Understanding The Link Between Wellness and Sustainable Living

Woman on beach representing sustainable living.

To live sustainably is to do so in such a way that reduces our impact on the environment around us. In the past years, the concept of sustainable living has changed how businesses and brands develop their products and marketing. In the same way, more and more people are drawn to living an eco-friendly life. A recent Bosch survey of 2,000 Americans found that 64% care about the planet’s health as much as they do their finances. As much as 66% claimed they’d be “willing to try anything that can help save the environment,” starting with small habits such as turning off the lights or taking quicker showers.

Of course, sustainable living is great not just for the environment but for our general wellness as well. In this post, we’ll explore the different aspects of our personal wellness and how sustainable living can help improve it.

Physical Wellness

When we live sustainably, we approach life more mindfully and intentionally. This involves choosing our actions carefully, from the clothes we wear to the food we eat. Adopting a vegetarian, vegan, or organic diet is a common first step to sustainable living, reducing individual environmental damage while staying healthy and even boosting weight control.

Modern weight loss programs today reflect this shift towards mindful, sustainable living by focusing on building healthy habits. Instead of following the restrictive rules of dated, fad diets, experts recommend focusing on eating nutritious foods instead of categorizing them into “good” and “bad” foods. This can help change your relationship with food for the better. Adopting an active lifestyle can also help you stay physically healthy without harming the environment while preventing an unhealthy fixation on food.

Mental Wellness

Most people don’t realize that living sustainably will also take effect internally. Insights from Earth.org indicate that environmentally aware people may suffer from climate anxiety — a chronic fear of environmental doom. In today’s digital age, learning about environmental issues, from wildfires to natural disasters, through real-time news (aptly dubbed “doomscrolling”) can be harmful to our mental health.

The good news is that living a sustainable, eco-conscious lifestyle can help alleviate some symptoms of common conditions like depression and anxiety. By visiting and spending time in green spaces, we can improve our health and well-being and feel more relaxed or energized. Our individual sustainability efforts and daily mindful practices can also help us develop a more resilient mindset. This resilience can help us further work on important issues such as ecological protection, renewable energies, and the protection of vulnerable communities.

Financial Wellness

Finally, beyond its impact on our physical and mental health, a sustainable lifestyle can also benefit our financial wellness. One of the misconceptions of healthy and environmentally-friendly living is that you will end up spending more on organic and exclusive products and services. However, we should be wary of companies who indulge in greenwashing to profit from the eco-conscious demographic.

In fact, it’s best not to center your sustainable living on what you consume but on how you consume. In a previous post on maintaining a sustainable wardrobe, we discussed essential tips such as organizing your closet and sourcing your OOTDs from charity shops. Instead of relying on fast fashion and faux “green” clothing labels, one of the best ways to reduce environmental damage is by recycling unwanted items and buying from these sources. You can also borrow or rent clothing and outfits you need if you know you will only use them once.

At the end of the day, pursuing a more sustainable life is as advantageous for you as it can be for the environment. Participating in sustainability initiatives and projects in your community can also help improve your social wellness by exposing you to like-minded people and keeping you motivated and accountable in your sustainability journey.

For more on organic clothing and sustainable living tips, feel free to browse around.


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Essential Tips for a Sustainable Wardrobe

Sustainable wardrobe with white shirt in front

Sustainable clothing has been increasing in popularity recently due to the negative impact fast fashion is having on the environment and the global concerns around manufacturing and fair trade. If you have been considering a more sustainable wardrobe, here are some essential tips to get you started.

Organize Your Closets

If you can see what is in your wardrobe, you know what you have. This may sound simple but how many times have you gone shopping only to return with an item that is similar to something you already own? This is a waste of both time and money, but it wouldn’t be as likely to happen if you had organized your wardrobe.

