Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 148

adopt a christmas tree!

Now that Thanksgiving is over many families are starting to decorate for Christmas. If you love the traditional Christmas tree and haven't gotten yours yet read this before you decide where to get it!
 
Many areas now offer live tree rentals or "adoptions." This is way more eco than going out and buying a tree that's been farmed then chopped down only to be discarded after the holidays.
 
Here's an update on the companies specializing in live or potted Christmas trees that I featured last year plus a new one on California's Central Coast:
 
San Diego is offering the same program they did last year but hurry because they usually sell out! This adopt-a-tree service sends dancing elves to deliver the tree to your door then you get to decorate it and keep it for the holidays. Afterward the elves come back to pick up the tree and plant it in a good location.

In Los Angeles you can rent a potted Christmas tree from Living Christmas Trees. They drop off your tree before the holidays then pick it up afterward.

San Francisco offers a similar tree "rental" service in which you pick out a tree pick it up and then either return it or arrange to have it picked up for a 25 fee. After your tree is picked up it gets planted along San Francisco's city streets.
 
In California's Central Coast Rent A Living Christmas Tree delivers to your door and picks up after the holidays. The trees either get used in landscaping or you can opt to plant your tree in your own yard.

Portland Oregon offers a potted tree rental for the holidays from Living Christmas Trees different company than the one in Los Angeles. They will drop off your tree and pick it up after the holidays then they plant the trees around schools churches in parks and watersheds all over the Northwest.
 
Here are a few more companies that offer both cut trees boo and potted living trees yay!:
 
Denver Colorado – Tagawa Gardens sells potted trees that you can keep inside for up to seven days then plant in your own yard. If you go this route be sure to dig the hole you plan to plant the tree in before the ground freezes – that means early December according to their website so if you want to plant a tree in your yard dig that hole soon!
 
Somers Connecticut – Pell Farms is another company that sells both cut and potted Christmas trees. The potted trees are available from 2' to 6' high ranging in price from 20 - 90. They also have a location offering the same in Grafton Massachusetts. Another tree farm in Massachusetts is the Cape Cod Tree Farm located in South Dennis. In Springwater New York – All Western Trees sells potted trees.
 
An Even More Eco Option…
 
Instead of buying a tree decorate one in your yard using decorations you already have along with energy efficient Christmas lights if you like. You can also hang these DIY pine-cone bird feeders on your outdoor Christmas tree to celebrate the season with your feathered neighbors. Be creative!
 
I'm always so sad when I walk the streets of New York after the holidays. All the trees lay out dead and discarded on the street. It feels so wasteful and sad. Luckily there are lots of alternatives – let's not be the people who leave our discarded Christmas trees out on the curb!
 
I love these options! Are you doing something more eco than getting a tree? What are you planning? Share your eco-friendly tips in the comments below!

Related Stories:

The Battle Against Plastic Bags Continues
Kind Classics: Beware of Plastic Water Bottles
Simple Ways to Reduce Waste
Unplug Your TV

win a set of eco-friendly holiday jewelry!

Eco-jewelry designer Tumbleweed Bead Co. makes their jewelry from recycled materials and natural stones and all their pieces are handcrafted. This season Tumbleweed is giving away a set of six gold rings and a pair of large silver rectangular earrings pictured above to one lucky kind lifer!
 
To enter for a chance to win the ring and earrings set pictured above tell me where you would wear them in the comments below.
 
PS - If you'd like to do some eco-friendly gift shopping you can get 15 off any purchase from Tumbleweed December 1-20. Just use code kindlife when you check out!

stay healthy this holiday season with nourishing soups from Amys

There's no better way to warm up this winter than with delicious organic vegan soups from Amy's. Amy's is a vegetarian company with over 95 vegan products 23 being vegan soups. Enjoy a piping hot bowl of hearty Rustic Italian Vegetable or if you're in the mood for something more exotic try Thai Coconut made with organic coconut milk shitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes. We have a soup for every mood and every palate!

In addition to our soups we carry more vegan food items than you can shake a carrot at. Everything from breakfast snacks entrees and desserts. Indian to Italian to Asian food choices. You'll never be wanting for delicious and nutritious vegan selections. Have a craving for something in particular? Head on over to our product search page to find it!

Would you like to win an Amy's gift pack?

Like us on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling us about your favorite Amy's product to qualify for a gift pack containing vegan soups a mug and coupons! Hurry and enter before December 6th at 11:59PM PST. 

