31-08-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksI got a GREAT and inspiring message from Bill Jensen!
I send him the blog I wrote about the simplicity lecture I had at my work.
Irene:
Thank you so much!
My goals were obviously focused on how to help
you and others at work.
But as you keenly observed, I also had a higher-level definition of success...touching people like you in a way that helps all of us focus on things beyond work...
That maintaining NICE in one’s total life also yields great results at work.
Thanks again,
Bill J
Wow! that's so nice of him!
He obviously mastered the technique of managing e-mails because he send one back right away! (and I just cleared my mailbox for the first time this year!)
I hope this simplicity lifestyle really becomes a way I can improve my life at work.
To NICE my life for sure!
25-08-2010 | Posted by: Marius HordijkYou know those moments when you sit in a bar, in a restaurant or on a terrace and whoever you are with leaves for a second, for instance to go to the bathroom? You're all alone for a couple of minutes, what do you do? Right, you grab your phone. You read the news, text a friend, check your Facebook, you tweet about sitting alone on a terrace, well, just about anything to not just sit there.
And this is what I'd like you to try, the next time it happens: just sit there. Don't worry about others thinking you're all alone. Look around, listen, think, anything, as long as you just sit there. It's not going to change your life, but you might find it a nice experience.
22-08-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaLast time I went to Whole Foods in MIami, where I am at the moment, I've got one of my favorite magazines "Whole Living".
While reading it, I came across something I thought was worth sharing it with you guys.
well, I found this article about a Journal! But not any kind of journal. It is specifically dedicated to health/diet/fitness. It is made in way that you can track your goals and results in a creative and fun way. like this it will be easy for you to stick to healthy life style.
I thought it was great idea. Right way me and my girlfriend did order one of these journals for each of us. I can't wait to get back to New York and start using it!
By the way, I have to tell that Whole Foods in MIami is GREAT! Lots of fresh tropical fruits, organic greens and huge selection of raw food items. My new favorite is Raw Almond Butter. I put it on my sprouted toast every morning!
love, Val
visit the website to order your journal!
12-08-2010 | Posted by: Marius HordijkAs you might know, I am writing about training for a 10 kilometer running race and my first triathlon in September. Here is my new note:
Okay, I think it is official: I am not a bad runner, I think I can survive cycling and I might be the worst swimmer in the world. I have attended four swimming training practices of a triathlon club in Utrecht and I have done or understood the following:
03-08-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksHaha!!! Sorry just kidding!
Here it is for real!
At my work we had a nice lecture from Bill Jensen about simplicity.
(No! not the electronics kind but the work kind)
It was about how you should manage your time at work.
Basically he said:
DO LESS!!!
Filter all the crap you receive trough phone and email and try to perfect the art of work not done.
Work you shouldn't do or doesn't need to be done.
Every hour of meetings, calling and reading mails is only 5 minutes for you!
Of 325 pages of info only 5 you NEED!
Ask yourself what is in it for me!
Prevent information overload.
Every 550 days mails, texts and messages DOUBLES!
So pay attention during meetings!
(don't check phone and mails)
2 to 4 hours are wasted on communication
This also about respect!
Treat your collegues like you would want to be treated!
Nothing is getting simpler without someone saying it!
Find the guts!
There are only 1440 minutes a day!
You don't get any more!!!
Interesting right?
If you want to know more?
Check out Bill Jensen's Simplicity survival handbook
And for tips on his website
22-07-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
My dutch friend Jeroen Koeman from Ecotulips is doing an amazing job! What is that job? He is trying to change the flower industry by making it organic! You would think that all flowers that you buy in markets are organic, but fact is that most flowers and plants are grown with a lot of chemicals and pesticides. This is bad for the bees and for other animals, and of course the ground they grow in. Ecotulips is offering beautiful, organic flowers. I will profile this company a bit more in the future.
For now I received an email that you can get a discount until August 1st!:
"Hello eco-friendly friends!
This message is for every eco-friendly farmer/gardener in your network.
eco-friendly organizations and farmers this year a chance to purchase organic bulbs for a low price, to support organic gardening.
Our pre-season bulk sale gives up to 80% discount to all:
Order deadline August 1st.
Help me reach my goal to increase the market share of organic flower bulbs from 0.1% to 1% in 3 years!
