Tips to Reduce Holiday Waste

The Chico Bag company has shared some great ways to reduce holiday waste and I thought I would pass them on to you!

-Use linens rather than disposable table settings
-Use LED holiday lights to reduce energy usage by 90%
-Buy local, organic foods for your holiday feast
-Use a live tree or houseplant rather than a cut tree
-Send holiday greetings electronically rather than cards
-Use reusable shopping bags to wrap gifts!

There you have it...make a Merry difference this year!

Where are all my Greenies?

I am very confused these days. There are so many "Green" groups out there, Green Mom's groups, Green Building groups, and so on....It just dawned on me that most of my customers are not "Greenies" but your average person either curious or wanting to dip their toe in the pool at One Green Street. That leaves me to wonder, "Where are all my greenies?" Maybe I am crazy to think that if you are a member of a group that stands for Eco-Friendly living that you would consider shopping at an Eco-Friendly retail store. I wonder where they all are? Target, Macy's, Kohl's? I make it my mission to carry a wide variety of items and to keep my prices competitive with other retail stores, so why are the "Greenies" choosing to shop elsewhere? If we truly want to change the condition of our planet and improve our overall health and well being we need to vote with our dollars accordingly. Do I seem frustrated? I care about our community and the health of it's citizens but I can only do so much for so long. Most everyone will need to buy a gift this holiday season, why not be thoughtful while spending your hard earned money and patronize a local business trying to make a difference?

Mother's Have Happy Lips

When I was probably 10 years old my friends and I would ride our bikes up to the nearest neighborhood 7-11 to buy what else but a Coke Slurpee! Brain freeze aside this was a weekly ritual and one that would bring much JOY (and calories)to my young life. On one particular trip to 7-11 I received a sticker that read "Mother's have happy lips" there on the sticker was a happy smiling cartoon looking Mom. When I got home from my "road trip" I proudly stuck that sticker right on the wall next to the phone with the super long cord (from me twisting it over and over while talking to girlfriends.) What is the point of this story you ask? Well, the point is that some things never change.....most times change is good but sometimes we just need things to stay the same, and when they do, we relish in it!
Like walking into my Mom's kitchen this past weekend and seeing that same sticker on her wall that I stuck there some 40 years ago! It is slightly discolored and outdated looking but oh, how I love seeing that sticker. It helps me feel centered, warm, safe and brings a familiarity to my life that is so needed. Yes. Mother's have happy lips! That ole sticker couldn't be more true. I hope it stays there forever.....

Whisper, Don't Shout!

I was a preschool teacher for 9 years, teaching preschoolers ages 3, 4 and 5 years of age. I loved working with them and was quite successful over time. One of the biggest lessons I learned as a preschool teacher was to whisper when I wanted to get their attention. I know that sounds funny...whispering over 16 four year olds to get their attention. What I found was when I raised my voice they seemed to ignore me or my voice got lost in all the hoopla, but when I whispered, the volume in the classroom seemed to go down dramatically, to the point where eventually all activity stopped and I had their full attention.
My point? Nobody wants to be yelled at, neither do they want you in their face telling them what is right, what they are doing wrong or how to do things period! You will more times than not get resistence and I find this applies to adults and people in general.
Being part of the "Green" movement, on the front lines, so to speak, I see this happen alot. Educated environmentalist wanting change for the better and wanting to bring all on board in their efforts. The problem is some of them are SCREAMING their mission, in your face, and demanding change. I see people getting turned off, feeling helpless and flat out wanting nothing to do with the "movement."
I prefer to "whisper" to our brothers and sisters, let them know gently and kindly that there is hope if we all do our part. If we all pay attention in our daily lives regarding our actions and how they affect our health and the health of our planet. Share with them information and educate them on how doing one thing can make a difference! I feel it is important to "whisper" in their ears that "I am just like them...not better, not worse..but trying to do my best every single day"
Which would you prefer from a friend, neighbor, co-worker, a kind "Whisper" or an abrasive "Shout?" I know what moves me........

9 to 90-Age range of One Green Street Customers!

Have you ever walked into a store and thought,"this store is for young adults", or "My mom would love this store, but not for me" Well, what I have noticed since we opened our doors 6 months ago, is that everyone loves One Green Street! I had a young girl burst into the store a minute ago and said "I have goose bumps! This store is awesome!" I have had young girls 8 or 9 drag their mom's back to the store to get something they couldn't live without. Then there is Priscilla, my 90 year old friend and customer that says, "One Green Street always makes her day" she finds a treasure to love everytime she visits. I am so glad that OGS can appeal to the masses and that "going green" or living and "eco-friendly" lifestyle is attainable for all who are seeking or even stumbling into it! Every day in my store feels like a blessing

