Modern Hippie Mag

Value Advertising Days at Modern Hippie Mag!

Jaszy McAllister — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:33 +0000

Why should you advertise with ModernHippieMag.com?

Because since August, 2009 we’ve had nearly 68,000* people check us out; over 18,000* of those were unique site visitors thanks to staggering increases in web traffic from social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn in addition to organic search engine traffic.**

Because we appeal directly to people who have an interest in hip, healthy conscious living and environmental sustainability.

Because we have extremely affordable and flexible advertising and sponsorship rates.

Because we will love you long time and will never, ever tell you that you look fat in that outfit.

All of the above.

*Aug 13, 2009 thru March 6, 2010 total site visits were 18,637; total unique visits 67,554.
**As of March 1, Modern Hippie Mag was listed on page 4 at Google.com, keyword search “hippie”.

Additionally, we have an Alexa Rating of just under 208K, which means we have some pretty serious link juice! We broadcast to nearly 1,600 tweeps on Twitter and we’re building a nice following on Facebook with over 900 fans. We certainly don’t try to leave out our green loving guys, but currently our demographics favor the ladies at a whopping 60% female and we are appealing to an age range of 35-44 all of whom are 100% committed to living a better, more conscious life.

Advertising with Modern Hippie Mag is a great way to reach informed individuals who want to support companies who are striving to promote environmental sustainability and a cleaner planet. And we give you several ways to share your message through a myriad of mediums by way of banner ads, video profiles and podcasts (featuring the ever talented and popular Jaszy), product reviews/giveaways, and more. We also offer discounted packages on our already low prices, assuring that you get the most bang for your buck.

When you sponsor Modern Hippie Mag, you’re doing more than just placing an advertisement. You’re helping to a create a community and provide a place where it’s hip to be healthy, hip to be green, hip to be bold…where it’s hip to be.

Advertise with us by April 1^stand get one month free…no foolin’!

We’re looking forward to working with you!

Your Daily Groove – Beauty Remains

Steve McAllister — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Photo by Jean Carneiro

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” – Anne Frank

Thanks to the harsh mistress of change, we have no shortage of things to lose. Thanks to the government, we have no shortage of things to complain about. Thanks to the media, we have no shortage of things to fear. Yet thanks to an abundant universe, we have no shortage. After we let go of the things which pass away, get over the trivial complaints, and overcome our irrational fears, we are given the inexhaustible ability to appreciate everything that is left. We are so fortunate when we realize that there is much more beauty in the world than ugliness, more so when we can see it.

The Secret to Healthy Hair: Raw Foods

Guest Contributor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:00:04 +0000

Petr Kratochvil

The Secret to Healthy Hair: Raw Foods by Ken Crawford

Ladies do you want stronger hair without split ends? Tired of washing your hair and watching hair fall to the drain? Is your hair getting more gray long before its time? I have great news for you. There is something that will help strengthen your hair, eliminate split ends and keep your natural color longer. The best part is that it does not require expensive hair products with added chemicals. By eating more raw foods you will give your hair the nutrition it requires and keep your hair healthy and beautiful.

One of the immediate signs of a nutritional imbalance is our hair and skin. Hair is dependent upon good blood circulation which is a direct result of good nutrition. Hair also needs a balance of B vitamins, folic acid, sulphur, magnesium, iron and zinc for good health growth, hair health and the ability to keep its natural color. So what type of raw foods should you be incorporating for healthier hair?

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli and dandelion greens are great sources of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Our bodies use these vitamins to create sebum. Sebum is the oily substance in our hair follicles that is our hairs natural conditioner. The darker green vegetables also are a good source of calcium and iron.

Flax Seed

Like salmon or fish oil, flax seed contains the Omega 3 fatty acids your body requires. Flax seed is also a good source of complete protein. It has been shown that Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to support scalp health. A deficiency will usually show up as dry scalp or dull looking hair. The best way to consume flax seed is to grind the seed and add to salads or smoothies. Whole flax seed is very difficult for the body to digest and will usually end up as waste. By grinding the flax seed first, you break up the hard outer shell which makes digestion and absorption much easier for the body.

