‘Uncategorized’

When I was probably 10 years old my friends and I would ride our bikes up to the nearest neighborhood 7-11 to buy what else but a Coke Slurpee! Brain freeze aside this was a weekly ritual and one that would bring much JOY (and calories)to my young life. On one particular trip to 7-11 I received a sticker that read “Mother’s have happy lips” there on the sticker was a happy smiling cartoon looking Mom. When I got home from my “road trip” I proudly stuck that sticker right on the wall next to the phone with the super long cord (from me twisting it over and over while talking to girlfriends.) What is the point of this story you ask? Well, the point is that some things never change…..most times change is good but sometimes we just need things to stay the same, and when they do, we relish in it!
Like walking into my Mom’s kitchen this past weekend and seeing that same sticker on her wall that I stuck there some 40 years ago! It is slightly discolored and outdated looking but oh, how I love seeing that sticker. It helps me feel centered, warm, safe and brings a familiarity to my life that is so needed. Yes. Mother’s have happy lips! That ole sticker couldn’t be more true. I hope it stays there forever…..

I was a preschool teacher for 9 years, teaching preschoolers ages 3, 4 and 5 years of age. I loved working with them and was quite successful over time. One of the biggest lessons I learned as a preschool teacher was to whisper when I wanted to get their attention. I know that sounds funny…whispering over 16 four year olds to get their attention. What I found was when I raised my voice they seemed to ignore me or my voice got lost in all the hoopla, but when I whispered, the volume in the classroom seemed to go down dramatically, to the point where eventually all activity stopped and I had their full attention.
My point? Nobody wants to be yelled at, neither do they want you in their face telling them what is right, what they are doing wrong or how to do things period! You will more times than not get resistence and I find this applies to adults and people in general.
Being part of the “Green” movement, on the front lines, so to speak, I see this happen alot. Educated environmentalist wanting change for the better and wanting to bring all on board in their efforts. The problem is some of them are SCREAMING their mission, in your face, and demanding change. I see people getting turned off, feeling helpless and flat out wanting nothing to do with the “movement.”
I prefer to “whisper” to our brothers and sisters, let them know gently and kindly that there is hope if we all do our part. If we all pay attention in our daily lives regarding our actions and how they affect our health and the health of our planet. Share with them information and educate them on how doing one thing can make a difference! I feel it is important to “whisper” in their ears that “I am just like them…not better, not worse..but trying to do my best every single day”
Which would you prefer from a friend, neighbor, co-worker, a kind “Whisper” or an abrasive “Shout?” I know what moves me……..

Have you ever walked into a store and thought,”this store is for young adults”, or “My mom would love this store, but not for me” Well, what I have noticed since we opened our doors 6 months ago, is that everyone loves One Green Street! I had a young girl burst into the store a minute ago and said “I have goose bumps! This store is awesome!” I have had young girls 8 or 9 drag their mom’s back to the store to get something they couldn’t live without. Then there is Priscilla, my 90 year old friend and customer that says, “One Green Street always makes her day” she finds a treasure to love everytime she visits. I am so glad that OGS can appeal to the masses and that “going green” or living and “eco-friendly” lifestyle is attainable for all who are seeking or even stumbling into it! Every day in my store feels like a blessing

Last night David and I attended the screening of “Submission” at the Heights Theatre in Houston. This was the first screening in the United States and it was in HOUSTON. We also viewed a short film called “Body Burden” starring Ed Begley Jr. they took tons of blood samples from Ed and we will know in a few weeks what his Body Burden details are. In case you don’t know what a Body Burden is, it is the amount of toxic chemicals being stored in your body/cells. Most of us have hundreds of toxins in our body, some of which were passed on to us while in our mother’s womb! Like, flame retardant’s PCB, DDT and other banned chemicals. It is very scary to know that even if we try to life a very healthy lifestyle our body is taking in chemicals everyday whether we like it or not!! Most of us were frustrated at the end of the screening because we want to know what to do to get rid of these toxins and how to avoid accumulating more toxins daily. I believe that for starters we need to police ourselves, what we eat, what we put on our bodies and be very strategic about our overall lifestyles. David and I opened an Organic Lifestyle store to give our community choices. That is what making a difference is all about…..make the right choice whenever possible. Something must be done about toxic chemicals. Start by going to Safe Planet and get involved.

