Nori, how could we have been so blind? We thought we KNEW you. We thought you were not to be looked at outside of Nobu! We thought you were the property of Master Sushi Chef’s and Marcobiotic wunderkinds, and not to be looked at by naive, klutzy cooks. We didn’t realize you were ours to experiment with at our very own home - to stuff with everything from figs to Indian food. Imagine our surprise when you breezed into our life with the lackadaisical air of a whole wheat tortilla. We didn’t know you could look this way. We didn’t know you’d make us feel these things!

If we’d known that stuffing you with anything from leftovers to grains (particularly quinoa), beans (especially lentils, chick peas, and lima’s), salads (particularly those highly concentrated with numerous ingredients), avocado, fruit (yes, fruit - especially shredded long and thin in the Cuisinart), and well-pounced upon nuts would be the world most delicious, nutritious, and low-fat meal - we would have been buying you in bulk so long ago. If we’d have known that your skinny body rolled with a naughty line of even the most average bland salad and a bit of salad dressing or Braggs Amino Acids would feel like such a sinful indulgence - we would have been lining our cabinets with back up Nori packs years ago! We feel so wronged! How could someone have not told us!

Nori love

Oh, Nori. You are expensive, hard to find organic and raw (though we are just as attracted to you when you are toasted) and we go through you like water. At $20 for 50 sheets, you are too hard to resist when we know you are sitting just minutes away in our fridge. We just can’t stop seeing you now. Our affair has just begun; and its one of the hottest, more delicious we’ve ever had.

We’ve couldn’t help but swoon when The WHF Foundation said;

“Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables? Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.”

They also said you help promote healthy thyroid function, prevent birth defects and cardiovascular disease, provide Relief for Menopausal Symptoms, and have wonderful anti-inflammatory properties. If we weren’t a little jaded in the language of love, we’d say you may just be the perfect food for us. A few more Months like this, and who knows where we may be.

We also know we can’t share you. We have learned the err of our ways trying to keep you to ourselves; you are the Every woman’s Sea Vegetable, and to be enjoyed pell mell by all, with reckless abandon! Though we may ask how it was. So, what do you do with Nori when your front door locks are clicked firmly into place?

We like you just the way you are.

This link BLOWS me away: http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks17.htm. The link takes you to a ticking clock which shows you EXACTLY how many crops and animals are being produced and used in the United States each second. You’ll find the numbers STAGGERING, and maybe even bone chilling. Take a moment and ponder how much crap we all USE.

As Daryl Hannah recently said at GreenFest in CO; “People need to remake the American dream. The three Rs — recycle, reduce, reuse — can use two more: repair and reject.”

Perhaps we could all dump one item from our diets, or lifestyle TODAY that is harming our planet. Think of the sheer strength of that action if we all got onboard! I thereby proclaim TODAY that I will join look seriously into joining a CSA, buy fewer packages of non-organic baby carrots from the fruit stands (guilty as charged!!), and stop using toxic nail polish (more on that in a very soon to come post). Tiny steps create TREMENDOUS change. What are you going to do to make a tiny little change today?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

On Wendesday, September 17, 2008, people around the world will turn off their lights for ten minutes - from 9:50pm to 10:00pm in their local time zone. That’s an easy first step, eh?

Next; check out PETA’s new carbon calculator widget—a small interactive tool to determine how much a change in your diet could change your impact on the environment. Simply enter your age, gender, and current eating habits, and the tool will instantly tell you how much carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) you’d prevent from polluting the Earth if you upgraded your diet. Go on, it won’t bite or tell your trainer about that container of mixed nuts you stuffed down your gullet last night!

We love our natural, fancy skin care products as much as the next hot mess, but once in a while it’s fun to get down n’ dirty and DIY. Invite over a couple homies and have a crafting party! The great thing about this is - there is no EXACT science to it. Play around with more or less of a particular ingredient until you reach your desired scent and consistency. Are you broke as a joke? Buy great (cheap) vintage jars at your favorite Salvation Army, or get bottles in bulk from any of the suppliers below. We love the vintage feel and look to old Ball Mason Jars, but some peeps (ahem) are too clumsy to use glass in the shower. Those folks are better off with non-leaching plastic containers. Anyhooters, put together gorgeous scrubs or oils, toss a couple of dried flowers into the mix, make a cute homemade label, tie the lid with brown twine, and OUILA! A fabulous gift for anyone, made with love, without chemicals, and on a dime. Want to get all fancy pants on our ass? Learn more elaborate skill at a potions and lotions class (we did!) at your local YMCA or crafts emporium. For now, try out the basics below; Ready to get started? Good. You can buy supplies through any of the links below, but you may just find what you need sitting in your kitchen right now.

• From Nature with Love
• Essential Oils
• Sunburst Bottle
• Brambleberry
• The Sage
• Herbal Accents
• The Scent Shack
• The Soap Dish

Make your own;

BODY OIL

• 1 ounce grapeseed oil
• 1 ounce sunflower
• 1 ounce wheat germ oil
• 4 ounce jojoba oil
• 12 drops of Essential oil (your choice - but some we love are lemongrass, gardenia, patchouli, and Sandalwood)

Combine oils in a bottle, shake gently to blend, then use for absolutely anything from making your bod shine to taming uber wild locks.

