Rallying for Earth
Female mayors around the world are joining forces to address the uneven impact of climate change on women.
The link between climate change and women’s rights may be baffling to some. But for Zandile Gumede, the first female mayor of Durban, South Africa, they are inextricably woven together. She was elected last year in part on her promise to address environmental problems in the region, and engaging women in the effort is crucial to finding solutions.
Women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and are less likely to be educated as scientists or represented on committees that make decisions about environmental sustainability.
Women are more susceptible to climate change because they are more likely to collect water, food and firewood, and to cook meals- and therefore feel the brunt of extreme weather, disappearing water resources and soil degradation more keenly, according to a 2009 United Nations report. Women also make up a large part of the agricultural work forces in many developing countries.
When air pollution causes a spike in illnesses such as asthma, it is typically the mother who stays home to care for the sick children, reducing her productivity and career growth.
As a sign of growing recognition of the connection between women’s rights and climate change, two months ago, the first C40 Women4Climate conference was held in Manhattan, bringing together female mayors from around the world.
Patricia de Lille, mayor of Capetown said that the crisis has brought opportunity. “Over two years, we’ve trained 4,000 young people to fix plumbing leaks.” She hopes that by 2020, as much as 20 percent of her city’s energy will come from renewable sources. Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, says that mayors are close to reality, close to everything happening in their city, and more so than government.
Ms. de Lille said: “The signing of the Paris Agreement was the easy part. What follows is implementation, implementation, implementation. After the Paris Agreement, I went back to my city and made sure that every department is overlaid with climate considerations.”
The current American administration’s opposition to climate change is irrelevant, said Eleanor Blomstrom, co-director of the Women’s Environment & Development Organization, an advocacy group. Ms. Hidalgo, “ The American president’s words are not enough to stop the process. To be a skeptic today is to deny reality. We are the last generation that can act to save the planet.”
Excerpted from a piece in the New York Times by Alina Tugend.
Racecar Driver and Environmental Activist, Leilani Munter
Leilani Münter is a biology graduate turned race-car driver and environmental activist! She believes it is essential for humans to adapt and evolve the way we are living to a sustainable way that does not destroy the world around us. Leilani is an advocate for renewable energy, solar power, electric cars, plant-based diet and animals.
Leilani wants our future to be a cleaner and kinder world.
Münter is well known for speaking on environmental and animal issues. She blogs in the green section of the Huffington Post and became the first Ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation in 2008 and went to Capitol Hill to lobby for environmental legislation.
In 2010, she was named by, Discovery Channel’s Planet Green Network, as the #1 Eco Athlete in the world.
In February 2009, Münter climbed to the top of a wind turbine at Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Abilene, Texas and autographed one of the blades. The turbine was consequently nicknamed “Leilani” and that same year, she signed a solar panel at the largest solar thermal energy center in the world, located in the Mojave desert, California.
In 2010, Münter became involved in protests against the hunting of dolphins in Taiji, Japan and became a volunteer for Save Japan Dolphins.
On January 3, 2012 Münter announced that she was raising funds to drive a “The Cove” themed race car at Daytona International Speedway on February 18 to draw attention to dolphin captivity and killings.
In 2014, Münter began driving a race car modeled after an orca whale at the Talladega Speedway with a “Blackfish” theme to raise awareness about the controversial 2013 documentary criticizing Seaworld for placing orca whales in captivity.
LOLA loves Leilani!
Watch her slideshow, with music by Jack Johnson: http://www.leilani.green/slideshow
LOLA girl of the Month/March 2017
Modern Day Feminist : Adwoa Aboah
Adwoa Aboah is an inspiring young woman who is helping other girls find their voice.
Adwoa launched GurlsTalk , a platform started on Instagram dedicated to giving young women a space to talk about whatever is one their minds, and where Adwoa also shares images of empowerment and positivity.
Adwoa says “I call myself a feminist and I’m proud to say that, but I think the modern-day feminist can be anyone.”
Adwoa talks about GurlsTalk in Teen Vogue: “With GurlsTalk, I have created a space wherein girls can have honest conversations about everything. It’s a weekly program, educating girls on mental health and addiction and eating disorders, but instead of it being a lecture coming from a teacher or a woman twice their age, I want it to be from women these girls can relate to, women who are speaking from experience.”
https://www.instagram.com/gurlstalk/?hl=en
Source: Porter Magazine and Teen Vogue
The Inspiring Alize Carrere
National Geographic Explorer, Alizé Carrère, travels the world to study how people are adapting to climate change. She shares stories of human and environmental resilience through writing, photography, and education outreach.
Alizé conducted fieldwork in Madagascar, where she spent several months uncovering an unlikely agricultural adaptation in response to severe deforestation. This set her on a path as a National Geographic Explorer, which has since brought her from the depths of the bush to high school classrooms and educational conferences, sharing stories from the field. With ongoing support from the National Geographic Society, she continues to spearhead field research on innovative adaptations to climate change, highlighting the remarkable resilience of the human species.
Michelle Obama
There are so many reasons why we love the LOLA woman of the month, Michelle Obama! From being a high-achiever in a male-dominated society, to not being afraid to show affection in public with her husband of 24 years, to being an advocate for healthy living and loving to garden, and she is determined to raise her girls the right way, is okay about making fun of herself and is herself. She also cares about adolescent girls getting an education no matter where they live in the world.
In March 2015, the President and First Lady launched Let Girls Learn, which brings together the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), as well as other agencies and programs like the U.S. President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to address the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential. Let Girls Learn combines the necessary political will, diplomacy, grassroots organizing, and development expertise to create lasting change.
Girls everywhere deserve to get an education. ❤
Michelle Obama is awesome, inspiring and creating a wonderful legacy.
Week of August 22, 2016
Lauri Kranz
Growing your own food is one of the most satisfying things you can do for yourself. Lauri Kranz, who creates beautiful, healthy, and delicious vegetable gardens! One of the healthiest and empowering things you can do for yourself is growing your own food. You also can’t get more local than that! Here is someone who is teaching people to do just that: Lauri Kranz of EdiblegardensLA.
Eat for health.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Connecticut
Were you a nature girl? I spent my childhood in the woods behind our house with my sister and other neighborhood kids discovering creeks, skunk cabbage and red berries that grew from the bushes all around us.
What work do you do? Or what are you working on at the moment? I have a company called Edible Gardens LA. I design, build, plant and maintain vegetable gardens and edible landscapes. We have a garden to table line of goods that brings artists, makers and craftspeople’s work into our hands in a way that speaks to gardening, spending time at home and connecting with our friends and family. Some of the pieces in our collection include ceramic work by Victoria Morris, our Japanese denim apron with Joes Jeans, our garden tarp with Jenni Kayne and our market bag with Agnes Baddoo.
What can each of us do every day to better the planet? Being aware of the natural world around us – even in big cities – the sounds of birds, the shade of a mature tree, the soil beneath our feet, keeps us grounded and connected to nature and the profound importance of protecting what is wild.
21 LOLA questions:
1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle? I grow as much food as I can, both for my own family and for others in my community. I grow organically and help others to understand the importance of not using pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
2-Ways you like to save money? Growing your own food saves money!
3-Do you have any natural beauty tips? I like to put honey on my face every week and leave it there for half an hour or so before rinsing it off. It makes my skin glow.
4-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal? I kept a journal in grade school and as a songwriter, I have notebooks full of song lyrics.
5-What are your favorite ways to look after your body? I like to hike with my family and with friends. It’s good to be out in nature and let the mind rest and wander without distractions and be close to those you love.
6-What are your favorite housekeeping tips? Adopt a dog! They bring joy and are happy to clean up any bits that fall in the kitchen while cooking.
7-When do you write a handwritten letter? Not enough. I have terrible handwriting but, I try to write them on special occasions.
8-Which safety precautions are second nature to you? Being aware of your environment, exercising caution with strangers and trusting your gut are all important.
9-Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship? Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved? I have volunteered with families in need, in school gardens and donations of food to our local food bank and soup kitchens. I help people grow their own food and support local, organic farms and farmers.
10-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt yourself? My work is physically demanding. I like to lay down on the floor and put my legs up against the wall at the end of the day. This inversion feels so good and helps relax my body and mind.
11-Do you have any favorite board games? Card games? What do you do for entertainment? In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key? My family enjoys a good game of monopoly, charades and some card tricks. Enjoying a good meal and a good book are two of my favorite pastimes.
12-What are your favorite forms of exercise? Hiking and swimming are two of my favorites.
13-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods? I try to use as much organic or sustainably grown produce as possible. I also recognize that I can’t control everything that I eat and I feel extremely grateful to have enough to eat and not experience hunger.
14-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe? Cook brown rice, top it with sauteed vegetables that are in season, cut up an avocado and put on top and then drizzle some olive oil over it along with a squeezed lemon and a sprinkle of salt.
15-What kind of manners do you appreciate the most? A word of kindness goes a long way.
16-What are your favorite social networking tools? I like the immediacy of instagram.
17-What have you done to be ready in the event of a emergency? We have earthquake supplies on hand.
18-What do you always have with you when you travel? An open mind.
19-Which women have inspired you in your life? Stevie Nicks, my grandmother, my sister.
20-What do you do to nourish your soul? I spend time with people I love.
21-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and bands/musicians?
This can’t incorporate them all but, here are some:
The Razor’s Edge – Somerset Maugham
A Moveable Feast – Ernest Hemingway
The Sheltering Sky – Paul Bowles
Henderson the Rain King – Saul Bellow
Just Kids – Patty Smith
Radiohead
Miles Davis
PJ Harvey
Bjork
Joni Mitchell
Prince
Week of July 1, 2016
Our Shared Shelf
Emma Watson has launched a feminist book club called Our Shared Shelf and it’s open to anyone who wants to join!
To become a member, all you need to do is register for an account and join on the group’s page. More than 37,000 people have already signed up at this time, with well-known names such as Abby Wambach, Sophia Bush and Kate Voegele tweeting about their interest in the project.So what’s first on the list? Watson revealed that she has chosen Gloria Steinem’s latest memoir, My Life on the Road, as the inaugural book.
The 25-year-old actress explained her inspiration for the club:
Dear Readers,
As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering! I’ve been discovering so much that, at times, I’ve felt like my head was about to explode… I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too.
The plan is to select and read a book every month, then discuss the work during the month’s last week (to give everyone time to read it!). I will post some questions/quotes to get things started, but I would love for this to grow into an open discussion with and between you all. Whenever possible I hope to have the author, or another prominent voice on the subject, join the conversation.
If you fancy it, please join up and participate. Everyone is welcome. I would be honoured!
Other books chosen so far are:
Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by Bell Hooks
All about Love: New Visions by Bell Hooks
How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
Excuse us while we head over to Goodreads!
Week of 3/30/2016
Gina Rodriquez
“What if we lived in a world where booking a show and getting a Golden Globe was just an excuse to do good for others?”
Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez gave a moving speech about her family and giving, when she received the Young Humanitarian award at the recent Unite4:Humanity event.
The actress realizes not all aspiring performers have access to the same opportunities she had, which is why she established the We Will foundation, designed to focus on arts education and scholarship funding for the less fortunate, with the aim of empowering young women.
“If art is to imitate real life,” said Rodriguez in a statement, why not release art that is positive, empowering, uplifting and inclusive no matter race, gender, body type or economic background?”
When she arrived on stage, Rodriguez was already in tears. Rodriguez, a Chicago native, talked about how her parents worked hard to provide a good life for her and her two sisters. She recalled growing up inspired by her father’s involvement with labor unions as a teamster, and how her mother often sacrificed personal luxuries to take care of extended family.
She credited them with instilling in her a desire to give back to the community.
“They taught me that being good was a standard that doesn’t need praise or recognition,” she said. “That the more you help others succeed, you, too, will succeed.”
“Good is the food that I give my heart, and I thank my mom and dad for giving me that,” she said.
Watch her beautiful acceptance speech here:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/gina-rodriguezs-humanitarian-award-speech#.hwZLw67g5
Week of 3/11/2016
Fran!
LOLA‘s kicking of 2016 with January’s Woman of the Month: Fran Drescher. Known for her work as an actress, Drescher is also an outspoken healthcare advocate and has become a leading voice in raising cancer awareness. Fran founded the non-profit Cancer Schmancer, which focuses on early detection, prevention and advocacy. LOLA interviewed Fran! Here Fran answers LOLA’s interview questionnaire!
Where did you grow up?
Flushing Queens
What can each of us do every day to better the planet?
I think one way we can better the planet is by eating organic, local, grass fed, plants and animals.
21 LOLA questions:
1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?
I think the choices, purchase I make, the food I eat is impacted by my desire to have a healthy, clean environment and earth for the next seven generations and then some.
2-Ways you like to save money?
I try to reuse and repurpose as many things as possible instead of throwing them away and creating more waste.
