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	<title>Pink Moon Daily</title>
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		<title>Late to the party</title>
		<link>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/09/late-to-the-party.html</link>
		<comments>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/09/late-to-the-party.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2014 22:08:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pinkmoondaily.com/?p=3311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>{You try telling a six year-old that fedoras are no longer a thing. I guarantee she&#8217;ll be wearing that hat until they come back around. If I&#8217;m destined to always be late to the party, Emerson will show up early and eventually wear out her welcome. We are different that way.} That&#8217;s where I often find myself. Several months or even few years behind the crowd. Not in all things, mind you. I can thank my parents for instilling an appreciation for dark chocolate and a perfect cup of home brewed drip coffee at an [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/09/late-to-the-party.html">Late to the party</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/09/late-to-the-party.html/img_5283" rel="attachment wp-att-3315"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3315" alt="IMG_5283" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_5283-640x426.jpg" width="640" height="426" /></a></p>
<p><em>{You try telling a six year-old that fedoras are no longer a thing. I guarantee she&#8217;ll be wearing that hat until they come back around. If I&#8217;m destined to always be late to the party, Emerson will show up early and eventually wear out her welcome. We are different that way.}</em></p>
<p>That&#8217;s where I often find myself. Several months or even few years behind the crowd. Not in all things, mind you. I can thank my parents for instilling an appreciation for dark chocolate and a perfect cup of home brewed drip coffee at an early age, my grandmother and great aunt for a lifelong love of antique stores and my stepmom for an obsession with depression glass and costume jewelry. Like something long enough and it&#8217;s bound to pop up on Pinterest, right? See also cake, rainbows, Lionel Ritchie and the Muppets. It&#8217;s pretty much all 1986 all the time where I live.</p>
<p>But, when it comes to media I&#8217;m reliably several seasons behind. You all have been downloading podcasts for years, right? Yeah, I just discovered Marc Maron three months ago. I&#8217;ve been depending on mainstream, old-school programming for years. What&#8217;s on the radio or TV right now is what I&#8217;m likely to focus on. My TV is stuck on Bravo so I surround myself with Real Housewives and super douche real estate agents. I&#8217;m not proud. My car radio is programed to my local NPR station, but I only seem to listen in on my weekly grocery and Target run.</p>
<p>Turns out, it&#8217;s 2014 and most everything I&#8217;m interested in consuming is available ON DEMAND. Did I mention I live in the Silicon Valley epicenter and by all accounts should know better? In that vain, here&#8217;s a round up of a few TV shows, podcasts and creatives endeavors infiltrating my world of late.</p>
<p><a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/scandal" target="_blank">Scandal</a>. For crying out loud, people. Why am I just learning about this now? My husband and I have been living and breathing Olivia and Fitz for the past four weeks and we are currently white knuckling the countdown to season 4 on September 25. This show is a serious problem for me. Grey&#8217;s Anatomy completely passed me by and I&#8217;ve never seen even a second of Private Practice. But Scandal has rendered me nothing short of a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722274/" target="_blank">Shonda Rhimes</a> cat toy. I get it and I surrender. Let&#8217;s all take a moment to appreciate her impeccable casting, story telling and generally creative genius. Highly recommend you Netflix this and start from the very beginning.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wtfpod.com" target="_blank">WTF Podcast</a> (especially the <a href="http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_479_-_lena_dunham" target="_blank">Lena Dunham interview</a>)</p>
<p>Amy Poehler and her <a href="http://amysmartgirls.com" target="_blank">Smart Girls</a> movement. Also, this <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mrloganrhoades/watch-amy-poehler-perfectly-take-down-male-privilege-in-one#7jsrdq" target="_blank">response</a> to men feeling pressured to be all things all the time. Spot on.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174030515/making-mistakes" target="_blank">Ted Radio Hour</a>. All of it. Every single one. Can&#8217;t go wrong here.</p>
<p>Is there anything else you&#8217;ve been holding out on me, internet? Anything I&#8217;ll smack myself six months from now for not tuning in to? Secrets do not make friends. Spill &#8216;em.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/09/late-to-the-party.html">Late to the party</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Fight when the time is right</title>
		<link>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/fight-when-the-time-is-right.html</link>
		<comments>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/fight-when-the-time-is-right.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:26:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pinkmoondaily.com/?p=3299</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Emerson started 1st grade a couple of weeks ago and the transition has been rough. Mostly for me. She&#8217;s been rolling with the new teacher, new classroom, crush of humanity that is her public school with the ease of any six year old, who&#8217;s sole focus in life is, whatever happens to be directly in front of her. What&#8217;s presented to her is all she knows and she&#8217;s remarkably cool with it. Her mother, on the other hand, is up at night worrying about unmanageable class sizes, hungry children, slashed school budgets and the lack [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/fight-when-the-time-is-right.html">Fight when the time is right</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/fight-when-the-time-is-right.html/img_0091" rel="attachment wp-att-3300"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3300" alt="IMG_0091" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_0091-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>Emerson started 1st grade a couple of weeks ago and the transition has been rough. Mostly for me. She&#8217;s been rolling with the new teacher, new classroom, crush of humanity that is her public school with the ease of any six year old, who&#8217;s sole focus in life is, whatever happens to be directly in front of her. What&#8217;s presented to her is all she knows and she&#8217;s remarkably cool with it.</p>
