{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

{GIVEAWAY} Glide & Glow 3-in-1

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.

We're thrilled to announce that MODE has offered Glide & Glows {in Gusto — their most popular color} to FIVE lucky winners. 

Here's how to enter:

{Please leave a separate comment here on the blog for each action. If you're already a fan of WelltoDo on Facebook then just let us know, thanks!}

MANDATORY

1)  Fan MODE on Facebook

2) Fan WelltoDo on Facebook

EXTRA ENTRIES

1) For 1 extra entry: Follow MODE on Twitter {@MODEcosmetics}

2) For 1 extra entry: Follow WelltoDo on Twitter {@WellToDoYou}

Contest is open Friday, October 14th through Saturday, October 22nd. Good luck!

Giveaway is now closed

xx WelltoDo

{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!

{THE ART OF SHAVING} GIFTS FOR MEN

Photo credit: Ashley Erin Photography

My husband marches to the beat of his own {alpha male} drummer: slippers that look like loafers, epic novels, and a triple-colored beard that he can grow in a matter of days. Possibly hours.


He spends so much time in the bathroom that we refer to it as his office. But I should cut him some slack: the bathroom has a lock on it {i.e. me and the kids can't get in}, and with facial hair growth similar to a Chia Pet, he spends a good amount of time shaving. Every. Day. 

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A man this ritual-friendly deserves a gift every once in a while. Which is why I look no further than The Art of Shaving for my go-to gift shop! With gifts for men galore, I'm in hard-to-shop-for heaven.

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Since part of his daily ritual involves a 50-page ESPN Magazine, surely he would enjoy another good read like {The Art of Shaving} book. "From choosing the right tools to using the right techniques, from skin care to nicks-and-cuts repairs, The Art of Shaving is the definitive guide."

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The most impressive product, though — sure to knock my husband's slippers off — is the {ProGlide Power Shave kit}. Sleek, offers the latest technology, includes {The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave}, and is packaged elegantly.

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And lastly, because of his sensitive skin and dull razors, he's prone to ingrown hairs. The {Ingrown Hairs Kit} looks like the perfect remedy!

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Remedy and ritual: two services The Art of Shaving has been offering its customers circa 1996. 


Since "a man shaves more than 20,000 times in his lifetime, how he shaves is essential to attaining smooth, healthy skin." 


So, respect your man's ritual {I do!} and shop The Art of Shaving. 

xx WelltoDo

Disclaimer: I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog about gift ideas for men and was compensated.  However, all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Website: http://www.theartofshaving.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theartofshaving

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/theartofshaving

{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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CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

You’d now never touch a non-safe sunscreen, but that lotion you slather on twice a day is also full of chemicals too long to pronounce. Clean up your act with Enfuselle Nutrition Therapy Skin Care from Shaklee! 


The same nutrients that help keep you healthy on the inside also play a huge role in how you look on the outside. So it only makes sense that your skin care comes not from a cosmetics company, but from a natural nutrition company. 

Three steps every morning and/or evening will keep your skin healthy looking and nourished: Cleanse, Neutralize and Repair. 3 minutes. 3 steps. Simple, simple, simple. 

Step 1: CLEANSE - Wash away impurities and brighten your skin tone. 

Hydrating Cleansing Lotion $17.10 MN/$20.10 SRP or 
Purifying Cleansing Gel $17.10 MN/$20.10 SRP

Step 2: NEUTRALIZE - Neutralize free radicals from the iron in tap water.

Hydrating Toner $13.35 MN/$15.70 SRP or 
Purifying Toner $13.35 MN/$15.70 SRP

Step 3: REPAIR - Reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and help prevent future damage. 

Balancing Moisturizer $21.00 MN/24.70 SRP or 

Hydrating Moisturizer $21.00 MN/24.70 SRP and/or 

Time Repair A.M. SPF 15 $47.65 MN/$56.05 SRP, C&E Repair P.M. $47.65 MN/$56.05 SRP

With Shaklee, you can be sure you’re getting the best products: Nutrient based... 7 patents... pH balanced... Always hypoallergenic... Never animal tested. Formulated without: Parabens... FD&C or D&C dyes... Propylene glycol... Animal products or by-products... Mineral oils or petrolatum... Sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate... Phthalates... 1,4-dioxane.