3-Do you have any natural beauty tips?
It’s really important what you put on your skin and use for hygiene products. Especially toothpaste, deodorant or anything you use every ay or few times a day. Read the labels and purchase items that are made from ingredients that are grown in your grandma’s garden.
4-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal?
I write about my feelings. My relationship with myself, and others.
5-What are your favorite ways to look after your body?
Well I eat all organic, non-gmo and grass fed. I drink lots of water throughout the day and night. As for exercise, I do pillates, yoga and I love to hike.
6-What are your favorite housekeeping tips?
I use eco friendly bio degradable store bought items for cleaners and disinfectants but also use lemons, baking soda, white vinegar and essential oils as well.
7-When do you write a handwritten letter?
Anytime I am giving a gift or present. Or as a special show of appreciation.
8-Which personal safety precautions are second nature to you?
Well being a celebrity I have to take a lot of extra safety precautions in absolutely everything I do.
9-Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved?
I got extremely involved in activism after being diagnosed with and beating uterine cancer. I was misdiagnosed and mistreated over the course of two years by eight doctors. I wrote the book Cancer Schmancer because I didn’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. During the book tour, I realized that so many people had a similar experience, so I had to do something. The book was just the beginning of what has now evolved into the Cancer Schmancer Movement.
I’ve been extremely vocal, using my unique voice to bring awareness and to get things done. I’ve been an Ambassador for Women’s Health since the first Bush administration, and I travel around the world advocating for women’s health. I also spend a lot of time on Capitol Hill. We were able to pass The Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, also known as “Johanna’s Law,” by unanimous consent. Right now, we’re working on the Carcinogen-Free Label Act. I believe in turning lemons into lemonade, and my activism is part of that. I think activism is very healthy and healing, and I would encourage anyone who’s looking to volunteer to go to CancerSchmancer.org and get involved.
10-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt yourself?
Absolutely. I try to do everything as simply, organically and naturally as possible. Nature has a remedy for any ailment.
11-What do you do for entertainment? In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key?
I love to go museums, look at art. I like to see movies and go to concerts too.
12-What are your favorite forms of exercise?
Pilates, Yoga and hiking.
13-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods?
Everything I buy is organic and I really try to buy local as well.
14-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe?
A yummy salad with your favorite vegetables and with some organic, grass fed, hormone free protein.
16-What are you favorite social networking tools?
Twitter is probably my favorite although I do enjoy Facebook too.
17-What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster?
I keep my house stocked with essentials and non- perishables.
18-What do you always have with you when you travel?
Well I tend to over pack. It’s always better to have and not need, than need and not have.
19-Which women have inspired you in your life?
Every woman who has championed a cause or fights the good fight really. My mother inspires me. As did my late manager, Elaine.
Thank you so much Fran!
Love is Love
oxoxPriscilla
2016 January 21
9 Women Who Are Saving the Planet
What happens when a group of intelligent, educated, optimistic and driven women put their talents to work? They save the planet, that’s what.
Meet the 9 women who are at the forefront of the animal rights and environmental movements, changing the world for the better every single day like a girl a boss.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/
Shiva Rose
The lovely and inspiring Shiva Rose, shows us how to live a holistic and healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste and glamour through her blog TheLocalRose.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in the countryside of Iran until I was ten. My mother was an American living there with my Iranian father, and we grew up in a very bohemian household. When I was ten we relocated to LA. It was quite a culture shock to come to the states, however my connection to nature even as a young child kept me grounded. We grew up against the Albourz mountains where we hiked through the snows of winter and flowers blooming in the Spring.
Were/are you a nature girl? I am definitely connected to The Source or the natural world in a deep way. It is almost my religion. I try to hike every other day in the canyons behind my house, and I try feel the earth between my hands and feet at least once during the day. I escape to Ojai, Big Sur, or Kauai with my daughters once a year. Next week I am taking my youngest Charlotte camping under the redwoods on Orcas Island. We cannot wait to be still in nature, unlplugged from the daily world.
What can each of us do every day to better the planet? I definitely think the way we eat is a political statement and a way of being conscious. Sadly much of the food easily found is processed and made with toxic GMO material. I think eating as organically as possible is a wonderful way of supporting our farmers and the healthy food movement. Today farmers markets are sprouting everywhere even in inner cities and the cost is comparable or even less at times to super market produce. We can all recycle for sure. I try not to buy plastic and if something comes in plastic, I remove it and place item in a glass jar. Also composting if you can is a great way of creating the cycle of life in your home. Using homemade cleaning products rather than toxic chemicals. Using natural beauty products, buying vintage clothes or clothes made with consciousness. I feel once you go down the rabbit hole of living clean, the changes are easy and enjoyable to keep up.
21 LOLA questions:
1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle? Right now with this terrible drought in California, I try to reuse the water from showers and baths for the plants. I always take my own bags and have been for over a decade to not have to use plastic. I grow some produce and compost, recycle. I meditate and send loving energy towards our planet and mama earth.
2-Ways you like to save money? To be honest I’m not the best at saving money since I see it as energy that flows in and out. However, eating food I have grown probably saves some cash. Making my own housecleaning products as well saves some money.
3-Do you have any natural beauty tips? I make a line of non-toxic, all natural beauty products so I use those. I also like to eat healthy fats like ghee and avocado. I make masks with yogurt and honey and I love castor oil for eyelashes and eye brows.
4-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal? I used to journal for years growing up and later in my twenties. Now I still keep a journal but use it mostly on the new moon for intentions and full moon on insights and ideas. I like to keep a journal for ideas, inspirational quotes, collages of images that move me, and checking in with myself. Journaling is a great way to communicate with your inner and higher self.
5-What are your favorite ways to look after your body? I feel that we are spiritual beings and so having a practice of some sort keeps me sane and content. Hiking, Kundalini yoga and meditation, these help me so much. Drinking spring water that hasn’t been tampered with is also beneficial. Dry brushing the skin, eating greens and getting clean air in the lungs. I can see the difference when I don’t make some of these things a priority.
6-What are your favorite housekeeping tips? I do try to have people take their shoes off. This is not just for cleanliness but also to keep the home a safe sacred space. I burn incense and sage often to shift energy. I play mantras constantly, since I see how they can shift the environment.
7-When do you write a handwritten letter? I love writing hand notes to my children or as thank you letters. I also will write them for big orders for my skin care line. So elegant to receive a hand written note on beautiful stationary.
8-Which personal safety precautions are second nature to you? It is vital to always be aware of your environment in the city or in rural spaces. Part of becoming conscious is bringing a certain kind of awareness that isn’t just limited to seeing and hearing. I really want to cultivate the use of our intuition. This is our most powerful tool.
9-Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship? Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved? I started a homeless food service when I was in College at UCLA. This was in Venice when Venice was quite rough. I later volunteered at a place that cared for children and babies with life threatening illnesses that were in foster care. That place had my heart. It was called CCFA and is no longer around due to city budget cuts. I have been a part of another incredible charity called VIP for almost 20 years. They treat women and children that have been abused and raped in LA. It is led by one of the most inspiring women I know Astrid Haeger. She is a true hero treating these women with all her heart for so many years. I was quite an activist during the Iraq war. I was arrested twice for protesting. I feel as a citizen of this world it is my duty to stand up for what I believe in and that war was based on lies. I also am quite active with the Non Gmo movement. I find it appalling we have to fight for clean food, water and air.
10-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt yourself?Yes I use herbs, homeopathy, castor oil wraps, teas, tinctures, flower remedies.
11-In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key? I like to read if I have a moment of luxurious idleness.
12-What are your favorite forms of exercise? Hiking in the canyons, running with my dog Luna, swimming in the ocean.
13-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods? Most of my food is organic. I love raw dark cacao chocolate and have this most every afternoon as a comforting treat!
14-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe? Toss some chopped up organic kale, cherry tomatoes, white beans in olive oil, garlic sea salt and lemon, then bake on a cookie sheet until golden. So delicious, easy and affordable.
15-What kind of manners do you appreciate the most? I am a sucker for beautiful manners. I can swoon when I see children that meet you with a handshake and eye contact.
16-What are you favorite social networking tools? Instagram
17-What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster? Not much since I am trying not to feed that idea energy though I probably should.
18-What do you always have with you when you travel?I have essential oils for all sorts of issues that range from immune support to keeping mosquitoes away. I just traveled to Kenya and instead of immunizations I used essential oils to stay healthy.
19-Which women have inspired you in your life? Women from history like Cleopatra, artists like Georgoia O’Keefe and Frida Kahlo. Friends like Lilakoi Moon and Astrid who I mentioned above, and Vandana Shiva.
20-What do you do to nourish your soul? Listen to my heart. Meditate with Living Tea. Hike or camp in nature. Kundalini
21-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and bands/musicians? Led Zeppelin, Unbearable Lightness of Being film and book, Dr. Zhivago, Bob Marley, Maria Callas, Anton Chekhov’s plays, Shakespeare plays, Tennessee Williams plays and films, Nights of Cabiria, Lawrence of Arabia, Bon Iver, David Bowie, I am Love, Breathless, Tina Malia, Witch Light, Dove Keepers, Rumi, Snatam Kaur, and the music of Singh Kaur.
(To read an inspiring paragraph Shiva wrote about empowering yourself, you can find it in Chapter 20 Empowering on Being Grateful)
{Week of September 28, 2015}
Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway is an award-winning actress, author and a healthy lifestyle brand entrepreneur. She is absolutely passionate about mind-body-spirit optimization, purposeful living, and mental health issues. LOLA is so inspired by her heart.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Ketchum, Idaho.
How were/are you a nature girl?
Nature was/is everything to me. I believe nature is our most valued teacher when it comes to how to live well, healthy and in Balance. Nature is where I feel and felt most myself. As a child when things in my house were chaotic I went outside climbed mountains swam in rivers and lakes and biked around my home town.
What can each of us do every day to better the planet?
I think in order to shift the consciousness of the world and create change all you have to do is become aware in how you live your everyday life. Recycle drink good water be conscious of the water you use. Eat locally and seasonally and take time to appreciate the planet we live on. Taking five minutes in silence to feel gratitude for the earth is powerful medicine for you and the planet. When we live this way we become examples and change happens.
21 LOLA questions:
1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?
I use market bags, reuse my plastic vegetable bags and I am a serious recycle crazed person. We live in drought area so water usage is always on our minds. We conserve it happily. We have an amazing vegetable garden and chickens that provide at least a dozen eggs a day. I think these things help create sustainability in our lives. I also think it helps in how you think… living sustainably means being aware of the thoughts you think… consciously choosing kindness and compassion over reaction and volatility.
2-Ways you like to save money?
We don’t eat out very often and choose to prepare meals for friends and family at home. We are also not drinkers so I think we save a lot of money not buying wine or alcohol.
3-Do you have any natural beauty tips?
I ONLY use chemical free beauty products. I like all kinds of products. I love oils too… I use a lot of EMU oil which I think is very healing. All my make up is chemical free as well. Also cucumber grated and placed on your face for 20 minutes makes your skin smooth as silk and pulls out toxins… it is quite amazing how well it works.
4-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal?
I have been journaling since I was in elementary school. I just came out with two books one from my 14 year old perspective called Invisible Girl of my family and their struggles with addiction depression and suicide and the other is my current adult perspective of the same subject called, Out Came The Sun… I couldn’t have written my books without having written journals for years.
5-What are your favorite ways to look after your body?
I drink a lot of water everyday at least (I usually drink far more about 90 ounces) half my weight in ounces especially when I travel and after hard workouts which I do 6 days a week. I love Yoga and I love to bike hike and climb… I love moving my body outside. I can’t dream of a life without spending most of it outside in Nature.
6-What are your favorite housekeeping tips?
NO MORE CHEMICALS to clean POWERFUL shift for those of us brought up to believe clean chemical smell means really clean. It is not true. No I only use natural cleaners. I use a product called Branch Basics for counter top cleaning. They also have a wonderful detergent booster for whites.
7-When do you write a handwritten letter?
Handwritten thank you notes are the best way to truly show your gratitude for a gift or kindness. Nothing replaces pen and paper for thanking someone.
8-Which personal safety precautions are second nature to you?
I think it is making yourself aware of who is around when you are in a parking structure. Make sure wherever you drive you look around before you get out of your car and if you park somewhere think of when you will return there… will it be dark? and will you have to go there alone? Think ahead.. it is making yourself hyper aware of your actions in mundane daily things that keeps us safe.
9-Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship? Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved?
My passion is to speak around the country/ the world on mental health issues making it okay for others to tell their stories and to talk about mental illness. I like to say let’s take the I out of illness put in we and create wellness and WEllness is a WE a community coming together to discuss issues that we are afraid to talk about, like addiction, depression, suicide and Bipolar disorder. I believe that mental instability affects everyone in all walks of life and affects those that get other diseases too as when they are diagnosed it is often depressing or creates huge anxiety. MI is an avoided subject but one that affects more of the population than most people are aware of.
