Happy Thanksgiving!

(Thank you, My Owl Barn.)

To you and yours,

We are so entirely grateful to have readers. Thank you readers, thank you! Have a wonderful, joyous Thanksgiving (and don't fall asleep too early after eating all that turkey!)

<3
Lu & Am

Green Product: Feline Pine

I always seem to be trying out some new green/organic/sustainable/herbal product every week. This week, I've decided to review Feline Pine (I've recently gotten a kitteh!)

I purchased the Feline Pine Clumping litter (there's also a nugget, non-clumping version). So far this product works really well. The pine scent works wonderfully to neutralize any kitty poop or pee odor. There's only one small problem: it spreads over the floor like crazy. As soon as kitty gets out of her box - splash! Kitty litter all over the floor! Oh well, it's not a huge problem, I just have to clean up often. But I don't think I'll be getting this particular litter next kitty litter purchase!

~Am~

Green product: Zand's

I always seem to be trying out some new green/organic/sustainable/herbal product every week. This week, I've decided to review Zand's Lozenges (the beau & I have been sick a lot lately).

I love, love, love these lozenges. They are sweetened with brown rice syrup only and made of lots of yummy, healthy herbs and spices. We try to buy these whenever we're having a case of the sore throat. Zand's also makes lots of other herbal concoctions to help the ailing body. Try them out. I love that they're made with brown rice syrup instead of high fructose corn syrup, which isn't good for the body at all.

~Am~

Inspirational Green Blogger

There are so many people out there that love the same things as we, Lu-n-Am, do. And I am loving reading fellow green-living pursuer Pure Green Design's blog. She writes about daily musings, beautiful, sustainable design, DIY projects, living a eco-friendly life, and opening and running her own eco living store, called Sustain. I think she just may be my inspiration/guide to opening my own eco-friendly store. If she can open her own store at the age of 27 then can't I do it, too, in 2 1/2 years? :)

<3

DIY Wall Art

Hello Lu n' Am,

It's been a long time since I've visited you for a new post. I'm not even going to start with the excuses, lets just get to the post.

Martha Stewart of France has done it again.
Latest Project: Paint Samples on String inspired by boutique in downtown Knoxville:

-Cut little squares of colors (paint samples are perfect for this)
-Sew them onto a string,
-Hang them on from your ceiling or make a whole row of them.

Am and I have one of these fabulous decoration pieces hanging in our homes. I have zero sewing skills, but mom said this takes very little skills just patience, and the results are lovely!

and now I have a headboard for my bed. :)
Thanks mom!

Detail:
-Lu

Congrats to Lu & Mitch!

A huge congratulations goes out to Lu & her beau, excuse me - fiance!

The little Lu has gotten engaged to her boyfriend Mitchell Trueblood! So let's all give lots of cheers to the sweet couple!

Congrats! I love you two!
~Am~

WNCA

This week's featured Green Organization is the Western North Carolina Alliance (WNCA). I was invited by a friend who volunteers there to go to a "food & presentation" event presented by the alliance last week, and I found the presentation to be very informative and the food delicious.

WNCA is a grassroots environmental organization that "empowers citizens to be advocates for livable communities and the natural environment of Western North Carolina." Their three main goals are "leading citizen advocacy on growth management; involving citizens in public lands protection; and protecting the region’s water supply."

~Am~

Preserve Toothbrush

I'm not sure if we've posted this before, but I was so excited about this purchase so I had to write about it! I just bought two Preserve Toothbrushes at Greenlife. If you haven't heard of them before, these toothbrushes are 100% made from recycled #5 plastics. One hundred percent! Exciting and awesome, no? Yes! Check them out, they really don't cost any more than regular name brand toothbrushes.

~Am~

Holiday Season

I've already started thinking about the holidays. I know, I'm nuts, right? Well the early bird catches the worm, and I'm hoping to eat lots of worms this winter (don't ask me where I got that from).

Of course handmade cards

Maybe some handmade wallets?

Or some ipod covers?

And I'm sure I can find somebody w/enough style in the kitchen to want a handmade apron

Get set, get ready, craft! Good luck on a crafty holiday season!
~Am~

The Littlest Birds

(Source.)

This is the home of my latest job. And I love it. Such cuteness all around. Let me give a small tour of the lovely place.

Name: The Littlest Birds
Owners: Sonja & Allison
What: An organic and natural baby boutique.
Sells: Organic and locally-made clothing; baby carriers and slings; safe baby bottles & such; natural baby shoes; safe, lead and bpa-free baby toys; consignment clothing & such; natural cloth diapers; and lots more!

Some great brands they carry:
Simple Shoes
Livie & Luca
Ergobaby
Maya Wraps
Under The Nile
RolyPoly
Grimms Toys
Plans Toys
Born Free
Bum Genius
Happy Heiny

~Am~

I got a green job!

(Source)

Ok, I'm so super excited ya'll! I got another part time job, but this time it's so awesome and so what I want to do! It's working at a cute boutique called The Littlest Birds. This place sells natural and organic baby clothes and other baby items.

Exciting, right? Oh, it's in the oh-so-cute neighborhood of West Asheville! And it's ran by two super-awesome and super sweet ladies.

Plus, me & the beau found a new apt. and it's ours! Oh, what sweet bliss! :)
~Am~

An Etsy Green Guide

We're feeling a little Etsy crazy around here lately. Therefore, we present to you a green gift guide, courtesy of Etsy:

Olivia Newton John Coasters

Gardening Apron

Envelopes

Coffee Cup Sleeve

~Am~

Need a green writer?

(Guess which one is in need of a job more!)

