eco design #7 [check check check]

We are persuaded to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need to create impressions that won’t last on people we don’t care about. Tim Jackson
What's your opinion about this?

eco design #6 [flitz your ass]

My dear dreamers,

This year I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible. No, I didn't find a job yet but I started a new project: I asked all my friends, teachers and colleagues to create a video about me, telling what are my most strong professional characteristics. If you think you can help me in any way, send me a message!

But I'm here today to tell you about a walking machine. I found it on Reasons for Optimism. Have you heard about Flitz? Don't try to search it on Google (I've warned you!).

Flitz it's a whole new concept of bike, where you are the machine. If you like to run and challenge yourself this is for you. Maybe it will even give you some sense of flying. Wow. Just take a look at the images and be in awe for some minutes:

// All images by Co.Exist.

What's your favourite sport? How do you challenge yourself?

eco design #5 [food for beauty]

My dear dreamers,

Sorry! This post is one day late, but it's here. And I'm warning this will be a passionate, all-embracing post with some strong opinions. Stop here if you don't want to be challenged.

Yesterday I just met buses and trains to safely arrive at my hometown. Viana do Castelo is known by its beauty, landscapes and hospitality. Its motto is: Who likes it comes, who loves it stays.

But why am I talking about this? Because our hometown is always in our hearts, that's where we mold our first memories, it's there that we lay our first moments of happiness. Did you know that happiness is sustainable?

You should know by now that money doesn't bring happiness or either it helps so (as many claims). Currency just makes you want more and more You're always unsatisfied with what you have. You always want what others own. Is that healthy? Is that good for you? I don't think so.

I'm not a materialistic girl for sure. Yes I have my collection of cosmetics + accessories, but I barely use them. I don't need them to feel pretty. When they say that cosmetics doesn't make you beautiful they're telling the true, they just enhance the features you already have. Do you know what really makes you beautiful? What makes you feel in peace/good with yourself? Is not only self-esteem. It's food. Yes, food!

When you read the labels of this or that cream, or in a lipstick, shadow or blush what do you look for? Vitamins, right? And you can see that most of the DIY tutorials are made with them (> food). We're so obsessed by this, but then we forget to eat correctly. Doesn't it seem non-sense to you? (And that thing of having a natural look with make-up, are you talking seriously?)

One thing I learned with my new diet is that an healthy meal makes wonders to your body. Your skin will look brighter, you'll don't have that much acne (at least the most part of the month), your hair will be shinier...

I'm sure you know we must eat vegetables and fruit, drink a lot of water, etc. But I'll show you what is the effect on your body of each nutrient. Follow me: 

♣ Beauty foods: what to eat to look great

♣ Simple ways to look beautiful

♣ How to choose foods that helps maintain your beauty  

♣ Good food for healthy skin - what to eat to look beautiful

♣ Top 10 foods to make you look and feel beautiful  

♣ Healthy recipes

However you don't want to eat that kind of food full of pesticides and other venoms that damage your skin.  And your body. You'll want sustainable food, that was born by passionated, caring and patient hands. More about this in the next eco post.

Are your meals green and yet colourful?

eco design #4 [it's bio!]

My dear dreamers,

                         

How green you are when you go shopping? Do you use plastic, paper or cloth bags? I use the latter but today I found a way better solution in 60bag.com, a Polish company.

60 Bag offers a variety of bio-degradable bags, made of industrial waste (so no natural resources exploited) and requires a minimum of energy to be produced. After 60 days of being discarded the bag decomposes naturally.

They come in a variety of shapes and thickness, but they can also be personalized. Right now, 60 Bag only sell to enterprises, which is good. I hope to see, in the near future, these bags in all markets (big or small).

If you liked this idea please share with your network!

// Al images are property of 60bag.com.

eco design #3 [beauty DIY]

It's difficult to go green being a woman.We need to feel beautiful and cosmetics make our life so much easier. But we can be ecological and, at the same time, take care of ourselves.

Treehugger has a wonderful article about this: go check it out! You'll save money and you'll be even more beautiful, because there will be no more chemicals to warm your skin.

And if you really want to cut your expenses, just start to eat in an healthy way: it makes wonders!

What are your beauty habits?

eco design #2 [grow your own food]

You're living in an apartment and that serves you as an excuse to not grow your own food? Not anymore! 
Britta Riley, an artist and urban farmer, teaches how to do it and even has a site, the Windowfarmers, to share the knowledge.

Biologic food is healthier and enhances your beauty, so what you're waiting for?

eco design #1 [paper after paper]

If you're like me, you just use cardboards to stow stuff. Vera Tochetti, an Uruguayan designer, is way more keener than that. She created furniture with those cardboards. I would give you the URL to her page, begoo designs, but it seems it doesn't exist any more.

Well, meanwhile we seat and wait. ;)

Cardboard Furniture by Vera Tochetti [via cloroflot and green diary]

Cardboard Furniture by Vera Tochetti [via cloroflot and green diary]

Cardboard Furniture by Vera Tochetti [via cloroflot and green diary]

Cardboard Furniture by Vera Tochetti [via cloroflot and green diary]

Cardboard Furniture by Vera Tochetti [via cloroflot and green diary]

Edit: As Vael pointed out, Frank Gehry, a famous architect, also makes chairs from cardboards. According to Green Diary, it was from his works that Vera was inspired.

Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry [via hive]

Do you shop eco?