… And I hope it never goes back! Without question, the best way to get the bold floral print look that’s one of the biggest trends off the runways this season is to go to your nearest H&M. They have introduced their latest spring Garden Collection which is made with “environmentally adapted materials like recycled polyester, organic cotton and organic linen.”

I was so excited when I heard about this collection because honestly it still isn’t easy to find organic everyday (attractive), clothing at affordable prices. I know there are lots of designers making strides by using sustainable materials, which is fantastic, but as the mom of a 4 month old, I’m really concerned about the “wash/wearability” factor. To clarify, this means clothing that can be spit up on and tossed in the wash.

I made my way over to the store and was immediately taken by the splash of colors. Bye bye winter – Hello SRPING!! From conservative to eccentric, there is a piece for every taste and not to mention a price for every budget. I opted for a cute, cotton, short sleeved, floral print top. It has a sort of blouse meets t-shirt look to it. Super comfy and can be worn casually with shorts and flip-flops or dressed up with a cinched belt and skinny jeans. According to its label, “the cotton has been grown without the use of hazardous chemicals.” Less chemicals touching my skin and less chemicals getting into our water and air, it’s a win-win situation.

When a company with mass market appeal makes such a move, it means the trend is hopefully here to stay. Maybe one collection will spread into more collections. That is the goal.

Now to all the other companies out there, what are you waiting for??? If H&M can do it, can’t you?

Learn more about Vanessa - Crushedlime.com

Glad you asked... Rather than resorting to chicken nuggets or veggie burgers again, one company is striving to provide nutritious, kid-friendly, convenient meals for NYC toddlers. 

The company is called DinDins and was founded by Jodi Greebel, nutritionist, Registered Dietitian and mother. Working along side Jodi is her own inspiration and mother, Nancy Citrin.

The thought is that with all the food groups incorporated in one meal, you don’t need to worry about serving a protein, starch and vegetable. No more trying to sneak vegetables into brownies. It’s just serving the foods you want in a way your toddler will love.

DinDins meals are organic, all-natural and homemade prepared with only the freshest ingredients from recipes devised by a nutritionist and cook. There are no preservatives, additives or artificial ingredients. Because the foods do not contain additives, they come fresh, and are freezer stable for 3 weeks. And, they will be delivered right to your door. No hassles with grocery shopping, cooking nor making dinner in time for your toddler to eat it.

DinDins is also aiming to groom little greenies by opting to use ingredients that are organic and local, when able, to minimize damage to the environment as well as provide children with the healthiest foods. They also carefully select packaging that has the least impact on the environment. The food is packaged in small bags inside recyclable boxes, using the smallest box possible to minimize waste. At DinDins, plastic containers are used only when absolutely necessary.

AND at only $2 – $3 per meal, you can’t go wrong!

Want to learn more? Sign up for the DinDins Newsletter for product updates, coupon codes and other great offerings.

Learn more about Vanessa - Crushedlime.com

A reality show with a conscience is striving to make its way around the globe. Cue the Bamyan Media venture which aims to create Reality TV to inspire and educate a new generation of social entrepreneurs around the world. The venture was founded by three talented young ladies, Anna Elliot, Jasmine Stine and Lucy Lindsey. Interested in helping the venture thrive? Read on….

First, Why the need? More than 70 million young people around the world are unemployed, and among them are potential leaders of tomorrow. Too few have access to the resources and know-how of entrepreneurship and sustainable business. The world urgently needs leaders to create innovative solutions to persistent problems of poverty, violence, and environmental degradation, where top-down development strategies have failed. These potential social entrepreneurs are out there—but they need inspiration and support.

How can it be done? The venture will produce an original reality TV series in developing countries that rewards the courage, dedication and creativity of social entrepreneurs while teaching the skills needed to lead a successful business. Harnessing the power of mass media to inspire a new generation, it seeks to entertain audiences with a competition that:

• Establishes social entrepreneurs as the next pop heroes.

• Encourages the spread of environmentally & socially innovative business practices.

• Links entrepreneurs to practical resources, such as finance & training that can turn their business ideas into a reality.

Contestants compete weekly before the show’s expert judges, testing their business acumen and market readiness. Each episode has its own theme, such as management or environmental impact. Viewers vote via text messaging for their favorite social ventures. Everyone, from viewer to top contestant, is involved in making social entrepreneurship a heroic and achievable reality.

