Holiday promotion: 10% off at The Green Life

'Tis time to buy gifts, so why not buy green? Where better to shop than The Green Life in Santa Monica, my favorite eco-store in town. They sell all sorts of green products, from gifts, to house-ware, to office supplies, to body products, to pet goods, to children's toys. You are sure to find something for your friends and family there, and you can also pick up eco-friendly holiday cards and gift wrap.

You can check out the products they offer on their website.

Some of my favorite products there:

• To-Go Ware
• waterless car wash
• Grow-A-Note cards
• Russell & Hazel binders
• West Paw dog toys
• Wrap-N-Mat Washable Sandwich Wraps
• Reuseniks

As a special holiday promotion The Green Life is offering 10% off your entire purchase this Wednesday, December 2nd, when you mention Eco-Vegan Gal. And as an added bonus, the store is donating 5% of all of total in-store sales in the month of December to Sustainable Works and Global Green.

The Green Life

2409 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA

90405

310.392.4702

They are open 10am - 7pm on Wednesday.

Girls in Tech: Impact of Tech on Green & Good

A few weeks ago I went to an event by Girls in Tech, called "Impact of Tech on Green & Good". It featured my friends Siel and Tracy Hepler, and I fellow green girls Sarah Townsend (of Social Vibe) and Sandra Sanchez.

Vegan Thanksgiving Picnic Potluck at Rancho Park

Since 1941 there has been a vegan Thanksgiving picnic on the 4th Thursday of November. I checked it out for the first time this year, but since I got there towards the end I missed the food. Still got to mingle with vegans, and Evie met some other vegan dogs!

Madeleine Bistro: Thanksgiving meal

I was lucky to win a Citysearch L.A. contest for a free Thanksgiving meal for two at Madeleine Bistro! So I took along my pal Christy Morgan and we had a delicious experience. Afterwards, we met some turkeys from Animal Acres.

70's prom, a vegan party

Last weekend I went to a 70's Prom, which was a vegan party benefitting Animal Acres. I had a blast! The party was at 2 Headed Horse Art Studio, which hosts all sort of vegan events.

Food by Christy Morgan (of course!)

Holiday giveaway: set of Go Max Go candy bars (round 2)

Winner: Tracy

A set of Go Max Go vegan candy bars!

One lucky winner will get 4 Go Max Go bars, one of each flavor. If you've never had these before they will blow your mind, even if you're not vegan. They are what vegans have been missing out on for years, because they taste just like popular non-vegan candy bars.

As with most of my giveways, you must give the bars as a gift. These would make a great stocking stuffer or even a random surprise gift. And maybe they'll share one with you... ; )

There will be 2 more rounds of this contest before the holidays, so if you don't win this time stay tuned for next time!

Better Life Cuisine: video review

The G2 Gallery Reduces Prices for Holiday Shoppers. Plus: Event

3-Day Only Sale December 4-6 Will Give Public Chance to Invest in the Gift of Beautiful and Inspiring Artworks With a Cause

The G2 Gallery will hold a 3-day 25% off sale of the entire gallery including photography, art prints, sculptures, books, gift items and even special orders. The sale will be held the first official weekend of the holiday shopping season from Friday, December 4 through Sunday December 6. The G2 Gallery represents internationally recognized artists specializing in nature and wildlife photography including Robert Turner, Jack Dykinga, Michele Westmorland, and Thomas D. Mangelsen. Special orders and size requests are accepted. All proceeds from the sale of artwork will be donated to an environmental charity.

Location

1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291-3742

Tel. 310.452.2842,

About

Established in March 2008, the G2 Gallery in Venice, California, is a green art space with a dedicated focus on contemporary nature and wildlife photography. In keeping with G2’s commitment to supporting arts and the environment, the gallery presents exhibitions with eco-conscious themes, donating the proceeds from all art sales to environmental charities and hosts free concerts and lectures that bring awareness of critical issues to our community.

Also:

On Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 7 pm the G2 Gallery will host acclaimed author Deanne Stillman who will read from her book Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West and give a talk about recent developments in the plight of the mustang. A book signing will follow.

