The Beautiful World of Sally Rooney
I just finished Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You. I’m not giving away any spoilers with this reveal: The Irish author’s third book is narrowly focused on four characters; one, a writer, seems to be a stand-in for Rooney. The plot is straight out of a Brontë novel — there’s even a brooding Heathcliffian love interest — and the prose can be distractingly cold and distant. But the questions this book forces readers to contemplate — wow. I’ve never read anything like it. Have you?
Vegan Chocolate Easter Eggs? Yes Please!
Tis the season for chocolate. Between Valentine’s and Easter, we’re practically made of the stuff. For several years, I’ve asked readers to boycott Hershey’s—the biggest chocolate manufacturer in America—because of delays in implementing third-party certification to reduce the prevalence of child labor, forced labor, child trafficking and verbal, physical and sexual harassment in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, where the company sources its cocoa. I even published candy guides to help parents navigate away from companies like Nestle, which phased out artificial food additives in their European confectionary line three years ago, but have yet to make the same move here in America. (Oh, and bottled California’s water without remorse during the…
Models Kickstart for a Living Wage
Most reality shows tend to focus on materialism. But “Sweatshop: Dead Cheap Fashion” flipped that paradigm when it sent two Norwegian models to Cambodia to explore what it was like to work in a sweatshop without a living wage. After the film premiered in April of last year on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, H&M filed a complaint to Norwegian Press Complaints Commission claiming the show was not representative of the company’s social responsibility policy. The protest was denied, and “Sweatshop: Dead Cheap Fashion” logged nearly eight million viewers and nabbed a coveted Norwegian media award. Now teen models Frida and Anniken are working to Kickstarter the second season and return to Cambodia…
Mommy Greenest Guide to Eco Friendly Fashion
You’ve read about fast fashion, in which underpaid workers in third-world countries provide western consumers with cheap and disposable goods. You’re all clear on cotton, which uses 17% of the world’s insecticides and is 94% Genetically Modified. And that the textile industry is the world’s second largest water polluter, after agriculture. But with that in mind, sometimes you just have to shop, right? Which is why it makes sense now to figure out what matters to you when it comes to the clothes and accessories that you buy–especially if you’re concerned about your impact on the Earth. (For more on that, check out the Mommy Greenest Guide to Going Green.)…
Starbucks Pilloried for Conflict Palm Oil
Remember when we took the palm oil challenge–was it as eye-opening for you as it was for me? Get ready to open them even wider: Now Starbucks is involved.
A Conscious Mother’s Day Gift Guide
With three kids, Mother’s Day is a big day for DIY in our home. I’ve received everything from heartfelt homemade cards to a rock song written in my honor. But when it comes to buying gifts, I look for fair trade and sustainably made products. I discovered these gorgeous gifts on Earth911’s YouChange marketplace. Because a celebration of love for your mother should include a nod to Mother Earth!
#Detox #Fashion @Greenpeace Report: @Gap Loses
I seriously love Greenpeace’s “Detox Catwalk” fashion campaign. The online platform ranks companies on supply chain transparency and eliminating hazardous chemicals from products. This year’s report just dropped, and the takeaway is a doozy.
Let’s Start A Fast Fashion Revolution!
Last year, a few months after we concluded the Shop Drop Challenge, I ran into a friend who had participated. She’d pledged to not buy anything new for 30 days, joining the Mommy Greenest community in our effort to raise awareness of the environmental impact of fashion, and the eco-friendly options that thrifting, swapping and consignment provide. And guess what? After her 30 days were up, my friend kept her pledge! She’d saved so much money and time that it became her way of life. Now I’ve got a new challenge for her. I’m asking this friend—and the entire Mommy Greenest community—to join me next Friday, 4.24.15, for a global effort…
