I’m not showing these photos for some type of pat on the back. I do it to remind others that just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean we are out of the woods yet. Things are still in bad shape, and still much work must be done.  Some of these photos were taken just a few days ago. It’s a  reminder to myself and others that volunteering doesn’t only have to happen when things are bad and that just a little bit of service at any time goes along way into helping all of us be better than we were the day before.  I’m convinced that service to others is the key to happiness. Regardless of what your cause is try it and you will see what I mean.

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” Buddha

Special Thanks to:

Penny Kaye- For taking me on my first volunteer job and as usually helping me light the fire for change.

Sandy-Weekday Warriors –  and by that I mean Joan Delucia who continues to be real change in action.  Thanks for including me always and devoting your personal time to getting help to those who need it most. Most of all thanks for having a great attitude and being the shoulder for many of your fellow townspeople to cry on.

Surf Rider Foundation Jersey Shore chapter- For introducing me to new friends and your efforts in Restoring the Shore.

The ladies at Ortley Strong And Bucket Brigade- for standing in the thick of it all since day one providing warm meals and supplies.

The post Thank You New Jersey For Showing Me Humanity At it’s Finest : Storm Sandy Recovery Photos appeared first on .

Residents of New Jersey are coming in droves to recycle their Christmas trees at the Jersey shore this year.  Although recycling Christmas trees is a normal practice, recycling your festive pine at the Jersey shore allows your tree to keep on giving well after the Holidays. That’s because your old recycled Christmas trees are being used to rebuild the many sand dunes that were destroyed by Storm Sandy in October. I know! It sounded odd to me too, but apparently old Christmas trees are lined up along sand dunes to help them rebuild naturally. Christmas trees can be placed on their side end to end on the ground and naturally collect windblown sand over time. This creates a natural “fence” that traps sand, eventually burying the trees creating a small dune. Within a few months, the objects begin to take on the shape of a large sand dune that help protect the beach against heavy wave action from storms.  Dune grass can then be planted on top in about a year. It’s a method that has been practiced in the Southeastern states that are accustomed to having hurricanes and more in tune to the annual rebuilding of sand dunes each winter. Because so many Jersey shore cities are now strapped for cash, this “naturally” great idea will take place in many places along the Jersey Shore. For a more scientific and detail oriented explanation check out this article by Phillyblurbs.com

I bet you’d like to know how I stumbled upon this amazing concept.  So please give me your attention for a moment and I’ll explain.

During my daily nature walk through the beautiful Cattus Island Park, I happened to walk past a Christmas tree recycling area near the park office.  I stopped and thought about the whole idea of the Christmas tree. If you know me you would know that although the smell of a live tree is nice, I have a hard time getting behind the concept of growing a tree and then killing it just to keep in your home for a month to then toss it on the curb and stack our landfill with dead trees.  I recommend and prefer a nice American made artificial tree, which could be used for many years and generations. Now, if we can only figure out how to make those trees out of recycled poly materials. Maybe that’s my calling, to create a ecofriendly artificial Christmas tree?  Nah!

While standing there, I saw a woman struggling to get a giant Christmas tree from the back of her mini-van.  I ran over to help her with the tree and throw it on the recycling pile. While carrying the tree she said. “Isn’t wonderful what they are doing with these trees”? In my mind I’m think, “Yeah, amazing lady, they are going to make mulch with it and soak up mud puddles.” But what I actually said was “ yeah, you never have enough mulch” and pointed at the giant pile of mulch to our right. She chuckled and said “ No silly, this year all these trees are going to be used to line up along the beach to build sand dunes”.  So now I’m thinking, “Wow, that’s just great lady.  I’ve spent the last 2 months picking up tons of debris from the streets and beaches so we can just throw our old Christmas trees back on the beach? Besides I doubt a stack of Christmas trees is going to hold back the ocean if a giant pile of sand couldn’t do it.” But, of course I didn’t say that I just thought it and smiled. There had to be more to this concept and I was determined to hang around and find out.

I spoke to several folks who came in to drop off their trees over the next 20 minutes.  One guy told me that his home was spared because of the great sand dune system they had in place so he felt obligated to make sure his tree went to doing the same for others. Another women explained to me that she too never heard of this idea but because of the Internet, Facebook and Twitter she learned about it and thought it was an amazing idea. She told me that several grassroots groups, environmentalists, and towns have used social media and word of mouth to mount tree collection drives to aid towns up and down the Shore.