10-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt hot water bottle? Ice pack?
Well I think a Netti pot is so great to prevent colds and to shorten colds when you get them. We also like to breathe in oils like cinnamon clove thyme for an upper-respitory issues… it will clear your sinuses fast when you put them in a saucepan with water and low heat and breath in the steam.
11-Do you have any favorite board games? Card games? What do you do for entertainment? In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key?
We all love Scrabble and I love to play Lumosity which has Brain Games that improve your brain function. I Love to read in my and meditate.
12-What are your favorite forms of exercise?
As I said before I love Yoga Hiking, biking, climbing and paddle boarding. 😀
13-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods?
I think the reason I have a job is to make sure that I can buy everything organic and I would say 90% of everything I buy is organic. Always the best choice.
14-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe?
Green soup. Steam: broccoli cauliflower squash and spinach until al dente put in vitamix with hot water enough to just cover the veggies, add real salt, pepper to taste and some olive oil BLEND it is tasty and easy to make and is very healing.
15-What kind of manners do you appreciate the most?
Thank you… it is not said that often anymore with REAL conviction and yet when I hear I actually get excited.
16-What are you favorite social networking tools?
Instagram… showing visuals of how you feel makes sense to me.
17-What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster?
Gardening, water reserves and some canned goods. We also have tents and sleeping bags and First aid kits in our trunk.
18-What do you always have with you when you travel?
Activated Charcoal: if you ever get food poisoning or feel ill it is a great help… also I travel with a netti pot and a small container of real Salt (the Brand).
19-Which women have inspired you in your life?
Katherine Hepburn… I remember years ago reading that she jumped in cold water everyday or took a cold shower after bathing for good health I have done it ever since. That said I admire many women in my daily life that are not famous… I admire them for taking charge of their lives, for changing, eating better, getting out of toxic relationships and especially for raising children that conscious of themselves and their affect on the world. I admire woman who do extraordinary simple things and look for no recognition… those are the women that inspire me the most. Many I have watched through some of my social media and many I have watched raise children and tend to gardens or sick family members… they are true heroes to me.
20-What do you do to nourish your soul?
I love tea and I drink it daily I love the ritual of green tea leaves unfolding they seem to me a metaphor for life when allowing yourself to slow down and watch the tea leaves unfold, to take an inhale of their fragrance… that nourishes my soul. Meditation time everyday is also nourishing to me even if only 5 or 10 minutes to sit in silence. It is extremely powerful. I do TM and I recommend it.
21-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and bands/musicians?
A Moveable Feast for obvious reasons. Catcher in the Rye, Atlas Shrugged,… there are way too many to name… I love Rear Window, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Manhatten (Why not?) musicians I love Joni Mitchell, America, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Simon and Garfunkel…
{Week of 24 August 2015}
Sophie Stauss Makes An Album!
Sophie Strauss, who contributed images to Chapters 8 and 15 in the LOLA book, is making an album! She recently raised funds through a Kickstarter campaign: https://www.
Reading
The painting is by Lucien Freud called “Girl Reading”
What are you reading this summer? Have you got yourself a copy of Harper Lee’s new book Go Set a Watchman? Have you been lying on the couch engrossed in The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes Rellie or possibly H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald? Or perhaps Lev Grossman’s The Magicians (being turned into a mini series!) is keeping you from fraternizing?
There is this book… that just came out, that you might have heard of: LOLA Lots of Love Always by Priscilla Woolworth. Apparently, it’s a really great read! If you are wondering where you can get yourself a copy: www.priscillawoolworth.com/
Renée Loux
Green beauty expert and raw food chef Renée Loux is the inspiring woman of the week! Featured in LOLA the book (page 43), Renée shares her healthy beauty tips when choosing makeup from eyeliners to lipsticks and other beauty products. To read more about Renee and how she lives a sustainable lifestyle, continue on…
Where did you grow up?
As a child I grew up on the east coast. My family still has a place in a town called New Paltz in the Hudson Valley, about 2 hours north of NYC. My heart and soul grew up on Maui, Hawaii where I lived for 15 years.
Were you a nature girl?
Oh yes. Many of my fondest memories are etched in the landscape of nature, in the woods, climbing trees,
collecting rocks in creek beds, and swimming in ponds and rivers.
What are some of your favorite things to cook?
I have come to enjoy the simple things the most. I find the better the quality of the food, the less that needs to be done to enhance it. I love anything and everything green. Recently, I’ve been smitten with rainbow Swiss chard braised with leeks, lots of fresh thyme, cumin and sometimes with mushrooms or cherry tomatoes. My other recent obsessions are slow-cooked lacinato kale (the trick is to blanch it first) and roasted beets (simply scrub and trim beets, rub with olive oil and salt and bake at 450˚F until tender, usually about 45 min – 1 hour).
What can each of us do every day to better the planet?
Be mindful. Buy local, organic food. Eat more plants. Avoid plastic whenever possible. Treat water like a precious resource. Use biodegradable cleaning products. Use natural beauty products. Bring a bag. Drive less. Buy vintage clothing. Support small companies that are doing the right things. Install a water filter. Choose recycled paper. Buy less. Love more.
21 LOLA questions:
1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?
I appreciate how you frame that question as I relate to sustainability as a process and as a spectrum. Primarily, I aim to be as mindful of a consumer as I can – of food, of products, of energy, and of water. I view every transaction as an opportunity to be more (or less) sustainable. With food, I am a plant-based foodie and chef and purchase as much locally- and sustainably-produced food as possible. At home, I use only natural, biodegradable cleaning products and natural beauty products. I prefer to acquire fewer, high-quality items and take good care of them, using things as long as possible. My son calls me ‘Mama Fixer’ as I ceaselessly fix and repurpose things before resorting to recycling or disposing of them. Overall, I try to avoid single-use items and always have market bags, reusable water bottles and hot-drink cups on hand. I support organizations that are doing good in the world. I am raising my son to be respectful of water, to understand where food comes from and to have the most fun with the simplest things.
2-Do you have any natural beauty tips?
First and foremost, I suggest, always, to read ingredient lists. The first few ingredients and the last few
ingredients will typically tell you the most about the formula – the first few ingredients will be what the bulk of the product contains as ingredients are listed in order of volume; and the last few ingredients are often where additives, colorants, fragrances and preservatives reside. Many times, simpler formulas can be more effective, and certainly easier to decode as to what is in them. I am also a keen fan of rotating beauty products to get the most out of them and to avoid a sort of immunity that skin and hair can respond with when over-saturated with too much of the same thing.
As someone with drier skin, I like to add oil to moisturizers, both for body and face. I find that skin absorbs oil more quickly and thoroughly in the presence of a moisturizing lotion or cream, because lotions and creams typically contain some water-based ingredients, which help deliver the oil more efficiently. If you like to use oil on its own, I recommend applying it to slightly moist skin, which will help it absorb more easily for the same reason.
Installing a water filter, whether on your showerhead or for the whole house, is also an excellent beautifying aid for skin and hair. Even the most basic filter will remove chlorine, which is not only extremely drying for skin and hair, but is also harmful to breathe when dissipated from spraying water, such as in a shower.
Lastly, I recommend following your senses to find products that are deeply suitable to your body and skin’s chemistry. Are you drawn to rich, hydrating oils, or the scent of rose or lavender? I believe our intuition is incredibly intelligent and can be one of the most sensible and sophisticated guides.
As for natural beauty products I love, there are quite a number of them, though recently I have been most infatuated with Spa Technologies, a remarkable seaweed-based line and Gemstone Organics, an exquisite, hand-crafted line infused with gemstones.
3-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal?
Oh yes, I have crates upon crates of journals that I’ve kept for decades. I write about a broad spectrum of things from documenting meaningful experiences to processing thoughts, emotions and decisions; as well as letters that I write to significant people in my life, which are really letters to myself as they are not intended for receipt.
Over the years I have also written affirmations of things I want to create, manifest, attract or expand. I find the process of journaling very therapeutic and clarifying.
4-What are your favorite ways to look after your body?
Through food, water, exercise, breathing, sleeping, and being sensual. I eat loads of fresh food, namely greens and healthy fats, and also drink an ample amount of water, usually with a squeeze of fresh lemon for added natural electrolytes to keep hydrated and also a boost of vitamin C. I am also super keen on fermented and probiotic-rich foods, which I eat every day, beginning with a light miso broth in the morning. I attribute a fundamental part of my health and vitality to a breathing practice that I’ve done every morning for nearly 2 decades to oxygenate my body, enhance circulation (especially my organs) and quiet and clear my mind.
5-What are your favorite housekeeping tips?
My primary goals are to keep a natural, non-toxic house and to keep the air clean and fresh, both of which include refraining from chemicals. Two ways to achieve this are by using only natural and biodegradable cleaning products and keeping many beautiful houseplants to clean the air. I also practice removing shoes at the door, which is a custom in Hawaii where I lived for many years. This practice has stayed with me as a reminder of my island life, but also to prevent tracking pollutants and chemicals into the house. The first thing my 3-year old son does when he comes in is take of his shoes and invites others to do so as well, which about melt my heart.
The best lens into how I like to practice housekeeping is in one of the books I wrote, Easy Green Living, which has multiple chapters about natural housekeeping including how to make your own cleaning formulas such as all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, oven cleaners and so forth, to how to remove all sorts of stains from clothing and how to launder delicate fabrics, to loads of tips for nearly every room of the house.
6-When do you write a handwritten letter?
As often as I can. It seems that handwritten letters are an art at risk of becoming lost in the face of virtual correspondence. I write thank you cards and birthday cards, postcards when I travel, and I also write letters, quite regularly, to my parents and to several friends. I love to illustrate the envelopes of cards and letters, often in great detail. It reminds me of the practice of Tibetan monks to create a complex mandala made of sand and then sweep it away. Plus, I imagine it to be a wonderfully bright spot in the mail for the recipient amongst the otherwise perfunctory pile of mail in the box.
7-Which safety precautions are second nature to you?
My safety precautions are probably more oriented to always having a band aid in my purse, back-up clothes for my 3- year old and a well-appointed first aid kit at home and in the car as compared to precautions in the world. I take precautions to minimize chemicals in my home and keep them out of the reach of children. I am teaching my son to be very mindful around cars. I’m probably on the verge of hyper-diligent about it. On my own, however, I am probably considered a relatively aggressive pedestrian. It comes along with the territory of living in NYC (part of the time).
8-Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship? Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved?
I have volunteered quite a lot in my life, though probably in a less conventional way than some. I regularly dedicate a portion of my time to helping others, whether with the handful of people that I mentor and advise in education and business, teaching about nutrition and culinary arts, or supporting organizations with time and donations.
I have also been an activist most of my life, beginning from launching an Environmental Club in high school. I’ve largely been involved with activism around food and the environment, including writing books, teaching and speaking. Currently, I am focused on GMO labeling and the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act (CNR), which is up on the chopping block this September. CNR is responsible for all of the federal school meals for low-income kids, such a free or reduced-fee lunches. For the 20+ million kids who receive assistance via these programs, this meal may be the only real meal of the day. It’s significant. And, the conversation about improving the quality of food in lunch programs is relatively futile without this program. For anyone interested in supporting the cause, visit Food and Research Action Center’s website: www.frac.org/Legislative/action_center. With regards to GMO-labeling, JustLabelIt.org is on the front lines of the GMO-labeling issue and doing some tremendous work to engage the issue.
9-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt yourself?
Old-fashioned remedies is where I go first for injury or illness. I have a natural medicine chest with all sorts of stocks from homeopathic remedies and immune boosting herbs, to antiseptic essential oils, witch hazel and herbal extracts. I am often called a good witch in my family. I also have a very dear hot water bottle with a soft, fuzzy cover that was given to me by a friend years ago, which is a go-to TLC aid. And, I think a hot bath should not be overlooked to soothe, comfort and release.
10-Do you have any favorite board games? Card games? What do you do for entertainment? In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key?
I love to quilt, namely applique Hawaiian quilts. I usually make pieces that are about 18-inches square and easy to travel with. It often takes me nearly a year or two to finish one as they are quite detailed and require many, many tiny stitches, but they are exquisite. My mother also makes them so we are constantly sharing our work.
I also make photo books, which I have printed. It’s a wonderful way to catalogue chapters and adventures, including the stories in a preface. I make them for myself and family and also give them as gifts.
11-What are your favorite forms of exercise?
My life often feels like a form of exercise, ha. I am very active in my daily life, especially with my little boy. As far as dedicated exercise, I practice at least a little bit of yoga and stretching every morning and evening. When I am in LA I hike in various canyons a few times a week and run in the hills where I live in West Hollywood. When I am in NYC I walk and walk and walk everywhere. When I am in Maui or Martha’s Vineyard I swim every day.
