Funny girl Daiva Dupree take a moment to contemplate Breastfeeding from a Single Mommyless Gal’s perspective.

All three of my cousins and two of my friends, just had babies. Now, a lot of my friends have had children, but never have I been more confronted by breastfeeding than over the last six months. Before I go any further let me say in big bold letters…I HAVE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO PROBLEM WITH BREASTFEEDING. I think women should do it whenever and wherever they please…without a doubt. I feel so strongly about it, in fact, that I have a tendency to “over display” my comfort level with the fact that my friend or relative is breastfeeding in front of me. I turn into a crazy person, twitching and staring so they know I approve, or more importantly, that I don’t disapprove. I’m fully aware that they couldn’t care less about how I’m feeling about their breastfeeding, but no matter, I turn on the “I’m-Totally-Ok-With-Seeing-Your-Boob Show” without fail…Every. Single. Time.  I just did it again, this week at a baby shower. The gift circle “Oohs and Ahs” had died down, and I was sitting and chatting with one of my Young Mom friends. She was glowing in that way that new Mom’s glow, and  I was desperately trying to hide the fact that I had a  hangover from post-show drinks the night before. That’s the thing about being a single, raunchy, comedian at a Springtime baby shower…you walk into a room full of women wearing pastel colors and perfect ponytails, and you smell like red wine and cuss words, with fake eyelash glue still clinging to your eyelids, like you’ve been clinging to your youth…but I digress.

We were finishing up our conversation about whether or not I was dating anybody (another inevitable part of being “the single girl” at a baby shower), when I saw the tell-tale “shifting of the baby and reach into the blouse” move. “Uh oh,” I thought, you’re about to make more of a fool of yourself than you did last night.” And, sure enough, the rest of it went something like this…

“OK, Daiva, be cool. Be cool. I’m sure she knows that you think this is perfectly natural…toootally normal. Don’t freak out and do something weird to prove it to her. OK? What are you doing!? Don’t avert your eyes! She’s going to think you’re embarrassed! Nothing to be ashamed of. You can look at her…go ahead…ya…look right at her. There you go…maybe…um…give her a little wave …Hey, how are you…just sitting here while you’re breastfeeding your baby…I’m totally comfortable with this, FYI…totally looking right at you even though I can totally see your boob…yep, there it is. Doesn’t bother me. A naked boob. No problem. Piece of cake.  Absolutely, I can sit right next to you while your baby is sucking on your boob…I mean, breastfeeding… Breastfeeding. I know all the lingo. Like, um…”latch on”, I know that one…at first I thought that was a joke, but it’s not, and I know that now. I can see your nipple. Daiva, relax! Just because you can’t stand naked in the locker room at the gym, doesn’t mean she cares if you can see her nipple! I think you’re looking at her too much. Maybe eat something so she knows you can even eat while she’s breastfeeding…Nice, well done. OK, good…this is a beautiful thing. I am watching my friend feed her baby with her own boob. How beautiful is that?! My friend made milk inside her own body, and then her body sent it to her boob, and now her baby is sucking that milk right out of her boob through her nipple!…That is almost as beautiful as the fact that she made this baby inside her own body and then pushed it out…right out of her jazz…woops, just got a little woozy, maybe don’t think about that part. You know what, maybe let’s stand up and get you a mimosa. But, make sure you don’t look like you’re leaving because you’re uncomfortable. Smile or something…UM, DID YOU JUST GIVE HER A THUMBS UP!?! You’re an idiot.”

I tripped over to the drink area and began the “Just-So-Everybody-Knows-This-Is-My-First-Mimosa-At-This-Babyshower Show,” which involves me first getting a non-achoholic drink and gesturing wildly with it so everyone sees it, and inevitably making myself look very drunk.

I wish I could still afford my therapist.

Love Always,

Daiva

Nobody is latching on this nipple... yet..