Visit http://www.ecotulips.com/categories/Pre-season-bulk-sale and click on the “like” button, thanks!
Together we can make it a better world, send this message to your eco-friendly friends!
All the best,
The Tulip Man"
will you order organic tulips for your community?
Picture: "The Tulip Man" Jeroen Koeman and his tulips
22-07-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksThe day before yesterday I burnt myself during cooking.
I spilled some carrots next to my wok and tried to grab them, when reaching over I accidentally burnt myself to the pan and in reflex I pulled my hand UP (which was more towards the pan!!! Aahhhhh AUW!)
While being busy trying not to waste my meal I kind of finished with the start of the vegetables etc. Cleaned something up and THEN I started to cool my hand!
Dumbdumbdumb!
I should have stopped whatever I was doing and started to cool right away! Now it ended up hurting all the rest of the evening! I had icecubes on my hand all evening until I put a bandage on it, so I wouldn’t hurt or damage it during my sleep. Which was great! When I put the bandage on it was better instantly!
So now I have a big red spot on my hand and it still kind of hurts a little.
So but what should I have done? I looked it up and I didn’t do everything totally wrong, thank goodness:
During the process of providing first aid burn treatment, the aim must be to cool the burn, provide relief from pain, and cover the burn. Cover the burn with abundant amount of cold liquid. Do not use ice or iced water as the burn may take a longer time to heal. Dress the burn with a sterile pad or bandage. Applying oils, creams and sprays on the burn may add to the risk of infection.
OK so the icecubes weren’t a good idea! Oops! I absolutely didn’t know that! And thank goodness my boyfriend stopped me from smearing cream on it! The bandage was OK and it helped really well!
So all in all I cooled too much, too late but the rest was fortunately OK
Doing a first aid course might be something we should all do! So we all know how to treat our clumsy accidents as well as the really serious ones!
18-07-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksToday is Mandela day!
At the London celebrations of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday at Hyde park in June 2008, Mandela said: : “It is time for the next generations to continue our struggle against social injustice and for the rights of humanity. It is in your hands.”
After this it was decided to celebrate his birthday every year with a day dedicated to his life’s work to ensure that his legacy continues forever.
So what is Mandela day?
(source)
I think Mandela is such an inspirational person!
Sometimes I feel: how can we change? How can I make a change? And whenever I think of Mandela, I think WOW! He really did it! He made such a big change, not only for himself, but for the entire world!
Hopefully people will continue feeling inspired by him and really pick up the torch from him and try to make an imprint on the world!
I‘ve put 67 ways to change your world on the forum, so everyday can be a Mandela day!
It really is in your hands!
13-07-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksThis week it’s Amsterdam International Fashion Week (AIFW). All week all through Amsterdam there are many events and shows, some of them are open for the public but most of the fashion shows are by invitation only.
If you follow me on twitter, then you’ll know that I am such a fashion junky!
I always check all the fashion shows in New York, London, Milan and definitely in Paris! I watch them all on my style.com iPhone app. And load all the pretty ones on my twitterpage.
A few weeks ago Lonneke surprised me with an invitation for a fashion show in Amsterdam. She got invited to Ready to Fish_, a brand by Ilja Visser. Since Lonneke is still in New York she couldn’t come to the show herself and asked if I could come instead! (JEEEE thanks LONN!!!)
Well, Yesterday was the show, and it was absolutely FAB!!!
The models came from stairs down to the catwalk. And guess where I was sitting!!! Right NEXT to bottom of the stairs! So I had the absolute most fabulous view ever!
All the clothes were very light and flowy with supercute tailoring. I totally fell in love with this stained marble-like light brown silk fabric they used for jackets, pants and dresses. Overall the whole look was perfect for summer, it looked very feminine and HOT!
Check out my pictures on the forum
Next show I will go to is on Friday, then will be the launch of the Green Fashion Competition, of which Lonneke will be the ambassador and member of the jury. After the launch there is a show of a sustainable collection by Kentroy Yearwood for RANGAKU.
Can’t wait to see that!!!
12-07-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelI just bought an amazing book!
The first page caught me: A picture of the burnt out control room of Reactor 4 in Chernobyl. More intense it can't get I thought.
