Tag Archives: whole foods market

Life[style]: Nov. ’16 — Easy Natural Beauty Product Swaps

17 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Au Naturale, Beauty, Life[style], Product Reviews, Shopping

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Y’all know I love reviewing new beauty products but I especially love sharing the latest & greatest NATURAL beauty products!  To start exploring some natural product alternatives, I partnered with Whole Foods awhile back to review a few offerings from their Whole Body Department…read my reviews on all that good stuff here.  Anyway, I can’t figure out why I have trouble trusting the natural stuff because what these products stand for completely aligns with me.  I just have this stigma associated with them in my head that they don’t work as well as the regular stuff.  And I’m sorry, but my beauty bag is not an area where I’m willing to make some of the sacrifices that come along with more natural, eco-friendly living –hello, unbleached (& scratchy!) Seventh Generation baby diapers, toilet paper, paper towels…you’re good for the environment but you kinda suck.  

I’m still a little skeptic of the boom we’re seeing in the natural beauty product category BUT I’m slowly but surely being converted, one amazing discovery at a time.  I find it a pleasant surprise when a natural beauty or wellness product rises to or even exceeds expectations.  Natural Living aisle at H-E-B, I WANT to love you, I really do… and sometimes I actually fall for something!  Here are my suggestions for easy swaps if you’re wanting to incorporate some more natural/healthy products into your beauty routine:

ABBA Pure Performance Hair Care:  abbaPure products — it’s that simple!  For over 25 years, ABBA has made a commitment to formulating products with the cleanest ingredients available, while never sacrificing the performance that their customers demand.  Where possible, all ABBA products are formulated to be 100% Vegan, Gluten-Free and made without Parabens, DEA, Phathalates, Synthetic Color Additives, Sulfates and Sodium Chlorides.  Plus, the brand has a strict policy that animals can NEVER be used for testing in the creation, development or formulation of the products.

Schmidt’s Deodorant:  schmidtsLooking for all-day odor and wetness protection from a natural product?  –Say hello to Schmidt’s Deodorant!  Available in six alluring signature scents, Schmidt’s classic stick (pictured) and sustainable glass jars have earned their reputation as the natural deodorants that actually “get the job done.”  Schmidt’s award-winning formula starts with plant-based powders and moisturizing butters to ensure odor and wetness protection that allows for the body’s natural process of sweating while still keeping you dry.  Amazingly, Schmidt’s effectiveness can not only match that of chemical alternatives, but can actually outperform them without the use of aluminum or other controversial chemicals!  Available in both Stick & Jar application at Whole Foods Market.

SeabuckWonders:  What’s small, orange and powerful? If you said the rare baby Langur monkey, Oompa-Loompas or Donald Trump’s hands, then you’re not necessarily wrong; however, we’re talking about the sea buckthorn berry here (Dr. Oz’s “miracle berry”) and why this power-packed super fruit should be on everyone’s radar.sea-buckthornThis little berry not only has over 190 phytonutrients and fatty acids (ALL the omegas: 3, 6, 9 and the rare Omega-7) that help protect against many diseases (including breast cancer).  SeabuckWonders, the original sea buckthorn company, has been providing maximum potency sea buckthorn products for over two decades now. Their products are natural, non-GMO project verified, cruelty-free, too!

 

Life[style]: Oct. ’16 — This Halloween, Trick the Kids with Treats that are Healthy

17 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Au Naturale, Holidays, Product Reviews, Shopping, Snacks

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It’s that time of year again…stores are pushing bags upon bags of that infamous Halloween candy. Sure, they’re festive & wrapped in devilishly attractive orange & black packaging, but don’t be tricked into buying extra treats filled with shocking amounts of sugar and a ton of chemical ingredients you can’t even pronounce. With Oct. 31st a mere two weeks away, I shudder to think about the mountain of artificially colored & sweetened candy that will be at our family’s fingertips. So, I figure it’s no better time than the present to showcase some new healthy snack options to hit the market — call it a little pre-Halloween damage control. Best of all:  everything here is kid-friendly and portable for life on-the-go! Stock up on these healthy offerings to provide a quick hunger-curbing option to reach for over all that leftover Halloween candy:

Thrive by GoMacro:  GoMacro is a family-owned vegan company that was started by a mother-daughter team on their organic farm in Southwest Wisconsin. While you may be familiar with their original MacroBars, they have launched a delicious new line of plant-based bars called Thrive.go-macroThrive are made up of a superfood ancient grain blend, are all less than 200 calories and provide plant-based protein, essential fatty acids, and prebiotic fiber to fuel your body and mind. Like all GoMacro products, Thrive are USDA-Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher, Gluten-Free certified, 100% Vegan, and soy-free. Thrive is currently available to purchase online and will become available at Whole Foods Market locations this month.  *Special discount for Blog Joie de Vivre readers:  Use code Thrive30 for 30% off of your purchase for Thrive at GoMacro’s online store.