Nuts

Eating more brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews and almonds will help promote thick and shiny hair. This is due largely in part of the selenium within nuts that is an essential mineral for good scalp health. They are also a great source of zinc. Hair loss through hair shedding is a sign of inadequate zinc in your body. Just like flax seed though, nuts should be ground or chewed thoroughly to aid in digestion.

Sulphur Containing Foods

Sulphur has been proven to be beneficial for healthy younger looking hair as it maintains the hair structure. Some of the raw foods that contain sulphur are asparagus, brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, wheat grass, radishes and celery. Most fruits and vegetables have some amounts of beneficial sulphur to help maintain your beautiful healthy hair. You can also purchase MSM which is a sulphur food that comes from the ocean.

So see there ladies, you can really eat your way to more healthy hair. Good nutrition helps our complete body. Raw foods eaten in their natural state contain the vital nutrients we need for healthy bodies, healthy minds and beautiful, shiny, healthy hair.

Ken Crawford publishes The Green Apartment Blog, a blog about simple, green and vegetarian living on a smaller scale. Many people today find themselves living in apartments, condos and townhouses. Living green and sustainable can be accomplished by those of us living in the city. Connect with Ken on Twitter, @KenCrawford2009.

It’s SPRING…ENERGIZE YOU!

Debi Cristiano — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:00:18 +0000

March 20, 2010, marks the first day of Spring, known as the vernal equinox. It also represents a day of renewal!! Here are seven ways to put more spring into spring, fuel your renewal and ENERGIZE YOU!!

courtesy stock.xchng, ilco

1. Energize your salads, sandwiches, and soups with sprouts. Sprouts are rich in enzymes, vitamins, and micronutrients. They are an awesome way to add more raw into your healthy meals! You can even sprout your own Sprouts!! It’s easy and fun.

2. Bring more spring into your food shopping. The warmer temperatures of spring brings more outdoor events. One of my favorites: a visit to one of the local farmers markets. While I am there I purchase locally grown vegetables and fruits. It’s energizing to smell and touch their freshness. You will definitely taste the delicious difference!!

3. Create an energizing green salad! Delicious greens fuel your body with wonderful living raw nutrients! One of my favorites: mix any green leaf vegetable with chopped cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, yellow peppers and orange peppers. Toss with a little bit of Grapeseed oil and Ume vinegar. Season with sea salt, dulse and unhulled raw sesame seeds. You can even add sprouts to the mix! YUM!!

courtesy stock.xchng, ArminH

4. Walk or run outside. Your body will be renewed with all the fresh scents of spring and the wonderful rays of sunlight!! Just a few minutes of direct sunlight on your bare skin increases your Vitamin D, which boosts your Calcium absorption.

5. Enjoy moments of awareness with Mother Nature. Grab a comfortable chair, move it outside. Sit comfortably, with your spine tall, and place your hands on both sides of the lower portion of your rib cage. Breathe deeply into the space between your hands. Take a deep breath in through your nose and a deep breath out through your mouth. Repeat for ten cycles. Connect the pathway between your breath, your body, and your thoughts! This process will fuel your body with more awareness and oxygen. It’s the easiest, fastest, and best way to renew your bodymindspirit!

6. Stretch your body! Learn a few yoga moves or stretches. Make them a part of your morning start. You can even perform them mid-day. Stretching releases tension and increases the feel good chemicals in your body. It’s the ultimate in renewing and energizing YOU!!

7. Fuel your mind with positive and energizing affirmations, mantras, and quotes! Choose ones which support the accomplishment of your personal and professional goals, healthy eating plan, fitness program, etc. I enjoy printing them and posting them in places where I can see them through my day. It’s one of my favorite ways to energize my thoughts! One I’ll be posting to fuel my renewal:

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” Anais Nin

Debi Cristiano

Debi Cristiano owns and operates Evolving Wellness located in SW Florida. She is a modern day BodyMindSpirit Holistic Practitioner, a nationally certified fitness, health and wellness professional, a creative social media consultant, and a creative cookie & snack diva with her own brand of original recipe organic cookies and snacks distributed under the name of Three Tree Treats. Find Evolving Wellness on Facebook and Twitter @evolvewell. Read Debi’s inspiring articles here.

