Whole Foods Haul || Health and Beauty

Some of my favorite blog posts to read (and YouTube videos to watch) are "hauls."  I love to see what other people pick up when they shop at my favorite stores!  If you missed my Trade Joe's Haul, click here.

We don't have a Whole Foods near us (the closest one is 3 hours away!), so when we get the chance to go to one, I try to stock up.  Whenever I go to Whole Foods, I try to look for brands that I can't find at any stores near me.  You can order many of these products online, but I prefer to buy in-store because then I can color check, smell, and most importantly, not pay for shipping!

Here's what I got:

Alaffia African Black Soap (Body Wash/Shampoo/Shaving Soap/ and more) - Natural ingredients, fair trade, supports Bicycles for Education, Maternal Care Project, Reforestation Project, School Supplies Project, and Eyeglasses project.  The peppermint smell is yummy and not overpowering.

Side note: My 5th and 6th grade students sang a song for their end of the year concert called "Fanga Alaffia" and it is a song of welcome.  I love that this body wash is named that!

Pacifica BB Cream - All natural, mineral ingredients.  Gives an illuminating, perfecting tint to the skin for a natural look.  The ingredients are very beneficial to the skin, as well.  It has a shade matching tint, but it is very sheer coverage.  Don't expect it to work like a foundation - it's more of a primer.

Now Bamboo Ultrasonic Oil Diffuser - Heat-free diffuser.  The bamboo looks very pretty on my kitchen counter.  It diffuses pretty well!

Badger Sunscreen Cream (Zinc only, no crazy chemicals...) I got SPF 35 and 30 only because they didn't have any more 35s.

Blue Glass Bottles with Dropper and small blue jar - for us to use to mix our own bear oil (for Peter, obvs), massage oil, and other essential oil-based tinctures or beauty items.

What are your favorite health and beauty items from Whole Foods?

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Trader Joe's Health and Beauty Haul

I don't know about you guys, but some of my favorite blog posts to read (and YouTube videos to watch) are "hauls."  I must be very nosy, but I love to see what other people pick up when they shop at my favorite stores!

We don't have a Trader Joe's near us (the closest one is 3 hours away!), so when we get the chance to go to one, I try to stock up.  Whenever I go to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, I try to look for brands that I can't find at any stores near me.  Certain brands, like Burt's Bees, can be found at Walgreens, Walmart, and sometimes even grocery stores.  Trader Joe's has their own "house" brand of many household and beauty items, so I grabbed a few while I was there.  

I'm trying to detoxify my health and beauty items as much as possible, so I look for natural ingredients (that I know what they are).  Some of Trader Joe's items aren't completely natural or organic, but I found these to be better than conventional items you would find at Target or even Sephora.  And these are way cheaper, too!

Here's what I got: 

All-in-one Facial Cleanser

Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer

Antioxidant Facial Serum

Vitamin E Oil (does contain other oils)

Jojoba Oil (100% pure jojoba oil)

Citrus Body Wash with Vitamin C

Lemon Kitchen Hand Soap (I mostly just liked the packaging)

Aloe Vera Gel (body moisturizer, does contain other ingredients, not 100% Aloe Vera)

Hope you enjoyed getting a peak into my shopping bag.  What are your favorite things to get at Trader Joe's?

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The Travel Essential You've Never Heard Of!

This post is not sponsored.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile then you may have heard me mention this product before.  But I don't think you realize how versatile and amazing this one product is.

It relieves indigestion, soothes upset stomachs, cures constipation, calms diarrhea, eases tension, reduces acid reflux, relaxes muscles, relieves anxiety, acts as a sleep aid, and tastes yummy!  

What is this mystery product?

Natural CALM Magnesium Supplement

This is not Milk of Magnesium, so it won't act as an instant diarrhetic, but it will help with constipation if that's what ails you.  

Why Magnesium?

Many of us do not get enough magnesium on a daily basis.   Many essential minerals are removed from our water due to strict water purification standards in cities.  Don't get me wrong, it's great that we have safe tap water.  But that means we don't get many natural minerals that we need.  

Check out these facts from http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-benefits/:

- Magnesium is known to reduce muscle tension, lessen pain associated with migraine headaches, improve sleep, and address neurological disorders such as anxiety and depression.

- Conditions linked to magnesium levels include:
Headaches
Muscle Spasms and Muscle Cramps
Fibromyalgia
Anxiety
Depression
Autism and ADD
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
Insomnia
Tics
Psoriasis, Acne and Eczema
Asthma
Blood Pressure
Diabetes
Osteoporosis

"Essential to life, necessary for good health, and a vital component within our cells, magnesium’s benefits help our bodies maintain balance, avoid illness, perform well under stress, and maintain a general state of good health."

