Supernatural Botanicals

Sevin Nyne,  Lindsay Lohan’s new signature mist self-tanner, is being sold exclusively at Sephora from May until November.  Sevin Nyne, allegedly named after Lindsay’s favorite numbers, says they use caramel in lieu of artificial colors for deeper results.

“We have taken a more environmental approach so we use caramels for color and chardonnay extracts and goji berry for the skin,” said Kristi Kaylor, marketing at Sevin Nyne.  It takes two to five hours to develop, and the results are said to last for four to five days. 

Ratings on Sephora are 3.5 stars out of 5.  Some rave about this tanner, some say it’s a waste of your money.  Sevin Nyne is $35.00 for 5 ounces.  Take into consideration this is a mist, so a great deal of the product never sees your skin.   All reviewers, however, seem to agree that the product smells amazing….. are we love that eco-friendly component to the product. 

Are you tempted to try Sevin Nyne? 

Another home office to love!  Take advantage of the niches, arches, and insets in your house.  Remove the doors off of a closet, and create an inset desk with great bookshelves (I did!)  Take advantage of existing alcoves, or have a carpenter build these for you.  It’s an easy project for a professional….questionable if it’s your husband doing the work.  Use your better judgment on that one depending on the husband.

Great idea to take advantage of every inch of space in your home.

HGTV was very smart by making their website (www.hgtv.com) interactive with viewers.  Rate My Space allows you to upload your own design to have the masses rate your space on a scale from one to five stars.

This is one of my recent favorites uploaded to the Rate My Space board.  I think eco-chic when I see this office.  Swoon!  It’s gorgeous!  This particular office belongs to a man, but you could easily add femininity to the room by changing out the the overhead light fixture and adding some fabric panel curtains to the windows.  However, the room easily appeals to both genders as it is.  Very eco-sexy!

Love interior design?  Check out Hooked On Houses blog.

Don’t shy away from making your own pizza crust.  It’s super economical to make your own, and very easy.  Don’t let rising yeast scare you.  It’s easier than you think.  And lets not forget, better tasting.  You can add extra herbs (such as Rosemary or Basil), or seeds (such as Sesame or Poppy) to your crust to make it gourmet.  Not to mention, less than 300 calories.  Love that!  When the onion and fennel caramelize, they become very sweet and smell amazing (the whole house smells amazing, in fact!)  The presentation is beautiful, and your family and guest will think you spent hours making it. 

Try this delicious pizza with caramelized fennel, onion and olives.   Great for entertaining. 

Servings:  6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dry yeast
• 2/3  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• Cooking spray
• 2  teaspoons  yellow cornmeal
• Topping:
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  cups  thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 4 small bulbs)
• 2  cups  thinly sliced onion
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• Remaining ingredients:
• 1  cup  bottled tomato-basil pasta sauce
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4  cup  coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives

Preparation

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 3/4 cups flour and salt, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If an indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; knead 5 times, and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.

To prepare the topping, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and the next 5 ingredients (fennel through black pepper), and cook for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Spread sauce over crust, leaving a 1/2-inc

Design junkies everywhere are raving over Metropolitan Home’s new book, Glamour.  Gorgeous interiors to inspire your own design.  Click here for your chance to win a copy of your own. 

For more interesting advice on design, visit my friend Julia over at Hooked On Houses. 

The June 1st edition of BusinessWeek magazine featured the new book, Womenonics, written by Claire Shipman (ABC News and Good Morning America) and Katty Kay (BBC World News America.)  In summary, the book denotes how beneficial it is to employers to exercise flexibility in work schedules, depicting how important it is for women to have this flexibility to accommodate their home life, their life as a mother, and all around multitasker.

While I agree with their theory on the whole, as flexibility in work schedules make life far more enjoyable and makes employees more efficient with time management, my mind was boggled at statements such as this “Capital One thought work flexibility was a key issue only for female employees.  Turns out, it was true for the men as well.” 

Is the fact that a man would like to enjoy his children and home-life as much as women such an epiphany?   Is is too far out of the realm of 9-5 that a man would like a personal day?  While I know the double-standard usually takes presidence in favor of men, on this issue, I’m siding with the boys. 