Now I had to run home and do some sand dune research because clearly I was missing out on something that is right in line with my interest. A sustainable, recyclable way to use something that was considered waste, to help nature do something that could protect the places I love. I couldn’t think of anything that is more EarthyUrban. So that’s why I decided to write a post about this brilliant idea. To me it’s not just about a great way for rebuilding New Jersey beaches or any beaches for that matter. Its more of the realization that all our fixes and needs of our environment already exist within nature. Of course we as humans need to put our recycled christmas trees in place, but if we didn’t need to clear natural beach barriers & dunes to build homes and frolic on the beach, then nature would heal itself without us.  It only seems fit that we have taken trees from the ground for our rituals that we should return them to the earth where they belong. It just happens to be extra sweet this time because it’s helping us restore a part of ourselves as well.

Whether you live in New Jersey or along any coast around the world this is something that you and your city can do. It gives second life to a tree that was killed to soon, sending it back to the earth to work hand in hand with mankind.

If you live on the Jersey Shore and are looking to recycle your Christmas tree for this purpose and read a more intelligent article on the subject please click here.

Places to Recycle your Christmas tree in NJ for The Sand Dune Project.

Thanks For taking the time to read this article. If you would please click and share on one of the social media platforms below, or leave a comment I would be most appreciative. I’ll definitely respond to you. Thanks, and Have a great 2013.

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Today is December 1st which means Movember is officially over. As the women cheer, thousands of men like myself will happily be shaving off their Movember mustache today. On the other hand, some men may have finally found that stylistic edge they were looking for and will make it part of their new persona. As you can see from my picture, that will not be the case for me. This morning I removed what I like to call the “Old-Timey- Villain” or the “Deadwood” mustache, officially ending my Movember. In honor of the closing of mustache season, I’ve put together my top 12 Movember Mustaches I think you will enjoy. Although my mustache raised more eyebrows than funds this year I enjoyed every minute of wearing it. More than anything, I like idea of making a statement and explain to other why I’m wearing such a ridiculous thing on my face. After all, that’s the whole point of Movember, to engage in conversation and awareness about men’s health issues. Love them or hate them Mustaches are becoming more and more common come November. That’s because the ‘stache craze is for a good cause. Movember is raising awareness and funds for men’s health issues, particularly prostate & testicular cancer.

Before I show you my top 12 Movember mustaches let me first explain to the unknowing what Movember is. You laugh, but I had to explain to my Parents today why I wore that ridiculous thing on my face for a month. You’d be surprised how many people don’t know what Movember is and how it works. It’s scary because I can only imagine what’s going through their mind as mustaches start showing up everywhere.

The month of November has become Movember! (Moustache November).  Over the last few years Movember has become more and more popular around the world as a time for guys to grow a moustache to draw attention to prostate cancer and other men’s health issues. It’s essentially the male version of women wearing pink during Breast Cancer Awareness month (which was October). Men have now claimed November as their own to shed light on health issues. The Movember & Sons movement started in Melbourne, Australia and has become a worldwide event. In 2011 over 854,00 Men & Women got on Board and raised $126.3 Million Us Dollars. It’s really easy to be part of and anyone can do it. First you register at www.movember.com, men start November 1st clean-shaven. For the rest of the month, these men (Mobros) or MoSistas wear a mustache proudly and seek sponsorship for their efforts and fundraising page. These mustaches basically become a walking talking billboard for Men’s health issues for the next 30 days. Even if they’re not raising money a lot of men will wear a mustache to support the efforts and keep men’s health issues literally under people’s nose. Funds go to the following charities. Prostate Cancer Foundation, LIVESTRONG Foundation, Awareness & Education, and Global Action Plan

Now, Let’s take a look at my top 12 Movember Mustaches that in my opinion capture the spirit of the Movember campaign. *Keep in mind, these are in no particular order, just a random selection of personal connection Movember Mustaches. Click “READ FULL STORY” TO SEE

1.) The Batman - I found this mustache while surfing the Internet on Instagram (if you know him thank him) It’s just to good not to be showcased. If I were creative enough to pull this off my Nephews would think I was the coolest of all the cool Uncles.

2.)  The Monkey Tail – Stumbled upon his gem via Twitter from @Avs_Massini . Notice how the mustache starts on one side of the mouth and wraps around his face like a monkey tail creating a beard.

