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.

Our bathrooms are our sanctuary. We strip down to our bare naked selves and every day, or so I hope, we cleanse ourselves of the day and become refreshed and renewed. We come here to beautify, to unwind, to pamper and to rejuvenate. We use so many products for our hair, face and bodies to make us beautiful, but are we choosing our products wisely? Can the plastic jar be leaving a carbon footprint that you never really acknowledged? Here are some ideas on making your bathroom just as environmentally friendly as you are.

Use bar soap. A bar soap contains less preservatives than liquid soap, so the ingredients in the solid are focused to wash away all the germs and bacteria, while the liquid soap contains more harmful ingredients that get washed away into the ocean each time you cleanse your hands. It requires a substantially less amount of packaging also. From body bars to shampoo bars, you can be clean and environmentally friendly.

Glass instead of plastic. It’s harder to find your favorite products in glass, but they are definitely better for the environment, compared to all the plastic bags and containers that end up in landfills and choking our wildlife. If you can find them in glass containers, then get those. Creme de La Mer is sold in glass containers and is one of our favorite moisturizers for the face. If you do use plastic, clean it out when you are done and recycle it.

Stop buying bulk. Try purchasing smaller items that you can use often and finish up entirely instead of buying a lot of products you only use a few times and just sit as additional waste. Eventually these products expire, and you will have to toss out containers that are still half-full. Call that a waste of your time and more waste on our planet.

How do you make your bathroom more green?

Eco-friendly products for your bed and bath:

Aromasticks-Freshen any room quickly and naturally. A clean alternative to smoky candles and incense, slender bamboo reeds absorb 100% essential oils and diffuse aromatherapeutic scents. To refresh the intensity, flip the sticks from time to time. For travel or room-to-room air freshening, use the included spray mister. Comes with 6 sticks and 4 oz. of a calming woodsy scent (a blend of amber, sandalwood, cedar, and musk). Stands 10″ high.

Big Orange Hamper Tote-Instantly sort dirty laundry into colors, darks, and whites. Flat-bottomed tote stands upright in your closet so you can throw things where they belong (depending on your aim). An outside pocket holds detergent and softener. On laundry day, grab the extra-wide straps and off you go. Sturdy nylon canvas. Machine wash and dry. 30″w x 21″h x 10″d.

Bamboo Bedding-We know that bamboo is eco-friendly, renewable, and versatile. But silkysoft, supple, and breathable? Comfort with a conscience, these high-quality sheets and pillowcases are made entirely of bamboo fiber. They keep you at the optimal temperature while sleeping, and they?re naturally antibacterial, hypoallergenic, and colorfast. Sheets are oversized to fit pillow top mattresses. 250 thread count percale. Machine wash and dry. Specify White, Sky Blue, or Grass Green. Imported.

Earth Week is huge this year. Everyone and their grandmother is promoting recycling and pushing for electric cars. From Walmart to Shopbop, there is opportunity to be green in any business.

Robyn Rhodes is a jewelry designer that have celebrities like Eva Longoria and Jessica Alba snapping her styles for the red carpet. In honor of Earth Week, Robyn Rhodes and Josie Maran of Global Green have teamed up to promote her Rumi necklace of Amazonite stone with either silver($120) or gold($126) chains. Access Hollywood featured the team together in this video. It has both attitude and sophistication. Snatch yours today, as it takes about three weeks to get them.

20% of the proceeds will go directly to Global Green USA to fight global warming.

Fashion never felt so good.

Reusable handbags are no longer plain and boring; there are many companies out there who are designing great bags for multiple functions.

Forget Grandma’s old gingham totes and don’t even think about getting all those plastic bags from the grocer’s. Billions and billions of plastic bags are littering our planet, choking innocent animals and congesting our natural ecosystems. We can actually reduce waste by buying our very own reusable bags!

I decided to purchase eco-friendly bags, which are fairly inexpensive, and local stores like Target and Trader Joe’s offer adorable bags for a few bucks. The internet also has some adorable ones that are fairly priced.

Mixed Bag Designs offer 12 different styles in their website, at $7 each. It carries up to 50 pounds and can be carried over your shoulder and guaranteed to last three years. I purchased a few from them, and the shipping and service was superb. One ended up having a minor defect, and they sent me a new one, no questions asked.

Paper Nor Plastic also offer a similar bag, but it’s made of polyester lined with vinyl, which keeps it waterproof. It is shaped just like a standard paper grocery bag, but can be reused over and over again.

I started using mine, and they work amazingly well. Get yours now!