How many travelers get tired, sick, stressed, or have trouble sleeping while traveling?  (*Raising my hand*)  I suggest trying out a magnesium supplement, like CALM.  It has helped me relax on airplanes, settle a nervous tummy, and regulate digestion.  I know this sounds like an ad, but it's not!  I just really love this stuff!!!  I bring it on my carry-on, too!

You can find CALM at any health food store or Whole Foods.  CALM can be mixed with hot or cold water.  I like it as a comforting, warm "tea."  Very soothing and relaxing.

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Linking up with A Compass Rose for Travel Tuesday

Healthy Living || Air Purifiers

Healthy Living || Air Purifiers

I'm a firm believer that everyone needs to have at least one air purifier in their home.  We have a large one in our living room and a smaller one in our bedroom.  They're not too expensive and they make such a difference, especially if you have allergies or asthma.

Also- and this is a big one - I hate candles and air "fresheners", so the purifier really helps keep things smelling fresh.

See that up there?  That's the outer filter of our air purifier after about 3 months of use.  It was originally black.  All this grime accumulated before we got a dog.  Pretty gross!  The air purifier kept that from getting in our lungs!

Did I convince you yet?  Run on down to Target and get yourself one!  (Or order from Amazon... here's the kind we use*.)

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Other healthy living posts you might be interested in: Lemon Essential Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil, Lemon Detox Water

*Affiliate link/Not sponsored

5 Uses || Lemon Essential Oil

|| 5 Uses for Lemon Essential Oil ||

If you haven't tried essential oils yet, here are some ideas to get you started.  Essential oils can be somewhat intimidating... how do you remember everything that each one can do?  Lemon essential oil is extremely versatile and can be used in a wide variety of ways.

Mix with vinegar for a general household cleaner.  

Mix with water and put in a spray bottle; spritz around your home when you need to freshen things up.

Mix lemon essential oil with some baking soda, place in a small mason jar, cover with fabric, and leave on the counter for a natural air purifier.  Or put it in the cup holder in your car and your car will smell great!

Put a few drops down the sink while the garbage disposer is running.  Your sink will never smell better!

Make a tea by boiling water with a few slices of ginger and a few drops of lemon essential oil.  Sip for sore throat relief, or just for fun!

Bonus tip:  Mix a few drops of lemon essential oil with sparkling water for a refreshing summer beverage!

Ready to give essential oils a try?  I buy my essential oils from my sister, who is a consultant for DoTerra.  You can shop her website here.*

Check out my 5 Uses for Peppermint Essential Oil. 

*This is not a sponsored post.  I am not paid or rewarded for this post. 

5 Uses || Peppermint Essential Oil

|| 5 Uses for Peppermint Essential Oil ||

If you haven't tried essential oils yet, here are some ideas to get you started.  Essential oils can be somewhat intimidating... how do you remember everything that each one can do?  I have a small collection of oils, but I find myself reaching for peppermint oil most often.  If you are a newbie to essential oils, I recommend peppermint oil for your first try.  It has a lot of benefits, can be rubbed directly on the skin or taken orally, can be sniffed or diffused.  It is very versatile and easy to learn.


Mix with coconut oil and rub on sore muscles for instant relief.  Rub on the back of your neck or on your temples for headache relief.

Put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball, place the cotton ball in the bottom of a glass jar or cup, and take a whiff whenever you need some clarity - it opens up nasal passages and provides relief of sinus congestion.  It also makes you more alert and energized.  (Or you can diffuse it for similar effects.)

Read this for more info.

Use peppermint essential oil as a natural household cleaner.

Instead of loading up on more deodorant, rub a few drops of pure peppermint essential oil on your armpits to kill stinky body odor.  Or am I the only one on the internet who gets stinky armpits?  ;)

Mix a couple drops of peppermint essential oil with purified water and drink to calm a fussy stomach or acid indigestion.

Bonus tip: mix a few drops of peppermint essential oil, a spoonful of coconut oil, and a spoonful of sugar... and you get a tingly, refreshing, yummy lip exfoliant.

I buy my essential oils from my sister, who is a consultant for DoTerra.  You can shop her website here.*  

*This is not a sponsored post.  I am not paid or rewarded for this post. 

Meal Planning

We've been horrible at eating out.  And by that I mean we eat out waaay too much.  We both work full time and don't have kids, so we have a little wiggle room with finances.  HOWEVER, we need to save money!  And eating out all the time is not the way to save money!

