shak-shuka

Got Too Much Pink? Try PinkStinks

I come from a long line of pink wearing women. My mother loved to dress my sister and I in matching outfits, which screamed GIRLY GIRL pink. Don't get me wrong, I know my mother meant well, but now I have an aversion to dressing my daughter in pink. So much so, that I get flack from my own mother (who doesn't?!) and complete strangers who didn't believe when my daughter was young that she was a girl because I dressed her in more "gender neutral" colors like red, green and purple. I didn''t think that I did it on purpose, but now that I think about it, it must have been subconsiciously intentional!

Apparently I'm not the only mother who has a gut-wrenching feeling when they're standing in front of girls toys and clothes and it looks like it got hosed down by a candy-colored paint machine. Bubble gum pink, fuschia pink, hot pink, powder pink - you name it, they make it - all for girls. For parents who cringe at this abundance of pink-ness, there is a new campaign, called PinkStinks, which addresses this very issue: pink is NOT the only color for girls, and should be an option and not a pre-requisite for being a proper "girl". PinkStinks has created a lot of buzz, controversy, and excitement around the topic of what it means to girl in today's modern society. I think that the name is a bit striking to most people, as it sounds like the campaign is anti-pink, but in reality (I think) that it's just asking us to re-examine our own roles in our daughter's lives and make sure that they have every avenue open to them: pink or rainbow-colored. PinkStinks stems from the idea that each girl should have her own voice, her own opinions, her own decisions, and not be forced at such an early age to want to be a princess or see pink as their only option.

Basically, it all boils down to choices. Whether or not you like the idea of PinkStinks, it's definitely got you thinking - which is exactly the whole point behind it. We as parents need to be constantly challenged so that we can offer our children all options - even ones that may rub us the wrong way. Boys wearing nail polish and pink, girls wearing boyties and sneakers, they're all healthy expressions of who the children are (at the moment!) and reassure the child that we love them no matter what, which is ultimately what parenting is and should be about!

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Congratulations go out to Luisa for winning last week's Biodegradable BecoPotty Giveaway! Thank you to all of you who participated!

Scrumptious Make-up Sticks

Even though it's still a little early, I can already see the curiosity in my daughter's eyes as I curl my eyelashes, slap tinted moisturizer on my face, and slather on lip gloss. She shoves her hand towards me as if to say "me next"? Um...I don't think so little lady! Not yet (or til you're 16!!!). Right now she has had to settle for little dips into the Petroleum Free Jelly we were slathering on her when she had the sniffles.

But after I read Babyccino a few weeks ago, I knew that my daughter would be happy with my find: Whoops Bunny All-Natural Make-Up Sticks. Made from 100% natural ingredients like beeswax, grapeseed oil, pineapple extract - these pack of 5 make-up sticks give just a hint of color which will please the kids (ooh! just like a grown-up!) but will also chill mama's nerves (no worries about doing an 80's blue eyeshadow revival). Whoops Bunny is onto something super cool and eco-friendly: 100% all-natural ingredients, not tested on animals, housed in a recyclable tube container, and made using wind power. Beware: these sticks are so adorable and sheer, don't be surprised if you find yourself reaching for them if you need a bit of color in a pinch!

Brown Sugar Delight

Is it just me, or is this winter weather doing a number on your skin? My face requires two types of cream, my hands need constant lube-ups, and my legs - ooh, the legs. Scaly, reptile-like, flaky skin. I will share with you my (and I'm sure I'm not alone here as it is a cult beauty secret worldwide) secret: brown sugar.

I won't try and share with you a recipe for homemade brown sugar scrub, but instead lead you to a heavenly body care company: Fresh. Hailing from Boston and loved by celebrities (and common folk, self included) alike, the Brown Sugar Body Polish really put them on the map. Using not only brown sugar, but a combination of four precious oils to lock in the moisture once you're buffed to perfection, this body polish is legs-down the best around. Just try to keep yourself from using the whole tub!

(bonus: if you're in the NYC area, Fresh also has a spa where when you pay for a service (say, a facial or body treatment), you get to redeem the same amount in product at the store! PURE genius!)

Umbrella Senz-less

Since I live in a rainy city, and for many people the same is true, I thought it best to write about an item that I keep running into: an umbrella. But not your usual, run-of-the-mill umbrella, this baby is aerodynamic - and for anyone living in a rainy location, they know that rain never travels alone - wind comes along. And POOF! you have an inside-out umbrella in no-time, and a useless umbrella in no time flat. Ugh.

