Pure & Radiant Energy

In my continued search for beauty products closer to home, I think I've found something that actually works for my sensitive skin. I've only tried two products so far, the gentle scrub and one of the moisturizers. The scrub is a great addition to my nightly routine and I've noticed the flaky patches on my skin are going away. The moisturizer I purchased in April as a winter/cooler weather cream. Now summer is approaching I would switch to a lighter cream and there are two I am considering.

When I first found the product website I was a bit disappointed that parabens were used in the products. Since then I've done a lot of research on parabens, and must thank Caroline Kolof, one of the founders of PRE (Pure&Radiant Energy) for phoning me from her home to discuss the product ingredients. Caroline, and her husband, Maury use the products themselves and are well aware of the paraben controversy. I truly believe Caroline and Maury wouldn't use products themselves if they thought this was a serious threat to their health. Plus Caroline continues to do research to find an alternative perservative that would replace parabens. I didn't ask her about grapefruit seed extract as we had already discussed that some "natural" perservatives are in fact not natural at all.


I'm looking forward to visiting PRE in Vancouver this month, and hopefully will be able to meet Caroline or Maury, or both of them.

http://www.pureradiantenergy.com/

Avoiding Parabens

The lastest buzz is to avoid parabens in cosmetics. Now what does one do to replace these parabens and why are these being replaced? It has to do with a study based in the UK that parabens were found in breast tumour tissue and cause cancer (2004). I've been researching this whole paraben buzz. First, some companies do use a lot of parabens to have a long shelf life for their cosmetics and others use very little. In place of being paraben free some companies use an alternative that is derived from formeldyhyde...gee I think that is worst than parabens.

Secondly, I checked out both the Canadian Cancer Association http://www.cancer.ca
and the American Cancer Association to discover their comments on parabens and the report made in 2004. Check it out for yourself.

Thirdly, be an informed consumer like myself. Natural products aren't always as good as they seem. The word "natural" can be used by anyone. Vitamin E can be made synethically as well. Plant products can have pesticides and herbicides on them and be used in natural cosmetics. Essential oils can play havoc with skin too.

I have even purchased a natural skin cream, only to have it grow bateria within a few weeks. Bacteria which could have caused my skin and eyes major damage.

I say there will always be something to be removed from cosmetics. Lead, hair dye was an issue a few years back, paba in suntan lotions, the list goes on.

As someone with sensitive skin I've searched and searched for products that do not cause me grief with my skin. Most people find it amazing that I have a problem because my skin is so great. What is my secret??

I use suntan lotion every day--research skin cancer online.
I don't use tanning beds
I drink lots of water, green tea, white tea and only 2-3 cups of coffee
I eat organic and pesticide free produce as much as I can
I exercise indoors in bad weather, outdoors in good weather
I don't wear a lot of makeup and never foundation
I didn't paint my finger or toe nails for years, it just smelled so bad and now only use vegan polish

I've always researched the products I've purchased, used fair trade,certified organic or more natural products all my life. I've asked lots of questions and have purchased from people who develop and use their own products. Think about it, would you create a product and use it yourself knowing it contained ingredients that might cause you to develop cancer? I really don't think any woman is that vain.


We live in a world full of chemicals and it is hard to avoid them. All you can do is try your best to live a healthy life and be an informed consumer.

Ask yourself this...if you use paraben free products, certified organic cosmetics, etc. do you sit outside at the sidewalk cafe and breath in the gas fumes from the traffic??

Eurovision 2007 - Another Entry

Check out Youtube for more of the Eurovision 2007 entries. Clive was correct--the UK entry was appalling...actually, if possible, it was worse than appalling...Here's the entry from Bulgaria. France had, well, ermmm, one really has to see France's entry themselves.

Cocoon Apothecary

This is the third installment to finding a new skincare line. Cocoon Apothecary was the third try, after trying Nadarra www.nadarra.com and Heiko www.heiko.ca. Cocoon Apothecary is the creation of Jessica Burman. All the products are vegan and cruelty free www.cocoonapothecary.com

I ordered and tried the facial wash. I must say this was a very gentle cleanser and one which I think would be good for any skin type. My only disappointment was it is packaged in a plastic bottle. Plastic can be recycled but I think glass could be used instead.