3.) The Women’s Mustache - Siobhain Fletcher 36, has battled Hirsutism (medical condition) since she was a teenager. She has stopped shaving her facial hair to grow a moustache in aid of Movember. After being inspired by a friend who was growing a moustache for Movember to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer charities, Siobhain decided to embrace her facial hair. (Her story)

4.) The Michael Rosenbaum ’Stache – The talented Actor, Director & Producer who also happens to be a good friend of mine raised funds and awareness with this “Mustache?” Michael Rosenbaum was impressively committed this Movember and I had to showcase his mustache because the poor guy doesn’t have a hair on his body normally. This little guy (the ‘Stache) was hard-earned and fought for. I also worked on his latest hilarious film “Old Days”, scheduled to come out in 2013. (Shameless plug)

5.) The George Parros ’Stache - the American born (Ivy League) NHL star has always been committed to a good Mustache but his efforts come Movember are always All-star caliber. Introduced to his mustache by Rosenbaum tweets I followed his Movember journey on Twitter. I was impressed with the influence he had on many NHL players throughout the league (they aren’t playing might as well grow mustaches) and other pro athletes. The NHL fans, also not having any hockey to watch, rallied around Parros making his fund raising a huge success. He even got a nice shout out from Micheal Strahan on “Live! with Kelly and Michael” for his Movember efforts. Doesn’t hurt that he’s a fellow New Jerseyan to get on my list.

6.)  The Airplane Mustache - Although not a person, It’s nice to see big corporations get behind men’s health this way. Much like all the pink products and things you see in October for breast cancer awareness month. Here is a British Airways airplane supporting a ‘Stache. Other Airplanes rocking a mustache this Movember, West Jet, Virgin & Qantas Airlines.

7.) The Building Doctor or “DT” ‘Stache  -Worn by my friend Dan Thomsen.  Not only is Dan’s Mustache great but because he is the founder and president of a company that embodies much of the EarthyUrban spirit, he made my list. Dan founded Building Doctors, a home performance contractor (Lic # 932241) that surveys the energy efficiency of your home or office. They will also make the remediation, saving you 20% to 50% off your energy bills, while making your home energy-efficient, healthier, more comfortable and lowering your carbon foot print. (Think I got that right) More on Building doctors another time, but in the meantime check it out. Dan is as committed to many great causes and environmental issues as he is to growing a great Mustache.

8.)  The Roozt Stache – I saw this on the Facebook page of Roozt.com. The men of Roozt all did great jobs supporting the cause this Movember. This is no doubt a shameless plug for one of my favorite places to log on and buy apparel. Here you will find Conscious, guilt free shopping with a cause. Consider Roozt.com when you’re shopping this holiday season. I’ll be showcasing many of the “goods” they sell on my blog.

9.) The Old Western Bartender or “Tapper” Stache  -This is Brian my Cousin In-Law. When I sent out a texted picture of my Movember mustache to the family, this picture came roaring back at me and blew my ‘stache out of the water. I laughed for a good 10 minutes.

10.) The Rollie Fingers - Although this isn’t a current photo, you can’t talk about mustaches and not throw in the greatest mustache in sports history. The Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is still known to rock a great ‘stache 12 months out of the year.

11.)  The Ridiculously Disgusting Mustache – I found this Mustache online and it pretty much needs no explanation. It’s grossly impressive and it must drive the women crazy.

12.)  The Sex Symbol ‘Stache - Okay, this Burt Reynolds mustache is a far reach but a must have when talking about greatest mustaches. I added this because 1.) I still can’t believe this was considered sexy at one point in time, and 2.) I like a good laugh. I’m still speechless about this, but you got to admit the guy was cool as ice.

So there it is! if you were interested to know the countries that raised the most money for Movember, here they are . #1 Canada- (obviously because the mustache never went out of style like the mullet) #2 Uk, #3 Australia #4 USA  & #5 New Zealand. Shocking, no Asian continent countries at the top?  ;) Hope you Enjoyed this Post. Don’t forget to share with friends by clicking on the Social network share options and Please leave a comment. If you would like to submit you Movember picture please send to me via email or tweet to @EarthyUrban

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I had a long set up and cute story to set up this post  for my friend Penny Rebecca, But after reading her story on paper I realized there was nothing I needed to say or add to make this post more poignant. I would simply like to introduce you to my friend Penny Rebecca   I’m absolutely honored she would take the time to write her story for us for Breast Cancer Awareness Month  ”Pink…No Longer Just a color”

Pink…no longer just a color

Being a tomboy most of my life, pink wasn’t a color I was very familiar with, actually I think I went to great extremes to avoid pink and all the girly-ness associated with it.  That is until my world changed and pink was no longer just a color, but a symbol of hope, strength and survival.