This book has a great lay-out, it is easy to read, with pictures accompanying it to explain. It looks good so it is already a book good for your collection of amazing books!
The book is a few years old, but it looks like some of the issues are still very much happening right now.
What is it about? This book is a book the design of the world. What are the challenges? And what are the solutions? I am figuring them out right now :)
what do you think of this book or Bruce Mau? Leave it here.
30-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelFigs I like very much, also the dried ones.They are excellent snacks if you are hungry. Both versions are very healthy and this is what I found on Wikipedia:
"Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber. According to USDA data for the Mission variety, dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs. They have smaller amounts of many other nutrients. Figs have a laxative effect and contain many antioxidants. They are good source of flavonoids and polyphenols.[3] In one study, a 40-gram portion of dried figs (two medium size figs) produced a significant increase in plasma antioxidant capacity.[4]"
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,041 kJ (249 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 63.87 g |
| Sugars | 47.92 g |
| Dietary fiber | 9.8 g |
| Fat | 0.93 g |
| Protein | 3.30 g |
| Thiamine (Vit. B1) | 0.085 mg (7%) |
| Riboflavin (Vit. B2) | 0.082 mg (5%) |
| Niacin (Vit. B3) | 0.619 mg (4%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.434 mg (9%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.106 mg (8%) |
| Folate (Vit. B9) | 9 μg (2%) |
| Vitamin C | 1.2 mg (2%) |
| Calcium | 162 mg (16%) |
| Iron | 2.03 mg (16%) |
| Magnesium | 68 mg (18%) |
| Phosphorus | 67 mg (10%) |
| Potassium | 680 mg (14%) |
| Zinc | 0.55 mg (6%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendationsfor adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database |
|
And on top of that, Anne-Marie got me hooked on this organic Greek yogurt by Stoney Field Farms called Oikos!
It is much fresher, thicker than regular yogurt, and I love it in the summer.
I take the plain version, and add the fresh figs in it! It is sooo good! I add a little bit of agave syrup (or honey).
It is refreshing and yummy a great dish for the summer!
25-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelI just started reading this amazing book by David Wolfe, talking about The Beauty Diet®. It is called Eating for Beauty, and I think you should read it, if you want to become healthier and more beautiful!
For you who don't know who this David Wolfe is, he is an expert in the field of nutrition, especially raw food, and what he calls "Superfoods". In "Eating for Beauty" he explains his nutrition plan to achieve beauty, and it is not about restriction, but about adding in amazing super foods. (Sounds good!).
When I went to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC, he came as a guest speaker and was very captivating. He was like giving light almost that was how positive he was about the world and food! He believes in raw foods, as they have the most enzymes and most life in them. (not heated over 120 degrees Fahrenheit). He works with pictures called Kirlian photography, that show how much energy is in each food item. What you see in this way of photographing, is rays of light in different parts of the food. When you do this with raw foods, there are more and stronger rays, then when you do it with cooked or processed foods. You have to see it to understand so click to this page for the explanation: Kirlian photography.
There are certain foods that have so many good qualities, minerals, antioxidants or other good things in them, people call them: Superfoods. David Wolfe believes eating those kind of foods helps your cells function better, which could help you become the healthiest and most beautiful you can be!
David LOVES food, raw and vegan. He says there are so many varieties and colors in plant based foods, that eating these nutritious foods are like orgasms for your taste buds !( his words not mine!) I think he especially likes avocado, as his nickname is supposedly David "Avocado" Wolfe!
Some things he says in the book stayed with me for a while. He is absolutely right: Positivity is the way to go about food, not restricting, dieting, or being afraid of it! Your thoughts, and actions in every part of your life are connected to the way you look and feel. That's what I believe too!
Here are a few quotes I thought were very powerful:
"If you want to become beautiful, you have to become that type of person on the inside first, and then attract beauty to you. It seems to work this way in all facets of life"
"The logic of "You are what You eat" implies that those who wish to become healthier should eat the healthiest foods. Those who wish to beautify themselves should eat the most beautifying foods"
David Wolfe actually started to offer those beautifying foods, with his company: Sunfood nutrition. You can find their products at many health food stores, and supermarkets. Their range of products include raw cacao powder and beans,coconut oil, goji berries,aloe vera and hemp seeds to name a few.
