This is just a quick note to let you all know about this great list of informative articles from universities and governmental agencies on going vegan, why people go vegan, vegan diets and vegetarian diets.

Thank you to Cheap Vegan Chick readers, Allison and Steph, for letting me know about this link! I'm heading back over to finish reading the articles now!

(The link is also on my Vegan and Vegetarian Resources page.)

Now that I am in my 40s, I am definitely paying even more attention to my skin care routine and doing what I can to help my skin age gracefully. While there are lots of anti-aging products available to do just that, the list quickly shortens when you start to look for cruelty-free sun protection or vegan moisturizers.
 
It is pretty common to invest in good facial moisturizers, but lots of folks forget that your hands and décolleté are more than happy to give away your age as well. Because my face is so sensitive that it will turn red or break out if I so much as think of using a product it does not like, for me, this means finding one set of products for my ultra-sensitive facial skin and another for my hands and other areas of my body that are less sensitive and allow me to try out new vegan and cruelty-free wrinkle creams, oils or other products.
 
I do like to try out new lotions, creams and such, and now I have found a cruelty-free skincare routine for my hands that I absolutely love and plan to use for a very long time.
 
If you stop by very often, you probably already know that I buy most of my supplements and personal care products online at Vitacost.com. While I do purchase a few things on Amazon that Vitacost does not sell, I consistently find that Vitacost has the best prices a lot of things on my list, including my three favorite skincare products listed below.

My hand care routine begins in the morning, which is my chance to ward off some of this Southern California sun while I run around during the day. For this, I use Glonaturals Essentials Broad-Spectrum Sunspray Oil SPF 30 made by and sold by Vitacost.
 
This cruelty-free sun protection product sprays on easily, rubs in quickly, is not too oily and has a slightly coconuty scent.
 
I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible, but your hands are exposed to sunlight more than you might think, such as when you are driving or if you work from home and your desk is near a window. Both of these situations apply to me, so I keep my Glonaturals Sunspray Oil right on my vanity to help me remember to apply it daily.
 
At the time of this writing, the price for a six-ounce spray bottle of this sunspray is $11.99 online at Vitacost.

Next in my hand skin care routine is Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum. I apply this light serum every night as part of my bedtime routine (followed by my other fave vegan skincare product mentioned below).
 
I love everything about this serum. It is certified organic, absorbs quickly and has the most delightful, light scent. This is actually marketed for use as a moisturizer and fine line reducer for the skin on your face, neck and décolleté, but I have been using it on my hands for months and am very happy with it.
 
Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum can be found online and in some brick-and-mortar stores. The retail is about $19.19, but the price is $17.17 on Vitacost at the time of this writing.
 
If this is a little above your budget, Vitacost also sells Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Oil, which is regularly priced at $10.19 for one ounce on their site and goes for about $12.99 in stores. I have not tried this yet, but I did put it in my Vitacost cart to purchase next time I order my supplements and other products. This one might be worth trying as a lower-cost alternative.

My final step in my daily hand skin care routine is White Egret Hydrating Retinyl Intensive Hydrating Formula Night Creme. This great moisturizer is vegan, cruelty free, gluten free and paraben free. While it is marketed as a night cream for your face, I use this product on my neck, décolleté and hands.
 
I apply it to my hands after I apply Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum just before I go to bed and have definitely noticed a difference since I started using it several months ago.
 
This one retails most places at about $28.75, but it is just $18.69 at Vitacost (at the time of this writing).

You can purchase Acure products and White Egret products elsewhere, but Glonaturals is a Vitacost brand, so I believe it is only available online at Vitacost. If you are new to Vitacost, you will be pleased to know that their shipping is super fast. I usually get my orders the second day after placing them. Plus, shipping is free on orders of more than $49.
 
There are always sales going on, including buy one get one free and buy one get one 50% off, so while you are there, it is worth checking out the deals page. You should also always remember to check the Promo Pocket page, which is in the upper-right corner. I just placed an order today and found a promo code for a free jar of coconut oil with orders over $10, so if you go to Vitacost soon, that deal might still be available.
 
Lastly, new customers can save $10 on their first order of $30 or more by using a friend's referral code. Then, once you are a customer, you can start giving out your referral code to other friends to help them save money on their first order and to get $10 for you to save on a future order. Pretty cool deal, right?
 
If you are a new customer and want to save $10, use this referral link to sign up.
 
Oh, one more thing...you can save even more by first signing up for Ebates before heading over to Vitacost. When you sign in to Ebates before placing an order at Vitacost, you get cash back!

Hey all!

