Kelly Bonanno

Your soulful coach for wellness, clean beauty & eco lifestyle Savvy | Sexy | Beautiful | Healthy | You

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Eco Friendly Jewelry Designer Bev Feldman Shares Her Savvy Money Saving Eco Tips

One of my latest interviews combines two of my favorite things, eco friendly living and jewelry!

I’m such a girl when it comes to jewelry. I just can’t resist cute earrings, pretty rings, funky bracelets, a great necklace.

Are you a jewelry lover too? What is your style? Fine jewelry… Heirloom… Fancy gems… Statement pieces… Minimalist… Vintage… It’s all fun and completes the outfit!

Bev Feldman​ is an eco friendly jewelry designer whose pieces are not only beautiful, they are sustainable and eco friendly made primarily from recycled sterling silver.

Linkoture, her minimalist jewelry collection is full of gorgeous individually handcrafted earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets.

With the holidays right around the corner you’re sure to find some wonderful gifts among her Signature and Toula lines.

 

Bev is a busy mom running a business but she has discovered ways to to live an eco friendly lifestyle that are simple and cost efficient dispelling the assumption that an eco friendly lifestyle is time consuming, hard work and expensive. In fact, in our interview, she shares her simple money saving eco lifestyle tips that everyone can easily implement into their routine.  Click here to watch ?

 

​​Another wonderful thing about her earth friendly jewelry is that it’s pure sterling so there’s no nickel or other metals to cause irritation or allergic reactions. Years ago I had a terrible reaction to nickel. I had to stop wearing earring for a few years! Years without earrings! Earrings are my favorite jewelry to wear, I feel naked without them so that bummed me out more than you could imagine. When I finally discovered it was the nickel and learned what metals were fine and hypoallergenic I was beyond thrilled to don my favorite dangly adornments.  

Bev even ships the jewelry in eco-friendly/recycled packaging, and uses recycled/sustainable paper for print materials. Visit her site to see her gorgeous lines & click here to get 10% off your first order!  ​Check out her money saving eco tips Here

 

I’ll be interviewing interesting people each week on Facebook who will be giving us valuable wellness and eco friendly living information, advice and tips so join the free private group today & stay tuned.

Want to learn some easy ways to detox your beauty & personal care routine? Sign up for my FREE webinar:  The Truth About Toxicity ~ Detox Your Beauty Routine In 5 Easy Steps on Thursday, October 19th 4:30pm PST/7:30pm EST.

Learn how to reduce your risk of cancer, autoimmune disease, and various other illnesses caused by common toxins and discover simple strategies to help yourself and your family ensure your bodies and environment are as healthy and non-toxic as possible.

Sign up here!  ?

A votre sante!

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How Private Are The Fitting Rooms At Retail Stores?

mall $ park 001I stopped into TJ Maxx the other day – which, by the way, is one of my absolute all time fave places for great deals and awesome stuff, but I digress… I’ll share my top places to shop in another post. I took a look at the slats on the door of the fitting room to see if they were going up or down. 

Do you ever feel as though you’re being watched while trying on clothes in a dressing room in a department store? I sometimes get that eerie feeling. How about the signs that say the dressing rooms are “monitored by loss prevention personnel,” does that mean hidden cameras?! 

Fortunately the slats on the doors at TJ Maxx did not face downward towards the inside of the room. When they do, that means the doors have been installed backwards so store personnel can see right in and have a bird’s eye view if you’re stuffing sweaters into your handbag.

This also means that and anyone else walking by can get a gander so check those slats before you try on swim suits this summer! That is, unless you want to let out your Erica Jane exhibitionist side out ?!

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Eco-fashion: The Green Garment Movement

urlMore and more big companies are becoming eco savvy by using methods that create a minimal carbon footprint without the use of harmful or synthetic chemicals when manufacturing their clothing.

Brands leading the way into the green garment movement by positively impacting the environment include Adidas with aparel made with bionic yard, a textile made from plastic debris in the sea and Burberry’s sustainable cotton program in Peru.

Natural organic fibers such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, and soy is one type of eco-friendly clothing; the other is made from recycled fibers, plastic and wool.

Courtesy of: Bluegala

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Elizabeth Koh Fair Trade Handmade Scarves #Review & #Giveaway

14208_311934158993097_3445591342726515913_nClear vision, a smart business plan & some good karma brought this philanthropic endeavor to life

I recently discovered a wonderful company that makes absolutely beautiful fair trade scarves and you have the chance to win one! These intricate handcrafted scarves are not just another pretty accessory, proceeds from Elizabeth Koh help provide shelter and life development resources to homeless and abandoned children in Thailand through our partnership with SOS Children’s Villages.

