Your Daily Thread

How To Make Natural Ginger Ale

Tracy Hepler — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:18:34 +0000

For some reason ginger ale seems like the red headed step child of the soda pop family. It’s barely available at soft drink machines or your favorite restaurant and it can even be hard to find at your local grocer.

Fear not fellow ginger fans for we’ve found a delicious recipe that will allow you to make this yummy concotion right in the comfort of your own home. This episode is a part of a new YDT show called “Eco-Curious” that will be airing every Monday on the Thread Banger You Tube channel.

We’re really excited to be joining the Thread Banger community where we’ll be creating weekly DIY episodes that inspire planet friendly ideas with a do it your self attitude. Be sure to subscribe to Thread Banger and Your Daily Thread’s You Tube Channel to be sure you never miss an episode. Thread Banger has a ton of great content for DIY fashion and decor tutorials that are a must see.

After all, why buy when you can DIY. Cheers to you and your health!

Ingredients

1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root.
juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon of granular baker’s yeast
Water (to fill your bottle)

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Taste the Weekend

Sara Roderick — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:15:21 +0000

Sweet Dreams

We dream of cheesecake, cupcakes, gelato and cream puffs. Thankfully for us, so does Savor Los Angeles. Give in to your sweet tooth while tasting delectable treats, scrumptious vegan offerings and more, all made from high quality and organic ingredients. Try not to drool when you see the list of delicious delicatessens in attendance. Why? No dessert will go to waste as there will be composting (and recycling) on site – how delish!

Location: Miauhaus Studios, 1201 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019 (map) Date/Time: Friday, July 30, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cost: $35 GA and $55 VIP in advance. Click here to purchase tickets Web: http://www.parallellines.info/savorlosangeles/sweetstasting.html.

Drink. Eat. Play.

You don’t have to tell us twice! If you didn’t get enough food trucks and beer at last week’s LA Street Food Fest, fear not, as Drink:Eat:Play’s Block Party will sate your cravings. Knock one back while listening to live musical performances and chowing down on some of the best beer-friendly grub around. Why? Designated Driver Rates for those who want to save gas by carpooling and get home safely!

Location: Paramount Studio’s New York Streets back lot, 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038 (map) Date/Time: Saturday, July 31, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cost: $40 for a three hour session. $50 for a four hour session. Unlimited beer included. Food sold separately. Purchase your tickets here Web: http://www.drinkeatplay.com/blockparty/.

Can it. Then Bake it!

Have your pie and eat it too at this week’s Crust and Canning Workshop, put on by KCRW’s host of Good Food and owner of Angeli Caffe, Evan Kleiman. Learn how to bake the “perfect” pie crust then fill it (and later your belly) with sweet summer-stone fruit preserve. Why? Enjoy the fruits of your labor and take home the canned goodies you make during the workshop.

Location: Angeli Caffe, 7274 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 (map) Date/Time: Saturday, July 31st, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost: $100 per person. To register email Delilah Snell at delilahsnell@yahoo.com, or call her at 714.836.8727 Web: http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/07/crust-and-canning-workshop/.

Something to Wine About

Sample wines from all over California without leaving the city, as Wally’s Wine and Spirits hosts its annual Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration! Sip on wines from the vineyards of Malibu to those of Santa Maria, accompanied by tastes from AOC, Tavern, Jar, and many others. Why? No town car or limo required.

Location: Wally’s, 2107 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025 (map) Date/Time: Sunday, August 1st, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: $95 Web: http://www.wallywine.com/p-56558-2010-wallys-7th-annual-central-coast-wine-food-celebration-sunday-august-1.aspx.

