Sophie Uliano | Moxie Reviews™

(photo courtesy of Sophie’s A Simply Gorgeous Life website)

Interview with Sophie and Her 3 Gorgeously Green Books

The focus of my post today is: an Eco-expert, a New York Times best selling author, a wife and a mom. Her fans, besides yours truly, are celebrities, who call her both “Hollywood’s Green Guru,” and a friend. The “Gorgeously Green” woman I will write about and interview, is of course, Sophie Uliano.

Don’t be intimidated by Sophie, because she has, in fact, been quoted as saying, “Everyone can become environmentally conscious just by taking small steps…For me, green isn’t extreme…There’s shades of green…You pick your shade.”

So far, Sophie’s written three books: a New York Times Bestseller: Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-FriendlyLife (2008), The Gorgeously Green Diet: How to Live Lean and Green (2009) and Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (2010). I highly recommend you read all three. In fact, having read them and been motivated by the books, is what prompted me to contact Sophie to request an interview to accompany this post.

All three of Sophie’s above mentioned books may be purchased by going to her Gorgeously Green website, and clicking on the Simply Gorgeous Store. There you will also find that it’s a place to find all the ingredients needed when you follow Sophie’s directions to make your own products. Additionally, the GG website is where you will find Sophie’s daily tips, tricks she offers, and her “how-to” videos.

Sophie’s first published book: Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friiendly Life (2008) is a New York Times Bestseller. The foreword is by Julia Roberts.

Jacket image: Robert Rodriguez Publisher: Harper Collins

Sophie wrote the book because she wanted to help people to see that it was actually simple and fun to be “green.” There is an Eight-Step Program that, while you can certainly start right at Step 1, the book is written so that readers are equally successful starting at any step. Given how she presents herself, it’s no surprise that Sophie wanted it to be gorgeous and stylish! Gorgeously Green Girls Club!

Sophie encourages other women to get together and form an Eight-step program. It certainly is even more motivating when I have like-minded friends with whom to talk to about my goals and progress. To facilitate that, Sophie has a Gorgeously Green Girls’ Club, and you may get the password to start one in this book!

Sophie’s 2009, The Gorgeously Green Diet: How to Live Lean and Green:

Jacket Illustration: Robert Rodriguez Publisher: Dutton, member of Penguin Group

Sophie aims high. She promises her readers that they can, “lose weight and help save the planet, and do it all in no time–and with less money” In very thorough, and manageable ways, Sophie suggests how exactly you can achieve your goals. Included are more than one hundred “Cooking For Beauty” recipes for one to plan an individualized four week plan for eating healthy and wisely. Along with that is an exercise program. On Sophie’s website, the following daily tip was given:

“…My book should really have been called a “live-it” as it’s about celebrating rather than denying the foods you love.”

Sophie’s 2010, Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Expensive, Less Toxic, and More Beautiful Products:
Jacket Illustration:: Robert Rodriguez Publisher: Voice, Hyperion

Sophie’s inspiration for writing this book came while she was working with her friend, Julia Roberts, and other friends and women of less famous stature. Sophie wanted to show them that they too could make their own products from simple recipes. What I most appreciate is that, throughout the book, Sophie really does relate to the fact that not all of us can deal with, or have time, to whip-up complicated do-it-yourself products. In fact, although clearly a celebrity (she begs to differ in her answer to one of my interview questions), Sophie demonstrates to her readers that she’s not pretentious–not that I’m suggesting that every celebrity is . However, I literally laughed out loud reading about her attempts to make/fix things for her daughter, including a sequined ball gown for an American Girl doll. Given that one of my children is a girl, I liked that she “leveled the playing field” for us “typical” people. As she writes, don’t give up; “Clueless Is Out and Crafty Is In,” is how she begins. Readers are given tips, suggestions and actual recipes to make cleaning products, baby care and skin care products, and yes, of course, dog treats! As the Good Housekeeping quote beneath the photo at the header of this post notes “Sophie Uliano is a Mary Poppins for the New Millennium” - and I couldn’t agree more.

