CopyStrands

How to Jazz Up Shoe Soles

2012-02-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

Fun and doable how to by Evette Rios, had to share! Great way to update old shoes and make them shine again:

Photo: Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine

Dr. Oz's 99 Approved Diet Foods

2012-02-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

I have been absolutely fascinated with the Dr. Oz. show, do you watch it? Recently he shared his approved list of boxed grocery products for the busy person or family on the go (including Amy's low sodium bean and rice burrito, pictured above). The idea is to pair these diet foods with fresh fruit and veggies. Dr. Oz claims you will drop weight if you eat from this list. Brilliant! (His list is below).

He also met with The Hungry Girl to learn nutritious meals that anyone can cook at home. Including shiratki noodle alfredo (with shrimp, spinach and broccoli). And Big Daddy shared his recipe for a heart healthy stir fry. Or you can check out all of the Dr. Oz show recipes.

Here are Dr. Oz's tips for fighting heart disease.

And Dr. Oz met with William W. Li, M.D., who shared four cancer-fighting foods: lima beans (fights breast cancer), limes (fights lung cancer), apricots (fights stomach cancer), and parsley (fights ovarian cancer) (did you know you are suppose to cut the bottom stem of parsley and store it on your counter top in a cup of water like flowers?).

Here is Dr. Oz's complete list of approved diet foods (Note: The Dr. Oz show does not endorse the brand name products he suggests. If you find another product with the same nutritional value then go for it):

Will you try it?

Photos: Eat to Thrive and The Dr. Oz Show

Bike Mirror

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Love this photo by Sara Cuesta. When I get my new bike (this one or one of these) I'm going to put a mirror on it like this one. Too cool! Remember this cute post: Matching tights to your bike.

Photo: Shutter Sisters

Eco-chic Produce Bags

2011-11-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

I have used my Envirosax bags long before it was popular to use re-usable shopping bags for grocery shopping. They are really handy to role up and take on vacations too for toting around shopping finds. And then while in SPUN Collective I saw these produce bags by A Greener Kitchen. Each bag is filled with six different sized bags for toting fruits and vegetables back from the grocery store or your local farmers' market. Brilliant! No more plastic produce bags for me! Each bag is created with upcycled materials and have a built-in elastic loop to close each bag quick and easy (check out the video).

And while at Sara's pretty store, SPUN Collective, my sis swooned over this top. There were only two left on the rack and my sis wanted black in her size. So Sara created one on her sewing machine in the back. My sis was delighted. Talk about one-of-a-kind customer service! Happy one-year anniversary to you and your store Sara!

Photos: A Greener Kitchen

1920 Mediterranean Remodel

2011-11-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Remember this Seattle home stunner? Turns out my dream home is also in Portland, Oregon. Look at this closet! I keep telling the hubs that our next home has to have a dedicated entry. My jaw dropped when I saw this closet tucked in the wall:

This is the awesome work of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. In this house they also updated and renovated the 1920s kitchen and living room:

Simply beautiful and a Be Green do!

Photos: Pure Green Magazine and Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

Bike Crush: The Felt Cafe

2011-10-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm still on the hunt for a new bike. I'm enamored with step-through bikes after my recent travels through Scandinavia. Since I live in hilly Seattle I need something with several gears that is built as light as possible. Try cycling up a steep hill in the wrong bike, if your urban cruiser is heavy, it will be harder to pedal up hill.

Enter the Felt Cafe, I have my eyes on this little beauty:

P.S. It comes in the color orange too. Love orange!

Photo: Felt

My New Moo Business Cards

2011-10-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

It was time for new business cards. And I needed something that would separate my blog from my business. When I meet new people some ask: What is your blog? Others ask: What is your business? And I found the perfect solution with London-based Moo business cards! I now have these awesome mini cards with my photo and info on the back of two separate designs I created. Now when I'm asked questions I can give the perfect card. What do you think?

For my blog:

For my freelance writing and editing business:

And the back of the cards (read the last line a Be Green do!):

Photos: CopyStrands

An Old Airstream is New Again

2011-10-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

My jaw dropped when I saw this Airstream makeover. Hofmann Architects took a 1978 Tradewind Airstream and renovated it using recycled waste and materials. Inside it features bamboo countertops, table and floors and recycled glass tile. That is a Be Green do! This Airstream is a dream road trip mobile!

P.S. Love this post: Glamping Trailer Style

Photos: Hofmann Architects

The Netherlands: A Cycling Life

2011-10-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Netherlands sure have cycling figured out. With the help of The Cycling Academic Network and The Dutch Cycling Embassy the country has literally advocated to keep cycling a way of life in their country. It is normal for them to hop on a bike to get around—not jump in a car. They have set up their city streets to put cycling and their safety first—unlike Seattle. Bravo Netherlands! Another Be Green do! For more information check out the photos and video below. (Can you hear me clapping?)

