Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 130

win a trip to san francisco and 1000 spending money

How would you like a trip for two to San Francisco a five-course dinner at Millennium restaurant and 1000 spending money? Winning is easy – simply  submit your recipes to the Spring to Life Recipe Contest brought to you by Earth Balance® and the grand prize could be yours. This final week of the contest is dessert week everyone’s favorite!

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Submit your original vegan dessert recipes for a chance to win great prizes! The grand prize winner will receive:

A trip for two to San Francisco
1000 in spending money
A stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel
A five-course dinner at Millennium restaurant
A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products
An Earth Balance gift pack featuring Earth Balance gear
A copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin

Do you have a delicious vegan dessert recipe? Submit it to the contest here! Recipes must be submitted by 11:59 EST on May 6th so get cookin’! You can submit as many vegan recipes as you like. We are also giving out special prizes for 'Most Recipes Submitted' ‘Best Photo’ and ‘Most Creative Recipe’.

Submit your own vegan dessert recipe today!

Today’s post is brought to you by
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kind home: what not to do while youre pregnant

Healthy home guru Mary Cordaro shares an article she wrote with us about how to fulfill that “nesting” instinct while you’re pregnant without exposing your little one to the toxic chemicals that often come with redecorating or remodeling projects. Check it out:

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That Nesting Instinct
By Mary Cordaro

If you’re pregnant or just had your baby the natural instinct to nest may be tugging at you. You want your home and nursery to be just right for your new baby. Unfortunately those well-intentioned changes to the home from painting a room to a full remodel are usually anything but natural. I’d like to suggest you don’t start your house and nursery projects while you’re pregnant or with a newborn.

The reason is simple: the fetus and newborn are sensitive at levels well below what an adult might tolerate. They are extremely vulnerable to toxic chemicals and other contaminants. If you’re familiar with EWG’s Baby Body Burden study maybe you already know that cord blood contains almost 300 highly toxic chemicals proving that whatever the mother ingests inhales and absorbs is passed on to the baby.

Green products and materials are not necessarily non-toxic and even the least toxic versions newly installed are usually too toxic for the developing fetus and newborn until all odors have completely dissipated. It doesn’t matter if they come with green certifications. Certifications still aren’t good enough as their standards are limited in scope and are certainly not developed specifically for the newborn or fetus.

Instead focus on making the house healthier. Put off as much as you can for a few years and make as few changes as possible that are not directly related to health. When your child is older and past the most critical time in his or her development you can undertake your safe non-toxic projects including precautions for exposures to new outgassing materials and construction dust.

Here are some tips for healthy home nesting:

Less is more: If you must paint or make even small changes do not inhale outgassing from new materials no matter how  “green” and “non toxic” they claim to be. Leave while the work is being done and re-enter the house only when ALL odors have dissipated 100.
Replace all toxic household cleaning and personal products with non-toxic products.
Check your home for sources of moisture: Whether or not you react to mold mold is toxic period particularly for the developing fetus and newborn. For starters follow these steps outlined by the EPA.
If you suspect or smell mold get a mold inspection: Hire an IAQA certified independent mold inspector to survey your home. Don’t hire a mold remediation company for the inspection.
Reduce EMFs: There are many preventive steps you can take at no cost. Learn about them for free on my website and blog.
Caution carpet removal is toxic: Removing carpet stirs up high levels of toxic chemical-laden dust and microscopic particulates which pollute the entire house. Remove carpet under airtight containment and then deep clean the room afterwards. A mold remediation company can most safely remove it and deep clean for you.

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Thanks Mary! If you live in LA you can learn from Mary live at the Pregnancy Awareness Month event on May 6th at the Skirball Center see flyer above for details.

PS - My fave nursery option is no nursery. We've never had one. Basically we made what we already have work for us. Great reads more for inspiration about nighttime parenting are Good Nights by pediatrician of 30 years Dr. Jay Gordon and Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep by pediatrician Dr. William Sears.

How have you kind lifers fulfilled your nesting instinct without exposing your kids to chemicals?