On a balmy summer evening as I lay in bed reading, I placed my hand across my heart out of comfort and suddenly felt something strange.  While flat on my back, I noticed a dime sized bump protruding from the top of my right breast.  I turned to my husband and asked, “Have you noticed this before?”  He shrugged and suggested I go see my gynecologist the following week.  My doctor checked me out and concluded it must be just a cyst. After all, it didn’t bother me, it was mobile and being a marathoner who didn’t smoke, do drugs or drink alcohol and kept to a healthy diet and weight, I was one of the healthiest patients she had, She suggested I wait three menstrual cycles. At the age of 29 and in such good health, she figured the cyst would go away on its own.  I’m not sure how to explain it, but something in me said no, that’s not good enough, I want a mammogram to be sure.  She wrote my prescription and a few days later I was at the radiologist’s office having a mammogram and an ultrasound.  When the doctor looked at my films I was told, “it doesn’t look like anything to worry about, but if you would feel better, we’ll get a biopsy”.  Again my gut said to me to get it checked out just to be sure.  I headed to a breast surgeon, had the biopsy done and went on my merry way. After all 2 doctors had told me there was nothing to worry about and I was a 29 year old healthy women; it couldn’t be breast cancer!  I had to wait 2 weeks for the results so I headed to Aruba on vacation and tried not to think about it but now I noticed that little bump sticking out of the top of my bikini.

After vacation I came home and the craziness of back to school and coaching swept up most of my time and energy. I barely thought of that little bump at all until one night I came home to a message on the answering machine from my doctor asking me to call her.  When I got her on the phone she asked if someone was there with me, and then said something I will never forget “Penny, I can’t believe I have to tell you this, but you are the 3^rd woman under the age of 30 in the month of August that I’ve had to diagnose with breast cancer”.   I was in complete shock…me? Breast cancer?  My biggest fear in life had just come true; at the age of 13 I had lost my mom to an unrelated cancer and knew all too well that when it comes to battling cancer, you don’t always win.  I’m not sure what my doctor said after that but the next day I landed in her office and had some serious decisions to make.  Based on the pathology of my cancer (estrogen positive, progesterone positive and HER2 positive) I was told the cancer was extremely aggressive…I was diagnosed at stage 2; had I waited those 3 menstrual cycles, I probably would have been stage 4 and may not be here today to share my story with you.  That’s something that terrifies me; too many people would have just said, ok I’ll wait, it’s not a big deal, but thank goodness I didn’t.  I had a few choices of treatment, but the one that gave me the best chance of survival and the greatest chance of growing old was also the one that might kill me in the process.  Being the extremist that I am I figured I had no choice but to give this battle everything I had.  So as a beautiful 29-year-old woman who hadn’t had any children yet, I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy.  In my head I figured, no breast tissue, no breast cancer, but this decision was one of the hardest I have ever had to make. Being a confident woman has a lot to do with how you look and how others perceive you. I wondered if I would look different, and would I still be attractive?  I knew if I ever was blessed with children, that I would never breast-feed them, but I just wanted to live; everything else was meaningless. I also had all the lymph nodes on my right side removed and began the reconstructive process.

A month later came the really hard stuff, I had 8 rounds of chemotherapy which really took a toll on my body and caused me to lose my gorgeous long hair. Truth be told, I think that was harder than losing my breasts; I could feel my femininity slipping away and found it hard to look in the mirror. The chemo made me so sick that even my favorite foods weren’t appealing and I spent many nights sleeping on the bathroom floor, too weak to move after all the vomiting.  After chemo was finished I had a year- long infusion treatment called Herceptin, which is a medicine that targets the Her2 protein in the cancer cells.  Once that was complete I started on a medication called tamoxifen, a pill you take once a day that blocks the hormones that my type of cancer would feed off of.  The side effects of this drug were a lot to handle but I kept telling myself that if I could last the 5 years with the nausea, vertigo and headaches, that I’d be protected from breast cancer for the long haul.  I was lucky, I made it the five years.  Some people can’t tolerate the drug for the full duration.

Now here I am, 6 years since my biggest fear became my reality and I have to tell you that I’m better off than I was before.  I’m not going to sugar coat it, this disease kicked my butt and really forced me to look inside myself and find a strength I never knew I possessed, but it has also brought me so many gifts.  I learned who I really am and what I want in life.  I wake up every day and am glad to be alive. I speak my mind and tell people how I feel on a daily basis because I learned that life really could be too short, and there are no second chances.  I have been blessed with wonderful people who have supported me along the way and now stand by my side in an effort to spread awareness about the real face of breast cancer, the young women who think, “It can’t happen to me”.