—

BODY SCRUB

• ½ cup Sea Salt, Sugar, or Coffee (yep, any of the three would work)
• 4 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• ¼ cup Baking Soda
• 5-6 drops of Essential oil

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Consider yourself done, lazy mo’ fo’.

—

BODY LOTION

• 3 Tbsp Emulsifying wax
• 3 Tbsp Avocado oil
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable glycerin
• 1 Tsp Shea Butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 15 drops essential oil

Mix with hand mixer for under 1 minute. Funnel mixture into bottle.

—

FIZZY BATH BOMBS

• 1 part citric acid
• 2 parts baking soda
• Witch hazel or water in a spray bottle
• Coloring of your choice (you can find bathbomb coloring on most of the natural sites above)
• Essential oil of your choice (depending on how much citric acid/ baking soda you use)

In a large mixing bowl; mix together the citric acid and baking soda very well. Add color. A little goes a long way, wait til later to see the color pop. Add your essential oils. Next use a water bottle to slowly spritz witch hazel or water on your mixture. Roll a ball of the glop into your hands and roll it back and forth (using the spritzer sparingly) to harden it into a very tight, hardly packed ball. This is not the easiest of the recipes, and may take you a few tries ’til you perfect it. Do not get the mixture TOO wet, or it will fizz before you want it to. Still, you will have fun trying and will eventually get used to it. — We will share more of our DIY recipes in the very near future. If your panties are all in a bunch and you want it NOW, Daddy… well hang on Veruca, cuz Momma’s got you covered. Check out this divine recipe for Lavender soap that smells like absolute heaven. And please do use the “comments” to share your own faves, if you so choose. Smell ya later!!!

Chloé gets koo-koo for eco-puffs:

What are the new eco-fabrics? Obviously recycling or buying vintage is the most green way to shop. But if you jones for new clothes faster than Samantha Jones goes through condoms, the newest eco-fabrics got you covered. You already know about organic cotton, so we won’t bore you with the why’s and where’s (okay, maybe in a future blog). For now - let’s talk about the new kids on the block that are as light on the earth as Clay Aiken is on his toes.

BAMBOO:

You’ve heard us wax rhapsodic about Bamboo clothes before. No, they don’t come with a cute Panda bear - but they do have antimicrobial properties. Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. It feels like silk jersey - and is comfy beyond belief. Bamboo fabric has something in it called “Bamboo Kun” which means it’s naturally an antibiotic - even after 50 washes! Believe it or not, regular cotton is treated with pesticides and and they do seep into your skin. It’s nice to know practically everything causes cancer these days - sheesh! Another cool fact about Bamboo is it’s got mild UV blocking protection, so you don’t have to go too nutty with the SPF when you rock the ‘boo. So, I’m kinda in love with my Panda Snack tee shirts which are comfier than my 25 year old nightie from Disneyworld.

Like this basic v-neck which you will wear til death do you part:

Provided by www.Tobi.com

Of course there are way more elaborate bamboozlers. Like this off-the-shoulder dress, which would be perfection with chocolate jack boots on a mild fall day.

Provided by Kaight

SEAWEED:

Seaweed is something I wrap my salads in everyday. I’m obsessed with hunking sheets of Nori. And any other kind of seaweed. So much so that on a recent trip to Mexico, I pulled a big hunk of floating seaweed out of the Ocean and (much to my Fiance’s chagrin) stuffed it down my throat. Needless to say, my gag reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Blech. The newest eco lovechild is a fabric called SeaCell, a mixture of seawood and wood pulp. The word on the street is that when you wear Seacell, your hotbod actually absorbs some of the delicious goodness found in seaweed; like calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E. Don’t believe our Girlie-typin’ fingers? Check out the 101 straight from the Professors themselves: www.smartfiber.de. All I know is when I eat Seaweed, I genuinely feel amazing. Buy this precious kimono for the little lass in your life and maybe, just maybe, she won’t need Prozac in 16 years.

Courtesy of the Baby Elephant Collection

CORN:

What is more yum in the tum tum as BBQ’ed corn in the summer? Nothing. How about a corn dress nosh? Corn fabric, being sold as “Sorona” is touted as the new nylon. It’s a fabric that uses much less energy to create than traditional fabrics and is a renewable resource. I haven’t been able to find much made from Sorona just yet, but I know you guys like to be the first to know — so look out for it at your favorite Eco-Boutique.

COCONUT:

Nothing on this earth is more delicious than a fresh coconut water. It brings up the heady childhood smell of Chocolate milk for me, for some odd reason. If you live in NYC, definitely pop into Bonobo’s for a fresh coconut water asap. I always get bummed out throwing away the shells, wondering what I could have made out of it or how I could have reused it. Now I know someone is doing something tremendous with coconut leftovers; making wearable (though not yet gorgeous) clothes. Like this jacket for bike riders that I would never have use for, but thank god some gorgeous butch types may.

