So about those cotton tote bags. Own one? Many of you do -- cuz I gave 'em to ya! Tell me this: Is your cotton tote bag 1) organic and 2) made in the US?

Because according newest companies selling tote bags made in the US, getting organic cotton isn't cheap. Want both US-made AND organic? Then get ready to pay $40+, they say. Want a bag for under $20? Then you gotta pick between US-made OR organic, not both, according to them.

You remember the BlogHer | Compass Partners 2008 Social Media Benchmark Study: Blogging mainstream, "Reliable" for fun, advice and information study so full of interesting information about how women use social media?

Hello World Fair Trade Day! Yes, today, May 10, is World Fair Trade Day. And I hope you're reading this before noon (or 3 pm on the east coast) because that's when the World's Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break happens.

A dear friend of mine is from England, now living in the U.S.  She sat in my living room recently, telling me that one of the hardest things to get used to in America has been the way that people spend so much time in their cars. 

In England, she told me, life was centered around smaller villages.  Mothers walked their children to school, because they lived close enough.  They walked to the market, and to church.  And it would be nearly unheard of to drive for 15 minutes to go shopping.

We've all read about the Okinawa and Mediterranean diets, usually promoted as weight-loss remedies. But in addition to their slim figures, Okinawans have a very low rate of breast and prostate cancer, while Cretans enjoy a low rate of heart disease. What in the diets prevents these diseases? Could we adopt these diets as our own to live healthier lives?

Saturday, I left my house at dawn and headed down to San Mateo for a day at Maker Faire. It was my first experience with this extravanganza, but it won't be my last.  As the sign says: the day emphasized the permission to play.