So if you met me today you would probably think I’m a girly-girl or that pink is my favorite color, and I guess in some ways that is true.  I’m girly in the fact that I was forced to find beauty in myself and in the world when life seemed so unfair. I struggled for years to become “pretty” again as I adjusted to my new body and my hair grew back.   I now wear pink with the pride of a survivor and for all my “sisters” who continue to fight this disease.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  It is hard not to notice the pink items you can buy; the ribbons tied around trees and lamp posts and the countless races and benefits that are held to raise money and awareness about this disease.  I would say from a survivor’s point of view that October is bitter sweet.  The love and support you feel from people, strangers and loved ones alike, is immeasurable but the reality of your mortality and the battle you’ve been through and that you will keep fighting for the rest of your life is front and center everywhere you turn.   It is so important to get out there and do something, anything you can, to show your support in the fight against this disease.  Walk, run, donate, wear pink to show your support or just reach out to someone and listen to their story, which can help more than you will ever know.  I’m glad you took the time to listen to mine- Penny Rebecca

Thank You Penny for sharing your story. I could not explain in words how you inspire me and the respect and admiration I have for you and the light you shine on me every day. Thank You- Tommy

Aside form the traditional colors of October, Pink is seen everywhere. You may notice players in the NFL wearing pink the past few weeks as part of the their Crucial Catch campaign. You may have also seen products in the store supporting a pink label or packaging. Recently, at the Airport I saw a pink American Airline Plane, and a pink cement mixer driving down the street. I’m proud of all the Companies , foundations who get behind such an important cause. Share your thanks to Penny with me and let us know about other unique ways Pink showed up this October.

Learn More: Breast Cancer Awareness Month History , Breast Cancer Awareness Month org, Susan G Korman, NFL Crucial Catch

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There’s nothing I enjoy more than a bowl of cereal. I love everything about it. The texture, the perfect mixture of milk, grain and as an extra bonus, at the end of every bowl is that sweet surprise of flavored milk.  Cereal is probably the biggest weakness in my diet. Did I mention I love cereal? And not just any cereal, I like the sugar filled , Gluten filled, non Organic brands with artificial dyes that’s like pouring yourself a big bowl of diabetes each morning. Sadly, I eat it knowing full well that it’s bad for me, but I promise you it’s not all my fault.

I like to believe that my bad cereal addiction is the result of an 80’s brain washing technique that happened to a whole generation of people my age.  Don’t believe me? Here’s an example. It’s been 25 years and still to this day I know that:

• There’s a silly rabbit who can’t understand that “Trix are for Kids” -Trix Rabbit
• That following a rainbow to sugar covered oats with hard marshmallows becomes something “Magically Delicious.” -Lucky Charms
• I know that if I’m looking for colorful loops of sweetness I need to just “follow my nose, it always knows!”. –Toucan Sam
• If I take a corn flake and frost it with sugar “ they’reee Greeaat!” -Tony Tiger

I can do this forever, but I think you get the point by now and I don’t want to drive you “cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs“ -Sonny Rooster  The marketing geniuses of the 80’s knew exactly what they were doing when they brainwashed us during our Saturday morning cartoons.  They made us fall in love with cute lovable cartoon characters only to poison us with processed sugar, corn fructose and who the hell knows what preservatives. How could children have ever known that Captain Crunch was sailing them across a sea of addiction and poor diet.

The power of these characters and catch slogans are so strong it seems that every generation of children would fall into the same trap. I believed that there was no way out of this vicious cycle. That was until I stumbled upon a few new cereal characters that just might save the next generation of children. Meet Lilo the Lemur, Ping Panda, a Koala, Kinkajou and a Gorilla. These are the characters of a new kind of cereal that might just change the cereal game. Introducing EnviroKidz Organic by Natures Path Foods

Before I tell you about Envirokidz lets fast forward 20 years, since my brainwashing. I’m driving home after a long day of work. Like so often I didn’t eat lunch and by this time I’m starving.  Much like a pregnant women, I got a certain food on my mind and I’d kill to get it. The score I was looking for was Fruity Pebbles and nothing but that Fred Flintstone rainbow mush would do.

I storm into the supermarket straight into the cereal aisle and head right for my fix. Then in the corner of my eye I see a colorful box that for some reason is calling my name. There it was, a Panda sitting peacefully eating a bamboo leaf.  My first thought was “ What kind of sick bastard would eat bamboo flavored cereal?” Upon a closer view I saw that it was called “Peanut Butter Panda Puffs.”  If there’s something I love just shy of cereal that’s peanut butter, so now I’m thinking I have the best of both worlds.

There’s more to this story about how I stood in the aisle for 20 minutes contemplating the Panda Puffs or Fruity Pebbles, but it also happened to be a time in my life when I was not feeling particularly well and was trying to exercise and eat healthy. On the cover of the Panda box were the words “Gluten Free.” It just so happened that earlier that week I found out that my high school crush and friend just found out she had Celiac. It’s funny how situations pop in your life so closely related.  Celiac was a new concept to me and most of what I got from our conversation was that she needed to start eating gluten-free. In the spirit of her new diet I figured I would give it a shot.

