Author: Nerd

Ramblers Way – Kennebunk, Maine Company Highlight

Women’s Wool Eva Dress – Style #161- $105

Clothing for a Good Life – Est 2009

I met a representative at the Sustainable Brands conference. I was hoping to chat with him and get some insight on their brand so I could have more to write about. Unfortunately, they shoved this card in my hand gave me a few lines I could probably read on the site and sent me on my way. I asked to feel the material and it was worth the booth visit. Though I wish I had more personal insight the opportunity to feel this textile magic was enough for me to write this blurb.

That had to be the softest wool I’m ever felt in a t-shirt. 

You can use this code (SB10%) now through June 30, 2017, for %10 off 

I did get the chance to visit: https://www.ramblersway.com/

The Ramblers Way Story

For Ramblers Way, sustainability is the pathway to making premium quality clothing. Our definition of sustainability is stewarding natural and human resources. It also includes creating local jobs by breathing new life into the country’s textile industry. Fashion trends come and go – we alter our styles too – but what won’t change is our commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of the resources. Simply put, we weave sustainability into the fabric of our company.

Their Products

Rambouillet Merino wool and Pima cotton are both known for their long staple fiber, which is ideal for specific knitting and weaving applications.

The coat of a Rambouillet sheep, an American cousin to the Merino breed, grows long naturally, providing what is referred to as long-staple fibers for weaving or knitting into cloth.

Rambouillet fiber is 4” long and uniquely thin (18.5 microns) in diameter, which means we can spin it into a superfine yarn. And, since it’s also a long staple fiber, it’s surprisingly strong when spun together. So you’ve got amazing strength and luxurious softness all in one silky-feeling fabric.

Benefits of Rambouillet Merino Wool

Moisture-wicking.
Natural fibers transport sweat away from your skin to keep you dry.

Body-heat regulating.
Wool buffers the elements to keep you comfy in warm and cold weather.

Remarkable quality.
Our wool yarn is worsted, compacted and spun to remarkably fine diameter so it’s super fine, super strong and doesn’t itch.

Long-lasting.
Looks timeless. Buy fewer pieces. Wear them more often.

Odor-repellent.
Odor-Free.

Biodegradable.
It comes from nature and doesn’t use harsh chemical softeners or finishes to provide comfort.

Long-Lasting Worsted Wool

Worsted yarn is made of long-staple fibers that have been combed twice to remove any short fibers and spun parallel to each other (vs. a woolen yarn, which is randomly entangled). This careful spinning process produces a clean, smooth and tightly knit yarn that’s free of the usual fiber ends that cause you to itch.

Our fabric is further defined by proprietary spinning techniques that remove any excess fiber to reduce potential pilling. This produces super fine, super-strong clothing that you can wear time after time.

Pima Cotton

Long staple Pima cotton was developed and propagated by the Pima Indians of the American Southwest. Ramblers Way Pima Cotton is grown in the San Joaquin Valley in California using low water and pesticide-free growing methods. Pima Cotton is commonly called ‘the cashmere of cotton’ for its softness and durability.

Strange Matter. Green Earth Exhibits

Experience the Power of Materials for a Sustainable World. 

It’s an educational experience designed to support your corporation’s commitment to creating a sustainable world. It is an international travel science exhibition that will enable millions of people across the globe to explore ways in which advances in materials can lead to a more sustainable future.

 

 

While at Sustainable Brands I had the opportunity to visit and meet with Representatives from The Materials Research Society (MRS) 

The Materials Research Society (MRS) is an organization of materials researchers worldwide that promotes communication for the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research and technology to improve the quality of life.

Visit similar exhibits. http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/visit.html

 

 

Turn Waste Into Wonderful – Get Zera (Product)

FOOD SCRAPS TODAY, FERTILIZER TOMORROW

Zera™ Food Recycler is designed to fit seamlessly into your kitchen and make the most of your food — turning today’s food scraps into tomorrow’s ready-to-use, homemade fertilizer

THE AVERAGE FAMILY PRODUCES OVER 400 POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE PER YEAR.*

That waste comprises roughly 20% of space in landfills, decomposing and producing methane — a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

With Zera™ Food Recycler, you can recycle a week’s worth of food waste within 24 hours* through a fully automated process. That means better soil for your plants, less food waste in the landfill, and a greener future.

I ran into these guys at the Sustainable Brands conference. Though I don’t believe in waste, meaning wasting your money on buying products that solve problems stylishly. I think this would be a great gift to encourage new composters. Most people aren’t interested because either they don’t know about it, or don’t want to do the work to prepare the proper set-up. Tools like this help you make the transition to support less food waste with ease. 

