Blogs I'm Loving Lately

I wanted to share two blogs I have been following and adoring recently. There's one for each of my favorite topics: clean beauty and clean eating.

Clean Beauty:
No More Dirty Looks
LOVE the writers shared passion for clean beauty and great products.  They are so into it (maybe even more than I am!), I know their recommendations are the real deal.  They haven't let me down yet and the community they have cultivated through their site is just as helpful as they are!

Clean Eating:
Kath Eats Real Food
I can't get enough of this blog! Kath Younger takes pictures of every meal she eats. I know, you're thinking, "won't that get old?" The answer: NOPE. Her pictures are so artful and her commentary entertaining. She eats whole, nutritious foods and displays how appealing, delicious and simple real food can be. I have been inspired by more than one of her meals and recipes. For example, I never thought to put peanut butter (or any other nut butter for that matter) on oatmeal before and now I don't know how I will ever eat oatmeal without it again! Seriously, you've got to try it and use her oatmeal recipe while you're at it. Thanks to her blog, I also have plenty of preparation options for all that okra building up in the freezer from our CSA!

DIY Adventure

The other day, I made my own chocolate syrup. I found a great recipe on Pinterest (and by found, I mean I stole repinned the recipe from my friend, Henna). The finished product tasted so much better than store bought syrup and it really could not have been easier. My husband LOVED it, I LOVED it. It was a win. Riding the wave of my DIY victory, I pushed forward to tackle another recipe idea from Pinterest: Honey Roasted Peanut Butter.

One of my favorite things to do at Whole Foods is hit up the peanut butter grinding machines for freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter. It seriously may be one of the most delicious things on this planet. My only problem is Whole Foods is not located all that close to our house, so I don't get there very often. This recipe I found seemed to solve my pesky little problem by bringing the delicious directly to our kitchen. I roasted the peanuts in the oven, threw them into my trusty food processor with some honey, pressed the "on" button and waited for the magic to happen as the recipe promised. In a few minutes, these little peanuts would transform into peanut butter.

It didn't matter that I had to wear ear plugs because my beloved Cuisinart is so loud and high pitched it could cause early hearing loss. My excitement could barely be contained! I was told to expect the process to take a few minutes and one thing I have is patience. Patience did no good. The magic did NOT happen. The peanuts grinded to a paste and remained a paste. Eventually I added some oil to the mix to help the texture and the paste did turn into a more liquid, edible version of itself. While it is pretty tasty, it does not reach my peanut butter standards. My DIY peanut butter was a failure. I will NOT be attempting this again. Lesson learned: purchasing my peanut butter is the way to go.

How fortunate for me that a few days later, a delivery arrived with THIS:

Heavenly!

THIS is giving my favorite freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter some serious competition! I heard about Wild Squirrel Nut Butter and I knew I had to try it. Wild Squirrel Nut Butter is an Oregon based company created by two creative young ladies. They started making peanut butter while they were roommates at the University of Oregon and they have turned their snack session into a successful business. I really enjoy that.  

I ordered a variety pack to sample four of their five flavors from OpenSky.* Honey Pretzel is the first to be opened. I love to dip pretzels in peanut butter as a snack. This peanut butter does all of the work for me. You don't even need to put it on anything, just eat it directly off of the spoon! Wild Squirrel Nut Butter is definitely a company to check out. They have a variety pack with all 5 of their flavors on their web site or you can check out the deal I got below. When you open the box, be prepared to feel like a kid in a candy shop!

*OpenSky is a shopping site that offers deals on a variety of products including food, clothing and beauty products.  Curators (some celebrity, some not) offer these deals after they have tried a product and and given it a positive review.  I have placed a few orders through the site because their gift sets were discounted from the full price of the products.  I like really like it and they have terrific customer service.  (Easy returns and when an order was going to be shipped later than expected, they automatically gave me a merchandise credit to apologize.)  If you would like to check it out, they give you free shipping and $10 toward your first purchase.  Pretty sweet deal.  Why not use that credit to get your own variety pack?  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some peanut butter to eat!

Simplification

It's no secret that I attempting to rid my life of toxins. And it's no surprise that toxins come in all forms such as the pesticides or preservatives we ingest with our food in the name of nourishment and the chemicals we apply to our skin in the name of beauty. It's just that some forms are more surprising than others.  What about the stuff we keep in our lives beyond its value?  I believe these qualify as toxins in their own way and yet we don't always allow ourselves the freedom to let it go.  I'm the worst with letting go.  However, I've said goodbye to processed foods and icky beauty products with relative ease.  I'm having fun finding products that work better than the gross ones I used for years.  So what's the problem?

