A beautiful home is an eco-friendly home: Ingrid Callot on using vintage furniture for your home

Hi there! I’m Ingrid Callot, a fun-loving environmentalist, blogger, wife, and mom. I love everything that’s green, and for months now, I have been using all my charms to influence my family, especially my son, Jacob, into living the green life as well. Fortunately, he has grown accustomed to it and has started to like it, too.

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Recently, I took him on a little trip to a local flea market. I never thought that Jacob would enjoy the whole experience but to my surprise, he did. He even took the initiative of picking out things for our home. Of course, he used the tips he has learned from me in choosing sustainable home accessories. And in return, I, Ingrid Callot, even learned a lesson or two in home decorating from him.

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I was torn between two corner tables – one was a square vintage table and the other one was a rectangular glass table. It took me awhile to react when Jacob said, “Mom, why do you have to buy that when you have grandma’s old table lying at our basement?” I thought to myself that my mom’s old table would save us bucks, plus it has a more vintage appeal to it that the two tables I’ve been fussing about.
I stopped for a few seconds and smiled at Jacob. “How could I forget grandma’s table?” I patted my little boy’s head and we went home.
Decorating the home should be easy and eco-friendly. Old furnishings add a certain vintage appeal to a modern home. So the next time you’re considering buying new furniture, think about the old ones you have first and see if you can incorporate them into your home.

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Ingrid Callot: Basic gardening tips for gardening newbies

I am Ingrid Callot and in my neighborhood, I am best known for being a recycling goddess, composting queen, and health junkie. I am the biggest fan of Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart (I am convinced that at some point in our lives we'll find each other and we'd end up becoming best friends), the Dalai Lama, and I’m an advocate for green, sustainable living. My family and I have been leading eco-friendly lives since Christmas, and we're doing extremely well at recycling and reusing old things, eating organic food, and boycotting household items that contain chemicals that may be toxic to the environment.
 

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I, Ingrid Callot, will be the first to admit that despite my being a huge fan of living green, I am no green thumb. As a child, all of the plants I had to nurture for Science class died within just a few days and I absolutely gave up on gardening until a few months ago, when my bestfriend Edgardo Versoza encouraged me to plant a little garden since we have so much fertilizer from composting.
 
Here are some of the things I learned from my little gardening project:
 
* Using mulch helps prevent the growth of weeds. It also preserves soil moisture so you need to water your plants less.
 
* Plants that are native to your area will adapt to the climate and temperature, so you don't need to water them as often. They will also grow beautifully in their “home turf.”
 


* Singing and talking to your plants do not really help them grow, but it puts you in a very good mood.(winks)
 
* Re-used water (such as rainwater collected into buckets) does an excellent job of nourishing your plants.
 
* Putting a mesh net over your plants on a very hot day can keep them from drying out. Mesh nets also allow them to breathe.
 
* Small gardens are more manageable than a full-blown one complete with a manicured lawn and several species of flowers and plants.
 
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Go green on the cheap: Ingrid Callot shares three inexpensive ways to save the Earth

Many people think that in order to be eco-friendly, spending large amounts of money for things that are green is a necessity. I, Ingrid Callot, am eco-bestfriendly and let me tell you that the majority of things you can do to save the environment don’t have to cost a fortune. Below are three cheap and easy things you can do to go green:

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Be the farmer’s best friend. And I don’t mean live on the farm and milk cows. Buy organic food! The best prices on organic produce are close to home at your local farmers’ market. You are not only saving money and getting healthy, but you are also putting more cash into the farmers’ pockets and supporting local food production.

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Ditch the bubble wrap. Ingrid Callot here loves popping bubble wraps. But once I started following in the footsteps of eco-friendly Oprah, I ditched almost everything made of plastic inside my house, and that includes bubble wraps. Whenever I have a package to send, I use yesterday’s newspapers as packing material instead of buying bubble wrap. It seems old-fashioned but for me, what’s old news can be good news.