About Deanne Stillman

Deanne Stillman is the critically acclaimed author of Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West (Houghton Mifflin,) named a best book of 2009 by the Los Angeles Times, and winner of a California Book Award silver medal for nonfiction. She also authored the bestseller Twentynine Palms: A True Story of Murder, Marines, and the Mojave. The Atlantic Monthly, Orion, The Economist, NPR’s “On Point” and the Missoulian, amongst other publications, have lauded her work.

Entertainment will be provided by singer-songwriter R.F. Maston, who will be performing work from his recently released album, Domino.

Holiday giveaway: gift certificate and discount at Locali

Winner: Anna

This giveaway is perfect for Thanksgiving. If you're looking to buy some yummy vegan supplies that are hard to find, Locali is the place to go. Locali has been my source of eco-friendly and vegan products that I can't find elsewhere in Los Angeles. They are often the first to carry products you would otherwise have to buy online. (Locali was one of few places that carried Daiya cheese and Go Max Go bars, before they hit Whole Foods.) And most vegans know that they carry cool things like vegan condoms, which are really hard to find in stores! ; )

Check out this video to see some fun things I've seen at Locali:

To celebrate Thanksgiving, and my love of Locali, shop there this Wednesday, 11/25 and/or Thursday 11/26 and mention Eco-Vegan Gal to get 10% off your purchase!

Hours: Wednesday (11/25) 7am -11pm & Thursday (11/26) 7am -2pm.

And, one lucky winner will get a $20 gift certificate to Locali! But remember my rule: this needs to be a gift. What a great present this would be! If you win, you or the receiver can pick up the certificate at Locali, starting this Wednesday.

Here are some of the holidays specials Locali has:

• In addition to our regular menu, from 11/24 until New Years you can have any sandwich made with our special stuffing bread in honor of the holiday season.
• In terms of Thanksgiving related items, we wil have vegan, gluten-free apple and pumpkin pies, stuffed Tofurky Roast, Tofurky Vegetarian Feast, Giblet Gravy and Cranberry Slices, Field Roast Celebration Roasts and Meatloafs, Vegetarian Plus Whole Turkeys, vegan wines, Gardein products, Smart Stuffers with Cranberry, various ingredients from vegetable broth to stuffing mix to gluten-free brownie mix to cranberry sauce.
• The day after Thankgiving, we will start selling decorated dwarf Alberta live Christmas trees for the holidays. We also have our gift cards for sale in addition to our eco-friendly home, health and beauty items. Also, for those looking to detox from all the holiday festivities, we will begin offering cleansing juice packages through our partnership with Sugar Cane Juice. They will be available to order for 3, 5, 7, 10 or 20 day blocks.

The Kind Diet - mini review

I've been slowly reading The Kind Diet over the past couple weeks and I absolutely love it. I wanted to write my review when I finished reading, but at the rate I'm going that might be a while. I just want to encourage you to either buy or borrow a copy of it. Whether you're a knowledgeable vegan, just getting started, or simply curious, The Kind Diet can teach you something about food and health. Alicia explains it in a simple, fun way, while still coming across as very knowledgeable. Even though I've been vegan for 6 years I know very little about macrobiotics, so this book is a great introduction. I can't wait to try the recipes, and I'll share my experience with you when I do!

My pet turkey

Perhaps this was an early inspiration to go vegan...

I grew up on a small farm in Massachusetts and my family has always loved animals. As a child we had all sorts of animals - dogs, cats, horses, ducks, geese, chickens, fish, a bunny, and turkeys (no wonder I went vegan!). I can't remember why we got the turkeys, maybe just for fun, but they soon became the talk of the town. We had a male named Friendly and a female named Sweetie. Sweeties wasn't that sweet, but Friendly was very Friendly. He followed me around the back yard, enjoyed being pet, and really loved my grandfather (it was mutual). I even brought Friendly to school a few times for show and tell (he happily walked down the hallways with me and my mom), which landed us in the local newspaper!

Sweetie was unfortunately killed by a coyote, but Friendly lived a long life until he died of a heart attack.