If you search for "Crockpot meals" on Pinterest you will quickly become overwhelmed.  The reason I've never done the crockpot meals before is because there are way too many options, most of the recipes are super unhealthy, and there aren't readily available shopping lists.

But search no more, I've found the site for you!

The link below will take you to 8 freeze-ahead crockpot meals.  Each meal is intended to serve a whole family, so for us one meal will last awhile (dinner and lunch the next day, at least).  What I like about these meals is that they are pretty customizable to your preferences and can easily be made gluten-free and organic.  I used all organic, free range chicken, organic and grass fed beef, and organic vegetables.

On the site they provide a printable shopping list and printable recipe instructions.  No copying and pasting needed!  Have a look and let me know if you do it.

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html


I assembled the meals today, and while it took longer than 1 hour, I think it was worth it.  Peter said, "I can't wait to eat all this food!"

XOXO,
Julie

My YOLO Moment

The other day I was on my way to Starbucks to meet up with a friend and I had a conversation with myself.  It went like this:

Me:  Maybe I'll get a frappuccino.  I haven't had one in ages.

Me:  No, no, no.  They have waaay too much sugar and are filled with other junk.  You're trying to lose weight, remember?

Me:  But, ahhh it's so warm out here, a frappuccino sounds so refreshing.  Aw what the heck, just do it.

Me:  Welll, after all, you only live once.

Me:  Exactly.  You only live once, so live happily.  Like, how much time have I wasted thinking and worrying about not having the perfect body?  Too much.  It's not worth it.

Me:  And don't forget this is the first time you've hung out with a friend in a verrrry long time.  That's worth celebrating!

Me:  Yeah... Plus I don't want to end up being one of those people who spends their whole life obsessing about being healthy and doesn't take time to enjoy the moment, to savor the tasty things in life, to embrace happiness.  I don't want to end up being so obsessed with my body image that I can never be happy.

Me:  Well I don't think you'd ever become one of those people with how quickly you gave in to "the dark side."  It took a whole two seconds to convince yourself to get a frappuccino.

Me:  Haha I'm such a nerd.

In the end I did not order a frappuccino.  I arrived at Starbucks and I was starving.  I knew having that much sugar and caffeine on an empty stomach would make me feel sick.  So I ordered some pao de queijo and iced green tea.

HOWEVER, I've been having mini-yolo moments pretty frequently these days.  Just a few marshmallows, just a few [handfuls] M&Ms, just a bite of the milky way bar... you're only in Brazil for another week, just enjoy your time... you can exercise tomorrow...

It's really bad.

The end.

Soooo what are your YOLO moments these days???

XO,

Julie

Guilt-free Cookies

Thanks for all the kind words, both here on the blog and on the blog's facebook page, from yesterday's post.  I wish I could go back in time and tell my 15 year old self, "Don't worry, you're going to end up with some really awesome friends!"  :)

Yesterday I posted a sneak peek on my Instagram account of this cookie recipe.  I've seen this recipe floating around the internet, so yesterday I decided to put my own spin on it.

There is a debate about whether or not oats contain gluten.  Since I'm not celiac, I just eat whatever doesn't bother me.  Oats don't give me any problems, so I eat them.  If you're celiac, please make sure you find certified gluten-free oats!

Here's the recipe (adapted from countless sources around the internet):

Ingredients

2 bananas

1/2 cup oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

add-ins of choice (I used craisins and chocolate chunks)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the cinnamon into the oats.

Mash the bananas into the oats.

You may need to adjust the number of bananas.  Here in Brazil, the bananas we use are small.  I started with one banana and 1/2 cup oats, but I needed to add a second banana to give it more of a cookie dough texture. I suppose you could mix it all in the food processor, but I mashed them by hand!

Mix in your add-ins, making sure you don't add too much.   The dough needs to be able to stick together.

Grease a cookie pan.

Scoop your cookie dough onto the cookie pan.  It is important that you shape the dough into cookie shapes, and flatten the tops.  These do not melt when they bake - the shape you put them in is the shape they will stay!

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the outside looks and feels kind of crispy.

Let cool a little bit before eating.

Yield: about 8 medium-sized cookies

These cookies are sooo good!  Slightly crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside.  They do have a strong banana flavor, so if you don't like bananas, you won't like this recipe.  The banana flavor tastes more like dehydrated bananas (which I prefer) than fresh bananas.

I think these would be amazing with craisins, coconut flakes, and white chocolate.

What's your favorite cookie combination?

