Two Pleasant Surprises at The Mall

Today while shopping at one of my local malls, I was walking by a store called The Body Shop when several things in their window caught my eye and I was pleasantly surprised to see the following:

Yes, a mainstream store that is proudly proclaiming the fact that they are against animal testing and 100% vegetarian! I stopped in the store, where I found three lip gloss tubes for $10 (and they were made in the UK, not China!). At the register, they had a paper where you could put your name and e-mail address to receive information about efforts to end animal testing around the world. Naturally, I put my name down and they gave me a coupon as a thank you for doing so. When I got home, I looked at their website and found that the proceeds from some of their products are donated to charities dedicated to stopping child sex trafficking, domestic violence, and HIV awareness. Pretty awesome, isn't it?



A little while after I bought my lip glosses, I came across another store called LUSH. I saw on their sign that they sold handmade soaps and bath products. I love handmade soap, so I decided to take a look and see if any vegan soaps were available. As soon as I walked into the store, I saw several product signs with stickers that said "vegan" on them. In fact, about 98% of the products in the store were vegan (according to the store clerk, the few non-vegan items contained lanolin and honey). I was in heaven! I bought a bath bomb called "Phoenix Rising" ( purple color, apple cinnamon scent). I haven't tried it yet, but it smells wonderful. Another awesome thing about LUSH is that they take a VERY strong stand against animal testing and make every effort to ensure that their suppliers treat employees fairly. Here are two quotes from their website:

". For LUSH where we buy our ingredients from is the first opportunity we have for influence. One of our first priorities is to ensure the material and the company doesn't test on animals, a policy we've run for over a decade. We always try to deal direct with a producer if we can to get as close to growing or making it as possible. We are also fortunate in what we don't buy, for instance unnecessary packaging. By selling naked products you can afford products with the best quality ingredients and we save the garbage men a job. Really, it's about mutual respect. Respect for you and your wishes to buy great products with ethical and sustainable natural ingredients. It's respect for our suppliers, who have a right to earn a decent wage and it's respect for the environment that can provide the ingredients. It's not always an easy path and we have had plenty of hurdles but it is ultimately greatly rewarding and led us on some great adventures, too!" (https://www.lushusa.com/Ethical-Buying/about-buying-intro,en_US,pg.html)

and

"LUSH is firmly committed to a policy that not only inhibits testing our products and ingredients on animals, or engaging with third-party suppliers to do so on our behalf, but that also prohibits buying any ingredient from any supplier that tests any materials on any animals for any purpose. This policy is unique in the cosmetics world and is pioneering a new way to stop animal tests for cosmetics. LUSH runs a Supplier Specific Boycott Policy. By doing this, we give an economic incentive to suppliers and have convinced two companies to switch to cruelty free practices as a result. If a company will alter their practices, we will buy their goods." (https://www.lushusa.com/Against-animal-testing/about-animal-introduction,en_US,pg.html)

LUSH is headquartered in Canada, and their products are made in North America as well.

So if your looking for a alternative to the traitors known as Urban Decay (who recently had their "leaping bunny" certification REVOKED due to the fact that they are now selling in China, which requires them to test their products on animals. Check out this care2.com article for more info.) , you'll definitely want to give the Body Shop and LUSH a try. It's always feels good to know that you're supporting companies that are friendly to both people and animals.

Here are the companies websites:

The Body Shop:
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/

LUSH
http://www.lushusa.com/

Product Review: HerbanLuxe Vegan Mascara

Hi, I'm back with another vegan product review! Recently, I have been looking for 100% vegan eye makeup that is also safe for sensitive eyes. As you know from previous reviews, I found a great vegan mineral eye shadow on Etsy (from a seller called MadisonStreetBeauty ). Since then, I'd been looking for a vegan mascara. I looked at the offerings from the mainstream brands that don't test on animals, but all of them contained non-vegan ingredients. So I decided to check Etsy and was happy to fins a seller called HerbanLuxe who makes vegan mascara in both black and brown. She had a sample size of brown mascara for a total of $8.50 including shipping, so I decided to give it a try and bought it. The mascara arrived this afternoon and I tried it on immediately.

I LOVE this mascara. I wore it for about 5 hours (mostly indoors, except for walking the dog) and even spent 20 minutes jogging (again indoors) while wearing it. There were no smudges or clumps and it did not irritate my eyes. It should be noted that this mascara is NOT waterproof, so I wouldn't recommend wearing it if you know it will rain or there's a high chance you'll cry. But if your looking for a high quality, affordable vegan mascara, I recommend that you give one of the ones below a try. I for one will definitely be buying the full size version when my mini one runs out!

