Imperfect Foods Subscription Box Review

After moving to Seattle, one of the first things I did was re-start my Imperfect Foods subscription box! I had been without it for a few months while in the middle of the move, and I missed it so much! I originally started my subscription in 2017 (read my then review of the box HERE), loved it and been a big supporter of Imperfect ever since! Not only am I getting fresh produce and pantry staples straight to my door, but with every box I am helping to fight food waste.

You see, Imperfect sources produce with minor cosmetic imperfections that would otherwise be discarded by grocery stores as well as other groceries that are short-coded, have a label change, or some other reason they aren't able to be stocked in stores. In providing what most would consider "unusable," Imperfect helps support farmers by helping them sell more of what they grow, helps save product, water, land, and labor from going to waste, advocates that fresh fruit and veggies be affordable and accessible for everyone, and embraces beauty in all shapes, sizes, and colors!

Fund the Future of Fashion With Legends and Vibes

I am not the most fashionable person by any means. I prefer my look to be like the vampires from What We Do in the Shadows, "dead but delicious." Or rather, distressed, tattered black clothing like I just rolled out of a grave (so maybe not as delicious as I'd envisioned!).

Nevertheless, I am always looking for new, eco-friendly clothing brands that are vegan and ethically conscious. I'm glad to say that a new brand, Legends and Vibes, has caught my eye, and they are currently fundraising to make all our fashion dreams come true!

How to Make Earth Day Every Day

Happy Earth Day! Though this is the one day a year where we acknowledge our commitment to making the earth a better place and preserving its beauty, wouldn't it be great if you could make Earth Day every day? Well, there is one simple lifestyle shift you can make that will help the Earth more than anything else you can do, and that is going vegan or adopting a more plant-based lifestyle. Now, before you click away from this article, I want you to seriously consider the positive impact you could make by going vegan - for example, did you know that going vegan has been shown to cut your carbon footprint in half?! And did you know that even if you combined all the greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trains, planes, etc. in the entire world that animal agriculture still produces more pollution (per this study)?! Or that on average a vegan person saves roughly 1,100 gallons of water every day? The water needed to produce a just a quarter pound of beef is 660 gallons of water and 600 gallons of water to produce a single gallon of cow’s milk.

Imperfect Produce Box Review

I recently signed up for my first ever Imperfect Produce box after deciding I wanted to try a produce subscription box to save money and trips to the grocery store. I researched several services offering subscription or CSA boxes in my area, and decided upon Imperfect Produce because they are fighting food waste and supporting a more sustainable industry by offering "ugly" food at a discounted price. This "ugly" food is simply produce that would usually be discarded due to having too much of it or due to imperfections. Rather than just tossing it, Imperfect rescues it from farms and offers it to the public at discounted prices. This way less food is wasted, and people can get nutritious, delicious produce directly from farms in a subscription box for less! How could I not get behind that?

Imperfect Produce offers several sizes and varieties of boxes. You can get organic boxes, veggie-only or fruit-only boxes, or a mix of both, and a variety of sizes is offered for each category of subscription box. You can adjust your box preferences at any time, and with every box you have the option to customize the box and decide the frequency you want to receive it (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). For my very first box I ordered the small organic box to be delivered weekly, which runs approximately $14 to $19. I was lucky enough to receive a referral discount code from a friend, so I saved money on my first box (if you want to save money, too, here is my referral link which will score you $10 off your first order!).

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

We celebrate Earth Day to honor our planet and to reflect on how we can better take care of it and preserve it for future generations. There are lots of things you can do this Earth Day (and every day) to make a difference - recycling, composting, reducing what you buy, volunteering to pick up trash along your local beach/parks, mindfully purchasing local products and food, and so on. However, the biggest impact you can make is to go vegan!

On past Earth Days (here and here), I've written about how going vegan can greatly reduce your footprint on the world, but I just like to reiterate the huge impact going vegan has on not just yourself, but our planet, and how it is the single biggest positive change you can make for the environment, for yourself, and for the animals!

Product Review: Hydro Flask Insulated Stainless Steel Beverage + Food Containers

I love Hydro Flask and have been using their products for years. Their beverage bottles and food containers are special because of their ability to keep liquids ice cold for up to twenty-four hours or piping hot for up to six hours. They are made out of TempShield, a double-walled, vacuum insulated technology that maintains temperature and stainless steel that provides durability, strength, and prevents flavor transfer. Hydro Flasks are indispensable to me on a day-to-day basis, and I use mine every day and take it with me everywhere!

