Recovering

I've spent most of the last week sick with something not fun...bad cold, severe allergies, I'm not sure what exactly it was. I think I may finally be over it, though, and I'm trying to catch up on my blog and Facebook pages. Yay!

I have some exciting alex+von news first: I just ordered the starter kit and training materials for the suki line of products. I've been using the nourishing line of products for a couple of weeks now, and they are really helping with my extremely dry winter skin. Once I have time to review the training materials, I can take a test and add suki to my list of specialized boutiques!

It's funny...when I began this whole process, I really just wanted to make a little extra money in addition to my normal full-time job. The more I use these products, though, the more I really want to share them with other people, and I've spent far more time than I planned in promoting them to my friends and family. I'm still trying to break into general online sales, but I have many things in the works (web site, etc.). It's a just a matter of finding the time and money to do them! In the meantime, keep ordering from alex+von, using me as your consultant, and I'll keep sharing the latest specials with you. In fact, right now 100% Pure is giving away a free 6 oz. body scrub (plus free shipping) when you order at least $70 worth of their products. If you've never used a body scrub before, you're missing out. I normally use mine right after shaving, and my skin feels so incredibly soft...ridiculously soft, really.

Here's a link to the body scrub, if you'd like to read the ingredients or browse the site to place an order. As always, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have and don't forget to feed the fish before you leave!

Why is eating healthy so difficult?

Last week I worked about 60 hours and didn't have time to write a post. Fortunately, this week wasn't quite as crazy. As an added bonus, I'm feeling pretty mellow today and don't have any angry rants saved up. I've talked about organic skin products most recently, so I want to get back on the topic of food today. It is, after all, my absolute favorite subject. We've been following the happiness diet as closely as possible, and I really do think it's making a difference in our lives. I haven't been as quick to get super depressed, and J seems to be focusing a little better. It's funny how quickly he jumped into the concept, even going so far as to start weaning himself off sugar. He hasn't given up everything, of course, but I have him thinking about food more and about how foods affect the body.

Overall, the diet is great...we've been able to adapt all our favorite recipes to the basic premises with very little trouble. I also split 1/4 of a grass-fed cow with a friend, and it's awesome having a freezer full of meat. I also signed up for weekly specials with Whole Foods and Fresh Market and take full advantage of any sales they have on grass-fed meats...having a deep freezer is such a blessing. On the negative side, I'd forgotten how difficult (and expensive) healthy eating can be. We have a tight budget, and to make the most of my grocery money, I'm only buying veggies/fruits for two or three days' meals at a time...that way they're the most nutritious AND I'm not throwing any food away because it sat around too long. The downside, of course, is that I now make two or three trips to the store every week, which is a bit of a pain, and have to buy from four different stores (not including farmers' markets) because I can't find one that carries everything I need.

One of the biggest challenges I've faced is that buying organic food (local as much as possible and U.S. grown at the very least) means that I'm only getting food that's in season. I don't know what to with turnips or kale or mustard greens to make everyone like them, so it's a constant learning process. I've also learned that peeling oranges, which are in season at the moment, is not my favorite thing to do. Sometimes the peel is thin, sometimes it's thick. Sometimes it comes off easily, sometimes it doesn't want to come off at all. Sometimes I get shot in the eye with juice because I'm frustrated and squeeze too hard. My computer monitor is covered in sticky drops of orange juice, but the real thing is so much healthier than store-bought juice that I keep fighting.

That's not to say we haven't made great strides in some areas. Thanks to my new favorite cookbook, I now make most of our bread at home, and it takes very little time...which is good since I have very little extra time. The only thing I haven't mastered is making hamburger/hot dog buns that are whole wheat yet soft, and this book doesn't have recipes for that stuff. I'm experimenting with what's there, though, and will post any successful recipes here. In the meantime, here's a link to the book in question...I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to make bread at home (thereby avoiding all preservatives and unnecessary sugar). It really is easy once you get the hang of their technique. Before you leave the site to check it out, don't forget to feed the fish! :)

You are what you wear??

Last week I intended to write about organic cosmetics and skin care products, but instead went on a rant about the FDA. This week, I'm trying to get back on track, but every time I read the news, I find out something else irritating (see below). As many of you may know, I've recently become an independent consultant for a company called alex+von. A+V has partnerships with small businesses who create and sell healthy, chemical-free products--everything from makeup to skin care to body wash to shampoo and conditioner. Many of these products are completely organic, vegan, and gluten-free. Since the products contain only ingredients found in nature, your skin isn't absorbing anything harsh or toxic. The best part to me (in addition to the obvious health benefits) is that you can order items at any time and have them delivered directly to your home, which means you can order from anywhere in the U.S. and don't have to wait on my crazy schedule to receive your items. :)

My original plan was to promote the 100% Pure Hand Buttercream today, which has been a lifesaver this year. Every winter my hands get so dry, the skin ends up cracking and sometimes bleeding. I've tried dozens of lotions, as well as homemade remedies, but this is the first time anything has worked. It's a small tube (2 oz.) but only costs $8 and is fairly concentrated, so it lasts a good while. I use it once in the morning, and then again at night if needed...most days I only need one dose. And it comes in four yummy "flavors": lavender, vanilla bean, coconut, and honey almond.



However, yesterday I came across an article in the Washington Post about lead in lipsticks, which has since been picked up by other news outlets. Apparently, the FDA doesn't have any restrictions on how much lead can be included in cosmetics--even something you're putting on your lips and possibly ingesting small amounts of! (This is the same FDA who doesn't want anyone drinking raw milk. Their decision to implement harsh regulations of small companies while being lenient to huge corporations is interesting, to say the least.) It took me a while, but I found the full list of 400 lipstick shades that contain trace amounts of lead (most likely from mineral additives), which you can read here. I was pretty shocked, because the brands include not only top cosmetics companies such as L'Oreal and Maybelline, but companies that I always thought were more natural, including Burt's Bees and The Body Shop. :(

Thanks to reading that article, I feel compelled to also promote healthier alternatives to common lipsticks, such as the 100% Pure Sorbet Lip Gloss (which my mother loves) or the Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze. There are several other options as well, if those don't sound appealing, so be sure to check out the full line of products offered at alex+von. If you order anything, please make sure I'm listed as your consultant. I'm working hard to become independent of the typical job situation, and every sale gets me to closer to being a work-at-home mom! As always, don't forget to feed the fish. :)