Music Monday - May - #3 - Trembling Hands

This weeks #MusicMonday I am featuring the song "Trembling Hands" by The Temper Trap. If this song doesn't make you feel something -- you might be dead inside. This song is AMAZING! Take a listen and tell me what you think in the comment section down below!

Friday Finds - Cold Lunch Collection - May 2014 - #2

I have been looking for warm weather lunch ideas for my husband and I while we are at work. Here are a few yummy looking recipes I have found this week!

1. Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
2. No-Mayo Egg Salad
3. Pretty Pasta Salad with No-Mayo
4. Bean and Cheese Salad
5. Mediterranean Panzaella
6. Baby Peas and Cheese Fittata Recipe

May Product Wishlist | 2014

1. Eco Tool - Skin Perfecting Brush - $7.99
2. bareMinerals - bareFace Foundation - "Bare Porcelain" - $29.00
3. Juice Beauty - Correcting Concealer - "Ivory" - $18.00
4. Mineral Fusion Nail Lacquer - "Pebble" - $7.99
5. CapriClear 100% Coconut Oil Spray - $16.99
6. benecos Maximum Volume Mascara - "Deep Black" - $16.50

Music Monday - May - #2 - HAIM

This weeks #MusicMonday pick is the album Days Are Gone by Haim. This album has been out since August 2013, but I think it is perfect for summer! This album is something fresh but familiar. It reminds me of a late 80's girl pop band without the harsh techno beats or hairband electric guitar sound.

Haim has also been compared to Fleetwood Mac, which reminded me of my childhood summers traveling with family. I feel like the best Fleetwood Mac comparison would be any songs which Christine McVie is lead vocalist. Speaking of Fleetwood Mac, Haim actually did a cover of Hold Me.

Despite any comparisons, I feel Haim has a refreshing sound in today music world. Some notable tracks from this album are:

• The Wire
• Forever
• Falling
• Don't Save Me
• If I Could Change Your Mind

In The News: Is Your Face Wash Harming The Environment?

As of late environmentalist are up in arms about the use of microbeads in popular personal care products (facial cleansers, facial scrubs and even toothpaste). These microbeads are essentially tiny bits of plastic that are being washed down our sinks and into our lakes and oceans. These manufactured bits of plastic are too small for water treatment plants to filter them out. Some scientists are saying more research needs to be done on the effects of microbeads on the ecosystem. However, others are citing previous studies on the effects of plastic materials on the environment.

Plastics are known to absorb toxins in the environment -- including pesticides. These plastic materials can be ingested by animals and as a result toxins can make there way into the food chain. To date five states are considering banning the sale of any product with microbeads. These states include -- New York, Illinois, Ohio, California and Minnesota.

Johnson & Johnson, the company behind Clean & Clear and Neutragina products, have announced they are no longer using microbeads in there products. There efforts to reformulate current products will not take full effect until 2017. Proctor & Gamble has made a similar promise.

To get onboard with this cause supporting the 5 Cyres group. Also, avoid using and purchasing products with microbeads by downloading the Beat the Microbead app for iPhone, Android and Windows.


Sources: 
Time Magazine
The New York Times

Music Monday - May - #1 - BASTILLE

Music Monday is my way of sharing the sounds I am currently obsessed with. I love finding new music and I hope you do too! For my first Music Monday I'm featuring Bastille, particularly the album Bad Blood. This album has been on repeat for a few months on my Spotify account -- I can't get enough!

A few notable tracks:

• Pompeii
• Bad Blood
• Things We Lost In The Fire
• Flaws

Honestly this whole album is great -- you can't go wrong with any of the songs!

Product Review: Badger Beauty Balm

Product Claims

• Intensive moisturizer for targeted spots, such as under-eye and stretch marks.

• Reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles.

• Powerful plant-based antioxidants support skin as it changes and evolves.

