Your Daily Thread

March 8, 2010 Written by Lauren Johanson

I believe that personal organization has a lot to do with making green lifestyle changes.  And yet the world of GTD (“getting things done”), rarely meets the world of green.  Some of the questions I’d like to explore in the coming months are:  What are the best “to do list” programs so I can go sticky note-free?  How can I organize my office to be the most efficient and eco-friendly?  What is the eco-factor between reading hardcopy books versus a Kindle (or Nook or iPad)?

The question today is: do I really need to read a book at all? Why can’t I listen to it? And on a device I already own? Well, you can at Audible.com, with audiobooks that are easily downloaded and transferred to your smart phone or MP3 player.   No new device.  No physical books.  And no plastic tapes or DVDs like traditional audiobooks.  Save money.  Save time.  Save resources.*

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Ok, I just sounded like a cheesy saleswoman, but honestly I can’t say enough good things about using Audible.  I rarely have the time to sit down and read a book, but by using Audible I am able to “read” about a book a month while driving, exercising, taking public transportation and even doing errands or mindless tasks.  So far I’ve stuck to novels, but it’s good to know it also offers magazines, radio shows, podcasts, stand-up comedy and even speeches.  The website is pretty user-friendly; I especially like the “Wishlist” feature.  And finally, the price is right.  For example, if a hardcover costs $27.99 and the corresponding audio CD costs $39.98, the Audible member price is just $7.49 (for the first 3 months, $14.95/month thereafter), which gives you credit for one book a month.

If you want to give audiobooks a try, check out the library at Audible.com.

Some of the eco-books on my list are:

Getting Green Done: Hard Truths From the Frontlines of Sustainability Revolution (Auden Schendler)

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Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (Daniel Goleman)

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World (Bill Clinton)

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What do you think?

•    Can e-books and audiobooks replace the real deal?
•    *Does having to constantly charge an electronic device outweigh any paper-free environmental benefits?
•    *What about the issue of e-waste?
•    Is loaning a book from the library the best solution?
•    What about responsibly printed books like those from New Society Publishers?

February 22, 2010 Written by Lauren Johanson

Tracy and Lauren at the Mar Vista farmers market on SuperBowl Sunday 2010. Lauren is sipping on local, raw cane juice with ginger and cayenne pepper. Made her soar throat feel much better

February 22, 2010 Written by Lauren Johanson

While there are more and more businesses that help make the world a better place (think: TOMS Shoes), it is still difficult for entrepreneurs to get financial backing to start such projects.  Investors and ventures capitalists just don’t seem that interested.  And rightfully so; they assess a potential business in terms of profit and return on investment.  That is until the “The Unreasonable Institute,” which is now helping social entrepreneurs incubate, finance, and ultimately actualize their business plans to do good for people and the planet.   Some eco-focused proposals include Global Cycle Solutions (to use bicycle power to shell maiz), Light up Malawi (to make the country 100% dependent on clean energy) and Nuru (to provide kerosene-free lighting systems for the worlds poor).

How it works:

The Institute showcases the best of the original 284 applicants on-line at the  “Unreasonable Marketplace” where people like you and me can then vote with our dollars.  The winners attend a 10-week summer “incubator” in Boulder, Colorado where they gain the training, networking and funds necessary to implement their projects worldwide.

What you can do to get involved:

•    It’s a competition, so time is of the essence!!!  Check out all the projects and choose which you want to support. You only actually pay if the applicant wins.  (Think: Kiva meets Facebook meets Amazon).
•    Spread the word online about the entrepreneurs you’re excited about via Facebook, Twitter and/or your blog.
•    Learn more in detail about the institute’s philosophy, model and sustainability efforts at http://www.unreasonableinstitute.org/.
•    Get away from your computer and attend this Thursday’s “Social Enterprise Panel” at UCLA from 7:00 PM – 9:00PM

What’s the connection?