Also don't forget to sign up for the Amy's Kitchen Newsletter. It'll keep you up to date with the latest goings-on at Amy's health and environment news and not-to-miss discounts.

Happy holidays and happy kind shopping!

This sweepstakes is open to all registered users of TheKindLife.com residing within the US. Learn how to sign up by clicking here.
You may only enter once. Multiple entries will not be considered.
The sweepstakes will begin on November 30 2011 at 6:00AM PST and end on December 6 2011 at 11:59PM PST.
After the entry period has closed a winner will be chosen at random and notified via private message and email. If winner does not claim prize within 24 hours a new winner will be chosen.
Odds are dependent on the number of entries. Any questions? Please contact the site admin.
Void where prohibited by law.

Today's post is proudly sponsored by

join me for a live chat here on the kind life!

The holidays might be a tricky time for someone new to a kind lifestyle so I thought it would be great to share tips for keeping the season kind in a live forum.
 
To that end I've decided to host our first ever live chat here on The Kind Life! I'll be chatting with you and answering your questions during a 30-minute live chat on Tuesday December 6 starting at 4PM PST / 7PM EST. To participate all you have to do is login to The Kind Life at the time the chat begins and you'll see instructions for jumping in and submitting questions.
 
I'll answer as many of your questions as I can during our live chat then I'll post a blog recapping the highlights. I'll be posting a reminder about the live chat as we get closer to the date but I wanted to give you a heads up so you can start coming up with questions. I can't wait to hear from you!
 
I'd love to hear what you'd like me to talk about during our live chat! Share the topics you want to discuss in the comments below!

announcing the winner of vaute coutures winter wardrobe

Recently our friends at Vaute Couture gave away a winter wardrobe here on The Kind Life. Here is what our randomly selected winner Megan had to say:
 
"I have been a vegan for 15 months and everyday I continue to learn and grow in this process. A lot of people think that veganism is an all or nothing concept but because of your The Kind Life's support and guidance I know that it is not. Veganism is about giving your best efforts to support the welfare of animals our planet and ourselves. I support vegan businesses by purchasing eco friendly -- 100 cruely free products and I have almost entirely eliminated plastic bags from my life. My family and friends are still not convinced that a vegan lifestyle is possible in all areas of life namely fashion however. Winning a Vaute Couture winter wardrobe would be wonderful. It would give me a chance to show everyone that veganism is not only possible but it is also incredibly fashion forward and warm!"
 
Congrats Megan! I hope you enjoy your new winter wardrobe!
 
Everybody stay tuned for more kind giveaways this holiday season! What other giveaways would you like to see? Let me know in the comments below!

success stories: carly overcomes emotional instability

Kind Lifer Carly recently shared how adopting a kind diet particularly cutting out dairy helped her to become more emotionally balanced. Check it out:
 
"I've been reading so many inspiring stories on your site from people whose health is being positively impacted by The Kind Diet. It's so inspiring! And I feel I need to share mine with you because you have led me to a remedy for my mental health issues. This has been a life-long search for me always feeling out of balance and just wanting to feel grounded. From birth I have always been over-sensitive emotionally and prone to fits of anger and frustration for no reason at all. I began experiencing anxiety disorders at the age of ten and depression as a teenager. The worst however was my random emotional weeping or angry outbursts at my loved ones. My mother said at the age of two I started having fits and she could never figure out what was happening. This past July I was at a point where I bought a book on borderline personality disorder because I exhibted about 85 of the symptoms. I had been dabbling in The Kind Diet for the past couple years but had a very hard time giving up dairy. I have always had a deep love for all dairy foods and probably ate it at every meal. I made the decision to give a kind diet a real shot and cut out the dairy. I cannot explain what a difference it has made in my life in just two months! Out of curiosity I've had dairy a couple times to see if I notice a difference and it is so clear to me now. My body and mind become so agitated immediately. I told my mom about the discovery and she told me it made sense. I was bottle fed as an infant and she had to switch from cow's milk to soy formula because I would break out in a rash. Dairy was introduced back into my diet later and because I showed no signs of a rash she didn't remove it. I never thought about food allergies affecting the mental state and I don't think many people do including my mom who always loved and supported my effort to find my mental happiness. I just want to thank you for writing your book. I feel it has led me to this long sought-after answer to being mentally healthy. Thank you."
 
Thank you for sharing your story Carly!
 
