Happy Earth Day! A Good Day (and Week) to Honor Those Who Contribute to Our Survival and Well Being

April 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Happy Earth Day! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of honoring and acknowledging the contribution of others to our lives and personal well being, as well as those whose efforts contribute to the greater good. The second half of April commemorates two special occasions that give us a wonderful opportunity to do just that: Earth Day (today) and Administrative Professionals Day (April 25th).

Earth Day is as much a tribute to Mother Earth as it is to the early activists and organizers that turned environmentalism into a cultural phenomenon, and to those who continue to work hard at improving on what’s already been accomplished. What started in 1970 as a grassroots symbolic gesture in support of the health of the environment, has turned into a powerful annual homage to mother nature, and an important reminder of how dependent we are on the earth’s fragile but resilient eco-system for our very own survival and well-being.

And speaking of our survival and well-being –especially in the business world and in the workplace—no one can deny the tremendous contribution of secretaries, clerical employees, and all manner of administrative professionals to the success of the businesses who employ them or use their services. The last week of this month is Administrative Professionals’ Week –now one of the largest workplace observances– and Administrative Professionals’ Day (formerly known as Secretary’s Day) is part of this week-long celebration.

Personally, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate these two big occasions than by giving a green gift of aromatherapy to your favorite administrative professional! Then again, I’m a little biased …

If you have an administrative professional that contributes to your success or the success of your team or business, and you would like to find a meaningful way to recognize and acknowledge them, then consult our Gift Guide for great Administrative Professionals’ Day gift ideas. Aromatherapy gifts are a great way to instantly diffuse tension, relieve stress, and restore harmony. They’re also a great way to lift spirits and reward performance and teamwork. Not sure what to get? Try one of our electronic gift certificates.

We offer gift certificate options for $10, $25, $35, $50, $75 or $100 that can be emailed right up to the last minute! Electronic Gift Certificates are fast (instantly emailed when you complete your purchase), easy, totally carbon neutral, and are good for up to 2 years from date of purchase. The perfect option when it absolutely has to be there on or by the 25th! Buy your gift certificates here!

And as you celebrate Earth Day (and I hope you do in some way), ask yourself if your beauty and personal care routine is both clean AND green. If you’re not sure or need some tips on how to find out, read my last blog post “Clean and Green: Beautiful Skin and Environmental Health Go Hand in Hand“. In it I shared some criteria you can use to identify the health and environmental impacts of the products you use. If you’re not already using clean and green (and I hope you are), may it inspire you to make the switch!

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Green Living, Holidays Tagged With: ,

Happy Earth Day! Let’s Pay Homage to the Plants & Keep it Going Strong

April 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Today is the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. Wow! It’s amazing to see how what started back in 1970 as a grassroots symbolic gesture in support of the environment, has sprouted into a powerful annual month-long homage to mother nature. An important reminder of how dependent we are on the earth’s fragile but resilient eco-system for our very own survival and wellbeing.

Every year for Earth Day I normally participate in some kind of local event to support my mission to educate people on the different ways they can “green” their lifestyles –especially with regard to their body care products and beauty routines.

I consider events like these a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with people in a simple conversation about some different ways of looking at the relative impacts of the products they currently use. I ask them to consider first and foremost what impact these products have on their health, and then of course, what their impact is on the health of the environment. These two things are closely intertwined and one typically follows the other. If it’s not safe and healthy for you, then the impact is almost always the same for the environment.

With the growing interest and moral imperative to be “Green” in all aspects of our lives, talking about this issue on Earth Day seems appropriate, but to have any real or meaningful impact requires having this conversation in some level or fashion every day and sharing it with everyone we can! We need to talk the talk AND walk the walk and sometimes doing the former is a LOT easier than the latter.

This year, instead of just talking the talk I am going to walk the walk too. Instead of getting in my car, burning fossil fuel and adding CO2 to the atmosphere in order to reach out to a small handful of curious and committed souls, I am using the power of the Internet to reach out share my message with a much larger audience and further my mission.