<p>Her mother, on the other hand, is up at night worrying about unmanageable class sizes, hungry children, slashed school budgets and the lack of emotional intelligence education. I fight my own anxieties on a daily basis just to navigate the massive crowds at drop off. Then I face the reality of volunteering in a classroom with sweet children who are so wildly unprepared for learning that I want to roll up in a tight ball, rather than face my own writing deadlines and home responsibilities when I return from my weekly two-hour commitment. I&#8217;m astonished by my own daughter&#8217;s privilege as it compares to her classmates who are struggling with basic phonetics, the alphabet and even writing their own first names.</p>
<p>Last year, I made a conscious decision not to complain or rock the boat at school. I volunteered at every opportunity, gave money, time and any relative talent to the cause of kindergarten. Countless art projects were prepped, seeds were planted alongside tiny hands, class parties were planned and folders were stuffed. Every moment I could give soothed my heavy heart &#8211; the constant ache I felt for Emerson&#8217;s classmates who were not getting the kind of support we afford our child. Our good fortune and ability to make up for what a public school education could provide often kept me from demanding more, better or different for my own daughter. She didn&#8217;t require extra help with academics, but I learned that she is sensitive to her physical environment and responds well to clear rules lead by a nurturing example. She would need something different this year.</p>
<p>Now, I am by nature not a boat rocker. I try not to be a complainer. I&#8217;m a helper. I&#8217;d rather get my hands dirty with the fixing than try to shake things up. But this transition hit me on a gut level. I could not brush off the <em>off</em> feeling I was getting in her new classroom. I talked with friends, fellow moms and a couple trusted resources at her school about my discomfort. I sat with my feelings. Weighed the pros and cons of pushing for something different and finally requested a change.</p>
<p>This week, she moved to a new classroom and the skies opened up, clouds parted, birds chirped and the sun shined on us. The difference in her attitude (and my heart) is felt by all. I trust that she would have been &#8220;fine&#8221; in her original classroom. But fine is not always acceptable. We both needed a chance to thrive and after attending back-to-school night last night I&#8217;m confident she&#8217;s going to be given every opportunity to grow emotionally with this new teacher &#8211; which was my biggest concern. It&#8217;s a better fit for her (and for me) and we needed that.</p>
<p>Have you ever made a big decision based on a gut feeling? Truly trusted your inner guide? I think we often work with intuition without actually calling it that. However, since reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wise-Child-Spiritual-Nurturing-Intuition-ebook/dp/B003FCVEBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1395363096&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=The+Wise+Child" target="_blank">The Wise Child</a> I&#8217;ve been really focused on my own intuition. The author talks about boosting children&#8217;s innate connection to their inner voice &#8211; that voice we are all born with, but gets quieted by our culture of distraction.</p>
<p>I really felt the effects of what I had been reading all summer in these past two weeks. I felt so relieved to know I could act on a feeling without being weighed down by emotions. The whole enterprise felt at once magical and yet, completely rational. I think the difference was realizing that I could make a change and ask for help from a place of power, rather than fear. And realizing that seeing my daughter thrive doesn&#8217;t come at the cost of another child&#8217;s opportunity. Big learnings happening for this mama.</p>
<p>P.S. If you&#8217;re buying supplies for your kids&#8217; teachers this year, consider replacing their supply of hand sanitizer with a <a href="http://www.allparenting.com/my-family/articles/970291/replace-your-hand-sanitizer-with-a-nontoxic-version" target="_blank">nontoxic version</a>. We&#8217;d all be so much better off eliminating triclosan from our lives. I shared a round up of my favorites on <a href="http://www.allparenting.com/my-family/articles/970291/replace-your-hand-sanitizer-with-a-nontoxic-version" target="_blank">All Parenting</a> a few months back and it&#8217;s a great time to spread the news with back to school shopping well underway.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/fight-when-the-time-is-right.html">Fight when the time is right</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>My daily cup of sad</title>
		<link>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/my-daily-cup-of-sad.html</link>
		<comments>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/my-daily-cup-of-sad.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2014 19:17:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pinkmoondaily.com/?p=3289</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>There it is. Decaf. My new normal. Accept nothing about my new decaffeinated life feels normal. Since changing my diet and lifestyle last year I&#8217;ve given up most grains and sugars (Save for birthday cake. All bets are off when buttercream is involved), I hardly drink even a sip of wine and for crying out loud I&#8217;ve replaced pasta night with zucchini noodles. My last and utterly delightful vice was coffee. Sweet nectar of the gods in my cup each and every morning, plus soul satisfying cup of green tea in the afternoon. I wrote [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/my-daily-cup-of-sad.html">My daily cup of sad</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/my-daily-cup-of-sad.html/img_1540" rel="attachment wp-att-3290"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3290" alt="IMG_1540" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_1540-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>There it is. Decaf. My new normal.</p>
<p>Accept nothing about my new decaffeinated life feels normal. Since <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2013/12/food-heals-duh.html" target="_blank">changing my diet and lifestyle</a> last year I&#8217;ve given up most grains and sugars (Save for birthday cake. All bets are off when buttercream is involved), I hardly drink even a sip of wine and for crying out loud I&#8217;ve replaced pasta night with zucchini noodles. My last and utterly delightful vice was coffee. Sweet nectar of the gods in my cup each and every morning, plus soul satisfying cup of green tea in the afternoon. I wrote about my beloved <a href="http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/970331/bullet-proof-coffee" target="_blank">butter coffee</a> a few months ago. My daily buzz was a bright spot on my every day.</p>
<p>And then I stopped sleeping. Over the past few months I&#8217;ve experienced about a couple dozen sleepless nights. It&#8217;s a horrifying new occurrence for me as sleeping has always been my gift. For 40 years I&#8217;ve successfully fallen asleep easily and slept hard for as long as is socially acceptable. I could nap at your house, sleep on a plane and dream deeply in any hotel. Now I lay awake thinking about ALL THE THINGS and nothing at all for hours. I&#8217;ve relegated my cell phone, iPad and laptop to only daylight hours and I&#8217;ve tried hot baths, massage, lavender oil, restorative yoga and Advil PM. That last experiment was an exercise in crazy-making on a whole other level and I will never take another sleep aid again.</p>
