Dana Jean Costantino, Author at LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health

4 At-Home Uses for Mason Jars Beyond Canning

Dana Jean Costantino — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 02:14:19 +0000

What Can You Do with Mason Jars? Everything of Course!

To my delight, the popularity of the centuries-old Mason Jar has grown exponentially over recent years. What first seemed like every “Hippie Dippy’s” favorite drinking glass is now a common staple at five-star restaurants, weddings, birthday parties and beyond. Mason Jars are being used as planters, candle holders, party favors and all the while it seems that just when every use for them has been exhausted, another genius one sprouts up. Now that we’re at home more and looking for creative ways to beautiful our spaces or make our at-home mocktails and meals more creative, Mason Jars are a homey staple. Beyond canning, here are a few of my favorite uses for Mason Jars at home and beyond.

Let’s all get our DIY hats on and take a walk down Mason Jar Lane…

A Vase of Flowers

One of my most treasured uses of the Mason Jar is as a vase for a bouquet of flowers. This could be on your nightstand, decorating a picnic table or as a festive centerpiece. A Mason Jar bouquet is a fun way to bring floral essence to your personal surroundings or for your guests to feast their eyes on. These bouquets also make great birthday gifts or host/hostess gifts.

To learn how to make a colorful and beautifully curated floral arrangement fit for a Mason Jar, check out this DIY YouTube tutorial.

Set up Your Succulents

Now we have a pretty setting for our flowers, candles and drinks…what next? The base for your succulents! This has quickly become one of my absolute favorite uses of the classic jar. Succulents seem to thrive in Mason Jars and creating a home for them with rocks, stones, crystals, sea glass and other items that speak to you, makes for a very personalized and stylish addition to your home, party or as a gift. Succulents are plants that have some parts that are more than other plants thick and fleshy, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. You can find succulents at hardware stores, big and small, as well as at Farmer’s Markets. Check out this easy how – to video on YouTube by HGTV’s Handmade:

DIY Mason Jar Candles

Mason Jars make excellent containers for candles. Make it a soy candle for an even healthier option for you to breathe in and for the environment. The best part of using a Mason Jar as a candle jar is that after the candle has burned down you can reuse the jar for any number of things. Making Mason Jar soy candles is also a fun activity to do in a group. Whether an afternoon with friends, a birthday party or a day of self-care, you will see the results in use for a long time to come afterwards. They also make great gifts. Who knows, maybe you will even get so good at it that you start your own business! Artful Homemaking shares how to simply create a candle using your favorite Mason Jar.

We are on our way to quite the lovely tablescape here…

Drinks at Home or Outdoors in Mason Jars

Next we explore the Mason Jar as a drinking glass. I do surely love a Mason Jar for an iced tea or a sparkling water with lime and why not a cocktail or mocktail too? Whether an iced coffee, a fruit-infused water or a mint julep, the Mason Jar makes a great companion for a cool drink. Consider customizing the glass in some way with a piece of twine tied around the top and a tag people can personalize with a name or initials.

A piece of lemon or lime always looks great on the rim of a Mason jar. If you’re hosting an outdoor event, a great idea is a Mason Jar Drink Bar. Put out bottles of water, club soda, juice, iced tea and bowls of fresh fruit along with ice cubes and let the guests come up with their own creations. This is a great idea for kids and adults alike. Learn how to much your own Mason Jar Drink Cups.

Thankful for Mason Jars

The wide mouths of Mason Jars makes them easy to keep residue free. The best way to wash Mason Jars is to clean them by hand. If you’re using them for canning, keep them warm prior to refilling them. You can use your canner as it is preheating, or you can create a separate water bath that will keep the jars warm.

None of this would be at all possible without the brilliant invention that came to us via John Landis Mason in 1858. John, thank you for over one hundred and sixty years of not only practicality but fun! I eagerly await and watch as the latest and greatest uses of the Mason Jar unfold. Cheers! (insert the sound of Mason Jars clinking here)

Dana Jean Costantino

Dana Jean Costantino is looking forward to continuing to grow within the Yoga communities of NYC and LA as a balance to her career in advertising. IG @danajeanyoga

The post 4 At-Home Uses for Mason Jars Beyond Canning appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Novo Yoga in Redondo Beach

Dana Jean Costantino — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:40:31 +0000

A quaint space located in the heart of the South Bay, Novo Yoga in Redondo Beach delivers a sense of community. As soon as you walk in the door, you are greeted with a smile and welcomed into this gracious yoga family. Regulars mix with new students as the recently remodeled space now offers non-heated classes as well as their strong heated yoga programming for 60 weekly classes.

