We've moved!

Hello, Green Bees!  It's everso slightly bittersweet to write this post, because Blogspot has been my home for the better part of the decade, but after months of thinking about it, I've taken the plunge and have built a brand new website under my own domain!

I would be honored if you followed my adventures and journey into living sustainably over at greenchiclife.com.

... and yes, there will still be lots of sustainable giveaways!

#FreebieFriday with Ethos Kolekto...

For years, I have hosted giveaways for oodles of handmade and sustainable brands, but this week, I get to host my very own giveaway!  To help connect you to some awesome ethical products, give you a sustainable wardrobe update, and help keep artisans working in their safe and healthy fair trade settings, I'm giving away a $25 shop credit to Ethos Kolekto.  

I've stocked the store with sari jewelry from India, jewelry made from bullet casings from Ethiopia, brass gems from Kenya, scarves from Vietnam, and some awesome bags and totes that were made from up-cycled fabric.  This collection was curated so that it is easy to mix and match pieces from all of the world together into some great, cohesive looks! 

To enter this giveaway: 

: like the giveaway post on Instagram

: follow @ethoskolekto

: follow @greenchiclife

: tag at friends in separate comments 

(You get an entry per tag, so feel free to tag lots and lots of pals!)

This giveaway is open to US entrants and will end at 23:59 PST on 26-June-2020.  The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via direct message on Instagram.  This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.  By entering this contest, you are confirming that you're at least 18 years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram's terms of use. 

A few notes on creating a vacation capsule wardrobe...

My dear pals, I have to admit something: While I like to claim that I am a maximalist minimalist, I have never attempted a 10 for 10 challenge or created anything like a capsule wardrobe. I've definitely got my favorite pieces, but I'm a bit of a thrift and then Poshmark and then thrift again junkie.

Well... I am trying something new for a change. We are going on a 2-week road trip in a Jeep with a 6-month old ( + all of his bits and pieces... pack-and-play, carseat, Boppy, etc.) and a dog... through the desert.

So yeah, space is a bit limited.

This means that instead of packing the extensive vacation wardrobe I would usually try to cram into my suitcase, I've tried to pare things down a bit. I let myself have 15 shirts/cover ups/dresses/sweaters/pairs of trousers and then gave myself 2 pairs of PJs, 2 workout outfits, and 3 pairs of shoes. I've focused on basic pieces, a few super fun pieces that can be mixed and matched with the basics, and a small selection of my favorite jewelry. The outfit in these snaps was a trial run!

Ok... I know that that is still a pretty extensive wardrobe, but I think it's about what I'd usually pack for a one-week excursion, so the idea of packing at this volume for twice the time is a big step! My hope is that this experiment will help me be more creative with the things I'm wearing (remember, everything is thrifted, fair trade, handmade, and/or eco-friendly), so that when we get back home, I can scale down my wardrobe a bit more and have another go at that whole minimalism thing.

Thoughts? Have you had a ton of success with creating capsule wardrobes, and if so, what are some tips?

What's sustainable about this outfit?

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade

: the tank is fair trade and made of organic cotton

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade

: the necklace is fair trade and handmade from bullet casings

: the trousers are handmade from organic cotton

Earrings c/o Ethos Kolekto

Tank c/o Synergy Organic

Necklace c/o Ethos Kolekto

Trousers c/o Indigo Apparel

Bracelet c/o Ethos Kolekto

It's mountain time...

... Mountain Time Soap, that is!  

Pals, I am absolutely thrilled to write today's post.  You see, while we've been trying to self-contain as much as possible, we've also been trying to support local businesses to help keep them moving forward, even though the world has slowed down.  

Instead of looking to big box retailers and chains, I set aside some time to do a bit of research on the awesome small businesses that are located within the town borders.  This lead me to find Mountain Time Soap, a handmade soap company based in Golden, Colorado.  Let me tell you: It's awesome to find a great local business to shop from, but it's even better when they hand-make their products using natural ingredients, without chemicals, and they even use totally recyclable and compostable packaging! 

My new buddy, Stacy, created Mountain Time Soap to help reduce the number of chemicals that she was using on her body and ended up developing a gorgeous range of nature-inspired body products.  She was kind enough to share her entire line with me (!!!) so since our masked meet-up in the post office parking lot, SunStars and I have had a grand time playing around with all of the different scents and earth-based goodies in her range.  

Handmade bar soaps are really at the core of Mountain Time, and the 7 bars that we've been able to play around with smell crisp and fresh.  The patchouli mint, which is a special soap in her line, is definitely my favorite.  It's super minty with just a hint of patchouli, which of course, makes me feel like a happy (and clean) little hippie.  SunStars has had a difficult time picking a favorite, but has narrowed them down to his top 2: Alpine Start (made with cedarwood, eucalyptus, spearmint, and coffee grounds) and True Grit (the sage and fir really shine through with this one... it reminds me of Christmas).  Even without the lathering agents that are generally mixed into the soaps you'd find at a big box retailer, these all-natural bars are able to generate tons of suds. 

In addition to the bar soaps, we also got to give the Mountain Time shampoo bar a spin.  Since my hair is super crazy fine, I've often struggled to find handmade shampoo bars that don't leave my hair feeling super oily, and I'm happy to say that after years of searching, I have finally found a bar that leaves my hair feeling light, hydrated, and clean!  Suffice it to say that I've also greatly enjoyed the muscle recovery soak (LOVE the way it is packaged), the shave soap, the lip balm in a compostable tube, and the whipped shea butter.  I really especially enjoy the shea butter, not just because I'm a total hydration freak, but because it is hand-harvested by women on Northern Ghana.  These women use traditional harvesting methods and are paid a sustainable living wage for their work.  All that needs to be done with it at Mountain Time Soap is to whip it and package it in a sweet amber glass jar.  Stay tuned for an update on the pet shampoo bar.  We need to get our pup into the tub soon! 