12-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods?
The foods I only buy organically grown are soft-skinned fruits such as berries, peaches, apricots, plums, grapes, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes; apples, as well as lettuces, greens and most vegetables really. The reason is that the conventional counterparts consistently contain measurable amount of pesticides. The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) has some great lists of Shopper’s Guides to Pesticides in Produce. I don’t eat dairy personally, though I only purchase organic dairy products for my family. The same goes for any animal product.
My comfort foods are soups, slow-cooked veggies and dark chocolate. And really good coffee. And great wine. Do those count?
13-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe?
It has come to sound a bit passé, though I tend to cook with the seasons using ingredients that are peaking in freshness and flavor. I never tire of salads and deep leafy greens. Salads are like a religion to me. I like to include a contrast of texture and flavor, whether some toasted sliced almond or pumpkin seeds for crunch or some bright, herbal dill or cilantro. Herbs are a wonderful way to enhance recipes with dynamic flavors without much effort or exotic ingredients. I’ve also re-ignited my love affair with tempeh, which is a fermented bean/grain cake (found in the refrigerated section of natural markets) that has a wonderfully nutty flavor and great texture. It can be marinated, sautéed, baked, grilled and so forth and will absorb whatever flavors you include with it beautifully.
Tempeh is an excellent source of protein and in this day and age it seems that finding clean, affordable protein is an increasing challenge. One simple way I love to cook it is to cut it into small cubes and sauté it with a bit of garlic, ginger, cumin and tamari.
14-What kind of manners do you appreciate the most?
Table manners are the first that come to mind. It is something I am working on with my little boy as table manners were highly praised and valued in my family growing up. However, I also find chivalrous manners of door-opening and so forth to be very sexy.
15-What are you favorite social networking tools?
Twitter is one I have always been drawn to and continue to be active with (@reneeloux). I am horribly delinquent with Facebook, largely because I’ve not clearly chosen to be either a public person or private person on that platform. I’ve really gotten into Instagram (@reneelouxloux), which appeals to my visual sensibilities and is a healthy outlet for many of the food-porn photos I am constantly taking.
Plus, I follow a number of really dear friends, who I genuinely want to get glimpses of. It feels fun.
16-What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster?
Honestly, not as much as I would like, though I consider myself to be a person generally prepared for life. Or, for 8 people who might drop by unannounced for dinner. All kidding aside, I always have a good stock of water, which includes several 5-gallon glass jugs of water. I have at least a dozen flashlights, including the kind that don’t require batteries and just need to be cranked to work.
However, the flashlights are not very strategically placed around the house. I typically don’t let my car get below ¼ tank of gas. And, I always have at least several bars of chocolate and am always stocked with good wine.
17-What do you always have with you when you travel?
Various people who know me very well have long teased me about the fact that I always, always travel with food. I also am rarely without lip balm, a natural hand-sanitizing spray, band aids, mints, toothpicks, a small tube of hand cream, sunglasses, a few packets of stevia, a reusable water bottle and often a travel mug.
18-Which women have inspired you in your life?
Wow, where do I begin? I feel profoundly blessed to have some remarkable women in my life who in many ways have become my personal board of advisors. In this life, it seems I have the providence of friends in spades. It actually brings tears to my eyes. I would say that a significant aspect of character that inspires me is the balance of passion and compassion.
19-What do you do to nourish your soul?
Being in nature nourishes my soul.
20-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and bands/musicians?
This is a great question and also a challenging one!
Not necessarily in order of favor:
Books:
New York, Edward Rutherford
Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts
Health, Healing and Beyond, T. K. S. Desikachar
The World According to Garp, John Irving (skip the movie, read the book)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon
Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough
The Man Who Planted Trees, Jean Giono
The Goldfinch, Donna Tart
The Living, Annie Dillard
Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout
Movies:
The Descendants
Good Will Hunting
Avatar
Chocolate
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Princess Mononoke
Lost in Translation
Michael Clayton
American Beauty
Oka!
Bands/Music:
Corinne Bailey Rae
Van Morrison
Norah Jones
The Rolling Stones
Spearhead
Alicia Keys
Adele
Brett Dennen
Ella Fitzgerald
Stevie Wonder
21- 10 favorite ingredients
Umeboshi plum vinegar
Aged balsamic vinegar
Flaky sea salt
Cumin
Ginger
Cilantro
Miso
Maple Syrup
Tamari
Thyme
{Week of 18 May 2015}
Brave Young Women
UnattiFoundation.org was founded by Stephanie Waisler-Rubin in 2002. One of Waisler-Rubin’s oldest group home members, a 20-year-old woman who is three months away from graduating from nursing school, is offering her services to those in need.
“She went from being a child who was sold by her mother to be a dishwasher to a full-fledged nurse,” she says. “She’s out there now with her stethoscope, helping.”
Waisler-Rubin says all donations to unattifoundation.org are going directly to immediate emergency earthquake relief. “Our focus is making sure our girls are safe,” she adds. “They have a purpose now – they’re helping their community,” she says, “and they feel like they’re making a difference.”
LOLA Woman of the Month: #KodeWithKarlie
Karlie Kloss has started the #KodeWithKarlie scholarship program, giving twenty girls in the US free tuition to Flatiron Pre-College Academy’s Introduction to software engineering course, where high school girls will learn code.
To apply, upload a 30- to 90-second video to YouTube, and then fill out this form. You have to be a girl aged thirteen to eighteen to apply, and applications are open until May 1st.
Kloss said, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a fashion model or high school student, understanding code is so important because it’s the language that runs our world! Young women are shaping the world we live in and code is a tool for us to continue to have a big voice and say in our future.”
How To Be An Inspiring Woman
Check out these 31 Most Inspiring Women and let us know what you think makes for inspiration! Did they miss anyone?
LOLA Woman of the Month: Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Dianna Cohen
Dianna Cohen co-founded the Plastic Pollution Coalition, which is working to help end our cycle of plastics use.
Dianna helps to raise awareness of ocean waste—the majority of which is non degradable plastic—and every day strategies to cut down the amount of plastic we use and throw away.
Recently, I had lunch with Dianna Cohen and together we wrote:
LOLA interviews Dianna Cohen
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Hollywood, California in the late 60’s.
Are you a nature girl?
Yes, I am a nature girl, not as hardcore as say Gypsy Boots, but I grew up hiking the local hills, mountains and beaches, State & National parks and monuments.
What can each of us do every day to better the planet?
Refuse single-use and disposable plastic. And choose alternatives. In doing so, we can protect our health and the health of others and protect animals, the Ocean and the environment.
What is your blog/site/work about?
Regarding my artwork: Having worked with the plastic bag as my primary material for the past twenty plus years all of the obvious references to recycling, first world culture, class, high and low art give way to an almost formal process which reflects the unique flexibility of the medium. Cut like paper, sewn like fabric, these constructions have been presented as flat art (framed or mounted) with crumpled and shiny surfaces that are dulled by dirt and time: un-useful pieces of their former selves. The work is becoming more sculptural; literally folding off of the wall, hinged by discombobulated handles, the real potential of the medium presents itself to me. The material’s relationship to marketing and advertisement culture is ever present, unavoidable and inherent in my work. The graphic text on the bags often influences the theme of a piece, but just as often disappears into the background of color, almost becoming subliminal in the work.
The somewhat dirty, hands on approach involved in working with what has already become trash and the labor involved in the sewing process directly belie the promise and mythology of convenience that the plastic bag represents. In this juxtaposition lives the alchemy of my work, like the alchemy of plastic itself.
21 LOLA questions:
1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?
With simple decisions to bring our own reusable bags, refillable cups, water bottles and mugs and reusable utensils and straws, we can reduce our plastic footprint and move away from our dependence on fossil fuels and lessen our exposure to toxic chemicals.
2-Ways you like to save money?
By using reusables and choosing nontoxic and healthier materials and as little packaging as possible, we save money! By drinking tap water and if needed, filtered tap water, we save money and reduce exposure to the phthalates and Bisphenols used to manufacture disposable plastics, which can leach into our food and beverages from the containers.
3-Do you have any natural beauty tips?
Have fun and try making your own products. And when shopping: look for shampoos, conditioners, lotions and scrubs made from all natural ingredients. If in doubt, check out PPC coalition Member EWG’s Skin Deep application which is a wonderful tool.
4-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal?
Yes, I do keep a journal, though, as a visual artists, many of my entries are paintings and sketches.
5-What are your favorite ways to look after your body?
I LOVE to spend as much time as possible in the Sea and the Ocean, swim, bodysurf, longboard, snorkel, dive, splash around and float. Its like a return to the womb, from where we all came!
6-What are your favorite housekeeping tips?
We use nontoxic cleaners including white vinegar and baking soda. We compost and recycle paper, metal and glass. We avoid plastic as much as possible and don’t have to worry about whether it really does get recycled or buried in landfill, incinerated or flow to the ocean!
7-When do you write a handwritten letter?
I write handwritten postcards and letters as often as possible. It’s good for the brain and I can add doodles and drawings.
8-Which safety precautions are second nature to you?
Always ordering all food and beverages with NO plastic,I’d like a lemonade, a margarita, an ice tea with no straw please don’t put any plastic stirrer or straw in my drink, thank you very much!
9-Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship? Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved?
As an artist working with plastic bags as my primary material for the last 25 years, I began to become aware that some plastics photo and heat degrade and are getting into the ocean as well as the natural and urban environment. Originally, I thought this meant the plastic was ephemeral like us, but upon further research I began to see the world through a new plastic lens. We are surrounded by plastics, off-gassing and leaching into our food, drinks and bodies!
When I first saw Susan Middleton and Chris Jordan’s powerful images of dead Laysan Albatross with stomachs full of disposable plastic, that is when it hit me, we are stuffing our selves full of plastic and we don’t even realize it.
10-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt yourself?
All the time, I use ice, heat, herbs, teas, foods, plants, acupuncture, kinesiology, massage and Iyengar yoga. I use homeopathics, and herbal supplements and I firmly believe in the power of Vitamin C. I love to sleep, swim, walk and dance.
11-Do you have any favorite board games? Card games? What do you do for entertainment? In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key?
Work in the Garden, make art, and imagine and work towards a more sustainable just world for all!
12-What are your favorite forms of exercise?
YES!!!!! Swimming, surfing, snorkeling diving, anything in the Ocean or Sea. Hiking, walking, biking, roller skating, or Blading too and playing, having fun, running around, and dancing!
13-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods?
I only buy organic foods from local Farmers Market or health food markets that I trust, of course, we also grow our own vegetables and fruit and enjoy these! Our homegrown food tastes the best!
14-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe?
Salads and Soups.
15-What kind of manners do you appreciate the most?
Things said and made with Love, appreciation & gratitude.
16-What do you feel are the most effective ways to share your message?
By taking the time to really talk with people and by sharing positive alternatives and solutions and information on social media.
17-What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster?
Always be prepared for earthquakes here in Southern California, they happen, it is normal. Keep dried plants and brush away from home as we are also in fire country, it’s normal, it happens. Store water in Glass down low, so it will no fall over and break. Keep beeswax candles handy, flashlights, extra rechargeable batteries, first aid kit, dried beans and rice (again stored in glass and on low shelves) Grow our own food.
18-What do you always have with you when you travel?
My reusable stainless steel water bottle, and cup, my steel straw tucked into my Bamboo to-go ware utensil set, my fold up compact reusable bag. Always.
19-Which women have inspired you in your life?
My Mother Helene who was the Director of the LA Free Clinic in the mid 1970’s, my sister Julia who with a Masters Degree in Public Health Works hard to create a healthier world for us all and a dozen girlfriends who are all highly accomplished professionals and tremendous people working to create a more just world as artists, chefs, impact investors, musicians, entrepreneurs and CEOs.
20-What do you do to nourish your soul?
Make art, garden, yoga, travel, read books, see films and cook.
21-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and bands/musicians?
Ooohhhhh, that’s tough…only 10?
Ok, not in any order here is my list:
1. Margaret Atwood’s Oryx & Crack Trilogy
2. Habib Koite & Bamada (Malian Musican)
3. Oumou Sangare (Malian Musician)
4. The Women (Film by George Cukor)
5. Auntie Mame (Film starring Rosalind Russel)
6. Patti Smith (American Musican)
7. The Botany of Desire (Book by Michael Pollan)
8. Jackson Browne (American Musician)
9. Come Hell or High Water (Film by Keith Malloy)
10.The Wavy Gravy Movie, Saint Misbehavin’(Film by Michelle Esrick)
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Be sure to visit Dianna Cohen’s site for more information about Plastic Pollution Coalition here.
March 2015
LOLA Girl of the Week: Lauren Singer
Lauren Singer, a 23-year-old Brooklynite, can store her trash from the past two years inside a (small) mason jar definitely made us say, “How is that even possible?!”
