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  • NicoleDeRosa

Updated: Nov 13, 2023



Our homes are perhaps the most important spaces for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. It’s where we can relax our minds, restore our bodies, and heal whatever obstacles life has thrown at us. In short: the objects we choose to have in our home matter.

So when you shop for home decor, you want to look for items that will truly add value to your space—aesthetically and functionally, yes, but also that have good energy due to the way they were sourced and made.

Below are some of my favorite brands that employ materials harvested from sustainable resources and recycled goods, and focus on fair trade and responsible production practices.


Just click on the product photo and it will bring you to the brand's website. Be sure to join my mailing list and send me a message first, so I can give you a discount code for any of the products you see on my site!


Nicole Gibbons, founder of CLARE and an interior designer saw that no paint brands were offering an easy or convenient way to shop for paint, so she decided to fix that. A true expert in her field, her design know-how has been featured by top media outlets like HGTV, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Good Morning America, Elle Decor and more. CLARE is a better paint for a happy, healthy home.


CLARE paint is made with:


Zero VOC paint & colorants

Zero VOC means they’re free of toxic, carbon-based solvents that pollute the air and pose health risks.


GREENGUARD Gold certified

CLARE paint meets rigorous emissions standards, releases fewer pollutants, and supports healthier indoor air.


Ultra-premium quality

CLARE paint is self-priming and applies evenly with a durable finish that resists dirt, grime and mildew.






Their mission is simple: to create candles with captivating scents, beautiful minimalist design, and the best ingredients. Essentially, everything we love about luxury candles, but at accessible prices. Their dreamy scents are inspired by nature and travel, moments and memories. Brooklyn Candle Studio uses 100% soy wax derived from American-grown soybeans for an eco-friendly, clean burn and lead-free cotton wicks. Their candles are petroleum-free, cruelty-free, phthalate-free, and 100% vegan. I also love that they are a female founded company!







From our bedroom to our cities to the planet we call home, taking care of the spaces we inhabit is the foundation of our well-being. Brentwood Homes makes affordable natural luxury mattresses and bedding for adults, babies, kids and pets. At Brentwood Home, much of the product development process is spent researching and sourcing materials ourselves, making sure they meet Golden State standards for environmental responsibility. Learn more about the combination of natural, organic, and non-toxic materials they use to make a healthy, happy home here .









The Little Market is a nonprofit fair trade shop featuring ethically sourced, artisan-made products. Behind each of our products is a person who created it — and a story. TLM seeks to empower artisans around the world by extending their products’ distribution and supporting sustainable income opportunities. TLM is committed to upholding the dignity of artisans, celebrating their cultural techniques and traditions, and bringing attention to social justice and human rights issues faced by their communities. TLM is all about CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM. TLM works closely with artisan groups and social enterprises around the globe to source ethical, sustainable gifts, accessories, and home décor. When shopping at The Little Market, you have the opportunity to choose unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.


The Little Market ETHICALLY SOURCES from THE MOST UNDERSERVED GROUPS INCLUDING:
Individuals living in poverty people with disabilities, Women transitioning out of homelessness, refugees, survivors of trafficking and domestic violence.

You can shop by each cause here .





This female owned brand brings uniqueness and soul into the home. Vintage goods, custom furniture and travel finds under our roof in Greenville, South Carolina. From French linens, to Moroccan rugs and antiques hand selected from the Paris flea market, Paula Rallis and her team curate pieces that cannot be found anywhere else.


Colette Throw - named after Paula's grandmother and drawn from photo inspiration of Paula, the Colette is the touch of French chic and femininity whether she's thrown on the bed or in the sand.

Artwork: Frank Bullington. Size: 60x70 in.

White cotton linen flax with jet black embroidery.






St. Frank is creating a home brand built for a new consumer. St. Frank believes your space should share your story and values - exceptional product, unique origins, and ethical sourcing. Each of these qualities is woven into the St. Frank home to provide a beautiful and sophisticated aesthetic while harnessing the power of business to create sustainable social change. St. Frank's line consists of three parts - contemporary handmade, vintage, & printed pieces. St. Frank's team works with artisans in under-resourced settings, supporting quality jobs & preserving heritage crafts. Vintage items are sourced from small businesses in these settings, upcycling to minimize our environmental footprint. Print reproductions benefit our artisan partners via royalties & our Artisan Support Fund.


