EcoSalon’s favorite quotes on accepting change as it comes.

Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history. -Joan Wallach Scott

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. -Maria Robinson

You must welcome change as the rule but not as your ruler. -Denis Waitley

There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse! As I have often found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one’s position, and be bruised in a new place. -Washington Irving

The wheel of change moves on, and those who were down go up and those who were up go down. -Jawaharlal Nehru

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. -C.S. Lewis

Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. -Faith Baldwin

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. -Mary Engelbreit

All great changes are preceded by chaos. -Deepak Chopra

Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps, an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings. -Arthur Rubinstein

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom. -Confucius

Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary it means accepting it as it comes… To accept is to say yes to life in its entirety. -Paul Tournier

Life is its own journey, presupposes its own change and movement, and one tries to arrest them at one’s eternal peril. -Laurens van der Post

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. -Pauline R. Kezer

Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. -Shunryu Suzuki

We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves. -Lynn Hall

Things do not change; we change. -Henry David Thoreau

Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable. -Denis Waitley

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. -Anatole France

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly. -Henri Bergson

Humility means accepting reality with no attempt to outsmart it. -David Richo

The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable. -Friedrich Nietzsche

Nothing brings down walls as surely as acceptance. -Deepak Chopra

The moment that judgement stops through acceptance of what it is, you are free of the mind. You have made room for love, for joy, for peace. -Eckhart Tolle

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. -Lao Tzu

My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations. -Michael J. Fox

The best way is not to fight it, just go. Don’t be trying all the time to fix things. What you run from only stays with you longer. When you fight something, you only make it stronger. -Chuck Palahniuk

Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, So what. That’s one of my favorite things to say. So what. -Andy Warhol

Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. -J.K. Rowling

For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

ALSO CHECK OUT:

30 Best Quotes About Sex

30 Best Quotes About Food

40 Quotes About Feminism

30 Best Quotes on Living Small

Classic Quotes from Hollywood’s Original Leading Ladies

Want to see more quotes? Go here.

Images: Matt Brown, Jenny Pansing, S Pisharam, Puiki Beach, me’nthedogs

The post 30 Best Quotes on Change appeared first on EcoSalon.

There are laws dictating that pregnancy begins before you even have sex. Really.

I’m considering having sex this weekend. So, according to lawmakers in eight states, that means I might be pregnant. That’s right. I can get pregnant up to two weeks before I even have sex. No, I am not a superhero with a magic womb, nor am I a farm animal (note to Terry England: Really, I am not a farm animal), I am just a woman in the U.S. watching my right to choose get stripped away one moon cycle at a time.

Despite the fact that I am totally uninterested in making a new human and, at 35, have used my completely functional lady-brain to decide to take a birth control pill every day – it seems that my eggs’ desire to get fertilized is so strong that the mere thought of having sex five days from now means that if I happen to get pregnant, I already am.

Confused?

Luckily, we have Planned Parenthood to break it down – at least we do for now. Michelle Steinberg, Planned Parenthood of Arizona lobbyist, was quoted in the Tucson Citizen calling the law the country’s “most extreme piece of anti-abortion legislation.” She explained that it defines pregnancy in a way that bans abortion two weeks before the other seven states with similar, restrictive laws. It calculates gestational age starting with the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period rather than the date of conception. Meaning, even if you haven’t had sex since your last period, you could still be pregnant.

Not only is this ridiculous, it’s dangerous. Many women don’t learn that their fetus has a severe or life-threatening problem until an ultrasound is given around the 20th week of pregnancy. This law would prevent these women access to abortion should they learn that the fetus (planned or not) has a disease that will cause death in the womb or at birth.

But, really, if it’s good enough for a pig…

Georgia state Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn) made headlines last month when he compared pregnant women carrying stillborn fetuses to term to livestock. England is quoted as saying: “Life gives us many experiences…I’ve had the experience of delivering calves, dead and alive. Delivering pigs, dead or alive. It breaks our hearts to see those animals not make it.”

That bill, quickly and aptly nicknamed the “Women as Livestock Bill,” criminalizes abortion after 20 weeks, with no provisions for rape or incest. It was passed last month.

