How cool is this? Chartreuse Chic was featured in the summer issue of The Nest (a home and lifestyle magazine from the people who brought you The Knot) as one of the Nesties' favorite blogs.
Head over to check out more the The Nest's eco-friendly blog picks and keep an eye on the site for their fun green ideas for living. Their target audience may be newlyweds, but if you can get past the mentions of "your registry," there are some nice ideas for greening your living. I especially liked the simple ideas in "Green Party Tips" for being eco-conscious while throwing a fabulous shindig. They also have advice on going green in "11 Ways to Be an Earth-friendly Couple", which I especially liked because they were so specific about the benefit of making the changes suggested. I've definitely found that it's easier to make green changes if you know exactly why they're helping the planet! Meanwhile, parent site The Knot has introduced a whole new-to-me section on having a green wedding. Check it out if you're in the planning phase.
Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I really can't rave enough about our jungle vacation at eco-focused Cotton Tree Lodge in Belize.
Cotton Tree is located in the rarely visited Toledo district at the Southern-most part of Belize. It's a quiet area, especially in the summer rainy season, and ideal to "get away from it all," to borrow the cliche. The lodge itself is a half hour outside of town but feels deep in the jungle. You never mind the remote setting, because Cotton Tree provides all the requirements of a fantastic vacation -- a beautiful and peaceful location on the lazy Moho River, rustic but comfortable* cabins with lovely verandas and hammocks for relaxing, plus entertaining daily excursions to ruins, caves, islands, and even a local village**. As someone who normally plays tour guides on our vacations, it was such a treat to relax and know that every detail of our day was taken care of.
But you guys don't want to hear about our lazy hammock reading. You want to hear about green! And was Cotton Tree green! Most power came from solar panels, and most food from the organic gardens on the premises. Even better was their "sewage" system. We got to use normal flush toilets, but the water was then re-routed to a leach field of banana plants before being returned to the ground. I'm no expert in green toilets, but I can tell you this -- our bathroom was clean and easy, and despite the more natural waste system, the lodge's grounds smelled like jungle and never anything else. So Cotton Tree must have been doing something right!
What was most amazing about the green additions of Cotton Tree was how seamless they were. Our stay felt incredibly luxurious*** despite its lower impact; we certainly never felt that we were sacrificing anything to support a green endeavor. The other nice thing about the green lean? Our fellow guests tended to be open minded and eco aware as well!
All in all, we had an amazing week at Cotton Tree. If you do get a chance to visit Belize, definitely don't let it pass -- the country is beautiful and peaceful, with an active democracy I was delighted to support with my tourist dollars. And if you go, definitely consider staying at Cotton Tree and seeing what a fabulous vacation you can have while going green!
Cotton Tree Lodge, Toledo, Belize. From $109 /night for the simplest room during low season to $225 /night for all-inclusive with the most luxurious room in high season. Looking for a deal? Try bidding on a package through Luxury Link. Our fellow guests found great deals there.
* Comfortable though slightly buggy -- we had a host of moths circling our reading lights every night. But they made for interesting viewing and, let's be honest, what else can you expect in the middle of a jungle!
** If you are ever in Toledo District, the Blue Creek Cave is not to be missed. We scrambled up a few rocks to the entrance, then donned headlamps and tied life jackets around our waists. Then we swam deep into the dark cave, pushing our way against the current and running our hands along the mineral coated walls. When we hit as far as we could safely go, we all turned off our lamps and sat in the dark (redefining dark for me -- thick, inky, deep dark, utterly light free.) It might not sound like much, but it was just an incredible trip, peaceful, awe-inspiring, and like nothing I've done before.
*** M wants me to add the disclaimer that luxurious for us might not be luxurious for someone used to the Four Seasons or Sandals Resorts. But you can get a sense yourself from the website -- the photos there are exactly what we found on arrival.
