This is just a quick post to introduce you all to our newest family member, Piper. She is the smaller one in the front and has been with us for a little over a month.

The bigger one in back is Samson, who has been with us for a little over a year now. Folks who follow the blog or follow me on Twitter know that Samson is the one who eats my strawberries and knocks the bell peppers off of the plants as soon as they get big enough to play with. Well, now Piper is getting in on the gardening fun by being quite the digger!

Here is what she recently did to the corn I had planted this year...

Here is the before...

And here is the after...

So, I guess we won't be having any corn this year!

It was super important to us that Samson pick his new friend -- rather than us picking a friend for him and hoping they got along. I think it worked!

We adopted both Samson and Piper from the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC), which is a no-kill shelter in Ventura County (SoCal).

If you are in the 805 area and have room in your home for a furry friend or two, check out their website or make an appointment to see the many cats and dogs that need a good home!

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.)

These are my first carrots of the year and I can't get over how cute they are!

Last year was my first year growing in our coastal Oxnard backyard after moving back to SoCal from Seattle. Since Oxnard is filled with farms and known for its agriculture and a climate that lets you grow just about anything, I figured having my little backyard vegetable garden (mostly a juicing garden) would be a total breeze.

Ugh, I was so wrong!

Last year was my worst gardening year ever. First I had fungus on every squash plant in my garden, then I had aphids like you wouldn't believe, then Samson kept eating all of the strawberries and knocking the peppers off the plants to play with them, then I had some night-time visitors demolishing everything, and then I had blossom rot. But that wasn't all.

My plants suddenly started dying and not doing as well. It took me a while to figure out the problem, but when I went to test the soil, I found a grub. So then I did a little digging and found disturbed root systems and so many grubs that I couldn't even count them if I tried.

So, after finding the grub infestation and not being able to find a cruelty-free way to save my garden without killing the grubs, I basically gave up.

...Until winter...when the grubs go deeper into the soil and wouldn't be so interested in my roots. Come winter, I planted lettuces, kale and chard. They took forever to germinate, but when they did, they did just fine. As you can see, they are still producing.

I've planted lots more since then and everything is going well, but it is almost time for the grubs to return to the surface and get ready to become beetles. So that means they are probably going to be feasting on my roots again. I'm crossing my fingers that they let my garden live! 

Here are some more garden pictures and updates on how things are going so far this year:

I have never grown radishes before, so I was super excited to see these little fellas popping up so soon after planting the seeds! As you can see in the front row, my parsley seeds are still deciding whether or not they feel like germinating. I'm giving them another week, and then I will be replanting that patch.

In the back row behind the radishes, those are cherry tomatoes and kale.

Last year, I planted marigolds in the open spaces in the cinder block garden borders. The hope was for them to work as natural, cruelty-free pest control, but I feel like I only had so-so results. So this year, I went ahead and planted kale, chard and lettuces in the open spaces.

If you are planting in cinder blocks for the first time, I recommend planting kale or chard in every other hole (instead of every hole) to give them more room to grow and to make sure no one is blocking anyone's sun.

I'm trying corn in one corner of my garden this year. Somehow this bean sprout is mixed in with the corn planted along the borders in the cinder blocks. Well, at least beans and corn get along!

My night-time garden visitors were demolishing my collard greens this winter, but they seem to have moved on, and we are now getting some good collards!

The lemon tree (in the middle) is the most productive of our younger fruit trees. We have an old orange tree that was here long before we were, but we planted the other trees. So far, we have lime, lemon, plum, kumquat and pomegranate.

The kumquat tree gave quite a bit this spring (even with a significant caterpillar population munching on the leaves), and I'm hoping for another harvest in summer. The wind blew away all of the plum blossoms, so I don't know how that might affect pollination (I need to look that up). The lime tree gets lots of blossoms but very few fruits so far.

We also have an avocado tree out front, which is technically a sucker off of an old avocado tree that was chopped down before we came along. It gets blossoms but no fruits. We aren't expecting it to ever fruit, but we are keeping our fingers crossed, since it is the size of a tree, so I hate to kill it to make room to plant another one. My Dad -- who has about 150 avocado trees on their ranch -- thinks it is quite humorous that we won't give up on our sucker, but we aren't losing hope yet!

I really want some more fruit trees, but I don't think we have any more room.

What I love the most about the above picture is that little parsley plant right in the middle. I didn't plant any parsley in this bed. As you saw, I planted it in front of the radishes. However, I did let my parsley go to seed last year, and I think we can all see where one of those seeds ended up.

So the parsley I planted is still not doing anything, but this little gal is coming up just fine. I also found another one in the gravel by the fire pit. Letting stuff go to seed can lead to fun garden surprises!