Daiva Deupree is an actor, writer, and part-time wedding planner. She co-wrote, and is currently performing in, “Two Girls For Five Bucks and The Ten Dollar Heartbreakers” at Ars Nova until March 28th. www.arsnovanyc.com

Brendan Brazier is a badass athlete who dispels the “vegans are scrawny” myth like nobodies bidness.  He is a professional Ironman triathlete, two-time Canadian 50km ultra marathon champion, bestselling author on plant-based performance nutrition, formulator of Vega whole food nutritional products (available at a health food store near you), and just overall a truly sweet and compassionate guy.

This is what a vegan looks like, biatch.

When he sent us a copy of his newest book; “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life,”  I put it on our side table straight away thinking “I am as about as athletic as Smurfette after a shoe sale.”  But on one lazy Sunday, I scrolled through this must-read treasure trove of advice and couldn’t put it down.   I felt inspired to move my tuchus! Not only will your bod thank you, so will your palate; Brendan’s optimum nutrition recipes are friggin DIVINE!!  Here are some of our faves;

Apple cinnamon chia granola (nut-free)

Nutrient packed and easy to digest, this cereal is a good fuel option a few hours before a workout, or soon after to help recovery. Rich in: electrolytes, essential fats, and calcium.

• 1 cup oats
• ½ cup hemp protein
• ½ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup un-hulled sesame seeds
• ½ apple, diced
• ¼ cup hemp oil
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 tbsp apple juice
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp whole stevia leaf, dried and ground
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 250F. Mix all dry ingredients together. Blend liquid ingredients until reaching a consistent texture. Combine liquid and dry. Mix well. Spread on bake tray. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool; break up. You will notice that I suggest to bake this granola at 250F instead of the traditional 350 F. this it to prevent the EFAs in the hemp and Salba from converting to trans fats. Baking at a temperature lower than 300F will not damage healthy fats.

“Thrive has revolutionized the way I go about fueling my body and helped push me to a higher level of performance and workout recovery. There’s no other resource like it out there.”
- Mac Danzig, Ultimate Fighter 6 Champion

Chocolate Almond Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 2 fresh or soaked dried dates
• 2 cups cold water (or 1 1/2 cups water plus 1 cup ice)
• 1/4 cup almonds (or 2 tbsp raw almond butter)
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tbsp hemp protein
• 1 tbsp roast carob powder (or cacao nibs to make smoothie 100% raw)

Blend.  Enjoy!

“Thrive is an authoritative guide to outstanding performance, not just in top-level athletics, but in day-to-day life.”
- Neal D. Barnard M.D., President, Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine

Sunflower Seed Beet Pizza

A totally different Raw Pizza, but doesn't it look yum in the tum?

Crust

• 2 cups ground sunflower seeds
• 1 cup grated beet
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, hemp oil, or EFA Oil Blend (p. xxx)
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• Sea salt to taste

Topping

• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1/2 Spanish onion, diced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Procedure: Preheat oven to 300°F. In a food processor, process all crust ingredients until mixture starts to ball up. Lightly oil the baking tray with coconut oil. Spread mixture on tray to about 1/4 inch thick (it can be thicker or thinner if you prefer). Spread Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto on crust; add topping. Bake for 45 minutes. (This will vary slightly depending on the moisture content of the vegetables and the desired crispness of the pizza.)

Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto

• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast and Sesame Seed Topping (p. xxx)
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp hemp oil
• Sea salt to taste

In a food processor, process all ingredients together until smooth. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Variation: Roast the peppers for 30 minutes in a 300°F oven, lightly coated in coconut oil, before blending. This will intensify the flavor. Makes about 2 cups.

Too lazy to cook?  Try one of Brendan’s VEGA bars.  They are truly 2 legit 2 quit.

Beyond Good for You and DELISH!

“Thrive is a life changing book!”
- Jon Hinds, former LA Clippers strengh training coach and advisor to MLB and NFL teams

Talk about making lemonade out of lemons: Lovetta Conto, a 16-year-old war survivor who was one of two top finalists for the 2008 International Children’s Peace Prize, has set an ambitious new goal for herself: to raise enough money to help move a family of orphans from the refugee camp where she grew up to a new home - back in their own country of Liberia. “The camp is closing and I want to help give them a beautiful place to live and grow.” For Lovetta, it will be her first real home as well.