<p>I blame hormones. Or changing hormones. And it turns out hormones hate caffeine (and alcohol, sugar and everything else that is worth waking up for, assuming you ever fall asleep). So I&#8217;m switching to decaf with a splash of caffeine to keep me livable. But it makes me sad. Just shopping the decaf section of fresh beans makes me stabby and resentful. Of course, lack of sleep could have something to do with my overall mood. I&#8217;m sure hoping the change will bring about some sort of hormonal balance and regular sleep sometime very soon.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m also re-reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hormone-Cure-Energized-Naturally/dp/1451666950/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1408388532&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+hormone+cure" target="_blank">The Hormone Cure</a> by Dr. Sara Gottfried for the 400th time. It&#8217;s fascinating and full of valuable information about women&#8217;s hormones and how they change throughout our lives. If you&#8217;re a woman (or a man who loves a woman) between the ages of say, 35-60 I highly recommend checking out this book. I love that her recommendations start with holistic lifestyle adjustments, rather than jumping straight to meds. Her blog is also quite interesting. I loved her recent post on the benefits of<a href="http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/injured-stressed-out-try-yin-yoga/" target="_blank"> yin yoga</a>, a practice I started last year and cannot get enough of.</p>
<p>O.k. then. I&#8217;m off to brew a cup of herbal tea with a side of bitter.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/my-daily-cup-of-sad.html">My daily cup of sad</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Back at it</title>
		<link>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html</link>
		<comments>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2014 17:48:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Posts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pinkmoondaily.com/?p=3276</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The past few months have been a whirlwind of life. Career shifts, a Kindergarten graduation and a new and exciting project for my family that has hovered over our waking hours since last fall. I caught myself telling someone recently that I&#8217;m &#8220;about to come up for air&#8221; or maybe I was &#8220;about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.&#8221; Some terribly overused analogy for &#8220;I&#8217;ve been so busy, but I swear I&#8217;m getting my act together soon!&#8221; The entire exchange stuck with me like a pit in my stomach. I don&#8217;t [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html">Back at it</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The past few months have been a whirlwind of life. Career shifts, a Kindergarten graduation and a new and exciting project for my family that has hovered over our waking hours since last fall. I caught myself telling someone recently that I&#8217;m &#8220;about to come up for air&#8221; or maybe I was &#8220;about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.&#8221; Some terribly overused analogy for &#8220;I&#8217;ve been so busy, but I swear I&#8217;m getting my act together soon!&#8221;</p>
<p>The entire exchange stuck with me like a pit in my stomach. I don&#8217;t want to be that person anymore. You know the one. You ask her how she&#8217;s been and the response is heavy with stuff. And her stuff is really no different than yours or mine or your neighbors&#8217; and none of it&#8217;s more important. So there&#8217;s that.</p>
<p>In light of all that, here are a few things that have been keeping me so busy lately. I&#8217;m writing at <a href="http://www.allparenting.com" target="_blank">All Parenting</a> each month. Since California seems to be experiencing what feels like a lifelong heatwave I&#8217;ve been brewing up my favorite <a href="http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/971423/lemonade-detox-recipe" target="_blank">ginger-mint-lemon elixir</a> on a daily basis. So good over ice (even better with a splash of vodka.) I shared my version of Fig &amp; Olive&#8217;s <a href="http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/970759/recreate-the-famed-fig-olive-salad" target="_blank">signature salad</a>. It&#8217;s the perfect summer meal.  I had the <a href="http://www.allparenting.com/my-family/articles/970587/forget-stranger-danger-keep-kids-safe" target="_blank">anti-stranger danger talk</a> with Emerson with some guidance from <a href="http://www.themotherco.com" target="_blank">The Mother Company</a>. Can&#8217;t recommend their products enough.</p>
<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html/img_0995" rel="attachment wp-att-3283"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3283" alt="IMG_0995" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_0995-640x506.jpg" width="640" height="506" /></a></p>
<p>Last month, I spent seven blissful days on Kauai with three of my closest girlfriends. We hiked, kayaked, swam with turtles and generally relaxed in honor of our 40th birthdays. It was nothing short of spectacular. Kind of like this sunrise over Hanalai. What is it about a good sunrise that feels so life-affirming? I think it&#8217;s the overwhelming sense of hope and potential in the start of a new day. This one, snapped on our way to hike the famed Na Pali coast trail will go down in history as one of the best for me.</p>
<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html/img_0782" rel="attachment wp-att-3280"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3280" alt="IMG_0782" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_0782-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>A while back I made a return visit to the <a href="http://vinnietortorich.com/2014/04/1-1-estelle-hayes/" target="_blank">Angriest Trainer podcast</a>. This time <a href="http://annavocino.com" target="_blank">Anna Vocino</a> and I went one-on-one talking clean personal care products and, of course, the benefits of avoiding sugars and grains in our daily life. It was such fun. I&#8217;d love it if you would <a href="http://vinnietortorich.com/2014/04/1-1-estelle-hayes/" target="_blank">give it a listen</a>. I&#8217;m also loving Anna&#8217;s gluten-free blog as a reliable resource for delicious grain and sugar-free recipes. The <a href="http://glutenfreeanna.com" target="_blank">mexican chocolate pot de creme</a> is next on my must-make list.</p>
<p>And while we&#8217;re on the subject of food choices I have to share my favorite weekly dinner item &#8211; <a href="http://againstallgrain.com/2012/07/30/zucchini-noodles/" target="_blank">zucchini noodles</a>. They are a fantastic vessel for sauces of all sorts. We&#8217;ve reinstated pasta night at our house and rotate marinara, pesto and olive oil with mushrooms and olives for variety. I can officially say that I do not miss traditional pasta. Seriously, get a veggie spiralizer and change your life for the better. No more carb hangovers in the morning. Also, <a href="http://againstallgrain.com" target="_blank">Against All Grain</a> is another super resource for healthy recipes.</p>
