May 12, 2020 at 10:55AM We were contemplating creating a new shopping guide to non-toxic candles for 2020, but, the truth is, our picks for Holiday 2019 below were so good that, after closer review, we ended up shopping them ourselves and thought you might need some new scents at home right now too, so, here you go… Our favorite foolproof gift – to get or give – is simple and never fails: a gorgeous, fragrant candle. Nothing uplifts our mood faster than lighting one up and letting its scent waft through the room. Nothing ruins that moment faster than the slight headache that may follow if that cute little candle is full of fake ingredients. Whether you’re scrambling for the perfect hostess gift or looking for something your bestie who has everything will be delighted by, you can’t go wrong with a candle. These are the best non-toxic candles we’ve been lighting up lately…Follain: Candle No.1 | This pretty little candle calms the senses with notes of lavender, bergamot, sandalwood, and vanilla. It is crafted from sustainable vegetable wax, coconut oil and natural essential oils. CHECK OUT Heretic: Dirty Rose | This clean and cruelty-free candle has a scent that is fresh, floral and decadent. Fragrant rose is paired with citrusy bergamot, spicy pink pepper and juicy apricot notes for a fully intoxicating scent palette. CHECK OUT Yoke + Ayurveda Apothecary: Wellness Candle | Meant to be used as a tool to weave mindfulness into your everyday life to help
Category: TheChalkBoardMag
This Smart New Brand Wants To Makeover Your Medicine Cabinet
May 11, 2020 at 11:03AM Many of us have become total sleuths when it comes to reading food and beauty labels. We’ve made great strides in removing potentially harmful ingredients from our daily lives. But what about our medicine cabinets? Many of us are still relying on conventional over-the-counter products with potential side effects and less-than-clean ingredients. The Truth About What’s In Your Medicine Cabinet + Did you know that when you take an acid blocker, you’re inhibiting the ability of your body to absorb nutrients like vitamin b12, magnesium, zinc, and calcium? + According to the New York Times, allergy treatments like Claritin are potentially only effective for 30-40% of users. + Popular allergy drug Zyrtec was recently recalled for failed impurities. + Risks associated with continual common OTC pain medication use has received growing attention from the medical community. 4 Natural Options for Everyday Health All that said, finding natural options can be tough, especially when we’ve become so comfortable using what we’re familiar with. The recent launch of Hilma caught our attention earlier this year in a big way. Hilma makes clean, effective options for everyday health based on clinically studied natural ingredients. Their all-star team of practicing doctors, PhDs, and herbalists work to formulate products that help bring natural options to our medicine cabinets… Hilma Immune Support + Natural vitamin C source, Camu-Camu Berry + Additional healing herbs like Echinacea, Turmeric, Ginger, and Ivy Leaf Extract + Includes Zinc, an essential immune supporting mineral suggested to shorten duration and potentially ward off
How To Squelch Stagnation For Clear Skin, More Energy + A Better Mood
May 11, 2020 at 11:00AM You know that feeling of mind-body staleness after a bout of stress or a binge on greasy foods? That’s not just the pizza and panic talking. Your body is begging to expel that extra energetic junk — known in traditional Chinese medicine as stagnation. Left unchecked, stagnation can lead to moodiness, mental blocks, breakouts, inflammation and pain. But clearing out that energetic clutter can reignite inner vitality and a level vibrancy you didn’t even know existed. We asked acupuncturist and herbal pro, Mona Dan of Vie Healing, to teach us a few easy techniques for spotting stagnation, healing the symptoms and getting back to balance… What Is Stagnation? Stagnation pretty much means inflammation. In Chinese medicine, inflammation can express itself in multiple ways. There can be inflammation, which means lack of flow in the muscle layer, in the blood or even in fluid metabolism causing water retention. Our unique approach to resolving stagnation lies in the proper diagnosis. Stagnation in Chinese medicine can arise due to a few reasons: ”Qi” or Energy Stagnation. This is usually stress induced, causing a sensation of feeling “stuck” emotionally or even fatigue. Blood Stagnation. This usually occurs after a traumatic incident or if someone is anemic, doesn’t eat enough, doesn’t move around enough or there isn’t enough “umph” in the body to move the blood. “Damp” Fluid Stagnation. This can happen when someone eats too much greasy, fried food, even too much cold/raw food. The body’s fluid congeal and there isn’t
Carb Density: Discover The Simple Formula That’ll Change The Way You Eat