I think David Wolfe is amazing inspiring person. I really think you should try one of his foods ( so yummy!) or read one of his books. Besides Eating for Beauty he also wrote Naked Chocolate (all about chocolate) and The Sunfood Diet Success System (in which he explains more about his theory of fresh, raw and vegan (super) foods).
David Wolfe has so many good things about him that it is too much to tell you in this post! So better go check him out yourself!
22-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaToday I want to share another great recipe. It's super easy to make and very beneficial for your health. I have to tell, the ingredients you'll need for this recipe I'm sure you have in your fridge right now, but you never think to combine them all together. So, let's see:
- 1 or 2 bananas
- 1 apple Gala
- 2 cups of spinach
- 2 cups of fresh water
Put everything in blender and run for 30 sec or until everything blends very well. That's it! The Green Smoothie is ready:)
It's so yummy, you wouldn't believe it! Don'tt worry about spinach, you will not taste it at all. All you taste is bananas and apple! But spinach adds so much vitamins and minerals to this drink!
You can have it for breakfast or dinner or as a snack in between the meals.
If you like this recipe, later you can experiment with different greens: kale, arugula, mint, romaine etc. As well as with fruits: you can use blueberries, pear, melon, mango..
This smoothie contains so much nutritions that your body craves, that you will loose your cravings for unhealthy food.
Love, Val
20-06-2010 | Posted by: Eyal Amir
Eco Kingdom. Making our homes friendlier to the environment shouldn't take more then a few simple steps. My responsibility as a real-estate broker, who happens to love this planet, is to give you some tips to help you upgrade your apartment/home into an eco-friendly kingdom. Step One: ENERGY - we should all support renewable energy, like wind power, green power or even solar power. These days, big companies like Con Edison give us easy and affordable solutions to make this change. Go to: http://www.conedsolutions.com/residential_green_power.html to get more information. Of course, there are many different companies who offer different programs to fit our needs. Please research the web to find the program that best fits you! Step Two: RECYCLE - As citizens born into a consuming society, it is impossible for us not to create trash on a daily basis. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything about it. Actually the solution is pretty simple. Get 3 trash bins and make one for paper, one for plastic and metal and one for biodegradable/compostable trash. Make sure to divide your trash into these 3 groups and always place it in the right bin. There are companies like Tiffany Carting Corps who take your trash and make sure to keep it divided until it gets to the right recycling plant. Go to http://tiffanycarting.com/index.html to get more information about it. Step Three: WATER – We must use our water resources wisely, as it is one of the most important pillars of our planet! Don’t waste water! Use it wisely and with extra care. Personally I recommend installing water filtration systems to the general pipelines of your apartment and, if it turns out to be too expensive, you should start at least with your kitchen pipeline. Go to http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com to compare and contrast various water filtration systems. Step Four: ECO-FRIENDLY HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS – we all use many different products to ensure proper housekeeping. From cleaning products to personal hygiene products and also products to improve the lives of our favorite pets. Almost every product that we purchase can be greener and better for the environment. These days it is very common to find green solutions in almost every drugstore. You can also shop online in stores like http://www.greenhome.com. Step Five: GREEN DESIGN – Personally, whenever I see a piece of furniture that I like laying on the side walk, I take it, clean and sanitize it, and use it for my personal use. If you don’t like used or second-hand furniture pieces you can shop for eco-friendly furniture. There are many stores to choose from, http://www.eco-furniture.com is a website where you can find some great options. We can find endless ways to make our homes greener and with time I will give you more tips that I have found to be useful. As of now, you can start by applying the simple tips mentioned above. Please do, and make a difference! Eyal.
20-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelNothing feels as good as a nice warm shower! Feeling the water on your skin, relaxing after a busy day, or waking up after a good night sleep. I love taking a shower!
I don't really shower long. It is not good for your skin ( skin loses elasticity and moisture) but mostly because it is not good for the environment, or your pocket! (Wasting Water= Wasting Money). But taking a shower (shorter than 10 minutes) is better than taking a bath. A bath is about 110 liters of water, 5 minutes of showering is about 55 liters of water.
You do have to keep the shower clean to avoid nasty build up (and bacteria). I have a few tips how to make your shower look the best!