Now, I wouldn’t lie to my readers in any case so I won’t start now. Was it the same as my normal sugar cereals? Absolutely not. In fact it took a few tries to get used to. But, by my third bowl it satisfied my cravings and I really liked the taste. It tasted just like peanut butter and I was happy with the choice I made.

At first bite I wasn’t sure if EnviroKidz cereals were something I would purchase and eat all the time. But, after reading the box I fell in love with the whole idea of Envirokidz and their philosophy.

I had the box in front of me while eating so I could look at the back of the packaging much like I did as a kid with my Lucky Charms. The difference this time was that I was actually being enlightened & encouraged reading this box. Unlike the Lucky Charms, when I probed the box looking to see what led based, China made swallow-able toy I was going to find at the bottom.

This was the type of box I would want my child to look at each morning. In fact, I lead by example, eating it at the breakfast table so that my nephews would want to be “cool’ like Uncle Tommy and have some too.  The box had a puzzle on the back which featured what else but a real panda. There’s also an easy to read paragraph about Pandas. Information about where they’re from, what they eat, and how Pandas are now becoming an endangered species. Inside the box provided more games and information from Defenders.org & Wildlifetrust.org on how you can get involved in saving and protecting endangered species like the panda. Wildlife appreciations aside, Panda Puffs are also very good for you.

The Nutrition information is very impressive. Panda Puffs are gluten-free, low in sodium, no artificial preservatives and no artificial additives. Stick that in your cap Captain Crunch. Envirokidz is also organic which means no pesticides, no synthetic herbicides and no Irradiation. The icing on the cake for me was the ecology benefits. Enriched, drought resistant soil, less soil erosion, less groundwater pollution and Improves farm biodiversity.  The box is also made with EnviroBox technology to help reduce, reuse & recycle.

Everything that was written on this box embodied ideas and concepts that I believe in and I was proud to chow down a bowl of cereal committed to these standards.

My meal had become an educational experience that enlightened me to many facts about Pandas I did not know.  I was also pleased to find out that each of the Envirokidz products focuses on a different endangered species, and they recently released healthy cereal bars too!

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better I read on the box that “ Every Year, 1% of Envirokidz sales go to species & habitat conservation and education programs. In a sense, I was helping lovable pandas just by purchasing this cereal.  Then that’s when it hit me. There is something I love more than cereal, and that’s being socially, ecologically and morally responsible while eating cereal.

At the end of the day it’s not about me. I’m a grown man who is still fighting the brainwashing marketing of my youth. But our children today deserve a better option. One that’s healthy, responsible and encourages them to think about the world they live in. I applaud Natures Path for taking a risk with a product like this and going toe to toe with the cereal giants who have held our children’s healthy in such poor regard.

I’ve since said good-bye to my childhood cereals and embraced Envirokidz. I feel great and I’ve shed a few pounds as well. Best of all, it still makes me feel like a kid but with adult responsibility.

Do yourself and your family a favor and check out EnviroKidz Organic

Have you tried Envirokidz? What did you think? What are other food products making a positive impact in the world?

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Could some one please tell me where Jeff Bridges came from and where do we find more actors like him? While growing up in the 80′s I couldn’t tell the difference between Jeff Bridges and Matthew Modine. The only Bridges I knew then was Lloyd and that’s only because I still laugh about how he “picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue” in one of the greatest comedies ever, “Airplane” Yet, here stands Jeff Bridges on top of the acting world with an Oscar win in 2010, a Nomination in 2011 and at one point last winter he had the top two movies in theaters.  For the past 25-year’s Jeff Bridges has done many notable films but in my opinion it was in 1998 that the whole world stopped and recognized Jeff as the brilliant actor and man he is. . That was the year of “The Big Lebowski” when Mr. Bridges played the lovable and infamous  “The Dude”.

After meeting Jeff years later I don’t think  “The Dude” character was too far of a stretch for him. Bottom line, Jeff Bridges is one of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet. He does things his way and he does it in a laid back style that any surfer or hippie would admire.  There are many reasons, some of which I’ll talk about, to praise Jeff Bridges as an artist. But, what I admire most about Jeff Bridges is his advocacy and philanthropy work for the betterment of humanity.  In particular, Jeff has dedicated much of his life to ending childhood hunger. He is the national spokesman for Share Our Strength- No Kid Hungry. It’s a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015.  If you haven’t heard of this before you could start by tuning into The Food Network Saturday April 14^th 2012 at 8:0o PM EST/ 7:00PM CST to get an idea of what Jeff’s mission is. It will be a heart-felt documentary piece called Hunger Hits Home. You can also continue reading to see how a regular Joe like myself and you could take part in ending childhood hunger in America.  In my opinion “The Dude” is one of the coolest characters ever portrayed on-screen but the true man who is Jeff Bridges is even cooler. At the end of the day a man’s character off-screen is what matters most to me and I think these actions should determine whom we look up to as heroes and idols.

