A Natural Day is under construction! At the end of May we will be back with a brand-new website full of the latest ‘green’ Philly goings-on, natural beauty news and inexpensive green living tips! See you soon!
Fishtown ShadFest! April 15, 2009
On Saturday, April 25th Penn Treaty Park on Delaware Avenue will host Fishtown Shadfest, a day of music, food, kayaking, and much more, all celebrating the fish that was once so plentiful (and an economic goldmine) to the Fishtown section of Philadelphia.
This fish is known as the Shad. These days the Shad is commericially available mainly on the West Coast, but once upon a time this fish was the main source of income for those who resided in Fishtown, from colonial times till World War I. The Fishtown Shadfest 2009 pays homage to the fish that, before overfishing, was “so important to our neighborhood and city’s history and economy.”
The day will include art and food vendors, two bike rides, live music, a 5K run benefiting Penn Treaty Park, free kayaking, and educational/information booths including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and much more! Food will by by Johnny Brenda’s and Standard Tap, among others.
Visit www.fishtownshadfest.org for information about the celebration, 5K race registration, and more.
“The tiger can’t change his spots. No wait, he did! Good for him!” –Jack Handey
“Party For The Planet” At The Philadelphia Zoo April 15, 2009
The Philadelphia Zoo helps celebrate Earth Day with its “Party For The Planet” weekend. The madness takes place Saturday, April 25th and Sunday April 26th from 10am to 4pm. The party is free with Zoo admission and will include games, music and other assorted fun besides information booths from various local environmental organizations. The Zoo encourages you to bring old sneakers, cell phones, plastic bottles and newspaper to recycle!
Visit www.philadelphiazoo.org for more information about the party and other Zoo events or call 215-243-3223.
The Philadelphia Zoo is located at 34th Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.
“My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now and we don’t know where the hell she is.” –Ellen DeGeneres
Today’s Tip: Apple Cider Vinegar Uses Part III April 15, 2009
The skin is called “the third kidney” as it filters out the body’s toxins. For example, if you eat a lot of processed food, the kidneys might not be able to filter all that junk out by themselves. Therefore toxins are eliminated through the skin in the form of acne, boils and other fun skin disorders. A better diet and Apple Cider Vinegar massages will lead to clearer, brighter skin.
From Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Health System:
*Make SURE you are using raw, organic Apple Cider Vinegar like Bragg’s. Unless the ACV is raw and organic you are wasting your time!
* Get a small basin of warm water and add a 1/2 cup of ACV to it.
*Dip both hands in the mixture, stand in your shower/tub and massage the stuff all over your naked body.
* It is recommended to be “vigorous” in your massage “but gentle on the face.”
*Wet the skin with the mixture several times and rub/massage until the skin is dry. Do not rinse off; do this ritual at least twice a week. 
Raw, unprocessed ACV helps keep the skin in an “acid reaction” unlike soap, which has an alkaline reaction to skin. An acid reaction means the skin is “throwing off toxic poisons through its billions of pores.” See if you don’t feel refreshed and renewed after trying this massage!
“The lovely thing about being 40 is that you can appreciate 25 year old men more.” –Colleen McCullough
Conference: “Greening The Post-Industrial City…” April 15, 2009
Interested in finding out more about what Philadelphia should do with its many, many vacant lots? On April 23rd and 24th, the Academy of Natural Sciences will host a conference sponsored by Drexel University called “Greening the Post-Industrial City: Innovative Reuse of Philadelphia’s Idle Lands.” Ticket prices range from $75 (individual) to $25 (student).
Topics to be discussed over the two-day period include “Green Info-structure”, “Green Buildings”, “Logistics of Locating & Acquiring Idle/Underutilized Land In Philadelphia”, “Retrofitting Existing Urban Spaces” and “Community Gardens & Urban Agriculture”, among others. The conferences last all day with multiple panel discussions and breaks for lunch. Find out how to register for the conference and much more by calling 215-895-2341 or by visiting www.drexel.edu/cities/.
The Academy of Natural Sciences is located at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
“They’ve finally come up with the perfect office computer. If it makes a mistake, it blames another computer.” –Milton Berle
“Buy Fresh Buy Local” April 14, 2009
When shopping or eating out, check for a “Buy Fresh Buy Local” sign or label in that store, market or restaurant. A “Buy Fresh Buy Local” sign means that particular business is committed to supporting local food and farmers/producers.
