Mindful Momma

Winter Skin Care Routine

Winter can be hard on skin.  Have you noticed?  My skin is always on the dry side but in the winter it gets pretty darned parched.  I try to counter-act the dryness by drinking tons of water but my true line of defence is using really good, moisturizing facial care products.  Thought you might like a peek at my winter skin care routine:

I start by cleaning my face with miessence Certified Organic Rejuvenating Cleanser.  I got hooked on miessence after I reviewed the line last year.  Yes, it's a bit pricey but once you start buying from miessence they send you periodic large discounts - like $20 off your order of any size!  Plus the product is very concentrated and you only need a small amount.

Next I give my face a spritz of aromatherapy spray from Ruby Blaise Essentials.  She makes a bunch of different blends but lately I've been using the Cleansing Mist with eucalyptus, bergamot, peppermint and tea tree oils - very refreshing!

If it's sunny out I put on a layer of sunscreen.  My current fav is from a Minnesota company called Purple Prairie Botanicals.  Their Sun Stuff SPF 15 is not officially marketed as a facial care product but it works for me!  It goes on light but not greasy and it's rated a low hazard on the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database! 

Lately I've been alternating between two products for my main moisturizer.  One is a wicked rich Rose Comfrey Moisture Cream from a tiny little business in Wisconsin called Four Elements Herbals. I used to purchase their products back when I was a buyer for a natural bath & body care business and I love to support them! The cream is a simple blend of cold-pressed almond oil, organic comfrey root, Vitamin E and beeswax and it's scented with rose essential oil - heavenly!

My other moisturizer, miessence Certified Organic Rejuvenating Facial Serum couldn't be more different but I love it just as much.  It is a blend of organic rosehip seed, avocado and jojoba oils with organic rose essential oil and calendula and carrot extracts. What I love about it is the way it spreads so easily over my face.  Just one or two tiny squirts from the bottle are all I need.

Awhile back I was looking for an eye cream at Whole Foods.  Instead of a traditional cream, the salesperson recommended a product from Skin Organics. It's a balm in a stick form, made with shea butter, sunflower seed oil and jojoba oil along with coffee extract to stimulate circulation and hemp oil for extra hydration.  At first I wasn't sure about using a stick on my eyes but this stuff goes on as smooth as silk. 

What are your favorite products for winter skin care?

Green & Healthy Roundup

So many intriguing, useful, motivating, wacky, sometimes disturbing and downright cool things come across my desk each week.  It's impossible to share them all but I'm going to do my best with a new weekly (or bi-weekly - we'll see how I do!) roundup of the most compelling news, green living tips, product updates, cool green finds and healthy recipes.  Sound good?  Here's what caught my attention last week:

One of the best natural food companies around, just got better!  Eden Organics has added a line of tomato products packaged in glass jars instead of BPA-lined cans! They do come at a premium price ($3.92 for a 25 oz jar) but for those who feel strongly about avoiding BPA, this change couldn't have come soon enough!

No doubt you've been wondering just what to do with your used coffee grounds besides composting them or (gasp!) throwing them in the trash.  Wonder no more with these top 10 uses for used coffee grounds.  Many of them were new to me!

Looking for a unique Valentine's Day gift that doesn't involve chocolate?  An upcycled lego heart necklace might be just the ticket.  Even I want one!

Now there's yet another reason to eat your veggies.  A recent study found that diets rich in carotenoids, found in broccoli, grapefruit, yellow peppers, avocado, strawberries, blueberries and leafy dark greens actually improve your complexion and make you look prettier.  Please pass the kale!

Find out if your state is taking action to ban toxic chemicals like BPA and cadmium.  Thirty out of fifty states currently have bills in the works!  Stay tuned to Safer Chemicals Healthy Families for the latest on toxic chemical reform in 2011.