More healthy home info from Mary Cordaro...
Water Quality and Your Health
Healthy Home Guru
Facts About Fluoride

Photo Credit: Pregnancy Awareness

did you catch suburgatory?

If you missed my first episode here’s a clip courtesy of US Weekly:




You can get a peek behind the scenes in this interview I did with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and you can also watch the whole episode online on abc.com. I was so happy to work with my old friend Jeremy and the rest of the cast!

I’ll be on for another three episodes so make sure to watch tomorrow on ABC at 8:30/7:30c!

Related Stories:

Bear on Set of Suburgatory
Behind the Scenes of Suburgatory
On the Set of “Suburgatory” 

kind book club: im mad as hell and im not going to eat it anymore

My firey friend and macrobiotic chef Christina Pirello has a new book out I’m Mad As Hell And I’m Not Going to Eat it Anymore. I’m a huge fan of Christina and I think this book is a good one with some really helpful info and a great introduction that got me all excited and worked up!
 
Here are some highlights I found very helpful:

 The frittata and kale salad are super yum
Great details about exactly what is in the stuff we call food along with great stats
Very helpful breakdowns on sugars sodas and GMOs
Great info for flirts and superheroes alike
A handy list of what you should always buy organic and what’s ok to get non-organic
Info about what’s in season when and what’s best to eat during each season of year
Lots of useful kitchen and cooking techniques

 
Christina’s a smart cookie and her research is great. Plus this book is a really enjoyable read! I highly recommend it.
 
Snag your copy here and tell me what your favorite aspects of this book are in the comments below! At the end of the month I’ll share your feedback in a blog post so start reading!

Check out some of our other kind book clubs:
Kind Lifers Discuss Your Vegetarian Pregnancy
You Kind Lifers Loved Shantaram
Book Club: Kind Lifers Get Inspired to Go Green
Kind Lifers Debate The Continuum Concept...

cleanse your way to a healthier more beautiful you

Eating healthy is what Kind Lifers are all about but maybe you’re looking for that little extra oomph in your diet. Bathing suit season is just around the corner and we tend to pack on a few extra pounds during the winter months. If you’ve never considered doing a cleanse now could be the time. 

RawJuvenate is a different kind of cleanse. It purifies the body to promote beauty and improved health. It’s for vegan dieters who are interested in detoxification but prefer a gentle approach that can be maintained as a long-term lifestyle. 

HOW IT WORKS

The RawJuvenate Organic Detox System will get your body in tip-top shape. There are five products to the program over a 30-day period. The core of the program focuses on getting nutrients and proteins from our super green and vegetarian pea powders. It is supplemented with probiotics fiber and aloe to promote gentle cleansing. Beginners can start by replacing one solid meal a day with one liquid meal from the Organic Detox System. Cleansing experts can take all 5 products for 30 days. 


Replace one solid meal with one liquid meal daily using the super green vegetarian protein powder. Prepare a nutritious and delicious liquid meal to feel energized and satisfied. Try drinking it first thing in the morning to fuel you for the day. Use our RawJuvenate Energy Shake recipe or simply add the super green and vegetarian protein to your favorite smoothie recipe. Follow your smoothie with aloe probiotic and fiber if you want.

WANT TO TRY RAWJUVENATE FOR FREE?

Spill it! Comment on this post and give us the details on your RawJuvenate Intrigue! One lucky winner will receive a 14-Day RawJuvenate Organic Detox System valued at 120.00 ABSOLUTELY FREE! But hurry this giveaway is only open for 24 hours. 

AND A DEAL TOO

Right now Kind Lifers can get 50 OFF the 14-Day or 30-Day Organic Detox System use promo code KINDLIFE50 or 10 off any purchase use promo code KINDLIFETAKE10. Just add products to cart and enter coupon code at checkout to receive your discount. Deal ends May 6 at 11:59PM PST. 

Also be sure to check out RawJuvenate on Facebook and Twitter for additional deals and giveaways! 

See cleansing isn’t as hard as you thought it was right? 