Perhaps it’s that I have two sons, as opposed to daughters, that I understand the need for equality for everyone.   When my boys have children of their own some day, I want them, too, to have the flexibility in their work schedules that women have.  After all, they’ll want to see first home runs and school plays, too. 

Perhaps having sons teaches one how to be a better woman?   Because of my sons, I have a greater deal of empathy with the boys club. 

Discovering that men would like a little flexibility in their work schedules is a bit simplistic and naive, is it not?  It’s human emotion, a human need.  The fact that BusinessWeek mag and Womenomics feels that this is an epiphany makes it feel like three giant steps back for womankind. 

Have we grown so accustom to men being big strong providers that we forgot that they have feelings as well?

Are you using chives in your recipes?  Chives have been used throughout history for natural healing because they contain a substantial amount of vitamin C as well as essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, and folic acid.  Chives are a member of the garlic and onion family.  In Chinese medicine they are used to clear stuffy noses, prevent bad breath (ironically enough, even though it’s a member of the garlic and onion family), ease stomach aches, strengthen the lower back, and improve poor circulation that gives you cold hands and feet.  Some serving suggestions? Chop up chives and add them to stir-fries or mix in with ground poultry to stuff ravioli or dumplings.  Also great on baked potatoes and pasta dishes.  Chives are super easy to grow, so plant your own and save some money. 

Want happiness?  Try music.  Music activates parts of the brain that can trigger happiness, releasing endorphins similar to the ways that sex and food do.  Music can also relax the body, sometimes into sleep, as it stimulates the brain’s release of melatonin.

A study of older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery showed that they had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure, and their hearts did not work as hard as those who underwent surgery without music. A second study of patients undergoing colonoscopy showed that listening to their selection of music reduced their anxiety levels and lessened the dosage required for sedation.

Case in point, listen to this song and try not to start immediately salsa dancing.  It’s absolutely impossible to listen to this song and not start instantly dancing.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO0R_QTnKzA

photo:  Eddie Cibrian  (for inspirational purposes) and in honor of his 36th birthday today, and this “keep it hot” blog post.)

If your romantic relationship has outlived its honeymoon period, you have to take steps to keep it spicy.  It’s not as if it’s an agonizing chore that you have to keep up with day in and day out, making it feel more like mundane routine than pleasure, it’s something you should grow to enjoy and look forward to.  The simple fact of the matter is, you have to give your relationship attention.  And it needs attention every day.  It’s time to rethink your plan of action if you are stuck in a rut.

It’s the tiny things, accumulated over the day, that ignites the spark.  It’s something that literally takes you seconds, but leaves a lasting impression on your spouse.  Try to do these things as often as possible: (Spoken from a girl’s perspective, but it works both ways, men.)

*  Tell him how hot he is.

*  Kiss his lips softly (longer than a quick peck on the lips.)

*  Kiss his neck.

*  Whisper something sexy to him.

*  Send him a racy email picture or video at work.

*  Tell him how much you appreicate him.

*  Tell him he’s sexy!

*  Look at him lustfully.

*  Throw a sexy picture or love note in his briefcase.

*  Call him and tell him you can’t wait for him to come home from work.

*  Dress sexy for him.

*  Always wear sexy (and matching) bra/panties…because yes, they notice.  Trust!

*  Hug on him as much as possible.

*  Be proud of your man (and tell him so.)

*  Be spontaneous and initiate.

*  Be easy to live with.  Point out his positives rather than negatives.

*  Say I love you in a sexy way.

*  Work out and keep your body looking sexy for your spouse.

There’s a million more ways to keep it hot.  Feel free to add your own in the comments section below.  What’s your secret on keeping it hot?

Latest celebrity tweets via Twitter:

   Demi Moore:  “I have only done the yoga DVD of P90X so far, and that has kicked my ass.  The husband is banging it out every day- I need to motivate!” 

  Brooke Burke:  “I’m using the Baboosh Body for cardio.  If you want to lose belly inches, check it out.”