The Journey towards the goal… The venture has been selected as a finalist by the Unreasonable Institute, if chosen, one of the co-founders, Ms. Stine, would be put through a 10 week business bootcamp for young social entrepreneurs. This, in turn, would give the venture the opportunity to work closely with mentors, build connections and ultimately pitch business plans to a conference for investors and philanthropists.

How you can take part in this exciting venture!

1) Sponsorhsip: Learn more and pledge!!

2) Spread the Word! Social networkers and Bloggers unite. Let’s get the message out their!

Learn more about Vanessa - Crushedlime.com

For the first time in years, I checked out a Ricky’s NYC store. For those who are not familiar with the company, Ricky’s is an “edgy, ultra-hip ‘beauty shop’ specializing in hair care, cosmetics and unique fashion accessories.” It’s pretty much a one-stop shop for anything cutting edge in the beauty industry.

Ever since I decided to make my way towards greener pasture, I thought it best to avoid such stores because they seemed like the type of places that would not offer healthy beauty alternatives. Plus, I didn’t want to be tempted by all the clever marketing applied to these products: “hair like silk, lips like Angelina’s, eyelashes so long you could knock your neighbor over…” I think you get the picture.

Well, I was completely wrong and have definitely been missing out. Just about every product category comes in an eco-friendly version. I couldn’t believe it! They actually don’t seem to promote this fact which is good because it shows a sort of seamless integration taking place in the industry.

Their About Us page simply states: “Ricky's is constantly forging ahead, seeking new projects and devising new ways to share their vision of beauty with the world (with a supersized dose of fun in the process of course).” I guess that says it all, their vision of beauty has a natural, eco-fab penchant.

When I first started making changes in my beauty routine I had to run around to find descent products, now, they are all in one great place and the range is constantly expanding. Thus far, its stores are mainly located throughout NY but plans for a nationwide expansion are well on their way. Kudos to them!!

Since the beginning of summer, Sephora is another store that has made strides toward adapting to a market that is increasingly eco-conscious. Sephora created its own internal standard for their natural products—and a green “Natural Sephora” logo to identify those that pass the test.

I’ve also noticed in the newly redesigned Duane Reade stores there are similar eco-beauty sections as well.

Great progress! This is all good news because there shouldn’t have to be a compromise between being fashionable and eco-friendly.

Thank goodness, the gap is being bridged!

BUT, I still say, BUYER BEWARE! So much of the savvy marketing has now been applied to the organic/natural bandwagon. Greenwashing is alive and well so I still refer to the trusty cosmeticdatabase.com as much as possible. Should a product not be listed in the database, it can easily be submitted for analysis.

Happy Shopping!

Be sure to check out What Crushed Lime Likes for tried and true beauty.

Vanessa - Crushedlime.com

A moment we all dread but will have to face at least once, twice or thrice in life, is moving. Well, July 31 was moving day in the Crosbie household. Last time we moved, about 3 years ago, we bought over a hundred dollars worth of cardboard boxes. I hoped we would find someone to take them off our hands so they would at least be reused, but nobody did. All these brand new boxes that were used only once were done away with. What a waste!

This time, that was not an acceptable option. So I searched the net for a more eco-friendly solution – not only eco-friendly, but a downright wiser solution. I came across a whole variety of them, from plastic boxes that are loaned out by the moving company to box matching billboard services: you need a box – you borrow a box.

My husband and I opted for the plastic box choice. We went with Movinggreen.com, a division of Arthur Werner Moving & Storage Inc, which has been around since 1910 and provides services to the tri-state area (NY/NJ/CT).

The company concept is the following:
“Slowly but surely, we are changing the way we do business. We began with reducing the amount of paperwork. We eliminated all our brochures and made everything available online. All communication such as proposals, quotes, support issues, and billing are done electronically. All our boxes have been redesigned and made from recyclable plastic. This eliminates up to 90% of waste that is generated during a move.”

The process was very simple: start by filling out the on-line estimate, next a representative gets back to you with a quote. From there, we decided it was quite comparable to other moving services so we called to schedule a box drop off about a week before our move. We packed the boxes and on moving day watched the movers go. They stack all the boxes and hustle them out of the apartment. It went fast. The rep was very accommodating for the pick-up time scheduling - I think they ended up giving us three weeks. Lastly, the boxes were picked up and that was that. No guilt!!

Next time you move, plug in “moving green” into google to find all kinds of great eco-sensible moving options around the country. It’s just another way to make every little action count!!

Check it out - Movinggreen.com

Learn more about Vanessa - CrushedLime.com