May 11, 2020 at 11:00AM TCM Classics — We originally ran this story on carbohydrate density in 2018 but loved it so much we decided to bring it back. There’s still a lot of confusion surrounding the virtue of carbohydrates in a daily diet, and this breakdown from our fave celebrity nutritionist might just give you the perspective you need to make healthy balanced decisions… We were far from surprised when our interview with celebrity nutritionist, Kelly LeVeque, turned into a full-blown nutrition lesson. We don’t just mean a few quick and easily digestible tips (although there were plenty of those), but a down and dirty piece of nutrition science — that involved math. Kelly told us that when she’s reading nutrition labels, “I do one of two things: always look first for net carbohydrates, then from there I do a calculation for carbohydrate density.” Right. Carb density? That’s news to us! In case carbohydrate density is new to you too (listen up, chickpea pasta lovers!), we’re breaking it down below and sharing with you why it matters… What is Carbohydrate Density?The term “carbohydrate density” means the percent of the food mass that is carbohydrate minus the fiber component. According to Kelly, most high net carb food will end up as sugar in your body. Therefore, this number indicates how high your blood sugar will go and how much gut bacteria you’ll feed at one time. In nature, it’s not normal for the food we eat to have over 30% carb
How To Build An Edible Garden + Indoor Herb Box At Home
May 08, 2020 at 10:57AM Farm-to-table restaurants? Yes. Home garden to plate? Still working on it. We joined Edible Garden LA‘s Lauri Kranz for a home gardening workshop at Jenni Kayne’s gorgeous Brentwood Country Mart location during the summer a year or two back – Lauri’s advice is just what we need now! Lauri builds gorgeous gardens for homes and businesses looking to grow their own food in a beautiful way (drool over a few of them here!). Here in the city – for the most part – that means raised bed and planters. Acquiring clean organic soil is key when it comes to growing plants you’ll actually be eating. Here are a few notes from Lauri on growing an edible garden at home… During our workshop, we talked about the importance of connecting with where our food comes from and the rewards of spending time in the garden. Gardening is a practice, like yoga or meditation and the rewards of gardening can both be seen and felt. The three most important considerations when planning a garden: Sun, Soil and Water. A Sunny Spot: First, find the area of your outdoor space that receives the most hours of sun per day, five or more hours is best. For some of us, this is the entryway to our apartment or a sunny balcony and for others it is a part of our yard. Rise Up: Make sure the soil is fertile by using raised beds or pots and filling them with good, organic
Cauliflower Crusts + Vegan Bolognese: Is This The Future of Delivery Food?
May 08, 2020 at 10:47AM Everyone is ordering more at-home delivery lately and we’re thrilled to see a crop of plant-based restaurants crop up and fill our need for more zoodles and cauliflower pizza crusts while we’re at home. Last month, we gushed over the cauliflower sushi rice at the new delivery-only, Skinny Fish. This month, it’s the launch of Impasta, the new keto-friendly delivery restaurant serving up the kinds of plant-based noodles and pizzas we often make at home, but rarely have access to on Postmates. Here’s the skinny… What You Should Know: It’s pretty simple — Impasta is serving pasta and pizza, but instead of grain-based flours and pastas, you’ll find spiralized zucchini, spaghetti squash and shirataki noodles, as well as cauliflower-based gnocchi and pizza crust. If you are on a keto diet, this is the dream. Pasta and pizza like you haven’t been able to have in ages. If you’re not on a keto diet, just remember — while Impasta’s dishes may be plant-based, they are not dairy-free. As diet trends evolve it’s easy to confuse this kind of detail if you’re looking for grain-free, plant-based options. What We Ate: What didn’t we eat? We tried most pastas on the menu to get the full range of plant-based noodle options, plus a cauliflower crust pizza. The pizza with pesto sauce and fresh ricotta was delicious — if you like cauliflower crust (which we most certainly do). The texture is different from an Italian of NY pie, closer to
How To Avoid The 6 Mask-Related Skincare Issues According To Facialists
May 07, 2020 at 11:10AM We know this is not the spring accessory report you were hoping for, but this is the one we’ve got. Face masks are now required by the CDC in some states and most of us are doing whatever we can to protect our health and our communities by wearing them. Earlier this month, we shared this DIY for making a mask at home. However, the foreign experience of wearing a mask for hours at a time — or much longer, if you’re a healthcare worker — could potentially take a toll on your face and skin. We’re taking a closer look at mask-related skincare issues with a few facialists and doctors that we trust. Whether you are a nurse who has already been wearing a mask days on end or are quarantined at home and just exploring mask use for the first time, we hope that these skincare tips will help you to avoid any of the issues becoming common during this pandemic. According to the Washington Post, “mask wearing can worsen existing primary skin diseases, such as seborrheic dermatitis, or red scaly skin, rosacea, or red patches and visible blood vessels, eczema, an itchy inflammation, and perioral dermatitis, an acnelike redness around the mouth.” For doctors and nurses, the friction and pressure of wearing a face mask for days at a time can cause issues ranging from mild irritation to actual tissue damage. Avoiding any potential open wounds is key right now and we’ve
