This is my Oprah-like list of favorite things. (not in any particular order)I hope that you enjoy it!
- Numinous Natural Cleaning- This is my housekeeper. The team that comes to my house only uses all-natural products. Our house has never been cleaner. Their website should be up soon. Call 227-0671 for more information.
- norfolkbeautiful.org- This website will help you find out what you can recycle in our city. It was very eye-opening. I was not doing it all correctly. I have also found alternative places to recycle some of the things that we can't put in the blue bins.
- Green Alternatives- This is a new store in Ghent to promote green living. They also recycle batteries, cell phones, fluorescent light bulbs and electronics. Check them out and support the local businesses. 1905 Colonial Ave. Norfolk 757-457-8991
- Super Foods Rx- I bought this book recently and it has changed that way that we eat. The claims that it will make you feel better are true!!! Check out adding milled flax seed & wheat germ (both high in the Omega-3s that we hear so much about) in your baked goods or pancake mixes. It doesn't alter the taste, but it does wonders for your health. Blueberries & dark chocolate are also Super Foods. This diet isn't all about things that taste bad.
- Organic Food Depot- This is another local vendor for good food. You need to check out their dark chocolate-covered almonds. Delicious and both Super Foods.
- sullysplayground.com- This is the fundraising website for a friend of mine who is raising money for a playground in memory of her son, Sully, who was born with Trisomy 18, a chromosome disorder. Sully lived for six days and has changed the life of our church forever. Check out the link to his playground and read more about Trisomy 18.
- Wal-Mart- Wal-Mart is an amazing place! I know some people don't like them because of what they've heard about the store, but I challenge anyone to go in and check out those claims for themselves. I am an acknowledged food snob and I can do 98% of my grocery shopping there.
The store is clean.
They have a rising number of organic products.
They are also instituting a more green policy in their products and business operations. They sell cloth grocery bags for a buck. Check
out what a green-focused blog said about them recently.
www.sustainablog.com
- Online pizza ordering- I often go on personal jihads and boycotts of business with poor customer service. I am currently boycotting McDonald's, Dillard's and Papa John's Pizza (though they do have the best delivery pizza in my opinion). Which brings me to the glory that is online pizza ordering. Most national chains have this capability through their website. Due to my disappointment with my favorite Papa John's store, I have resorted to Domino's online site. You can request that the pizza be delivered anytime up to 3 three weeks in advance. That's pretty cool. I can order a pizza for the kids to be delivered while the babysitter is with them and pay for it all with tip online. Fabulous in my book.
- Swagat Indian Market- off Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: (757) 490-3374
- If you ever need any eastern spice or ingredient, you should be able to find it here. It's prices are great as well. They have a large selection of teas and herbal medical preparations as well. I have been using Neem based products to clear up the eczema on my hands.
- Neem (according to Wikipedia) - Neem (Azadirachta indica, syn. Melia azadirachta L., Antelaea azadirachta (L.) Adelb.) is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions.
All parts of the tree (seeds, leaves, flowers and bark) are used for preparing many different medical preparations.
Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, shampoo, balms and creams), and is useful for skin care such as acne, and keeping skin elasticity.
Besides its use in traditional Indian medicine the neem tree is of great importance for its anti-desertification properties and possibly as a good carbon dioxide sink.
Practictioners of traditional Indian medicine recommend that patients suffering from Chicken Pox sleep on neem leaves.
Neem Gum is used as a bulking agent and for the preparation of special purpose food (those for diabetics).