<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html/img_0941" rel="attachment wp-att-3281"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3281" alt="IMG_0941" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_0941-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>And finally, the big event that has been hovering over my family&#8217;s life like a constant companion is <a href="http://www.techmanity.com" target="_blank">Techmanity</a>. My husband&#8217;s baby, his brainchild, passion project, life&#8217;s work. It&#8217;s big and I&#8217;m so excited to be part of it and watch it unfold into the great event it is meant to be. <a href="http://www.techmanity.com/concerts/" target="_blank">Music</a>, culture and technology will converge in San Jose on October 1 &amp; 2. <a href="http://www.techmanity.com/speakers/" target="_blank">Speakers</a> are being added every day and Weezer (among other amazing bands) will be playing. It would mean the world to me if you would check it out and consider giving us some <a href="https://twitter.com/Techmanity" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TechmanityConference" target="_blank">Facebook</a> love. The first year of any event like this is an uphill battle and we appreciate all the feedback and support.</p>
<p><iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/88553009" height="281" width="500" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/88553009">Welcome to Techmanity</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/modernvigilante">the Modern Vigilante.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/08/back-at-it.html">Back at it</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>On 40 and winging it</title>
		<link>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/03/on-40.html</link>
		<comments>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/03/on-40.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:15:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>I recently turned 40 and like any good narcissistic Gen x-er I feel as though all the world is turning 40 with me. Every where I turn there are books, op-eds, blog posts, TV shows and films about this wondrous new chapter in life. It&#8217;s like we invented it. Which makes sense if you consider that our parents perfected the mid-life crisis, so maybe we can lay claim to the anti-crisis. Most days, I feel so terribly stable and (almost) happy, but there is also an overwhelming sense of relief that I can&#8217;t seem to [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/03/on-40.html">On 40 and winging it</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/03/on-40.html/birthday-cake" rel="attachment wp-att-3265"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3265" alt="Birthday cake" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Birthday-cake-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>I recently turned 40 and like any good narcissistic Gen x-er I feel as though <em>all the world is turning 40 with me</em>. Every where I turn there are books, op-eds, blog posts, TV shows and films about this wondrous new chapter in life. It&#8217;s like we invented it. Which makes sense if you consider that our parents perfected the mid-life crisis, so maybe we can lay claim to the anti-crisis. Most days, I feel so terribly stable and (almost) happy, but there is also an overwhelming sense of relief that I can&#8217;t seem to shake. I suspect the following revelation has a little something to do with it.</p>
<p><em>&#8220;There are no grown-ups. We suspect this when we are younger, but can confirm it only once we are the ones writing books and attending parent-teacher conferences. Everyone is winging it, some just do it more confidently.&#8221; &#8211; Pamela Druckerman</em></p>
<p>EVERYONE IS WINGING IT. Truth bomb if there ever was one.</p>
<p>This <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/opinion/sunday/what-you-learn-in-your-40s.html?_r=1" target="_blank">link</a> to Druckerman&#8217;s delightful New York Times opinion piece via <a href="http://whoorl.com/" target="_blank">Whoorl</a> could not be more spot on. Part of me wishes I had understood that passage in my 20s &#8211; when I was mastering the art of self-hatred and comparison. But something tells me some lessons simply aren&#8217;t learnable until you&#8217;ve lived a little.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m so thrilled to be here, at this stage in life. I remember at 18 thinking that I probably wouldn&#8217;t live to be 40. Which sounds pretty morbid as I type it, but it&#8217;s true. I had no vision for anything past my mid-20s and just couldn&#8217;t really imagine any path to grown-uphood. And now I realize there is no path. We&#8217;re all just winging it &#8211; together.</p>
<p>So, I&#8217;m keeping a few things I loved from childhood, like my collection of porcelain figurines that graced my birthday cakes and ditching the crap that never worked in the first place. Broken assumptions that everyone else had it figured out and I would never quite catch up. Here&#8217;s to finally getting it. Happy day, my loves.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/03/on-40.html">On 40 and winging it</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: chocolate</title>
		<link>http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-chocolate.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Feb 2014 20:02:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>I love nothing more than a bite (or three) of high quality, dark chocolate at the end of the day. I&#8217;m happy to spend a little more on a product free from preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. Once you taste good quality chocolate you won&#8217;t even bother with the junk your kids come home with &#8211; no thanks to that jumbo bag of miniatures. Total waste of time. Sometimes I get really dirty and  scoop a spoonful of peanut butter on to my bites. It&#8217;s such a reliable happy maker. I&#8217;ve rounded up my favorite [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-chocolate.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: chocolate</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-chocolate.html/clean-chocolate" rel="attachment wp-att-3255"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3255" alt="clean chocolate" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/clean-chocolate-640x478.jpg" width="640" height="478" /></a></p>
<p>I love nothing more than a bite (or three) of high quality, dark chocolate at the end of the day. I&#8217;m happy to spend a little more on a product free from preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. Once you taste good quality chocolate you won&#8217;t even bother with the junk your kids come home with &#8211; no thanks to that jumbo bag of miniatures. Total waste of time. Sometimes I get really dirty and  scoop a spoonful of peanut butter on to my bites. It&#8217;s such a reliable happy maker. I&#8217;ve rounded up my favorite bars that I keep in rotation. I also love that spending money on these brands means that I&#8217;m supporting the hard working folks who grow the beans and often other well-deserving nonprofit organizations. All of the chocolate makers listed here have heart. Happy Valentine&#8217;s Day, loves!</p>