More bikes.

Photos and video: The Dutch Cycling Embassy

West Elm: South Lake Union

2011-10-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

West Elm opens in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood on October 6, 2011! I know a few people who will be really excited about this, including me! And the store will have a living wall. That's a Be Green do!

Photos: West Elm

A New Polaroid Camera Shop

2011-09-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

My Polaroid camera goes with me when I travel abroad (I snapped the photo above of the Eiffel Tower with my Polaroid camera). And it's not easy finding supplies for it unless you go online. But now Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood is getting a new instant camera shop by the founder of Love Cameras! It is suppose to open at the end of October. I. Can't. Wait.

More Paris.

Photo: CopyStrands

A Modern Home Bookshelf

2011-09-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

When my eyes discovered this bookshelf my jaw dropped in awe. It's a bookshelf made out of heavy iron piping and one look at it made me think of my favorite phrase: Character matters. It can hold books stacked in different ways and includes accent lighting. Talk about a statement piece for the modern home.

I. want. this.

Photos: stellableudesigns

Boutique Crush: Vintage Angel

2011-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Seattle's Susie Jarvis has outdone herself this time. On the heels of her Vintage Closet store in Ballard she has opened another called the Vintage Angel in Fremont. She is known for her massive collection of cowboy boots, slips and vintage purses. Love it! See for yourself...

Photos: Vintage Angel and Vintage Closet

Weekend Getaway: Seabrook

2011-09-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Pacific Northwest and you haven't visited Seabrook you are missing out. Seabrook is a quaint beach town along Washington's Pacific Ocean coastline. The homes are built green. The beach town is only a two and a half hour drive from Seattle and three hours from Portland, OR. It's a wonderful place to visit, relax and meet new friends.

At Seabrook you can rent a home or cottage. Ride beach cruisers. Fly kites. Run on the beach. Hike on trails. Picnic. Play basketball, volleyball, badminton, pickle ball, bocce ball, horseshoes and more. You can watch outdoor movies and make smores in an outdoor fire pit. You can discover dramatic beach sunsets. Or go on an evening stroll and explore all the twinkle lights that adorn the quaint homes.

They now offer an indoor pool. The beach town has its own shops and grocery store and a revamped restaurant now called Mill 109. If you are in the market to buy a beach home my hubs can get you a free night stay at Seabrook and you can go on a tour of the town and see home plans.

I've written about Seabrook for AOL City's Best and The New York Times Company / About.com:

These photos are all reasons why I heart Seabrook. Something tells me after you see them you will fall in love with this beach town too:

Another reason to Be Well-traveled!

Photos: CopyStrands

Boutique Crush: Adore Vintage

2011-09-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Adore Vintage? This Los Angeles-based online vintage shop sells clothing from the 1900s to the 1980s. The dresses are like candy for the vintage loving eye. Especially my love for 1920s and 1930s styles. Bravo! Oh, and the hats, you must see the hats! They even have this section for Mad Men fashion lovers.

Vintage clothing is a Be Green do.

Photo: Adore Vintage

Gorgeous Handmade Bags

2011-09-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

I adore these handmade bags by Oregon-based designer, Abby Meadow. She creates bags from "natural, organic, sustainable and recycled fibers and fabrics." This is a gorgeous Be Green do! My favorite bag is this one.

These bags are perfect for weekend trips. Where are you headed for the long holiday weekend? I'll be at my favorite getaway to ride my bike, fly my kite and play in the sand with dear friends.

Photos: Infusion

A Loft Treehouse Bedroom

2011-08-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

I would have loved to have this rad bedroom when I was a kid. Or a tepee. What's your dream room?

Photo: Kids Furniture Blog

Boutique Crush: KIND Boutique

2011-08-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Eco-friendly shop Kind Boutique features sustainable style and design and vintage clothing. They have adorable housewares too. Their designers range from Bodkin to Hansel From Basel. A lovely little Be Green shop.

Photo: KIND Boutique

Bicycle: The History

2011-08-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know that back in the 1920s and 1930s the bike was so popular in Europe that people would take their bikes on overnight trips and go camping? Bicycle: The History by David V. Herlihy features a section on old bicycle posters.

One read:

"Along with the Netherlands and Sweden, Denmark has long been one of the world's most bicycle friendly nations, a tradition reflected in this poster from 1949 for the National Travel Association of Denmark."

Another read:

"A French poster from 1925 promoting De Dion-Bouton bicycles and presenting cycling as a means to commune with nature.Cycling touring developed rapidly in the 1920s and 1930s in Europe, where many people went on overnight trips, bringing tents or lodging in a youth hostel."

The posters are vibrant and fun:

Makes me want to go for a bike ride!

