It's easy being green...

I'm always looking for better ways to green my life and it's getting easier and easier due to increased awareness, technology and availability.  Today on INsight I chatted with Emilie & Charity about how much easier it is these days to go organic!

Being Green at Home - I am a HUGE fan of reusable shopping bags by Baggu because they are lightweight and fold up into thin square packs making it super easy to stash one or two in your handbag or your glove compartment.

Also, I referenced the Dirty Seven list of foods to buy organic but I was missing a few!!! It's the Dirty Dozen - oops!  Click HERE for a list you can keep in  your wallet or save to your phone for quick and easy reference.

Eco Friendly Cosmetics - Gone are the days when finding natural beauty products was a challenging task.  Drug, department, big box and mainstream specialty stores now offer multiple eco friendly lines in all categories.  Of course, just because a product has the word "organic" or "natural" doesn't mean it's free of harmful chemicals.  Read the labels of your personal care products just as you would food labels.  The ingredients are listed in order of volume within the product and as always, the fewer ingredients the better...especially the hard to pronounce ones!

The site I reference on the show for checking the toxicity of your beauty products is: The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.

I welcome any product related questions via email so please do not hesitate to email me: navigatewithstyle@gmail.com

As always, thanks for watching!!

xx
JDF

Friday's Five Favorites...eco fragrances!

I have recently decided to remove traditional fragrances from my life in an effort to cut down on chemical laden beauty products.  Below are my new favorite fragrance brands that do not contain hormone disruptors and other awful ingredients:

* Nantucket Natural Oils - this company offers a huge array of single note fragrances that are great on their own or can be blended to resemble well known fragrances.  I started purchasing from this store during summers on Nantucket before I was aware of the eco aspect...

* Florascent - stunning fragrances and beautiful packaging to boot!

* Intelligent Nutrients - I definitely need to explore their full selection but their body elixirs are lovely!

* Pacifica - I love every single one of these fragrances and they have a wide distribution, making it easier for you to sniff before you buy.

* Rich Hippie - The cheeky name alone reels me in but the fragrances are awesome and the simple packaging is perfect.  The price point is HIGH so it's definitely a splurge but one bottle lasts a looooong time...

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

xx

JDF

Friday's Five Favorites...autumn/winter home fragrance!

I love having home fragrance options for each season as they really help to enhance the mood.  In the Spring & Summer I tend to go for clean & fresh scents.  For Fall & Winter I go for warmer, cozier flavors.  I always try to find green or at least semi natural options to avoid adding more chemicals to my home.  I stay away from plug in diffusers so as not to use more electricity but  I do like lamp rings because they work off the heat of active light bulbs.  Below are some of my new favorites for the next few months:

Apple Orchard Reed Diffuser by Eco Candle Home Fragrance $22 - I love the function and look of reed diffusers.  They are my number one choice for home fragrance in every room but beware cheap versions as the scents aren't as lush and don't last as long.

Orange Cloved Scented Soy Candle by Mrs. Meyers $6.99 - I refuse to buy anything but soy candles...I have no use for petroleum based candles...yuck!

Fresh Balsam Concentrated Room Spray by Slatkin $5 - My favorite holiday scent, hands down.

Frankincense Essential Oil by Aura Cacia $25 use with a lamp ring - can be a tad difficult with CFL bulbs.

Vanilla & Tonka Bean body, room and linen spray by The Body Shop $12 - I adore triple duty products!



Have a lovely weekend everyone!

daytwahhh...

I spent two days in and around Detroit this week and it was a mix of highs and lows.  I am super excited to see a shift in the development of the once great city.  Yes, there are quite a few abandoned buildings downtown and in the outskirts.  However, many of those buildings are actively being restored.

Currently, Detroit is enjoying a bountiful fall where sports is concerned.  The Tigers are in the playoffs and the Lions are one of two teams still undefeated this season!!  I love that all three major sports arenas are downtown: Joe Louis Arena/Red Wings, Comerica Park/Tigers, Ford Field/Lions.  Having these venues IN the city add some cache, not to mention foot traffic (read: dollars).  

Side note: I am happy to say my first MLB game was at old Tiger stadium with my late father and my brother - what a lovely, crumbling mess that was.  It's a good thing Fenway Park & Wrigley Field are still around (and will be forevermore)...I prefer the dirty old stadiums to modern, gleaming versions...but I digress.

The city was packed with Lions fans while we were there so we didn't brave Greektown (very sad).  Nothing else jumped out at us food wise so we ended up having dinner in the dining room of our hotel (meh).  Next time I go to Detroit I'll need food recommendations FOR SURE!

More importantly, I had a hard time finding anything of note when it came to shopping.  Where are the independent shops of Detroit and the surrounding areas?  I found two malls in the 'burbs but I can shop those stores anytime and nearly anywhere.  For Detroit to flourish they'll need to do a better job of promoting the areas of their city where local food and goods are available.

Finally, I took my little boy to the Detroit Zoo.  We arrived about 1 hour before it closed and we were extended a "Happy Hour" discount which was a nice surprise since 3 year old legs can't cover much ground in 60 minutes.  We had time to enjoy the open aviary and butterfly room as well as the penguin exhibit before spending the rest of the time in the playground.  Unless you take the train, which was not running that day, you must walk by the playground before getting to the exciting animal areas.  This seems like incredibly poor planning since I've never met a kid that didn't want to drop everything for colorful slides and tunnels.  Needless to say, we did not get to see much.

I'm hoping to get back to Detroit soon as I'd love to dig deeper and explore other areas of the city.  Detroit is poised for a comeback and I'm hoping to see some major eco and sustainable innovations come to life.  I think that will be the key to the future success of "The D."

reNEW at Georgetown Square...

This morning I got a sneak peek of reNEW, a shiny new store in Georgetown Square, officially opening tomorrow morning.  reNEW is an updated concept in resale retail: inventory is solely from donations, staffers are mostly volunteers and the proceeds go right back into the community.  reNEW is a great example of recycling and repurposing...a sustainable approach to shopping.



Mayor Tom Henry cut the ceremonial ribbon at reNEW this morning.


There are racks and racks of clothing, handbags and accessories.



Children's furniture, clothing, toys, gear and books line the walls.



Someone even donated windows!


This baby came home with me...I could not resist its charms!  First and foremost, I'll use it to house Halloween candy.  On November 1st, I'll probably use it for jewelry storage...



Home decor, furniture and glassware have a dedicated space in addition to a large selection of books.  I really enjoy this plaid chair and tailored ottoman - it would be perfect for a cozy den.


reNEW opens to the public Saturday, October 8th, 9am
Georgetown Square, 6406 E. State Boulevard Fort Wayne, IN 46815 (near Kroger)Monday - Friday 9am - 7pmSaturday 9am - 5pm
Happy Shopping!