<p><a href="http://chocolatebar.com/">Endangered Species Chocolate</a>, they make my current favorite bar with 88% pure cocoa and 5 grams of sugar. Pretty good when I&#8217;m looking for a little boost.</p>
<p><a href="http://kakaoberlinchocolate.com/organic.html" target="_blank">Kakao Berlin</a>, my girlfriend from second grade started this company with her dad and they are making amazing chocolate. I&#8217;m so excited to see her dream job take off.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tcho.com/">Tcho</a>, tour <a href="http://www.tcho.com/tour/" target="_blank">their facilities</a> next time you&#8217;re in San Francisco.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theochocolate.com/about-theo" target="_blank">Theo</a>, learn all about their <a href="https://www.theochocolate.com/bean-bar" target="_blank">bean to bar </a>process.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.raakachocolate.com/" target="_blank">Raaka</a>, unroasted chocolate. I just tried the vanilla rooibos and it&#8217;s amazing.</p>
<p>This <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12321/stay-warm-nourished-with-this-healthy-hot-chocolate.html" target="_blank">healthy hot chocolate recipe</a> looks pretty cozy. I&#8217;ve yet to try hemp seeds, but I&#8217;ve got everything in my pantry so this is going on my Valentine&#8217;s weekend menu for sure.</p>
<p>Sign me up for this healthy(ish) <a href="http://thechalkboardmag.com/smoothie-solution-cozy-hot-chocolate-smoothie" target="_blank">hot chocolate smoothie </a>from The Chalkboard. Plus, they&#8217;re giving you<a href="http://thechalkboardmag.com/10-reasons-why-you-should-be-eating-raw-chocolate-right-now" target="_blank"> 10 reasons to eat chocolate</a>. As if  you needed more than one.</p>
<p>Do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of these <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12584/raw-chocolate-cherry-brownie-bites.html" target="_blank">raw chocolate brownie bites</a> found on Mind, Body, Green. They look and sound amazing and I&#8217;ll be making some tonight!</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Stay tuned all week for beautifully nontoxic Valentine’s tips and suggestions for a nontoxic love day.</p>
<p><a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: roses" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html" target="_blank">Monday: Give the gift of a rose bush</a> – the gift that truly keeps on giving.<br />
<a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: flower oils, serums and perfumes" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-flower-oils-syrums-and-remedies.html" target="_blank">Tuesday: Spray a little clean perfume, it’s true!</a> There are plenty to replace you old toxic favorite.<br />
<a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: bubble bath" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-bubble-bath.html">Wednesday: Clean bubble baths</a>, plus my favorite DIY gift idea for any of your loves.<br />
<a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: clean kissable lips" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-clean-kissable-lips.html">Thursday: Clean, kissable lips</a>. Enough said.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-chocolate.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: chocolate</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: clean kissable lips</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Feb 2014 21:42:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pinkmoondaily.com/?p=3239</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;re new to the clean world of nontoxic cosmetics you may not know how nasty mainstream lipsticks, glosses and balms can be. Many have tested for significant amounts of lead and most contain preservatives, artificial colors and fragrance. Gross. And if we&#8217;ve learned anything this week, we know that when fragrance or a perfume is listed on an ingredient list you will never really know what&#8217;s making that smell. P.S. it&#8217;s usually a cocktail of synthetic additives that you don&#8217;t want anywhere near your precious lips. Best to stick with a few tried and [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-clean-kissable-lips.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: clean kissable lips</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-clean-kissable-lips.html/slide1-4" rel="attachment wp-att-3246"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3246" alt="Slide1" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Slide12-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re new to the clean world of nontoxic cosmetics you may not know how nasty mainstream lipsticks, glosses and balms can be. Many have tested for significant amounts of lead and most contain preservatives, artificial colors and fragrance. Gross. And if we&#8217;ve learned anything this week, we know that when fragrance or a perfume is listed on an ingredient list you will never really know what&#8217;s making that smell. P.S. it&#8217;s usually a cocktail of synthetic additives that you don&#8217;t want anywhere near your precious lips. Best to stick with a few tried and true brands that are making organic and clean products. Here are a few of my favorites and a couple on my wish list.</p>
<p>*Read below for a refresher on why synthetic fragrances and perfumes should always be avoided. Don&#8217;t worry, there are plenty of clean options out there!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.badgerbalm.com/p-445-classic-lip-balm-4-pack-green-box.aspx" target="_blank">Badger Lip Balm 4 Pack</a>, $10<br />
I&#8217;m a big fan of Badger products. I use their sunscreens, lip balm with sunscreen and the <a href="http://www.badgerbalm.com/p-395-aromatic-chest-rub.aspx" target="_blank">aromatic chest balm</a> on Emerson&#8217;s chest and nose when she&#8217;s congested. And speaking of 5 year olds, my daughter always wants to share my lip glosses and balms whenever she catches me in the mirror. I love being able to hand her something I know won&#8217;t harm her little body.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.badgerbalm.com/p-463-lip-tints-shimmers.aspx" target="_blank">Badger Lip Tins &amp; Shimmers</a>, $6<br />
I have yet to try their lip shimmers, but I can always use another reliable nude gloss. It&#8217;s my go-to.</p>
<p><a href="http://evolutionofsmooth.com/blueberry-acai-smooth-sphere-lip-balm.html" target="_blank">EOS Sphere Lip Balms</a>, $3<br />
These make really fun gifts for kids. They&#8217;re pretty clean and you cannot beat that packaging. My girl fancies herself oh so sophisticated every time she gets a chance to wear this stuff.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/Lip-Shimmer/38199-00,default,pd.html?cm_sp=HPB2-_-CocoaShimmer-_-020114" target="_blank">Burt&#8217;s Bees Lip Shimmer</a>, $5<br />
I&#8217;ve yet to try Burt&#8217;s Bees. Silly, because it&#8217;s everywhere. You can usually pick this up at Target and of course, Whole Foods. They&#8217;ve got a nice range of colors. I&#8217;d love to hear if you have a favorite.</p>