TIP1: Buy a shower squeegee to wipe off your the walls of your shower, or your shower cabin, after each shower session, to avoid build up. If you have a shower curtain, use your towel after drying off, to clean the curtain. This all will save a lot of work because if the build up dried up, it is very hard to scrub it off later.
Ecover has a great window cleaning spray that cleans glass surfaces without stripes. You can buy it at Wholefoods among other places, and is ecofriendly.
TIP2: Clean your shower and bathroom with (white distilled) vinegar! Just wipe away the dirt and stains with a damp cloth with a b it of vinegar. Et Voila! Everything is shiny clean. Environmentally friendly and cheap!
TIP3: Buy a little stool that can't slip, for in the shower. You can use it to sit if you cannot stand for long periods of time, for when you need to shave your legs you can use this to lean on, or you just put your showergel and shampoo ( preferably organic or ecofriendly ones!) It is safe!
What else do you need for a nice showering session?: bodyscrub(gloves), a file for your calluses, bodywash, shampoo, conditioner, clean razor . Make sure you have this ready before you take a shower, as it saves showertime.
Do you want to be even better for the environment? You can install a water saving shower head. Some of them can also filter the water, and prevent harsh metals and other stuff to get into your hair (which can make your hair color dull)
And to top your sustainable conscience, you pee in the shower.
Yes that's right! A brazilian campaign shows people that it is saves water! And on top of that, peeing over your feet keeps your feet healthy. (for real!)
Enough reason to take a nice, but short, shower I think!
12-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelYou know a baby can put a lot of pressure on the household, and also the environment. Think about all the clothes you have to wash after just one burp attack. Or all the toys you buy or get. And of course the diapers, that you use A LOT for your baby.
When I was shopping, I came across a flyer for a dutch shop: Kaatje Katoen ( "Kathy Cotton"). The flyer and website are in Dutch, but what was interesting is, that they sell washable diapers. The modern kind is much more fun than the ones my parents used for me ( Yes, I was a washable diaper baby). Those classic ones where horrible, with that cotton cloth, and plastic diaper u had to tie around the baby.... those days are over!
Because now there are different brands who offer nice diapers, that are washable. Like Itti Bitti ( see picture on the left), a diaper made of fleece or fleece velours, in many different bright colors, with buttons to close.
Or the diapers of Tots Bots, like the Bamboozle, made of sustainable bamboo. You do need a plastic wrap for on top, but these days those wraps are much nicer!
All the washable diapers have in common, that they are comfortable for the baby, but most of all: create much less waste. And that is something to keep in mind in this era of overconsumption.
I am gonna give one to my sister to try out with her baby boy. I mean, it is a colorful present!
What do you think of washable baby diapers?
08-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaAll right, I am probably obsessed with tea! I just love to have my warming cup of tea every day. At home I have huge collection of herbal, green and white teas.
I recently bought super cute reusable tea container (made with glass, not plastic!) to take it with me when I go to work or when I'm traveling.
So, what I do is: before I leave my home, I pour hot water into my tea container, add few (or alot!) pieces of fresh ginger and few leaves of jasmine tea. And it seats there, brewing for an hour or so.
When I open the lid, ginger aroma is so refreshing and warming that everyone around me wants to have a sip;)
Either you are a ginger-fan or someone who looks for natural remedies to boost your immune system, you will love this recipe!
love, Val
03-06-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksYesterday I went to such a nice workshop!
My sister Agatha really likes to bake stuff, from cookies to pies to cupcakes.
And they always look and taste extra fun! They either have Hello kitty shapes or bright pink icing or glitter, harts or stars sparkles on them!
They are fun to watch and a party to eat (and a dental nightmare haha!)
She loves to make them, and I love to eat them! Perfect!
Well she asked me and some friends to join her on a princess-cake workshop. I immediately said YES! Of course that seemed super fun! No idea what it was, but hey it’d be fun anyway.
We went with four girls and we all had in mind what we were going to make.
In the end all four looked absolutely FAB!!! It’s a shame to cut them!
Hopefully they will taste as good as they look!
Check the forum for pictures!
01-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelDo you know one of my favorite destinations ever, is a Bed & Breakfast, location to be discussed, somewhere on an amazing place on earth?
Why book a Bed & Breakfast if you want to book a holiday?
Let me give you 6 reasons why I do so:
1. it is usually much cheaper than a good hotel room. You can find nice B & B's for under 100 dollar a night.
