Green Girl Tiny Totes Help Little Shoppers Save The Earth–In Adorable Whimsical Style!

Good habits start young.  Incredibly lightweight and perfectly sized, Green Girl Tiny Totes are encouraging tomorrow’s little shoppers to SHOP DIFFERENTLY by saying “no thank you” to plastic and paper bags–in adorable, whimsical style. 

Created by Lori Rose, specifically for children aged four to nine, reversible Green Girl eco-totes hold everything a little heart desires–from organic goodies at the local farmer’s market to library books and homework, from sleepover clothes to soccer gear and dance attire, to the beach or pool.   Tiny totes handle almost anything a child ever needs for shopping school or play.  Made of machine washable, 100% cotton, Tiny Totes are small and light enough for growing bodies, yet hold an almost unbelievable amount of goods. 

Measuring 13 inches by 12 inches long, eco-friendly Tiny Totes feature adjustable straps for maximum versatility and ease of movement.  Double stitching adds extra reinforcement so that Green Girl totes can handle even the most ambitious of shopping trips or other childhood adventures. 

Green Girl Tiny Totes are available in durable canvas and super-lightweight, 100% cotton fabrics in a variety of prints.  Girls love the vibrant eye-catching designs, while parents love that these eco-friendly bags are made in the United States–in Los Angeles. 

There are very good reasons why Green Girl encourages  the next generation of consumers to “SHOP DIFFERENTLY.”  From video stores to book shops, clothing boutiques to grocery stores, the average family uses 1000 plastic bags a year, according to industry experts.  Most of these end up in landfills, to the tune of 100 BILLION plastic bags a year.  It can take up to 1000 years for a plastic bag to decompose, leaving behind microscopic toxins that contaminate the soil.  By saying “no thank you” to paper bags in addition to plastic, shoppers save trees and reduce harmful emissions associated with paper bag production and manufacturing.

Green Girl Tiny Totes represent a welcome alternative to less attractive reusable bag options frequently offered through supermarket chains and major corporations.  For the first time, Green Girl unites environmental practicality with child-centric fashion sense.  As children grow up, Green Girl expects this next generation will help the world move toward a more sustainable future–one reusable bag at a time.  Green Girl Tiny Totes are everyday shopping essentials for children, instilling positive earth-forward habits that will last well into adulthood. 

Green Girl Tiny Totes are available in specialty boutiques nationwide and available online at:   www.greengirlworld.com/tiny-totes.html

Maple Syrup Sea Salt Scrub

Turn your bathroom into an oasis of calm.  It’s amazing how taking a half hour to yourself can rejuvenate your mind and spirit.   

A great pick-me-up is a sea salt scrub.  I recently tried a new recipe with Canadian Maple Syrup and loved it.  This sea salt scrub fills the air with a fresh aroma that lasts throughout the shower, but won’t linger on the skin.  The gentle scrub left my skin feeling soft and moisturized. 

Ingredients:  4 cups of finely ground sea salt, 1 cup of maple syrup, 1/2 cup of honey, 1 cup organic olive oil, and  1/2 cup of sweet almond oil. 

Directions:  Mix all the ingredients together and apply scrub in circular motions avoiding the face and eyes.  Rinse and pat dry.

Coffee Body Scrub

Don’t throw away those old coffee grounds.  This homemade body treatment blends them with cocoa and shea butter to create an aromatic and soothing body scrub. 

Ingredients:  1/4 cup of coffee grounds, 1/3 cup of shea butter, 1-2 tsp of dark schocolate cocoa powder, 2-3 dropf of cherry extract.

Directions:  Mix all the ingredients together and add a small amount of water to get a creamy consistency.  In a steamy shower appl scrub in circular motions avoiding the face and eyes.  Rinse and pat dry.

Exfoliating Tips: 

1.  Always start at your feet and work up toward the torso.  Once you reach the waist, work from the wrists up toward the shoulders.  Moving toward the heart increases circulation, which brings more nutrients to the skin’s surface. 

