• It has sleeves!  None of the competitors have sleeves, which makes forgoing a jacket a possibility.  Imagine the ease: throw her in a onesie and in the Snug Science, and she’s warmer than a hibernating bear.  The Snug² features a 1 piece extendable bottom that grows with the child from infant to 4 years. Simple, efficient, no pieces to lose. Less product waste as one purchase will grow with the child. Less openings at the bottom mean less cold air that can go through, therefore keeping your baby warmer. If you are in a hurry, don’t worry about putting a coat on junior, the Snug² will keep your baby warm in just a pair of pants and a light sweater. Unless you own a winter coat by Arc’teryx or a similar manufacturer, you can rest assured your baby is most likely in a higher performing garment than you are- instead of the other way around.

• It’s made ethically and locally using eco-friendly materials!  These beautifully made buntings use high performance materials, many of the textile advances that have benefitted adult outerwear had not yet been introduced to the baby market – til now. Rather than using cruelly produced goose down, they use PrimaLoft synthetic insulation which is best for warmth and outperforms down in wet conditions. The faux fur around the hood is so soft, it makes you wonder why anyone would use real fur these days. The lining of the Snug² is an ultra soft nylon that is water resistant – breastmilk and fleece linings do not go hand in hand – with a smooth lining you can just wipe it clean. But if you do need to wash your Snug², it’s machine washable and quick drying. The Snug² is also fully water resistant, windproof, breathable, stain resistant, rated UPF 40, ultra lightweight and compressible.

• It’s made by a Momma n’ Poppa who noted a hole in the market when they had their own wee one.  They designed this piece with the unique experience of “Parenthlete lifestyle” in mind.   Nature and adventure loving, Yamuna and Matt Reid, welcomed their first child in 2010. With her birth they became much more aware and proactive of taking care of their health and their environment in order to be the best role models for their daughter. They believe that an active lifestyle creates a healthier future for our children to enjoy. They have termed this way of living the Parenthlete lifestyle.

• It’s gorgeous.  Just lookie lou yourself.

So here’s a few gifties we heart;

Vermeil Kiss Me Heart, $47 @oliadesigns.com

Why we love it:

Olia infuses all her jewelry with reiki (she’s a reiki master) – and makes all her pieces by hand in her Brooklyn studio.  Through Valentine’s Day, February 14th, type in GIVELOVE at checkout for 20% off the entire Olia website.

Baby Pea Backpack, $50 @crumpler.com

Why we love it:

This Lilliputian of the luggage world features zippered main and external compartments, padded adjustable shoulder straps, a padded air mesh back panel and oversized zipper grips for those still developing fine motor skills.
With an outer made of tanty-proof, water resistant 900D and a 150D Rip-stop inner, the Baby Pea will outlast the terrible twos, outwit the terrifying threes, outplay the fearful fours and still keep coming back for more helpings of red cordial, action toys, miniature dogs, invisible friends and all the other small things that amuse small minds.

Hollow Daze Cut Out Romper in Black by Clare Bare, $102 @ethicalocean.com/girliegirlarmy

Why we love it:

Eco-friendly lingerie at its sexiest, this romper is refined and alluring, not trashy. 15% off with coupon code GirlieGirl at checkout.

Logo Vegan "Milk" Chocolate Heart, $15 @farmsanctuary.org

Why we love it:

All proceeds go to support Farm Sanctuary’s work for abused and neglected farm animals, and it’s just the sweetest way to spread the love this Valentine’s Day!

Dancing Leaves Chainmaille Bib Necklace, $150 @kalibutterfly.com

Why we love it:

Made from 100% recyclable materials, primarily aluminum, this necklace is a showstopper and conversation piece. During the month of April, 10% of all proceeds are donated to the World Wildlife Fund in honor of Earth Day.

Why we love it:

Vegan Divas cakes are absurdly gourmet, utterly divine, and made this ingredients that would make most vegan bakers hide their heads in shame (think maple syrup instead of sugar.)  You can custom order cakes and gourmet donuts (yep) from them directly, or order a cookie dessert set sent anywhere, nationwide on Ethical Ocean (don’t forget to use your discount code!) 15% off all orders placed via info@vegandivasnyc.com or 646 499 4843 when mentioning GirlieGirl Army.

Crochet Red Roses Bouquet, $36 @etsy.com

Why we love it:

Traditional flowers are flown from the nether regions of the earth, racking up quite a carbon footprint before they make their way to your sweetie.  Choose hand crocheted flowers that last year round instead!  Etsy has numerous sellers who offer these, or DIY.  Other options: flowering potted plants from an organic farmer, a bottle of 101 reasons why you love your sweetie – handwritten, or a cactus (doesn’t need attention to stay happy.)