We learned about the “Unreasonable Institute” through our local web designer, Cesar Gonzalez, who has made it to the final round.  Cesar’s project, “MiCasa Ventures” will build low-cost, sustainable housing for the urban poor starting in Peru and eventually expanding to slums throughout the world.   You can support his venture here.

November 3, 2009 Written by Lauren Johanson

As a kid, I liked school, I liked studying & yes, I even I liked homework.  Now as a young adult missing her school days, I’ve transferred my nerd energy towards weekend workshops.  Luckily for me – and for you – Los Angeles is full of incredible sustainability workshops on anything from kombucha to composting.

I want to share my five favorite things about the “Creative Green” Organic Gardening workshop that I recently attended.  If the class sounds up your alley, check out their full list of workshops on topics including sustainable kitchens, green Holidays, meditation, composting and more!

1.     A Good Teacher: The sustainability coach behind Creative Green, Deborah Tull, has a rich story to tell.  She grew up in Los Angeles, but as a young adult studied sustainable lifestyles and architecture in communities around the world, spending seven years as a monk at the Zen Monastery Peace Center in Northern California.  But about 3 years ago, when visiting Los Angeles, Deborah found that there was so much positive momentum around going green in her home town, that her energy would be best used helping to further the movement through her consulting and workshops.  Deborah has a soft, insightful & disciplined tone about her that I really enjoyed.

2.     Attitude Toward Gardening: I liked Deborah’s idea that we each approach a garden the way we approach life.  Some people like to study the books first, others just wing it, others simply find it as a meditative activity (see photo above).  Deborah suggested, no matter your personal approach, that you focus your attitude on growing soil versus growing plants.  From that foundation, we got into the nitty-gritty of crop rotation, by which you have a schedule for rotating “heavy feeders” (like tomatoes, basil, strawberries), “heavy givers” (like legumes, clover, alfalfa) and “light feeders” (like root vegetables).  We also learned that some plants can actually be either friendly or antagonist towards one another.  For example, whole beans don’t like beats or onions, but they love carrots and cucumber.  It’s like a little high school clique.

3.     Integrative Pest Management: A big part of being a beginner organic gardener is figuring out how to keep the bugs from eating all your goodies.  Deborah’s advice? Be an expert observer; the earlier you catch an issue, the more creatively you can come up with a sustainable solution.  For example, if you notice earwigs, place a pot upside down on a stake with newspaper dipped in soy sauce.  Bizarre, yes!  But better than chemical sprays, no?  Here we re-used a “Red Vines” container to house any unwanted bugs or rocks we found while digging. Also, notice the simple fence they put up to keep out any larger critters.

4.     Hands-On Approach: The class was about 3 hours.  The first-half or so was spent in a more lecture/note taking style.    In the second-half we got our hands dirty and learned how to double dig (versus single dig) the soil to prep it for a new planting.  Here I am adding gypson and compost to the 12” wide row we dug up.

5.    Beginner’s Tools with Advanced Options: I found that I was given many simple tools to get started, while also being inspired by more complex concepts that I could delve into down the road. In fact, I drove straight over to Sunset Nursery (link) to buy an adjustable sprayer, compost, mulch and starter veggies to finish up some loose ends on my two new raised garden beds, shown above.  I am already enjoying fresh mint teas, fried sage soup toppings, jicama dill salad and can’t wait for my winter veggies to sprout.

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Contact Information:
For questions or to RSVP for any of Creative Green’s variety of workshops, contact Deborah Tull.  Phone: 323-935-1214.  Email:  creativegreen@hotmail.com.  Website:  http://www.creativegreen.net.  In addition to their workshops, Creative Green also offers home & business consultations and green school programs.