 

 

 

Sustainable Brands Day Three #SBDetroit17

Started off with an old banana, granola bars, old wine and potent hash.

Here are the sessions I sat in on: 

Trends in Values-led Hiring: How to Go About Hiring and Engaging People with an Encumbered Past

Jo Confino   Jo Confino The Huffington Post

Amy Peterson   Amy Peterson Rebel Nell

Emily Hunt Turner   Emily Hunt TurnerAll Square

https://www.emilyhuntturner.com/law-prisoner-reentry

Aurelio Dorris   Aurelio Dorris Urban Ashes

Mike Brady   Mike Brady Greyston

Paul Hickman   Paul HickmanUrban Ashes

https://urbanashes.com/

This was a pretty important, factual, right in your face discussion. Addressing topics most people prefer to breeze over. They discussed challenges and issues that many low-income and no-income households. These are serious issues human face all over the world. 

I had a quick lunch and met the CEO of Common Impact 

Danielle Holly

http://commonimpact.org/

At Common Impact, they envision a society in which all individuals and businesses invest their unique talents towards a shared purpose: strengthening the local communities in which we live and work. 

After Lunch, I sat in on a session the Innovation Lab:  Good Supply Chains + Materials 

Hosted by Georgia from Forum for the Future

They are an international non-profit working with business, government and civil society to solve complex sustainability challenges.

She recommended to check out https://www.thefuturescentre.org/ as a great source for information. 

We briefly discussed common supply change challenges like:

Biomimicry for new materials

After that session, I met Kevin Farmer from Michigan Science Center

He is their innovation and discovery consultant and also did demonstrations for The Strange Matter. Green earth Booth. 

They are focusing on exhibits that allow you yo experience the power of Materials on a Sustainable World. Their exhibits typically live at the Michigan Science Center

I ended my day at this session: 

Redesigning the Fashion Industry by Proving the Business Case for Sustainability

Cara Smyth   Cara SmythGCU Fair Fashion Center

Frank Zambrelli   Frank ZambrelliGCU  Fair Fashion Center (MOD)

Melanie Steiner   Melanie Steiner  PVH Corp.

http://www.gcunewyork.com/fairfashioncenter/ is a young department of GCU New York their mission is to prove the business case for sustainability in the apparel and accessories industry. 

 

Sustainable Brands Day Two #SBDetroit17

Today started early and ended early with a nice bottle of Cabernet and great weather.

Here’s a recap of Day 2

I sat in on these 2 discussions:

From a Golden Past to a Glorious Future: Reinventing Brands Inside and Out with Compelling New Visions

Michael Arena  Michael ArenaGeneral Motors

Kimberly Kleiman-Lee  Kimberly Kleiman-LeeGeneral Electric

Simon Mainwaring  Simon MainwaringWe First

Deanna Bratter  Deanna BratterDanoneWave

 

The Dawn of the Employee Activist: Insights and Tools for Managing the Workforce of the Future 

Sally Uren   Sally UrenForum for the Future

Francis Janes   Francis JanesInternational Living Future Institute

Sarah Endline   Sarah Endlinesweetriot

Tony Calandro   Tony CalandroPovaddo

Freya Williams   Freya WilliamsFuterra

 

Had a great lunch and tried to crawl through the activation hub as much as possible.  The activation Hub is filled with great ideas, inventions, passions, and motivations. While walking around here are a few companies I interviewed;

Rareform 

https://www.rareform.com/

These guys repurpose 20,000 pounds of billboard wrapping a month to create one-of-a-kind products. 

Spoiler Alert

https://www.spoileralert.com/

Spoiler Alert helps businesses connect, collaborate, track, and save on food. 

Carlisle

https://www.carlislesyntec.com

For more than half a century, Carlisle SynTec Systems has been a leader in energy-efficient and sustainable commercial single-ply roofing. With more than 15 billion square feet of its single-ply roofing materials sold, Carlisle continues to lead the roofing industry by providing its valued customers with superior products, services, and comprehensive building envelope solutions. 

Hemming House

http://hemmingshouse.com/

Hemmings House Pictures is an award winning film production company that specializes in using a set of tools for positive social change-making. Founded by Greg Hemmings almost a decade ago, Hemmings House and its creative production teams have produced a broad scope of world-class, impactful media.

