As I try to plan a wedding, something which you think you can do until you are in the position to, and then realize you have zero experience in doing so and should not be given the privilege*, I am faced with yet another conundrum.

Do we use disposable dinnerware for the wedding reception, and what options are there besides plastic?

The whole thing arose when I told my Sis and Gramms over Thanksgiving that I did not know how much rental dinnerware would cost us, and Gramms suggested I could get pretty clear plastic plates from Walmart and probably save a bundle.

Yep, Gramma.  I could save a bundle, but I edit and write articles about not doing exactly that.  Using plastic plates just does not jam at all with who Marc and I are.**  So, I thanked her for the suggestion but explained how that could not work for us.

I have noticed, however, that I am far from alone on this debate.  Forum board after forum has brides talking about going plastic.***  Then again, many boards are slamming plastic.

Paper is getting slammed, too.

Enter Bambu Veneerware, made of 100% organically-grown bamboo.  The products look chic enough, and I found Pink Argyle and Kirstin Endemann talking up the products.

I am thus torn between renting dinnerware, buying cute mismatch dinnerware I have to wash myself after the reception, or buying this Bambu Veneerware which is still stylish while being super easy to clean up after (plates only, not the bamboo utensils) and says it biodegrades in less than six months.  Hmmm…

I really dug this post by Apartment Therapy where Kristen Lubbe debates this exact issue when it comes to hosting parties.  I dig the honesty of questioning which to do, and where we (as environmentalist and social-conscious humans) should allow ourselves some forgiveness for accepting a little convenience over moral high-ground.  But check out the tremendous slew of comments afterward, many bashing the author for not taking the route of renting or buying new dishes.****

So, suggestions?  Feelings why you lean one way or another?  Or what you would never do?

Let it fly… I have stuff to decide.  And you know you would feel gratified and proven right if your comment is what sways my decision. 

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

*Who am I kidding?! I love this challenge!  Nine and a half months left to figure it all out!

**Except plastic plates are cheap.  Marc and I are cheap.  :/  Cost, however, is not enough of a jam for us to forsake our ethics.

***I’m a honking big snob anyhow and just think plastic is tacky.  I would avoid it however I could.

****Commenter Oneformybaby at November 23, 2009 11:25 pm really expresses my feelings regarding this Apartment Therapy post and the commenters with “i totally understand about the need to preserve our environment but why dont we stop attacking each other for trying to make our lives just a little less stressful and start putting our attention to where it really can make a difference. Its like telling someone they are horrible people for eating fast food once in a while! Sometimes, you just need a break!”

One of my favorite companies is Equal Exchange.  Their coffee is superb*, their mission is amazing.  Since 1986, Equal Exchange has taken on the mission of creating a world where farmers are getting paid fairly for their work, farm families are able to support themselves financially, and sustainable farming methods are used to insure a healthy farming society, a healthy planet, and a healthy us!

Their products are more than coffee.  They have teas, chocolates, nuts and berries, and another favorite of mine: cocoa.  In fact, Marc and I are decking the halls tonight with Equal Exchange hot chocolate in our hands!  Yum!

So why, you ask of me, am I raving about Equal Exchange?

Equal Exchange is an awesome gift for the holidays. AND they have a great deal on a holiday gift basket until December 15th!**

Now, my families do not give presents for Christmas.  Not because we’re Jewish.  Not because we are holier-than-thou and snub the holiday.  In part because we decided to peel away the stress of what holiday gift-giving had become, and in part because nearly half of the people in my families have lost their jobs and been out of work for longer than a year.

Regardless, I like to bring coffee beans and treats with me for holiday fun.  Everyone gets to enjoy treats and company.

I always preach that no matter if you are struggling with money, or floating in money, each dollar you spend is a vote, each penny is a reflection of what you care about or disregard.  Coffee and chocolate are always two areas I feel guilty if I do not buy fair trade and sustainably grown.