2. The people who own the B & B are usually very friendly, and can tell you more about the city or country where you stay. This way you get the inside scoop on things. (Best places, Best restaurants etc.)
3. The owners are in my experience very hospitable, and really want to make sure you enjoy your stay to the fullest.
4. The Breakfast is better than in hotels, as it is made "with love" by the owner, and sometimes they even bake something special for their guests.
5. If you book a B & B, you almost feel like you own the whole place, and you have people to take care of the property. Because most B & B are small, they only have a few rooms (even only one) that they rent out. So it is very private.
6. It is very romantic, so perfect for a romantic getaway with your partner.
Great right?
You can find many Bed & Breakfasts in Great Britain, USA & Canada, or Europe.
24-05-2010 | Posted by: Irene Dirks
Finally it’s Sunny! I’m so happy it is finally summertime!
Most people like me that work at an office find it very hard during the long months of fall, winter and spring to catch a nice daily doses of sunlight. In the wintermonths you arrive in the dark and leave in the evening when it’s dark again! So now whenever the weather starts to clear up and the sun shines it is lovely to be able to be outside A LOT!!!
It is actually very important to catch some sunlight everyday!
Since 2002 there has been a discovery by a professor at Brown University that in your eyes there are a type of photocells that regulate your biological clock.
For example: If you work in a place where there is no natural sunlight (like a mall) then it might be possible you don’t see any sunlight all day. This could result in feely sleepy and tired during the day and can’t sleep at night, because your body doesn’t know what time it is. It’s like creating your own jetlag!
If you then would make a habit out of catching some sunlight every morning without sunglasses. (Sunglasses block the light from coming into your eyes. So if it’s too bright it’s better to wear a cap instead)
This resets your clock every day and you don't have these problems anymore!
13-05-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelAs I believe you can't do everything at once, can't be all perfect at once, I do everything step by step.
Right now, I am looking into ways to filter tap water at home, so I can kick my plastic habit!
There are many different ways to do so... Some products filter better than others. Well known brands that help you get cleaner water from your tap, are Brita, Natura Water,Aquasana and Watts.
What I think I want is a seperate tap next to the kitchen sink, where the filtration system is attached to. That way I never have to bring big plastic gallon bottles to my apartment!
And that is saving energy, creating less waste and plastic.
Not to mention the better taste, maybe even better than the expensive bottled water brands out there!
Also, I want to attach one to my shower head, as the heavy metals, and chlorine in the water is not good for my skin, nor for the color of my hair.
Do you have any great filtration systems you think I should look at? Please leave your ideas in the Community link below.
Thanks in advance!
13-05-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelMy favorite new discovery is Intelligent Nutrients. Skincare, Haircare and Aromatherapy!
When I was at ABC Carpet in NYC, a magical place where they sell a lot of beautiful and organic things for yourself and your home, I found a rack with great products from this brand.
I spoke to the manager, Marisa Gubert, and was intrigued with this brand.
Why?
The packaging is very simple and beautiful. On the packaging it tells you about what Intelligent Nutrients stands for. Which is pure, organic, ethical, cruelty free, organic products, in recyclable packaging, and good for you.
Founded by Horst M. Rechelbacher,this brand focusses on plants and aromatherapy, with the goal of creating sound nutritional products for both a healthier personal ecosystem and a healthier planet.
Horst also started the Aveda company years ago before he sold it to Estee Lauder.
More information I found on his site:
"Horst was voted one of the most notable Austrians living in America by the Austrian press, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wolfgang Puck. Vanity Fair magazine voted Horst as one of the most influential environmentalists in the U.S. in 1995 and again in 2005. Horst is one of the three original founders of Business for Social Responsibility, which promotes the idea that businesses have the greatest responsibility and opportunity to provide sustainability to all living species. In 2004, he became a founding member of the Organic Center for Education, Research and Promotion, and the beauty industry awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2007, the International Congress of Esthetics and Spa presented Horst with the Crystal Award, and he received the Rachel Carson Award for a Lifetime Commitment to Environmental Ethics & Integrity. Later that year, the Spa & Salon Professional Association Incorporated honored him as an Industry Innovator & Legend for his lifetime contribution to the cosmetology industry."
But that's not all!
