Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 199

choosing paint for your home

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Choosing the right color to paint a room can be hard but the more important choice during this process is what kind of eco-friendly paint you will use! The good news is that paint for the home no longer contains lead but there are other toxic properties still used in paint that you can avoid by choosing a kinder paint. The big culprit in paint now is VOC's volatile organic compounds which are solvents that release toxins during the drying process. They cause all kinds of health problems like headaches dizziness and respiratory problems and some VOC's contain suspected carcinogens.
 
Luckily there are now many options for low-VOC or zero-VOC! But be aware that "zero-VOC" paints can still contain a small amount – but are much much better than regular paint!

For more traditional home paints that are friendlier than some commonly found options try these that are easily accessible at any Home Depot type store:

Benjamin Moore's Natura line
Sherwin-Williams' Harmony line 
Dunn Edwards' EcoShield line

There are also other kinds of paint that have natural ingredient bases! Clay paints are mostly made of minerals and water instead of chemicals and solvents. Here are some great clay paints:
 
Bioshield Clay Paints 
Green Planet Paints
 
Soy paints are another good more natural option which are made of earth-based materials.
 
EcoProcote has many soy-based paints
 
Lime paints are another type...but in my research it looks like these wear away very quickly and can only be used on exterior surfaces. Does anyone have experience or recommendations for good lime paints?
 
You can see there are many options for creating a healthier house especially considering how much time you spend in it. The best thing about using zero-VOC paints is there isn't any chemical new paint smell! The last time I painted a few rooms in my house we used the Benjamin Moore Natura line and it was smell-free! Pretty great!

If you're working on your house there are a lot of good resources available now to find trustworthy information about making home improvements in a green groovy way. Two books that have helped me in this area a lot are The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green by Starre Vartan and Ed Begley Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life by my friendly eco-warrior Ed Begley. They cover everything from VOC-free paints to friendly dishwashers to making your own household cleaners!

Leave a comment if you have any other book recommendations in this genre I'm always on the lookout for more!

beautiful beets and sweet potato!

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Look at how pretty these beets are!  Christopher and I got them a while ago from the farmers market... They are so beautiful I wanted to share!

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When we got the beets we also bought some sweet potatoes. We baked the sweet potato whole. All we did was put fork marks in it and shove it in the oven! You can wrap sweet potatoes in foil too although we don't.

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All sweet potatoes are different sizes so it's hard to say what the exact cooking time should be. But start checking after 30 minutes. Most sweet potatoes take about 45 minutes at around 325 degrees. After your sweet potato is done cooking cut it lengthwise mash it a little with Earth Balance and salt & pepper and be sure to leave the skin on! I love sweet potatoes - my husband says I eat them like a piece of pizza.

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My sweet potato turned out so yummy and it's so good looking too! How do you like to eat your sweet potatoes?

letter to lady gaga

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Pretty much everyone has an opinion about Lady Gaga's meat dress. While you can probably guess my personal reaction I'd like to highlight a really heartfelt letter that Nathan Runkle founder and Executive Director of Mercy for Animals wrote to Lady Gaga.
 
Runkle is a fan of Lady Gaga's and in his letter he discusses how much he appreciates her artistry and her participation in the fight for gay and lesbian civil rights. He goes on to say how disappointed he was when Lady Gaga used the carcass of a dead animal for the purpose of shock and gently encourages her to consider a vegan diet.
 

You can read the full text of Runkle's letter here. What do you think?

were having another ecotools giveaway!

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If you've been shopping for fall or back to school you might have seen my EcoTools brushes and bags on the shelf at Walgreens Wal-Mart or online at Walgreens.com and drugstore.com and at Ulta this holiday season!. But if you haven't had a chance to snag some yet you're in luck! EcoTools is giving away 50 of my 5-piece bag & brush set!

As I mentioned in my previous post about EcoTools all of the lining used in the bags is made from recycled PET plastic from soda & water bottles!. The material on the outside of the bags is natural hemp blend the ink is plant-based the handles of the brushes are made from bamboo the brushes use recycled aluminum and are cruelty-free and so soft. I'm really proud of them! And not only are they cruelty-free and eco-friendly but they are so pretty and feel so yummy on the face! Every makeup artist I work with uses these brushes and everyday that I'm on set I'm pleasantly surprised at how soft and luxurious they are.