The Equal Exchange holiday gift basket has all of these yummies in an awesome grass basket from Ten Thousand Villages:

• Organic French Roast Coffee – 10oz, drip grind
• Organic Hot Cocoa Mix – 12oz
• Organic Very Dark Chocolate – 3.5oz bar
• Organic Dark Chocolate with Almonds – 3.5oz bar
• Organic Milk Chocolate with a Hint of Hazelnut – 3.5oz bar
• Organic Tamari Roasted Almonds – 5oz
• Roasted Salted Pecans – 5oz

Hurry though.  Seriously, December 15th.  Twelve days.  Less than two weeks to order, which you need to be getting all the shopping you are going to do anyhow.  Trust me, remembering you do, indeed, need to buy something for someone and rushing out a couple days before Christmas is the perfect recipe to buying stuff from China that you do not even feel good about giving because it is a cheap, thoughtless crap.

The site has lots of other cool gifts and items as well, each with a full description and pic. 

Cheers to each of you, your holidays season, your family, great ethical companies, and a belly of yummy Equal Exchange!***

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

PS.  This cool company also offers educational materials to help you and your kids’ school groups share awareness that each penny we spend, each sip we take, each bite we enjoy, impacts many others than us.  How cool?!

*In case you’ve never read this blog, I have a bit of a coffee addiction.  I’ll even drink Maxwell House instant if I must… yck… of course, only if it is my only option for a long time to come, a situation which I try to avoid putting myself in.

***Sorry I sound like an advertisement recently.  I figure, for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, birthdays or whatever, we all do give gifts out of love… and I can promote ethical, loving companies as where each of our dollars goes.  Cheers!

Not literal rockstars, but Larry’s Beans Coffee is pretty close to stardom, and they are a crown jewel in the Triangle’s hip and green market.  Yesterday,  I noticed a full-time job opening at Larry’s Beans as an Account Manager.

Larry’s Beans coffee is organic, fair trade, kosher and a plethora of other fantastic certifications.  The beans are roasted here, they have a cool bus, and their coffee is as awesome tasting as their names are fantastically whimsical. Seriously, who can pass up a cup of “El Salvador Dali”, “Bean Martin”, “Frank Sumatra”, or my favorites, the “3 Moon Peru” and their holiday blends.

These coffee addicts and self-proclaimed fair trade mavericks are one of my favorite coffee brands, period.  Add to that their sustainability school, and you can see why I love this company.

By now you should be sold on why this company would be great to work with, but just in case, look at the awesome Rock Star characters you would work with in this small, kickbutt company.

So, if you feel like you could get stoked to be a full-time ambassador of fair trade, sustainable company ethic and coffee, click here to get a better look at the job and how to apply.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

You know how I have difficultly finding shoes I like, but TOMS makes finding a shoe company I want to support easier with their One for One Movement.  You buy a pair of organic canvas or such shoes from TOMS, and they give a pair away to a child needing shoes.  Yes, they give a pair of shoes for each pair purchased.

TOMS has been really great at keeping me abreast of some of their initiatives and efforts.  I was happy to offer them the opportunity to explain in their own words what the initiative is.  Check it out:

According to UNICEF, every year, nearly 10 million kids in other countries die from preventable causes. More specifically, causes that can be prevented by simply wearing a pair of shoes. TOMS decided to do something about it – in fact, Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie founded the company solely (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to help counter that problem.  When consumers buy TOMS shoes, any pair at all, the company gives a pair to a child in need. They’ve already given more than 140,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need — in just 3 years. By the end of 2009, TOMS will give an additional 300,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need all around the world, including places in the US.  It was such a great idea that it worked and managed to help a whole lot of children in just its first three years. Not only that, but TOMS sells organic and canvas shoes — this not only teaches children a little bit can go a long way to help, but also the importance of organic materials in today’s world.

Thanks to several mothers and fathers who wanted to teach their children the power of giving and helping and the importance of organic materials, TOMS created their TOMS Youth Collection. This collection offers several styles for children, and buying any pair of shoes from the collection can support the One for One Movement.

The first collection of TOMS youth shoes, Tiny TOMS, will have nine different canvas styles for boys and girls. October might be a little late for back-to-school, but shopping for new shoes for your kids online with them, whatever the occasion, can help spread the TOMS One for One Movement and help get even more children who need shoes those shoes.