And finally, here's my fav healthy recipe of the week:  Soba, Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry.  It was a perfect meal during week 3 of the Whole Living 28-Day Action Plan that I've been following this month - only one week left!! (I'll do a recap post next week)

Mindful Momma Giveaway: SodaStream Penguin

Here's a crazy stat for you:  In 2009, Americans spent over $10 billion on bottled water.  $10 billion!!  And they paid up to 1000 times the cost of tap water.  On top of that, Americans drink roughly 50 gallons of soda per person per year.  Now that's a huge amount of money and a huge amount of plastic bottles and cans ending up in the landfill - because remember, the recycling rate is still only 25 - 30%. 

As daunting as that sounds, most people still aren't willing to give up their water & soda habit completely.  Fortunately there is a way to clean that habit up quite a bit....

Enter the SodaStream. With a SodaStream, you can make your own fizzy water and soda using tap water in reusable bottles. Low cost, no waste....what's not to love?  Sure, there's the initial cost for the machine.  But with the basic model starting at $80 bucks, it wouldn't take long for a regular soda buyer to recoup their cost.

We don't drink much soda around here but hubby and I are big fans of sparkling water.  We typically buy it in cans which we dutifully recycle but still, it's a use of resources that would be nice to avoid.  When SodaStream approached me about doing a review, I was more than happy to oblige - with the goal of kicking my cans for good!!  And my boys were ecstatic about having a soda-maker in their own home!!

The SodaStream is surprisingly simple to use.  Fill a bottle with tap water, screw it into the machine and press the button on top 3 times to carbonate.  Done!  If you want to add flavor you do it after the water is carbonated.  For those not interested in traditional soda flavors, SodaStream developed a new line of Sparkling Naturals flavors - which are free of preservatives and artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners.  They also carry a line of flavor essences which are all-natural and unsweetened (personally, I love these the best!) While we've had a lot of fun making soda - it's still a special occasion thing.  I don't want my kids drinking the stuff every day!

Want to win a SodaStream and give up the cans and bottles?

SodaStream has generously offered to give away a Penguin starter kit to one super lucky Mindful Momma reader (a $200 value)!! The cool thing about the Penguin model is that it comes with glass bottles instead of plastic.  Super-durable glass bottles - so there's very little concern about breakage.  I wish I could say that I've tried the Penguin but the company sent me a regular model by mistake and I didn't want to raise a fuss.  (The plastic bottles in the basic model are BPA-free and I really think they're safe to use - I just would have preferred the glass)

For a chance to win, leave a comment letting me know why you would like your very own SodaStream Penguin.  Extra entries for subscribing to Mindful Momma by RSS feed or email and following me on Twitter (three chances total per person - leave a separate comment for each).  The giveaway will run through midnight, central time on Monday, February 7th.  Good Luck!!

{full disclosure:  I received a free SodaStream machine for review purposes.  The opinions are my own.}

And the winner is....Stacey who said "I would love one - we actually don't drink soda but we fizz up fresh squeezed fruit juice a lot and I have been trying to talk my husband into letting me get one so we don't have to recycle all the water bottles (fizzy - not regular bottled). I feel like next to a water filter this would eliminate about the last of the bottles that come into the house - plus it would be fun to come up with new drinks to try."

Beyond BYOB - 5 More Ways to Shop Green at the Grocery

Most of us green-minded folk have gotten the bring your own bag thing down at this point.  So are you ready to graduate beyond BYOB?  Here are 5 more ways to gobble up fewer resources as you shop for groceries.  They're all easy to do - it just takes a little mindfulness and a willingness to change long-established habits.

Buy in Bulk - When you purchase in larger quantities, less packaging is needed to bring your food home.  Just make sure you don't buy more than you can reasonably use.

BYOC - (bring your own container) - Eliminate the need for a new package altogether by bringing your own container from home.  This works for so many things from grains to spices to honey to shampoo.  For more bulk-buying tips, read my how-to post on the subject.  It's really quite easy!

Limit Packaging - Instead of buying cut-up fruit in a plastic clam-shell, buy whole fruit in nature's own packaging.  Instead of purchasing meat on a non-recyclable styrofoam tray, buy it wrapped in butcher paper.  Instead of individual bags of snacks, buy a larger bag and divide it into reusable snack sacks at home.

