Save the planet! Eat Three Sisters and Nature's Path Bagged Cereal!

Three Sisters Cereal advertises:  


"Ditch the box and save a tree.  Made using renewable energy"


There are many ways to help the planet and some are harder than others.  Switching to bagged cereal, like Three Sisters Cereal, is one of the easiest things you can do and it tastes delicious, plus it will save you money over name brand cereal.


Here is a list of all the reasons that you should consider trying Three Sisters Cereal:


1)  Buying bagged cereal eliminates the cardboard box, which is wasteful.  By buying bagged cereal you are saving trees and keeping the boxes out of landfills.  Unfortunately, most cardboard boxes and mixed paper recycled by individuals is not recycled because the demand for recycled paper is low and most cereal boxes are designed in such a way that they are difficult to recycle because of the printing process.


2)  Three Sisters cereal is bagged in food-safe, recyclable bags!  So just toss the bag in the recycling instead of the trash!


3)  Three Sisters Cereal uses renewable energy to manufacture their cereals.


4)  Their cereal is sugary and they have variety!


Varieties include:

• Cinnamon Sweets ®
• Graham Crackerz ™
• Honey Oaties ®
• Honey Puffs
• Instant Oatmeal
• Sweet Wheat ™
• Marshmallow Oaties ®

Three Sisters Cereal is available at Whole Foods.


Of course, even more environmentally friendly and economic than buying Three Sisters Cereal is shopping in the bulk section and reusing your own plastic bags.  But if you're in a rush or for some reason don't like the bulk section or your local store doesn't have one then Three Sisters Cereal is a great alternative.  If your local store doesn't yet carry it then put in a request.


Three Sisters cereals are a little too sweet for me to have everyday, so I also enjoy "Nature's Path Organic Heritage Flakes," which have just a hint of sweetness and are low in sugar and have plenty of fiber.  I actually prefer Nature's Path because their cereals are organic.

Like Three Sisters Cereal, Nature's Path makes its bags from recyclable plastics.  Nature's path estimates the savings from buying their bagged cereals as follows:


- Paper Board Saved:  437 tons per year
- Total Energy Saved: 7,464 million BTUs
- Green House Gases Saved: 1,389,323 lbs CO2
- Wastewater Saved: 826,542 gallons
- Solid Waste Diverted:  248,383 pounds


Their source quotes is: http://www.edf.org/papercalculator/


For most of us, these calculations are just really big numbers, but we don't really understand what they translate into, so let me try to provide some context.


Let's assume that the average american drives 12,000 miles per year and their car averages 20 mpg.  This means that each year, the average american car produces 12,253 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.


Using this carbon footprint calculator, we can estimate the average CO2 emissions of a car:
http://www.greenprogress.com/carbon_footprint_calculator.php


So Nature's Path saving 1,389,323 lbs of CO2 per year is equivalent of keeping

1,389,323/12,253 = 113 cars off of the road per year!


Think about all the effort that it would take you to completely stop driving your car - buying bagged cereal is a very easy and economical way for you to decrease your carbon footprint.  So tell your friends about the benefits of eating bagged cereal because the more people who do it, the less waste we'll have and the better the planet will look for our children. 


Also, if you click on any of the amazon links, please realize that the price in stores is a fraction of the price on amazon - it costs less that $5 in stores for a 32 oz. bag.  I once compared the bagged cereal per oz. to all the boxed cereals and the bagged cereal won every time.  It makes sense - if they don't have to waste money on the box then they can afford to save you some money on the cereal!

Review of Braun SE7281WD - Xpressive! Oooh LaLA!

I just bought a new epilator!  The Braun SE7281WD!

In high school, my mother gave me her old Braun and it served me loyally through high school, college, and for several years after that.  But finally, my little white and yellow friend started to have connection problems and epilating was taking the greater part of an hour.

I spent a long time trying to decide which epilator to pick, since my last one lasted so long.  I considered different brands and read various reviews, but in the end I stayed with Braun because it has served me well and had some seriously innovative new features.  So let me go through the features and enumerate why I love them!

1) Wet & Dry Technology:  Translation: you can use it in the shower - it's waterproof!  This is by far the best feature!  We all have more exciting and rewarding things to do than sit around and pull hair out of our legs.  This added functionality not only allows you to epilate during your morning shower, thus saving you time by multitasking, but all the little leg hairs that get yanked out by the root get flushed down the drain as you shower - no messy cleanup!  I've also found that epilating in the shower is more effective because the hairs are wet and almost "sticky" - especially if you use a slightly harsher soap right before epilating to make them more rubbery.  The warm water also seems to loosen the root.  I've found that not only is it more efficient to epilate in the shower, but it's also less painful and I get fewer ingrown hair - probably because the hair is easier to fully remove.