2.  Focus on each section of the body for about 2 minutes. 

3.  Don’t scrub the same day you shave.  Both process are exfoliating , and exfoliating too often can cause irritation and dry skin.  You don’t need to exfoliate more than 2-3 times per week. 

4.  Use pure Argon Oil after you are finished showering and while your skin is still damp.  My favorite products to moisturize after exfoliation are by a Santa Barbara based company called ACTIVAROMA.  These products are by far the best that I have come across.  http://www.activaroma.com/argan-oil/

It’s amazing how this juice recipe will give you unbelievable energy and it is easy to make.  I recommend drinking it at least once a day - or even better, twice a day, the first one for breakfast.  This concoction goes down surprisingly easy. 

**Spinach                                                                                                                                                                                                                        **Kale                                                                                                                                                                                                                               **Chard                                                                                                                                                                                                                            **Apple                                                                                                                                                                                                                              **Lemon                                                                                                                                                                                                                            **Ginger                                                                                                                                                                                                                             **Parsley

Juice all the items and combine.  Combination shold be heavy in kale, spinach and chard, light on the apple, ginger, lemon and parsley.

Taking care of yourself means making healthy choices.

After doing some personal research and experimenting with natural ingredients and essential oils, I have come up with many simple recipes.  You can make them with little effort.  It can be a very satisfying activity to make your own body care products. 

Salt Body Scrub:  The salt not only helps to draw impurities from your body but the coarse texture helps to scrub away dead skin cells, leaving your skin fresh and glowing. 

*1 cup coarsely ground sea salt                                                                                                          *1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Stir the olive oil into the sea salt.  Standing in the tub or shower, massage 1-2 tbsp of the scrub over your skin at a time until you have used all the mixture.  Rinse your skin with warm, then cool water. 

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Body Refresher Spray:  Finish off your bath or shower with this recipe.  It smells good and makes your skin feel so refreshed. 

*2 cups distilled water                                                                                                                                                                                                  *1/4 cup pure grain alcohol                                                                                                                                                                                      *10 drops essential oils   (See the following ides, or make up your own combination.)

Place the pure grain alcohol or vodka in a glass measuring cup.  Add the essential oils.  Cover the cup and set aside for 1 hour.  After the hour has passed, add the distilled water and mix well.  Put the refresher in spray bottles.  (This recipe will fill several 4 ounce containers.)  To use, spray on your body. 

Possible essential oil combinations for Body Refresher Spray:

Orange Blossom:  8 drops neroli essential oil, 1 drop tangerine essential oil, 1 drop patchouli essential oil.

Lavender-Lemon:  8 drops lavender essential oil, 2 drops lemon essential oil

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Bedtime Bath:  Need to wind down before bedtime?  Use this mixture for a relaxing end to your day.

*1/4 cup finely ground sea salts                                                                                                                                                                               *6 drops lavender essential oil                                                                                                                                                                               *2 drops clary sage essential oil                                                                                                                                                                            *1 drop German chamomile essential oil

Mix the essential oils into the sea salt thoroughly.  Pour the mixture into warm running bath water directly under the faucet.  Soak for 15 minutes.

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Olive Oil Hair Treatment:  Mediterranean people have known the benefits of olive oil for centuries.  When using olive oil in skin treatments, always choose the highest-quality oil you can find.  Use only olive oil that is labeled “extra virgin.”  This guarantees that the oil has been cold pressed from freshly harvested olives and does not contain chemicals.  Oil that is green in color is of a higher quality than golden-yellow oil.

*1 tbsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                                                                                *1/2 cup apple cider vinegar                                                                                                                                                                                    *2 shower caps or a hot, wet towel

Warm the olive oil.  Gently massage into your scalp and hair, covering your entire head.  Wrap head with two plastic shower caps or a hot, wet towel, turban style.  Wait 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash hair with an herbal shampoo.  Apply the shampoo before wetting hair to cut down on the oil.  Rinse with apple cider vinegar, then water.

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Baking Soda - Peppermint Tooth Cleaner:  Fresh and delicious tasting.