From now through the end of the month, every person who signs up for our newsletter will receive a free copy of my article “Being Green Has Never Been Easier.” Whether you’re just starting out and trying to learn more about how to green your life, or if you’re looking for ways to improve on what you’re already doing, this article gives you some simple tips to get going and keep at it. To get your Health & Beauty News Subscription and FREE Going Green article follow and share this link: http://eepurl.com/drIA5

Remember, greening your lifestyle is a process but we all have to start somewhere. Please help me remain carbon neutral this Earth Day by sharing this information with your friends and networks and let’s keep this movement going and growing strong.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: , ,

For a Better Night’s Rest Green Your Sleep Routine

April 22, 2010 by 1 Comment

green earthHappy Earth Day! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the first one … we’ve come a long way since then but in many ways we still have much progress to make. In honor of the occasion and in keeping with this month’s theme of insomnia, I thought I’d write a post about greening your sleep routine (yes, it’s possible to do this now too!).

I’ve been thinking about buying a new mattress for the past couple of years (the one I’m sleeping on now is probably about 22 years old!). A friend of mine suggested I get one of those memory foam mattress toppers instead of shelling out a small fortune for a new mattress. I took her advice and it’s given my mattress a new life! But the more I read about the toxins in traditional mattresses and memory foam products the more I feel like it might be time to just take the leap and get a green and clean mattress. So I’ve started doing some research to find out what options are available and thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far with you.

It seems that most traditional mattresses are made with metal coils that are coated in some type of toxic chemical to keep them from rusting and degrading over time. On top of that, mattresses are filled with polyurethane foam and other flame retardant materials, and/or cotton that is loaded with pesticides. Then there are the chemicals added to the outer layer of the mattress to make them water and stain resistant. Add all that together and you’ve got a veritable soup of chemicals that slowly leach out (or outgas as the case may be) while you spend close to a third of your life lounging around on them! Phew!

You may be wondering what all this has to do with insomnia. Well it turns out that sleeping on an foam or synthetic fiber mattress retains your body heat and acts like an oven. This in turn raises the body temperature making you sleep lighter. As your body temperature rises you tend to kick off the covers to cool off. Then, during the night, you get colder and get up to grab the covers. This disturbs the pre- R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Movement) sleeping pattern. When you sleep on natural fibers, moisture gets wicked away, which will help keep the body at a more even temperature. This also helps you get a better night’s rest and stay in the R.E.M. (the deep) sleep cycle longer. So optimal sleeping conditions provide a breathable surface to the sleeper. Natural fibers are breathable. Synthetic fibers are basically not.

So what to choose? There’s natural latex (be sure not to get fooled into getting a mattress that is a mixture of natural and synthetic latex), organic cotton, or organic wool. Natural latex is recommended because it’s naturally anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, dust mite proof and relieves pressure points along the body. Natural rubber provides an almost motion-free sleeping experience, is exceptionally breathable and naturally hygienic, and will not house dust mites. In addition, infrared photography has shown that natural rubber reduces pressure-point pain up to 30% better than memory foam.

Wool has the ability to absorb large amounts of natural body moisture and then release it easily through evaporation. This attribute keeps you comfortable while you sleep by minimizing natural body-temperature fluctuations. Wool can also spring back to its original size and shape, and it discourages dust mites. Because of its high moisture content and the protein (keratin) that it contains, wool is also naturally flame resistant.

And last but not least, certified organic cotton mattresses. These can be rather hard but you can make them more comfy by adding a wool mattress topper. Apparently the wool in mattress toppers (and in mattresses) is well encased in cotton so if you’re allergic or sensitive to it there shouldn’t be a problem. If you can’t afford a new mattress then a pure wool or natural rubber topper is an option or you can swing for organic cotton barrier cloths or zippered encasings to protect your lungs from dust mite allergens and putt a little barrier between yourself the toxins being out gassed by your current mattress.

Filed Under: Green Living, Insomnia Tagged With: , , , , ,