I was honored to have the chance to meet and chat with Elizabeth Koh‘s lovely founders, Janelle and Megan.

Savvy Suburban: Your scarves are absolutely beautiful! I love that they are handcrafted by women in Thailand. Tell us about Ampha and Tong, their team and how you chose to work with them. 

 Elizabeth Koh: We were bringing 100 pounds of medical supplies to Rajavithi Home for girls, when we realized that we didn’t have a translator for the supplies! I asked some friends at work for advice, and my co-worker introduced me to their friend Eddie. Eddie is thai, and was going to be in Thailand visiting family while we were there. He offered to help us translate the supplies, and we met him in Bangkok. He ended up traveling with us for the next few weeks, and introduced us to his Uncle who lives in Thailand. His uncle introduced us to his aunt, then his cousin, who took us to the women in the village. So I like to say it was a little bit of good karma that took us to the women! 

 SS: What materials are the scarves made of?

 EK: 100% Cotton. We may eventually delve into other materials, but we feel that the simplicity and comfort of cotton was the best starting point for our brand.

 SS: The thing that struck me about your business is that you are not just selling scarves, you are doing a wonderful service by offering fair employment in a part of the world that needs it. What gave you the philanthropic idea to have them made this way?1456492_200437876809393_1176485574_n

 EK: We wanted to create a company that benefited the communities where our products were made. That was the first idea we had, and from their we decided on scarves as they were an easy one size fits all item to start with. I personally have been traveling to Thailand since 2010, and saw people there that needed help. The Thai people are incredibly kind and friendly, and we wanted to do something that would benefit them while creating a company that we could be proud of. After visiting with many organizations, we chose SOS Children’s Villages to donate 10% of our profits too. 

 SS: Elizabeth Koh has donated a good amount of funds to the Thai charities, the children of Rajwithi Home For Girls and SOS Children’s Villages of Thailand. Why is this region of the world near & dear to your hearts? Why are these organizations important to you?

 EK: This region is near and dear to our hearts because of the amazing people living in it. The thai people are incredibly kind, and can always manage a smile no matter what the circumstance. Their positivity is contagious, and seeing the stark differences between life in Thailand and life in the USA made us want to do something to help. The Rajavithi Home for Girls was one of the first organizations I met with, and they need a lot of help. It is hard to see so many people in need and not want to help them all! While we love the Rajavithi Home for girls, we chose SOS Children’s Villages as our official partner because of how well the children are taken care of there. SOS believies in the importance of raising children together as a family. In each village 10-12 children live together in one home, and become brothers and sisters. They have a mother in the home who lives their 24/7, and becomes their mother for life. This idea of creating a family environment for the children really struck my heart.

SS: Running a company with your best friend must be loads of fun! What is the best thing about it?

 EK: The best thing about working with Megan is that we know each other so well, we have a short hand with each other and don’t have to spend much time “breaking things down” or over explaining where we’re coming from. There’s no ego here. Another great bonus is that we’ve been travel buddies for almost ten years as best friends. Now, through company we travel around the country quite a bit for sales meetings and conferences, as well as several trips to Thailand each year. Its just really special to be able to have a companion by my side who can be my savvy design and business partner, and then flip a switch and be my best friend in a second.

149386_318036825049497_4915695200355734659_n SS: Where would you like to see your company 5 years from now?

 EK: In five years I would like to see us active in 3 different countries, providing fair employment and giving back to other regions of the world. As an avid traveler, I have visited many countries and know there is need all over the world. We are currently partnering with the Soroptomist Club to sponsor local scholarships for high school students, I would like to see us partnering with more charitable organizations in the USA as well. In 2015 we plan to launch 3 other types of accessories, so keep your eye on EK next year!

You can find their soft, gorgeous scarves and more information about this special company on their site and on Etsy. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest.  Enter our giveaway for your chance to win a beautiful handcrafted Elizabeth Koh scarf!

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5 Hot Trends For Bridesmaid Dresses

By guest blogger Vikram Rout

Weddings are special events. Family, friends, well wishers and colleagues gather together to make the day unforgettable. Preparing for the big day is a lengthy and hectic process, with many decisions to make. Choosing the bridal gown is one of the most important of those decisions but choosing the bridesmaid dresses is a close second, your maids in waiting need to look great too! With so many different Bridesmaid dress options on the market today, it’s not an easy task to fulfill.

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Color

When deciding on the colors for bridesmaid dresses, let’s look the latest trends this season. Shades of mocha, grey, vintage rose and slate are some all time favorites. Cadburys’ or plum purple bridesmaid dress is a lovely option for winter weddings. For spring weddings, shades of pink and peaches are in. Pastels shades are great for both summer and spring weddings. Black dresses with various lengths are a big hit this season and we're also seeing a lot of floral prints.