*1/4 tsp salt                                                                                                                                                                                                                     *1/4 tsp baking soda                                                                                                                                                                                                    *1 drop peppermint essential oil

Mix all the ingredients together.  Dampen toothbrush with water, dip into the tooth cleaner and brush your teeth.

Green Girl encourages you to SHOP DIFFERENTLY by bringing reusable bags when shopping.   When I started my company, Green Girl, in 2009, my desire was to encourage women to make the world a better place.  By making the right choices in your daily actions, you can make a difference!  The simply small act of bringing your own bag when shopping will help make a huge difference for our Earth.  Social attitudes are evolving and there is a widespread desire for change.  The change begins with you!

Everyday, plastic bags are handed out for free at supermarket checkouts and never used again.  Bag bans and taxes are a hot topic across the United States, where more and more communities are debating whether to put them in place.  Though such measures are common at the community level ( here in California:  San Francisco, Carmel, Malibu and Long Beach all banned plastic bags) a handful of states have also tried to ban bags-most notably, Washington, D.C. and Oregon. 

The Washington, D.C., tax which went into effect last year, imposed a 5-cent charge on plastic and paper shopping bags.  According to official estimates, the city’s 600,000 residents were using 22.5 million bags per month before the tax went into place.  Afterwards, that number dropped to 4.6 million per month-an 80 percent drop that also brought the city $2.75 million in revenue for the year, a sum dedicated to river cleanup. 

A similar strategy was used in Ireland, where authorities began charging consumers .15 euro (about 2o cents) per bag in March 2002.  The charge could not be absorbed by stores, and had to appear on the customer’s receipt as a separate item.  Proceeds went to support a special fund for environmental causes.

The impact was remarkable–and immediate.  Within a few months, Irish shoppers went from using plastic bags at a rate of 328 per person per year to just 21. 

The bag charge changed consumer behavior, and also shifted store practices.  Irish officials estimate the bag charge has resulted in the use of a billion fewer bags each year, and a recent survey showed the fee had overwhelming public support. 

Bag taxes and bag bans are simple and they work.  Such legislation is needed to prevent marine debris (an estimated 60% to 80% of all  marine debris is plastic) , save money, and reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources.  It’s an important issue and you can make a difference by choosing to bring your own bags when shopping. 

Fifteen or 20 cents may not seem like a lot, but having to buy a bag is enough to make people think.  Charging for bags puts the question in front of you.  It’s no longer automatic-you have to make a choice.

In January, Italy banned single-use plastic bags entirely.  The country had been one of Europe’s heaviest consumers, representing a quarter of Europe’s total.  Eva Alessi, head of sustainability for Italy’s World Wildlife Fund says the ban–passed without a vote by the Italian Environment Ministry–was unpopular with retailers and consumers alike when it went into place on January 1.

Just a few months later, plastic bags have largely disappeared from Italy’s stores–and from its streets.  Instead, shoppers are bring their own bags.  “Consumer opinions are changing,” Alessi says.  “They’re learning to step lightly on the planet.”

Here at Green Girl we encourage you to bring your own bags when shopping.  We offer a variety of fashionable,  reusable bags for you to purchase on our website. http://www.greengirlworld.com

By mixing stylish designs with environmentally friendly practicality , Green Girl eco-totes make perfect giveaways for clients, top-performers, corporate retreats and more.  Generate eye-catching, Earth-forward attention for your business or corporation with Green Girl custom designs and co-branding opportunities. 

Send a positive message about your company’s commitment to ecologically sound practices-and let us create a beautiful, custom design that perfectly showcases your logo and other branding visuals.  Contact us today to learn more!  info@greengirlworld.com

LOOK GOOD.  FEEL GOOD.  DO GOOD.

You like it hot and sweatyand practicing set poses.  Since a warm body is a flexible body, Bikram is practiced in a room heated to about 105 degrees with 40% humidity.  This challenging yoga compromises 26 Hatha yoga postures and two pranayama breathing techniques.  The sequences work synergistically to improve health and well-being.