Right now I am reading the book Horst wrote:
It is an easy read and gives a great insight in the leadership of Horst M. Rechelbacher, of one of the most innovative skincare companies in the world! He gives tips and advice how we all can make this world a better place, including offering good products that respect people, nature and animals, which in his opinion, is the only way we can guarantee a safe future of Planet Earth.
I AGREE!
Intelligent Nutrients and Horst M. Rechelbacher:
I am a big fan!
10-05-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksYesterday for mother’s day me and my mother went to Amsterdam together. We wanted to go to a quite new museum in Amsterdam called the Hermitage.
As you may (or may not) know the Hermitage in Russia is one of the BIGGEST museums in the world. With a lot of very important pieces of art! The Hermitage in Amsterdam is linked to this museum in Russia and is able to exhibit these wonderfull pieces too.
Right now there is a exhibition called “from Mattisse to Malevich”
It’s like a tour through art history from the painters that were inspired by van Gogh, Cézanne and Gauguin and started to paint not only nature but painted for the art of painting itself.
That resulted in:
The paintings were in more wild brushstrokes and bright colors. The movement itself was called fauvism (fauve = wild in French)
A few weeks ago I saw on TV a VERY proud museum director that went to St Petersburg in Russia and was able to borrow Matisse’s “Dance” from the Russian Hermitage.(The painting voted as most important painting of the 20th century, because it is seen as the start of modern art) They had help from KLM (Dutch royal airlines) which send the biggest airplane that has ever landed in st. Petersburg before, to be able to send this HUGE painting to the Netherlands.
Immediately I texted my mother to ask her when will we go???
Yesterday was the last day that “Dance” was able for sighting and this painting will be send back to Russia early. So we were happy to be in time to see it!
But although this was the most important painting (and the biggest), I think that without this painting the exhibition is still very much worth the visit. I found it amazing to be able to see all these masterpieces all in one museum and it took me at least three hours to see them all
But not only that!
There was a complete story in the order of the paintings you had to watch them. It starts with Matisse, follows the complete story of him, Picasso, Kandinsky and other famous painters of that age like Van Dongen, De Vlaminck, Derain, Marquet etc. and ends with a painting of Malevich which is a painted black square on a white surface.
This is where the realism completely ends and abstract art starts!
Hopefully there will be an amazing exhibition like this one about that age too!
Then I’m sure I will visit it again!
23-04-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
12-04-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksEvery year it is guessing which will be the next great big summer hit.
All it takes is just a beat that sticks in your head, lyrics that can be hummed while driving to your holiday destination, and which makes you do a silly dance you can do after lots of drinks?
According to the radio in NL the next big summerhit will be “Alors on danse” from Stromae
I thought it was so unusual that it was worth blogging about.
First of all it is in FRENCH!
But it wouldn’t be the first summersong in a language no-one understands (remember the ketchup song? Or Dragostea din tei?).
I wonder if they are right.
A little bit early in the year to say already isn’t it?
What is your favorite song so far?
Please let me know in the forum?
00-00-0000 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
05-04-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
02-04-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksLast week I asked on the forum if anyone knew a good handcream.
Since the cold this winter, I’ve had the worst dry hands ever!!
And nothing seemed to work.
My hands would itch all the time, and sometimes started to bleed too!!
Tajna was so nice to give me a good tip.
She recommended Sheabutter, and to put a lot on my hands before going to bed.
(Thanks Tajna!)
I decided to search for sheabutter in the bodyshop.
(I figured they must have it, since they have so many bodybutters, seemed logical to me)
And I was right they had a whole line of sheabutter products.
They had bodybutter, douchelotion, bodyscrub etc.etc.
So many choices so I decided to ask for some advice in the store what to take.
And there the girl gave me an even better tip!
Hemp Hand Protector!
For extremely dry skin.
She also advised me to buy these bio-cotton gloves so I could put a nice thick layer on my hands before going to bed.
(That seemed familiar to the tip from the forum!)
So I bought the cream and the gloves and tried it last night.
My boyfriend made so much fun of me wearing my white gloves, hahaha!
But I didn’t care because I was sure it was going to work.
And this morning the result was indeed a lot of improvement!
So happy about that!!
Tonight again! And tomorrow, the day after that, and then, and then…
Until my hands are supersoft!
oh can’t wait!