It seems that I have struck gold in Golden with Mountain Time Soap!  Even if they aren't local to you, I'd highly recommend popping over to their website and taking a look at everything they have to offer!  In addition to everything I've written about here, they've got a soap club that would be oodles of fun to try out! 

Bath and body products c/o Mountain Time Soap

#SustainableSunday with Ethos Kolekto...

I'm bursting with pride because for the last two weeks, I have been the proud owner of Ethos Kolekto, LLC.  

Yes, Green Bees, after attending undergrad for fashion and fashion merchandising, moving to NYC to intern for a large online retailer, and then spending the last decade working in education and blogging on the side, I finally took the plunge and started my own online store.  It's something I've dreamed of since college, talked myself out of a zillion times, and felt like I just couldn't do along with working and blogging.  It turns out that I CAN do it and I even have a baby now, on top of everything else! 

I've spent the last 6 months quietly curating a small introductory collection of jewelry, bags, and scarves from some of my favorite, vetted, fair trade brands. I have done lots of research, talked to some of the CEOs of the companies I decided to stock, and have asked lots of questions so that I could be sure that what I'm putting my new brand name on is not only fun to wear, but helps others and has minimal impact on the planet.  This means that everything in the shop is made under fair trade conditions and has also been created from up-cycled or locally/ethically-sourced materials like wooden furniture, fabric scraps, bullet casings, recycled brass, and cow horn. 

I have also put quite a bit of thought into making sure that the pieces in this first collection can be mixed and matched across brands, which is especially apropos with the world being what it is today with diversity taking such a central role in what we see on the news.  I love the idea that a hand-woven scarf from Vietnam can be easily paired with sari scrap earrings from India and a necklace that was once a pile of bullet shells in Africa.  

Tons of thought also went into naming this shop.  Since my own personal interests aren't just with human causes, but lie largely with helping to preserve the planet (i.e. keep plastic out of the oceans, plant trees, etc.), I knew that the name had to somehow encompass all of these interests.  I also knew that the name had to be a bit catchy.  It took me several years to come up with Ethos Kolekto, but I think that those words (see more below) do a lovely job of communicating what I'd like to get across about the shop! 

Without using too many more words, I just wanted take today to make an official blog announcement, share my joy, and showcase a few photos that show how easy it is to mix and match products from all different countries into one cohesive look!  

I would love if you would follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and if you're looking for a little wardrobe update or are searching for a gift, please consider my tiny little fair trade shop! 

(Lan Scarf, Red Rover Tote, Red Rover Clutch)

(Growth Bracelet, Serenity Bracelet, Chevron Horn Necklace) 

(Berry Lan Scarf, Kaleidoscope Tote)

(Narrow Beaded Cuff, Standard Beaded Cuff, Wide Beaded Cuff, Horn Stud Earrings)

(Indigo Lieu Scarf, Blue Rover Tote, Blue Rover Clutch)

(Huong Scarf, Kantha Ornamental Chandelier Earrings, Color Stack Bracelet)  

(Doka Stack Bracelet, Half Circle Necklace)

(Red Rover Clutch, Framed Kantha Earrings, Color Stack Bracelet)

#FreebieFriday with Tulia's Artisan Gallery...

How would you feel if I told you that the jewelry that you're wearing could help an entire displaced community?  What if that jewelry was handmade by a master artisan and was basically a wearable work of art? 

Guess what?  

You can!  

I have absolutely loved wearing my Carmen earrings from Tulia's Artisan Gallery and because I love them so much, I've teamed up with Tulia's to bring one lucky reader a $50 shop credit.  Tulia's is totally stocked with beautiful jewelry and home goods, all made by the Wounaan people, an indigenous group in Colombia, from palm leaf threads.  Their collection is amazing and wearing it helps to provide the Wounaan community with a livelihood and great empowerment. 

To enter this giveaway: 

: like the giveaway post on Instagram

: follow @tuliasartisangallery

: follow @greenchiclife

: tag at friends in separate comments 

(You get an entry per tag, so feel free to tag lots and lots of pals!)

This giveaway is open to US entrants and will end at 23:59 PST on 19-June-2020.  The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via direct message on Instagram.  This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.  By entering this contest, you are confirming that you're at least 18 years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram's terms of use. 

Hope...

I hope. 

I know that we can change for good and I hope that we will. 

I truly believe that everything that has happened to the world in the last few months, especially, have enough traction to show people that they can make small decisions during their daily lives that will help improve the whole planet. 

I hope that when people start to realize this, they will act.  I hope that people will work together.  I hope that small ripples will become waves.  

I hope that the world that my son will inherit will be sustainable and safe. 

What are your hopes these days? 

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the headband was originally packaging around a blanket that my mum received as a gift about 20 years ago

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade from old furniture and fabric scraps

: the bracelet is fair trade and was handmade from old furniture and fabric scraps

: the tee was made with re-claimed fabric

: the trousers were thrifted

: the sandals are fair trade and handmade

Earrings c/o World Finds

Tee c/o Kindom

Trousers c/o Swap.com

Isabel sandals c/o Adelante Shoe Co.