“Good for you, good for the economy!”
This article discusses some of the many benefits of farmers markets in our communities and around the country. I hope you enjoy the article and find some inspiration in it!

http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/farmers-markets-good-good-economy/

Here is a quick list on how to time your gardening chores throughout the year.  From our good friends at Harris’ Farmers Almanac, I certainly plan & adjust things according to this tool & hope you find it useful as well!

COMPOSTING:  between Full Moon & New Moon
PEST CONTROL: between First Quarter Moon & Full Moon
CULTIVATE SOIL:  between Last Quarter Moon & New Moon
CUTTING DOWN TREES:  between Last Quarter Moon & New Moon
DIGGING POST HOLES:  between Full Moon & New Moon
FERTILIZING:  between First Quarter Moon & Full Moon
GRAFTING:  between First Quarter Moon & Full Moon
HARVESTING:  between Full Moon & New Moon
IRRIGATING:  between First Quarter Moon & Full Moon
PLANT FLOWERS: between New Moon & First Quarter Moon
PRUNING TO PROMOTE GROWTH:  between New Moon & First Quarter Moon
PRUNING OR MOWING TO LIMIT GROWTH:  between Full Moon & Last Quarter Moon
TRANSPLANTING:  on the Full Moon or shortly after
WEEDING:  between Last Quarter & New Moon

Did you know that your old jeans can insulate a house?!  Gap has launched their “Recycle your Blues” denim recycling program.  Go to your local Gap and bring your old, torn and worn jeans to recycle.  They will give you 30% off any new pair from their 1969 line!  Hurry now, the Gap’s Recycle your Blues event goes thru this month until October 20th!  Happy Recycling!  Help keep homes warm this winter!  Check out the video here.

Until next time, live green!

Jen

The Cornucopia Institute released a report on organic egg labeling including information about the true lifestyle of the chickens our eggs are coming from.  In the report Mark A. Kastel (The Cornucopia Institute’s co-director & senior farm policy analyst shares

“After visiting over 15% of the certified egg farms in the United States, and surveying all name-brand and private-label industry marketers, it’s obvious that a high percentage of the eggs on the market should be labeled ‘produced with organic feed’ rather than bearing the USDA-certified organic logo.” In essence many of the chickens that are regarded and labeled as organic, share the same facility with thousands of other chickens & rarely if ever, are treading on real soil and grass fields.

“Many of these operators are gaming the system by providing minute enclosed porches, with roofs and concrete or wood flooring, and calling these structures ‘the outdoors,’” stated Charlotte Vallaeys, a farm policy analyst with Cornucopia and lead author of the report. “Many of the porches represent just 3 to 5 percent of the square footage of the main building housing the birds. That means 95 percent or more of the birds have absolutely no access whatsoever.”

The main goal it would seem is that The Cornucopia Institute truly wants the “organic” playing field to be fair and even, protecting “ethical organic farmers from unfair and illegal competition.”  I feel that as we forge further into the organic frontier, the needs in supply and demand will grow, greatly.  Getting clear definitions & honest labeling will become more & more important to each of us a consumer, to be better educated on the purchases we make & feed our families.  For more information on The Cornucopia Institute or their report on organic eggs, please follow the link here

Until next time, live green!

Jen

As women, many of us love dolling up, but when you start to do the research on the make-up world, you have to ask, “at what cost.”  Many products test on animals, use animal by-products, including bugs (Carmine), and have some weird ingredients that many of us don’t even know how to pronounce.  While there are many mysteries, not everything about the make up world is scary and dismal.

We love make up!  It makes us feel beautiful by taking our natural beauty to a new level of accentuating what we’ve already got!  I made an attempt in my research to find all the positive alternatives in make-up and I want to share my finds with you, including an ingredient guide to equip you with the knowledge, websites with even more information that I thought were extremely useful and products!  I would love for you to share with me any tips or products that you may know of and love, so please direct those to us at info@jennifermccolm.com!  Also, remember, when making changes to the products you use in your everyday life, it’s best not to get overwhelmed by all of the information.  Just do one thing green, everyday…that’s my mantra and my mission to help the world turn a green leaf!  We all can do this!

I like to offer a range of products that vary in price, being green doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of green, so check out these products that range in price to find the best fit for yourself.

E.L.F. Cosmetics - Eco Brushes

This line of brushes by E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face), are made from sustainable bamboo, recycled ferrule and 100% Taklon, animal-free bristles.  E.L.F. can also he found at Target.  ($5)

EcoTools: Earth Friendly Beauty - Beauty Tools

EcoTools have a wide range of products from beauty tools to bamboo nail files.  Their brushes are very soft and everything down to the ferrule on this product are recycled and        animal-free.  EcoTools can be found at Target, CVS, Rite Aid
(Price range $8-15)

NVEY Le Maquillage:  World’s First Eco-Pro Brush Line with Compostable Handles

This beautiful line of products is straight out of the cosmetic house NVEY Le Maquillage, who arrived stateside in 2006.  Their brushes are made from fine, soft, synthetic material. Completely cruelty free and recycled materials.  Most noteworthy highlight: the brush handle is totally compostable!  (Range $26+)  Check out their website for more info!

