Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day Country Squire! Today marks the 40th anniversary of the holiday! It was so cute: this morning my nephew asked if the Earth was 40 years old when I told him that. I couldn’t help but laugh. I believe the Earth is a good bit more than 40 years old.

But to commemorate Earth Day, I suggest you doing something, even if it’s small, to help preserve our environment. Turn off your lights when not using them, turn off the water when brushing your teeth, carpool to locations; every little bit counts.

What are you doing to help preserve the planet on which we stand?

Reuse, Repeat, Recycle!

I pack a lunch everyday to take with me to work. This being so, I know I must have gone through at least 200 sandwich bags in a 2 week to a months time. Absurd, right?

Well, I’ve stumbled across someone’s site that makes homemade, reusable, sandwich and snack bags. Granted, they’re intended for children, but they’re so convenient! All you do is flip them inside out, chuck them in the washing machine, and air dry. This way, you’ll never run out of sandwich bags and break your wallet and harm the environment by constantly buying more.

My mother reuses the gallon sized plastic bags, but those only last so long.

Do you have any going green tips to share?

Green Eyes

Ever bought eyeglasses from a department store of a drug store?  As I am sure that you have noticed, they sometimes don’t come in the best shades and styles.

I found a company that has changed that.  ICU Eyewear, has decided that they are going to break that stereotype.  They now have an eco-friendly line that is both stylish and eco-friendly.

Need a pair of green-eyes?

More on this article here.

Lead In Your Lipstick

A recent Food and Drug Administration review of 20 red lipsticks from 10 different brands showed lead in all of the lipstick at concentrations up to four-times higher than what was found in independent testing.

The FDA has not regulated lead in lipstick, but the levels detected were up to 10 times higher than the safe limit set for lead in candy. The FDA limit for candy is 0.1 ppm or parts per million. Some lipsticks are as high as 0.58ppm.

The lead content of lipsticks is a special concern for pregnant women because lead is a proven neurotoxin, which can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. Lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is looking to the industry to reformulate products to remove lead and to require suppliers to guarantee that raw materials are free of lead and other contaminants.

If you’re looking for lead free red lipsticks, here is a list of 6 brands and their shades:

1         Avon
Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee

2 The Body Shop

Lip Color Garnet

1 Clinique

Long Last Lipstick Merlot

2 Estee Lauder

Maraschino

3 MAC

Matte Lipstick Viva Glam 1

4 Revlon

Superlustrous Love That Red