Images via: Parallel Lines, Drink:Eat:Play, Good Food, The Malibu Vineyard

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Get Your Deal On

Sara Roderick — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:37:07 +0000

Must Half of the Summer

The summer is almost half over (sigh), so it’s only fitting that you receive half off Stewart+Brown’s earth-friendly and stylish collections when you use the online code FIFTYOFF at checkout. stewartbrown.com

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Mind, Body and Puppy

Whether it’s yoga or organic food you do whatever it is you need to do to take care of your mind, body and soul. Holistic Select aims to bring the same benefits to your pet through their “beyond natural” pet food. Be one of the first three people to email us with how you’re keeping your pet healthy this summer and you can win a $10 gift certificate. holisticselect.com

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The Way We Were

Dramatic evening gowns, cocktail shift dresses, YSL, Oscar de la Renta, and many more. These are the styles and designers that defined the decades. Bring back the glamor of years past with pieces from The Way We Wore’s Big Bi-Annual Sale taking place now, through August 15 at their Los Angeles location. thewaywewore.com

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Lavish Naturals

A warm bath, some fair-trade dark chocolate and deliciously scented bath salts made with vegetable oils and butters, is all a busy babe, like yourself, needs to unwind. Use the online code TAKETEN for $10 off every purchase of $50 or more. lavishnaturals.com

…

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It’s Holistically Delicious!

Your Daily Thread Team — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:19:07 +0000

At YDT we are constantly asked to do food reviews, so what a treat it was that my rescue dog was able to do the latest review for a dog food company called Holistic Select.

Holistic Select’s line, Radiant Adult Health, comes in four different flavors: Anchovy, Sardine and Salmon; Chicken Meal & Rice; Duck; and Lamb. Not only did my dog love the smell of the Anchovy, Sardine and Salmon flavored kibble, but once I put the bag away in the laundry room, she disappeared, only to be found sniffing around the bag, trying to get another taste.

As a pet owner who has always fed my dog natural food, I like the fact that Holistic Select is filled with omegas and antioxidants. Plus, the healthy dog food stores that I’ve always trusted carry the line, so I have one more reason to feel good about feeding it to my dog!

Try Holistic Select for your dog or cat by writing in to info@yourdailythread.com with how you are keeping your pet healthy this summer. The first 3 entries will receive a $10 gift certificate to be used at one of the many participating retailers across the nation. For more product information, visit www.holisticselect.com.

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The Joy of Jurlique

Alissa Pittenger — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:06:15 +0000

“It’s impossible to manufacture pure skincare, that’s why we grow it instead.”- Jurlique Founder Ulrike Klein.

Located in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, there lives a biodynamic farm that spans more than 153 acres. This farm is home to over 35 varieties of plants and flowers such as lavender, rose, marshmallow, licorice and calendula. Through the benefit of green chemistry and optimal quality, these ingredients create proprietary blends exclusive to Jurlique.

This farm and practice is why YDT loves Jurlique. If you’ve never experienced the Joy of Jurlique on your skin, then definitely check out some of our must haves to get you started.

Rosewater Balancing Mist: Did you know that this toner contains 8,000-9,000 rose petals? Refresh your skin and feel amazing anytime of day!

Jurlique Replenishing Foaming Cleanser: During So Cal summers we all need to rebalance dryness as we wash the day away.

Herbal Recovery Gel: It’s an investment, but you will reduce the environmental effects on your skin each time you use this botanical concentration.

Balancing Day Care Cream: A very light hydrator to maintain the balance all our skin craves.

I recently skipped over to Jurlique’s Santa Monica store to check out some must haves for sensitive skin: Calendula-Lavender Hydrating Essence, Soothing Day Care Lotion and Skin Balancing Face Oil

Directed and Edited by Vanessa Crocini

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10 Ways Geolocation Changes the World

Sara Roderick — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:16:41 +0000

This post was written by Rob Reed. He is the founder of MomentFeed, a location-based marketing, strategy, and technology firm.

Location technologies are transforming how we experience, navigate, and ultimately better our world. From the global to the local, here are #10Ways geolocation is a positive force for good.

Social media has changed the world. It has revolutionized communications on a global scale, and the transformation continues with every status update, blog post, and video stream. The global citizenry has become a global network.