Rather than giving up on growing strawberries (since Samson loves them), I decided to try growing them in containers this year. While they are out of reach for Sam, now the birds are feasting on them. We have managed to each eat one strawberry from the garden this year. They were delish. I hope I can come up with a way to save a few more of them from the birds.

Rather than using the trellis you see in the background for beans this year, I am using it to try to keep Samson out of the corn. We will see how that goes!

Other stuff I have planted so far that I will have to post pics of soon include chayotes, jalapenos and cucumber. I planted a few pumpkin seeds, but I'm losing hope that they will germinate.

How is your garden going this year? I would love to see pics -- post them on the Facebook page!

Oh -- and tips! Do you have vegan gardening tips, organic gardening tips or tips for making the most out of a juicing garden? Please share them with us!

Okay, I have been testing my Mechaly Macie Black Vegan Leather Weekender Handbag for about five weeks now and am ready to post my review!
 
I  have found that it can be difficult to find purses that are vegan, stylish and sturdy. You can usually pick two out of three of these traits, but finding handbags with all three of these qualities sometimes seems next to impossible. There are a few good companies out there providing fashionable, functional bags that are cruelty free, and I am here to tell you that it is now time for us to add Mechaly to that list.
 
Honestly, I hadn't heard of Mechaly before they contacted me with the opportunity to review one of their bags. But I am always excited to learn about a new vegan company, and now I am particularly glad to have had the chance!
 
You don't have to be vegan to appreciate a high-quality, cruelty-free handbag, but far too many ethical shoppers have learned the hard way that cruelty free does not always mean vegan. So you will be happy to hear that Mechaly is not just committed to being cruelty free; they are also certified vegan by Vegan.org and PETA.

As I mentioned in the previous blog post giving you a sneak peek at the vegan handbag review I had in the works, when Mechaly approached me with the opportunity to review one of their bags, I was immediately drawn to the Macie Black Vegan Leather Weekender Handbag.
 
Most of my days are pretty busy and I am often running all over the county, which means I usually have a lot of stuff to pack in the morning that I will need throughout the day. So, while I was pretty tempted by their skull collection, I figured their roomy Weekender was the perfect bag for me to review.
 
In the previous post, I also mentioned that I immediately put the bag to the test on the first day with a bag of 12 oranges, two boxes of granola bars, a sweater, my day planner, a notebook, a pair of flip flops, two water bottles and my travel tea mug. The best part is that I still had room to spare!
 
The next day, I didn't have the granola bars, but I did have another bag of oranges -- plus my insulated lunch bag. Rather than having my purse, a tote bag and my lunch bag all looped over my arm, and then piled in my passenger seat, I was able to fit everything in the Weekender, which was way more convenient and definitely more fashionable.
 
And I think this is where this particular vegan leather handbag really stands out. After all, we can all find some huge, handy tote bag that we can stuff with everything we need for the day, but the Weekender allows you to tote an abundance of necessities in style.

This bag could definitely be used a school bag, work bag or gym bag with no problem. You could pack for a long weekend with room to spare, and experienced packers could probably pack for a week-long vacation.
 
While I have been mostly using this as a work bag -- and it has really worked out nicely for this -- this has become my go-to bag for just about everything. Need to quickly pack for an impromptu road trip? Grab the Weekender. Need to transport four bottles of wine, a water bottle and a sweater for a night out? I did, and I grabbed my Weekender. Need to pack for a day on campus followed by date night? Grab the Weekender and go.
 
Aside from oranges, work stuff and wine, I have used my Weekender to tote birthday gifts, groceries, dog park supplies, light bulbs, archery gear, my laptop, smudging supplies, and various bits of hardware and home goods for clients.
 
Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure I know the burning question that is on your mind at this point. I can hear you saying, "Sure, AJ, it carries produce, school books and work stuff, but will it fit a toilet seat? And not one of those short, round ones...we're talking one of those long, oval ones?"
 
Well, my friends, I too had this question...and the answer is yes. So if your day ever comes to the point where you need to transport a long, oval toilet seat from one client's house to another, and you would prefer to do so discretely so that other clients do not feel compelled to inquire why you have a toilet seat riding shotgun, the Weekender has your back.
 
I even took a picture of it for you...

Now that we have established the roominess of the Weekender, let's talk quality and other features.
 
One of the first things that I noticed about the bag is that it is unbranded. I get that some fashionistas may not like this and prefer to display their favorite designers' logos as they go about their day. For those of you who like branded bags, Mechaly does offer some, including the Lainie Satchel Handbag, the Kaylee Vegan Leather Tote and the Jaime Backpack. Their super-popular Skully line is also very distinctive.
 
I, on the other hand, prefer unbranded bags or bags with subtle branding. So I love that Mechaly has both unbranded and subtly branded options.
 