HOPE Foods hummus:  Whatever your tastebuds are craving, HOPE has tons of mouthwatering flavors to give you total satisfaction. Featuring unique flavors such as Spicy Avocado, Chocolate, Thai Coconut Curry and more, this label has pioneered adventurous flavors in the hummus category.
hope-hummusA healthy alternative to other fattening dips on the market, HOPE makes a terrific snack for the whole family. Eat it with pita chips, vegetables or try one of their mouth-watering recipes — from mashed potatoes to jalapeño cilantro cornbread, the possibilities are endless! Organic, dairy-free, and vegan-approved, this creamy hummus dip uses a state of the art High Pressure Processing (HPP) technique. Instead of using heat pasteurization which can fill hummus with tons of unwanted preservatives, they ensure the best quality hummus by using cold-pressure technology. You can find HOPE hummus at natural grocers like Whole Foods Market & Sprouts, as well as many conventional retailers like Safeway & Price Chopper.

Crispy Fruit:  Have you tried a bag of these freeze-dried fruit snacks from Crispy Green? There’s just one nutritious ingredient in every bag:  fruit. That’s right, 100% pure fruit, nothing else. Their freeze-drying process produces delicate slices that snack like a chip, but contain the perfect balance of flavor & nutrients provided by mother nature – making it both delicious AND healthy.
crispy-greenLightweight and long-lasting (no refrigeration necessary), the all-natural, Non-GMO Project-verified snack is ideal for Halloween, but also perfect for school lunches and extracurricular activities for kids (and parents) constantly on the go. There are NO skeletons in the closet here – Crispy Fruit has no cholesterol or fat, no added sugar, is free of additives and preservatives, is nut-free, Kosher certified and has a long shelf life. Crispy Fruit is available online and in retailers such as The Fresh Market, Harris Teeter, ShopRite, Safeway and selected Whole Foods Markets.

Life[style]: January

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Beauty, Life[style], Shopping

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Happy new year!  2015 is set-up to be one of the best years of my life.  Lots of HUGE life moments are on tap:  new baby, new house, new car, trading the downtown buzz for hill country living, and more.  I’m not really making a specific resolution for the upcoming year, just simply praying, staying positive & keeping my hopes up that all these big life changes go smoothly.  I’m feeling so blessed and fortunate to have just recently become a first time mom…it’s almost too much emotion to fathom.

Instead, I want to blog about new years resolutions in general and the small steps I’m working on to eventually create a larger-scale lifestyle change.  With a new baby to consider, health & wellness is resurfacing as a matter of importance in my household.  With new year’s resolutions, people tend to focus on diets but I want to focus on what I put ON my body as much as what I put IN my body.  Now, eating clean & healthy is always top-of-mind but very often, I pay little attention to the other ways harmful chemicals & icky junk can enter the body.  Luckily, my favorite place to shop for healthy food, Whole Foods Market, is also one of the best places to shop for healthy body products.  I did some exploratory product shopping in their Whole Body department over the weekend and found some tiny changes to make to my beauty routine in 2015:

1.  Continue using ‘natural’ deodorant:  Now, this is an old resolution that’s turned into a 2-year habit, but it’s one I’m compelled to share my experience with…  First, let me say that I live in a super-hot climate so if I can make it work in the sweat-inducing Texas heat, you can too.  I know it sounds scary, but I really encourage everyone to switch from daily applications of regular antiperspirant to an aluminum-free deodorant.  I mean, who really needs to shellac-shut their sweat glands everyday?  In the beginning, I kind-of felt like it took some time for my armpits to adjust to ‘breathing’ normally again.  Was there more sweat than ever or was it all in my self-conscious head?  Either way, winter is the perfect season to begin the transition.  There is all kind of scary research linking the chemicals in traditional antiperspirants with breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, and actually increased perspiration, so I’ll spare regurgitating the claims and instead just encourage ya to make the switch.  Skip the crystal/rock type (we don’t need to go THAT natural!) and try out my current fave, Every Man Jack.  I switched it up this time around with the Citrus flavor, but Sandalwood is their best scent — so subtle, sophisticated, and woodsy fresh.Every Man Jack deodorant at Whole Foods Market