The answer to beautiful skin is Nutrition Therapy Skin Care. The question is, what are you doing for the next 28 days? Enfuselle not only most likely costs less than what you're using right now, but it will also most definitely last longer. It works or your money back. Now what cosmetics company will offer you that deal?

Shaklee believes healthy isn’t just a feeling. It’s something that shows.

xx S+S


Images courtesy of Shaklee

GODDESS FROM GREENE

The word goddess gets thrown around way too lightly these days. But before it got linked up with self-proclaimed inner and domestic goddess bloggers, the word meant something. Tempest-stirring power. Ship-launching beauty. The ability to wear a white toga fashionably post-Labor Day.

One person who deserves the title? Our dear friend Erika from - we kid you not - Greene, Maine. Not only are we in awe of her skin (it sparkles from across the room), but her beauty regime is heroic. To kick-off well-to-do's three week series on green beauty we rounded up Erika’s top tips on how to save your skin and the environment, no matter what type of earth-loving goddess you are.

GET EDUCATED. Start reading the ingredients labels of your beauty products - shampoos, conditioners, body washes, deodorants and skin care products. If they’re packed with these chemicals - toss ‘em!

THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER. Buy green beauty alternatives, but be careful. Sometimes products labeled “green” and “organic” are still packed with synthetics. Julie Gabriel as lots of specific recommendations in “The Green Beauty Guide”.

MAKE YOUR OWN. Polish your body to a healthly glow like Erika’s and moisturize it to softness at the same time with an easy DIY sugar body scrub. You will need plain white or brown sugar and organic extra virgin olive oil. In a bowl or a jar with a lid (that way you can save the rest for next time), pour the sugar and add the olive oil. The mixture should have a mushy consistency and not be too oily or grainy. Rinse thoroughly in the shower. The sugar will remove dead skin cells and the olive oil will nourish your skin keeping it moisturized. Erika, who has very sensitive skin, swears by the scrub as an exfoliant as well as a shaving cream (note: don't shave with the scrub; shave after you rinse it off).

KEEP IT SIMPLE. When looking for green beauty products, consider simple solutions like using coconut oil on your skin instead of mineral-oil based body creams. The health benefits of coconut oil include (but apparently not limited to!) hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, dental care and bone strength. Yea, A LOT.

Coconut oil as hair care: Coconut oil can be natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing a shiny complexion. Erika applies coconut oil to a pony tail about 20 minutes before showering and then rinses it out.

Coconut oil as skin care: Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin - a safe solution for preventing dryness. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

USE BAR SOAP. By dissolving entirely, bar soaps like Shaklee's Meadow Blend Soap-Free Cleansing Bar cause less junk at the landfill.

SAY SO LONG TO SYNTHETIC PERFUMES. Scented products often have the word fragrance on the ingredients list. But a fragrance can actually be dozens of synthetic ingredients, possibly including petrochemicals. FYI: companies aren't required to disclose specifics. Spelled-out ingredient lists, such as those on Aubrey Organics Eau De Parfums and Ajne Natural Fragrances ensure you know what's going on your skin.

WEAR SUNSCREEN. Always. Lots of it. Slather it on. And choose oxybenzone- and Vitamin A-free from thinkbaby or Shaklee.

USE MINERAL MAKEUP. We love a good tease... more on this next Monday!

With Erika’s tips, you’ll be raising environmental consciousness without ever lowering your standards. How green goddess of you.

xx S+S

Coming up Wednesday: More tips from Erika and - of course! - Shaklee skin care solutions.

Images courtesy of John Speirs/Erika Williams, Michelle Phan, Organic Facts, thinkbaby, Ajne Natural Fragrance and Shaklee.

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