When I had the great pleasure of meeting one-half of the brother–sister team behind this operation and was impressed, as Paola is a true light. Paola began her personal yoga practice at the age of 10 in Italy and has studied many modalities, eventually finding her joy in bringing the practice of yoga to others.

Classes at Novo Yoga in Redondo Beach

Novo Yoga offers classes for kids as well. This location has two separate practice rooms, with class times for children set when parents can practice in the other room. Currently, Novo offers 58 classes weekly. The schedule features options unique to Novo, such as Novo Core and Novo Sculpt. In addition, multiple varieties of yoga are offered including H60/H90 (Bikram style), Flow, Yin Yoga, Kids’s Yoga, Yang-Yin, and Yoga Barre. New student specials are available as well as monthly packages. When I visited, I instantly became a personal fan of the 60-minute Heated Fusion class.

Studio Amenities

The studio is equipped with multiple showers in the changing rooms. A variety of waters and kombucha brands are available for purchase in the boutique.

Workshops and Trainings

Novo Yoga also presents a full line-up of workshops and trainings. You can join the October 2018 Yin Yoga TT with Bianca Fearon of BFunctional Yoga and YogaWorks. Look for Novo Yoga Teacher Training in 2019. And stay tuned for an upcoming Kids Yoga Teacher Training. To learn more about classes, rates, workshops, and special offers, visit: novoyoga.com.

Find Novo Yoga

Novo Yoga
1820 S Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310-540-2023
novoyoga.com

Dana Jean Costantino

Dana Jean Costantino is looking forward to continuing to grow within the Yoga communities of NYC and LA as a balance to her career in advertising. IG @danajeanyoga

The post Novo Yoga in Redondo Beach appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

5 Gyres’ Steps for Reducing Plastic Consumption

Dana Jean Costantino — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:22:50 +0000

The tagline of 5 Gyres is “Science to Solutions.” Their research contributed to the US federal ban on plastic microbeads and their mission is to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure.

5 Gyres offers action steps for reducing plastic consumption

Bring your own shopping bag. On average, a plastic bag is used for 12 minutes, yet they persist in our environment for decades. Plastic bags are difficult to recycle and clog up machines, they’re lightweight so they’re easily transported by the wind and water, and they look like jellyfish in the ocean so they’re often mistaken for food by turtles.
Buy in bulk. Packaging now accounts for 25% of all plastic manufacturing. Buying bigger helps reduce your plastic consumption.
Wear natural fabrics. All materials shed fibers, which escape filtration through wastewater and can end up in the ocean. Unlike wool and cotton, plastic microfibers from synthetic materials like nylon and spandex don’t biodegrade. In cases where synthetics fabrics are unavoidable—think bathing suits—wash less frequently and by hand.
Carry a reusable water bottle. Seven out of every ten plastic bottles are trashed. A refillable bottle makes good environmental sense and it’s good for your bank balance. Bottled water costs 2,000 times more than (filtered) tap water.
Refuse disposable straws. Americans use 500 million straws every day, which aren’t recyclable. Straws end up in oceans, and kill marine animals. Plus they cause wrinkles.
Go topless. Americans use more than 25 billion expanded polystyrene foam—better known as “Styrofoam”—cups each year, and many lids are made from the same plastic. If you forget your reusable cup, order your coffee without a lid. Go topless for our oceans!

Read more about reducing plastic consumption.

Dana Jean Costantino

Dana Jean Costantino is looking forward to continuing to grow within the Yoga communities of NYC and LA as a balance to her career in advertising. IG @danajeanyoga

The post 5 Gyres’ Steps for Reducing Plastic Consumption appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Campaigns to Reduce Plastic Consumption

Dana Jean Costantino — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:20:27 +0000

#PlasticFreeJuly

Shift your plastic consumption habits for the summer and beyond.