Though my family didn't go vegetarian until years later, we did decide to stop eating turkey when Friendly was alive. I remember my mom saying she felt guilty eating a turkey when ours was strutting outside of our window! These days I don't eat any sort of meat and enjoy alternatives like Tofurky for Thanksgiving. Friendly would be happy to know that.

Holiday giveaway: Kombucha class or kit

If you've been following me on my blog you probably know that I love kombucha. I've even made it myself, after being inspired by my friend/kombucha expert Hannah Crum. Hannah has a wonderful class on how to make kombucha and I thought this would be a great giveaway! Her class is in Los Angeles, but if you don't live here you can enter to win a kombucha kit instead - both are worth $30.

Why would you want to drink and make your own kombucha? Because it is incredibly good for you. Benefits include:

• Energy booster
• Great for metabolism
• Aids digestion
• Helps fight off diseases
• (check out this list of 56 reasons to drink kombucha)

And why would you want to learn how to make it? Because it's so much cheaper than buying it from the store (usually about $3 a pop), and it's fun to make!

Here's Hannah's description of what you will win:

Return to harmony with nature. Learn how to make Kombucha, the Tea of Immortality, for a fraction of the cost of buying at the store. This hands on workshop will give you the tools and information to brew it in the comfort of your own home. The gift certificate can be redeemed for either the in-person workshop in Los Angeles or for a SCOBY Kit to be shipped to you anywhere in the world! Lifetime support, instructional videos, and up-to-date information will make this process smooth and easy!

For this giveaway I am giving you the option of whether you want to use this for yourself, or give it to someone else for the holidays. If someone gave me a certificate to a free kombucha class or kit, I'd be thrilled!

How to enter:

• You must live in Los Angeles to take the class, but if you're not in L.A. Hannah will send you a kombucha kit (must live in US though)
• Comment below and tell me how you would benefit from kombucha and why Hannah would be a great teacher.
• For extra credit, find my Tweet (@ecovegangal) about this contest and RT it, and note that you did in your comment. Follow @kombuchakamp
• For even more credit, tell me how Hannah is making the world a better place.
• ** Be sure to include your email address (and Twitter name if you have one) when you make the comment (otherwise I can't contact you) **

Holiday giveaway: cooking classes with Melissa Costello

It's almost Thanksgiving, and the rest of the holidays are right around the corner, which means lots of food. But what are you going to make? Let Melissa Costello give you some ideas!

I'm giving away a free cooking class with Melissa, who is a chef and certified wellness coach. Her flavorful & nutritious vegetarian meals will leave you energetic, happy, satisfied and satiated. You will save time & money, lose weight naturally, be healthier than ever before and have a refrigerator full of tasty & nourishing food!

This giveaway is just in time for a class she's teaching tomorrow, November 19th.

Learn how to make healthy & delicious gluten free, refined sugar free & dairy free desserts for the holidays! You can eat these desserts guilt free and not worry about packing on the holiday paunch. Time: 7-9pm Location: Santa Monica

(If you can't make the class tomorrow, you can choose to take another class in the future.)

How to enter:

• You must live in Los Angeles to take the class
• Comment below and tell me how you would benefit from cooking classes and why Melissa's appeal to you.
• For extra credit, find my Tweet (@ecovegangal) about this contest and RT it, and note that you did in your comment. Follow @karmachow
• For even more credit, tell me how Melissa & Karma Chow are making the world a better place.
• ** Be sure to include your email address (and Twitter name if you have one) when you make the comment (otherwise I can't contact you) **

Holiday giveaway: pint of Coconut Bliss

Winners: Vegan Dog's Life, Kelly G, and Ela Sita

If you have been reading this blog you may have noticed that I love Coconut Bliss. For me, Coconut Bliss is to ice cream what Daiya is to cheese - Luna & Larry's are making veganism fun, easy, and delicious!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and what better way to end your (vegetarian) feast than with a pint of Coconut Bliss! So for this giveaway I am offering 3 people one pint of Coconut Bliss. I also have 2 cute black t-shirts with their logo - perfect for snuggling up in bed with a bowl of bliss, or showing the world how much you love Luna & Larry's!