"Caves" by Noah Rice, $100 @thecottoncandymachine.com

Why we love it:

Art for Valentine’s Day is visual romance. Framed Mucha posters are generally a hit, but you can buy unique, local upcoming artists work for much cheaper than you think you can.  Hit up some local galleries or use Etsy.

Since you are in the shopping state of mind,  why not save some cash? Use our cheapskates page for discounts on our favorite ethical brands, lines, and faves.

We adopted our Chow/Shepherd mix, Knish (yup, that’s his name!) in 2006 and fed him good old fashioned commercial dog food; kibbles and canned meat.  But we found that our boy had quite the sensitive stomach.

For months we tried different commercial brands to try and ease our pup’s testy tummy, changing them slowly and gradually, but to no avail.  It was diarrhea city for our baby.

At the time I was vegetarian (now vegan) and busy working as a lawyer.  While I didn’t eat meat for years because I was a huge animal lover, I was fairly ignorant about the horrors of factory farms and definitely didn’t think a non-meat diet for a dog was even possible.

Because of my dog’s queasy stomach I started researching what goes into commercial dog food…

“Meat byproducts” (lungs, kidneys, brains, bones, intestines, etc.), “meat meal” (zoo animals, road kill, and even other euthanized dogs and cats; say what?).  Big companies certainly get creative in making profits off of things that are “unfit for human consumption”.  Add in loads of chemicals, preservatives, and cheap fillers, mix it with big bucks for a happy healthy dog ad campaign, and you have disgusting products that look pretty and make millions.

I had read enough.  We decided to try home cooking his food to see if it helped to harden up his stool.

We cooked him brown rice with cooked meat and veggies.  Again, I hadn’t eaten meat in years so it was not fun for me, but at the time I didn’t think a dog could go without meat and I no longer trusted dog food.  This new diet solved his stomach problems completely and we did this for almost 2 years.

And then one day, we fed him the wrong meat…

He began throwing up uncontrollably, over and over again.  Then the diarrhea started. We rushed him to the vet with it coming out of both ends all the way there.

The vet kept him overnight, certain it was some kind of food poisoning.  The next morning when I arrived, it was as though he aged 10 years overnight.  By now he was throwing up and pooping blood.

Two more days and nights later… The vet said he was doing well on the meds and IV and could go home.  I took one look at my boy and expressed my doubts.  He looked like a dead dog walking.  I’ve been around animals my whole life and I have never seen an animal get that sick.

He told me to try.  Knish hadn’t eaten in 3 days and he thought he might relax enough to eat something at home.  Within one hour of being home, no eating, and 2 diarrhea bathroom breaks, I walked out onto our porch and found my baby lying in a pool of blood.  It was literally pouring out of him.

My heart broke, my stomach dropped to the floor, and panic ensued.  I rushed him back to the vet crying the whole way.  Three more full days and nights of treatments and IVs and a hefty vet bill to boot.  Finally, he was able to go home.

Our vet said they could not identify the exact bacteria that got him sick without doing invasive testing.  All we knew was that it was caused by his meat because that was the only thing he had eaten in the previous 24 hours and we had just purchased it.

Two days later, the article on the cover of the New York Times was about a massive meat recall due to an E. Coli outbreak.  I had my answer.  He had all the symptoms of E. Coli poisoning.

By this time I was vegan and well educated on factory farming.  Feeding my dog any type of animal had grown more and more difficult for me and more expensive as we tried to purchase locally farmed products.  So I researched feeding your dog a home cooked vegan diet.  After much experimentation and vet consults, we got a formula down that works for him and us and we’ve been doing it for about a year and a half now.

Knish is the perfect weight, in perfect health, and fit as a fiddle – lean and muscular – with a nice shiny coat.  And I might add, his breath is awesome :)

Ingredients for My Dog’s Home Cooked Vegan Dog Food:

Note: Every dog is different and transitioning your dog to a vegan diet must be done with veterinary supervision.  Diets must be catered to your dog’s breed, size, age, health issues, etc.  You also need to do yearly blood tests to make sure they’re getting the nutrients their organs need.  Nothing in this article applies to cats as feeding them a vegan diet is much more complicated and dangerous.