Here I am, a girl on a journey to simplify her life by making healthy, sustainable choices and telling toxins to "kiss off."  Yet, I still have toxic stuff standing in the way of my simple life in the form of CLUTTER.  Did I mention I'm the worst at letting go?  There's no need to call "Hoarders," put the phone down.  I do get rid of things, but it takes me a little longer than the average bear.  I feel guilty getting rid of gifts I have received because someone spent put their time and thought into choosing it for me. Or I feel guilty because I think I'm being wasteful and should just find a use for the item. Well, I think enough is enough.  It's time to let go of things that no longer have a use or purpose and things that are no longer precious or loved.  It's time to clear this clutter to make space for the things that matter to me - like updating this blog more than twice a year (!) or playing piano or maintaining a regular yoga practice.   Hmm, when I look at the things I love, they aren't things at all.   I'm calling this The Summer Simplification Project a.k.a. getting rid of the toxins cluttering my personal space and creativity.

I think this project really began last summer albeit unbeknownst to me.  You see, I went on a DIY tear. I had already had some success with simple DIY beauty products and I decided to venture into the realm of food.  If there was something that I loved from my "processed past," (like, say, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing), I thought "I think I can make it myself."  And by Google, I could!  If I tried something at a restaurant that I loved, I aspired to make it myself.  Pretty soon, "I think I can" became "I totally can" and I learned it's pretty rad to make it yourself.  I didn't stop at food.  I went back to beauty products and tried more complex recipes.  As a result, I haven't bought lip balm (HUGE!) or whole wheat bread in a year.  I find a lot of satisfaction from making things myself and controlling the ingredients.   As my confidence builds, I have branched out to such things as butter, barbecue sauce, and face wash (although not together, that would be gross).  My personal care routine is slowly becoming populated with homemade products instead of bringing home more "stuff."  Making more from scratch has been fun and simple enough.  I think it has prepared me for the next step.

This summer, I continue my journey to simplification with Part II: a massive decluttering project in our house!  I'm ready to let go of the stuff and the guilt that goes with it.  This blog post appropriately titled "Permission to Let Go" was very helpful and motivating.  While I can't justify simply throwing out items I no longer want or need, I am ready to donate them to a good cause.  Goodwill, here I come!

In Part II, I will also add more items to my "I can totally make it myself" list, reduce the waste I produce by improving my composting skills and being mindful of packaging on products I purchase, and determine if an item really has purpose BEFORE I buy it so I avoid the whole need to purge things in the first place!

Do you have any "hidden" toxins lurking your home and cluttering up your space?  Maybe we should all try to be more like this incredible family from the UK.  I don't think clutter is really an issue for them.

Magnificent multitaskers

I bought this oil over a year ago.  It is only recently, however, that I have truly fallen in love with it.  I'm a big multi-tasker, so when I discover a product that can multi-task as well as I can, it's a big win.  Argan oil is light and makes a terrific facial moisturizer in the winter because it moisturizes deeply while absorbing quickly. Your skin will not feel greasy and the oil mimics your skin's oil production which means no clogged pores either.  That is happy news. You can also use it as a quick hand moisturizer or cuticle oil. It is EXCELLENT at removing waterproof mascara. Simply apply a drop or two to your ring finger and wipe it across your lashes before you wash your face.  You can also follow up with a little baby shampoo - my every day eye makeup remover. (More on that later.)

My favorite use it as an under eye moisturizer.  While I'm not obsessed with avoiding wrinkles, the skin under my eyes can become uncomfortably dry especially in the winter.  Most eye creams are so heavy that they never absorb into my skin and I'm left with an oil slick in the morning.  This is not the case with argan oil.  I dab a drop between my ring fingers, pat it on and my eyelids are refreshed in the morning.  I swear the lines are smoother as well.  It helps me look like I've had enough rest even when that isn't the case.  You use only a few drops at a time (3 for the face, 1 for the eyelids), so the product lasts a very long time.  I use the Josie Maran Argan Oil travel size and it lasts nearly a year (unless you spill it all over the counter - ALWAYS be sure to screw the cap back on when you are done.  Otherwise, you may lean forward and knock over the bottle, spilling the oil all over the counter and into the vanity drawers.  It WILL be a hassle to clean up.  Oops!).  I usually purchase this product from Sephora through Ebates, a nifty little web site that reimburses you for shopping through their links like a rebate.*  For its low price, long life, and multiple uses, it truly is a toxin free bargain.


