Livin’ Veg

I Will Be Back In The New Year December 28, 2009

Dear Ladies,

I thought I was going to be able to blog over my holiday but a lot is going on. Please forgive my absence. I look forward to seeing you all in 2010! 2009 was pretty darn great for the animals. Lots of improvements. I have the feeling that next year is going to be even better. Let’s take that momentum and push the issues as far as we can. Also, a quick note: a lot of organizations are looking for year end donations. If you have some extra cash from gifts over the holidays, think about sending some of it to a non profit you love. A little makes a big difference.

Be happy. Be safe. Be a voice for others.

Happy New Year!

Ali

Former Elephant Trainer Blows Whistle on Ringling Bros. Circus December 23, 2009

The Washington Post published a fantastic article last week on a trainer named Sammy Haddock, a retired elephant trainer who worked with elephants in the circus since the mid seventies. In 1997 Mr Haddock was hired to work as a handler at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Center for Elephant Conservation.

What’s so special about Mr. Haddock? After working with elephants for 30 years and growing more and more uncomfortable with the training tactics used to turn the creatures into performers, he spoke out against the cruelty. Mr. Haddock released private pictures of the training of baby elephants, spoke about personal stories in which the brutal bull hook was used to beat the elephants, and how the babies are torn from their mothers at an early age. Think Dumbo. That scene that makes people cry.

Mr. Haddock went to PETA with his story and PETA is using it as fuel to come down hard on the circus. Read the entire story here. It’s long but well worth the read. What I love about this is that it’s not an AR person going under cover. This was a man’s livelihood. And even he knew it was wrong.

Make Your Holiday More Eco Friendly December 21, 2009

During this time of year the landfills overflow with a beautiful blue/white for Hanukkah and red and green for Christmas. Yep, I’m talking about wrapping paper. Every year people buy wrapping paper in order to wrap all their presents for their loved ones. Only, that wrapping paper is used once and then chucked into the garbage. Not eco friendly at all.

The alternative. Use newspapers, magazines, or fabric to wrap your presents. Or, if you don’t like the look of newspaper, buy a Santa’s sack and (could also make a blue sack for Hanukkah) and have people reach in for the present. I personally love using newspaper and magazines. You can choose the image based on the interests of the person and you don’t feel guilty as you recycle the debris.

Are you absolutely devoted to wrapping paper and desperately want it/need it/have to have it? Then this year you’ve got something you need to do. When you unwrap any of your gifts, do so with the precision of a surgeon. Pack up the used wrapping paper nicely and save it for next year. This way, you have the traditional paper but it gets used a second time. Let’s eco up the holidays and direct that gift giving to mother nature. My gift is going to be less trash.

Beyond Skin - Vegan Shoes of the Stars December 17, 2009

Beyond Skin creates the shoes of choice for celebs like Natalie Portman and Emily Deschanel. They are the original ultra stylish vegan shoe. They have been around since 2001 when they opened up shop because there were no vegan stylish shoes to be found. Do you remember this ladies? When we were all still scrounging around for shoes at Payless. Oh yes, I remember those toxic fumes. Beyond Skin carried vegans out of the fashion dark ages.

They are also the only vegan shoe company (that I’m aware of) that has a bridal line. I love their website especially since they have video footage of a woman walking in most of their shoes. Very helpful to see them in action when trying to make an online purchase. But if you don’t like shopping online, they are also in plenty of stores in the USA. Click here to find one near you.

I personally want the blue pair I have featured in this post. There are lots of deals right now on the site. Many shoes are 25% off. Check it out and wear something fabulous to the New Years party you’ve got coming up!

What Does A Coconut Have To Do With An Octopus? December 16, 2009

AR news has been a little slow this week, so let’s take a moment to appreciate some amazing octopus news. Apparently scientists have found an octopus in Indonesia (let’s call him/her Coco) who uses halved coconut shells as shelter. That’s right. Crafty Coco uses tools! The first invertebrate to be observed doing so. Not only does Coco pull the shell over his head, but he also transports the shell when he moves so he can have it for later use. Yep. We’ve got an octopus with a plan.

I love when animals baffle people with their sophisticated uses of nature. People tend to dismiss the intelligence of an animal if they aren’t doing something that people can relate to. Well, people can relate to shelter and protection. People can relate to using tools. It makes them give more credit to the animal kingdom. Watch the video. If nothing else, it’s incredibly cool.

Vegan Gifts - Blog 3 December 14, 2009

My mom asked me the other day for some gift ideas for my birthday. (My birthday is a few days before Christmas.) So I figured for my third gift blog, I would put up some of the items I had mentioned to her.

The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen: For those of you who haven’t heard of Tal, he cooked for Oprah during her 21 day vegan cleanse. He has also cooked for Ellen Degeneres, who is now a vegan. He also started something called Veg Advantage, a free program for food service professionals to help them veganize their menus. For example, Veg Advantage will come to your university and show the staff how to make some simple and delicious recipes to serve in their dining halls. So great! And I’ve been hearing wonderful things about his cookbook.

The Matt and Nat wallet on sale with free shipping! My wallet is so old and funky. I’ve been meaning to get a new one and I’ve had my heart set on something from Matt and Nat but I just haven’t been able to justify spending $60 or more on a wallet. Happily, this adorable one is on sale with free shipping! It’s $46 and comes in four different colors. Made with antique hardware and from their Japanese Paper line, it’s both stylish and functional - and I’m sure it will wear better than my ten dollar fabric one from who knows where I got it.