Two of my best friends have this umbrella that I'm speaking about, the Senz Umbrella. Although the Senz looks the same from the front angle, from the side it's a completely different story: short in the front, long in the back - it's the mullet of umbrellas! Not only does the Senz look cool, it's so well thought out you don't even have to know all the features to really appreciate it (because you're too busy taking advantage of it staying dry while all your friends umbrellas are being turned inside-out): aerodynamic shape turns itself in the wind to keep from flipping inside-out, easy to fold shape, and an opening mechanism in the handle! The Senz may not have many eco credentials, but personally I think once you invest in a Senz Umbrella your search for the perfect umbrella is over and you'll never have to buy another one again!

Giveaway Potty Time

The response for our super eco-friendly potties has been unbelievable. It's like we hit the market at the right potty training time for all those green-minded families! The BecoPotty is definitely a perfect match for our little family and Potty Training Princess  - as it's the only potty that she will sit on: it's low enough that there's no "guess work" when she's backing up to sit down - BAM! contact!

So we are pleased to announce that as one of the few online retailers that carries the biodegradable BecoPotty, we will be offering one as part of our Freebie Friday. That's right! Your little one can be the King or Queen of their own (Eco) Thrown!

To win, simply leave a comment here and we'll pick a winner at random and announce the winner next Friday (29th January)! Good luck!

Warm+Toasty Green Kids Jacket

Since this has been a particularly chilly winter for us (compared to what we're used to) in Europe, a warm jacket is essential - especially for the little ones. Unfortunately for me, this year I had invested in a cute but cheaply made puffer style jacket, which can be machine washed, but when you do, the filling clumps together in places that makes my daughter look like the Michelin Man. Cute and funny - yes. Warm - not so much - or I guess she is in places where the filling is.

I knew better when I bought that seductively cute but cheaply made jacket (how many times have I repeated my mantra: "Buy Less, Buy Better" to myself and others?!) that it wouldn't last a season. But I had no idea it wouldn't hold up to the cold weather! Now that I know better, I'm investing in a mini version of my toasty warm Patagonia jacket that has just as much cute-factor, but with plenty of eco street cred to boot. Wind and water reistant, made from 100% recycled polyester, and down-filled from humanely raised geese - major green high-fives all'round. Since Patagonia is the leader in keeping things green, they even give a product footprint for the jacket, which travelled 32,678km, generated .5kg of waste, and consumed 3.3kWh. Wow. And I was just worried about whether or not my daughter would be toasty warm. Thanks Patagonia for always keeping us warm and fuzzy all over, without warming the planet while you do so!

200th Post Recipe Celebration

Happy Birthday Shak-Shuka blog readers!!! We've made it to our 200th blog post and don't feel a day over 100. Time flies (carbon-offset, of course) when you're having fun! We hope that you've enjoyed the ride along the way and will stick with us for 200+ more posts to come!
As you may well know, we love to do our favorite sweet recipes for celebratory posts, and our 200th jublileum won't be any different. This post will feature a surprise guest that we haven't been able to easily find here in Holland - Organic Vanilla Extract. It has a beautiful flavor unparalelled by imitation vanilla or vanilla sugar. Accept no substitutes!
Don't be frightened that this recipe has fruit in it, as it is one of the most rich and decadent you'll find anywhere. Usually I poo-poo fruit desserts (because it's the first thing people put in front of you when you tell them you're vegan), but this one is really drool-worthy. Don't forget to make plenty of the Almond Cream to spread on everything from toast to desserts, to straight from the bowl!

Winter Fruit Compote with Cashew-Almond Cream

1/2c-1cup of your favorite dried fruits (I like apricots, figs and dates)

1/2c raisins

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

lemon or orange rind, grated

a few squeezes of lemon or orange juice

*In a large pot, place all the ingredients (except lemon/orange ingredients) and cover with a few inches of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, checking every once in a while to make sure that the water level keeps the mix moist and doesn't dry out. 

*Check the compote after 20 minutes, add water if needed, and add the lemon/orange juice and rind. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. You can serve as is, or blend it to a chunky puree for the kids who might like it smoother.

