{GIVEAWAY} Elysian Organics

I’m a good girl. I recycle, participate in a local food share, and creatively reuse. But there’s an itty bitty teensy weensy skeleton  in my closet. Not all of my beauty products are toxin free. 

Day at the Spa, $19.50

Lucky for me, I recently discovered the husband and wife team of Elysian Organics, who vow to help me {and you!} clean up our acts.  

Pumpkin Pie Spice Lotion, $8.50

In their own words: Elysian Organics is dedicated to offering you a wide variety of superior boutique & spa grade healing, handmade, certified organic, vegan, all-natural bath & beauty products for your entire family to cherish and enjoy. 

Mens Organic Moisturizing Soap, $4.50

We focus on what is healthy for you and your skin, and also good for the mind & spirit when we create each of our products. We want to give you healthier skin and a healthier outlook on life! 

Treat yourself and your family to the healthy goodness that is Elysian Organics. The friendly, reasonably-priced Etsy shop has everything you could possibly need for your skin's health and vitality — in addition to exquisite packaging.

"Enrich your life with a quality product and treat yourself well!"

Elysian Organics has generously offered a 3-pack sampler of their body butter to one lucky WelltoDoer!

Body Butter Sampler

FOR ENTRY:

Fan BOTH Elysian Organics and WelltoDo on Facebook, and leave a comment below letting us know you did so! 

Elysian Organics: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elysian-Organics/176251175767582

WelltoDo: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Well-to-Do/139741692720639

Contest is open Saturday, October 15th through Saturday, October 22nd.  Good luck!

Giveaway is now closed

xx WelltoDo

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For more green goodness, check out our {31 Days of Going Green} series HERE

{31 days of Going Green} Day 8: Got Cornmeal?

Got cornmeal? I do: 2 pounds, in fact. I purchased it earlier in the week to make homemade dry shampoo and figured I could bake some cornbread, too. Well, a large supply remains in my kitchen so, in an effort to fuel my DIY craze, I tracked down a few easy recipes that call for cornmeal. Check them out below and let me know what you think!

Happy DIYing!

xx WelltoDo

Craving more DIY beauty goodness? Then look no further than the rest of my {31 Days of Going Green} series!

Care for some simple, free artwork? Go see Creative Kristi — she has everything you'll need to accessorize your mantelpiece, wall or gifts!

Wait, there's more? Yes, 600+ additional themes here.

{31 Days of Going Green} Day 7: DIY Bronzer

Today's post is an easy DIY bronzer/blush tutorial. All you need is an empty compact case, some cinnamon and powdered sugar, your favorite essential oil, and 2 free minutes of time. 

First, find an empty compact case {previously eye shadow, blush or powder} and wash it out. Next, mix a little bit of cinnamon and powdered sugar together. Keep in mind that the more cinnamon you put in, the darker the bronzer will be. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil – this will help bond the mixture together. And voila: homemade bronzer/blush!

Here's a video {see above} with step-by-step directions should you have any questions or if you're a visual learner {like me}!

Unfortunately the lighting in my bathroom is poor on the video so you can't really see the color of my cheeks. Here's a {slightly awkward/weird} photo of me — up close so you can see the bronzer/blush.

xx WelltoDo

For additional green and DIY goodness, visit my entire 31 Days series here!

For fun, fabulous & *free* printables from Creative Kristi, click here. Print them out for instant artwork!

And for 600+ links to additional 31 Days themes, click here!

{31 Days of Going Green} Day 5: DIY Shaving Cream

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Welcome to the Well to Do barber shop! Here you will learn how to make your own shaving cream — giving you smoother, healthier legs.

Reduce the damage that shaving can do to your body with this simple cream made from melting glycerin soap and sunflower oil. You'll get all the benefits {yay!} without the chemicals {yuck}.

To start: gather together a bottle of sunflower oil, a bar of unscented glycerin soap, your double boiler, and a mug or bowl for the finished product. 

