Presents With A Purpose: Health + Wellness

More gifts galore for day number 4!

7% of proceeds from today’s Presents With A Purpose picks go to the Our House Grief Support Center. The center was founded on the premise that grievers need understanding, support, and connection. Their missions is to provide the community with grief support services, education, resources, and hope.

This Moorea Seal category has a lot of scarves, bags, and sunglasses. So if you don’t see one here you like, definitely check online because there are many many many options.

 

1. Morley Hat / 2. Small Glass Diamond / 3. Waxed Canvas Tree Tote / 4. Westward Scarf / 5. Mackenzie Sunglasses / 6. Newsprint Scarf / 7. Punched Mini Pouch / 8. Tiny Trees Cards / 9. Leather Dot Tote / 10. Rectangle Dish / 11. Clare Slip Ons / 12. Splatter Clutch 

Friday Finds

 

Check out what I’ve been checkin’ out this week…

1. Wolves were absent from Yellowstone National Park for 70 years until they were reintroduced in the 90s. Check out this video to see exactly how the wolves changed their surroundings. The results are astounding (in a good way)!

2. Check out the 2014 CNN Hero of the Year, Pen Farthing. He started a nonprofit that reunites soldiers with the dogs and cats they left behind during combat. I can’t even put into words how awesome I think that is.

3. Cold weather and candles go hand in hand, but your candles made of paraffin wax may be giving off toxic fumes. Ew. Instead check out these clean burning coconut wax candles.

4. Remember the post I did about Trend Tribe? Well they have some pretty cool stuff on their blog. This week Samantha did an interview with the founder of Sundara, which is a nonprofit that provides soap to urban slums in India, Haiti, and Ghana. 

Conscious Box #1

About a month ago I found a deal on Ruelala that offered a 3 month Conscious Box subscription for 40% off and I couldn’t say no! A Conscious Box is like any other subscription box where it sends you a bunch of product samples once a month. The only difference is all the products are conscious/organic/natural/good for you. So it is only fitting that the conscious blogger tries and reviews the Conscious Box.

Last Wednesday I got my first box and I must say I wasn’t disappointed. I got about 15 samples in my box, which I thought was a lot! So rather that go through every single product, I’m just going to touch on 4:

Runa Energy Drink– I will admit I was skeptical about this one at first because energy drinks can be really bad for you. And their “clean energy” slogan and the fact that there are no carbs, sugar, fat, calories, anything… seemed too good to be true. But alas. I did some research and it seems to be legit. The drink is made with a leaf from Ecuador called guayusa and it is brewed in the same way tea is and from what I’ve read it is as safe as drinking tea. In fact, it tastes pretty much like tea, but with some added carbonation. Since even the smallest amount of caffeine can make me the most obnoxious, jittery person in the world, I can’t really comment on the caffeine level. Let’s just say there is definitely caffeine in this.

Dr. Jacobs Naturals Soap– This stuff smells so fresh and crisp and pure and natural! This soap (I keep wanted to type soup, I think I need some soup) is made with olive oil so it locks in moisture and doesn’t dry your hands out. It is also very versatile. The packaging claims you can use it as: shampoo, body/face wash, toothpaste, dish soap, and laundry detergent. And it comes in so many lovely smells like lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus.

Wipe’n Clear Biodegradable Lens Wipe– I tried these on my glasses and they work exactly how they should. It cleaned them up real good and didn’t leave any streaks. The only difference between these and other lens wipes is the biodegradable cloth, which is an extra thumbs up in my book. Usually to clean my classes, I’ll just wear them while I shower… So you could say these wipes are definitely a step up.

Recycled Paper Greetings Card– The company behind these cards has 2 missions: 1) help save the environment 2) save the world from boring greeting cards. Can I get a hallelujah? When I look for cards, I feel like the good ones are few and far between, but these cards are actually funny and clever and edgy and good. This is actually one of the best cards I’ve found in a while.

