It seems like everyone is in a relationship… but you. You have a great circle of friends, an awesome job, and you take care of yourself.  But there doesn’t seem to be a single person out there that you click with.  Here are some possible reasons that may keep you from a relationship.

YOU ARE TOO BUSY
When we have agendas filled with countless tasks, a job that keeps us busy even on weekends, and a bunch of errands, it’s hard to put time into meeting people.  Plus, if your personality is always focused on getting things done and you put on an “I’m too busy for you” image, even friends feel bad to take up your time.  People who may want to be with you end up feeling a bit intimidated by your busy schedule and refrain from asking you out.  Even when busy, you can meet a lot of people in cafes, restaurants, and even the gym.  Don’t be so absorbed in your Blackberry that you ignore that cutie sitting across from you.

YOU DON’T BELIEVE YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE
With an attitude like “I’ll never find love,” you end up wallowing in self-pitying and creating a low self-esteem for yourself.  You set up your own failure in relationships due to lack of confidence.  If you haven’t heard of “The Secret,” you really need to start rocking a positive attitude so people can feel the love in you.  Believe that you are worth it and that you can find someone.  Love yourself and the right person will come at the right time.

YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT
If your attitude is always about what you want and need, then there is no room for another person in your life.  Being in a relationship is about sharing your life with another person and compromising during all sorts of disagreements.  Nobody wants to be with another person who only focuses on themselves and is inconsiderate of others.  Learn to be open, giving and generous in order to open your heart to someone else instead of being just in love with yourself.

YOU WANT IT TOO BADLY
If you spend all your time on match-making websites and talk constantly to your family and friends about needing a boyfriend or girlfried so badly, it gets a bit revolting.  People you date can smell that scent of desperation and run the other direction.  Focus on working out, advancing your career, and channeling your energy towards self-improvement instead of having a “plus-one.”  Good relationships happen when you least expect it.

YOU ARE TOO PICKY
Sometimes setting standards too high may end up hurting your potential future in romance.  Being too judgmental or critical about their movie or food choices is a small thing.  Mr. Right does not exist.  There will always be those red flags that tell you he is wrong for you, but rethink what you really want in a person in regards to attitude, character, future plans, and how he treats his family.  Don’t nix a guy because he has funny hair (it grows out), a weird laugh (it can become endearing), or an affinity for odd hobbies (it can actually be enjoyable)!  Sometimes you will find that the guy you end up falling in love with has all the traits you never knew you’d always wanted.

YOU CHOOSE TO BE
Finally, a reason why you are single is because you choose to be.  Instead of trying to find Mr. Right, you are working on your own goals in life and career.  You are not so concerned with the pressure of finding a mate, but rather, you believe in being patient and investing in a relationship that’s really going to last.  You don’t want to just settle down; you want to explore life without a commitment that you are not ready for.  And you know what?  That is absolutely fabulous.  Don’t do what you think you are supposed to do, but do what you believe is right for yourself.  And if it doesn’t involve an engagement ring or the perfect two story home, so be it.

Why Leo Rocks Our Planet

It’s an awesome thing when celebrities use their influence and star power to promote positive change.  Leonardo DiCaprio has focused on the environment by founding The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and through his participation as a board member of Global Green USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to greening America’s schools, creating affordable housing, and encouraging cities to combat global warming, lower energy bills, and create green jobs.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was established in 1998.  It has actively created awareness of environmental issues by participating with various organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, Global Green USA, and the International Fund For Animal Welfare. The DiCaprio Foundation created the web site www.leonardodicaprio.org to create a wider outreach to an international audience. The site also promotes current environmental campaigns, such as “the world wide movement to eliminate the use of plastic bags.”

In celebration of Earth Day this year, Leonardo DiCaprio is participating in an online ebay auction of green experiences, such as getting to meet Leo at the premiere of his newest film with a green hotel and eco-car service included.  Also included in the auction are some costume pieces from Catch Me If You Can, signed memorabilia, and more.  All proceeds benefit Global Green USA.

