Wood Watches

Product find!!  Made from 100% Natural Wood, WeWood Wooden Watches brings you closer to nature.  They are made without any artificial and toxic materials.

(photo credit: http://we-wood.us/collections/best-seller)

WeWood is in partnership with American Forests and Trees for the Future, they will plant one tree for every time piece purchased!  This really helps you make a difference to this planet.  Any way I can give back I try and do my part!  I truly feel closer to earth by wearing one of these, I am following my values by being more eco-friendly and sustainable, and this time piece reminds me of that every day!  It makes me very proud to wear one of these unique pieces and I highly recommend any one shopping around for a watch to check out WeWood first!  The picture below is the watch I recently purchased and I must say, it is everything I thought it would be!  I am absolutely in love with it!  It is 100% Natural Wood and completely free of toxic chemicals.  They can be a little bit on the pricy side, but rather than spending a few hundred on a Michael Kors watch, I would rather give back to my planet, completely worth it.  Is it worth checking out, and can even make a great gift!

Soph

Wake Up With This Green Juice Recipe

The one thing I drink the most of are fresh juices and smoothies.  I LOVE juicing! I always try and start my morning with green juice.  So jumpstart your next morning with this high-fiber, low-calorie breakfast drink.  Great start to your day!  I always feel so refreshed and energized for my day after drinking one glass of this.  I hope you enjoy it!

The ingredients I use:
Spinach
Cucumber
Celery
Parsley
Mint
Carrots
Apple
Orange
Lime
Lemon
Pineapple

Combine in a blender, serve and ENJOY! 

What are some of your green juice recipes?  Feel free to comment and share!


Soph

Ways to Go Green at Work

There are lots of ways to go green even at work. It is simple to make any environment a little bit more green. If you can make your home more eco-friendly, then it is just as easy to make your work space eco-friendly. Here are some helpful tips to become more green and eco-friendly at work:

• Conserve computer energy-  At work we tend to use our computers for hours at a time. For most of us, it is the central tool at work! It is important to remember to save as much energy by optimizing the energy settings on your computer. You can also set the display to sleep or turn off after 15 minutes or less when not in use.  And always shut the computer down when you leave for the day ("standby" settings will continue to draw power even when not in use). Also remember to unplug anything not in use, such as power adapters and battery chargers.
• Printers- Printers and scanners should always be unplugged until they need to be used. And try not to use color ink if possible. When buying printer paper, look for recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and the minimum of chlorine bleaching. When printing, try to use both sides of the page to minimize the use of paper. And don't just throw away your empty ink cartridges. Recycling printer cartridges is often free, and recycled replacements are cheaper than new ones.
• Use Green Materials-  Some paper use can't be avoided, so use recycled paper and envelopes that have been processed and colored using eco-friendly methods.  Pens and pencils can also be made of recycled materials, and refillable pens and markers are preferable to disposable ones. One website that I like is Remarkable.

Soph

A Guide to Frosting

One of my favorite things to do is cook and bake- as you can tell from a few of my posts! I love to make a lot of different things homemade.  But not only do I enjoy cooking but I also really enjoy baking!  And one thing I especially like making homemade for my desserts is the frosting.  There are countless varieties of different ways to make frosting (ganache, sugary frosting, royal icing, fondant, meringue buttercream, chocolate glaze, and more).  So what is the difference between all of these you may wonder?  When do you use each one?  Is there a big taste difference?--These are probably the most common questions people ask.  So lets break these frostings down.  At least the ones I use most often and the ones you will most likely use the most as well.

1. Ganache:

• Made by whisking chopped solid chocolate covered by warm heavy cream (36-40% fat content).  or you can use whipping cream (35%).  For the chocolate, it is best to use quality chocolate: bittersweet (extra dark), semisweet (dark), milk or white.
• Ganache can be made into many different consistencies, I usually make a thinner consistency (more cream, less chocolate) for pouring over cakes, desserts, etc.
• Can be stored, covered, in refrigerator for several days and reheated slowly for use.

2. Sugary Frosting:

• Also known as "icing," and "cupcake frosting."
• Typically made from butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk.  Sometimes it is made from shortening.
• The taste is usually creamy, rich and super-sweet.  I like to add flavor, I usually like to use citrus zest and vanilla bean.
• Best used for cupcakes and layer cakes.
• Store at room temperature, can last up to several days.

