I had an adult’s night out last night. Woohoo! Hadn’t had one of those in forever. I went to dinner and then to an a capella concert with my baby brother. We saw two of the what I consider to be the best a capella groups out there…Chapter 6 and Naturally7. It was soooooo much fun! The top picture is Chapter 6…which is straight a capella and these guys are real cuties. I have a teensy crush on John (bottom left). He is a bass and I think I screamed everytime he opened his mouth…even if it was just to say hi. ;) You should hear the love ballad he sings to Krispy Kreme doughnuts…very cute. I bought a DVD so that I can watch at home too.

You may recognize Luke Menard (next to John) from American Idol. He was not there last night unfortunately but his stand in was really good too. Both groups played in a beautiful historic theatre in Mansfield, Ohio. It was my first time there and it looked like an old opera theatre…a really gorgeous setting.

The picture below is Naturally7 and they are an award-winning gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz and soul septet from New York City. In addition to a capella they do vocal play where their voices actually sound like instruments….air guitar, cello, drums, tambourine, harmonica, etc. It was an AMAZING show. I would have preferred a little more hip hop and a little less gospel/religious stuff but it was all good. Oh and yeah I did me some screaming when their base Armand did his thing too. I am a total sucker for that Barry White voice. Jamal is my fave though from that group. It twas a great night and one that I need to repeat frequently!

Fortunately for me we don’t have any family members that suffer from eczema but I certainly sympathize with those that do. It is basically is an allergic condition that affects the skin and can cause redness, skin edema (swelling), itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. I can only imagine how awful it would be to have this or to have children plagued by it. :( I imagine that those parents try a range of different products to give their little ones relief and I also imagine that most of them do not have very safe or natural ingredients. Chemical ingredients could just further irritate the skin too. That is why I think parents might want to give exederm a try.

Exederm is made by a company that believes people with sensitive skin need products with less irritants… harsh chemicals, unnecessary additives and unproven herbal ingredients. Their product ingredient list has many highlights:

No Fragrance
No Color or Dyes
No Parabens
No Lanolin
No Sodium Laureth Sulfate
No Propylene Glycol
No Formaldehyde
No Phthalates

Wohoo! Their system revolves around 3 different products… the exederm flare control cream, intensive moisture cream, and the cleansing wash for sensitive skin. If you click on the link above you will see how their product ingredients compare to all the other leading eczema products.

So ready to give exederm a try? Also here is a coupon code for $5.00 off at exederm.com “Naturemoms1″.

Enjoy!
 

I have wanted to talk about this ever since a discussion started on my dumpster diving interview post. Basically the post discusses how one woman used the concepts of Freeganism to harvest good food thrown away by grocery stores and turn around and give it to the hungry and homeless…to the tune of $30,000. Surprisingly, it was said that this was perhaps a bit selfish….that we should consume (buy) even if we don’t need to so that we are supporting farmers.

Well, I am all for supporting local farmers and supporting earth friendly, sustainable, conscious companies with our money. But I am not for consuming just for the sake of consuming and yes I do realize that this is exactly the trend that our current economy is based upon. Consumerism may make the economic world turn…but self sufficiency is what will preserve the planet…not consumerism.

This fact was clear when I read a new prediction from Gerald Celente. This is the man that accurately predicted 1987 stock market crash, the fall of the Soviet Union, the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse, and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar. The New York Post once said of him “If Nostradamus were alive today, he’d have a hard time keeping up with Gerald Celente.” Clearly this gentlemen and his partners have a their eye on the pulse of the economy but their latest prediction will not leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. He has said, “by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we’re going to see many more.”

Now I have no opinion on the accuracy of this prediction I can only say that for us it should show what is at the very least, a possibility. I am not about doom and gloom but I am not for sticking my head in the sand either. Can you imagine living in a country where people riot for food, protest any and all taxes, can’t find a job, or live in tent cities because they are homeless? As a spoiled American I can barely even fathom such a thing but the very idea that the current economic model of spend, spend, and spend more could crumble like that shows us that more self sufficiency is needed. And consumerism as it exists now will NEVER heal our planet. Maybe it is time I finally read that book I have meant to read for awhile: The Environmental Endgame: Mainstream Economics, Ecological Disaster, And Human Survival.

Just think about it. If you woke up tomorrow in the world Celente has predicted what would you do? Can you be self sufficient? Do you have economic survival skills? To me it seems that to rely on consumerism to drive the world forward will always be potentially risky. If I woke up in that world tomorrow I “hope” that I would have a home completely paid off, that I could grow all my own food, that I would have a nest egg saved, that I could make or sew anything I need, and that I could open my home to others and do co-housing. I would “hope” that my purchases in the years previous were smart so that I did not need much in the way of material things.

It certainly has given me a lot to think about. Even if none of it comes to pass I think I would be infinitely better off being more self sufficient. It will help me save money that is for sure.

So what do you think about Celente’s prediction? Could it happen and what would you do? Is self sufficieny selfish and is consumerism the way to keep everyone’s head above water?

Photo Credit

Did I mention that I have 3 bathrooms in my house? Ugh…what seems like a benefit can be a burden. About 6 months ago one of the toilets broke and after we had it fixed the repairman suggested we not use it anymore until we could splurge and have the piping redone to provide outside access and pipes without so many sharps turns and corners. Needless to say we just sealed off that bathroom and stopped using it.

Well, that was the nicest bathroom though and the other two need quite a bit of work. One needs a new toilet seat cover. No big deal under ordinary circumstances but this toilet is a rare powder blue toilet that was custom made to match the powder blue tub and tile. We can’t even find a cover that fits or matches in color. Won’t it be nice if we have to replace the whole toilet just so we can get a cover…grrr.

The other bathroom needs a new tub. Sooo I have been looking at green options and I am not sure what would make a tub green exactly. I have been looking at this Bathroom Suites site and they have some cool tubs but I am not sure what to look for. I like this free standing tub on a wood stand…it is awesome. I figure the wood is green and not having to use sealant and replace drywall in an enclosed tub would be greener. And what makes a bathroom taps and sinks green or not? Guess I need to do more research but I love that site….always wanted a freestanding tub. :) I also love that once you pick a style you can just order all the everything in the same style.

Got any ideas to share?

One of my favorite online stores is Resuablebags and they are having a big sale right now on bags, bottles and other miscellaneous items. Some HUGE deals I spotted were:

Acme Bags Earh Tote for $4.98 (50% off)

A 27 oz Klean Kanteen Bottle for $12.57!! (30& off)

A Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup for $13.97!! (30% off)

If you have been wanting to try any of these great products now would be a great time to buy!

Thanks to Amy for tipping me off to this great sale. ;)