Photos: CopyStrands from Bicycle: The History

Boutique Crush: Beklina

2011-07-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

An eco-boutique doing its part to Be Green. These little enamal French lockets with a mirrored-sheen are just lovely. And they are made in Paris! Their women's fashions are edgy too. And the best part is, it's a family run business. Bravo!

Photo: Beklina

Step Through Bike Love

2011-07-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have my eyes on a new bike. While in Sweden I rode a step through urban cycle made by Swedish brand Monark that had a chain cover and skirt cover (no more greasy chains or a wet, muddy back), three gears plus foot and hand breaks, power-generated lights on the front and back for evening rides and a handy basket in front and one basket on the side of the back wheel. It was like a dance watching the local women get on and off their step through bikes just like Mary Poppins - no more swinging your leg around like you're mounting a horse.

Mothers had forward-facing (front mounted) child seats near their handle bars for toting wee ones. Most women wore dresses or skirts while cycling the urban jungle. Throughout Sweden and Denmark they don't wear helmets, even when riding alongside cars (some locals choose to wear helmets, but it is not mandatory). If the locals wore helmets they were like the one I bought in London by Yakkay. If it rains and they park their bikes they cover their seats with these oilcloth seat protectors (I bought the apple print one for my beach cruiser). They ride their bikes while holding umbrellas or they sport a Danefae raincoat.

The bike paths in Malmö, Sweden invite you to ride your bike safely all over the flat city. When you want to park your bike they use these handy O-locks with a retracting shackle that fit around the seat post and back tire. They leave the keys in it while riding (most O-lock models won't let you take out the key until you lock it) and when they park they quickly turn the key to lock the O-lock and walk away. The O-locks are designed to protect by leaving no space for thieves to insert tools for stealing. The U-locks used here in the States leave a ton of room for thieves to use their tools and steal your bike. If you want to put an O-lock on your bike just have a bike shop build holes on your bike to attach it. In the States it would be good to have an O-lock and a U-lock when leaving your bike to deter even the best thieves. My hubs' bike was stolen last fall and he used just a U-lock. Now he'll be using both an O-lock and a U-lock.

You can rent bikes at Malmö Centralstation (in Sweden), but in Copenhagen the bikes the city offers are taken first thing every morning and you won't be able to rent one (they need to supply more bikes in Denmark for visitors). The locals even told us that it is a joke to find a bike to use while in Copenhagen.

My favorite bike shop in Malmö was Fridhemscykel. They also sell the O-locks.

Bikes I'm loving:

I still adore this bike by Kate Spade.
I heart the elegance of the Gazelle.
The Velorbis Victoria is interesting.
The minimalism of the Public C3 intrigues.
And my absolute favorite bike right now is the Amsterdam Electra.

Photo: Hermès

Mason Jar Lunches: Recipes

2011-06-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

This is a fabulous Be Green do! I've seen this lunch idea on a few blogs lately and went straight to the talented source. Mason jar lunches by The Decorated Cookie, brilliant! I am going to try the one pictured: Pesto Pasta on a picnic this summer.

"Pesto Pasta: Cook penne pasta and drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water. Prepare pesto: Process two cloves of garlic, about a cup of fresh basil leaves in a food processor. With the blade running, pour in about 1/4 cup of olive oil and the pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend. Add about 1/2 cup of Parmesean cheese. Mix briefly. Blend in more olive oil or hot water to desired consistency. Spoon a layer of pesto on the bottom of a mason jar. Add a layer of halved cherry tomatoes, a layer of cubed mozzarella cheese, and some of the penne pasta. Shake right before eating."

And I'm going to try this yummy salad too:

"Chickpea and chicken salad: Rinse and drain a can of chick peas. Place about half in a bowl, add your desired salad dressing (generously, as this will dress the whole salad) and mix. Spoon a layer of the chickpea mixture on the bottom of a mason jar. Top with a layer of sliced baby carrots, a layer of bite-size, cooked, seasoned chicken pieces, a layer of cucumber slices and a layer of lettuce. Shake right before eating."

Photos: The Decorated Cookie

Minimalist Running: Big Deal?

2011-05-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Do you remember what it felt like to run as a kid? Your quick, short, stride speeding barefoot across a grassy field or sandy beach. Do you remember how your foot landed? Did you ever think about your feet?

Before running shoe companies filled their shelves with motion-control, over-cushioned shoes; before you were told you overpronate (turns out research is showing some pronation is natural); and before you knew it you were suffering from chronic injuries. But why? Could it be that running shoe companies were inventing problem shoes to make money, selling us shoes that actually created injuries?

Running is a hot topic again and for reasons that may surprise you. There's been a lot of discussion about foot fall and the perfect running form (have you seen Ryan Hall’s smooth running form?) and a large push to run barefoot or try minimalist-style shoes with zero drop. But what does it all mean?