Just by shopping for TOMS youth shoes for back to school, a pair of shoes goes to a child who doesn’t have any. By wearing TOMS organic shoes, you – and now your kids! – can support the One for One Movement. Now that’s something that takes a step toward a better future.

Personally, I love this.  TOMS makes great shoes that are environmentally and socially responsible, as well as having vegan lines.  TOMS has a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and YouTube, proving they get what community means today in our culture.

Check out their comfy kicks and know you’re voting with your dollars for a company that cares about the world in which they are a part.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

While visiting my family last week, my Dad chimed in to ask, “Did you know that organic vegetables and fruits are not any more nutritious than conventional produce?”  He asked with all sincerity and not at all in a sense of trying to prove something over on me.

“I have heard that, in fact,” I replied.

“I had no idea.  I was really surprised to hear that,” Dad said incredulously.

I took our conversation a step further and explained to him that while organic produce may not offer more vitamins and nutrients so much as I am appalled by the levels of toxins I must consume with my nutrients when I purchase conventional products.  While I may not gain extra antiobiotics from organic vegetables and berries, I prefer to bypass the pesticides and residues left on conventional goods.  Pesticides and residues that indisputably hinder, and even destroy, my health (and even my unborn children’s).

Seems that the study my Dad referred to is quite the topic of conversation currently.  It also seems that I am not alone in choosing organic (when I can afford to) for the reason I do.  Maryanne Conlin posted a link from her twitter page (@mcmilker):  Phil Lembert of The Supermarket Guru explains what organic means to shoppers in today’s post.  The post also explains (last line) why I cannot always buy organic despite my beliefs, values, and preferences.

How about you?  Where do you stand with organic versus conventional produce?  What do you only buy organic, or what do you feel you can bypass for the cheaper conventional version?

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

Mounting arguments that soy is actually an unhealthy food shake up many vegetarians’ and vegans’ worlds.  After all, when shunning meat, soy replacements tend to fill the dietary gap.

I caught the link to a post from True Nourishment declaring that soy is not “real food”.  Her argument is that the “health” industry’s reliance on processed soy — soy that is most often from genetically modified sources — does not supply us with necessary proteins so much as deplete our bodies’ vitamin absorption rate and promote estrogen-based tumors.  This is in addition to soy decreasing testosterone production in men.

The True Nourishment Diva pulled me in quickly:

The soy yogurt, ice cream, protein bar or fake meat you regard as healthy food very closely resembles junk food. People! This is the biggest scam in the history of “health food”!!! Hurray! for the food corporations and PR companies that put it together. They are making fortunes and we are paying with our money, our health and the health of the environment.

I agree.  Particularly when I became vegan, I spent a year or more relying on analog meats, most of which focus on soy ingredients.  Eventually, I realized through research how this is an unhealthy reliance and that many of these foods are also packed with preservatives, overly processed and/or genetically-modified agricultural by-products, and high doses of salt and sugars.

Further, on an opinion note, most of these foods are exorbitantly priced and barely edible, often lacking much of any flavor or enjoyable texture.

Between the health and financial aspects, save your taste buds the pain and simply eat healthy.  Healthy foods — truly healthy foods — rarely come in a box or shaped liked tubes.  Healthy food comes from the Earth and is often best consumed in the same shape as when it came from the Earth.

That said, I truly do enjoy certain soy products, particularly from Turtle Mountain.  Their line of soy ice creams is unbeatable, full of flavor, great texture, and always expanding in varieties.  They make the best yogurts.  They have a fantastic coconut milk line too.  I choose soy ice creams and soy milk over real milk because they are truly delectable, and I do feel they are a healthier choice than cow milk.  I eat Tofurky franks sometimes because I occasionally crave a hot dog. I also do not see these items as being marketed as “health foods”, but merely as alternatives to the more conventional options.

Do your own research and make your own choice.  It can be frustrating and take time, but the rewards are immense.  Knowing what those odd-sounding ingredients are is your responsibility.  Blame no one but yourself for your ignorance.

