Entries in Living + Wellness (77)

1:43PM

ECO TIPS Eating Green

The old adage “you are what you eat,” might seem cliché, but as scientists conduct more and more research on the effects of pesticides on the human body, it’s becoming apparent that the old phrase rings true. While it’s easy to understand the value of eating organic, it’s often expensive and difficult to implement the necessary changes in our own eating habits. Here are our quick tips for making eating green just a little easier on your wallet and your waistline. 

CSA Boxes Sad but true: eating organic can be seriously expensive. Our trick? CSA boxes! Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) is a great way to get local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Sign up for a weekly or bi-weekly subscription, and you’ll receive a bodacious box of fresh veggies straight from the farm. The cost of a CSA box is usually far below what you’d pay in store. Search for CSA boxes in your area at localharvest.org.  Oh, and be sure to look for programs that partner with organic farms—not all CSA boxes have organic goods.

Avoid the Dirty Dozen If buying organic all the time just isn’t an option for you, prioritize your picks. The Environmental Working Group releases an annual list of foods that have the most pesticide and herbicide residue—if you can, you should only buy these foods organic. The list includes: apples, celery, bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, and potatoes. Check out the EWG website to find our which foods are the lowest in pesticide residue.

Grow Your Own There’s no better way to ensure what goes into your food than growing it yourself. Start your own little organic vegetable garden! There’s nothing better than a simple salad with fresh lettuce, sun-ripened tomatoes, and crunchy cucumber picked right from your yard. Yumm!

Images via: Pinterest, Style Me Pretty, Untangled Life

5:36PM

JOSIE'S PICKS For a Bright New Year

 

Hi Beauties!

I hope you’re enjoying a little well-deserved time off this holiday season. Now that the craze of gift buying has passed and all the presents have been opened, I have my sights set on one of my favorite holidays—New Year’s Eve!  I love the spirit of opportunity that comes with the beginning of a new year, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the new things I want to achieve and discover--I promise I’ll share once I hone in on them a bit more. In the meantime, here are a few fun finds from Etsy to keep things sparkly and bright as we usher in this brand new year of our lives together.  

Lots of love,

Josie

 

2013 Calendar

Happy New Year Bunting

Happy New Year Invitations

Glitter Envelope Liners

Party Blowers

Gold Sparklers

5:42PM

A DAY IN THE LIFE Philadelphia Style Party

 

I feel so lucky that I get to be on the cover of this month’s issue of Philadelphia Style! To celebrate the issue, the mag threw a seriously swanky party last night at Hotel Monaco in Philly. It gave me an excuse to throw on a glam dress and some makeup and hang with some of my favorite Philly peeps—even the gorgeous models who show off my Argan goodies on QVC got to join me! Here are some pics of the bash. Thank you, Philly Style! You made me feel so welcome in my second hometown.

Xo,

Josie

 

Images via: philly.com

4:54PM

ECO TIPS Happy Holidays 

 

While scrambling to get gifts for everyone on our list before the onslaught of holiday parties, it’s easy to let our eco-conscious ways fall by the wayside. Here are our tips for getting things back on track while still enjoying the spirit of the season. 

Think Beyond the Gift Bag: Endless piles of crumpled gift-wrap makes us (and the trees) oh so sad. So what’s our solution? Eco gift-wrap! Try wrapping gifts in paper bags, newspaper, or old sheet music. Add some twine and a fresh piece of greenery and you’ve got a cute little package!

Get Smelly: We love all the wonderful scents of the holidays—fresh spruce, spicy cinnamon, warm cookies. Instead of spritzing something synthetic, scent your home the natural way by simmering cinnamon sticks in a few cups of water on the stove or placing a dish with a few tablespoons of vanilla extract in the oven at a low heat.

Decorate with Nature: Take inspiration from Josie’s Thanksgiving mantel decoration, and find things outdoors to decorate your house with. Try fresh evergreen clippings or a few pinecones as festive table decorations. Once you’re done with them, you can return your decorations to the outdoors, minimizing waste and consumption.

Images via:

House of Anais

Midwest Living

Goddess Place

6:21PM

JOSIE LOVES One Part Gypsy

As if the name One Part Gypsy wasn’t enough to have me hooked, freelance artistic director Rachel Nahmias’ blog is full of the things I love: tasty raw food recipes, boho style inspiration, and beautiful photography.  Even though Rachel and I have never met, her blog leaves me with the warm feeling that I’ve just had a good conversation with a friend—a friend with seriously great taste.