Since becoming widely adopted just a couple years ago, social media has supercharged social action, cause marketing, and social entrepreneurship. Indeed, the true value hasn’t been the technology itself but how we’ve used it. Today, a second wave of innovation is defining a new era and setting the stage for change over the coming decade.

Mobile technologies will extend the global online network to anyone with a mobile device while enabling countless local networks to form in the real world. We’ve decentralized media production and distribution. We’re doing the same for energy. And we’ll continue this trend for social networking, social action, and commerce.

The combined forces of smartphones, mobile broadband, and location-aware applications will connect us in more meaningful ways to the people, organizations, events, information, and companies that matter most to us—namely, those within a physical proximity of where we live and where we are. Can location-based services (LBS) change the world? Here are #10Ways:

1. Checking in for Good: If Gowalla and Foursquare have taught us anything, it’s that people respond to simple incentives. By offering badges, mayorships, and other intangible rewards, millions of people are checking in to the places they go. Apps like Whrrl take this a step further and enable like-minded “societies” to form on a local basis. The next step is for these apps to add greater purpose by encouraging more meaningful checkins and offering corresponding badges and stamps, thus mapping the cause universe. Or for a dedicated app to be developed that rewards conscious consumption, social responsibility, and civic engagement. Yes, the CauseWorld app features a cause element, but it’s not about cause-worthy places.

2. Eating Locally: Sustainability demands that we source our food as close to its point of production as possible. Many so-called locavores subscribe to the 100-mile diet, which requires that one “eat nothing—or almost nothing—but sustenance drawn from within 100 miles of their home.” Given the difficulty of accessing and verifying this information in order to live by this standard, there’s a geo-powered Locavore app. It gives you info on in-season foods, those coming in-season, farmer’s markets, and links to recipes. This rather simple app is clearly just the start. In time, location-aware apps will guide us not only to the grocery store or farmer’s market but through them. All the while identifying foods based on our particular diet or sensibility.

3. Political Organizing: In the next presidential election, politics will not only be local but location-enabled. We saw the power of social media in Obama’s 2008 landslide victory. In 2012, location-based apps and technologies will play a central role in how campaigns are organized, managed, and ultimately won. Much of this will be visible through mobile apps and location-aware browsers. Activists and volunteers will be more empowered. Voters will be more engaged in the moment, right down to casting their votes. Behind the scenes, though, we’ll see massive new sets of data available to campaigns for targeting, empowerment, and optimization. The party, candidate, and/or cause that has the best handle on geolocation will have a measurable advantage. (The Elections app will soon be updated for 2010.)

4. Finding Green Businesses: The web has effectively replaced the paper Yellow Pages as a way to find local businesses and services. However, this “stationary web” experience is quickly being supplanted by the mobile web and mobile applications, which give us access to this information when we most need it. The Yelp and Around Me apps are popular ways to find restaurants, coffee shops, or hotels wherever you are, but what about green-rated businesses? Greenopia has transformed its printed, local guides into a dynamic, nationwide mobile application that lets you find local, green-rated businesses in any category. No more paper and a much better experience. The Green Map app is another that facilitates discovery and connects us to local green environments.

5. Traveling More Efficiently: We’ve had access to GPS navigation systems and static traffic information for some time, but only now are we seeing the full potential of these technologies. With access to more detailed traffic information that is specific to your route and updated in real time, we can minimize congestion and maximize traffic flow (as much as physically possible). The new turn-by-turn MapQuest 4 Mobile app is a good start, as you can get traffic alerts specific to the route you program. However, user-generated information from apps like Trapster and Waze can crowdsource more specific details, such as whether to avoid an intersection due to a toxic chemical spill. Or, if you want to avoid automobiles altogether, Google Maps makes it easy to use public transportation and take a bike.

