In this video learn step by step how to make soap with the basics of cold processes soap making. This process uses raw materialsand hand stirring to create gentle and mild soap. For more information click Here<

Due to an obvious shortage of freshwater on Navy ships (at least in the past), dirty sailors would get in their tiny shower stalls, run enough water to get wet, then shut the water off and soap up all over.  Then they would turn the water back on, rinse off, get dressed and it’s man your battle stations!

This technique can also be used by us hardy souls looking to help out with the Earth’s short supply of fresh water.  A regular shower can consume up to 60 gallons of water, while a navy shower can use as little as 3 gallons.  That’s a lot of saved water — up to 15,000 gallons a year.  Not enough to fill an average backyard pool, but nonetheless quite a bit.

Still, there probably aren’t many people who are willing to give up their 10 minutes of hot spray in the morning.  For some, it’s the difference between a good day and a bad one.  I myself have not tried this yet.  And we can’t forget the minute-or-so it takes to heat my water up in the morning.

But I promise to try the old maritime shower routine and see how it goes.  Perhaps I’ll ask the wife to join, to try and make it more fun.  Maybe I’ll report back.  Anyone else?

(Huffington Post Green, Planet Green)

The owner of LITTLE BODHI makes the above statement on her new e-boutique website, which features an assortment of eco-friendly basics for babies including toys, clothing, and music. At LITTLE BODHI, online shoppers can choose between shopping green, organic, or non-toxic. Brands include Kate Quinn Organics, Speesees, Sckoon, Rockabye Baby, and Anamalz.

While the prices for organic baby wear may be slightly steep for some new parents, we all know there are plenty of aunties out there who see nothing wrong with paying 25 bucks for a unique onesie (especially if it means plugging sustainable options at the baby shower and having a gift that won’t likely be a duplicate). If the parents-to-be are responsible consumers determined to bring baby up green, the thoughtful gift will mean that much more.

Though I choose to clothe my own busy children in mainly hand-me downs or thrift shop bargains, I must admit that my newborns were clad in 99% brand new gift wear like most of their peach fuzzed peers. But one thing I never got around to doing as a new mom was sending out cute birth announcements. LITTLE BODHI offers a free, eco-friendly solution for expecting parents who may never get around to circulating that first photo in a formal way. New moms who choose LITTLE BODHI as their gift registry can sign up for the adorable electronic baby announcement that can be effortlessly e-mailed to friends and family after the baby arrives. Visit LITTLE BODHI for more details.

In an interview for Here Magazine, Kim explained the eco-friendly aspect of her business:

“The emphasis on recycling is very important. It’s definitely the part of my company that I’m the proudest of. This fabric would go to a land fill if it wasn’t saved. So, in a way, we are saving it twice. First, saving it from the landfill, then by recycling it in to something that can be resold.”

But you won’t find these babies on just any old hanger anymore. Munson’s eco-savvy designs are sold exclusively in specialty stores across Canada.

Here are some locations where Orphanage Clothing is currently available:

Vancouver : Thriller
Calgary: Junk Star Vintage
Ottawa: Workshop Studio and Boutique
Peterborough: Buttercup and Co
Montreal: Friperie La Gaillarde
Fredericton: ReNeu Boutique
Moncton: Artsy et Vintage
Halifax: Love, Me Boutique, Lost and Found
Charlottetown: The Green Man

Orphanage Clothing recently showcased its Summer 08 line at the One Life Surf School Fashion Show in Halifax.  For more information, contact the designer via the Orphanage Clothing website. 

So go on…donate that old shaker knit sweater that you’re sure no one will ever wear. You never know who might adopt it.

On June 4th, Billabong hosted their 2nd Design for Humanity charity event. The first event was an opportunity for Billabong to give back to a non-profit close to the heart of their industry.

This year Design for Humanity will donate to the Surfrider Foundation. Retailers, celebrities, artists, and the general public had the opportunity to make a difference in this event. This one night of celebrating is animated by a bikini fashion show, a live band and art exposition.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.

The core activities and campaigns that the Surfrider Foundation uses to protect our oceans, waves and beaches fall into the categories of Clean Water, Beach Access, Beach Preservation and Protecting Special Places.

www.storyofstuff.com

You want environmentally friendly clothing? Green Is Black as it for you. They create quality clothing from recycled materials, 100% pure organic cotton and use only vegetable dye. But quality doesn’t come cheep. $50 t-shirts and $250 jeans is what you will be buying at the Green Is Black store.

The one thing that seemed to elude us was the ability to purchase clothing that was both sustainable and appealed to our craving for soft, sensuous, beautiful, and body-celebrating clothing; shoes and accessories that were vegeco and therefore free of PVC/vinyl, and hip, funky and sexy to boot (no pun intended!) We felt guilty for wanting it; we felt self-righteous for going without out; we felt a little cranky about not having the ability to have it without compromising our ethics.

If money is no object, Green Is Black is a great place to spend your money. But for the majority of us, we’ll have to keep recycling our own clothes.