A few of the other things I got in my box were: an iron supplement, dog treats (which I can guarantee are doggy approved), a chocolate nutritional drink, moisturizer, and soooo many coupons. Can’t wait to get my next one!

Be Healthy And Happy

Today I’m switching things up a bit. Meet Karrie. She wrote my post today. We pulled a Parent Trap-esque move and switched places for this post. And you can head over to her blog to see the post I wrote.

Karrie is a very positive person and writes a blog about what makes her happy and I think that’s great. I thought she would have some great insight for my blog. So without further adieu, here is Karrie’s post about how conscious eating habits make her happy:

Becoming happier and healthier is a goal I have been trying to stick to lately, and one of the best ways I know to do this is by eating and drinking healthy.  When I eat healthy, I feel happy because I know that what I put into my body is going to be good for it. How many times have you eaten fast food and instantly regretted it? I don’t know about you, but for me, it always seems like a great idea at the time because it tastes super yummy, but afterwards, I know I should have chosen a better option.

Now, I am also not saying I am the healthiest person out there by any means, because I do enjoy unhealthy snacks every now and then, but lately I have been trying to make smarter decisions regarding what I choose to put in my body. I am also not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am just telling you what works for me, and if it helps you out, then great!

Here are three things I have been doing lately to help me eat and drink healthier:

-Transition by mixing some good with some not-so-good:

I love fruit, and although eating it plain can be delicious, I also like sprucing it up by adding in some extras. Sometimes I will get a bowl full of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, or any other berries I have on hand, and put a little bit of Greek yogurt on top with some chocolate chips (just a few) and mix it all up. That little added chocolate makes it taste even better. I also like putting fruit in my cereal, for a little added flavor. I also like putting peanut butter and/or Nutella on bananas, and I also like making chocolate covered strawberries or frozen bananas. Yummm! Basically, I like adding just a little bit of something that’s not super healthy to something that is healthy, because I don’t want to crave just unhealthy foods. By doing this, I don’t just ignore the cravings completely, because eventually I will want to eat something unhealthy so bad that I gorge on that instead. This way, I enjoy eating something that is not so healthy in smaller portions and with something that is healthy.

-Be aware of ingredients

Earlier this year, we found out that my boyfriend was allergic to gluten. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, so basically anything that has wheat in it is a no go for him. Since wheat is found in many things, I was forced to read labels on anything that could possibly have gluten in it. I never really paid attention to such things before, because there was no need to, but it has made me much more aware of what is in certain products. Because of this, I think I have been straying away from the more unhealthy items and attracted to the more organic and less processed items. I’m definitely not saying you need to become gluten free to be able to do this. All you need to do is read labels and understand what it in certain products so that you can decide if it is something that you should be putting into your body.

–Water, water, water

You’ve probably heard many professionals, including your doctor, tell you that you need to drink a lot of water. There’s always the debate about how much you should be drinking each day, and again, I’m not a doctor, but online the consensus is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, also called the 8 x 8 rule. Sometimes it differs based on weight, exercise or other personal reasons, but that’s what is recommended. I have been trying to drink a lot more water in my daily life because I know it’s good for me (not to mention it’s supposed to be great for your skin as well). If you don’t like the taste of water, then here’s a little tip: put fruit in it! I have been doing this for about a year and a half now and I love it. When I go to the gym, I usually just drink plain water, but when I’m at work or at home I usually cut up some lemons, maybe some limes, strawberries, mint, oranges, cucumbers or whatever I think will taste good (but not all of them together) and I swear it makes me drink more water. Also, a cute water bottle is a must and makes a huge difference. Annie has actually blogged about this before, so check it out here. What I like about water bottles is that they usually say you how much they hold, for example the one I usually use is 20 oz., so I know that I have to drink 3 of them each day to get my daily intake. This rarely happens, but I like being able to keep track. Water is truly good for you. I always feel better when I stay hydrated throughout the day.