<p>I wrote about <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/and-so-it-goes-with-hollywood.html" target="_blank">these two</a> last week. But they&#8217;re my favorite so there you have it. I&#8217;m ready to drop some serious coin on a stash of Ilia since it doesn&#8217;t cause me to break out. This is huge for me! Big thumbs up.</p>
<p><a href="http://iliabeauty.com/" target="_blank">Ilia lip stick<br />
</a>Beautiful and long lasting colors, creamy texture and it doesn’t make me break out (I can’t wear most lipsticks – even naturals due to cystic break outs). This one is a keeper.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.100percentpure.com/Lip-Gloss-s/99.htm" target="_blank">100% Pure Lip Gloss<br />
</a>Pretty colors, not too goopy.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>*Any personal care product that includes the word “fragrance” or “perfume” in it should be treated as a major red flag. This is a catch all term for an endless combination of trade mark protected and often, toxic ingredients – hormone disruptors linked to cancer, sperm damage and thyroid disfunction. Also, common reactions include asthma, wheezing and skin reactions. Not to mention a strong odor that can be just plain offensive to those around you.</p>
<p>But don’t take my word for it, check out what the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2010/05/something-stinks-secrecy-and-health-hazards-courtesy-fragrance-industry" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> has to say about perfume. And then there’s this study from <a href="http://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2010/05/12/secret-chemicals-revealed-celebrity-perfumes-teen-body-sprays" target="_blank">The President’s Cancer Panel</a> from 2010 where they recommend that pregnant women avoid hormone disrupters found in common perfumes. Manufacturers do not legally have to disclose the chemicals that make up their signature scent so, you really have no idea what’s lurking inside that bottle.</p>
<p>Stay tuned all week for beautifully nontoxic Valentine’s tips and suggestions for a nontoxic love day.</p>
<p><a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: roses" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html" target="_blank">Monday: Give the gift of a rose bush</a> – the gift that truly keeps on giving.<br />
<a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: flower oils, serums and perfumes" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-flower-oils-syrums-and-remedies.html" target="_blank">Tuesday: Spray a little clean perfume, it’s true!</a> There are plenty to replace you old toxic favorite.<br />
<a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: bubble bath" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-bubble-bath.html">Wednesday: Clean bubble baths</a>, plus my favorite DIY gift idea for any of your loves.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-clean-kissable-lips.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: clean kissable lips</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: bubble bath</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:58:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Is there anything more indulgent than a bubble bath? Hands down, my favorite place in my home is the soaking tub. It gets a ton of use. Even a quick foot soak after a long day is enough for me to feel nourished and refreshed. I stock up on bubble baths to   care for every mood and beeswax candles (they purify the air) like it&#8217;s my job. That way, bath time always feels like a retreat and a reset. Whether it&#8217;s for me or my 5 year old, I make sure tub time is [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-bubble-bath.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: bubble bath</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is there anything more indulgent than a bubble bath? Hands down, my favorite place in my home is the soaking tub. It gets a ton of use. Even a quick foot soak after a long day is enough for me to feel nourished and refreshed. I stock up on bubble baths to   care for every mood and beeswax candles (they purify the air) like it&#8217;s my job. That way, bath time always feels like a retreat and a reset. Whether it&#8217;s for me or my 5 year old, I make sure tub time is rich with everything needed for a soothing escape. Here are a few of my favorite nontoxic bubble baths &#8211; all perfect for gifting your beloved or yourself on Valentine&#8217;s Day.</p>
<p>*See below for a refresher on why it&#8217;s good to go nontoxic with your fragrances this Valeninte&#8217;s Day and beyond.</p>
<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-bubble-bath.html/slide1-3" rel="attachment wp-att-3233"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3233" alt="Slide1" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Slide11-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.eoproducts.com/Products/Blue-Chamomile-and-Lavender-Bubble-Bath-12-oz__636874030524.aspx" target="_blank">EO Nighty Nite</a> Blue Chamomile and Lavender,  $12</p>
<p>I just can&#8217;t say enough about EO&#8217;s bath products. Their <a href="http://www.eoproducts.com/Products/Be-Well--–-Eucalyptus-and-Arnica-Bath-Salt-22-oz__636874030562.aspx" target="_blank">bath salts</a> make me crazy happy and the bubbles come in every scent you could possibly imagine. Next up, I&#8217;m trying the <a href="http://www.eoproducts.com/Products/Rose-Geranium-and-Citrus-Bubble-Bath-12-oz__636874030289.aspx" target="_blank">rose, geranium and citrus</a> for BALANCE &#8211; of which, I need some in my life.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.everydayshea.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8&amp;idcategory=" target="_blank">Everyday Shea</a> Calming Eucalyptus Mint, $14</p>
<p>This is my go-to for Emerson, but I often add it to my own baths. She loves the packaging (we have a thing for elephants) and I love the nurturing scent and you just can&#8217;t beat the company&#8217;s commitment to doing good in the world. They are fair trade certified and proceeds from the bubble bath benefit the Alaffia Healthy Baby Program, which provides nutrition and health care for babies in central Togo (where they harvest the shea butter) during their first 18 months of life.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/category/LIQUIDSOAP.html" target="_blank">Dr. Bronner&#8217;s Peppermint</a> Travel Size, $4.25</p>
<p>Technically, not a bubble bath, but still completely awesome. The peppermint scent is so pure and bright. I love it for a foot soak along with some bath salts. It won&#8217;t bubble or foam, but it&#8217;s still a delight. It&#8217;s also a great shower gel and then, of course, it&#8217;s the best <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2012/05/dr-bronners-takes-on-aphids-rose-lovers-rejoice.html" target="_blank">aphid solution</a> EVER. Pick up travel sizes in a variety of scents like orange, lavender and rose for a fun gift for a friend. You&#8217;ll find endless uses for this stuff throughout your house.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.diapers.com/p/california-baby-bubble-bath-chamomile-herbs-13-oz-5564?site=CA&amp;utm_source=Google&amp;utm_medium=cpc_D&amp;utm_term=CB-003&amp;utm_campaign=GooglePLA&amp;CAWELAID=1338698847&amp;utm_content=pla&amp;ca_sku=CB-003&amp;ca_gpa=pla&amp;ca_kw=%7Bkeyword%7D" target="_blank">California Baby</a>, $14</p>
