Refuse Plastic! Get Hip with Glass Dharma Drinking Straws
March 10, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Natural & Heathly Lifestyle, Simple & Green Living
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* Attention: Giveaway at the end of this post!
Hi everyone. Hope you enjoyed my interview with Beth.
Since were on the topic of plastic this week… did you know an Atlantic Garbage Patch was found recently (other than the Pacific Garbage Patch) ??!!
One more reason we should cut back on our use of sythentics; simply because plastic is forever, plastic does not biodegrade, and plastic is pesky (toxic)!
One of my biggest goals in this eco journey is attempting to live life with less plastic as Beth Terry does daily. Eliminating plastic from our lives can be challenging but also rewarding.
WHY
When you make the decision to REFUSE plastic, oceans are saved, wildlife and the planet IS spared; nature is protected.
When you think of everyday conveniences like water bottles, plastic bags, plastic utensils & cups, razors, diapers etc. What do you picture? A bunch of waste, right? We’re littering our landfills with these disposable conveniences and sometimes forget to think about their consequences and… sometimes it’s the small things that go unnoticed …
One of the most common plastic items getting tossed into the wastebasket are plastic straws. Since straws are made from polypropylene they happen to be toxic for the environment and to our health (AND as you all know, plastic is not biodegradable!!).
Tell Me More
You wouldn’t think plastic straws are a big deal until you consider this..
“As of March 2008, McDonald’s serves an average of 52 million meals PER DAY!”
and that’s just Mickey D’s… !!
Well, don’t cry your little eco heart out over it…because there happens to be a solution.
Glass Dharma is a Northern California based company who creates and designs hand blown glass drinking straws.
Cool, huh?
Now, I know what you’re thinking … glass straw? What if it breaks?
Don’t worry, because Glass Dharma has a lifetime guarantee against breakage.
This does NOT mean Glass Dharma straws are unbreakable!
It means if you happen to break your lovely glass straw, Glass Dharma will either replace or repair it (whichever applies).
To find out more about what they’re made from and learn more specifics, click here.
Glass is GROOVY
Glass Dharma sent us three eco friendly straws to review and I must say; it sure has made sippin’ beverages more fun (ie: green smoothies in our home!).
Here’s what they sent me…
Beautiful Bends
& a lil sipper with decorative dots…
unfortunately though, I allowed my son (2.5 yrs) to ting tang with the straw a bit to long and boom, bang… right to the floor it went. I’m talking within minutes of opening up the packages. I was so devastated. I contacted Glass Dharma right away to let them what happened and they kindly agreed to send me a new one (since the straw was for review purposes only I’m not planning to have them replace it).
Moral
You certainly want to keep an eye on you’re tater tots (children) while drinking from these straws. As with any curious child, they’ll want to tinker and these straws are after all made from GLASS so they will break… especially against our unforgiving tile!
Does this mean I’m against drinking from glass straws or will no longer allow my tots to drink from them?
Heck no! It means accidents happen; beware. 
I LOVE, LOVE our Glass Dharma drinking straws and LOVE that it saves millions of straws from being tossed into a landfill.
We sip green smoothies on the daily around here and I’m always eager to add my new glass straw into my cup. Bend or no bend … they sip fantastically and are very easy to clean. Water rinses through them with no problems. You can stick them in the dishwasher and call it good.
Be sure to check the accessories available for your glass straw drinking needs.
I’ve been trying to be good about taking it with me everywhere by putting it back into the box it came in…
I just place it into my purse and go. You never know when a take-out situation might occur. lol!
Oh, and be sure to check out this handy tutorial on how to reuse the boxes, as your glass straw case. Genius.
{ GIVEAWAY TIME }
Glass Dharma is kindly offering a $25.00 gift certificate to one lucky reader!!!
You know you want one.
Comment to win!
That easy.
Extra Entries:
1. Leave a comment here telling me what accessory you’d like to have;
2. Share this giveaway on Facebook;
3. Tweet about this giveaway;
You must leave an additional comment for any extra entries!
Giveaway ends March 19th, 2010. Winner will be announced on the 20th!
GOOD LUCK
&
Happy weekend to you!
An Interview with Beth Terry: Live life with less plastic.