The Gorgeously Green Getaways is a wonderful resource, and Sophie herself reviewed all of the listings. Read how Sophie’s terrific sense of humor comes through with her description of what you’ll find when you click on the logo:

“You may have guessed that I’m not exactly the hemp backpacker type! I have to admit that I love a little bit of luxury on the rare occasion that I can tear myself away from a horribly chaotic life. That being said, it’s got to be a Gorgeously Green Getaway, or I wouldn’t go.”

The logo below is one that Sophie created. It is the Gorgeously Green Seal Of Approval ; that means that Sophie has both researched and tested the products, and found them to be deserving of her Seal. GG Seal of Approval Click on each icon below to connect with Sophie, Gorgeously Green™

Moxie’s Interview Questions for Sophie Uliano:

1. You’ve considered yourself an environmentalist since your childhood. Tell us what key things really developed that environmentalist in you?

My mom was a really green person, although she just called it common sense. It was the way we lived – re-using , recycling and conserving everything we could. I also grew up in the beautiful countryside, so I developed a love for, and a deep connection to, Nature.

2. When you were young, what did you think you wanted to do when you were older?

I always wanted to be a writer.

3. Do people recognize you when you’re shopping for food and want to check out what you’re purchasing?

Not really because I’m not famous! People in my community recognize me from seeing me on TV.

4. I love your You Tube channel. On one of your videos, you shared your, “Healthy Beauty Finds. ” You began by saying something that I would like to repeat for everyone: “I love makeup, love cosmetics. However, it has to be healthy, it has to be non-toxic, because I’m simply not going to put anything on my skin that contains chemicals that could be harmful to my health. That would be insane.”

Fortunately we have you to point out great companies and your picks.

When people recognize you, do they then stop and ask you for advice, or ask to see what you have in your makeup bag? What do you have in it now?

I often get asked for advice, which I love to give and feel honored that people ask. In my makeup bag now? Tom’s Of Maine dental tape, 2 Vapour Organic Lipsticks, one Jane Iredale lipstick, an RMS beauty illuminating balm and a lip balm, a small vial of Floracopeia’s Rose and Vetiver Attar (very concentrated perfume oil).

5. When your daughter has playdates, has anyone ever confessed to being concerned about what healthy snacks they were serving?

More fascinated than concerned. I’m always interested to see what other mom’s serve their kids so I ask my daughter for DETAILS - call me nosey! I pretty much know if she’s eaten junk because she comes home in a very bad mood.

6. You’ve now written three books, but do you remember the exact moment when you realized that you should be compiling all your expertise and research, and write a book?

Yes – I was driving on the freeway coming back from yet another class where I was learning about sustainable practices. It occurred to me that all this information is so important yet totally boring for most people. I know I have a knack of making even the most day-to-day things interesting and I’m also a good teacher/writer – so I knew that Gorgeously Green was a book that needed to be written – I wanted to get people excited about this way of life, people who normally wouldn’t give a toss about it.

7. How exactly did you find out that your book, Gorgeously Green, had made it to the New York Times Bestseller List?

My husband called me and I was so excited. After Oprah aired, I knew I had a pretty good chance.

8. I’m quite in awe of you. You seem perfect: healthy eating habits, regular exercise, etc. I’m quite sure you’ve never gone to bed without washing your face. Do you have any bad habits at all?

I’ll let my husband speak to that! I am really messy when left to my own devices. Thankfully I married a super-tidy man – he irritates me but has inspired me to get a bit more order into my life. I like shopping for clothes and makeup way too much! I like to take long, hot baths, which uses up way too much water – do you want me to continue???

9. You have a Gorgeously Green Book Club on your website, so I know you love to read. I also know you love to exercise and cook. What else do you do to relax?

The most relaxing thing for me is to cook – I just go into a zone of ease when I’m creating a dish. I’m actually about to launch a brand new cooking blog: www.gorgeouslygreedy.com
I also knit and oh yes – gardening is really relaxing for me.

10. Sophie, I almost fell off my chair the first time you responded to me via Twitter. There are many people who do not respond to tweets. I assume you don’t have a “typical” day schedule, correct?