2) Massaging System:  There are small, spikey, freely-spinning wheels on the sides of the epilator that stimulate the skin.  I think the idea here follows the thinking behind some eastern forms of medicine, like acupuncture, where pain is dissipated by providing distractionary (made-up-word) pain to make the source of the pain less intense.  There are actually neurological studies that provide scientific reasoning behind this phenomenon - basically, you're sending various electrical signals throughout your body, which confuses it making the main source of pain less intense.

3)  Fully Washable:  Ok, this is cheating a little, but basically it goes along with feature enhancement #1 - you can wash it now!  Much better for hygiene and preventing any infected ingrown hairs (gross, nasty and uncomfortable).

4)  Pivoting Head:  The pivoting head is another major improvement in ergonomics - it basically enables the Xpressive epilator to glide over your leg and around your knee, ankle area, what have you, without you having to balance in uncomfortable positions or crouch/sit to reach every area at the optimal angle.

5)  Rechargeable Option:  In the fully wet/dry system, you are stuck with getting the rechargeable, rather than corded model.

6)  SmartLight:  Not sure if all the models come with this, but get it - it's so nice to actually see what you're doing!  No need to awkwardly position a lamp and yourself to try to get a view of how your handiwork is progressing.  The light is optimally situated and bright enough to clearly see every hair you are attacking.

All-in-all, I'm very happy with it so far - it gets the job done well and most importantly enables me to epilate when it's most convenient for me - when I'm in the shower!

That said, here are a couple of things I'm concerned about going forward:

Concern 1:  My only concern is that its battery powered and I'm not sure how easy it will be to find a replacement body.  My former Braun epilator unit was wall-powered and I think that's one of the main reasons that it lasted so long.  Of course, it's nearly impossible to make a wall-powered unit that is also classifiable as "water-proof" - so I don't hold that against Braun.  It's just a trade off that you should be aware of. 

Concern 2:  My old Braun epilator has screws on the side to re-tighten the blades.  There is no way to tighten the blades on my new head - the only solution is to purchase new heads.  I'm a little sad that Braun has moved away from long-lasting products that can be easily tuned up and rather, moved towards disposable products.  We really don't need anymore waste in our landfills!

To read more about Braun's Xpressive epilator, visit this link.

I hope you enjoyed my review of the Braun SE7281WD - "Xpressive" epilator!

Jarabe De Palo - A Great Music Group From Spain

Jarabe De Palo is one of my favorite Spanish bands - visit the official site here. The introductory speech on their official website is very moving, so play close attention to it if you understand Spanish.  I will translate it for you here in case you aren't fluent in Spanish:




Esta claro que en la vida, si no haces cosas, no avanzas.
It's clear that in life, if you don't do things, you don't move forward


La suma de las cosas que haces se convierte en pequenas historias.
The sum of the things that you do become small stories.


Y la suma de pequenas historias es la historia de tu vida.
And the sum of small stories is the story of your life.


En este momento tenemos cosas por hacer, por ilusion, por vocacion, por compromiso.
In this moment we have things to do, because they are our dream, because of our vocation, because we have made a promise.


Cosas, que se convertiran tambien en pequenas historias y que al final ,contaran una historia de musicos, la historia de Jarabe De Palo.
Things, they also become small stories, and in the end, they will tell a story about musicians, the story of Jarabe De Palo.


Jarabe De Palo is spanish for Cough Syrup.  Their lyrics are moving and their tunes have long gripped millions of fans around the world.  They are known for being philosophers and poets - their words will move you.


Here is a list of their discography, courtesy of Wikipedia:


1996 - La Flace (their biggest hit!)
1998 - Depende
2001 - De Vuelta y Vuelta
2003 - Grandes Exitos
2003 - Bonito
2004 - 1m2 (Un Metro Cuadrado)
2007 - Adelantando
2009 - Orquesta Reciclando


You can purchase their records through iTunes or on Amazon.  Here is one of their most popular CDs, La Flaca:

And here is another one Depende:

Epilady - Smooth and Luxurious Legs for Weeks and No More Razors!

Epilady is a mechanical hair removal tool - you can use it to remove hair from your legs, arms, back...wherever!  Even those unmentionable areas to prepare yourself for bikini season!  Epilady uses rotating mechanical disks that grip onto the hair and pull it out from the root, thus easily getting rid of any unwanted or unsavory hair.  Epilady is available on Amazon:

I've been using Epilady technology for over eight years and it works great!  Their products are built to last if you take care of them.  My mother used my Epilady before me (she needed an excuse to get herself a new one), so in total it's been around for over a dozen years and it still works like new.


If you're tired of shaving then consider getting an Epilady for your hair removal needs.  It may hurt a little the first few times, but it's easier than waxing - it's less painful, less costly, and less messy.  If it hurts too much the first few times then consider taking a couple of Advil or Iburprofen to numb the pain the first couple of times.  Once you get the hang of using Epilady then you'll never notice the pain again.