Current law allows abortions up until the point of viability – defined as the time when a fetus could reasonably survive on its own outside of the woman’s womb (many medical experts estimate that to be from 22 to 24 weeks). Current law also allows abortions after 24 weeks to protect the “life or health of the woman.” The problem here is that “health” isn’t really defined.

Most reasonable people will agree that forcing a woman to give birth to a dead baby will negatively impact her health. What about forcing a woman who gets raped?

The way things are going in this country, I’m not taking my rights for granted. I’m planning for the future, so, if you’d like to give a shower gift, I’ll be registered at Planned Parenthood indefinitely. One never knows when they might be pregnant.

Image: Gaga M13

The post Having Sex This Week? In Some States, You Might Already Be Pregnant appeared first on EcoSalon.

In one door and out another.

There’s something about a doorway that is at once welcoming and guarded. It provides an entrance as well as an exit; it beckons you while keeping you out. When you browse through this collection of door photos from around the world, you can’t help but wonder what lies beyond those thresholds. Let your imagination run wild.

(above) Lansing, Michigan, USA

Valletta, Malta

Santa Cruz, California, USA

Vicars Close, Wells, England

Valderrobres, Spain

Budapest, Hungary

Polperro, England

Williamsville, Delaware, USA

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA

Darap, Sikkim, India

Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada

Lodi, Italy

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Santorini, Greece

Bathurst, Australia

London, England

Busan, South Korea

St. Goar, Germany

Lima, Peru

Taquile, Peru

Banquiao, New Taipei, Taiwan

Portland, Maine, USA

Santorini, Greece

Lincolnshire, England

Vientiane, Laos

Dixon, Illinois, USA

Luc-Sur-Mer, France

New Delhi, India

Chiloè Island, Chile

Tehran, Iran

Hanoi, Vietnam

Weilheim-Schongau, Germany

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Paris, France

Aivali, Turkey

New York, New York, USA

Rising, Illinois, USA

San Mateo, California, USA

Michigan City, Indiana, USA

Montbrió, Spain

SEE ALSO:

40 Gorgeous Photos of Europe

40 Gorgeous Photos of North America

40 Gorgeous Photos of Latin America

40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

40 Gorgeous Photos of Africa

25 Photos of Islands Threatened by Climate Change

25 Images of Female Adrenaline Seekers

40 Photos from Flea Markets Around the World

30 Gorgeous Photos of Winter Snowscapes

30 Gorgeous Photos of Farming and Agriculture

15 Hilarious Photos of Interspecies Mingling

30 Photos of the World’s Most Uniquely Designed Buildings

20 Photos of Female Activists Throughout History

30 Gorgeous Photos of Spring

30 Gorgeous Photos of Traditional Textiles

25 Photos of Urban Green Spaces

25 Photos of Zen Retreats

25 Photos Celebrating Jazz History

The post 40 Photos of Doors from Around the World appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnA step-by-step guide to faking it in the food world.

The scene is starting to feel familiar. You’re eating a dessert out of a mason jar and you have spent the last 15 minutes listening to a conversation about the merits of mezcal in cocktails. “I just really can’t stand the taste. Put a drink in front of me and I can definitely tell you if it has it in it or not,” you overhear, and you internally swear for not having a good comeback.

A comeback that was just a little more…in-the-know.

Really, you just want to throw your cucumber and ginger-infused cocktail in that person’s face, but then again, the meal was good, and if you play your cards right, you can probably get someone else to pay for it. Wait for it…”I just love treating my friends to good food,” says another table-mate. You’re finally in the clear.

As much as you cringe at the word “foodie” – and don’t we all? – there are moments where it’s worth pretending you’re one: getting your meal paid for, scoring a date with someone who knows how to cook well, getting directions to a new restaurant scribbled on a napkin, finding someone to solve your dilemma of what to make with your leftover greens.

1. Class Up Your Water

Serve your water in a pitcher and put something in it. Cucumber, apple, blackberries, raspberries, vanilla beans; anything that will add a touch of flavor and show that you’re someone who can make even a glass of water taste unique.

2. Put Almond Meal in a Cake

Start easy and just replace a quarter of a cup or so. When you say “[insert name of cake] Almond Cake” it just sounds more intriguing.