Green Saturday LA Pre-Valentine's Day Marketplace

Green Saturday LA is back this weekend just in time to get all your Valentine's Day shopping done! This cruelty-free marketplace is THE place to find unique gifts, delicious food, and even enjoy a beer with friends in its bigger, better location at The Alpine Village in Torrance, California.

This Saturday, you will be able to shop everything from apparel to food to art to housewares to toys to makeup to chocolates to accessories and much more from your favorite vendors. You'll be able to find yourself or that special someone the perfect gift that is made locally, supports the local economy and veg community, and is cruelty-free! Not to mention that a portion of proceeds are donated to the local rescue organization Whiskers and Tails Foundation!

More info on the event is below:

Green Saturday LA Market Returns this Weekend

Green Saturday LA returns this Saturday, August 20th, 2016 to the Alpine Village in Torrance for an end-of-summer market! For just $5 (or pet food, etc. donation - see event details below) you can shop to your heart's content for vegan and cruelty-free housewares, crafts, and more while you enjoy some delicious vegan food and beer. There will also be a pie-eating contest (mmmmmm pie!) and raffles to win some amazing prizes! Plus, all this fun is for a good cause - a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Whiskers and Tails Foundation, a local organization that rescues and adopts various animals, from cats and dogs, to ducks, pigs and goats.

The event is bigger and better, and will feature vendors both inside and outside the Alpine Village. You'll be shopping cruelty-free clothes, trying Jaycelab's delicious and innovative vegan eats (like a vegan deviled "egg," oh my!), cooling off with some ice cream or popsicles, making some cute stuffed animal friends from Stacy Michelson, smelling the wonderfully relaxing creations of Simply Wicked and Spirit Spa Soap, stocking up on Kelly's Croutons (you really can't eat just one!), draping yourself in the beautiful jewelry of Larra Mirk Design, and nomming on Your Vegan Friend's delicious vegan conchas, among many other yummy food vendors! It's gonna be a fun day full of amazing cruelty-free goodies, food, and people!

Event Details:
Location: Alpine Village – 833 West Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90502
Time: 11 AM – 5 PM
Admission: Children are free, $5 (per adult), or FREE with a donation of cat or dog food, new cat or dog toy, or a clean blanket for The Whiskers and Tails Foundation

For more info, please visit Green Saturday's website, Facebook, and Instagram!

Haunting the Halls of Expo West this Weekend

I'm heading back to the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim this weekend (check out last year's coverage!) and haunting the halls for another year to find the yummiest and raddest vegan products!

Expo West is a HUGE natural food and products expo in the US, where new products are unveiled and companies showcase their products to buyers and the press. I usually visit my fave vegan brands to see what they have cooking, and I also end up discovering new companies and vegan products!

Expo Wests boasts a wide variety of vendors across the spectrum - from food to beauty to health and beyond! It is not an all-vegan Expo (yet!), but there are a lot of companies that are either vegan or showcase vegan options.

I've attended Expo the last couple of years, and I'm looking forward to returning this year, which may be my last. I will be reporting any fab finds and delicious dishes via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, so be sure to follow me there if you want up-to-the-minute details on the Expo!

After the Expo and once I've had some time to recover, I'll post a re-cap of everything as well as my favorite vegan products from the Expo, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Are you attending this year? If so, I hope to scare you there!

Green Saturday Marketplace Returns to LA

Green Saturday is an all-vegan shopping event that was a great success back in December (I previously wrote about it HERE)! I wasn't able to attend, but I heard that it was an awesome event filled with eco-friendly, vegan vendors selling all kinds of items from clothes to jewelry to housewares to makeup and so on! Most items are locally-made from small, independent companies and all are cruelty-free.

In fact, Green Saturday was such a success that it is returning this February, 13th, 2016 for a second pop-up at the Alpine Village! Again, it will host a wide array of vendors, and will also host vegan beer and food options!

Like the last time, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Whiskers and Tails Foundation, a local organization that rescues and adopts various animals, from cats and dogs, to ducks, pigs and goats.

More info is below:

Green Saturday LA - An Eco-Friendly Pop-Up Market for Unique Holiday Gifts

Skip Black Friday, and support local, independent businesses with Green Saturday!