Refuse Receipts - Why take a piece of paper you don't really need?  Besides, most receipts contain traces of the toxic chemical BPA.

Pass on Free Fliers - Stores often stuff your bags with unwanted promotional fliers and magazines.  Just say no unless you plan to actually use them.

How do you reduce resources at the grocery store?

Handmade Napkins from Sewing Green

Now that Christmas is over I can show you the pretty napkins I made for my sister as a gift. They are from the book Sewing Green by one of my favorite eco-crafters, Betz White.  My book, Practically Green has a tutorial for basic cloth napkins that I shared in my blog awhile back. But these are a little fancier with rick-rack trim!

The trim was a bit tricky to use.  You have to place it on the napkin very carefully so that you don't see gaps.  It took me 'till the last napkin to finally get the technique down.  

What do you think?

 

Funny how they look completely different when arranged in another way:

 

 

Have you sewed anything lately?

Clutter-Busting 101

It's January - have you started de-cluttering yet?  After I take down the holiday decorations my organizing instinct automatically kicks in and I want to tackle the whole house.  My tendency is to come up with big, ambitious plans but then only follow through on a some of them.  Then somehow by March my fervent desire to clean starts to wane. 

Here's what I've come to realize:  If you really want to beat clutter, you really need to go at it all year round. Little by little. Room by room. And it helps to plan.  Here are a few tips for getting a grip on your household stuff this year:

Dream - Do a brain dump of all the organizing/de-cluttering projects that you would like to do this year.  Sometimes it helps to see it all on paper.

Prioritize - Spend some time thinking about why you want to de-clutter each space on your list.  An order of priority will probably become clear.  For me, cleaning up the basement rose to the top because we need to move out of our 3rd floor in a few weeks for our remodel project and we'll need the basement for temporary storage.

Plan - Whether you do a little de-cluttering every day or have a big weekend clutter-busting party, it makes sense to go one room at a time.  Set up a schedule if you need to - maybe 15 minutes a day, one smaller project a day or one room a month.  I recommend tackling the most annoying mess first and then moving on from there.  It always makes me feel good to make progress!

Be Prepared - Before you start to tackle a room, gather up a bunch of bags and boxes so you can create piles:  One for the thrift store, one for consignment, one for recycling, one for trash.  Hopefully the trash bag will be really small. :)  If you're not sure where to recycle something check Earth911.com.  And don't forget about Craigslist and Freecycle!

Accept - Give up on perfection.  It's not likely that your home will look like it belongs in Real Simple or Martha Stewart magazine. But it will look a heck of a lot better than when you started!

Reflect - Give yourself a pat on the back when you are finished with a project.  Even just getting through one file drawer can feel like a major accomplishment!  Appreciate and enjoy your newly de-cluttered space!

One last thing...and it's a biggie.  One of the best ways to reduce clutter is to bring less stuff into your home in the first place.  That's a big goal I'm working on for 2011.

How about you?  How do you go about tackling clutter in your home?  Any great eco-friendly organizing tips to share?

The gals of the Green Moms Carnival are talking about cleaning up the clutter this month!  Come visit the carnival at Strocel.com anytime January 17th or later.  You'll find lots of tips for how to de-clutter and organize your home the eco-friendly way.

{image from Katy Beck's photostream via Flickr}

Reflections on a Week of Detox

Be glad you weren't hanging around me early last week.  I was one crabby girl. After giving up almost everything you love to eat and drink (coffee, alcohol, wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, corn, sugar and all processed foods), who wouldn't be??

(If you didn't read my New Year's post - I'm doing the Whole Living 28-Day Challenge.  It's a 4 week plan that starts with 2 weeks of detox and focuses on the entire mind/body connection using healthy eating, physical exercise and lessons in mindfulness.)

I'll share my thoughts on what the first week was like, but first I have to fess up:  I broke the rules a bit this weekend.  We had 3 parties to go to so I decided that flexibility was key.  So I indulged in some wine and a little bit of cheese and bread.  Thankfully, the detox police must have been on vacation because the alarm bells didn't go off. :)  And I feel totally fine about it because it was a planned choice, not a last minute decision.   