By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. This frightening statistic is cited by numerous advocacy groups such as the nonprofit Plastic Pollution Coalition. While this may seem years away, the plastic in our oceans today is having significant negative effects on wildlife and our planetary and personal health.

Our relationship with the planet is a spiritual practice. Isha Foundation Founder Sadhguru says, “Our lives are not separate from each other; our life is an integrated, connected life. How healthy the worms are today will determine how healthy we are tomorrow. Spirituality essentially means an all-inclusive experience.” The Isha Foundation is committed to sustainable environmental stewardship.

Isha Foundation actions to reduce plastic consumption.

All 250 centers worldwide have eliminated single-use disposables and have switched to stainless steel silverware.
Retail shops have replaced the sale of plastic bottles with stainless steel and copper water bottles.
Events and partnerships to increase awareness about plastic pollution.

Choose Products that are Part of the Plastic-Free Revolution

Spiritual teachers aren’t the only environmental stewards. Commerce can also be a conduit for positive change. For example, the personal care products company Natracare was founded in 1989 by Susie Hewson as a purpose-driven, campaigning brand in response to the growing danger to human health and the environment of dioxin pollution from chlorine bleaching of paper products. Natracare’s product line includes the world’s first certified organic cotton tampons and totally chlorine-free, plastic-free sanitary pads and panty liners. Susie says, “We want to give women the plastic-free option that won’t burden our planet. Our natural cycles should never amount to plastic waste.”

Natracare also collaborates with advocacy organizations including 5 Gyres. Haley Jain Haggerstone, the nonprofit’s Development and Partnerships Director says, “Single-use plastic wrappers and applicators cannot be recycled and conventional sanitary pads are roughly 90% plastic. This is why 5 Gyres is proud to partner with Natracare, a company that provides plastic-free femcare options.” Read more about 5 Gyres’ advice for plastic-free femcare. You can participate in a social media conversation with Natracare using the hashtag #PFJbyNatracare.

Natracare Partners with Advocate Organizations

Plastic Pollution Coalition

Global alliance of individuals, organizations, businesses, and policymakers working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact of humans, waterways and oceans, and the environment.
plasticpollutioncoalition.org

5 Gyres

The tagline of this So-Cal based nonprofit is “Science to Solutions.” Their research contributed to the US federal ban on plastic microbeads and their mission is to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure.
5gyres.org

5 Gyres Action Items

Read 5 Gyres’ Steps for Reducing Plastic Consumption.

City to Sea

Nonprofit running campaigns to print marine plastic pollution at source. By engaging communities, working with retailers and lobby manufacturers and government, City to Sea is reversing the trend for disposable items in order to safeguard our seas for the future.
citytosea.org.uk

Raw Foundation

Mission: “Raw Foundation helps to educate, engage, and empower young people to move toward sustainable consumption and production. Everything we do is systems-focused, solution-oriented, and change-driven.”
rawfoundation.org

Four Weeks to Reducing Plastic Consumption

1. Swap out daily basics like plastic bags and plastic straws for reusable options. Actor, activist, and ambassador for United Nations World Environment Day Adrian Grenier is outspoken about the negative impact of plastic straws on oceans and marine life. In an interview with National Geographic he says, “I think the straw is not only symbolically a great first step, a gateway if you will, but also significant because it is the smaller plastics in particular that we want to prevent.” Purchase reusable and washable straws. (One of my favorites is: ecoatheart.com.)

2. Eat plastic-free. Purchase one reusable BPA-free bottle. BYO lunch in a reusable container. When dining out, bring a to-go container with you for your leftovers. For take-away or delivery, choose “No plastic utensils” and pack your own cutlery.

3. Choose Plastic-free body care. Look for options with reduced or plastic-free packaging. Learn about plastic found in your makeup wipes or feminine care products. Try out soap or shampoo bars. Look at the impact of products you use on a daily or monthly basis.

4. Become an advocate. Share statistics. Trade tips with friends. Call brands you use and make suggestions or offer feedback. Volunteer with nonprofits who are changing the footprint on plastic use.

Dana Jean Costantino

Dana Jean Costantino is looking forward to continuing to grow within the Yoga communities of NYC and LA as a balance to her career in advertising. IG @danajeanyoga

The post Campaigns to Reduce Plastic Consumption appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.