The mascara comes in both black and brown, with mini and full size versions of both available. The full size costs $12.50 including shipping.

Brown Mini Mascara $8.50 including shipping. Get it here: Brown Mini Mascara




Brown Full Size Mascara $12.50 including shipping. Get it here: Brown full size mascara



Black Full Size Mascara $12.50 including shipping. Get it here: Black Full Size Mascara



That's all for now. Bye!

Book Review: Eating Animals

 I love reading and I'm low on cash, so I like to visit my local library and check out books. I especially love non-fiction political style books because they make you think. On my last trip to the library, I picked up a copy of "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. I just finished it last night, and it is a great book. I really like it because it goes in depth about exactly what happens on modern farms. Mr. Foer spent over three years researching the book and it shows. He personally visited a couple of different factory farms (including once in the middle of the night with an animal liberationist) and got a first hand look at what goes on. The book includes pieces written by factory farmers, a couple of small family farmers, and animal rights activists. He talks about his upbriging and the food culture of his Jewish American family. He also talks about how he waffled between meat eating and vegetarianism for years until he decided to find out where meat actually comes from after his son was born.

  The chapters in titled "Influence/Speechlessness" and "Pieces of Paradise/Pieces of Shit" are particularly good. In "Influence/Speechlessness", he describes the horrific conditions on poultry farms. He talks about not only the suffering of the birds, but how modern poultry farming puts humans at risk. Humans are put at risk by poultry farming in two main ways: the birds are housed in cramped spaces, which means that diseases such as the flu can easily spread from chicken to chicken and from chicken to human (hello bird flu!). Because of this risk, the birds are given routine anti-biotics, which end up in entering the human body when the birds are eaten. This contributes to the development of anti-biotic resistant bacteria.

 In "Pieces of Paradise/Pieces of Shit", the author describes the conditions on the hog farms owned by Smithfield, the largest pork supplier in the US. The book describes how Smithfield often disposes of the pigs shit by simply spraying it up into the air. The shit contains poisons like carbon monoxide and cyanide, which are released into the air (scary). This has caused the rates of respiratory illnesses such as asthma to skyrocket in towns near pig farms. He also mentions how workers near the waste pits have fainted from the smell, fell in the shit and drowned in it! He goes into detail about the inhumane gestation crates and includes quotes by workers who talk about beating the pigs to death. In a later chapter he includes the account of a worker (at another farm) who admitted to cutting off a pigs snout and then rubbing salt in it in order to cause more pain.

In short, if you want to educate your meat eating friends and family about what they are really supporting when they buy meat, then give them a copy of "Eating Animals". It will definitely open their eyes. Those are my thoughts on the book. Bye until next time!

Vegan Review: Muir Glen Organic and MorningStar BBQ Riblets

As everyone knows, fresh, home-cooked food is healthiest. However, if you're like most people you are often too busy to cook, so sometimes it's nice to have things like frozen dinners on hand. I have recently tried two new vegan quick-fix meals: Muir Glen Organic Southwest Black Bean Soup and MorningStar Hickory BBQ riblets.

 Muir Glen Soup:
I really liked the flavor of this one. It has some of my favorite vegetables like beans, onions, and peppers. It was spicy but not too hot, at least in my opinion. Since it contains beans, the soup is a fairly good source of protein and only has 130 calories. The bad thing about it is that it's full of sodium (680mg). That being said, as long as you're not on a sodium restricted diet and don't eat foods like this regularly, it isn't all that bad. The best thing about the soup is that it requires no preparation, you simply heat up and eat. Muir Glen Organics makes two other vegan soups (lentil and tomato basil) and all of them are clearly marked vegan on the front of the label. I always like it when I don't have to read ingredients! I'm glad that I got two cans because I definitely plan to enjoy this soup again in the future. If you want to purchase the soup, you can find a store locator at www.muirglen.com

MorningStar Hickory BBQ Riblets:

When I first became a vegetarian, I really liked MorningStar products and ate them quite a bit. Unfortunately, only four of their meals are vegan (and only two of those meals are available at stores near me). The other day I was looking in the veggie meals section of the frozen foods and saw the Hickory BBQ Riblets. I hadn't seen these before, so I decided to take a look at the ingredients. I was very pleasantly surprised to see the words "100% vegan" at the bottom of the nutrition label. I loved BBQ when I ate meat, so I decided to give these a try. I am very glad that I did because they are DELICIOUS! Even my omnivore mother said that they smelled delicious and she wished she could try one (she has a soy allergy). If you're looking to introduce BBQ meat lovers to vegan food, I'd highly recommend these "riblets". I doubt that they'll even notice that they are meatless unless you tell them! I look forward to eating these riblets again.