There are many companies making great strides in the area of sustainability and their products.  A little homework and a little knowledge will help each of us on our journey in sustainability and green living.  I wanted to offer you a couple of websites that you may find helpful that highlight more information about the ingredients that are in many products.  They offer pocket size resources and links to companies that work hard in the integrity of their products. Leaping Bunny is The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.  Global Action Network includes an index of Cruelty-Free Shopping.  Have fun surfing their pages and learning, and remember Just Do One Thing Green, everyday, it certainly adds up.  Peace & Light!

Until next time, live green!

Jen

I always frequent the local Farmers’ Market & recently while visiting the Calabasas Farmer’s Market I found a designer that I just adore.  Her designs & inspiration come all the way from the Brazilian Amazonian Region where local Brazilian Indians sew organic materials easily found in the forest into beautiful jewelry.  Patricia took her inspiration home to create designs that would use Brazil’s natural gemstones & recycled dark denim cords to create very unique and alluring bracelets.  By using recycled denim cords instead of leather, she was able to stick to her Eco-conscious roots, while creating designs that have now become a coveted item by stars & people all over the world, including Halle Berry, Carrie Underwood, Tyra Banks and many, many more.

I always like to share with you, exciting people, places and green finds, and I really feel you will love Patricia Candido’s work.  Check out her website for more information & enjoy your bracelets, as I certainly have been loving mine!

Whenever a company makes great strides in improving their product in an effort to offer a better option for our families & homes I must give a salute!
Method has created a new line of “smarter, easier & greener” laundry detergents.

It’s made using 95% natural & renewable ingredients., it’s readily biodegradable and non-toxic in use, for skin-friendly clean clothes!  Due to its ultra concentrated formula, (they do not water down their formulas like other brands out there) they were able to serve the detergent in a smaller more convenient & easy to use bottle, with a pump.  Their bottle uses over “36% less plastic compared to traditional 2x detergents & 50% of that comes from recycled plastics.”

With the pump top, this detergent is easier & cleaner to use, there is no messy rim or cup to fight with and it takes up less room in your cupboard.  With one small bottle you are getting 50 loads of clean, fresh laundry!

Fighting dirty laundry one load at a time, while trying to make a softer footprint on our world, this product is an overall winner in my book of green!

Try it out and check out more details where you can print coupons as well!

So, I have been out and about all day taking in nature and truly celebrating the earth.  There is nothing like starting my morning at home with my goats, Jack & Daisy, and my dogs Bo, Skye & Sophie.  I like to get in my garden, work the earth then go up and make my green drink for a fresh start to my day!  With all that I have been taking in today, I thought it would be fun to share some great green tips!

10 Things to NEVER buy again:

• Styrofoam - ANYTHING!
• Paper Towels- use rags, or towels
• Bleached coffee filters
• Farm raised salmon - always go for wild caught fish, it’s the BEST choice for you and your family!
• Bottled water - reuse glass bottles (like old vinegar bottles, etc) or wine bottles to store water in your refrigerator.
• Chemical pesticides & herbicides
• Conventional household cleaners - there are so many great green products that are earth-friendly that it seems silly to use the abrasive & dangerous chemically filled cleaners.
• Toys made with PVC plastic
• Plastic forks or spoons - Biodegradable dinnerware is the best choice and it doesn’t leave an imprint on our earth!

RECYCLING FUN!  A great initiative for recycling old shoes is to send them to Nike to be turned into playgrounds and athletic flooring for schools!  This is a great alternative for your athletics shoes, or, if you would like to reach out even further you can donate your athletic shoes to One World Running, where they will be donated to athletes in Africa, Latin America, & Haiti.

I hope you are having a beautiful and earth inspiring day today.  Thanks for stopping by and…

until next time, live green!

Love,
Jen

Earth Day is coming up this week, I’m sure there are tons of exciting events in your area, just like me!  For everyone that is local, there will be an amazing Earth Day event at 3700 Wilshire Blvd on Wednesday, April 22nd.  The event will take place from 11-3 pm.  There will be many amazing vendors and green living tips, music and children’s activities!

Last year was a wonderful event and we had an amazing turnout of people to celebrate our earth & learn more about consciously living to ensure our earth’s life span & happiness for everyone.  Hope to see you there! 

Until next time, live green!

Jen

I am at the Farmers market weekly, sometimes a few times a week.  There is nothing I love more than to pick up local, organic fruits & vegetables and make delicious meals for my family!

I recently found a site that is so useful.   No matter what state you live in, they have created an interactive map to find out what is in season in your region by the month.  It is a great thing to be aware of what is locally raised and ready in the area you live in.  If you are buying strawberries in the winter (depending on where you live..), you may want to think about how far those strawberries have traveled to get to your table.  Buying local not only boosts local economies, it helps support your local farmer and it is a healthier approach to what you are putting on your table for your family.  Organic is always the best choice, but if for any reason you cannot get organic, buying locally will always be the better choice.  And if you can buy organic, locally, you are in a definite win-win situation.

I am attaching the link to the interactive map, go take a look and have some fun finding out what is in season in your area, the next fun step is finding great recipes to make with these items and enjoying them with your family!

As always, I am so happy to share the things that inspire me, move me, & enhance my life with you!  Thanks for stopping by and until next time, live green!

Jen