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SAY YES TO THE TREES

7/13/2015

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TREES are essential to us - mankind would not be able to exist without them and the oxygen they produce for life on this planet.

Did you know that a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year?


Trees and their impact on the quality of life on Earth are invaluable.

Most of us tend to take things for granted when we look at trees and a forest, we admire the optical beauty while forgetting the fact that ...
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  • Trees also act as filters, cleansing the air that we breathe and the soil from pollutants and chemicals.
  • Trees shield us from the noise we produce.
  • Trees provide us with natural shade.
  • Certain trees like Colorado blue spruce can make all the difference in flash flood endangered areas as the roots absorb water from the soil. By holding the soil in place, the movement of sediment and erosion is reduced.
  • Trees are Nature's windbreaks which help in preventing soil and vegetation from drying out.

So next time you plan on cutting down a tree in your yard because it looks messy later in the year, remember that each one of those fallen leaves had a purpose and did a great job: It helped you breathe.

When it looks like there already are plenty of excellent reasons for maintaining and planting trees, there is the value that trees add to homes with all the benefits for human development and lifestyle: a soothing and relaxing green ambiance, lowered energy costs for air conditioning by up to 30%, reduced particle and sound pollution, protection from UV-B exposure by about 50% and the opportunity to plant fruit trees and grow food for humans, birds, insects and wildlife.
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Last but not least, the monetary value. Mature trees - planted in the right location -  increase a home's value by 7 to 19 percent and help selling properties more quickly as well.
Forget the lawn - the value is in the trees.

And when it comes to selling properties nobody knows better than Real Estate Professionals about the impact that trees, well chosen plants and landscaping have. "What you plant now, you will harvest later" ~Og Mandino, words that inspire agents to sow the seeds of their business by handing out TREE SEEDS for green marketing and as a memorable message of appreciation, reminding home owners to start growing their property value today.
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Links:

http://www.realty101.com/value-of-a-tree-in-your-yard
http://whyfiles.org/107flood/3.html

htttp://chemistry.about.com/od/environmentalchemistry/f/oxygen-produced-by-trees.htm
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putting lawnmowers out of business

2/5/2015

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Thinking GREEN is more important than ever and growing herbs, veggies, fruit and flowers at home is not the latest hype but essential for environmental change and for improving the future health of our planet and its inhabitants.

People are beginning to second guess the all American symbol of proud home ownership - the forever green lawn.
The resources needed for its care can be considered wasteful, after all the prettiest lawn has nothing more to give back than the image of a well groomed property, when that very same space and irrigation investment can be used to create food for people and nourishment for nature's winged pollinators, which are declining at a disturbing number and speed.

Drought issues and the concern over genetically modified produce, and commercially grown fruit, vegetables and herbs that are treated with pesticides and fungicides motivate many to
recreate their backyards, porches, decks and balconies into functional gardening spaces, enjoying the experience of working with nature while growing plant based foods for healthy family meals.
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The fact that gardening and growing vegetables and herbs is not limited to the outdoors and to the warmer seasons at all, makes SEEDS ideal for gift giving at any time of the year; what can be more inspirational and meaningful than something that symbolizes good things like Growing, Nurturing and the endless cycle of Life itself.








Links:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/07/serious-green-turning-lawns-yards-into-edible-gardens.html

Seed Gifts:
http://www.welcometoplanetvegan.com/seed-products.html
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Sowing thoughts, inspiration and plant food with SEEDS.
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LEMONS, cabbage and birds at the bay

1/19/2015

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Off the beaten path in San Francisco is a true green jewel, a peaceful oasis hidden in the Marina District and only visible to those who are on the look out for places to experience beyond Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square.
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The lovely Fort Mason Community Garden caught my forever searching eye on the way back from a city hike to my hotel, and I just couldn't resist adding time to explore the unexpected find with its organized chaos of the garden layout, plants, gardening tools, recycled household items, figurines and beautiful birds. The warm and gentle late afternoon sun was my perfect partner for catching the spirit of this retreat.
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A delightful blend of fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and flowers awaits the senses and one wants to linger under in the calming ambiance of ripe lemons, gorgeous cabbage and fragrant rosemary, and simply absorb the beauty of the moment under the watchful eye of the Garden Buddha and the kind bee.
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The garden is also a paradise for many bird species, including a number of nesting birds, some of them living there all year round, such as the community of House Finches and the Lesser Goldfinches. One can find Mockingbirds here, Ravens, Hummingbirds and many other winged friends, and in Spring the bird lover's eyes and ears can welcome the Hooded Orioles back, which only reside during the warmer months and after their return from their winter retreat in Mexico.
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Wish I could have stayed longer but then again ... there is always a next time in San Francisco  - with a visit of Greens Restaurant at Fort Mason Center.