1. Get yourself to your local target (or head to their website) and get this organic Rogan tee right now. It won't be as iconic as the tiger tee will become (trust me, like-minded eco-fashionistas will recognize each other on the streets in 2 years because of that tee) but trust me, once you get it on, you won't want to take it off. The cotton is ridiculously soft (seriously, I could barely stop touching it in the store), the color has a comfortable, warn in feel like it's been in your closet for years, and if you're cooped up studying for the one test that will determine your future career options, you won't want to wear anything else (or maybe that's just me.)
2. After a year of obsessively working on his model, M is finally starting up his green investing fund, and has started a blog about the experience. The firm is called Smug Investments and you can also track his progress on his blog, Smugly Green. Of course I'm biased, but I think green investing is really cool. Not only is it a good idea financially (unlike some fashion and lifestyle purchases, you don't have to pay a premium to invest greenly), but it's just another way to support responsible industries! Anyway, I know M would love the support and feedback of the green community (his financial buddies have given him the thumbs up so far), so spread the word and let him know what you think!
p.s. I know. No posts in a while. Been so busy. But as soon as I come up for air in mid-June: a jean guide (skinnies and bootlegs!), an eco tour through Newbury Street, and some reviews of some of my favorite eco fashion items and eco beauty finds. I promise!
Ok, so I know this is a blog about eco friendly fashion. But of course no one interested having a green closet isn't somewhat curious about going green in other areas of their life. The first stop for that would be Treehugger's fantastic green guides. But there are a few favorites of mine that are just too wonderful not to spread the word. So that's what weekends are for!
My first post about green products absolutely HAS to be about John Masters. Everything in his line of hair and skin products is both organic and totally luxurious. Right now, my hair routine is completely streamlined: Citrus and Neroli Detangler when I get out of the shower, and a touch of Sea Mist Sea Spray with Lavender (I never mastered the blow drier, so have been a convicted faux-drier since even before it occurred to me to save the electricity.)
Not only am I delighted by how easy the John Masters make my hair, but I had a gorgeous hair cut at his clean air salon in NY. It was a treat to myself on our last trip down, and I'll have to admit, I wasn't wowed when I walked out. My poor friend A had to listen to me whine all afternoon that it was a beautiful cut, but I wanted "more." But after a wash and style of my own, I realized, what "more" could I want than a beautiful cut that always looks beautiful? Seriously, the John Masters stylist managed to tame my thin-yet-curly mane into a perfectly respectable cascade of waves (well, the stylist and the detangler, of course.) So yeah, I drank the kool-aid. But I look great doing it!
I used to have a summer ritual. I'd head over to Old Navy and pick up two cheap layering tank tops in the shape of the season. I'd wear them all summer, then layer them under my sweaters for the fall and winter. By the time spring came around, these tanks were stretched out and looking pretty ratty. Then into my gym clothes bin they'd go, just in time for me to purchase another round of tanks!
Well, you can imagine where I'm going with this. Our bizarre weather stalled my annual Old Navy run just long enough for me to realize that instead of constantly buying cheap, disposable tanks, I should just suck it up on the money front and get a nice tank that will last. Luckily, I found a big sale at Envi (check it out if you're in Boston) and ended up with an adorable green ribbed tank from Loomstate.
It's was a nice reminder that eco fashion doesn't have to only be about the organic, recycled or sustainable -- sometimes it's just about choosing quality clothing that has staying power season after season.
In honor of my sole desire for today (which is to clean and/or organize just a tad), I'd like to introduce you to my first stop for when I want to up the eco-ante: Treehugger's "How to Go Green" guides. Ideally formatted for those of us light-green-leaners, with educational info, implementation suggestions and resources to learn more -- I probably check in for suggestions twice a month.
Treehugger
the ultimate go-to for all things hip and green
learned to love fashion in NY and sustainability in Berkeley; now I'm busy in Boston trying to find easy ways to keep up the green without giving up the chic.