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Let the sunshine in. Turn off the lights, and open the blinds and curtains. Aside from being completely renewable, sunlight is free, letting you save on electricity. The sun’s rays offer just the right brightness, and even help regulate your sleep patterns and improve your mood.

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With these simple and inexpensive green tips, you’ll be making your wallet fatter. Just look at me, I’m on my way to buying that figure-flattering Stella McCartney dress that my faboosh friend Edgardo Versoza and I are dying to have!

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Garden volcano: Ingrid Callot and son do a science experiment

With husband Roger away on a business trip, I, Ingrid Callot was left with a weekend of mother-son-time with dinosaur enthusiast Jacob. He has been obsessing about dinosaurs, especially on the volcanic eruption that caused their extinction. My cute eight-year-old is quite convinced that witnessing a volcano erupt would be the “coolest thing on earth!”

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Now, it’s up to dear old momma to show Jacob that volcanic eruptions aren’t exactly cool. We had a tour around the museum that was definitely educational; even I learned a thing or two about our gigantic friends. I definitely didn’t know that most dinosaurs were vegetarians!

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But the tour wasn’t enough to sway my son’s conviction on volcanic eruptions. So I thought a great movie should do the trick. Thanks to my newly organized Ingrid Callot-style closet, I was able to find the VCD of the movie: The Land Before Time, which I bought years ago.

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Jacob definitely no longer desires to witness a volcanic eruption after watching this very sad but very beautiful movie. I, on the other hand, had to find a way to cheer up his dampened spirit. To do this, Jacob and I did a science experiment in our own backyard. We simply dug up some dirt from the garden and piled it up around a tin can (a used one from the kitchen was perfect) to create a small hill.

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And to make our little volcano erupt, Jacob dissolved a tablespoon of baking soda in two tablespoons of water in the tin can, while I poured in a drop of red food coloring and a cup of vinegar. Now, witnessing this kind of volcanic eruption was earth-friendly and cool indeed!

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Organize that closet: Ingrid Callot on the best tie and belt organizers on the market

Yesterday my friend Edgardo Versoza went by my house to check out the new green dress I bought (which he’s jealous of). He opened my closet and shrieked, “Ingrid Callot! Did a storm hit your closet? Hurricane Katrina was sooo six years ago!”

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I peered inside my closet and realized that yes, it looked like it was hit by a storm. My hats were on the floor, my clothes were everywhere and were mismatched, and my belts were on the floor too, lying there like dead snakes. My husband Roger’s neckties were mixed up with my scarves, and even his favorite blue tie was wrapped around the heel of one of my shoes. I stood there, stone-faced. I never knew my closet was this messy until today, and I realized I haven’t organized my closet for a while now. Edgardo clicked his tongue and said, “That’s it! Ingrid Callot, we’re going shopping!”

After days of searching the Internet and visiting stores that sell tie and belt organizers, we found these cool ones that you too, would surely love:

• Richards Homewares 16-Hook Spinning Tie Hanger. This hanger is perfect for Roger’s ties and belts. It has 16 sturdy hooks which can pivot independently, allowing for even greater organization. It hangs on any closet rod and measures only 8 inches at its widest points, taking up minimal space in your closet.

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• Smartek Motorized Rack. Both Edgardo and I gushed over this! This electronic revolving rack stores and organizes ties on 64 tie hooks and belts on eight belt hooks that rotate smoothly. It includes a built-in light so you can see your necktie collection in the dark. And oh, the light shuts off automatically after 10 seconds. Neat-o!

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• Handy Hold-All.This cute organizer will be my gift to my little son Jacob, so that his closet won’t be as messy as Mommy’s. Made from cotton, the Handy Hold-All keeps bags, belts, hats, ties, and scarves neatly organized, and you can hang it on the closet door thanks to the small grommet at the top. It also has heavy-duty snaps to keep items secure.