You will receive a certificate to redeem for one pint of Coconut Bliss. Of course, you must give someone the pint. However, this could be a great thing to bring to a holiday potluck - everyone will love you for it. How good would Coconut Bliss be on top of a vegan pie?! Or give the certificate as a present. Introduce your friends to Coconut Bliss and they will be hooked!

Holiday giveaway: set of Go Max Go candy bars

Winner: Abigal!

I will be giving away 3 more sets in the future - stay tuned!

A set of Go Max Go vegan candy bars!

One lucky winner will get 4 Go Max Go bars, one of each flavor. If you've never had these before they will blow your mind, even if you're not vegan. They are what vegans have been missing out on for years, because they taste just like popular non-vegan candy bars.

As with most of my giveways, you must give the bars as a gift. These would make a great stocking stuffer, or treats at a Thanksgiving party, or even as a random surprise gift. And maybe they'll share one with you... ; )

Holiday giveaway: gift certificates to Veggie Grill

Winners: Joni, Sandra, Liz, & Cosmo

$25 gift certificate to Veggie Grill!

Veggie Grill is one of my favorite vegan restaurants, and I think they have the best faux meat/veggie protein in Los Angeles.

I am giving away FOUR gift certificates (one per person).

Since this is the holiday season, you must give the gift certificate as a gift. When or why you give it is up to you, but here's a chance to save some money on a gift. 'Tis the season!

Girls in Tech LA presents - THE IMPACT OF TECH ON GOOD & GREEN

Girls in Tech LA presents - THE IMPACT OF TECH ON GOOD & GREEN - click here for more information.

About 10% of the proceeds from the tickets will go to Free Arts For Abused Children, which provides at-risk kids with counseling and support through art.

My friends Siel and Tracy will be there!

EcoStiletto Presents Anna Getty's Green Christmas Party

EcoStiletto Presents Anna Getty's Green Christmas Party. Featuring Aveda, O.N.E. coconut water, Border Grill, Visionary Boutique

Holiday giveaway: cooking classes with Viva la Greens

Cooking your own meals is a great way to save money and eat healthy, but many of us don't know where to start. Whether you're new to cooking or a seasoned chef who needs some new ideas, Christy Morgan of Viva la Greens can help!

This week's winner will get a free class with Christy, and she's also offering "buy one bring a friend free" to the first 5 people who pay on the website and mention Eco-Vegan Gal.

How to enter:

• You must live in or near Los Angeles (or willing to travel) to attend the class. (there will be other contests for people outside L.A.)
• Comment below and let me know how you could benefits from cooking classes.
• For extra credit, find my Tweet (@ecovegangal) about this contest and RT it, and note that you did in your comment.
• For even more credit, tell me how Christy Morgan is making the world a better place.
• ** Be sure to include your email address (and Twitter name if you have one) when you make the comment (otherwise I can't contact you) **

If you want to do the "buy one bring a friend free" special, email Christy with your full name and friend's name, and mention Eco-Vegan Gal.

Acupuncture with Heather Lounsbury

Join me in this video as I get an acupuncture session with Heather Lounsbury.

If you haven't tried acupuncture, this is a great introduction to it. And if you're looking for a great acupuncturist (who's also a vegetarian), check this out to see how wonderful Heather is. I left the appointment feeling very calm and relaxed - she really put me at ease.

And if you haven't seen it, check out my video with Heather from a few weeks ago:

Interested in a session with Heather? For a holiday promotion she's offering half off of your first visit if you mention Eco-Vegan Gal! This includes:

• medical intake
• herbal and nutritional consult
• acupuncture/acupressure

Her rate is usually $190 (for the first session), so you'll get it for only $95! This offer is good until the end of December. (Follow up sessions will be $120)

Holiday giveaway: Luscious Organic Desserts

Congrats to Nora for winning!

For my first holiday giveaway...

One dozen vegan cupcakes from Luscious Organic Desserts! Click here to see all the flavors you can choose from. "We are a local baking company offering top quality, gourmet desserts using only the finest all natural and organic ingredients with no hydrogenation, no refined sugars, and no bleached flours. All of our delectable treats are made by hand in small batches."

