Bioutiful

Yasuragi Hasseludden is a hotel and SPA in Stockholm. Situated close to the city but yet in the archipelago with a fantastic view it's a must to visit when you're in Stockholm. They are working intensely with sustainability issues, from leadership to organic food and products. For example; the house-keeping department only uses eco-labelled cleaning products and recently the restaurant started with Meat Free Mondays. Why not try their body-peel with green tea and jasmin or a bambu-massage?

Eco Sense Salong is a SPA in Stocholm that specializes in organic skincare. They offer all the treatments you can expect from a SPA using products from Dermanord, Lakshmi and Q for skin. All of them with natural ingredients, and Lakshmi is developed according to auyrvedic principles.

How about treatments like Hot Stone Massage, C-vitamin Treatment or a Chocolate Overdose Wrapping?

Olive Organic Spa in New York is a small retreat from the busy citylife. Using Eminence Organics skincare line you'll be able to try the Red carpet Ready Facial or a Mimosa Age Defying Body Treatment to name a few.

You can find Panpuri Organic Spa in Bangkok, Sydney and Madrid. Now, this is pure luxury. Just to look at the pictures on the homepage gets you relaxed. Try the Mali Moonlight Massage or treat yourself to the 2h kombo Pan-Vimarn Touch of Paradise.

Seriouslyorganic

Just discovered this chocolate from Seriouslyorganic, and it's sooo good. 72% cocoa, organic, vegan and Fairtrade. And there are many more flavours to try.....

I keep telling myself that because it's dark chocolate and that's healthy I can eat a whole bar at once (yes, by myself, what kind of a question is that?).

My precioussssssss........

Bed of nails

My favourite treat after a stressful day is to spend half an hour on my bed of nails.
It's a little bit unpleasant at first, but after five minutes it's heaven.
I always need someone to wake me up after 30 minutes, or I sleep all through the night.

The one I use is made of organic cotton, and even the plastic parts are made of environmentally friendly materials.

Read more and order your own.

Allotment gardening

An allotment garden is a piece of land that has been divided in to smaller pieces and made available for individuals to rent. The size of the plot usually range from 50-400 quare metres and may include small sheds, greenhouses or small garden houses.

Most of the allotment gardens in Europe started out as a way for the poor to get acces to fresh vegetables and fruits. This was especially true during war-time when access to fresh produce was limited and prices high.

Denmark was first country with allotment gardening in Scandinavia in 1778. Sweden established their first allotment garden in 1895.

Today when most people have busy working days and many live in an hectic urban atmosphere, allotment gardens are more popular than ever and have turned into recreational areas. It's your own green oasis in the middle of the city that provides relaxation from the stress of work.

Many families sees it as an opportunity to come together and have a meaningful leisure activity and for the children to learn about gardening and nature. Allotment gardening also helps providing the community with a better quality of urban life through the reduction of noise, the binding of dust, and conservation of biotopes.

To get your own mini-garden visit one of the many homepages found on the internet or use this page to start from (Scandinavia)

High Line

The High Line is a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. It was founded the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement.



 

No trains have run on the High Line since 1980 and in 1999 the structure was under the threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line was founded by the local community to save the historic site and transform it into the beautiful public park it is today. The park is located on Manhattan's West Side and runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues.

Friends of the High Line works very actively to keep the park open and to involve the community in this project. On the High Line you can find a lot of green areas to just relax, you can find cafées and restaurants and different art projects. They have tours for the local schools to teach children about the history of the High Line, about the plants and ecosystem of New York and about the history of Manhattan's shipping industry.

It's a really great example of recycling, turning something old and run down into a beautiful place that everybody can enjoy.

Read more about the High Line. And don't forget to visit when you're in New York.

Six Senses

Apart from beeing absolutely amazing resorts, their spas and hotels are something out of the ordinary when it comes to environmental issues, and they are highly involved in reducing the impact of their activities.

There is a very extensive program to try to achieve this in every possible way; from waste management to energy saving, from environmental concerns during constructions to raising awareness among staff, guests and the local community.

Apart from the smaller things, they are also involved in sustainability issues on a larger scale.

They have a fund, SERF, that is to be used primarily for social and environmental projects and initiatives in responsible development. All of the resorts and spas contribute 0,5% of their total revenue to this.

Six Senses is also dedicated to a water saving project. Half of the sales of water on their resorts are invested in organisations that helps to provide clean water for people around the world who doesn't have access to that.

In 2008 they started a symposium called Slow Life. The hope for this is that politicians, philosophers and influential people, sharing insights and making connections, can make way for a better and more sustainable future. Some of the speakers on the 2011 symposium were; Daryl Hannah, President Mohamed Nasheed and Richard Branson.

Read more and dream away at; Sixsenses