Four Pieces of “Smart” Jewelry You Don’t Want to Miss
Although it may seem like Apple Watches and FitBits dominate the smart jewelry scene, those two companies certainly aren’t your only options when it comes to the marriage of technology and accessories.
Whether you’d like to track your fitness, stay on top of notifications by the minute, or store special messages and photos from a loved one, there’s a beautiful piece of smart jewelry for you. The following are just four of the chic and innovative pieces that can help you seamlessly integrate fashion and organization.
1. Ringly
Ringly produces cocktail rings as well as pendants and bangles—and they’re all smart. Ringly can track your activity levels and communicate those with your phone via Bluetooth technology. Using Ringly’s app, you can program your Ringly device to notify you if you get a notification on your phone (and you can choose the kind of notifications you receive). The jewelry will subtly vibrate when you receive one of these notifications.
2. Altrius
Like Ringly, Altrius smart jewelry can “buzz” you when you receive certain notifications on your phone. The brand explains that by “reducing smartphone” dependance (i.e. not checking your phone every few minutes for notifications), you’ll reduce your daily stress and feel more in charge of your time. (That sounds like a pretty good deal!)
Love being in touch with your body? A Bellabeat Leaf attaches to your lapel or a special bracelet and monitors your heart rate, sleep patterns, and menstrual cycles; stores the info on your phone via Bluetooth; and even provides fitness recommendations through its app. Bellabeat has a six-month battery and a 14-day memory.
Galatea Momento Pearls—Pearl Jewelry that Speaks
These stunning pearl pieces are unlike most pieces of smart jewelry. Instead of using Bluetooth technology, they use near-field communication (NFC). Each Galatea Momento Pearl piece contains an NFC chip that houses photos and recorded messages. These can be accessed by tapping the jewelry against an NFC-enabled phone. No special app required.
Do you wear smart jewelry?
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Photos: Respective Brands
7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas
Put your creative side to use with eco-friendly gift wrapping.
Opting for eco-friendly gift wrapping is a beautiful way to honor Mother Earth--and show off your creative talents. The following are only a few options for green giving. There are so many ways to adorn your gifts in conscious style. Simply use your imagination--How can old containers be repurposed and made pretty? Also, when necessary, seek out earth-conscious companies that produce fine papers made from recycled and sustainable materials.
1.Wrap Gifts with Fabric
Save scraps of cloth from sewing projects or head down to your local sewing or craft store and pick out some festive prints. Cloth is a gift itself because it can be repurposed a number of ways. It can be turned into pieces for a quilt, part of a reusable shopping bag, napkins, or even a rag!
2. Gift with Reusable Shopping Bags
While we're on the topic of reusable shopping bags, why not share gifts in a decorative reusable shopping bag or cloth tote (again, another gift itself)? If you're efficient with a sewing machine, totes are pretty easy to whip up. You can choose from a variety of patterns here.
3. Decorate Gift Packages with Backyard Findings
Explore the great outdoors (or just your backyard) in search of pretty, natural findings to decorate your gifts. Delicate twigs, small pinecones, and sprigs of holly and berries make eye-catching additions.
4. Go Black and White and Re(use)d All Over
Newspapers and magazines make playful and inexpensive green wrapping options. Simply find a visually interesting page (the comics section is always a good choice), layer over another piece of newspaper (since newspaper tends to tear easily), and go to town! Tie off with yarn, ribbon, or baker's twine.
5. Seek Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Paper Printed with Soy Ink
This cute paper by the Green Field Paper company is made from 100% recycled materials and printed with soy ink. Soy inks are a smart green option because but they only release a minimal amount of volatile organic compounds into our atmosphere during the printing process. Soy is also a renewable resource while petroleum, the base of most conventional ink, is nonrenewable—and not very friendly to the atmosphere. Soy ink comes in vivid, long-lasting colors, and paper companies may not need to use as much ink to produce stunning graphics (like these adorable dogs!).
6. Use Banana Fiber Paper
Banana fiber is created with stems leftover from a banana harvest. The paper has an organic texture that lends it an earthy yet sophisticated feel. Perfect for understated (but high-impact) gift wrapping.
7. Get Adventurous with Old Maps
Save your old atlases for some fun gift wrapping. While any page will make for interesting packaging, consider the recipient of your gift--Where have you travelled together? Where is she originally from? Choose your map paper accordingly for extra thoughtful wrapping :)
Photos: Erika G via Flickr, Martha Stewart, ohsohappytogether via Flickr, Green Field Paper Company, eCrater, Eric Christensen via Flickr,
7 Ideas for Treasure Hunting and Mining Adventures
Looking to try your hand at metal and gem mining? While gems and precious metals are mined across the world, the U.S. alone offers a plethora of gorgeous stones. See our destination picks for some of the most sought-after treasures.
Trend Watch: Animal-Inspired Jewelry
The Spring 2015 fashion forecast shows a high chance of clever whimsy in just about all the ways you can imagine. We’re particularly tickled by the playful, animal-inspired pieces appearing in both haute couture and street style.
How Do Mood Rings Work?
Even though mood rings aren’t able to predict your mood with scientific accuracy, they can give a rough indication of your surface body temperature—and there is some correlation between your emotional state and your body temperature.
The Origin of the Heart Symbol
Many have posited theories about why the heart symbol is shaped like it is. After all, it doesn’treally look like the actual organ. While no one can be completely sure, there are some interesting ideas out there. Some say that the heart was inspired by the curves of the female body.
10 Romantic Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Need a little V-Day inspiration? We’ve got plenty of romantic ideas to share. From tips to dining in style to modern takes on classic gifts, there’s a little something for every couple. Not part of a couple? Not to worry. These gifts can be adapted to suit your best friends—or just you! There’s nothing wrong with picking out some beautiful flowers for yourself.
