Gorgeously Green

I really like Julia Roberts. She's not one of those crazy, flaky celebrities and it seems she generally tries to stay out of the spotlight and the media, unless she is, of course, in the media for her newest movie. (Or so it seems - I should probably confess that I don't actually know Julia Roberts -- I'm sure you are shocked. No, these are my assumptions based on what I've observed.)

But I digress.

Julia Roberts wrote the foreward to a book that I recently had the opportunity to review called "Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth Friendly Life". In her foreward, Roberts says "I am absolutely altered. This Gorgeously Green book has provided my household with a bible of hope and help (not to mention a good cleansing mask and a source for eco-cashmere)."

I knew I liked her. She's right. This book is, quite simply, a resource. It's not a book to read and put away. It's been sitting on my kitchen table since June -- not because I'm horrible at housework, but because I am constantly flipping through it to check out another great website, to find another great idea, to figure out another way to do my part. (Oh, and to make the hummus recipe that is on page 219. Yum.)

Written by Sophie Uliano, Gorgeously Green has given me tips on everything you can imagine, like:

• A way to do something good with my half-used medicines (the Starfish Project) and why you should NEVER throw old medications down the toilet, drain, or waste disposal.
• A way to stop junk mail by being taken off of credit bureau lists (tired of those credit card offers?) and how to stop 75 percent of those wasteful national mailings.
• Why you shouldn't burn just any old candles (guilty as charged) because of the toxins that they release, and places to buy safe candles (or what to look for when you purchase them).
• All about sleeping on natural and organic mattresses -- (you spend a large portion of your life on a mattress!) and where to purchase them.
• Healthy products to get you through a pregnancy.
• Eco-friendly vacations.

And those topics are just the tip of the iceberg. My sister will love this book, and I'm already planning on purchasing her a copy of it for her for her birthday next month (don't worry, she won't see this!). But she'll have to have her own copy, oh yes -- because she lives 4 hours away and is not getting her hands on mine. How would I make hummus?

You can purchase your copy of Gorgeously Green on Amazon.com for $11.53.