You must be a registered TheKindLife.com member to enter. Learn how to sign up by clicking here.  
This contest is open to US residents only.
Winners will be contacted via private message to their TheKindLife.com inbox and by email. If our team does not hear back within 24 hours a new winner will be selected in your place.
Limit one comment per entry. Multiple comment entries will not be considered.
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on May 6 2012.

Today’s post is brought to you by
 

kind book club: what you thought of diaper free by ingrid bauer

I loved reading your comments about our April book club selection Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene. Here are some comments that stood out to me:

“I don't have a baby but I've been babysitting my 2 year old niece since her mom died a few months ago and she wasn't potty trained. No matter how much I tried to train her she refused to cooperate. So last month I started leaving her diaper off for a while so she could get accustomed to listening to her body just like yourarticle said. She is doing much  better now holding it until she uses her toilet…now I just have to get her to let me know when she has to go. I usually sit her on the toilet every 15 minutes; hopefully she'll start letting me know soon. I fully believe in this method even for a toddler.”
-Elle

“When my son was an infant my brother in law from India said that this is essentially how kids were raised there; in poorer villages the kids went around bare-bottomed and instead of a potty were just taken to the outside facilities whatever that might have been. It made sense to me but 30 years ago there was no support for trying to practice this in the US and I probably would have been turned over to child services. If you can make it work go for it! I don't find the ‘modern’ solution of yelling and crying and frustration and diaper rash all that modern.” 
-Janet

“Thanks Alicia great suggestion for book! I bought it straight away on kindle reading it at moment half way through. But at the beginning I was surprised myself at how resistant and fearful of the idea I was! How socially conditioned am I : I'm really enjoying it - actually it's blowing my mind and I definitely want to try it when I have a baby. I was talking about it with my Mum today and she semi-practiced it too when we were kids. I have long maternity time too here two or three years - that really really helps. Looking forward to hearing everyone's review of the book! Hugs xx”
-Monica

Bear is now eleven months old and still does almost all of his poops in the toilet. He still wears a cloth diaper and I just pull it off when I think he needs to go – or when he tells me. He shakes his legs and flirts with me or a little toot flies usually means he needs to go. Then I'll give him a chance on the toilet.

“As a natural mama I so wanted ECing Ellimination Communication to work. We also started at six months with our son. It went pretty well up until about ten or eleven months. Then it just got very impractical. I was dealing with a new explorer crawler walker who just wanted to play! When you try interrupting a child at this age from their activities they do not like it! So the whole thing just got very frustrating for both sides. As I felt myself admitting that I was upset that it wasn't working as ‘perfectly’ as diaper free advocates made it seem I gave it up. And it was definitely for the better. I also noticed that so many of the ECing blogs stop just around one year. This led me to believe it stopped working for them. So definitely go ahead and save some diapers for a few months but don't get down when you see it come to a grinding halt! My son who is now two and a half still successfully potty trained at just over two-years old all on his own. Even though he was back in diapers from eleven months of course we still did many diaper free days when we were home but I accepted the fact that there would be many pees on the floor! he still easily transitioned to the potty. Good luck if you continue you with this route!”
-Rachel

Rachel I totally hear you! Bear isn’t diaper free all the time either. For example he wears his nature babycare diaper when he goes to the YMCA with his dad and plays with the other babies there. Also driving I don’t pull over every 15 minutes to check on him or if he’s playing and I’m tired we’ll rely on cloth diapers more.

I do my best to pay attention to his cues; with Bear it’s a look or kicking the legs or I know he’ll need to go after he’s just eaten. I’ve never pulled him away from anything in order to pee or poo - it’s more of a timing thing and intuition thing. When you feel like your baby needs to go give it a try and put them on the toilet. Just be gentle with yourself and remember that it’s not all or nothing.

The goal for me is not to be 100 free of diapers. For us every step feels like a huge win! I rejoice in following Bear’s cues. I love that we have reduced the number of cloth diapers we use and that we hardly use any disposable diapers. And I’m amazed that my baby knows how to poo and pee on the toilet on cue. The other day he reached for the toilet! And I put him on and sure enough he wanted go to! Yahoo! It’s so fun to watch Bear sit on the toilet and make little grunting noises; it’s got to be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

Thanks so much everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences! I’ll announce my next book club book on May 1 so stay tuned…any guesses what the next book will be?