The facial cream was great with rooibos tea added. I didn't like the smell at first but it did grow on me. Packing in a glass container gets a rating of A+.

The packing material used I was able to completly recycle. The box, the bubble wrap and the containers.

Jessica included a sample gift of her Chai lip balm. A fan of chai tea this product I really like.

My only concern with Jessica's products is some of the ingredients may be questionable based on the Environmental Working Group site and Skin Deep. I've been checking all cosmetic ingredients since Julia of Nadarra connected me with the Environmental Working Group/Skin Deep site www.ewg.org/

In keeping with my shopping rules, local first, province wide second and Canada third I would have to purchase these products on a limited basis. It is back to trying to find something closer to home that is natural, not full of essential oils that make me itch, contain no parabens and are cruelty free.

Salt Spring Soap Works

I'd heard that seaweed did wonders for one's skin, as did seamud. Since Salt Spring Soapworks is downtown and I happened to be doing some other errands I purchased the Spa Seamud Mask to try. It contains glacial clay, vegetable glyercine, meythl paraben, propyl paraben (I do try to avoid parabens whenever I can) and spa fragrance blend. The fragrance is so strong upon opening the jar that I was extremely wary of putting this stuff on my face. Since I've opened it I've tried it twice.

Stay away! Don't waste your money. This stuff made my face itch and the fragrance made my eyes water.

I'm hoping to return it once I find the receipt.

Eurovision Entry

Clive, my friend from the UK, has sent me another clip from Eurovision. Unfortunately the UK's entry was appalling, according to him. He did send this to me, this was the entry from Georgia on the Baltic coast. I rather like it!!

May 4

Your Birthdate: May 4

You have an extraordinary character - moral, responsible, and disciplined. Your sincerity and honesty shine through in almost every situation. Driven and focused, you rarely let your emotions get the better of you. You're level headed and rational. People count on your to look at things objectively. Your strength: Your unwavering loyalty and ethics Your weakness: Your rock solid stubbornness Your power color: Navy blue Your power symbol: Shield Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Paddlefest, Ladysmith BC, May 12-13

Five of us went up to Ladysmith from Victoria for the day on Saturday, May 12. We had a great time taking workshops and paddling different boats. I tried two of the Lightspeed boats made here on the island, although I liked both of them I'd have to test them in rougher waters. I really liked the Necky Elisa, the first boat made for a woman. Finally kayak designers are realizing women aren't built like men and we need a tighter cockpit around the waist with more hip room. The Elisa is a great boat, it handled well eventhough it is narrower than my boat and felt a bit tippy this feeling soon passed. Made of plastic means it can be recycled, is easier to fix when/if damaged and isn't that much heavier than my Delta. I didn't try lifting it. I did take out a 17 ft Delta sport. A lot of boat, something that would be great for touring and when I plan on taking a long trip. There are several more kayaks to try. I am hoping to try a Seaward at MEC and Peter at Pacifica Paddle has something in mind for me to try too.

The best part of the day was winning a prize! I won a high quality dry bag that comes with instructions on how to open it. The seal is so strong it took me a few minutes to figure out how to open it from the instructions. Will be perfect for that longer trip. Plus, being my birthday month, it counts as an unexpected birthday present...the best kind!

A new year

Although the year started in January, I really don't feel it has begun until May. It isn't just Spring and feeling renewed, it happens to be my birthday month and my birth date is at the beginning. I feel rejuvneated, I want to try something new, I want to make a change. I feel like a budding leaf, tightly curled up all winter and then unfurling dressed in bright leaf green.

Besides well wishes and gifts from my family and friends, I often am blessed with an unexpected gift. One time it was the upgrading of my job as transcript clerk on the day before my birthday. This year a similar event occurred and my current position was upgraded, the news being delivered to me on the day of my birthday. Actually the day I was told I was the successful candidate for my current postition was in November 2005, on a date that fell in the opposite astrological sign to my own and exactly 6 months (I consider 6 my lucky number) and a few days after my birthday.

The question I pose to myself now is....What do I want to try? I'm taking courses at university and I'm back kayaking every Sunday. I'm thinking of trying a stamping class to add an additional touch to my homemade cards. I've been researching cupcake cookbooks and the thought of taking a cake decorating course (again) has crossed my mind. I'd like to learn some new knitting stitches. The list is endless....

