News That's Not About Food

But important for anyone who wants to stay healthy. Check out "Ten Dangerous Household Products You Should Never Use Again." Then get busy on replacing the toxic cleaners and other products in your house with safer alternatives. Yes, it is that important!

Meanwhile, to help eliminate the plastic bag problem, here are step-by-step instructions for making inexpensive, eco-friendly totes out of old t-shirts, a great way to keep plastic garbage from suffocating our waterways.


tshirt-bag-tshirt or the emergency eco friendly bag - More DIY How To Projects

I'm Baaaaaack ...

to nag about food some more. And why not? Health care is a major topic these days. But while that debate rages on, there's plenty we can do to keep ourselves healthy. For example, check out this headline: "Vegetarians Less Likely To Develop Cancer, Say Researchers." Do yourself a favor and go read it. Now.

Reason # 1,759 Not To Eat Meat

Seriously, there have been hundreds of studies showing that eating meat, especially the red variety, is not good for anyone's health. Now there's one more, and it's pretty impressive. Here's the short version, for those who don't want to read the whole thing: Vegetarians live longer.

Need menu suggestions? There are hundreds (actually probably thousands) of cookbooks loaded with unbelievably great vegetarian recipes, like this one.

Food Matters

Lately I've been thinking that a lot of health issues could be improved if people were willing to give up some of the fast and ready-made food they eat, which are not good for all sorts of reasons. So I loved finding this fascinating article in the New York Times by columnist and author Mark Bittman (“Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating”).

Some of the statistics made my hair stand on end (Americans get more calories from soft drinks (7%) than they do from fruits and vegetables!!!). But it's nice to hear someone else talking about the benefits of eating real, cook it yourself food. Maybe I'm delusional, but I'm calling it a trend!

Don't take my word for it. Take the time -- a whole minute and a half!! -- to watch the trailer (above) for the documentary "Processed People." Want to see more? Check out the second trailer (below) -- it's barely three minutes long. Even if you're not inspired to buy or rent the DVD, just remember the bottom line: Eat Food, Not Food-Like Things!

Promote a Sister Sunday: Hello, Miss Ruby Sue!!

What’s in a name? Plenty, I think. Example: as soon as I saw the shop name “Miss Ruby Sue” I just knew the store would be filled with things that were fun and different and creative. Wow, I couldn’t have been more wrong!!

Because the offerings at Miss Ruby Sue are actually way, WAY beyond fun, different and creative. They are firmly entrenched in the “dazzling, knockout, holy cow I’ve never seen that before” category. In fact, MRS pretty much owns the entire category! Just check out Exhibits A, B and C, below:



From adorable tote bag to trendy, bib-style necklace to dazzling headpiece, it's clear that Miss Ruby Sue is all about being unique. Store founder, Lori Ward, describes her distinctive style this way:

“…a one of a kind Fashion Label with romantic vintage curiosities. Often using upcycled clothing, thrifted trinkets and extinct vintage cuts in an artful blend of melodious chic and neovictorian deconstructed elements. You may even see a little punk fun come thru as well.”

Okay, no argument here. Miss Ruby Sue’s colorfully eclectic collection of bags, accessories and body art is hard to describe. But that’s exactly what clients love about Lori’s work. Even though she’s fairly new to etsy, the shop’s had plenty of sales. And Lori gets extra credit for cultivating her over-the-top style from a conservative small town where out of the ordinary is not exactly celebrated. As she explains at her blog:

“That has been a challenge for me- that's why I'm so in love with the internet- I can reach a worldwide audience and not just locals. My work is a little eccentric for my town, but I have found people who do like that sort of look and will find me. I had a friend tell me 'you'll never sell that here- it's too expensive and eccentric.' I just smiled because I know women want to feel and look beautiful no matter what the economy is like.”

Exactly! It’s nice to know that even though the world seems to be going to heck in a hand basket, there’s a place where none of that matters. In fact, I have a feeling that just slipping into a delectable little item like “Scary Mary – funky punky princess wears hairpiece in pink and black set on headband or clip” is the perfect antidote to so many of the “woe is me” moments that come along. And for that, I just have to say “Thank you, Miss Ruby Sue!”

The Big Bag of Luck Giveaway ...

... with Carried Away: The Etsy Bag Makers Team GIVEAWAY RUNS March 13th - 23rd, 2009!!

The Carried Away Team is celebrating the lucky season and the turning of Winter to Spring with a BIG BAG OF LUCK GIVEAWAY. Visit each of our participating SHAMROCK SHOPS to find the hidden Shamrocks (exactly like the image above) or the phrase "bag of luck" hidden somewhere in their listings. Email us your list and you're in!

You can earn additional entries by making a purchase from any Carried Away team shop or by promoting this giveaway via your blog, twitter or any other means that we can verify.

BIG BAGS OF PRIZES!!!!!
1 (One) Grand Prize winner. Participants must locate all 26 (twenty six) hidden shamrocks/phrases to qualify. Winner will receive their choice of 6 (six) prizes from the list below. Winner will also receive an actual Bag of Luck shopping tote, courtesy of team member Naughty Monkeys (yup, that's MY bag, shown in the post just below this one!!). Limit one entry per email address.

1 (One) First Place winner. Participants must locate at least 5 Shamrocks/phrases to qualify. Winner will receive their choice of 4 (Four) Prizes from the list below. Limit one entry per email address.

1 (One) Second Place winner. Participants must locate at least 3 shamrocks/phrases to qualify. Winner will receive their choice of 2 (Two) Prizes from the list below. Limit one entry per email address.

The 14 (Fourteen) Remaining Prizes:
Earn one entry to win the the 14 remaining prizes by promoting our giveaway or finding at least one hidden Shamrock/phrase. The remaining prizes will be awarded singly by random number drawing from all entries that qualify as stated below. Prize won will be chosen randomly.

For full details and rules of the game, please visit the CAB team blog at:
http://www.carriedawayteam.blogspot.com

Ready to Get Lucky?

Then join Carried Away: The Big Bag of Luck Giveaway, March 13-23rd, 2009, sponsored by my terrific teammates at etsy's Carried Away Bag Team.

For details, keep an eye on the team blog -- http://carriedawaybagteam.blogspot.com -- or come back here March 13.

Meanwhile, here's a preview of one of my giveaways -- the Shamrock Reversible Shopping Tote! This is the "lucky" side, a riot of shiny shamrocks!!



And this is sturdy side -- good old industrial-strength burlap, with a few shamrocks peeking over the edge -- just for luck, naturally!



Eat your heart out, Kate Spade!!