My Journey to Find Vegan Milk By Stacie Stearns

I've Been a vegan for three years now. And a vegetarian for most of my life. My Brother Ron helped me transition to vegan status. He began his vegetarian journey with my help years before, making the transition to vegan on his own. I stalled and put it off for years. "Cheese," "How could I give up my Cheese". Marilou Henner helped me with that one. I listened to her speaking on a radio show one night and I woke up a vegan the next morn.

In the back of my mind I always knew I would one day be vegan. It seemed a natural progression. However, It was a totally shock when my little brother announced he was going vegan. This was MR." Pizza Huts meat lovers pizza with extra sausage". I guess the Mad Cowboy got to him. It surely wasn't me. When I was very young I tried to force my "Laurels Kitchen Beliefs"That was my vegetarian bible) on my family. Lets just say that it didn't work. Funny, my dad who never calls any one of us by name calls me Pork Chop to this day. He used to introduce me as his daughter the Vegetarian. My brothers that"vegan Brother of yours" or the "clowns." That's referring to both of my brothers. Makes me wonder why we were given names at all. I digress.

We learned a lot about vegan eating along the way. One minuet It was OK to eat something, the next I'd learn how it was processed and couldn't eat it. By strict I mean that besides using no animal products we use no refined sugar, bleached flour gelatin or honey. I was trying to find a Vegan restaurant to eat at in Seattle. I was amazed at the vast array of offerings (as opposed to where I live in Cleveland Ohio), but upon calling and asking about ingredients we were able to narrow it down to about one. Some of the rest of the vegan world eats those refined products . I just can't. And I look and feel a lot better for it emotionally and psychically.

I've wrestled with all phases of eating disorders along the way. After becoming vegan I kind of stopped. It was no longer that important anymore. I immediately felt great. My attitude or outlook improved dramatically. I immediately began to lose weight . That helped my attitude also.

My brother confessed he really missed milk chocolate. I on the other hand was perfectly happy without that option. Our mom always trying to make her "starving" grown up children happy came up with a recipe. which she perfected. Ron said "You should sell this." Calling him hard to please does not begin to scratch the surface. He is very talented also, and can name off the ingredients used in a recipe from one taste. So he became the official taste tester. He felt there was a need for a vegan light chocolate. I can relate to getting tired of dark chocolate. It seems to taste somewhat bitter no matter how you fill it. And because we don't know any other way its made with strictly vegan ingredients in a vegan kitchen and tastes delicious.

No need to explain That this chocolate is lactose free, vegan, or non dairy. Because our candy confections are superb and everyone will love them.

Our chocolates can be found at http://nondairychocolatevegancandy-2di4.brighterplanet.org/
Featuring our Family Size Peanut Butter Cup.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacie_Stearns http://EzineArticles.com/?My-Journey-to-Find-Vegan-Milk&id=1833570

Vegan Makeup Brushes-Where Are They?

By Suzanne Kale

It's so easy to overlook. We see a pretty set of makeup brushes at a great price - maybe at the pharmacy or the superstore - and we buy them. But as animal lovers, we must be more careful. Most of these brushes, though inexpensive monetarily, extract a much greater price in terms of creature suffering. We need to be as vigilant about our makeup brush purchases as we are about our cosmetics.

What Not to Buy

When you purchase brushes that have no specific labeling to the contrary, chances are the brushes are made at least partly from animal fur. So rule number one is: Unless they are from a manufacturer you trust, don't buy makeup brushes that aren't labeled as cruelty-free, vegan, or 100% synthetic.

Where to Buy Vegan Brushes

Following is a list of companies that carry vegan cosmetic brushes. These are manufacturers and retailers you can trust. Find them on the web (put them into your search engine to get their website addresses), or at specialty stores like Sephora and Ulta.

* All Natural Cosmetics - some brushes are vegan, so check the brush descriptions before buying (click Make-up from the left menu, then click Brushes)
* Blick Art Materials (look for Taklon brushes)
* The Body Shop (write Makeup Brushes into their search box)
* Etsy (enter vegan makeup brushes into the search field)
* Forever Female has a vegan Kabuki brush, and a vegan lip brush
* Hard Candy Cosmetics (at their site, click on Vegan Items from the horizontal top menu)
* Herbs of Grace (click on Brushes & Accessories on the left menu)
* Larénim Mineral Makeup has a Vegan Kabuki brush (click on Brushes from the left menu)
* sevi vegan cosmetics
* Urban Decay Cosmetics: Good Karma Cruelty-Free Brushes
* VeganEssentials carries a beautiful set of handmade Ecco Bella brushes (from their home page, click on Cosmetics)
* The Vegan Store
* Vegan Unlimited

For more vegan makeup brush resources, check out My Makeup Mirror. We're fortunate to be living in an age where these products are available. Looking gorgeous without harming little critters is a blessing indeed.

Suzann writes for the website My Makeup Mirror http://www.MyMakeupMirror.com - a potpourri of articles, product reviews, and how-to's on hair, cosmetics, and well-being.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzann_Kale