Cashew-Almond Cream

1cup each: peeled almonds, raw cashews

3Tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup (you can use brown rice syrup, but use more due to it's mild flavor)

1Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2-1c water

*Place all the nuts in a blender and break down the nuts into the smallest pieces possible. Once the nuts are chopped, add the remaining ingredients and blend until mixture reaches a cream-like consistency. In my experience I find that it's better to check after a few minutes, scrape down the sides of the blender, and add more water if you think it's too thick. The consistency should be that of heavy cream and you can adjust how sweet you would like it - the cashews and almonds tend to already add a touch of their own sweet nature.

Mo'Slowmo Fashion

Very rarely do I get caught off-guard by eco fashion. To be honest, sometimes I almost feel like I've seen it all - recycled sweaters, hemp cargo pants, bamboo underwear - some of them pretty, some of them pretty ugly. But this find that I discovered at GoodSense, made me stop in my tracks and remember my love of all things in muted versions of grey, black and cream. So if that is your color palette, then this is your line of clothing!
Started by a sister/brother team in Berlin, SlowMo's brand of clothing is completely fair trade, child labor free, organic, and made in Europe. Color me (green!) impressed! Seems like everyone from the planet to the people benefit from SlowMo's designs. Although personally I think the one who benefits the most is the wearer of this great line. Many pieces are currently on sale, and I'm coveting the cape which is a gorgeous drape of organic wool. Although my wish list doesn't stop there, it's a good place to start. Try and control yourself if you stop by!

Heavenly Homoepathic Kits

At our house, it's officially sniffles season. Not a day goes by that we do not go through an entire box of tissues, washcloths, towels - you name it - anything to catch the runny nose. Luckily we've had on hand the Petroleum Free Jelly which has been a godsend in soothing a raw and chapped upper lip of a certain cranky toddler. Since this doesn't seem to be a full-fledged cold (yet! look at me jinxing myself....), we decided to test our hand at self-medicated the homeopathic way. We have a great book which gives very good indications and recommendations for treating common ailments. Clearly you can visit a homeopathic practitioner in times of serious need, but for small at-home treatment, I've had good success with intuition and a good book!

Since I have so many random homeopathic medicines, I was thinking how great it would be to have an ER Homeopathic Kit. Then I remembered I had seen one! At my favorite London store, Neal's Yard Remedies, they sell these Helios Homeopathic Kits precisely for minor sniffles like we've got going on here. Luckily you don't have to trek all the way to London to pick these handy kits up, as the company Helios themselves has their own website which has many other great holistic remedies for the "alternative" family. To make the Kits even sweeter, they currently have a sale of 15% off all orders placed before the 30th of January. Don't wait for the sniffles to hit your house - be prepared with Helios Homeopathic First Aid Kits!

Gratitude Now

photo from We Haitians 2008

Now is a time to be grateful. That word has been rolling around in my head ever since the disaster in Haiti. Gratitude, grateful, appreciative. For what you have - a loving family, friends who support you, a body that let's you hold and love these people, a country where there is freedom, a house over your head, warm, fresh water that runs from the tap......all of these things make me grateful. Unfortunately human nature allows us to forget these things and how to appreciate them, but at times like this when there is a crisis, we realize how much we really do have. And more importantly - how much we have to give.

In these times of crisis I am also touched by the outcry of support from nations all over the world to help. Watching the news last night, I literally got goosebumps as I heard the number of nations volunteering to help out in the wake of the Haiti earthquake: Iceland, Germany, Canada, Israel, USA.....the list goes on and on. Even though there have been aftershocks and the threat of danger for those aiming to help the trapped and injured, the human drive to help and save others remains strong. For this, I am grateful. In days like these it's hard to see a silver lining, but I am grateful that despite all the negativity that usually clowds human kind, when we need each other most, we step up to the plate. Kudos to all of you who are sending aid, money, your time, yourself - we salute you. And I encourage all of us, even if we cannot donate with our time or money to the numerous causes to help Haiti (see list below if you want to donate), let this be a time of reflection to remember what we have instead of what we don't have. Practice a random act of kindness, complain a little less, squeeze your partner or child a bit more, be a bit kinder to yourself. All of these acts of positivity do not go unnoticed and do a world of good. The world could use a lot more good.

These are just a handful of organization to donate to Haiti relief right now:

Oxfam

Doctors without Borders

Save the Children

UNICEF

International Committee of the Red Cross