If you are in the Southern California area, a fantastic event is occurring after Thanksgiving on Saturday, November 28th, 2015. It is the first ever Green Saturday LA, an eco-friendly, cruelty-free pop-up market that boasts an array of different vendors where you can find the perfect unique gift for your loved ones (and maybe pick up a little something for yourself)! Vendors will be selling jewelry, accessories, t-shirts, crafts, tote bags, skin care, makeup, chocolates, essential oils, teas, art, veg food, and much more! And another benefit is that you will be supporting local, independent businesses this holiday season!

Not only that, but a portion of proceeds from Green Saturday LA will be donated to the Whiskers and Tails Foundation, a local animal rescue that rescues and adopts various animals, from cats and dogs, to ducks, pigs and goats. Please consider making an additional donation at the event to help Whiskers and Tails continue their important work, from ensuring the overall welfare of their lovely animals to rescuing more animals in need!

Date and Time: Saturday, November 28th from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Location: Alpine Village - Klubhaus
833 W. Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA 90502

Admission: Entry per adult is $5 or FREE with a donation of cat or dog food, new cat or dog toy, or a clean blanket that will go to Whiskers and Tails Foundation. Children under 10 are free.

For more information on the event, please visit their website and Facebook event page!

Product Review: Wills London Vegan Shoes

When Wills London contacted me to review their vegan shoes, I jumped at the chance! They have a wide variety of stylish shoes for both men and women, including boots, sandals, sneakers, work shoes, heels, and more. Not only are their shoes incredibly sleek and sophisticated, but they are also ethically produced - that means the people that make the shoes are paid fair wages and the shoes themselves are vegan, so no animals were harmed making them.

The founder of Wills, Will Green, stated that he "...started Wills with a passion to provide animal and human friendly shoes with high-street styles and prices." His goal with Will is to "...bridge the gap between everyday people and ethically produced vegan shoes. Wills is about getting the latest fashions out there at fair prices, while not hurting animals or people in the process. No matter who you are or where you’re going in life, Wills are there for when you want to make a positive choice."

Earth Day is Everyday if You're Vegan

Happy 45th Earth Day, a wonderful day to be grateful for our home and reflect on how we might change our habits to preserve and protect the Earth and all the lives it contains. As Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day stated, “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.”

How can we achieve this "environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures"? Well, we can start by treating everyday like Earth Day! The simplest and most effective way to do this is adopting a plant-based diet! If you decide to ditch dairy, eggs, and meat, your impact will be tremendous. Not only will you help the environment and all those that live on this Earth, but with by focusing on a plant-based or vegan diet, you will also improve your own health and help save animals from unimaginable cruelties.

Product Review: Balanced Guru Energy Mists

Balanced Guru's Energy Mists

I discovered so many incredible new products at last month's Natural Products Expo West! One amazing company I came across was Balanced Guru, who makes aromatherapy scents/perfumes called Energy Mists to help elevate or regulate moods and feelings. I briefly discussed them in my best products of Expo West post (read here), but I wanted to give them their own full post, as they were kind enough to send me home from Expo with a travel kit of their Energy Mists, which I've been using ever since!

Food Review: NII Bars

Last month at the Natural Foods Expo West (check out my coverage here!), I was fortunate enough to stop by the NII Bars booth, where I got to sample their vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO verified nutrient-dense organic food bars!

While I sat there stuffing my face with all the flavors they had to offer, their founder Shanais Pelka told me all about her vision and her company. As a mom and nutritionist, Pelka was always looking for a quick and healthy to-go meal for herself and her kids. She didn't want to sacrifice nutrition for convenience, so she spent lots of time experimenting to create the perfect food bar. The end result is the NII Bar, which comes in five scrumptious flavors!

Haunting the Halls of Expo West this Weekend

I'll be returning to the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim this weekend (check out last year's coverage!) and haunting the halls for another year to bring you the newest vegan products I find!

Expo West is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) natural food and products expo in the US, where new products are unveiled and you get sneak peeks of products in the works, as well as discovering brands you may not have otherwise heard about. They host a variety of vendors across the spectrum - from food to beauty to health and beyond! Not all are vegan, but a good chunk are, and many others have vegan options.

Last year was such a fun whirlwind, and I'm excited to attend again this year! I will be reporting LIVE on fab finds and delicious dishes via Twitter and Instagram, so be sure to follow me there if you want up-to-the-minute details on the Expo!

After the Expo and once I've had some time to recover, I'll post a re-cap of everything as well as my favorite vegan products from the Expo, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Are you attending this year? If so, I hope to scare you there!