Weekends are a little different around OGS! My husband and business partner David usually accompanies me on Saturday or Sunday. We open the store together (our second home) make a little coffee and I update him on what’s new, things that need to be fixed (tee hee) and other relevant tidbits. We go about our day working as a true team (after 24 years this better happen) We greet new and regular customers together, share our passion for people and the planet arm in arm. The day goes by fast as we laugh and play (he always tries to get me on the mattress! :0) We are so proud and excited about One Green Street and all the possibilities that lye ahead for us and the community. Yes. we are a family owned business and we are proud to share our family with you! We are getting ready to move our two kiddos to Texas Tech and after 20+ years it is back to just the two of us……..and of course our third child, One Green Street.
See you soon!

I love the Chico Bag, made in Chico California (hence the name Chico Bag) I know there are tons of reusable bag choices out there and believe me I did my research before I chose the Chico Bag Company. Every Tuesday at OGS we have Chico Bag Tuesday. You receive a FREE Chico Bag with your purchase and it gets better….Bring your Chico Bag in on subsequent Tuesdays and receive 20% off one item!!! Customers have responded so well to this offer that I have been exploring bringing other Chico Bag designs in the store. To my delight I discovered that CB now has a Produce Stand Chico Bag Kit!!!! I ordered a few to see how you guys like them. They come in an APPLE pouch! Sweet!!!!! These guys are geniuses…..Also, I just place my order for Chico Bag Halloween Bags! How great is that? No more storing that awkward plastic pumpkin year after year. Send your little beggar out with his or her Chico Bag Pumpkin then the next day fold it up into it’s little pouch and easily store it for next year! I love the Chico Bag Company!!!!!

I like to give local vendors,and artisans a chance at showing off their wares at One Green Street. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it does not. I think we got it right when we recently partnered with Supple Skin Boutique. Nelia, one of the owners is an expert in healthy teas and eager to share her expertise with the community. I must confess, I am a coffee drinker (fair trade, shade grown, organic, thank you) but have always been curious about teas and their medicinal purposes. You always hear that green tea is good for you and chamomile helps you sleep better but that is about the extent of what I know about teas! Supple Skin takes the guesswork out of which teas go together to produce what results. Besides tasting great you can get teas that help with acne, psoriasis, weight loss, cleansing, antioxidants, beauty and more! Made and packaged by the owners, drinking tea has never been such a pleasant, healthy, educational experience. I feel so blessed to have Supple Skin Boutique in our store so that we can share this experience with all willing to go there. Tea for two anyone?

Green Street Investigator Sherry Eichberger is hard at work making sure that all of your skin and beauty care products are free of toxins! GSI is a hard working, 100% tough group dedicated to a healthier better today & tommorow!

Kid’s and Men’s Products are also in need of safety updates.
It is perfectly legal for companies to use carcinogens in bubble bath and unidentified fragrance ingredients in baby shampoo. During each bath time, babies may be exposed to dozens of chemicals that have never been assessed for safety. And men’s after-shave lotions, anti dandruff shampoos, teeth whiteners, sunless tanning products, hair-removal products and colognes may contain ingredients linked to cancer and other adverse health impact.

I just met with Frosted Betty creator Nicole Mora…what a great girl. Nicole created Frosted Betty out of the love of baking and making people happy with her personal bakery creations. Well, she succeeded with me today, I am happy, happy, happy. I had her bring over 1 dozen Carrot Cake Cupcakes and 1 dozen Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes. OK truth here…..I prefer the Carrot Cake to the Vegan but both were excellent. We sat together in The Gathering Place for an hour talking about our dreams and aspirations for our businesses and found we are very much alike and would make perfect sense to share each other with our customers. A great idea was born!!!! Starting in August the third Wednesday of the month Frosted Betty will be in One Green Street from 1-3 with her scrumptious sweets!!!! You will be able to meet her, pre-order for the next month and sample her cupcakes, cake balls, cookies and more. How fantastic is that! Think about it…..you just finished lunch on Wed., August 18th at Fish City Grill and you have a hankerin for something sweet….then you remember that Frosted Betty is at One Green Street next store so you run over and grab a Red Velvet cupcake and maybe a couple cookies to take back to the office! That would be a perfect day! Stay tuned for more details, but man, am I excited to be partnering with another great entrepreneur!!!! In the meantime check out her menu at www.frostedbetty.com