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Ecosystem Advisor

I have been through many a planner in my life, from the small plastic-covered one with creepy kitten pictures, to one made of fake leather with a magnetic clasp. I prefer to keep it pretty simple when it comes to planners. But I’m also very picky about the amount of space I need to write down notes, not to mention the question of having a daily, weekly, or monthly view. Plus, it needs to be relatively light and easy to carry with me. The sweet thing about Ecosystem books is that you can customize your purchase.

Gray Flower Beret

I guess you could say that hats have always been my ‘thing.’ It really started the first time I shaved my head… and then soon after decided to grow my hair back in again. It was a long process in which hats played an integral part. I repeated this process several times throughout my twenties. Now, a mom, I love hats and any hair covering article that can erase the clues to the timing of my last shower in one fell swoop. When my CoverYourHair.com hat arrived, I was giddy. It was very cute and, well, like I said, I love hats.

Ribbon Hard Hairband

For twenty years now I’ve been going back and forth between growing my bangs out and having them cut. Needless to say, I love hairbands and need them at different phases of this cut and grow cycle. The Ribbon Hard Hairband from CoverYourHair.com is something that I will use to keep my now-longish bangs out of my eyes. It’s simple, cute, and unobtrusive. Plus, for a hard hairband it’s surprisingly comfortable both on my scalp and behind my ears.

A Woman's Agenda 2011: Celebrating Movers and Shakers

Whenever I walk into an office supply store, my heart bursts into song. Traipsing rapturously down the aisles of Staples or Office Depot, it's all I can do not to spin like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.

Hot Rod Flame Pillowcase Set

Shopping for bed linens is a mundane and utilitarian task for me. The usual fare of floral, paisley, and striped designs do not interest me at all, so I usually opt to buy a set of plain sheets and leave the store as quickly as possible. Taking a look at the designs from Sin in Linen has caused me to change my mind.

Botanical 2011 Monthly & Weekly Planning Calendar

Upon returning to the United States after living for two years abroad, my partner was particularly giddy about one specific purchase: a cell phone. In the time we'd been in India, smartphones had become commonplace, and my Applephile other half was overjoyed at the idea of being able to sync his Macbook and iPod with a mobile device. Although he valiantly fought for an iPhone, the more cost efficient two-for-one sale on the Droid won out. For my part, I don't give two flips about technosyncage, and I'm not entirely convinced my semi-functional PC can handle that kind of software. I just wanted to be able to easily check my email.

Leopard Throw Pillow

I was surprised to hear a shriek of delight from my house guest as she entered my messy apartment. I had forgotten that in a last minute effort to spruce up the place I had carelessly tossed my leopard Sin in Linen throw pillow on my living room couch.

Forever Tattoo Almond Standard Pillowcase Set

Bedding that’s cool. Bedding that’s hot. Bedding that’s fun. Not how one would usually describe the material that covers the place they sleep. But then again most people haven’t been introduced to Sin in Linen. A passionate lady with a penchant for the “seductive whimsy” of 1940s and 1950s pin-up, Sandy Glaze decided to start her own “soft goods enterprise” when she realized there wasn’t any bedding that suited her style. With the help of her mother, Iris, the two launched Sin in Linen.

Tattoo Flash Print Dishtowels

Sin in Linen, purveyor of retro and punk rock patterned household goods, sent Elevate Difference and this feminist reviewer a pair of their new Tattoo Flash Print Dishtowels. I’m not sure what to review: their utility? As Courtney Love once sang, “I don’t do the dishes, I throw them in the crib.” Do I test them for feminist purity? Included among the sacred hearts, horseshoes, and flames are bikini-clad pinup girls, one of whom strikes a squatting-at-the-strip-club-in-platforms pose that is less Bettie Page than Jenna Jameson.

Black Diamond Beaver

I chose the Black Diamond Beaver vibe because it was one of the larger shaft sizes available, and the picture made me squeal out loud. It’s definitely the sexiest beaver vibe I’ve ever seen.

RingO & BabeLicious

Sweets for your sweet. Available in Dulce de Leche, Pomegranate Vanilla, Mojito Mint, and Chocolate Orange, the virtues of Babeland’s new BabeLicious flavored gel lubricant are more numerous than its flavors. Babeland has delivered my most favorite lube ever. It’s glycerin and paraben free, the lack of dyes means it doesn’t stain the sheets, and the fact that it doesn’t have sugar shields the user from that cause of yeast infections.

Utera Maxima Giant Uterus Plushie

My uterus and I have a complicated relationship. Recently, I had elective surgery and did away with her ability to ever carry a child. She responded by stressing out and not sloughing off anything for an extra month, making me slightly panic that instead of being forever sterile, I’d become unintentionally pregnant.

Flirty G Waterproof G-spot Vibrator

The existence of the G-Spot has been under debate for years now. While some women swear by it as the secret to earth shattering orgasms, other women deem it a myth. (Comedian Margaret Cho once declared it “The Gotcha Spot.”) Regardless of your view on this elusive spot, Good Vibration’s new Flirty G seeks to stimulate it. The Flirty G is akin to the Rabbit Pearl in that it is a dual action vibrator, simultaneously providing both vagina and clitoral stimulation.

Origami Pyramid Bag

It’s a hot July evening and I’m feeling like a wilted flower. Fashion has always been a great pick-me-up and I’m looking forward to sporting Silvermint’s strawberry Origami Pyramid Bag with a simple black sundress to a friend’s party. The bag attracted me with its unique design, convenient wristlet style, and high quality, interestingly-textured fabric and materials.