Look around your closet and take inventory of what you have.  Do you know where your things originated?  Probably not.  Everything we consume and own has an impact on our environment, community, and the future. When purchasing clothes, we should be more leery of what we take home, as each new blouse can speak volumes about the people that had to it if it was mass-produced in a sweatshop.  A sweatshop is a working environment with difficult and dangerous conditions for the workers.  Usually these workers are exposed to harmful materials, extreme work hours, and even abuse from management.  These workers are paid less than a dollar a day, if they are lucky, for up to 10 hours of incessant work.

Thinking about making a change?  Start by taking these steps for sweatshop-free clothing.

SUPPORT NONSWEAT SHOP CLOTHING STORES
There is a growing number of clothing brands that manufacture their clothing within the United States where they adhere to strict labor acts.  American Apparel pays twice the national minimum wage and even provides an onsite medical clinic for their workers along with subsidized lunches.  Other brands include Edun, Patagonia, and Free People.

BUY USED CLOTHING
Vintage and thrift stores provide tons of near new clothing that has been tossed by the previous owner.  Instead of throwing them into a landfill, find pieces that you can use to add style and eccentricity to your wardrobe.

EDUCATE YOURSELF
It’s hard to have a completely sweatshop free wardrobe, but you have to start somewhere.  Start researching for brands that are organic and ethically produced by visiting their websites.  Most brands provide information on their manufacturing procedures.  Otherwise, email them about the materials and labor used for that awesome jacket you found.   We have featured brands such as cmarchuska and stores that sell only organic and/or sweatshop free clothing such as Fashion and Earth.  Add key pieces to your closet instead of buying new pieces at the mall monthly, and fine tune what is already in your closet.  Each choice you make can promote a better future for your style and the community.

Never ran more than a mile in your life but yet your heart skips a beat when you see that look of satisfaction on a runner after a marathon? That can be you. Whether you’re 25 or 40, if you have the determination and the right training schedule — everything is possible! Here are some quick tips to get you started:

GET FRIENDS INVOLVED
Training with friends brings fun and encouragement into the picture. Involving your friends will keep you motivated to do your runs even on lazy days.

MIX THE IN AND OUT
Don’t do all of your training in the gym. While the treadmill is a good way to start building your endurance, the actual run is going to be outside — so you need to get used to it. Hit the gym on the weekdays, and then run outside on the weekends with your friends.

STRETCH YOUR BODY
Make stretching a part of your warm up and cool down. It’ll prepare your muscles for the stress and help prevent injuries and cramps.

If 26 miles is too much to fathom, why not start by training for a 10k (that’s 20 miles less than a full marathon)! Take little steps towards achieving a satisfying, healthy goal.

Happy running!

Chez Panisse is located at 1517 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, California and is known for the best-tasting food that is organically grown using ecologically safe methods by people who care about the earth.  Opened in 1971 by Alice Waters, this neighborhood bistro offers a different set menu every day, using only the freshest and finest ingredients of the season.  Prices are set, and reservations are required for dinners featuring Chicory salad with walnuts, duck liver toast, and gizzard confit as the first course, Maine lobster ravioli with herbs in fish broth as the second, grilled Marin Sun grass-fed beef rib eye with bordelaise sauce as the third course, and that is just the beginning.

There is also a Cafe upstairs that offers a la carte dishes for both lunch and dinner.  Menus still change daily, and reservations are recommended.  Some dishes you can expect to see at the Cafe include hand-cut fettuccine with asparagus, peas, crème fraîche, chervil, and pecorino, the Provençal fish and shellfish stew with saffron, leeks, and aïoli, and grilled cattail Creek Ranch lamb leg with wild fennel cakes, kale, cardoons, and green garlic.  Talk about watering tastebuds.

Reservations need to be made even a month in advance, and a $25 deposit is required upon making the reservations using a credit card.

Visit Chez Panisse’s website for the menu, reservations and directions.

Happy eating!

Elana has been in a serious relationship with her boyfriend, Andrew, for a year and a half. He makes her laugh. She’s supportive of him. They enjoy each other’s company. Things between them are great, until Elana’s friends call her to hang out. Then Andrew gets upset that Elana spends too much time with her friends.