My Running Story

In my 30 years of running I haven’t given the minimalist shoe craze much thought and frankly was not a fan of the idea. It wasn't until 20 years into running that I started having problems with injuries. For the past 10 years I've focused on how to cure my chronic runner’s knee so I can run into my old age. After meeting with three different orthopedic surgeons I was told: “you’ll never run again” to “you need orthodics” to “we could do surgery.” Instead I’ve tried: physical therapy, doctor-prescribed orthotics, motion-control shoes, weight training exercises to strengthen quads including riding a bike, massages, acupuncture, I even changed my running form about three years ago (shorter strides, leaning from my ankles, running 180 beats per minute) based on things I read in the book Chi Running by American Danny Dreyer. I've tried glucosomine pills, fish oil pills, KT Tape and knee braces. Some of these changes seemed to help me, but sometimes runner’s knee still creeps back in when I train for anything above a 10K. The minimalist shoe craze never caught my attention until I was asked to review a new minimalist running shoe.

I was approached to test a new zero drop minimalist running shoe called the Nada by Somnio. I've spent the past few months experimenting with the shoes and researching everything I could on the new minimalist running shoe craze. The following is what I've learned about minimalist shoes and what I think of the new Somnio Nada.

Minimalist Running: What's the Big Deal?

My journey started with re-reading the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. In the book the author states: “Before the invention of a cushioned shoe, runners through the ages had identical form: Jesse Owens, Roger Bannister, Frank Shorter and even Emil Zatopek all ran with their backs straight, knees bent, feet scratching back under their hips.”

According to the book How to Train by Fred Witt, McDougall notes Witt said, “They had no choice. The only shock absorption came from the compression of their legs and their thick pad of mid-foot fat.”

McDougall interviewed Arthur Lydiard (a former well-known runner and coach in New Zealand, now deceased) who claimed runner’s knee was treated by surgery in the past, but surgery did not solve the problem. Instead runners should strengthen their feet.

McDougall goes on to say that, “Today’s running shoes are so over-cushioned they invite you to land on your heel.” He shares a story about Bill Bowerman (former University of Oregon running coach, who McDougall says “wasn’t even a runner.”

“Bowerman created a shoe where you could land on your heel and in essence lengthen your stride.” The name of the shoe was the Cortez by Nike. When runners who wore the shoe started getting injured Nike began to research the barefoot craze that took off in 2002. That is when Nike unveiled the Nike Free.

Somnio Nada Review

Currently the running shoe market is flooded with minimalist shoe choices. My first adventure with the Somnio Nada was finding the right size (they run large, I usually wear a women's size 7 and ended up with a 5.5 size in the Nada). After spending time walking in my test pair of Somnio Nada shoes and watching and trying out the Wharton Performance guided DVD that came with the shoes (introducing form drills and strengthening exercises), I went for a run in my Nada shoes.

I slipped them on my feet (I wore wick-away socks with mine) and left my orthotics at home. It was the most bare I’ve run in years. I chose a flat, three-mile loop near my home and instantly noticed that they reminded me of the stripped down track flats I used to race in. The Nadas are extremely lightweight (3.5 ounces), they feel like you are wearing nothing but air. I didn’t really notice that big of a difference in comfort running in them versus my usual running shoes. The soles actually held up well across pebbles and bumps in the road.

I have narrow feet and I noticed that the toe box fabric on the Nada, when laced up, caved in around my toes and rubbed a little while I ran. While I ran I immediately felt lighter and faster. But I slowed down my pace on purpose and kept my stride short to ensure I had safe foot fall (landing mid foot, heel kissing the ground briefly).

After my run I took off my shoes and noticed my white running socks had turned orange (the interior of the Nada shoes have a bright orange lining). The next day my calves were crazy sore. I’m learning through research that this is normal as one makes the change from full support running shoes to minimalist shoes. I’m planning on wearing them on short runs once a week for a while to see how my body, especially my calves and feet adjust. My chronic runner’s knee so far has not been an issue since running in the Nada shoes. Now I have a new issue: flaming calves!

If you want to learn more about how to safely go minimalist or even barefoot check out:

Photo: Minimalist Running

Exploring Superfoods

2011-04-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot lately about "superfoods" (featured on CNN and in O Magazine, May 2011) rare grains and natural substances, seeds and berries found around the world that are added to meals for healthy eating options. A few sites I've stumbled on:

What do you think of this "superfood" craze?

I'm personally a big fan of Jamie Oliver (love his Food Revolution show and cookbook). Did you know he has a new Jamie Magazine out?

Photo: Slight Clutter

Bikes and Kate Spade

2011-04-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Swooning over the new limited edition Kate Spade bike in gorgeous green. Available at Kate Spade stores and in partnership with Adeline Adeline.

Also love these bright bike lights, cool riding jeans and fun helmets (reminds me of my London Bobbin Bicycle helmet).

Riding a bike can Be Chic and it's a Be Green do!

Photo: Adeline Adeline