Well if you do need a green writer then hire me to do it! Even if you don't need a writer specifically on green topics, I can still write for you. I've had beaucoup and beaucoup (lots and lots) of experience. Have an idea but don't know how to go about writing about it? Ask me! I can totally help you work out your writing dilemmas! I've been a writer for many years and an editor for nearly as long. So please, won't you take me on?

~Am~

King Corn!

I watched this documentary (thought it would appropriately themed since I am off to Iowa for a week) found it to be very informative and entertaining, I highly recommend it. We really are what we eat. and we eat a lot of corn, and I'm not talking natural corn on the cob.
Check it out:
-Lu

Green Angels in Charleston

Suffice it to say, our trip to Charleston wasn't the most eco-friendly trip. There was lots of driving and the campsite had limited recycling facilities. And there was lots of DEET used in the prevention of mosquitoes (but, OMG, it was so necessary - I got "et" up by those horrible little vamps).But, ya'll, we camped. Camped. No electricity involved. People don't really ever camp anymore, apparently. There weren't very many people located in the camping area of the park. But there were plenty of RVs.
We did our best and we had a heck of a good time. Many campfire adventures ensued every evening after the sun set.
~Am~

Lu-n-Am Bonding Time!

(Source.)

Lu and yours truly (Am) are only minutes away from leaving for Charleston! We haven't had a trip together in a hella long time and so we're both super-excited to get away for awhile and relax. We're going with both of our loved ones and another friend. That makes a total of five and we're car-pooling all the way to the beach (four hours away for me!). It will be a very comfy trip! ;)

We'll be back in four days with pics and stories to tell!

~Am~

Recycle your water filters

I was installing a Brita filter in our water filter the other day (it was waaay overdue, but those things can be so expensive!) and the beau asked what to with the old one. I said, I guess just throw it away. But he had a brilliant idea that showed my prowess has been rubbing off on him: why not recycle it?

So I did a little research and found this. So there are locations you can drop them off it to recycle, mostly the drop-off centers are located in Whole Foods stores. And there are none near me and if there are none near you, then this is what you can do: mail it off to a recycle center! So that's what I'm going to do, it'll probably cost me about a dollar or so to mail, but I think it's way worth it so it can be properly recycled! Don't you?

~Am~

Evan Healy

(Source.)

This is my new absolute favorite facial care line: EvanHealy.

I've always had trouble with acne. I had it terribly in my teens and now in my twenties I've had to battle with with because of the birth control pills I take. What I had been using had been working until two or three months ago when I started a new brand of pills and my face or my acne cream couldn't fight any longer and gave in miserably.

Yet on driving to my favorite grocery store, Greenlife, I decided that I would go forward and see what Greenlife's beauty department had in the line of acne medicine. I was in luck. Greenlife carries only organic and natural food and products and this includes their beauty products. After scanning over the products and finding what seemed to be the perfect choice for my problems (the EvanHealy line), I balked at its price. It was $30!!! Granted, what I found was a kit and had five products in it, but I just hoped that I didn't have to spend this too often.

Encouraged by my beau, I asked one of the staff near the beauty counter and asked her for advice. She immediately pointed to the EvanHealy "Blemish" line. I told her my problem with the price and she pointed out a few others which she said had worked ok for her but that she had recently been using this EvanHealy line and it was working really well for her and that all the ingrediants in the line were recognizable and safe.

So I bought it. And I love it! The "Blemish" kit was supposed to last me 7-10 days but it's lasted me much longer. Here's what came in the kit:
-Tea Tree Gel Cleanser: This is a really light and refreshing lather, specially for blemished skin.
-Rosehip Treatment Facial Oil-Blue: This is for sensitive, irritated or oily skin. I mix it with the hydrosol. It has a nice light scent, as well.
-Orange Blossom Facial Tonic Hydrosol: This has a light, sweet smell and I mix it with the oil and rub on my face. It's made for all skin types.
-Blemish Treatment Roll-On: I use this handy roll-on to remedy specific acne areas. It's simple, I only wish it would dry quicker. It takes a while.
-Green Tea Clay: I haven't used this but I think I should. I've heard so many good things about clay and I'm excited to give it a try. It's to be used once a week.

One of my favorite things about using this line is the way I smell after I use it. I feel so refreshed. All the scents refresh me and my face's skin. If you want to make an investment in an amazing, effective, refreshing, and safe skin care line then go for EvanHealy. I think I'm going to try the clay mask right now!

~Am~

10 things...

...you can do right now to help the environment:

(From here.)

1. Drink water instead of soft drinks.
2. Drink filtered tap water instead of drinking from water bottles.
3. Use a BPA-free container or glass container to carry your water.
4. Use your bike instead of your car to run errands.
5. Recycle your plastics, paper, cardboard and aluminum.
6. Print documents on both sides of paper.
7. Use old blank pieces of paper to take notes and write messages.
8. Bring and use your own coffee mug at the coffee shop.
9. Avoid plastic bags: use tote or canvas bags when shopping.
10. Eat some locally-grown organic vegetables instead of the ones from the grocery store.

~Am~

Website of the Week

Hello Lu n' Am readers,

We have just received an e-mail from a representative of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awarness Center, an organization recognized as the web's leading organization for relevant and authoritative information regarding asbestos and health complications associated with asbestos exposure.

The MAA Center regards high environmental and green presence as a critical part of their movement and promotes the use of sustainable green products, awareness of past buildings and preventative steps in avoiding asbestos exposure and mesothelioma.

Be sure to check out their website as well as their blog in order to gain further knowledge on these important environmental and health issues.

Also, we are hopeful and excited about the possibility of a guest post from the public outreach assistant of the MAA Center, and we are very honored to be able to relay such valuable information to our readers.

Please be sure to check out these links:

- http://www.maacenter.org/

- http://www.maacenter.org/blog/


Hope you guys have a wonderful week and that your fourth of July celebration was a fantabulous one!

-Lucie