• Brown Rice (we cook this in our rice cooker)

• Protein: A different type of bean every week to vary the nutrients (i.e., black, pinto, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, fava, lentils, red kidney, etc.). You can also use tofu, tempeh or seitan but we find that isn’t as cost efficient.  Sweet potatoes are also a good addition but should not replace the beans.

• Note: Our dog likes lentils the best so we use them frequently (green, yellow, etc.).  They’re small so you don’t have to worry about mashing them up as much and they seem to digest the best.  For bigger beans, you must mash them.

• Dr. Harvey’s Canine Health: I learned about this from The Kind Life.  It’s an excellent holistic dog food pre-mix made from 6 organic grains, 9 vegetables and 14 herbs.  It’s dehydrated so all you have to do is add hot water (it looks like oatmeal with veggies in it).

• Alternative Option: You can also steam veggies with nutritional yeast and then puree them.

• Olive Oil: For their coat.

• Natural Balance Vegetarian Canned Formula: The above ingredients are all we used for quite some time but per a vet’s recommendation, we now supplement his food with this canned food.  Before we started using this we gave him supplements (i.e, Taurine, L-Carnatine, and VegeDog Supplement) but I always worried about whether or not we were giving the right amounts for his breed, size and age.  Because this canned food is a balanced diet we no longer need to worry about adding supplements (and according to the vet, giving supplements on a balanced diet can be harmful due to over toxicity).  There are other vegetarian canned dog foods but my dog only likes this one.  If you don’t want to use this you need to work with a pet nutritionist to determine the right balance of supplements.

Preparing all of this may sound like a pain but once it becomes part of your routine you get used to it.  To me, my pup and my peace of mind are well worth the effort.  To make our lives easier we make one huge batch that lasts about 6 days for our 60 llb dog.  We feed him twice a day which we were told is better for dogs on a vegan diet.

We use a 48 oz bag of brown rice, a 16 oz bag of beans, a large bowl of Dr. Harvey’s, and 2 cans of Natural Balance.  We then add in the oil (sorry, we don’t measure that!), mix it all together, and his food is done for the week.

Tip: If we run out of time or haven’t made it to the store we’ll sometimes substitute the home cooked beans with canned beans, canned vegetarian chili, or canned lentil soup.  The veggie chili and canned soup also helped us transition him to this new diet as he seemed to enjoy the flavors.

Our dog is insanely picky about what he eats (he turned down many brands of commercial dog food!) so I was surprised by how quickly he took to this diet.  He’s happy, healthy, and fit.  And when he kisses me his breath doesn’t send me to the floor!

It eases my heart to know I’m not cooking him meat or giving him dog food I don’t trust and so far we certainly haven’t had any more emergency vet bills.  It takes some effort but it’s been so worth it.

Veterinary Resources for Transitioning Your Dog to a Vegan Diet:

• School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California Davis (www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu; (530) 752-1393/7892). They will create a home cooked food plan for your dog based on blood work.  You must submit a Nutrition Consult Request Form and a Diet History Form (along with blood results).
• Dr. Armaiti May, DVM (www.veganvet.net) – She is a vegan vet who does phone consultations.

Liz Longacre is the founder of the Gentle Living. Gentle Living covers everything involved in living a gentle but powerful life.

The article went viral. With over 4,000 likes on facebook, over 300 comments on the post, reddit threads and blog responses, women and men came out to share their stories and frustration with a society that shames women (and men too), no matter what they look like.

It was inspiring. Most women who chimed in shared their desire for creating a kinder world. One where we value health and confidence over fitting into the narrow category of beauty that fashion magazines and Hollywood promote each day. This longing to change the way we think about others and ourselves is something we can and should put into action. With the force of women who want a more supportive and safer world to live in, I really believe it can be done.

The question becomes: in a society where people are insulting one another to make themselves feel better at the expense of others, how are we supposed to be comfortable with our natural shapes? Based on the comments and my personal experience, insults are flung from friends, family and even total strangers about everything from cup size to waist size. Some didn’t even realize they were being hurtful, but after further discussion, saw that it’s inappropriate and even cruel to make comments about the shape of another person’s body.

Even after reading the article, some chose still to bash.

One man posted on facebook in response: “+ 1 on the fuller body. I don’t know any man who would prefer the skinny body presented by the woman on the far left.”

My response to him: “It’s not about your preference. It’s about women not worrying so much about what men want or what the media says we should look like, and instead striving for a healthy body. Whatever shape that may be. By the way, I’m skinny and my husband likes me just fine.”

