shak-shuka

Hug My Lashes

For years now I have had a losing battle in the quest to find the perfect "natural" mascara. It feels as though my eyelashes have seen and tried them all - and most of them in the end have the same result - raccoon eyes after about 2 hours of wear. I'm not even a big eye rubber, but clearly I must be a great test-guinea-pig seeing as I can melt off even the most "smudge-proof" of eye make-up. I think even my friends have gotten so used to seeing me with smudged eye make-up (and not in the sexy, smoky, sultry way) that they don't even bother telling me to fix it. Ouch.

But alas! I have finally met my (eco) mascara match! Free of the parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, and tar (yes! that's what makes mascara waterproof!), Tarte Lash Hugger Mascara appeals to my inner diva and inner treehugger. Sophisticated enough to stay put when given the full-day test, but eco enough to keep my inner flower child happy. Housed in a recycled aluminum container, chock full of good ingredients like rice bran wax, mineral wax and carnauba wax, this is my the queen of mascaras in my book. Safe for my eyes, gentle to the environment, and good for my ego (no more "hey! raccoon girl!") my quest for the perfect natural mascara is officially closed.

Little Love Pot Short & Stout

Since we've been having what seems like the eternal winter, the heat has been on so long in this house, the air is so dry our skin is cracking! I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those steam-jet humidifiers, but then I'm thinking: 1) will it make a lot of noise? 2) will it make SO much humidity the paint will curl off the walls 3) ooh - what about mold? doesn't that just come with the "humidifier" territory?. Um. Now you see my "humidify/not to humidify" conundrum.

Alas, I found a beautiful solution from the lovely site Petite Planet. Not only does the "Love Pot" humidifier look gorgeous (think Japanese-paper-fan but made from wool felt), doesn't require a plug (yay for the energy consumption!), can be used as an aroma diffuser when done with your humidifying needs (great when the house needs a little "freshening" up) and........all the proceeds go to the Nanum Project, which provides educational scholarships for impoverished children. This is one of those times that I'm high-fiving myself that I waited so long to get a humidifer, as this is clearly the humidifier of my dreams. Beautiful, ethical, climate friendly, and my benefit helps to benefit others. Spread the humidity and pass the Love Pot baby.

Sharing the Love

Hopefully by now you've visited our shop and seen that we are running a Valentine's Day special. It's not your typical "buy this, get that" kind of special, but we think it's pretty special. As we all know Valentine's Day is all about sharing the love, and we have a benefit for Hope for Haiti on 6 of some of our favorite (ok, we're biased, we love everything we carry!) items. Whenever you purchase any of the 6 items from now until Valentine's Day, 100% of the proceeds will go to Hope for Haiti. We at Shak-Shuka have been so fortunate, and it's our small way of giving back to a world that has given so much to us. Reminded by the words of Mother Teresa: "We can not do great things, only small things with great love." We surely have a lot of love to share, that's for sure!

Here are some ideas for gift giving our Hope for Haiti Benefit items:

Apple Lunch Bag - what better way to bring a treat for the "apple of your eye". Fair trade, PVC, lead free, and super cute to boot.

Recycle the Love Onesie and T-Shirt - as Tiny Revolutionary says (the maker of these great tees): Bigger than nuclear, cleaner than coal, love is what powers our world and as long as we keep recycling it to future generations, the world will become a kinder, more peaceful place for all of us.

Eco Animal Postcards - whether or not you have time to still send these out to your Valentine(s), these FSC-approved postcards will keep the recipients smiling long after the holidays are over.

Love Recycled Print - simply put, and spelling it out with flowers, this recycled print is just as well-suited for a living room as it is for a baby's nursery.

Recycled White Peace Plate - bringing a little love and peace to mealtime, or at least it's shatterproof! Smiling Planet's recycled and recyclable plates are coveted by both large and small people alike.

Will You Be My Valentine?

So we've talked a lot about how the mamas, papas and lovers can spend Valentine's Day in a special eco-friendly way. But what about the kids? Yesterday we were supposed to (and will! I promise! we've been an infirmary over here as the kiddie is ill) write a post about making special sweets for Valentine's Day, but today is strictly for the youngins!