March 9, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Simple & Green Living
Beth Terry, is someone I consider to be an eco pioneer in attempting to rid your life of pesky plastic. She is the woman behind the Take Back the Filter campaign (urged Brita to take back their filters and succeeded) and is a motivator and inspiration when it comes to living life with LESS plastic. If you haven’t yet visited her site, Fake Plastic Fish, be sure to do so; it’s filled with tons of knowledge regarding the perils of plastic and helpful tips on living a plastic free lifestyle.
Beth was kind enough to take some time away from her busy schedule to do a little Q & A …
La Mama Naturale asked:
What motivated you to start collecting plastic?
In June of 2007 I saw a photo that changed my life. It was a dead albatross chick filled with plastic pieces from daily life: bottle caps, toothbrushes, lighters, plastic toys… At that point, I had never heard of the North Pacific Gyre (the area in the ocean now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where so much of our plastic trash ends up) and I had no idea that our lifestyles were causing such harm thousands of miles from civilization. I looked at my life and realized I had to change.
The plastic collection was a way for me to see just how much plastic waste I was generating in the first place and the blog was a way to keep myself on track.
How did you come up with the blog title Fake Plastic Fish?
It’s actually a reference to a Radiohead song, “Fake Plastic Trees.” (Radiohead is one of my favorite bands ever and pretty environmentally conscious.) I came up with name Fake Plastic Fish because if we don’t stop polluting our oceans with plastic, they could be the only kind of fish we have left.
Who are your mentors?
My first inspiration was actually Colin Beavan, the No Impact Man. I had heard about him and his project to live for a year generating no negative environmental impact on a radio program. It was via a link on his web site that I stumbled upon the photo of that albatross chick. He helped me believe that my personal actions could make a difference.
Closer to home, one of my mentors has been Stuart Moody, the coordinator of Green Sangha’s Rethinking Plastics campaign. Green Sangha is a spiritually-based local environmental organization whose philosophy is that there is really no separation between us and that if we want to heal the planet, we need to come from a place of love rather than creating enemies. The Rethinking Plastics program is one of their major efforts, and they give presentations to schools, businesses, and community groups about the problem of plastics for health and the environment. I’ve actually given that presentation a couple of times myself.
And finally, one of my heros is Captain Charlie Moore who first discovered the plastic in the gyre over 10 years ago and has worked tirelessly to bring awareness to this issue. I love that he never minces words. He says that plastic pollution is just the visible symbol of our global crisis of over-consumption. He came up with that in a strategy meeting I attended, and I was so moved that I wrote it down and memorized it.
Honestly, the people I admire are those who stand up for what they believe and don’t worry about looking foolish. That’s what I aspire to.
What are some of the challenges you face when choosing an alternative to plastic?
Some things simply cannot be replaced. That was the hardest lesson for me. I actually was addicted to convenience foods. Energy bars. And especially frozen dinners. But after stubborn trial and error, I found that there is no frozen convenience food that is not packaged in some kind of plastic. Even the cardboard trays are lined with plastic. I used to think I could order drinks in a disposable cup and just ask for no lid and no straw. Then I learned that all those cups are lined with plastic too — as are metal cans, which also contain BPA.
Can you tell us more about your job as the Plastic Sea Monster?
Ha! Don’t know how many more times I will do that because walking around in plastic all day is not fun. Especially in the hot sun.
I created the plastic sea monster costume for the SF Bay to Breakers (the annual foot race/walk across San Francisco). My friend Eli Saddler from Ocean Health (http://www.facebook.com/oceanhealth) dressed as a leatherback sea turtle (because sea turtles eat plastic bags) and I chased him around SF. We actually won the Bay to Breakers costume contest in the green category.
I wore an earlier version of the costume at Oakland’s Earth Expo and for two days in a row at the Marin County Fair. That was what turned me off from ever wearing it in the sun again. I think I need a cloth lining. Sweating in plastic trash is not a good time.
What is your biggest pet peeve with plastic?
Bottled water. Hands down. Not only is the bottle plastic, but the whole idea of bottled water is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated. Why pay so much money for something we can get for pennies out of our taps? Not to mention the environmental impact of extracting water, shipping it from the source to the bottling plant, using the energy and plastic that go into the bottles, shipping it to the store, and then the waste after the bottle is used. Why can’t we invest in our water infrastructure, making sure there is clean municipal water for all? And that our drinking fountains are plentiful and actually work?