Links:

Photography Susan Placek @ http://www.cocoonworx.com/

The rules for playing in the dirt : http://playndirt.com/listings/fort-mason-community-garden/

Fort Mason Center http://fortmason.org/

Greens Restaurant -
http://www.greensrestaurant.com/the-cuisine/the-cuisine

For more than twenty years, San Francisco's beloved Greens Restaurant has been in the avant garde of the cooking revolution in America. Through its endlessly inventive, ever-changing menus and bestselling cook-books, Greens has introduced millions of delighted fans to a sophisticated, meatless cuisine packed with transcendent, satisfying flavor. The heart of Greens cookings to use the best, freshest ingredients.

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The Vegan Business - featuring Maya Epler

11/10/2014

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Welcome to Planet Vegan presents business owners, their vision and their journey to success through creating, designing, inventing, manufacturing and selling their vegan products,
while actively contributing with their work to end animal exploitation by humans and acknowledging the value of all life on Earth.


Submit a vegan business to be featured
(No associate, consultant or pyramid businesses)

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Israel native and fashion designer Maya Epler creates classic vintage inspired garments entirely made from all vegan materials. Her very unique style and her creations reflect the young woman’s personality and her love for nostalgic charm and feminine, graceful appearance.

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While drawn to diversity and finding grace in each decade’s fashion style, what seems to inspire her work most is the Victorian era with its noble, somewhat “dark” royal clothing, flattering fits, patterns and stiff fabrics, and the traditional Japanese style with the classic, sometimes “mysterious” look and the contrast of bold colors.

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For the ethic vegan business woman her chosen lifestyle clearly goes beyond the dinner plate. Maya says, “Animals are exploited in so many different ways and I believe with all my heart that this wrong doing must stop! I love my work and I select fabrics that are 100% vegan. Designing patterns and sewing modern garments with a vintage touch and at the same time contributing to animal welfare makes me feel very happy inside. Seeing my customers enjoying my work and appreciating my line of conscious clothing is incredibly rewarding for me.”

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After relocating from Israel, Maya now calls Berkeley, California her new home. She enjoys every minute of going out and is excited about the abundance of vegan options and restaurants she discovers in her new environment, and the many like minded people she gets to meet, who like her, support a life style without the use of any animal products.

Links:

http://www.mayaepler.com/

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/MayaEplerFashion?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Like her on Facebook - Maya Epler Handmade Fashion Designs

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realizing The amazing potential of change

11/10/2014

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There is no better motivation to switch and stick to a plant based nutrition than compassion and empathy with the animals. Not consuming animal products of any kind however doesn’t make a person a true vegan. The vegan philosophy goes way beyond the dinner table; it is a commitment to a life style free of any animal products, which is not limited to foods but includes clothing and everyday merchandise as well.

The growing popularity of veganism and demand for vegan products represents a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs and for those who realize the amazing business potential that comes along with this fundamental change in our society.  

Welcome to Planet Vegan presents business owners, their vision, passion and their journey to success through creating, designing, inventing, manufacturing and selling vegan products, while actively contributing with their work to end animal exploitation by humans and acknowledging the value of all life on Earth.

Submit Vegan Businesses to be featured

(No associate, consultant or pyramid businesses)

  • Maya Epler, Fashion Designer

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the powerful orange root

9/2/2014

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ORANGE is a powerful color, it is one of the healing colors, stimulates enthusiasm and creativity. Orange also means vitality and endurance.
The CARROT, a highly popular and common vegetable, versatile, healthy and enjoyable raw or cooked. The list of recipes using carrots is endless and the fact that the root with the pretty orange color is high in potassium, beta carotene and vitamin A makes it a powerful addition to one's daily nutrition.


Carrots offer another big advantage.
The seedlings mature fast, they can be grown easily and it doesn't even require a garden to do so.

Many people are not aware of the fact that carrots can be planted and grown INDOORS all year round, which makes ...

CARROT SEEDS perfect for meaningful and memorable promotions and affordable business and client giving for any industry or recipient.



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CARROT SEED Postcards with logo personalization
Plenty of sunlight provided indoors is the only requirement needed along with keeping the soil/sand mixture (50% high quality rich potting soil and 50% sand - no play sand) on the dry side.
Carrots do not appreciate wet soil.


Links:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21

http://www.gardenguides.com/79857-grow-indoor-carrots.html

http://www.thecreativeideashop.com/seed-gifts.html
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That's a whopper!

8/25/2014

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Burger Kind, the second largest burger chain in the U.S., is about to swallow a big bite.
After their revenue fell 6.1 percent to $261.2 million in the second quarter of 2014, the meat monster sensed the smell of profit in coffee.

In the future they will not just kill millions for food, by merging with a Canadian coffee and donut chain they will also be able to save millions.
Dollars that is.