6. Scanning for Ethical Products: With online shopping, we’ve become accustomed to reading reviews and making comparisons before we buy. This can now be done in the physical world through games like MyTown and services like Stikybits. By scanning a product barcode using a smartphone camera, you can unlock a treasure of additional information (not to mention deals) that can help with your purchase. This might include where it was produced, how far it traveled, the reputation of the manufacturer, chemical contents, carbon footprint, or the full lifecycle analysis. Location-aware applications can also transform commerce itself by giving us better access to local inventories and locally-produced goods. Whether it’s fruits and vegetables or books and electronics, if something can be found within blocks of your current location, it makes no sense to ship it from afar.

7. Networking Neighborhoods: One of the hottest categories in geolocation is neighborhood networking. The vision for many of these apps is to strengthen the very fabric of our communities. With DeHood, you can keep track of what’s happening in your neighborhood, share your favorite places, and grease the wheels for actually meeting people. After all, if you’ve made contact through the app, it’s a lot easier to say “Hello” in the real world. Blasterous is another that lets you share information locally, whereas BlockChalk does this on an anonymous basis. Finally, NeighborGoods uses your street address to facilitate one-to-one borrowing and trading of useful stuff. In the end, making connections with your neighbors can lead to safer, more productive, and more sustainable communities.

8. Tracking Environmental Disasters: The size and scope of environmental disasters appears to be growing. In 2008, we had the Tennessee coal ash spill, which was billed as “the largest environmental disaster of its kind in the United States.” And that was before we realized it was three times bigger than originally estimated. More recently, the BP oil spill set daily records for “largest environmental disaster in the U.S. ever.” In each case, geolocation technologies can be used by engaged citizens to monitor and track the effects. They can be used by response teams to coordinate containment and cleanup efforts. Ultimately, these technologies can be used to accurately measure the size and impact of a disaster in order to better understand its damages and costs.

9. Viewing the World Through an Eco Lens: Augmented reality (AR) follows geolocation as one of the hot trends in mobile technology. It enables you to view the world through a smartphone camera (or similar device) and see layers of geo-specific content or information. One of the most popular apps is Layar, an augmented reality browser/platform that lets you choose specific data layers or experiences. The potential for green- and cause-related content is tremendous. You might view green-rated businesses, LEED-certified buildings, or virtual GHG emissions as they enter the atmosphere. Combined with smart meter technology, you could see the most efficient and inefficient homes around you in real time. And for the cynics among us, you could view our mountains, forests, rivers, and oceans as they once were…before the effects of climate change and so many environmental disasters.

10. Capturing the Moment: Better access to information about what’s happening around us—right now—can dramatically improve quality of life. This sense of “geospatial awareness” is possible through today’s smartphones, whereby a piece of content or information—a moment—is captured and preserved based on the unique time and place in which it occurred. It is essentially to document spacetime. Protests, natural disasters, sporting events, parties, political crises…real-time information about anything happening anywhere at any time, as well as the history of what happened. This will take several years and a number of different applications to realize. In the end, though, it will revolutionize how we access and consume content. It will complete the democratization and decentralization of news and information…based on time and location.

Cautionary note: Privacy is the single biggest issue in the LBS industry. It’s important to understand what information you are sharing with regard to your location and with whom.

Author’s note: We’ll be hosting geolocation events for Social Media Week in Los Angeles this September. This is the third in Max Gladwell‘s #10Ways series of distributed blog posts. It was published simultaneously on as many as 300 blogs.

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Monterey, the Little Bay that Could

Tracy Hepler — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:15:16 +0000

The Bay that Fulfills Your Foodie Desires

John Steinbeck had much to say about Cannery Row, and we have more to add for modern times from when YDT hit the sleepy coastal town of Monterey to see what all the fuss was about. Homebase of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (the peeps behind Seafood Watch) and situated next to rolling hills, organic farms and vineyards, we filled our hearts’ desire with pristine California Coastlines and guilt-free, delicious, sustainable seafood, wine, cookies and the list goes on and on.