Okay, my other pet peeve is overpackaging. Individual fruits and vegetables wrapped in plastic. I recently saw an article about 7-Eleven trying out bananas wrapped in plastic. Bananas come with their own natural wrapper! And all the automatic extras you get at take-out food places. Utensils, straws, condiments, napkins, etc. The plastic containers are bad enough, but restaurants should ask if you need that stuff before automatically sticking it in the bag. Automatic unnecessary plastic that many consumers don’t even question or that they see as an entitlement.
If you had the opportunity to make/change the laws surrounding plastic what would be the first thing you do?
1) I would require full disclosure from manufacturers of the ingredients in their plastic packaging. We know about chemicals like BPA, phthalates, styrene, and recently antimony in #1 PET bottles; but what about the chemicals we don’t know about? Plastic bottles, bags, and containers rarely contain the simple plastic polymer. Companies use additives to affect the strength, texture, pliability, color, and even antimicrobial properties of plastic. And for proprietary reasons, they are not required to disclose any of those additives. If consumers don’t know what’s in the plastic, how can we really know it’s safe?
2) I would like to see packaging included in requirements for organic certification. Isn’t it ironic that we are willing to spend extra money to make sure no toxic chemicals have been added to our foods and personal care products, only to have them packaged in plastic that could potentially leach hormone disrupting chemicals back into them?
3) I would pass EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) legislation which requires manufacturers to provide for the full life cycle of a product. Currently, we as citizens spend our tax dollars to figure out ways to handle all the plastic and other waste generated from these products. Our cities have to pay for recycling services and figuring out what to do with the material. When EPR legislation is in effect, as it is in Europe, companies that make the stuff are much more conscious of the materials they use in the first place, because they are the ones who have to figure out what happens to it when it’s used up.
What do you want people to know about your plastic less journey?
First, I want to clarify that I am not against all plastics. I want to see an end to single-use plastic packaging, as well as plastic used for food packaging and storage. But in terms of durable non-food related items, I’m obviously using a computer made from plastic. My phone is plastic. My kitchen appliances are plastic. To me, the key is reducing our consumption over all. Taking advantage of resources like Freecycle, thrift stores, lending/borrowing programs, repair services. We are living in a disposable society, but it doesn’t have to be that way. For example, why does each home need to have their own lawn mower? Here in Oakland, we actually have a tool lending library, where we can check out tools just like we would books. In fact, it’s part of the public library system.
The other thing I want them to know is that I don’t expect anyone to be as extreme as I am. My goal is simply to show what is possible.
AND just for fun… if there were no issues with plastic whether in landfills or toxicity; what would you buy?
I’d do the same thing I am doing now. You know why? Because of all those things still require materials and energy to produce in the first place. The manufacture of so much stuff is one of the causes of global warming. But also? Living more simply with less stuff just plain feels better.
touche’
Thanks again, Beth!! It is truly an honor to have you as a guest at RYD.
Hope everyone enjoyed the read as much as I did!
Reusing a Strawberry Basket
March 2, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Simple & Green Living
Hello there!
Happy Hump Day!
Lately, I’ve been in a crazy reuse mood so everything I see gets dissected and often times is recreated into something new. Last week, we bought a 2 flats of organic strawberries. I can hear you now, big deal. It is a big deal in a sense because those flats come packed with individual plastic containers to keep the strawberries contained. The ONLY part I hate about purchasing strawberries is the pesky plastic green containers. They’re so nostalgic to me, actually. I can remember my grandma handing them to us to forage for the strawberries that grew in her yard and not to mention, all the strawberry shortcakes I’ve eaten … just something about them.
I did happen to notice the recycling symbol on the bottom of them now.Quite honestly, I don’t remember that always being the case. So, big green eco thumbs up!
After eating up all the delicious “super sweet” strawberries the plastic baskets began to pile up on my kitchen counter top which became somewhat of an eye sore. Yes, I could just toss them into the recycle bin and be done with it; wipe my hands and walk away but lately I’ve been trying REALLY, REALLY hard to reuse things. I have always been good about it but I’m trying to take good to the next level.
Over the weekend, I was preparing a dish and cutting away at some veggies for din-din (and staring at the little green baskets), … I instantly thought…”garbage bowl” after I scooped up some scraps and needed to find a place for them. They rescued the veggie scraps instantly and it made me a happy camper.
