News from BelleRinger PR

YES, YOU CAN LOOK PRETTY POST-SURGERY October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month ; a time for all of us to be aware of medical advances, the need for funding for more research, and steps we can take to lower our risks of becoming 'victims'. However, we don't often hear about products that help women post-surgery. Wear Ease, Inc. addresses the challenge of clothing that can be worn immediately after surgery, lumpectomies, radiation therapy and other treatments. The camisoles and bras are designed with imput from women who need easy-to-wear, comfortable camisoles and bras. The PJs in this picture have a built-in bra and pockets for breast form/s. Just what a girl needs to feel pretty in a difficult time. We all know how important self-exams are though I suspect many of us neglect to do them. For a refresher go to Health Day .

FASHION 911 The countdown has started; in exactly 18 days I'm leaving for my first trip to New York City. Needless to say, my wardrobe (which consists mainly of jeans, t-shirts and sweats) needs a major overhaul. Thank goodness for my fellow bloggers! First item on the list - the perfect bag. I found inspiration at The Bag Snob - thank you ladies! For the best help in shoe shopping go to Haute Momma Stuff . The ladies find hot styles in prices to fit every pocketbook. And a huge thanks to The Daily Obsession for endless advice and resources.

RE-PURPOSE IS THE WORD Recycle, reuse, reclaim - we know the words, use them daily. But do you 're-purpose' yet? That's exactly what the folks do over at The Green Glass Company . The artists take wine bottles reclaimed from wineries and give them a second life - in the same industry. The bottles are cut and redesigned to be used as goblets, tumblers, candleholders and more. The result - beautifully re-purposed stemware. Everything the company does is environmentally-friendly, from the sandblasting done for decorative design to the packaging material they use. The glasses are available in collections comprised of the same kinds of wine bottles. The goblet here is from the Topaz Collection and is made from a reclaimed California chardonnay bottle. It's available with the Equus pattern frosted on it (see the picture), or reverse - or with no pattern at all. There are 14 collections and oodles of other beautiful things.

TIME FOR A NEW LOOK ? I scooted over to Inmod minutes after reading this post on Daily Candy last Tuesday. I recently redecorated my bedroom but one look at the beautiful custom linens at Inmod and I'm ready to do it again. Like many design-your-own-purse companies, Inmod lets you select the fabric, color and pattern design of your duvet. Select a base fabric, choose from oodles of modern designs, decide upon colors for the embroidery and you're done. They have 'recommended configurations' (this picture is one of them) for the creatively-challenged . I already have two or three creations of my own . . .

READY TO BE A BITER? Before you answer this question take a look at Ideal Bite , a fun site loaded with tips about going 'green'. Changing habits and products isn't always easy; this site and blog offers tips and information about small things we can do to help preserve our planet. In addition to providing daily 'bites' of information the site has an archive of past tips. I found a gem while skimming through past posts. Saying 'no' to printed catalogs and printed 'junk mail' is easier said than done; once in the clutches of mailing lists it's hard to get out. Ideal Bite offered a list of services that will actually help you escape these tree killers. Go to this post for information about sites and services that will help you "just say no''.

GROWING LOVE Over the years we've seen a lot of beautiful greeting cards that include seed packets. Some of the newer designs let you toss some dirt right over the package, water it and let it grow. No unnecessary packaging. One of my favorite bloggers, Zem at ecofabulous , keeps me up-to-date with beautiful products and creative ways to live a 'greener' life. Her recent post about Plantable Papers is a great example. Their handmade paper is made of cotton and other recycled materials and is 'seeded' - embedded with wildflower seeds. I particularly love their wrapping paper - 'planting' it takes a step out of a labor-intensive recycling process. This is a wonderful example of a Cradle to Cradle product that makes living a greener lifestyle just a little bit easier.