With the sad and untimely deaths of Brad Renfro and Heath Ledger, it has really hit home to me the need to take better care of myself. I obviously didn’t know them personally but I just find it really sad and a waste of the precious gift that life is. I think it’s too easy to get swept up with the daily grind and the things you have to get done. What I really need to focus on is balance. The best thing I can do for my family is to take care of not only my physical health, but also my …read more

 
Origins Organics has a contest going where they want people to tell them how “green” they are. You can enter by submitting a photo, video or blog. Um…really? I’m sorry I just can’t get down with that. So the point of the contest is to nominate yourself for being totally awesome? I’m so wickedly Eco-conscious you should all look upon me and feel shamed for your lack of commitment to bettering our world. It’s a little, well narcissistic don’t you think? It reminds me of that episode of South Park where they all buy hybrid cars and move to San …read more

Her Natural Beauty gives us some Nature’s Fresh Wakeup Tips.
55 Secret Street shares her Secret Weapon: Kiss My Face Cold & Flu Bath & Showergel
Beauty 411 offers a bright spot for your nails with Solar Oil by Creative Nail Design.
Makeup Loves Me tells us about Lavera Organics Cosmetics Coming to the US.
Have a great weekend and happy reading!

It may just be my personality, but I hate it when something becomes so trendy that everyone has it. If I happen to discover something that I love, I get annoyed when the word spreads. Hmm…maybe I shouldn’t be telling you about this then. Okay, I will tell you but then I will have to kill you. Read on at your own discretion.
Alba products are pretty widely available these days. That’s reason enough for me to be leery but I tried their Very Emollient Body Lotion anyway the other day and they don’t lie. It is seriously emollient but what got me …read more

During the winter months it’s especially important to be diligent about washing your hands. The Purell craze is hard to resist but regular old hand washing with warm soapy water is better for you and more effective. I used to work with a woman who was originally from Siberia that would religiously wash her hands with Vodka she carried around in a little bottle. After handling all that “filzy, filzy money” it was a necessity. I won’t be carrying around a bottle of Vodka because, well I would drink it. However, I did find a recipe for making your own hand …read more

 
Today on TreeHugger there is an excerpt from a New York Times article about Burt’s Bees and it’s founder. Apparently Burt’s Bees was sold to Clorox in November but was actually sold originally years ago. Very interesting article, you should check it out. Personally I have been off of the Burt’s Bees bandwagon for a while. They have great marketing and are readily available almost everywhere but really most of their products are not natural and the ingredients list is purposely vague sometimes. Like, I want to know what kind of fragrance is used. The merger with Clorox makes their Bill for Setting …read more

In this month’s issue of Lucky Magazine, Sara Snow is featured in the Shop with the pros section. I love Lucky Magazine and have had a subscription (thanks to my lovely SIL) for years. The only thing that I don’t like about the magazine is the “work attire” they often feature. It’s like work attire for people that work at fashion magazines in NYC only. Leggings and Christian Louboutin’s aren’t cutting it in an insurance office in Oneonta, ya know. I digress.
Sara Snow from the Discovery Network’s Get Fresh gives the readers a peek at some of her favorite natural …read more

My personal guide when it comes to shopping for makeup and skincare products.
Dos

Always read the ingredient list. You can’t go based solely on what the product says it has in it. Be sure that you know what you are buying.
Natural beauty is better than anything you can get out of a tube. Buy makeup that will make you look like a better version of you; not someone else entirely.
Ask yourself if you really need to buy this product or if you could make something better, greener and cheaper at home.

Dont’s

Don’t buy into the hype. Everyone and their mama is jumping on the …read more

After an uneventful New Year’s Eve, my thoughts turn today to the year ahead. I’m not a resolution type of person but I do like to take stock each year and make a plan of action that I think I might be able to stick to. There’s power in numbers so I am encouraging anyone who is interested to join me. I’m going to try to be as conscious of my lifestyle choices as I am with my skincare. The first thing on my list would of course be the standard, lose some weight. I never pay attention to the …read more

Here’s to a happy, healthy coming year from Pretty by Nature. Everyone enjoy yourselves and drive safely!!