Ozville in Action

Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk

2010-04-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

So I attended Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk in San Diego on Sunday with my bracelets, and arrived back home with 140 out of 300. I set out my bin of bracelets at 9AM and had to leave a little after noon, but When I left, about 100 had been taken, and I left extra to last the rest of the day. The woman who was running the Epilepsy Foundation booth said as it got later, more people were taking them. So I hope they all found good homes! If not, I'm guessing the Epilepsy Foundation took them back with them. She realizes how much it costs to buy silicone bracelets, so I'm pretty sure she wouldn't just discard them.

My only problem this year was that my supplier screwed up my order! I always get glow-in-the-dark bracelets but these don't glow. :-( I also ordered 200 medium and 100 small (and wanted to order large next time around... I had to find a way to get the cost down) and got 200 small and 100 medium!! Small are the least popular, even though I want them to fit on children's wrists, you know? I've been trying to contact the company (they're in China...) for the past week to no avail.... looks like I will be trying out new suppliers. :-/

This year people had some tent/booths set up, which I'm going to try to do next year. I think that will be even better than having my little set up at the info table. I'll have my own booth for the bracelets and information! I don't know if it costs anything, but I say let's make it a goal! Perhaps I could take donations for the bracelets, as well. Other people were selling books, etc. I'm excited about it.

All in all, it was a successful day! I'd like to say hello to anyone who might be coming to the site for the first time because you picked up a bracelet at the walk. Hello! Welcome! I'm glad you're here. :-)

Sold!

2010-04-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

So the book signed by the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt went for $53 on eBay to a bidder in Australia. I'll have to do the math to see what eBay and Paypal take out of that, BUT this sweet bidder wanted to donate more to the cause, and since she's going to donate separate from eBay, they won't take a bite out of it.

Thank you to everyone who bid, and congratulations to the winner! Thanks so much for helping me spread awareness. I look forward to Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk at the end of this month! The bracelets have been ordered and I'm waiting anxiously... :-)

Preservatives

2010-03-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

I ran across this on a message board and thought I'd share it:

Has any one heard of the preseratives in meats being a trigger for seziures? Cold cuts are really loaded with the stuff. We had gone to see a Doc. in Hoeophic med and he told us that it takes a day or so for the stuff to get to your brain but when it does the stuff can cause shorts avoid the stuff and all pork products along with any thing that says prosessed on the lable. Dairy products are also a carrier.

http://my.epilepsy.com

And don't forget to bid on the auction before it ends on Sunday! Jennifer Love Hewitt signed book.

Let the bidding begin!

2010-03-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've listed the book on eBay (see the link below) and am ready for bids! Remember, this is helping to pay for more bracelets, so please help me raise enough to cover the cost of the book and the eBay fees. I'm wishing now I'd thought ahead and bought a copy on Amazon to save some money... lol.

Autographed copy of The Day I Shot Cupid

Oh yes, and that's my friend Amy getting her copy signed. I didn't have anyone to take my photo with JLH, since I got there earlier. Plus we couldn't pose with her anyway. :-/

Fundraising! Part 2

2010-03-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

So last night I got Jennifer Love Hewitt's new book, stood in line for an hour or so, and got it signed. I'm going to be listing it on eBay this weekend to raise funds for the epilepsy bracelets, which I need to order veryvery soon! I would list the book this morning, but I'm rushing to get ready for a short film screening in Burbank (otherwise known as Far Far Away) today. I wasn't nominated for anything, but it should be fun anyway!

Back on topic! If you want to know about the book, The Day I Shot Cupid, this is it. I haven't read it, but intend to read a bit before I ship it off to the highest bidder.

I have to say, I learned a lot about book signings last night. I mean, someday I want to finish the book I started on losing a step-child (there are no books out there! Does anyone want to collaborate with me?), and I'm sure book signings come with the territory. Last night worked like a well-oiled machine. In a bad way. It was like going down a slip-n-slide. The line moved quickly, she signed the book and the next person was sent right over. I think the most disappointing thing was that we weren't allowed to get photos with her (would have been soooo great to post on Facebook for all the people who keep telling me "you know who you look like...?" I even got it at the birthday party I attended right after the book signing). I've never been to another book signing, but I thought it was a time where you actually got a little time with the author. The only book I have signed is Audrey Hepburn Treasures, and that's because I know one of the authors. Anyway... it was a bit of a let-down but I did get the book signed, and I'm hoping to get a little money from it to pay for more bracelets. The walk is coming up in a month, and I'd hate to miss it.

In other news, I'm going back to Paris this summer (with 2 weeks in Hungary with Habitat for Humanity in July) and gearing up to shoot a little web series. I know that has nothing to do with anything here, but I'm excited about it and want everyone to check it out when it's done!

Stay tuned for my next post! I'll have a link to the auction!

Fundraising!

2010-03-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

So tonight I'm going to get a copy of Jennifer Love Hewitt's new book signed by the author... and then I'm going to list it (probably on eBay) for sale to raise funds for more bracelets. The price has gone up this year, significantly! At least 10¢ per bracelet more. Please help out! I will be ordering by this weekend to make sure I get some for the walk, but there's always the next one, too, you know!

Urgent Request for Donations!

2010-03-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

As you might know, every 6 months there is an epilepsy awareness walk in Southern California. Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk takes place this year on April 25, in San Diego, and I intend to be there once again with my bracelets. The problem is - I only have about 50 left! I want to order 300 more - to pass out about 200 and keep 100 on hand at home. But for 300 bracelets it will cost $456. At the moment I'm trying to save money for my summer trip, and the Tax Man, so this is a large chunk of change. I have to pay by the end of this week to guarantee I get the bracelets on time. If I can't raise a little extra money to pay for this, I might not be able to hand out bracelets this year. If you would like to help me in my mission to raise awareness of the dangers of drowning, please go to the page below and click on "buy now" to donate. Please make a note in your Paypal payment that it is a donation towards bracelets for the event. For your donation I will send you a bracelet, as well, to say "thank you."

Donate!

Très Chic

2010-03-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update. I was on Facebook and this ad was on my home page for some medical alert jewelry. I wanted to share it for anyone with epilepsy that might be reading this. There are so many choices now in how you can wear your medical ID, you don't need to be self-conscious about it! Here's the website:

Elegant Medical ID

In other news, there's another epilepsy walk coming up at the end of April, so I'm going to have to order more bracelets soon. Please let me know if you're interested in donating towards them. I'd love to be able to give out at least 200.

Jody's Journey

2010-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I got an email from a woman named Linda Caputi, through Ozville.org. She told me that her daughter had had success eliminating her seizures by following some remedies set forth by a man named Edgar Cayce. I'd never heard of him, but I'm all for learning new natural healing methods for epilepsy! She told me she'd written a book about her daughter's story, and also included a lot of information on the Edgar Cayce remedies. She sent me a copy and I just now finished it. I admit, I skipped through a lot of the details of the remedies towards the back of the book since I knew I'd never remember them. lol. He recommended such things as caster oil packs, chiropractic care, salt, ice packs, etc... Edgar apparently would go into a trance to find the cause of the epilepsy, and make personalized recommendations to his patients. I'm not a very good book reviewer, but I wanted to mention it for those who are open to alternative possibilities. You won't find a plan laid out for you here, but you might find just what you need. Of course, only do this under supervision, especially if you are already on medication for your seizures.

The book is on Amazon, if you're interested in checking it out: Epilepsy - Jody's Journey: An Inspiring True Story of Healing with the Edgar Cayce Remedies

Everybody Poops

2010-01-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

You've heard of that book, right? Yeah, it exists...

So today I just wanted to share that I found some recycled toilet paper at my neighbourhood Ralph's! It's called Small Steps, by Marcal. Made of 100% premium recycled paper, whitened without chlorine bleaching, hypoallergenic, virtually lint free, and no dye or fragrance added. It came in a 12 pack, and I'm on my first roll. Have to say, I'm satisfied. It's not soft and fluffy, but it's not like tissue paper either, so that's good. It's nice to see more environmentally friendly products on the shelves! AND the wrapper is recyclable as well.

Curing Epilepsy

2009-12-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

I was searching the internet the other day for more news stories on epilepsy, and looking to see if there was anything new about using a raw food diet to cure it, and stumbled across a few blogs and forum posts.

This blog chronicles the life of a little boy named Elijah. The blog is called Overcoming Epilepsy.

My son Elijah has a mild form of cerebral palsy. He was recently diagnosed with epilepsy in the spring of 2007. We've been treating his condition using natural methods. This blog is a documentation of our experiences. Our goal is to help others who may be going through similar health challenges. Together we can overcome whatever challenges come our way so that we may live full, happy, vibrant, and healthy lives.

I'm trying to figure out how to subscribe to it but it seems to involve some kind of Google contraption that I don't feel like dealing with. :-)

We also have this person updating af orum on her raw food diet, at www.coping-with-epilepsy.com. She says:

Hi. I wanted to share that I was having daily complex partial seizures until I went on a raw foods diet. I started the diet after being partially a raw vegan - but once I went all the way raw I haven't had one seizure now for close to seven weeks.

I just ordered the book by Dr. Graham, the 80-10-10 diet because this is close to what I have been doing on my own already.

I feel close to normal, and my energy level is great, and my brain is healing more all the time. I am able to do things and tolerate a lot more stimulation, and starting to feel like I am supposed to. HEALTHY!

So exciting! We also have a nice long thread started by a parent who put her son on the raw food diet, also at www.coping-with-epilepsy.com.

We're currently controlling my son's complex partial seizures with a high-raw diet. He eats mostly fresh, raw fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Occasionally he will have a homemade salad dressing that may contain one or two non-raw ingredients. He may also have a baked sweet potato or steamed veggies (without spices or condiments) once a week or so. He doesn't complain about eating this way. He's not singled out. Our entire family is eating this way as well and we've seen loads of benefits. I just wanted to start this thread to give a place where those of you with questions can feel free to ask them. I also wanted to share this video that I found this morning. Another girl cured her epilepsy and came off medication by changing over to a raw foods diet.

These are so exciting. I wish I'd have started learning about the raw food diet years and years ago. But I'm so glad it's catching on, and people are becoming aware that what they eat affects their health in major ways. I feel like a bit of a hypocrite though, since I'm not on a totally raw diet yet. I'd guess I'm at about 20%. Working my way up. I just thank God that I don't have any major illnesses that demand a sudden, drastic change in diet. But I do know that if I want it to stay that way, then I better ease my way into it while it's still voluntary!

Green Things

Since I haven't promoted anything cool and green in a long time I thought I'd do that now. About a year and a half ago I bought some cozy slippers in my neighbourhood Pharmaca. I've worn them practically every day and they've recently just started to look like evidence of a large dog. And I don't have a large dog. So I thought it was time to get a new pair. They aren't the cheapest slippers, but they are made from all-natural, renewable materials that are sustainably grown, and are biodegradeable and organic. The pair I purchased is made of hemp and is called D'Orsay (see the picture below, and click on it to see where you can buy them).

I did quite a bit of shopping around to find the best prices and I settled on www.OnlineShoes.com because of their low prices and free shipping. They have a lot of different styles and sizes. I'll definitely be trying out more of their footwear in the future, based on this slipper.... I love them. In fact, I'm wearing them right now. :-)

Epilepsy Freedom Walk 2009

2009-11-28T19:13:00.000-08:00

The Epilepsy Freedom Walk was held on October 18 this year, and I was there with my bracelets! 100 bracelets found new homes, and everyone who checked out the info table read about Ozville and Marieke. It was actually an interesting day... my life with Marieke was filled with laughter and songs. Some specific songs stay connected to her in my memory. These would be Thriller, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Feliz Navidad. As I sat at a picnic table engrossed in my book (Autobiography of a Yogi, if you must know), I heard the familiar notes of Michael Jackson's Thriller. I almost wanted to get up and dance, since this year for the first time ever, I participated in Thrill The World (in honor of Marieke! I know she would have loved to join me). I didn't though. :-) Later that day at an audition at CAZT, as I sat waiting, I heard on the radio Bohemian Rhapsody. I commented to Marieke's dad via text message that if I heard Feliz Navidad I'd be thoroughly freaked out (in a good way). That night, I curled up on the couch to continue working my way through the Drew Carey DVD set with my brother. It just so happened... we had come to the Christmas episode. I did not however, hear the song Feliz Navidad... although Drew's neighbour said "Feliz Navidad." And I count it. Thanks, Marieke, for being with me that day. :-)

November 11 was Marieke's 18th birthday, which was celebrated with family and friends. November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and I have been especially aware of it. I'm hoping to find some new opportunities to share the message of water safety, and also the possibility of a cure through a raw food diet. Please contact me with any suggestions!

Sorry if my blog today is a little more mellow than usual - I'm watching Rachel Getting Married and I think it's affecting my mood. :-P

You can tell I'm not a blogger...

2009-08-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

...because I never write! I'm sorry to all who actually read this blog. I do enjoy finding new environmentally friendly products and awesome places to eat, but writing about it... can sometimes be a chore! I do like to share what I find, and I will continue to do so... just not as often. ;-)

What can I report today... Back in April I did another Epilepsy Awareness walk, in San Diego, and gave out over 100 Epilepsy Isn't Waterproof bracelets. I picked up an issue of Time (right? It was Time?) that had a special feature on epilepsy. I wish they would have gone into the natural cures, the raw food diet, etc... but they didn't. Our world is completely focused on "finding the cure!" through funding of organizations, so that they can just pour money into the drug industry. I am doubting that they actually want a cure. I was supposed to talk to somebody at the Epilepsy Foundation, in San Diego, but I keep forgetting. I'm hoping she does a bit of her own research on it - everything I know I found online, and have listed in the resources on Ozville. I should try to contact her again though.

Anyway! For those of you into the organic stuff.... I recently purchased a new nightgown from a seller on etsy, and I'd like to share her shop. econica makes "Stylish organic and eco-friendly clothing handmade with love just for you." I'm actually wearing my new nighty right now! I love that her clothing is unique, and stylish, and ORGANIC! So many organic clothing lines are plain old boring, but this is not the case with her.

And for food, I've discovered an awesome place in Silverlake, CA... it's called Cru. It's a raw vegetarian restaraunt and it's SO GOOD! I can't stop dreaming about their raw brownie with ice cream. I highly highly recommend it. I happened to eat there while they were having a weekend "cooking" class going on (not actually DURING my visit...) and went to the last two of the classes and learned some recipes that I've been making ever since. So if you live in the L.A. area, GO!

The bracelets are in!

2009-04-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

More epilepsy news! I just got the new shipment of "Epilepsy isn't waterproof" bracelets, so now I have them in small, medium, and large. I'm going to give a little over half away at the next epilepsy walk on April 19th, but I'm setting some aside for website orders. So.... put your order in now before I run out again! lol.

Correction - and it's a good thing!

2009-03-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

So someone corrected me! It's a Team Captain meeting on March 28, not the actual event. Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk is actually on April 19, which is great for two reasons! One, I think I will be able to make it. Two, it's close to the day Marieke left us, April 30. I like to plan special Marieke-centered events around this time of year, especially if they can raise awareness to epilepsy-related deaths. So this is good news.

I've had a couple orders for bracelets recently, and a donation towards a new batch, so I went ahead and ordered 100 small, 100 medium, and 100 large, and I'll give away 50 of each at the walk. I'm looking forward to it!

It's that time again...

2009-03-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

So I just realized that another epilepsy walk is coming up at the end of the month. Unfortunately, on the same day as my piano recital, but I'm sure I will figure it all out. You know my goal... hand out "epilepsy isn't waterproof" bracelets at the walks, twice a year. I just thought this one was in May, not March! The last one was... I think. Anyway, here's the problem. I have about 50 bracelets left (I just sold 22 to someone in Thailand!). Not enough to give out, at least if I want to have any left for online orders, to off-set the cost. Besides, I want to give out at LEAST 100. So I contacted my supplier. Unfortunately, because I have much less spare change this year than I did last year, the cost seems out of my reach. $430 to get 100 small, 100 medium, and 100 large. I'm starting to ask family members if they can pitch in, but no one seems to have anything to spare, so far. So, because this cause is important to me, and I'd really like to have some bracelets to give out, I thought I'd just put it out there - if you think this cause is important, and you would like to lend a hand in educating parents and children about the dangers of water to those with epilepsy, please consider donating to the "bracelet fund." You can email me first, or just donate through the link below. The good thing about helping out Ozville is that you know it's going straight to benefit the people with epilepsy. Nothing has to go to "administration" or other costs associated with a big foundation. It's just me, trying to spread the word. Let's get bracelets on those little wrists!

Staple-less stapler, oh my!

2009-01-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

First, I have to say, I've been trying to post this for the past couple days, but have been having trouble with Blogger. I think the internet is broken. But finally, it's working! So.... here goes.

This is the most awesome stapler EVER. At least from my point of view, as an actor. I always want to make it easy for the receiver to recycle my headshot and resume (if they don't need it), but staples are a hassle to pull out, so I'm sure they end up in the trash bin instead. Plus, I know that staples can catch on things, or make a pile of headshots a little lob-sided. Little things, I know. But anyway, this stapler is awesome. I will never have to worry about running out of staples in the middle of attaching headshots to resumes. Anything I staple can be put through a shredder, or recycled... I'm having so much fun with this thing! Granted, it can only do a fewsheets at a time, so you'll still need a regular stapler for your 10-page report, but this thing... is definitely one of the coolest little inventions I've seen. There seem to be a few versions. This is the one I got:

From www.uncommongoods.com. It comes in a set of two, a blue one and a green one, for $12, plus shipping . Looks like you can get the same ones in different colours at www.thinkgeek.com as well, for $5.99 each.

Now that I decided to make a post about these things, I'm seeing all these other staple-less staplers that I like, too! Check these out. Little doggie and kitty staplers:

You can find them at www.thinkgeek.com, for $7.99 each. I think these are great for kids! You don't have to worry about them stapling themselves, or eating staples or stepping on staples... Brilliant, I say.

I like the look of this one. It looks a lot like a normal little stapler. I'm kind of wishing this is the one I got.

You can find this one at www.naturalcollection.com for £5.82 . Yes, it's in pounds, and therefore a bit more expensive than the other ones for us Americans. But it's so cute!!

If you want something that looks sleeker, and maybe looks a little better on an office desk, check out this one:

That photo doesn't look right, for some reason, but that's the way it downloaded. Oh well. You can see it here: www.jbox.com. This is a more expensive one, at $36, but it is pretty cool looking... Seems to be a Japanese model, and can stitch together 7 pieces of paper. The others only claim to do about 4 sheets.

You can also find a couple different styles and colours at Amazon.com (which I normally check first for things I want to buy, but for some reason didn't, and now I'm afraid I might end up buying more staplers, cause they're all so coooool!).

I'm just crazy about mine. I'm "stapling" everything I can get my hands on. I do have to say, there are two downsides that might make you keep your regular stapler on hand. One, it doesn't do many sheets, and two, if you goof up, and say, staple things together upside-down, it's a little more obvious than if you had stapled them and redone it. But I still recommend them!

Eco-sleep

2008-11-23T11:39:00.001-08:00

I love to sleep. But with all the crap they use to make bedsheets and pillows and mattresses... ugg. Sometimes it's hard to have a good night's sleep when you know you're inhaling these things and letting them touch your skin. Now, I know there are organic mattresses out there, but if you're like me, you can't afford them! But you can sleep a little healthier even without a new, non-toxic mattress.

Pillows:
You can actually find some organic cotton pillows at Bed Bath & Beyond! Yep, the place that sends you 20% coupons every day. And they're filled with recycled fiber made from water bottles. How cool is that? I'm staring at the plastic bag they come in, and even the bag is biodegradable. The pillows are about $20 each, and pretty comfy. Check it out...

Mattress Topper:
If you can't afford a new mattress, how about an organic mattress topper? Personally, I love my Natura topper. They're sold on many websites, including TheCleanBedroom.com and the official site, Naturaworld.com. So now you've got a nice, soft, organic layer between you and your toxic mattress! Of course, you'll probably want-

Sheets:
Under the Canopy offers a nice selection of organic cotton sheets (and other bedding, towels, etc). West Elm also offers organic sheets (and it looks like there's a sale right now!).

Sleep tight!

Awww, I really WAS missed!

2008-11-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Time has just slipped away from me! Been busy with a lot of things lately. I haven't forgotten about ozville though! I represented at the Epilepsy Freedom Walk this past weekend, and 180 bracelets found arms. Yay! So the goal is to bring at least 300 to the next even in the spring. So.... I have to sell the remaining bracelets to earn some money to buy more! Come on, spread the word!

Anyway, I received an email from someone who has been reading my blog and wondered when I'd be back to update. They shared a cool website with me called Embodies. I like the way she described it:

This store is committed to promoting an eco lifestyle, inside and out. The owner does one-on-one sessions with people who have been injured, have muscular disorders, or just want to keep healthy. She does pilates, acutonics (sound healing), and gyrotonics. Then, she provides people with healthy options for the outsides of their bodies, with eco clothing and accessories.

I'm checking out the website now. Looks like they have a nice selection of cute clothes, and shoes! The shoes are a bit expensive for me, but they are tempting.

I've been bookmarking a lot of good stuff in my green magazines lately, so I'll try to come back and share with you again soon. Thanks for reading! ;-)

Long Time No See!

2008-08-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, time flies. Did you miss me?
Yeah, I thought so.
OK, today, two things. One, Kiva has updated their system, and now instead of waiting for the entire loan to be repaid, you'll receive money as soon as the person you loaned it to makes a payment, so you can re-loan it right away! I just got about $60 of my loans credited to me, so instead of waiting, I'm going to go find another person to loan to!
Next up, razors, by Preserve.
How many of us use those disposable razors all the time? I know I do. For some reason I just don't like the electric ones. Anyway, I always feel bad about throwing them away, but now there’s an alternative – recycle!
Preserve’s triple blade razor handle is made from 100% recycled plastic, including 65% of recycled Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. and is completely recyclable (in communities in with #5 plastics recycling or with Recycline's postage-paid mailer, available at stores of from Recycline). Even the package is made from renewable wood sources and is reusable as a travel case. And there’s no animal testing, either. Each razor comes with a spare blade, and when you need more, you can buy a pack of 4 triple blade cartridges. The razor handle comes in 6 different colours.
While we’re talking about Preserve, I might as well say that I’ve been using their toothbrush, and I’m pretty happy with it. It’s really no-frills – no crazy gum massagers or anything, but hey, it’s completely recyclable and comes in 6 different colours! Again made from mainly Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups, you can send the toothbrush back in the postage-paid envelope to be turned into plastic lumber. Don’t worry- they’ve got a testing program to make sure that “our cleansed and reprocessed plastics have the same infinitesimal readings of foreign elements as virgin plastics.”
I can’t remember how much they cost, but I believe the razor is about $7.99, and the replacement blades are of equal or lesser value. The toothbrush wasn’t expensive at all, in fact I believe it was only around $3. I purchased mine at Whole Foods, but you can find them again, online at places like Amazon.com.
Razors on Amazon
Toothbrushes on Amazon
I’ll be on the look-out for a good toothpaste to recommend to go with your new toothbrush. :-D

Bucky!

2008-07-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hi! It's been a while, huh? Well, I've been busy. Hope you didn't miss me TOO much. I have a couple new things to start writing about again. The first one I'm going to mention is my new Bucky pillow. :-D You know those things you see at the airport (and then always wish you had gotten...) that you put around your neck as you try to sleep on the plane? Well, they always felt really synthetic to me, so I never got one. UNTIL I was shopping at Pharmaca and saw the Bucky version. Oh so soft... so natural... So I bought it. A nice, soothing blue one, filled with buckwheat hulls. It comes with a pouch that you can keep it safe and clean in, and clip onto your luggage. You can check out what else Bucky makes at Bucky.com.

Epilepsy Outreach

2008-05-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't seen the new link to this site on the epilepsy page, I wanted to alert you to another epilepsy support site. Hunter Tylo is the spokesperson for EpilepsyOutreach.org, which was of special interest to me. Her son, Mike, drowned of an epileptic seizure in their pool last year. I'm hoping to do something in connection with them. But anyway, just wanted to point it out!

Also, I've started one more blog, focusing on internet marketing and income, and if you're interested, you can find it at theGirlwithaPearl.com.

No new eco-friendly advice for today. I'm currently in Pennsylvania, far from a Whole Foods. hehe. Actually, wait, that's not true, I do have something that was in my mind and in some conversation today. You may have heard about all the toxins and bleach and whatnot in conventional mattresses, but if you have ever searched for an organic mattress, you'll know how pricey those are...but I've found a VERY comfortable solution! I am sleeping in heaven with this mattress pad from Gaiam. Much more affordable than a new mattress, and I swear, you'll be so glad you got it.

"Our Natural Cotton Mattress Pad is untreated with toxic chemicals and is free of dyes, chlorine and synthetic finishes. "

Woo-hoo! Be sure to check out the other stuff on their site, I ordered a ton of awesome household stuff, like an organic cotton and silk comforter... well, you'll see. Just go! Shop! Now!

Making Life Better

2008-05-09T18:39:00.001-07:00

Since ozville began, I've been trying to figure out exactly what to put on it, how to tie things together. I mean, I've got the petition page, the epilepsy page, the main search page, and this eco-blog. Or, it started out as an eco-blog. But really, the main purpose was to introduce you to things that will make your life better. Things that help the environment you live in, things that will keep you healthier. But I'm expanding now. I'm going to include information and suggestions for things that will help you out spiritually, financially, emotionally... I want to hit it all! This blog will be a well-rounded blog! As I move forward and learn new things, I will share them with you here. Here are a few tips for today...
In health and environment!
I had a craving for some SourPatch kids today, but I'm trying to stick to my goal of eating organic. So I picked up some candy at Pharmaca. I picked up some gummy worms, fruity bears, and gummy swirls. None of them (no, I didn't expect the gummy worms to be sour) ended up quenching my SourPatch Kid craving, but they're darn good candy! They're made by Surf Sweets. I also picked up some organic M&M's. So good. They're called SunDrops, by Sunspire. Mmmmm. I actually really like the almond ones, but the peanut was on sale. You have to get these. They make M&M's taste stale.

In financial news...
Right now, I'm looking into a new way of making an income online. I don't really want to say much about it at the moment, I want to see if it works first, but I will give you a progress report later.

In epilepsy news...
I've ordered more bracelets, and should have them by the end of the month. I would appreciate purchases! The more I buy, the better the bulk price is, and the more of your $5 I can put towards more bracelets to hand out at Epilepsy Foundation walks. So I have 300 on the way. But the goal is to have 1000 bought and paid for and ready for the October/November walk (I'm too lazy to look it up right now). I love giving out these bracelets, and if I had a ton of extra cash lying around I would gladly just buy them without having to sell any, but for now... that's how it goes. Thank you everyone who HAS purchased bracelets! You're awesome.

You know you want one....

2008-04-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend, I participated in Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk. and distributed about 70 'epilepsy isn't waterproof' bracelets. They were quite a hit! I left most of them at the info table, on top of a photo of Marieke with the dates of her birth and death, and they went SOFAST! I still have 15 to sell through the website, since that is to help me cover the costs of buying more. Which I will have to do very soon! But if you would like one of your own, to support our mission, please click here.

In other news, I've moved into my new place, and am preparing to green it. I will document this process, but first I have to unpack stuff so it's not such a mess!

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

So, how green were you?? I admit, I didn't do anything especially green today. I threw a couple things into the recycle bin, checked out some green goods at Crate & Barrel. I've actually been trying to get a BIG green project going. I'm buying a mobile home! And GREENING it. :-D Everything I'm buying, everything I'm doing to it, will be green. If it's possible, and in my budget, of course. Which means recycled, second-hand, sustainable, handmade or eco-friendly products. I've already got a few, and when I get settled, I'll be photographing and reporting on it. I'm thinking about a video blog, how would you like that?

In other news, there is a new article online about ozville! It's at two different sites, check them out:

Remembering Marieke & educating about epilepsy

Remembering Marieke: Actress Kendal Brenneman Welcomes You to Ozville to Educate about Epilepsy & Water Safety

I've also sold 9 epilepsy bracelets this month, yay! And this sunday will be the big give-out at Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk.

Stay green.