Courtesy of Cocona

SOY:

You will rarely hear us at GirlieGirl Army go bananas for byproducts, but in this case we are overjoyed! Soy fabric is created from leftovers in soybean and tofu production, and has all the great benefits of moisture wicking (which means it’ll help you out with your sweaty pits). Check out this hot little halter that will have your date saying “Soy vey!”

Courtesy of The Green Loop/ Anna Cohen

SILVER:

What’s up with all these natural fabrics that make us not smell? You’d think the earth was trying to tell us something! Could be! Go simple, get benefits? Silver fabric (yep, made from real silver) helps with that not-so-fresh feeling (that post-jog, pre-dog walk aroma) cuz it’s chock full of antimicrobial properties which expels any fungus or odors that come near it.

DATING TIPS FOR THE TRAGICALLY SHY: We know you want to get your final summer fling poppin’ - here are some tips to help make it happen.

Romance isn't dead

Most of us ballsy broads at GirlieGirl Army HQ have never had a problem with dating. Though we’ve been mostly serial monogamists, when we are single - we are confident dating demons, feverishly meeting and questioning all interested suitors. We find dating fun - it’s like thrifting. You never know what you are going to find amongst the rags, or what’s going to look good on you - sometimes the most unexpected jacket just happens to pop! Point is - each date can teach you something you didn’t know - a fact on global warming or how to say “baked potato” in French perhaps. Each date is like writing your own life story. GirlieGirl Army friend (and original member) Maria Dahvana Headley wrote a book called “THE YEAR OF YES” where she said yes to every single person who asked her out on a date for a year (including cabbies and the homeless). It culminated in her meeting her Pulitzer Prize winning Hubby. What did we get away from her book? Put yourself out there - you simply can’t lose by meeting someone new. At the very least you may write a Best-selling novel!

** There is a niche group for anything you are into - from pottery making to rifle shooting - and you will meet like minded folks. If you are looking for a Catholic wo/man who loves ferrets and good wine, does crossword puzzles like a champ, and will read to your Grandmother - specify it and seek it out. It’s sort of like “The Secret” mentality - if you will it so - it will come your way.

** We are big proponents of online dating. You don’t need to waste time having three dates with the cutie from the bar, only to find out s/he hates dogs when you have three of them! You can specify your flavor and find the exact type o’ pardner you are looking for. We know there are losers out there, but you can pretty much weed out the meshugeneh’s if you have any semblance of instinct. Many of our friends have had big-time love success with nerve.com.

** Margaret Mead said “I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings.” If you follow that philosophy - then aim to meet someone who is contributing to the world. Don’t complain to your best friend 2 years into dating Johnny X that he doesn’t have ambition; if you wanted someone who was ambitious you could have met them at a MENSA meeting or stock market group, if you wanted someone who contributed to the world, you could have met him at a demonstration for a cause you believe in. You choose to bring certain people in your life, know your hand ultimately decides your own destiny.

** DO NOT give up your life story on date #1. Let them work for your story. You’ve taken years to write this bio, don’t give it up so easily. Do be strong and clear about what you are looking for after the first date… if you are looking for a serious commitment and the guy isn’t - it’s better to know off the bat rather than flounder around with a non-committal type. Be strong, but sexy. DEMAND real dates, RESPECT, and let him/ her know you are not to be messed with (without him/her knowing you are pulling all the strings, you smart n’ sexy cookie!).

** Forget about one date with a guy or girl you already know is not right for you. You are wasting your time. “Well, it’s just coffee - how can it hurt?” Listen Gentlemen - it can hurt because in the time you spent having coffee with that too young, brainless waitress from Hooters (sure, sure - you have a cousin who worked at Hooters and is now a Scientist. Mazel Tov.) - you could have been at the gym chatting up the clever brunette on the treadmill next to you. SEEK OUT QUALITY FOLK and you will live a QUALITY life.

** Your friends really matter when it comes to dating. If you exclusively hang out with all married, terminally single, or unlucky in love/ life folks - you won’t meet people unless the marrieds are generous in their hook ups. Meet other singles who are intelligent, interesting, and fun to be around; they will invite you to places where other quality singles will be - and you’ll be way more likely to meet people. Your coupled friends don’t want to hang with you at the Al-anon Singles Event - they want to go home, have sex, and eat Brownies! Do things with people who will enjoy the process with you, aka other singles.

** And a final note; look gorgeous, but more importantly, feel gorgeous. If you don’t put a little effort into your visual and mental offerings, then do you really love you? And if not, how are your suitors supposed to want you if you don’t want yourself? A proper conundrum! Go to the gym, read Wayne Dwyer books, use lots of lip gloss… get your a-game in full swing. You will be so happy lovin’ yourself up, you’ll barely notice when s/he knocks on your door and falls in full blown love.

Happy Shopping!