No doubts I will find one thing to try or try them all...the sun is shining and I start a new year..

Heiko Skin Care--Japanese for Balance

In the second phase of testing Canadian natural and/or organic skin care, I have been trying Heiko (www.heiko.ca) a company out of Quebec. Heiko means balance in Japanese--balanced skin care. Heiko offers 4 products; a cleanser, exfoliation product, toner and two creams. I ordered the cleanser and exfoliation first to try. I like both very much and ordered the toner and the lighter cream. Orders over a certain amount have free shipping, I was saving some money by ordering two times. The toner isn't that great, and I wouldn't use it every day for my skin. As a refresher after exercise it works great. The cream is ok, it is light and perfect for summer when my skin doesn't need to be drenched in lotion. The cleanser and exfoliation product are the best items. The two can be mixed together to make a nice scrub/wash, or used separately.

The cost of the products is reasonable. Shipping was not consistent. The first time Purolator was used and I had to pick up the package. On the second order I requested the waybill to track the item. Although the waybill was provided, the package was not sent Purolator but DHL. Purolator didn't leave the package at the door, but DHL did. When I emailed the customer representative regarding the delivery and requested the tracking number on the second package, I was told to request Canada Post next time as they had no control over which courier was used. Not the best customer service.

Packaging was minimal, a small box and plastic bubble wrap which I was able to fully recycle. The products have minimal packaging too. Only the cream came in a box.

Phase Three testing coming soon....

Gratitude

Being Green is Trendy!

Kermit the Frog may have said "it's not easy being green." but recently being green is the new black. Being green is trendy. Those of us who have been green for a long time may be sitting on the sidelines watching celebs and others jump on the bandwagon. Lately Vanity Fair came out with a green issue, and in celebration of April's Earth Day, several magazines are coming out with their own green issues. This month Canadian Living and LouLou have green issues and eco-friendly products listed amongst its pages.

Its the new buzz word!

For years I've watched various campaigns; Don't Litter was one of the main ones during my childhood. It stuck with me.
When I moved to Ontario I was impressed with the recycling program they had, even clothes could be left at the curb. I moved to BC thinking recycling on the island would be better, only it isn't and I think there is a lot to be done to improve that. I'm glad I live in Oak Bay, sure it may be classified as snob ville, but it is now the first municipality to form a committee on reducing emissions.

For those of us who have always tried to be green, keep our consumption down, been responsible consumers and done our bit to help protect the environment, our shining hour is here!

Hopefully this trend will last a long long time and we may leave an earth for future generations.

In celebration of Earth Day in April, Canadian Living is doing a 30 day green challenge. To obtain 30 days worth of green tips, sign up at:

http://www.canadianliving.com/canadianliving/client/en/Health/SpecialDetailNews.asp?idNews=237205&idSm=517&special=1

Lily Allen & a vid from England

Another interesting vid sent to me by my pal Clive in England...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3SRM6V30B4

Poster Girl

I never thought I would ever be a poster girl! My dreams of being the same height as my parternal grandmother (5'10") vanished when I realized I wasn't going to grow beyond my 5'4". Plus I've never been skinny enough to be considered.

However, I have been chosen, like my grandmother, to be a poster girl. Not bad for someone descendended from a poster girl on my father's side and an actress/singer/songwriter on my mother's side.

Check out the web site http://www.northernwavekayak.com/index.php. The photo was taken by John Herbert during one of our summer kayaks in 2006. The same photo will be featured in Wavelength magazine too.

Bobby the dog

My friend, Clive, in England sent me the story about Bobbie the family dog a year ago and now has sent me a recap. I love this story of the dog who wasn't good enough for the Royal Marines but became a Bobbie in Salisbury. It seems Clive's grandfather took the dog home to his mother, Rosie Roper as a pet after rescuing him from the Royal Marines. The dog would often disappear only to show up at dawn as the family was waking up. Finally the Roper Family discovered Bobbie was making the rounds with the police. He would "train" the new officers on the beat!! Although the article above is small, you can still get a good look at Bobbie in the photo.

Skin care so natural you can eat it

At the beginning of January I ordered skin care from Nadarra. Heard about it in Sweetspot my e-newsletter.

