Happy CyberMonday! Today until 5pm CST, Scandle Candle is offering up to 50% off on our most popular gift sets! Have an “economy stimulating” day folks!;)
Archive for November, 2011
Cyber Monday Craziness at Scandle Candle!
Monday, November 28th, 2011Green Your Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011If you’re like me, you probably put off grocery shopping for Thanksgiving till the last minute and are braving the endless lines at the supermarket. But as we get ready for the most foodcentric holidays, we should do what we can to buy locally grown or raised food. This is easier said than done depending on what time of year it is and what state you live in (particularly in Texas where it seems that everything I grow dies)!;)
Why guy locally grown or raised food you ask? The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture compared what it takes to haul food from other states into Iowa with semi-trailer trucks versus hauling by small light trucks within the state. Simply upping the in-state number by 10% would result in an annual fuel savings ranging from 294,000 to 348,000 gallons and annual emissions reductions ranging from 7 million to 7.9 million pounds.
And two years ago, the University of Washington predicted that if half of all King County’s (WA), approximately 1.8 million residents ate a locally grown Thanksgiving dinner instead of an “imported” one, they could avoid contributing to emissions equal to 2.4 million vehicle miles.
Here are some ideas for finding locally grown foods and other Thanksgiving goodies:
1. Check LocalHarvest.org for what’s in season and available in your neck of the woods.
2. While most farmers markets are closed for the season, some sell year round. Do a search for “year around farmers market+your city” and see what you find. (Local Harvest also may list them.)
3. Check local farms. Again, do an online search, i.e. “organic farm near Dallas,” then if you find some, call and see what they will be offering prior to Thanksgiving.
4. Your natural market or co-op is the most obvious source of local fare. Check out places like Sprouts or Wholefoods.:)
So homegrown or neaby-grown food can have a great environmental impact and, in some cases, even greater than what the big meal has on our waistlines! So have a Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Scandle Candle!:)
Celebrate The Holidays with Vodka Tampons and Eyeball Shots
Thursday, November 17th, 2011Every year around this time I see newspapers and websites with scary stories about really unsafe and stupid things that college students will do to get a buzz on, but this year I’ve learned of 3 that really take “The Holiday Fruit Cake!”;)
1.)Eyeball Shot - involves putting a shot of vodka up to your eyeball and tipping it back. Not only does it burn (and kind of not work that well, because your eyeball has really teeny blood vessels)-it can also cause permanent damage to your delicate, pH balanced eyes.
2.)Vodka Tampon - I’ve heard this one before and thought it was a myth, but it’s true! These vodka soaked suppositories are used by both men and women who insert them into inproper orifices to get tipsy without actually drinking. Because it’s absorbed through bloodstream, however, there is a stronger likelyhood of alcohol poisoning that if it had to go through your stomach.
3.)Alcohol Vaporizer - Hey ladies wanna get drunk w/o the calories? Try AWOL for “alcohol without liquid.” This specialized machine looks like an inhaler and has the potential to deliver mega booze, mega fast … resulting in alcohol poisoning and sometimes death.
As we head into holiday kick-off mode next week, it’s important that we relax and enjoy special time with friends and loved ones. But if you run out of those little cocktail umbrellas, please don’t reach for the femine hygye products as an acceptable substitue!;)
So, what other crazy, extreme substance abuse methods would you like to warn us about?
“Booty Work” for Your Eyes
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011Left cheek, right cheek…Ladies I know you know what I’m talking about!;) No one likes a saggy rear so we do what we gotta do to keep it from letting gravity take hold. But our rears aren’t the only thing capable of going south. There’s tummies, breasts, and eyelids! Oh my!
As you work off the calories you consumed during your Thanksgiving meal on the 25th, don’t forget about the oft-ignored body part - your eyelids. Fight some of the eyelid droopyness that comes with facial aging with this simple facial exercise:
1. Look straight ahead into the mirror throughout this exercise.
2. Curve index fingers under eyebrows then raise your eyebrows and hold against the bone.
3. Close lids and stretch upper eyelids downwards in five small movements.
4. Hold for a count of six.
5. Release the squeeze slowly in three counts
6. Open lids, relax, and breathe.
7. Repeat twice.
Left lid…right lid…;)
No Sweat, Do It Yourself BO Buster (Deodorant) Recipe
Monday, November 14th, 2011Spent all weekend dancing at The Dallas Salsa Congress and I swear I smelled some body odor that brought me to tears on the dancefloor! I don’t know if some of these men could not afford deodorant or just chose not to wear it? At any rate, I’m hoping it’s the first thing! If that’s the case, we discovered a DIY deodorant recipe that is all natural, friendly on the wallet & environment, and (most of all) will keep people from running for cover in your presence!;)
- In a jar with a lid, combine equal parts baking soda, cornstarch and coconut oil. A good measure to use is ¼ cup of each.
- Blend well (soften the coconut oil first if needed).
- Add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil blend, avoiding citrus oils that can irritate the underarm area.
- Keep deodorant in a cool, dry place and use your hands to apply a small amount to clean skin daily.
Keep in mind, folks, this is not an antiperspirant (won’t stop you from sweating) when you’re bustin’ a move!;)
Can Your Next Manicure Kill You?
Friday, November 11th, 2011It’s the holidays and I’m sure many of us are making trips to the salon and spa to make sure we look our very best for gatherings with families and friends. However, before you sit down and prepare to get pampered and look fantabulous…make sure you’re asking the person performing the service the right questions.