Hot Styles

  • The halter style neckline is very flattering for all body types, be it tall or short, flat chested or busty. Dramatic bracelets or earrings is a good way to accessorize a halter dress. Nice fabric choices include chiffon and satin.
  • Bridemaids dressesThe A-line style dress flatters everybody. It has a classy, elegant feel adding shape to the slim body and balancing a busty figure. A-line dresses look great in organza, taffeta, faille and satin.
  • Dresses in gathered chiffon make the sexiest of bridesmaid dresses. Feminine and overtly classy, bridesmaids look like angels in this style, especially when done in pastel shades.
  • Separates have become a big trend and a very useful one indeed especially if your bridesmaids vary in shape and size. 
  • The biggest bridesmaid dress trend for 2014 weddings is the twist wrap dress. These dresses are made of comfortable material and can be wrapped in different styles. Jersey dresses in this style are all the rage this season.

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These Might Just Be the Perfect Pair Of Jeans

Miss Me 009Like any diligent girl in search of the perfect pair of jeans, I have tried on countless over the years looking for comfort, a good fit, the right cut… a pair that does justice to the junk in the trunk.

That combo is tough to find, am I right ladies? What’s right for one bod won’t do it for another and what’s comfortable doesn’t always hit the curves in the right way. In fact, two different pair of the exact same cut from the same line can even fit differently.

I like my True Religion jeans and I always get compliments on how cute they are but they’re not the most comfortable, I call them my “standing” jeans. I have a pair of Hydraulics that are cute and super comfy buy not the most flattering.

My favorite jeans? Miss Me. They are surprisingly comfortable, the denim is soft, has stretch and gives without losing its form. They have several cute designs from angel wings, to peace signs to fleur de lis. They are low but not as crazy low as some brands. Dress them up with a great top and fun accessories or dress down with a comfortable T. Which ever way you choose to wear them, work it, be confident that your ass looks great and rock that denim like the fierce bitch you are!

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Hot Holiday Gift Ideas

convertible-crystal-lariatThis elegant Convertible Chrystal Lariat by Lexi Lu Jewelry on Open Sky can be worn long or traditional lariat style. I want.

groomsmen-gift-personalized-men-s-toiletry-bags-embroidered-monogram-waxed-cotton-canvas-and-leather-dopp-kit-handmade

 

 

Let your guy travel in style with this personalized dopp kit in cotton canvas or leather from Sivani Designs.

 

safe_imageGive the gift of beauty and wellness for the holidays with Ava Anderson Non Toxic. Their candles smell sublime and they have many luxurious yet affordable skin care & body care items for the whole family. The entire line is 100% FREE of harmful chemicals.

truffle-sicillian-saltBasil infused olive oil & Gourmet Truffle & Sicilian Salt from Sabatino & Co. make dishes delicious & come in bottles that will look nice on any cooks counter. They make a great hostess gifts too, btw.basil-oil

 

 

 

 

 

joyce_ainsley_laurel_model_1Let her sparkle & shine. Choose something pretty from the fabulous items from Stella & Dot like the Ainsley Bracelet or the Palladian necklace. They’ll go perfectly with her New Year’s Eve outfit.

 

bassboomz-blue

 

Any guy will love the BassBoomz portable speaker. After borrowing mine on separate occasions, my neighbor & my 18 year old nephew each said how cool it was & that they wanted one! No brainer.

back-to-school-copy

 

 

Fearless, free-spirited girls of every age will love Tomboy Vintage. You’ll find adorable retro-inspired Ts & hats for all the women & girls all your list.

 

filigree-cut-out-large-clutch-in-neon-pink

 

Also at Open Sky (they have tons of great stuff) is this Filigree Cut Out large clutch by Lily Wang in neon pink. Will it go perfectly with your holiday party outfit? Buy it for yourself!

 

 

“… To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect”  ~Oren Arnold

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It’s Pinktober, Let The Pinkwashing Ensue

“Pinkwashing – verb 1. the sale of items containing known carcinogens, while marketing these products in support of breast cancer awareness 2. also, capitalizing on the promotion of breast cancer prevention when only concerned about bottom line profit margin.”

Raising awareness for breast cancer research and prevention is important, I applaud companies that help raise real funds. HOWEVER, isn’t it horrendously hypocritical of certain companies to sell products with ingredients that have been shown to CAUSE BREAST CANCER?!

file0001487742768That’s right, they use ingredients that are mammary carcinogens, or carcinogenic contaminants that behave as endocrine disrupting compounds in our bodies, causing hormonal imbalance. As the Gerson Institute calls it, ‘carcinogens for the cure.’ True that.

