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Home & Interior Design books:
Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life

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Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to "go green"? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don't know where to start? Don't stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips.

In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an earth-friendly life. Each chapter covers topics from beauty to fitness, shopping to your kitchen—even your transportation. Whether it's finding the right lipstick, making dinner, buying gifts, or picking out a hot new outfit, finally, there is a book that tackles your daily eco-challenges with a take-charge plan. Just consider Sophie your go-to girl with all the eco-solutions. Find out how to:

• Green your entire beauty regime
• Detoxify your home
• Indulge in guilt-free shopping
• Adopt a home fitness routine
• Prepare eco-licious treats
• Give your kitchen a green makeover
• Become more aware of your impact on the earth

The book's dozens and dozens of eco-friendly tips, products, and practices combine to form a treasure trove of practical advice for every possible way to become stylishly green. Your questions about dressing, makeup, eating, shopping, cleaning, travel, and more are all answered right here. Adopting a green lifestyle is among the most positive, forward-thinking, and personally fulfilling choices that anyone can make--and Gorgeously Green shows that it doesn't have to be tedious, time-consuming, or glamourless!

Questions for Sophie Uliano

We had the opportunity to chat with Sophie Uliano over e-mail about Gorgeously Green, her suggestions for saving the Earth, and the very real possibility of becoming a hippie. Here’s what Sophie had to say about the economics of eco-consciousness, the allure of non-toxic nail polish, and of course, whether it’s truly easy being green.

Amazon.com: I’ve heard a common complaint that energy-saving light bulbs, organic food and clothing, and other "green" products are not as economical as traditional products. Is that true? Any tips for readers who want to be eco-conscious and budget-conscious too?

Sophie Uliano: I think that going green has a double meaning in that it also is about saving money. There is no way that I would or could go green if it meant that I was going to have to pay much more. If you make the cleaning spray that I suggest in my book, you will save a bunch on cleaning supplies because it’s an all-purpose cleaner that I use on almost everything (a great germ-buster too). You will pay a little more upfront for energy-saving light bulbs, but as they last 15 times longer, you will save money in the long run. Food is the only thing that you may have to pay a bit more for, however, I think that your health is an important investment, so I choose to save on boring cleaning supplies and treat my family to food that not only tastes more delicious, but will keep them healthy and vibrant. Remember that if you follow all the energy-saving tips in the book, you are going to save a wad of cash too--so it’s a win/win.

Amazon.com: I think many people are interested in making more sustainable choices, but when it comes to the heavy lifting it can be hard to break old habits. We tend to think, "Someone else will ride their bike to work today--I’ll drive like I always do." What advice do you have that can help people "walk the talk"?

Uliano: I agree that it is hard to break old habits. My suggestion is to break one habit at a time. Choose the one thing that bothers you most. For me it is using paper towels when I know that I can easily use a rag instead. Make a decision about the change you want to make and tell your friends and family that you have decided to do this one thing and that you want their support. It could be that you are going to cook one organic meal from scratch once a week, or that you are going to air-dry your clothes this summer or simply that you will wash out a barely used zip-lock bag, instead of throwing it away--easy!

Amazon.com: Furthermore, I’ve heard many people worry that eco-consciousness is the first step toward becoming a granola hippie, to use one of your own phrases from the book. Do you have to be a hippie to go green?

Uliano: You so don’t have to become the tree hugger/hippie to live a green way of life. I feel passionately that you can still have the glitz, the glam and the gleaming house because now there are so many eco-friendly companies that offer you safe and healthy choices: nail polishes, organic clothes that are fabulous to name a few.

Amazon.com: Not everyone lives in an area where green options are available and accessible. Can you suggest a few ways that readers can live a greener lifestyle even if they don’t have easy access to car-sharing companies, wet dry-cleaners, and other alternatives you mention in your book?

Uliano: If you don’t have easy access to some of the green options in my book, it really doesn’t matter. No matter where you live, you can make a start. I recently visited my in-laws in Georgia, who have fewer options than we do here in Los Angeles; however, they have embarked on making their own cleaners, composting, growing veggies etc. There’s advantages to living in a metropolitan city in that you can buy all the great eco-stuff, but if you live in a more rural setting, it’s fantastic too because you may have a yard in which you can grow tomatoes or air-dry your laundry. I’d pick the latter if given the choice!

Amazon.com: Your book is mainly directed toward female readers--what tips do you have for men who are interested in making sustainable lifestyle changes?

Uliano: I wrote my book for women because I realized that as a mom, wife and working girl I could show like-minded women how easy it is to become green, however, men can totally benefit from my book too! My husband doesn’t have a huge interest in non-toxic nail polish, but he’s fascinated with everything solar and has started biking everywhere. We work together as a team, inspiring each other with our daily green discoveries--it’s fun!


PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 333.72082
EAN: 9780061575563
ISBN: 0061575569
Label: Collins Living
Manufacturer: Collins Living
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: 2008-04-01
Publisher: Collins Living
Release Date: 2008-04-08
Studio: Collins Living


SIMILAR ITEMS:

• Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness
• Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style
• Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying
• Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within. (ROUGHCUT)
• Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home


CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

A bit redundant -
Though this book has some great tips and is fairly easy to read, it could have been summed up in maybe half the pages the author actually used (saving many trees, of course). I found many of her tips to be a bit silly, and her lack of descriptive vocabulary (must everything be "simply to die for" and/or "gorgeous"?) boring. The list of fashion vendors provided in Chapter 4 seems more like shameless free advertising. Some of the vendors no longer exist, and many are quite expensive. Save your money and check out websites or the local library for more up-to-date advice, or start a green group to discuss alternatives to eco-friendly living instead.

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Great Gift! -
This book is not only adorable, but it's full of great tips! This book makes for an excellent gift!

Better books out there -
Seems like she's jumping onto the green bandwagon because it's the cool thing to do these days. None of her info has citations and some of it is conflicting (re: microwave usage). And I really don't care for the yoga poses in the book...seems like she's advertising for her yoga studio. There are better books out there, like Renee Loux's.

Loved it! -
I'm completely inspired and changing our life. Great details on how to go gorgeously green not just the whys.

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girls going green! -
I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I think it has a lot of good advice that can be easily applied. On a positive note, it is clearly written for women. The jokes, comments, etc. always refer to "The Gorgeously Green Girl" which makes this book a great gift for female friends and family members. For myself, I found it a bit annoying after a while but could overlook it. The book does contain many, many websites which left me with the impression that everything green that I would be buying must be ordered online! This is not the case. My local health food store carried many of the natural soaps, shampoos, feminine products, etc. mentioned in the book which was a lot easier and cheaper to buy locally. The book does not just focus on women's issues either. There is great advice regarding wrapping your hot water tank, buying Smartstrips to turn your computer completely off, and how to garden organically. I really think you can only benefit from reading this book.