New Organic Sweetener

I discovered a new way to sweeten up Patrick's morning coffee without adding sugar or chemical-laden sugar substitutes.

Flavorganics syrups come in six different yummy flavors to add to your coffee, tea, pancakes, waffles, anything you might want to experiment with.

The best part is that Flavorganics, as the name states, is USDA Certified Organic. I love that I can feel good about the list of natural ingredients and the low calorie and carb counts.

I have vanilla because that's Patrick's favorite flavor but I'll be sure to try another soon. I think next up will be either caramel or amaretto.

My Dirty Little Secret

I dye my hair. It's not really a secret. I've been doing it for years and I've never tried to hide it from anyone. I started going gray prematurely when I found my first white hair at age 16. That's right...one-six. I never let it bother me until I got out of college and it became more noticeable if I pulled my hair back. So, I started shelling out the dough to have my hair professionally hi-lited. Because hi-lites don't cover all your hair, they look natural as they grow out and so only have to be done every 4-6 months. Then around age 26 it started getting worse. Friends and family members who thought they were being funny would point out my gray hair as if I didn't know it was there. Hi-lites just weren't cutting it anymore. But what is a broke school teacher to do when professional dye jobs cost $50+ and need to be maintained every 3-6 weeks (6 would be seriously pushing it)? A box of drug store dye costs about $10.00. It's a no-brainer. It's a cheap and easy DIY so what's the problem?

It's far from earth-friendly. :(

I feel incredible guilt every time I dye my hair. The chemicals make my eyes water and my nose burn. God knows what it's doing to my lungs or what damaging toxins my skin is absorbing. So why do I do it? I guess I'm vain. I'm 30 years old and I'm getting married in September. I can't let myself be gray for wedding pictures.

I've seen a lot of healthier, natural alternatives in health food stores, Wegman's and Whole Foods. Honestly, though, I'm scared. I only know one person who has used a "natural" hair dye and she's a brunette. I can't help but think that somehow that stuff is a little more user-friendly for dark haired people than blondes. I'm afraid I'll come out looking orange or brassy. What do you think? Have any of you out there used any natural, non-toxic hair dyes? Have you had success? Please help!

Check out Java Logs

Check out Patrick's blog for his report on our new Java Logs.

My Favorite Beverage

I used to name water as my favorite beverage but lately it has been bumped down to second place by tea. I've always loved tea but never knew exactly how good it could be for me. I recently read The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra. No, I'm not buying into some new fad diet. I'm simply interested in the health benefits of tea. And boy, there are many.

So why am I writing about tea on a blog that's supposed to be about eco-living?

Tea is generally a very eco-friendly product. Unless you add chemical sweeteners to it, it's an all natural beverage that will quench your thirst, satisfy cravings, keep you alert and much more. There are tons of organic teas for you to choose from. I prefer loose leaf tea but I also keep plenty of bagged tea in the house for guests and for making iced tea.

Here is a list of my favorite everyday tea accessories:

- Tea Dispensing Mug for brewing one mug of tea at a time
- Assam Tea Pot for brewing multiple mugs for company or to last just for me all night
- Ball Jars for storing my loose tea
- Bamboo Tea Spoon for scooping the perfect amount of tea each time
- Raw Sugar for all natural sweetening when needed

- Thermos 360 Tumbler for worry free tea on the go
- Teavana - my local loose-leaf tea shop

- Iced Tea Maker - I always keep fresh-brewed iced tea in the fridge for Patrick and for guests.

Learn more about tea at TeaBenefits.com and brew yourself a pot to enjoy today.

Martha Video

Here's the video of us on the Martha Stewart Show on Valentine's Day. It's actually a video of a video so please excuse the low-budget look and the sound of our parakeets in the background.

We're Going to Be on Martha Stewart!

Make sure you watch (or tape) The Martha Stewart Show this Thursday for their Valentine's Day special that Patrick and I will be featured on!!!!!!

The entire audience will be made up of couples who met online. When I first heard about the show from a fellow blogger on Weddingbee I thought it would be fun so I emailed the producers for tickets. I also gave them a brief overview of how we met and played Scrabble on our first date. (You can see the whole story here) We got an email confirming our tickets and we've been looking forward to spending Valentine's Day in NYC.

Well....a few days ago the phone rang and it was Charlotte, from the Martha Stewart Show! She was calling to ask if we would like to be interviewed by Martha. YEAH! If you know me, you know I'm a ham and I love an audience so I was all over this! It turns out that the producers are interested in our story and would like to feature us on Thursday's show!

So....check your local listings and be sure to catch us in our fifteen minutes (or thirty seconds) of fame.

PS - I also told Charlotte we're planning a green wedding. She seemed interested so we're hoping to get to talk about that, too.

Wear Green this Valentine's Day

Wear green on your conscience, if not on your sleeve. Try to follow a few of these simple tips to minimize the impact this holiday usually makes.

- Send an e-card instead of a paper one.

- If you do purchase paper cards, choose ones made from recycled paper.

- Encourage your recipients to recycle the cards you give them (and you do the same).

- Buy organic chocolate instead of just any old cute heart box.

- Send organic flowers. They're better for the earth and will last longer, too.

- If you go out to dinner, try to choose a restaurant that serves organic, free range, and local food.

- Don't eat beef. The energy used to get your steak on your plate could feed everyone in the restaurant a healthy chicken, pork, fish or vegetarian meal.

- Enjoy yourself!

Wordless Wednesday

Organic Tea at Target

I discovered Archer Farms Organic Blueberry White Tea at Target today. It's absolutely delicious and I recommend you try it.