While the centuries-old philosophies of Bikram Yoga makes it by no means a new fitness, only recently has the practice become a well-known component to mainstream yoga, as more and more people are giving it a try. 

Bikram Yoga can seem initially intimidating to some, but it has garnered a solid following of dedicated practitioners.  Bikram can be a great vehicle to de-stress, get fit, and even heal medial ailments, all at the same time.

The Class~~Every class is the same-90 minutes long; 26 beginning, classic Hatha postures; and a 105-degree room, which facilitates deeper stretching and injury prevention.  Poses within each series not only work out the muscles and the mind, but they also target joints and internal organs from the lungs and digestive system, to the lymphatic system and immune system.  While in class, everyone is asked to stay in the room, no matter how you are feeling.  If you tire, or feel dizzy or nauseous (which is normal at first and on some off-days!), instructors encourage you to sit down until you feel grounded.  Not only is this for safety reasons, it also helps to develop concentration, determination, and discipline.

The Nitty Gritty~~Staying hydrated throughout the day, before and after practice, is important.  It is advised to refrain from eating a meal at least 2-3 hours before class.  Wear light and tight clothing as you will be sweating - women usually wear sports bras or tight tanks with tight shorts or leggings; men don shorts.   First-timers:  It is recommended to arrive 10-20 minutes early to fill out paperwork.  Most Bikram studios offer introductory packages at discounted rates to encourage newbies to practice as many times as possible so they can gauge how it affects their minds, bodies, and spirits. 

Anyone Can Do It!~~  Bikram was created by yoga master Bikram Choudhury, and the sequence of postures and breathing exercises is accessible to anyone, regardless of fitness level, flexibility, or yogic experience.  In fact, they say that those who have injuries, haven’t been working out, or have other medical problems are the first to see the benefits.  Bikram is known for its healing benefits and for its ability to train and calm the mind.  The practice was developed to scientifically target every cell of the body, creating a revitalized, strong, lean, balanced, and healthier body. 

Swedish women have long been known for their beauty.  Sweden, a little, far-away Scandinavian country, has produced more internationally known beauties than any other country in the world.  In fact, the export of beautiful stars to the glamorous world of entertainment is “the biggest industry” in Sweden.  Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Inger Stevents, Signe Hasso, Maj Zetterling, Anita Ekberg, Ann-Margaret, May Britt, Britt Sellers–these are just a few of the more familiar names. 

Is it a coincidence that this small country dominates the market of themost beautiful women in the world?  Or do the Swedish women truly have their own secrets of beauty aids that are unknown to us? 

Swedish women have used for centuries, and continue to use now, certain elements in their daily diet and beauty care which the latest scientific research has proven to be miraculous beauty aids.

Rose Hips  -  Swedish Beauty Secret

The beautiful rose is without doubt the queen of the flower kingdom.  The rose is the symbol of romance and beauty.  It has been the inspiration of poets and artists.  The delicate natural fragrance of the rose is extracted and made into perfumes and beautifying rose waters.  The rose-petal extract has been used by beauty conscious women around the world for centuries. 

But beauty-conscious Swedish women eat the rose!

Yes, the fruit of the rose - rose hips - has been for hundreds of years and still is an every day food on the Swedish table.  Rose hips are the full-ripened orange-red fruits, about the size of a cherry, just below the rose flower.  They are picked in the late fall, just before the frost destroys them.  All roses have “hips”, but only certain species of the rose have a fruit suitable for food.  Rose Villosa and Rose Canina are two fruit-bearing varieties of roses which are grown predominantly in cold northern climates.  The most common fruit-bearing variety in the United States is Rosa Rugosa.  In Scandinavia there are wide areas covered with wild rose bushes from which Swedes pick “hips” in the fall. 

Rose hips are used very extensively in the Swedish diets.  Swedes make nutritious soups, delicious teas, jellies, and other dessers from them.  Rose hips in Sweden positively do not have the flair of a fad-food about them.  All Swedes use rose hips.  They are sold in various forms in all food stores and are a staple food in the humble cottage as well as in the king’s castle. 