XO,

Julie

P.S.

I started doing the Pilates Beginner's Calendar on Blogilates.  It's so fun and the instructor is so motivating!  If you're looking for free, at-home exercising, give pilates a try!

Adjusting to Paleo

Read why I decided to go Paleo here.

A week in and I'm feeling good.  


Here are some things I've made this week

Paleo Pancakes (Sooo good, even Peter loves them!)

Banana Bacon Frittata (The recipe was a little bland... next time I will add vanilla and cinnamon and will post the altered recipe here - also, it really needs some maple syrup, which, sadly, we don't have in Brazil)

Apple Paleo Muffins - I used almond meal instead of almond flour, but they still turned out good.  You can't really taste the apple, though.

Banana/Peach Smoothie - Ingredients: One frozen banana (I used two small ones), frozen peaches or peach puree, almond milk.  I just eyeballed the almond milk and kept adding more until it was a consistency I wanted.  Mix in a food processor or blender.

Roasted Chicken

Beet salad: Cooked beet root, cooked corn (not sure if corn is allowed or not, but we've been eating it), drizzle of olive oil, drizzle of lemon juice, sprinkle of salt

Fresh salads of various kinds

Zucchini Spaghetti - slice the zucchini into "noodles" (would help if I had this vegetable "spiralizer"), throw the "zoodles" into the simmering sauce for a few minutes to cook a little bit, then eat!


Here are some things I'm looking forward to making this coming week

Paleo Lemon Bars

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Asian Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

Carrot "Fries" - Cut carrots into sticks, drizzle with olive oil and salt, bake until browned


Some Observations

- I need to be careful about how many almonds I'm consuming.  I think I might be developing an allergy to them... :( :( :(

- It's going to be difficult to do Paleo while avoiding nuts (my body can not tolerate pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, or peanuts).  I have been doing ok with pistachios, but now that I'm starting to react to almonds, I might cut out all nuts just to be safe.

- Peter says, "Wow, you're baking a lot, making a lot of good food, I should have agreed to this sooner!"

- I feel like I am spending all my time in the kitchen - prepping, baking, cooking, cleaning up...  I DON'T have a mixer of any kind, NOR a blender, so I am using my one, small food processor for everything.  I find myself cleaning that thing at least 2 times for every meal I prepare.

- Our kitchen is HOT.  When it's in the 90s outside, the kitchen does not have air conditioning, and the stove and oven on all the time... I'm sweating all day!

- I will post pictures once I feel like I've made progress (on losing weight).  I haven't been able to exercise much because my asthma has been so bad.  :(


Conclusions

- This is doable, especially since I'm not working full time.  If I were working full time, it would be a lot more difficult!

- I'm excited to see what happens!

Homemade Spa Day

I thought I'd do a round-up of all the wonderful ways we can pamper ourselves at home, with natural, healthy ingredients we most likely have on hand!  All ideas are from the website Organic Authority, which I just recently discovered!

Give your face a nice steam with essential oils!

Sinus Steam directions from here.

Ingredients4 cups water
3 drops of any/all of these essential oils: rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, juniper, peppermint and bergamot
DirectionsIn a large and wide pot, bring water to a low boil. If using whole herbs instead of essential oils, add them now (about 1/8 cup herbs in total). When water is steaming, remove from heat and add the essential oils. They will be very powerful from the heat so don't overdo it. Better to add more as needed than make it too strong. But if you do make it too potent, add more boiling water to dilute it.
Carefully set the pot on a surface such as a kitchen table so that you're able to lean directly over it while seated comfortably.
Drape a large towel over your head and over the pot to lock in the steam. Begin to take deep breaths in and out through the nose and mouth, alternating as needed. You may need to dip your head out of the steam for a breath or two every couple of minutes as it gets quite hot in there! Just keep the pot covered so the heat remains. Try to breathe in the vapors for at least 5 minutes, but 10 are recommended. Repeat as needed.

Indulge in a calming rose mask.

Rose mask directions from here.

Simply soak 8 petals in 3-4 tablespoons of water for 2-3 hours. Then mash the petals into the water and add 3 tablespoons of honey. Mix well, and apply to entire face. Leave on for 15-30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Exfoliate, one of two ways!

Yogurt-Honey Exfoliating Mask directions from here.

Ingredients
1/4 cup full-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons raw honey
Directions
Mix the yogurt and honey together until evenly combined. Apply a thin layer to face and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse face and pat with a towel until dry. Repeat at least once per week for best results.

Baking Soda Exfoliation (face or body) directions from here.