Yet instead of wandering around Philadelphia looking for the “Buy Fresh” seal, simply visit the fantastic website www.BuyFreshBuyLocal.org. The goal of this site is “to make it easier to find local food while supporting farmers and the lands that produce them.” BuyFreshBuyLocal.org organizes things like farmers’ markets, “tasting events”, help sponsor farm tours, and featurefood guides and a “community cookbook” on their site. The community cookbook is where members of BuyFreshBuyLocal.org can swap yummy and nutritious recipes.
When visiting the site simply enter your zipcode to find local food near you. Visit www.BuyFreshBuyLocal.org , become a member and discover the latest local food news!
Rest In Peace Harry Kalas, the amazing voice of the Philadelphia Phillies who will remain in our hearts forever.
Today’s Tip: Make Your Own Natural Hand Soap April 14, 2009
Make your own fabulously-scented natural hand soap and have yummy-smelling hands that are super duper clean every day. Try this aromatic hand soap recipe from Colleen K. Dodt’s The Essential Oils Book:
*One four-ounce bottle of “high quality liquid castile soap.” Ms. Dodt recommends Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps like we do! The Baby Castile from Dr. Bronner is a great choice as it’s very mild. Find Dr. Bronner’s soaps at Whole Foods (10th and South Streets) or online at www.drbronner.com.
*40 drops of as many as four of your favorite essential oils. Ms. Dodt suggests lemon, lavender, juniper, pine, eucalyptus, rosmary, tea tree and clary sage among others. All of these oils are antiseptic. Essential oils can be found for your purchasing pleasure at Whole Foods or at Natural Goodness Market & Cafe (20th and Walnut Streets, Rittenhouse Sqaure). Purchase oils online at www.naturalgoodnessmarket.com.
Whatever old soap containers you have lying around will do so long as it has a hand pump and ta-da! You now have your very own aromatic hand soap. Nice!
“You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.” –Homer Simpson
Today’s Tip: Inexpensive Blotting Papers April 13, 2009
Blotting papers are always a good thing to keep in your purse or bag. Of course you could have a job that requires you to constantly be around cheap paper napkins and toilet paper, which also make great blotting papers.
Tissue paper works the best and is the cheapest. It will make you say “Good Lord, look at all that yuck!” just as well as any blotting papers you would buy in a store.
“Ever notice how it’s a penny for your thoughts, yet you put in your two cents?” Someone is making a penny on the deal!” –Steven Wright
This Week’s Beauty Pick: INGREDIENTS Scrubs April 11, 2009
Ingredients Ultra-Moisturizing All Natural Scrubs are without a doubt the BEST SCRUBS I HAVE EVER USED! EVER! Founder and scrub pioneer Melissa Carey, a former commercial makeup artist, started out making scrubs in her kitchen for herself and her friends, who in turn told their friends, who told their friends…you get the idea. The scrubs come in three varieties: “Citrus & Spice”, “Lavender & Mint”, and “Patchouli & Pine”; all are available in two sizes, a 40 ounce jar and a 2.5 travel size jar. All the scrubs are 100% natural hence the slogan “It is what it is” found on every jar. 
Each scrub smells AH-mazing and essentially are two products in one, an insane exfoliant plus a “intense and therapeutic moisturizer.” Usable for face and body, my skin hadn’t felt so soft since…um, babyhood? It’s also great to use on the bottoms of feet, which we all know can be some seriously rough skin. After only one application my feet felt noticeably softer!
I cannot say enough glorious things about these scrubs, my personal favorite being “Citrus & Spice.” They are godsends in a world of only half-decent scrubs!
Visit www.careyingredients.com and get yourself one of these scrubs. I know I want to buy them in bulk!
“Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children.” –Oliver Wendell Holmes
Today’s Tip: Make Your Feet Say “Ahh” April 10, 2009
It’s important to take care of our feet…they do make getting places a lot easier.
If you have a job that requires you to be on your feet all day, like nursing, serving or handing out flyers as a large Subway sandwich, it’s extra important to take care of your hooves. The next time your feet are feeling all worn and blister-y, try this “Blister Buster” foot bath from Colleen K. Dodt’s The Essential Oils Book:
Three drops of peppermint essential oil.
Four drops of lavender essential oil.
Three drops of chamomile essential oil.
Add oils to two gallons of warm water to a basin, bathtub, trough or whatever you wash your feet in. Make sure the oils mix well!
The peppermint will cool your tired paws while the lavender and chamomile will soothe them. It’s a perfect way to treat yourself after a hard day’s work! You can find essential oils at Whole Foods (1oth and South Streets) or at Natural Goodness Market & Cafe (20th and Walnut Streets, Rittenhouse Square). Order essential oils online at www.naturalgoodnessmarket.com.
“It isn’t premartial sex if you have no intention of getting married.” –Drew Carey