Next, let's talk vegan leather. You and I both know that all vegan leather is not created equally. Other things that are not created equally include zippers, D rings, hooks and all of those other findings that tend to fall apart on lower-quality vegan purses. The cruelty-free, leather-like material used to make the Weekender looks and feels like a high-quality leather alternative. Plus, I used the Weekender pretty hard for the last five weeks, and all of the mechanics have held up perfectly.
 
There are two handy, zippered exterior pockets that are perfect for car keys, protein bars or pens, and the removable strap that comes with it allows you to go through your day hands free while wearing it as a shoulder bag or cross body. This adds to the versatility of the Weekender, which is definitely one of the reasons that I really love this bag and have been able to find so many uses for it.

Of course, for most vegan folks and others dedicated to ethical shopping practices, the company is just as important as the product. So here is a little bit about the vegan awesomeness of Mechaly...
 
The Mechaly brand was born from the founders' desire to blend their love of fashion with their dedication to social action. To this end, their line of edgy vegan leather purses and accessories are designed for people who are always on the go and always on the hunt for high-quality accessories that are stylish and comfortable, as well as cruelty free and socially responsible.
 
Mechaly is a family-owned company started by French designers in Beverly Hills. Closely connected to their heritage and tradition, the founders named the company after the surname of their maternal lineage and determined the company's founding principles based on those instilled in them by their grandfather in their youth. Among these are respecting all living things, cherishing good health and treasuring each day we are given.
 
At the heart of the Mechaly brand is a focus on nine basics:

• Design
• Fashion
• The Environment
• Social Responsibility
• Excellence
• Inclusiveness
• Integrity
• Authenticity
• Being a Voice for Animals
  

The bottom line is that Mechaly is a brand worth getting to know. From my experience with them, I have found that they are great people making great products that are fashionable, functional and cruelty free.
 
If you want to support this vegan company and also end up with a mighty-fine handbag to add to your collection, don't forget to use the promo code SHOP35.
 
Not only will this get you 35% off your purchase, it also gets you free shipping within the USA!
 
 

For our friends at the FTC -- this is not a sponsored post. Mechaly provided me with a vegan purse from their line for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Some of you may remember way back in 2013 when I started having issues with Facebook. After MANY months and MANY attempts to prove my identity and get control of my page returned to me, I gave up for a while and just focused on Twitter.

Well...after more than two years, Facebook finally believes me! This means that we now have our Cheap Vegan Chick Facebook page back, my friends!

So, you can certainly still connect with me on Twitter, but if you prefer Facebook, it is now an option.

Follow Cheap Vegan Chick on Twitter

Follow Cheap Vegan Chick on Facebook

I hope to see you out there in the world of social media!

So I was just on Vitacost ordering my supplements and whatnot, and I came across an awesome promo code that I had to share!

Right now (through April 4), you can save 20% on all Vega products at Vitacost! This is particularly cool because the prices on Vega supplements, protein bars and protein powders are already much lower at Vitacost than other retailers I have checked. So you get an additional 20% off of these already lower prices.

I ordered Vega All-In-One Nutritional Shake in Vanilla Chai and Vega Savi Seed Cocoa-Kissed Sacha Inchi Seeds (which I have ordered many times and love).

Remember, orders over $49 ship for free, and you can earn cash back if you sign in to Ebates before you place your Vitacost order. I placed my order just before writing this post, and I will be getting 4% cash back on my order, so that is even more savings!

Here is the promo code you will need to type in when you place your order to save 20% on Vega products: VEGA20

If you are new to Vitacost, you can use this referral link to save $10 on your first order of $30 or more.

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!

A longer post is in the works, but I just couldn't wait to share at least a little sneak peek at this cruelty-free bag by Mechaly that I am in the process of reviewing.

When Mechaly approached me to review one of their bags and said that I could choose a vegan purse from their line to review, I immediately went for the Macie Black Vegan Leather Weekender Handbag.

I'm a busy girl, and sometimes I spend the entire day running all over the county, so I figured this made me a good candidate for reviewing this particular bag with all of its roomy awesomeness.

And roomy it is! On day one, I fit a bag of 12 oranges, two boxes of granola bars, a sweater, my day planner, a notebook, a pair of flip flops, two water bottles and my travel tea mug in my Weekender with room to spare.

While that might make it sound like a huge bag, it really does not feel that way. I think the pictures in this post do a pretty good job of showing that it is about the size of the larger handbags a lot of people carry.

If you want to check out their line of handbags, wallets and backpacks certified vegan by Vegan.org and PETA before I post my full review, go to the Mechaly website. If you happen to fall in love while you are there, use promo code SHOP35 for 35% off and free shipping!

Stay tuned for my full vegan product review after I've been putting this cruelty-free purse to the test for a couple of weeks!

To get the free Winter Warm-Up recipe book from Vega, simply click on the image above and sign up to receive emails letting you know about news and sales!

While you are there, you can also save 15% on their vegan, plant-based products!

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!