Turns out Singer, who worked at the Department of Environmental Protection after graduating with an environmental studies degree from NYU, recently launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to start her own all-natural laundry detergent brand and went from hanging on to some garbage to having essentially none at all. Here, she tells us how:
What was your catalyst for trying to eliminate trash from your life? I’ve always been passionate about sustainability, which led me to focus on environmental studies at NYU. During my senior year, I noticed that everything in my kitchen was packaged in plastic. I felt like such a hypocrite producing all this waste.
I started Googling and found the blog Zero Waste Home. [The founder] is a wife and mother of two boys, and the four of them live a zero waste lifestyle. I figured that if a family of four could do it, I could, too.
So how did you go about transitioning to a zero waste home? I took baby steps. I finished the plastic-container of peanut butter and recycled it, then next time I wanted peanut butter, I found a place where I could bring my own mason jar and get it freshly ground. I went through that purging and re-evaluating process for everything.
That’s smart. How do you compost? All year long, I keep my compost in a steel bowl or a brown paper bag that someone has left in the recycling room in my building. Then every Saturday, I take the compost to the farmer’s market, where it’s collected.
Got it. So what winds up in the trash jar? It’s filled with things that I’m unsure about, like plastic straws. Even though they’re recyclable, that plastic isn’t really used for much, so I prefer to hang on to them. Tags inside clothes are in there.
Do you use some sort of sorcery to survive without lip gloss and tampons? I make my own deodorant, masks, and face oils. As far as makeup, I buy RMS. They’re 100 percent recyclable, and most of the time I reuse the pots for a homemade lip balms or a travel-size of my deodorant. Instead of buying tampons, I use a menstrual cup.
That’s dedication. What about when you go out for a cup of coffee or a drink? I bring my own jar if I’m going to buy coffee. At a bar, I get a beer on tap, and I always make sure to ask for no napkin, no straw, and no coaster. At most restaurants, you can ask for a cloth napkin.
Okay, let’s be real. How much extra time does all of this take you? That’s the first misconception people have about this lifestyle. I am a self-professed lazy person, and living this way actually gives me more time. I used to run to the store every day because I was out of toothpaste or salad dressing. I can’t just pop by a store for what I need anymore, so I’m much more organized about buying it all once a week. It’s been an incredible detox from all that’s unnecessary.
Tell me about Simply Co. and why you’re launching it? People don’t have good choices when it comes to natural household items like detergent. The Simply Co. detergent has three ingredients: baking soda, washing soda, and Castile soap. It’s organic, vegan, and free of synthetic fragrances, and I love the idea of packaging it in glass so it’s refillable. —Molly Gallagher
Source: http://wellandgood.
Week of 20 February 2015
LOLA Girl of the Week: Taylor Johnston
LOLA loves Tomboy Style and Taylor Johnston! Tomboy Style interviewed Taylor, the head horticulturist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. If you’ve ever stepped foot in this museum, you know. It is one of New England’s ultimate public treasures. Johnston has always loved using her hands and being around plants and when she moved from Maryland to Boston she fell in love with the austere way of dressing in New England. “It’s all about 800 year old L.L. Bean everything,” Johnston said to me over the phone.
Nature is Speaking
LOLA Girl of the Week: Ithaka Roddam
Ithaka Roddam is a 25 year old London based photographer and cook, when she’s not taking photos she can be found cooking for private dinners, fashion shoots and yoga retreats.
Her photography is primarily portrait and music based although fashion and nature play an integral part to her work.
Ithaka mostly works with 35mm film, Polaroid and natural light, her images often create untold narratives where the viewer becomes lost in the ambiguity of the photographs. The basis of her work is to create images rather than take them.
Having assisted fashion photographs Frederike Helwig and Juergen Teller among others, Ithaka has spent the last year and a half travelling extensively in California, Mexico and South America whilst also concentrating on her music portfolio, recently working with Sony and Universal in London shooting press shots and album work.
Ithaka shared her homemade deodorant recipe with us, which can be found in Chapter 3 Natural Beauty Tips!
www.ithakaroddam.com | http://miaithaka.flavors.me/
Week of 8 December 2014
LOLA Girl Of The Week: Neha Gupta
Penn State student and first-year Schreyer Honors College scholar Neha Gupta today (Nov. 18) accepted the 2014 International Children’s Peace Prize Award for her exceptional work to raise money for underprivileged children around the world.
The award is widely accepted as the most prestigious international award a young person can win. Last year’s winner was Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education, who went on to become the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014.
Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls
When we use the word “community” we take that very seriously. Therefore, our intention is to be a safe place where those who make up that community may be heard and offered a response. We are finding that Smart Girls is the first community where many young men and women are able to express their own concerns. Through our “Call to Action” campaigns we encourage smart girls to volunteer and to be more curious about the world they live in. Our goal is to provide a healthy alternative to so much that is being marketed to young people on the internet. We emphasize intelligence and imagination over “fitting in.” We celebrate curiosity over gossip. We are a place where people can truly be their weird and wonderful selves.
A LOLA Interview with Maya Penn
Mother Nature
Mother Nature has spoken. She doesn’t need people. But we need her: for food, for water, for air.
So will we continue to destroy our life source? Or will we listen?
http://natureisspeaking.org/
Women of Vision
For 125 years, National Geographic has documented the world and all that is in it with stunning photography that captures the soul of a story beyond the words on a page.
Some of the most powerful narratives of the past decade have been produced by a forward-thinking generation of women photojournalists as different as the places and the subjects they have covered. But they all share the same passion and commitment to storytelling that has come to define National Geographic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Women of Vision was curated by National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist, who had the challenging task of choosing a selection of images to best represent the broad portfolios of the 11 extraordinary photographers.
Women of Vision is a tribute to the spirit and the ambition of these journalists and artists who have created riveting experiences for millions through the insightful, sensitive, and strategic use of a camera. From the last great wildernesses of Africa to the tumult of the Jersey Shore, these stories explore the realities of our world and the depths of what it means to be human in the 21st Century. These women of vision have taken millions with them on assignment through the pages of National Geographic–and in the process have set a new standard for excellence that will continue to inspire for decades to come.
http://wovexhibition.org/
Makers
http://www.pbs.org/makers/
LOLA Woman of the Week: Vandana Shiva
Dr. Vandana Shiva is an Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization author. Shiva, currently based in Delhi, has authored more than 20 books. Vandana Shiva is on a worldwide crusade against genetically modified crops, which has made her a hero to anti-GMO activists everywhere.
Speaking to a crowd in Piazza Santissima in Florence Italy, she told them, “There are two trends. One: a trend of diversity, democracy, freedom, joy culture -people celebrating their lives. And the other: monocultures, deadness. Everyone on Prozac. More and more young people unemployed. We don’t want that world of death. We would have no hunger in the world if the seed was in the hands of the farmers and gardeners and the land was in the hands of the farmers. They want to take that away.”
Shiva inspires the LOLA tribe and we love her call to action for seed, food, and Earth democracy!
Read more about Vandana Shiva here.
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LOLA Woman of the week: FRAN DRESCHER!
Actress Fran Drescher, is a uterine cancer survivor, and founder of Cancer Schmancer, a foundation dedicated to saving lives through prevention & early detection of cancer. Did you know when cancer is found early, 90% SURVIVE? Everyone, regardless of age, race or socioeconomic background deserves to have the opportunity of survival.
Cancer Schmancer’s mission is to shift the nation’s focus from just searching for a cure to prevention and early detection of cancer in order to save lives. The Cancer Schmancer Movement is a three-prong organization dedicated to:
Early Detection Stage 1 is the Cure! We educate & transform patients into medical consumers. Our Fran Vanprogram offers low income, un-insured & under-insured women free mammograms. Catch it on arrival 90% survival!
Prevention Did you know that 90% of cancer is related to the environment? That gives you enormous control over your risk. In 2012, our Detox Your Home initiative helped over 20,000 people eliminate harmful toxins IN our food, the cosmetics ON our skin, and cleaners AROUND our homes. Make Detox Your Home your new mantra. This year, we’re helping even more people with a new DVD and parties. We’re reaching out to the young generation around the world with our We The Future program, and Fran continues her series of speaking engagements at universities and corporations.
Policy Change They say all roads lead to Rome, and in today’s world, Rome is Capitol Hill. We are working on the Carcinogen-FREE Label ACT, a bi-partisan bill introduced in 2012 so that consumers can make healthier choices and through purchasing power, dictate trends that influence the formulas of household products and food. We were instrumental in passing 2007’s Gynecologic Cancer Education & Awareness Act — by unanimous consent — the first of its kind in US history! No wonder Fran was named one of the Top 5 Celebrity Lobbyists by Washingtonian Magazine.
Inspiring Woman of the Week: JEWEL
Jewel became interested in clean water when she was 18 and lived in her car. She had sick kidneys and had to drink 2 gallons of purified water a day. She could not afford to buy much bottled water and it dawned on her that if it was this hard to get clean drinking water in the United States then it was probably a huge global issue.
Solutions and technologies exist to provide clean, affordable drinking water anywhere in the world. These solutions will save lives, reduce financial burdens, foster peace, and relieve millions of people from worrying about their next drink of water.
DONATE ONLINE
To donate online, visit www.giveadrop.com
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A LOLA Interview with Tomboy Style’s Lizzie Garrett Mettler
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LOLA Woman of the Week: Dr. Jane Goodall
I am so very delighted that Priscilla Woolworth is writing a book for girls. I am constantly dismayed when I see so many young people messing up their future health and well being by making the wrong choices today. I am very much looking forward to reading L.O.L.A. and sharing it with our Roots & Shoots groups. Congratulations, Priscilla – Dr. Jane Goodall
When I met Dr. Goodall 2 years ago, I told her all about LOLA, and she was thrilled that my book’s goal is to empower young women with information about healthy choices they can make it many different parts of their lives. She has been such an inspiration to me for so many years that to have her endorse LOLA is beyond wonderful.
“It is not one thing to save man and another to save animals. Together, we can make the world a better place for all living things.”-Jane Goodall
Through her Roots and Shoots program, she’s empowering new generations by building a worldwide network of young people who have learned to care deeply for their human community, for all animals and their environment and who will take responsible action to care for them.
You can support her work as well at : http://www.janegoodall.org
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LOLA girl of the week: Kyleigh Kuhn
Kyleigh Kuhn, model and activist, calls herself a bohemian tumbleweed! She’s been dedicated to working in war torn countries since she visited a Balkan minefield at age thirteen. In 1997, her family founded Roots for Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming Afghan minefields into bountiful farmland-replacing the seeds of destruction with seeds of hope. Upon graduating from UC Berkeley in Peace and Conflict Studies, Kyleigh founded her company Kyleigh Kuhn where she sells a line of jewelry that she designs from local lapis. Her business model seeks to support the artisans and craftsmen of rural Afghanistan by engaging local resources and skills to revitalize their own communities. “Getting things made in Afghanistan isn’t a walk in the park-it’s like traveling back in time when you go there. But it’s amazing because of that aspect too. For example, the houses are built sustainably with mud, which uses thermodynamics to keep warm in winter and cool in summer.”
This summer, Kuhn is launching a dinner series for the charity and developing a new travel site with her father.
For more information about Roots of Peace: www.rootsofpeace.org and www.kyleighkuhn.com/shop/
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An Inspirational High School Graduate: Rashema Melson
Rashema Melson is an inspiring young woman. Homeless and living in a shelter in Washington D.C., she has earned a full scholarship to Georgetown University. She graduated top of her class and maintained a 4.0 grade point average and hopes to study forensic pathology.
“Each step we take is paved with possibilities. Now go unlock the door to your future.”
Homeless shelters are noisy and lack privacy. Melson would get to school every morning around 7am, taking honor courses and competing in track for 13 hours, her hard work and dedication really paid off.
“Never be afraid to go after your dreams, and regardless of the negative forecast that has been predicted upon us, beat the odds and let the sun shine,” she told her fellow graduates.
http://www.today.com/news/homeless-d-c-valedictorian-earns-full-scholarship-georgetown-2D79795428
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The Environmentalist: Stella McCartney
Designer and environmentalist Stella McCartney partnered with the Nature Conservancy and Ovis 21, a network of over 160 farmers in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile that aims to undo the effects of more than 100 years of overgrazing due to reckless sheepherding. McCartney hopes that she will inspire others in the fashion industry to follow suit. She says, “I am proud to be expanding the boundaries of what sustainability can look and feel like.” She wants to create pieces that are a high-quality product and that won’t damage the environment in it’s manufacture nor burden it with more waste.
“My job is to create beautiful luxurious things. I love that people come into the store and don’t even know that something is organic or in faux leather. That’s the biggest challenge, having people not notice. We do great knitwear, which is where organic is most successful-you can get very delicate natural dyes. So many friends turn up in my knitwear and say how much they love it, and when I say it’s organic it’s a little added bonus to them, rather than a choice. I prefer it that way.”