Shaw

www.shawinc.com

Shaw Industries Group, Inc.supplies proper carpeting. 

https://youtu.be/cILWhDEuaVY

Innate Motion

https://innatemotion.com/who-we-are/

 

Chipotle Maple Sweet Potatoe Burgers [VEGAN]

Makes 4 yummy veggie burgers

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil 
  • 1 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), diced small
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
  • 1/2 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats, dry
  • 1/8 cup pecans, minced
  • 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoons flax meal
  • 1 tablespoons quinoa
  • 1 cup of baby Bella mushrooms, quartered
  • dash of kosher salt or sea salt (½ teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of allspice
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup or Mike’s Hot Honey
    • If you choose the honey, add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 4 hamburger buns

STEPS:

STEP1: In a medium saucepan, add the diced sweet potatoes and cover with water. Add a dash of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until very tender. Drain and set aside for later.

STEP2:

In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onions are brown.

STEP 3: 

In a large bowl, add the oats, add the quinoa, through spices and pepper. Whisk well to combine. Add the boiled sweet potatoes and the onion mixture as well as the maple syrup. Using a wooden spoon, mash the sweet potatoes and mix everything together very well.

STEP 4:

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat your hands with a non-stick cooking spray and form the burger mix into eight large patties. Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer.

STEP 5:

Bake at 400 F for about 45 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. Once done, remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes.

This will set the patties.

Serve hot, with barbecue sauce. Add avocado, arugula to buns for serving

add some Sweet Potato Fries to the Mix

 

Lemon Powers

When life hands you lemons, appreciate them, They are very good for you. 

Lemons though acidic to the taste, but do the opposite in the body. They actually are alkaline-forming to the body. Lemons are in fact the highest alkaline-forming food and are great at keeping the bodies PH level balanced. Because of their antibacterial properties, lemons can be found in kitchens all over the world.

Lemons are your livers best friend. It helps to stimulate and detoxify the liver. Starting your day with lemon water is a great way to daily detoxify. Lemons help dissolve uric acid and other poisons.

Lemon peels contain potent phytonutrient tangeretin which protect against brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease

Guards you against Hangovers Lemon juice and room temperature water helps reduce nausea and aids in metabolizing alcohol. 

Dissolves calcium like deposits Lemons decrease the acidity of urine; this prevents the formation of calcium oxalate and uric acid stones.  Lemons are rich in citric acid this helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones. 

Lemons contain flavonoids and Vitamin C, making it a great immune system booster to help the body fight off infections. Also, vitamin C helps neutralize free radicals that lead to aging and disease.

They Treat Scurvy This seems random but if you’re a cruise ship traveler this may intrigue you. 

In 1747, a naval surgeon named James Lind cured scurvy with fresh lemons. To this day, the British Navy requires ships to carry enough lemons so that every sailor could have one ounce of juice a day. In the past, lemons were replaced with limes; this is where the English got their nickname “limeys.”

Lemons protect from intestinal worms. One cup of spearmint juice, black salt, and lemon juice daily removes all types of parasite infections from the stomach. 

Lemon Nutrition:

  • Lemons contain vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, citric acid, flavonoids, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and fiber.
  • Lemons contain more potassium than apples or grapes. Potassium is beneficial to the heart. But you still need Bananas for your potassium fix. 

Warning: Stay away from restaurant and bar lemons. Lemons not washed properly can lead to microbial flora

“We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.” –Alfred E. Newman

New Era launches NBA Caps Made of Recycled Fibre

 

During this NBA Playoff season, I’m searching for any and every approach to sustainability amongst the teams, uniforms, and official merchandise. 

New Era Cap Co. Inc. has reported the introduction of its first historically speaking official National Basketball Association (NBA) cap made from plastic containers, featuring the Portland Trail Blazers, thanks to the use of Repreve recycled fibre. The new, eco-conscious New Era cap was exclusively launched with the Trail Blazers team for NBA Green Week.

Each cap is locally sourced and made of at least 4 recycled bottles. Unifi, Inc. located in North Carolina, is a textile manufacturer that makes Repreve, which happens to be a fiber made from recycled bottles, used in the caps. It is also used by many other sports and entertainment companies looking to make a difference

“The synergy between Repreve and New Era Cap represents one of incredible quality and performance, along with a commitment to eco-friendliness. Not only does New Era Cap value environmental consciousness, but consumers are also increasingly looking for products with a transparent sustainability story. Through its U Trust program, Unifi helps us deliver a trustworthy, environmentally responsible cap,” said Mark Maidment, vice president, creative for New Era Cap.

“The Trail Blazers’ commitment to sustainability is long-standing, and places us among the leaders in all of professional sports, with initiatives ranging from food recovery and energy efficiency to composting and balancing our water use. Key to that success is committed partners in all of our initiatives who support our focus on impacting kids and families where they live, learn and play.  We are thrilled to join with New Era Cap and Unifi in this cool and authentic partnership,” said Christa Stout, Trail Blazers vice president of social responsibility.