Upcoming Workshop Schedule:
•    Sunday, November 1, 4:00-6:00 pm = The Art of Living Green on a Budget, at Liberation Yoga in Hollywood, Price: $25

•    Saturday, November 21, 1:30-4:30pm = Organic Backyard Gardening, at a Private home in Glassell Park/Eagle Rock, Price: $35

•    Saturday, November 14, 12:00 -2:00 pm = The Green Kitchen: Cooking for Personal and Planetary Health at The Strawberry House in Encino Hills, Price: $40 (and part of the proceeds go to greening a preschool)

•    Sunday , November 15, 1:30-3:30pm = The Sustainable Kitchen: Cooking for Personal and Planetary Health, at Liberation Yoga in Hollywood, Price: $25

•    Saturday, December 12, 12-2:00 pm = How to Have a Green Holiday Season at The Strawberry House in Encino Hills, Price: $20

•    Saturday, December 19, 1:30-4:30pm = Organic Backyard Gardening, at a Private Home in Glassell Park/Eagle Rock, Price $35

Since I’ve not yet taken any of Creative Green’s other classes, I would love to hear from other students!  Please feel free to share your thoughts in our comments below.  Happy Gardening!

September 22, 2009 Written by Lauren Johanson

Having problems with fruit flies in your kitchen this season? I did too!  I Googled the issue and found a comprehensive overview on “How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies”, which offered two main ways to address the problem:

1. Avoidance – if you keep your house clean & orderly, you shouldn’t get them to begin with; this solution takes the most effort, but has the best lasting results.
2. Flytrap – kill the flies that are already there; takes a little craftiness and the willingness to drown the little guys.

I got started with the “avoidance” technique on a Friday afternoon by laundering all my kitchen towels, removing all fresh fruit, veggies and flowers, etc. (see full list of tips here).  But as all good things take time, I awoke Saturday morning to a kitchen still full of fruit flies.   For whatever reason, I didn’t want to make a flytrap, but still wanted the flies gone – and quickly (as I had guests coming over soon)!  “There has to be another way” I thought, so I called my trusty eco-resource, Scott O’Brien, owner of The Green Life.

He recommended an eco-friendly spray called “Bugs ‘r’ Done”.  And because I live a few blocks down the street from his store, I immediately walked down, picked up a bottle, and happily sprayed throughout the day.

Bugs ‘r’ Done contains pure orange peel extract, which not only smells nice but is also nature’s own botanically-derived insecticide.  Scott says, “In combination with four other ingredients, all named by the U. S. Food & Drug Administration as ‘GRAS,’ Generally Regarded as Safe in human foods, Bugs R’ Done bears a warning-free EPA-approved label in EPA’s least hazardous category IV.”  In other words, you can safely spray it around food, children, pets and fish.  Just be careful because it leaves an oily finish, which when I sprayed on the floor nearly made me slip.  Apparently it’s also good for killing ants, roaches and fleas, but I can’t speak to that.

In the end, I’m proud to say my fruit fly problem has been kicked.  The spray was a perfect jump-start, followed up with good kitchen maintenance.

And I learned a few lessons:

1. If you have a problem/question, just Google it.
2. Proper maintenance of your home is usually the best solution.
3. When you need a quick fix, make sure to search for an eco-option.
4. If you don’t know what that eco-option is, call your local green shops; the storeowners and managers are usually very knowledgeable and helpful.  Thanks again to Scott at The Green Life!

Here’s a quick guide for other Los Angeles eco-shops who can help in a bind:

• Sherman Oaks:  Green & Greener
• Silver Lake:  Kelly Green & All Shades of Green (closing at the end of September)
• Culver City:  Living Green

Feel free to comment with any other stores or green pest products you recommend!

August 26, 2009 Written by Lauren Johanson

After a summer in flip flops and sand, our feet need a little special attention.  One option is to go get a pedicure.   Another cheaper and greener option is to make your own foot scrub at home!

Better yet, invite your friends over to make a big batch of scrub, open a bottle of chilled white wine, and give each other foot massages (men, if you’ve read this far, aren’t you glad you did?).

To try this easy recipe, just follow the instructions below.  (Remember: have fun with it & be creative… you can’t really screw it up).