When I was young, Valentine's Day meant a few things: chocolate boxed heart candies, carnation flowers from someone who liked you, and Valentine cards for all of your friends (and a yank of the hair of someone you really liked). I think that the last time I gave out Valentine's Day cards, they had Goofy or Pluto on them. Oy. But times have changed, and the lovely Botantical Paperworks has done it again by celebrating this love(ly) holiday in an eco-friendly way. No dumping your lovely card in the trash once the holiday is over and gone (or the romance), instead you simply plant them in the garden to enjoy some wildflowers! With a beautiful, simple message - LOVE - this Valentine is as stunning as it is earth-friendly, and sure to your eco sweetie smile! So grab a bunch of wildflower-making Valentine's, and share the eco love!

DIY Valentine's Day Ready

Surely you've been bombarded now by Valentine's gift bonanzas - chocolates, lingerie, and even we've fallen into the trap by pushing jewelry in last week's post! So if you are feeling that romance will be in the air in a few days, then, come prepared. And by prepared I mean, get yourself smoothed, buffed, rubbed and ready for some lovin'!

Whether you are the DIY or salon type of person, this Sugaring Hair Removal from The Body Shop is a great way to get hairless in a jiffy. I've used this many times when I've had impromptu trips to the pool, date nights, or a yoga class where I'll be raising my arms in (hairy) sun-salutations. Yes, you do have to be brave enough to inflict pain on yourself, but the results are simple, easy and long-lasting. Made from Communtiy-Trade sugar and chamomile, and lavender extract, this is hair removal at it's most luxurious (if I can dare to say that!). Sugaring Hair Removal has even been used by Cleopatra back in the days, so I figure if it's good enough for her, then it's good enough for me! Just a little pain goes a long way, to making us a hairless goddess, even if for one Valentine's Day evening out.

Wasara Ware for Now & Later

Even if warm weather BBQ days are long ahead of us, that doesn't keep me from dreaming about sunny get-togethers. Impromptu drinks and appetizers with friends, kids birthday parties, glamorous at-home pizza and champagne dinners - they all create the need for quick, easy, but elegant plates and serving ware. I've normally shunned the use of disposable plates, but many times we've had so many guests that it was our option given that we have limited space for our "fine" china!!

Leave it to some innovative folks in Japan, called Wasara, to make not only eco-friendly (made from reed, bamboo and sugarcane waste material) but also beautiful, design-oriented disposables for your every party need. Or even for no party at all! Although disposable, I must say that this line of plates, platters and more is so stunning, that I would have a hard time parting with it after one use. Take for instance this Kaku plate, with a tilted lip on one side, made for easy holding, and even more captivating for serving your guests. Wasara is really onto something - making green products beautiful and proving that you don't have to renounce style for ethics (which has been our philosophy all along....)

So, let the party season begin, whether or not the weather will agree with us, we'll be ready with our Wasara ware!!!

Duds for the Little Speesees

When our daughter was born, we were given one of the loveliest gift boxes from our favorite set of Uncles. Inside, there were so many delicious items for a newborn baby, many of which are actually sold at Shak-Shuka now! Indeed it was one of the best gifts we were given, as it was food for thought when we opened the store as we were able to personally test each product to see if it got the seal of approval from us as parents, and more importantly - road-tested by a new baby.

One of the products that we were so eager to use was an organic clothing set from Speesees. It was orange, with brown birds flying over the chest of the onesie. It was one of those things that you see (in tiny form) and you literally finding yourself counting down the days, hours, minutes until you can put your child in it. And when we did, ah, it was like wrapping our baby in butter! Since those days we have had countless items from Speesees, each one wearing like iron, maintaining it's color and design without fading, and standing up to the rigors of rollling, crawling and falling (child-tested, remember?!). We are so delighted at Shak-Shuka to count ourselves as Speesees ambassadors, as we just received our new stock from them and cannot wait to share these lovely duds with our families! Patterns that you won't find in most organic clothing, ingenious designs (like cross-over kimono onesies) and fuss-free dressing in the form of dresses or jumpers make getting dressed a breeze. So go ahead, treat yourself or someone else to a little Speesees lovin' - you will NOT be disappointed!