Restaurant Review: Seabirds Kitchen in Costa Mesa, CA

Seabirds Kitchen at The Lab is now open!

I have been a long-time fan of Seabirds and their vegan food truck as year after year they have continued to impress me with their quality vegan food in Orange County! From delicious staples like their beer-battered avocado tacos to their other seasonal options and specials, I have always felt so lucky to have them in my community offering such amazing vegan food!

The Most Effective Way to Go Green on Earth Day (and Everyday)

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Happy Earth Day 2013!

Since everyone’s focus today is on making the world a better place by going green, I wanted to bring to your attention the single easiest and most effective thing YOU can do to save our planet – adopt a mostly plant-based diet or go entirely vegan! It is easy, simple and not only helps the environment, but will also improve your health. Choosing a plant-based vegan diet (or at least reducing your reliance on animal products) is certainly the most “green” thing you can do not just on Earth Day but everyday!

Even if you simply decrease your consumption of animal products (say, minimizing your dairy, egg and meat intake) you can do a lot to help the Earth and yourself! Truth be told, raising animals for food is polluting our lands, our water and our air, not to mention our bodies. Factory farming is the leading culprit of gas emissions, which contribute in large part to global warming and climate change. The chemicals that factory farms emit are a public health hazard and get into both the air and water. Not to mention that the actual animals who are slaughtered are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics that people end up ingesting. And take a moment to think about all the living, sentient animals that are slaughtered just because people like the taste or tradition of eating meat/diary/eggs. These poor animals are needlessly exploited all their short lives and the abuse they suffer is shocking. I could go on at great length about this, but if you’d like to read more about any of these issues all that is needed is a simple Google search to discover the truth.

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This can all be changed if people opened their eyes, accepted some responsibility in caring for the Earth, lived more compassionately and took action to save the planet and their health! All that is needed to start are simple dietary changes that will result in helping solve environmental, ethical and health issues.

If you think eating a plant-based diet is too drastic, difficult or just too different, you can always start small. Small is always better than nothing at all! A few ways to do this would be to participate in Meatless Mondays or cut out a few animal products from your diet at a time. Also, there are so many plant-based alternatives out there that easily replace milk, cheese and other animal products. Most grocery stores carry plenty of vegan products as well…once you start on your plant-based diet you’ll be surprised how many products are “accidentally vegan”. I promise you, it isn’t hard and you’ll be on the road to a plant-based way of life in no time! Even if that isn’t your aim, reducing intake of animal ingredients will help a lot – you’ll feel better and will also be helping the Earth.

If you decide to go on this journey, your eyes will definitely be opened to a better and healthier way of living, both for the Earth and for yourself!

Today also kicks off US Veg Week – pledge to go veg this week and you’ll receive free recipes!

You can also find tons of vegan recipes, advice, etc. with a simple online search. There are countless online vegan communities, blogs, forums as well as films, documentaries, books, etc. on the benefits of going vegan.

I can also answer any questions you might have about adopting a plant-based diet, so feel free to leave any questions/comments/concerns below! I would be happy to send you recommendations for sites, films, books, etc.

Happy Earth Day and I sincerely hope you consider adopting a plant-based diet for the planet’s health as well as your own!

A Visit to the World's Largest All-Vegan Grocery Store, Viva La Vegan!

Viva La Vegan Grocery Store

This past weekend I made the pilgrimage to the world's largest all-vegan grocery store, Viva La Vegan, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA! It is only about an hour away from me, but I had never made the trip up there before. They carry all sorts of vegan groceries, plus beauty and health products, clothes, shoes and even have a deli on-site! It is like mecca for vegans - everything in the store is vegan!

I have the luxury of having several natural health food stores (Mother's Market, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joe's) less than 10 minutes away from my home and these usually carry all the vegan necessities and treats I need. However, it was so nice to be in a store where I knew EVERYTHING was vegan and I didn't have to constantly check labels. Plus, they actually carried some vegan products I had been lusting for but had never found (hello, Cocomels Coconut Milk Caramels!).

Go Vegan! - Viva La Vegan Floor plus deli dining area

I wandered around the store for at least an hour, discovering new vegan products or gleefully finding products I'd seen no where else. Some highlights included finding their large selection of Hurraw! and Crazy Rumors lip balms, browsing their book section, snagging their last bag of Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, checking out their huge Beyond Meat selection and discovering their expansive vegan candy section!