Learn From Your Mistakes

Most people have made mistakes when it comes to clothes purchases. The size is wrong, the color doesn’t suit you, or it is not a good length on you. Whatever it is, the chances are the item will stay in your wardrobe unworn until you recycle it. If you learn from your mistakes, you won’t make them again and your wardrobe will become more sustainable because you will likely wear everything in it.

Donate and Buy

Charity shops used to be the domain of impoverished students but that is changing rapidly as people become more aware of the downside of fast fashion and are moving towards a sustainable wardrobe. One of the best ways to reduce the damage to the environment is by recycling unwanted items and buying from this source too. This means that your new clothes won’t do any further damage to the world we live in, and you can purchase some fantastic clothes for a fraction of the price.

Borrow Clothes

If you know you are only going to wear an outfit once, there is no point in buying it new. Ask your friends if they have anything suitable that you can wear to an event, and swap clothes between you when you want to wear something new. That way, you always look like you are wearing something new without having to buy it.

Rent

A similar idea is to rent your clothes rather than buy them. This is especially popular with designer items that rent well because people want the latest fashions without having to break the bank. This is also a fantastic way to acquire one-off clothes like that designer cocktail dress for an important work function or even a wedding dress.

Check the Label

If you are going to buy new clothes you should be aware of the brands you are buying as some are more environmentally friendly than others. Ganni dresses are renowned for their environmental conscience and sustainable fashion from Ganni looks fantastic too.

For intimate items that really need to be purchased new, Faerie’s Dance has an amazing selection of organic cotton bras and organic lingerie.

Care for Your Clothes

It makes sense that if you care for your clothes they will last longer and not end up in landfill as quickly.  Washing them less frequently and at a lower temperature can make an enormous difference to their longevity. You should also consider whether you need to buy dry-clean only clothes as the chemicals they use can be harmful to the environment, and your clothes.

Opting for a sustainable wardrobe does not have to be difficult. Use these essential tips to create the eco-friendly wardrobe of your dreams.


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The Four Rs of Textile Recycling

A blue bag with the textile recycling symbol and word “re-use.”

Around 12.8 tons of textiles end up in American landfills each year, according to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Spread out across the population, that works out to around 80 pounds per person, per year. To turn this shocking statistic around, we need to “close the loop” on textiles by turning our focus to a model of recycling. Here is our four-step guide to textile recycling for a cleaner planet that can sustain us all.

1. Reduce

In the 1970s, the environmental movement coined the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle” to encourage a more conscious approach to consumption. The first of the Rs is reduce because honestly, we don’t really need a lot of the goods that catch our eye!

For textiles and clothing, there are several ways to reduce consumption and lighten your wardrobe’s environmental footprint:

  • Plan your wardrobe rather than buying on impulse.
  • Buy high-quality clothes that last.
  • Go for timeless classics rather than one-season styles.
  • Find some new hobbies (aside from shopping) to share with your friends — nature walks and volunteering are great!

2. Reuse

Once you have a well-planned, quality wardrobe, you should be able to make it last for years. For example, a solid pair of cotton jeans should last for at least two or three years of regular wear. Imagine how many tons of textiles could be saved if we reused the same pieces instead of purchasing more!

A strong, minimalist summer skirt can easily be reused for fall with leggings and boots and styled for winter with a nice pair of jeans. Some reversible designs are now coming out that give you two looks in one — a creative approach to reusing your clothes that doesn’t sacrifice variety.

3. Repair

For the more minimalist and conservative among us, the main challenge comes when a beloved piece becomes damaged, stained, torn, or hole-poked, and no longer has its original shine. In these situations, learning how to repair your clothes can give new life to a piece that might otherwise have been thrown in the trash.

A later addition to the original 3 Rs, repairing can significantly extend the life of our clothes — giving us several more years of enjoyment or making the piece usable by somebody else. Learn a few of these simple techniques to address the most common issues:

  • Take up and let down hems.
  • Mend holes and gaps in seams.
  • Apply appliqué and iron-on designs.
  • Use embroidery techniques to cover a hole.
  • Dye and tie-dye irreversibly stained clothes.