FYI: The other MorningStar Vegan Meals are Vegan Veggie Burgers, Sweet 'n Sour Chick'n, and Vegan Chick'n Meal Starters. You can see if they are available in your area via the store locator at http://www.morningstarfarms.com
Anyway, those are the reviews of my latest vegan culinary adventures. Talk to you again soon!

Vegan Makeup!

I'm not the kind of woman who wears makeup everyday. Unless I'm doing something really special, I usually go makeup-less. That being said, every once in awhile I get in the mood to wear it again. I hadn't purchased any makeup since I became a vegan, so I wanted to make sure the make-up that I bought was cruelty free. I also have the added issue of being allergic to the ingredients in many mainstream make up items, so I also had to make sure they were hypo-allergenic. Here are my reviews of a couple of the items that I purchased.

1) Mineral eyeshadow from Madison Street Beauty at http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadisonStreetBeauty

Reg. Price: $5

 I LOVE eyeshadow, but since my eyes are very sensitive, there are only a few types of eyeshadow that I can wear without my eyes watering. I had heard that mineral eye shadows were supposed to be great for people with allergies because the ingredients are more natural, so I decided to give them a whirl. Thankfully, I found a wonderful Etsy shop that sells handmade mineral makeup called Madison Street Beauty. I LOVE this shop because of their very wide selection of vegan items, and the fact that all of their items are all-natural, talc free, hypoallergenic, and of course are never tested on animals. They were having a great 60% sale when I bought my eyeshadow, so I was able to get two of them for about the same price that you would pay for one in a regular store. The colors that I bought are "Heliotrope" (the dark purple) and "California Sun". So far, I have worn the California shade. I wore it for about 4.5 hours indoors and I really like it. It didn't bother my eyes at all and there was no visible creasing. The store is currently listed as "on vacation", so you can't purchase anything right now, but I'd advise you to sign up to be notified when they re-open. I know that I will definitely be a repeat customer!

California Sun

Heliotrope

2) Physician's Formula

  Another makeup brand that I like is Physicians Formula. There foundations are wonderful for sensitive skin, available at mainstream stores, not tested on animals, and they make some of their products in North America. Unfortunately, you have to be careful because some of their brushes are made with animal hair (yes, I know, yuck). However, I can recommend one of their foundations which I have used that is 100% vegan: Mineral Wear Talc-Free Liquid Foundation. It is easy to apply and doesn't bother my skin. I like the fact that it has a built in applicator. You can find a list of Physician's Formula's vegan products here: http://veggiebeauty.com

There are many other cruelty free cosmetics companies out there. A great resource to help you find them is PETA's Cruelty Free Companies list. It is a list of companies that have certified to be cruelty free. The list even tells you whether or not the company is vegan. On the flip side, they also have a list of companies to avoid. You can find those lists at PETA's cruelty free companies list .

Until next time, have fun with being beautiful inside and out!

Teriyaki Tofu Recipe

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a very experienced cook. I usually avoid cooking whenever I can. However, since I've become a vegan I have found it necessary to cook from time to time (eating frozen veggie dinners every night can get tiring and isn't always healthy), so today I decided to pick up some raw tofu and try out a scrambled tofu recipe. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the recipe with me to the store and forgot about some necessary ingredients. I didn't want to eat a frozen dinner tonight so I decided to look up another tofu recipe. Before I became a vegetarian, teriyaki chicken was one of my favorite meals. I was curious to see if there were any teriyaki tofu recipes out there. The first result that popped up was from the Care2 website. I took a look at it and it looked like it was very easy to make.All that needed to be changed to make it vegan was a simple substitution of agave for honey. I said to myself "why not give it a go?" I'm glad that I did. The recipe was very easy to follow and it turned out great. The only negative thing about it is that it is not a quick dinner. It requires anywhere between 45mins to 2 hours 20 minutes to prepare.  The reason it takes so long is that the recipe says to let the uncooked tofu marinate for anywhere between 30mins-2hours. I marinated it for about 1 hr 50 min and then it took about 20 minutes to cook the tofu. If you have the time, letting it marinate for close to 2hrs is worth it because it was delicious in my opinion.