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Once I buy one of these organizers (or all of them!), Edgardo will never look at me disapprovingly again and say, “You are one heck of a clutter queen, Ingrid Callot.”


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Ingrid Callot on Organic and Mineral Make Up: Giving You the Freshest, Most Natural Glow

This is Ingrid Callot, also known in my side of town as the biggest fan of Martha Stewart, and of green, eco-friendly living. I admire Martha a lot, and in my mind, we're best of friends – sharing DIY tips and trading recipes while sipping freshly-squeezed orange juice and some vegan cupcakes. In real life, though, my bestfriend is the fabulous Edgardo (or "Versoza. Edgardo Versoza" as he calls himself), who is also my stylist, shopping buddy, personal cheerleader, and publicist. He fully supports my family's decision to live a greener lifestyle, and has taken baby steps to eco-friendly living as well (or maybe he just wanted an excuse to hoard eco bags).

We were supposed to go to the organic Sunday market last week, and upon arriving at my doorstep, Edgardo screeched, “Ingrid Callot! Living green does not mean you have to look like a corpse! Why aren't you wearing makeup?” I tried to explain that I did a little spring cleaning and threw out all my makeup because they contain lead and parabens, when he shut me up and said, “That's what mineral makeup is for!” And so, our Sunday was spent looking for mineral makeup online. I ended up spending the budget for grass-fed Wagyu beef on mineral foundation, blush, and lipstick.

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Mineral makeup was worth every penny, as it made my skin look fresher and more radiant. The foundation made my skin look matte and poreless, and the blush imparted a healthy glow. The lipstick made my lips look and feel soft and supple. The best part is that the makeup did not have any scent, which means only the most natural ingredients were used, and I did not get skin irritation or breakouts, which means it's perfect for sensitive skin. The formulation for mineral makeup is gentler than that of commercial brands, so it's safer for everyday use. The makeup did not budge even after 6 hours of running after my little boy, preparing dinner, and doing the dishes, which meant less retouching, so I use less of the products. The packaging is also made of recycled materials, which makes it very earth-friendly.

From Ingrid Callot December

With mineral makeup, you beautify not only yourself, but gorgeous Mother Nature, too. Find more eco-friendly tips on my Facebook page.

Goodbye, Oprah: Ingrid Callot Reminisces Favorite Oprah Show Moments

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Did you watch the Oprah Show finale? As a huge Oprah Winfrey fan, I did. I had a box of tissue beside the couch while wearing a personalized “Ingrid Callot loves you, Oprah!” t-shirt. It was a sad day for me, like for all other American viewers who have followed and watched every Oprah episode for the past 25 years. I am also sad because after all these years, I never got to be a studio audience and win a car. To curb my sadness over the end of my favorite show, let us reminisce my all-time favorite Oprah Show moments.

• A Skinny Oprah Dragging a Wagon of Fat. She had been truly open to the whole world about her weight but Oprah’s most unforgettable weight-related moment was back in the “Diet Dreams Come True” episode in 1988, when she dragged a fat-filled wagon down the stage. I, Ingrid Callot, shivered at the sight of the animal fat. The fat stood for the 67 lbs. Oprah had lost in less than five months. Wish I could do that, too.

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• Everybody Gets a Car. Oprah worked her magic wand and granted every audience member a new Pontiac G6 sedan worth nearly $30,000 during her September 14, 2004 episode. The whole room went bonkers, including me, who was at the time staring at the TV in disbelief and in envy of the audience members. (Here I go again about the car thing. Must… STOP.)

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• The Man who Jumped on Oprah’s Holy Couch. Yes, it was a moment worth remembering because a huge movie star made a fool of himself out of love. Tom Cruise’s uncontrollable enthusiasm over how in love he is with wife Katie Holmes led him to jump on Oprah’s couch, onto the floor, and then back on the couch. A bemused Oprah was like, “I don’t know what happened to you, boy!” I didn’t either!

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