Be sure to check out the blog, as well as Rachel’s Pinterest. You’ll be inspired! 

5:49PM

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Burn Off That Thanksgiving Feast

We all over-indulged over the Thanksgiving holiday. Hey, that's what it's for, right? But then came our day of reckoning: today, Workout Wednesday. Our trainer, Michelle, had us running, jumping, squatting, and sweating to help us burn off the sweet potatoes and pecan pie. If you're carrying a bit of bulk yourself, help yourself to an extra serving of Michelle's fat-burning regimen.  

Get Your Heart Going: This means cardio! Running, jogging, swimming, jumping jacks. Try interval training—alternating short bursts of intense activity with bursts of lighter cardio. Try walking for five minutes, then jogging for five. Interval training burns more calories, and therefore more fat. 

Feel the Burn: Got a resistance band? If so, you can do your full-body strength training at home. Michelle had us doing bicep curls and tricep kicks for sculpted arms, squats for great gluts, and crunches for those pesky abs. 

Eat Clean: To help your body recover from the Thanksgiving binge, eat extra clean foods like leafy greens and fresh fruits and veggies; drink plenty of water. If snacks are your downfall, try to eat smaller portions more frequently to keep your blood sugar steady and your urge to snack at bay. And just say no to the Cheez-Its and Oreos! 

 

Image via: Pinterest

5:51PM

JOSIE'S PICKS for Holiday Cheer

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, everyone's gearing up for the winter holidays. Whatever wonderful winter holiday you celebrate, you'll love these seasonal party finds I discovered on Etsy. Enjoy!

With joy for the world,

Josie

 

Holiday Garland

Vintage Snowflake Glassware

Snowflake Bunting

White and Red Lanterns

Evergreen Wreath

Holiday Photo Booth Props

4:55PM

DO GOOD Movember

November might be a cold month, weather-wise, but spirit-wise, it's toasty warm. We gather with families and friends, share rituals old and new, and focus on who and what we're grateful for. November is also "Movember" (for "Mustache November"), a time to show support for the millions of American men—one in six—who are diagnosed each year with prostate and testicular cancers. The folks at Movember and Sons have found a creative way to raise funds to fight these diseases: Grow a mustache! Bros begin November first clean-shaven and spend the rest of the month crafting a most impressive ‘stache, seeking out sponsorship for their efforts—the funds from which are donated to male cancer research. For lovely ladies who can’t sport a 'stache, you can make a donation to the Prostate Cancer Foundation or the LIVESTRONG Foundation to do your part.

6:32PM

ECO TIPS Bathroom

The bathroom just might be the most useful room in the house! But, it contributes to environmental degradation. To the rescue: a few tips for making your bathroom a little more chicological.

Green your toilet paper: Recycled toilet paper reduces the need for virgin wood pulp, which reduces the need to cut down trees. It's available at most natural grocery stores and many of the chains, too. Here's one of my favorites. 

Get into (tank-free or solar-powered) hot water: More than 10% of your energy bill comes from heating water for your steamy showers. Switch your water heater to a tankless or solar powered version. You'll put out a chunk of change initially, but you'll save energy and money in the long run.

Give your bathroom an organic makeover: Towels made from organic cotton, bamboo or hemp fibers are available everywhere from Pottery Barn to Bed, Bath and Beyond. My fave source, here.

With love,

Josie

Images via: Country Living, Honestly WTF, Modern Hepburn

2:23PM

JOSIE'S PICKS: In Costume

Like most (if not all) kids, Halloween was always major joy for me. I loved the dress-up part, I loved recognizing the neighbor kids in their costumes and masks, and of course I loved the candy. Now that I'm a big kid with two little kids, I like Halloween even more. Rumi Joon's already revved up about her costume, and I'm revved up about Indi Joon's, since she's still young enough to let me put it together for her. I found some cool stuff for Indi Joon and for her mama on Etsy. Buying from real people, crafty people, is as good as chocolate. Well, almost.

Boo!

Josie

Butterfly Baby Costume

Black Lace Face Mask

Ghost Tunic Dress

Baby Owl Hat

Baby Sushi Costume

Candy Corn Cap