PND Talks Natural Beauty & Sunscreen on MommyToMommyTV

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Beauty & Sunscreen on MommyToMommyTV

Check out the fun! Kimberley Blaine – from MommyToMommyTV – sat down with me for a chat – and we talked a little bit about make up… in particular safer make up choices! Enjoy!

 

 

Looking for help with Sunscreen this summer…? Be sure to check out the PND 2011 list of safer sunscreen picks. We are also working feverishly to bring you the PND product guide – in the meantime, if you have any products you need guidance with… I’m on twitter – all – the – time – and I’m always happy to do what I can to help you find the right product – find us @purenaturaldiva.

A few of the shots from the day with Kimberley!

Talking Natural Beauty & Sunscreen On Location at the Montage Beverly Hills

 

 

Share your favorite Natural Beauty & Sunscreen Tips!

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Eco Savvy Gift Bag: Simple Solution

Every year we spend hours, wrapping countless gifts in preparation for the holidays. In a few minutes the excitement is over and we’re left with a big bag of trash.   Do this project early in the holiday season to avoid the late nights right before the big day.

Last year I made eco-friendly reusable gift bags.   You don’t need to be a great seamstress, just the  ability to sew a straight-ish line. They are fast and easy.

Quick and easy doesn’t mean, wait until Dec 19th to start sewing, or you’ll wonder what ever made you think this was a good idea.

The good news is, you only have to make them once. Then they are done. This year I only have to pull them out and wrapping will be a breeze!

Supplies

7-10 yards of lightweight muslin.
Large Spool of matching thread
Sewing Machine
Iron & Ironing Board

Instructions:

This isn’t an exact science, I approximated my measurements and worked it out. You’re essentially making a pillow case for each gift.

Grab a few of the gifts you need to wrap. Haven’t done your shopping, collect an assortment of toys and books. Look in the birthday gift stash for sample sizes too.

Each bag is made with one piece of muslin, fold over, pin down. Sew a seam along each side.

NOTE – If you are worried about fraying you’ll want to sew all the rough edges with a zig-zag stich before sewing your seems and hem.

Lay out your fabric to determine the “envelope size” you’ll need. Place the gifts on the fabric, allow an inch or two for wiggle room. Add 2″ extra inches for seams on the side and 1 1/2 for the top. Remember you will be using these again, so precision isn’t the goal.

TIP – Cut multiple bags of each size all at one time.

Next, determine how much room you need to allow for the length of your “envelope”. Guesstimate how much fabric it will take to cover your desired gift, then add a few inches. It’s nice to have extra on top for a prettier presentation.

Iron the bag. Fold the top edge over one time, then fold again (for a cleaner finish) and pin.

Sew the top seam.

Iron and your bag is done.

All that’s left to do is insert the gift, label and embellish (if desired).

For the greenest option (you’ll need to select a slightly heavier muslin so it’s not too sheer), insert the gift and tie with raffia.

I wrap the gift with a couple of sheets of tissue paper, and tie with raffia or satin ribbon (which I reuse).  The picture shows some ribbon from the past that I’m trying to use up.

What’s nice is the sheerness of the muslin allows the color of the tissue paper to show through. You still have a nice festive look and if you love to pay attention to detail (aka anal like me) you can color coordinate.

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Vanilla Room Fragrance Recipe: Simple Solution

Fragrances are a key area of concern for many people trying to reduce their exposure to potentially toxic chemicals and phthalates.  There are numerous articles dedicated to this subject on the EWG website.  My concerns have led dramatically reduce my perfume use – opting instead for pure vanilla and to stop purchasing room fragrances.

The trouble is – it’s still really nice to have a nice room spray to freshen up a room when it’s needed.  This recipe does the trick in our home.

So – now I make my own!  It’s simple, fast and inexpensive.  Anyone can do it and keep their powder room safely fresh.

1/2 Cup of Distilled Water

1 Tablespoon of Vodka

20 drops of Vanilla (or other favorite) Essential Oil

1 Teaspoon of Grapeseed Oil

Combine all the ingredients and store in a glass container for 45 days.  When you think of it – or every 7-10 days shake your concoction.

Once the fragrance has aged – use a funnel to transfer the liquid into a gorgeous atomizing container.