The Stork and the Pitcher Tote Bag

As a frequent book reviewer, college instructor, and all around bibliophile I have a book on my person at all times, and usually two or three. This fact has lead to the destruction of many purses not equipped for carrying novels, and often means lugging around an extra heavy bag.

Bcute Curve

You know the panties you like: the old pair that look like they've had their time and then some; the ones you won't get rid of because they're so comfy, but would never dream of wearing for a first date? While they'll continue to live a lengthy drawer life, your personal massager—the only thing likely laying beside them—most likely will not. Thus, you may need the Bcute Curve from B Swish. At less than four inches, this massager is true to its name.

Triangle Tribes Pendant

It wasn’t so long ago that I’d stricken reading fiction from my timepass repertoire. I saw no need for flights of fancy and, instead, preferred to lose myself in pages of dense history and theory. I made my foray back into the land of make believe slowly, first though memoir, then short stories.

Couture Collection Tsunami

A vibe is a vibe is a vibe right? The way I see it, how many varieties of vibrators can there possibly be? Well, a lot! There are a ton of vibrators out there and depending on what you are looking for, you can get exactly the one that features everything you desire. The Couture Collection Tsunami Silicone Vibrator is a G-spot stimulator, seven-function, Japanese silicone vibrator available for purchase at a variety of sex toy shops.

All Around Wide Pre-Tied Headband

I have very thick hair. I don't bother with most barrettes or clasps; they just don't stay in. When I began ballet classes in elementary school, we had to factor in the time it took to wind my hair in a bun, which was covered by a knitted net. It took at least ten pins to hold it in place, often more. Naturally, I'm wary about what I spend my money on when it comes to my hair. Hard headbands give me headaches. Recently I've taken to soft headbands with rubber surfaces; the rubber helps keep them in place. But, these don't do much to cover up my laziness.

Pleasure Me Purse Kit

To get it in the open and out of the way: the item’s name, Pleasure Me Purse, is a command to someone else.

Emma's Passion Garden Water Lily

Finding the right vibrator is a difficult choice. Too weak and it will not get the job done. Too strong... well, there will be some discomfort the next day. The Water Lily model from California Exotic Novelties' line Emma's Passion Garden claims “flowers are a girl's best friend,” but how well does it work? The Water Lily is not a scary looking vibrator.

Pink Everyday Wool Beret

I’ve never been a hat person, but I’ve always admired those individuals who know how to accessorize their look to create a unique fashion statement. Whether through the expert use of scarves, hats, or jewelry, these people seem to have arrived on the planet with the fashionista gene. Maybe that’s why the pink wool beret caught my eye on the list of items for review.

Doc Johnson Japanese G-Spot Squirmy Vibe

People do not like to think of themselves as inadequate or deformed. Therefore, while I do not doubt that this is a perfectly adequate small vibrator with external stimulator, I do doubt that I have a G-spot, or that it is even an established existing anatomical structure. But, low—review the internet again, and it is revealed that I might, indeed, be a mutant. Although, glance once more, and other researchers conclude “the G-spot is rather a perception created by non physiological factors that can cause a heightened sexual sensation” (Journal of Sexual Medicine, January 4, 2010).

Marolsha Jewelry

When you live in a city like New York or Chicago, it's fairly easy to find your way around. For the most part, urban planners patterned these cities on a grid with numbered streets indicating one direction (East/West) and avenues or named streets indicating the perpendicular other (North/South). So if you're at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the East Village and want to get to my favorite all-veg diner in the Lower East Side, you can do so with ease simply by knowing the cross streets.

Apricot Freesia Soap

Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, I have been shopping at The Soap Factory. Supporting a local, woman-owned business is a pleasure, and using the store's products always feels indulgent. Prior to finding this company, I had given up on scented personal care products, due to allergic reactions.

Blueberry Buzz

The Blueberry Buzz vibrator looks like a good time, if a good time brings the 1970s disco era to mind—you dancing with your friends in a place overflowing with neon electric lights and disco music. This vibrator, in a loud neon electric blue, looks like a lava lamp, only in miniature.

Changer Pendant

“She changes everything She touches, and everything She touches changes.” This quote by Starhawk accompanies the Changer Pendant by K Robins Designs and is an apt summary behind this sterling silver emblem’s meaning. The pendant figure sits serenely in a lotus-like pose with hands brought together over her heart. Her curves are fluid and rhythmic.

Studded Stone Pony Holder

One morning, I was getting ready for school. The top of my dresser was cluttered with various hair products: hair ties, rubber bands, barrettes, and one large "jaw" clip. I was attempting to put my thick, naturally curly hair into a pony tail. First, I tried a rubber band. It was only big enough to wrap around my hair once. The hair tie wrapped twice, but it wouldn't be secure enough to hold through the school day. The barrettes couldn't close; they would only shut over a few strands, barely holding anything back.

Natural Shielding Lotion

Finding hand lotion that works is probably not high on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It actually seems frivolous in light of the images of suffering and destruction we’ve recently seen from Haiti and Chile. While I recognize that earthquakes aren’t caused by global warming, lately I find myself balancing my own petty concerns against scientists’ gloomy predictions of climate refugees becoming a real problem if this issue isn’t addressed.

Precision Pro Kitchen Scale

I hesitate to endorse a ‘nutrition’ oriented product on a feminist website due to the ongoing tyranny of the emaciated female form in marketing, eating disorders, and fear of accusations of insensitivity, insecurity, close-mindedness, and size-ism. However, here are the facts of my situation: an undiagnosed medical condition made me overweight, and now I want to lose that weight. Half of the pounds evaporated as the result of successful (non-bariatric) surgery, but I would like to lose the entire quantity and return to my healthy size.

Elevate Difference

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