United Nations: Safe Planet Screening: Submission

Last night David and I attended the screening of "Submission" at the Heights Theatre in Houston. This was the first screening in the United States and it was in HOUSTON. We also viewed a short film called "Body Burden" starring Ed Begley Jr. they took tons of blood samples from Ed and we will know in a few weeks what his Body Burden details are. In case you don't know what a Body Burden is, it is the amount of toxic chemicals being stored in your body/cells. Most of us have hundreds of toxins in our body, some of which were passed on to us while in our mother's womb! Like, flame retardant's PCB, DDT and other banned chemicals. It is very scary to know that even if we try to life a very healthy lifestyle our body is taking in chemicals everyday whether we like it or not!! Most of us were frustrated at the end of the screening because we want to know what to do to get rid of these toxins and how to avoid accumulating more toxins daily. I believe that for starters we need to police ourselves, what we eat, what we put on our bodies and be very strategic about our overall lifestyles. David and I opened an Organic Lifestyle store to give our community choices. That is what making a difference is all about.....make the right choice whenever possible. Something must be done about toxic chemicals. Start by going to Safe Planet and get involved.

Working with my Man!

Weekends are a little different around OGS! My husband and business partner David usually accompanies me on Saturday or Sunday. We open the store together (our second home) make a little coffee and I update him on what's new, things that need to be fixed (tee hee) and other relevant tidbits. We go about our day working as a true team (after 24 years this better happen) We greet new and regular customers together, share our passion for people and the planet arm in arm. The day goes by fast as we laugh and play (he always tries to get me on the mattress! :0) We are so proud and excited about One Green Street and all the possibilities that lye ahead for us and the community. Yes. we are a family owned business and we are proud to share our family with you! We are getting ready to move our two kiddos to Texas Tech and after 20+ years it is back to just the two of us........and of course our third child, One Green Street.
See you soon!

Chico Bag Did it Again!

I love the Chico Bag, made in Chico California (hence the name Chico Bag) I know there are tons of reusable bag choices out there and believe me I did my research before I chose the Chico Bag Company. Every Tuesday at OGS we have Chico Bag Tuesday. You receive a FREE Chico Bag with your purchase and it gets better....Bring your Chico Bag in on subsequent Tuesdays and receive 20% off one item!!! Customers have responded so well to this offer that I have been exploring bringing other Chico Bag designs in the store. To my delight I discovered that CB now has a Produce Stand Chico Bag Kit!!!! I ordered a few to see how you guys like them. They come in an APPLE pouch! Sweet!!!!! These guys are geniuses.....Also, I just place my order for Chico Bag Halloween Bags! How great is that? No more storing that awkward plastic pumpkin year after year. Send your little beggar out with his or her Chico Bag Pumpkin then the next day fold it up into it's little pouch and easily store it for next year! I love the Chico Bag Company!!!!!

One Green Street Partnering with Supple Skin

I like to give local vendors,and artisans a chance at showing off their wares at One Green Street. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it does not. I think we got it right when we recently partnered with Supple Skin Boutique. Nelia, one of the owners is an expert in healthy teas and eager to share her expertise with the community. I must confess, I am a coffee drinker (fair trade, shade grown, organic, thank you) but have always been curious about teas and their medicinal purposes. You always hear that green tea is good for you and chamomile helps you sleep better but that is about the extent of what I know about teas! Supple Skin takes the guesswork out of which teas go together to produce what results. Besides tasting great you can get teas that help with acne, psoriasis, weight loss, cleansing, antioxidants, beauty and more! Made and packaged by the owners, drinking tea has never been such a pleasant, healthy, educational experience. I feel so blessed to have Supple Skin Boutique in our store so that we can share this experience with all willing to go there. Tea for two anyone?

GSI:Houston

Green Street Investigator Sherry Eichberger is hard at work making sure that all of your skin and beauty care products are free of toxins! GSI is a hard working, 100% tough group dedicated to a healthier better today & tommorow!

Ugly Truth #9 FINAL TRUTH

Kid's and Men's Products are also in need of safety updates.
It is perfectly legal for companies to use carcinogens in bubble bath and unidentified fragrance ingredients in baby shampoo. During each bath time, babies may be exposed to dozens of chemicals that have never been assessed for safety. And men's after-shave lotions, anti dandruff shampoos, teeth whiteners, sunless tanning products, hair-removal products and colognes may contain ingredients linked to cancer and other adverse health impact.

