With January behind us, it’s inevitable. Those trips to the gym start to dwindle, the fruit and veggie bins in our refrigerators aren’t quite as bountifully stalked and those sneaky sugary sweets start creeping back into our cupboards. But, just because we start backsliding doesn’t mean we have to stay there!

Try and find a way to make every month’s first day feel like the first day of January when it comes to your eating. Remember that ambition to skip the sweets and snack healthier?

To get you motivated for February, here are five incredibly easy snacks that you should keep in mind for whenever that afternoon starvation hits you and the only thing you can think of is a doughnut. These are some of my favorites, and as such are primarily all low calorie, low fat, and of course: organic! (more…)

Great 50% off clearance sale going on at Fashion and Earth. Over 50 quality organic cotton, hemp, soy and bamboo-based women’s fashion items: bras & panties to turtlenecks, shrugs, blazer cardigans, knit pants, skirts and more! You can also rack up some nice reward points if you sign up for their e-newsletter.

How many cellphone chargers do you have lying about your home? IEC, the international standards and conformity assessment body for all fields of electrotechnology, announced yesterday the publication of the first globally relevant universal phone charger standard for data-enabled mobile telephones..

This new IEC International Standard covers all aspects of the charger, connector and plug, as well as safety, interoperability and environmental considerations.

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This is one of the most handsome reusable lunch bags I’ve seen. It’s handmade by Omaha, Nebraska-based, Chris Hughes. Hughes uses hand tools and vintage equipment and the crafting materials are American-sourced waxed canvas and leather. Each bag is made-to-order and comes with a lifetime guarantee. You’ll find a slew of other tote styles on his site…love the smart, clean design lines and made in America attributes.

Price tag is commensurate with a made to order quality durable good ($45).  If you think it’s a bit hefty, just consider the money you’ll save by brown-bagging it, not to mention the compliments. Note: 4-6 week turnaround. Canvas Lunch Tote.

Not many holidays exude handmade appreciation like Valentine’s Day. I theorize that it stems from the paper bag “Valentine mail-boxes” so many of us crafted in elementary school, but the truth is, a glued-together, glittered Valentine is perfect at any age. This year, we’ve scoured the web to find some crafty creations you can whip up for your loved one – using stuff that you’ve probably already got on hand. So, consider creative recycling this year, and see if you can’t surprise someone with a gift that’s as sweet as it is green.

• Heart Paper Pockets (Craftzine) – Make ‘em by cutting up old greeting cards
• Bottle Cap Photo Magnets (Martha Stewart) – Recycle the bottles; keep the twist-off caps
• Valentine Lightbulb (Design*Sponge) – Burnt bulb? No problem
• Silver Ring for Him (Instructables) – All you need is a pre-1964 quarter
• Valentine’s Day Cookies (Food Network) – Just-the-basics kind of recipe