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We're also donating 1 of the annual sales of my bags/brushes to Wildlife Alliance a charity that is very important to me. Wildlife Alliance's mission is to protect and preserve wildlife and forests for future generations.

Just remember don't go out and get new makeup brushes if you already have some that you are happy with! I wouldn't want you to throw away perfectly good brushes – but if you need new ones these are the way to go. And if you want to give someone a cute gift these are great for that too! The brush set comes with 4 makeup brushes and the brushes sit in a nice little brush bag that's lined with recycled plastic so they don't get dirty... And there's a separate place to put the rest of your makeup.

So if you want to get one of these brush sets all you have to do is comment on this post! We will choose fifty lucky winners at random. If you're chosen we'll send you a private message to get your address so we can send you the bag.

Start commenting and good luck!!!

two fun festivals!

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The weekend of October 2-3 is a busy one for vegans and animals lovers in California! In Los Angeles Angels in Fur Dog Rescue is holding their Raise the Woof Fundraiser II at Siren Studios in Hollywood on October 2. Tickets are 36 and can be purchased at www.aifdogrescue.com. They are also looking for sponsors so if you are a business owner this could be a great opportunity to market your business and meet some cool people!

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In San Francisco World Veg Festival Weekend is going down at the San Francisco County Fair Building October 2&3. They'll be featuring international vegan cuisine eco-fashion cool stuff for kids and even vegan speed dating! Tickets are 20 and can be purchased here.

If you go to either of these events let me know how they are and don't forget to post the pictures to your profiles and "like" them!

warren kramer in LA oct. 7-10!

Hey there – Warren Kramer who is a macrobiotic educator and health counselor will be back in Los Angeles in October offering a variety of Vegan/Macrobiotic classes. Here are the details:

VEGAN/MACROBIOTIC CLASSES in LA
Warren Kramer Returns to Los Angeles Oct 7-10 2010


Thursday Oct 7 6-9:00 pm
Cooking Class :
Quick Healthy Cooking new dishes


By popular demand here are more delicious dishes when there is little time to cook. The number one concern of people trying to eat healthier is the time it ...

danielles menstrual cure!

Kind Lifer Danielle recently shared her story about how adopting a kinder diet reduced what her doctors called a dangerously heavy menstrual flow and the health problems that came with it. She no longer experiences the extreme symptoms that she used to experience every month. Yahoo!

I was put on the pill when I was 12 years old because my periods were "dangerously" heavy my mom had to have a full hysterectomy at 23 years old for the same problems. I've had to go to the ER more times than I...

raspberry tiramisu cupcakes

Chef Chloe is the first vegan chef to win Food Network's "Cupcake Wars"! She has a great website where she shares her recipes - this cupcake looks very pretty! If I were making this for myself I would try to make a healthier version of it Id use maple sugar instead of regular sugar. But if I were making these for someone who wasnt on this journey of a plant based diet Id make them this way.

Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 ...

stop abuse in the horseracing industry

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It's really disturbing to realize that behind the scenes of a fun afternoon at the track is abuse constant injuries and lives that often ends in slaughter or euthanasia.
 
From the beginning racing horses are bred to have muscular bodies at least 1000 pounds that are far too heavy to be supported by their tiny ankles which are the size of a human's. When they are young these horses begin training running at high speeds on tracks that are too hard for their still-growing skeletons. They...

Essential Formulas Incorporated Presents: Dr. Ohhiras Kampuku Beauty Bar - Sponsored Post

A family-owned and operated business EFI pledges to provide the highest quality natural supplements and skin care products available. There is no exception when it comes to Dr. Ohhira's Kampuku Beauty Bar a 100 vegan and all-natural product.

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Dr. Ohhira's Probiotic Kampuku Beauty Bar merges the revitalizing power of natural ingredients ancient Japanese fermentation skills and modern science to create a clarifying and rejuvenating skin cleanser gentle enough for any skin type. This exclusive...