So, how is it possible to find time in your already busy day to interact with fans, not only via Twitter, but also on your Gorgeously Green, A Simply Gorgeously Life Website, YouTube. and I bet, even snail mail?!

I so appreciate that you appreciate that I replied. I’m a little erratic with replying and connecting but honestly it’s my favorite thing to do as I get a sense of feeling connected to readers and that is so valuable to me. Sometimes I get up super early and get onto tweetdeck or facebook to reply. If someone makes the effort to leave a comment for me, the least I can do is reply.

11. Best piece of advice for those of us who still struggle to only buy/eat healthy food and cosmetics? As in, those of us who find that sometimes old habits are hard to break.

Baby Steps. Start with the one thing that may be really bothering you. You may want to try to eat healthier so take one action toward that goal: order a farm box, decide to buy organic dairy products. Make a decision to cook from scratch 3 days a week. If it’s your beauty, start with a product you use the most.

12. You’ve appeared on so many shows, and been interviewed by so many people. Who would you like to interview you, that hasn’t had the opportunity?

I’d like to be interviewed by the ladies on The Talk and Arianna Huffington

13. Is there someone that *you* would like to interview, but haven’t?

I would like to interview Vandana Shiva (a very smart lady, who has created great change environmentally speaking,) and Richard Branson.

14. Care to divulge any future plans for books, etc.?

Toying with a book for tweenagers and a book for mom’s who want to a new passion and purpose after having kids. Feedback appreciated??

Thank you to Sophie for being so generous with her time to respond to my interview questions, and for allowing me to have this wonderful opportunity!

Disclosure: I have nothing to disclose. I purchased all of Sophie’s books, and any links that you click on are for your convenience only.

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Moxie Reviews™ 2011. Content copyright. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner, Moxie, is strictly prohibited.

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I’m sure there are more than a few of you out in cyberspace wondering why I am doing a review on a pillow. What on earth does a pillow have to do with makeup or cosmetics? Plenty, I believe. While those who follow beauty-related blogs obviously love to look at, and wear makeup, I would like a show of hands as to those who enjoy covering up signs that you’ve had a miserable night’s sleep? Anyone enjoy trying to figure out how to conceal the lines and indentations around your eyes and cheeks due to tossing all night because you couldn’t get your pillow in the correct position to comfortably fall asleep?

I’m going to assume that we’re all in agreement that makeup and cosmetics should be fun, and not used for the sole purpose as a way to hide our exhaustion. That’s why I started to do some research on sleeping and beauty sleep in particular–of course! First I came across this research:

“Medical researchers confirm that Beauty sleep is not a myth!” CHRISTMAS 2010: RESEARCH

“Beauty sleep: experimental study on the perceived health and attractiveness of sleep deprived people, published in the British Medical Journal, researcher John Axelsson and his team at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that sleep-deprived individuals appear less healthy, more tired, and less attractive than those who have received a full night’s worth of sleep..Studies show that people who do not get enough sleep may appear unhealthy and unattractive….Sleep is probably more effective than any beauty treatment you can buy.”

Then, Jane E. Brody published an excellent NYT’s article: A Good Night’s Sleep Isn’t A Luxury; It’s a Necessity, on May 31, 2011, (Permalink: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/health/31brody.html),

I didn’t need any more convincing to know that I had to get myself a new pillow since I was clearly not getting enough sleep every night, and I would wake up, literally, feeling like I needed to go back to sleep, and with a sore neck to boot! And by the way, I also had those lines on my face from the pillow that was ironing the latest pillow emboss onto my right cheek due to the heat and pressure!

I had enjoyed a well-known brand of contoured pillow; it was supposedly ergonomically shaped for support, which is great, and it was also soft and able to be “shaped.” However, big problem! While it was excellent when I first purchased it, after only about 2-3 months, the pillow started to break down and was so “shapeable” it no longer offered the support it had claimed. It just turned into a blob of foam.

