Green Home Comforts, Storing and Leftovers

Yummy holiday left overs are everyone’s favorite but how do you keep them safe during travel? How does a mom make sure that those meals and snacks she worked on so lovingly stay in their place? Plastic containers can be so dull, most times they are the wrong size and especially not environmentally friendly. Introducing Wean Green. OK so I admit as an NYC girl I do not spend much time in my kitchen however I recently fell in love with these containers. Design is everything. Not only are they lock proof and perfectly sized, they are stylish. I can proudly display these on my kitchen counter, pack them my travel bag and even chose to take them to work without being self conscious about spills.

If you are a mom you can find these genius and chic containers at Pottery Barn Kids.

Designed by a mom

100% recyclable glass, which means reduction in landfill waste

Glass equals no plastic toxins

Designed to store, freeze, re-heat and serve

Wean Green donates to the planet

Holiday 2011 Nail Polish: Butter London Tart With a Heart, Fairy Lights and The Black Knight

Hopefully all the good, green beauty junkies got some great three-free (formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate and toluene) polishes from butter London this year! I’ve been sporting the British brand’s “Fairy Lights,” a liquid-metal lavender shade with a splash of “The Black Knight” on my ring fingers.

{From left, "Fairy Lights," "Tart With a Heart" and "The Black Knight." Photo Courtesy butter London}

The phrase “Fairy Lights” refers to the phrase that the English use to describe small white Christmas tree lights. While this polish is a cool shade of purple, it has a silver base that gives it a sheen and reflects light the way those fairy lights on the tree do.

“Tart With a Heart,” a gorgeous, pale pink party of glitter inspired by “the fallen woman with a kind soul,” has dashes of gray in the coloring to keep it from being too sweet. This is a great polish to use as a topcoat or to wear on its own.

Sultry with a touch of pizzazz, “The Black Knight” is an inky polish with flashes of pink, blue, black and silver glitter. Named for a beloved Monty Python character, this polish will stay on with the strength of armor — and add a little edginess to your look.

I love that butter London’s holiday 2011 collection isn’t heavy on the traditional holiday colors; that way, these $14 nail polishes aren’t season-centric and can carry you into the new year.

Glitter and sparkles aren’t going away anytime soon. For new year’s eve, which butter London holiday polish would you want to have on your fingers: the nice “Tart With a Heart,” or the naughty “The Black Knight?” Or will you play it safe with some purple “Fairy Lights?” Tell me what you think in the comments section.

Kim Wallace is Organic Spa’s Beauty Products Editor. Email her at kimw@organicspamagazine.com, or follow her on Twitter.

Happy & Enjoyable Holidays To You!!

May your home be filled with joy, laughter, baked goods, good food and peace this holiday season.

Travel Beauty – In Flight Must-Haves

Arriving at your destination after a long trip can be a drag on both your skin and hair. Keep these must- haves in your bag and staying beautiful plus refreshed will become an afterthought. What are your travel beauty essentials?

Hydrating and anti-redness sprays/mists are a fresh must in your toilettree travel kit. They provide a soothing feeling on both your face and neck, ridding your skin off anything unpleasant.

Ultra Calming Spray from Dermalogica

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist

Drink Water, always hydrate while traveling. Your skin loves H20 and deserves double if you’re treating yourself to an alcoholic drink mid flight.

What moisturizer is your skin craving right now? Remember to pack it. Weather can create unpredictable skin problems but a good moisturizer has the power to calm it right down.

Supreme Polypeptide Age Defense Cream from MyChelle works wonders lifting up both, your skin and spirits. This cream leaves you feeling refined and youthful almost instantly + it is vegetarian friendly and gluten free. It is especially soothing for dry skin.

A sleeping mask – Yes! They are cute and pretty but they also serve an important purpose; during your sleep block out the light and unnecessary distractions, then just relax.

The hair emergency life savers – dry shampoo & conditioner from Keratin Komplex. During travel and depending on your destination your hair can stress out almost as much as you can. A simple spray or application of loose powder in the form of a dry shampoo or conditioner is a way to ensure your hair stays in check.

You’ve been told to use a good eye cream. It might not always be needed but we sure are glad it’s there. Make sure it makes its way into your carry on. Both these options are refreshing, safe for sensitive skin and keep you looking rested.

H2O Plus Marine Calm restorative eye cream – uses a blend of Japanese Green tea, Paraguay tea and aloe vera

Jurlique herbal recovery eye cream helps you brighten, de-puff and refresh

Flying used to be chic and enjoyable, but today so many of us fly and hurry we forget that this is our time to let someone else do the work. Remember to pack an over sized scarf, no matter the material make sure it doubles as a comfortable blanket and you’ll feel right at home.

Detox Your Body with “Victorious Breath”

How many times have you been in a yoga class and the teacher tells you to start your Ujjayi breath? What is this breath all about? And why do I have to connect with my breath?

Ujjayi breath is a breathing technique used in yoga to heat and create moisture in the body.  Some say it is both energizing and relaxing.  Ujjayi breath is loosely translated from Sanskrit as “Victorious Breath”.  According to one of my teachers it is not so much as being victorious over an outside enemy but victorious over the chatter of the mind.

The constant chatter of our mind is an unfortunate condition for many in our society.  Our western minds are easily distracted and preoccupied with things in the past, like the last argument you had with your spouse or preoccupied with looking ahead to the future, like thinking about how much money you need to be making to retire. We are not able to concentrate in the present and be here right now!  Ujjayi breathing brings you back to the present. It connects your mind, body and soul.

Ujjayi breathing has many other benefits including: improving your focus, strengthening the lungs, detoxifying the body, reducing stress, and calming the mind.

How to do it

1. Come to a comfortable seated position and begin by taking long slow inhales and exhales.
2. Start by taking an inhale through the nose, hold up your hand in front of your mouth and exhale through your mouth like you are fogging up a mirror. Inhale the same way. Take another breath in through your nose and notice the constriction at the back of your throat as you try to create that fogging effect.
3. Continue to take an inhale through your nose, seal your lips and exhale through your nose as you constrict the back of your throat, like you did at step #2. You will notice a deep audible breath, that some describe as an oceanic breath or “Darth Vader” breath.
4. Continue to lengthen your inhalations and exhalations without strain and allow the sound of your breath to move through your body.

Let your breath be audible. This breathing technique helps remove enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from your lungs and toxic gases from your body. It’s also useful in exhaling stress and worries from your body. You can use “Victorious Breathing” in your yoga practice, before meditation or anytime you want to focus.

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.

Remember To Take Time Out for Relaxation