For those of you who watch Rachel Ray, you may be a fan of the “garbage bowl” already… for those of you who do not… well, simply put the “garbage bowl” is for all the food scraps to sit in while you prepare your meal. Granted, her kitchen bowl is twice the size of a strawberry basket but size doesn’t matter here, people. LOL!
It has seriously come in handy for all my kitchen scraps. Especially since most of the kitchen scraps go to the chickens & worms. The green baskets make it convenient to toss in all the waste as you go rather then tossing it into the garbage each time. I’ve been surprised at how much kitchen waste one little basket can fit and remain inside.Even garlic peels stayed inside
Granted, I won’t need that many “garbage bowls” but at least a couple will serve a purpose for awhile. The others are going back to the stand at the farmer’s market so they can be reused. I also have one in use for garlic bulbs! And… I’ve even used one as an Easter Basket (can’t find post with it pictured) for Tristan’s first Easter and will more than likely be doing it again for both this year!!! Just add reused paper stuffing or raffia to fill it up with and it’s ready for eggs or whatever you wish. Oh! and if you notice in the picture above there’s the agave bottle I’ve been waiting on (and the garlic bulbs are in the pic too- swear!).
Next time you get some strawberries reuse the green little basket as a kitchen scrap bowl, you’ll be happy you did!
Here are just a few other things I’m reusing:
* Piece of cotton from prenatal vitamin bottle; will be reused for crafts.
* 2 ice cream sticks; reused for crafts.
* Plastic case a necklace came in; keep my bobby pins inside.
* Very old Malt O Meal box; cut top open and poured baking soda inside for easy pour and no ‘poo regime.
* Plastic shoe case; have several of these in use for misc. crap objects.
* Jar tops; have several of these also for many uses… change holder, picture magnet frame and great for crafts.
Reusing is Rad!
What have you been reusing lately?
Is Your Purse Toxic?
January 29, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under eco-friendly, green, non toxic
Happy Friday!!
Yes, that’s my purse above and yes, is your purse toxic?
Your favorite accessory may be toxic and should know why!
In about a minute’s time, my friend Jennifer Taggart, The Smart Mama, will tell you what to watch out for.
I couldn’t get the video to come up but you can view here!
Jennifer recently wrote the book Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure.
In her book she provides great tips and tricks to help kick those pesky toxins to the curb & live easily without them!
Her website is also filled with tons of information on her latest investigations concerning toxic products on the market and the 411 on toxic chemicals.
So, back to the question, is your purse toxic?
(In case you were wondering, my purse is made from hemp and the other two accessories are made of cotton.) 
P.S. Thank you, Lisa for tipping me off about this !
Vlog: A Refillable Mug for Tea Drinkers!
January 28, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under eco-friendly
I’ve written about Mighty Leaf tea in the past and just LOVE their tea (not being paid to say this- I promise!). The brew cup is great and I even take it with me to my local coffee shop!
the {upcycled & recycled} the flexy
January 8, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Uncategorized
Check out this eco inspired version of the Slinky!
I know what you’re thinking … how could this even stand up to it’s famed metallic counterpart (some are plastic now too…ewww!)? Well, according to the makers it will do everything the Slinky does and more. The flexy is made from recycled cardboard and biodegradable materials. I’ve already been thinking about the eco tot’s 3rd birthday and what we might get him. The flexy just made the list!
Find it at Uncommon Goods!
AND be sure look around…
lot’s of 50’s inspired nostalgia and goods for even the slightest shade of greenies & non greenies alike!
::also::
You have to take a look at this upcycled Vespa a gift from a grandfather to his grandson.
knocked my eco socks off!
{tidbits of green}
January 5, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Uncategorized
Welcome to another edition!
There’s all sorts of eco and exciting new to share this week.
Where do I start?
A new campaign popped into my radar called TakeOut WithOut
Join the campaign to reduce restaurant waste!
If you’re like me than you try to remember to bring your own take out box or even utensils/kitchen towel when necessary. Quite commonly, I get dirty or blank stares for REFUSING a plastic bag, fork, spoon or even condiments sometimes. I feel like I’m saving the employee time by taking away a few extra steps (apparently those extra steps are really important & personal to some.). When I go to the deli I take my containers with me. They love not having to package up my requests.