2.  From the pits to the face:  Test out a natural foundation.  Don’t get it twisted:  I’ll NEVER give up my NARS Orgasam blush or my MAC eyeshadows — organic or not, there are just some beauty products I refuse to give up.  However, as that first layer resting up against the skin, I figure foundation is a good area consider switching up.  Of all the products I put on my face, foundation covers the most area & is more easily absorbed into pores.  This BB cream by Andalou Naturals is purely a shot in the dark — it was what I needed and on sale, so I went for it.  It sounds fun, though, utilizing fruit stem cells to renew, repair, and regenerate.  It’s GMO-free, harnesses the power of apple & grape stem cells, superfruit berries for antioxidants, and organic aloe for soothing hydration.  I’m excited to try it out!  Oh, and if anyone has any first-hand product recommendations in this category, please do share.Natural BB cream at Whole Foods Market

3.  Next, a product that covers the most square footage:  change up the body wash.  If we’re talking the importance of what goes on your body, there is nothing else that is exposed to more ground than your body wash, right?  This one by Seaweed Bath Co. smells divine in an oh-so-lifelike Lavender.  Basically landed on this one for the scent but it also boasts amazing ingredients like seaweed, coconut oil, neem oil, and spirulina.  Who knew SEAWEED (of all things!) is a powerful way to nourish skin?  And yeah, of course it’s a special specific type of seaweed that’s like, harvested by hand in Maine…typical Whole Foods, lol!Seaweed Body Wash at Whole Foods Market

Good luck working on & keeping up your new year’s resolutions, friends.  May you have a healthy, happy & whole 2015!

 

 

 

New year, new digs

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

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Happy New Year’s Eve, people!  What. a. year.  We moved to –and fell in love with– Austin, my husband graduated with his MBA from UNC, we traveled to India (and Ryan to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, & Guam), my Grandmother Bowers passed away, my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, and we learned we are becoming Aunt & Uncle to a little niece in March.  A year full of ups and downs making up the colorful canvas of life.  But, this post is about home, and moving, and change, and simply loving where you live.  Moving to Austin has been such a welcome change for us.  One of the things that’s made our move to Texas so splendid is where we live.  Upon moving from Missouri to Texas, we learned from previous real estate investment missteps to rent awhile before buying.  We decided to spend a year figuring out which neighborhoods fit our lifestyle, where we most like to hang out, and where we won’t have to spend our lives sitting in Austin traffic.  We were about to throw our hands up in disgust at the rental market when we talked our way into the leasing agent staying late and showing us the property at Gables Park Plaza.  This place has been perfect for our transition:  fun social events for residents, a sweet & oh-so-pretty concierge, and perfectly located on the southern edge of downtown –walking distance to West 6th St. bars, Whole Foods Market, and steps from the Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail.  The building amenities are fab, too:  a gym with a spectacular view of the lake, rooftop pool & grilling area, and a nice lounge with free coffee (you can bet my sleepybutt takes advantage of that one in the mornings!)  Most of all, we had the best little unit we could ask for:

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5th floor, 1200+ sq. ft., plus an outdoor living area with a lovely view of the water.  Lots of coffee was consumed watching the morning runners, rowers, & SUP’ers glide by, not to mention glasses of wine enjoyed in the evening, soaking in colorful Texas sunsets.  Here’s a quick snapshot I took of while sitting outside enjoying one such sunset:

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Well, as the year passed and mortgage rates continued to stay jaw-droppingly low, we casually began to revisit the options for home ownership again.  After about three months combing through what felt like every corner of South Austin, we finally found it:  a new construction townhome, good value at price per sq. ft., quality upgrades included at no additional cost, fun location in 78704’s SoLa, etc.  Well, just in time for the holidays, we received an email from our builder informing us that, due to lack of labor supply, closing would be pushed back from Feb. 15th to June 19th.  Delayed by FOUR months?!?  OMG.  We acted fast, scrambling to renew the contract on our current place –which we had previously opted-out of– only to find out that it had already been pre-leased.  Not surprised…it IS a great unit and we were sad to say goodbye to those sunset views over the lake.  Kinda bummed no longer have the flex space in my living room for a “reading nook,” too:

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The dread and frustration of knowing we would have to move out but not in to our new home was slightly alleviated by finding another unit in our building (well, nabbing the only thing available).  The move was relatively seamless & simple, stress-free as moving can get…it is still moving, after all.  But our new place is down on the ground level, with a back door leading out to the central courtyard, which is spotted by trees, little tables & chairs, and doggies saying hello.  …and little poops.  I swear, we are a dog-friendly building and I take pride in that but I’ll quickly become the poop police if I catch owner’s not picking up after their pooches.  We went down by 500 sq. ft. so it’s tight, but I suppose we can handle it for six months.  We love living here in this building so it’s all good.  The husband’s happy, too — the downsize means he’s spending less in rent for a few months.  And, change is good, especially at the new year.  That’s not to say it’s been an easy holiday season…moving three days before Christmas, hosting one family and flying to see another.  It’s left me sleepy, a little glad to have gotten past the holidays, and SO ready for the new year & all 2013 will bring.  Cheers!!!

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