I just saw this free vegan cookbook full of plant-based holiday recipes and thought that you might be interested.

If you are planning a vegan Christmas dinner, a solstice celebration or other holiday gatherings this winter, then head over to Amazon to grab this vegan recipe ebook while it is free!

Remember, you do not have to have a Kindle to enjoy free Kindle books; you can download a free app to enjoy them on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Get your free vegan holiday recipe book now, and let me know if you try any of the recipes!

Amazon has lots of vegan awesomeness going on in the world of free Kindle books right now. These are just some of the ones I saw on the list today, so if you head over to check these out, be sure to also look around and see if anything else catches your eye.

Below are the links for Easy To Be Vegan: Overcoming All The Challenges and Difficulties of Becoming a Vegan, Eat Like a Farm Girl, Best Healthy Vegan Holiday Recipes: Christmas recipes, Clean Eating: Amazingly Delicious Recipes To Jump Start Your Weight Loss, Increase Energy and Feel Great, Vegan Milk: 22 Delicious Varieties for Super Easy Homemade Non-Dairy Milks and Vegan Bar Food: 20+ Delicious Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Recipes.

Remember, prices can change quickly over at Amazon, so head over there soon if any of these titles are of interest to you.

You don't have to be a beginner to get some great recipes and tips from this free vegan ebook!

You know how these free Kindle books can change price at any time, so make sure you head over to Amazon very soon to grab this one while it is free!

Here's the link:

If you are thinking about going vegan, becoming vegetarian or just working towards a plant-based diet, you should definitely check out these free resources!

These free eBooks can help you overcome challenges, learn how to explain your lifestyle or dietary changes to friends and family members, find easy recipes to get you started and inspire you to take the next step.

Here are the links:

Two things to remember:

1. You don't have to have a Kindle to enjoy free Amazon ebooks. You can grab a free app to read them on your phone, tablet or computer.

2. Prices can change quickly over there, so be sure to head over to Amazon as soon as possible if would like to get these vegan, vegetarian and plant-based ebooks while they are free.

During my regular search on Amazon for free organic and plant-based ebooks, I came across these two vegan books for kids (including a vegan cookbook for children!) that I thought some of you might find of interest.

Remember -- prices can change quickly over there, and these probably won't be free for long, so get over there soon to grab them while they are free!

Also remember -- you do not have to have a Kindle to enjoy free ebooks from Amazon. You can get a free app to read them on your computer, phone or tablet!

Here are the links:

Y'all already know that I love it when Amazon serves us up a bunch of organic, vegan, vegetarian cookbook goodness when they are are handing out free ebooks. This time, I am particularly excited about a few of my latest finds -- raw, vegan dessert cookbooks! Yum!

You know the drill -- these free ebooks may not be free for long, so hustle on over there to grab them while they are hot!

Here are the links:

The first thing I should let you know is that Vegan Cuts has an all-vegan Chocolate Lover's Box available that looks pretty amazing. So if you are looking for a vegan Valentine's Day gift that is along the lines of a traditional, chocolate-filled V-Day present, then you can just order this box, and you are good to go!

However, if you would like to supplement your offering of chocolate with some gluten-free delights, vegan beauty products or cruelty-free gifts, Vegan Cuts seriously has you covered with some great deals on a sweet selection of vegan awesomeness.

For example...if you have a loved one who decided to make the change to a plant-based lifestyle this year, this Vegan Starter Kit would be the perfect gift!

They also have vegan boots, some super-cute handbags, make-up, personal care products and a whole lot more.

Remember -- this is a deal site, so the deals change, which means there is always some new vegan bargain for hard-to-find goods waiting to be discovered!

While I was checking out the Abe's Market Try for $2 page this morning, I came across these Sustain condoms that I thought might be of interest to some of you. After all, Valentine's Day is coming up, and it seems like it might be a good idea to have some fair trade, vegan condoms on hand in case you get lucky!

Sustain condoms are fair trade, vegan, sustainably made, fragrance free, dye free, nitrosamines free (I don't even know what that is, but it sounds like we should be glad they aren't in there) and delivered to you in recycled packaging. That sounds pretty darn responsible for a company helping you be responsible!

Oh -- and did I mention that 10% of the profits are dedicated to helping women access reproductive care?

So if you are in the type of relationship (or could have a super-short, one-night type of relationship) that requires condoms, you should definitely look into this opportunity to try Sustain condoms for just $2.00!

The Try for $2 program let's us try smaller versions of products before splurging on the full-size version. I'm totally digging it and definitely recommend signing up on their email list to get get notifications when new stuff is added.