I was a big fan of “the Dude’ the minute I walked out of the theater.  After “The Big Lebowski ” Bridge’s was on a role with movies like “The Contender and “Sea Biscuit.  Then of course there was the time I got the bamboozled into watching him play the role as coach Burt Vickerman in the teenybopper gymnastics movie “Stick It.”  Really Jeff? A gymnastics coach?  Trust me it wasn’t my idea to see this folks, I’m sure there was some girl I was chasing at the time. Needless to say “Stick It” was in my opinion a bump in the road in an otherwise glorious career. Burt Vickerman aside I always knew what a brilliant artist Jeff bridges was and what made The Dude more than just your everyday actor.  Bridges’ is an all around artist, which is refreshing to see today. He’s a brilliant musician as he displayed in “Crazy Heart” and an equally talented Photographer.  I had the good fortune of meeting Jeff bridges while working on a TV show back when he released ” Pictures by Jeff Bridges”. A coffee table book with collections of Bridges’s set photographs.  It’s a series of black and white photos that show the casual and humorous side of the likable actor. Jeff Bridges is indeed an all around artist, but even with all that what I admire about most is Jeff’s off screen work.

Way before I ever knew Jeff bridges as an actor  he has been doing work that really makes a difference and embodies the Earthy Urban mentality. In ’83, Jeff founded the End Hunger Network, a nonprofit organization determined to feeding children around the world. The organization used star power and the entertainment industry to spread awareness and generate action to end childhood hunger in the U.S. More recently The End Hunger Network has partnered with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry national campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Check it out at www.nokidHungry.com

I went to the website myself and learned some staggering statistics about hunger right here in the United States. I think we get so involved in giving to other worldly problems that we forget to see what’s going on right here in our own home. 1 in 4 kids in the U.S faces hunger! And I have the nerve to complain about not eating in a few hours. These are sad statistics and I wanted to help anyway I could. Once I went to the webpage I was surprised by how easy it was for me to do my part.  By simply giving your email address and zip code you sign the pledge to ending childhood hunger. Don’t worry about junk mail because there is none. Every once in a while you’ll get an email from Jeff,  or some nice folks named Billy & Amy who let you know how the fight against hunger is coming and ways you could help.   Jeff has made the pledge over 25 years ago and I’m proud to say that recently so have I. Once you have made the pledge you can spread the word with a click of a button and either chose to donate or act now. With all that’s been going on in the world I’ve stretched my wallet too thin for financial contributions so I clicked on the ACT NOW button. Here you will find more easy steps to help the cause and contribute in your community. I’ve decided to use the knowledge I gaining by spreading the word and Helping Los Angeles low-income families learn how to make healthy and affordable choices at the supermarket. It’s really simple and millions of children will thank you for it.

Visit:  www.NoKidHungry.org and make the pledge today.

Don’t forget to tune in to Hunger Hits Home: on the Food Network Saturday April 14^th at 8:00PM EST / 7:00CST

Watch Jeff Bridges on “Tavis Smiley” I have so much respect for him not only for his commitment and conviction to this project, but the answer he gave when Tavis asked him what winning an Academy Award has done for him. Check it out below:

What did you think of Hunger Hit’s Home on The Food Network? Jeff Brides is a pretty Earthy Urban dude. What other actors do you know who are doing some pretty great things for the betterment of our world?

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Welcome to EarthyUrban.com

EarthyUrban.com is my personal blog that celebrates the lifestyle nestled between ethically conscious living and a modern practical lifestyle. EarthyUrban.com is geared towards ideas and inspiration to hopefully help others develop their personal ethical lifestyle while keeping it practical. This page is an account of my personal encounters, experiences and thoughts that make me feel i’ve contributed even the smallest amount to the universe.

My name is Tommy aka. EarthyUrban.  In January 2012 I had an unfortunate start of the New Year waking up each morning with the hopeless feelings of emptiness and insignificance. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what was wrong. Maybe it was the fear of the unknown in the New Year, or maybe it was the realization of another wasted year gone bye. Whatever it was I was feeling melancholy and I didn’t understand why. Up to this point I felt I’ve been very successful.  I had my health, a good job, my own apartment, a nice car, great family and good friends. But something was missing.  For weeks I found myself staring in the mirror each morning searching for the answer. Believe me, there’s nothing tougher than looking at the face you see in the mirror and realizing you’re not the person you thought you were or want to be. That’s what I was going through. With all my success here I was empty inside.

There are those who say that the measure of success starts with a simple question, Are you living a life in line with your values? My whole life I’ve prided myself on my supposed values and the sad answer to that question for me was, No.