If any of you kind lifers have a success story to share private message me or upload your story to your profile and "like" it. I may feature you on the homepage of The Kind Life!

More Success Stories:

Success Story: Kasey Improves Her Hearing Impairment
Success Story: Cycle's Family Turns Health Around
Patty Overcomes Her Migraines
Jennifer's New Life

the made just right holiday bake-off is back

Get excited all of you Kind Lifer chefs and bakers out there! The Made Just Right™ Holiday Bake-Off is back for 2011 and they're kicking it off with pies!


Earth Balance and Made Just Right™ are celebrating the arrival of the winter season with the Holiday Bake-Off Recipe Contest. Share your original recipes for a chance to win some exciting prizes!

One grand prize winner will receive a 1400 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market plus additional prizes! 

Your recipes should be your own original creations and contain one or more Earth Balance® products such as any of the buttery spreads nut butters or soy beverages. The recipes must be plant-based vegan and free of any animal products no dairy eggs meat etc….

We will evaluate recipes based on appeal 50 ease of preparation 25 and creativity 25. You can submit as many recipes as you like from November 28 to December 23 in the following categories:

Nov. 28th - Dec. 4th: Pies
Dec. 5th - Dec. 11th: Cakes
Dec. 12th - Dec. 18th: Cupcakes
Dec. 19th - Dec. 23th: Cookies

WEEKLY PRIZES – Made Just Right™ will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:

A 400 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market.
A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
An Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board and kitchen supplies.
A copy of the book 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition'  by Julieanna Hever

One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

GRAND PRIZE - Made Just Right™ will select one lucky winner to win:

An additional 1000 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market.

And this year there are even MORE opportunities to win in NEW categories!
How about trying your hand at Best Photo Most Recipes Submitted and Most Creative Recipe?

Made Just Right™ will also select 3 recipes from all submissions to win in those fun categories.

Winners will receive:

A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
An Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board and kitchen supplies.

We will announce the 8 weekly winners the 3 special prize winners and the 1 grand prize winner the week of January 9th 2012! For complete contest rules visit HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe visit the MADE JUST RIGHT™ FAQ. 

Hope to see you there with recipes to share!

- The Made Just Right™ Team

SUBMIT YOUR RECIPE HERE

Today's post is proudly sponsored by

perfect place to take a nap

My friend sent me this picture of a cow and what looks to be his caretaker napping together under a tree. How sweet is this?

What's the closest you've gotten to a cow?

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happy thanksgiving!

On "turkey" day which I like to think of as adopt-a-turkey not eat-a-turkey day it's nice to know that our feathered friends have some well-known allies! Last year Farm Sanctuary sent me this roundup of celebrity quotes about Thanksgiving including a few words from yours truly! and I thought I'd share again this year:

[image error] "Save a life this Thanksgiving and join me in starting a new tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one through Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project." – Ellen DeGeneres Farm Sanctuary's 2011 Adopt-A-Turkey Project spokesperson

[image error] "Turkeys are among the most abused animals on earth. The horrors these smart sensitive birds routinely endure behind closed doors on our nation's factory farms all so that their tortured bodies can be the centerpiece of a holiday celebration about gratitude are appalling and incongruent with most Americans' values of compassion." - John Salley 4-time NBA Champion and wellness guru

[image error] "After spending time with the rescued turkeys at Farm Sanctuary's shelter and seeing how similar they are to my furry companion animals at home I knew I needed to do everything in my power to protect these friendly and curious birds from the daily pain and suffering they endure on factory farms." – Ginnifer Goodwin Farm Sanctuary's 2009 Adopt-A-Turkey Project spokesperson

[image error] "If people knew how personable and fun to hang out with turkeys are and if they knew the horrors that turkeys on factory farms go through for their entire lives I think fewer people would want to take part in supporting factory farming. Honoring turkeys who have been abused by the system as they embark on their new life on the sanctuary is a great thing to do." – Daniela Sea

Read our special holiday interview with Daniela here! 

