I’m looking forward to a few days of relaxing and meeting up with friends. Unfortunately, it’s a bit far for a three day trip, but I can just imagine being at my friend’s place in France tonight having a glass of wine and watching a sunset like this from her balcony…

Enjoy the break whether you’re staying near or going far!

Evian, France

Photo Credit: Tai Yuni

What flavor is most appealing to you? Has anyone tried already?

Photo Credit: Dylan Price

]]> http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/09/van-leeuwen-ice-cream/feed/ 16 http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/09/happy-september/ http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/09/happy-september/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:00:01 +0000 All Natural Annie http://allnaturalannie.com/?p=4343 It’s not even Labor Day yet and we still technically have three weeks of summer left to go, but I always feel like September 1st is the unofficial start of fall.

I’m sad to see summer go, but I adore fall so I’m really excited to bring in this month. Hope these images get you looking forward to this next season too!

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]]> http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/09/happy-september/feed/ 16 http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/08/whistlewood-farm-bb/ http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/08/whistlewood-farm-bb/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:00:06 +0000 All Natural Annie http://allnaturalannie.com/?p=4223 For our anniversary, we decided to visit the Hudson Valley where we both spent a ton of time as kids. We decided to stay at Whistlewood Farm Bed and Breakfast in Rhinebeck, NY (We chose Rhinebeck as the destination right before Chelsea Clinton coincidentally got married there!). It was our first time at a bed and breakfast and I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I’m happy to say it was one of the best experiences we’ve had staying anywhere away from home.

We felt instantly at peace from the second we walked in the door. The owner, Maggie’s warmth and charm combined with the quaintness of the indoor setting and the pure beauty of the outdoors made for the most relaxing time. No pictures could do our stay justice (especially between using an iphone and the cloudy weather – bear with me, we really need a new digital).  After twenty four hours, we were hugging Maggie goodbye already discussing another stay this fall. It was simply perfection.

The main house where our room was (much bigger than it appears).

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Entrance to the main house on a sunny day.

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The cozy sitting room complete with a fireplace and tons of great magazines. :)

Our names on the door of our room – such a cute touch!

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The view from the main house.

They board horses as well so there were horses everywhere! We pet these guys for at least an hour before we left the last morning.

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Where we had afternoon tea and homemade sweets as well as breakfast. The tree providing the peaches for our fruit salad was right outside!

The nearby source of our scrambled eggs… you can’t get any fresher than that!

A gorgeous palomino. I lovvvve horses.

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We also had a delicious dinner in the adorable town of Rhinebeck at Terrapin, which is in a renovated church built in 1825. The cuisine is described as New American, which is “a blend of the classical French approach with the influences of Asia, Italy, and the American South West”.  The menu had an array of classic and unique dishes filled with very fresh and local ingredients. I can’t wait to go back again!

]]> http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/08/whistlewood-farm-bb/feed/ 12 http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/08/1-year-anniversary/ http://allnaturalannie.com/2010/08/1-year-anniversary/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:50:12 +0000 All Natural Annie http://allnaturalannie.com/?p=3753 I cannot believe that one year ago today Dylan and I were getting married (in the midst of a pending hurricane at a vineyard on Long Island). I think that may have been the quickest year ever.

Happy Anniversary my love! Every day being married to you is such a gift. I couldn’t ask for more.

The location: Palmer Vineyards in Aquebogue, NY
my bouquet :)
Beautiful centerpiece created by one of my closest friends and her mom (They did all of our flowers (minus the bouquets) as a surprise wedding gift! We cannot thank them enough)

Photo Credits: Peconic Photo

We enjoyed it with our dinner and by itself (always love a wine that is great on its own). It’s medium-bodied and very fruit forward (think strawberries & blackberries) with a smooth finish – just so perfect and delicious, especially for the price!

If you’ve had it before or try it out, I would love to hear what you think!

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Well first off, everything is paraben-free and cruelty-free. In addition, none of their products contain dairy, wheat, gluten, sodium, yeast or preservatives. The main ingredient in this line is the super berry sea buckthorn, which is sourced through fair trade agreements with local harvesters in Tibet (an effort the Dalai Lama has taken notice of).

My favorite product of theirs right now is the Sea Buckthorn Age Defying Eye Cream, which features sea buckthorn and pumpkin seed. This botanical blend is the perfect trifecta – it reduces puffiness, dark circles and fine lines.  Personally, I often find that eye creams seem to irritate that ultra sensitive area, but I’ve been using this one for weeks with no complaints. It’s a perfect consistency, easily absorbs into the skin and as with most eye creams, a little goes a long way. I’m so happy to have found this eye cream because I was getting concerned after so many natural eye creams irritated me!