Rather than simply ask for donations alone, this charismatic and resourceful young entrepreneur plans to reach her goal in a very unique and inspirational way - through profits from an exquisite line of jewelry she’s created by transforming hundreds of spent bullet casings found on the streets of Liberia following the devastating civil war that deeply affected her early life.

Lovetta has set a goal to sell 1500 pieces of jewelry in order to help open the house in time to move the first group of six young people (a family of orphaned siblings) from the refugee camp where she once lived in Ghana.

Leaf pendant and bullet bead on solid sterling silver 16" Necklace $125

Lovetta’s drive and compassion were forged through heartbreaking personal experiences. Separated from her mother and country at the age of four during the Liberian conflict, she fled to Ghana with her father, where she lived for nine years with various families in refugee camps. She often went hungry or was sometimes beaten for trying to attend school without shoes or proper clothing. But her remarkable spirit persevered and she eventually found her way into working with a team of American volunteers to build a school for unaccompanied minors, and further distinguished herself by advocating for special education for sight-impaired children.

Her life took a radical turn three years ago when she was chosen to participate in Strongheart Fellowship - an innovative program for gifted and talented youth from challenging circumstances across the globe - including those rescued from child slavery, teenagers once abducted by rebel armies, young people orphaned by AIDS, and young survivors of extreme poverty and war. The program focuses on entrepreneurship, leadership, and creative activism. Through that program, she was required to create a “for benefit” business, a project that would combine commerce and compassion - benefiting herself, her peers, and her community.

Lovely Lovetta

Taking her cue from her love of fashion, Lovetta took spent bullet casings left behind from the Liberian civil war and transformed them into exquisite pieces of jewelry, creating a line she named AKAWELLE. Each piece includes a small leaf pendant made from melted bullet casings with the word “LIFE” imprinted on it to remind the world that “even after something as terrible as war, good can come and new life can begin.”

Her jewelry is worn by supporters as diverse as actress Hilary Swank, actor/activist/musician Mos Def, and best-selling author & former child soldier Ishmael Beah - as well as young people in the refugee camp where Lovetta grew up.

Profits from Lovetta’s AKAWELLE jewelry line are being used toward the opening of Strongheart House, where Lovetta and the orphaned siblings will live, along with other young people from across the globe. The simple but lovely home will serve as a learning community and home for the young people in the Strongheart Fellowship program.

In November 2008, Lovetta was chosen as a finalist for the 2008 International Peace Prize, an initiative of the KidsRights Foundation with the support of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and presented by Desmond Tutu. The Prize is awarded annually to exceptional children who have demonstrated great courage or remarkable actions to help protect and improve the lives of children who face great risks or injustices.

In June 2008, Lovetta was featured as one of four young panelists at a Global Nomads Group event at the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival in Aspen, CO. Entitled “Against All Odds: Profiles in Resiliency,” the event was sponsored by the Bezos Scholars Program and was moderated by Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Deavere Smith. It attracted a sold-out crowd that offered two standing ovations.  In October 2007, Lovetta was an honored speaker at the Texas Governor’s Women’s Conference where her speech received a standing ovation. In early 2009, Lovetta will be touring the United States to promote AKAWELLE - and  will be honored as a YOUNG HERO by Global Nomads Group, speaking via video link-up to young people across the world.

This young activist is an inspiration to us all.  Let’s support her magnificent spirit by purchasing one of these necklaces and spreading the word of her work by forwarding and reposting this blog.

PURCHASE THESE TREASURES ONLINE HERE: http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/akawelle/Jewelry.htm

For all you boys and girls out there on a budget (isn’t that pretty much everyone these days?), estate sales are going to be your new weekend obsession.  Thanks to Guest Blogger Ali Berman, you now have the perfect 101 guide below.

Every weekend on Fridays, Saturdays and sometimes Sundays, homes of the recently deceased open up to the public for a blow out sale. Sound kind of morbid? Well, you’ll get over that when you see some of the beautiful estates that are up for grabs.

*Note: Estate sales are not tag sales. Tag sales sell the stuff you’ve had in your garage for 10 years and can’t stomach looking at anymore. Estate sales sell the items from a deceased person’s home (or sometimes a person who is moving) - items they most likely loved and collected over a lifetime.