Check out some of our past book clubs:
Kind Lifers Discuss Your Vegetarian Pregnancy
You Kind Lifers Loved Shantaram
Book Club: Kind Lifers Get Inspired to Go Green
Kind Lifers Debate The Continuum Concept...

ANNOUNCING! winners of a signed copy of the kind diet

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Every month this year I'm giving away a signed copy of The Kind Diet. For my last giveaway I asked you to share what has been your most surprising discovery during your kind journey. Our randomly-chosen winners Nicole and Jorgen had this to say:

Nicole wrote: 

"The thing that surprised me the most is that it is waaaaay easier than you think it is going to be! Giving up meat is mentally easy b/c it's a dead animal..as in their muscle and fat gag. But you think life without cheese or ice cream will be awful and that it's just impossible. BUT there are so many amazing non-dairy ice creams available everywhere now that taste just as good if not better than the cow milk kind.....and cheese? I give you my word that if you go 30 days without cheese and then you bite into a piece of cheese pizza - which could have been my boyfriend at one time - it will really taste like complete blech! It smells like dirty socks kid you not and it will make your stomach feel queasy and just yuck. No joke. Dairy is an acquired taste and when you have been away from it a while your taste buds and nose will remind you right quick!"

And Jorgen's response was:

"The most surprising discovery that emerged as a result of going vegan is how much ones diet can transform their overall point of view. Ones diet isn't just about the food one eats it reflects what that person thinks about themselves and the world in which they live. Putting some thought into every meal you prepare and eat eventually emanates from you in other ways: in how you relate to yourself to other people other beings and to the world as a whole."

So nice! Yay Nicole and Jorgen!!! And if you already have the book be sure to donate your extra copy to someone who doesn’t have it yet!

To enter to win a signed copy of The Kind Diet for this month I want to know what you're planning to cook for Memorial Day! Share your answers in the comments below and I'll announce our randomly selected winner at the end of May.


Some kind gifts and eats:
"The Kind Diet" Paperback Edition is Here!
My Kind Gift Guide
Artichokes with Roast Capsicum and Sun-Dried Sauce
Kind Chocolate Cake

kind eats: avocado and apple salad

Kind-Lifer Katie converted one of her favorite chicken salads into a kind salad recipe. Sounds yum!

Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Servings: 1

Ingredients

4 cups of greens
1 avocado
1/2 apple
1 tbsp. of chopped pecans
1/2 cups of beans
1/4 cups of chopped celery

Instructions

Rinse greens avocado apple and celery.
Chop avocado and apple. Throw in a big bowl with greens.
Peel and chop celery and toss into bowl.
Toss in beans and pecans.
Drizzle with favorite dressing or vinaigrette if desired.

What are some traditional recipes you'd like to see converted into kind dishes?

More yummy salads:
Creamy Garlicky Caesar Salad Dressing
Kurly Kale Salad
Red Quinoa Salad
Bean Salad

Photo Sources: offthevine.org steadyhealth.com 
 

link love: recapping the month in kind

A look back at six stories that caught our attention this month…let the link love begin!

21 Ways to Rock Sustainable Style
Meat-loving Las Vegas embraces its vegan side
Rocket Oven SWoBshop
Rocket Stove Design Base
LA's Green Compassionate Living Music Festival: World Fest May 20th 2012
The Story of Sushi

What were the stories that caught your eye this month? Share them in the comments below and keep the link love going!

More kind stories:

Could You Live for a Year Without Toilet Paper
Ten Nature Documentaries for Earth Day
Behind the Scenes: Where My EcoTools Are Made
A California High School Goes Green!

kind events: join much love animal rescue this saturday in la!

What kind events are happening near you this weekend?

Related Stories:

Kind Events: Horseless Carriage Cocktail Party in NYC
Watch This: Chimpanzee with Jane Goodall
My Thoughts On Fur
Bath Time!