Ideal Bite

Everyone's favorite polyamorous poster girl, Ginnifer Goodwin, made us fall even more in love with her last week when she showed up to The Environmental Media Associations Awards in a sustainable frock designed by local Academy of Art students. The dress, gorgeously tailored out of discarded hospital scrubs, was designed as part of the 1Oak (One of a Kind) collection, a line of sustainably-designed dresses created for an Academy of Art class project.

Big-ups Ginny (can we call you Ginny?). 

-City Editor Hanah...off to catch up on Big Love...
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At an HSUS (Humane Society of the U.S.) town-hall meeting in SF last week (for other cities, RSVP here), I chatted with the president, Wayne Pacelle (see photo), and got updates on everything from factory farming to wild horses (this just in: As of Jan. 1 here in CA, tail-docking of dairy cows is banned, thanks to a bill from Senator Florez).

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week (this week), I thought I'd call out HSUS's new Shelter Pet Project (video intro here), which is aimed at removing the stigma of shelter animals. Many potential pet owners assume that shelter animals are behaviorally difficult or sick (most are Read the full post... 

Calling all entrepreneurial DIYers in New York! Greenfinds and Samples for (Eco)mpassion are looking for vendors for their Holiday Eco Marketplace. This all-green market will run from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24 and be open Thursday to Sunday at 2 Great Jones St. Tables are $350 per week minus any commitment for the following weeks – they can even staff your table, you know if you’re stuck at your day job. If you wanna sign up or need more info, contact Ike at ike@greenfinds.com or 917-226-9765.

Shoppers – be sure to gather up all that loose change lying in your couch/bottom of your purse and scope out the Holiday Eco Marketplace. They’ve already got a great lineup on board like: Read the full post... 

My mom does a lot of pottery-making, and for one reason or another, ends up with a lot of broken shards (or pieces that just didn't turn out right). The best use for them? Garden accessories. Here's a pic of a recent addition to my parents' backyard - a mosaic at the base of a veranda post - mostly made using toss-away pieces.

-Toshio…off to break some dishes…

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I have my own personal chef. Her name is Amy. She always has a variety of tasty, organic, vegetarian meals - free of additives, preservatives, and GMOs - for me to choose from. OK, fine. I'm talking about Amy's Kitchen. I'm nuts about Amy's Black Bean Enchilada and Roasted Vegetable Pizza (surprisingly, I don't even miss the cheese). Well, Amy's is turning 22 this year, and it still doesn't have an official slogan. Wanna help 'em out? You could win $500 in Amy's products. All you have to do is head to Amy's site to submit an entry - a phrase, word, jingle, or rhyme in 15 words or less that encapsulates Amy's Kitchen for you. Now get cracking!

- City Editor Read the full post... 

The gas and electric bill of my new apt. runs me about $6-7 a month – cheaper than when I split the bill with a roommate. And it’s not like I do anything dramatic (like take cold showers) or inconvenient (live by candlelight) to make them lower. I do use less energy-sucking CFLs for lighting; I gave up TV a year ago and watch only my favorite shows online (Mad Men, 30Rock, Read the full post... 

Daylight Savings Time, you are so depressing. It's dark at 4:30 now, which just makes me feel sleepy. So, to help myself focus on the positive when it comes to the approaching winter snooze-fest, I've decided to hit the bath tub - the best antidote to a cold dark night - with my fave lavender-honey milk bath recipe. Other than the fact that it obviously smells like a dream come true, it's a winning combo all around - lavender is one of nature's best tension tamers, honey not only softens your skin but also absorbs its impurities, and you can always drink it if you change your mind about the whole bath thing.

Anyway, once you have the ingredients, it's super easy. Fancier groceries tend to carry dried lavender, but some smaller co-op style spots do too - I scored mine at True Nature Foods (a great Read the full post... 

The Mother Nature Network recently released its list of the Top 15 most toxic places to live (everyone, not least of all Molly, was shocked to learn that LA did not make the list).

It turns out that Earth's orbit ought to be every space station resident's worst nightmare because it's so full of trash from abandoned space ships and satellites stuck circling the globe. Pretty crazy.

-Toshio…off to look to the skies…

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Well, actually he was sitting two tables away from me, but that still counts, no? Plus, Sheryl Crow, Amy Smart, (see photo - courtesy of Sarah Strack Photography) Ricki Lake, Anna Getty, and Arianna Huffington - they were all attending the Healthy Child Healthy World gala last Wednesday at the LEED-certified Montage Beverly Hills. I sat between Ideal Bite's cofounder, Jen Boulden and a lactation consultant (no joke) during dinner.

HCHW is all about fighting for children’s environmental health, and although I'm not a mom yet, I was very interested to hear what the who's who on this subject matter had to say. The event honored three Champions of Children’s Health, and I was Read the full post... 

There's my entry for "Best Sex Industry Pun." My mother must be so proud right now.

A German madam has launched a new discount offer at her East Berlin brothel: Travel green and save yourself a few euros. Fifteen minutes inside would have run you €30, but show 'em a bike helmet, your U-lock keys, or your bus ticket and it's only €25.

The madam estimates that about 10% of the clientele is taking advantage of the deal. No matter what industry you're in, times are tough, but it's nice to know that going green will always pay off.

-Senior Editor Mike...off to ride his bike - to the store, sicko...
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