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This Girl: Tavi Gevinson
Tavi Gevinson has been called the voice of her generation. Since she founded Rookie, an online magazine in 2011, young women have embraced Ms. Gevinson’s unambiguous message that community and self-empowerment are essential survival tools for adolescence.
LOLA loves that she uses journaling as an artistic and creative outlet, as well as understanding the virtue in writing a handwritten card. She organized a Get Well Soon card drive for Malala Yousafzai, the fourteen-year-old Pakistani girl whose campaigning for education rights led to her shooting in October 2012.
Watch her talk about her creative and self empowering process:
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LOLA loves Cuban Artist Juana Olga Barrios!
She realized at the early age of 8 years old that she wanted to learn about everything she could. Juana empowered herself by taking charge of her education.
Follow Juana’s musings on her blog here.
Learn more about Juana in the following LOLA questionnaire:
JUANA OLGA BARRIOS | September 2013
Where did you grow up? I was born in Brooklyn, a few days after my parents emigrated from Cuba. They moved to Los Angeles when I was 4, where I lived until I left for boarding school at 14. What is your heritage? My parents were born in Cuba to parents that had emigrated from the Canary Islands and Morocco. Cuban-Moroccan-American. How old were you when you took charge of your education? I’d say I was around 8 when I discovered this little thing called a library card. Once I figured out how to fire that thing up, there was no stopping me. I locked myself in my room and read everything I could get my hands on. Then I really took it to another level when I convinced my mother to take me to testing center so I could sit for the SSAT. I’d seen an article in the newsletter that came to the house from my father’s union in which there was a school that offered a full scholarship to the sons of American Airline employees. I don’t know why I thought I could get away with passing as a son, but I can’t recall what my 12 year old mind was scheming then. When I got a call from the school asking for an interview it was as if a hurricane was inside my chest. We eventually worked out the gender thing . . .”-) Tell me a bit about where you were educated. I spent four years at Culver Academies. The school is spread across 1800 acres on Lake Maxincuckee in northern Indiana. It has a state of the arts equestrienne center which houses 150 thoroughbreds and quarter horses, two ice arenas, an 18-hole golf course, and private airport that offers aviation lessons. Pretty much a country club type facility with serious academics and sports. I studied English literature and Romance languages at UNC: Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar. In my thirties, I went back to school to do my doctoral studies in depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. What jobs have you had? Lots! In my first job I worked at the duty free store in the international terminal at LAX, selling chocolate covered macadamia nuts to Japanese tourists who were obsessed with them and loaded up their bags with as many boxes as they could carry. In college, I worked a late shift as a cocktail waitress, four hours twice a week and made good cash. My first “real” job was working for Salomon Brothers in their fixed income department at the height of Wall Street madness in the late 80’s. After Wall Street, I sold high-end properties in downtown New York and in the mid 90’s I started my own company, an educational consulting company, helping families with the college entrance process. Now I am a full time painter living in Ojai, Ca and New York City.
21 LOLA QUESTIONS
- How do you live a sustainable lifestyle? I am very aware of our global water issue, and more so living in southern CA. I turn off that faucet if I am not using it! As a family, my husband and daughter and I take showers together. I’ve been taking my own bags everywhere for everything for a long time. I squeeze every last drop of paint from my tubes. I pass along my books once I’ve read them (and lately have been downloading certain types of books onto my Kindle so NO PAPER at all!). I gift my clothes to friends and thrift stores.
- Ways you like to save money? I buy used books, clothes, shoes, etc.
- Do you have any natural beauty tips? My mother used to rub my scalp with olive oil while she watched her telenovelas at night and to this day I rub olive oil into my scalp and all over my hair the night before I’m washing it. I’ve also used essential oils on my face for decades, which is all the rage these days….
- Have you ever kept a journal? I’ve never kept a written journal, per se, but 7 years ago I started my blog, She Pushes a Mad Whip, which is certainly a visual journal. I love going back to a year ago today or even 5 years ago today and see what I was doing, thinking, feeling…
- What are your favorite ways to look after your body? Sleeping well is my number one self-preservation move, followed by vibrant, clean eating, and moving it in whatever form that may be! I love to dance, walk, and hike.
- What are your favorite housekeeping tips? I lived in Japan for a year and ever since then the shoes have come off in the house! It’s so much easier today to find non-toxic cleaning products. We’re so lucky. The chemical companies must be freaking!
- When do you write a handwritten letter? Almost every week. I have friends all over the world and I love nothing more than writing a few lines telling them how much I miss them or that I’m thinking about them on homemade stationery in beautiful handwriting. My letters are FAMOUS! And so very much appreciated. I just sent a bunch of letters from my trip to Bhutan because the stamps were so incredibly beautiful, the envelopes were works of art onto themselves….
- Which safety precautions are second nature to you? Presence is my number one safety rule, being vigilant at all times. I would never walk down an urban street with ear buds blasting music into my head, robbing me of one of my most important senses! I also spent a summer in college working for the police department in Richmond, VA. Two of the safety tips that have stayed with me for years is to be hyper vigilant while entering an enclosed parking garage. Basically: DO NOT do it alone. Ask someone to walk you to your car. And the second thing was,if you feel that you are being followed by someone,CROSS THE STREET. The person following you is nervous and most likely thinking in a very linear way so if you change it up on him he’ll get rattled and you have a chance to make your next move.Have you ever volunteered somewhere?
- Have you ever had an internship? I’ve been volunteering since I was a teenager. For years, I led community service trips for teens to Africa and South America. As part of my college scholarship, the Morehead Foundation offered us extraordinary internships in the fields of outdoor leadership (Outward Bound in Colorado), public safety (Richmond, Virginia police department), private enterprise (Fortune Magazine, NYC and Bank of America, San Francisco). I learned more in my internships than I did at school and I’ve been to great schools! I also support organizations that rescue dogs. I am passionate about it! My current obsession is The Sato Project. I support them on a monthly basis as well as when they need special funding for certain projects.
- When do you use an old fashioned remedy to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or hurt yourself? I rub Egyptian Magic onto all my cuts and I’ll often use a steam room when I am feeling congested. I also believe strongly in the healing power of deep tissue massages.
- What are your favorite board games? Card games? Scrabble!
- What are your favorite forms of exercise? Nothing makes me happier and fitter than salsa dancing!
- What food do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods? Pretty much everything given the choice! Coffee is my comfort food. Is coffee a food??? “-)))
- What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe? Can you share it? I love all the recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi’s books, Plenty + Jerusalem, although at times the ingredients are a bit exotic and hard to find. Ina Garten has really easy recipes in her Barefoot Contessa books. My favourite is the parmesan chicken.
- What kind of manners do you appreciate the most? THANK YOUS! Cultivating a practice of daily gratitude for my incredible good fortune pretty much puts every single thing into perspective in an instant. And your full attention when I am speaking to you. Simple, but vanishing these days…..
- What do you think is a good way to start a conversation at a party or dinner party? Tell me something about yourself no one else in the room knows . . . .”-)))
- What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster ? My husband is more prepared than all the Boy Scouts in North America! We have 3 months of water, freeze dried food, medicine, etc. We are solar powered and have generators to back up everything.
- What do you always have with you when you travel? These days I don’t go anywhere without my Kindle! My phone, obviously, and a light cashmere sweater even if I’m traveling to a warm spot because those planes can get chilly.
- Which women have inspired you in your life? Oh boy…the list is LONG! But the one I dream about most frequently, the one whose face and image and life story is always in the back of my mind is Georgia O’Keefe. I’m in awe of Jane Goodall. Arundhati Roy is pretty inspiring. Read The God of Small Things and get back to me. Aung San Suu Kyi, the extraordinary political prisoner who defied the Burmese government and remained under house arrest for over 15 years! Elizabeth Gilbert. Her TED talk on creativity is hands down the best eighteen minutes any creative person could ever spend. Jessica Jackley, the founder of KIVA. Christina Beckles, professional boxer and founder of The Sato Project and. Are you kidding me? All these women kick ass!
- What do you do to nourish your soul? I paint. I kiss and hug my husband almost every time I walk past him during the day. I read poetry. I talk to friends. I walk my dogs in the orange groves across from my house in Ojai. I go to every museum in very city I visit and stroll slowly through their corridors.
- What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and musicians/band?
Books: The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison The Soul’s Code, James Hillman The Pregnant Virgin, Marion Woodman Pagan Meditations, Ginette Paris Cane, Jean Toomer Oh the Places You’ll Go, Dr Seuss 100 Love Sonnets, Pablo Neruda Mrs Bridge, Evan Connell Films: The Piano Harold and Maude This Boy’s Life Entre Nous Vicky Christina Barcelona Two for The Road The Sound of Music All About Eve Slumdog Millionaires Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands Music: Talib Kweli, Tupac Shakur, The Eagles, Ella Fitzgerald + BB King, The Dave Matthews Band, Fleetwood Mac, Adele, Jorge Drexler, Haydee Milanes, Marvin Gaye.
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A 
Interview with Ocean Pleasant
Ocean Pleasant is an environmentalist and humanitarian, and the founder of the- soon-to-launch Real Magazine, an exciting new publication aimed at environmentally inspired young people. Real Magazine promises to provide an inspiring platform where young people can find all sorts of resources to empower and encourage to make a difference.