Your Daily Groove – Nature Speaks

Steve McAllister — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:27 +0000

“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” – Jimmy Carter

Photo by Emily Cahal

Though every culture has different words for describing the various elements of nature, we can all appreciate the peace that it offers us and the oneness we feel with it. Regardless of what one may call a tree, anyone can find comfort resting under is branches. Regardless of the terms used to describe a river, solace is found in listening to its song. Regardless of how one refers to the ocean, it will always help to incite meditation on life. Despite all of the differences in our symbols, nature will always unite us by reaching us on a level beyond language.

Earth Day 2010 Graphic Design Contest from bgreen apparel

Jaszy McAllister — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:00:50 +0000

bgreen apparel, will hold a T-shirt graphic design contest for Earth Day 2010. The winning design will be printed on bgreen’s signature organic cotton T-shirt, and all net proceeds will be donated to non-profit organizations, Tree People, Sustainable Works, and Environmental Media Association, which support environmental programs, education and outreach. bgreen apparel’s graphic design contest winner will receive design credit in form of a printed bio inside the T-shirts, a $150.00 bgreen gift card and a free T-shirt!

“This contest is a fun way for everyone to get involved and help great environmental causes,” explains bgreen apparel founder Mike Farid.

Contest Rules and Information:

No entry fee. The contest is open to the public, there is no age limit, no entry limit per person, international entries are welcome.
The graphic must be an original design.
Both digital and hand-drawn submissions are accepted.
Graphic submission deadline is Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
Finalist will be announced Thursday, March 25, 2010. The winner will be determined by popular vote on our website and facebook page.
T-shirts will be available for purchase on our website www.bgreenapprel.com the second week of April.

For more information about bgreen apparel’s Earth Day Graphic Design Contest, please visit http://www.bgreenapparel.com/News.aspx

And the Oscar Goes… Green

Guest Contributor — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:03 +0000

This year’s red carpet was full of stars decked out in diamonds and tulle but some carried a deeper message beyond the fabric. Actress Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of Avatar’s James Cameron, held a design contest this year for her Oscar gown. She called it the Red Carpet Green Dress. The contest rules were minimal with one very important guideline; it had to be both sustainable as well as elegant.

The winner of the “Red Carpet Green Dress” competition was Jillian Granz. Jillian is an apparel and textile design student at Michigan State University. Granz created her design with sustainable materials and techniques including using non-toxic dyes.

Lucky attendees at the Global Green Pre-Oscar party last Wednesday had a chance to see Cameron’s dress unveiled before it hit the red carpet. I personally love the gown. It’s a beautiful Avatar-esque blue with Grecian draping – modern, elegant and eco-friendly.

Suzy Amis Cameron

The Red Carpet Green contest was also a fundraiser towards scholarships for the green nonprofit elementary school MUSE. Amis founded the school with her sister in Topanga, California. The mission of MUSE is to teach environmental education to children.

Amis says, “I was impressed by the creativity and diversity of designs that came in from around the world for the ‘Red Carpet Green Dress’ contest. Jillian’s design really stood out because it was highly creative and inventive in its use of sustainable materials. This is exactly the message we want to send to young designers and a message we care about at MUSE.”

Livia Giuggioli, wife of Colin Firth was also an eco belle of the ball last night. She wore a dress created by Orsola de Castro. Livia said to Vogue UK in an interview, “Orsola is the queen of upcycling so everything about the dress has been salvaged from the waste bins of some very prestigious labels, no less, so my dress will be made from waste but you’d never know.” Livia and Colin also own a green store; ECO in Chiswick England.

Livia Giuggioli

I think these examples are just the beginning of the eco influence. It’s pioneering a movement that continuously shaping and changing all of fashion world.

Ashley Spiker

Ashley Spiker is the creator of the style & fashion blog, Alice in Stilettos. She is passionate about style and her goal is to encourages others while helping them create or improve their own unique personal style.