4. Recycle

Eventually, there comes a time when you need to pass a garment on. It may be that it no longer suits (or fits) you or has become so threadbare that it’s no longer warm. In both of these cases, there are options for recycling your clothes that don’t involve throwing them away.

Clothes that Are Still in Good Condition

The first rule for giving away a piece of clothing is to ask yourself, “Would you give it to a friend?” If a garment is still nice and not stretched or discolored, here are some options for sharing the love:

  • Take it to a homeless shelter or other charity that could put it to good use.
  • Bring it to a clothing swap.
  • Offer it online through Freecycle or Marketplace.
  • Donate it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Clothes that Are Stretched or Worn Out

Old clothes that are no longer nice to wear can be recycled in a variety of ways. While you’ll probably want to keep underwear for rags (seriously, no one else wants your briefs!), worn-out socks, tops, pants, and shorts can be used as raw material for yarn or used as a filling for insulation, furniture, and more.

The top organizations in the United States that take textiles for recycling include:

While many of these programs take lightly used clothes as well as old ones, we recommend recycling newer clothes closer to home through clothes swaps, thrift stores, or reselling near-new clothes online, as leftover donations are usually exported to third-world economies where they compete with local textiles for sales. 


Ultimately, buying used clothes near you is the most powerful way to close the loop and ensure that recycled clothes get recycled! And when you do buy new (those briefs, for example), make responsible, earth- and socially-friendly choices that you can be sure will enhance your wardrobe for years.


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Giveaway: Win a Supportive Organic Cotton Bra! – ENDED

The days of flimsy organic bras are over. FaeriesDance.com has some of the world’s most supportive, wireless, organic cotton bras. And if you love a particular style of bra from a certain secretive brand name, we have you covered as well with a fully organic, underwire padded bra – even the internal padding is cotton, not polyester foam! Best of all, we’re giving away one of these amazing bras to one lucky winner!

About the Bras

Swegmark of Sweden’s Full Support Organic Cotton Bras

Swegmark of Sweden has been making bras for more than 80 years. They know how to make ultra-comfortable, full support bras with wide shoulder straps to avoid digging. Now they also focus on sustainability, using Fair Trade and GOTS certified organic cotton to make these gorgeous and practical bras just that much better. Sizes range from 34B to 46DDD. The hardest part of this giveaway will be deciding which one to pick!

Love Nature’s Organic Padded Underwire Bra

If wirefree is not your cup of tea, try the Alba Padded Underwire Bra (shown below on the right below). The outer material is certified organic cotton, with a light, cotton-batting padding inside the cups. Completely free of polyester foam, weird smells and off-gassing. This bra is not only amazing in its fit, feel and shaping, but it’s also a world exclusive to FaeriesDance.com. That’s right, you can’t get this beauty anywhere else! Sizes run 32B – 36C, with the cups being quite generous. Some D cups may find this works for them.

How to Enter

For the first entry, simply fill in the form below and leave a comment on our blog telling us which bra you like the best. For more free entries, follow us on Instagram, tag us on twitter or visit our Facebook page!

Bonus Coupon

As a discount house, we sell most of our products below suggested retail price, every single day. That’s because we want to make ethical, sustainably made clothing available to as many people as possible. We understand that organics can be expensive, but hope each person will learn to buy less and buy better.

That said, we’re offering an exclusive deal for giveaway participants. Our bras normally ONLY go on sale once a year in July for our annual anniversary. Bras don’t even go on sale for black Friday! BUT enter to win our contest, and we’ll send you a one-time use 10% off coupon for anything in the store to help you get started.

New to Faerie’s Dance?

We’re a small, but persistent company that’s been around since 2005! For 17 years, we’ve been offering ethically sourced, sustainably made clothing at reasonable prices. We specialize in hard-to-find items like organic cotton bras and formal bamboo gowns. Feel free to find out more about us.