Here's another multi-tasking all star.  My eye doctor recommended using baby shampoo to wash eye makeup off because it avoids tugging the eyelids like using standard eye makeup removers with a cotton ball.  I gave it a try thinking that baby shampoo must be the gentlest, most toxin free product there is.  I took for granted that the baby shampoo would have very few to no toxins.  I mean, it's shampoo for BABIES, after all.  Sadly, this is not the case.  I looked into it and baby shampoos had the same toxins as regular shampoos including artificial fragrance.  Some "no tears" formulas even use numbing agents to mask the stinging in the eyes.  What?!

Enter California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash, No Fragrance.  It does not sting, it washes off eye makeup and I recognize each of the ingredients on the label.  It is now my daily eye makeup remover of choice - suds a bit up on your fingers, lightly rub across your lids, rinse, and voila!  No more eye makeup or raccoon eyes when you wake up in the morning.  Its awesome powers do not end there.  Its title already alludes to its multi-tasking prowess as it is a shampoo and body wash.  I've used it for both.  It makes my hair and skin really soft.  It is gentle enough to be used as a face wash without stripping your skin of necessary moisture and you can add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice to make an excellent hand soap.  It clearly makes a great travel companion since you can fit 4 products in the space of 1 on the go.  I imagine it would also be terrific for babies since it was made with them in mind!

The small bottle costs about $12 for 8.5 oz.  A little goes a long way, so it is still a great deal.  You can also purchase 19 oz bottle for around $22.  I have only purchased the 8.5 oz. bottle because it lasted about 10 months. So far, I have been nothing but impressed with any California Baby products that I have tried (Again, for myself - I have not had any babies testing the products.)  Their products are made in the USA, are toxin free and are created through sustainable practices.  It is definitely a company to keep an eye on for yourself and your children.

You can purchase California Baby Shampoos & Body Washes at:

Drugstore.com (also on Ebates)

California Baby

Whole Foods

Bed Bath & Beyond

Target

*If you do a lot of online shopping, Ebates is totally worth it because it gives you money back on purchases you are making anyway.  I've used it for years and it couldn't be easier.  If you are interested in trying it, you can use my referral link here and get $5 back with your first purchase. :)

Summertime And The Living is Delicious!

Yum! There is nothing better than fresh produce.

Summer is in full swing and that means we are all enjoying more fresh fruit and vegetables in our lives (most likely).  It also means CSA season has started. CSA stands for "community supported agriculture" and it has recently become one of my favorite things.  To participate, one pays for a share of the harvest from a local farm. My husband and I joined a CSA three summers ago at an organic farm about half an hour from our home. It was truly a life changing experience for us. It has really made us more mindful of what we eat and how our food is grown.  We love to see the new vegetables that Phil (our farmer) has prepared for us each week. (Yes, we ARE on a first name basis with our farmer, are you?)  

I have learned through practice that organic produce really does make a difference.  Organic produce is better for us not because it contains more nutrients, but because it does NOT contain the added chemicals of pesticides and it is kinder to the soil.  If you are able, buying local, organic produce is preferable. It supports local agriculture and business and the produce gets to your table faster.  The nutrients in produce are diminishing from the moment they are harvested, so a quick trip to your home means more nutrients in your meals.

Now, I know that going all organic can be extremely expensive and quite frankly, changing the way you eat isn't a change that happens all at once.  It is a process that occurs by making one or two small changes at a time.  If you are interested in buying more organic foods, but you also don't want to break the bank, here are some foods to start you out.  The following 12 fruits or vegetables are items that we should all buy organic as they absorb the highest amounts of pesticide when conventionally grown.  These results were collected by the EWG, an advocacy nonprofit organization.

"The Dirty Dozen"
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries  (this one in particular kills me because organic strawberries are hard to come by)
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Grapes (imported)
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Potatoes
9. Blueberries (domestic)*
10. Nectarines (imported)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

Fear not, there is some good news if I just listed many of your favorites and you are seeing your entire food budget disappear before your eyes.  If you make the commitment to spend the extra money on the organic items listed above, you can save money by buying THESE conventionally grown items.  This produce is more resistant to absorbing pesticides than their thin skinned counterparts above.  Happy days!