02-04-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
31-03-2010 | Posted by: Mallory June
31-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
30-03-2010 | Posted by: Mallory June
23-03-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksSpanish actor Antonio Banderas is appointed as a new Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development programme (UNDP).
He will focus on poverty and will push for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to halve world poverty compared to 2000.
“Poverty robs us of our potential as a people, preventing us from being all that we can be,” Antonio Banderas said.
The millennium goals are 8 globally agreed targets with a 2015 deadline
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Halve the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day
- Achieve Employment for Women, Men, and Young People
- Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
- all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
- Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005
- All men and women have the same rights by 2015
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
- Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
- Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
- Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
- Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
- Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it
- Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmenta
l sustainability
- Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources
- Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss
- Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
- By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
- Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system
- Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries
- Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States
- Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term
With only less than five years to go there is still a lot of work that needs to be done!
Let’s all wish Antonio Banderas good luck in his new role.
22-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
20-03-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksYesterday there was some good news here in Noord-Brabant (south of the Netherlands).
The plans to create megastables for the meat industry are definitely over.
There were plans to approve the meat industry to grow larger and larger again and again ( the name MEGA says enough right?).
This has serious consequences for the animals, the people and nature.
With so many animals stuffed together there are many risk for illnesses, viruses, parasites and bacteria.
These could eventually spread onto humans (remember swine flu?).
Also there is a huge and still increasing use of antibiotics, which causes the animals to become resistant, which increases the risks of creating even more illnesses that could transfer onto humans.
What’s also very damaging for the surroundings is the amount of fine particles in the air (coming from intensive stockbreeding)
Which causes many respiratory problems and even early death.
Of course there is a huge overload on manure coming from these megastables, which is terribly bad for the soil, the water and the air
And then I didn’t even mention how it’s like for the animals themselves, this is of course not pleasant for them at all!
There were plans to create many of these megastables here in Noord-Brabant.
As a response to that a lot of people have grouped together to create one big citizens initiative, in which they show their protest to the Provinciale Staten van Noord-Brabant. (the local government).
And it turned out to be very successful!
No one other than 33.000 people has signed their petition (including me), which was enough to put it on their agenda.
And thus yesterday they decided that no megastable will be approved and that all license applications are declared invalid.
This shows once again that everybody can help in creating a better environment and that this can actually have a successful effect!
Now there are also plans to have this taken national so none of these megastables will come anywhere in the Netherlands.
Hopefully this will work just as successfully as this has turned out
(next step worldwide?)
16-03-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksMy boyfriend introduced me to this amazing website called the hungersite.
It’s a website that enables you to donate money or food etc. to different causes just by clicking on a button!
And it’s free!
You can click on the donate buttons on each different tab as many times as you like.
Right now there are 6 different tabs: (and they keep getting more)
-Hunger
-Breast Cancer
-Child Health
-Literacy
-Rainforest
-Animal Rescue
I try to go to this website every day.
And my boyfriend has it as his homepage so that makes it even easier.
They’re just little donations each time
But all little bits together make one big one!
12-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
08-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelTODAY IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
Every year on March 8 it’s international women’s day
The first international woman’s day was declared by Clara Zetkin at the international woman’s convention in Copenhagen in 1910. Reason for this was the massive strike on the 8th of March in 1908: 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
After that, every year on March 8th, people in several countries would hold marches and conferences about women’s issues.
Unfortunately the 1st world war ended this custom.
With the feminist movements of the sixties the interest in the Women’s day returned and in a lot of socialist countries like China, Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam it’s an official holiday and has a status equal to mother’s day.
Throughout the world there are many events today:
One of them is tonight’s premiere of the movie Desert Flower in Amsterdam
This movie is based on the biography of internationally famous supermodel Waris Dirie.
In this book she tells her story from being born into a nomad family in Somalia, about being circumcized at only 5 years old! How she escaped her family when she was to marry a very old man, and eventually moved to London and that's where she, while working as a cleaning lady in Mc Donalds, was discovered as a model.
Waris Dirie became an UN ambassador for the abolition of female genital mutilation, and since then raised her own foundation (www.waris-dirie-foundation.com)
I’ve read her book a few years ago and it moved me very much! Seeing this movie will definitely be on my list for things to do this month!
by Irene Dirks
