VIDEO: Maria | Playing For Change

Here's the newest video from Playing For Change...sweet and beautiful.





"Today we are proud to share a new video for our 'Live Outside' series, featuring Louis Mhlanga. 'Maria' was recorded and filmed in Louis' back yard in South Africa. Sometimes great music is just in the moment, and today we celebrate these moments together through music."

Quote of the Week - 10.28.21

Happiness never decreases by being shared.

~Buddha

Share a little happiness...share some Fair Trade chocolate.

~Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 10.26.12

Zombie pumpkins at New York Botanical Garden

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History - (Seventh Generation Blog) Book about how environmental toxins are affecting breasts and breastmilk...connections to breast cancer.

Food Stuff

• Hershey outlines details of cocoa child labor pledge - (ConfectioneryNews.com)
• Whole Foods Drops Drops Hershey's Scharffen Berger Brand over Child Labor Concerns - (Sustainablog) Interesting... reason why Hershey is finally stepping up (albeit slowly)??
• Mars, Nestle and Mondelez talk cocoa sustainability - (ConfectioneryNew.com) Notice who's not talking among the chocolate giants... Hershey!!!

Home Stuff

• Bamboo Homes in Bali's Gorgeous Green Village - (Inhabitat) Imagine having one of these for your vacation hideaway!
• Cocoon Tree: A Lightweight, Spherical TreeHouse for Sustainable Living - (Inhabitat) Backyard getaway anyone???

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• 10 Great Looking Non-leather Riding Boots Under $200 - (GirlieGirlArmy) OK...we suckers for cute boots!

Tech & Science Stuff

• British Firm Produces Liquid Fuel From Water and Thin Air - (Inhabitat) For reals??? Will be curious to see how this pans out.
• Electric cars get ready to take over the road, quietly and powerfully - (Sierra Magazine) Buyer's guide to EVs and hybrids.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• High Levels of Plastic and Debris found in Waters off of Antarctica - (Smithsonian.com) Our plastic junk is everywhere!!
• Pictures: Vampire Squid - (National Geographic) These creatures are cool!
• Octopus Steals Food From Researchers, Fends Off Shark - (The Scuttlefish) That's one crazy cephalopod!
• Sperm whale: death by 100 plastic bags - (While Things) Very sad.
• The Cost of Coal - (Sierra Club) Pics and videos of those living with the effects of coal mining.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Army of Ghastly Zombie Pumpkins at the New York Botanical Garden - (Inhabitat) Creep & gruesome, but pretty cool at the same time.

International Stuff

• World's First Algae-Powered Building for Germany - (Inhabitat) Love the cool green color the algae give it.

Other Random Cool Stuff

• 8 DIY Cardboard Costumes That Are Outside the Box - (Inhabitots) These are insanely amazing.
• Chicago Unveils the "Greenest Street in America" with Permeable, Smog-Eating Pavement - (Inhabitat)

Quote of the Week - 10.21.12

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.

~John Burroughs

The smallest piece of Fair Trade chocolate is better than the greatest that is not.

~Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 10.07.12

Waste Free School Lunches



Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Little Goodall's Eco Halloween Costume Coats - (Inhabitots) Not cheap, but man are these cute...and can be worn all season long.

Food Stuff

• Easy Steps to Waste-Free School Lunches - (The New Dream Blog)
• Fairtrade chocolate & banana brownie recipe via infographic - (Big Fair Bake) Infographic recipe...love it!
• Hershey to source 100% certified cocoa by 2020 - (Global Exchange) What will they do in the meantime??
• Make Homemade Organic Pumpkin Puree - (Inhabitots) Easy recipe.
• Getting Arsenic out of Your (and Your Kids') Diet - (Enviroblog) "...two new reports came from the US Food and Drug Administration and the highly regarded Consumer Reports magazine...focused on the worrisome amounts of arsenic in rice and popular rice-based processed foods."

Home Stuff

• IKEA Announces That It Will Sell Only LED Lighting By 2016 - (Inhabitat) Guess where we'll be getting our light bulbs?

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Show The Love - These guys make hand-crafted jewelry with recycled metals and ethically sourced stones...and they're super cool!

Tech & Science Stuff

• California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Bill Legalizing Self-Driving Cars - (Inhabitat) Wow...now you really can text while driving.
• Scientists Use Super-Strong Bacteria to Produce 24K Gold - (Inhabitat) Whoa...that's kinda crazy!

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Seaside activist tracks waves of 'microplastic' washed onto Oregon beaches - (OregonLive.com) Not so good.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Man Builds One World Trade Center Out of Thousands of Toothpicks for His Wife Suzi - (Inhabitat) These toothpick buildings are absolutely amazing.

Website Stuff

• Google Adds Underwater Panoramic Sea Views - (Inhabitat) Google Maps has gone underwater...so cool!

International Stuff

• Haiti Bans Plastic Bags & Disposable Foam Products - (TreeHugger) "...ban is aimed at attempting to address the nation's massive litter problem and protecting the nation's coastline, shore and remaining mangrove forests."

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Lessons from a Waste-Obsessed Traveler - (The New Dream Blog) A perspective we should all take a look at...

Quote of the Week - 10.07.12

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Smile, breathe, and eat Fair Trade chocolate.

~ Coco-Zen

October is Fair Trade Month...Easy Ways to Get Involved!

"This October is the 9th annual Fair Trade Month.  Throughout the month, ethically-minded consumers, retailers and brands will unite to celebrate and promote Fair Trade. A variety of education events, in-store sampling programs and online initiatives have been planned to help increase awareness and sales of Fair Trade Certified products, ultimately leading to greater impact for farmers and workers in developing countries."

Visit Fair Trade USA's Fair Trade Month webpage for information about Fair Trade, events, and how you can get involved. They've even put together 10 Easy Ways to Celebrate Fair Trade Month...check it out!

Of course, don't forget Fair Trade chocolates for Halloween this year!