I purposefully left my size out of “The Problem with Skinny Bashing.” I didn’t want my own body to become the focus (and isn’t that the point?). But, inspired by so many women who came forward to share their own stories, I can say: I’m 30 years old, 5’9” and a size two. I’ve always been a size two. Like many of the thin women who commented, I was made fun of for being flat-chested and skinny during puberty. Other young women made fun of me in the locker room for my gangly limbs and training bra. It wasn’t until college that I became remotely comfortable with myself.

Ali Berman

If living in my skin sounds like something to be envied, be warned. If you want to trade your body for mine, you have to take with it the scars from cancer and a permanent disability. No body is perfect. We all struggle. We all have insecurities, and we all hurt when others bash us.

With all women, no matter what the size, facing emotional issues with their bodies (insecurity, insults, fear, health problems), how can we pool our resources to change something that has so skillfully invaded–and created–our feelings about others and ourselves?

Here are some thoughts that I had. I’d love to hear yours, too. After all, if we’re going to build a better way of talking about our bodies, it needs to be a conversation everyone is a part of.

1. I’m a big fan of personal responsibility. If you find yourself looking at another woman’s body and tearing it down in your mind for being too fat, thin, busty, flat-chested, short, tall, wearing last season’s clothes: stop. Retrain yourself to look beyond the physical. I too am guilty of doing this. I’m trying to retrain my brain to be more positive and less critical, both of myself and others. As I’ve grown older, it has gotten easier, but like any change in behavior, it takes work. Knowing the effect one person can have on the world (positive or negative), I’m doing the work, and it’s making me into a happier person.

2. If you hear others tearing someone down, don’t join in, and don’t be silent. Bullies aren’t just in junior high. Adults can be bullies, and bullies need someone to stand up to them, even if it’s gently pointing out to a friend that no one deserves to have his or her body be insulted, criticized, or critiqued.

3. Let go of the way magazines and movies tell you that you should look, and let go of the way they tell you other people should look. Make health and comfort in your own skin your ultimate goal. When we appreciate ourselves and let go of the jealously we feel towards others, we are able to truly be at peace with our bodies.

4. Each person has their own vision of beauty and their own goals for how they want to look. We need to stop expecting other people to agree with our own unique vision and find joy in the fact that our society is built out of all different kinds of people. The “I’m okay, you’re okay” philosophy. It’s not easy, but it can be done.

5. If someone body-bashes you, don’t politely smile and wish you could disappear. (That’s what I used to do.) Instead tell them that their comments make you uncomfortable and you don’t wish to discuss your body with them. If they protest or say that they were complimenting you (so many backhanded compliments!), forward them the article “The Problem with Skinny Bashing.”

Do you have any other suggestions? If so, we’d love to hear them in the comments. And, on twitter, use the hashtag #bodybashing to keep the conversation going. I’m inspired by your stories, and I know others are too.

Ali Berman is a writer/teacher/activist. She works as a humane educator for HEART teaching kids about issues affecting people, animals and the environment. She is also the senior editor for Ecorazzi.com and a fiction writer.

Led by Dr. Erin Richman from the Harvard School of Public Health, this fourteen-year-long study examined the eating habits and health of over 27,000 men. Those who consumed more than two and a half eggs each week were over 80 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer. “Eating eggs may increase risk of developing a lethal form of prostate cancer among healthy men,” concluded the researchers.

As scientific research reveals the health risks of egg consumption, Mercy For Animals undercover investigators are exposing the routine cruelties inflicted on egg-laying hens.  Their recent investigation into Sparboe Farms found hens crammed into filthy battery cages, workers burning off the beaks of baby chicks without painkillers, and other abuses that are standard within the egg industry.

Thankfully, it’s never been easier to avoid the cruelty, cholesterol, and increased risk of prostate cancer that come with eating eggs. This here website (use the search engine for “recipes,” or scroll our “Nosh” section) and the wonderful ChooseVeg.com has hundreds of delicious, egg-free recipes and helpful tips on cooking without eggs.  We are pretty partial to a wickedly spicy tofu scramble, Field Roast sausages, and veg hash at Chez Girlie.   Meet The Shannons make a mean vegan fried egg, get their recipe here. Eating a flavorful veggie diet has never been easier.