What I noticed:

• Giving up coffee was the worst!  I felt absolutely horrible the first day and had headaches for quite a few days after that.  (And my coffee intake was not that bad to begin with - only 2 cups of half decaf/half regular a day.)  Now that I'm off caffeine, I notice that I don't have an energy slump in the afternoon. 
• Cravings were intense! Coming right off the sugar-buzz of the holidays makes for an extra rough transition into a detox program.  I wanted chocolate SO badly I could (almost) taste it.
• Hunger was pretty consistent. You probably could have heard my stomach growling from outside.  Toward the end of the week it started to mellow out though.
• I felt crabby and low energy much of the week.  I did get exercise but felt less than enthusiastic about it.
• Bad habits were uncovered.  My habit of snacking whenever the mood strikes was greatly curtailed - I'm no longer licking the peanut butter knife when I make sandwiches or grabbing a handful of crackers when I feel the slightest craving.  These are habits I hope to change for good!
• Food tasted great!  I cooked a lot of really healthy food and I appreciated my meals more than usual.
• Doing the detox with a friend helps. My husband decided to join me on the program and I have to say it was very nice to have someone to talk to about it.  Also to be a partner in crime when we decided to drink wine last weekend! 

Good news:  I'm feeling tremendously better this week.  My hunger is way down.  My cravings are way down.  I've got good energy. I'm feeling positive!

The second week is still a detox but we can slowly add back in many of the forbidden foods.  I'm planning to still stay mostly wheat and dairy free though.  And I've got a bunch of yummy recipes planned like this Almond Chicken Soup (pictured above) and these Shredded Brussels Sprouts (I just love brussels sprouts!)

Anyone else detoxing?  Any thoughts or tips to share?

{image from wholeliving.com}

Healthy Alternatives: So Delicious Coconut Milk Products (Win Some!)

For the first time in my life, I am experimenting with going dairy free.  Not because I have an allergy issue but because I'm doing the Whole Living 28-Day Challenge for the month of January.  Being the major cheese fiend that I am, I never thought I would give up dairy. Never. Ever.

But I did and I have a new-found appreciation for people who can't consume dairy for health reasons.  The good news is there are plenty of dairy-free alternatives and I've discovered that some of them actually taste good!  One of those is a relatively new product line called So Delicious Dairy Free.  Not to be confused with its sister brand Soy Delicious of soy based, dairy free products, this line is made from coconut milk instead of soy.

Coconut milk?  Doesn't coconut contain saturated fat?  Doesn't that make it bad for you?  That's what I was wondering but I got a world of education about coconut in the press packet the company sent me.  Here's the deal: Yes, coconut contains saturated fat but it turns out that not all saturated fats are created equal.  Coconut milk is rich in medium-chain-fatty-acids or MCFAs.  MCFAs, unlike long-chain triglycerides (the bad saturated fat which is found in animal products and vegetable oils), have been proven to be readily utilized by the body as energy and have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties as well.  Sounds like coconut milk really packs a punch!  In fact, So Delicious products are popular among athletes (including spokesperson Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser fame) for its wellness-promoting attributes.

The company sent me a bunch of products to sample, including their delicious frozen dessert products.  My kids were ecstatic and happily ate their way through most of it.  Thankfully, we got them before my new diet started so I got to try everything too. :)  Here's the lowdown on what the line includes:

• Coconut Milk Beverage - Available in both refrigerated and shelf stable containers and in Original, Vanilla and Unsweetened.  I'm not a huge fan of drinking it plain yet (I think it's an acquired consistency) but I love it mixed into a smoothie!  Bonus:  the coconut milk used in this and all So Delicious products is certified organic!
• Coconut Milk Yogurt - Definitely a different consistency than dairy yogurt but the flavors are yummy and it's a great option if you can't have dairy.
• Cultured Coconut Milk - Similar to Kefir or a yogurt smoothie product. My boys loved these - especially the strawberry flavor!
• Coconut Milk Creamer - We don't use sweetened creamer products but I gave it a whirl and have to admit it did taste really good.
• So Delicious Dairy Free Frozen Dessert - Like ice cream but healthier.  This product line is certified organic too!
• Purely Decadent Dairy Free Frozen Dessert - Move over Ben & Jerry's - this stuff rocks!!  If you need more convincing, check out the nutritional comparisons.
• Coconut Water Sorbet - Fat free, lower in calories but tastes delicious!
• Frozen Novelties - My boys went nuts for the ice cream bars and sandwiches....and I appreciated the fact that they were healthier than conventional frozen treats.