What does all this have to do with Swedish beauty?  The fact is, it has a lot to do with their beauty.  Rose hips are a number one beauty aid of Swedish women!  Russians call them “vitamin roses”, and they most certainly are!  Rose hips contain more vitamin C than any other known natural source - twenty to forty times more than oranges!  Rose hips are also rich in bioflavonoids, or vitamin P, and many other vitamins and minerals. 

Here’s how rose hips compare with oranges:  They have 28% more calcium.  They have 25% more iron.  They have 25 times more Vitamin A!  They have 20 to 40 times more vitamin C.

Most of us are aware of the indispensable value of vitamins C and A for health.  They are used in treatment of colds, infections, skin disorders, and many other diseases.  Vitamin A has long been associated with the health of the skin and many beauty-conscious women have been using vitamin A preparations and foods rich in vitamin A (carrot juice) to enhance their complexion.  But how many have though of vitamin C as absolutely indespensible for the healthy and youthful complexion? 

The latest scientific research discoveries have shown that the aging processes and the degenerative changes of the skin, wrinkles, flabbiness, discolorations, etc. are caused by physiological changes in collagen — the intercellular cement substance.  This deterioration is affected primarily by the deficiency of vitamin C in the tissues.  Sufficient vitamin C in the diet will keep the collagen strong and elastic, which will result in a tight skin and a smooth and beautiful complexion. 

Incorporating the Swedish beauty secret - rose hips - into your life will make you feel, and look healthier, younger and more beautiful. 

What are we doing to save the Whales?

Whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on Earth-even larger than dinosaurs.  Unfortunately, some whales are starting to follow in the dinosaurs’ footsteps.   They are in danger of becoming extinct.

These magnificent creatures are threatened by whaling, garbage, chemicals, noise, fishing lines, and more. 

Education is the key to saving whales.  Children, the future of our planet, need to be empowered and know that their actions can promote change.  ‘Whales On Wheels’  (WOW) is an innovative hands-on program - taught by marine biologists - brings whale bones, marine mammal artifacts, and conservation messages to the classroom.  WOW has traveled across the nation visiting school children in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, and California.  WOW is based in Monterey, California.   Call to book a lecture.  831.899.9957 & visit the website to learn more: http://www.savethewhales.org.wow.html

**Learn all about whales and other marine mammals:  www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/education/

**The Whales:  Voices in the Sea, is an online exhibit–whale calls, games, videos: www.cetus.ucsd.edu/voicesinthesea_org/Flash/

**Greenpeace has been saving whales for over 30 years.  Greenpeace shows kids how to write letters to newspapers and political leaders, and how to help get people to pay attention to whales’ problems:   http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/oceans/whale-defenders/iwc/kids-get-involved

**Great idea for kids at school:  Have a whale fundraiser.  For ideas, download Greenpeace’s “Bake Sale for the Whales” kit: http://members.greenpeace.org/article/docs/97/bake_sale_toolkit.pdf

Turtle Bay Resort is set on 880 ocean-front acres of the legendary North Shore.  Turtle Bay is the only true full-service luxury resort on the island of Oahu.   http://www.turtlebayresort.com

Stars who love reusable totes. Fashion conscious and eco conscious celebrities who love Limited Edition Green Girl totes designed by founder, Lori Rose.  Designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, California.

Spencer Abigail

Tim Allen 

Anne Heche

Chris Noth

Ty Treadway

 Julie Bowen

Kelli Martin

 Holly Robinson-Peete

Ana Ortiz

Green Girl designer totes are perfect for stylish, eco-conscious women everywhere.  The Green Girl brand is widely recognized by fashionistas for its high standards, producing only the highest quality, Earth-forward products right here in the USA.  Uniting the best of fashion and function, Green Girl totes stylishly simplify the shopping experience. LOOK GOOD. FEEL GOOD.  DO GOOD.

Green Girl totes are availaboe to purchase on the Green Girl website http://www.greengirlworld.com