Here is the recipe (original is here: www.care2.com )
INGREDIENTS
1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup good-quality tamari or soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated, including peel
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey (I used agave nectar )
grated rind from juiced lemon, to taste
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular flour)
black pepper to taste
oil for frying
1. Combine tamari, ginger, lemon juice, honey, and lemon rind in a small bowl.
2. Place tofu slices in a single layer in a baking pan and pour marinade over them. Turn to coat. Allow tofu to marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours.

3. Remove tofu and reserve marinade.
4. Combine flour and pepper on a plate. Dip tofu slices in flour mixture, turning to coat.

5. Brown tofu in oil, about 5 minutes per side, adding oil as needed. When all slices are browned, add reserved marinade and simmer 10 minutes.

Here is how it turned out for me:

Vegan Acne Fighters.

According to acne.org, over 1/2 of adult women suffer from acne. I am one of them. Thankfully, my acne is mild but it can still be a problem. Up until a few weeks ago, I was using the typical over the counter drug store acne fighting pads that I had stockpiled before I became a vegan. When I noticed that I was running out of the pads, I took a look at the ingredients and realized that they probably weren't vegan. So I went to Wal-Greens to see if I could find any vegan acne products that didn't cost an arm and a leg. While I was there, I saw a bottle of witch hazel astringent. I decided to go home and do some research before I bought it. I looked it up and saw that many people had found that witch hazel worked very well on their acne. I found a store brand for about $2 and decided to give it a try. Here is what I like about it:

1) It has only two ingredients: witch hazel and alcohol.
2) It has worked well for me. I usually have flare ups right before my period where I get several large white heads/pimples. This month my flare up was much less severe. I only had 2 very small white heads develop.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, natural vegan acne treatment, I highly suggest witch hazel. If you look for it in the store, keep in mind that it is used to treat cuts and scrapes.  Therefore, look in the first aid section if it's not with the skincare products.

In addition to the witch hazel, I also clean my skin by alternating between a facial mask and a cleanser. For the mask I use Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado and Oatmeal Mask. It's a good pore cleanser and best of all, the company is vegan! You can get Freeman products at most major grocery stores.


For the cleanser, I use Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin. It leaves my skin fresh and I like the fact that it is made by a company that is both vegan and made in the state of Florida. You can find this cleanser at local health food stores and online at www.aubrey-organics.com

That's all for now!

Product Review: ZenSoy Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding.

  Growing up, I always loved it when I opened my lunchbox to find that my mom had packed me a  pudding cup. I didn't care what flavor the pudding was, I loved them all! Pudding was one of the things that I missed when I went vegan. One day I was walking past the frozen section of my grocery store when I thought that I saw the word "soy" on one of the dessert packages. I took a second look and was very happy to see ZenSoy pudding sitting on the shelf with the word "vegan" on the package! They had three varieties: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Chocolate/Vanilla swirl. Since I love both chocolate and vanilla, I decided to get the swirl cups. This pudding is delicious! It has a rich "creamy" taste. I'd bet that if you gave this to a vegetarian or an omnivore without telling them that it was dairy free, they wouldn't be able to taste the difference. Some of the other things that I like about the ZenSoy company are that they do not use GMOs and donate 5% of all profits to organizations dedicated to protecting pandas. Also, all of their soybeans are US grown and organic. The only thing that I can think of that would make ZenSoy better is if they added tapioca and banana flavors to their line.

If for some reason you can't or don't want to eat soy, there's good news for you! ZenSoy has just released an almond-milk version of the chocolate pudding and a line of vegan gel snacks (neither of which I have tried yet).

I paid just under $3 for a 4 pack at my local Publix (a mainstream chain store in the South). It's a bit pricey, but if you want to treat yourself, I think it's worth it. If you can't find the products in your local supermarket, you can order them online at zensoy.com The site also has a store locator. Amazon.com lists the puddings as "coming soon" and will allow you to sign up to be notified when they are ready to ship.

Have a wonderful Easter and I'll talk to you again soon!

A Few More of My Favorite Things!

It's time for another edition of my favorite things, which features wonderful vegan items from Etsy sellers! Keep in mind that I may not have actually purchased anything from the sellers listed here. All prices listed include shipping in the USA.


Vegan Mandolin Strap $30 from Islandprovisions1
 If I played the mandolin, I'd definitely buy this strap! I LOVE the peace sign! They also sell guitar, and ukulele straps in the same design.

