Green Patchwork

I love wool, especially merino wool, but the wool industry can be just as questionable as the rest of the textile industry. Through my research online I have found Zque, a New Zealand company that combines high quality merino wool with an accreditation program that ensures high social, economic, environmental, and ethical animal welfare standards.

I love my Smartwool socks and I feel better wearing them knowing they are produced ethically. Other companies that are using Zque wool are Ibex and Icebreaker.

Many years ago I made the switch to alternative menstrual products such as cotton cloth pads and a menstrual cup. I never have to buy plastic disposable pads and I don’t even think about nasty tampons. When I first made the connection that along with my monthly flow was a lot of unnecessary waste I decided I needed to change my monthly routine. Think of all the garbage women create every month and how much of an impact we can make just by changing how we control our flows. Read the rest of this entry »

Some years ago I discovered Divine Chocolate and now it is one of my favorites! It is made in Ghana with fair trade cocoa beans by the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the world.

Divine Chocolate is associated with SERVV International and A Greater Gift, an alternative trade organization that works with low-income farmers and artisans around the world to promote social and economic progress. If you go to their website you can learn more about the individual farmers and artisans from around the world.

Fair trade companies are growing at a fast rate and you can find just about anything your heart desires fair trade. Chocolate, coffee, clothes, sugar, tea, or bananas. Co-op America has put together a fair trade resource list for us - I love looking at the crafts and clothing.

I generally don’t buy my clothes brand new from clothing stores, because I like thrift shopping and the prices are more affordable. Also, I just think there is so much clothing in the world already; most of us have enough clothes that we could wear a different outfit everyday for a month or maybe more. I like the challenge of thrift shopping too, I make a list of things I would like and see if I can get them thrift. Most times I am able to find exactly what I am looking for and I don’t have to go to another store. Thrift stores are a good way to recycle unwanted material objects and give them second, third, or fourth lives. Read the rest of this entry »

I used to work at Whole Foods Market, 8 years to be exact, and while I was there I learned a lot about food, skincare, vitamins & supplements, and people. I started out as a cashier then to kitchen prep making salads and entrees and finally to Whole Body, the health and beauty section of the store. People came in asking for sleep remedies, internal cleanses, weight loss supplements, libido enhancers, and skincare products for problem skin.

Many years ago, I had dry skin because I used body soap to clean my face. This is not the best thing for dry, oily, or blemished skin and it will only make it worse. I also used body moisturizer on my face because it was dry. So I decided to buy a facial moisturizer, not just any generic moisturizer, but a natural moisturzer with real ingredients. Read the rest of this entry »

I just found an interesting site while surfing around, Be Green Shop Green. Its loaded with good information and its easy to read.

Last month we purchased an organic Vivetique cotton mattress from Satara Inc. here in Madison. We went the organic route because the mattresses that you buy in most stores have flame retardents and many other toxic chemicals. Check out Green Sage’s website for more information about the differences between natural mattresses and toxic mattresses ( what most people sleep on at night). Read the rest of this entry »

I work at Wild Child on Monroe St. and we carry a lot of unique clothing items for children. First of all, the owners, Bill and Renee West, started the store over 20 years because they couldn’t find 100% cotton clothing for their kids. So they found USA made vendors for cotton clothing and started dyeing them with their own custom colors. They are still garment dyeing their clothing to this day and people love it; the clothes are cute, durable, colorful, USA made, and you can’t get them anywhere else. Wild Child hopes to switch to organic cotton someday for their clothing, but in the meantime they are carrying other companies’ organic kid’s clothes. Read the rest of this entry »

It just isn’t fair that our American companies outsource their production and manufacturing of goods in other countries where the people are not paid a fair living wage and their work conditions are very unhealthy. These companies outsource so Americans can buy lots of stuff for the lowest prices and then throw it away so they can buy more stuff. Read the rest of this entry »