"The Clean Fifteen"
1. Onions
2. Pineapples
3. Sweet corn
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

If you're in the grocery store and you can't remember these lists, don't panic.  I certainly don't have them memorized!  Shopping in a more mindful manner, is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Thin skin or berries = ALWAYS buy organic
2. Thick skin or eggplant = OK to buy conventional
3. Shop at a local farmer's market WHENEVER possible

If you have the opportunity to join a CSA this season or in the future, I highly recommend that you join.  It is really special to be part of the process and to see where your veggies are grown.  It can also spice up your culinary skills as you learn new ways to prepare all of that fresh produce! Go enjoy some organic summer produce!

Quick Tip for Peanut Butter Lovers

Happy Memorial Day!  A quick tip for all you lovers of organic peanut butter.  LOVE the flavor, but hate the mess?  Me too!  The natural separation of the peanut oil makes it nearly impossible to keep all of the oil IN the jar while stirring it well to blend.  If you are anything like me, more than a little peanut oil has dripped down the sides of the jar and possibly all over the counter every time...yikes!

Well, now you can save yourself the hassle (and clean up) by changing how you store the peanut butter.  A friend recommended I store the peanut butter jar UPSIDE DOWN after I stir it up.  I'm willing to try anything to prevent the peanut oil mess.  The fridge didn't work for me, so I tried storing it upside down.

Believe it or not, it works.  Stir your peanut butter really well the first time you open it, then store it upside down to enjoy creamy (or crunchy) blended peanut butter every time without any additives.  Amazing!

Clean and Green Laundry Time

I'm dedicating this particular post to my good friend, Victoria, because she asked me about it a few weeks ago.  The laundry room is one of the first places I started my green up act well over a year ago.  It is an easy place to start if you are new to using green and non toxic practices in your home and it makes a big difference.  By using non toxic laundry detergent you can rest easy knowing that you are not adding chemicals to your ground water or your personal life!

My favorite laundry detergent is made by Seventh Generation. I am currently using their Free & Clear variety which is fragrance free.  However, I have also tried the Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender and I am a fan.  Seventh Generation uses only essential oils to scent their products.  It is concentrated, so a little goes a long way.  Try it out and give yourself a big pat on the back for taking a major step to be clean and green!

If you're ready for more, try out a green fabric softener.  I spent some time trying to find an alternative to conventional fabric softener.  Once again, Seventh Generation comes to the rescue!  They make disposable, paper fabric softener sheets.  I really liked them, but I wanted to find an alternative that was re-useable, so I kept searching.  Enter, Nellie's Dryer Balls.  These dryer balls work like those you see advertised on TV without the use of PVC.  They bounce around in your dryer with your clothes to make them fluffy.  They are terrific and they double as a cat toy when you shake them out of your clothes when you are completing the arduous task of  folding.  Another alternative to use is my old pal, vinegar.  I read that adding a bit to your laundry works wonders.  I haven't tested that one out just yet.  The dryer balls last 2 years, so I will test it out when that time is up.



While I love Nelllie's Dryer Balls for making our clothes fluffy and soft, they don't do much to prevent static cling.  Ouch, literally.  I had to find something to prevent static cling!  I decided to try these Static Eliminator sheets and I must report that I am pleased.  Static reduction without chemicals and they are reuseable.  Since the sheets do not contain any chemicals, they are safe for sensitive skin and allergy sufferers.  For my mommy friends, they are even safe to use with cloth diapers.  The Static Eliminator sheets are good for 500 uses, score!  Be sure to use two at a time.  They are meant to work together.

Where to purchase:
Seventh Generation detergent and fabric softener
Seventh Generation
drugstore.com (Shop through Ebates and you get 6% cash back.)
Target
Bed Bath & Beyond (Don't forget to use your 20% off coupon.)* 

Nellie's Dryer Balls
Nellie's All Natural
drugstore.com

Static Eliminator sheets
Static Eliminator
Gaiam
drugstore.com

If you use my savings tips above, these laundry helpers are definitely DEALS!

*If you don't get them in the mail, hurry up and join BBB's mailing list.  Their coupons are awesome and they never expire!