3. Use a Formula

When you get invited to a dinner party and your friends are brainstorming what to make, pick a savory ingredient, like an herb or a cured meat – and a sweet ingredient like fruit – and then nonchalantly suggest putting them together. “Hmm…I don’t know…what about something with sage and blood oranges?”

4. Don’t Wrap Things in Bacon

So cliche. Unless of course it’s artisan. Otherwise opt for prosciutto.

5. Employ Key Expressions

Start with our vocabulary list and pick up lines, then make sure you say “locavore,” “artisan,” and some obscure French ingredient in every single food-related conversation you have and you will be good to go.

6. Befriend a Farmer

When you actually know the name of the guy you bought your eggs from, you will immediately one-up all your food-loving friends, no matter how many restaurants with “&” in the name they have been to lately.

7. Turn Into Food Paparazzi

Forget the ideal lighting, whip out that phone and start Instagramming your food porn. Don’t forget to hashtag your ingredients.

8. Add a Spice

Whatever you were planning on making for dinner, throw in some cardamom, fennel, anise or caraway. Then tweet about it.

9. Eat Kale Chips at Least Once

They’re easy to make and the fact that you haven’t had them yet really is just unacceptable.

10. Stay Current

Keep up to date on the current food trends and news, and find a few that you hate, then pepper your conversation accordingly. Examples: bacon sundaes, cinnamon challenge and bone luging.

11. Keep a Journal

Write down your food musings. Oh wait, on second thought, please don’t.

12. Embrace Olive Oil

Just keep a little travel-sized bottle on hand at all times and next time you’re out for ice cream, drizzle a little on top.

13. Take Your Leftovers to Work in a Mason Jar

Salad looks so much more appetizing when it’s in an individual glass serving.

14. Only buy Americanos From Places That Roast Their Own Coffee

And please be sure to make sure that they’re ethically sourcing their beans. Better yet, find a coffee roaster that delivers by bicycle.

15. Know the Names of Three Food Blogs

And who writes them, what they tend to make and which recipe was recently published that you “just can’t believe you had lived without.”

16. Memorize Specialties

Think of three places you have traveled to, nationally or internationally. Then figure out what their specialty dish is, and even if you’ve never had it, don’t be afraid to ask “have you ever had *** in ***?”

17. Carry a Spork and a Pair of Chopsticks for Eating at Food Carts

Only your own cutlery will do.

18. Make Your Own Wine Labels

The $5 stuff just got so much better, if you printed it with Helvetica, that is.

19. Put Coconut Water Ice Cubes in Your Cocktail

Why go for regular H2O when you can have something that’s the l’eau du jour?

20. Eat Good and Real Food. Always.

Cut the word “foodie” from your vocabulary and appreciate food for food’s sake. Because when all is said and done, it’s just that simple.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

The post Foodie Underground: Quick Fixes to Pretend You’re a Foodie appeared first on EcoSalon.

VideoThe bin audit: up close and personal with your garbage.

This week, I took the first step in getting down to a size zero waste. According to Rachelle Strauss, the yoda-like maven behind the blog My Zero Waste, in order to reduce your trash you must know your trash. Bring it into your awareness, so to speak.

More odorific than terrific, I came bin to nose with the truth about my trash situation. My ultimate goal over the upcoming months is to reduce – as much as possible –  my family’s waste. Stay tuned to see how it goes and if you’re feeling brave, try your hand at your own audit!

Image: Dead Air

The post The Zero Waste Challenge On: EcoSalon Shelter Editor K. Emily Bond Dives In appeared first on EcoSalon.

An exclusive EcoSalon playlist to calm your head and drift away. 

When your brain is spinning with thoughts of work, family, friends, to-do lists and all of those creative ideas you can’t wait to put into place, it can be hard to check out and calm down. Fortunately, this playlist helps you do just that.

Check out the music videos for some of the songs below, or go even further and listen to all of them nonstop on our 10 Songs for a Solid Sleep playlist on 8tracks.

1. B+W Stripes – Aphex Twin

2. Untitled #7 – Panda Bear

3. Sea Bed Meditation – Jürgen Müller

4. Dissolving Clouds – Biosphere

5. Memory Of Self – Dolphins Into The Future

6. Part 6 – Robert Rich

7. Sphere – Into the Dream – Erik Wøllo

8. The Return – Steve Roach

9. Come Softly – Grouper

10. Neroli – Brian Eno

Like what you hear? Check out our entire 10 Songs series. 