Again, I am no expert nor am I super healthy, but when I do have healthy eating and drinking habits, I can tell because not only does my body feel better, but I am also usually in a good mood. And remember, if you make healthy choices, your body will thank you both now and later. Go forth and be healthy and happy!

Three Amazing Cruelty Free Brands You Can Find At Sephora

As you know, after my original Makeup Breakup panic, I have been slowly incorporating more and more cruelty free products into my makeup bag. Since most cosmetic brands try to keep their animal testing hush hush, it can be a struggle to find the truth in their policies. So I’ve had to do some serious digging. But alas! I have found three brands that I can confidently share with you. And for your convenience, I’ve made sure all of these products are available at Sephora aka the makeup emporium.

tarte

tarte is known as a leader in eco-chic cosmetics. They pride themselves on providing products that are healthy and natural, but glamorous at the same time. I think tarte is best known for their blushes. I have never heard anything bad about them and I personally love them.  I have both the powder and the stain blush and I like them each for different reasons.

The powders are made with Amazonian Clay, which is harvested right from the banks of the Amazon River. Sustainably harvested of course. The clay is rich in nutrients because it picks up fruit and plant matter as the river flows along. Then the sun naturally bakes the clay, which locks in all of the nutrients. Pretty cool, right?

The cheek stains are made with extract from the longevity fruit aka the goji berry. Goji berries are known to help with skin conditions like allergies, rashes and psoriasis. So this product is excellent for people with sensitive skin.

Both blushes have serious staying power. I don’t think I’ve every worried about reapplying during the day. The powders provide build-able color, while the stains give you more of a natural tint. I was nervous about using a cheek stain for the first time, but I assure you, if I can figure it out, you can too. It takes about 20 seconds for the stain to dry after you apply it, which is plenty of time to blend out and fix any mistakes. Sometimes I even use the stain on my lips. I dunno if you’re supposed to do this, but I like it!

Bite Beauty

Bite Beauty only sells lip products. So you could say they’re pretty much lip experts. They offer everything from glosses to scrubs to balms, sticks, pencils and everything in between. They even offer a moisturizing lip mask, which I find incredibly intriguing.

Their mission is to “create lipstick that is high performance and healthy enough to eat”.  Now I’m not saying you should go take a big bite out of your lipstick, but making lip products safe to consume kind of makes sense because you’re bound to get a little in your mouth. I know I’m guilty of getting lipstick all over my teeth!

So many pretty colors! See any you like?

Julep

Julep is all about celebrating ladies! The brand functions on the idea of women connecting with each other instead of competing against each other, which I think is a great message. They also give back to women by donating $1 of every nail polish sale to an organization that empowers women. Right now you can buy their “Malala” polish (below) and 100% of the proceeds go to the Malala Fund. 

Along with giving back, Julep works hard to keep icky chemicals out of their products. All of their polishes are “five free”, which means they don’t contain: Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, and Camphor. These are all potentially harmful chemicals usually associated with nail polish.

Their polishes use a patented oxygen technology, which allows 30% more air to reach the nail bed and helps to keep nails stronger and healthier. This technology also makes the polish dry faster and last longer. Below are a few colors from their September 2014 collection to get you ready for fall, which is inevitably on the way.

These obviously aren’t the only three cruelty free brands at Sephora, but they’re a good place to start. I’ll keep you posted as I continue to find more and more. And I’m always up for suggestions!

Welcome to Hydration Nation

Although July is usually known as being the hottest month of the year, August can be just as hot. So don’t forget to stay hydrated! And don’t forget to hydrate with a reusable water bottle. 

There are so many benefits of using a reusable water bottle. Here are a few:

– It is easier on your wallet. Have you ever realized that a gallon of individually bottled water costs more than a gallon of gas? 

– It’s better for the environment. Plain and simple. 