The new eco-conscious cap represents the company’s classic snapback style with crown, and a structured front panel, with a dash of environmental responsibility, since it’s made with Repreve fibers. Show off your different styles wit this green cap. 

Common Causes of Asthma and Holistic Options

Asthma is a typical condition that prompts breathing trouble, hacking, and wheezing. It is created by a mix of inflammation and spasms of the small airways of the lungs, both of which disable the capacity of the lungs to exchange air.

Natural treatments for asthma are wrapped around key principals: reducing allergies is the main one. 

Aggravations that trigger signs of allergies (allergens) can also trigger signs and manifestations of asthma. Asthma triggers are not quite the same from individual to individual and can incorporate;

  • Physical Exercising (work out prompted asthma)
  • Chilled Air
  • Respiratory infections, such as the head cold
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease, an ailment that pushes stomach acid back up into the throat. 
  • Salt acids and preservatives added to types of foods and beverages
  • Stress
  • Air irritants and carcinogens 
  • Airborne substances, such as dust mites, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, or  cockroach waste
  • Beta Blocker medications (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve)

Nutrients in Natural Asthma Treatment

Nutrients that are important in the treatment of asthma include vitamins C, B6, and B12, and the minerals selenium and molybdenum. There have been 11 clinical studies since 1973 which have studied the use of vitamin C in the treatment of asthma, seven of which showed significant improvement. Vitamin B12 and molybdenum both act to reduce sensitivity to sulfites, a common ingredient in restaurant foods which aggravates asthma in an estimated 5-10% of people with asthma. Urine testing is available in our office to determine if someone has sulfite sensitivity that may be contributing to their asthma.

GreenMountainHealth

Broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables:

These contain many antioxidants and a key compound called sulforaphane. Researchers from UCLA state, “A major advantage of sulforaphane is that it appears to increase a broad array of antioxidant enzymes, which may help the compound’s effectiveness in blocking the harmful effects of air pollution. We found a two-to-three-fold increase in antioxidant enzymes in the nasal airway cells of study participants who had eaten a preparation of broccoli sprouts. This strategy may offer protection against inflammatory processes and could lead to potential treatments for a variety of respiratory conditions.”

Draxe.com

black cumin seeds (nigella sativa)  from GreenMedInfo

The potent black seed known as nigella Sativa never disappoints. This small seed proves that food can be a powerful asthma medication alternative. In the past, it has been known as the remedy for everything “Except death” lol 

 

 

 

 

 

Met Gala 2017 Favorites “ReiKawakubo”

I really pay attention to this event in hopes that my favorite celebrity will opt for something ethical, sustainable, or repurposed. After searching all night I haven’t found anyone yet, hopefully, some ethical designers will unveil their design this week. 

UPDATE: 

Did you catch what Gisele Bündchen wore? She walked the carpet at the in a bespoke gown for the crafted from organic silk and glass-bead by Stella McCartney (made entirely out of sustainable materials)

Livia Firth of GCC-EcoAge‘s  gown at the  was made from leaves?

Talk about eco fashion at it’s shiniest. 

Future WINS for being both on theme and sustainable 

Future getting help with the bow tie for his organic silk shirt. Bobby Wesley Williams, his stylist, right, persuaded him to wear an H&M suit.

Future rocked a made-to-measure look by Swedish H&M for the 71st annual Met Gala.

“We wanted to pay tribute to [Rei] Kawakubo in our own way, by focusing on themes that are always present in her work,” says Pernilla Wohlfahrt, who serves as H&M’s head of design. The duo had a series of “amazing” creative talks about possible fabric options, custom design possibilities and played with the themes present in Comme des Garçons collections while staying true to Future’s personal style, to develop his eye-catching red carpet outfit.”

His look was of classic updated tailcoat. The outfit is made with a blend of wool and the sustainable materials of organic silk and Tencel. By embellishing the back with a hand-embroidered black skull and a red Swarovski crystal heart, showcases a bit of his style with an inspired Rei look, on his tall slip frame.

Vevers and Young were the ones to create and style Selena Gomez for the Met Gala. They went for an effortless and easy look, focusing on Selena’s elements and what she loves. They worked together to create an elegantly detailed dress the two used vintage lace found around New York City, making this dress sustainable and ethical. The beading elements to the piece perfectly mimic Coach’s prints, while also playing up the nostalgic vintage inspired looks from the 30’s.

I did enjoy Liu Wen’s outfit that looked like it was made of recycled denim.

For now, here are my favorite picks of the rockstars who stuck with the theme. 

My favorite “Comme des Garçon”

Helen Lasichanh

Rihanna 

Sofia Sanchez

Other Theme like styles 

Solange Knowles in Thom Browne

Zendaya in Dolce and Gabbana