Ocean Pleasant, 17, founder of REAL Youth Culture Magazine Where did you grow up? A bit of everywhere! My mom was a conflict journalist, so we were always traveling. New Zealand, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Nicaragua (basically every country in Central America), Europe, and parts of Asia. Are you a nature girl? Of course! I currently live in Boulder, Colorado; the mountains are my backyard, and I make an effort to explore them everyday. Growing up, we slept in tree houses in the middle of jungles, backpacking through rural areas in developing worlds; nature has always been a part of my life. What can each of us do every day to better the planet? I could offer practical advice, like, “Turn off the lights, limit showering time, etc.” I think the best thing you can do for this planet is shed whatever old skins no longer serve you; step into the life you’ve always imagined for yourself; love and give love at no cost to your big vision, cherish each moment, breathe gratitude within each inhale and exhale, understand the priceless value of each touch and laugh; if everyone did this, our planet wouldn’t need “bettering.” What is REAL Magazine? REAL Magazine is a national youth culture publication launching this summer, July 1st By using big names to spearhead even bigger issues, we are engaging the next generation in active global movements working to create tangible change. Starting June 1st, our website will feature young voices from around the world: our mission is to create a global platform for the collective voice of the next generation of change-makers. We are also launching the REAL Teen Ambassadors initiative, where youth ages 13-25 commit 3 hours each month to a community service project in their area, encouraging other youth to rise and empower themselves using the tools and resources we will be offering throughout the campaign. 21 questions: 1-How do you live a sustainable lifestyle? Potable water only makes up 3% of the Earth’s surface, so I find it’s incredibly important to make it last as long as possible, especially considering there are 7 billion of us! I never shower longer than 5 minutes; I don’t run water when brushing my teeth… little things that make a larger overall impact when you add them up. I walk everywhere, use reusable grocery bags when I remember (we all forget them from time to time) and unplug my chargers when not in use; they use up a surprising amount of energy when left in the socket. Candles are always a better alternative to lights at night, depending on the circumstances. I appreciate the ambiance, smells and energy efficiency over having lights on all the time. 2-Ways you like to save money? I will use/wear/keep something until it literally falls apart. I’m not particularly sentimental when it comes to material objects; I simply appreciate the entire life cycle of any given pair of shoes or bag. 3-Do you have any natural beauty tips? I make my own products. I love crafting wholesome remedies, creams, oils, and salves depending on the particular need; I’m currently infusing oils for sunburns, bug repellents, scar recovery, and relaxation. Once the oil is infused, I’ll generally mix in Shea butter, simmer the two substances at the right temperature, prepare the proper ratio, and then make my own skin products. It’s super easy to do, just Google “salve making” and discover the 3-step process! 4-Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep a journal? Oh my gosh! I literally have 50 journals scattered around the house; I’ll be traveling, find a beautiful journal, and designate a particular subject matter for each. I’m also an aspiring singer-songwriter, so I’m always jotting down ideas. I have a commitment to write a new song everyday, (even if it’s terrible) because with each day comes a new emotion, situation or encounter from which I can pull wisdom for reflection. I also keep a dream journal, (I know it sounds silly) but we all think around 50,000 thoughts everyday, so whatever sticks around in our consciousness when we fall asleep and relinquish control of our minds must be pretty important! The moment I wake up, I lay in bed for 30 seconds, pull the memories close before they become shadows lost in the hidden mind, then grab my journal and write as fast as I can. Each month, I read through and highlight any patterns or reoccurrences. (If I told you I have a book on interpreting dreams, you’d think I was crazy, so I won’t say that.) 5-What are your favorite ways to look after your body? Water, water, water. Water! It doesn’t matter how healthy I eat, if I don’t allow my body to flush out any toxins that don’t belong in my system. Water is the #1 key to clear skin and healthy kidneys! I also practice yoga; if I don’t sweat everyday, I’m sluggish and unmotivated. I also eliminate processed sugars and carbohydrates from my diet (bread, sweet foods like candy/pastries). Simple carbs turn into glucose immediately upon encountering your bloodstream, which is then stored as fat if not burned as energy. It also means my energy levels are more even and sustained, the opposite of the energy spike that comes with eating a bagel or sugary treat. Sugar affects the brain the same way as cocaine, so the first 2 weeks of going “processed food-free” will literally feel like going through drug withdrawal. But once it’s out of your system, you’ve got more energy and mental stamina. I’m also vegetarian, with my #1 protein source being shelled hemp seeds, which contain around 10 grams of protein per 3 tablespoons. It’s one of the only plants that’s a complete protein, also containing all amino and fatty acids. The “I can’t be vegan because I don’t get enough protein” myth is just that: a myth. 6-What are your favorite housekeeping tips? I’m not sure I have any housecleaning tips, probably because I’m not the person to ask, haha. In all seriousness, I clean up after myself as I go; it’s overwhelming when the “I’ll get back to it” excuse catches up to you, so I try to wash every dish upon putting it in the sink; not “later.” 7-When do you write a handwritten letter? The raw joy that accompanies sloppily opening a handwritten letter is unlike any other sensation I’ve encountered. Perhaps it’s the implication of “old-fashioned” communication, or the commercially induced romantic air surrounding the stationary, seals and fancy pens. I write letters when my heart cannot be accurately represented in 150 characters, when I want to say something that deserves tangible preservation rather than an “archive” folder in Gmail. 8-Which safety precautions are second nature to you? My mom and I were in a really terrible car accident when I was little. Ever since, my seat belt is buckled before the car starts. I will always walk to the crosswalk; my mom calls me an old lady because she’ll be on the other side of the street waiting for me to cross. 9-Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship? Are you involved in activism? If yes, how did you get involved? I am a registered volunteer at The Humane Society; I have a name tag and everything! I’ve been an Ambassador for The Global Youth Peace Summit since I was 11. The Summit brings together youth from around the world, many originating from war-torn or impoverished countries, for one week of leadership development and community building exercises that each of us can take back with us to our homes and implement on a local level. I traveled with the Amala Foundation to India when I was 14 and started a photo project with young girls, working to empower them by providing the opportunity for them to document their lives. I was just in Kenya on the scouting delegation for a Kenya Summit, and instigated the 2nd (Mathare Youth Sports Association) in the Mathare Slum outside Nairobi. I worked in Robin Lim’s birthing clinic last year, and am very passionate about empowering women on a global scale. 10-Do you use any old fashioned remedies to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or have hurt yourself? Nature is the best remedy for any ailment; I’ll go outside, lie in the grass (and hope no bears are prowling my yard), make medicinal treatments (tinctures/salves) and just breathe fresh air. 11-Do you have any favorite board games? Card games? What do you do for entertainment? In your down time, what do you like to do that is low key? In my down time I’m writing music, making herbal medicine, reading astrology books, knitting, and gardening. I guess I really am an old lady! (You were right, mom!) 12-What are your favorite forms of exercise? Yoga, running, hiking, swimming, dancing, all of the above! 13-What foods do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods? All vegetables I eat are organic and locally grown, if available. My comfort food is baked tofu with Bragg’s liquid amino, and the vegetarian gummy bears from the bulk section at Whole Foods. (Well, I guess that’s more of a guilty pleasure…Oh well!) I think there is an inherent disconnectedness between Americans and the food we eat; when you buy an egg sandwich from the snack section at 7/11, do you ever wonder, “what kind life did the chicken who laid this egg have? Where did this bread come from? Where will this plastic wrap end up once I’ve devoured this sandwich in T minus five minutes?” I like to know, “I grew this” or “I know the dude who grew this.” 14-What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe? I get hungry very often; if I ate every time I was hungry, I’d be consuming more than a professional athlete! Instead, I make dense protein smoothies with almond milk, hemp seeds, cacao powder (for energy), ½ a banana, and stevia for sweetness. This fills me up between meals so I’m not tempted by the low-quality snacks I’ll encounter throughout the day at cafes or convenience stores. 15-What kind of manners do you appreciate the most? “It’s the thought that counts.” It warms me to know when people have put effort into something, big or small. When people hold open the door, or wave indicating I can cross the street; small things make me happy and inspire me to do them in return. 16-What are you favorite social networking tools? Social media drives me nuts. It seems like as soon as I get a hang of one thing, suddenly there’s a new site that I “have to be a part of.” It consumes so much of my life with very little effort on my part, but it’s also an incredible vessel for connection and collaboration, so I won’t complain. I’m not sure I even understand this question, that’s how tech savvy I am! 17-What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster? Ooh. Well, I always have a lot of water in the house, and enough canned/boxed food (like beans & couscous) to last a few weeks. When the flood hit Colorado, we couldn’t leave the house and that was all we had. 18-What do you always have with you when you travel? A good thick book and grapefruit seed extract (to keep my water clean/free of unwelcome guests). 19-Which women have inspired you in your life? I’ll use the cliché answer: my mom. But I’m totally serious! She’s the hardest worker I know, more dedicated to her vision and changing the planet than anyone I’ve encountered in this life. She’s taught me so much, it’s an honor to happen to love publishing and be able to follow in her footsteps. We are best friends (with one being a couple decades older who occasionally barks to wash dishes). She’s my partner in crime, the epitome of a good time, and an overall incredible human that everyone should have the privilege of knowing. Also, my grandmother is amazing. She’s a hard worker who’s been through a lot, but managed to create some pretty awesome offspring. She’s always there for me, and is the first person I call when I need to vent or ramble, because I know she’ll hold space and walk me through it. 20-What do you do to nourish your soul? I make music. Write. Stick my hands in the dirt. Remain absolutely myself with no concept of external perception; let the chips fall where they may. Run as fast as I can in no particular direction, barefoot. Trust completely, totally, 100% in divine alignment: ultimate oneness in the absence of coincidence nourishes every fiber of my being. 21-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and bands/musicians? Favorite music: The Cure, Beck, The Temptations, Ben Howard, Bon Iver Favorite Film: My Fair Lady Favorite Books: The Power of Now, The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need, Desktop Guide to Herbalism Favorite Speech: Sojourner Truth. “Ain’t I A Woman?” Delivered at Akron Ohio Women’s Convention (1851) To subscribe to Real Magazine: www.realteenmag.com Follow Ocean @oceanpleasant on every social media site. To follow Real Magazine @realteenmag on Twitter, REAL Magazine on Facebook.
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Phoebe Dahl is helping send girls to school in Nepal
Through her charitable clothing line Faircloth & Supply, for every item sold, uniforms are donated through the nonprofit GO campaign ( https://gocampaign.org ) to young girls in Nepal, where education is often out of reach for children whose families can’t afford the requisite school attire. They are given two uniforms so they can go to school and if they like, they can choose a trade–like farming, or sewing–and at the end of the course they are given a micro loan to start their own business. “Just one uniform is helping these women claim they basic human right to an education.” Phoebe’s Faircloth & Supply line of drop-waist dresses, cropped shirts and smocks are doubly nice because they are made using organic linen! Describing her pieces “I love it when it’s wrinkled and washed and torn up. These pieces you can travel with and love forever.” —from an article written by Molly Creeden, American Vogue May 2014 Go Phoebe!
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YAMAGATA GIRLS FARM
” Women are very different from men as farmers,” says Yukako Harada. ” Women are natural mothers, so they are often more nurturing than men, raising vegetables and crops the way they would raise their own children. This makes them good farmers.” Yukako Harada is a nutritional scientist from Kobe who joined the farm in 2009 after meeting Yamagata Girls Farm founder Nahoko Takahashi.
The 7 women who run the farm are between the ages of 21 and 32.
from Modern Farmer
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Latest from LOLA’s Inspiring Women in the news
LOLA Girl: Liya Keyebe is former World Health Organisation’s Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and a supermodel/actress who discovered that traditional weavers in her native country of Ethiopia were losing their jobs due to a decline in local demand for their goods and wanted to do something about it. Recognizing the beauty, quality and historic significance of their work, Liya started Lemlem in 2007 as a way to inspire economic independence in her native country and to preserve the art of weaving. Today, Lemlem, which means to flourish or bloom in Amharic, is thriving. Thank you to those who support this handcrafted collection of women’s and children’s clothing, while helping preserve an ancient art form.
More recently, Liya has teamed up with the charity Bornfreeafrica to wipeout AIDS among infants in South Africa:
“We’re ensuring that every child is born free of HIV, meaning aiming to end mother-to-child transmission of AIDs by 2015,” she said —Today.
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Elettra Wiedemann talks with Mimi Xu for StyleMap on Style.com, about responsible eating and shopping. She understands that every purchase she makes has an impact.
I heard you’ve been an active environmentalist for a while. When and how have you become conscious of the fact that our world is going through an environmental crisis?
My love and concern for the environment started as a child because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE animals. When I was little, there was a big push to “Save the Whales,” and from there I learned about whale hunting, ocean pollution, environmental degradation, etc. Then it seemed like everywhere I looked, animals were under threat because their homes were being polluted or destroyed. I have also always been a very active person…. My father and I would go on long hikes and camp when I was little, and it used to make me so sad to see garbage in a beautiful forest or along the coast of a pristine beach.
You are a food lover like myself! Where did this passion come from? Is it hard to reconcile the love of food with a modeling career, which demands constant restraint?
I started cooking because of modeling. I was never concerned with looks or my weight as a kid! I was more concerned about playing outside. When I started modeling, I had to figure out how to keep my weight within a certain range, and so cooking for myself became a way that I could eat my favorite foods and control what was being put into the meal—olive oil rather than butter, for example. Then I went to the London School of Economics for my master’s degree and wrote my dissertation on the future of feeding urban populations. It was in my research that I discovered how incredibly wasteful the global food system is, and how much I had been a part of that. It really made me sick and humiliated to think of the damage I had participated in without realizing it. My studies really changed my approach to food. It used to be something I had to restrain and control; now it’s something I am thoughtful about, celebrate, and am grateful for every time I sit down for a snack or a meal.
Do you agree that if we change the way we eat it will have a substantial impact on the environment long-term? What advice can you give to people on choosing what to put on their plate? – for the answer to this and other questions, her interview continues here.
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INSPIRATION
It’s Happy Birthday week to the extraordinary Jane Goodall!
She has evolved from steadfast scientist, and the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees to passionate conservationist and humanitarian, and devotes all her time to advocacy on behalf of chimpanzees and the environment, traveling nearly 300 days a year. Jane’s understanding of nature—the gift of the forest—and her resulting reverence for life has led her to campaign for compassion.
Through her Roots and Shoots program, she’s empowering new generations by building a worldwide network of young people who have learned to care deeply for their human community, for all animals and for their environment, and who will take responsible action to care for them.
Her central message is the unity of life: “It is not one thing to save man and another to save the animals. Together, we can make the world a better place for all living things.”
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DOER: SOPHIA BUSH
In actress and activist Sophia Bush’s words,
“We all bleed the same blood. We all have hopes, dreams, fears, and wishes. We all live on the same planet. We all have to care for it, and care for one another … And we can do that through acts of kindness every day. We can do that by choosing to speak out against inequality and injustice. And we can do that by being conscious in terms of our choices, consumerism included.”
She’s been globetrotting the world with Pencils of Promise in pursuit of spreading education opportunities in developing countries, and teamed up with DoSomething.org, to raise more environmental awareness among teens.
To read more: http://www.apolisglobal.com/journal/people-sophia-bush-actress-activist
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Amber Valletta breathes new life into the eco-fashion movement. From a interview she recently gave in C Magazine: ” My mom was an environment activist in Oklahoma. She protested to stop a nuclear power plant from being when I was a child. My grandparents also had a farm, so I was always out in the country. I saw the importance and the value of respecting the land and what it means to fight for it. As I got older, I tried to figure out what I could do of service that has meaning to me, combines with what I’m good at. Work can’t be just about money. It has to be about making your life better and other lives better. Don’t you think?” Check out her new lifestyle brand, Master & Muse.
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Emma Watson, from in Eco-terre: “The concept of sweatshop-produced clothing remains anathema to her. “We don’t support slave labor in this country, so we shouldn’t support those conditions in other countries,” Watson said. “I can’t wrap my head around why ethical clothing is a speciality and not a base standard. Why is it special to have something you know wasn’t made under terrible conditions by a 12-year-old girl for 20 pence an hour?”