– You’ll stay hydrated. The convenience of having a water bottle nearby and ready to go will have you drinking more water. Here are six reasons you should be making sure you’re drinking enough water. 

I’ve had my water bottle for about 5 years, which may not seem like that long, but it’s a pretty big deal for me. It has been through more lost and founds than I can remember, but I’ve managed to hang on to it. It also survived college, my first job, vacations, softball games, and many movie theaters (shhhhh).

This is my water bottle. I call it, Bluebee. Between the scratches and dents, you can tell it has been through a lot. I got Bluebee around the same time I got my first iPhone and thought I was super cool putting an apple sticker on my water bottle.

I’ve found that with water bottles (and almost everything else), it is important figure out your preferences. For instance, I’ve found that I don’t like water bottles with wide mouth openings because I get too aggressive and spill water all over myself. If you have a water bottle that you don’t like, chances are you aren’t going to use it. Below are a bunch of different water bottle styles to suit many different needs.

1. Bkr-This is an insulated glass water bottle. It may be a little on the fragile side compared to the other bottles, but the insulation will keep your liquids nice and cold. They also come in a variety of pretty colors. You buy these bottles at Neiman Marcus. 

2. Klean Kanteen-This water bottle is made of metal, which makes it very durable. It has a little hook on the top where you could attach a carabiner. Great for hiking or other outdoor activities. You can find Kleen Kanteens at many Whole Foods locations. 

3. Copco Tumbler–This plastic (BPA free) water bottle comes with a straw for convenient sipping. I’m thinking of getting one of these for yoga because my current water bottle is made out of metal and clings and clangs every time I take a sip. Nothing disturbs a shavasana more than a metal water bottle. Believe me… You can find these at Target, Wal-Mart, or Sears. 

4. S’well-The walls of this water bottle are double insulated. This means that not only does it keep cold liquids cold, but I keeps hot liquids hot for up to 12 hours. And what’s even cooler, portions of the sales go to WaterAid. You can find these bottles at Nordstrom. 

5. Brita-These water bottles have built in filters, which can help improve the taste of your tap water. This one also has a straw for sipping convenience. You can buy these at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. 

6. Vapur-This one is less of a water bottle and more of a water bag. The flexible shape makes this one collapsible, fordable, and perfect for when you’re in a tight squeeze. I think they would be great for traveling. You’ll find these at Target, Sports Authority, or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. 

Along with the stores I listed, you can buy each water bottle from its company website. Sometimes there are more color options on the company site, but I know not everyone loves ordering things online as much as I do, so I included physical stores where you can find them.

So there you have it. The 6 coolest water bottles I could find. Which one is appealing to you? What do you find important when buying a new water bottle?

Happy hydrating!

All Kinds of KIND

If you know me personally, you have probably had the pleasure of hearing me rant and rave about my love for KIND bars. I have also probably offered you (and forced you to eat) one.

I’ve always loved the convenience of a nutrition/energy/protein bar. Growing up playing sports nonstop made these bars a regular part of my diet. They were easy to grab before, between, or after practices or games. But even when I retired from my athletic career, these bars remained an easy snack I continued to eat on the reg.

Since graduating college and trying to live a healthier lifestyle, I have definitely become more conscious about what kind of food I put in my body. So when I finally took a real good look at the ingredients in the bars I ate, I was not too pleased with what I saw. Between the unpronounceable ingredients to the amounts of sugar and fat, I was basically eating a really bad tasting candy bar.

I quickly searched for a healthy alternative to fill the void. KIND bars kept coming up and lucky for me they are sold at a bunch of local grocery stores. And I lived happily ever after.

Unlike other bars there are no mysterious ingredients. They are made up of simple and all natural ingredients like nuts and dried fruit and spices that are not ground up into mysterious nougat.  KIND bars also have none of that icky GMO stuff in them. Their philosophy is “mysteries belong in novels, not in your food”. And they believe that “if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it shouldn’t go into your body” .

