What Makes Nail Polish Toxic?

I remember my mom's nails...she was a hard working stay at home mom so they were rarely painted, cleaning, washing, gardening, it just wasn't worth doing it on regular basis. However, once in a while she would treat herself and bring out her plastic two sided carrier with the handle in the middle filled with a variety of nail polishes, removers, files etc....I always knew when mom was treating herself because I could smell her before I could see her! Fast forward to today and I realize sadly that Mom's treat was actually a very TOXIC experience!
Owning an Organic Lifestyle store has opened my eyes to so many frightening realizations, one of them being the toxins in nail polish, so now that we know what we know why Does This Matter? What are the toxins? How could they affect us? check this out and share it with everyone you know and love!

-TOLUENE which causes rapid, shallow breathing, chemical pneumonia,
blurred vision, dry, cracked skin, and drowsiness also effects the kidneys
and the nervous system. It may also cause an exaggerated feeling of
well-being, headache, staggering tremors, and convulsions.

-FORMALDEHYDE is a strong allergen and irritant to which humans have
a very low odor threshold, also a known carcinogen. It increases airway
resistance when inhaled, probably because of local irritation and release of
inflammatory mediators. Additionally, formaldehyde is a strong contact allergen.
Acute and chronic dermatitis was once a common complaint in the beauty
parlor industry because of using formaldehyde in fingernail finishes.


-DIBUTYL PHTHALATE (DBP) which are linked to reproduction system
problems and underdeveloped genitals in newborn boys.

The nail polish line we carry is called Priti Nails out of New York City and you will not find any of the above toxins in their products! If you are looking for an eco-friendly gift idea, this one has safe and sexy written all over it!

What Does Shade Grown Coffee Mean Anyway?

We carry Grounds for Change coffee at One Green Street and we love it! Grounds for Change is USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade and Shade Grown. I totally get the first two attributes but had to do my research and talk to Kelsey at GFC to get the skinny on what "Shade Grown" really means. This is what they said:
Why Shade Grown Coffee Is Important
Written by Grounds for Change for ENN.com

A shade grown coffee farmer stands in his coffee plot laced with orange, avocado, lime and scattered high-canopy trees. Birdsong rains down from above and the rustle of animals in the twigs and fallen leaves surrounds him on all sides. Dappled sunlight filters down and glints off the glossy green leaves of his mature coffee shrubs.

This vision is in sharp contrast to the sun-baked, acidified soil and relative silence found on standard full-sun coffee plantations, which must clear-cut the forest and use large quantities of toxic fertilizers and pesticides to keep their full-sun coffee productive.

Coffee is a shade-loving shrub and naturally-occurring varieties can only be cultivated under a canopy of shade trees. What we now refer to as "shade grown coffee" was the only way coffee was cultivated until 25 years ago, when new full-sun hybrids were developed that produced substantially higher yields for coffee farmers and allowed the creation of massive agribusiness-style plantations, which were not economically viable prior to this time.

The increased yields of full-sun coffee come at the expense of the environment, the flavor of the coffee itself and of migratory bird populations, which have been decimated in the last 25 years.

Today I am sampling a new blend to OGS, Mexico "Cafe Femenino" a medium roast grown by Women!!!! I love what this company is doing and the care and thought that goes into everything they do!!! Come by and sample some for yourself!

Me & My BHAG

Do you have a BHAG? You know...a Big Hairy Audacious Goal or Goals! I have always thought outside of the box since a very young age, mom always told me that I was great and could do anything and be anything. Did your parents tell you the same thing? Did you believe them? When I told friends, family and other aquaintances that I wanted to open an Organic Lifestyle store where anyone that wanted to purchase eco-friendly products could come, shop, learn and stay a while to visit, sip coffee or tea and feel like they are part of a family, I got mixed reviews. You don't have retail experience! What if it doesn't work? Do you have a background in business? An Organic store in Houston????? I kept an eye on my BHAG because one thing I know for sure is that DOUBT is a dream killer and I was not about to let that 5 letter word get in my way, no matter what people threw at me! It has been over a year since we opened our doors at One Green Street and I am already focusing on my next BHAG...bringing environmentally friendly goods to the masses! I would love it if you would share your BHAG with me....if you don't have one...get one.. remember you are either in the bleachers or on the field it is your choice!!!!

Future Friendly....HUH!

I laughed out loud the other day when a popular laundry detergent ran a commercial touting their product as "Future Friendly" because they have reduced their packaging by 25%! Wow, that would be a great story except for the fact that millions of people use this popular laundry detergent everyday and it contains toxic chemicals such as Ethanolamine!!!! Look up the word "toxic" and you will see first and foremost that toxins damage Organisms amoung other nasty side effects. Green Washing! I talk about this often because large companies gain our trust but don't tell us the whole truth! What is "Future Friendly" about washing your clothes, your babies clothes in toxins? We wash, dry and wear these items that touch our skin and possibly leach into our pores causing us who knows what damage....won't be a very "friendly" future if their product makes us sick or worst yet gives us a long term or life threatening illness! Be cautious friends, don't be fooled, be informed!