Image: Lianne Viau

The post 10 Songs for a Solid Sleep appeared first on EcoSalon.

A list of the top sustainable handbag designers currently on the fashion scene.

Sustainably designed handbags have come a long way since their humble beginnings. From vegetable dyed leathers to recycled and organic materials, handbag designers have upped the ante on style, form and function. Here we offer you an extensive list of what we consider to be the top designers in the sustainable handbag field. We’re impressed.

Ampersand As Apostrophe, Seattle, Washington :Upcycled mailbags, recycled materials

Ashley Watson, Vancouver B.C.: Upcycled leather, recycled materials

Beryll, Los Angeles, California: Upcycled leather, made in the U.S.

Beth Springer, Venice, California: Organic hemp linen, plant dyed leather, made in the U.S.

Calleen Cordero, Los Angeles, California: Vegetable tanned leathers, handmade by artisans

Collina Strada, Los Angeles, California: Made in New York, vegan, recycled materials

Cri de Coeur, New York, NY: Recycled plastic, organic cotton, vegan, Made in NYC

Dama, Los Angeles, California:Upcycled leather, recycled materials, vegan

Ellington, Portland, Oregon: Award-winning environmentally responsible tannery that uses efficient processes to reduce water consumption, energy use and CO2 emissions.

Entermodal, Portland, Oregon: Handmade, vegetable tanned leather, will buy back leather after use for recycling

Erin Templeton, Vancouver, B.C.: Upcycled leather

Fleabags, New York, NY: Organic and vintage materials, vegetable-tanned and re-purposed leathers, all materials sourced in the U.S.,  silkscreens use water-based ink

GG2G, Stamford, Connecticut: Repurposed and recycled materials, vegan, made in the U.S.

JADEtribe, New York, NY: Handwoven, organic cottons, natural dyes, fair trade

Jess Rizzuti, New York, NY : Sustainable cork

Kim White, Los Angeles, California: Dead stock, never-used textiles intended for use in American automobiles: cars, trucks and vans, vintage fabrics

Lina Rennell, Northern California: Recycled leather

Lizzie Fortunato, New York, NY: Hand beaded, recycled materials

Love Mert, New York, NY: Upcycled leather, wood scraps from designer’s father’s workshop, organic cotton lining

Matt & Nat, Montreal, Canada: Made in Montreal, lining of recycled plastic bottles, vegan

Passchal, Richmond, Virginia: Recycled inner tubes

Push Pull Cambodia, Takeo Province, Cambodia:Hand woven by Khmer artisans, fair trade

Red Flag, Vancouver, B.C.: Alternative manufacturing, recycled materials

Rising Tide Fair Trade, Brooklyn, NY and New Jersey: Fair Trade Federation certified and Green America approved

Shannon South, New York, NY: Zero waste, recycled leather

Spencer Devine, Brooklyn, NY: Upcycled materials, supports textile artisans in developing countries.

The Sway, New York, NY: Upcycled leather, recycled cotton lining

Teich, New York, NY: Vegetable-tanned and chrome-free leather, vintage materials and fabrics, hemp, linen

Image: The Sway

The post The Ultimate List of Sustainable Handbag Designers (From A-Z) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Step one to getting zero waste is keeping your rubbish in sight and in mind: bring that junk into your awareness.

Editor’s note: Rachelle Strauss is the author of My Zero Waste, a homegrown blog and informational site about a family of four striving to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill each week, month and year. In her ongoing series with EcoSalon, she’s challenging readers to do the possible: reduce household trash to one bin a year.

“Away” is simply somewhere else – a landfill site, an incinerator or a ship to China. The trouble is, once we’ve put something in the ubiquitous black bin bag, it’s out of sight, out of mind. We can’t wait to “get rid of it,” to absolve responsibility for it and, in some cases, forget it ever happened.

I’d like to challenge you to start thinking about your rubbish. Start thinking about what you are doing before you dump something in the bin. Start thinking about what you are buying before you get it home. Bring your rubbish in sight, in mind and into your awareness.