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5 Tips for Eco-Fashion Photographers (and Influencers)

Today, the world of fashion is revitalized as it seeks to confront the footprint that it has left on earth with the rise of eco-fashion.

Eco-Fashion Photography

Eco-fashion, or sustainable fashion, has caused many brands to shift how they approach the operation of their entire business — from manufacturing to marketing. As fashion is responsible for up to an alarming 10% of greenhouse gas emissions across the globe, brands strive to cut CO2 emissions by reducing overproduction and waste, supporting biodiversity, and making ethical sourcing and production choices.

In this new dawn in the fashion industry, photographers and influencers are key players. While not directly involved in the CO2-emitting production processes of clothes, they are critical messengers that give shape and form to the advocacies and sentiments of the industry. As eco-fashion continues to grow so too should the eco-fashion photographer and their models rise to the challenge. Here are some tips on how to incorporate sustainability into your work.

1. Invest in Highly Durable Equipment

Before becoming an eco-advocate, you first need to practice what you preach. As a photographer, one way to become more eco-friendly in your line of work is to invest in durable equipment that will last a long time. This reduces your carbon footprint (and saves you a lot of money!). To this end, mirrorless cameras are highly durable as they have fewer moving parts than DSLRs. Many of them also use electronic shutters which further reduce the chance of breakage. You can also use secondhand cameras to reduce e-waste.

2. Work with Sustainable Brands

As a professional photographer, it’s important to choose carefully which brands you partner with by making sure that their sustainability goals and practices align with yours. Fortunately, many smaller brands these days are incorporating sustainability into the very root of their businesses. This results not only in unique and dynamic designs that show up great in shoots, but will help you promote the eco-agenda as well. Be sure to incorporate eco-friendly jewelry in your shoots, which makes use of recycled materials and natural substances like nuts and clay to create unique pieces that represent sustainability.

To know which brands are genuinely upholding sustainable practices, check their story and mission, previous campaigns, and even their environmental, social, and corporate governance data report if it’s publicly available.

3. Incorporate Pre-Loved Clothes in Your Shoots

Other than being a sustainable habit, incorporating pre-loved clothes into your work helps you create standout and versatile looks for a cheaper price. You may even encounter vintage pieces no longer available on the market. Beyond this, renting pieces extends the life of clothes by up to 9 months, reducing their carbon, water, and waste footprints by around 20-30%. As attitudes towards secondhand clothing change, iconic brands like Valentino have also begun getting creative through giving their vintage pieces a second life, highlighting the glamor in vintage.

4. Capture the Production Process

One of the biggest challenges to sustainability is the lack of recognition for the abusive working conditions that many workers face in factories. But as a photographer, working with sustainable and ethical fashion brands may allow you to showcase what positive production environments look like by drawing focus to the workforce and the process behind the fashion you shoot. This image from Indigenous Designs highlights the artisans at the heart of their Fair Trade fashion production.

Not only does this help celebrate the people and the craft behind the clothes, but it also helps build consumer trust for the brand.

5. Make a Statement with Your Platform

If you’re going to work with innovative fashion produced with great sustainability, then you should match it with a concept that reflects its impact. This is what Stella McCartney did in 2017. Working with photographer Harley Weir, their campaign photoshoot drew attention to the waste generated by fashion. Don’t be afraid to get creative and incorporate striking novel elements.

Being an eco-fashion photographer can be a rewarding experience when you give purpose to your art. By incorporating sustainability in everything from your gear and partnerships to your art direction, you can effectively call attention to the beauty and vitality of eco-fashion.


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5 Amazing Eco-Friendly Gifts for Your Female Coworkers

Whether you’re celebrating an accomplishment or doing a holiday swap, choosing gifts for coworkers can be a challenge. Homing in on your coworker’s interests and passion can help you select a meaningful gift that she’ll love.