Frosted Betty Cupcakes + Rainy Day = Euphoria

I just met with Frosted Betty creator Nicole Mora...what a great girl. Nicole created Frosted Betty out of the love of baking and making people happy with her personal bakery creations. Well, she succeeded with me today, I am happy, happy, happy. I had her bring over 1 dozen Carrot Cake Cupcakes and 1 dozen Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes. OK truth here.....I prefer the Carrot Cake to the Vegan but both were excellent. We sat together in The Gathering Place for an hour talking about our dreams and aspirations for our businesses and found we are very much alike and would make perfect sense to share each other with our customers. A great idea was born!!!! Starting in August the third Wednesday of the month Frosted Betty will be in One Green Street from 1-3 with her scrumptious sweets!!!! You will be able to meet her, pre-order for the next month and sample her cupcakes, cake balls, cookies and more. How fantastic is that! Think about it.....you just finished lunch on Wed., August 18th at Fish City Grill and you have a hankerin for something sweet....then you remember that Frosted Betty is at One Green Street next store so you run over and grab a Red Velvet cupcake and maybe a couple cookies to take back to the office! That would be a perfect day! Stay tuned for more details, but man, am I excited to be partnering with another great entrepreneur!!!! In the meantime check out her menu at www.frostedbetty.com

Ugly Truth #8

The Word "Natural" on a product label doesn't guarantee it's safe or natural.
Laws do not regulate the use of the words like "natural" and "organic" on cosmetics and personal care products. While seals like "USDA Certified Organic" do have standards, some products with organic ingredients can still also contain harmful chemicals.

Ugly Truth #7

Two of the highest-concern cosmetics are marketed to women of color.
Products promising lighter skin and straigher hair are problematic because of their message about what is considered beautiful. But the cosmetics safety database Skin Deep shows that hair relaxers and skin lighteners may share a second problem: the products contain ingredients such as hydroquinone, placenta and petroleum byproducts that are linked to cancer, reproductive and hormonal problems and skin sensitization.

Ugly Truth #6

The $50-Billion U.S. Cosmetics Industry Opposes Laws That Would Protect Consumers And The Environment.
The cosmetics industry trade association has lobbied against laws that would control pollution at cosmetics manufacturing plants, require recycled content in packaging and add more consumer safety information on labels. The industry says it can regulate itself. An industry-funded panel-not the FDA or any other governmnet agency-currently reviews the "safety" of cosmetics.

Ugly Truth #5

Even ingredients that are known to cause harm can be put into personal care products.
Few ingredients have been assessed for long-term health impacts, but those that have and are known or suspected to be toxic are still allowed in cosmetics. Some of the most problematic are FRAGRANCE, PLACENTA, LEAD ACETATE, PHTHALATES, HYDROQUINONE, NANOPARTICLES and PETROCHEMICALS.

Ugly Truth #4 You Can't Believe Industry Safety Claims

Manufacturers say their products are safe. But what do those claims really mean? It may mean that the company has tested infredients it uses only to see if they cause rashes, swelling or other acute reactions. Companies are not required to assess the safety of their products or to take into account long-term health effects, such as cancer or infertility. Because there is no government standard for safety, cojmpanies can say whatever they want about the safety of their products.

Ugly Truth #3

The Government Should Be Protecting Us, But It's Not.
The federal law that governs the cosmetics industry is more than 70 years old. And because of major loopholes in this weak law, the FDA doesn't even have the authority to assess the safety of cosmetic ingredients before they're put into products we all use. The European Union now bans more than 1,100 chemicals from personal care products because they may cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. In stark contrast, just 10 ingredients are banned from cosmetics in the United States.

Ugly Truth #3

#2 Ugly Truth behind the Myth of Cosmetics Safety

Small Exposures Can Add Up to Harm.
The cosmetics industry says it's safe to put toxic chemicals linked to cancer, infertility or other health problems into personal care products because the amount in each product is so small. But none of us use one product, and we're exposed to hazardous chemicals threough many non-cosmetic sources too. "Just a little bit" adds up, and new evidence show that even tiny doses of some chemicals., such as hormone disruptors,can be harmful.

UNMASKED #1

Toxic Chemicals are in our beauty products-and in our bodies.
Every day we use multiple personal care products-from baby shampoo to deodorant, lotion to mascara-that contain chemical ingrediants we absorb through our skin, inhale and ingest. Some of these chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disablilities and other health problems epidemic in our society.

These shoes were made for walking!

I was so excited yesterday when my Hydra Heart Handmade Shoes arrived at the store. I admit it I am a shoe junkie and YES I have a step ladder in my closet to reach the hard to grab party shoes on the very top of the heap! However, the handmade shoes I just received are like no other! First of all they are VEGAN, secondly the are stylish and unique, and lastly they are oh so comfortable.....can you say slipper-shoe? Of course right out of the box I picked out a pair for myself...hey, I'm the owner, I can do things like that.....anyway I picked the cutest keyhole flats to kick around in and the inner sole is removable for washing, yeah! no more sweaty Houston shoe soles for me. I have seven different colors and styles but they will go fast! If you are looking for a sweet shoe that noooooobody else has you really must come by and try a pair on, you will fall in love, and the best thing is these shoes were made for walking.

See you soon!

Your Dog is Wondering!

