Watch who you Twitter!!!

My beloved stylist & fabulous friend Teddy Greene has left the building...and the city and the state for that matter. Taking a life sabbatical.

I love the guy and so it was no suprise that when I joined Twitter, he found me and was one of my first followers. Or so I thought. Yesterday he scissored me a funky pixie from heaven and I found out that it isn't Teddy that I have followed and followed me. Not Teddy? Uh oh.

Twitter... I am addicted!

check in with me... I am ecochic

Unfortunately, there can only be 1 winner...

no, really? this was my final cut.

Use Your Voice- Say No to eBay Extortion

What did your parents always tell you? Put your money where your mouth is. Talk the talk, walk the walk. These are the types of things my parents, owners of a small business for the past 37 years, have impressed upon me my entire life. They also shared the value of being an entrepreneur if you manage your business with integrity.

So when eBay changed their fee structure, I accepted that it is the cost of doing business in the world today. But when they rescinded the seller's right to leave negative feedback, it crippled my business. Every con artist came out of the woodwork to get something for nothing. After months of unethical buyers, unfounded refunds, and returned merchandise that was obviously worn and sent back, I said no more.

I did what most eBay sellers are hesitant to do and removed my over $30,000 worth of merchandise to voice my opinion to eBay. I also shared my written perspective with eBay, joined a group to protest the policy change and even participated in several surveys conducted by eBay. Did it produce results? I guess time will tell.

CNN did a story Friday that elaborated on the issue and current sellers who seem like they are too lazy to "go through the hassle" of removing their items to stand behind their business principles. Who raised you?

Does it suggest that the only sellers left have less than honest items so they don't care? You know exactly what I mean... not Gucci but Gu-cheap. Not Burberry but Bur-barely. And Fake Spade, Phooey Vuitton, Frauda & Prentendi!

I did a little litmus test the other day about what was left on eBay to buy. My hypothesis was that eventually all the sellers will go to an Overstock or Amazon and all you find on EBay will

be low budget, replications of honest items. Exactly what I found. A bunch of crap. No Pratesi or Frette- just repackaged junk that you would find at Marshalls.

Good luck EBay. It is sad to see something that was once profitable decline so quickly, but one cannot lament. I learned the lesson long ago. Business is business. If you do not agree with something, you do not have to participate. There is always another game out there. Move on, make your mark and let your money to speak for you.

Purge Purge Purge...the Road to Catharsis

What do you do when things get a little nutty? I just had this discussion with my friend Lisa the other day. We are both anal organizers but approach changes differently. When I am faced with a problem or issue, I clean house! I think it is a subliminal attempt to sweep the problem away or cleanse our space of confusion (aka clutter...same thing to me). In fact, when I am really in need of decision making, I clean closets. It gives me time to think and plan. Like wonderful release when time is suspended and I am putting things away. LOVE it!

It is no secret I am not a saver. Even though I am an addicted recycler- things do not lay around. It makes me crazy to see this & thats. I need order to make sense of things. That is me. Thank heavens my husband has accepted this quirk & grown to appreciate it (most times).

My kids... that is another story. They are getting there.

Shark Attack! Dirty Windows Leave Me Stunned

Leave it to me to have a supreme Lucy moment yet again. So I cleaned, scrubbed, vacuumed & mopped yesterday. House beautiful, right? Wrong. The window sills look so disgusting. Remember how we haven't turned on our AC all summer? Well, with the windows hanging open 24/7 the not=-so-new sills collect city dust & gunk... yuck! So I got this Shark to solve my problems! In my mind, I envisioned myself happily sweeping the dirt right out of the window with the little blaster. No harsh chemicals. Just uses steam, perfect!!

Uh, no. Not so perfect. I started like my daydream, but the first blast of pure air spewed flecks of filth all over my kitchen and ME! I had never seen the window look hideous! You could imagine my face as I stopped and tried again. "This thing better start working its magic", I thought. Nope. No magic, just more dirt. Did I think the little steamer evaporated the dirt into harmless microscopic particles that simply floated invisibly back to the earth somehow?. Uh-huh.

Now I am ticked. If you know a good way to clean your windows, share with me... I am attacking the outside window cleaning later today (we have a house and I own a 2 story squeegee... I am anal, do you forget??) but the inside will take more ingenuity. Maybe I will commandeer all of our toothbrushes and go to town in all of those little crevasses? Hmmmmmm....

Breast Cancer Site Gives Free Mammograms

Please go to The Breast Cancer Site... for every person going to the site they are providing mammograms to people who cannot afford them. Click on the site or add this to your browser...
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2&link=ctg_bcs_home_from_bcs_home_sitenav

Thank you!!

10 Things an Allergic Child Wishes You Knew

Allergy Moms just sent me this & it made me stop & think...

10 Things a Child with Allergies Wishes YOU Knew...
1. I long to be included. I would like to look, act and eat like everyone else. I’d like to buy my lunch and sit wherever I want. I know I can’t, but I am so happy inside when someone cares enough to provide a safe potato chip, cookie or Popsicle for me. It’s nice when I can have something similar to what others are eating but I love it when I can eat the same thing as everyone else. Whenever it’s possible, please think to include me!

2. I’m scared I could die from my food allergies. I’ve heard my parents and teachers mention “life-threatening” food allergies and I remember having some reactions where I felt very sick and really scared. I could see how frightened my parents were too. Sometimes, I could use a little reassurance that I will be okay.