Peace Flower Necklace $21 from Purpleandlime

This far out necklace features peace signs, flowers, and faux suede. You can't beat that!















Vegans Do It Better Tank Top $23.50 from LittleAtoms

This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Be sure to check out this shops hippie-themed items as well!

Peace To All Creatures Zine $8 from Gingercardco

I have several of volumes of the "Peace to All Creatures" zines (but unfortunately not this one...yet!). They are always chock full of great tips about living a vegan and eco-friendly life. I highly recommend this zine!

And now a little self promotion:

Team Veggie Pinback Button/Badge/Magnet $3.95 from my shop: TheVeganHippieFreak

This is my newest vegan themed creation! This is a button, but I can also make it into a refridgerator magnet upon request. If you would like a magnet, just put the word magnet in the notes to seller section at checkout. If that area if left blank I will send a button.
The button/magnet measures 5.7 cm (2.25 inches) and was made with recycled paper!

About Honey

One of greatest debates in the vegan world is whether or not honey is vegan. Some people see no problem with honey and will continue to eat it while avoiding meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products. Others, like the Vegan Society and the American Vegan Society, see it differently. Their official stance is that since bees are animals, honey is not vegan. After much research, I have came to the conclusion that The Vegan Society is correct and I have completely given up honey. Some of you may be asking "why would you do that?" The reasons are simple: bee's collect honey for the hive to use as food. They do not give it to us of their own free will, we have to take it by force. Therefore, when you take honey from the hive, you are stealing the bee's food. Secondly, there are reports of beekeepers sometimes killing bees deliberately, so there is a chance that cruelty may be involved. So in light of that information, it becomes clear that it is best to avoid honey.

If you are used to using honey, you can take comfort in the fact that there are vegan substitutes available. One of the best is agave nectar. Agave nectar comes from the agave plant, which grows in the Southern US and Mexico. It is used as an ingredient in Tequila, and can be used to replace honey in anything that calls for it. I bought my first jar of agave nectar yesterday and I really like it. It tastes different than honey, but it is very sweet and delicious. You can pick up several different types of agave nectar at most natural food stores. In some areas, it may also be available at mainstream stores like Wal-Mart and Target (which is where I bought mine).

For more info on why honey isn't vegan, please see the following article:
Why Don't Vegans Eat Honey?

Thanks for reading and God Bless!

Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone Review

A few days ago, I developed an allergy to the patchouli scented deodorant that I posted about a few days go. That meant that I had to throw it out and start my search for a vegan deodorant all over again. I remembered seeing an interesting product at my local health food store called Thai Deodorant Stone, so I decided to research it a bit. I found the stone on Amazon.com and saw that it had lots of favorable reviews, so I decided to go down the the store and purchase one. I have worn it for two days now, and so far I really like it. It's MUCH more effective than the patchouli scented deodorant, that's for sure! I worked out in my yard in 80 degree heat for about 30-45 minutes and it held up very well. The stone is made of 100% mineral salt and the company that makes it (Deodorant Stones LLC) proudly states in large letters on their front page that they are against all forms of animal testing. The stone is aluminum free although it does contain potassium alum, which is similar to but not the same as the aluminum chloride in conventional deodorant/anti-perspirants. The deodorant comes in several different forms: a small and large stone, small and large stick (exactly the same as the stone, but in a holder), roll-on, spray, and powder. The stones are a bit pricey, ranging from $4 for the small stone to $10 for the largest. However, it should be noted that the Deodorant Stone website says that the travel sized stone lasts over three months and the largest stone lasts over a year. If those claims are true, you will definitely get your money's worth! Overall, I think that the Thai Deodorant stone is a good product and I recommend it.

Where to buy:
Most health food stores
www.deodorantstones.com
http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Deodorant-Stone-Stick-4-25/dp/B000AN1JEI

Vegan Lip Balm

I often suffer from dry, cracked lips. Unfortunately, all of the lip balms I found in the stores contain lanolin, beeswax, or both. I went online to see if there were any vegan lip balms available. I found some, but they are about $5 for ONE tube. Also, there's the fact that I live in Florida where it's often 80 degrees in Jan. If it had to stay all day in the mailbox, it would be reduced to a puddle! Thankfully, I found a recipe for lip balm online. I was also able to order empty lip balm tubes on Etsy. They arrived today, so I decided to make my first batch tonight. After some tweaking (the recipe makes 15 tubes, while I made less than 10) and some mess, I finally have 8 tubes of cruelty free lip balm. I made 6 of them plain, and used candy flavoring to make two cherry flavored tubes. It feels great to know for a fact that my lip balm is free of animal testing/ingredients, weird chemicals, and slave labor. The balm feels great and makes my lips very soft. The recipe I used is below. You have a choice of different oils. The ones I used in my balms are in bold.
You'll need:

1 oz hard wax (soy wax works well)

1 oz solid-at-room-temperature oil (coconut oil, avocado oil, mango butter, or shea butter)

.75 - .8 oz another additional hard-at-room-temperature oil (cocoa butter, floral waxes, or palm oil/vegetable shortening)

2 oz liquid oil (jojoba oil or olive oil)

Essential oils (optional, your choice) - maximum 8 drops for each lip balm

Microwave-safe cup or bowl with pour spout

Digital scale sensitive to at least .1 oz (a postage scale will usually work for this)

Stirring spoon

Dropper (I didn't have a dropper, so I bought a $2 flavor injector syringe which worked very well)

Lip balm tubes/jars/tins (up to 15)

1. Place your microwave-safe cup on the scale and turn it on. Measure your oils and waxes into the cup.
2. Place it in the microwave and heat in 30-second increments until almost completely melted; remove and stir to finish melting.
3. Add 8 drops of essential oils for each lip balm (use any combination of essential oils listed below, just make it a maximum of 8 drops per balm).
4. Stir the oil in very thoroughly to prevent separation, then use the dropper to dispense the balm into the containers.

Allow the balm to completely cool and harden before applying a cap. This recipe makes about 5 ounces of lip balm, enough for about 15 lip balms in a typical 1/3 ounce container.

Recipe source: How to Make Vegan Lip Balm | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450466_make-vegan-lip-balm.html#ixzz1l0pmmFCg

 

I bought lip balm containers like this in black. You can get 10 of them for $5 including shipping at CountrySoapShack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that's all for now. If you decide to try this recipe, please tells us what you think. Toodles!

Beautiful Healthy 71 year old vegan

When your friends and family question whether or not being a vegan is healthy, show them this video! She looks AMAZING!

Non-violent social activism

 Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day in the US. Dr. King was a great man who is one of my personal heroes. For those of you who don't know who he was, Dr. King was an African American Baptist preacher who became one of the most famous men in America in the 1950s and 1960s. He was famous for standing up for the rights of minorities and the poor using non-violent activism. He help organize the Montgomery bus boycott, which lead to the desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery Alabama in the late 1950s. He helped to lead many peaceful protest marches and demonstrations against racism and segregation in the 1960s, including the March on Washington where he gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He was the victim of violence on multiple occasions, including having his home firebombed by white supremacists. Even though people used violence against him, he never sought revenge. He taught others to turn the other cheek and practiced what he preached. Sadly, this peaceful man was murdered for his beliefs in April 1968. He was taken from us too soon, but his spirit and his message will always live on.

In honor of Dr. King, I present some tips on ways that you can be a non-violent advocate for people and animals in you everyday life.

1.Speak up. You can do this in several ways. Read PETA's action alerts, sign petitions, and call or write your state or federal representatives and urge them to oppose bills that hurt animals and support those that help them. Another great way to speak up is via Facebook and Twitter. Post links to animal rights websites and articles, notify your friends about animals that are available for adoption, or share yummy vegan recipes.


2. Go mobile! You can spread the message of veganism wherever you go by wearing animal rights message shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. As I have said before, seeing you wearing these things often makes people curious, and that can lead to great teaching moments. Another good thing to do is keep a few vegan info leaflets (on recycled paper if possible) with you so you can give them to people who are interested in learning more.

3. Tabling. See if you can get permission to set up an information table at your local school, business, library, store, etc. You can have poster boards with pictures and info, a video playing, leaflets, coupons for veggie burgers, and more. If possible, provide samples of vegan food so people can see for themselves that we eat more than salad.

For more tips, see this great article from Vegan Outreach. The article goes in depth about how to starting tabling and leaf letting.

Remember Dr. King's message and keep standing up for the animals.

New Buttons!

I recently bought a professional 2 1/4 inch pinback button machine and have started making and selling the buttons on Etsy. I have made several vegan themed buttons that I'd like to share with you. All of my buttons are $2 with $1.72 First Class shipping worldwide.

#1. Vegan Quote Button. Click here to see more or purchase.

#2 Meat is Murder. Click here to purchase.

#3 Vegan Quote Cow Button. Click here to purchase

 # 4 Vegan Hippie Freak. Click here to purchase

This one says it all!



