FitSugar

PVC Shower Curtains = Bad For Your Health

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:00:00 PDT

Air pollution affects our health, but most of us think about the air outside being polluted - not the air in our homes. There are many silent culprits polluting our air from odorless radon to stinky off-gassing PVCs (polyvinyl chloride). It seems that PVCs are in just about everything from household items like vinyl flooring, vinyl shower curtains, and children’s toys to beauty products like perfumes, nail polish, and lotions. Plus PVC is very difficult to recycle and never breaks down.

Since many "plastic" shower curtains are made from PVC which off-gasses plasticizers that are potential hormone disruptors. Plus, they are easier to throw away than to clean once they become covered with mildew. These plastic/PVC shower curtains never breakdown and they are difficult to recycle. On so many levels, plastic shower curtains are just plain bad news.

A simple way to improve the quality of air in your house is to replace vinyl shower curtains with cloth ones made of organic cotton or hemp. Of course you should use a nylon liner in stead of a plastic one. You can easily wash both a cloth shower curtain and the nylon liner, so they will be around in your bathroom for a long time, rather than clogging up landfills. Plus hemp is naturally mildew resistant and sturdy, there's a reason sailors made ropes out of the fiber. Some hemp curtains are so thick, they don't even require a liner!

The only downside that I can see is that hemp curtains only come in "natural" and "white" - not so fashionable. Since the green revolution has begun, I think we will start seeing fun colors in these shower curtains.

And you, what kind of shower curtain do you have? Let me know in the comments section below.

We're a Little Obsessed With Rose Gold Jewelry

Lucky — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:36:34 PST

Lucky magazine is one of our favorite sources for great shopping tips. We're thrilled to share this fabulous story on pretty rose gold jewelry from our friends at Lucky!

We love jewelry of all kinds, so picking one metal over another seems a little futile. But there's something about rose gold that's just so cool. It's rarer than yellow gold and more eye-catching (we think) than silver and other common metals. Simply put, rose gold makes an imprint, and we're a little obsessed.

But while we're pretty familiar by now with which clothing colors and styles mix well with silver and yellow gold, we're not so sure what the rose gold mandates are. What can you wear it with? What can't you wear it with?

After a little deliberation, here's our verdict: the metal's pink glow can make pairing it with blues and purples feel like a Katy Perry in Candyland imitation. Instead, we prefer the blush-colored metal with warmer tones (military green, rich oranges, chocolatey browns) or crisp whites and blacks, like the combinations below:

Click over to Lucky to see and shop the whole story

For more fashion and style from Lucky, here are more Lucky stories.

Link Time: Paisley's on Trend and These Tips Will Make Your Bedroom Sexy

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:00:06 PST

10 tips for the sexiest bedroom ever. - Apartment Therapy
Are you sleeping on the right mattress? - Stylelist Home
Tour a castle . . . in Austin, TX! - Houzz
Paisley is trending. - Elle Decor
You have a Roomba, do you want a Scooba? - Shelterrific
Do you like this tree-inspired table? - Craft
Which shade of green is your decorating favorite? - House Beautiful

Bridal Friday Link Time: Courthouse Wedding Tips

TresSugar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:40:00 PST

My Fair Wedding's David Tutera gives tips on a courthouse wedding - Glamour
Have a heart: DIY Valentine's Day wedding inspiration - Green Wedding Shoes
Author of A Practical Wedding shares advice for a budget big day - Equally Wed
A Winter-themed V-Day surprise engagement shoot - The Wedding Chicks
This vow-renewal ceremony features a marshmallow chandelier! - Style Me Pretty
An earthy vintage wedding with a teepee - 100 Layer Cake
Geeky proposals caught on film - GeekSugar
How to make a bird-themed cake stand - CasaSugar
Heart-shaped macarons make for a romantic dessert on your big day - The Bride's Guide