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Ingredients

• ½ cup granulated sugar - (may replace with sea salts or cornmeal).
• 2 tablespoons olive oil - (may replace with softened coconut oil or avocado oil).
• A few drops of Essential Oil - (You can choose one individual oil, such as Peppermint which will leave feet feeling cool and fresh. Or try a homemade blend, such as equal parts Peppermint, Lavender and Lemon. You can find pure essential oils at your local natural food market.).
• OPTIONAL: ½ mashed avocado for extra moisturizing.

*Note:  We recommend using fair trade and organic certified products whenever possible.

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in bowl.  You can use right away or you can package in an old jar and store in the fridge until you are ready.  It is best to use within a few weeks.  (Caution: If you are using a glass jar, be careful not to break the glass, especially while you are barefoot).
• Soak feet in warm bowl or bath of water.  (You can add some salts if you want to get fancy).
• Remove feet from water and pat dry.
• Rub mixture onto feet, using a circular motion.   May want to use a loofah, sisal mitt, or simple hand towel for added friction.
• Rinse with cool water, pat dry and moisturize. You can use lotion you have at home, or be adventurous and use a little of the left over olive oil.
• Finish by slipping your feet into a nice pair of cotton or bamboo socks (to keep moisture locked in, as well as allow breathability).

I find it suprisingly satisfying and even empowering to make my own recipes, and I hope you do too!    We’ll be offering more DIY recipes throughout the year, so keep an eye out!

This recipe was written by Lauren Johanson, co-founder of www.ChivasSkinCare.com.

August 21, 2009 Written by Lauren Johanson

My old roommate, September Death (rhymes with “wreath”) is the founder of Red Carpet Cleanses, which offers raw food, organic juice cleanses delivered daily to your doorstep. She was kind enough to let me experience her 3-day juice cleanse this past week. And as a YDT reader, you too can get in on the deal: RCC is offering an introductory 3-day juice detox to YDT readers for $250 until the end of Labor Day weekend normally priced at $90/day.

So, “How was the cleanse?” To be honest, the first few days were a real struggle for me, but it all felt worthwhile in the end. If you’re curious on the details, you can read my day-by-day account.

Some of you might be asking, “why would I want to starve myself for three days?”

First off, I never really felt deprived because I got a great variety of nutritional drinks: 1 electrolyte lemonade, 1 Ginger Snap, 2 Ace of Blades and 2 Protein Smoothies. I can’t say it was as filling as steak and potatoes, but I honestly didn’t feel that hungry. (I missed my coffee more than I did solid foods).

Secondly, there are a number of great benefits from doing a cleanse that make any pain worth the gain:

• Weight loss: Clients typically lose between 2 to 6 pounds on a 3-day cleanse and up to 15 pounds on the longer cleanses. I probably only lost about 2 pounds, but I’m pretty small to begin with.
• Detox: The concept behind RCC is to flood the body with essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes simultaneously drawing toxins deep within the body on a cellular level (which can make you feel achy at first). Often this type of detox gives people a high by day 3 or 4. I can’t say that I felt euphoric, but on the 3rd day I was starting to be more optimistic and was tempted to continue so I could chase after that elusive high.
• Inward Reflection: A friend of mine does a 10-day cleanse every January as a sort of mental cleansing. He says it’s a good excuse for him to become more introverted (no point in going out for dinner and drinks with friends if all you can eat or drink is lemonade). How’s that for an annual New Year’s ritual?

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Do you cleanse? If so, what are your reasons? I’m curious to hear why because I really want a good excuse to try this again.