<p>Can&#8217;t go wrong, here. I&#8217;ve loved all their clean products since having a baby of my own, but the bubble bath has remained a fixture in our house well beyond babyhood. I love that each bottle comes with a bubble wand and their formulation actually makes the strongest and biggest bubbles. We have spend years testing this theory. This is always a treat for my girl and when it&#8217;s mama&#8217;s turn you better believe I add a dash for the added bubble factor.</p>
<p>DIY Scented Bath Salts</p>
<p>Big bang for your buck, here and the easiest gift you&#8217;ll ever make. Buy a bag of unscented bath salts. I get mine at Whole Foods Body. Divide it up into small mason jars or Weck jars. Add a couple drops of a high quality essential oil to each. Mix it up with the end of a wooden spoon. Add some tried lavender or rose petals to match your scent. Maybe throw in a small crystal for some hippie power. I&#8217;m always partial to a little clear or rose quartz in my life. Seal it up, label it, tie a festive ribbon on it and start making friends. I&#8217;m serious, give these out to friends, neighbors and family, but be sure and save one for yourself.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>*Any personal care product that includes the word “fragrance” or “perfume” in it should be treated as a major red flag. This is a catch all term for an endless combination of trade mark protected and often, toxic ingredients – hormone disruptors linked to cancer, sperm damage and thyroid disfunction. Also, common reactions include asthma, wheezing and skin reactions. Not to mention a strong odor that can be just plain offensive to those around you.</p>
<p>But don’t take my word for it, check out what the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2010/05/something-stinks-secrecy-and-health-hazards-courtesy-fragrance-industry" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> has to say about perfume. And then there’s this study from <a href="http://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2010/05/12/secret-chemicals-revealed-celebrity-perfumes-teen-body-sprays" target="_blank">The President’s Cancer Panel</a> from 2010 where they recommend that pregnant women avoid hormone disrupters found in common perfumes. Manufacturers do not legally have to disclose the chemicals that make up their signature scent so, you really have no idea what’s lurking inside that bottle.</p>
<p>Stay tuned all week for beautifully nontoxic Valentine’s tips and suggestions for a nontoxic love day.</p>
<p><a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: roses" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html" target="_blank">Monday: Give the gift of a rose bush</a> – the gift that truly keeps on giving.<br />
<a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: flower oils, serums and perfumes" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-flower-oils-syrums-and-remedies.html" target="_blank">Tuesday: Spray a little clean perfume, it&#8217;s true!</a> There are plenty to replace you old toxic favorite.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: flower oils, serums and perfumes</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:33:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Yesterday we established that mainstream, found in your mall or your drugstore perfumes are a thing of the past. Even your fancy pants Chanel #5 needs to go. *See below for a quick reminder about why it&#8217;s best to avoid ALL personal care products that list &#8220;fragrance&#8221; or &#8220;perfume&#8221; in it&#8217;s ingredients. Today I&#8217;m loading you up with tons of indulgent options. Whether it&#8217;s citrus, vanilla, spice or rose notes you are sure to find a new, clean signature scent &#8211; sans synthetics. 1. Tata Harper Love Potion, $80 Tata Harper&#8217;s mission is to [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-flower-oils-syrums-and-remedies.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: flower oils, serums and perfumes</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Yesterday we established that mainstream, found in your mall or your drugstore perfumes are a thing of the past. Even your fancy pants Chanel #5 needs to go. *See below for a quick reminder about why it&#8217;s best to avoid ALL personal care products that list &#8220;fragrance&#8221; or &#8220;perfume&#8221; in it&#8217;s ingredients. Today I&#8217;m loading you up with tons of indulgent options. Whether it&#8217;s citrus, vanilla, spice or rose notes you are sure to find a new, clean signature scent &#8211; sans synthetics.</p>
<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-flower-oils-syrums-and-remedies.html/slide1-2" rel="attachment wp-att-3217"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3217" alt="Slide1" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Slide1-640x480.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>1. Tata Harper <a href="http://www.tataharperskincare.com/love-potion-10ml" target="_blank">Love Potion</a>, $80</p>
<p>Tata Harper&#8217;s mission is to &#8220;create products that contribute to our health, wellbeing and peace of mind.&#8221; She makes beautifully crafted oils and fragrances on her Vermont ranch that feel luxurious and smell great. Bonus points for packaging up that Love Potion in an adorable throw back bottle.</p>
<p>2. Honore Des Pres <a href="http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/organic-fragrance/personal-organic-fragrance/" target="_blank">Vamp</a>, $98</p>
<p>This is the gold standard of clean fragrance. Made in France without any synthetics? Impressive. There&#8217;s a scent for everyone available at <a href="http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/organic-fragrance/personal-organic-fragrance/" target="_blank">Spirit Beauty Lounge</a>, one of my favorite clean beauty stores.</p>
<p>3. One Love Organics <a href="https://oneloveorganics.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&amp;path=all&amp;product_id=91" target="_blank">Body Serum Gift Set</a>, $110</p>
<p>I love a great serum for soothing winter weathered skin. A gift pack is fun for playing with different scents. Lavender on the neck and hands at bedtime. Neroli all over for date night. There are so many options. I also love treating my daughter to a foot rub at bedtime with the scent of her choice and I&#8217;m pretty sure she&#8217;d happily take this over a box of conversation hearts on Valentine&#8217;s day.</p>
<p>4. Lotus Wei <a href="http://lotus-wei.myshopify.com/collections/transformative-perfumes/products/infinite-love-perfume" target="_blank">Infinite Love</a>, $45</p>
<p>Lotus Wei serums, mists and perfumes were my gateway into clean fragrance. Once I smelled Infinite Love and Inner Peace the transition to honestly natural and pure scents was easy. I cannot say enough good stuff about their products. I can recommend any thing on their site with confidence.</p>
<p>In the words of Tate Harper, &#8220;beauty products should contribute to your health, not compromise it.&#8221; Preach it!</p>