While looking at beauty sites, I actually saw that Sophie Uliano had a contest to win a free luxury pillow, “PILLO1″, on her site, “A Simply Gorgeous Life.” I wasn’t feeling lucky enough to win, so I decided I would purchase one. However, I decided that this time I would do more research than I did for my previous pillow purchase. It was during this search that I came across the scary statistic that almost 75% of the population has a sleep problem, and I came to the quick conclusion that I was one of those people! I went forward to find out how I could get one of these new pillows that the actress Angie Harmom described as, “Heaven in a box.”

I went to PILLO1′s website: http://www.pillo1.com. There I saw that not only did the gorgeous Jaclyn Smith offer her testimony about the PILLO1, but also there was a lot of information provided. The website is one place where customers can purchase the PILLO1. It also explains how PILLO1 is different from other pillows, and provides tips for sleeping better (which follows later in the post). I found it extremely interesting that PILLO1 has two different types of surfaces: one soft, breathable, pliable cushion for the face, and then a more supportive contour for the neck. Most pillows that I had researched had only one surface from some sort of fiber-filled synthetic material.

Dr. Raymond Hall, who has been a chiropractor to the stars for over 26 years, is responsible for crafting and developing the 35 prototypes for what was to become “PILLO1.” I had read that he began working on the pillow when he realized that “4 out of 5 people that came in to him, came in with neck pain after waking up from sleep.”

photo courtesy of PILLO1

The PILLO1 positions your neck and back so you have perfect alignment whether you are sleeping on your back, or you are sleeping on your side–so your head is elevated. And PILLO1 gives a two year manufacturers warranty for the foam not to lose resiliency.

I loved my PILLO1, but I had one concern about recommending it to others. PILLO1 is very upfront and writes that some people may need a “break in period” — and they even have a schedule for doing that. I did not need that, but I wanted to know if that was typical before I gave a complete “thumbs up” on recommending it. I wrote to Dr. Hall and he kindly and quickly responded to my inquiry.

Dr. Hall, I know that you have written a lot about the “break in” period for the PILLO1, but I didn’t need one at all. From my first night on, I started waking up feeling more rested. Do most people, like myself, who have previously awakened in the morning with neck pain, really need this adjustment period?

Great question, Moxie! We put that in just for the people who need a lot of correction in their spine and/or who are a bit older. People in their late fifty’s and older tend to need a longer break-in period as they have had poor sleeping support all their lives. But so glad to hear of your immediate comfort and therapeutic effect. I have seen the immediate response in probably 3 out of 4 people under fifty. The remainder usually begin to fall in love within 2-3 weeks.

With that last bit of information, I would most definitely recommend you look into purchasing a PILLO1 if you have found yourself with the same symptoms as I did. The pillow truly makes perfect sense not only for support, but also for cosmetic foundational reasons. No more ironed-face look in the morning. I have less facial lines as PILLO1 increases my back-lying position. Lying on your back helps as gravity allows the facial skin to naturally relax backwards toward your ears and scalp. Isn’t that part of what plastic surgeons do? Maybe PILLO1 is what you need! Make sure you choose the correct size for your height, and use a King size pillow case to completely cover your PILLO1.

I took a picture of my PILLO1 after I took it out of the box. It is the STANDARD size, which is the general recommendation for anyone 5’3 to 6’3″ tall.

Here are the tips that are online at PILLO1:

If you have trouble sleeping, a few small changes can make a big difference. Try Dr. Hall’s 5 Tips for Better Sleep to encourage a more restful night:

[1.] Sleep on a medium firm mattress, preferably with coil support and a 1-2 inch cotton or latex pillow top.

[2.] Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Make it a habit to allow for 7-8 hours of quality sleep.

[3.] Sleep with good air ventilation and several layers of variable blanket warmth to moderate temperature control.

[4.] Allow yourself adequate space on your bed to naturally move from your back to either side. You should have ample room to stretch and turn comfortably.

[5.] Use PILLO1, the #1 Choice in Intelligent sleep. This is by far the most important step to a good night’s sleep.

Disclosure: I purchased my PILLO1, and I do not benefit from any purchase you may make from PILLO1. All links are for your convenience only.

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Moxie Reviews™ 2011. Content copyright. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner, Moxie, is strictly prohibited.