[image error] "Here is a list of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. It's so simple to create a delicious holiday meal without animal cruelty. I promise no one will miss the turkey! Enjoy!" - Alicia Silverstone

[image error] "Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and express our gratitude for all that we have to be thankful for. In the true spirit of this holiday take a moment to think about the importance of all life. By choosing a vegetarian diet every one of us can take part in ending the cruelty animals endure on factory farms. Like cats and dogs turkeys are intelligent social and sensitive beings who want to live. Give thanks this holiday and save a life." - Persia White

[image error] "There are many ways of giving thanks. Eating turkeys doesn't have to be one of them. Healthy and delicious vegetarian options now make compassionate holidays easier than ever. This Thanksgiving join with my family in starting a new tradition that celebrates life and promotes peace for all beings." - Corey Feldman

[image error] "Our family holidays always include our animals. On Thanksgiving we love to walk around our farm and visit with our rescued pigs goats horses emus and many other rescued animals. We give them all special vegetables that day and the whole family enjoys a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. We know that the animals are giving thanks that day and we are also giving thanks for the joy they bring to our lives." – Noah Wyle

Tracy Owen and Noah Wyle's favorite Thanksgiving treats: Baked yams mashed potatoes stuffed squash and pumpkin pie.

Click here for the Wyle family's favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

[image error] "Every living thing feels pain and should be protected from cruelty. Farm animals are no different." - Kim Basinger

Kim's favorite Thanksgiving treats: Squash casserole sweet potato soufflé asparagus meatless tomato basil loaf and pumpkin pie.

[image error] "I became a vegetarian because when I ate that way I felt better physically and I couldn't stand the idea that I was in some small way supporting the extreme cruelty of factory farming." - Casey Affleck

Casey's favorite Thanksgiving treats: Tempeh cranberry sauce Brussels sprouts gravy and rice.

[image error] "I like to stuff myself at Thanksgiving not turkeys. Save a life this holiday season … adopt a turkey instead of eating one." – Kevin Nealon

Kevin's favorite Thanksgiving treats: Tofurky and pumpkin pie!

[image error] "We all oppose animal cruelty. But sometimes we forget that animals on farms suffer and feel pain like all other animals. They too deserve to be protected from harm and cruelty." – Charlotte Ross

[image error] "Turkeys are misunderstood. Once I adopted turkeys I understood this large bird to be a great companion. Contrary to popular belief they are sweet kind and funny. My adopted girls filled my heart every day with joy." – Linda Blair  

What is your take on Thanksgiving?

Related Stories:

Kind Classics: My Thanksgiving Menu
Adopt a Turkey
My Thanksgiving Videos

create a kind holiday wishlist with ethical ocean

Let's face it – when we live a kind life even our most supportive friends and family members sometimes struggle to find us holiday gifts that align with our values. Living cruelty-free doesn't just stop at the food we eat but for a lot of us it's reflected in what we wear what we put in our homes and what we give our kids to play with. Even for the most diligent among us cruelty-free shopping can be tricky let alone for those navigating vegan shopping for the first time.

Ethical Ocean is making it easier than ever to give and receive gifts that reflect your values and to help you inspire others to shop ethically. Just visit Ethical Ocean and build a Better World Wishlist – the grown-up equivalent of the lists you wrote as a kid! Find products you'd love to find under the tree read the ethical claims behind them to make sure it reflects you and then add it to your holiday wishlist. Sharing your list is fast and easy! There's no better time of year to inspire others to shop ethically. By creating a kind wishlist for yourself you're also creating a kind gift guide for your friends and family. They'll browse for you and maybe end up browsing for themselves too. 

When the first environmentally friendly gift off your list is bought we'll send you a gift from us - 20 off your next purchase on EO that you can put towards your own holiday shopping or keep for yourself... we won't tell!.

Here are some of our favorite kind gifts for the holidays to get you started:

The Perfect Handbag pictured above: Choose the perfect vegan handbag by MATT & NAT. No leather aficionado would guess these bags are 100 vegan. What's more they're made from recycled materials - the average MATT & NAT bag is lined with a faux suede made from 21 recycled water bottles!



The Farm Sanctuary 2012 Calendar: Featuring soulful portraits of 12 Farm Sanctuary animal ambassadors and heroic tales of their rescues. Proceeds from the calendar support Farm Sanctuary's work.

The Candle 79 Cookbook: Frequently ranked the top vegan restaurant in the U.S. New York's Candle 79 has pulled together the best vegan recipes for the season. Expanding the horizons of vegan fare with appetizers soups salads mains brunches desserts cocktails and wine pairings Candle 79 Cookbook invites every home cook to make truly green cuisine.

Make Ethical Ocean your destination for holiday and vegan shopping. Plus now with free shipping on all orders over 75 there's no better place to find the perfect ethical gift.

Start your holiday wishlist now!

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