But before you start salivating, remember my main rule for the giveaways. You must give these cupcakes to someone as a gift. They would be perfect for a holiday party as well. Perhaps pick someone who will share them with you!

In case you're not familiar with Luscious, here's an interview I did with one of the owners at World Fest 09 (sorry about the audio quality).

Holiday giveaways!

EXCITING NEWS!

I'm going to be doing giveaways (read: FREE STUFF) and discount codes throughout November and December! I'm thrilled to finally give back to you, my faithful readers. You'll be thrilled too when you find out which companies are participating. : )

Please follow me on Twitter (@ecovegangal) and check in on my blog as much as possible in the next 2 months, as I will be doing the giveaways throughout each week.

Here's a taste of what I'll be giving away:

• Vegan cooking classes in Los Angeles
• Stores, restaurants, companies: Gift certificates and discounts
• Tea
• Desserts
• Kombucha class or starter kit
• Acupuncture/Acupressure in Los Angeles
• Books

The rules:

• You must give the giveaway (free product) as a gift! Here's a chance to save some money during the holidays!
• You can use the discount codes (percentage off purchases) as a gift to yourself (they'll be available to every reader/no contest).
• You must live in the United States.
• You can only win once

If you're a company that would like to participate in this holiday promotion, please email me.

Natural cold remedies

I recently got a cold for the first time in years. I figured it was my body's way of telling me I needed to rest more, slow down, and eat better.

Here are some products I used as remedies to beat the coughing, sniffling, headaches, body chills, and dry lips & nose. I found most of them at Whole Foods.

• Nature's Answer Sambucus Black Elder Berry extract (sugar free)
• Herbescent Immunity Spirit tea (although this is better to take before a cold)
• Yogi Cold Season tea
• Herbs Etc. Osha Root Complex Syrup (it tastes AWFUL but really helps calm coughs and is really soothing)
• Herbon Organics elderberry cherry herbal throat drops
• Neti pot
• Olbas Inhaler
• La Natura Organic Shea Body Butter
• Crazy Rumors lip balm (order online)
• Hank & Cheef handkerchiefs (order online)
• Miso soup

Vardo cafe: Venice, CA - review

A new vegetarian cafe opened in Venice a few weeks ago called Vardo. I felt like I was eating in someone's home and the environment was very blissful. This is the perfect place to go after a yoga class.

Vardo Cafe

310.664.9696

View Larger Map

Kombucha on tap at Whole Foods

Check your local Whole Foods and see if they have G.T.'s Kombucha on tap in the smoothie and coffee section. The W.F. in Venice has it and it's great. They have 3 flavors of Kombucha and 3 sizes to choose from. Not only is it cheaper than buying a bottle (by about $.50) but you can ask them to put it in your own water bottle to be extra eco!

Seed Kitchen - new brunch menu!

Eco-Vegan Halloween videos

I don't know about you, but I had a very busy weekend celebrating Halloween!

On Friday night I went to a great vegan costume party catered by the lovely Christy Morgan, on Saturday morning I helped clean the block around Seed Kitchen, and on Saturday night I went to the Stray Cat Alliance party, which was a blast.

Check out the videos below to learn about Seed's monthly cleanup and Stray Cat Alliance.

Review: Peace to All Creatures 'zine Fall 09

I was sent a copy of Peace to All Creatures 'zine (volume 1, issue 2) and I absolutely love it. It has a beautiful, inviting cover and looks very handmade. At under 40 pages, it's almost a quick read, but you'll probably want to take your time savoring each word, as I did.

Inside there are 3 sections:

1. Animals
2. Vegan diet & lifestyle
3. Etc.

This Fall issue had some great articles, with topics on road trips with your dog, recipes, transitioning to veganism, organic foods, and tips.

My favorite article is called "Cows and Cowches" by Helga Tacreiter, who's love for rescuing cows inspired her to make Cowches. I could feel Helga's passion fly off the page as I read about all the beautiful cows on her sanctuary.

If you're a vegetarian you will find some great articles to support your beliefs or teach you new things. This would also be a great way to introduce a non-veg friend to your lifestyle. And since 10% of the profits go to charity, I highly recommend you buy a copy for $9 (including shipping).