Originally published on MFA Blog via author Nathan Runkle

Celebrity chef Paula Deen, known for using doughnuts to bun her bacon-and-egg burgers, could have used her diabetes diagnosis in the same way, in hopes that others wouldn’t make the same mistakes. Instead, she announced yesterday, she is partnering “with a reputable pharmaceutical company” as spokesperson for a $500-a-month diabetes drug (with side-effects that may include pancreatitis and thyroid cancer). Instead of withdrawing her endorsements for Smithfield ham and Philadelphia cream cheese, Paula Deen just added another to the list. It would be as if Yul Brynner’s last breaths were instead spent hawking chemo.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic amputations, and new cases of blindness. Currently it’s the 7^th leading cause of death in the United States. The good news Paula could have given to the millions of diabetics and prediabetics is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, managed, treated, and even cured with a plant-based diet. A prospective study of nearly 20,000 vegetarians and vegans published recently found that even after controlling for obesity (and exercise, age, gender, education, income, television watching, sleep, alcohol use, and smoking), those that ate plant-based diets had just a fraction of the diabetes risk. See How to Prevent Diabetes, How to Treat Diabetes, and my other 20 videos on diabetes. Good books on the subject include Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes and Defeating Diabetes.

When the “The Galloping Gourmet” chef Graham Kerr’s wife and childhood sweetheart suffered a stroke, he changed his tune and became a champion for healthier cooking. It is too bad Paula Deen missed this opportunity to embrace healthier Southern traditions, like collard greens and black eyed peas, and instead just chose to add a pharmaceutical side-dish to her deep-fried butter balls.

A founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues.  He has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous “meat defamation” trial. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently Dr. Greger serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. Hundreds of his nutrition videos are freely available at NutritionFacts.org

Ready to gag?

“The Foxy Bikini, in which the bikini line is waxed bare and replaced with a pubic wig made from real fox fur”  costs $225.

Classicist, overpriced, and ugly – this merkin is something nobody could possibly find sexy.   When you read this NY Magazine article about why she chose to do this, you’ll like her even less.  Especially when she jokes; “it’s like I cured cancer”  and in response to the backlash she knew she’d receive “”I am not an extremist. I don’t believe in cruelty to animals and I don’t eat red meat, but that doesn’t mean I hate those that do.”  If Barshop doesn’t believe in cruelty towards animals, she has a funny way of showing it.  She clearly needs to  review these facts.

Let us not forget the being that went through unspeakable pain to bring you this absurd product.

Take action, Glamazons.

Here’s how:

1.  Sign this petition

2. Tweet your disapproval to @completelybare

3. Share this article

UPDATE!!!

Note this note from Cindy;

“Greetings, I respect and value your opinion and was moved by your determination in what you believe in. I have every intention to fix this by re-introducing the Foxy Bikini with Faux Fur. Lots of love and positive energy to you and your cause. peace.love. completely bare. completely bare spas Cindy Barshop”

Though it’s hardly an admission of the cruelty of fur, and is a very you vs us (“what you believe in,” i.e what I don’t believe in) – it’s certainly a start.  Bravo to Cindy for leaning towards compassion.

But just like when you’re driving by a car crash or a fire, sometimes you can’t just look away. Deen’s extreme penchant for frying the unfryable – Deep-Fried Cheesecake, Fried Butter Balls, Fried Macaroni and Cheese – both fascinated and terrified me.

Chacun à son gout. If Deen wanted to feast on lard and simple carbs, it was certainly her business and her prerogative. After all, I’m in control of my remote and my kitchen. And let’s be real: being vegan is no guarantee of health. Like our omnivorous counterparts, herbivores can also pig out on decadent cakes, cookies, pizza, potato chips –and deep-fried Newman-Os – with similarly disastrous, albeit cholesterol-free, health results.

My issue is with Deen is not her culinary point of view, but rather her contrary point of view. Although she was diagnosed with 2 diabetes 3 years ago and has been treating it with both medication and lifestyle changes all this time, she strategically chose to make  her condition public just last week– which interestingly coincided with the launch of her sons’ new “healthier” cooking show, “Not My Mama’s Meals.” We also learned last week that Deen and her boys signed a promotional deal with the pharmaceutical company that makes the diabetes medication that Deen takes.

I find it laughable that Deen pledged on the Today Show last week, 3 years post- diagnosis, “I’m going to be there for you and help you manage every day of your life with this, because it can be done.” After promoting and profiting from the very types of foods proven to contribute to her condition for three years, she does not exactly strike me as a credible advocate. I get the feeling that Deen grossly underestimates her audience’s intelligence.

Deen has taken deep-frying to a new level. I think she has finally managed to fry herself.

Dynise Balcavage is the author of Celebrate Vegan! Life-affirming Recipes for Occasions Big and Small and Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart Favorites to Haute Cuisine . She blogs at urbanvegan.net and tweets  @theurbanvegan

Image courtesy memebase