If your dog is as smart as my dog Nash he/she is probably wondering why you haven't been doing anything about all the bugs bothering them this time of year? Well Nash has yet to ask that question because he just got a bath in Canine Earth's NEW All Bark! No Bite! bug repellent shampoo! After his bath he was treated to Canine Earth's Tail Wagging Terrific, tea tree balm on all his hot spots! He is one happy pooch, oh, and did I say that all Canine Earth products are USDA Certified Organic? So if a little gets in their eyes, mouth or nose...no worries...it's safe! Loving your dog is soooo organic, shouldn't his shampoo be?

Knotty II

www.naturallyknotty.com

Are you Naturally Knotty?

Just got to gush about New Kid On The Block, Naturally Knotty! Cute name eh? Their mission, purpose and product fits perfectly with ours and wait until you feel the Bamboo Wraps for summer.......Yee Haw! The perfect accessory for warm evenings when you head into your favorite restaurant on your man's arm and Oops, it's a little chilly in here. Break out your Naturally Knotty Bamboo wrap and you are good to go. The are packaged beautifully and only $28 each. What a great gift idea to boot! I want one in each color and you will too. Also, we got in some of their clutches and totes made from sustainable factory fabric scraps that will make your eyes pop!

So, whether you are Naturally Knotty or if you have to try real hard to be Knotty, either way you will love this new line. Check them out!

Stick Out Your Neck-It's Good For You!

My grandmother from my Dad's side and I were not very close. My memories of her include her giving me a Apple when we visited or a line of dimes taped to a card on my birthday. Like I said...we were not very close and then when my parents divorced even the apples and dimes stopped coming. However, I did learn one thing from my grandma that has stuck with me my entire life, great advice that I would like to pass on to my fellow bloggers. I must tell you that my grandma lived to be 102 years old! She taught me that when you are moisterizing your face ALWAYS remember to include your NECK! Why had I always stopped at my chin while moisterizing? I wondered if I was including my neck in my body moisterizing routine? No! Was I including my neck in my face moisterizing routine? No! OMG! I was ignoring my neck as if it would just moisterize itself! She was right......I always moisterize my neck when taking care of my face, grandma said if I didn't I would end up with a CHICKEN NECK! Who wants that? So I am passing this wisdom on to you! Whether using Juice Beauty's Nutrient Moisterizer full of Certified Organic Grape Juice and Vitamin-rich Carrot Juice or loving your neck with Sari Motley's Do-Over with COQ10 Stick your neck out! It's good for you!

Shaving 101

I am a huge Juice Beauty Fan, especially the Antioxidant Serum, however, I recently discovered that Juice Beauty is not just for men. I want to share a 4 piece shaving dream kit for men using Juice Beauty products. Let me remind you that Juice Beauty is a 100% USDA Certified Organic product line! I am settin up my man with the 4 step shaving system that is pure and clean...I want him around for a long, long time and the nasty stuff he uses now is full of known carcinogens. Get it? Check this system out and get it online or instore for $15 off the retail price.

TRUE CONFESSIONS

It's true.....I have worn my leighelena buckle cuff bracelet 3 days in a row! Not because I forgot to take it off, or someone MADE me wear it.....truth be told wearing my black with silver leighelena buckle bracelet kinda makes me feel like Wonder Women! There I said it! In fact I am thinking of putting one on both wrists to ward off creepy villians, polluters and litter bugs! I will just raise my two leighelena bracelets up high cross my wrists an POW, BANG, ZAP all will be right with the world! Every strong, powerful women ought to own a leighelena buckle cuff think of what we could accomplish!!!!

Sugar Cane Lounge Event

Thursday, June 10th the Sugar Cane Lounge at 1919 Washington, Houston's first Eco-Friendly Lounge will host their Grand Opening Event! One Green Street will be in the house presenting informal modeling of various fashion statements such as Recycled, Upcycled, Handmade and Organic designs. Come by and check this out!

http://www.onegreenstreet.com:2095/3rdparty/roundcube/?_task=mail&_action=get&_mbox=INBOX&_uid=11355&_part=2&_frame=1

New Subscriber Winner!

Congratulations Jamie Muse! Jamie is a new One Green Street Newsletter subscriber and just for signing up she has won a $50 store gift certificate! Jamie will leave One Green Street with a special One of a Kind, Recycled, Handmade or Organic treasure! Plus, she gets to view all of the exciting things going on in the world of "Green" via our monthly newsletters. Not a bad deal!

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

Sitting in the store watching the rain pouring down nourishing all of those thirsty spring flowers recently planted, trees, grass. Feeling Relective and grateful.

Appeal to Dad's Ego this Father's Day

One Green Street prides itself on finding the most unique, healthy, fun products and Beer Soap is no exception.

Beer Soap is a great gift idea for everyone who loves a fresh, paraben free cleansing bar.

Come take a walk down One Green Street, you'll be glad you did!