Your Daily Groove – Relive Your Childhood

Steve McAllister — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:44 +0000

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.” – Barbara Jordan

courtesy stock.xchng, gravityx9

Remember the bliss of being a child. The most difficult decisions were which block should be stacked next, what game we should play first, and whether to dunk the cookie in the milk or wash the cookie down with it.

Remember when you started to collect things? As children, we started collecting things like bottle caps, matchbox cars, marbles, action figures, and whatever other little trinkets we could find. As we got older, our collections got more complex. We moved on to electronics, tools, books, and memorabilia. Somewhere along the line, we started collecting things that we never even dreamed of in the innocence of childhood.

We started collecting worries, fears, prejudices, complaints, grudges, and so many mental and neurological disorders that they have to publish a new book every year just to keep up with them. Wouldn’t it be nice to take some time each day to stop and reflect upon the times that we weren’t so grown up and just focused on being happy?

What happens to electronic “e-waste”?

EarthTalk — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:00:42 +0000

EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I work for an office equipment company selling copiers, fax machines, computers and printers. Each year new models come out making old ones obsolete. As a result, we have loads of trade-ins with nowhere to go. What can we do with this old equipment? — Jeff P., Worcester, MA

George Hotelling, courtesy Flickr

Electronic waste, or “e-waste” as it’s called, is a growing problem in the United States and abroad, as obsolete or broken computers and other electronic equipment are taking up increasingly precious amounts of landfill space and potentially leaking hazardous substances into surrounding ecosystems.

The nonprofit Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition reports that 70 percent of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills are from discarded electronics—even though the e-waste itself accounts for only two percent of the trash by volume. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans trash two million tons of unwanted electronics each year—six times the amount they recycle. To make matters worse, U.S. companies often ship old equipment to poor nations whose landfills and incinerators are ill equipped, subjecting already struggling populations to lead, cadmium, beryllium, and other contaminants.

So what can be done? If your old units still work but have merely been eclipsed by newer models, then by all means donate them to a needy cause that will either put them to good use or resell them to help fund their programs. You’ll earn a tax deduction for a charitable donation and, by keeping the equipment alive, prevent the manufacture of new units and thus, if ever so slightly, reduce the footprint of your operations.

But not every charity accepts old equipment, and no one wants to spend all day calling around to find one that does. A good place to look, then, is Goodwill, which will accept your equipment and then sell it through any one of its 1,500 retail stores across the country. Proceeds fund programs to help the disabled, illiterate, homeless, and those on welfare by providing job training and placement programs. The Salvation Army runs similar programs and also typically accepts donated old office equipment.

Another option is to donate your equipment to needy schools, either directly or via a service like iLoveSchools.com, which helps teachers find free supplies and equipment for their classrooms. The National Cristina Foundation also matches donated technology with needy schools and nonprofits. Also, the website GreatNonprofits.org maintains a list of charities in need of various types of office equipment. You can also offload equipment via Freecycle, a free service that helps find homes for unwanted stuff.

While finding a new home for your old gear is preferable, recycling is also an option. Recyclers harvest parts from old equipment that can be reused or resold. Several websites, including My Green Electronics, E-cycling Central, and Earth911, list electronics recyclers across the U.S. Some of these vendors will charge a small fee to recycle an item for you; others may do it for free. Also, Office Depot, Staples and some other stores will take back used electronics—even if not purchased there—usually for a small fee.

CONTACTS: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, www.svtc.org; Goodwill, www.goodwill.org; Salvation Army, www.salvationarmy.org; iLoveSchools.com, www.iloveschools.com; National Cristina Foundation, www.cristina.org; GreatNonprofits.org, www.greatnonprofits.org; Freecycle, www.freecycle.org; E-cycling Central, www.ecyclingcentral.com; Earth911, www.earth911.org; Office Depot, www.officedepot.com; Staples, www.staples.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

Why Modern Hippie Mag?

Steve McAllister — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:00:46 +0000

Jaszy McAllister

Listen as I interview founder, publisher, and editor of Modern Hippie Mag, THE Jaszy McAllister. Learn about her first year of blogging and how it went from a blog about one woman’s eco-conscious journey to numerous writers sharing their own stories about conscious living.