Don’t worry; I’m not asking for an overnight change of habits; this is all about taking baby steps, manageable steps, steps so small you won’t even notice – towards a fantastic goal.

This month, then, I’m challenging you to become aware of your bin habits. That’s all.

What do you throw away without thought? What do you haul to the curbside each week? What do you buy on autopilot without considering the alternatives?

To gain this knowledge you need to take a bin audit.

A Good Dirty, Squirmy Rummage

Rubber gloves are handy. Pull them on and have a rummage. Is your stomach turning yet? It should be. Who wants to be reminded of all the garbage we throw away on a day-to-day basis? It’s okay if you’re disgusted, perhaps you should be. This is the awareness.

Get in there. Have a poke, a prod and a ponder. Hold things up in horror. Feel guilty if you need to for all the food waste in there or the broken plastic that that you really didn’t need to buy in the first place.

Micromanage That Junk

Make a list dividing it into categories like food (waste, packaging, leftovers), household (cleaning product containers, DIY remnants, aerosols), personal (toiletry packaging, sanitary protection, medications packaging).

Use whatever system works for you and write it all down.

Now pin it to the fridge where you can be reminded of your wasteful habits.

Can you measure your waste in some way? Either chuck it on the scales or measure by number of bags. Write this down along with your list of rubbish; it will give you something to feel good about when you can see your progress a couple of months down the track.

If you could work out a percentage, what are the top five wasters in your bin? Is it plastic bottles, yogurt cartons, food waste? Write these down too.

The guilt stops here because you’re on the path to positive change. I’ll even hold your hand. In less than a year you’ll be in possession of a size zero waste.

The dirty work is done. Let the real work begin.

Postscript: In 2009, Rachelle Strauss and her family accumulated one lone and solitary trashcan of landfill waste. It was not an overnight transformation, but rather an 18-month process of planning and a gentle change of habits. In Strauss’ ongoing series with EcoSalon, she challenges readers to do the possible: reduce household trash to one bin a year.

Images: Bonnie Natko; Christopher Wolfe; Duncan Blackwood; The Daily Mail, Dru Bloomfield

The post The Zero Waste Trash Challenge: First Stop, A Bin Audit appeared first on EcoSalon.

Your guide to discovering new beats that put you ahead of the game making personal playlists.

In today’s music industry, there’s a lot to keep up with, and as much as we love them, Pandora, Spotify and your personal iTunes on shuffle just can’t do it all. That said, we pulled together a list of 25 of our favorite music sites, our go-to sources for finding new tunes, streaming our favorite mixes and above all, staying ahead on our playlists. Just keep in mind that if you’re tempted to spend half your day perusing new music, don’t blame it on us.

A New Band A Day

The name says it all. Whether you like the bands or not is up to you, but fortunately there’s a new one every single day so you’re bound to discover something.

All Scandinavian

If you know anything about the music world, you’ll know that there’s a lot of creativity coming out of Scandinavia right now. Miike Snow, Lykke Li, Sigur Rós – they all have Nordic roots. All Scandinavian is the place to keep up with the big names as well as all of the smaller ones that you would otherwise only catch at festivals like Roskilde.

Aquarium Drunkard

Based in Los Angeles, Aquarium Drunkard is an eclectic mix that “bridges the gap between contemporary indie with vintage garage, psych, folk, country, New Orleans funk, r&b, soul and everything that falls in between.” That means it’s diverse, different and certainly worth your time.

La Blogothèque

A beautiful combination of music and videos, this French website has an appealing layout and the kind of content that will make you stick around for hours. Certainly not your average music blog, this site feels more like a high end lifestyle magazine.

The Chuckness

Chuck, The Chuckness’ namesake, knows his stuff when it comes to good, upbeat music, and this site should certainly make it onto your list of sites to check regularly. Chuck and his team also started featuring a bi-weekly mixtape called The Fortnight, mixed by a guy out of Boston named DJ Rob. It’s worth checking out and keeping an eye out for.

DML.fm

If you need workout mixes and danceable tracks, look no further. Don’t have time to sort through all the posts? For a quick fix there’s a list of top 10 tracks on the main page, which, thanks to a music-savvy readership, is always full of good music. The site offers plenty of the featured tracks for download, which means that even without internet access at your next party, you can still work your DJ skills.