Homemade Pizza Party

If you're a hardcore "everything must be 100% traditional Italian" type of cook, well, don't read on. If in fact you are like most people who love food a la Italiano, but don't always know the how's and where's of making your favorite dishes quickly, then this recipe is for you. Having lived in Italy, I have seen first hand le nonne go to town and make fresh, handmade pasta daily. Great if you have the time, not if you have about 30 minutes to make a meal with two children dangling from your legs. Homemade pizza has never been so fun, or so easy. Get the kids together, your partner, a friend, even your neighbor, and have a mini pizza party that leaves enough time while the dough is rising for a good flick, a good chat, or some quality vino time. Once the dough is ready to be rolled out into pizza, then get creative and think outside the tomato-mozarella-basil-box: try roasted veggies, hummus as a pizza base instead of tomato sauce, or top with pepperoni (regular or seitan). You will hear cheers of "buonissimo" from everyone!

Homemade Pizza Dough

1 packet dried yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

about 3 cups flour (I like to use a combo of spelt and unbleached flour)

salt

extra virgin olive oil

Combine the yeast and water for about 10 minutes, until you start to see bubbles and smell a definite "yeasty" smell. Put the flour in a large bowl with the salt (to taste) and make a well in the middle of it. Add the yeasty mixture into the well, stirring with a fork until a dough is formed. Lightly flour a work surface and put the dough mixture on the floured surface. Knead the dough with the heel of your hand until it's smooth and elastic (this depends on how strong you need, it takes me about 5-8 minutes). Lightly oil a large bowl and place the kneaded dough into the bowl, rolling to coat slightly in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, dark place to rise until it has doubled in volume - about 1-2 hours. Once the dough has risen, knock it down by punching it and put the dough on a floured work surface, and stretch (I also have been known to use a rolling pin too - shh!!) to pizza shape.

To cook, you can bake in an oven at 200c (for about 10 minutes) or alternatively you can use a bistecceria or grill, where you will get more of a charred/grilled pizza look. You have to flip the pizza on both sides to cook thoroughly, and then top (otherwise you'll dump all the toppings off!) with your choice of toppings.

Me & Ro for Valentine's Day

Did you realize it's already February? I didn't. 2010 is already flying by! But not fast enough that I can't dream about what romantic gift I'd like from my sweetie for Valentine's Day. No candy, no flowers, none of this will do. I'm an non-traditional traditionalist - I like unique twists on traditional themed gifts - or shall I say, giving gift-giving a green spin!

I tried this hint ages ago to tip my husband off to buy my jewelry, but it didn't work very well (FYI: never try and bring a brother-in-law along on a shopping "hint dropping" trip becuase he's probably not taking notes like he should!!!). Alas, here I am again, about 10 years later, still drooling over the same jewelry. I'm not normally a big jewelry wearing kinda girl, but these dainty pieces made from soft-colored gold are just perfect for me. Me & Ro, based in Soho in NYC, is an ethically run jewelry line featuring non-conflict diamonds, recycled gold and even uses recycled packaging (like us!!). Me & Ro even has a charity line, which benefits Kegeno, a community-based developmental non-profit in Rwanda and Kenya. Althogh Me & Ro's pieces are special and may be saved for special occassions, they are definitely worth some big hint dropping this Valentine's Day season. Wish me luck on my hinting!!

Pop the Cork on Flooring

Even though we will be in our humble-sized apartment for the foreseeable future, I still dream of doing up our new (imaginary, of course) house. Large, open kitchen, loft-high ceilings, and plenty of storage space. Ah - the dream life - it's good and cheap!!! So in my quest for the perfect dream home, I'm always keeping my eyes and ears peeled for great tips on how to design your home in a stylish and eco-friendly way.

So imagine my surprise when I was (shamefully) watching a tear-jerking episode of Extreme Home Makeover when they featured a flooring that they were using as cork. Eco-friendly, soft for the kids to run, play and fall on, and sound absorbing. That sounds like my kind of flooring! The company who makes this cork, as well as numerous other types of eco-friendly flooring (like recycled glass tiles, bamboo and more) is called simply: Eco Friendly Flooring. Based in the green city of Madison (WI, USA) Eco Friendly Flooring is an amazing go-to site for those of you who are actually doing work your home, or a great place to bookmark for future home renovations. Even though Eco Friendly Flooring is based in the US, for those of us living outside, it's a great resource to know what types of, well, Eco Friendly Flooring is out there!