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!

Look what is in my Beauty Bag!

Well, I was waiting in the Dentist office last week with a major toothache and dug into my purse pulled out my "Beauty" bag and started laying the contents out on the chair. My husband was watching me with curiousity and said "what in the heck are you doing?" I said I want to show my friends all I need, want and feel comfortable carrying in my purse to help me look fresh, feel good and be healthy on a daily basis. So I snapped a picture with my phone while other patients stared at me puzzled. Here is that photo....the contents of my Beauty Bag are:
Mini Combat Balm- for cuts, scratches, burns...anything you would put neosporin on.
Combat Ready Lip Balm-When I want my lips to heal and when I need to kick somebody's ass!
W3ll People Paganist-My power piece! Lip balm for my sexy side.
W3ll People Nudist #1 & #4 when I want a little color in my lips.
Tsi-La- Kesu perfume, a mysterious and provocative blend of 100% pure plant essences.Yes. I am mysterious and provocative. Perfect perfume for me! All in my Fuz bag made from factory felt scraps~!
Well, that's all I need....what's in your Beauty Bag?

I'm soooo wabi-sabi

I like to call my knitting skills "Wabi Sabi" because when I drop a stitch I keep going..when my finished product is mishapin, crooked, and goes from wide to narrow I don't fret! There is beauty in imperfection. That is the Japanese principle of wabi-sabi which values cracks and scratches over a shiny facade. Leonard Koren, author of a book on wabi-sabi, give this advice: "Pare down to the essence, but don't remove the poetry. Keep things clean and unencumbered but don't sterilize." I love that! My mom used to say, "Sherry you really don't like tedious tasks do you?" Nope! My husband says,"so you can do things in half the time that I can but when I do it, the job is done perfectly!" So? I have no use for perfection...there is too much living to do, too many things to marvel at, places to go. Don't get me wrong, I admire people that are really good, experts maybe, at what they do whether at work or play, it's just not me! I am perfectly, unperfectly wabi-sabi and proud of it. What about you? I probably mispelled a word in this post....not worried.. you will figure it out.

Where is Your Money Going?

I challenge you to take this Buy Local Quiz and see where your dollars are going. Are they staying in your city? Going to China? India? or an unknown abyss? When we buy local (within 100 miles of our homestead)the money we spend stays in our city and boosts the economy which means more jobs, a happier city, less crime and poverty. This mini quiz is meant to make you think about where you are shopping and how it might affect your environment. I hope after taking this quiz you will be more conscience of the restaurants you eat at, where you buy your toiletries, gifts etc. Here are my top 10 favorite Local businesses in Houston.
1.One Green Street
2.Michaels Cookie Jar
3.Supple Skin Boutique
4.Mark McDaniel Accounting
5.Abejas
6.Zpizza
7.Buffalo Grille
8.Retna Media
9.Queen of Hair
10.Suk Ross

and now....the quiz :0)

1. When was the last time you shopped local?
2. What was the name of the Local Business?
3. What did you buy?
4. How many times in the last 30 days have you patronized a local business?
5. List 3 local businesses that you patronized in the last 30 days.

A Closer Look Inside One Green Street

I believe that the greatest most successful companies in the world are able to define their "Culture" the core values that they live and work by on a daily basis. The core values that not only affect the business owner and employees but their customers, vendors, and the whole community at large. In most businesses this is not associated with the bottom line but for us it is!! We believe that how you work and play, and how you treat people will affect your bottom line, either in a positive or a negative way. I decided today to share our Core Values here at One Green Street with our blog followers. Please read, absorb and hold us accountable at every turn.
1 Amaze Customers
2.Embrace Change & Drive Change
3.Create Fun(Smile & Laugh)
4.Pursue Growth & Learning (Read & Listen)
5.Build Open Honest Relationships w/ Communication
6.Build a positive team & family spirit
7.Be passionate & determined
8.Be Humble
9.Be adventurous,creative & open minded
10.Enhance/Support our community

Up Cycle your Life in 2011

I am a big fan of up cycling. We carry items in our Full Circle Fashion area that are up cycled and people always ask me “what does up cycling mean?” I tell them that when something is up cycled it means that the integrity of the original item is kept intact; however the item is embellished, to make it more current, fun, and interesting. Everything Old is New again, the saying goes and with up cycling that certainly is true. I was thinking….what if we could up cycle our lives? Stay true to your self but embellish your life so that you are more current, fun and interesting? I challenge all of you to do that in 2011, make some positive changes to yourself, your wardrobe, and your habits. That hat you love in the window but it just isn’t “YOU”, that glitter nail polish or eye shadow you’re admiring from afar but say “I am too old for glitter.” Get that glitter mama!!!!! Guys, your not a zip down the front sweater guy or never used that gel/mouse stuff, your just not comfortable, it’s not “YOU.” Gel that hair dude!!!!!!!!!! Have fun this year, take risks, step out of your comfort zone, life is too damn short not to! Here comes the plug…wait for it…..One Green Street is full of one of a kind unique finds for both men and women, why not stop by and let me help you up cycle your life this year! I would be happy to make suggestions and share my thoughts and ideas with you…it’s a safe zone here…I promise! Happy NEW (they call it NEW for a reason) Year to all my dear OGS Friends and Family.

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?