Articles Written by Julie Hancher

There's always a downside to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Like most of those fragrances you see plastered with the gorgeous faces of Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Queen Bey have a dark side. The US National Academy of Sciences targeted fragrances over 25 years ago as one of the 6 categories of neutroxins (ie toxic to your brain) as perfume; are made from synthetic, petroleum-based chemicals and may contain cancer-causing toxins. So what's a green guy or gal to do? Local Company Spotlight: The Perfume Fountain

Looking for a unique gift for someone this holiday season? Think Green. But not money. Or 'green' like the environment. Giving a living plant is a great gift to help someone further their gardening, breathe fresh air into their office or home or lift spirits with a mini ecosystem. Have friend with a black thumb? Think low maintenance air plants or terrariums. You can even get craft and make your own succulent terrarium gift.   Readers, what 'green' gifts are you giving?

Woohoo! It's the time of the season for a lovely holiday bike ride! The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Holiday Lights Bike Ride is back on Thurs, Dec 12th (rain date: 12/19). This fabulous ride

After a surge of holiday 'theme' days... Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Giving Tuesday.. the holidays are sneaking up on us faster than ever. Yet ever consider how much disposables of boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon and bags are involved? Although you can reuse wrapping paper or go without, there's still something about having a gorgeous gift wrapped up in a colorful design. VZWraps: Greener than disposable wrapping paper VZ Wraps are the classy, reusable solution for gifts. Find out more about VZ Wraps after the jump!

Although Americans are notoriously lazy, maintaining plants in the house can get difficult. That's why there's a kickstarter created by two UC San Diego Students that is BRILLIANT for those even with a black thumb. EcoQube Aquarium Self Cleaning System EcoQube is a desktop ecosystem that uses plants like Basil, mint and flowers to filter waters for fish. Find out about the EcoQube, after the jump!

Need a healthy appetizer or snack? This flatbread uses foods in season that you can find at the Farmers Market, through this cold season. I went to Headhouse Square and picked up Birchhill Farms Blue cheese, red onions and a Romanesco cauliflower due to the sheer size of that monster veggie. I brought this cauliflower flatbread to Thanksgiving dinner as an appetizer and can confirm that it was family approved. The best part? It didn't take me super-long to whip together, and was less time consuming than the butternut squash flatbread I made. Cauliflower, Onion & Blue Cheese Flatbread Recipe, after the jump!

Do you feel a shopping hangover between Black Friday and Small Business Saturday? Did you protest all the consumerism of the Holiday season, forfeiting Cyber Monday? There's another day on the horizon aimed to do better for the world. Giving Tuesday, or #GivingTuesday (in 2013 talk) is a day to "give" to nonprofits, designated as the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. According to the official website, it asks for partners to create and commit to a project on #GivingTuesday and spread the word. Here's 6 Ways to Give Back On Giving Tuesday:

Ah, vegetarians (or pescetarians, or flexitarians...) often have that awkward moment at Thanksgiving Dinner when we're passed the turkey and have to pass ON it. Although I previously spent $50 on a 'humane' turkey,  I'll likely go meat-free this Thursday. And the worst part? The comments from family around the table, about my seemingly-from-afar-prestigious decision. Don't fret, meatless readers. I brainstormed a few comebacks to avoid awkward silences around the table.

Greenworks Philadelphia. Tree planting. Farmers Markets. Energy Works. Bike shares. We're all so used to the awesome things that the Mayor's Office of Sustainability does that we don't realize it's a temporary office. With a mayor election on the horizon, we don't want anything to disappear on us. Lucky for us, City Council introduced Charter Change legislation, Resolution No. 130884, to make the Office of Sustainability permanent in the Philadelphia government. As Katherine Gajewski said in an email announcement,