Prayer Malas Available at Organic Bug!

Prayer beads, commonly known as mala, a Sanskrit term for garland, are used to recite mantras and say prayers. Malas date back to Hinduism in approximately 500 BC. Historians believe they began in India and spread to China, Japan, the Middle East and then to Europe. Western cultures commonly use rosary prayer beads.

The mala beads are usually held in the right hand and your fingers move from bead to bead in rhythm with the breath or mantra being recited. A common mala has 108 beads. In Buddhism, one hundred of the beads are meant for mantra recitation while the eight that remain are dedicated to all sentient beings.

Malas are made from a variety of wood, seeds, plants and semi-precious stones.

Our traditional 108-bead Sandalwood Mala by Celedra is handmade using red sandalwood seed beads from the Far East. The mala has accents of delicate silver beads separating semi-precious beads of rose quartz and clear quartz, finishing with a blue stone set in a silver drop two-sided guru bead.

The 108-bead Ebony Mala is also handmade from ebony seed beads from the Far East. It has accents of delicate silver beads separating semi-precious beads of blue lace agate and clear quartz, finishing with a stone set in a silver drop two-sided guru bead.

The Amethyst and Rose Quartz Mala Mate symbolizes spiritual awareness and love. Mantra: I am the embodiment of grace and sovereignty.

The Jade, Garnet and Carnelian Mala Mate symbolizes prosperity, motivation and success. Mantra: My natural state is abundance and ease.

This mala is handmade using natural beads of turquoise and red sandalwood seeds from the Far East, finishing with a turquoise stone set in a silver drop two-sided guru bead.

View all the malas available at Organic Bug.

Pangea Organics Facial Mask Featured on Vanity Fair’s Beauty Blog!

Another member of the Organic Bug family has been recognized for outstanding quality and commitment to bringing consumers more sustainable options.  In the past, Pangea Organics Facial Mask has been featured and honored on numerous occasions such as:

• 2009 Better Nutrition Best of Beauty Award for Best Skin Care
• 2007 H20 Fitness & Wellness for Women H20 Beauty Awards for Best Overall Mask
• 2007 ShapeYou Gear Awards for Great Gear of the Year Award
• 2007 Natural Health Natural Beauty Award for Face Care in the Face Mask Category
• 2007 Best of Show Awards, Natural Products Expo West 2007 for Best New Vegetarian Product
• 2007 New Products Showcase Award, Natural Products Expo East for Best New Product for 2007

Now they can add  the Vanity Fair Favorite Green Pick in May 2010 to this list!    This month, Pangea Facial Mask with Japanese Matcha Green Tea, Acai & Goji Berry made the list of favorite green beauty picks on the very popular Vanity Fair Beauty Blog:

“During the month of May, [Vanity Fair] Beauty brings you our favorite green picks that will keep you pampered from head to toe…..Once a week, we detoxify, cleanse, and exfoliate our skin with Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask. Acai helps skin to regenerate, goji berry helps with anti-aging, and matcha tea helps to prevent damage from free radicals.”

The products are handmade in the USA without synthetic preservatives, petrochemicals or parabens.  All Pangea Organics products arrive packaged in molded fiber boxes manufactured using a Zero-Waste process with 100% post-consumer recycled paper and organic seeds like amaranth and sweet basil. Slip off the label and soak the box in water for a minute and plant it approximately 1” deep in soil. Then watch your garden grow!

Not Too Late to Honor Mom & Mother Earth on Mothers Day!

Wow!   Mothers Day is this weekend…should I rush out and buy a gift, wrap it and ship it to Mom (who deserves only the best by the way) ?  How about flowers?  Again? No?   Luckily it is not too late to honor your Mother by honoring Mother Earth with a purchase of a gift that falls under the category of Fair Trade, Handmade, Made in the USA, Natural, Organic, Recycled or Sustainable. Read on for my top picks for Mom!

Fair Trade Gift for Mom

Why Fair Trade? Fair Trade utilizes social criteria and environmental principles that support a more equitable and sustainable economic structure that benefits people, their communities and the global markets.

MY PICK Caribbean Craft Sun Face Recycled Oil Drum Art Brighten your day with our handmade Sun Face Oil Drum Art! Craft artists design and sculpt these one-of-a-kind creations in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti using recycled oil drums. The natural patina and reflective sheen give each piece its sunny disposition that may be enjoyed in your home or garden. These talented Haitian artists continue the tradition of Oil Drum Art in their tropical Caribbean homeland. They work as employees and independent contractors for Caribbean Craft, a Fair Trade organization, developing their skills and providing a sustainable income for their families through the use of the available distribution network.