When we’re in relationships, it’s very easy to slip into cloud 9 and ignore the rest of the world — but eventually we’ll realize that we’ve missed and want to enjoy the company of our old friends. What happens though when your significant other asks you to choose between him or them?

Undeniably, this is a tough decision. Is it possible to enjoy the company of everyone without offending anyone? Yes.

LET BOYFRIENDS BE FRIENDS
It’s easy to avoid meeting his friends and him meeting your friends when you’re in a relationship with each other. But if you want a supportive and welcoming relationship (with your boyfriend and friends), you’ll want both parties to feel at ease when they are together. Here’s what you can do:

• Meet his friends.
• Hang out with him and his friends.
• Become their friends.
• Ask that your boyfriend do the same with yours.
• Encourage each other to spend time with your respective group of friends.

Granted, there will be occasions when you want to exclusively hang out with one or the other, but there’s no need to always have to awkwardly choose between your boyfriend and your friends. In a serious and healthy relationship, your significant other should be able to put forth the effort to respect and become friends with your buddies. Bear in mind, however, that this applies to you as well… so be smart and avoid this ultimatum.

Happy loving!

Sure, we eat organic fruit and cook wild salmon to satiate our hunger. But what about when we want something fun and refreshing to quench our thirst? Now you can have it all. It was only a matter of time before organic alcohol hit specialty liquor shops. While alcohol is alcohol (you still get the same amount of calories), how it is produced and manufactured is not something that’s truly regulated. Traditional farming has involved pesticides and fertilizers that are harmful to the farmers as well as the ground underneath us. New organic liquors are produced by sustainable farming free of such harmful ingredients and methods, which leads to a sense of guilt-free drinking. But clearly, drink responsibly and enjoy in moderation.

Tru Organic Straight Vodka
$33.99 for 750ml
This drink is pretty strong and has a bite if drank straight from the bottle. If you love mixed drinks, and this vodka can make a mean peach cocktail. Just add 3 oz Tru Organic Straight Vodka with 1/4 ripe peach, 1 teaspoon sugar, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprig of mint. Shake it up and pour it over rocks. Delicious!

Rain Vodka
$17.99 for 1.0 liter
This liquor is handmade in small quantities from organic white corn. This is actually a very smooth drink straight from the bottle with a hint of flowers and a nice aftertaste. It comes in a very feminine bottle and can be great for mixed drinks as well.

Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin
$24.99 for 750ml
This gin is made with organic grain, juniper berries, angelica root and other herbs. There is a minty, sweet flavor to it and it is pretty smooth. Again, great as a mixed drink, such as a tonic with a slice of lemon.

We all love to wear high heels, but wearing them for too long will cause eventual pain, especially in the knees. You can do them in the shower or right before bed time. Your knee is associated with various muscles, ligaments and tendons that create an intricate structure that can easily be stressed. From running to constant bending, the knee gets the brunt of a lot of our movements. Adding high heels only makes it more vulnerable to injury and strain. There are four simple massages that you can do easily every day to relieve the pain. Try to do each massage for at least 30 seconds.

The first are to massage is right below your patella bone in your knee. Rub the area right under the patella in a horizontal fashion with the pad of your finger. Apply strong pressure so you can feel the tendon being massaged. The second area is to the outer knee below the patella. Massage that area in short vertical strokes, very similar to the first massage.

The last two massages require larger movements. Always move distal to proximal. To massage these muscles, use the bony part of your wrist to apply the pressure. Start at the bottom of your leg right above your ankle. Apply firm pressure along the muscle. Move the pressure upwards toward the outer side of your knee. Repeat.

The fourth massage is at your thigh. Continue to use your wrist as the method of applying pressure. Start above the knee near the outside of the thigh. While applying firm pressure, move upwards at the outer thigh, along the muscle, towards the outer pelvis of your leg. Repeat.