Have I convinced you to give So Delicious Coconut Milk products a shot?  You can try some for free if you are the winner of my giveaway!  I've got two sets of 4 free product coupons to give away to 2 lucky Mindful Momma readers!!  That's 4 coupons - each good for any product in the line (bonus: that includes the Soy Delicious line of soy-based, dairy free products.)  Leave me a comment telling me why you would like to try So Delicious Coconut Milk and you'll be automatically entered to win!  Extra entries for subscribing to Mindful Momma by RSS feed or email and following me on Twitter (three chances total per person).  The giveaway will run through midnight, central time on Monday, January 17th. 

This is the second of a series of Healthy Alternatives posts I will be doing on this blog.  The first one covered healthier breakfast cereal from Three Sisters.  Coming next - a healthy, filling, super-convenient after-school snack.  Stay tuned...there will be a giveaway!!

(Full Disclosure:  I received free samples of So Delicious Coconut Milk products for review purposes.  The opinions are all my own.)

5 Things to Recycle/Reuse After the Holidays

Are you as sick of your Christmas tree as I am?  Mine is half bare - I've been slowly packing up the ornaments bit by bit this week. The rest of it is going bye-bye tomorrow. 

As you are dealing with the holiday aftermath, keep in mind that it doesn't all have to go in the trash.  Consider recycling and repurposing whenever possible: 

The Tree - Many municipalities take used Christmas trees and turn them into mulch.  If you are lucky (like us!), your city will even pick it up for you.  If you are not sure where to recycle your tree, check out Earth911 for info.

Christmas Cards - Instead of just tossing old cards (or saving them for eternity in a shoebox), give them another life as gift tags!!  All you need is a scissors, a paper punch and a little creativity!

Leftover X-mas Candy - Crush up old candycanes and mix them into your favorite chocolate cookie recipe or sprinkle them on vanilla ice cream.  And if you still have a ton of holiday goodies around - bring them to the office - you know they'll get eaten there!

Last year's calendar - My 2010 calendar was much too pretty to throw away, so I cut it up and made it into thank you cards!! 

Gift wrap - Pack up any gift wrap and gift bags saved from holiday gifts to use for next year. The more you save, the less you have to buy next year!

My sister got really creative and made collages out of old gift wrap and cards on paper bags - and used that to wrap our gifts this year.  Isn't this one pretty?  I want to frame it!

Did you recycle any of your holiday supplies?  Any more holiday recycling tips to share?

What You Liked in 2010

Just for kicks I compiled a list of my most-read blog posts and the top keyword searches in 2010 (using my Google Analytics stats). What intrigued me was the recurring theme of DIY, repurposing and healthy eating.  All things I love to talk about and will continue to do so in 2011!

Top 10 posts from 2010:

For the Love of Vinegar...Top 15 Ways to Use it in the Home

Making the Switch to Paraben-Free Beauty Products

Healthy Food Blogs Worth Drooling Over

Easy Repurposed Toy Storage Ideas

Mineral Makeup Uncovered

Homemade Nutella...Just Say Yum!!

Back to School with the Green Moms

Easy Repurposed Craft Supply Containers

Handmade Sweater Mittens

Make It Green: Crafts from Wood

Top search terms:

• organic fabric
• healthy food
• toy storage ideas
• dryer sheet alternatives
• is silicone recyclable?
• polenta casserole
• used diaper covers
• make your own produce bags
• homemade lip balm
• bento box lunches

 What else would you like to see on Mindful Momma in 2011?

{word cloud image from Wordle}