An office desk with computer

If your coworker prides herself on living a sustainable, eco-conscious lifestyle, you’re in luck. Here are some fantastic eco-friendly gifts for your female coworkers.

1. A Desktop Garden

Putting together a desktop is an excellent gift for your eco-conscious coworker. This creative project can be scaled for any budget and style and also works well as a group gift. 

When creating a desktop garden, consider the location of your coworker’s desk. If her desk is away from the window, you’ll need to find plants that thrive in a low-light environment. If she has a nice spot, look for bright, sun-loving plants and flowers.

Desktop gardens offer several eco-conscious benefits. They can help purify the air without requiring another drain on the electricity. Furthermore, flowers improve mood, memory, and focus to create a happy, healthy work environment. 

2. Sustainable and Ethical Jewelry

Jewelry often gets overlooked as a gift for coworkers out of fear that it could be inappropriate. By no means should you purchase your coworker a diamond bracelet or give her jewelry if she never wears any. However, if your coworker is known for accessorizing, an affordable piece of sustainable and ethical jewelry is appropriate. 

Look for a jeweler who uses recycled and natural materials to make their products. Consider the symbolism of the piece you choose. Selecting something with a positive message or association is a nice way to share your good wishes with a coworker.

3. Eco-Friendly Lunch Kit

Food packaging and single-use plastics are one of the main offenders against our planet. Things like sandwich bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, and plastic straws add 130 million metric tons of waste to landfills in a year. While most of this comes from major corporations, every little bit of effort counts. 

Put together an eco-friendly lunch kit for your coworker. Include things like bamboo utensils, cloth napkins, stainless steel straws, beeswax and fabric food savers, and glass containers. This gift is a simple gesture that’s both practical and meaningful to someone who cares deeply about the environment.

A keyboard next to an wrapped gift

4. Water Bottle from a B-Corp

A B-Corp is a business that shows proven positive impacts on society and the environment. These for-profit organizations must adhere to rigid standards to achieve their certification. While purchasing a reusable water bottle is a nice gesture, it’s also important to confirm that the producer also uses sustainable manufacturing processes.

If your coworker already has a tried and tested water bottle, choose a travel mug or another vessel instead. You can even get stainless steel beer growlers and wine tumblers for the coworker who enjoys a nightcap after a long day at work. Pair your gift with a sample of your coworker’s preferred beverage for an added touch.

5. Natural Soaps and Lotions

Putting together a collection of natural, handmade soaps and lotions is another great, eco-friendly gift for a female coworker. Look for local makers at small stores and craft markets to support your community. You can also get natural hand sanitizers and beauty products to create a self-care gift basket.

These simple, meaningful gifts are perfect for an eco-minded coworker. Choose one or multiple items from this list to make an impact, both on the recipient and the world around you.


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How to Care for Delicate Stretch Eco-Fabrics

A dense clump of bamboo trees

Modern eco-fabrics like soy and bamboo offer a wonderfully soft finish and convenient stretch properties that make them popular as alternatives to polyester and spandex (elastane). These sumptuous textiles are also popular for intimates like lingerie, flattering stretch tops, and flowing spring and summer skirts.

While the elasticity of soft eco-fabrics is a treat to the eyes as well as the skin, it can also give the garments a tendency to stretch. You’ll often see them marked as “delicate” or “hand wash only” — a difficult proposition in today’s fast-paced world. If you’re a fan of bamboo and soy apparel and want to help your garments last, here are some practical tips for keeping them in tip-top condition for as long as possible.

1. Wear More, Wash Less

The number one way to help your delicate fabrics last longer is simply to wash them less frequently. Of course, when we’re talking about underwear, you definitely need to wash the garments after every use! However, for things like skirts, cardigans, or even tops, it’s often enough simply to air out the piece and wear it again the next day. 