With these four basic movements, you can immediately feel tension relief throughout your leg. Also remember to alternate heel heights of your shoes so you do not over strain your feet, ankles and knees. Regular exercise also strengthens your muscles. For more information, you can also check out our other article on how to wear high heels without tears.

“A diamond is forever.”

With this famous and enormously effective tagline, DeBeers has engrained in our minds that the only way to show true love is through the gift of diamonds. After all, what better conveys the longevity of one’s love than nature’s hardest substance?  But is the message really worth the price?   While diamonds are gorgeous stones that with the right cut, clarity and color, can take the breath away — quality diamonds are only getting more expensive each year.  Bear in mind as well that we should also not be ignorant of the violence, corruption, and human rights abuses involved in the diamond industry. Because of the demand and love affair that we have for these precious gems, conflict diamonds have infiltrated a large part of the Western diamond market.  So before you declare your love (or before you demand that love to be declared), consider conflict-free diamonds or other earth-friendly, but equally fashionable, routes.

To take an alternative route from mined diamonds, one may consider diamond simulants and other stones that provide the bling both at a fraction of the price and without the blood.

MOISSANITE
Moissanite is usually man-made due to the rarity of the natural mineral.  It’s hardness is comparable to the hardness of a diamond, but the clarity is usually at a VS1 to VS2 level, having very slight inclusions.  The color is also darker than a colorless (IF) diamond, generally at the I-K color range and noted to have some green undertones and hues.  These are great to wear as earring studs as they have a lot of fire and brilliance despite some color variance.

WHITE SAPPHIRE
Sapphires come naturally in an array of colors, but the white sapphire can be an excellent diamond substitute.  It also is the next hardest natural mineral after the diamond.  Large colorless sapphires are rare, and they still cost a pretty penny.  There are also simulated sapphires in production for industrial and fine jewelry purposes, so it is a matter of taste and preference to what is purchased.

ASHA
The Asha simulated diamonds have an added diamond bonds to coat their stones, adding more light and brilliance.  Many wearers of Asha believe this to be the best comparison to a diamond, based on the color and clarity, as well as the hardness and longevity.  Asha can scratch, but it has to skid across a brick wall to really show the scratches.

CUBIC ZIRCONIA
A good quality cubic zirconia stone can look almost exactly like a real diamond.  It is not as strong as a diamond, however, so regular use will show wear and tear.  A lot of department stores carry cubic zirconia, so they are easy to find, try on and compare before purchasing.

For those who love real diamonds, be sure to confirm with the jeweler that the diamonds were ethically mined.  You also visit organic and conflict-free jewelry sites such as Brilliant Earth or Tiffany’s to purchase these gems.  With beauty comes cost, but hopefully it does not cost lives or support unethical practices.

The iPhone has stirred up a lot of hype, but for the eco-geek, there’s another touch screen phone this year that might be even more exciting.  Samsung has introduced their new eco-friendly Blue Earth phone, one of the first solar-powered cell phones on the market.  In addition to being sun-powered, the making and packaging of the phone places a strong emphasis on recycled material while the user experience encourages the phone’s owner to take little steps (literally) to improving the environment.

ECO USER EXPERIENCE

• The phone’s software has functions to encourage users to contribute positively to the environment
• One example is the “Eco Walk” function, where the phone acts like a pedometer and tells users the amount of CO2 emission they’ve reduced by walking, and consequently the number of trees saved by this decision
• Another application, the “Eco Mode,” is an easy way to adjust the phone’s backlight so that it’s more energy efficient

POWER SAVING

• The phone has a solar panel located on the back, in which 10-14 hours of sun power yields about 4 hours of talk time
• An energy efficient charger also comes with the phone, claimed to be over 75% more energy efficient

ECO-PACKAGING

• The commercial packaging for the phone is made of recycled paper
• Overall, it’s 40% lighter than typical packaging, thereby reducing the delivery weight

ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS

• The phone is made from PCM, recycled plastic from water bottles

–Image credit: Samsung/Cnet–

The phone is scheduled to be available in Europe later this year.  No word as to when it’ll hit the states — but if you know, let us know!