Candace Walsh: Organic Eco Expert
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Candace Walsh is a writer, poet and editor living in Santa Fe. Her
articles have appeared in Travel + Leisure, Sunset, Food & Wine, Entree, Alternative Medicine, Newsday, Blender, Details, and Mothering, as well as local publications such as Santa Fe Trend, Localflavor, Tumbleweeds, and Santa Fe Circle. She co-wrote two books for Gibbs Smith Publishing: American Atelier with David Naylor and Stone Design for the Home with John Morris.
articles have appeared in Travel + Leisure, Sunset, Food & Wine, Entree, Alternative Medicine, Newsday, Blender, Details, and Mothering, as well as local publications such as Santa Fe Trend, Localflavor, Tumbleweeds, and Santa Fe Circle. She co-wrote two books for Gibbs Smith Publishing: American Atelier with David Naylor and Stone Design for the Home with John Morris.
REVIEWS
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Bring your eco-consciousness home to roost in your bedroom. You spend a dedicated amount of time there, asleep, so it's a crucial place to minimize hazardous fumes and off-gassing materials. While you're protecting yourself, protect the earth as well by choosing fairly traded furniture made of sustainable materials.Read More » -
Love shoes? Love the Earth? The two now go together in the form of beautifully crafted, sustainably made footwear, from the most take-no-prisoners snow boots to breathtakingly sexy and delicate pumps.Read More » -
Just because our kids get older doesn't mean our devotion to organic clothing lessens. Until recently, the pickings have been slim — a veritable chasm between toddler and adult attire. But now, there are new, groovy players on the scene along with the really awesome tried and true mainstays, like Hanna Andersson.Read More »
Recently, I ran to the mall on a whim to get my seven-year-old daughter a dress for picture day. I had to go to four stores in order to find a pretty, simple frock, as the vast majority of the choices were teenybopper, tacky, and kind of weirdly disco-provocative. It just so happens that in my experience, organic clothing for boys and girls is classically beautiful... designed for children... not teenagers-to-be. There's seriously no rush to grow up — and the organic clothing industry really seems to support that. Not only are they protecting our kids from hazardous dyes, pesticide residues, and sweatshop energy; they're maintaining the sacred space of childhood in the form of practical, simple, beautiful, non-media or character-branded items. That's why I vote with my dollars — for the following companies. -
From flip-flops to hiking boots, you can find most every kind of shoe out there with an ecological bent. Whether it’s an old tire repurposed as sneaker soles, dye made from ground-up tree bark, or sneakers made from recycled army canvas — and an across-the-board insistence on fair trade labor practices — with the shoes below, you can literally walk your talk.Read More » -
When it comes to dressing an infant, clothing needs to be soft, uncomplicated, and safe. Organic cotton, wool, hemp, and bamboo fabrics fit the safe and soft criteria, and I've hunted down wee garments with the least frills and furbelows, and the most simplicity and comfort. Not only that, but they are just darling...but never so much that they attempt to compete with your little bundle of cute.Read More » -
The second half of the first year of a baby's life is so much fun. Baby has awakened to the world around her and it is now that sitting up, moving around, and finer motor skill development make it a perfect time to introduce beautiful, safe, and transporting toys. Herewith, an assortment of classic toys remade in accordance to today's exacting eco and fair-trade standards and heightened design sensibility.Read More » -
The first toys you select for your baby will initially only be props...all baby wants is mama for what seems like a long time. But when your baby starts to awaken to the world around him or her, it's great to have some ultra-safe, soft, and lovely toys at the ready. Make tummy time yummier with an organic play mat, and hang a sweetly engaging mobile to catch the eye. You can take your pick from the plethora of organic cotton and naturally finished wood rattles, instead of being limited to phthalate-laden plastic ones of days gone by. The gentle items listed below aim to preserve the calm, soothing nature of the womb, while ably supporting your growing baby's development... and eliciting some of his or her first smiles.Read More » -
When considering what to gift a new mom and her baby, it's the eco-thoughtfulness that counts. Make sure to do your part to help co-create a green and serene world for baby, by choosing organic, beautiful, and useful items - instead of plastics, battery-driven toys, anything with lead, synthetic fibers, and items (like fabric) treated with harmful finishes.Read More » -
Decorating a child's room is an opportunity to create a space that fosters both fun and tranquility. When you do it with a green focus, you get to notice and teach your children how much eco-guided living matters, in the moment and for years to come.Read More » -
When assembling the elements for a green kids' room, there are certain things to keep in mind. Will the furniture grow with your child? Can it be repurposed when the time comes? Are the materials sustainable, and were they fairly traded? Are the finishes safe, and how will they affect the air?Read More »
All of these questions are really important, and definitely taken into consideration in the items I've selected. But along with the pointy-headed eco criteria came this: is it visually awesome? And I think you'll agree that the answer is yes. -
The greening revolution may be televised, but it will not stop short of your closet... which is a good thing. Men's eco-fashion today is hip, comfortable, sustainable, and desirable. Not only that - it ranges from uber-casual to really formal, to support you, and the planet, at every sartorial turn.Read More » -
The world of eco-friendly and sustainable bedding has exploded into juicy color, fabulous texture, and enticing options (for even the things you don’t see, like mattress pads). You can go luxe or go basic, mass or artisanal, or mix it up for a bed experience that’s way more than the sum of its parts.Read More »
Aesthetics aside, why make the switch? The conventional cotton industry uses one quarter of all agricultural pesticides and insecticides.
Organic bedding also uses low-eco-impact dyes... and has that softness that’s so unique to organic cotton and other fibers. So check out my roundup... and dream a little dream of green. -
With the warmer months comes the desire to shove all of those chunky sweaters to the back of the closet and show some skin! It also presents the opportunity to choose earth-friendly, sustainable, and fairly traded garments instead of disposable, “fast food” fashion. You may be thinking that this might limit your choices to the realm of the hippy-dippy. Happily, a soigné selection awaits you below, with pieces from elegant, understated Eileen Fisher to the rockabilly-inspired stylings of Small Axe... and most everything in between.Read More » -
The creation of a natural nursery just happens to support the earth - the heart of it lies in creating a nest for your infant that is free of fumes and industrial chemicals harmful to his or her system. From wooden and particleboard furniture, which can give off gas formaldehyde, and crib mattresses and upholstered chairs, treated with flame retardants, to plastic items that release phthalates into the air, there are lots of reasons to go green.Read More »
Yet another reason: it’s fun! Why? Creative and gifted designers have applied themselves to the reconceptualization of many nursery items, with an eye toward evolving usage, beautiful natural materials, repurposing, and heirloom quality (so that pieces may be passed down for generations to come, which cuts down on future consumption). Engaging with pieces that have so much thought and personal involvement behind them is a deeply gratifying and mindful part of preparing for baby’s arrival. -
A gorgeously appointed nursery is only truly welcoming to baby if the elements within are free of contaminants, fumes, and off-gassing materials. Worried you might not be able to locate the safe stuff? Fear no more. I’ve done all the research so that you can sit back and work on your birth plan instead (or just have a nap).Read More »
Eco-friendly equals baby-friendly, so consider the following elements when building that tender newborn’s nest. -
“Spray Windex on it!” is one of the most memorable lines from the film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. It’s hilarious (and slightly scary) that the Greek paterfamilias so avidly prescribes Windex for topical use on... people, but it does also show how much we can be emotionally attached to the cleaning products we grew up with. So why not choose natural, earth- and body-friendly cleansers for ourselves and generations to come? Below, you’ll find products that not only deep-clean your house naturally...they also won’t hurt you if you happen to get some on your skin.Read More » -
These days, it’s clear that the traditional laundry soap products we’ve grown up with have done the opposite of what they promised — instead of cleaning our clothing, they’ve soiled it with toxic chemical compounds — along with the air, our homes and our bodies. Should we throw it all out and start from scratch? That makes the most sense.Read More »
But if you’re like me, you might feel sentimental about “clean laundry smell” and other relics of 20th century cleaning. So I did some research and found out that I can have my “clean laundry smell” and inhale it safely, too. I also found products that reinvent the wheel in delightfully unexpected ways.
Remember that it doesn’t just stop with the soaps... consider switching out PVC laundry baskets for beautiful, fair-trade woven baskets, and re-think the best source of all for clean laundry smell: a basket of clothes line-dried in the sun.