2. Take Advantage of the Delicate Cycle

When the time comes to wash the clothes, delicate stretch fabrics require special care. Rather than simply throwing them in with everything else, wash these delicate items separately with cold water on the “wool” or “hand wash” cycle, which exposes the garments to far less friction. Some brands explicitly recommend not mixing these items with other fabrics, for the reason that the other fabrics could cause them to pill.

3. Use Wash Bag with Eco-Fabrics

Lingerie wash bag for eco-fabrics

Aside from using the gentle cycle, wash bags are your best friend when it comes to conserving the shape of your specialty clothes. We’ve probably all had the experience of opening the machine to find that our clothes (sleeves and pant legs, especially) have all become entangled. This is something you simply can’t afford when your delicate clothes could get pulled out of shape. Instead, turn the garments inside out, soap up any smelly bits by hand, and put each garment in an individual wash bag before placing them in the machine. This is also true for lacy garments as the lace often pulls or tears in the washing machine.

4. Dry Flat, Store Flat

Gravity is your worst enemy when it comes to delicate stretch garments. To prevent stretching as your garments dry, lay them out flat or at least folded in half to minimize the force of the water weight on the clothes. When putting the dry garments away, fold them and lay them flat rather than hanging them up — as well as preventing stretching vertically, you’ll avoid those unsightly “hanger shoulders!”

5. The Effort Is Well Worth the Reward

It might take a little additional work to give your eco-fabrics the TLC they need, but you’ll find that they hold their shape and maintain their soft texture much better over time. Thinking in economic and environmental terms, you’ll also save money on replacement pieces and reduce your contribution to landfills as well.

At Faerie’s Dance, we’re all about the delight that well-made, environmentally responsible clothing can bring. And sustainable stretch fabrics add so much to the range of fashions available to conscious shoppers today. Browse our collections of bamboo men’s underwear and sustainable women’s clothing to discover sumptuous soft stretch styles today.


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Breastfeeding Hacks for First Time Moms

Women demonstrating breastfeeding hacks

Breastfeeding is a natural part of motherhood, where you and your baby will create a bonding journey together. It can both be stressful and exciting, especially for first-time moms. You may be confused about where to start and the possible problems you might encounter. At the same time, you are looking forward to that bonding experience you may have with your baby. You are not alone because almost all mothers go through these conflicting feelings.

Every breastfeeding experience is unique, but an efficient way to handle your worries is to be prepared. We compiled some of the best breastfeeding hacks to help you get through your breastfeeding experience.

1. Choose a breast pump based on your needs.

Choose a breast pump that best fits your needs and lifestyle. Read on customer reviews, brand reputation, and warranty. You can also check if parts and accessories are BPA-free. Toxic chemicals, such as BPA are associated with possible health effects. BPA has been linked to reproductive, neurological, and immunity problems, especially in infants and children.

Consider if the pump is easy to use, portable and adjustable. You can look into brands like Ameda Mya, Medela, and more.

You may also want to consider the Haakaa manual breast pump that uses natural suction to catch your milk. It doesn’t need batteries, and you don’t need to plug it in. Simply attach it to your breast, and it catches the milk into its container. It’s perfect for when you’re nursing your baby on one breast, and you’re leaking on the other.

2. Prepare a breastfeeding area or a breastfeeding kit.

Instead of running around looking for things while your baby is hungry or crying, it’s best to have a space where you already have all your breastfeeding essentials. You can also choose to have a box or a basket with all your essentials ready to go. Here are a few things you can prepare in your breastfeeding station or kit:

  • Washable cloth baby wipes
  • Reusable nursing pads
  • Burp cloth
  • Water bottles
  • Snacks
  • Ice pack
  • Nipple cream
  • Nipple shields
  • Breast pump
  • Breastfeeding pillow

3. Get an ethically-made organic nursing bra.

You don’t just want to look at style and comfort in choosing a nursing bra. You also have to consider the material used to help determine its sustainability and durability. As you consider your options, look for non-toxic fabrics made under sustainable and ethical conditions. An ethically made, organic cotton bra is a good example.