The Fader

The Fader is actually an entire lifestyle magazine, but they have their finger on the pulse of the music scene and do a good job of pulling together everything from hip-hop to Caribbean.

Fighting Musical Ignorance

Electronic, indie, hip hop and dance, it’s all here. These guys know their party remixes, and if you’re in need of a good mashup should be your #1 source. They also know a thing or two about making playlists, and make them available for download, which is perfect for when you need a rocking set but are too tired to pull something together yourself.

Find New Jams

The concept for Find New Jams is simple: press play and listen. The site sticks to party, hip-hop, mashups and rock, and the platform allows you to vote on your favorite songs. Don’t expect commentary, this site is simply a “click and listen” kind of place, but it’s known for having some of the freshest tracks available, particularly when it comes to the sort of music that deserves to be blasted on loud speakers.

I Guess I am Floating

If The Phoenix called this site an “…uber-hip indie blawg.” you know if has to be good. I Guess I Am Floating always has the kind of music that you can listen to no matter what mood you’re in.

The Kollection

Intended for a younger crowd, this site is actually run by a bunch of savvy and music-loving college students, but you would never know it. It’s a professional operation that looks slick and has a good mix of music from various genres, from indie to dubstep. The commentary is smart and we keep an eye on it on a daily basis.

Hype Machine

Need a new morning routine? Brew your coffee and go immediately to Hype Machine. Hype Machine is one of the premiere music sites out there, more like a consortium of good music blogs and all of the tracks that they feature. The Popular list changes on a daily basis and one minute you can find yourself listening to Brazilian samba and the next a folky blues tune. You can bookmark your favorites and the songs continue playing while you navigate the site. And did we mention the Hype Machine Top 8 playlists that are released every Monday? If you can only commit to an hour a week of getting caught up on the latest and greatest in music, start here.

HypeTrak

Daily updated news and features makes this a go-to blog of music lovers of all kinds. One day Wiz Khalifa, the next, a Feist remix. The site also has an entire section devoted to music videos.

Indie Shuffle

Indie Shuffle is a huge collection of independent music of all genres. The San Francisco-based site’s music player is very user friendly, and every track that is posted has recommended similar artists, making it easy to know what you’re going to get and also encouraging you to discover new gems. Can’t decide where to hit play? Just hit the shuffle button and you’ll end up with a random track from Indie Shuffle’s extensive library. A must for anyone that’s trying to break out of their usual music tastes.

The Music Ninja

The Music Ninja’s About page says it all. “With one simple goal, to only feature the best music we come across, we have swiftly infiltrated the ears and minds of Ke$ha fans and permanently set them on the path to better, more fulfilling music.” So no auto-tune and no overly poppy bass lines. Your ears will thank you.

NPR Music

And you thought they only did Talk of the Nation and Fresh Air. NPR is very on top of their game when it comes to music. Song of the Day is a good way to kick off your morning, and because they’re a larger media brand, they also have a wide variety of album previews that you can listen to.

Pitchfork

You can barely call yourself a music lover if Pitchfork isn’t on your reading list. Album reviews, new tracks and even music festivals, this site has it all. They also have music lists that go as far back as the 1960s, in the event you’re looking to beef up your music knowledge.

Remix86

Dance. Party. That’s all there is to it when it comes to Remix86. Now you know, go forth and enjoy yourself.

SoundCloud

Soundcloud is the darling of artists and producers as it allows you to easily upload your music. But even if you’re not a musician, you should be using Soundcloud. Follow artists and producers, share your own stuff, keep track of all of your favorites and see what others have been listening to.

Stereogum

A well-respected industry blog, Stereogum was at the forefront of the music blog world from the beginning. That means that you can expect bigger releases alongside unknown artists just making it onto the scene. It’s also an excellent source for music news as well as Stereogum’s famous lists, with everything from The 20 Best Indie Madonna Covers to Bon Iver’s 5 Favorite Hip-Hop Lyrics.

Sunset in the Rearview

What would you be listening to on a roadtrip, driving cross country and appreciating the sunset reflecting in your rearview mirror as you head east? Probably something that would be featured on Sunset in the Rearview. It’s all indie rock and hip hop, and the main draw of this site is all of its daily features like Womp Wednesday and Friday at Five.