I also love the Cleanse & Detox Facial Soap (a very sweet, earthy scent and gently exfoliating) and the Body Cream (a bright, citrus scent and a perfectly creamy consistency).

Has anyone tried any of Sibu’s products yet?

Check out their current sweepstakes & gift redemptions (currently, they’re offering a FREE full-sized Sea Buckthorn Oil Treatment Serum at GNC stores after sending in the provided rebate form)

Can You Eat Your Deodorant?

I swear I can eat my deodorant, but can you eat yours? Yes, it may not be too tasty, but at least I can be sure that I won’t be sent directly to the hospital with chemical poisoning, which I can’t say about commercial deodorants that often contain ingredients that sound like a science project.

Most over-the-counter deodorants and antiperspirants contain a cocktail of chemical ingredients, like parabens, propylene glycol, TEA, DEA, fragrances, and other toxic chemicals, which are potentially harmful not only to your skin but to your general health. While deodorant works to remove a bad smell, antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores with powerful astringents. This effect is based on the presence of zinc salts and aluminum, which can obviously be dangerous when blocking the sweat glands. After all, sweat has an important function of excreting toxins, and blocked glands obviously cannot release them. In addition, blocking sweat glands will also cause your body to overheat.

Since deodorant antiperspirants are applied to areas that are subject to frequent shaving, they absorb into the skin much faster than other products. Hence, this has a strong effect on the body as a whole. The skin – our largest organ – works to absorb any ingredients that are applied topically. Still, there is no reason to worry that you have to stink to stay healthy since there are some powerful natural alternatives!

What are the alternatives to commercial deodorant?

I was recently excited to find out that there are many inexpensive but highly effective methods to make you smell like a beautiful human being. Here they are:

• Tea tree essential oil has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties so that it works well as a natural deodorant. It neutralizes odor while also inhibiting odor causing bacteria. I first tried this by applying a few drops of the essential oil on my underarms, and it kept me fresh for almost the entire day.
• Another great alternative is baking soda. It works wonders because it neutralizes the odor of sweat. I just sprinkle a light covering of baking soda on a damp washcloth or my palms, and pat on without rinsing it off.
• The other thing that I recently discovered is that you can use coconut oil directly under your arms as a deodorant. It attacks the bacteria found in sweats that causes odors. I also apply this to my underarms and don’t rinse off.

I was using the methods mentioned above with a great success for about six months. However, I am interested in making homemade beauty products so I decided to make something more similar to conventional stick deodorant. I also wanted something that smelled heavenly. So I started to experiment, and my experiments led to the following recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon beeswax
• 2 teaspoons coconut butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch: In this recipe, cornstarch works as a thickener, and it will also soften the skin. You can substitute potato starch, but in this case, it will only work as a thickener.
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Melt beeswax and coconut butter in a double boiler. When they melt, add cornstarch and baking soda. Remove from heat. The medley should form a thick paste so that you can add the essential oils. Transfer this mixture to a jar or special container to create a deodorant stick.

If you want liquid deodorant, you can use the following formula:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon shea butter (You can substitute any other butter coconut, cocoa etc.)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Follow the steps mentioned above, and pour into a container for a deodorant roll-on.

I have to say that I love this deodorant, and I encourage you to try it! It has my favorite scent of lavender (you can include your own favorite essential oil in the deodorant) and I am free from unpleasant odor all day long.

I have a long list of my favorite recipes, and this recipe was proudly included on my list amongst other beauty recipes. I also compiled all of my best recipes and tips in my Natural Skin Care Handbook e-book. This guide includes a number of homemade remedies and tricks and was written especially for those who want to give up on commercial products and start to naturally care for their skin without the use of chemicals. All of the information about the Natural Skin Care Handbook can be found here.

So getting back to deodorant, have you ever tried to make your own homemade deodorant, or maybe you already have your own perfect formula?

Victoria Lewy loves to experiment with different natural homemade beauty recipes. Her passion has inspired her to share and discuss them with others at her Homemade Beauty Blog: MyHomemadeBeauty.com.

I’m a huge vegetable lover, especially of leafy greens like kale, so I was expecting to like them, but I wasn’t expecting that from everyone else… I’m happy to say that my husband and several friends are also now fans. My point: you don’t have to be a crazy vegetable lover to think these taste good. I definitely like the “cheese” (they’re vegan) the best, then the ranch and then the spicy miso while my husband says the exact opposite.  Decide for yourself – either order them online or visit a store currently keeping them in stock (the most options are not surprisingly in New York). Here’s a cute story about the creation of this kale centric company:  slashfood.com .

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