The purchase of Tim Horton's would not only give birth to the world's third largest fast-food chain, it would also be Burger King's passport to move headquarters to Canada and to escape Uncle Sam's taxes.
Talks about the merger with 'modest political risk' according to
Will Slabaugh, analyst at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock, Arkansas, caused both of the company's shares to soar on the New York Stock Exchange prior to the deal (18% for Burger King and 21% for Tim Horton's).
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In the past Burger King has been brewing Seattle's Best coffee (owned by Starbucks), the marriage of the two companies would also promise a sweet wedding gift for Burger King by getting access to the grocery business and selling packaged coffee at North America's supermarkets.
By the way, both of the burgers pictured are real. The one above has been and the one below IS sold at Japanese Burger King locations. Quite a contrary to Japan's traditional low fat food ... but that's another story.
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Links:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/burger-king-may-buy-canadas-tim-hortons-to-cut-its-taxes-2014-08-24

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-24/burger-king-in-talks-to-acquire-tim-hortons-restaurant-chain.html
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The liberation process of the cash cow

7/28/2014

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Susan Placek, Owner of THE CREATIVE IDEA SHOP
The famous question, "Got Milk?" has already been dropped early in 2014 by the dairy industry to be  replaced by "Milk Life", and obviously that's not done to keep the slogan fresh but a sign of despair and an ongoing rescue operation by the U.S. diary giants to save their cash cow and to gain back ground, preventing what can't be denied anymore: Milk sales are going downhill.
More and more consumers are not drawn to the white mustache anymore and are turning their backs on fluid milk. Whether that decision is based on lactose intolerance or compassion with the animals (also known as "cultural changes"), clearly, a segment of those who make a living based on the extortion of sentient living beings and their bodily fluids is getting worried.

While the decline of milk sales in 2011 and 2012 was the highest in more than a decade, 2013 was even worse than the previous three years.
The trend of switching from milk to other beverages or non-dairy milks isn't new at all, in fact it started almost 40 years ago but the latest numbers speak for themselves.
The credit clearly goes to a rapidly growing world wide community of people, activists, bloggers, scientists, doctors, organizations, groups and every day social net workers who dedicate their time and hard work to raise awareness, and to educate the masses about the negative and severe health effect dairies can have on the human body, undermining the dairy industry's decades old brain washing strategies while exposing the ugly and cruel truth behind the "Happy Cow" fairy tale. There is really nothing white about milk.
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What used to be considered "fake food for weirdos" turns out to be the future real food for real people. Soy milk has gotten company and today store shelves are filled with a variety of nut milks (almond, hazelnut, coconut and cashew) as well as rice milk and hemp milk, and making nut milks at home is as easy as brewing coffee.

WhiteWave Foods Co. - a daughter company of the traditional 90-year-old dairy company Dean Foods Co.  -  manufacturing plant-based foods and beverages, reported 62% profit increase during the past 12 month. 
"Getting drinkers back in the barn won't be easy. "It is going to be tough to buck the trend of declining consumption of [cow] milk in the U.S.," says Ryan Oksenhendler, an analyst with Arlon Group LLC, a New York-based fund manager that owns WhiteWave shares. He says shoppers quitting cow milk and embracing soy, almond and coconut milks are feeding WhiteWave's gains." (1)
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And who needs dairy milk for calcium when so much plant based calcium is available to us, always has been. Slowly people begin to realize the irony that even gallons of cow milk consumed daily does not prevent osteoporosis from happening; it isn’t a lack of dietary calcium causing the weakening process of the bones but in reality the excess of animal protein taken in, which leaches calcium from the bones.

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The liberation process is well on its way - for the animals,
for the planet and for human kind.



Links:

http://www.allergiesexplained.com/pages/Milk%20Effects%20on%20Brain%20Function.htm

http://engine2diet.com/question/can-i-get-enough-calcium-eating-a-plant-based-diet/

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/americas-move-to-soy-hobbles-dairy-1405729869?mobile=y


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LKM is the answer to the missing GG

6/23/2014

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Susan Placek, Owner of THE CREATIVE IDEA SHOP
Observing life on this planet and following the news feeds one wonders, what the hell is wrong with people? How on earth is it possible that mankind is capable of committing those gut wrenching crimes and atrocities, not just against each other, but also against other sentient beings, against nature and ultimately against the very foundation necessary for the survival of our own species.

While there are many different factors playing an important role in the madness, it all boils down to a simple conclusion:  Mankind suffers from a serious lack of Compassion, one’s ability to be concerned for another being’s welfare.
Immanuel Kant, a respected figure of modern philosophy, considered Compassion a weak and misguided sentiment: “Such benevolence is called soft-heartedness and should not occur at all among human beings,” he said. Unfortunately his thoughts continue to have a major influence in contemporary thinking even though the guy clearly must have been born with a huge biological deficiency: The G gene.