When exfoliating with baking soda you have a couple of options. You can add about a teaspoon of baking soda to your usual facial cleanser, massage it into your skin and rinse like normal. Or, you can use baking soda on its own. Pour a small amount of baking soda into the palm of your hand, add a bit of water, and then gently rub the mixture into your face and rinse.

Finish with lip gloss and cheek stain!

Lipgloss directions from here.

What You'll Need:

12 Fresh Cranberries
1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil (any Vegetable Oil will work)
1 Teaspoon Honey
2 Drops Vitamin E (or one capsule)
1 Cheese Cloth
1 Tiny Tin of Your Own Choosing
What To Do:Heat up the Cranberries, Oil, Honey and Vitamin E on the stovetop, bringing it to a boil
Crush up the Cranberries with a wooden spoon until the color has turned to your lip-stain liking
Let it cool for ten minutes and then strain through Cheese Cloth to get out the Cranberry bits
Let it cool again - but not too long - and then spoon it into your Tin

Do you think you'll give any of these ideas a try?

Mini-Adventures

It's been awhile since I've posted.  School started and then I immediately got sick!  Eek.  Still recovering.  Slept in till 11 today.  :)   I had a few adventures before I got sick though.  Here they are, Instagram style!

The day before school started we took a grip to Santa Cruz.  The weather was perfect but we were both feeling really tired.

I saw some random construction stuff on the pier in Santa Cruz.

Last weekend we had dinner with my friend from APU and her husband!  It was sooo fun!  I'm glad they live so close!  We went to a Japanese restaurant.  It was yummy!

The Droullards

The Soon-to-be Arthurs

(Buckwheat soba noodles are naturally gluten-free)

We went to the Droullard's house for the super bowl.  Another friend from APU met us there but I didn't get a picture with her.  It was sooooo fun!

Raeshell bought me this beautiful teacup that she knew I had been admiring!  "Early birthday present."  (My birthday isn't until August!)  :)  Then another friend, Rashel, brought me freshly picked oranges because she knew I was coming down with a cold!  How sweet are my friends?!?!?!

Meanwhile, I didn't necessarily feel sick, yet I completely lost my voice.  I decided to go with Dr. Benson and some fellow students to see the St. Olaf Choir in SF.  

St. Olaf College (in Minnesota) was one of the pioneering universities for choral music.  They developed the distinct "St. Olaf sound," which was opposite from the "Westminster Choir sound."  Over the years the two sounds have gradually moved toward each other, yet I thought that the St. Olaf choir retained much of its original sound: clarity, purity, simplicity.  It was an amazing concert and I'm so glad I went!  The St. Ignacious Cathedral was amazing, too!

That's all for now.  Hopefully I'll have more free time in the next few weeks to do some art projects!  Meanwhile, Valentine's day is coming up and I don't know what to do for Peter!  Suggestions???

Yummy Snack

I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday and some friends told me it looked delicious.  So I thought I'd share with you all!  This is not a new or genius recipe, but I feel proud because I pretty much invented it on my own.  I had some sweet potatoes lying around and I just started experimenting.  It's super easy and simple!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- Sweet potatoes (or any potatoes, sweet potatoes are actually healthier) 

- Garlic powder or onion powder

- Olive oil

To Do:

- Cut potatoes into chunks, place on baking sheet (preferably one with edges)

- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder (or any seasoning powder of choice, this time I used Jane's Mixed-Up Salt which is Peter's favorite)

- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for approx. 30 minutes 

SO EASY

You can stir them around after 15 minutes or so, otherwise the edges touching the pan will get crispy.  I like them crispy so I just pop them in and don't touch them for about 25 minutes.   Then I poke them with a fork to see if they're done.

For a sweeter snack:

- Drizzle with coconut oil instead of olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon.  

- Toss with apple chunks, craisins, and candied almonds for a tasty "salad."

Healthy Living

I am in no way receiving compensation or recognition from the artists or anyone else affiliated with him/her or his/her website. 

I follow a variety of blogs, for varying reasons.  I thought it would be nice to share several blogs that I recommend you check out.

For Healthy Recipes and Lifestyle Advice:

http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/ - She provides AMAZING recipes, for free!  Not only are her recipes gluten-free, but they are not filled with the usual "crap" that prepackaged gluten-free products contain.  Most of these ingredients are very pricey, however.  

http://www.roostblog.com/ - Coco's husband was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.  Once he went gluten and grain-free his health drastically improved.  She provides gourmet recipes, accompanied by gorgeous photographs.  Check this website out, you will not be disappointed.