I’m happy to see a campaign out there like this! Reducing waste is what it’s all about!
According to their website:
It takes approximately 20 seconds to put our food into take out containers? Convenient? No, it’s actually inconvenient since the packaging can remain in our landfills forever, causing continued damage to us and our world. The American population tosses out enough paper bags and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times (www.cleanair.org). TakeOutWithOut exists to help you to fill your stomach, not the landfill.
{Meatless Monday} Fantastic Falafel Recipe & more…
January 4, 2010 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Meatless Monday, eco-friendly, green
Hello dear readers!
Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was somewhat uneventful but I did manage to get some things done around the home. It seems like I’ve been decluttering a lot lately. Getting out what doesn’t fit in to my lifestyle or even my well being! I live in a small home so I declutter often.
In a sense I’ve also decluttered my eating habits. For 2010, as mentioned previously I plan to eat more raw foods and lean towards a vegan diet. I’m not going to set myself up for failure and plan to be quite flexible. I was a veggie for many years but had no idea what I know now. I definitely wasn’t getting the proper nutrition my body deserved nor was I getting the right amount of protein. Yikes!
A very UN birthday & misc eats!
December 30, 2009 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under organic
Hola everyone! I’m considering this my {Meatless Monday} post. Hey, better late than never! LOL!
My hubby’s 31st birthday was just last week before Christmas! I wanted to celebrate in rawkstar style so I decided I would make him a RAW cheesecake.
No, it doesn’t mean I put all the standard cheesecake ingredients into a bowl and asked him to eat it. LOL! It went a little something like that but not quite. I could not believe it only took me approximately 15-20 mins TOPS to make this! The hardest part was waiting for the no cheese cake to freeze up and harden.
I looked around for an easy recipe and found this ONE!
It had a macadamia nut crust and cashew cream as the filling. The only thing I did differently was use maple syrup rather than agave! I haven’t been using agave since I heard it scales close with High Fructose Corn Syrup! Crazy! As you can see in the picture above I topped it with fresh organic blackberry’s from the farmer’s market.
The uncheesecake was fabulous and delish! A friend of mine who had leftovers commented that at least she could eat the entire piece over the real thing! I agree… I could of eaten the whole cake. Everyone at dinner that evening seemed to enjoy it … even my husband for his very un birthday! Score!
We can’t wait to mix and match and play with the ingredients some. Mmm! I’m thinking strawberries whirled in next time would be oh so superb.
I also made these raw thumbprint cookies by Earth Mother… they were nutty, sweet and flavorful.
AND I want to mention, I had the opportunity to make Gena’s Carrot Falafel with Tangy Tahini Sauce a few weeks back and it was super!
The only problem… no pics were taken we gobbled em’ up so fast (actually I had quite a few Falafels leftover which was awesome)… I do believe my Nikon battery took a dive on me that night! In any case, were planning to do a remake of this yummy dish and I pinky promise to take pics.
So if you’re planning any meals that are raw/vegan- dairy free… and the like … these three recipes are kick ass!
P.S.
I was gifted a VitaMixtavegamin for X-Mas! Yahoo!!!
What have you been making in the kitchen?
350 Rally Event @ The Park!
October 25, 2009 by La Mama Naturale'
Filed under Uncategorized
Coordinator- Leah L. and Jenaelha, Mama Knome 
Gotta luv the eco tot’s taking action too!
350! 350! 350!
There weren’t many of us but we still united!
My sis came with her daughter and she looked so adorable.
You can’t see the 350’s on her cheeks or arms but she was proud!!
My We Add Up tee- cuz WE DO ADD UP!!!
I’m so glad I made it to this event. I met a few new people and left feeling inspired and uplifted. I live in a small community so the turn out was as to be expected. I was very proud to be amongst other individuals who care about our planet too.
The original plan was to parade around the park with our pets but that did not happen. It was a very busy morning at the park and it was decided that we would stay put and hold our event where we were. So, we gathered around to ring the bells we brought 350x!
During the ringing the coordinator Leah, discussed facts about climate change and what 350 meant. Even though we were a small group we shared a message and our time together and for me that was moving! I definitely need to be part of these kind of events more often. Having my niece and sister there made the event even more special! 350! 350! 350!
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