3. I feel like I’m the only one sometimes. If you have a support group or another way to arrange for me to meet other children who have food allergies, I would really like to know that I am not the only kid who has food allergies. Having another friend with food allergies in my classroom or at lunch time helps too.

4. I get confused when grown-ups offer me food. I know I’m supposed to be polite and listen to grown-ups, but my parents have told me I am only supposed to take food from them. When you offer me food or especially candy, I’d like to take it but I’m not sure about what I am supposed to do.

5. I get itchy spots sometimes when grown-ups kiss me after they’ve eaten something I’m allergic to. I get itchy spots when your dog licks me too. I’m not quite brave enough to tell you this so I’m hoping you will remember that if you have just eaten something that I’m allergic to, I may get hives if you kiss me soon afterward.

6. I’m embarrassed when people fuss over what I’m eating. I know I have to eat my own safe food, but it’s easier for me when I’m not singled out. Sometimes, it’s embarrassing when grown-ups ask lots of questions. I love to fit in more than anything.

7. I hear all adult conversations about my food allergies. My ears perk up when I hear grown-ups mention my name or food allergies, so don’t pity me or act terrified because then I get scared. Food allergies are just one part of me. Let me overhear you talk about all the other wonderful things about me!

8.Sometimes I’m sad about having food allergies. It’s hard to be the only kid in class not having a cupcake and eating something different from my box of “safe treats” especially when there are about 20 other birthdays in my class. I know it’s not the end of the world, but from my perspective, it’s tough at times.

9. I’m watching you—Mom and Dad! You may think that I’m too little to notice, but I see that you went back home to get my Epi-Pen® when you forgot it. I see that you read the ingredients on the Smarties every time. You are my role models and I am learning how to manage my food allergies from you!

10. I will do about as well as you do. My parents “can-do” attitude will help me cope with the challenges of living with allergies and ensure that food allergies don’t stop me from being everything I was meant to be!

ABC Live Green Features Chicago Green Families!

ABC News featured my group Chicago Green Families- check out the link...
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6325853

I am so grateful to ABC Special Producer Sylvia Jones! A big thank you to all the members who participated and to my family for so much support while creating and managing the group. Since the airing, membership requests have been steadily coming in!!!

Very Eco, Not So Chic

Why did I ever think that a yard sale would be a good idea? Somehow the idea of hosting one big craigslist extravaganza sounded good at one point. I simply did not picture the fact that a yard sale has people meandering around instead of picking up the items they agreed to buy. I'll stick to craigslist from now on.

Picture this- I had a gal that was zipping and unzipping a pair of boots saying "they are hard to zip up and zip down". WHO CARES? Blankly I looked at her, "okay." She pressed me "try zipping them..." She goaded. ARE YOU CRAZY? Suppressing my disgust, I simply explained that if she didn't like them she didn't have to buy them. GO AWAY! I walk away. She catches my husband and says "the ad says you have Juicy Couture and I don't see any!" Andy extends his hand a la Vanna White and says "Juicy Couture, Juicy Couture, Juicy Couture..." Was six outfits not enough for her?

And then there is the person who has a pile of this and that (I usually mark everything to avoid the ever-dreaded haggling) and although if I was to add everything up for the next 5 minutes it would amount to ten times the amount, I usually say $5 and move on. People ask me about prices and I say "whatever you want". In my mind I am saying JUST TAKE IT!!!!

My skin crawls when I think of sitting there and waiting for people to come by. Like a beggar. Don't even ask me to invite people off the street by engaging them beyond hello or "talking the stuff up"... I'd rather thrust hot rods in my eye sockets.

It is so unsettling to me (as an obsessed organizer) to have stuff haphazardly placed outside of all places, on a temporary basis no less, knowing that I do not want it to come back into my house. Hoping that someone would come and remove the stuff in the night, I loosely tarped the tables at night. When I woke I became depressed. Not even touched.

So unsettled by the idea of having to do this torture all over again, I started nervously sweeping the sidewalk in front of the house. Then I started sweeping my neighbors. Then I removed the weeds from the area beyond his fence. (I clean when I have problems...) Then I removed the weeds from his property near the street. Then I swept the other neighbors sidewalk. I look past the houses towards the end of the street thinking "I'll just keep going..." Deep breath.

I quickly confessed to Andy that I can't do it another day. Let's give this stuff away. I quietly packaged everything that belonged to friends or clients. The rest to charity. Ahhhhhh. My shoulder start to lower into their natural position. My teeth start to release from the clench that makes your jaw protrude (think Jennifer Garner). Breathing resumes its natural pace and all is well.

Looking back, I have to see a silver lining. I always do. Yes, I learned my lesson. No yard sales, flea markets, or estate sales in my future. Actually we met a lovely family from down the street. And we hung out with our neighbors dining on Penny's Noodles (YUM!) while the kids played and the people meandered.

Organic Gardening Lifts Depression - Even After the Storm

When we arrived at the Edible Garden yesterday I couldn't believe my eyes. The downpour snapped plants left and right while the once clean rows were wiggly worms in a sea of wet mulch. A mess! But once I get my hands in the dirt and start weeding and cleaning... ahhhhh! I feel much better. Apparently this phenomenon reaches far beyond me and my OCD, gardening can cure depression! Kord Staley, our dashing and informative farmer friend at Farm in the Zoo, tipped me off on the link below.

http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_healing_garden

Organic therapy- I love it! And it works for me. Since Chicago Green Families began meeting there every Wednesday, I can't tell you how much the kids and I look forward to going to garden and learn with our friends.