After reading about what is in cosmetics and personal care products, and that "against animal testing" is not the same as "not tested on animals" I've been trying to find more natural products. There are plenty of places around town that offer various "natural" products. What I was looking for was something free of synthetics, parabens and most preservatives.

I ordered on December 31/January1 and the package arrived by January 5th. My red spots and dry cheeks from winter weather have disappeared. My skin looks great! I even received a sample of hand cream. The skin care is 95% edible!

Julie replied to my emails answering all my questions and even asked how I liked the products and how was my skin reacting.

Reasonably priced, including the shipping prices. Will be ordering again.

http://www.nadarra.com/

Starfish Gallery--final closing

It is with great sadness that I received the final e-newsletter from Starfish Gallery. They closed the doors at the end of December and the three main glass designers go onto other art projects. There will be a final sale (from the newsletter)

There will be three aspects to the contents of the sale. Firsts: some of our regular stock that we want to clear out at unprecedented discounts! Seconds: the usual accumulation of almost-good-enough pieces plus garden art, weird bits and blobs and the terrifying contents of “Gary’s room”. Junk: everything else that we want to clear out, miscellaneous non glass stuff such as display items, office equipment, wood, tools… ten years and 8600 square feet of accumulated stuff - come and get it!


Friday January 19, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm and…
Saturday January 20, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

At 630 Yates – the last time the building will be open to the public as Starfish!
terms will be cash and carry as usual. Call fax or e-mail for more info.

I'm going to try and get there Saturday but I'm sure the pickings will be slim. However, knowing Bernie and Paula I'm sure they will make a trek down, especially at the mention of tools. If either of them goes I hope they have the good sense to grab pieces of glass to give to their friends (ie: ME!!) for presents.

Ever since the first time I walked through Starfish Gallery's doors 9 odd years ago, I have had a respect for glass. I've taken out of town visitors to see shows and have stood in utter awe struck silence as pieces were formed in front of my very eyes. I've given three of my best Christmas presents from Starfish Gallery--the beautiful Christmas balls--one hangs in my parents condo, one hangs in my former friend/hairdresser's house and one is with a friend in Germany.

Victoria has lost a wonderful gallery and a venue that will be sorely missed.

Party in Hawaii

Taken from Sweetspot Magazine sent to me December 29.....check out the Hawaiian music site. I never knew Hawaiian music could be so much fun!! There is even a Christmas album which may become the must have album for my collection of odd Christmas tunes!

This newsletter is full of ideas for a Hawaiian party...I haven't had one or been invited to one for many years. Might be a good read for those of you who have travelled to Hawaii and are now missing your second home.

It's cold outside and budgets are tight. So this year, our-savvy-little-selves are staying clear of cash-grabbing New Year's Eve parties. Instead, we're spending the night in and doing it in style. Here's how you and your pals can join in the fun:

Décor
First, we're picking a theme for our impromptu party and going retro-Hawaiian with inspiration we picked up from our last trip to London's coolest pub, Trailer Happiness. (But any theme will do.) We're decorating the room with party lights (stolen from our Christmas tree), surf boards (erm, or in our case our snowboard) and colourful tropical fabrics (please, who doesn't have access to a thrift store boasting racks of $1.99 Hawaiian shirts?).

Guests
We're playing telephone, spreading the word with our guests coming in beachwear. If we're really ambitious we'll make leis out of paper and string. One of our favourite online resources is Party 411. They've got all the supplies we need for our pseudo-Luau.

Sips and Eats
We're serving Mai Tai cocktails, fresh fruit, shrimp rings and some yummy Ono Ribs. But there are more tropical-themed recipes in this awesome online guide: http://entertaining.about.com/cs/dinnerparties/a/luau_3.htm

Tunes
Set the mood with some Hawaiian music. We're downloading tracks from www.hawaiianmusicstore.com.

Entertainment
Nothing says Hawaiian than Elvis in Blue Hawaii. We're renting the DVD and popping it on for some side-splitting backdrop entertainment. Long live the king! Then later (after the Mai Tais kick in), we'll be suggesting a couple of rounds of Identity Crisis or The Therapy Game. We may even try our hands at island-authentic limbo and hold our own how-low-can-you-go contest. Party 411 has the kit.

