My Dream Thanksgiving would be outdoors!

I would love to have Thanksgiving outside with a beautiful table set up as the one pictured below. Cozy blankets, warm cider and all the Turkey Day Fixings!  Unfortunately we live in Minnesota and that is never going to happen. So I am going to have to bring the outdoors inside again this year. Pumpkins from the garden, herbs I have saved, some dried and some still hanging on from the mild weather we have been having and acorns and branches of course!

We are ready to start celebrating the start of the holiday season with our traditional favorites, bread stuffing with sausage, sage and chestnuts.  The famous green bean casserole, homegrown squash, cranberries, a huge bowl of potatoes with gravy and of course the Turkey! 


What are some of your families traditions you celebrate on Thanksgiving? Specific foods, putting up the tree for Christmas, serving others, or getting ready for the dreaded Black Friday and pouring over the ads and setting up your attack plan?

Leave a list in the comment section!

  

The Benefits of Fragrance Free Skin Care

If you stop in your local drug store and take a walk down the skin care aisle, there is a good chance that you will see a wide variety of fragrances being used in the different products.  Even if you look at natural products, there is a good chance that some sort of fragrance is being used, even if it is in the form of essential oils.  If fragrances are everywhere, what can be so bad about them?  Plenty.  Here is a look at some of the benefits of fragrance free skin care.

Healthier skin

While fragrances might make the product smell better while you are using it, they could be having a detrimental effect on your skin.  In traditional over the counter skin care products, fragrances are caused by a variety of perfumes and chemicals.  Unfortunately, many of these same chemicals are now being found to have long reaching side effects due to the buildup of toxins.  Some of the chemicals used in skin care products have been linked to serious conditions such as cancer.

Reduce redness and irritation

Do you have a problem with your skin being red, dry, and irritated?  There is a chance that your skin care products are to blame.  For people with sensitive skin, even mild and natural fragrances can be irritating.  Every day that you put the skin care product on, you are exposing your skin to these irritants.  Use the product on a regular basis, and your skin never gets a break, causing it to become inflamed.  In addition, your skin may develop blemishes or become dry and itchy.

Inhaled allergies

Another potential concern with fragrance skin care products is the effect of inhaling the fragrance.  Some people have sensitivities to scents, and smelling their skin care product all day could actually cause them to have a reaction.  While many people think of allergic reactions to inhalants as causing sneezing and a runny nose, allergies to fragrance skin care products can also lead to migraines and flu-like symptoms.

Use only as much as you want

One advantage to using fragrance free skin care products is that you can control the amount of fragrance that you use.  You might like the smell of lavender, but using it as a body wash, a lotion, and having it included in your favorite makeup might be a little overwhelming.  Or maybe your citrus hand soap does not go well with the cooling peppermint lotion that you like to use.  By choosing fragrance free skin care products, you get to control how much, when, and where you use a scent.

Good for the whole family

Another thing to consider when buying skin care products are exactly who will be using them.  It is not unusual for different family members to share the same bottle of body wash, particularly children.  However, your newborn infant’s sensitive skin may not like the harsh perfumes in your toddler’s bubble gum-scented skin care products.  By choosing fragrance free products, you know that the product is gentle enough for everyone in the family to use, regardless of age or skin type.

Mineral Makeup is your all weather, all season makeup!

Mineral makeup is great for beating the heat!


1.     Double as a sunscreen

You know that sun protection is crucial all year long, not just in the summer.  Besides the risk of burning fair skin, long term sun exposure starts to damage skin tissue, making it more prone to fine lines, wrinkles, and even age spots.  A natural mineral makeup foundation will double as a sunscreen.  Plus, it is light enough that you can wear blush and color without completely caking your face.  The zinc oxide in the natural mineral makeup gives you a natural protection of up to SPF 25.  If you are fair skinned, you might also consider wearing a sun protecting moisturizer under your natural mineral makeup for additional protection.

2.     Protect your lips

The skin on your lips is very sensitive, and therefore needs just as much sun protection as the rest of your face.  However, many women find that wearing sunscreen on their lips is not very comfortable or flattering.  Natural mineral makeup allows you to apply a light layer of color to your lips, and you still get to enjoy the benefits, including sun protection, that natural mineral makeup offers.

3.     Avoid the run

Many women are more active in warmer months, but we all have issues when playing outside all year long. When the weather is nice, allowing you to get outside to exercise, and play sports or just going for a walk too much running around will usually cause you to sweat and your makeup to run.
 

Thankfully, natural mineral makeup can help you look your best without worrying about your colors running or rubbing off.  The titanium dioxide included in natural mineral makeup is not absorbed in water, so you can wear it while swimming or sweating, and you will not lose the fresh-applied look that you started the day with.  This also means that you can wear natural mineral makeup for extended periods of time.  If you are going from the office to the theater, you do not need to worry about applying yet another set of makeup, as your natural mineral makeup supports you for hours to come. 

4.     Be made up – without looking like it

The hottest trend in makeup is to look like you don’t have any cosmetics on your face.  With traditional cosmetics, this effect can be difficult to achieve because you have to put more and more layers on as you strive to hide blemishes and other imperfections.  Natural mineral makeup, however, sits on the surface of the skin.  This means that it does not highlight fine lines and wrinkles, and it covers blemishes and imperfections with only a light layer or two.  Thus, you get the results you want in fewer applications – and with added health benefits to your skin. So get outside and look beautiful doing whatever you choose to do!