To get to the fabulous chicken home on the other side, of course.
I love chickens, always have – I love their plump bodies, beautiful colors, soft downy feathers, and the way they strut around, makes me smile. Someday I would love to have half a dozen of them clucking in my yard. Unfortunately, we don’t have the room (they’d fall in the pool!), so no chicks for me.
When I am able to have some cluck clucks of my own, I believe it would be quite grand if they lived in an eglu from Omlet. Not the kind that you eat silly, but the fabulous chicken house seen above, complete with free-range doors.
There are a lot of great organic skin and body care products on the market for men. Guys want to be clean and green as much as we girls do. Finding great guy products perfect for manscaping is possible, you just need to know where to look.
Now that I live with two grown men, they both need products that work well and are easy and fast to use. We look for organic without toxic chemicals and with recyclable packaging. Here are some excellent products that we’ve tried over the years.Â
1. Vickerey Naturopathica Shave Cream: A face with a clean shave is a must when you work in the public eye, and kiss your wife when you get home. Ha! The mister loved the Vickerey Naturopathica Shave Cream because he says that he only had to use a small amount and that it has a great thick and soft lather. He also liked the smell and that razor burn was never a problem because it allowed his razor to slide easily over his skin. He said it left his face silky smooth the entire day since he was able to get such a close clean shave. He also says that it lasts longer than any conventional shaving cream that he has used.
2. Toms of Maine Toothpaste: Fresh breath is absolute when you are talking to your customers all day long, and again when you kiss your wife when you get home. With Tom’s of Maine Spearmint toothpaste, the mister says his breath is fresh and clean all throughout the day. He loves that there aren’t any ingredients that you should avoid in Tom’s of Maine toothpaste. If you have ever met my husband then you will know that this product is absolute, because he loves to talk
3. John Master’s Organics Zinc and Sage Shampoo: The mister has a very short and clean-cut head of hair so when it comes to shampoo, he only needs a small amount that washes and lathers quickly and leaves a great fresh scent. He likes that John Master’s Organics Zinc and Sage does just that and never dries his scalp.
4. Jason Tea Tree Melaleuca Deodorant Stick: The mister is in dress clothes all day long, so the thought of perspiration stains would be a no, no. He loves JASON’s Tea Tree Melaleuca Deodorant Stick because it goes on easy, is long-lasting, and has a good clean smell that lasts all day long (even during long bike rides.)
5. Giovanni L.A. Hold Gel: Eben always uses gel in his hair, he likes Giovanni L.A. Hold Gel because it doesn’t leave flakes, has a good clean smell and it isn’t as sticky and greasy in your hands as some conventional gels. He says it has an excellent hold that isn’t too crunchy or drying.
6. Vickerey Pre de Provence Peppermint Foot Creme The mister loved the way this softening salve was softening on the hard areas of his hands and heels. He says that a little goes a long way and the smell was fabulous.
7. Vermont Lotion Company Hand Lotion: The mister has very dry skin on his hands, so dry that it cracks and bleeds at times, he likes that Vermont Hand Lotion soaks in quickly and is very hydrating without being greasy.
8. ecoSTORE Lemongrass Soap: The mister thought the ecostore lemongrass soap had the best smell out of any of the soaps that we have used. It thought its scent was clean and fresh and that it lathered really well. He was also impressed that this bar of soap lasted him almost 2 months.
These are just some of the many great green manscaping products available on the market right now. They are sure to please, check them out the next time you or your guy need some manscaping products.
What are your favorite organic men’s skin and body care products?
I am really enjoying riding my bike everywhere this fall. So far we have ridden our bikes to the library to pick up some great summer reads, the grocery store to pick up groceries, the beach, and to enjoy lovely brunches and dinners on the patios of our favorite local restaurants. I really love my bike, but think it would be fabulous to have a bike that could hold everything that I need all at the same time.
This is why I would really love to have a Madsen Bike. Not to mention the fact that their bikes are fabulous. I think it would be the perfect bike for my lifestyle. I would put my Madsen Bike to work transporting library books, groceries, beach essentials, and Olive, our Frenchie would look quite dashing riding in the back. Not to mention they are a Utah company and I am from Salt Lake City!
Now how would I choose between turquoise and orange?Â
Plants are amazing! They nourish us, they sustain us, they help the planet breathe, and they still manage to look beautiful while they do it. The plants with which we share the world play a pivotal role in making our air breathable and our planet liveable. And we’re slowly coming to the realization that we can, should and must do more to protect them. Plants aren’t just beneficial to the planet, they’re beneficial to you too!
