe Beach near her home.

Many of Judith's materials originally come from things typically abandoned at the beach, like fishing line and flip flops. But other general trash is also being used to inspire the fast-growing West Coast style. One bracelet, made of pull tabs from milk cartons, sells at the Donna Seager Gallery for $45.

If you think about it, the most varying blends of color, shape, and texture do come from the heaps of product packaging and discarded belongings we throw in the trash can. Seriously, where else could you choose from so many scraps? So what can you do to recycle such seemingly useless stuff without scouring the entire coast?

Try saving paper bags and plastic bottles for your pets to use if it's safe. Our furry friends can make playthings out of even the simplest throw-aways. Or, you could turn bits of fabric from old clothes into dolls' blankets and coats for your daughter, niece, or neighbor. And if you happen across any bling on your dumpster dive, borrow Judith's philosophy for turning unwanted scraps from the environment into something sweet to hang from your wrist.

But that's not all for the successful designer. The water-bound piles of trash off of Hawaii, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is famously known for its more-than-Texas-sized trappings of plastic and other ocean debris. It is also the inspiration for Judith's newest pieces. Now being sent chunks of the tropical trash, Judith plans to reduce the mid-ocean eye-sore by making more pieces from its junk.

Source: Terry McSweeney at ABC Local.

Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to your exercise routine? Think about how much your environment affects your every day mood. You wouldn’t want to catch your Z’s on a busy street corner, would you? Your body will get tired of uncomfortable spaces, which may worsen your overall performance. Especially monotonous routines, for instance, will do for your body what an uncomfortable bed will do for your sleep habits.

The most elemental way to wake up the body is through a natural retreat. I’d say our natural surroundings live up to their reputations as therapeutic centers of serenity, so jump on in—or out, I suppose—and see what you’ve been missing!

Is this for me?

If you’re bored of staring at the gym wall, the evolving environment can be a cure. You’ve probably noticed that talking to a friend, or listening to a favorite album can make tedious exercise go by more quickly. So help yourself get past the tough parts with a few natural distractions. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, smells, and inhabitants of your surroundings, and time will fly, I promise.

If you carry stress from work or home, getting away from it all may have a positive effect on your unsteady mood. One of the best ways to distress before a workout is to unwind outside and take big, deep breaths. Not just air, but stretches in wide, open spaces and the quiet buzz of nature will contribute to the calming effect. Parks, nature trails, and beaches are often more quiet than your home and public places. Don’t feel like traveling far? Vacation to the backyard for a soothing yoga session among the trees.

Lastly, did you know that natural sites have characteristics that are extremely similar to those that you encounter on your everyday routine? For example, if you exercise on dry, hilly sand, you will get an intense workout in your legs that will prepare you for tough terrain you may come across on your walk to work, or up a steep hill. You won’t have to work as hard or appear as exhausted when you perform these every day functions. Sometimes people who workout in gyms lose sight of this ultimate goal (or at least what I think should be an ultimate goal of any healthy person). They isolate muscles by using machines, when in reality they could get a true multi-purpose workout from a hike in half the time.

Oh and visiting nature is free, ladies. So live it up!

Part Two of the unusual and unconventional ways we can all pitch in!

#4 Homemade goodness. Make some of your favorite products at home, using ingredients you already have, or ones that are double in purpose. Cutting back on commercial products will help you save on the cost of lots of packaged foods you didn’t know you could easily whip up yourself. Plus, by using fresh ingredients, you’re also cutting back on the preservatives you find in many packaged foods. (Psst… This also means you do your part to cut back on the costs of manufacturing such products in wasteful factories.) Why let machines do it when you can do it yourself!

Here’s environmentalist Joanna Yarrow’s recipe¹ for green goodness:

Make your own mayonnaise with a few simple ingredients! It will last three days and won’t load you down with the junk from the brand names. Just beat a couple of fresh egg yolks for the base and add ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of mustard powder, and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice (or white wine vinegar). Slowly stir in about a cup of olive oil so that it absorbs evenly. You never know—it just might be the tastiest mayo you’ve ever had.

But don’t stop there! Take a handful of your cheap mayo mix and slather on enough to smooth all over your dry hair. Let it sit for 15 minutes then shampoo and rinse as normal to reveal silky, protein-rich hair. But don’t indulge in mayo masks too often or you’ll experience the opposite effect. Now isn’t that the cheapest, most natural deep conditioning treatment you’ve ever heard of?

#5 Escape to the Unordinary.Typical vacation destinations are great for sipping drinks on the beach, but if you crave something a little more unusual for your family trip this year, there are exciting and eco-friendly options for you.