Restorative Beauty Care. Honor your beautifully evolving body with this spectacular beauty balm blend of restorative oils, and reveal your healthiest, most beautiful skin ever. Our Rose Oil is traditionally processed for the best quality: the blossoms are hand-picked before sunrise and distilled the very same day. It takes two and a half tons of fresh rose petals to make 16 ounces of this precious oil! Badger Bill developed this beauty balm at the request of his wife, Katie, who was looking for a natural botanical formula "to keep my skin healthy as I change and evolve!"

 This product also complies with Leaping Bunny standards for cruelty free products.

Ingredients

*Olea Europaea (Extra Virgin Olive) Oil, *Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), Essential Oils of *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), *Rosa Damascena (Rose Otto), & Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile), and CO₂ Extracts of *Rosa Canina (Rosehip), *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn), & *Calendula Officinalis (Calendula). * = Certified Organic

After becoming familiar with the Badger company, I trust Badger to use only the best organic ingredients for their products. To verify that, this Badger product received a EWG's Skin Deep rating of 1. (For those of you not familiar with this rating, a rating of 0-3 is considered low toxicity and deemed a more natural product.)

Price & Quantity

1oz - $13.99

For the amount you get you might be apprehensive to spend the money, but let me assure you that a little goes a long way! You could used this balm twice a day and still have the jar for months to come.

How to Use

Gently dab a little under eyes, on face, or anywhere on the body to keep your skin nourished and healthy. Ideal for dry and delicate skin, as well as stretch mark prevention.

The Verdict

I'm hard pressed to find anything Badger that I don't like! The Beauty Balm is my first experience with their Damascus Rose beauty line. I selected this product because after deciding to give up oil cleansing with Grapeseed Oil I needed some extra moisture in my skincare routine. Also, before I picked up the Beauty Balm I was desperate enough to use the Sleep Balm to smooth out my dry skin at night. While the Sleep Balm is not intended as a beauty product, it was safe to use on the face sooo... that's what I did. The Beauty Balm was a natural progression from there.

I have used the Beauty Balm for about three weeks now and I can say that I have been very impressed since day one. The scent is very nice if you like lavender, rose and chamomile. I'm not sure how much it smells like rose, but I still like the smell regardless. The texture of the Beauty Balm is more "creamy" than their other balms they have. However, it is not a cream. When warmed between the fingers it is easily smoothed across the skin. It usually requires a few applications to cover your whole face. TIP: I did discover that if you need a light layer before putting on makeup you can apply the with a clean damp sponge. 

I like this product, but I will probably use it along side one of their face oils in the future. The Beauty Balm is ideal as a night cream, under eye cream, and for applying longer lasting moisture to any rough patches of skin. I like using the Beauty Balm mainly for my acne patches that are still healing. It gave much needed moisture to area that are dry and flaky on my face without feeling heavy or caked on. The great thing about Badger is that this product is not only safe to use on your face, but other parts of your body (neck, hands, elbows, knees, stretch marks etc). This is really one of those "all-in-one" products.

I would recommend this product to all skin types, especially those with mature skin and dry skin. 

Friday Finds - May 2014 - #1

1. Recipe: I spent many summer breaks as a kid eating fist fulls of Otter Pops. Here is a recipe for making your own. Berry Lemonade and Mango Orange sound so good for a warm afternoon!
2. Organization: I am in the process of redoing my at home office. I love the idea of a giant post-it calendar. I used them for everything else! Get some more tips here.
3. Furniture: This side table is soooo eye catching and stylish! The fun pop of color give this modern design great personality! Check out this table in more detail here. 
4. DIY: Make your own woven rug! If I was feeling crafty, this is defiantly something I would try making! Rugs can be so expensive and finding the right colors for the room can be tiresome. Find more details here.
5. Art: I am defiantly a fan of impressionism. This impressionist watercolor is so pretty! I love the artists depiction of reflections in the water and their use of warm and cool colors. See the whole image here.
6. Clothing: I love the idea of this dress. It can be worn causally or dressed up fancy. The shape is relaxed and the lace detail is so eye catching. Check it out in more detail here.