In your double boiler, melt chunks of the glycerin soap. Next, add the sunflower oil. Move the mixture into a mug or bowl once the chunks are melted. 

Easy, right? A simple way to say "thank you" to your legs. And your underarms. And, errr, whatever else you shave. 

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Same goes for the guys. This recipe is great for the face!

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P.S. How brilliant is this shaving foot rest? 
xx Well to Do

For additional DIY/green goodness {there's a whole series!}, click here!

For fun, fabulous & *free* printables from Creative Kristi, click here. Print them out and you'll have instant artwork!

And for 600+ links to additional 31 Days themes, click here!

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{31 Days of Going Green} Day 4: DIY Dry Shampoo

Want an easy, low-maintance way to keep your hair fresh and fabulous in between washings? Then try this DIY dry shampoo recipe! It's not only fun, but you can also feel good about cutting back on water and saving energy.

Here's what my hair looked like immediately after brushing out the shampoo. Though a little greasy, I loved how shiny and soft the shampoo made my hair feel. 

So there you have my first DIY project documented on camera. More to come this week!

xx WelltoDo

For the entire collection of posts in our {31 Days of Going Green} series, click here!

For some fun, fabulous & *free* printables from Creative Kristi, click here. Print them out for instant, simple artwork!

And for 600+ links to additional 31 Days themes, click here!

{31 Days of Going Green} Day 3: Priti, Priti

Ever wonder what goes into a bottle of nail polish remover? Well, the ingredients list is yucky. Dangerous, actually. So say goodbye to the highly flammable and potentially poisonous bottle hanging out in your bathroom cabinet and say hello to Priti's Soy Based Nail Polish Remover, an acetone free and organic non-toxic polish remover. 

In addition to being toxin free, Priti's Soy Based Nail Polish Remover is:

*100% biodegradable

*100% soy and corn based

*non-carcinogenic

*free of any petroleum ingredients

*derived from farm crops (supporting American farming)

*packaged in 100% recyclable glass bottles

The remover comes in 2 sizes {2 oz for $11.25 and 4 oz for $22.50} and is also offered in wipes form which is great for traveling. Available online here. 

Do your nails a favor and pick up a bottle!

xx WelltoDo

For the rest of the series, click here!

For Creative Kristi's free printables, click here!

{31 Days of Going Green} Day 2: DIY Pumpkin Face

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It's officially Autumn and we're in a pumpkin state of mind. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin coffee, and even pumpkin beer.  Sure, pumpkin is a staple of the season, but did you know it is also rich in Vitamin A which is great for your skin?


Beauty expert Erika Katz {author of Bonding Over Beauty} uses pumpkin in her DIY beauty regime because "{Vitamin A} is very healing and is essential to maintain and repair skin." Here are two of her DIY recipes {courtesy of allyou} below.

{Pumpkin face mask}
2 tsp canned pumpkin pureed
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp heavy whipping cream
Mix all ingredients and apply to face
Leave on for 10 min and rinse

{Pumpkin scrub}
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey

Care to take it up a notch by adding another ingredient to the mix? Check out brunch at saks' fabulous recipe for a Pumpkin and Papaya face mask.

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Enjoy, green beauties!

xx WelltoDo

For the rest of the series, click here!

For Creative Kristi's free printables, click here!

{GIVEAWAY} Kiss and Tell

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Our love for beauty products started at a young age. Sweet Bonne Bell was so colorful and tasty. Sadly, it was a downward spiral from there. Seems a majority of lip balm manufacturers not only skimp on the all-so-important moisturizing but they use ingredients such as silicone oil and salicylic acid that actively dry out our precious puckers, creating more need for their product.

Most commercial brands, including "medicated" lip balms, have a potentially toxic petroleum base used to hold moisture against the skin. Add aluminum salts, preservatives, artificial flavors to the equation and the answer is an ugly combo of chemicals.