4. Keep hydrated and well-nourished.

As you give your baby nourishment, you need to be healthy too. What you eat and drink will affect your breastmilk supply, your energy, and your baby’s health. It is recommended you drink 16 cups of water per day. Load up on superfoods perfect for lactating moms, such as organic brown rice, spinach, salmon, sardines, legumes, beans, oats, and more.

5. Ask for support or take a breastfeeding course.

Sometimes a part of motherhood is the feeling of being supported and encouraged. Reaching out for help is okay and even necessary at times. Instead of trying to learn everything on your own, ask for guidance or look into a breastfeeding course. It can help you address your situation better. Reaching out to a lactation consultant may also be a good idea, especially on health-related concerns such as mastitis and thrush.

As you go through your breastfeeding journey, keep in mind that it’s a learning process. It may take a lot of trial and error until you figure out what works for you and your baby.


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woman holding bouquet of flowers

Single on Valentine’s Day? 5 Ideas to Keep You Smiling All Month Long.

We’ve all seen the myriad Valentine’s post for lovers. Heck, we’ve done one ourselves on sexy lingerie for Valentine’s Day. But for many people, being single on Valentine’s Day can lead to melancholy or loneliness. Don’t despair! Not only are there literally millions of other folks who don’t have a “Valentine,” but there are also some fun and creative ways to celebrate while caring for yourself. Here are our top 5 tips to make this your best Valentine’s Day yet.

Start with a Spa Day

Spas run all sorts of specials and deals for Valentine’s Day. You can get the same discount on those gift certificates if buy them for yourself and have a day-spa treat! What’s better, most gift certificates are given as gifts on Valentine’s Day, so they’re often not actually used until after Valentine’s Day. That means you can get it on some low-cost, self-love with easy-to-get appointments in early February.

If you can’t get to the spa, arrange for some wonderful at-home relaxation with the help of a portable sauna blanket from the Heliotherapy Institute.

Feed Your Ex to a Tiger!

Calvin the Tiger from Wildcat Ridge Sanctuary

Support charity while letting go of a bad breakup or just having a really good, healing belly-laugh by feeding your ex’s name to a tiger. Wildcat Ridge Sanctuary is hosting a My Bloody Valentine fundraiser for their big cats. According to their website “… for a mere $35, we’ll feed that cold, cold heart (in the form of a bloody jello mold) to a wildcat and send you a compilation video. For $75, we’ll make it personal, feed it to a wildcat and send you your own custom video.” They’ve even got some pretty dramatic videos of the tigers having a go at the molds. But really, it’s all in good fun and no one gets harmed. In fact, it helps them continue their mission to provide a safe, natural, lifetime home for captive-born wildcats in need.

Side note: I’m a vegan, but tigers are NOT. These big cats need their meat to stay strong and healthy. Getting little treats of different foods and meals presented in different ways is great enrichment for the tigers!

Make it Cozy

Nina pajama set from FaeriesDance.com

Ok, so you’re relaxed from the spa, you’ve gotten a good laugh at your ex’s expense, it’s time to get cozy in some ultra-soft, organic loungewear. From fair trade pajama sets to snuggly fleece loungewear pieces, picking something from Faerie’s Dance’s sleepwear selection will make being single on Valentine’s Day seem outright joyous.

Indulge in Chocolate, but Skip the Heart-Shaped Box

single on Valentine's day? Try this skull shaped candy from Lagusta's luscious

Ethical, vegan chocolate company Lagusta’s Luscious is featuring a Valentine’s Day “Love is Dead” chocolate skull. From their website, “Just in time for Valentine’s cheer to be interrupting us at every corner, (grocery store aisles! television ads! public displays of affection!) we have made you a pretty sizeable chocolate skull, filled with our favorite assortment of seasonal bonbons. Share it with a lover, a friend, a family member, or smash it open yourself. No matter what your intentions, it’s the sweetest form of February self-care.”