And then there are these beautiful earrings with the splash of red color on the sides. They are handmade, fair trade and recycled. Perfect for a casual day or to dress up an outfit in the evening. I love the idea of wearing a simple color and then having these babies accent it all. At $64, they are a little pricier, but still reasonable for a pair of earrings. I never mind spending a bit more on a pair of earrings because I know that I’m going to wear them for years and years.

School Foods Are Unhealthy But Are They Also Dangerous? December 11, 2009

According to the article in USA Today, the answer is yes.

In the past three years, the government has provided the nation’s schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that wouldn’t meet the quality or safety standards of many fast-food restaurants, from Jack in the Box and other burger places to chicken chains such as KFC, a USA TODAY investigation found.

For a country that claims to care about the welfare of children, we certainly have a scary way of showing it. The article goes on to say that the USDA has bought thousands of tons of chicken meat from spent egg laying hens. Meat that KFC and Campbells soup won’t even touch! If not sold to schools the chickens would most likely be compost or pet food.

Vegan or not, send this article to every parent you know. McDonalds and Costco’s standards for meat are way higher, testing their ground beef 5 - 10 times more than the USDA does on a typical school day. I think all parents will be able to agree that school food in this country needs serious reform. Read the article for more details on school food. And take action. If you live in NY, visit www.healthylunches.org

Want To Save Lives? Avoid Plastic. December 10, 2009

Plastic serves many purposes. It keeps our food fresh. It’s convenient. It’s light weight and strong. We all know that plastic has changed the way we live our lives but I don’t think enough attention is given to the fact that we have also changed the lives of animals in devastating ways.

The problem is many people don’t see plastic anymore. It’s become so integrated with our every day lives that when we chuck it in the garbage, we don’t even notice. It’s effecting our marine life. In fact, it’s killing our marine life.

For some inspiration, I urge you all to go and view Chris Jordon’s disturbing images of the albatross. They are haunting, beautiful and horrific all at once and will make the viewer think twice about all plastic used in daily life. Notice the lighter in the picture to the right. Yes, a bird ate it. I’m sure the person buying it never dreamed about where it would end up, or that it would help end a life.

Some ways to avoid plastic:

1. Buy foods like rice, nuts, quinoa, granola etc. in bulk. My husband gets his peanut butter from Whole Foods every week and brings his own container. He gets the stuff that is made from freshly crushed peanuts.

2. Say no to plastic bags every time. Not just in the supermarket, but also at CVS, department stores, and every place that wants to load you up with plastic. Bring your own bag.

3. It’s not just plastic water bottles that are polluting the earth. It’s plastic bottles for all drinks. If you’re going to buy a drink when out, buy glass. Glass can be recycled an infinite amount of times. But better yet, bring your beverage in your reusable bottle when you go out.

4. When comparing items to buy, choose the one with less packaging. And if you see an item that is so overly packaged, write to the manufacturer and tell them the reason you didn’t buy it.

5. Bring your own utensils so you don’t have to use disposables.

The point of this is all really to rethink the way plastic is used in our lives. We don’t just use it to keep food fresh, it’s biggest useful purpose. We use it for everything. So my plea to everyone is to ditch the plastic. Avoid it like you avoided drunk Uncle Tim at Thanksgiving.

Mercy for Animals NYC Gala December 9, 2009

Mercy for Animals, a fantastic animal rights organization, is hosting its Celebrating Compassion Gala in NYC on January 23rd. I for one have already bought my tickets and can’t wait to live it up with other activists. For those of you who have not been in the Prince George Ballroom, it’s exquisite. There is going to be live music, vegan dinner, wine and spirits, a silent auction and an awards ceremony.

What do I love most about animal rights galas such as this one? It’s an opportunity to be surrounded by people who think and feel like I do. Nothing you eat has to be questioned and you can start a conversation with any person in the room and have something in common. Unless you work in AR, this is probably not an experience you have in your day to day life. Even for me, working in AR, it’s still a welcomed and valued experience. Plus, you get to fancy yourself up for a night and who doesn’t love that! I already have my formal attire picked out.

The tickets are $75 each which in my opinion is pretty darn reasonable considering the cost of many other galas I have wanted to attend but couldn’t for financial reasons.

Two of my favorite places are sponsoring the event. Cow Jones Industrial and Moo Shoes. I’m volunteering and helping with the silent auction so I can tell you that the silent auction is going to be amazing too.

Hope to see you there!

Vegan Gifts - Blog 2 December 8, 2009

Here is part two of my vegan shopping suggestions. They are awesome for anyone, not just vegans. But vegans and greenies will love you extra for thinking extra hard about their ethics while shopping. Seriously. Last year I got a Matt and Nat clutch and nearly fell down because I was so excited.

This little clutch is hand crocheted with 200 recycled aluminum pop-tops. It’s just big enough to keep your keys, some lipstick and a cell phone. Perfect for a night on the town in a beautiful black dress with this shiny little beauty as your accent. Plus, the price is so right at only $39. This gets points for being vegan, eco and friendly to people. They are made in Brazil by a women’s coop. Score!

Gourmet Body Treats leaves me hungry and wanting to be pampered every time I leave their site. It’s always these beautiful chocolate bath truffles that tempt me the most. But you may want to look over the site to see many of the items you’ll love. Including cranberry pomegranate scrub and other hard to resist items. Great in a basket or as stocking stuffers. Honestly, these are perfect for any occasion. And even more perfect for Valentines day. So keep these in your mind since Feb is not too far down the road.

It’s not the holidays without undies. We all need them. We all love them. And now Hanky Panky has organic thongs. They come in regular, low rise and the regular non thong variety. Perfect for the gal in your life.

Ask any gal you know about this brand. They are flattering, comfortable and now that they are made from organic cotton, they can also boast their eco friendliness.