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Ranch Salad Dressing Recipe: Simple Solution

I have been contemplating making my own dressing for some time now – so many store bought are laden with ingredients that are unknown, preservatives I can’t pronounce and additives you don’t really want to eat.   This one is made from ingredients you probably have in your pantry

We used the last of our Maria’s Ranch Dressing – the little ones were happy & busy. I seized the moment.

Ingredients

3/4 cup of light sour cream
3/4 cup of lowfat yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon of parsley flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon of dried chives 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of agave or sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice or rice vinegar – maybe 1/2-1 teaspoon

Combine all the ingredients, adjust seasonings to your taste and chill.

I made the recipe in the clean and empty Maria’s jar – so I didn’t even need to mess up a bowl.

Gave my 3 year old a taste and she wanted the whole spoon! She is pretty much exclusively a ranch girl – so we’ll take that as a positive review. It really is delish – if I do say so myself!

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Homemade Body Butter Recipe

This is the Homemade Body Butter Recipe I shared when I visited Martha Stewart Living Radio!

Enjoy.

I keep a small tub of my homemade body butter recipe in my car and shared some of it with Kadi Prescott – dynamo mother of 7 children.  Needless to say – she instantly wanted to know how to make it for her sensitive skinned little one.   Because we are both blogging diva’s – instead of emailing the recipe to her I told her I’d kick into gear and get the recipe posted.

All of the ingredients can be easily sourced – but the trickiest may be the beeswax.  You buy it buy the pound so one block will make a lot of lotion!  You can find it at Michael’s for $20 – but I found for less money, not to mention a more trusted source on Local Harvest.

This Homemade Body Butter Recipe has 4-5 ingredients, is easy to make and you’ll have the pleasure of knowing every ingredient that went into it.

Honey Citrus Homemade Body Butter Recipe

2 Tablespoons of Beeswax
1/2 Cup of Grapeseed Oil
1 Capsule of Vitamin E Oil
2-3 Tablespoons of Distilled Water
10 Drops of Citrus Essential Oil – or to preference

Homemade Body Butter Recipe Instructions

Combine the wax and oil together in a wide mouth jar. Microwave until the wax is almost completely melted.

Use a hand blender to whip – ensure it’s completely submerged for safety reasons!
Slowly add water and continue to aerate, then add fragrance. It will turn white and be thick and goopy.

Allow the lotion to settle for at least 15-20 minutes.

Scoop into a lotion container of your choosing, empty lip balm tubs.

Apply a small amount to any dry spots and enjoy!

Who knew making your own Homemade Body Butter Recipe could be this simple?

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Hardwood Floor Cleaner: Home Recipe

Mixing up new cleaning formulas has become a recent hobby. I love not spending hundreds of dollars on cleaning products and knowing exactly what I’m using in my home.

2 tbs Oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs alchohol
24 oz Water

or

2 tbs Oil
2 tbs Castille soap – I like the almond for wood floors.
2 tbs Alchohol
24 oz Water

If you like a little more fragrance add an essential oil of your choosing. PND likes almond and citrus for cleaning products.

Mix in Method Spray Cleaner Bottle – Spray on floor using a damp cloth over a mop to wipe. Because these cleaners contain oil – you do need to make sure you shake the bottle, to keep the liquids mixed while cleaning.

I’ve also used Method Hardwood Floor Cleaner, using about 1/2 cup and putting it in a spray bottle, fill with water. Spray directly on the floor and mop with a damp cloth.

Also try:
PND All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
PND Foaming Handsoap Recipe

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Whole Grain Bread Crumbs: Recipe

Whole grain bread crumbs are readily found at most health food stores, but they are not readily available at regular grocery stores. I hate having to make special trips to the “health food store” for ingredients like this.  Not to mention they always cost a premium.

My family never eats bread heels, one day as I was throwing them out, I put it together. I should make Whole Grain Bread Crumbs out of our loaf heels.

Take the heels and toast them, then let them sit and toast them again, let them sit till they are rock hard. Then I add them to the “heel bag”. When I have a bag full of toasted heels I run them through the food processor.

Super easy and a win-win. Eliminate an expensive specialty item by using something you just might be throwing away otherwise.  Something from Nothing!

Are tips like these useful to you?  My girlfriend Jennifer insisted that I post this one, but I’m not convinced.  Share your thougths!

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Bento Butterfly ~ Entice Kids to Try New Veggies

By Sheri

Think you can’t make a cute, appetizing, healthy bento for your young children or preschooler?

It’s easier than you think!