“Livia’s created a lobbying body to put pressure on governments and corporations to encourage them to have [ethical responsibility] as their baseline,” Watson gushed.
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Humaira Bachal, a twenty-five year old woman from Pakistan, is fighting for quality education in Pakistan for girls. After her own father tried to stop her from finishing school in ninth grade, she founded the only school in her neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan. Today, Humaira has not only educated more than 1,200 children, she’s also educating local adults that their daughters have a legal right to an education.
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Maya Lin is an American architectural designer and artist who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. In one of her recent environmental works, Storm King Wavefield, she explores how we experience the landscape, merging the work completely with the terrain, blurring the boundaries.
She is currently working on what will be her last memorial, entitled What is Missing? It will focus on bringing awareness to the current crisis surrounding biodiversity and habitat loss. Maya Lin is a committed environmentalist, focusing consistently on environmental concerns, promoting sustainable building design in her architectural works, while making the environment the subject of her artworks.
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Daphne Zuniga is an American actress, and devoted to conservation. She is on the Board of the Directors of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation, a not-for-profit development corporation charged with catalyzing sustainable development along the Los Angeles river.
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Valérie Grandury is a survivor. In 2004, while living in LA, the Parisian transplant was diagnosed with breast cancer; the prognosis was not good. Her immediate impulse was to reinvent her lifestyle. Thus, she embarked on what wound up being a “beautiful and fascinating” journey to health. And also a somewhat… read more here.
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A Interview with Helene Henderson of Malibu Farm
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Lulea, which is a small town on the north coast of Sweden, near the Finnish border.
What is your heritage?
My mother is Swedish, ancestors of Vikings if you will, and my father was an African American jazz musician.
Tell me a bit about where you were educated…
I went to school in Sweden. I left Sweden for America after I graduated from high school on what I thought would be a one year gap-year and I never returned to Sweden. I never went to college. All my education is life-based, my formal schooling is minimal. I am not a great reader and I am pretty horrible at math.
How did you learn to cook so well?
Hmmmm, can’t sing, can’t dance, can’t play ball… my mother was a waitress so I grew up in a restaurant kitchen and I cooked with my grandmother a lot, primarily Swedish specialties such as pigs feet, reindeer stew and swedish dumplings. The kitchen has always been my “home.” I think a huge life lesson is to do accept what we are good at, instead of striving to do things that seem more appealing, but don’t come naturally to us.
What jobs have you had?
I started as a waitress for several years in Sweden, then worked as a prep cook assistant. When I moved to America I was looking for more glamourous things – I dabbled in modeling work, also worked in clothing stores and as a graphic designer for a few years until I found my back to the kitchen and started catering.
And now for the 21 questions:
1- How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?
Sustainability is journey and a constant eduction as well as a struggle. I only grow things you can eat or drought tolerant native plants – there are no roses or other decorative plants in my yard.
If I am using water in my garden, I want the water in return in a food product my family can eat.
I always believe in less quantity and better quality. I always choose less of an organic product and eat less or buy one new item of clothing per year that will last for years, than many inferior items that will be trashed in just a few washes or uses.
I am a quality over quantity person, which I think most of the time equals sustainability.
2- Ways you like to save money?
I save money by wasting less and buying only what I really want, which is probably not “saving money” in a traditional sense.
I rather pay more for a high quality fresh organic chicken and eat less of, than buying more, a conventional frozen chicken for less and eating more of it, I am not sure that is actually saving… but it is eating less chicken, which produced less carbon, while I also consume less calories – does that count as saving?
I also hate shopping, so this naturally saves money. My daughter was very disappointed to have the one mother “in all of L.A.” as she would say, who hates shopping. No day long mother-daughter shopping days for us. Want to hit a few farmer’s markets? I am all in and shopping for veggies is much less money than fashion shopping.
3- Do you have any natural beauty tips?
My number one beauty tip would be love yourself the way you are. Everyone is beautiful, we just have to learn to see our own beauty and accept it.
A friend of mine had an accident in which she lost her toe and she said it was ironic because the part she always like the most about herself were her feet. This girl is gorgeous. I think in loosing her toe she came to accept herself and see that the rest of her was just as beautiful as her lost toe – at least I hope she did.
I don’t really use any beauty products, partially because I am lazy, but also because I believe all women are more beautiful without makeup. My friend Indie Lee does produce a great all organic makeup line, all based with natural ingredients and oils.
4- Have you ever kept a journal?
I do not keep a journal.
5- What are your favorite ways to look after your body?
I love to run or hike. I think humans were meant to run and our bodies are built for it. I wish I had more time to do it. I try to do it everyday but I don’t always have time for it. I always feel much better after I do it. It also clears my mind and helps me think, I may not be the best or the fastest runner but I solve lots of problems when I run.
I am a big believer in sleep and I watch our farm animals who all go to sleep as soon as its dark and wake up with the sun, and it seems like such a natural cycle connected to the sun and allowing our routine to be more closely related to the hours of sun light – I think staying up late at night and sleeping late in the morning is against our natural programming and not good for us.
I could be wrong but I believe several studies have proven that workers on night shifts suffer more diseases than those on traditional hours so as soon as it is dark out and I am off for the evening, I am heading to bed!
6- What are your favorite housekeeping tips?
Haha, well I am probably the worst housekeeper ever. I think some amount of dirt, dust and germs are good for us and excessive cleaning and cleaning products are worse for us on so many levels that the dirt we are trying to scrub away.
I am super sensitive to chemicals and will start coughing and wheezing as soon as a chemical is used in the house.
The vacuum is a great tool, and a simple green mop solution is probably all you need to keep a semi clean house.
Overly clean spaces scare me and I never heard anyone say that they wished they spent more time cleaning.
7- When do you write a handwritten letter?
The hand written letter is definitely going to the way side, I find that the only time I write handwritten letters have been to my children when they are at summer camp. Sending your child a typed letter at camp seems like something that would be very, very wrong. I have saved all their letters written home from camp over the years.
8- Which safety precautions are second nature to you?
I always put on my seat belt and I drive very cautiously – Grandma driver is frequently used to describe me but driving in L.A. is probably the most risky behavior we face each day.
I live in Malibu and Pacific Coast Highway is a very dangerous road – I see an accident almost every day.
9- Have you ever volunteered somewhere? Have you ever had an internship?
I did Habitat for Humanity, which was amazing – I did not build any houses but I was there to serve food for the house building volunteers and it was a really inspiring day.
I also worked for a year at the Master Gardening Program of L.A. county and planted the Watts Garden Project, which was an effort to bring organic vegetables to the inner city.
10- When do you use an old fashioned remedy to heal yourself when you are either not feeling well or hurt yourself?
I think the best remedy to any ailment is rest, not to dismiss diseases or germs, many that can obviously not be treated by rest, but as far as home remedies goes- rest and a bowl of chicken broth, for sure always helps and if you are sick but you aren’t tired then in my book you aren’t sick… so our stay home from school rule has always been, if you are well enough to out of bed then you are probably well enough to be in school
11- What are your favorite board games? Card games? Do you like to so something special when you set the table?
I am not much of a gaming person so almost never play board games or card games; although, I have had fun times playing “Apples to Apples” with my son.
12- What are your favorite forms of exercise?
I love running, it is just such a simple sport, no special gear needed (other than shoes, but also that is questionable with the barefoot running craze), it is totally free, you can do it anywhere, any time, no appointment needed, you can do it alone or with a group.
It also has a sense of purpose, as you can get somewhere while you are out running, to the bank, to the park, everything else you are just spinning in place.
I hate anything that requires coordination such as dancing and even yoga.
I do LOVE LOVE LOVE cross country skiing. I love the forest and I am totally obsessed with snow. Sadly, Malibu is not the place to live to pursue this.
13– What food do you only buy organically grown? What are your comfort foods?
Chicken and dairy always. I don’t eat red meat so I don’t buy a lot of that and fish, of course, is not really organic but I look for wild or sustainable.
My son is vegan so we mostly buy vegetables, beans and grains, all organic.
I grew up in sweden so I LOVE potatoes, baby fingerling skin on (just a dash of oil and a sprinkle of salt). Potatoes are totally my comfort food. I always feel more satisfied when I eat potatoes. I could easily eat potatoes with every meal.
14- What is your favorite easy, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive recipe? Can you share it?
I believe if you buy (or grow) a premium product, it doesn’t matter what it is- fresh chicken, ripe heirloom tomato, sharp arugula, freshly caught fish, all it needs is a dash of good olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a splash of something acidic such as lemon or vinegar.
Almost all my cooking is super simple with only those three ingredients and often people say that was the “best” dish, which is totally ridiculous because I barely do anything to the food I cook but it goes to prove how removed so many are from the simplicity of great ingredients and how when you use them, there are no recipes needed.
(Check out Helene’s The Swedish Table for more recipes)
15– What kind of manners do you appreciate the most?
I am not sure that traditional manners have any importance for me. I used to think they were more important and then one day you realize that the rudest friend is the most reliable friend and the most well-mannered may be the most inconsiderate.
Although come to think of it – punctuality is very important for me. I hate when people are late.
16- What do you think is a good way to start a conversation at a party or dinner party?
Pass the broccoli?
I love family style service with platters because it forces you to speak to your seat neighbors even if you don’t know them and you are shy.
17- What have you done to be ready in the event of a disaster?
I am a bit of a disaster-phobe but very disorganized… I am hoping this is where some sort of self sustainability comes in handy.
The chickens will still be laying eggs, there are always vegetables and fruit in the garden. My pantry is pretty well stocked with dry goods, so I feel confident we would have at least food to last for awhile.
I hope to incorporate some large underground water storage one day soon, as the need for water would be my biggest concern in a large disaster.
18- What do you always have with you when you travel?
I try to always bring a child, the younger the better. I think when you travel with adults only it is so isolating and hard to interact with the local community where you are.
We have traveled all over the world- India, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Scandinavia, Japan, always with a young child and it always shaped our experience for the better, as we made play dates in India, we were invited to dinner in peoples homes in Vietnam etc,
A child is the ultimate language and cultural barrier and the best travel companion you can ever bring.
19- Which women have inspired you in your life?
Of course we were all inspired by our mothers and grandmothers. I actually grew up living with my grandmother and she was very influential in starting me on cooking but I am going to go with my daughter, Celia, as a woman who has inspired me.
I was never athletic growing up and could never participate in any sports and never did any physical activity growing up. It seemed at first my daughter inherited my athletic inability but she was determined to find a sport that would work for her. She tried all the sports, basketball, soccer, baseball, etc, and nothing clicked but she would not give up. She finally tried running in middle school and she found her stride… she became a scoring runner on a state champion team and although she wasn’t the fastest runner she was voted the most important runner on the team, that really showed me that if you keep trying and never give up, everyone can find a sport and become a great athlete.
I did not start running until after she became a runner. She led the way.
Her younger brother also did not have a natural athletic gene coming home crying after school sports games until one day I thought maybe he would be a runner too? And it turns out he LOVES to run and he is good at it. So she was totally instrumental in both of us finding a healthy way to work out.
I am in awe of all successful women in the restaurant kitchens especially women over 40. Cooking was not a field women easily headed into in those days. It was and is still such a male dominated field. I never ventured into a restaurant kitchen outside of the restaurants in Sweden where my mother worked.
I have been strictly in catering which is a more female oriented cooking field. Although it is still a male dominated field, I think it is much easier for younger women to crack into the elite kitchens today, so I am a huge admirer of the women who came first, such as Alice Waters, Nancy Silverton, Mary Sue Milken, and Susan Feniger, to name a few. Susan Goin is also super talented.
20- What do you do to nourish your soul?
I love quiet – a quiet house, a quite walk – sitting quietly outdoors – when I was a child I would love to hike into the forest and sit hunkered down with the trees. I could sit forever in a quiet forest.
Noise overwhelms me – if I feel stressed, the number one thing I need is quiet and solitude.
21-What are your all-time 10 favorite books, films and musicians/band?
I can’t compile a list, but I can say this: My mother was a huge Michael Jackson and Prince fan – huge – she had tickets to the MJ final concerts in London, for which she had rearranged her chemo therapy schedule so she could attend.
She was devastated when he died and the concert was cancelled. She actually went into a coma for a few months after he died, as the concert was the one thing she was really looking forward to and was pushing her recovery. Any time I hear MJ or Prince I think of my mother and feel connected to her and Sweden, which is funny since those are both American artists.
I am not a fan of fiction. I love true stories and true events. I remember loving into Thin Air by John Kraukaer, as it was the first time I was introduced to that world and I found it totally mesmerizing. I also loved the Immortal Life of Henrietta Slacks.
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Shailene Woodley is thoughtfully donating her long locks to create a wig for someone in need at childrenwithhairloss.us/
I love this fascinating and inspiring video of artist Maria Bosch in her studio making clay pots.
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