Years earlier while admiring my unique sense of earth-toned style a friend asked me, “What would you consider your style” without hesitation I answered “ I’m Earthy -Urban” hence the name of this website.  To me being Earthy Urban meant that although I dwelled in a fast past city life I always had a way of keep a hint of consciousness, spirituality and nature in everything.  I prided myself on making ethical decisions on everything from food and drink, fashion, style, travel, beauty to work and finances. But the daily grind of life got in the way of my values. Then, before I knew it there I was drinking out of plastic bottles from corporate giants and wearing sneakers made in a sweatshop. My cabinets and pantries were filled with processed supermarket foods and environmentally toxic household chemicals. My cloths were department store-bought from fashion designers who have brain washed me with ads telling me how I should look and feel. And, the extent of my charity had dwindled down to giving spare change to a local homeless man. I realized I lost my way long ago. I’ve walked through life smiling and consuming, but at the end of the day– I need to ask myself what have I contributed? What will I leave behind? Have I made today any better than it was yesterday? Did I teach anyone something new? Did I help better humanity or the planet? So, when I asked myself, am I living my life according to my values?  The painful answer was, No.  I’ve hit a point in my life when that realization had come to surface and in order to help others and save myself I needed to do something.

But what could I do? I wasn’t exactly good at anything and I had no special skills. I’m the typical case of a jack-of-all-trades and a master of nothing.  I’m just a Jersey born guy living in Los Angeles pounding the pavement and punching the clock everyday. How was I going to make a difference?

For weeks I thought about what skills I had that I can use to make even the slightest change.  In the end I came up with three things I knew I could do. In fact anyone one could do them.

“Well,” I said to myself “I like to give my opinion, I mean everyone has an opinion right?”  “Oh! And I can make choices.”  I can handle that I mean life is nothing more than a series of choices, we don’t always make the right choices but we need to make them everyday. Wow I’m talented huh? And finally, I guess like most American’s I’m a great consumer. Human beings are great consumers. Seems that all we do is consume in some way or another. We consume food, resources, entertainment, pop culture, fashion, music, even philosophy and ideas.

Then that’s when it hit me. “I know what I can do, I can live a more conscious ethical lifestyle and write about it!

Since I wasn’t producing or creating anything that made humanity better I could at least showcase those who were. I wanted to showcase both small and large companies creating ethical services and products.

The first thing I did is resign from my current job. I don’t recommend doing this, but I clearly wasn’t happy and I wanted to devote my talents to projects and causes I was passionate about. Following my dreams has always been a top priority for me.  Personally, I took some money and started making lifestyle changes that were good for my healthy, my mind, my home, the environment, and humanity as a whole.  I bought organic homegrown goods. I started replaced clothing and home goods with fair-trade and one for one. I replaced toxic chemicals in my life with natural and green. I donated and engaged in charities I believed in, and started admiring those who were engaging in noble acts throughout the world. But, Most importantly I started a life of Service through volunteering. By far the Greatest change in my life. I’m convinced now more than ever that  A life of service to helping others is the key to happiness.

I really want to follow through on this and I knew that if I wanted to do so that I would need to proclaim to all that I was now attempting to be a more conscious consumer and they in return would hold me accountable. I wanted a journal, a voice so to speak so I created EarthyUrban.com.

Earthyurban.com is a practical guide to conscious lifestyle choices for people like me.  This is not an “in -your–face” green blog or some plan to save the world. I want to provide simple information and opinions without the boring science and statistics.  I imagine that I’m writing this to my friends and family, who like my former self, think they’re too busy to make ethical choices in their life. Not because of lack of caring, but because of the lack of information and know how.  In researching new products, services, people and organizations I’ve stumbled upon thousands of ethical choices for all aspects of my busy urban life.

So enjoy my product reviews, rants and stories, but please keep several things in mind.  I’m not a scientist, I’m not a writer, I’m not an economist and I’m definitely not a preacher. I’m a regular guy living a somewhat regular life. This is my hobby not my profession. I’m not perfect and I’m learning much of this as I go. For the green and already ethically conscious folks, much of this information will be elementary.  The stories are meant to entertain, inform and give you a little peek in on my life. The opinions are based on my own experiences.  I would never insinuate that my opinion is right or better than anyone else. If I could simply introduce you to something new or give you some insight about your current choices then that is enough for me. Most importantly I’d like you to be entertained and involved.  I encourage your help and feed back.  Just maybe it will spark something within you that could make even the smallest change for the better. Together we can make a difference for civilization and ourselves by being conscious of our choices.

So, What are you thinking? What people, places and products would you consider Earthy-Urban? Leave a comment & I’ll talk to you soon.

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