Live Lightly Tour

One of the things I have missed most in our travels is growing plants, herbs, etc….just green stuff in general! We don’t really have the space to have big plants in the RV…but growing herbs in the windows is the perfect solution! We were excited to receive a package in the mail from DwellSmart in Charleston, SC with the herbs as well as a neat compost container and compostable corn-based plastic bags. The herbs were so easy to set-up and grow. We have 2 different kinds, lemon basil in a fully biodegradable pot and saucer made from reclaimed rice hulls…and a mint “garden in a bag”. Bella loved helping me plant them and was absolutely giddy when the seedlings finally popped through the dirt to show their delicate green leaves. She continues to water them daily and asks constantly when we are going to eat them.

The compost container has been a great place to put all of our food scraps…and it’s so easy to just grab the bag and throw it in the compost pile. No mess! It’s surprisingly large and smell has not been a problem at all because it’s breathable. The unique material allows heat and moisture escape, therefore eliminating “stink”.

DwellSmart’s mission is to help protect and improve the health of individuals and the environment. We had a great time checking out their store when we were there….so much green goodness in one place! I was hyperventilating! They truly are a one stop shop for all your eco-needs…with a staff that is committed to living green and helping you do the same. Be sure to comb through their website…lots of goodies!

We have some VERY exciting news to share! One Lucky Duck has joined the Live Lightly sponsorship team! One Lucky Duck was founded by Sarma Melngailis in July of 2005. Sarma is the co-creator of the premier NYC raw restaurant Pure Food and Wine (opened in June 2004) and co-author of Raw Food Real World. One Lucky Duck has everything you need to support your raw and organic lifestyle! They have a full raw snack line that is handmade and hand packaged, along with supplements, raw ingredients, natural fiber clothing, natural body care products, totes, and more!

As you probably know, our family has recently switched to a raw food lifestyle…we feel completely amazing eating this way and we couldn’t be more happy to help spread the word about this unique company. Sarma has been a joy to work with and has provided us with tons of delicious raw goodies, natural clothing, and totes for the tour. I have been a long time admirer of Sarma and her endeavors. Her book, Raw Food Real World, is my definitely my favorite book about raw foods. It’s so well written and beautifully photographed…and INSPIRING! She details her conversion to the raw lifestyle and offers wonderful advice for those interested in adding more raw foods to their diet.

Thank you Sarma!

We have officially kicked off the second leg of our tour, and we have some exciting news! We have a new sponsor. Organic Valley is partnering with the Live Lightly Tour! We are so excited to have them on board…they are a fabulous company with high standards and a deep concern for the environment. Personally, I have always loved their products and have chosen them over other brands such as Horizon (owned by dairy giant, Dean Foods) because I knew they walked what they talked. Organic is not just a word on their label…they truly are what they say they are. I would encourage you all to examine where you purchase your products from…especially if you are currently buying non-organic. Choose Organic Valley from now on!! Here is a little more about them…and you can check out their website here.

Organic Valley Coupons!

“Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative, with 1,201 family farms around the country, that produces award-winning organic foods, including milk, cheese, butter, eggs, juice, soy beverages, produce, and meats. Our philosophy and decisions are based on the health and welfare of people, animals and the earth. Because of our concern for the environment, Organic Valley is dedicated to continuous improvement in decreasing our ecological footprint, reducing use of fossil fuels, and embracing renewable energy technologies at all levels of our cooperative, including our farms.”

For the rest of our tour, we are going to smell REALLY yummy!! In fact, we’ll smell like Orange Patchouli….and Cinnamon and Cloves…and Lemon and Green Tea. Weeeeee!

We’re excited to announce that Ecoerin will be providing natural, fabulous handmade soaps for us to take on the road. If you are a bar soap lover (and if you aren’t, you should be!)…you will love Erin’s soaps! Be sure to check her site out…she is offering a 10% discount for Live Lightly blog readers…so be sure to get your order placed in time for Christmas delivery!

We are excited to announce our newest sponsor…Alterra Coffee! A Milwaukee-based roaster, wholesaler, and retailer of specialty coffees, Alterra has implemented a number of eco-friendly practices and policies, including (but not limited to) incorporating recycled materials in the building of its cafes, sourcing energy renewable sources, and promoting bicycle commuting among its employees. To learn more about Alterra’s commitment to the environment, please visit their website.

Alterra has AWESOME coffee…perfectly roasted with a huge selection of organic and fair trade varieties. Be sure to check them out…they ship everywhere. If you’re ever in Milwaukee, you MUST go to their coffee shops…they are so unique, beautiful, and bustling with coffee lovers. I wish we could have spent more time in that area just to hang out and drink coffee. Thanks to Alterra for keeping us awake on the road!

Lots of exciting things happening around here! We are very busy planning the first part of the tour…right now we are in Minnesota getting the RV “wrapped” with our logo and our sponsor logos. Photos coming soon! This coming weekend, we will take part in our first “event”…the iRenew Energy Expo in Solon, IA. We are really happy to be going there…it’s been going on for 16 years and there are so many wonderful people/businesses there…and amazing workshops! Come and see us if you are in the area.

We are holding a kick-off party/potluck in Des Moines on Sept. 16 to say goodbye to our family and friends. Our first stop after that will be at the New Pioneer Coop in Coralville, IA on Sept. 17 from 3-8 p.m. Everything else is still in the works…if you are in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Grand Rapids, or Ann Arbor…don’t worry! We haven’t forgotten you! We will be contacting you in the next week or so with more details.

More big news…we have had more sponsors join the Live Lightly Tour!

• Ecolips
• What Cheer Creative
• Vintage Remedies
• Ink Tank

We will be sharing more information about them soon…as we launch our new website (which will hopefully be within the next week). Weeeeeee! Lots going on…we are so excited to tell you all about it!

Stay tuned…

Overall, our RV is in GREAT condition for it’s age (1994). But, because this is going to be our HOME…we wanted to make it our own. Our goal is to make cosmetic changes to the interior of the RV using earth-friendly materials, so that when you tour our RV, you’ll be able to see different “green” options for your OWN home.

There is a fabulous sustainable building center in Bozeman called Refuge. After talking to them about our tour, they generously donated all of the paint we needed (low-VOC, non-toxic), and also some beautiful bamboo flooring for the entire RV. A HUGE thanks to Dave, Dan, and Mary for taking time to help us with this project. They are a great asset to the community! I’ll be posting more info about the paint, flooring, etc. in a future blog…stay tuned!

You can see ongoing photos of the renovations here. We’ve ripped out all of the existing flooring, repaired water damage in the floor, repaired the tub, modified cupboards, painted everything, and will be putting in new flooring and window coverings next. We hope to have most of it completed sometime next week. We’re excited to finally MOVE IN to the RV!