Hey Seattle, tonight is Crave Green! Crave Green is a eco-friendly party hosted by several local Seattle businesses. You can shop sustainable products, get an organic facial and sip on some organic wine!  The proceeds will support the Women's Funding Alliance.  Find out more details on the event here.  Will any of you be attending? 

I love Seattle, where else can you green your haircut in honor of Earth Day?  The Gary Manuel Aveda Institute on first avenue is offering $25 hair cuts or wax (suggested donation amounts) TODAY to raise funds for the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.  The Puget Sound Keeper Alliance is a local nonprofit dedicated to keeping our waters clean by stopping pollution from entering the Puget Sound.  If you are looking for a pre wedding cut or just need a haircut or a wax head on down there!

This article was emailed to me by the Sierra Club last week and I thought it was perferct for all you green brides out there searching for some green wedding ideas or green wedding inspiration.

Sierra Club's 10 Steps to a Green Wedding

Going green is a great way to make your wedding unique and meaningful. Plus, you get to show friends and family just how fun, beautiful, and delicious a sustainable lifestyle can be.

1. With this ring...

• Vintage rings, whether a family heirloom or an antique find
• Lab-created diamonds 
• Diamonds mined in peaceful areas
• Diamonds certified as "conflict-free" 

2. Location, location, location

• Choosing a setting that's convenient to the majority of the guests to minimize travel impacts
• Having the ceremony and the reception at the same place
• Picking a unique local spot-that supports a cause you believe in.
• An outdoor setting 
• Offsetting your guests' travel 

3. Please join us...

• Recycled, handmade, or plantable papers 
• Tree-free paper 
• A printer that uses paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
• Papers that aren't metallic or plastic-coated 

4. The final fling

• Stay local.
• Offset your trip if you choose a "destination" party.
• Indulge in organic wine- or beer-tasting or an organic spa treatment.

5. Here comes the bride...

• Go vintage 
• Pick clothes made from hemp, bamboo, or organic cotton or silk 
• Borrow an elegant gown from a stylish friend
• Buy something you'll wear again and let your bridesmaids do the same
• Beautify with all-natural makeup
• Donate attire to charity after the event

6. Set the stage

• Opt for organic flowers.
• Decorate with branches, dried grasses, grains, greens, berries, or live plants (potted or dried arrangements can double as favors).
• Choose beeswax or soy candles 
• Move decorations from the ceremony to the reception

7. Eat, drink, and be merry

• Ask the venue's preferred caterers and bakers if they can work organically
• Consider vegetarian selections and seek out cruelty-free meats
• Make sure the venue offers comprehensive recycling facilities.
• Have your cake decorated with organically grown flowers or other natural materials instead of plastic toppers
• Rent real glassware, dishware, and linens instead of using disposables
• Donate leftover food to a local food bank or homeless shelter

8. Lasting memories

Whether you prefer film or digital photographs, hire a photographer who will do digital proofs to save paper and chemicals. 

9. 'Tis better to give...

• Asking for gifts to charity instead of material things
• Registering with the I Do Foundation or another site that gives a percentage of gift purchases to your chosen cause
• Registering with stores that offer local, fair-trade, handmade, organic, or other ecofriendly products like Branch, Gaiam, Greenfeet, GreenSage, Ten Thousand Villages, UncommonGoods, or VivaTerra

10. Happily ever after...

• Engaging in ecotourism
• Rent bikes or taking public transportation at your destination 
• Stay in a family-run B&B or inn, a luxury teepee or yurt, or a green hotel that works to save resources and reduce waste.
• Offsetting your trip's carbon emissions

Spa treatments and luxury products have a way of making us feel like a million bucks. Unfortunately, we don't always have the time, money or inclination to indulge ourselves on a regular basis. Whether you want to pamper your face or soothe that dry, itchy skin, we've got easy, effective and natural ways to treat yourself in the privacy of your own home. So go ahead and take that time out for yourself regularly. No one will be able to tell that your radiant skin is the product of an inexpensive visit to your kitchen and bath.

To treat dry, rough, itchy skin, try these bath add-ins:

• Half a pound of sea salt and one pound baking soda. Soak until the water is cool to detoxify your skin and soothe the itch.
• Two cups Epsom salt. In addition to soaking in it, while your skin is still wet, rub handfuls of Epsom salt on the rough areas to exfoliate skin.
• A few bags of your favorite tea. The tea provides antioxidants as well as a delicious scent.
• One cup uncooked oatmeal tied into an old stocking or muslin bag. Oats are not only wonderful for your inner health, but provide a healthy glow on the outside as well, leaving a film on your skin that seals in water.
• Equal parts of apple cider vinegar, wheat germ and sesame oil. Apple cider vinegar is both antibacterial and alkalinizing (meaning it helps maintain the proper acid balance), while sesame oil and wheat germ add moisture.
• One cup powdered milk with one tablespoon grapeseed oil. The lactic acid in the milk will exfoliate your skin, and the grapeseed oil will give your skin a powerful dose of antioxidants.

Have a homemade facial scrub:

Prepare a homemade oat scrub and use on your face every other day. Oats moisturize and exfoliate your skin at the same time.

1. Grind enough rolled oats in a food processor or coffee grinder to fill 1⁄2 cup.
2. Combine with 1⁄3 cup ground sunflower seeds, 1⁄2 teaspoon peppermint leaves and 4 tablespoons almond meal.
3. Mix 2 teaspoons with a small amount of heavy cream. Scrub your face and neck with the mixture, then rinse thoroughly with cool water.
   

Make your own cleansing, mosturizing masks at home:

• Mix 1 tablespoon plain yogurt with a few dashes of sesame oil. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse.
• Mash a banana well and mix with a little honey for an instant dry-skin fix. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse.
• Mix 1⁄4 cup whipping cream, 1⁄2 teaspoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons ripe mashed avocado, and 1 teaspoon calendula petals. Leave on for 5 minutes, then rinse. (A study completed at the Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, found avocado oil significantly increased the collagen content in skin, maintaining its youthful look. Not only does the oil in avocado act like an emollient, but the fruit also contains moisturizing vitamin E.)
• Another good avocado mix is 1 tablespoon mashed avocado, 2 egg whites and 2 tablespoons honey blended until smooth. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse.
• Lightly scramble an egg and apply to your face while still warm, leaving it on until it hardens. To remove the egg, place a warm, wet washcloth on your face and allow the moisture to soften it. Eggs are great for tightening wrinkles and smoothing skin. If you have oily skin, apply an egg white only; if you have normal skin, use the whole egg.
• Simmer an apple covered in water just until soft. Remove from the water, mash, then add to the apple 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon crushed peppermint leaves. Apply the mixture to your face, leave for 5 minutes, then rinse. This works great on oily skin.
• Mash peeled mango flesh until it turns soft and pulpy. Then massage into skin, leave on for a few minutes, and rinse. This helps clean and tighten pores.
• Add 1 tablespoon of peppermint, yarrow, sage, or hyssop to 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes, then strain and cool before dabbing it on your face. This makes a great skin toner for oily skin.