My haul from Viva La Vegan included (pic below): Earth Balance Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs, Vegan Bunny Patch, Alternative Baking Company Pumpkin Spice Cookie, Surf Sweets Fruity Bears and Sour Worms, Wayfare Pig Out Whole Grain Bacony Bits, Go Raw Pizza Flax Snax, Nacheez Dairy Free Nacho Sauce, Road's End Organics Alfredo Style Chreese Sauce, Butler Soy Curls, Cocomels in Java and Original Flavor, Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, Go Raw Banana Bread Flax Bar, Deva Vegan Hair, Nails and Skin Vitamins, Hurraw! Lip Balm in Green Tea and Coconut flavors, Crazy Rumors HibisKiss Lip Color in Breeze, "None More Vegan" pin!

Their staff was friendly, even when I bugged them to check if they had any more Go Max Go Thumbs Up bars (they were all out) and Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon (I had to be content with just one bag). Everyone there was nice and even the shoppers themselves seemed so joyful to be in an entirely vegan store!

The only downside were that the prices tended to be a bit high for products I could normally find in other stores (their Veganaise was pretty pricey at around $8 when I could find it elsewhere for $5 or $6), but on average I found that most of their prices were comparable to other health food stores. Plus, for hard-to-find items the prices were worth it! And I don't mind paying a bit more to support an all-vegan business!

Viva La Vegan truck in the parking lot

Viva La Vegan is located at 9456 Roberds Street in Rancho Cucamonga, California. There is plenty of parking in the parking lot adjacent to the store or on the street. Plus, there are lots of beautiful neighborhoods to drive through on the way there!

If you are in the Southern California area, I highly recommend making the trip to Viva La Vegan! I am already planning on going back sometime soon!

Viva La Vegan Grocery - website

Beauty Review: 100% Pure Eucalyptus Seafoam Facial Cleanser

My lovely friend introduced me to 100% Pure Cosmetics, a (mostly) vegan* (see note below) line of beauty products made from the purest ingredients. 100% Pure products do not contain harsh detergents, synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, chemical preservatives, toxins or animal products (except some products contain honey...which I discovered after writing this review; more on this below). Of course I immediately wanted to try all their products, but the Eucalyptus Seafoam Facial Cleanser caught my eye since it is made for oily skin (which unfortunately I have).

I was lucky enough to receive it for my birthday and just couldn't wait to try it. I mean, just take a look at the plant-based ingredient list:

Organic Seaweeds (Kelp, Sea Lettuce, Spirulina), Green Tea (Organic), French Green Sea Clay, Coco Betaine (gentle coconut cleanser), Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Palmitate), Vitamin E (Di Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Seed Oil, Extracts of, Pomegranate (Organic), Grapefruit Seed (Organic), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract (Organic), Essential Oil of Organic Tea Tree, Organic Eucalyptus and Organic Peppermint, Extracts of Cinnamon, Thyme, Goldenseal and Oregano

Sounds delightful, does it not?! I tried it for the first time after a long, hard day and immediately found its pepperminty eucalyptus scent invigorating and uplifting. My face tingled (in a good way) when I massaged it into my skin, as if my very skin cells were perking up! After rinsing I noticed it took off all my makeup no problem! My skin felt smooth, soft, refreshed and clean! It really felt like it cleared my pores out and that they could “breathe”.

It also doesn't dry out my skin like most cleansers made for oily skin, but instead leaves it feeling nourished. I didn't even need to put on any moisturizer after washing my face with this cleanser!

I will mention that if you get it near your eyes that they will tingle…it doesn't sting like soap but it is an odd feeling, so I recommend washing your eye makeup off first before using the 100% Pure Eucalyptus Seafoam cleanser.

I love 100% Pure’s philosophy on natural ingredients, commitment to being (mostly) vegan and cruelty-free and using quality ingredients to create wonderful products such as their Eucalyptus Seafoam Facial Cleanser.

Based on how much I love this product I can’t wait to try other 100% Pure items!

*A word of warning: after initially writing this review I discovered that though their products are listed as being "vegan", be aware that some products contain honey. So far I found beeswax in some of their lip products, but it could also pop up in other products. 

The company says they use "cruelty-free" honey, which is a bunch of BS in my opinion. This is pretty shady to call yourself "vegan" but include honey in your products! It makes me NOT want to try any other products from 100% Pure.

Please make sure to check the ingredient lists before purchasing any products!