Photo by Andria Lindquist via Green Wedding Shoes

Healthy Dose Link Time: How Yoga Can Improve Your Sex Life

Michele Foley — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:40:17 PST

3 ways yoga can make you better in bed - Mind Body Green
Gluten-free recipes good enough to fool the bread-eater - Health
Keep your workspace germ free with these 10 tips - HuffPost Healthy Living
More on Ioana Spangenberg, the lady with the 20-inch waist - Blisstree
20 celebs criticized for their curves speak out - Shape
Is it chocolate that's causing your acne? - Self
The secrets of happy people - Fitness

Style Out Plush Fur and Leather Like This Cool Celebrity Crew

Hannah Weil — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:40:45 PST

Thanks in large part to this fashionable set of celebs, we've taken notice of a new way to layer up. This crew proves that the only thing cooler than a leather jacket may just be one topped with a furry vest. The two luxe finishes play off each other with perfect street-chic style quality - one that's just as easy to finish with jeans and sneakers as it is to style up with slick bottoms and heels. Kate Moss, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Poppy Delevigne show off the look's casual capabilities, while Olivia Palermo and Mary-Kate Olsen outfit two dressier versions. Take a moment to study the celebrity gang, then read on to get our styling tips as we take the look from day to night.

To style it out day to night and shop our picks, just read more.

In Season: Turnips

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:20:59 PST

Turnips are one of those Winter root vegetables that get little love but can be a truly delicious addition to your next meal. There's little information about their original cultivation, but we do know that back in ancient Rome Pliny the Elder considered the turnip to be one of the most important vegetables of his day. Today, lots of families in the South love stewing up the turnip vegetable or its greens for a warming supper.

If you've never been exposed to cooking turnips, these guys can be a little tricky to choose. To learn more about the cute little turnip, just keep reading.

Feel-Full Quick Tricks

Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:49:40 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Health.com

It's not just what you eat that can make you more satisfied - it's how you eat, too. Try these tips to feel fuller longer.

H2O some more
Drink two eight-ounce glasses (16 ounces total) of water before each meal. It will fill up your stomach and trim up to 60 calories per meal.

Health.com: Which Foods Burn the Most Fat?

Flavor of the day
Use vinegar (or vinaigrette) and cinnamon for flavor whenever possible. These two ingredients can help regulate blood sugars after meals and help you feel full longer after eating, according to a study from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, in Zurich, Switzerland.

Keep reading for quick feel-full tricks.

Mulberry Introduces New Travel Bags That Are Worth Swooning Over

Noria Morales — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:23:44 PST

Inspired by the glamour of exotic travel - and the vintage steamer trunks that might accompany a trip - Mulberry introduced its new Travel Bag collection, which is due to hit stores on Feb. 15 and will range from $1,250-$3,500. The steamer trunk reference comes from the metal-tipped corners, while the animal prints offer plenty in the form of exoticism. Blake Lively was spotted carrying a white version of the bag on Gossip Girl, a positive sign that these bags will be one of the most covetable accessories of the year. While the bags aren't due to hit stores for a few more days (OK, 13 to be exact), you can click through now to see the rest of the collection, including a truly fantastic green lizard-print camera bag!

Molly Sims's Approach to Preventing Stretch Marks Is Internal

LilSugar — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:04:22 PST

While your odds of developing stretch marks during pregnancy are (for the most part) left to fate outside of your control, Molly Sims is following a diet rich in good-for-you fatty acids to improve her odds of avoiding them. Molly is a follower of Lori Bregman's Rooted For Life program, a holistic approach to pregnancy and motherhood. Today on her blog, the 4-month pregnant mama-to-be shared some of her menu highlights, which include:

Fish, olive, coconut, canola, hempseed, and flaxseed oils
Hemp, flax, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds
Almond and nut butters
Salmon and cod
Avocados
Split peas
Lentils
Collard Greens

Other celeb moms who have shared their secrets to avoiding the dreaded stretch marks include Ali Landry, who's a devoted user of (and spokesperson for) Palmer's Cocoa Butter, and Victoria Beckham, who favored the pricey Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil last year.

Do you think that stretch marks are best treated from the inside or out? Do you have any other great tips and tricks for avoiding the battle scars of pregnancy?