If you lead a busy and stressful lifestyle (and who among us doesn’t), you may be surprised at how beneficial plants can be in helping you to improve your quality of life, manage stress, and remain in good mental and physical health.Â
Surround yourself with them at home and at work
There’s a reason why businesses of shapes and sizes spend a great deal on populating their premises with plants. Sure, they help to beautify the place, and add a spot of color and cheer to an otherwise monochromatic indoor landscape, but that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. Proximity to plants, trees and natural light is a proven mood-booster. And the power of indoor plants to help relieve stress in the workplace is profound and scientifically proven.
Whether in the home or the workplace (in many cases they’re one and the same at presence) can help to create a calmer and more peaceful working environment. Their presence purifies the air in your working space, stimulates the mind, aids cognition and focus, and creates a feeling of peace and tranquility that mitigates the effects of stress. One study demonstrated that looking at plants for just three minutes can be enough to reduce stress and anxiety in the workplace. Not to mention improving productivity, thereby mitigating the stress and frustration that come with lost time and energy.
Some of the best plants for stress relief in the home and office include;
Aloe vera
Japanese peace lillies
Peppermint plants
Snake plants
Jasmine
Chamomile
Eat more of them, the planet, your body and your budget will thank you!
Our diet can play a huge part in mitigating the physical and psychological effects of stress. Especially when it comes to battling the inflammatory effects of chronic stress. And since inflammation is known to increase our risk of a range of chronic diseases, it’s in your best interests to mitigate it through your diet.
Eating a wholly (or mostly) plant-based diet can actually help to relieve stress and reduce the effects of inflammation throughout the body. There’s a reason why vegans tend to be less at risk to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other illnesses associated with chronic inflammation and stress.
Eating more plants and less of everything else isn’t just good for you, it’s good for the planet that we all share. Plants require much less land, water, energy and other resources to farm than animals raised for their milk or raised for slaughter. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of soybeans in the US are grown to feed to cows. Does that strike anyone else as bafflingly inefficient?
A plant based diet is also extremely cost effective, helping you to directly address one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives… money. Many people assume that a plant-based diet is expensive to maintain. But that’s easily disproved. Sure, it can be expensive if you consume a lot of processed vegan food products like meat and dairy substitutes. But if you’re living on a wholefoods plant-based diet, not only are you getting peak nutrition with a daily dose of vitamins, minerals and immune boosting phytonutrients, you’re also feeding your family affordably. Fresh fruits and veggies are cheap, and frozen / canned produce is even cheaper. Eat more plants and less of everything else and watch your disposable income increase!
Take plant based supplements to keep stress and anxiety at bay
While a plant based diet can help mitigate the effects of stress, there are also a range of supplements that busy people can take to keep stress and anxiety at bay. These include CBD infused products- see this link to learn more, as well as Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, the amino acid glycine, b-complex vitamins and melatonin supplements to aid restful sleep.
If you’re keen to manage your stress effectively but don’t want to resort to prescription meds, these naturally derived supplements can be extremely helpful.Â
Use them to make your home smell gorgeous
Plant based essential oils are also a great way to keep your home smelling gorgeous and give yourself the gift of aromatherapy every day in your home. Set up some diffusers around the home with the following essential oils to get the most out of every room;
Stimulating peppermint for your home office
Warming and relaxing sandalwood for the living room
Refreshing citrus for the kitchen
Calming jasmine or lavender in the bedroom
Gardening in your gut to prevent gastric ulcers and other painful symptoms of stress
As well as living on a planet full of plants, we also have a plethora of plant matter living inside us. Within your own gut is a veritable rainforest of tiny flora that’s so complicated and so potentially impactful for our mental and physical health that it’s often referred to as the “second brain”. The perfectly balanced ecosystem in the gut plays a pivotal role in not only facilitating effective digestion but in stabilizing our moods and maintaining our mental health. When we are excessively stressed, however, this perfectly balanced ecosystem can become overwhelmed by gut bacteria and result in stress related disorders like leaky gut and ulcers. These are often painful and can exacerbate stress.
Look after the plants in your gut, and they’ll look after you. The good news is that if you’re eating a healthy diet and taking steps to manage stress, your internal rainforest will pretty much take care of itself. However, if you want to give it a little extra helping hand, you may find that eating fermented or prebiotic foods (sauerkraut, garlic, pickled onions, leaks, kimchi, tofu and tempeh) can all help to stabilize gut flora and maintain a healthy digestive system.
Do you keep a journal? I keep several. I have one that I jot down ideas in, another that I record what I call Ebenisms (silly and incredibly insightful things Eben says), and another for sketches. Nothing makes me happier than a nice hot cup of tea, a cozy chair, and my thoughts. I have recently started another journal, a green journal. I have been writing down the ways that I want to be more Earth-friendly. I have been keeping track of my successes and challenges. I carry this small journal with me in my handbag, this way when I think of something when I am out and about, I can stop and jot it down. Right now I really love these jumbo journals from ecojot.