After using Epilady to remove your unwanted body hair, red spots will appear, but that's just because you pulled the hair out from the roots and by the next day, the spots will be gone.  Sometimes I apply a body moisturizer like Aveeno or Cetaphil to calm the area down or take a cool shower.  If you apply moisturizer too soon after removing the unwanted hair then sometimes the moisturizer can get stuck in the little holes where the hair follicle once was, creating a pimple.  So the point is, unless your skin is very irritated, I have found it best just to rinse in cool water and then wait for a day.


Considering how much a waxing session is at a salon, the Epilady is a very cost-effective method of hair removal.  With the global recession hitting so hard - it can be a great way to keep your legs looking smooth, sexy, and touchable, without hurting your wallet.  The Epilady is available on Amazon for under $60.  There are various models, but I recommend the Epilady Legend and I also recommend that you get one with a power cord because the battery-only powered ones will lose their juice.  I hope that you seriously consider Epilady!

Beautiful and Free Microsoft Powerpoint Templates

I'm preparing some presentations and stumbled across some beautiful and free Microsoft Powerpoint Templates that I would like to share with you:

Here is a bright, yellow and invigorating tempalte

Summerfield PowerPoint Template

Here is a link to all of their Microsoft Powerpoint themes in the "nature category."  They have plenty more themes that are more professional or abstract, so be sure to browse the site for your preferred style.


Here is a site with more free Microsoft Powerpoint templates that are free.  I have included an example to the right.

SamaSource - Microwork for the Developing World

Here is a great organization that I just stumbled upon called SamaSource.  SameSource basically created opportunities of people in the developing world to work on digital projects.

http://www.samasource.org/

You can read more specifics about their work on their press page here.  Even if your budget is tight right now, you can help SamaSource by publicizing their efforts - become a fan of theirs on facebook!  Or make a twitter post about them or whatever!

Yogitoes Non-Slip Yoga Towel!

 

The yogitoes mat is a brilliantly designed yoga towel designed to minimize slipping or skidding.  Yogitoes is especially useful for heated forms of yoga (like Bikram, Heated Vinyasa, Heated Ashtanga, etc.).  It's still a great addition to your yoga gear even if you steer clear of heated forms of yoga, since it also provides a sanitary layer between you and your yoga mat, which is easily washable.

As you can see in the image above, Yogitoes features a bed of small, rubbery silicone dimples that are designed to stick to your yoga mat, or in more technical terms - increase the friction between your towel and mat. To elaborate...have you ever had the experience of sweating profusely onto your yoga mat and suddenly finding yourself slipping and sliding or even falling on your rump while trying to do a crazy challenging pose - well, that's why they invented the Yogitoes mat! A step up from just using a standard yoga mat is to use a towel and a standard towel definitely helps, but it doesn't stay in place easily and once it gets wet - it skids around - that's where yogitoes really helps.

Yogitoes are also designed for performance in durability.  Yogitoes uses a high-quality ultra absorptive 80:20 polyester:nylon blend that provides a hygienic layer between you and your mat.  The yogitoes mats are machine washable and dryer safe for easy care and maintenance.  And the premium size is designed to fit on most standard yoga mats measuring 24x68 inches.  Yogitoes mats are very intuitive - just place the side with the silicone pads against your mat before your practice and you're all set.  Yogitoes mats are available in a variety of colors from energized bright oranges and blues to ones with more earthy tones - just have fun picking your favorite!  

You can purchase a yogitoes mat directly from Yogitoes or on Amazon:

Really, the only downside to the yogitoes skidless mats is the price - they can range from $45 - $65, but I found a good deal on Amazon and paid less than $35. One big consolation to the price is that the Yogitoes company has a dedicated fund for charities around the world. You can learn more about the specific charities that they support on their "about us" page here. Just look at the upper right hand corner where it says "yogitoes fund" on the far upper right. They support:

SHECHEN CHARITY ORPHAN SCHOOL
a home and education for the
orphans of Tibet.
www.shechen-school.org

M.E.G. (MARY ELLEN GERBER) FOUNDATION
mothering Indian children in need.
www.megfoundation.org

tunaHAKI FOUNDATION
empowering AIDS orphans and street
children in Tanzania, Africa
www.tunahaki.org

CASA de MILAGROS
"Home of Miracles" - a children's home
near Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru
www.chandlersky.org

YOGA AT SCHOOL
helping NYC school children find peace.
www.iyiny.org/yogaatschool

So to sum it all up, Yogitoes features:
- Silicone dimples to minimize skidding (patented).
- High quality, absorbent 80:20 polyester:nylon blend to collect sweat.
- Embroidered edges for durability.
- Easy and safe to machine wash and dry!
- All in all, it's a high quality product made by a budding small business, which is lead by a female entrepreneur who is making charity a key part of the Yogitoes vision!  And all of that really makes me smile!  Plus, I was finally able to do this side crow pose the other day - thanks in some part to my new yogitoes mat!

And below is one last picture of my yogitoes skidless mat - I just really liked this photo.  I think everything looks more artistic when you take photos on macro mode.