This Song is Sick

If you’re looking for a “this song is incredible!” reaction from your friends, here is where you will find it. It’s a lot of electro, but there’s a also a good chill section to offset the dance party selection.

We All Want Someone to Shout For

“Genres don’t exist here. Only good music does.” New York-based, We All Want Someone to Shout For sticks to its mantra, which means you get a diverse grab bag that you’re sure to love. Much of the featured content is available for download.

We Are Hunted

Take Pandora, add a little more Euro beats, indie rock and fresh DJs from the dance floor, a curated list of the day’s 99 most popular songs based on blogs and social media activity and you get a taste of what We Are Hunted has to offer. Type in the name of your favorite group or musician and the site immediately pulls up a grid of related artists, 75% of which you probably have never heard of. You can make your own playlists and embed them on blogs and share them on social networks, that way you can prove to your friends that you really are up on what’s new on the music scene.

8tracks

Where would we be without 8tracks? Think back to the days when you spent hours making mixtapes. Well, now there’s a website and an app for that. We’re even doing it. You can search for playlists based on artist or genre and you can stream them on your computer or your phone. Crowd-sourced internet radio that’s always full of good surprises.

Image: lamda_X

The post An A to Z List of Where to Go When iTunes Doesn’t Cut It appeared first on EcoSalon.

We love earth a lot… maybe a little too much.

What is there not to love about our beautiful planet? And with Earth Month now upon us, we thought we’d get even more chummy. Are you enamored, as well? Well then: We’ve found all the right words for you to use to build a new lasting relationship.

Use wisely.

1. In this entire universe, all I want is you.
2. I’d love to explore your longitudes and latitudes.
3. Is that the summit of Mt. Everest or are you just happy to see me?
4. I love getting dirty, and you seem to have a lot of it.
5. I’m an environmentalist, because I wouldn’t want you any hotter than you already are.
6. My middle name could be Magellan, because I love exploring your continents.
7. How many dormant volcanoes do you have? Because I bet I could activate all of them.
8. How deep are your oceans?
9. I can see us in orbit together.
10. I can’t resist your gravitational pull.
11. I’d never mow your grass with a gas mower.
12. I want to fly in your friendly skies.
13. Let’s follow this current wherever it might lead us.
14. Meet me inside Davy Jones’ Locker, I’ll be Neptune, you be my staff.
15. I want to climb your trees and swing.
16. Ain’t no mountain high enough to keep me away from you.
17. I love the way you whip through my hair, I wish it was with hurricane force.
18. Did you say spelunking?
19. You’re so sexy you make me want to flower.
20. I love your soft edges.
21. Want to play chemical make up with my periodic table of elements?
22. You’re millions of years old – I bet you’re experienced.
23. I want to swim deeply in all five of your oceans.
24. Care to show me your ozone layer?
25. Your sunsets are amazing.
26. I’d make your icebergs melt.
27. Should we take this conversation above sea level?
28. I’ve never seen a better looking isthmus.
29. You’re making me as hot as molten magma.
30. What’s your favorite kind of cloud? Mine are cumulus.
31. I bet you know a thing or two about bedrock.
32. Do you believe in the big bang theory?
33. Show me your dunes.
34. Please don’t tell me that’s an impermeable rock.
35. My favorite geological features are created under pressure.
36. Is there a magnetic field between us or am I just attracted to you?
37. Will you teach me about plate tectonics?
38. What is your energy-to-mass ratio?
39. I love stratified layers.
40. You are hot to the core aren’t you?!
41. Venus aint got nothing on you.
42. I wish I were one of your Northern Lights.
43. I don’t care what Copernicus says, you’re the only planet to me.
44. Why don’t we peel back your mantle a bit and have a peek.
45. I would love to experience tectonic subduction with you.
46. Do you think we can we get to absolute zero together?
47. I can’t stop thinking about what is under your topsoil.
48. Want to go back to my place for some geospatial analysis?
49. You throw my center of gravity off.
50. Can I be your axis for the night?

Want more pick up lines? We’ve got you covered. 

Image: NASA Goddard

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