Our red clay pieces are handmade in a female-led cooperative in Oaxaca, Mexico. The clay is hand-formed without a potter’s wheel. Then, each piece is finished with a red clay slip. In pre-Hispanic times, this technique was used to create compels, a tool used in the kitchen to cook tortillas. Today, Oaxacan women continue to practice this technique, passed down from generation to generation.




Be sure to explore the brands websites (click on the photo + brand name to lead you to their site) and let me know what you think in the comments section below!
If you are a brand owner and would like to collaborate, please email me at: nicolettederosa@gmail.com



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Updated: Nov 13, 2023



8 years ago, I had a car accident where my my car was totaled. I was shook to the core and I searched everywhere for a car that would make me feel like I was in bubble wrap.


I finally found a car that I was in love with. There it was....."Mitsu" my Mitsubishi Outlander! The search was over and Mitsu was all mine! Mitsu was the first car I ever owned.


So, now that you know my "relationship" with Mitsu, let's fast forward to around March, 2020 during the pandemic when the Coronavirus hit and we were in quarantine. Most days during quarantine, I would look out the window at poor Mitsu. There were days that I was so depressed that I didn't even want to turn Mitsu on and go for a spin around the block or lift my spirits with a drive along the beach. Mitsu was already giving me a bit of trouble here and there and was not as reliable as I needed it to be.


At that point, I was already feeling depressed and hopeless for so many reasons, that I needed to do something to help others or give back and contribute in some way. I couldn't volunteer or do anything in person. I was helping in other ways with signing petitions, emailing, donating a few dollars here and there.


There are so many places that need help, so when I decided I was going to donate Mitsu, I knew that I wanted to make a contribution to the autistic community. Autism is close to my heart so I researched online where I could donate my car.


I had emailed a lovely woman named, Ellen at Autism New Jersey who told me that Autism New Jersey unfortunately did not have a partnership with a service that allows them to accept car donations but, she had personally donated her car to The Arc of the United States to benefit The Arc of Union County (where her brother receives services from them). She told me the process was very easy.


I went on The Arc of New Jersey's website to learn more about who they are and what they do. Their mission statement read:


"The Arc of New Jersey promotes and protects the human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes; and is committed to enhancing the quality of life of those individuals and their families through advocacy, empowerment, education and prevention."

About a month later, I received a letter in the mail from The Arc of New Jersey and was happy to hear that Mitsu had found a home and the money made from the purchase will go to support many wonderful programs such as:




To learn more or find a chapter of The Arc in your state and town, visit their website here .



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  • NicoleDeRosa

Updated: Mar 11, 2022






If you have not had the pleasure of crossing paths with Melissa Wood-Tepperberg aka Melissa Wood Health then I'd like to introduce you to this wonderful human beam of light! Melissa is a mom to two beautiful babies: Benjamin and Eleanor, a wife, digital entrepreneur, founder of Melissa Wood Health, creator of The MWH Method, meditator and certified in yoga and Pilates.

Melissa's life wasn’t always as pretty as it may seem online. For years, Melissa struggled with feelings of inadequacy (like most people do). She suffered from severe anxiety. Which is something I can very much relate to as I too have severe anxiety as well as OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and Depression. Her workouts and meditation practices have helped me turn my life around.

It was through the process of creating her own method: The MWH Method, which is a series of precise low impact movements that Melissa started seeing beautiful long, lean lines throughout her entire body. Melissa says,


"I believe the beauty of my method is that it’s not just about building a body you desire…it’s about building a better, stronger relationship with yourself."


Below are my Top 10 Favorite workouts by Melissa Wood Health from her YouTube Channel. If you enjoyed her workouts below, be sure to check out The MWH Method!













































Be sure to share your fitness photos on the

@nicolederosalifestyle

Instagram using the hashtag


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