How To Build A Joy Box: 30 Items That Will Trigger Your Mood For The Better
May 07, 2020 at 11:05AM Yesterday, we spoke with joy strategist and music biz maven, Grace Harry (read the story). In our interview, Grace reminded us about the detrimental effects of stress on our health and argues that the effects of joy can be just as powerful. One of the tools Grace uses with clients is a “joy toolbox” — a simple practice of keeping a small collection of items and ideas that will instantly trigger joy. We love this idea for mental and emotional health right now and thought we’d list out some great suggestions for ways to build your very own. Grace suggests building your toolbox and dipping into it every morning. For us, the idea of saving our tool box for days we experience an emotional slump is also appealing. Create the rituals that suit you best. Here are our suggestions… 16 Items For Your Joy Toolbox We suggest you select just 3 – 7 items below to build your toolbox. A box works, but an envelope, tray, small area of your home or bedside or desk works just as well! personal affirmation | Grace suggests these first four items and this one could be the most important. Here are a few to get you started. a meaningful quote | No explanation needed. Check out our Instagram feed for plenty of resources. a crystal | Crystals are beautiful and also retain a variety of uplifting or strengthening qualities depending on the stone. Find the stone for your
Sustainability Alert: Recycled Gold + Silver Jewelry Under $200
May 06, 2020 at 10:57AM Jewelry is having a nice moment lately and many of the top trends are coming from small artisans and sustainably-minded businesses we love. One of our absolute favorite creatives in the space is J. Hannah who played a role in popularizing today’s thicker gold jewelry. Other notables include these seven pieces made from recycled gold and silver. Each one is around or under $200 making them ideal Mother’s Day gifts or pick-me-ups as we all stream-line our wardrobes and seek to make our shopping habits more sustainable. 7 Pieces of Recycled Jewelry Under $200 Aurate Large Chain Bracelet | Simple chains like this link bracelet from Aurate are trending big time right now. Maybe it’s because so many of us reached a maximum on layered necklaces with charms. In bracelet form, a chain like this one strikes the perfect balance of simple innocence and polished sophistication. Shop Now Aurate Bold Ear Cuff | Don’t underestimate this simple looking piece meant to adorn the mid or upper ear without a new piercing. Ear cuffs like this one are the perfect way to build a modern ear party without going nuts at the piercing parlor. Shop Now Zoe Chicco 14K Yellow Gold Tiny Huggie Hoops | Huggies too are a jewelry trend we love. These low-profile hoops are a chic pair that will last the test of time, no matter the age of the wearer. Shop Now Zoe Chicco 14K Yellow Gold and Bezel Set Diamond Wire Earrings |
Notes On The Journey of Motherhood with Tastemaker Paige Appel
May 06, 2020 at 10:14AM Mother’s Day is not a one-size-fits-all holiday. We begin celebrating as children and that experience can be as varied as the women we’re celebrating. Through out our lives, with the wild variety of family dynamics, births and deaths, pursuits of becoming mothers and fathers ourselves, and the experience of being the mother celebrated, Mother’s Day can surely take on many forms. Part of our TCM community, tastemaker and shop owner, Paige Appel opened up to share her fertility and pregnancy journey over the last two years. What a difficult holiday this can be for the large population of women with complicated fertility journeys. We thought Appel would make a great profile as we approach this unique Mother’s Day at home. Both her ‘miracle baby’, Cricket who is something for the world to behold and her precious teen, Rem give Paige the street cred to speak to mothering while in quarantine and embracing the journey of motherhood wherever it may find you… The Chalkboard: Paige, you were really open about your fertility struggles before cricket was born. Talk to us about that season: Paige Appel: What a season that was! I will never forget the struggle or the pain that maximized itself for those three years. The ignorance about my body’s state of the union, the vulnerability to lean into the process of intervention, the desire that manifested into surrender… it was quite a magnificent storm. After two miscarriages I went down the road of Western