But it doesn't stop there. As far as chapped lips go, additives like menthol, camphor, and phenol are used as counter-irritants to give lips a cool, soothing sensation as lip balm is applied. According to Paula Begoun, "The Cosmetics Cop" and author of The Beauty Bible, these ingredients are used "to make the consumer think something is happening." But she says, "If you want a cooling sensation, drink some cold water."

For our lips we choose Shaklee's Enfuselle Lip Treatment SPF 15. Simply put: it soothes and smoothes! "Drenched with vitamins C and E, calendula extract, and moisturizing plant oil," this nourishing lip treatment helps smooth the appearance of fine vertical lines while softening, firming, and protecting against the elements. Wear alone or under lipstick. Slather on as much as you want, as frequently as you want!

Think your kisser is the fairest in the land? Then tell us about your best kiss — person, location, date... whatever details you want. Comment below, on Facebook or on Twitter, and we'll pick TWO lucky winners to receive Enfuselle Lip Treatments!

Go on. Kiss and tell!

xx WelltoDo

WelltoDo's best kiss

Two Lights Lobster Shack, Cape Elizabeth, Maine—August, 2005

{31 Days of Going Green} Day 1: Glide & Glow Green

Making the switch to all-natural makeup is great for your skin, your health, the earth, and surprisingly easy on the budget!  The most cost-effective way to re-stock your beauty bag is by replacing your current products with green counterparts as they run out.

For starters, try a Mode Glide & Glow 3-in-1 Highlighter Stick. Price tag: $4.25. Glide & Glow is superblendable, lightweight, non-streaking, and contains 0% fragrance. Use as blush, lipstick or eye makeup, the organic ingredients and mineral pearlescents will give your skin a just-kissed healthy glow.

Surely you can find a shade that's just right for you! 

Inexpensive, natural, eco-friendly, and time-saving? Sounds like our kind of beauty.

xx WelltoDo

http://www.modecosmetics.com/

Click here for the series!

SHED HAPPENS

Welcome new friends... and old! We recently made some fabulous "green" radio with Deb Neuman on her Back to Business show along side Zeth from Central Street Farmhouse and Michael from Maple Landmark Woodcraft. Three cheers for Earth Day!

We've been busy getting ready for Spring—cleaning everything from our windows to our garages to our closets—so we thought we'd leave you with one of our most favorite posts, Shed Happens. Read on for more, and we hope you'll continually stop back in for our fun and fabulous tips, tricks, and giveaways!

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We tend to hoard—particularly when it comes to our clothes—although it's something Suz's gotten much better at now that she and her husband share a closet. A 2010 House Beautiful article about clearing out the clutter deeply inspired us. Julie Morgenstern asserts that personal change starts with your closet since it holds the clues to your past and future self. She also warns that the whole process can take a good four hours... so plan accordingly.

Here are five of our favorite tips:

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1. Begin by thinking on paper, which will help speed up and simplify the process: what do you love? When tossing items, refer to your list. When debating about an item, ask yourself: which is more valuable? The item or the cleared space?

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2. No one lets go of something without reaching for something else. Think of the overarching theme, of what sort of feeling in your life you want next (i.e. serenity, creativity, space, new fall fashions) so you can create the space for it. 

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3. Ask yourself these questions: Do I love it? Is it flattering? Is it the image I want to project? If it's a "yes" to all three, then it's a keeper. For the keepers: invest in matching wooden or padded hangers and quality containers.

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4. When you're 3/4 of the way through clearing your closet, you may begin to get overwhelmed by the space (What am I going to do without my stuff?) Remind yourself that you are who you are, not what you own. Get through the panic, and you'll experience calm and relief.

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5. Practice SHED. Separate the treasures, Heave the trash, Embrace your identity and connect to who you are without your stuff, and Drive forward.

By getting rid of outdated items, Julie Morgenstern says, you open yourself up to possibilities for the future. Remember: paring down your stuff is an important part of life, living green and going small, and will contribute to your overall happiness.

Go on and SHED. It happens!

xx S+S