<p>Have you made the switch to a clean fragrance, yet? Do you have a favorite product to recommend? I&#8217;d love to hear about it so please share. I&#8217;d also love to hear which brand you might be thinking about giving up in honor of Valentine&#8217;s Day.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`</p>
<p>*Any personal care product that includes the word &#8220;fragrance&#8221; or &#8220;perfume&#8221; in it should be treated as a major red flag. This is a catch all term for an endless combination of trade mark protected and often, toxic ingredients &#8211; hormone disruptors linked to cancer, sperm damage and thyroid disfunction. Also, common reactions include asthma, wheezing and skin reactions. Not to mention a strong odor that can be just plain offensive to those around you.</p>
<p>But don&#8217;t take my word for it, check out what the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2010/05/something-stinks-secrecy-and-health-hazards-courtesy-fragrance-industry" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> has to say about perfume. And then there&#8217;s this study from <a href="http://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2010/05/12/secret-chemicals-revealed-celebrity-perfumes-teen-body-sprays" target="_blank">The President&#8217;s Cancer Panel</a> from 2010 where they recommend that pregnant women avoid hormone disrupters found in common perfumes. Manufacturers do not legally have to disclose the chemicals that make up their signature scent so, you really have no idea what&#8217;s lurking inside that bottle.</p>
<p>Stay tuned all week for beautifully nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s tips and suggestions for a nontoxic love day.</p>
<p><a title="Happy nontoxic Valentine’s Day: roses" href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html" target="_blank">Monday: Give the gift of a rose bush</a> &#8211; the gift that truly keeps on giving.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-flower-oils-syrums-and-remedies.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: flower oils, serums and perfumes</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: roses</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Feb 2014 16:19:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>estelle</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>I have a confession to make. I already bought myself a Valentine&#8217;s gift. Romantic, huh? I&#8217;ve had my eye on a David Austin rose bush for about a year now. It&#8217;s a gardener&#8217;s cult favorite and I&#8217;ve been lusting for the beautiful Heritage variety. Nothing makes me happier than cutting roses throughout the growing season for the house and for friends and neighbors. So I&#8217;m actually being super generous with my Valentine&#8217;s gift, right? In all seriousness, I highly suggest you treat your Valentine, yourself, your best friend to a rose bush for the big [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: roses</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have a confession to make. I already bought myself a Valentine&#8217;s gift. Romantic, huh? I&#8217;ve had my eye on a <a href="http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/advanced.asp" target="_blank">David Austin rose bush</a> for about a year now. It&#8217;s a gardener&#8217;s cult favorite and I&#8217;ve been lusting for the beautiful <a href="http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/showrose.asp?showr=452" target="_blank">Heritage variety</a>. Nothing makes me happier than cutting roses throughout the growing season for the house and for friends and neighbors. So I&#8217;m actually being super generous with my Valentine&#8217;s gift, right?</p>
<p><a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html/rose" rel="attachment wp-att-3205"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3205" alt="rose" src="http://pinkmoondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/rose-640x426.jpg" width="640" height="426" /></a></p>
<p>In all seriousness, I highly suggest you treat your Valentine, yourself, your best friend to a rose bush for the big day &#8211; in place of perfume (or anything containing &#8220;perfume&#8221;). Visit your local nursery, pick up some super cute gardening gloves (I always love a fresh pair) and a big, beautiful pot for the new plant baby. It&#8217;s a perfectly sweet smelling alternative to a stinky perfume. Literally, a gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p>Now, on to the ugly side of Hallmark&#8217;s favorite holiday. Men and women are encouraged to gift their loves with perfume/fragrance/cologne &#8211; some of the most toxic beauty products you can possibly put on your body. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I understand the allure of great packaging and sexy branding. My high school boyfriend gave me a bottle of Liz Claiborne &#8211; in the <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIZ-CLAIBORNE-VINTAGE-RED-TRIANGLE-EAU-DE-TOILETTE-SPRAY-1oz-NEW-D394U-/231141796963?pt=fragrance&amp;hash=item35d11fec63" target="_blank">red triangle bottle</a> and I was seriously in love (with the bottle). I thought it was the coolest and I could not have cared less about the scent. But, I believe we can move beyond packaging and advocate for a nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s celebration.</p>
<p>Any personal care product that includes the word &#8220;fragrance&#8221; or &#8220;perfume&#8221; in it should be treated as a major red flag. This is a catch all term for an endless combination of trade mark protected and often, toxic ingredients &#8211; hormone disruptors linked to cancer, sperm damage and thyroid disfunction. Also, common reactions include asthma, wheezing and skin reactions. Not to mention a strong odor that can be just plain offensive to those around you.</p>
<p>But don&#8217;t take my word for it, check out what the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2010/05/something-stinks-secrecy-and-health-hazards-courtesy-fragrance-industry" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> has to say about perfume. And then there&#8217;s this study from <a href="http://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2010/05/12/secret-chemicals-revealed-celebrity-perfumes-teen-body-sprays" target="_blank">The President&#8217;s Cancer Panel</a> from 2010 where they recommend that pregnant women avoid hormone disrupters found in common perfumes. Manufacturers do not legally have to disclose the chemicals that make up their signature scent so, you really have no idea what&#8217;s lurking inside that bottle.</p>
<p>I say, ditch the bottle and enjoy the musky, sweet, spicy or traditionally rose-scented notes from an actual rose this year.</p>
<p>Stay tuned all week for beautifully nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s tips and suggestions for a nontoxic love day.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com/2014/02/happy-nontoxic-valentines-day-roses.html">Happy nontoxic Valentine&#8217;s Day: roses</a> appeared first on <a href="http://pinkmoondaily.com">Pink Moon Daily</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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