It’s said that Evelyn Lauder’s dream was to end breast cancer. Why doesn’t the company jump off the breast cancer awareness bandwagon and honor her memory by reformulating their products WITHOUT harmful cancer causing ingredients?! Pinkwasing at its finest. And Estee Lauder is by no means the only company guilty of this. Most of them are… L’Oreal, Proctor & Gamble are major culprits. How do they sleep at night?!

Interested in a site that actually helps patients? Various companies offer patients free items such as scarves, make up, house cleaning, hats, wigs, etc. Breat cancer survivor Bethany Kandell created Breatcancerfreebies.com where patients can go to find items they can receive. You can make a donation on the site as well.

Cure Diva is another helpful site where patients and survivors can find support, answers, advice and more to help navigate them through the process… “a stylish feminine environment… here  to revolutionize the lifestyle of women coping with breast cancer and it’s after effects.”

Official-Save-the-ta-tas®-Put-some-fun-in-the-fig

A direct donation is of course the best way to give back but if you’d like to shop, stay away from the carcinogens and be cautious about what you buy, many products don’t give up much of their ‘proceeds’. Take “Promise Me” perfume, for instance, the Susan G. Komen foundation sold this last year for $59 a bottle, but it’s estimated that only $1.31 of that retail price actually went to funding breast cancer research. Plus, it contained known carcinogens! WTF?!

Choose something cute from the Shop For a Cause Trunk Show by Stella & Dot, ALL net proceeds go to the Noreen Fraser Foundation. You’ll find all kinds of stuff including t-shirts at Save The Ta-tas. Some proceeds from Kohl’s Tek gear line of work out wear to to breast cancer research. Get support while you give support with Aerie’s bright pink Bridget bra. At least with these items you won’t be slathering your body with products that contain breast cancer causing toxins.

Women’s Voices For The Earth offers good tips on how to avoid being pinkwashed.

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Go Casual For A Cause

 Lee National Denim Day

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Boot cut, straight leg, skinny, trouser, relaxed fit, boyfriend… grab your favorite pair and go casual (no mom jeans please!)

Don a pair that makes your ass look hot while you show support for breast cancer research.

Go classic and sophisticated with a dark rinse, or fun and chic with a cool color like yellow or indigo. Throw on a chunky necklace and a fabulous pair of boots and your good to go for this good cause.

Everyone can use another pair of jeans, right? Lee National Denim Day is a fundraiser where participants donate $5 or more in exchange for wearing jeans to work. Casual day that gives back, a win win.

Money raised will help fund breast cancer research and services through the American Cancer Society. They’ve raised more more than $93 million since they began the program in 1996.

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Workout Wear By Ellie

The other day I received a pretty package with a delightful surprise inside: fabulous workout clothes! I really needed some new clothes to work out in so lately I have been shopping around a lot and one thing I have found is that all workout wear is not created equally. They may look similar but they all fit differently, the quality varies as does the comfort. I am happy to be given the opportunity to discover Ellie. They offer fantastic workout wear.

I received a nice pair of pants along with a very cute top. The cut of the pants is great, they are super comfortable, have a slim little pocket where you can stash a key or iPod and they have just the right amount of lycra to hug you in all the right places. The band is woven so it’s not loose in the waist the way some other exercise pants are. The top is very pretty, has enough stretch for comfort and it has fun thumb holes to keep my hands warm while I jog in this cooler weather. It’s also cute enough that I could wear it while I’m running around town, in fact, this morning I jogged with a friend and the first thing she said was, “you look so pretty!” The fabric of both items is soft but still strong and durable. Ellie is every bit as good as anything I’ve owned and at affordable prices. Working out is a necessary evil, you may as well be dressed cute while you’re doing it! This would be a nice gift for the fitness lover in your life… (eh hem, hint, hint honey!)

They’re program is, as they call it, “easy peasy lemon squeezy”, and it really is: Take the quiz, sign up and boom, an awesome package arrives at your door each month with a hand picked outfit for you!

Every outfit is styled just for you by an Ellie expert. Each month you receive an outfit worth $150, but you pay just $49.95. You’re getting great, quality pieces for a fraction of the retail cost thanks to the relationships Ellie has built.  Ellie is not just another clothing company, but a lifestyle brand. Their blog is a great place to check out tips and tricks for healthy, delicious meals and at home workouts.

Take advantage of this, if you sign up for Ellie, you will receive a $15 Lululemon gift card, plus 25% off your first month subscription.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ellie. The opinions and text are all mine. Try it out and let me know what you think!