This past July, a Quebec woman died following a detoxification treatment (which included being covered in mud and wrapped in plastic) at a spa near Montreal. In 2004, entertainer Paula Abdul received a manicure that cost her a year of painful thumb infections, linked to unclean equipment at a U.S. nail salon.
It’s important to remember that many services are unregulated by the government - meaning safety and sanitation is left up to spa owners and workers. Procedures such as manicures and pedicures require technicians to cut close to the cuticle area. They’re dealing with body parts that can be nicked; bleeding and infections can happen. So it’s important to ask and see if the technician is actually sterilizing the equipment before going to work on you.
Spas and salons, ideally, should put any tools they reuse through an autoclave cleansing process (the same method used by dentists and hospitals). Alcohol is not enough, nor is soap and water when cleaning spa tools. An autoclave is the only tool that truly sterilizes equipment of bacteria, fungus and virus. Unsterilized instruments can leave a spa-goer vulnerable to a variety of infections and viruses, including hepatitis and even HIV.
There have been incidences where doctors see people who get Hep C, for instance. They’re not drug users, they’re not using needles and they’ve never had tattoos or other exposure. Where did they get it from? Could it have been at a spa? Hmmmm….
So, next time you sit down for your spa/salon treatment, make sure your asking the right questions, folks. We all want to look fabulous, but we should should risk our health or even die doing so!
Focus on Tea Tree Oil
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011When my husband and I went for our honeymoon in Australia, I discovered an essential oil that I thought I knew a lot about but really didn’t - Tea Tree Oil. It is one of the most popular and widely used essential oils, and with good reason. Because of it’s antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral and anticeptic properties you can find it in both skin care and home cleaning products and in our Scandle Healing Blend Massage Candle. It also can be used for a number of therapeutic health benefits. This is one of my must-haves for my natural first aid kit and natural cleaning kit.
Tea Tree oil comes from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia plant native to New South Wales, Australia. It has a strong spicy, camphor odor and is usually pale yellow or clear. It has long been used as a tradional medicine by the indigenous Bundjalung people of Australia.
Uses and benefits in skincare:
•Add a few drops to your shampoo to help fight dandruff
•Tea tree oil is frequently used to treat acne and can be used directly or added to your moisturizer
•Some forms of nail disease can be treated with regular application of tea tree oil. Add a few drops to a carrier oil and apply with a cotton swab.
Uses and benefits for health and wound care:
•Effective against Staph & MRSA and may be more effective than antibiotics against CA-MRSA
•May be more effective than permethrin in fighting head lice
•Can be applied topically without blending with a carrier oil to bug bites, cuts & scrapes
•Can be applied topically to treat athletes foot
•Can be used to treat thrush
•Vaginitis & candida
•Can be used safely in toothpaste because it isn’t swallowed but avoid in homemade mouthwashes
•Can be used in sitz baths
•Said to stimulate the immune system
•Can be used to treat colds, coughs, bronchitis, sinusitis & flu
•Can be used in a diffuser to disinfect the air and help with an energizing effect on the mind, relieve nervous exhaustion and mild depression
Uses and benefits in home cleaning:
•Because of it’s effectiveness against Staph, MRSA, viruses and bacteria, it’s an excellent addition to your home cleaning products
•Add a few drops to a spray bottle with a 50:50 ratio of water & vinegar
•Add a few drops to your laundry when someone in the household has been sick
•Add a few drops to laundry if someone in your household has candida (yeast infection), genitle warts or other vaginal yeast or bacterial infection to keep the condition from spreading. Also spray laundry baskets with the above mentioned spray.
Know of any other uses for Tea Tree Oil that we didn’t mention here? Let us know.
National Dog Wash for Canine Cancer Awareness
Friday, November 4th, 2011Do you have a furry friend that could use a little TLC (and no we’re not talking about your husbands here ladies…lol)? For Canine Cancer Awareness month (November), The National Canine Cancer Foundation is bringing back their online National Dog Wash so you can support the NCCF and help spread the good word about Canine Cancer Awareness.
This year, several new partners have joined in to support the National Dog Wash campaign including PETCO, HALO and several others.
There are a couple of ways you can join in on all the fun. You, can log on to http://www.nationaldogwash.com and for a $10 donation to the NCCF, you will get an exclusive Dog Wash Packet that will be sent to your house with several freebies from the various NDW partners (i.e. $5 grooming coupon at Petco, FREE Bullysticks, FREE Halo dog food, etc.). Once you get that packet, take a picture or video of you washing your dog and uploaded to the NDW website. (pssst…we also found out that if you make a $10 donation and write GREENWALA in the notes section, you will get a bonus dog collar charm courtesy of PETCO)!
The community can then vote for their favorite photos/videos and the dogs that get the most “Paws Ups” votes can win additional prizes.
The National Dog Wash packets will last only through November and is limited to the first 5,000 orders and then it’s gone! So let’s join together to help our little furry pals that provide us unconditional love!
Scandle®, LLC Starts the Holiday Gift Giving Season with a Loyal Fan Giveaway
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011We hope you all had a wonderful, candy-filled Halloween.:) Today is November 1st! Wow, time is flying by and in just a few short weeks we’ll be kicking off The Holiday Season!
To celebrate, our wonderful fan base who look to us every year for their unique, eco-friendly gift giving needs; Scandle® is kicking off the holiday gift giving season with a loyal fan giveaway! Starting today (November 1st) through November 15th, fans of Scandle® will be able to participate in a giveaway which includes one of our new eco-friendly accessories bags, The Mini Essentials Tote, along with a Visa® gift card valued at $50!
Enter to win, today!