We're feeling the Waikiki heat...all we need now are a few sun lamps, sand and a cabana boy to say "Aloha!"

Christmas Baking

The only time I bake is 1) Christmas 2) if I have time to do something for one of our many office Goodie Days 3) friends birthday or dinner party 4) the grannie smith apples next door are ripe and need to be picked

One thing I love about baking is the gadgets! Cooking just doesn't incorporate enough gadgets which is probably why I don't enjoy it as much as baking. With baking one has bowls, whisks, spoons, graters, grinders, blenders, pastry blenders, zesters, rolling pins, measuring spoons, oh the list goes on.

Sharing recipes with coworkers and friends is a delight! Tasting someone else's baking is pure pleasure! Taking a recipe and experimenting, adding your own twist is so much fun.

My favourite sites are www.allrecipes.com, Kraft (recipes which are easy to modify), Thrifty Foods (online eflyer and recipes) and Chatelaine magazine online. Oh and I do admit it....Martha Stewart for recipes, crafts and inspiration.

Also on my list of fav sites is: http://www.goldaskitchen.com and www.ashtongreen.com--both Canadian. I love looking at the new gadgets!

And I can't resist kitchen shops--Muffet & Louisa, Capital Iron (best cast iron frying pans), Haute Cuisine...

I have a good selection of cookbooks too, including my Grade 8 Home Economics cookbook which was printed in the 1960s and was a joke to my HE class because of the opening photo and some of the recipes. The reason I kept it is it does have the basics and a long list at the back for removing stains from clothing which actually work.

Now Christmas is over, the baking is done until a Goodie Day or birthday or my good intentions of taking my own homemade muffins for morning coffee break.

This may be me one day!!

As I am preparing for my exam on Friday, December 15 and studying until my brain feels it is on overload, I begin to wonder why in the world I have taken up the return to attempting to get my degree. I love learning, although I am sure I could learn at a much cheaper rate by lots of reading and self study. The other point here is a degree helps me to get a better job at work.

I sometimes get discouraged that this will take forever! I only get funding for one course a year from the Career Development Fund. The university I work for does not offer staff a reduction in tutition fees. My workplace promotes higher education, but then does not offer it to its own staff. I suppose helping me by a fee reduction would mean I'd just be a graduate doing a clerk job!!

No matter how long it takes, and no matter if this is to obtain a better job or for my own pleasure and goals, today I came across this story. It hits home on the university front and that it will not matter if I don't get my degree until I am sixty or seventy or eighty for that matter. It proves that in a society where we put so much value on youth and so little on our seniors there still is brain power after 50 and value no matter what one's age.

Kansas woman, 95, prepares for final exams

HAYS, KS - Like most students at Fort Hays State University, Nola Ochs plans to spend some time reading and studying during this week's fall break. But she'll take time out on Wednesday to celebrate her 95th birthday.

Ochs is living at Wooster Hall on campus while pursuing her general studies degree at the university. She has about 15 hours to take next semester to get her degree.

If she does it, Ochs will be the Guinness Book of World Records' oldest college graduate.

But it will also be the culmination of a lifetime of learning. She started at Fort Hays in 1930, when it was known as Kansas State Teacher's College.

Then in the 1970s, in her 60s, she took classes part time at Dodge City Community College, and eventually St. Mary of the Plains in Dodge City. She took some virtual classes earlier at Fort Hays before deciding to attend classes this semester.

On Friday, the last day before fall break, her family and fellow classmates threw her an impromptu birthday party during her Biblical Studies class. Her son, Alan Ochs, flew in from Jetmore for the occasion. Her granddaughter, Alexandra Ochs, didn't have to travel as far — she's in the same class as her grandmother.

After the party, Alan Ochs took his mother home for Thanksgiving break.

"We're happy to get her back home for a while," Alan Ochs said. "We missed having her out there, especially through the fall harvest."

Though Nola is amused by her potential status as the world's oldest graduate, she said she's more excited about getting to walk at the graduation ceremony with her granddaughter.

Asked for some words of wisdom, Ochs simply said, "I give thanks to the Lord and try to live day by day. I try to do whatever is pleasing to Him. That's what I want to do.