Once you crack open this skull, it even contains an anatomically shaped heart along with other treats inside. It’s an activity as well as a dessert. Half the fun is smashing the skull. How will you do it?

Wear Inspiration

Being single on Valentine’s Day is really not a big deal. Each of us needs to find joy and pleasure in commonplace things. Celebrate the everyday inspirations in your life with one of these thoughtful jewelry pieces by The Artist Jay. Each comes with a card to help you remember to be mindful in some way. They’re handcrafted in the USA using recycled aluminum, and an ideal gift to yourself for Valentine’s or really, any time at all.


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How Biodegrable Are Natural Fabric Clothes?

A meadow of flax flowers in the daytime.

We hear a lot about swapping, mending, donating and recycling your clothes. Of course, focusing on buying sustainable, natural fabric clothes to begin with is a huge sustainability bonus. But when a garment has reached the end of its life, can you simply throw it in the trash? Are some clothes more biodegradable than others? Let’s take a look at how long the most popular fabrics take to break down and how to compost your clothes at home.

Cotton – 1 week to 5 months

Cotton is one of the most biodegradable natural fabrics available — if it’s organic, untreated, and not mixed with synthetic fibers. Close the Loop estimates that pure, organic cotton can break down and return to its original carbon state in as little as a week if it’s composted under the right conditions. Before composting that cotton tee, underwear, or pair of socks, check that it’s 100% cotton and free from harmful treatments and dyes that could leach into your compost.

Linen fabric stacked

Linen – 2 weeks

Linen comes from the flax plant and is used to produce breathable fitted shirts and pants. As a 100% plant-based material, linen degrades extremely quickly when composted — two weeks according to some estimates. To help your linen fabric break down faster, cut it into small strips before composting.

Hemp – 2 weeks

Similar to linen, hemp clothing breaks down quickly in a healthy compost pile and returns to the soil from which it came. Hemp is becoming a popular material for everything from tees to tote bags and is valued for its low environmental impact. One hectare of hemp can draw down 10.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air when grown using organic, regenerative farming techniques.

Denim – 10 to 12 months

While the original denim is made from 100% cotton, it takes a little longer to break down because of its thicker and denser construction. Before composting those worn-out jeans, check that they are made from pure cotton and don’t contain synthetic materials. Lee and Levi’s are two brands that sell 100% cotton jeans, though the cotton is not yet organic.

Bamboo, Soy, Pine, and Lyocell

These modern man-made fabrics are produced from processing plant-derived cellulose via the use of chemicals in a closed-loop system. While some estimate that pure bamboo viscose takes a year or more to break down, there is very little data available on the true biodegradability of these fabrics. Many of the cellulose fabrics produced today are mixed with synthetic fibers to make them stronger and help them to hold their shape. To make your purchases more sustainable, look for garments that are made from 100% plant-derived cellulose and colored with low-impact dyes.

Recycled Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fabric that currently accounts for around 52% of the textile industry. Unfortunately, it takes between 20 and 200 years to break down. To tackle this pressing problem, some manufacturers are recovering used polyester and spinning it into a recycled polyester fabric for use in swimwear and activewear. While recycled polyester can’t be composted, it can be taken to a fabric recycler to be rewoven over and over again.

Tips for Disposing of Your Worn-Out Clothes

 Finding clothing from natural materials is easier than ever thanks to sustainable stores like Faerie’s Dance. But what do you do once you’ve worn the clothes for years and they are literally falling apart? After reusing, repairing, and repurposing your clothes, check that they’re 100% natural and toxin-free, remove any metal rivets and zippers, and add the fabric to the compost pile.

In landfills, clothes produce methane (28 times more warming than carbon dioxide over 20 years) rather than break down quickly with the help of microbes. By composting your well-worn, natural fabric clothing yourself, you will not only have complete control over the ingredients that go into your compost pile, but you’ll have rich organic matter for the garden (or the local organic hemp farm) and the cycle can start all over again.


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