How it works: Family members take what they want from the former owners home and then they hire a service to come in and price, tag and sell the rest. So you’ll see furniture, art, rugs, dishes, jewelry, knick-knacks, clothes, purses and countless other items. Depending on the house and the former owners taste, you’ll find everything from beautiful antiques to IKEA. How do you know what you’re going to find? Well, a lot of it is just going and checking it out for yourself, but often times the classified ad will give you a taste of what to expect. If there are lots of great antiques, the ad will mention that. Likewise for contemporary pieces. Lots of times dealers come in early and buy up all the stuff they want to sell in their shops. They get it at the low price and then jack it up for all us unsuspecting shoppers.

How to find them: In the classified section of your local paper, you’ll see adverts for estate sales. I happen to live in Westchester, NY so I check out the Journal News online. If you live in an affluent area, the estate sales are REALLY good because, well, rich people die too.

Some of Ali’s amazing estate sale finds:

Etiquette: Haggling is expected at these types of events. If they don’t accept an offer you can always leave a bid and the people working the estate sale will let you know if you are the highest bidder. Although if you really want something I recommend making an offer right then and there and hashing out the final price.

Payment and picking up: Bring at least enough cash for a down payment - one or two hundred bucks should do the trick. These people deal in cash. If you find something you like, that’s when you head to the bank to get the rest. They may not hold an item if you have no money to put down which means you may lose the item while you’re scrambling to get cash. Also, know that if you buy a large item, you’ll have to get movers to come and get it. Most times the people working the sale will be able to recommend a good moving company. But you might want to do your own research on prices beforehand.

Eco friendly goodness: Estate sales are as green as green gets. You’re buying used items and moving them from one home to another. So you become a recycling queen/king. Estate sales embody the two things I love best when shopping: being eco friendly and getting a great deal. I can’t ask for more than that.

A sneaky tip: You can’t always judge the contents of a house by it’s size, but checking out the size of the house on google maps can be an indicator of what you’re in for. However, just as many times I’ve gone to a smaller house with kick a$$ items. You can also go to zillow.com to see approximately how much the house is worth. Does this make me sound like a total snob? Probably, but you’ll thank me…

Have any great estate sale buys you’d like to share? Leave a comment below:

Ali Berman is a writer/teacher/activist. She works as a humane educator for HEART (www.teachhumane.org) teaching kids about issues affecting people, animals and the environment.

We are so over paper towels; the cost, the waste, the constant refilling!  Annoying/ expensive/ eco-evil!

We have pretty much cut our paper towel usage almost entirely out since we discovered the dope-on-a-rope SKOY cloths!  These fabulous, absorbent, biodegradable and natural multi-use cloths have taken the place of our sponge and paper towels.   Green goddesses (and SKOY creators) Michelle and Karen discovered that 2.5 million (!!!) tons of paper towels anually overload our landfills, and they couldn’t bare not finding an alternative. SKOY cloths are 100% biodegradable, made from a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp.  After an independent composting test, SKOY cloth broke down completely within 5 weeks.  And get this: using a SKOY cloth is equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home! With the high cost of paper towels (especially the eco-friendly ones), SKOY cloth is the obvious choice for your wallet and the environment.

Check out some great green cleaning tips and green cleaning product recomendations (including SKOY cloths!) here:

The SKOY cloth has an absorption factor of 15x its own weight, so it will totally clean up your overflowing kombucha. Imagine using 15 sheets of good-quality paper towels at once… that’s how thick and strong these cloths are. And it’s a chlorine-free product using water-based colors and inks.

Skoy Divas Michelle & Karen

And if that weren’t enough awesome info to get you to go SKOY, SKOY cloths are long-lasting because of the washability feature (I throw mine in the dishwasher, but another way to clean them is by tossing them in the microwave when wet for 2 minutes.) It dries quickly, and unlike that bartender you met on a bender last week, it’s not a breeding ground for bacteria.

See retailers lists and how to buy Skoy cloths online here, and dump that 2 roll a week paper towel habit once and for all!  Thanks to glamazon Finola Hughes for the tip!