Human genes are made of bases, the nucleotides, which come in four types: A, T, C, and G, which again appear in combinations,  AA, AG or GG, the latter one being associated with empathy, positive emotions and sensitivity to the weaker links and the underdogs of society. People carrying the GG gene are believed to be more caring which reflects in their body language, such as smiling, loving gestures, head nodding,  eye contact and the willingness to listen. Furthermore a person’s hormonal balance and small differences in it can have far-reaching effects on empathy. This fact in itself should raise a gigantic red flag and opens another can of worms: Mankind’s mind boggling consumption of hormone loaded meat and dairies and all the misery that comes from and with it.
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But let's not blame it all on the genes. We as a species have come way too far to let a genetic footprint get in the way of mental enlightenment and global change.
Remedy may be here in a practice which in recent years has become not only main stream in the Western world but has grown in popularity: MEDITATION.
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Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism and seems to be most needed in this world. It refers to a mental state of unselfish and unconditional kindness producing all four qualities of love:
Friendliness (Metta)
Compassion (Caruna)
Appreciative Joy (Mudita)
Equanimity (Upekkha)

Meditators begin with cultivating loving-kindness towards themselves, then towards their loved ones, friends, strangers, enemies and all sentient beings, replacing negative and destructive emotions with positive ones. Ancient Buddhist collections of texts “Pali Canon” define the benefits of Loving-Kindness meditation (mettā bhāvanā) as followed:
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“One sleeps easily, wakes easily, dreams no evil dreams. One is dear to human beings, dear to non-human beings. The devas protect one. Neither fire, poison, nor weapons can touch one. One’s mind gains concentration quickly. One’s complexion is bright. One dies unconfused and – if penetrating no higher – is headed for the Brahma worlds”. (Wikipedia)
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If only Kant would have had LKM meditation available at his time, his soul might have been nourished with Kindness and Compassion and some of his thoughts might have never been published in the first place.


Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett%C4%81


http://www.inner-light-in.com/2012/09/empathy-meditation-and-loving-kindness/

http://www.stwr.org/economic-sharing-alternatives/the-biological-basis-of-compassion.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation


http://buddhist-meditation-techniques.com/loving-kindness-meditation/

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Where kind food is on the rise

5/18/2014

1 Comment

 
Susan Placek, Owner of THE CREATIVE IDEA SHOP
If you think Austria is all about The Sound Of Music, white horses and Mozartkugeln, think again.
This tiny little state in the heart of Europe seems to become a trendsetter for change into the right direction and for a new lifestyle, and I must say, I am mighty proud of my old home country.
Not a day goes by without exciting news about new vegan shops, restaurants, bakeries and ice cream parlors opening up. I will gladly write about them in the WELCOME TO PLANET VEGAN Blog and feature them one by one as each deserves special attention.


If there is one place that I can't wait to see and visit, it is the one in Vienna, where the feast starts visually with the restaurant design and interior.
What used to be an Indian Fashion Boutique "Dancing Shiva", is now an explosion of colors, and the brand new gourmet temple "Dancing Shiva Superfoods", specializing in raw vegan foods and dishes.
Cocoa, Goji Berries, Maca Roots and other Superfoods are processed into delightful dishes, satisfying eyes and taste buds.
As Professional Master Pastry Chef, having had my training at "Demel", one of the most prestigious Viennese pastry shops, I especially appreciate what "Simply Raw Bakery" has to offer: Sweet raw vegan delicacies made from the best of nature's treasure chest, organic fruits, nuts, seeds, superfoods, vegetables and herbs. Pastries for a new age, loaded with Love, Compassion, Kindness, Vitamins, Enzymes and Trace Elements. Simply raw, available in Vienna.
About 45 minutes outside of Vienna is another stunning vegan restaurant, "Schillinger", cooking for the local community since 1793.
After 200 years of serving authentic Austrian cuisine based on meat and tons of dairies, Schillinger's owners made the impossible possible and turned their place into a vegetarian restaurant at first, before converting it into 100% vegan, without sacrificing a single classic Austrian dish from their menu. Meat and dairies have been replaced with numerous national and international awards for this remarkable transition.
Who would have thought that Fritattensuppe, Gulasch and Schnitzel can actually be kind and peaceful!

Austria, here I come!

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Dancing Shiva Superfoods
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Simply Raw Bakery
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Schillinger
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All images published in this article have been downloaded from the internet to support promoting the featured businesses, hoping that this doesn't cause any copyright infringement in any way. Please do feel free to contact me should there be an issue.

Links:

http://www.dancingshiva.at/


http://www.simplyrawbakery.at

http://www.schillinger.co
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