My advice:  make your fruits and veggies, close to their purest form, the base of your diet.  Have you ever heard of someone getting fat or acquiring diabetes from eating too many berries, legumes, and artichokes?  I am guessing not.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

How very cool would it be to pick up your groceries in a 100% organic cotton ecobag with your original artwork on it?  Even better, how very cool would it be to have won it, free, in a giveaway competition?!  I think it sounds like a great way to kick your disposable plastic shopping bag habit!

Peter from EcoPrintWorks let me know about this awesome giveaway.  Check them out if you want to win a “custom print [ecobag] with your art using our amazingly soft, vibrant, and earth conscious water-based inks.  All you need to do is register or place an order” with EcoPrintWorks by the end of August, and you could win!  Visit their site and read more.

Good luck!

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

Funny to think that a few years ago, Marc and I regularly gorged ourselves on spray-cheese-in-a-can and prepackaged dinner packs, but the more we learned about how food effects us and our environments, our food philosophy changed dramatically.  Now grocers such as Earth Fare and Whole Foods are in on their own food philosophies.

Marc and I spend seemingly exorbitant amounts of money on our food in comparison to our days eating dry, crumbly, cheap ingredient foods out of boxes, but now we eat not only for today but for a long, healthy life.  I knew with the weight-gaining of the last decade – and by looking at my family – the health problems I have lurking ahead if I do not eat better now.  Further, I really hope to have a child one day.  I have to consider more than what I food habits I want to share with that child, but I also have to consider what I consume today that affects my health and fertility and can affect my (albeit hypothetical) fetus.

I happily began supporting (more…)

A quick update on a post I wrote in March 2009 regarding eco-friendly options to toilet paper and diapers:

Oddly, yes, the post mentions that Allie found out that cloth diapers and such have a higher carbon footprint than using disposable products, but that we need to continue looking for better options and not simply feel free to use the toxic disposable options instead.

I just stumbled across the Modern Mama who realized that while alternative options are indeed necessary, the truth of what these nappies are made from (despite marketing hype) and what they costs (including financial, health, and environmental costs) need to be considered.  Modern Mama Rosanne considers just that and shares her very in-depth findings.

I hope to be figuring all this out for myself and my hypothetical children one day soon enough, but until then, hopefully some of you spicy mamas out there will use the recommendation and research!

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

Without dramatics or great elaboration, here is a list of common ingredients in foods that I work hard to avoid.  I would love to hear what ingredients you choose to avoid and why.

• A huge “duh”: High Fructose Corn Syrup, despite their fluffy (ridiculous) ad campaign
• Should be a huge “duh”: Corn Syrup, period
• Monosodium Glutamate, aka MSG
• Aspartame
• Propyl Gallate, which prevents fats from going rancid in food and cosmetics
• Propylene Glycol, which I found in my cosmetics, antifreeze, and shredded coconut
• Acesulfame K, aka “Sweet One”
• Food Colorings, such as FD&C anything
• Olestra
• Potassium Bromate (see here also regarding iodine deficiency…your bread is a culprit!)
• Sodium Chloride, aka “table salt”
• Sulfites (very hard, as they are in most beers and wines, but can cause asthma attacks, rashes, headaches, etc)
• Non-organic Corn (likely genetically modified, which concerns me because of this, this and this)
• Non-organic Berries, Grapes, Apples, Leafy Greens
• Meats (for Marc) with Sodium Nitrites or Nitrates, Butylated Hydroxy anything (BHA or BHT)

These can be very tricky to avoid, and I have learned not to take anything for granted.  Now I read every label, and you might be shocked to realize what “healthy”-marketed brands have completely horrific ingredients.

Any food ingredients I need to avoid that I missed?

Always do your own research.  Know what your ingredient list is.  Decide for yourself how you feel.  Plus, be warned that finding credible third-party information from peer-reviewed scholastic independent journals can be incredibly hard to find.  Do not rely on any information supplied by branches of the government, pharmaceutical companies, or food processors… as they have obvious ties and financial interests in securing you to believe what they want you to believe.  In fact, with every single study you find, you have to find out not only who conducted the study, but who paid for that study.  Like the “high fructose corn syrup is made with corn, so it’s good for you” ads: provided by the Corn Refiners Association of America.  That said, please do not rely on scare-tactic emails and Wikipedia as your sources either.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue