Candy, Candy, Candy I can’t let you go All my life you’ve haunted me I love you soooooo… -Iggy Pop, “Candy”
It’s October, and my favorite holiday is nigh.
For me, what makes Halloween awesome is the costumes. I love dressing up, the freedom to be as ugly and ridiculous as I wanna be. I also love going door to door and talking to all the people who live in the neighborhood across the way.
For the kids, those things factor in too, but let’s face it: for them it’s all about the candy.
What’s in the candy can be super scary, though. Artificial flavors, artificial coloring, HFCS… all stuff you really don’t want your kids putting into their bodies.
And the thing is… they don’t make the candy taste any better, they just make it cheaper to produce.
Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe the idea of cheap? Yeah, I think I have once or twice 🙂
Vote with your dollar. Buy things of value.
UNREAL candy looks like those familiar standbys: Milky Ways, Snickers, M&Ms, peanut butter cups; only made with quality ingredients.
Without the corn syrup,
without the partially hydrogenated oils,
without the GMOs,
without the artificial flavors, colors and preservatives,
key ingredients needed to be responsibly sourced,
dairy needed to come from pasture raised cows with no antibiotics or added hormones
and with 40% less sugar per serving on average.
I like this and I don’t even like Milky Ways.
Wait, 100 less calories? Here, give me another one.
—actual quote from one of the moms at our Unjunked movie night
More UNREAL candy stats here.
I already knew my friend Kristin liked UNREAL candy bars, as she’d been praising them on Facebook. I wanted to see if kids would like them, or if handing them out to trick-or-treaters would be the social equivalent of being that family that gives out apples or trail mix.
So, we assembled a bunch of kids and parents for a multi-family Unjunked movie night: watching The Sandlot, eating air-popped popcorn and UNREAL candy. Everyone got a goody bag with one of each of UNREAL’s offerings.
And… it was a hit.
I especially love the colors of the not- M&Ms. Much like organic clothing, the shades are muted and pretty.
I am not especially crazy about the colors in these photographs. Sorry guys, I should have brought my real camera.
Look, I’m not going to ask you to be that family that hands out toothbrushes or pretzels at Halloween.
I’m not going to say kids shouldn’t ever have candy. Or chocolate.
I’m going to ask you to consider the little-to-no nutritional value of candy and chocolate. And wonder why we’re ok with straight up unhealthy stuff like artificial anything on top of it.
UNREAL isn’t expensive, but it costs a bit more than junk candy. I think that’s OK. It serves to remind us that most candy is junk, and not really suitable for giving our kids.
UNREAL is a treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about.
It helps that it’s really tasty, to adults and kids.
What do you usually give out to trick-or-treaters?
Are you trying to unjunk your kids’ eating habits?
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post through Global Influence. All opinions are my own.
True life is lived when tiny changes occur. ― Leo Tolstoy
Some stuff you should know about cotton.
Cotton is considered our “dirtiest” crop, due to its heavy use of insecticides. More is used on cotton than any other crop.
5 out of the 9 top pesticides used on cotton are known cancer-causing agents.
It’s estimated that less than 25% of crop duster pesticides actually reach the crop. The rest just drifts on the air, settling wherever it pleases.
Pesticides actually only work for so long before the pests develop an immunity and we have to use a stronger one. They can be used before determining if they’re cancer causing, by the way. And once that has been determined, it can take years to get it off the market.
Switching to organic cotton is a no-brainer, dramatic way to make a difference today. The more organic cotton grows in demand, the more farmers will compensate to meet that demand, and the more pesticides we keep out of our air, our water, our earth. And, oh yeah, off our skin.
Remember, if it’s not organic, more chemicals are being added at pretty much every stage of production until the clothing hits store shelves. Given that we don’t know how those chemicals will react with each other immediately, or over time as they degrade, and that we’re wearing this stuff next to our skin— it’s worth thinking about.
PACT is an awesome company not only affecting change by their non-use of chemicals, but in that a portion of purchase profits supports social change.
Change your underwear to PACT’s Fall 2012 plaid?
A portion of your PACT purchase will help families with dependent children who are sleeping on the street or in their cars escape the cycle of multigenerational homelessness.
Switch to PACT’s awesome socks?
From seed to table, SFC creates opportunities for individuals to make healthy food choices and to participate in a vibrant local food system. Through organic food gardening, relationships with area farmers, interactive cooking classes and nutrition education, children and adults have increased access to locally grown food and are empowered to improve the long-term health of Central Texans and our environment. PACT is supporting 6 weeks of cooking and education classes for low-income families.
Of course, you’re paying more for these options than you are for your typical Target socks and underoos (price wise, they’re comparable to American Apparel or Urban Outfitters, I think. Based on my former purchases at those stores).
Environmental and social imPACT aside, is it worth the Benjamins?
Short answer is YES, because cheap clothing is a burden on our world in many ways. Also, check out their clearance sale. And they appear to be running a 40% off sale until October 3rd. If I were you I’d check that nonsense out.
Long (and more fun) answer:
PACT sent me some of the Fall 2012 line to try out.
Dude, I LOVE funky socks. And I am totally willing to pay a premium for socks that last. For many years, we did a Christmas exchange where you drew one person’s name and spent $20, and all I ever wanted was a pair of $20 socks. Yeah, I’m that person.
These socks are super soft, they are thick and I don’t notice the seams. (Oh yeah, I’m also weird about seams.) Based on my expert knowledge of socks— no, I’m not joking— these will hold their shape for a good long time.
They also look saucy with my plaid wingtip Doc Martens.
Socked feet. Saint Bernard feet.
I ask you, what’s more fun than sassypants and complicated shoes? Well, maybe dresses with pockets, and outfits that cause both your husband and oldest son to groan, “WHAT are you WEARING?!”
I once had a somewhat expensive Ann Taylor plum sweater dress that would have been mind-blowing with these leggings. I wore it once and it disappeared. Where it went is a huge family controversy that I won’t reopen here but I TOTALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT AND IT AIN’T COOL.
Ahem. The leggings are awesome, y’all. Super soft and again, a good fabric memory. This is an ongoing issue for me as usually leggings start to stretch and sag and fall down after a day of wear; that didn’t happen with these.
If you’re concerned about pulling off pants this sassy, they also currently come in solid navy and wine 🙂
The underwear is similarly high quality and soft, and (I think) flattering. Basically, all I ask of my underwear is that I not notice it while I’m wearing it, and these do that job well.
I will spare you a photo of me sporting them. Here is a shapely model instead. You’re welcome.
In addition to socks, leggings and underwear, PACT carries V neck and rounded neck tees, and tank tops for the ladies.
I don’t know whether it’s the fact that they aren’t covered in chemicals, or whether they’re made with higher quality cotton, or what, but I always find organic cotton clothing to be crazy soft and the colors just more appealing somehow. I honestly don’t think it’s some sort of mental rose-colored glasses. They genuinely feel better against my skin.
You know I’m always asking you to vote with your dollar. This is a company worth supporting; not only because their products tread gently, but because they are striving to do good. That means something.
…with every purchase, you help PACT make a positive change in our world. Each season, PACT designs a new collection of clothing inspired by someone doing something good: whether it’s about clean water, sustainable food, or affordable housing— we stick to the basics. We invest in projects that create independence. We are solution-oriented. Optimistic. Community-based. And we make great underwear along the way. Our line of high quality, great value clothing is growing but it’s still the essentials–underwear, socks, graphic tees, with more to come. No matter what PACT does, we always stay true to our basic principles. Good design. Good fabric. Good cause.
Keep PACT in mind as we swing into the holiday shopping season (don’t worry, I’ll remind you). I suggest liking them on the Facebook or following @wearpact on the Twitters so you can keep abreast of future promotions and deals.
Do good by your dollar. Feel good (on many levels).
This photo provided by PACT, probably to discourage me
from posting pics of myself in my underwear.
Hey! He’s wearing Docs too!
Disclosure: I was provided with the pictured PACT products for review purposes. All opinions as always entirely my own.
I love taking animal photos: the four-legged, the six-legged, the winged. (Yes, I’m counting insects as animals, just go with it.)
But the biggest challenge is taking photos of my own pets. How best to capture the wriggliness, the silliness of a puppy? How do you convey the loving trust they have in you, licking your face or lying across your feet whenever they’re given the chance?
I don’t think I ever really satisfactorily managed to get Zooey’s personality on film. He was just too much dog for two-dimensions. And also, his black fur was impossible for the camera to focus on. I just lacked the technical skill to coax the camera into doing him justice. And it makes me sad, that I don’t have any really great shots for us to remember him with.
I have the same issues with Karma. Her eyes just sort of meld into her black face mask and I can’t quite record how much she loves those kids. How mournful she is every morning as she watches them walk to their school bus. It’s a little piece of heartbreak every morning.
I’m an OK photographer; I think I have a good eye. I’ve become pretty good at guessing how light will translate to the screen, and the zen of sitting with a subject and interacting with it through a lens is one of my happier pastimes.
Look how proud he is.
If you don’t know what’s in Jimmy’s mouth you probably should read the deer heart story.
I don’t have the technical skills to get a great shot every time, though. If I’m not blessed with the light I love (mid-day? night? Rainy? I’m screwed) I’ve forgotten how to compensate. I’m the biggest cheater ever when it comes to depth of field (I just switch to my telephoto. That is, presuming I’m not just using my iPhone, which I confess I do way more than I should).
I’m not a good photographer. To be a good photographer takes skill, a good eye, a bit of luck and the patience to take and sift through lots of pictures.
The quality of your results can be directly measured by the breadth and depth of your knowledge of the technical workings of photography.
– Jamie Pflughoeft, Beautiful Beasties
In other words, luck, patience and a good eye can only take you so far. At some point you gotta do the homework.
What I do know about the technical tricks and rules of photography I learned from reading photography books, behind the counter of Lincoln Camera during breaks and lunch hours. I looooove photography books, such a gratifying blend of tech geekiness and eye candy.
Beautiful Beasties is a photography book dedicated entirely to the visual capture of our furry and feathered friends. It’s a lovely book, as photography books should be: a feast of heartwarming, funny, breathtaking, wonderfully expressive animal portraits. And it’s full of practical tips to get the best shots of your animals— not just the digital photography techniques about aperture, lighting, ISO noise and shooting in the RAW, but also how to read an animal’s body language and evoke facial expression. Special difficulties (like how to photograph a black dog) are helpfully included, and there are great sections on post-production, photo organization and advice for those who are considering photography as a profession.
It’s geared, obviously, to the unique challenges that pet photography poses, but it’s a solid tutorial on the mechanics of photography in general. There’s always something new to learn.
If you could use a refresher on your photog technical skills (or learn them for the first time), or want to take your animal photos from ok to good (or great!) it’s a great read.
And here’s your chance to win a copy 🙂
Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter widget (may have to click through if reading in RSS). Up to 10 entries possible if you’re into upping the odds!