If you haven’t done a cleanse, but are curious to try, I would highly recommend doing a 3-day with Red Carpet Cleanses and here’s why:

• RCC delivers a cooler of six 16 oz juices to your doorstep each morning, which means:
  • Everything is prepared fresh within 12 hours of delivery for maximum nutritional benefit.
  • Each jar is labeled with a number, which corresponds to the order and time you are to drink it. It’s so easy! You don’t have to cook, or plan meals, for three days straight. You just open the cooler and drink away.  Like I said, it’s more filling and satisfying than something like the Master Cleanse (have you done the master cleanse?).
• I also liked that September called me each day to see how I was feeling and to give me tips and consolation. She really walked me through the whole thing and that gave me the confidence to stick to it. (And I know she would do the same for all of her clients!)
• Finally, the 3-day is a nice beginners route. I was too scared to do the 5 or 10-day, but now that I’ve made it through the 3-day I feel like I could do it. That being said, don’t walk into this blindly!

Based on my experiences, I have a few tips for any newbie cleansers out there:

• If you are a coffee drinker, go through the pains of withdrawal earlier in the week. Don’t try to do two things at once. This was the hardest part of my cleanse.
• Do the cleanse over a weekend, when you don’t have to be stressed by your work load. My mistake #2.
• And make it any easy weekend – don’t go out the first two nights like I did. Get lots of sleep, relax and read a good book.
• Consider doing a raw food cleanse either before or after the cleanse, which Red Carpet Cleanses also offers.
• Be sure to follow September’s recommendation for pre-cleanse and post-cleanse behavior, which you can find here: http://redcarpetcleanses.com/how-it-works/ (in fact, these are good bullet points for everyday healthy living).

To learn more, contact September Death of Red Carpet Cleanses:
www.redcarpetcleanses.com
info@redcarpetcleanses.com
Phone: 310-623-0101

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Remember that the Introductory offer ends September 6th, so call now if you’re interested in learning more about the 3-day cleanse.

And if you like what you see, you should also check out September’s posts on Your Daily Thread’s “Recipes & Tips”. We’ll be showing her “Ace of Blades” recipe next Wednesday.

August 21, 2009 Written by Lauren Johanson

Day 1, Wednesday: It felt like Christmas morning.  I ran down the stairs like a little girl excited to open her presents (or cooler full of juices in my case).  Here are some pictures that morning:

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I thought the juices tasted pretty good and I wasn’t feeling that hungry.  But mid-day I started getting a headache, and I realized that I was missing my caffeine boost.  I normally drink one to two cups of Jo a day.  I never really considered this an addiction, but as my body started shaking around 4pm I realized that coffee was my drug of choice and that I really was going through serious withdrawal.  I was scheduled to go to Ian Shive’s book release at Tree People (link) that night, but I found myself lying in bed feeling like I had the flu.  I made myself go to the event (which turned out to be very cool), but came home and literally crashed into bed.

Day Two, Thursday: Didn’t get much better – groggy, cranky, weak (I was so delirious in fact that I forgot to take any more pictures of my beautiful juice bottles).  I was able to do work, but definitely not as productively.  That night I went to the Santa Monica Pier for the Twilight Dance Series, where I enviously watched all my friends have cheese, crackers, fruit and wine like there was no tomorrow.  Again, I went home and crashed!

Day Three, Friday: I started feeling like a human again.  I’d like to think that I was overcoming my caffeine addiction (I say that now with an empty cup of coffee an inch from my computer).  I had a productive day of work, treated myself to a full-body massage that night and stayed in to watch “Revolutionary Road” by myself.

Post-Cleanse: I woke up in the morning and was sad that there were no more coolers at my door.  I was actually tempted to call September and continue onto a 5 day cleanse.  Why?  Many people I have spoken with who have done longer cleanses said that you don’t really get the cleansing “high” until day 4.

If you are interested in learning more, contact September Death of Red Carpet Cleanses:

www.redcarpetcleanses.com
info@redcarpetcleanses.com
Phone: 310-623-0101

And don’t forget about RCC’s Introductory offer – 3 day Juice detox for $250!  (RCC Cleanses are regularly priced at $90 and $150/day).  Offer good up until September 6, 2009.

And if you like what you see, you should also check out September’s posts on Your Daily Thread’s “Recipes & Tips”.   We’ll be showing her “Ace of Blades” recipe next Wednesday.