3. Chocolate Glaze:

• Made by melting chopped chocolate and butter together (sometimes corn syrup).
• Similar to ganache in its deep, dark, glossy appearance, but there is no cream, therefore less rich.
• Thickens when cool.
• Best use for pouring over cupcakes, cakes, donuts, etc.
• Can be stored, covered, in refrigerator for several days and warmed when needed.

4. Meringue Buttercream:

• Made from granulated sugar, egg whites, butter, vanilla and salt (with countless options for variations).  Can be time-consuming, but fairly simple to make.
• Very rich, buttery, creamy and not too sweet.
• Typically used for filling and frosting cakes of all kinds, coating cakes to be covered in rolled fondant, frosting cupcakes, and more.
• Can be frozen (a month) or refrigerated up to a week in an airtight container, then brought to room temperature before re-whipping.

I hope this helps and brings some clarity to all the frosting and icing confusion that is out there.  Happy Baking! :)

Soph

Eco-Friendly Apparel

Just wanted to share a few pieces of clothing I recently purchased that I am so excited about!  When searching for a new pair of jeans, most shoppers focus on fit and price, paying little attention to the carbon cost of their purchase.  I found this great clothing company that sells eco-friendly premier-quality denim, uniting ecology with technology; they recycle fabric from the textile waste stream to manufacture eco-friendly jeans with minimal new material.  They believe that environmental awareness can coexist with fashion.  If you are shopping for some new shorts for summer and want to do it the green/eco-friendly way, check them out! 

Soph

3 WaysTo Reuse Old Items In Your Home

Before rushing to toss something in the garbage, recycling bin or in the donation box, take a minute to think creatively of how you could still use that item.  A lot of us don't take the time to think of ways they can reuse things we don't need anymore.  Many things around the house can still be repurposed! We just rush to get rid of anything and everything to clean out and make room for new stuff.  By reusing items we have around the house that we don't think we can use anymore, we are helping out our landfills!  And revamping our homes with new stylish décor!

1.  Empty Toilet Paper Rolls

There are many creative ideas for your empty toilet paper rolls all over DIY Pinterest pages!  More and more creative ideas keep popping up everywhere!  One use I have for them is to help me organize messy extra cords.  If you have extra cords smushed up in a drawer or in the corner on a shelf in the garage, help yourself out a bit by detangling them and organizing them properly on a shelf or in a drawer by using toilet rolls!- they work wonders!  Simply wind a single cord into each empty paper roll and store side by side, standing up in a drawer, bin or even an empty shoebox- Ding! Ding!- another reusable item.  Bye Bye tangled messes!

2. Wine Bottles

I love to use my empty wine bottles as decorative vases and as bracelet holders!  For decorative vases I like to paint the exterior of the bottle white, it goes with almost every room!  Before you do start painting just make sure the label is off.  You can simply remove the label from the bottle by soaking it in hot sudsy water (use dishwashing detergent) for 5 or more minutes until the label becomes soft. Gently peel it away; use a scrub brush to remove any leftover residue.  Also, just remember to clean the inside of the bottles too by simply rinsing out the bottle by using warm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid.

3. Jewelry Rack

So not only do I reuse wine bottles to help organize my jewelry but I also reuse old trays for my necklaces.  If you have old cutlery trays laying around the house that no longer has any use, they make for awesome jewelry racks!  Line the inside of the tray with your favorite fabric or paper scraps- or even paint it with your favorite color.  Attach small cabinet knobs and/or tiny hooks within each segment of the tray and use them to hang and organize favorite necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  If you don't have an old tray laying around, or you do, you just still use it, but love this idea and are in need of a new jewelry display you can always use an old picture frame and stick the paper with tacks.

Soph

Homemade Salsa

One of my favorite things to snack on is Chips & Salsa!  I love to make homemade salsa!  It is so much better for you than the store bought jars and much better tasting.  Ever since the first time I made this, I haven't been able to go back!  Trust me, it is VERY addicting- but it's ok because it's healthy! ;)

Ingredients:
5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 Small onion, chopped
2 Jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1 Clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt & Peper to taste

Directions:
Pretty much self-explanatory!  After everything is finely chopped and minced put everything into a bowl.  Let sit for an hour.  The longer the better so the flavors can permeate over time.  Then after some time has passed by dig in & enjoy!!


Soph