With the rise of ecotourism, undiscovered pieces of paradise have promoted themselves while educating outsiders about their culture and environment. Areas that qualify as ecotourism destinations are ones that are natural, usually small, and have virtually no negative impact on the environment. If you’re thinking about one of these trips, you’ll need to arrange for responsible, low-impact travel methods and be ready to learn something unexpected once you arrive. By the International Ecotourism Society’s standards, these getaways must promote green practices to its participants, and share with them the area’s history, culture and unspoiled natural attractions.

Besides providing a stunning backdrop for your eco-experience, these beautifully preserved areas are also home to locals that benefit from your visit. Your vacation will in some way directly fund the conservation of their community, and will of course, indirectly improve the quality of life in the area. As at any other exotic destination, these ecotourism areas thrive on money from tourism; but unlike all-inclusive resorts and other commercial vacation spots, they do not take away from the natural environment.

To further appreciate such unspoiled sections of Peru, Costa Rica, many parts of Africa, and more, you’ll get a chance to speak with, maybe even work, eat, or stay with locals. You can feel confident that in no way will your stay be a burden on their community. In fact, eco-trips support the locals’ right to keep their area beautiful and undisturbed.

Belize, Brazil, and even Alaska are all destinations that are reasonably close to parts of the United States. By cutting unnecessary luxuries and finding excitement in cultural exchange rather than room service, you could take a trip that’s friendly both to the environment and your wallet.

1. Joanna Yarrow, 1,001 Ways to Save the Earth (San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC, 2007) pp. 275-295.

We all wish we were a little better at recycling, but I bet you didn’t know there are more than a few non-traditional ways to support a healthier planet. So don’t forget about the three R’s, but I invite you to think outside the box when it comes to conservation.

#1. Let’s slow things down a little. The Slow Food movement was originally created by an Italian to protest the growing popularity of fast food. But since then it’s become a whole lot more. The organizations more than 100,000 members strive to appreciate the cultural value of food by educating others about the wasteful and risky behaviors in the food industry. They also oppose such things as the use of pesticides during growing and relying on too little variety in general. You can support the effort in a small way by learning and teaching others how to garden your own foods; or, just take the time to learn about and prepare cultural favorites in your kitchen more often. Caring about the quality, origin, and tradition of foods will promote things like ethics in the marketplace and economical production.

#2. Be cool conscious. The environment on any given day affects what you wear, right? But did you know it could be the other way around? Choosing your clothes carefully can improve your comfort level, and will promote more careful habits in others. Consider this: in Japan, the government runs a campaign to get businesses to allow short sleeves to be worn during the summer. If your business or child’s school requires formal dress or uniform, make a case for reducing the coverage or thickness of the cloth. Unlike a lot of business attire, thin, white, short sleeve shirts can cut air conditioning costs.

#3. Think outside your world. In worlds beyond yours, developing nations struggle for food and resources are strained under our wastful habits. But you can help protect destruction hundreds of miles away by “buying” your own square of endangered forest. Under the World Land Trust’s “Buy an Acre Fund”, you can protect an acre of rainforests for about $100. The organization has already saved over 400,000 acres in places like Brazil, Ecuador, and Parguay. For more info go to Worldlandtrust.com

More next time!

If it seems too expensive to just throw away, it probably is. Many of the broken or outdated items in your home can still be saved somehow. Cell phones, eyeglasses, and even old appliances can avoid the dump if you recycle them. The best way to recycle old goods that still work is to donate them to local organizations that can give them to people that need them. But other recycling services will make use of your items, even if they aren’t usable. Recyclemycellphone.org is a good place to start. They’ll find a home for your outdated cell phones; but if they receive a broken phone, they’ll salvage all the working parts to be used in new cell phones. Before you send yours off, ask your friends if you can ship theirs too. Why Not?

Did you know that throwing out fluorescent light bulbs is considered hazardous? Lamprecycle.org is a site that can give you more information about the mercury in these bulbs and how it can be reused for new bulbs. Lamprecycle.org will also direct you to the drop-off location nearest you that will take your old bulbs.

Some of us go through clothes fast. So what’s the best way to make good use of our old clothes after we’re done with them? Check out the labels on some of your giveaways and see if there is anything with a known name that’s in good condition. You don’t have to have fancy brand name stuff to sell back to places like Plato’s Closet. They’ll take slightly used clothes and accessories that you got from most stores in the mall. You might also try looking through the piles of unwanted clothes to find fabrics that can be salvaged. Some might be ideal for rags used for polishing, or as smocks for your kids when they finger paint. If you like the pattern on an old shirt that no longer fits, cut out a few sections of the design to use in a craft project that you can hang on the wall. Buttons can be saved for future endeavors too. Just remember to get the most out of what would otherwise lie uselessly in a landfill.