Earthlings documentary

A couple of nights ago, I re-watched the documentary "Earthlings". I had seen it before about a year ago when I was a vegetarian, but I thought it would be good to see it again as a vegan. "Earthlings" has been called "the vegan maker" and once you've seen it, you can see why. The film exposes the horrific abuses of meat and dairy farming, fishing, whaling, circuses, and the fur trade. The images are graphic, but powerful. It presents evidence that I believe even the most ardent omnivore can't ignore. The image that sticks with me the most is the footage of the dog that was SKINNED ALIVE at a fur farm. It was truly sickening to see that kind of abuse, but it needs to be seen. I'd definitely encourage everyone to see this film at least once, even if your already a vegan. It's a great film to show your non-vegan friends and family if they really want to know why you are a vegan. Best of all, you can view the movie legally for FREE at it's official website http://www.earthlings.com/

Once you've watched the film, feel free to come back here and give me your impressions of it. I'd love to hear your input.

Shit Vegans Say

This video is kind of funny.

Vegan Gift Guide Part 2.

Christmas is around the corner, and if you're like me, you're a procrastinator (although I actually made/got most of my gifts early this year). So I thought that I'd continue my vegan gift guide that I started a few posts ago and include some examples this time.

Books:

All of the following titles are available at your local bookstore, health food store, or amazon.com

Vegan Freak by Jenna/Bob Torres

This little book is wonderful for new vegans. It gives great advice on how to deal with and respond to any criticism that you may face from our often non-vegan friendly world. The thing that I like best is that the authors are honest and humorous. One warning though: You may want to think twice about this one if your recipient is easily offended by profanity as there is quite a bit of it. But for those without "sensitive" eyes, this book is a damn good resource to have.

Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Moskowitz
This is the granddaddy of all vegan cookbooks. Trust me, you can make some kick-ass meals from these recipes. No vegan should be without it!

Being Vegan by Joanne Stepaniak

This book consists of answers to questions that the author as received through the years. It answers many of the basic questions that people have about veganism and is great for both new and experienced herbivores.

Clothing and Accessories

Herbivore Necklace $21 on Etsy

Herbivore Dino T-Shirt $18 on Etsy

A super cute way to get the message out!

Meat is Fucking Murder Patch $1 on Etsy

This is perfect for those who go for a more "in your face" approach.

Against Animal Testing Shirt $30 on Etsy

Other gifts

Vegan Lip Balm $3.75 Etsy

It can be extremely hard to find vegan-friendly lip balm (most major drugstore brands have animal ingredients) so many vegans would love to find this in their stocking!





Vegan magnet $5 at Cafepress
This is a nice way to let guests know that no animal based foods are allowed in the fridge.

 Have a very Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Joyous Kwanzaa!





A Vegan at Disney World

Christmas is coming up, and for many that means traveling to visit family. For a lot of people, that travel will include a visit to Disney World. I decided that it would be a good time to share some of my experiences and tips as a vegan Disney lover.

To say that I love Walt Disney World would be an understatement. I practically grew up there. The first time I visited the Magic Kingdom was when I was 3 months old, and I've been to it and the three other parks hundreds of times since. My dad and I are certified Disney nuts, so we go to the parks every chance we get. Epcot and the Magic Kingdom are tied for my favorite park, but I love Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney MGM Studios) and Animal Kingdom as well. Some of my favorite rides are Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Dinosaur (aka Countdown to Extinction), Mission: Space, and Splash Mountain to name a few. The Disney resort hotels are also wonderful. So far I've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, The Polynesian, The Yacht Club, The Pop Century, Port Orleans Riverside, The All Star Music resort, and All Star Movie Resort. I've visited (but not yet stayed in) the Contemporary, The Grand Floridian, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. My favorite hotels are the Wilderness Lodge because of the Native decor, the Polynesian because I love Hawaii, and the Pop Century because they display many items related to my favorite TV shows and music.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian visiting Disney for the first time, you may be a bit apprehensive about the food situation. You may be wondering if you'll find anything that you can eat beyond iceberg lettuce. If so, let me reassure you that the Disney Parks offer a vast amount of yummy animal free food! I have not visited Disney as a vegan yet, but I did go a few times after I became a vegetarian and I never had any problem finding food. Their veggie burgers, which were vegan the last time I was there, are delicious. Also, the Disney chefs and cooks prepare food for MILLIONS of visitors from all over the world every year, so they are no strangers to special orders! Here are some tips from my experience to help you during your visit:

1. If you have any questions, please ask to see a chef. My mom has many severe allergies, so she often has to ask about ingredients. One time we were eating at one of her favorite restaurants in the Magic Kingdom called the Liberty Tree Tavern. She had a question about a menu item so she asked the waiter who offered to get a chef. He came out to the table and was very polite and helpful. He informed her that the meal she was planning to order included french fries that were prepared in shellfish oil, which she is highly allergic to. My mom and the chef discussed the items that she couldn't eat and he made her a special meal. I've have heard that they will also do this for us vegans. So if you see a fun restaurant that you want to try that has nothing vegan on it's printed menu, don't automatically rule it out. Ask to speak to a chef (preferably when you make your reservation if you are going to a table service restaurant) and see if you can work something out.

2. As usual, buffets are your best friend. They have the most ingredients to work with and I've been told that some chefs will walk you through the buffet if they have time and tell you the ingredients of any questionable items.

3. Epcot is probably the best park for food lovers. A large portion of the park dedicated to what is called the World Showcase. It is divided up into pavilions which are built to resemble different counties. The countries featured are the US, Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, Germany,Italy, France, the UK, Norway, and Morocco. Each Pavilion has at least one restaurant (some have two) where you can taste the unique cuisine of that country. My biggest piece of advice for veggies at Epcot is to avoid the restaurants in the China Pavilion. I haven't ate at those restaurants since becoming a vegetarian because according to the AllEars website (listed below), all of their food is cooked with beef stock. However, if you see something on the menu that appears veggie friendly, ask about it because they could have changed in the meantime. If they have, let me know because I LOVE Asian food!

4. Veggie burgers are available at counter service restaurants in the various parks. Some of the restaurants such as the ones at Epcot prepare them fresh with each order, which is great. The only problem is this means that you will likely have to wait awhile for your food, especially at lunch and dinner times! I'd advise you to try to eat a little bit early or late if possible to avoid that hassle.

 5. One of the best things to do is research the restaurants before you book your trip. One of the best websites I have ran across is the AllEars site. It is chock full of info on Walt Disney World written by visitors. it contains more info than Disney's official site, and the vast majority of the info on the site is very reliable. The best part is that they have an entire section of the site for vegan and vegetarians, including a list of all the vegan items that are available at each restaurant. It is regularly updated and maintained by a vegan woman. It really takes the guess work out of meal planning! The guide is divided into three sections: Counter Service (parks), Table Service (parks), and Resorts Table Service. You can find them at Vegan Park Counter Service , Parks Table Service , and Resorts. You might also want to check out these links: Vegetarian Disney Dining Strategies and A Vegetarian at Mickey's Table

Have a fun filled vegan vacation at Disney!

Vegan Men and Stereotypes (The Herman Cain Statement)

As you may have heard recently, GOP candidate Herman Cain recently made some pretty insulting remarks about vegan men. In an interview with GQ magazine, Cain reportedly said that "manly" men like their pizza's covered in meat and that veggie pizzas are "sissy pizzas". You can read the full quote and story here: http://www.ibtimes.com

This got me thinking about some of the stereotypes surrounding vegan men. Unfortunately, many meat eaters do see veganism as "girly" and will attempt to paint vegan men as weak or effeminate. Statements like the one Cain made reveal a defensiveness about meat eating (because deep down they know it's wrong) and a deep seated homophobia that is sadly still common in this country. All I can say is I am very glad that I decided to join the Green Party because they actively support and speak up for both animal and gay rights!
Once, when I told two older male friends of mine that I vegan, one of the things they said to me was something to the effect of "well then how is a guy supposed to take you out to eat?" Obviously they assumed that all straight men are meat eaters. Many people seem to think that traits such as kindness are a bad thing for men to express. As a woman, the thing that I find most attractive in a man is a caring heart. I like men who are not afraid to express their feelings and stand up to injustice and cruelty. I would love to marry a vegan man one day and raise one or two happy, healthy vegan kids. What the people who believe this stereotype don't realize is that it takes tremendous strength to go against the crowd and speak up for what is right! Vegan men deserve a lot of credit for staying true to their beliefs in spite of such nasty attacks.

If you are a vegan man who is in need of some support, I would encourage you to visit Vegan resources for vegan men It has links to several articles and books written for vegan men by vegan men.

What do you think about the stereotypes about vegan men? Have you or anyone you know experienced prejudice because you are a male vegan? Feel free to leave a comment and tell me your story.