KIND bars are a delicious, filling treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about chowing down on. Because they’re mostly made up of nuts, they’re packed with protein and healthy fats. I’ve tried basically every flavor I can get my hands on. As of right now my favorite bar flavors are: Maple Glaze Pecan and Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan, and Madagascar Vanilla Almond. KIND also makes a mean granola!

And sadly there are so many KIND products I have yet to try!  I was looking at the KIND website and found out there are so many products I’ve never even seen at a store!  I’m going to have to hunt them down somehow… You can check out all the yummy flavors here. Which ones look tasty to you?

My Makeup Breakup Part Two

After my post about cruelty free makeup, I’ve been doing a lot of research on cosmetics in order to incorporate more cruelty free products into my routine. Unfortunately I have come across some more bad news about many of the cosmetics that I use. So here we go again.

Did you know our skin absorbs 60% of the products we slather on it? And that some of that goop ends up in our bloodstream? Well it does and I don’t know about you, but that makes me a little nervous.

Check out this slightly terrifying video to see what I mean:

Scary, right? Now I am not going to tackle all of the issues brought up in the video because that would be incredible overwhelming for both you and me. Instead I am just going to tackle parabens today.

I found a lot of controversial information about the safety of parabens and I am going try my best to summarize my findings and provide you with a few ways to incorporate paraben-free products into your routine. So here it goes.

What exactly are parabens you ask? Allow me to enlighten you.

Parabens are used as a cheap preservative in cosmetics. They basically keep yucky mold from growing inside your glamorous products, which at first sounds pretty reasonable. Right? But oh by the way, parabens have also been found in breast cancer biopsies. That sounds bad.

The FDA argues that although parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors, the studies don’t show that parabens actually cause cancer. So there is a potential link, but it has not been proven… yet. The FDA states that “at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens”.  In my opinion, I would rather avoid potentially harmful chemicals until its proven safe rather that use these chemicals until they are proven dangerous. But hey, that’s just me.

These are the most common parabens to watch out for: Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, and Propylparaben.  These are the biggies, but there are others out there and you can spot them on ingredient lists by basically looking for an impossible to pronounce word with “paraben” at the tail end of it.

If you want to check the safety of your current products or search for some new products, you can head over to the Skinn Deep data base and check out their cosmetic safety rankings. I will warn you that this will be incredibly overwhelming and scary at first.

I searched the data base for a new BB cream because its the one cosmetic product I use daily and so I put it at the top of my needs-to-be-replaced list. I have very dry/sensitive skin so I’ve been drawn to moisturizing BB creams since they became the next big thing. I came across one sold by Physicians Formula that had a good ranking on Skin Deep, is cruelty free, is fairly inexpensive, and is sold  in grocery/drugstores so I didn’t have to order it online. Dreams do come true! I have only used it three days so far, but I can’t complain yet. Although if I start breaking out or getting a weird rash in a week, I’ll let you know all about it!

It is thicker than the other creams I have tried, but so far that hasn’t turned out to be a bad thing. Just different. I do like that this cream offers the same full coverage that my old one did. I’m not into those sheer creams or tinted lotion. I need that skin evening power when I roll out of bed in the morning!

Birchbox.com also has a great selection of ingredient conscious products. I look forward to browsing their selection for a new body lotion and whatever else catches my eye. Birchbox is where I found the W3ll People bronzer I wrote about in my last Makeup Breakup post. All W3ll People products are paraben free, cruelty free, and fabulous.

Lastly, try to look for oil based products because water based products require more preservatives and therefore often times have parabens in them.

I think that is everything! I hope you learned a bit and are not as overwhelmed as I was while I tried to research and write this. It took me a few days of frantic googling to realize that my reinvented makeup arsenal is not going to become perfect overnight. It is a marathon, not a sprint. So cheesy, but true. I will continue to share all of my new findings and I would love to hear any recommendations you have!