Stay: Portola Hotel and Spa

Situated right in the heart of downtown Monterey, you’re steps from the aquarium, wharf and Cannery Row and a short drive from the gorgeous 17-mile drive. We loved the freshly baked warm cookie we received at check-in (and every other day we asked for one). You’ll sleep like a king or queen on a sustainable mattress and will smell divine after using its eco-friendly toiletry options. The hotel also boasts a complete spa with unique offerings like an English Rose Facial. Learn more at http://portolahotel.com/. (map)

Eat: Jack’s Restaurant and Lounge

Some say a hotel is only as good as its restaurant. Fortunately for the Portola, Jack’s Restaurant gives it a great reputation. Whether you’re interested in beer battered fish and chips or freshly caught halibut, the menu has something for you. The restaurant takes full advantage of abundant local organic produce and the bay’s sustainable seafood. Locavores will certainly go gaga for this cuisine. Try the corn chowder if you have a chance too…delicious! From service to place setting, this one hits every single mark. (map)

Discover: The Monterey Bay Aquarium

This should be a no-brainer when you’re in this town. One of the best aquariums in the U.S. if not the world and home to a variety of sea life ranging from big fish (tuna, sharks) to invertebrates (jellies, seahorses) to local favorite, the California Otter—the likes of whom perform little tricks during a show a few times a day. No matter what your age, these creatures are irresistible. The aquarium is also home to events, so check ahead to see what extra-special happenings might be going on. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ (map).

Drink: A Taste of Monterey

As part of the central coast’s agricultural hub you’re sure to find spectacular meals at almost every turn. Beyond farms Monterey also boasts a respectable viticulture community that is producing some of the tastiest California wines. Enjoy the views of Cannery Row while sipping on wine from over 70 regional wineries. With tastings starting at $10 for six selections of wine, the prices are hard to beat. http://www.tastemonterey.com (map).

Road Trip: Ocean View Blvd.

The alternative to the 17-Mile Drive has it’s own breathtaking coastal views without the upfront price tag. You’ll be willing to turn off your iphone for this ride as the vistas are more entertaining than anything on Facebook. To get there (from the aquarium) simply head up Ocean View Blvd. and take Sunset Drive along the coastline. Pass Asilomar State Beach and connect to HWY 68, which will lead you to HWY 1. (map)

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Loll into Summer

Sarah McClure — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:09:55 +0000

Paint Your Patio Green with Eco Furniture

Wanna lounge through summer with a greener conscience? Ease into the sustainable selections from Loll Designs. The Minnesota-based outdoor patio furniture company uses 100 percent post-consumer, recycled HDPE (high-density polyethylene), a commonly used plastic resin found in many home products and packaging—from milk jugs, plastic cleaner bottles and detergent containers to garbage cans (often identified by the #2 stamped on the bottom of most plastic items). The only exception: Loll’s black pieces material is post-industrial recycled HDPE (rather than post-consumer).

Didn’t think milk jugs (no, not those ones) offered much of an eco perk? These Loll lovelies are also fashioned using approximately eight recycled milk jugs for every pound of product—helping curb the generated waste that’s tossed in our landfills.

Some of our favorite ones included the notable Cabrio chair, which received Chicago Athenaeum’s Good Design Award last year and was made using 320 recycled milk jugs. Slick, top-seller Adirondack chair includes 400. We also loved the de Luge sunbed in sky blue—a perfect backyard accessory. Equally adorable is the new Coco chair (a collaboration with designer Christopher Douglas) in leaf.

Not recycled enough? Ninety percent of Loll’s manufacturing waste is sent to a recycling plant where it’s made into post-industrial HDPE. Plus, Loll’s colors are fade-, weather- resistant and UV-protected, and, all its products, which contain no new materials, carry the Green America Seal.

Other good deeds: Loll participates in 1% for the Planet and CarbonFund.org and uses recycled packaging. Probably one the coolest things we discovered about the green furniture company is that employees plant tree seedlings for each order received in the previous year. Last year, Loll planted 2,000 to help offset CO2 emissions.

That definitely earns any Loll-owner the right to sit and relax in the mother nature’s backyard.

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