Handmade Gift for Mom

Why Choose Handmade? Handmade refers to an individual or group of skilled artisans who apply their craft to produce goods for the marketplace. Handmade is also used to identify artwork produced by individuals engaging their imagination to create aesthetic art within a particular discipline.

MY PICK: Bottled Up Designs Cobalt Glass Square Pendant & Earrings These one of a kind handmade creations by artist Laura Bergman. The vivid deep blue color of our Antique Cobalt Glass Square Pendant & Earrings comes from the broken remains of old Noxema bottles! In an effort to preserve the environment and protect an area rich in wildlife, Laura reclaims whole and broken bottles from old glass dumps found in wooded habitats and rural farmlands near her home in Pennsylvania Amish country. As a master glass cutter Laura polishes and molds the recycled glass to eliminate any sharp edges. She then skillfully mounts the glass in delicate spirals of sterling hoops to produce exquisite pendants and earrings that catch the light with every move!

Made in the USA Gift for Mom

Why Made in the USA? Made in USA identifies products made in the US that contribute to a stable US economy.

MY PICK: Fire & Light Recycled Glass Heart in Lavender This is a most elegant way to say I Love You Mom! The translucent recycled glass lavender hearts are handmade by a community of Fire & Light artisans in Arcata, California. Artisans skillfully etch the words Fire & Light onto each completed piece. A totally classy & Heartfelt gift!

Organic Gift for Mom

What Does Organic REALLY mean (is it just a marketing term?)  Organic implies food and other items derived from raw materials that are wild-crafted or organically grown. The processes used minimize damage to the environment and improve the quality of life for the workers and animals involved.

MY PICK: Truly Wize Mother’s Day Super Star Gift Box Give Mom a beautiful gift box of three dozen assorted gourmet organic cookies freshly baked especially for her. And yes, she needs three dozen because in true MOM style, she will give some away and you want her to have plenty to savor and enjoy for her wonderful self! The gift box is bursting with eight hand decorated star shaped Sugar Cookies, seven melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Truffle Cookies, seven sinfully rich signature Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies (that have been featured on the Rachael Ray Show), a sweet selection of seven Iced Spring Thumbprint Soft Vanilla Cookies and seven refreshing Orange Blossom Cookies~crisp drops on the outside; soft & chewy on the inside with a fresh orange flavor. YUM!

Natural Gift for Mom

What Does Natural Mean? Natural refers to products manufactured using materials and ingredients produced conventionally but without added chemicals or synthetics, lessening their environmental impact.

MY PICK: Pangea Organics Bar Soaps Everything in these Pangea Organics Bar Soaps has been chosen with mindful intention to give you the purest, most nourishing soap possible. The gentle cold processing methods preserve the natural healing properties of each customized blend so that the benefits reach the body instead of getting boiled off, leaving the skin soft and the environment smiling. As the most trusted organic skincare line on the market Pangea Organics has been featured in more than 130 publications including Body + Soul, Jane, Natural Health and O, The Oprah Magazine! The company has enjoyed 11 television and radio segments on shows like The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Get Fresh with Sara Snow, The Isaac Mizrahi and The View. Additionally, Pangea Organics has received 12 awards honoring their high performance products and progressive efforts to find sustainable business solutions in every facet of their company.

Recycled Gift for Mom

Why Recycle?  Recycled is the reusing of materials to make new products, saving our precious natural resources and raw materials. Recycling uses less energy, decreasing oil dependence; reduces landfill, curbing leaching of contaminants into the soil and water supply; and improves air quality through the reduction of toxic incinerator emissions.

MY PICK: Rebagz Juice Pack Small Tie Totes This is the smaller more compact version of our wildly popular Large Tie Tote! Hollywood celebrities, sports stars and other notables have been seen carrying around our eco-friendly Rebagz! America Ferrera of Ugly Betty fame, Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Jaime Pressly, Kate Walsh and Serena Williams to name just a few! Playful yet sophisticated, whichever one you choose will maintain its fresh and sassy look for years to come! Well-made, vibrant, fashionable and functional are just some of the ways to describe these water-resistant handmade creations.

Sustainable Gift for Mom

Why Sustainable?  Sustainable manufacturers strive to produce products in an environment that provides social and economic benefits while practicing environmental stewardship.

MY PICK: CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator-Long Handle The long hoe-type handle is a dream for gardeners with limited kneeling and bending ability~this amazing tool allows you to get back out there and enjoy gardening again! Additionally, it’s a bonus for agricultural workers because it weeds deeply and precisely next to valuable crops without damaging the crop or its root system. This reptilian head is like having a “steel fingernail” at your service, doing the work of a whole collection of garden tools! And get this! The long handle comes in three lengths to accommodate your height, all at the same great price:

Free Gift Message Cards are available…..