Start with a smallish size (200-350ml, or whatever you think is appropriate for your child’s appetite) bento box. This one is metal, with a tight-sealing lid and a divided section.

1. I put a variety of fresh fruits in the small section.
2. Then line the larger section with a few lettuce leaves for decoration.
3. On top of the lettuce I put some homemade vegetarian pad thai noodles. Many kids love noodles, and they are great bento fillers. You can also use whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti or shaped pasta. Do you have any leftover noodles that need to be used?This bento is nice as is, but if you add a little more decoration you might entice your child to eat a few more veggies.

For the butterfly body:

1. Use a wooden skewer to poke through some sliced steamed carrots. I used purple carrots.
2. For the wings, use some heart-shaped cutters to make two different sized hearts from different colored steamed sweet potatoes. Here I used garnet and satsumaimo (Japanese white-colored sweet potato).
3. Place the wings next to the body, and decorate with sliced yellow carrot circles.
4. Finally, use a steamed snap pea for the antenna.Suddenly you have a butterfly in your bento.

   The veggies I used are suggestions – so when getting ready to make lunch or snack – take a look in your own crisper to see what kinds of produce you have to substitute — beets, broccoli, even tomatoes can brighten up a lunch to make it look more appealing. Select the ingredients you are going to use. Steam the items that need cooking. Then follow the above instructions for assembly

   Believe it or not, adding a cute touch will only take a few more minutes of your time. Even my 2-year old daughter will agree to eat a few veggies artfully arranged in a fun bento.

Sheri is a bento artist and mom of 2 living in Northern California. Her goal is to help children discover that healthy and nutritious food can be delicious and fun to eat. She uses the bento box as a means of presenting a balanced meal in a beautiful way…and give the kids a smile at lunchtime. She blogs at Happy Little Bento.

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Foaming Hand Soap: Home Recipe

This is so easy and inexpensive – Everyone can do it!  Not only that – an average family using one bottle of foaming hand soap a week will save an average of $180 a year.

The first thing you need is an aerating dispenser bottle.

Ours came from re-using a container from another  brand.   Method makes one, and I reused a bottle from Clean Well for a year.

Vanilla Orange Foaming Hand Soap

1 1/4 cup of water
2 TBS of Castille Soap – I used the Citrus. To create your own scent use unscented.
1/4 TSP of Olive Oil
3-5 drops of Vanilla Essential Oil
4-6 drops of Citrus Essential Oil

Combine the ingredients and in a measuring cup and use a funnel to pour into the dispenser. Soap will will dispense in an nice foaming lather… and if you kids use the whole bottle in 3 days, you won’t be furious!

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All Purpose Green Cleaner: Home Recipe

There are a ton of green cleaners on the market, but my favorite cleaners are the ones I make at home.
One thing you know for sure, when you make it – you know every ingredient.
You will also save a lot of money, the ingredients are so inexpensive, no wonder the companies that manufacture cleaning products have so much money to spend on advertising! It costs so little to make a batch – it’s crazy!

I make it in batches that make 4 28oz bottles.

13 1/4 cups of Water (1 hot)
1/4 Cup of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap – I like Citrus for the All Purpose Cleaner
1/4 Cup of Borax
1/4 Cup of Vinegar

Borax Free – The Vinegar & Baking Soda reaction is fun for kids!

NOTE – Cleaning with the following recipe requires rinsing.  I’m working on a reformulation and will leave this posted with this caveat until I have a borax free option that doesn’t require rinsing.

10 1/4 cups of water (5 hot)
1/4 Cup of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap – I still like Citrus for the All Purpose Cleaner.
1 1/2 cups of Baking Soda
3 cups of Vinegar

Mix the hot water with the borax or baking soda until it disolves.
Once dissolved pour into a bucket – make sure that you have a bigger bucket – the next step will give you a little foaming action!
Add the remaining water, vinegar & Castille Soap.

Use a funnel to pour the solution into the four bottles.

I used to use the Method Products, so I have reused the spray bottles & taken the labels off. Using the handy label maker, made my own labels so I know what’s in each bottle and it looks organized.

There are rumblings about the safety of Borax and while it certainly appears to be a better option than the chemicals in commercial cleaners, there are people who would prefer to avoid it.

Click here to read what they say at Chemistry.com.

I have posed the question about Borax to the EWG. I’ll be curious to hear their response.

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